Cutest baby ever!!
It Was Time
6 years ago
Monday, May 25, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
I know you were here....
Why don't you leave any comments? How else am I supposed to know that my blog has changed your life?
Sigh... so sad.
Sigh... so sad.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Why my baby is awesome!
I was just feeding her dinner and she went crazy!
Here's more crazy!
Oh it's just the best kinda crazy there is. She is so cute it might just make me wet myself with glee. heehee not really. But it DOES make me laugh so much and get so happy that I have to clap my hands and jump up and down every time I see it!
Don't you wish you had one? Well you can't cuz she's MIIIIINEEE!!!! HA! (But you can borrow her, maybe...like if I want to see a movie or something.)
No, like seriously... who's babysitting? Mama needs a new pair of shoes, which has nothing to do with this subject.
But, it all comes down to this.... I ate five cookies about an hour ago, and I am a little high on sugar. Plus watching these videos made me a little baby high too.... so I'm writin' a delirious blog right now.
Here's Lucy as Schroeder from the Peanuts.
And here's Lucy when she fell asleep sitting up today and subsequently folded in half.
And that's why my baby is AWESOME!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Words
For a while, I have been convicted of the way I use words. This morning, I incorrectly used the word "retarded" to describe my day, meaning that it was bad or something was wrong with it. With a simple question from my mentor and the father of a child with Downs Syndrome, I was so convicted, my heart was wrenched. He asked "And retarded is bad? or good?"
Now I don't know specifically what he meant by this question, but something I have learned is, typically the way you react to something shows what's in your heart.
Therefore, in my reaction, "Oopsie", I have derived that I need to change the way I use words. Because if there was nothing wrong with my word usage, I wouldn't have been convicted.
This is, of course, outside of people playing on insecurities, and my being defensive. This is the straight truth about words.
Words can be so many things... they can help, or they can hurt. They can uplift, or they can tear down. So many times, we use them for the latter.
I encourage you to really think about what you say. How does it affect people? What is your motive? Are you uplifting and encouraging? Are you trying to manipulate or hurt someone? Really think about it and try to catch yourself. Catch yourself being good and bad...note the good and encourage yourself, and work on the bad so you don't make the mistake again. BUT, recognize that people make mistakes and move on. Do NOT dwell on it. Do Not become disheartened...practice makes perfect. They say it takes 21 straight FAILURE FREE days to make a habit. SO it can take a while, but we are all, with God's help, able to make a change.
This goes for self talk too. What you believe about yourself is stronger than anything anyone else believes about you. If you are telling yourself negative things all the time, it is very difficult to change your perception of yourself. People can think you are the most amazing thing there is, but if you don't believe it, it isn't true.
I searched "tongue" on http://www.biblegateway.com/. There are HUNDREDS of references to the tongue, showing it can be used for good or evil. Here are a few....
Psalm 52:4You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!
Psalm 64:3They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.
Psalm 120:2Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.
Psalm 140:3They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah
Proverbs 10:19When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Proverbs 11:12A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.
Proverbs 12:19Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Psalm 139:4Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
Psalm 66:17I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.
Psalm 71:24My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
Psalm 119:172May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.
As Christians, God has called us to be set-apart for His purposes. By speaking too quickly, we fail. We should be slow to speak. People often delight in being quick-witted, commonly using tactics such as sarcasm. Sarcasm (which comes from the Greek word meaning to tear flesh, bite the lips in rage, sneer) is typically meant to be funny, but quite frequently tears down others and makes them feel stupid or bad about themselves in some way.
This article says this: "Have you ever noticed that when you think or speak this way, you might feel satisfied for a moment, but the negativity doesn't help resolve anything? In fact, negative thoughts and words like these only serve to poison the atmosphere and weaken a relationship."
I believe this is so true. I can't put that entire article in here, but I encourage you to read it. It is SO good.
We are called to BLESS, not CURSE. We have to choose to be a blessing. We have to choose to speak good things, and not curses.
Proverbs. 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life.
Proverbs 23:16 My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
Luke 6:45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart
God has made words to be very strong. He SPOKE, and the universe was created! Words are very powerful.
Have you ever heard that it takes saying 10 good things to erase 1 bad thing? I don't honestly believe that is true. I think it takes many more than that, and no matter how many nice things you say, people have a tendency to always remember stuff in the back of their mind. While we wish we could take something we said back, we never can. Only God can bring healing. Even in God's healing, however, we tend to be cautious when around someone who has hurt us in the past. How much better would it be if they had never hurt us in the first place!
I for one, want to stop hurting people with my words, my TONES, my expressions...all of these things come into play. You have to keep in mind that WORDS do not come alone. They come with expressions, micro-expressions, attitudes, etc.
Another thing I am feeling convicted of is using bad language. For one thing, they make me sound unintelligent. I have a thesaurus...I should use it. There are words to express how I am feeling other than the "4-letter" ones. There absolutely are, I just have to find them.
But above all else, the name of my Lord is NOT a curse word. In my life I have rarely used his ACTUAL name, but "stand ins" are really unacceptable too. Someone close to me said that "it matters where your heart is when you say a curse word." Well, when someone says "Oh my gosh" or "oh my Gaaahhh" or whatever, it's just as bad. And that goes for the stand ins for all the other words too, in my opinion.
But either way, Exodus 20:7 says, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
Do you see that part in BOLD? Now, I can only speak for myself here, but I really don't want to find out if "gosh" counts. I am deciding that it counts, for me, and I believe God will honor that decision.
Not only does this stuff matter for my own heart, but I do not know how everyone's relationship with God is. I do not know if my harsh word, or my "joke" will hurt them, will cause them to stumble, will cause them to lose faith...i just don't know. Perhaps it will be an example to them of what all Christians are? Do I want to portray Christians, and worse, my SAVIOR, as sharp, harsh, critical and crass? Ummm nope.
1 Corinthians 10:31-33
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Read 1 John 2. It is really a good picture of what we are supposed to be.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Do we think Jesus used inappropriate language? Sarcasm? His Father's name in vain? I'm gonna go with NO.
Well I want to be like Jesus.
Now I don't know specifically what he meant by this question, but something I have learned is, typically the way you react to something shows what's in your heart.
Therefore, in my reaction, "Oopsie", I have derived that I need to change the way I use words. Because if there was nothing wrong with my word usage, I wouldn't have been convicted.
This is, of course, outside of people playing on insecurities, and my being defensive. This is the straight truth about words.
Words can be so many things... they can help, or they can hurt. They can uplift, or they can tear down. So many times, we use them for the latter.
I encourage you to really think about what you say. How does it affect people? What is your motive? Are you uplifting and encouraging? Are you trying to manipulate or hurt someone? Really think about it and try to catch yourself. Catch yourself being good and bad...note the good and encourage yourself, and work on the bad so you don't make the mistake again. BUT, recognize that people make mistakes and move on. Do NOT dwell on it. Do Not become disheartened...practice makes perfect. They say it takes 21 straight FAILURE FREE days to make a habit. SO it can take a while, but we are all, with God's help, able to make a change.
This goes for self talk too. What you believe about yourself is stronger than anything anyone else believes about you. If you are telling yourself negative things all the time, it is very difficult to change your perception of yourself. People can think you are the most amazing thing there is, but if you don't believe it, it isn't true.
I searched "tongue" on http://www.biblegateway.com/. There are HUNDREDS of references to the tongue, showing it can be used for good or evil. Here are a few....
Psalm 52:4You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!
Psalm 64:3They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.
Psalm 120:2Save me, O LORD, from lying lips and from deceitful tongues.
Psalm 140:3They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips. Selah
Proverbs 10:19When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Proverbs 11:12A man who lacks judgment derides his neighbor, but a man of understanding holds his tongue.
Proverbs 12:19Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.
Psalm 139:4Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
Psalm 66:17I cried out to him with my mouth; his praise was on my tongue.
Psalm 71:24My tongue will tell of your righteous acts all day long, for those who wanted to harm me have been put to shame and confusion.
Psalm 119:172May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous.
As Christians, God has called us to be set-apart for His purposes. By speaking too quickly, we fail. We should be slow to speak. People often delight in being quick-witted, commonly using tactics such as sarcasm. Sarcasm (which comes from the Greek word meaning to tear flesh, bite the lips in rage, sneer) is typically meant to be funny, but quite frequently tears down others and makes them feel stupid or bad about themselves in some way.
This article says this: "Have you ever noticed that when you think or speak this way, you might feel satisfied for a moment, but the negativity doesn't help resolve anything? In fact, negative thoughts and words like these only serve to poison the atmosphere and weaken a relationship."
I believe this is so true. I can't put that entire article in here, but I encourage you to read it. It is SO good.
We are called to BLESS, not CURSE. We have to choose to be a blessing. We have to choose to speak good things, and not curses.
Proverbs. 10:11 The mouth of the righteous is a well of life.
Proverbs 23:16 My inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.
Luke 6:45 The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart
God has made words to be very strong. He SPOKE, and the universe was created! Words are very powerful.
Have you ever heard that it takes saying 10 good things to erase 1 bad thing? I don't honestly believe that is true. I think it takes many more than that, and no matter how many nice things you say, people have a tendency to always remember stuff in the back of their mind. While we wish we could take something we said back, we never can. Only God can bring healing. Even in God's healing, however, we tend to be cautious when around someone who has hurt us in the past. How much better would it be if they had never hurt us in the first place!
I for one, want to stop hurting people with my words, my TONES, my expressions...all of these things come into play. You have to keep in mind that WORDS do not come alone. They come with expressions, micro-expressions, attitudes, etc.
Another thing I am feeling convicted of is using bad language. For one thing, they make me sound unintelligent. I have a thesaurus...I should use it. There are words to express how I am feeling other than the "4-letter" ones. There absolutely are, I just have to find them.
But above all else, the name of my Lord is NOT a curse word. In my life I have rarely used his ACTUAL name, but "stand ins" are really unacceptable too. Someone close to me said that "it matters where your heart is when you say a curse word." Well, when someone says "Oh my gosh" or "oh my Gaaahhh" or whatever, it's just as bad. And that goes for the stand ins for all the other words too, in my opinion.
But either way, Exodus 20:7 says, "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name."
Do you see that part in BOLD? Now, I can only speak for myself here, but I really don't want to find out if "gosh" counts. I am deciding that it counts, for me, and I believe God will honor that decision.
Not only does this stuff matter for my own heart, but I do not know how everyone's relationship with God is. I do not know if my harsh word, or my "joke" will hurt them, will cause them to stumble, will cause them to lose faith...i just don't know. Perhaps it will be an example to them of what all Christians are? Do I want to portray Christians, and worse, my SAVIOR, as sharp, harsh, critical and crass? Ummm nope.
1 Corinthians 10:31-33
So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God— even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Read 1 John 2. It is really a good picture of what we are supposed to be.
3 We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4 The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.
Do we think Jesus used inappropriate language? Sarcasm? His Father's name in vain? I'm gonna go with NO.
Well I want to be like Jesus.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Ministry + Babies = Incompatible.
:( I don't know what to do.
As far as Saturday night worship ministry goes, She wants to go to bed at 7:30, and church is not out till at least 8:15, which makes us getting home at 8:30 or 9. So, since I have to get there at 4 for practice, my overtired Saturday baby (because Saturdays are stupid and don't follow schedules even if I want them to) fusses for 4 1/2 hours straight and then has trouble sleeping.
And then I have to get her up two hours early to get ready for Sunday. I have to be at practice by 7, and I take her to my mom's because 6 hrs at church is too much for a baby. BUT, I can't get my mom to give Lucy a nap when she's with her on Sunday morning. So then she's overtired and won't take an afternoon nap because everyone at church overstimulates her, so she screams all day. Then, because overtired babies are TOO tired to sleep, she doesn't sleep all night either. So that's Sunday morning worship.
I haven't been able to make it through a whole church service in months, so I have to listen to it at home on Podcast. How pathetic.
And that's not even to mention Wednesday night home group. I can go, but it starts at 7 and you know when Lucy's bed-time is! Yep, 7:30. Self decided. I chose 8:30 or 9; she disagreed. Anyway, so I force her to stay up (and quiet, yeah right) at least til 8 so I can try to hear Bible study and then go home. This last week, we had it at our house and it was great, but our leader doesn't want to have it at our house cuz it's small and there's like 25-30 people in our group. Ugh.
Anyway, i am thoroughly frustrated. I don't know what to do. I don't want to quit. I might have to quit.
So anyway, since my baby takes after her father, you'll understand when I say I can't get him to go to bed before 11pm. And of course if I try to go to bed without him, he gets sad, and I miss him, so I end up staying up. And Lucy doesn't ever sleep past like 5:30am, and even if she goes back to sleep, my husband's alarm goes off at 5:50 and 5:55 and 6, and 6:05, annnnddd.... til like 6:45. So by that time I am having some real issues going back to sleep. Then he takes his shower and I usually fall back asleep, but then he wakes me up when he comes back in to get dressed and kiss me goodbye (which IS nice, but it disturbs me). So that's between 7:20 and 7:30. Then I fall back asleep until my alarm goes off at 7:45. Woo hoo. I am exhausted.
I just don't know what to do.
As far as Saturday night worship ministry goes, She wants to go to bed at 7:30, and church is not out till at least 8:15, which makes us getting home at 8:30 or 9. So, since I have to get there at 4 for practice, my overtired Saturday baby (because Saturdays are stupid and don't follow schedules even if I want them to) fusses for 4 1/2 hours straight and then has trouble sleeping.
And then I have to get her up two hours early to get ready for Sunday. I have to be at practice by 7, and I take her to my mom's because 6 hrs at church is too much for a baby. BUT, I can't get my mom to give Lucy a nap when she's with her on Sunday morning. So then she's overtired and won't take an afternoon nap because everyone at church overstimulates her, so she screams all day. Then, because overtired babies are TOO tired to sleep, she doesn't sleep all night either. So that's Sunday morning worship.
I haven't been able to make it through a whole church service in months, so I have to listen to it at home on Podcast. How pathetic.
And that's not even to mention Wednesday night home group. I can go, but it starts at 7 and you know when Lucy's bed-time is! Yep, 7:30. Self decided. I chose 8:30 or 9; she disagreed. Anyway, so I force her to stay up (and quiet, yeah right) at least til 8 so I can try to hear Bible study and then go home. This last week, we had it at our house and it was great, but our leader doesn't want to have it at our house cuz it's small and there's like 25-30 people in our group. Ugh.
Anyway, i am thoroughly frustrated. I don't know what to do. I don't want to quit. I might have to quit.
So anyway, since my baby takes after her father, you'll understand when I say I can't get him to go to bed before 11pm. And of course if I try to go to bed without him, he gets sad, and I miss him, so I end up staying up. And Lucy doesn't ever sleep past like 5:30am, and even if she goes back to sleep, my husband's alarm goes off at 5:50 and 5:55 and 6, and 6:05, annnnddd.... til like 6:45. So by that time I am having some real issues going back to sleep. Then he takes his shower and I usually fall back asleep, but then he wakes me up when he comes back in to get dressed and kiss me goodbye (which IS nice, but it disturbs me). So that's between 7:20 and 7:30. Then I fall back asleep until my alarm goes off at 7:45. Woo hoo. I am exhausted.
I just don't know what to do.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
The Motions
This is the song that's been running through my mind this week.
It is the cry of my heart right now.
The Motions
-Matthew West
This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions
No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something
Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Take me all the way
It is the cry of my heart right now.
The Motions
-Matthew West
This might hurt
It’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care
If I break
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just ok
Is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life
I don’t wanna go through the motions
I don’t wanna go one more day
Without Your all consuming passion inside of me
I don’t wanna spend my whole life asking
What if I had given everything?
Instead of going through the motions
No regrets
Not this time
I’m gonna let my heart defeat my mind
Let Your love
Make me whole
I think I’m finally feeling something
Take me all the way
Take me all the way
Take me all the way
I want to be THAT Christian!
More and more, I have been convicted in the way I think and act. I am seeing so many people crying out for change and have finally realized that I passionately desire change in our world!
I have been a Christian all my life, and never before have I seen what we are facing now.
I have felt that burning in my heart for God’s will to be done, for His kingdom to reign here on earth and inside me, but I have never felt it as strong as I do now. I have this fiery, passionate, vehement desire…burning through the depths of my soul, crying out for God in a way I have never experienced before.
Yet, I do not know what to do with it. I do not know how to be THAT Christian. I do not know what it is to be passionately seeking God, no matter what trial falls upon me. I do not have the experience to know what to do with this fervor inside me.
I mean, I have had major experiences with God in my life. I have seen miracles; I have experienced mighty blessings… God has never let me get further than my fingertips could reach out and touch His.
However, THIS is different. This is not an experience. This is not the “mundane”, fire-insurance having, Christian do-gooder slide through life. THIS IS DEEP. This is a groaning, a deep stirring in the deep dark recesses of my soul, and I am MOVED. I am crying out for change. Not our current political leader’s definition of change, but Godly change. A change toward revival.
I read my friend’s blogs and talk to them about their lives. I read the news; I see the way the world is around me. People’s lives are broken. The economy is shaking, marriages are crumbling, and businesses are going under. People are struggling with things that they never thought they’d struggle with. The world is changing, and not for the better.
I believe that this is not solely because people are breaking the “Big Ten” as they are written. I believe it is the gray-area sin of compromise. I know this is my biggest problem! Making many many teeny tiny little changes in the way you view things will end up getting you so skewed from where you should be! I see it my own life all the time. Uttering a curse word when I am angry, watching a TV show I know I shouldn’t watch because it is funny, even staying up late when I know I have an appointment in the morning I can’t be late for and might be if I am too tired to get up….and for that matter BEING LATE to things. All of this compromise gradually changes our worldview, and makes us more open to making (and accepting) larger changes later.
Accepting abominable sins as human rights and allowing people to do heinous things in the name of self-expression and such… CHRISTIANS are accepting these changes, and not even batting an eyelash! We have people like this who are passionately spreading feel-good "Christianity" (as this blog discusses) around as truth and we aren’t recognizing that it is happening until it is too late! It is time for us to wake up. We have to, or it will be our ruin.
A good friend of mine put this quote in his blog.
"It's a tragedy for anybody to go to hell. But it seems to me, that the tragedy of all tragedies, is the oft-repeated Judas tragedy. Where you hang around Jesus, but end up belonging to Satan. That's the real tragedy." -John MacArthur
I do NOT want this to happen to me, my children… anyone!
I had a dream last night. The short of it is, my enemy was waging battle against me, and in the end decided that the best way to hurt me would be to take my child rather than to kill me. This was devastating. So much so that I woke up shaking, sweating, and crying. As I was recounting the dream to my husband, I realized that this is true. I realized that Satan has it out for us and he wants to take our children. This is the time for us to step up - WAKE UP- and get ourselves straight! The devil is coming for our CHILDREN! I for one am deciding to wage WAR on Satan. He will not get me, and he WILL NOT get my children! I don’t know how to be THAT Christian, but I have a feeling this is a good way to start.
I don’t know how to change. I don’t know where to start, but I am figuring that if it took small changes to get to where we are, we can make small changes to get back to where we should be. I started today with getting rid of the cable we just don’t need. TV is an idol in this house and I am sick of it. It’s probably an idol in yours too. We turn it on all the time and it has taken so much away from ourselves, God, our family as a whole… it’s terrible, and it’s gone. I have to admit I kept the limited basic so that we can watch a few shows we like, but in two weeks the current season is over and then the TV is staying off, even for prime time. Maybe we’ll even fully cancel it.
I just realized another part of my problem. It happens every time I begin to make changes in my life. People around me. Not that they are doing anything wrong, it’s just that if they aren’t feeling the same way as me, it makes it hard to remember sometimes. I’m not sure if that’s clear. It is like when you are on a diet and everyone around you is eating cake. It is REALLY hard to stay on the bandwagon at first.
I pray that I will get over that hump and keep my fire no matter what people around me are doing. I ask God to give me people around me with the same heart, so that we can grow together and incite change together. But when I am alone, Lord, would you give me the strength to do mighty things and be a mighty warrior for you all by myself.
When the fiery darts come, Lord, would you make me strong and courageous and able to withstand the trials the enemy throws at me. Would you cause me to be shaken, to dredge out all of the terrible things in my life and make me clean before you and before the world, Father. Use me for your Kingdom, Lord. Make your will apparent in my life, and cause me to be a changed person. Cause me to be broken before you and to be the woman you want me to be. Please allow me to be a mighty witness for you.
I don’t want to be mediocre. I don’t want to be the Christian who never does anything exceptional. Yes I know I am saved and I am going to heaven when I die, but I want more than that. I want to be passionate. I want to be a strong tower… a shining light for my Lord. Please make me that, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!!
Some verses I’ve been thinking on this week:
Romans 8:36-39
As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Isaiah 54:17
No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.
Psalm 42:3
Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
Who wants to join me!?
You know what? It is HARD. The burden is just the first step. I want to ACT on it. Even as I sit here thinking of all the ways I compromise, I still have trouble making the decision to say "Ok, I am done with these wordly things and I am going to turn toward righteousness!" Cuz, I'll be honest... I LIKE tv. I LIKE doing stupid things I shouldn't do...we all do. It's our sinful nature. But God is stronger than that, and He has called us to be more than conquerors! Ooo I am FIRED UP! Read Romans 8.
I have been a Christian all my life, and never before have I seen what we are facing now.
I have felt that burning in my heart for God’s will to be done, for His kingdom to reign here on earth and inside me, but I have never felt it as strong as I do now. I have this fiery, passionate, vehement desire…burning through the depths of my soul, crying out for God in a way I have never experienced before.
Yet, I do not know what to do with it. I do not know how to be THAT Christian. I do not know what it is to be passionately seeking God, no matter what trial falls upon me. I do not have the experience to know what to do with this fervor inside me.
I mean, I have had major experiences with God in my life. I have seen miracles; I have experienced mighty blessings… God has never let me get further than my fingertips could reach out and touch His.
However, THIS is different. This is not an experience. This is not the “mundane”, fire-insurance having, Christian do-gooder slide through life. THIS IS DEEP. This is a groaning, a deep stirring in the deep dark recesses of my soul, and I am MOVED. I am crying out for change. Not our current political leader’s definition of change, but Godly change. A change toward revival.
I read my friend’s blogs and talk to them about their lives. I read the news; I see the way the world is around me. People’s lives are broken. The economy is shaking, marriages are crumbling, and businesses are going under. People are struggling with things that they never thought they’d struggle with. The world is changing, and not for the better.
I believe that this is not solely because people are breaking the “Big Ten” as they are written. I believe it is the gray-area sin of compromise. I know this is my biggest problem! Making many many teeny tiny little changes in the way you view things will end up getting you so skewed from where you should be! I see it my own life all the time. Uttering a curse word when I am angry, watching a TV show I know I shouldn’t watch because it is funny, even staying up late when I know I have an appointment in the morning I can’t be late for and might be if I am too tired to get up….and for that matter BEING LATE to things. All of this compromise gradually changes our worldview, and makes us more open to making (and accepting) larger changes later.
Accepting abominable sins as human rights and allowing people to do heinous things in the name of self-expression and such… CHRISTIANS are accepting these changes, and not even batting an eyelash! We have people like this who are passionately spreading feel-good "Christianity" (as this blog discusses) around as truth and we aren’t recognizing that it is happening until it is too late! It is time for us to wake up. We have to, or it will be our ruin.
A good friend of mine put this quote in his blog.
"It's a tragedy for anybody to go to hell. But it seems to me, that the tragedy of all tragedies, is the oft-repeated Judas tragedy. Where you hang around Jesus, but end up belonging to Satan. That's the real tragedy." -John MacArthur
I do NOT want this to happen to me, my children… anyone!
I had a dream last night. The short of it is, my enemy was waging battle against me, and in the end decided that the best way to hurt me would be to take my child rather than to kill me. This was devastating. So much so that I woke up shaking, sweating, and crying. As I was recounting the dream to my husband, I realized that this is true. I realized that Satan has it out for us and he wants to take our children. This is the time for us to step up - WAKE UP- and get ourselves straight! The devil is coming for our CHILDREN! I for one am deciding to wage WAR on Satan. He will not get me, and he WILL NOT get my children! I don’t know how to be THAT Christian, but I have a feeling this is a good way to start.
I don’t know how to change. I don’t know where to start, but I am figuring that if it took small changes to get to where we are, we can make small changes to get back to where we should be. I started today with getting rid of the cable we just don’t need. TV is an idol in this house and I am sick of it. It’s probably an idol in yours too. We turn it on all the time and it has taken so much away from ourselves, God, our family as a whole… it’s terrible, and it’s gone. I have to admit I kept the limited basic so that we can watch a few shows we like, but in two weeks the current season is over and then the TV is staying off, even for prime time. Maybe we’ll even fully cancel it.
I just realized another part of my problem. It happens every time I begin to make changes in my life. People around me. Not that they are doing anything wrong, it’s just that if they aren’t feeling the same way as me, it makes it hard to remember sometimes. I’m not sure if that’s clear. It is like when you are on a diet and everyone around you is eating cake. It is REALLY hard to stay on the bandwagon at first.
I pray that I will get over that hump and keep my fire no matter what people around me are doing. I ask God to give me people around me with the same heart, so that we can grow together and incite change together. But when I am alone, Lord, would you give me the strength to do mighty things and be a mighty warrior for you all by myself.
When the fiery darts come, Lord, would you make me strong and courageous and able to withstand the trials the enemy throws at me. Would you cause me to be shaken, to dredge out all of the terrible things in my life and make me clean before you and before the world, Father. Use me for your Kingdom, Lord. Make your will apparent in my life, and cause me to be a changed person. Cause me to be broken before you and to be the woman you want me to be. Please allow me to be a mighty witness for you.
I don’t want to be mediocre. I don’t want to be the Christian who never does anything exceptional. Yes I know I am saved and I am going to heaven when I die, but I want more than that. I want to be passionate. I want to be a strong tower… a shining light for my Lord. Please make me that, Lord. In Jesus’ Name, Amen!!
Some verses I’ve been thinking on this week:
Romans 8:36-39
As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled.
Isaiah 54:17
No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.
Psalm 42:3
Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
Who wants to join me!?
You know what? It is HARD. The burden is just the first step. I want to ACT on it. Even as I sit here thinking of all the ways I compromise, I still have trouble making the decision to say "Ok, I am done with these wordly things and I am going to turn toward righteousness!" Cuz, I'll be honest... I LIKE tv. I LIKE doing stupid things I shouldn't do...we all do. It's our sinful nature. But God is stronger than that, and He has called us to be more than conquerors! Ooo I am FIRED UP! Read Romans 8.
Friday, May 8, 2009
The goings on...
welp we decided on the business card...
If you heard us sing somewhere and liked it and asked us for our info and we gave this card to you, what would you think? I think it's perfect for us...
So i'm working on not being upset about the house. Last night I dreamt about that house we wanted... so that was lame. And the rest of the night, I didn't sleep because of the Lulu and her insomnia.. so I'm preeetty tired today.
But Lucy has a TOOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!
If you heard us sing somewhere and liked it and asked us for our info and we gave this card to you, what would you think? I think it's perfect for us...So i'm working on not being upset about the house. Last night I dreamt about that house we wanted... so that was lame. And the rest of the night, I didn't sleep because of the Lulu and her insomnia.. so I'm preeetty tired today.
But Lucy has a TOOTH!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thursday, May 7, 2009
And I just found out...
There were ELEVEN offers. All of the other ones were higher than ours. ELEVEN?! Wow...that's a lot of offers. I am so discouraged. I really hope we find something...
Monday, May 4, 2009
House update
Actual text from my realtor's email.
Hello Jessica, I finally heard from the listing agents assistant. They currently have offers ranging from $147k through $170k. Ours will be held as a back up since it is on the lower range.
There you have it.
Hello Jessica, I finally heard from the listing agents assistant. They currently have offers ranging from $147k through $170k. Ours will be held as a back up since it is on the lower range.
There you have it.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
The real stuff
Effing Eff eEffff!!!! I wrote a huge long blog with all kinds of exciting colored words and info and i copied it (was going to put into word just in case) and the deleted it cuz I'm dumb. Then I accidentally copied something else and now that previous info is gone, gone, gone. stupid one-item clipboard. Usually i copy into Word, but I didn't.
ARGH$^&*(IH"$%"$#*(%Y$(Q$RHRIT%^&&*FNEDNAR
Maybe I'll re-write it sometime. EFF! Probably not.
Anyway...vote on which ones of these you like.
ARGH$^&*(IH"$%"$#*(%Y$(Q$RHRIT%^&&*FNEDNAR
Maybe I'll re-write it sometime. EFF! Probably not.
Anyway...vote on which ones of these you like.
Have you ever...?
I stole this from Jordan's blog. Thought you'd all like to know some stuff about me.
Bold = done it! :)
P.S. Do I get extra credit for doing some of these things more than once? hehe
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19.Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Been to Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Been in love
So there you have it! I have done 44 things from this list of 100 that someone made up. How bout YOU?
Bold = done it! :)
P.S. Do I get extra credit for doing some of these things more than once? hehe
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland/world
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea (from the beach)
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19.Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Been to Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Been in love
So there you have it! I have done 44 things from this list of 100 that someone made up. How bout YOU?
Friday, May 1, 2009
Welp....
No news on the house.
Ho hum... just waiting around. My agent can't get ahold of their agent. Until we can talk to their agent, we can't do anything.... soooo everyone pray we'll hear something soon!!
In other news... Lucy's ears have been acting up and they seem to be under control, so that's good! I hope they stay healthy! :)
My toilet's been leaking, so they had to replace my linoleum. That's always fun cuz now the floor is NEW! YAY! And in the process, they cleaned up the mess and sealed the toilet up.
Now for a profound thing my mom said...
For twenty plus years I have been trimming my hedges with hand clippers. We had an electric hedge trimmer, but it didn't work very well. The few times I tried it, I would wonder why anyone would ever purchase one. I would get it out and try to use it, fuss at it, put it away, and go get the hand clippers. I decided that doing it by hand was the only way to make the hedges look nice, plus I had the added benefit of arm exercises! :)
Well, over the last several months, I have developed tendinitis, in my shoulder and elbow, and I have been unable to use my trusty clippers. So, I went to Sears and bought an electric trimmer. And then I drove around with it in my car for a month, because I wasn't sure that I was going to trust it. Sears said there would be a restocking fee if I returned it, and I didn't want to be stuck with another trimmer that didn't work.
This morning, though, I woke up with a really strong desire to trim my hedges since they have been looking like they were going to swallow the house, and I got the trimmer out of the car. Wow, it works great! It cut everything! It had so much power, and it did much of the work for me! If I had only known that electric trimmers actually CAN work, maybe I would have bought one sooner!
So here are the lessons that I learned today. 1. Just because you can trim a hedge by hand and make it look nice, doesn't automatically mean that you can trim it with an electric trimmer and make it look nice. There is a learning curve. My hedge will look better in a few weeks, and then I can try again! :) 2. This whole experience makes me think about the Holy Spirit. He's available and powerful, and but if you don't give Him a chance and trust Him, it's like driving around with Him in the trunk of your car! :)
Me thinks my Mommy is a smart lady! And she's so funny! (And a little silly)
So that's the haps over here in Best-ville. I know it is not exciting, but hey... we're happy!
Ho hum... just waiting around. My agent can't get ahold of their agent. Until we can talk to their agent, we can't do anything.... soooo everyone pray we'll hear something soon!!
In other news... Lucy's ears have been acting up and they seem to be under control, so that's good! I hope they stay healthy! :)
My toilet's been leaking, so they had to replace my linoleum. That's always fun cuz now the floor is NEW! YAY! And in the process, they cleaned up the mess and sealed the toilet up.
Now for a profound thing my mom said...
For twenty plus years I have been trimming my hedges with hand clippers. We had an electric hedge trimmer, but it didn't work very well. The few times I tried it, I would wonder why anyone would ever purchase one. I would get it out and try to use it, fuss at it, put it away, and go get the hand clippers. I decided that doing it by hand was the only way to make the hedges look nice, plus I had the added benefit of arm exercises! :)
Well, over the last several months, I have developed tendinitis, in my shoulder and elbow, and I have been unable to use my trusty clippers. So, I went to Sears and bought an electric trimmer. And then I drove around with it in my car for a month, because I wasn't sure that I was going to trust it. Sears said there would be a restocking fee if I returned it, and I didn't want to be stuck with another trimmer that didn't work.
This morning, though, I woke up with a really strong desire to trim my hedges since they have been looking like they were going to swallow the house, and I got the trimmer out of the car. Wow, it works great! It cut everything! It had so much power, and it did much of the work for me! If I had only known that electric trimmers actually CAN work, maybe I would have bought one sooner!
So here are the lessons that I learned today. 1. Just because you can trim a hedge by hand and make it look nice, doesn't automatically mean that you can trim it with an electric trimmer and make it look nice. There is a learning curve. My hedge will look better in a few weeks, and then I can try again! :) 2. This whole experience makes me think about the Holy Spirit. He's available and powerful, and but if you don't give Him a chance and trust Him, it's like driving around with Him in the trunk of your car! :)
Me thinks my Mommy is a smart lady! And she's so funny! (And a little silly)
So that's the haps over here in Best-ville. I know it is not exciting, but hey... we're happy!
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