33. {birthday thoughts}

33 today. And almost every year has been painfully hard in various ways. But also full of good, full of memory-making, full of strength-building, full of discovery, full of dear friendships, full of family, full of faith-growing. Just gonna keep living for what I believe in and trust that God is doing something good with me. Cuz I know that He who began a good work in me will continue until the day of completion (Philippians 1:6). Life is hard but God is still good--That can be a difficult concept to wrestle with as we battle on thru the days. But it's Truth, and He is faithful. And in all the things there is a greater glory.

Favorite Bible verse and personal theme song:
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:7)

"Live Like That" 

Sidewalk Prophets

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I'm only just a memory
When I'm home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of us
Was my worship more than just a song

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change our heart
Do I live like Your love is true

People pass
And even if they don't know my name
Is there evidence that I've been changed
When they see me, do they see You

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

I want to show the world the love You gave for me
I'm longing for the world to know the glory of the King

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that
I want to live like that

Pray the Psalms {download}

It took me over a year to off-and-on complete this "study" but for me it was by far THEE most spiritually fulfilling prayer walk and journey to knowing and truly loving the Lord. I first wrote about Praying Through Psalms HERE, and I still am so passionate about it, I can't wait to share this resource and then start again on my own!  

It's incredible starting the day 

1. Being reminded of who God is

2. Laying my flaws and sin before Him and thanking God for my Savior

3. Praising God for all He's done in my life (big and small)

4. Reflecting on my daily walk, surrendering my burdens and requests to Him. 

I am weak, but He is Strong. He is faithful, loving, and true. Less of me, more of You, God. Fill me. 

Another component to this is writing out these scriptures. I love keeping a prayer journal. It documents my spiritual journey and I frequently use it as a resource and go back to find various verses and ideas.  And taking the time to write scripture helps it soak in, and I can meditate on and highlight key words as I go along. 

 This is NOT a schedule. It does not have to be done every day. Reading God's Word should never be something that you stress over or just mark off a list.  Like I said, I did this off and on over the course of more than a year. But it was something I always loved and needed to come back to. At times when I was lost or hurting or just spiritually unmotivated, this is what recentered me. Prayer. The Psalms are so real and so raw. A book of wailing, desperation, pleas, and also a book praising, dancing, and singing, and everything in between. It is rich in the truths of God's faithfulness, love, and salvation.

 DOWNLOAD the  FREE PDF HERE.

Comment below:
* What is your favorite book of the Bible and why?
* What do you turn to when you are feeling spiritually unmotivated and walking through difficult times?
* What do your prayer habits look like?

Keep Making Me

God is refining me,

shaping me,

molding me.

To be more like Him,

To turn to Him, 

To know Him more fully.

So if it takes

brokenness,

and hurt,

and emptiness,

Then bring it, Lord,

Til you are my

one desire,

one true love,

my breath,

my everything. 

Just really heard this song for the first time yesterday while mowing and it really speaks to where I'm at right now and the growth that is happening in my life. "Keep Making Me" by Sidewalk Prophets.

{Freebie} Church Notes

I encourage my kids to participate and listen during church, so I like to have a little worksheet for them to fill out as the service goes along. I tinker and adapt it from time to time, and here is the current format, for writing age and upward. Actually, I like to fill it in as well, I listen better and my mind doesn't wander if I'm writing at the same time. Anyhoo, thought I'd share:

Click HERE to download the PDF. 

{instructions: print page 1 first and then put the paper back in the printer and print page 2 on the backside. Then fold in half like a booklet}


And here's a simpler version for early writers
{instructions: it's also double-sided, but makes two copies per paper. So just cut down the middle)

And another that's a combo of the two versions:

Our own small part

"I know that people have been really disappointed with the institution known as 'the church'…and it is a mess at times. But what if all of us stopped thinking that the church is supposed to be something that others fix and we just did our own small part? Committing to love and serve those that love and follow Jesus, without holding judgement, learning to be humble and servant hearted, choosing to walk with those that are a lot different than us, not just choosing those that like what we like and do what we naturally do.

Things just might change.  One thing’s for certain: you would."

Read the full post here: "Learning to Follow Jesus with Others"

Lent.

We don't currently attend a liturgical church that observes the religious calendar, but in my quiet studies I like to have these seasons of reflection and preparation, particularly during Advent and Lent. I've been struggling with what to do this year. I've been a person to "give up" something but my friends have inspired me over the years, and last year I chose to give up a specific ipad game. It seems silly, but I had  gotten into the bad habit of playing the game first thing in the morning instead of doing my usual Bible reading. So I used the weeks of Lent to get back on track spiritually by intentionally setting  my game aside and re-establishing my regular time in the Word. This year I already feel on track and focused in my walk, so I can't think of a specific tangible thing to give up for this season, or forever, that would better my relationship with God.

Some people choose to add in a new habit, which is great! But for me, I feel like I am already doing that as my goal for the whole year. And I don't want my Lent to be full of Busy and Activity like Advent.  I want it to be a season of stillness.

I browsed for a family devotion we could do but just couldn't find something that wasn't entirely centered around the act of fasting. So this is what I decided. I sat down and wrote up a list of verses to meditate on as a family for this Lent season. We will reflect on:

Repentance

Forgiveness

Salvation

Righteousness

Love and Devotion

(eternal) Hope

(I guess it's real similar to the Color Gospel actually.) For various reasons intentional Bible teaching with the kids has become something I just don't do consistently like I desire. We do talk about faith quite a bit as we go about our day and life and in prayer so I trust that they see and know that faith is a relationship not just a Sunday event. But still, I want to help create opportunity for their spiritual growth by doing study as a family. For them and for me. So here goes Lent 2015.

{Kids Song} If You Love God and You Know It

As I was preparing to sub in for Sunday school music last week, this song popped into my head. Thought I'd share it here...

to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It"

If you love God and you know it, praise His name!
If you love God and you know it, praise His name!
If you love God and you know it and you really want to show it,
If you love God and you know it, praise His name!

Now for additional verses, change out the underlined parts with these words or words of your own:

...read His Word...
...give Him thanks...
...pray to Him...
...feed the poor...
...help the sick...
...be a friend... 
...follow Him...


That's it! So simple!

God's love is unconditional. Our salvation is through Jesus only, and not by anything we DO, but still, God desires our hearts and our lives. Our actions should pattern after Jesus' life and reflect Him. That's our purpose on this earth. To serve Him wholly.

2015: {Courage}

What I discovered about myself in 2014 is that I have a lot of dreams and passions and am stuck in a life of frustration because I am depending upon and waiting on other people to help make those dreams become reality.  

No more.

This is my life. I must be proactive.  

God filled me with these dreams and passions, He molded this heart of mine, and He will give me courage to step outside of myself.

I want to live the Gospel boldly.  I want to BE the good in the world.  And I've realized that all my wishing and hoping does nothing. I can't pray for a change in someone ELSE in order for there to be a change in ME. My life starts with my life. I can't let my heart for something be contingent upon someone or something else. 

I am introverted (another big thing I've learned about myself in 2014) and the thought of just going for it and doing something on my own makes me want to CHOKE. I am not a leader and maybe never will be. This is not my comfort zone. But I CAN do something in my style and my way. I CAN stop overthinking it and overstressing and overanalyzing. I CAN take opportunity of the small moments that come with each day. If my passion is to serve others, I CAN live a life of open eyes, open heart, and boldness. I CAN live a life full of quiet kindnesses. I don't have to stop being my introverted self, because it's who I am and there is a gift in that, but I do want to challenge myself to step out in faith. 

This fully describes how I want to live my year and my life:

Because after all, that's how Jesus lived. And my desire is to be more like Him every day, every moment, every breath. To live without agenda, without blinders, but to make the most of every opportunity because these days are fleeting, and there is a hurting and broken world to love on. Jesus himself says, "whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me... Whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me." (Matthew 25:40,45) May I never pass on by the person I was meant to serve. May I live with courage and boldness and LOVE EXTRAVAGANTLY. In a world full of hate, bitterness, retaliation, and darkness, may my life shine so that through me others may see HIM. 

Praying through Psalms

I used to spend most of my time reading the New Testament because it's so easily applicable. I practically have all of Romans thru 1 John underlined because so many of those verses speak to me in their various ways. They are excellent reminders, powerful encouragements, direct guidance and truths, and easy to find when I need to recall them. But the fact was that I would read these verses with the attitude of "needing to get better at ______" (patience, gentleness, forgiveness, godliness, etc). And I spent little time PRAYING, that was always my weakness. And I was failing, frustratingly so, at the more patience thing, and everything else.

So in reality, I was spending all this Bible time with myself, and not directly with God Himself.

I think His Word is amazing, all the answers are right there. The values and what godliness looks like, what Christ looks like, the stories of how God works and who He IS, and how we can show all this to our neighbors. It's all amazing.

But as of late, I've been spending time specifically in Psalms. Actually praying. And primarily meditating on GOD'S character, not my character. And ya know what I'm finding?  The more I look at God and who HE IS and His goodness and faithfulness and love and redemption, the easier it is (for me anyway) to have a full heart. Simply put, the more I fill myself with HIM, the more I can display His fruits: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23) All the very things I was trying to "get better at". I always knew that these are the fruits of the Spirit and not of me, but I guess I never really realized that I wasn't actually spending time with HIM.  I wasn't praying or looking to God, I was only reflecting on what God WANTS. And failing because I was, without realizing it, depending upon myself and my own attitudes. I'm still not perfect, I still flip out, but overall I finally feel like I'm getting a grip. But mostly I'm finally feeling like I'm getting to know God and growing to be more like Him. After all, isn't that our continual life journey?

So. All that said, I thought I would explain a little bit what I mean each week when I say in "Monday Meanderings" that I'm praying through the Psalms following the A.C.T.S format.  So here it is:
The A.C.T.S. format is praying Adoration (praise), Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication (requests), and in that order. It takes a chunk of time, and several pages in my journal, to do this thoroughly but it is sooo fulfilling and an amazing start to my day.  Like I said before, I've never been good at prayer. So for me, it's helpful to pray the scriptures, to find verses that apply to each element. I used to hop all over the Psalms finding a scripture for each part, but now I'm trying to move through the Psalms in order each day and find appropriate scriptures all from the same chapter or neighboring chapters, and then moving on the next day to the next couple chapters in Psalms. So here's an example from yesterday:

ADORATION -- Psalm 138:6-8
"Though the Lord is on high, he looks upon the lowly, but the proud he knows from afar. Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes, with your right hand you save me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O Lord, endures forever--do not abandon the work of your hands."
>>Truths from this passage:
* Though the Lord is on high, He looks on me.
* God will preserve my life in troubles.
* God has a purpose for me and will fulfill it.
* God loves me. Forever.

CONFESSION -- Psalm 139:23-24
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."
>>You know my heart and my intentions. Forgive me for my sin. Search me and mold me in the areas that need work. Call attention to my sin and weaknesses. And make me more like You every day.

THANKSGIVING -- Psalm 139:14
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well."
(and then I write a thankful list for the day) * uplifting Bible verses * opportunities to set an example in the hard parts of life * opportunities to still grow and be challenged * walking days with friends * rain * yummy farm eggs * eternal healing for a friend's dad * being a SAHM and not living a hurried, stressful life * Eli's interest in Boxcar books * not having a leaky dishwasher in awhile . . . 

SUPPLICATION -- Psalm 138:3
"When I called, you answered me; you made me bold and stouthearted."
(and then I write down various prayer requests-- specifics requests and general according to category)
* church...
* marriage...
* kids (sometimes whole pages of general requests and sometimes individually per child)
* pregnant friends...
* struggling friends...
* myself...

* missionary friends...

So there ya have it. My prayer routine I've been trying out. Now, studying the Bible doesn't stop there. I've been moved in many ways lately and actually want to start dissecting the Gospels. But the Psalms are a great place to meet and spend time with God Himself.

"Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul."
Psalm 86:4

When there are no words.

2013 was a painful year for us. Struggle with sin, trust, faith, priorities, communication, hurt, anger, all of it.  There's so much that can't be shared publicly or even privately. But it's our story, our LIFE, it's real.

I haven't been here because I didn't know what to say. I still don't really.

This journey is HARD.  I am struggling to trust God. What exactly do I trust TO God???  He's all powerful but works in twisted ways that we don't understand at all. He may NEVER answer my prayers in the ways that *I* am pleading to Him .  How do I trust and hope and pray for God to do plan A when I know so very well that He may have a Plan B in mind all along, that never even comes close to my desires??  So I am trying to simply Trust God. With the whole thing. And be okay with the possibility of Plan B. And to trust that Plan B can still be okay too and even possibly GOOD.  And that, my friends, is hard. THAT is faith.

"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Luke 22:42


Have you ever had to trust God with some really heavy circumstances? Trusting that the Plan B (which, by the way, was always God's plan from the start) is good too?

Life is dessert. Take time to savor.

I was deeply inspired by this the other day.  Take time to read the full post by Ann Voskamp.  

To consistently step back, breathe deep, focus — and know Life is dessert — too brief to hurry. Too delectable to be distracted through. You don’t wolf it down.
Life isn’t an emergency. Life isn’t 20 open screens and one flickering attention span. Life is a gift. 

This has been on my heart for the entire past year. Just tired of technology and the beautiful parts of life it steals from us. Things like focus and contentment and the simplicity of nothingness. The beauty of being still.

I know I keep talking about this but one of the biggest sources of stress and distraction for me is Facebook. I simply don't have the energy to CARE about every single one of my friends and all of their families every single day and still achieve and live the simple and rich life I want with my own family. I have spent the weekend disconnected from Facebook. I've popped on here and there to check messages and notifications, but I haven't spent ANY time browsing the feeds. And there's definitely a peace that comes from that.  No guilt over lists other people are accomplishing and I'm not, no angst over things I disagree with, no threads of conversation continuing thru the day. Instead, I've truly enjoyed my kids, letting them splash in water on the sidewalk, reading books and books and books, taking walks, being outside, enjoying quality time, creating spontaneous adventures, and finishing up some of my own projects. THAT is the life I want. 

* Just gotta add, when I stick to my filtered feeds of my core Facebook people, it's really limited and nice but sometimes it's still just so needed to disconnect altogether.

I {heart} Spring. There are just too many better things to do.

Facebook 2013

Greetings and Happy New Year!!  I haven't been on here a whole lot.  I'm kind of processing a lot of things these days, and I don't know what to say or THAT it even needs said, especially here to the public!  But this is one thing that has been heavy on my heart, and I'm still trying to figure out what to do with it.... Facebook.

The more I'm there, the more I read what people share, what people comment, the more I observe my own behaviors and feelings, it seems like such a huge trap for sin.  I can only speak for myself and my experience, and these are the ways Facebook causes me to stumble...

It causes JEALOUSY, seeing what other friends are doing.  Everything gets shared, ya know. Lunch dates, shopping trips, movies.  And sometimes, even though it doesn't seem like there's any valid reason, I just feel a twinge of jealousy.  A feeling of being left out, or coveting time out like that for myself.

One of the biggest struggles I think is PRIDE, and this is one I often see, and I'm guilty of it too.  Boasting about accomplishments, in seek of praise and comments, seeking man's approval.  When I post photos or even a status update I check back very very frequently, eager to see what comments I have.  Wow, such sin, trying to build myself up like that. Even if it's unintentional, it totally happens.

And on the flip side are PITY PARTIES, people complaining about this and that just in search of comments and others to come alongside them. Yes, it's good to be real, to show the tough times too, but what is the real motive?

Not to mention the IDLENESS and unproductivity of simply BEING online all the time.

Being a regular Facebook user quickly and easily leads to restlessness and discontentment and I lose the gift of being fully present with those I am with.  There's always a need to know the latest news, because it's constantly changing, people are always posting.

And then there's the hurt and insult caused by posts/comments, even of complete strangers.  And the firey feeling of needing to defend yourself. It's awful.

And hurt and assumptions from posts that are vague, and humans can't help but jump to their own conclusions about what it must mean.  I've probably been on both sides of that "game".

You see, it's such an ugly trap.

But at the same time it's good, and that's why this causes such turmoil within me.  

It's a place where pictures are easily and privately shared with friends and family.

You can share encouraging Bible verses, articles, music, and videos.

You can share simple things that just make you laugh.

You can share kind thoughts and messages to those you care about.

It's a source of communication and news, including urgent prayer requests.

For many others Facebook is not such a battle.  But for me it is.  So for 2013 how do I make this work?

I took my "wall" down.  In order to write to me, it has to be a private message.  This is to protect my friends and readers from any misinterpretations and to help guard my relationships as something somewhat personal.

I now require authorization before I can be "tagged" in something for all the rest of my friends to see.

I cannot remove the option of photo comments, so that just is what it is.

I will use more caution in what I post by following these rules I'd found on Pinterest regarding children but it fully applies to Facebook:

And while I can't control what OTHERS say, I can better control what I SEE.  So I'm working through my friends list.  But that kinda takes forever, so I majorly cut down my list of "close friends" and can view the feeds of that instead of the feeds of EVERYONE!  Simply cutting down will also cut down my online time altogether.

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." Galatians 1:10

So here, my friends, is to a new year!!

Don't save it all for Christmas

These lyrics say sooo much of what's on my heart at the holidays...  Don't let it stop just cuz Christmas is over. "Find a way To give a little love everyday Don't save it all for Christmas Day"  So as we head into the season, don't go stressing, trying to shove everything into these few short weeks. Celebrate Jesus, enjoy the truths of what this season is about. And remember, you've got EVERY day to share love and to share Jesus and to share the hope that is in your heart.

Dont' Save It All for Christmas Day

Don't get so busy that you miss
Giving just a little kiss
To the ones you love
And don't even wait a little while
To give them a little smile
A little is enough

How many people are crying
Some people are dying...
How many people are askin’ for love

Don't save it all for Christmas Day
Find a way
To give a little love everyday

Don't save it all for Christmas Day
Find a way
Cause holidays have come and gone
But love lives on
If you give on
Love...

How could you wait another minute
A hug is warmer when you're in it
Oh Baby that's a fact
And saying "I love you's" always better
Seasons, reasons, they don't matter
So don't hold back
How many people in this world
So needful in this world
How many people are praying for love

Don't save it all for Christmas Day
Find a way
To give a little love everyday
Don't save it all for Christmas Day
Find a way
Cause holidays have come and gone
But love lives on
If you give on
Give love…..

Let all the children know
Everywhere that they go
Their whole life long
Let them know love

Yeah, and give a little love everyday

Don't save it all for Christmas Day
Find a way
Cause holidays have come and gone

Don't save it all for Christmas Day
Find a way
To give a little love everyday

Don't save it all for Christmas Day
Find a way
Cause holidays have come and gone 

Holiday kindness

Thanksgiving and Christmas. The two times of the year to be thankful and generous.  Or so it seems. I don't want to spend this season being bitter, but it really REALLY irks me that it's the only time of year we are intentional about gratitude, and being thoughtful and giving to others.  I LOVE seeing friends' thankful posts each day on Facebook, but can it PLEASE continue throughout the year? I LOVE that at Christmas people share cookies and give little gifts to neighbors and teachers and pastors and everyoneandtheirdog, but can it PLEASE continue throughout the year?  I love that people clean out and are generous with their time and money and quick to volunteer but can it PLEASE continue throughout the year?  Otherwise it all seems utterly meaningless.  What can we do to challenge ourselves to give thanks and think of others year-round?  Be intentional, make time, make it a REAL part of your life, not just a season.

First world problems.

Pinterest. It's so great right?  We want our homes looking great and organized but lately I've been wondering where it stops???

Revamping closet doors because they're boring or "ugly" looking. 

Covering thermostats with fancy decor.

Jazzing up air vents.

 

Hidden storage so we can have even more STUFF hidden in every nook and cranny!

 Hiding washer and dryer so we don't even have to LOOK at them!

Pinterest is GREAT for learning how to save money, be resourceful, stretching our creativity, be healthy, and provide tools for training and teaching purposes.

BUT man oh man, many other things are such first-world problems!  How many people could we reach and help if we instead used some of those same effort and resources toward those who are struggling to even live??

What are we doing getting lost in details that seriously don't even matter?  Organization is good, healthy and natural is good, saving money is good, but fancy is just not necessary. 

Thoughts???

Kids: Church Notes

Now that my oldest is able to find passages in the Bible, write, and spell on his own, I want to start changing what I have him do in church. So I made up this simple notes sheet for him to fill out, hoping to work towards more active listening instead of entertaining.  Write the passage reference the pastor is reading from for the day. Pick a favorite verse from there to copy. Write your own notes. And listen for keywords (this is mostly a bank of common words to help with spelling) Mom chooses for the day. It's not necessarily just the tally-mark game, but it could be.  It's just a half-sheet of paper, prints 2 per page, plus there's the blank back-side for more writing, or drawing. Simple but hopefully effective! He didn't want to do it last week, but this week I might it more of an assignment, something I want him to show me back home for us to talk about. And it's something I want to (and did last week) fill out for myself too!

You can download the PDF HERE.

And here is a sheet of the New Testament books of the Bible. Just print on cardstock and cut apart. Then select a few or select all of them and have child arrange them in order. Gaining confidence in the   order will help children be able to find Bible passages. You can do the same with Old Testament but we aren't there yet! =)

Awakened.

yogurt cups
string cheese
applesauce cups
applesauce squeezies
fruit cups
cookie packs
granola bars
single-serving chips
capri sun pouches
juice boxes
plastic baggies

read: packaging, packaging, packaging

That is the norm of a packed lunch box. We think we're doing better by sending kids with healthy foods, but the truth is it's all processed packaged foods that's killing our world to make and still has junk in it with ingredients we can't pronounce.

I finished reading the book 7:an experimental mutiny against excess and my soul has been awakened. To the realities of our life and the world around us, the social norms, the thoughtless habits we do on a daily basis.  It's disgusting, it's careless, and I want to change. In 7 major areas:

FOOD

.

.

.

 CLOTHES

.

.

.

 POSESSIONS

.

.

.

 MEDIA

.

.

.

WASTE

.

.

.

SPENDING

.

.

.

STRESS

I'm lending out the book right now to friends who are sort of starting a book club with me, so this won't be a full book review including all my favorite quotes I underlined.  But just some thoughts of ways I'm going to try to change...

* This school year I want to stop buying single-serving anything and find a small tackle box sort of thing for serving up lunch food into one container. If I can't find that then we'll try several small bowls and sandwich boxes but no more packaged foods and baggies.

* I hate recycling here but I'm going to try again. With everything. And maybe even read about composting.

* I want to switch to cloth napkins for family use.

* I want to start eating clean and not processed things, that even means cereal. 

* I'm trying the Pinterest trick and turned our clothes hangers backward in the closet so I can tell what things get worn and what things have stayed put for months. We will then purge the extras.

* I want to fast from spending and start living by this rule: If you think you want something, wait a month. One of three things will happen if you follow this sage advice. One: you will forget. Two: you will no longer need it. or Three: you will need it more. Most often numbers one and two will happen.

"Just because I can have it doesn't mean I should." This applies to more than just spending, it applies to food too. As Americans we are impulsive and do things without thought because we live in such bounty. 

"There are a limited number of resources in this world, and when we take more than we need, we are stealing from others."

* I want to search for ways to directly serve the poor. It's sooo not as easy here in small-town Nebraska as it may be in Austin, TX in the heart of a huge city. But "...the great tragedy in the church is not that rich Christians do not care about the poor but that rich Christians do not know the poor." It's so much easier to dump off our things at Goodwill and let them sort it all out and leave feeling good about ourselves only so we can go home and buy more things to fill the space.  Surely, there are ways we can still GIVE and actually SERVE, to bridge the gap between us and "them".  The church is so busy holding Bible studies, women's groups, family events, etc etc etc,  and blessing the blessed what do we do to actually live the gospel by serving the least of us?

* I want to, especially on Sabbath, observe the calls to prayer 7 times a day. Such sweet time with the Lord, "an oasis to remember the sacredness of life, who we are, how to offer God the incredible gift of our lives, and learning to be in the midst of so much doing."

Ahhh so much going on inside of me. I am awakened.

Happiness is the Lord

I randomly have this song bopping through my head this afternoon. An oldie but goodie!!

Happiness is to know the Savior,
Living a life within His favor,
Having a change in my behavior,
Happiness is the Lord.

Happiness is a new creation,
Jesus and me in close relation,
Having a part in His salvation,
Happiness is the Lord.

Real joy is mine,
No matter if the teardrops start,
I've found a secret,
It's Jesus in my heart.

Happiness is to be forgiven,
Living a life that's worth the livin',
Taking a try that leads to Heaven,
Happiness is the Lord.

Real joy is mine,
No matter if the teardrops start,
I've found a secret,
It's Jesus in my heart,
Jesus in my heart.

Happiness is to be forgiven,
Living a life that's worth the livin',
Taking a trip that leads to Heaven,
Happiness is the Lord,
Happiness is the Lord,
Happiness is the Lord.

Live Like That

So everything I say and do points to you.

When life is good and easy.

We are quick to forget our need and dependence on God. It's easy to forget that all this does not come from our own hands.  Moses warns the Israelites of exactly this as they prepare to cross the Jordan River into the Promised Land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey....

"When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.... You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today." Deuteronomy 8:10-14,17-18

A year later and I have finally finished reading through Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and half of Deuteronomy!!  Excellent books so far, demonstrating the incredible POWER of God!  I'm finally beginning to understand what it means to "fear the Lord".