David: Seeking a Heart Like His

Loving this study and an awesome group of women!

Don't you just want this little guy following you around for a few hours?

Stuff I've Underlined This Week:

See what happens when we focus more on our battles than on God?  Our enemy appears bigger, we appear weaker, and God appears smaller.  wow!

God sometimes stays the encouragement of others purposely so we will learn to find it in Him.  (when it seems like we're alone...who should we be looking for?)

Christmas Remembered

The joy of a newborn.
The joy of the season.

The joy of being an aunt ( and still sleeping)

The joy of a tiny baby boy!

It is so easy to forget the message of Christmas in only a few weeks.

Relish in the joy and amazing gift we have in Christ's birth!

Jonah Study

Priscilla Shirer

Monday Night Biblestudy - 6 weeks
4 weeks - Preparing for Advent

Often I wonder if my life is significant. Not in the scary, "oooh, I better call Karin right now" kind of way. In the big picture pondering the greater meanings of life kind of way.

Last January I started my blog to act as my own personal sounding board and prove to myself that I in fact was significant. I can write, take pictures, and have opinions. Just me, just my doing, what can I do?

The interruptions that seem as if they are taking us away from the life we imagined can really end up giving us significance in a way that nothing else can! What seems difficult to do ends up being what creates us and molds us into who we are. Significant human beings. Hallelujah for an amazing God!

Book: The Other 8 Hours

This weekend include a fast read of the book:

I had seen a few people recommend this book on blogs and put it on hold at the public library. (can I just say I love the public library and all the FREE movies! (and books) They're great!)





At first I wasn't sure about the book. A few "real life stories" had me worried we'd be looking at Jane's life and seeing how it just didn't compare to Sally's life. However, the book progressed and I really felt energized and motivated.





Here were a few thoughts aka, the purple post-it note monster- you can figure out what the book was talking about...or just go read it yourself.

I work for about 10 hours a day excluding school blogging time I sleep (or want to) for 8 hours a night
drive 30 minutes a day
spend 1.5 hours eating or preparing meals a day
spend 1 hour getting ready for work/then bed
try to spend an hour with family
spend 1 hour relaxing/tv/surfing web
try to spend 30 minutes working on spirituality issues
exercise has been a 0
helping others has been a 0
my social time (unfortunately mostly FB during the week) is less than 10
hours a week

I'll be thinking about other "lessons learned" or at least acknowledged in a few future posts.

Learning at the Hospital

I had family in the hospital for the last 10 days for some major surgery and recovery. It's been a learning experience.

1. Being surrounded with positive people is so important. One negative person sticks out and can ruin the day. In education experts say students need at least a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative talk. In the hospital one...less than encouraging...employee ups that ratio to maybe 20:1.

2. Life is more flexible than we think. With this unexpected hosptial event it was amazing how free my schedule suddenly became. The dishes, laundry, garden, shopping, reading, and cooking all have managed to wait. I didn't see my garden in day light for about 5 days and it is doing fine. It did get watered, but even missing some weeding was ok. I'm so thankful I could have so much time free, but wonder how much more free time I could have on occassion if I felt like it was really necessary.

3. Make time to let people know how your feel. This lesson is two fold. One, you never know when circumstances could change and there is no time like the present. Second, people that take the time to let you know that they care for you, your family, and that you are important to them make such a big impact every time. Five minute visits, phone calls, get well cards all are so easy to do, yet so easy to overlook. The reward for time spent letting someone know you care is worth it.

4. Real growth can hurt. Growing doesn't always have to hurt, but pruning and refining our bodies, minds, attitudes and relationships often does. Recovery in the hospital (though I've never experienced it) is painful, exhausting, and frustruating both mentally and physically. One can go from hiking and biking without any work have to fight to breathe and take steps. If nothing is hurting right now that might be a blessing. However, ask yourself, is there something that you shoud be growing in. It might hurt and it will definatly be hard work, but it is always worth it.

5. Faith reigns. It is easy to have a relaxed faith and float through our daily lives. When life throws a curve ball having a strong faith in God helps because nothing is out of His control. Those moments and hours on your knees are precious to Him. Our family got an email just before the surgery from a friend that said either way, today will be a great day. Surgery might not go as planned and a loved one might be ushered into God's presence. Surgery could go well and we'll be able to spend more time with a loved one. As sobering as those possibilities are, he was right. Both would be ok. I would dearly miss time if things hadn't gone so well, but in the eternal realm it wouldn't be goodbye, just see you later!

I know my God saved the day

I know his word never fails

I know my God made a way for me

We're going to be alright.

~Lincoln Brewster (got to love Pandora playing those perfect songs at the right time!)

Being Quiet

Sometimes those loss of words means it is just a time to reflect on Him, not on me. Other times when certain words come too quickly, is an even more important time for me to be still.

For the word of God is living and active. Hebrews 4:12

The last thing I need is to be heard, but to hear what you would say....

...please let me stay and rest in your Holiness....

The Cry of Every Longing Heart!

If great artists aren't proof that God has a plan and purpose, I don't know what is. I think it is amazing that the cry of one person's heart and pen can capture, break, move and still my heart. I love amazing worship songs, and Chris Tomlin frequently tops the list or gets the thumb's up on Pandora.

Tonight's hit:

Chris Tomlin - I Will Rise

And I will rise
When he calls my name
No more sorrow
No more pain

I will rise on eagle wings
Before my god
I will fall on my knees
And rise

bridge
And I hear the voices of many angels sing
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart
worth is the Lamb

Oh, how my heart yearns for that moment in heaven when everyone cries out "Worthy is the Lamb!"

In an interview Chris Tomlin said he was challenged to write a song for the Church that was on par with "It Is Well With My Soul" to call to us in the darkest moments of life. He found inspiration when John in Revelation saw thousands upon thousands worshiping God and crying out "Worth is the Lamb". Enjoy!

Pictureless Mother's Day

This morning after trying out a new Sunday School class (I liked it, good straightforward teaching and good "looking"(personality) people) it was time to prepare brunch for mom.

The menu included:

Chocolate chip pancakes

Quiche with fresh chives and monetary jack cheese

Scrambled eggs with tomato, bacon, and chives

Blackberry smoothies

Baguette with brie, tomatoes, bacon, cucumber topping

and for dessert

cupcake brownies with chocolate frosting and a chocolate covered espresso bean

And I forgot to take a picture :(

We ate outside with the picnic table in the grass. (Imagine colorful table cloth, bright white china with sparkly glasses, and delicious food)

It was lovely... isn't the grass green :)

As you can see from the (Oh, man I forgot) picture the tablecloth is very necessary as a squirrel decided to sample the vinyl covering.

Waiting for Paradise

Each day and week I await a perfect day, perfect week, or painless perfect glorious moment. I don't recall many perfect days, and know I shouldn't expect to in this fallen world. Yet when I know of the true Perfection that is in Christ I long for those glimpses that continue to prove to me that He is real, He is my Savior, and his plan for me is perfect. My perfectly laid plans all fall to waste in comparison to the plan he has for me. But, oh, how painful that waiting and unknowing can be.

Different songs have taken on different meanings as life continues and this one written by Stuart Townsend always brings me to my knees and humbles any and every moment in life.

Here are some of the lyrics with my thoughts:


“In Christ Alone” Lyrics by Stuart Townsend

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe (Hallelujah! This is why I love Christmas!)
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save (Oh, how the pain and scorn must have felt for our Savior)
‘Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied (It was my sin that kept him on the cross)
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live
There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day(I always get goosebumps on this line, especially when someone with an amazing voice is singing it and just BELTs it out!)
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory (Thanks be to God - my victory is secure in him!)
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ
No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life’s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man (This is the one I want to belt out and proclaim to the world!)
Can ever pluck me from His hand‘til
He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

More Signs of Spring

It's a bit more chilly today but with charged camera batteries I went in search of life in the backyard. Here's what I found. I was given some onion plants last year and they have sprouted so if I can figure out how to harvest them this year that would be cool. I'm going to need to start to figure out how to plant my garden this year. I feel like I have the motivation to weed around my baby plants so perhaps everything can be spaced out a bit better this year but the problem of how to water will have to continue to be addressed. Also pictured below are garlic scapes shooting up. These continue to come back and the green leaf part is just as good and garlic-ly as a garlic bulb so I'll be using these in some cooking soon!

The chives are also coming up out of the ground so those will be able to be used in cooking soon to my tongue's delight. I didn't know gardening would be such a hobby of mine. I hope that it doesn't become an obsession or competition between me and what other people do in their gardens so I'll have to guard against that! I like to be the best at what I do (doesn't everyone) and it is hard to distinguish the difference between those feelings and feelings of superiority etc. when other people or friends have similar hobbies.

Went to church again today which was wonderful. Or as the German song about the good shepherd was sung, vunderbah! (that's how I spell German sounding wonderful).

The sermon was about Christ being the gate and the good shepherd to us the sheep. We must be able to hear, distinguish, and know his voice to follow him. What that looks like today is certainly different that going to hear Him talk. We can only know and trust in his voice if we pursue and hear Him often, and trust in prayer that we are hearing from him. How can we know if we are following the good shepherd or a thief if we don't pursue a relationship with Him close enough to know the difference.

I see God's promises right now through the life in plants. The faith of a tiny mustard seed can sprout into a full and blooming plant. I pray for that kind of faith, (and fewer weeds!)

Fresh Snow

What if there was something like fresh snow for our heart and mind and soul?

I love how snow covers up all the flaws outside and makes a beautiful white display of all things beautiful. Sometimes it can hide tiny imperfections like the dead grass, cracks in the sidewalk, or a pothole but the world always looks beautiful after a snow.

I'm jealous of the ground when it snows as it receives an immediate make over. The flaws still exist and if your foot goes in the wrong spot the imperfection will once again stare you in the face. But for a few hours until the sun beats down or a few days until the temperature rises all is covered by a beautiful blanket.

I know Christ's death on the cross does this for me. I just wish it felt the same way as a fresh snowfall. Blaring obvious, changing my daily habits, and making that which it covers beautiful. (There is always the chance of cancelled school with snow but I'm ok that this isn't a precise part of Christ's plan)

So I'll take the snow as a sign that it is meant to remind me of Christ's unabashed love for his bride. Even if I don't get to have the snowfall wash over me and make me white as snow, I can enjoy everything around me where it has (and thank God for a warm home so I'm not in the snow).