sing over me

Spurgeon Quote

2008-08-23T17:06:00.002-04:00

"If sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies. And if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned or unprayed for." Charles Spurgeon

May we be a people who is ever warning and ever praying.

Remember Why You Sold Everything

2008-07-29T14:39:00.002-04:00

The last few weeks/months have been intense on all sides. The article below (from Desiring God) pretty much sums up the summer--learning what it means to truly be a disciple of Christ, and understanding the true cost of discipleship. Discipleship is costly--it will cost you everything. But friends, the treasure of knowing Christ FAR outweighs the cost.

Praying that you would know the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ as Lord, and count ALL else as rubbish.

(From Desiring God November 2007)

"One of Jesus’ most powerful parables is also one of his shortest:

'The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.' (Matthew 13:44)

Fifteen minutes before this man’s discovery in the field, the thought of selling all that he owned to buy it probably wouldn’t have crossed his mind. If it had, it would have seemed foolish, even excruciating. But fifteen minutes afterward he was off to do it with joy. What made the difference?

The treasure. This man suddenly found something that transformed his whole outlook on life. It restructured his priorities. It altered his goals. His values changed. The treasure revolutionized the man.

Now, there was a cost to obtaining the treasure. Viewing it one way, it was a high cost. Imagine being his neighbor. You would have been bewildered as you watched him liquidate his assets. You might have questioned him. You might have warned him of the dangers of imperiling his family. You might have talked to other neighbors, wondering if the man was going bonkers. You would have been puzzled at his joy.

But viewing it another way, the cost was very small. The man was shrewd. Standing there in the field he did a quick cost-benefit analysis. It didn’t take much time to realize that selling all his possessions was going to make him wealthy beyond his wildest dreams. What he did might have appeared foolish at first. But in reality the benefits so far outweighed the costs that he would have been foolish not to sell everything.

What this parable doesn’t tell us is how difficult it was for the man between the time he sold everything and the time he had full, complete access to and experience of the treasure. It doesn’t describe the moments he wondered if the treasure had been an illusion, the fears that might lose it, the temptation to buy back what he had sold, the hardship of not knowing if he could make ends meet while he waited.

As Christians, that’s where we are living right now—in the treasure-is-already-ours-but-we-don’t-have-it-in-full-yet world. Much of the rest of the New Testament was written to fill in this gap for us, and teach us how to keep the treasure in view during the long wait.

Paul is a great example of how to do this. Sitting in prison writing to his dear friends in Philippi, he was reflecting on the treasure’s cost when he wrote, “whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ” (Philippians 3:7).

And what a cost. He had sold all that Saul the Pharisee once valued: an admired vocation, a stellar reputation, influential friends, his home. He lost any dreams he may have had for a wife and children. He lost financial security—all earthly security for that matter. Now in prison he had lost his freedom. And he knew the loss of his life for Christ’s sake was only a matter of time.

Imagine a friend from Paul’s old Pharisee days visiting him in prison after all those years. What might he say? “Saul, what have you done? You abandoned a promising life to buy the precious treasure that your rabbi taught about, and what do you have to show for it? A scarred back, a broken body, poverty, constant danger, constant stress, and now prison. Oh, and a few small groups of adherents to your creed sprinkled here and there who, like lambs among wolves, will be wiped out when you’re no longer around to guard them. Some treasure, Saul.”

I imagine Paul responding, “Some treasure, indeed. In fact, ‘I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ.’” (Philippians 3:7-8).

Having lost all things, what had Paul gained? Jesus Christ. Paul’s treasure wasn’t his possessions, achievements, or legacy. His gain was the forgiveness of all of his sins through Jesus’ substitutionary, atoning death on the cross. And through that he had also gained Jesus’ perfect righteousness, which meant that Paul now had continual access to the Father for any request and enjoyed the Father’s pleasure resting on him—the pleasure that the Father has in his Son. And Paul was now an heir to all that Jesus was inheriting from the Father. He had gained the promise that God would work all things together for good for Paul and that none of his labors, as feeble as they might appear, would be in vain. He gained the promise of the resurrection from the dead, eternal life without any indwelling sin. And, above all, he gained the promise of the perfect fellowship with the triune God, the Heart of Paul’s own heart whatever befall, the High King of Heaven, his Treasure.

Yes, the treasure is real. But there is a cost to obtaining the treasure. We must be realistic about it. It will cost us everything. But if we’ve really discovered the treasure, the most realistic conclusion is that we would be foolish not to go and in our joy sell all that we have to get it."

still here....

2008-07-07T17:46:00.006-04:00

ok...so I realize I'm pretty terrible at this whole blog updating thing. Summer is here--well, summer is almost half over!!--and it's crazy!

I just spent an AMAZING weekend with THE SPRUILL'S! I am so blessed to have such a FUN adopt-a-family!! We had fun watching live fireworks in the backyard (that's right--fireworks are LEGAL in Kentucky--I may live in the city, but it's still got some "hick" in it!), eating at Lynn's Paradise Cafe (ask Sharon about the Bourbon Ball French Toast!), learning about the history and making of baseball bats at the Louisville Slugger Museum, and exploring Bass Pro Shop in Indiana. If you've never been to a Bass Pro Shop, it's actually a lot of fun (there's an aquarium, a Starbucks, and full restaurant inside!)

It was so good to spend the weekend with them, but it sure makes me miss the First State!

Bellarmine classes are going well--we're about halfway through t

he semester, and the workload is certainly picking up! Two more Saturday classes to go!!

I find out next week whether or not I passed the PRAXIS exam I took last month to pursue teacher certification. Prayers are SO welcomed!

PRAISES:

*Bellarmine class is halfway over!!

*Good visits from good friends! (Carolyn Larrivee was also out here last month and we had a BLAST!)

*God is so gracious to plant me in a community where I feel SO loved. He is SO good.

*Teaching at Prospect Latin School is going well. I've been assisting in a classroom on Tues/Thurs, and I will have my own class in the Fall!

*I'm still with the girls I've been nannying for since I moved here--we are having so much fun hanging out this summer, and they were SO incredibly gracious when I told them about the career move for the Fall! I'm going to miss those girls!

*SALVATION!! We are more blessed than we will EVER know.

PRAYER:

*I'm still homeless as of August 1st. God is the Provider and He is Sovereign. My needs will be provided for, but it's a bit nerve-wracking, as August 1st is only 3 weeks away!!!

*There is LOTS to do to finish up my semester at Bellarmine...I need perseverance to finish the semester well!

*My future roommate, Lindsay, is ministerin

g in India this summer. Pray for boldness, protection, and perseverance--she comes back the 21st of July!

*Bekah (my current roommate) is taking the CPT test tomorrow to become a certified personal trainer. PRAY for her to do well tomorrow!!

*God is in the sanctifying process, and as beautiful a process as that is, it's also pretty painful...pray for grace and faith to sustain the pruning!

Life is crazy busy, but GOD IS GOOD! If you're looking for some refreshment from the Word, I suggest checking out Isaiah 43-61. I know that's almost 20 chapters, but they're all SO good. The Lord is God, and He is ONE! There are NO OTHER GODS BESIDES HIM!

(Here's a taste of Isaiah 43:

"But now, this is what the Lord says-He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you O, Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; You are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life...'You are my witnesses', declares the Lord, 'and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. I have revealed and saved and proclaimed--I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'that I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am He. No one can deliver out of my hand. When I act, who can reverse it?" (Isaiah 43: 1-4; 10-13). Go read the rest of it--you'll be so glad you did!

Two other notes of encouragement from my pastor this week....

...in the midst of pain or trial we have two options--we can either choose bitterness and resentment or we can choose real, authentic praise to the sovereign Lord of the universe. There is no in between--we're either bitter or praising. You can't live in the middle. CHOOSE PRAISE!

...In heaven, we will no longer have to "believe" anything--we will SEE it. We will stand FACE TO FACE with our Maker. We will SEE the wounds in His han

ds and His pierced side. We won't have FAITH, we'll have SIGHT....cling to that today!

And finally...a book recommendation. I am on my second time through this book. Our Women's Ministry chose this as our Summer Bible Study, and it has rocked my

life. She begins the book by asking "in your pursuit of godliness, have you left Jesus behind?"

I WHOLE-HEARTEDLY EXHORT YOU TO READ THIS BOOK! (guys too!!!)

Because He Loves Me: How Christ Transforms Our Daily Life by Elyse Fitzpatrick

LOVING YOU!!!!! and praying that the gospel is transforming your life TODAY!

Valley of Vision Prayer

2008-06-11T08:54:00.003-04:00

God is good. Life is crazy, but God is soooo good. Here's a prayer from the book Valley of Vision (it's a puritan prayer book). I read this prayer this morning in my quiet time and was moved to share.

Update on life coming soon...

REGENERATION

O God of the highest heaven,

occupy the throne of my heart,
take full possession and reign supreme,
lay low every rebel lust,
let no vile passion resist thy holy war;
manifest thy mighty power,
and make me thine forever.
Thou art worthy to be
praised with my every breath,
loved with my every faculty of soul,
served with my every act of life.
Thou hast loved me, espoused me, received me,
purchased, washed, favored, clothed,
adorned me,
when I was a worthless, vile soiled, polluted.
I was dead in iniquities,
having no eyes to see thee,
no ears to hear thee,
no taste to relish thy joys,
no intelligence to know thee;
But thy Spirit has quickened me,
has brought me into a new world as a
new creature,
has given me spiritual perception,
has opened to me thy Word as light, guide,
solace, joy.
Thy presence is to me a treasure of unending peace;
No provocation can part me form thy sympathy,
for thou hast drawn me with cords of love,
and dost forgive me daily, hourly.
O help me then to walk worthy of thy love,
of my hopes, and my vocation.
Keep me, for I cannot keep myself;
Protect me that no evil befall me;
Let me lay aside every sin admired of many;
Help me to walk by thy side, lean on thy arm,
hold converse with thee,
That I may be salt of the earth
and a blessing to all.

(And now the song by Sovereign Grace based on this prayer...we sing it at church--it's powerful!)
O Great God

O great God of highest heaven
Occupy my lowly heart
Own it all and reign supreme
Conquer every rebel power
Let no vice or sin remain
That resists Your holy war
You have loved and purchased me
Make me Yours forevermore

I was blinded by my sin
Had no ears to hear Your voice
Did not know Your love within
Had no taste for heaven’s joys
Then Your Spirit gave me life
Opened up Your Word to me
Through the gospel of Your Son
Gave me endless hope and peace

Help me now to live a life
That’s dependent on Your grace
Keep my heart and guard my soul
From the evils that I face
You are worthy to be praised
With my every thought and deed
O great God of highest heaven
Glorify Your Name through me

...May the words of this prayer be true in our lives!! Glorify Your Name through us!

Quick Update

2008-05-21T08:23:00.003-04:00

Ok, so I realize I haven't been too faithful about keeping this thing updated this month...but more posts will be coming soon! In the meantime....

*I finished my semester at Southern two weeks ago and have been enjoying the time off!
*However, I started my first semester at Bellarmine, and am enjoying getting to know some new people, study some new material, and learn a new campus.
*I will be moving this weekend! It's such a transient time, and while I will miss living with my dear roommate Anna, the move is really for the best. I'll be sending out a change of address email soon, but this is a temporary move, and I will only be on Christy Ave until the end of July. Then, we'll be packing up and moving again (to an unknown location--but here in Louisville--trying to figure that out this week...ha). Lots of moving--Praise God for strong guy friends willing to carry lots of boxes! :)
*I also GOT A JOB at Prospect Latin School. Lord willing, I will start teaching full time in the Fall in the Three Year Old classroom! :) HOORAY! Again, this is bittersweet, as I love the girls I nanny, but I know this change is also for the best!

I think that's it in terms of changes and big life news. Pictures will be coming soon (ps..I got my haircut---chin length!! AH! love it.)

LOVE YOU ALL!

Officially a Knight

2008-05-01T10:03:00.004-04:00

A Bellarmine Knight, that is. I just got my official acceptance into the Master of Arts in Teaching Program at Bellarmine for Early Elementary (K-5) Teacher Certification. Classes begin May 13, and, Lord willing, I'll be a certified teacher by December 2009! :) Praise God!

13.1, 2:51, 7388

2008-04-26T21:34:00.007-04:00

13.1 miles, in 2 hours and 51 minutes, finishing 7388 out of 12,000 participants. Not too shabby for my first half marathon! :) (This is the actual picture from the starting line this morning!!)

This morning was the Kentucky Derby Festival Marathon and Mini-Marathon. My friend Stephanie and I did the mini--13.1 miles through downtown Louisville.

One of the most encouraging things about the race was seeing so many different people wearing shirts with Scripture written across the back. I must have read at least 4 or 5 different verses throughout the run (and of course I saw some of the same ones on a bunch of different shirts). God was all around me the entire race--it was like one big 3 hour long quiet time that I just happened to be running on. How sweet!

While the race itself was hard, I found the Lord really challenging me to think about how a marathon (or half marathon in this case) is such a great metaphor for the Christian life. The discipline of training, grace for the days that training doesn't happen, perseverance to continue training even when it's cold and wet and rainy outside, more grace for when you curl up in blankets on those days instead of training, grace to continue on in obedience, etc.

The Christian life is not a sprint. It's not something that you just decide to do one day, never train for, and then try to run the short distance as hard as you can. It's a marathon. It's lots of little runs that help you finish the long run. It's small steps of discipline and obedience that lead to big steps of discipline and obedience. It's about persevering even when the hills come and your legs feel like they're going to fall out under you. It's about continuing to put one foot in front of the other even when you aren't sure where the course is taking you. It's about hitting "the wall" in mile 11 and deciding in your heart, and in your legs, that you aren't going to let anything get in your way of crossing the finish line--and you press on. And then, at mile 13 when the finish line is so close, you realize that you're actually going to finish--that you haven't been running in vain, but that you've been running the race marked out for you--and now you're almost there--about to capture the prize (in this case, a commemorative finishers medal!), and you press on.

The Christian life is about pressing on. and on. and on. In the face of adversity. In the uphills and downhills of life. In the missed "training sessions" and poor "training decisions". In the "mile 11 walls" when everything in you screams disbelief that you can actually stay the course and finish the race. You keep pressing on--one foot in front of the other--one act of obedience in front of the other. And pretty soon you're at mile 13, and the finish line is right in front you. But the prize for finishing well in the Christian life is far better than a commemorative finishers medal--it's eternity with Christ! Oh that we would run the race with endurance! :)

Here are some pictures from the day--I'm definitely ready to find another half marathon to run--who's in??

Here I am, at 5:00AM, getting ready to head out to the starting line...I was a little excited :)

This is me and Steph AFTER the race.. Stephanie walked/ran it in 3 hours and 32 minutes! I'm so proud of her!! :) Her sister Jackie (a dear friend) was sweet to bring us sunflowers at the finish line!

Here are my smelly shoes. They have been officially retired due to too many miles!! :) (Never thought I'd have to retire sneakers for that!)

And of course...after a long race, a pedicure is DEFINITELY in order!! (Too bad I lost a toenail (it's a hazard of running!) Can anyone tell which toe?? Bonus points if you get it right the first time!!) :)

We sent our medals off to be engraved (we're nerds!!), so I'll post a picture of mine when I get it next week! :)

...now seriously...who's in for the next one?! Let me know. It will change your life. :)

Don't Let Me Lose My Wonder...

2008-04-23T20:24:00.002-04:00

"When the fear of the Lord is forgotten-we no longer catch our breath at the sight of a rainbow or the scent of a rose, as we once did… We no longer run our fingers through the water, no longer shout at the stars , or make faces at the moon. Certainly, the new can amaze us: the latest computer game, the softest diaper. Till tomorrow, till the new becomes old, till yesterday's wonder is discarded or taken for granted.

As civilization advances, the sense of wonder declines. We get so preoccupied with ourselves, the words we speak, the plans and projects we conceive that we become immune to the glory of creation. We barely notice the cloud passing over the moon or the dewdrops clinging to the rose leaves. The ice on the pond comes and goes. The wild blackberries ripen and wither. The blackbird nests outside our bedroom window: We don't see her. We avoid the cold and the heat. We refrigerate ourselves in summer and entomb ourselves in plastic in winter. We rake up every leaf as fast as it falls. We are so accustomed to buying prepackaged meats and fish and fowl in supermarkets we never think and blink about the bounty of Gods creation. We grow complacent and lead practical lives. We miss the experience of awe, reverence, and wonder!" Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

Don't Let Me Lose My Wonder (Keith and Kristyn Getty)

I've seen days melt into nights, in circles of lights,
I've watched a spider spin a star between the window box flowers,
I've heard you laugh and cry in a single sigh, and a story form within.

Don't let me lose my wonder.
Don't let me lose my wonder.

I saw her broken, dreams inside, but helping others fly,
I saw his eyes, without a doubt, though other lights faded out,
And though her calling roared, such graciousness flowed
From the vision of her soul.

A baby cried through the dark beneath a jeweled spark,
I knew Your voice upon the hill and heard my lostness still,
I found my home in the light, where wrong was made right
And You rose like the morning star.

Don't let me lose my wonder
Don't let me lose my wonder.

Encouraging Words

2008-04-16T22:24:00.003-04:00

"The grand trial of a life of religion is a trial of the heart. We have sins, we have weaknesses and temptations, which tend to a dreadful discouragement. Sin easily besets us. We easily wander from God. Holiness is an uphill work. Our feet often stagger in the path of our pilgrimage, and tears of bitterness gush from our eyes, lest such weak, and tempted, and erring creatures should never reach heaven. Devils tempt us. The world presents its deceitful allurements, and more deceitful and dangerous claims. What shall cheer us when our heart sinks within us? Whither shall we fly for comfort, when our hearts are bleeding, when our sins are so many, when our gain in holiness is so little, when our light goes out, and the gloom of an impenetrable midnight settles down upon our poor and helpless soul? We cannot, indeed, mount up to the inner sanctuary of God, open the seven-sealed book, and read our names recorded in it by the pen of the Eternal. But we can know that such a book is there; and that the pen of our Father has filled it with His eternal decrees, not one of which shall fail of accomplishment, as surely as His own throne shall stand. And when we find in ourselves, amid our tearful struggles, even the feeble beginnings of holiness, we know that God has commenced His work for us,--a work which He planned before the world was; and that he who has 'begun a good work in us, will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ,' carrying into effect His eternal plan."

Ichabod Spencer, A Pastor's Sketches

Fun new coffee shop

2008-04-11T17:53:00.006-04:00

Louisville never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think the city is running out of new places to go, someone shows me another gem! Such was the case last week when a friend suggested we go to a coffee house called Ray's Monkey House to study. Ray's is a coffee house like none I've ever seen. Instead of coffee colored walls, each room is painted in vivid colors (the girls bathroom is hot pink. and when I say "hot pink", I mean HOT pink!) The coffee house is designed with KIDS in mind. A COFFEE shop for KIDS? Well, maybe it's more for parents than it is for kids, but the coffee shop has a miniature kitchen playset, a table with a racetrack for hot wheels cars, a variety of board games (chinese checkers, scrabble, ants in the pants, to name a few), and childrens books are strewn throughout. They even have a kids open mic night every Friday night for children to tell stories, sing songs, play instruments, etc, story hour twice a week, and they bring in kid-friendly entertainment on occasion.

Here are a few pictures from their blog... You can kind of see the kitchen play set in the back corner.
Here's a picture of the upstairs during one of the story time events. The car track is in the back right hand corner where one of the children is busy at work racing cars!

In addition to the kid-friendly environment, Ray's is also deeply concerned with social justice, fair trade and organic living. They also roast their own coffee beans right in the coffee shop. And if you order tea it comes out in its own little pot on a fun wooden tray. Come visit Louisville, and we'll be sure to stop by Ray's! :)

GRE

2008-04-11T08:08:00.003-04:00

The GRE was yesterday, and PRAISE THE LORD, I never have to take that thing again!!! I am very grateful for the above book which provided enough practice tests and tips to get me the scores I need to get into Bellarmine! PRAISE GOD! Now all I have to do is get that application finished and send it in, and I'm on my way! God is great, He is greatly to be praised! :)

Hymn sing-alongs

2008-04-08T07:50:00.002-04:00

My roommate, Anna, and I have a habit of breaking into random hymn sing-alongs in the wee hours of the night. I'm not even really sure how it started, but randomly we'll break into song and then the hymnal comes out and a good bit later we'll fall into bed. Random, yes, but rather encouraging.
Since coming to Louisville, I've really become a fan of hymns. Don't get me wrong, I love a good Passion worship session, but there's just something about the old hymns that makes me feel connected to believers from hundreds of years ago--singing the same songs to the same God who never changes. The truths in those hymns are still the truths we cling to today. God is faithful to sustain His people throughout generations!

If you've never heard of Indelible Grace, you should definitely check them out. They've taken old hymns and put them to newer music. They are currently on my ipod rotation, and probably will be for a long time to come.

Here are the words to one of the hymns that I've been enjoying these days. It reminds us of all we have in Christ.

Out of My Bondage (Jesus I Come)

Out of my bondage, sorrow, and night
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come
Into Thy freedom, gladness, and light
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of my sickness, into Thy health
Out of my want and into Thy wealth
Out of my sin and into Thyself
Jesus, I come to Thee

Out of my shameful failure and loss
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come
Into the glorious gain of Thy cross
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of earth's sorrows into Thy balm
Out of life's storms and into Thy calm
Out of distress to jubilant psalm
Jesus, I come to Thee

Out of unrest and arrogant pride
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come
Into Thy blessed will to abide
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of myself to dwell in Thy love
Out of despair into raptures above
Upward for aye on wings like a dove
Jesus, I come to Thee

Out of the fear and dread of the tomb
Jesus, I come, Jesus, I come
Into the joy and light of Thy throne
Jesus, I come to Thee
Out of the depths of ruin untold
Into the peace of Thy sheltering fold
Ever Thy glorious face to behold
Jesus, I come to Thee

Funny.

2008-04-07T18:52:00.003-04:00

My dear friend, Lisa, had this magnet posted on her blog today--I thought it was amusing, and thought I'd pass it along. For those of you with teenagers, or soon to be teenagers, I'm sure you can relate! :)

Must Read.

2008-04-01T08:05:00.003-04:00

I just finished the book Family Driven Faith by Voddie Baucham, Jr. and I have to say, I think every family (or every person who wants to have a family someday) should read this book. I had to read it for one of my classes, but I am so glad that I did.

In this book Voddie lays a foundation to reclaim the parents as the primary people responsible for the discipleship of their children--not the children's minister or the youth pastor, or even the senior pastor of the church; not the Christian school teachers or Sunday school teachers--but the parents. He gives examples of his own families failure of this in the past, and how they are seeking to change.

The biggest thing I took away from this book was the need for daily family devotions. The Baucham's are reading through a catechism in the mornings (like Westminster, Sprugeon's, etc), reading one question and then discussing what it means, and then singing a few worship songs and praying. At night before bed they are reading through the entire Bible in a year---all as a family. What an incredible way to model quiet times and devotion to the Lord as a family--to train and disciple children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and to grow closer together as a family in the process.

I'm not saying that everything in the book is for everyone--and either is he. The Baucham's homeschool all of their children (even in high school), and attend a church with no youth group, children's ministry or nursery. However, their commitment to family worship and discipleship is one that all parents can benefit from reading about.

I try to limit the number of books I recommend to busy moms and dads (because who has time to read??), but I really think this one is worth the read. It's not too long (I read it in two days) so I'm sure that if you read it a chapter a night before bed you'd have it done in no time.

Check it out, and let me know what you think. :)

Quote

2008-03-30T21:13:00.001-04:00

"I have come to believe that by and large the human family all has the same secrets, which are both very telling in the sense that they tell what is perhaps the central paradox of our condition - that what we hunger for perhaps more than anything else is to be known in our full humanness, and yet that is often just what we also fear more than anything else." - Frederick Buechner

Community is something we long for as human beings. God created us for community--ultimately our longing for community is communion with God Himself, which we are able to have here on earth in our relationship with Christ, but which we will not fully realize until Heaven. Our souls long for heaven; they ache for eternity. We want to be known, fully--truly. And in being known we desire acceptance and love for who we really are--not who we pretend to be or the parts we let other people see.

And yet, as Buechner so aptly points out, we are fearful of being known. Of exposing our secrets. Of letting people know that we're not perfect, that we struggle with sin, that we mess up, that life's not always pretty or easy or fun.

Lord--strip me of my fear of man that I may be truly known, because it is only in being known that I can be changed and conformed into Your image. Change me Lord. Give me a heart like Yours to love others, hands like Yours to wash others feet, words like Yours to speak truth in love, feet like Yours to go to the nations, obedience like Yours to obey the Word, love like Yours to live sacrificially for others, and boldness like Yours that I might preach the Good News to those who don't know You. Help me to be known, that I might be changed into Your image. Amen.

Thanks Mom!

2008-03-25T10:05:00.012-04:00

My mom has a great sense of humor, so when I opened up my birthday package from her last week I thought it must have been a joke. What I found in the box was a pair of "tater mitts". Yes that's right, kitchen mitts that actually peel potatoes. Who knew these things existed? Apparently my mom did...and when I called to thank her for the gift I found out she wasn't joking! (She even bought a pair for my sister in law!)

So of course two days later when I got an email about our Easter dinner potluck--the only thing that was left on the list was mashed potatoes. What perfect timing to try out the "tater mitts"...below, is my photo diary of my attempt at using the tater mitts.

Tater Mitts!! The box claims that you can peel a potato in 8 seconds...hmmm...

Out of the box, they look like rubber gloves with plastic nerd candies attached. Let's give 'em a go!

Here's a "before picture" of the potatoes...5 lbs= about 12-14 potatoes. At 8 seconds a potato, it should take less than 2 minutes to complete!

...so over 30 minutes later, this is what the potatoes looked like...

...and this is what the gloves looked like...how do you clean these things??

The Tater Mitts also included a "free" vegetable dicer. I'll spare the details, but let's just say, wet potatoes+wet counter+not so sharp vegetable dicer=a lot of laughter!

After another 20 minutes of "dicing", the potatoes were finally ready to be boiled!
And, the final product... (ok, so I actually forgot to take a picture of the final product, but mine looked a lot like these!)

Now let's analyze the back of the box... 8 seconds per potato? Hardly. It took at least 2 minutes to do each potato. If by a "few quick strokes" they meant "vigorously rub each potato until you are sweating and feeling the burn in your arms", then yes--it only took a few quick strokes. :) "Perfectly peeled in an instant", eh? There was nothing perfect, nor instant about this whole process...

The Tater Mitts were fun to try--and at least it's made for a fun story and a good blog post..but really, that's about all they're good for. If you ever happen upon these online, in a store, or on a tv infomercial, get as far away as possible! :)

Good Friday Verses/Hymn

2008-03-20T15:23:00.002-04:00

"What can wash away my sin?
NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!
What can make me whole again?
NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!

oh, precious is the flow
that makes me white as snow!
No other fount I know,
NOTHING BUT THE BLOOD OF JESUS!"
(Hymn: What Can Wash Away My Sin?)

"Come now, let us reason together. Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool!" Isaiah 1:12

"Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe.
Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow!
...O praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!"
(Hymn: Jesus Paid it All)

"He was pierced for our transgression, he was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon him; and by his wounds we are healed." Isaiah 53:5

"My sin, o the bliss, of this glorious thought:
My sin, not in part, but the WHOLE
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more
Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, oh my soul!"
(Hymn: It Is Well with My Soul)

"He made Him who knew NO sin to be sin FOR US, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God!" 2 Corinthians 5:21

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were STILL SINNERS Christ died for us!" Romans 5:8

"And can it be that I should gain
an interest in the Savior's blood?
Died he for me--who caused his pain
for me who Him to death pursued.
Amazing love--how can it be?
That Thou my God should die for me?"
(And Can It Be--Charles Wesley)

"He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree that we might die to sin and live for righteousness. By His wounds we are healed" 1 Peter 2:24

"That if you confess with your mouth, JESUS IS LORD, and believe in your heart, God raised Him from the dead--you will be saved." Romans 10:9

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son that whoever believes in him will not perish but will have eternal life." John 3:16

The Greatest Event in History

2008-03-20T09:22:00.003-04:00

(By John Piper)

Not surprisingly the greatest event in the history of the world is complex.

1) For example, since Jesus Christ is man and God in one person, was his death the death of God? To answer this we must speak of the two natures of Christ, one divine and one human. Ever since AD 451 the Chalcedonian definition of Christ’s two natures in one person has been accepted as the orthodox teaching of Scripture. The Council of Chalcedon said,

We, then, . . . teach men to confess . . . one and the same Christ, Son, Lord, Only-begotten, to be acknowledged in two natures, inconfusedly, unchangeably, indivisibly, inseparably; the distinction of the natures being by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved, and concurring in one Person and One Subsistence, nor parted or divided into two persons, but one and the same Son, and only begotten, God, the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ.
The divine nature is immortal (Romans 1:23; 1 Timothy 1:17). It cannot die. That is part of what it means to be God. Therefore, when Christ died, it was his human nature that suffered death. The mystery of the union between the divine and the human natures, in that experience of death, is not revealed to us. What we know is that Christ died, and that in the same day he went to Paradise ("Today you will be with me in Paradise," Luke 23:43). Therefore there seems to have been consciousness in death, so that the ongoing union between the human and divine natures need not have been interrupted, though Christ, only in his human nature, died.

2) Another example of the complexity of the event of Christ’s death is how God the Father experienced it. The most common evangelical teaching is that the death of Christ is Christ’s experience of the Father’s curse. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’" (Galatians 3:13). Whose curse? One could soften it by saying, "the curse of the law." But the law is not a person to curse anyone. A curse is a curse if there is one who curses. The one who curses through the law is God, who wrote the law. Therefore the death of Christ for our sin and for our law breaking was the experience of the Father’s curse.

This is why Jesus said, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46). In the death of Christ God laid on him the sins of his people (Isaiah 53:6) which he hated. And in hatred for that sin, God turned away from his sin-laden Son and gave him up to suffer the full force of death and cursing. The Father’s wrath was poured out on him instead of us so that his wrath toward us was "propitiated" (Romans 3:25) and removed.

But here is the paradox. God deeply and joyfully approved of what the Son was doing in that hour of sacrifice. In fact, he had planned it all together with the Son. And his love for the God-Man, Jesus Christ, on earth was owing to the very obedience that took Jesus to the cross. The cross was Jesus’ crowning act of obedience and love. And this obedience and love the Father profoundly approved and enjoyed. Therefore Paul says this amazing thing: "Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Ephesians 5:2). The death of Jesus was a fragrance to God.

So here we have one more glorious complexity. The death of Christ was the curse of God and the wrath of God; and yet, at the same time, it was pleasing to God and a sweet fragrance. While turning from his Son and giving him up to die laden with our sin, he delighted in the obedience and love and perfection of the Son.

Therefore, let us stand in awe and look with trembling joy on the death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There is no greater event in history. There is no greater thing for our minds to ponder or our hearts to admire. Stay close to this. Everything important and good gathers here. It is a wise and weighty and happy place to be.

"When I survey the wondrous Cross
On which the Prince of Glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss
and pour contempt on all my pride.

See from His head, His hands, His feet
Sorrow and love flow mingled down.
Did e'er such love and sorrow meet
or thorns compose so rich a crown?

Were the whole realm of nature mine
that were an offering far too small
Love so amazing, so divine
demands my soul, my life, my all.

O the Wonderful Cross!
O the Wonderful Cross!
Bids me come and die
and find that I, may truly live!

O the Wonderful Cross!
O the Wonderful Cross!
All who gather here,
by grace draw near, to bless your Name."

Birthday #24!

2008-03-17T22:49:00.005-04:00

24 My roommate Anna and my good friend Stephanie hosted my 24th birthday bash last night, and we had a blast! I am so thankful for such good friends here in Louisville!! And my best friend Tricia drove up from Nashville to celebrate birthday weekend! Thanks for making me feel so loved!

I also felt SUPER loved by all of the phone calls, emails and good ol' snail mail!! It is such a blessing having friends all over the country!

Here are some pictures from last night:

Me, blowing out the candles on the cake!

Anna and Stephanie, my amazing party planner/hosters! I love these girls!!

Some of the girls posing on the couch! I am so blessed by such dear friends! Thanks for making the night so fun!
Wish you all could have been here to celebrate!

...and happy St. Patty's day! :)

SNOW DAY!!!

2008-03-08T14:44:00.007-05:00

Louisville becomes more like Delaware everyday...

Last weekend we were out running the loop at Cherokee (in t-shirts and capris!) Today we were out SLEDDING down Dog Hill in a FOOT of snow at Cherokee bundled up in layers of clothing!!

Here are some pictures of our fun outing...

My car was COVERED in snow!!

Stephanie, Jackie and I in front of the Daniel Boone statue on our walk to Cherokee park!
The whole gang: Dana, Jimmy, Stephanie, Jackie, me and Anna
Jimmy, about to push me, Dana and Anna down the hill!
What a great way to spend a Saturday!

Happy MARCH!

2008-03-01T16:16:00.002-05:00

It's MARCH!! Can you believe it? Time flies when you're having fun!! Where are the days going? To go along with the last post--our lives are fleeting and fading fast!!

In honor of the great month of March, I've compiled a list of why March is such a fabulous month...

...at the beginning of March it's usually snowy and cold, but by the end of March Spring is bursting at the seams!! The best of both worlds!

...The official beginning of Spring--in my opinion, the best season of them all(along with fall of course)!

...signs of new life springing forth--reminding us of the One who created the heavens and the earth!

...March is National Frozen Food Month. Who knew?

....St. Patrick's Day. A holiday brought to you by your local Irish pub, the color green, and the number 17.

...this year, Easter falls in March. "There in the ground His body lay, Light of the World by darkness slain. Then bursting forth in glorious day--up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, sins' curse has lost its' grip on me, for I am His, and He is mine--bought with the precious blood of Christ!!"

...Some of Delaware's most beloved people were all birthed in March--Jenny and Tyler Somers, Olivia Thompson, Jacob and Isaac Spruill, my sister-in-law, Jilly Klumbach, my twin brother--and of course, yours truly! :)

So thank you March, for being such a wonderful month in the year--full of things to celebrate! Enjoy every moment of it!! (April will be here soon enough!)

...on a roll...

2008-02-29T08:10:00.002-05:00

Three posts in one week? I must be procrastinating... :)

At any rate, just thought I'd share some biblical truth from our sermon this past Sunday.

Adam (my care group leader) preached on Psalm 90. If anything, it is good to remember that "our lives are fleeting and fading fast!"

"10 The length of our days is seventy years—
or eighty, if we have the strength;
yet their span [a] is but trouble and sorrow,
for they quickly pass, and we fly away."

70 or 80 years sounds like a lot to this 23 year old (almost 24!!!) (thats almost 50 more years!!)
But to an ETERNAL God, it is but a flash!!!

"4 For a thousand years in your sight
are like a day that has just gone by,
or like a watch in the night."

Adam had this great illustration that took all of history and condensed it down into one week--giving each day 1000 years. (Thanks Adam for sending this to me!)

On Sunday/Monday--
God created the heavens and earth and everything in them.

On Tuesday --
Whole earth was exceedingly wicked, but Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD and survived the flood.

On Wednesday--
Abraham was called. Moses was born. "Pharaoh, Pharaoh! Let my people go." Plagues on Egypt. Israel redeemed. "5 little stones went in the sling" and David rises to the throne.

On Thursday--
The temple was built. The kingdom divides. Zephaniah-Haggai-Zechariah-Malachi

On Friday--
Jesus born in a manger. Grew in wisdom and stature. Was crucified, buried and raised from the dead. Sin dethroned. Death lost its sting. Jesus ascended. The Spirit came. The gospel spread. The church exploded. 1st and 2nd and 3rd John, Jude, and Revelation

On Saturday--
Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses. Christopher Columbus landed in America.

And finally, this morning--while you were sleeping--
The Pilgrims landed. Electricity was discovered. The Holocaust. Roe v Wade. Cell Phones. The internet. Y2K. 911.

"Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations…from everlasting to everlasting you are God…a thousand years in your sight are but as yesterday when it is past or a watch in the night."

Praise Him. Lord, teach us to number our days, that we might gain a heart of wisdom!

Care Group Pictures :)

2008-02-24T21:43:00.008-05:00

After realizing that I only ever take pictures at work, I totted my camera around with me this weekend, and actually remembered to use it at care group today. I figure since I talk so much about my *amazing* care group, it might be nice to put some faces with names...

Chris, part of Paul, Megan, Taquan (Adam and Ruth's son) and Adam. This is about half of my care group, and they are such a blessing and one of the reasons why I LOVE Louisville!

Stephenie (and Rose, her daughter), Cari and Ruth--three ladies that God has truly blessed my life with! They are so encouraging, and I praise God for their honesty, humility, and love-- and their example of what it means to be a godly woman!

Me with Miyleah (Adam and Ruth's daughter). Miyleah is my sweet girl!!! (don't mind my hair!)

Owen (Chris and Cari's son) has the right idea about the proper way to utilize a treadmill... :)

Pictures!!!

2008-02-23T11:57:00.010-05:00

As promised, here are some pictures of the last month or so...

The place where I live...the Louisville skyline and the Second Street Bridge that connects Kentucky and Indiana. Beautiful!

We had one more day of warmer weather...

...before it got cold and snowed again!! Hooray for snow days!

Even Kevin (the dad) joined us for some sledding at the church!

For Valentine's Day, we made cookies...

...and played "Queen for the day". The girls LOVE to play dress-up!

Every Wednesday, Anna (4), Lydia (1 1/2) and I go out to lunch, then head over to the local coffee shop to work on Anna's numbers and letters. Then we are off to story time at one of the local book stores. It makes for a fun afternoon and the time passes quickly before we have to pick Alyssa up from school! On this particular afternoon we stopped at the Spaghetti Shop for lunch...

After cleaning ourselves up, we headed to Coffee Crossing to get some work done!

I realized as I was downloading pictures that I really only bring my camera to work with me! I really do have a life outside of work, even though the photo evidence may prove otherwise. Goal for March--document life outside of work! :)

life update! :)

2008-02-21T14:57:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I realize it's been about a month since posting. I could give all the excuses (the semester starting, crazy weather in Louisville, etc) but that would just be a waste, so I'll spare the details.

So what's going on in Louisville, you ask?

*Semester #3 at Southern Seminary has commenced! I'm taking Personal Evangelism, the Ministry of Leadership, and Lifespan Developments. So far my classes are going well--I'm not too far behind in reading and assignments--yet. :)

*Church is amazing. I'm SO blessed by the body at Immanuel, and have currently started teaching the Sprouts class (1 1/2- 2 1/2 year olds). The kids are stinkin' cute, and we have a lot of fun reading books, coloring pictures, and learning about the God who saves!
Caregroup is also one of the biggest blessings that I've been blessed with since moving here. God has provided so many families and friends that I feel so loved and supported by here in the city. God is soo good!

*I had my one year anniversary at work this month! It's hard to believe that I've been here for an entire year! The girls have grown so much this year, and I have been so blessed to be a part of it!!

...there are some potential big changes on the horizon (NOT BOY RELATED!!! y'all would be fully aware on that front)...but more on that as decisions are made! it's exciting to see how God is moving! :)

God is great, and He is greatly to be praised.

...pictures are on the way...

If...

2008-01-23T18:49:00.000-05:00

If
by Rudyard Kipling.

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too:
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim,
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same:.
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build'em up with worn-out tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings,
And never breathe a word about your loss:
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much:
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

[only Christ can make life like this possible...]

Encouraged by the Word

2008-01-21T21:50:00.000-05:00

Below is Psalm 130, followed by an old hymn by Martin Luther based off of this psalm. The word of God is truly living and active, and able to pierce the heart! I've been thinking about my standing before the Lord lately, and have become even more completely aware of my unrighteousness before a Holy King. Verse three of Psalm 130 echoes in my heart tonight..."If you, O Lord, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?" If God kept a record of my sin I fear it would stretch farther than the east is from the west--but I praise Him that it is His LOVE, GRACE and MERCY that extend farther than my sin ever could. And it is only because of His unconditional love, amazing grace, and abounding mercy that I can stand before Him, and boldly approach His throne of Grace. How sweet it is, to be loved by God, and covered by the blood of His son!

Psalm 130
A song of ascents.
1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD;

2 O Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

3 If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins,
O Lord, who could stand?

4 But with you there is forgiveness;
therefore you are feared.

5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

6 My soul waits for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

7 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.

8 He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

From the Depths of Woe

From the depths of woe I raise to thee, the voice of lamentation.
Lord turn a gracious ear to me and hear my supplication.
If Thou iniquities dost mark, our secret sins and misdeeds dark,
O, who shall stand before Thee?
O, who shall stand before Thee?

To wash away the crimson stain, grace, grace alone availeth.
Our works, alas! are all in vain; in much the best life faileth.
No man can glory in Thy sight, all must alike confess Thy might,
and live alone by mercy.
And live alone by mercy.

Therefore my trust is in the Lord, and not in mine own merit;
On Him my soul shall rest, His word upholds my fainting spirit;
His promised mercy is my fort, my comfort and my sweet support;
I wait for it with patience.
I wait for it with patience.

What though I wait the live-long night, and 'til the dawn appeareth,
My heart still trusteth in His might; it doubteth not nor feareth.
Do thus, O ye of Israel's seed, ye of the Spirit born indeed;
And wait 'til God appeareth.
And wait 'til God appeareth.

Though great our sins and sore our woes, His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows, our upmost need it soundeth.
Our Shepherd good and true is He, Who will at last His Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.
From all their sin and sorrow.

O To Grace How Great A Debtor...

2008-01-17T11:25:00.000-05:00

...DAILY I'm constrained to be...

Grace. One of the most powerful words in the human language. In it we find forgiveness, love, and redemption, all equally undeserved, yet lavishly given by a Father who loves us dearly. Through grace we are called and sustained to persevere till the end. Praise God for this kind of grace...

Yesterday I found myself becoming more and more exasperated as the day went on. The littlest things started bothering me, and having three girls under the age of 7 depending on you for care only seemed to magnify the root of selfishness in my heart. I didn't even know it was there, until I began getting frustrated by things that normally don't upset me. As I found myself getting more and more irritated throughout the afternoon, I knew that I needed to turn to the Lord to change my unforgiving heart. I wish I could report that immediately after praying I was the most loving, caring, selfless human alive, but that wasn't the case. I was still frustrated and irritated, but more aware of the fact that it was my own sin--not anything the girls were doing, which allowed me to internalize the frustration rather than take it out on them. Not the best solution to the problem, but definitely better than the alternative.

Here's an excerpt from Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan that really spoke to me this morning...(you should read the whole book if you haven't already!) (Ps...It's in Old English...)

"he led him into a place where was a Fire burning against a Wall, and one standing by it always, casting much Water upon it to quench it: Yet did the Fire burn higher and hotter.
Then said Christian, What means this?
The Interpreter answered, This fire is the work of Grace that is wrought in the heart; he that casts water upon it, to extinguish and put it out is the Devil: but in that thou seest the fire, notwithstanding, burn higher and hotter, thou shalt also see the reason of that: So he had him about to the back side of the Wall, where he saw a Man with a Vessel of Oyl [oil] in his hand, of the which he did also continually cast, but secretly, into the fire. Then said Christian, What means this? The Interpreter answered, This is Christ, who continually with the Oyl of his Grace, maintains the work already begun in the heart; by the means of which, not withstanding what the Devil can do, the souls of his people prove gracious still. And in that thou sawest, that the Man stood behind the Wall to maintain the fire; this is to teach thee, that it is hard for the tempted to see how this work of Grace is maintained in the soul."

Praise God for the "Oil of Grace" that continually works to keep our hearts saturated in grace!

January Days...

2008-01-15T19:03:00.001-05:00

It's been a rather eventful week in Fuller 025...My precious roommate, Anna, got the flu on Friday night and has been pretty much out of commission ever since. I've been germ-proofing the apartment, but I arrived at work on Monday morning and Alyssa (7) stayed home from school with, you guessed it, the flu. I had a flu shot this year, but at this point it will be a miracle if I don't end up with it. Good thing God is still in the miracle business!

Currently I'm working on three loads of laundry (let's just say I got a little behind...) I'm not sure if I should be more embarrassed that I let my laundry get that out of control, or that as a single girl, I am able to go for that long without running out of clothes to wear. Perhaps a Goodwill trip is in my future.

Two weeks left until the Spring Semester starts. I'm excited for classes to begin (I'm taking Personal Evangelism, The Ministry of Leadership, and Lifespan Development). I think it will be a great semester, and, in honor of new years resolutions--I've already done some of the reading for my classes. Lookout 2008, I'm getting on top of things!

If you have the chance, please pray for my new friend Corina. Corina is 31 years old and is the daughter of a man named James who is in my care group at church. James' testimony is really amazing (aren't they all, though?), and while he just became a believer a few short months ago, his faith has grown exponentially. James was just sentenced to 3 years in prison at the beginning of January (for charges that were brought against him before his conversion), and his greatest concern and desire is for his daughter Corina to be exposed to the gospel, and ultimately, to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior. Corina moved to Louisville about a month ago and is currently in a drug/alcohol halfway house. I had the privilege of picking her up for church this past Sunday, and on our way home after church I was able to share the gospel with her, and encouraged her to begin reading the Book of John. Please pray that Corina would be changed by the truth of the Gospel and that she would come to believe Jesus as her Lord. Also pray for those of us who are beginning relationships with her--that we would be bold in our witness and not shy about the truth of the Gospel. It's so humbling how God uses us, imperfect as we are, in building His kingdom and bringing Light into the darkness of the world!

Make Me A Woman of Prayer

2008-01-10T08:19:00.000-05:00

Right now my church is taking a break from the book of Joshua to go through a short mini-series on Prayer. It has been encouraging and challenging, especially last night at the Wednesday night prayer service. Pastor Ryan spoke on what our motives should be for prayer, and here's where it got pretty convicting. (This is my paraphrased translation of what was actually said. His was a lot more succinct...)

We do not get out of bed in the morning to pray because we simply do not love enough. Love causes us to pray for people. A love so deep for the people you are praying for will move you out of your bed and onto your knees instead of hitting the alarm clock for the eighth time. We need to pray for this kind of love in our lives, remembering that it is only because we have first been love by God that we are able to love others. If we have not received the love of Christ in our lives, we are incapable of loving others, and our prayer lives will evidence this lack of love. We must be a people marked by prayer, and thus, marked by love. Paul says that he yearns for the Philippian church with the affection of Christ--may we have that same affection for the people in our lives--a love so deep that nothing will get in our way as we walk the road to Calvary.

Ah, may I be a woman marked by prayer and love!!!

Spring in January?

2008-01-10T08:17:00.000-05:00

Ok people..seriously...it went from snowing last Wednesday (see pictures below), to being 72 Degrees THIS Wednesday. Besides the fact that my body can't quite figure out if it's supposed to be hot or cold, I've already packed all my summer clothes away for the winter. Apparently "winter" in Delaware does not mean the same thing in Louisville.

First snow day of the year!

2008-01-02T18:29:00.000-05:00

Ok, so it didn't snow as much as we would have liked, but even though there was less than an inch on the ground, we still got bundled up and went out to enjoy the snow! Here are some shots of our fun day!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2008-01-01T22:42:00.000-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Well, my first 36 hours back in Louisville have been eventful to say the least. It all started yesterday morning when Bekah and I decided to get a head start on our new years resolutions and workout. Unfortunately, the gym was closed and it was too cold to walk outside. So, at 23 years of age, I have officially begun my career as a "mall-walker". Yes, that's right, I went mall-walking, at a real mall, with real people in it (one of whom we just happen to know rather well..how utterly embarrassing!) We laughed at ourselves the entire time, but let me tell you--the workout goes by much more quickly when you're looking in store windows and people watching. I highly recommend the mall walk. :)

A few hours later, after making several phone calls to confirm new years eve plans, I got a panicked (is that really how you spell that word?) phone call from my friend Lindsay who had found a mouse on one of those sticky mouse traps that Bekah and I had purchased earlier in the day. Since she had already called every boy we know in Louisville and no one was available, and since I have had experience with the sticky mousetraps after a mouse incident in college, I came to her rescue, disposed of the mouse (after screaming and jumping around the kitchen for a few moments and finding every pair of protective gloves and clothing in the house!).

I went home and showered (with extra soap!), and got ready to meet the girls for a nice dinner out for new year's. I'll spare the details of the evening, but we had lots of laughing, fun conversation and some pretty darn good food :) (a yummy way to ring in the new year). Here we are at J. Alexander's after a lovely meal :)

After we rang in the new year, I spent the night with Lindsay, since she wasn't ready to combat another mouse should another one appear on one of the other 5 traps throughout the house.

We got up this morning, and found ourselves watching this special on gastric bypass surgery on the discovery channel. We immediately put on our walking shoes and decided we needed to exercise--pronto. (It was quite disturbing!) We went to Cherokee Park and began the very hilly 2.4 mile scenic loop.
About half-way through our walk, it started to snow. The pretty white flurries soon turned into a massive blizzard, which we were not prepared for. We braved the rest of the loop, with numb faces, hands, and toes. When we got back to her car, we noticed that her back tire looked a little low, so we immediately drove to the gas station, where we had to maneuver the tire valve covers, the air pump, and the tire gauge--with frozen fingers--in a blizzard. Quite the show for all of the gas station patrons, I must say. We rewarded ourselves with some yummy gumbo from J. Gumbo's, and went back to Lindsay's house to watch the rest of the Cincinatti/Louisville basketball game. A bunch of friends from church came over and we made tacos, played cranium, and watched the snow fall.

As I write this, I'm sitting in my living room, cuddled up in my new pajama's from the Spruills (THANKS!), sipping hot chocolate, and getting ready to work on a new scarf I'm knitting. I can't wait to get to work tomorrow to play with the girls in the snow!!! All in all, a WONDERFUL way to start off 2008!

May your 2008 be full of good friends and great memories, and may you be conformed more and more into the image of God!

From Delaware to South Carolina and back to the Ville :)

2007-12-31T14:47:00.000-05:00

What an interesting and incredible 2 weeks! I flew back to Delaware from Louisville on the 22nd, and after missing all of my connecting flights, I finally made it back late on Saturday night. I was so excited and blessed to be back at OBC on Sunday morning to worship with my Delaware Church Family! I especially enjoyed the Christmas Eve Service at OBC, and having my mom and Murray there made it even more special! I also had the privilege of creating a masterpiece gingerbread house with Miss Olivia Thompson on Christmas day, and enjoyed hanging out with so many different family and friends while I was in Delaware. I was sad to have missed a few people (klumbach's---if you're reading this I need your cell phone numbers--I never got them after the infamous cell phone incident of '07!) At any rate, I can't wait to come back to visit soon! I left on Friday and drove down to South Carolina (just south of Charlotte, NC) to visit my brother, sister-in-law and my niece and nephew. We celebrated Christmas with them, and played many fun games over the weekend (Wii, Scrabble, Cranium, Phase 10, etc). We had lots of fun, and I just happen to be the Scrabble champion of the family...I won't comment on the other games...

Here are just a few pictures of the past two weeks!
Jacob got baptized on the 23rd! This isn't the best picture, but I'm so excited for him, and wanted to commemorate the occasion on the blog! (thanks to Pastor Curtis and the OBC crew for postponing the baptism until Kristen and I could witness it in person!)

Sara, Kristen, Me, Lexi and Erin at Longwood Gardens. So pretty!

Me and My sister Adrienne with our matching t-shirts from mom: "My sister is the best sister in the whole universe" Thanks mom!

This is the Christmas pottery we use every year. A local artist in Delaware created this pottery, and my uncle used to buy us a new piece every year for Christmas. What fun!

While in South Carolina, we got to demolish the gingerbread house my brother and the kids made! Gingerbread houses are a Hinkson family tradition, and it was so much fun to get to be a part of a gingerbread house party again with the fam!

All in all, a great trip home! I can't wait to come back and visit soon!

And He Shall Be Called...

2007-12-24T22:20:00.000-05:00

..."Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

"There's a song in the air!
There's a star in the sky!
There's a mother's deep prayer,
and a baby's low cry!
And the star rains its fire
While the beautiful sing,
For the manger of Bethlehem cradles a King!"

"A few years ago a striking Christmas card was published, with the title, "If Christ had not come." It was founded upon our Savior's words, "If I had not come." The card represented a clergyman falling into a short sleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come.

In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney corner, no Christmas bells or wreaths of holly, and no Christ to comfort, gladden, and save. He walked out on the public street, but there was no church with its spire pointing to heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Savior had disappeared.

A ring at the doorbell, and a messenger asked him to visit a poory dying mother. He hastened with the weeping child and as he reached the home he sat down and said, "I have something here that will comfort you." He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended at Malachi, and here was no gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in bitter despair.

Two days afterward he stood beside her coffin and conducted the funeral service, but there was no message of consolation, no word of a glorious resurrection, no open heaven, but only "dust to dust, ashes to ashes," and one long eternal farewell. He realized at length that "He had not come" and burst into tears and bitter weeping in his sorrowful dream.

Suddenly he woke with a start, and a great shout of joy and praise burst from his lips as he heard his choir singing in his church close by:

"O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels,
O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord!"

Let us be glad and rejoice today, because "He HAS come." And let us remember the annunciation of the angel, "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10-11)

He comes to make His blessing flow,
Far as the curse is found.

May our hearts go out to the people in heathen lands who have no blessed Christmas day. "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send the portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared." (Nehemiah 8:10)

(From Streams in the Dessert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman)

Mary, did you know?

2007-12-20T11:38:00.000-05:00

This song has been coming to mind quite often this holiday season as I've been considering what it must have been like for Mary to carry the Savior of the world. How did people around her respond to her pregnancy? Did she tell them she was carrying the promised Messiah? Did she lay awake at night wondering what life would be like with God as her son? Did she ever doubt that He was the Messiah? Did she worry that she would be a "bad mom"? Was she scared of living the life God had called her to?

We can only imagine what went through Mary's head during those 9 months of pregnancy, and years of raising Jesus as her son.

Enjoy the lyrics below (Breath of Heaven by Amy Grant and Mary, Did You Know? by Mark Lowry), and be reminded yet again of the amazing miracle of Christmas--that God became man and dwelt among us!

Breath of Heaven

"I have traveled many moonless nights,
Cold and weary with a babe inside,
And I wonder what I've done.
Holy father you have come,
And chosen me now to carry your son.

I am waiting in a silent prayer.
I am frightened by the load I bear.
In a world as cold as stone,
Must I walk this path alone?
Be with me now.
Be with me now.

Breath of heaven,
Hold me together,
Be forever near me,
Breath of heaven.
Breath of heaven,
Lighten my darkness,
Pour over me your holiness,
For you are holy.
Breath of heaven.

Do you wonder as you watch my face,
If a wiser one should have had my place,
But I offer all I am"

Mary, Did You Know?

"Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you've delivered, will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy would give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would calm a storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
And when you kiss your little baby, you have kissed the face of God.

Oh Mary did you know?
The blind will see, the deaf will hear, the dead will live again.
The lame will leap, the mute will speak the praises of the Lamb.

Mary did you know that your baby boy is Lord of all creation?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would one day rule the nations?
Did you know that your baby boy is heaven's perfect Lamb?
This sleeping child you're holding is the great I AM."

Holiday Update :)

2007-12-18T14:13:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've updated, and lots has been happening. So, instead of writing about the last 2 weeks of life in Louisville (and TEXAS!), I thought I'd let the pictures do the talking...

Two Saturdays ago, the girls I nanny for had their first ever piano recital. Alyssa (Right) and Anna (Left) have practiced many long hours, and their work paid off!

With classes finished until the end of January, I decided to take a little road trip with Bekah (driver's seat) and Cassie (Passenger). Here they are toasting their Sonic Breakfast Burritos!

Bekah lives outside of Dallas, TX, so it only made sense to spend the weekend with the RENFREW'S!!! :)

While with the Renfrews, we visited the Dallas Arboretum, where we saw a real live cacao tree, and learned that Chocolate is good for you and doesn't cause cavities. I'm not sure where they got their information but I'll take it! Here are Scott and Ginger playing with the simulated Chocolate maker...

And since it's Christmastime, we just HAD to make some GINGERBREAD HOUSES!!! Another added bonus to the weekend was having Amanda Merritt sleepover on Friday, and dinner with the entire Merritt family on Saturday night. What a blessing to see TWO OBC families in TEXAS!!

And finally, last night I spent the night making a gingerbread house with the girls I nanny for (it was my Christmas present to them!) We made the "property" complete with a pond, an animal farm, a forest, snowmen, and a snowball fight! What fun!

It's been a great few weeks, and I am looking forward to Christmas in Delaware, the end of 2007 in South Carolina, and New Years in Louisville! In the midst of all the busyness, I pray that the true meaning of Christmas is not lost...Here's a song by Chris Rice to help remind us of the reason for the season...

"Welcome to Our World"

Tears are falling, hearts are breaking
How we need to hear from God
You've been promised, we've been waiting

Welcome Holy Child
Welcome Holy Child

Hope that you don't mind our manger
How I wish we would have known
But long-awaited Holy Stranger
Make Yourself at home
Please make Yourself at home
Bring Your peace into our violence
Bid our hungry souls be filled
Word now breaking Heaven's silence

Welcome to our world
Welcome to our world

Fragile finger sent to heal us
Tender brow prepared for thorn
Tiny heart whose blood will save us
Unto us is born
Unto us is born
So wrap our injured flesh around You
Breathe our air and walk our sod
Rob our sin and make us holy

Perfect Son of God
Perfect Son of God
Welcome to our world

The Reason for the Season...

2007-12-09T23:50:00.000-05:00

Only a few weeks left until we celebrate the birth of our Savior. It's so easy to get caught up in the cookie making and gift giving and miss the TRUE meaning of the season--God taking on human flesh and stepping down into humanity in order that we might come to know Him, trust in His saving grace, and find eternal life in Him. May your focus this Christmas season be on God's amazing love and grace!

Here's a quote from Louie Giglio to ponder...

"No one has ever had a true glimpse of God and not ended up closer to the floor. He is glorious and massive and radiant and holy and imposing and awe-inspiring and intimidating. Yet, God somehow wedged all that into a Bethlehem manger in Christ so He could wrap us in His arms. Sin continually and deceptively puffs us up, making us think we're larger than life, while shrinking our ability to live in the fullness of His."

GREAT DEAL!

2007-12-08T14:32:00.001-05:00

Ok, friends. I ran across this and had to share... Currently, Hyatt Hotels is giving away FREE $10 gift cards to Starbucks, just for signing up for more information. Now, it could be that the amount of Spam is just not worth the free $10, however, if you're like me, you set up a junk mail email account that you use only for these kinds of promotions (free samples, newsletters, etc that you don't really want to see in your inbox. :) ) I just did it, and hope to receive my gift card in a month or two. I even used it to sign my mom up for one as well (which I'm hoping she'll graciously bestow on me when I tell her how thrifty and deal-savvy I am! (Though I will completely understand if she uses it for herself--she definitely deserves some free coffee!)

More later, but I wanted to pass along the deal while I was thinking about it! :)

The Beauty of Unobligated Moments

2007-12-04T20:56:00.001-05:00

It's been a long time since I've actually had an entire day with absolutely no obligations. No work, no church functions, no school, or things that need to get done for school (reading, papers, tests, etc). An entire day of possibilities waiting to happen.

By nature, I'm a planner. I like to know what the agenda for the day is, and tend to pack my day as full as it can get (which isn't always a good thing...). To have an entire day with absolutely nothing planned is rare. So this morning, I started the day by spending a few extra moments in bed, basking in an alarm clock-free day (which never happens). After enjoying a moment of just "being", I made some delicious tea and settled into some precious time with the Lord. I am so grateful for time to seek the Lord apart from school assignments--it's so easy to allow assigned readings to replace personal quiet times when the semester gets busy, so this morning really served to edify my soul as I was able to spend some extended time simply enjoying God without glancing at my watch every 5 minutes.

After spending some time reading CJ Mahaney's book, The Cross Centered Life, (which I HIGHLY recommend!) I got some things done around the apartment, ran some errands, and then I met my friend Cassie at the gym--for the first time since before Thanksgiving. Suffice it to say, tomorrow will be painful. :)

For now, my friend Katherine is here and we're going to curl up with some hot chocolate and watch Elf--the perfect way to end this relaxing day :)

Here are some lyrics from a song by Keith and Kristyn Getty They are modern day hymn writers, and their new cd has been on repeat in our apartment for the past week! May these lyrics serve as a prayer that resonates in your heart! :)

"Speak, O Lord, as we come to You
To receive the food of Your Holy Word.
Take Your truth, plant it deep in us;
Shape and fashion us in Your likeness,
That the light of Christ might be seen today
In our acts of love and our deeds of faith.
Speak, O Lord, and fulfill in us
All Your purposes for Your glory.

Teach us, Lord, full obedience,
Holy reverence, true humility;
Test our thoughts and our attitudes
In the radiance of Your purity.
Cause our faith to rise; cause our eyes to see
Your majestic love and authority.
Words of pow'r that can never fail—
Let their truth prevail over unbelief.

Speak, O Lord, and renew our minds;
Help us grasp the heights of Your plans for us—
Truths unchanged from the dawn of time
That will echo down through eternity.
And by grace we'll stand on Your promises,
And by faith we'll walk as You walk with us.
Speak, O Lord, till Your church is built
And the earth is filled with Your glory."

FINISHED!!

2007-12-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

It's official...my second full semester at seminary is FINISHED! Praise the Lord!! In celebration of finishing, we went ICE SKATING last night! Despite "boot disease", I managed to make it around the rink injury free, and by the end of the night I had gotten pretty accustomed to the ice. In fact, I've decided that I'm quitting seminary and becoming an olympic figure skater...Beijing, here I come! :) (Ok...so...maybe my skills aren't quite olympic quality, but we'll definitely be returning for a repeat performance!)

Here we are on the ice. Valerie and Dana both go to my church. We managed to escape the ice arena without falling once, and by the end of the night we were able to hold a conversation while skating (a feat previously unattained!)

What a great object lesson...

2007-11-27T22:52:00.000-05:00

So if you can't tell, I'm sort of obsessed with this whole blog thing--perhaps it's because I know there are a million things I need to be studying right now, but for whatever reason (procrastination or otherwise), I ran across this devotional and thought I would share.

"Often, we as Christian women get so involved in meeting the needs of others that we forget to take time to refresh ourselves. If you have flown on a commercial airliner lately, you will recognize the speech which the flight attendants recite just before take-off. It goes something like this, "In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will automatically be lowered. If you are sitting beside a child, first secure your own mask before applying the child's."

Why would they advise you to do that? Are they promoting an "adults over children" philosophy? Hardly. They realize that unless you as the adult are getting the oxygen you need, you will be of no help to the child, and you will both perish.

Jesus, filled with absolute love and compassion, went to the mountains to spend time with His Father in prayer, to renew His weary body and soul. When the crowd pressed in upon Him, He suggested to the disciples that they all get away from the crowd and go to the mountains alone.

Are you getting enough "oxygen " in your life to be of maximum benefit to those around you? It is not a selfish gesture to set goals allowing you to "refill your cup." Just as an an empty teakettle will crack or melt as the heat under it is turned up, so you also will break as the heat of life is turned on "high" when your "cup"--your emotional and spiritual life--is dry."

How true! May you find time today to refresh yourself in the spring of Living Water!

...and now, back to studying. :)

Scripture memorization...

2007-11-27T10:28:00.000-05:00

An hour and a half to go before my first final of the semester... I've been memorizing Ephesians 1:1-14 for this final, so I thought I'd share this beautiful passage about the grace of God. More than memorizing it for this test, I pray that it takes root deep in my heart (and yours!)!

"Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God. To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ according to his pleasure and will--to the praise of his glorious grace that he has freely given us in the one he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purposed in Christ to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment--to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of His glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of all who are God's possession--to the praise of His glory."

Jude 24-25
"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Back in the ville

2007-11-25T22:09:00.001-05:00

I got back into town yesterday afternoon greeted by two of my favorite people in Louisville, complete with a pumpkin spice latte. They know me too well. :)

Since not too many of y'all have seen my apartment here in Louisville, I figured I'd post a picture of the living room. I am so blessed to have a roommate who already moved all of her furniture from Texas, so I didn't need to worry about how to get furniture from Delaware. Just one more way that God has cared for me in Louisville! Guests are always welcome--come visit soon!

After I got back to the apartment, I had some time to catch up with my roommate, Anna, before heading off to study for finals this week. There is so much information that needs to squeeze into my tiny brain! I'm finding it hard to concentrate (hence the blog update), but the more I think about it, the more grateful I am that I get to spend hours studying Scripture! How gracious of God to set this time aside in my life where my purpose is to learn and study about HIM with very few other things demanding my time and energy! I need to not take this season in life for granted, and embrace the time that I've been given to study. Lord, cause me to be faithful in this season!

Fun times in DE :)

2007-11-23T23:22:00.001-05:00

Today was a day of visiting! I started the day by braving the mall with my good friend Alicen in search of some good Black Friday sales. The time spent waiting in line was perfect for catching up and we were able to pick up a few key items along the way! This afternoon I ventured down to Newark to hang out with Emily and Stacey (freshman/sophomore year college roommates) and their husbands (Matt and Pete). It was SO great catching up with them, and the time just flew by! Pete and Stacey are, Lord willing, moving to Harlington, TX in June for Pete to start his residency with the mission they volunteered in this past summer! Keep them in your prayers!

I'm sad that my time home was so short this trip--there were so many people I wanted to see, but I am thankful for the time I got to spend with my family, and can't wait to see everyone at Christmas!

Tonight we celebrated my younger sister's 20th birthday. Her actual birthday isn't until the 29th, but since Austin and family are going back to South Carolina on Sunday, and I'll be headed back to Louisville tomorrow, we decided to celebrate early. We ended up at TGI Fridays for dinner and then went back to mom's house for some cake and ice cream.

(Left) Me and my twinkie (twin brother), Andrew at dinner. He came to the rescue while I was home by lending me his car on several occasions to go visit friends. Thanks brudder!

(Right) Me, Mom, Jocelyn (my niece) and Nykiah (my sister-in-law) after eating some yummy cake.

The whole gang (below) minus Murray and Delaine. (Mom, Andrew, Austin, Adrienne, Jocelyn, Me, Nykiah and Justin) There's never a dull moment with the Hinksons!

Jocelyn and I had matching vests, so we made sure to get a few pictures together. She is growing up so fast!!

All in all, a great visit home. I can't wait to come back for Christmas!

Starting the season out right...

2007-11-22T20:36:00.000-05:00

It's not even December, but the Christmas music is already playing throughout the house, and this morning my mom and I started making millions of different kinds of Christmas cookies to be given out during the holiday season. You can't see it in the picture very well, but there are 6 different kinds of cookies represented!

(Mom and me posing for a quick shot in between the baking festivities. What a fun morning!)

So much to be thankful for!

2007-11-22T14:07:00.000-05:00

This Thanksgiving there is just so much to be thankful for...

*God's grace and mercy to an undeserving sinner such as myself
*Friends and family to come home to in Delaware
*Friends to miss in Louisville
*A job that I enjoy and that pays the bills
*A roommate that I can "laugh at the days to come" with
*A church family and a great care group
*The ability and opportunity to pursue a masters degree
*Good health
*Fall leaves
*Gingerbread Lattes
*Laughter
*Black Friday sales :)
*Good food (especially Miss Zeniah's Banana Pudding! YUM!)
*Jumping in piles of leaves with the kiddos
*Beautiful sunsets
...and SO much more!

How humbling it is to pause and consider how blessed we truly are!

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him..." Ephesians 1:3-4

Trendy in the airport

2007-11-21T18:34:00.000-05:00

I have never felt so high-tech or American than I did this morning as I sat in the Cleveland airport, typing on my ibook, listening to my ipod and drinking a non-fat sugar-free gingerbread latte from Starbucks, with my cell phone next to me, ready to text the latest flight updates.

Sitting there, watching busy travelers rush past in search of elusive boarding gates, I was astounded by how blessed I am. Not only do I have all of these high-tech gadgets and a ridiculously priced cup of coffee, I am able to afford a flight home to visit family and friends. The blessing of family and friends is worth more than any computer or cell phone (or ridiculously priced cup of coffee) because no matter how many computers I acquire or airplanes I board, it's the people you come home to that matter most.

And yet with all of the material and financial blessings, and the abundance of family and friends who love and care for me in so many ways, I praise God that I can echo the apostle Paul when he says, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil 3:7-11)

So many things to be thankful for this holiday season...

Oh that I may know Christ more and in my heart consider all else rubbish.

Thanksgiving

2007-11-21T01:09:00.000-05:00

I found this article on a blog I check regularly, and thought it would be an appropriate way to kick off the holiday season. May we all take some time this week to praise God with grateful hearts for His unfailing love and mercy!

“The Woman Who Brought Us Thanksgiving”
by Harold Ivan Smith

Most Americans associate Thanksgiving with the Pilgrims. Fifty-one survivors of the Mayflower gathered to celebrate after their first fall harvest. Governor William Bradford proclaimed it a day of thanksgiving.

But during the next century and a half, thanksgiving was an irregular celebration, varying from community to community, dependent at times upon the religious and political climates and the attitudes of individual governors.

Then the victory of the Americans over the British at Saratoga in October, 1777 prompted the Continental Congress to set aside December 18 as a day of thanksgiving and praise to be observed by all the colonies.

On September 28, 1863, Sarah Josepha Buell Hale wrote President Abraham Lincoln urging him to make the annual Thanksgiving “a national and fixed Union Festival.” By this time, she had built the circulation of her magazine, Godey’s Ladies Book to 150,000. Hale’s letter could not be ignored. Nor her editorials. Her annual Thanksgiving editorial in Godey’s opened with Nehemiah 8:10: “Then he said unto them, ‘Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy unto our Lord; neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength.’”

Hale argued, from her strong Episcopal faith, that if Nehemiah set aside a time of thanksgiving in a time of national stress, “in a time of national darkness and sore troubles, shall we not recognize the goodness of God never faileth, and that to our Father in heaven we should always bring the Thanksgiving offering at the ingathering of the harvest?”

Lincoln weighed the matter and decided that the timing was right for something that would promote national unity. He ordered Seward to draft the proclamation.

Early on October 3, Lincoln read the proclamation: “The year that is drawing toward its close has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and helpful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature that cannot fail to penetrate and soften the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.”

Seward wrote, “No human counsel hath devised, nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gift of the most high God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.”

Lincoln commended Seward for a project “well done” and then focused on the last paragraph: “I do, therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.”