Vacation at Little River Farms pt. 1 Little Emma

On Thursday, May 31 only about an hour behind schedule, the Byrd van set out from Lonny and Netta's house. We were headed out on a great adventure. As we began to travel on the windy roads, our trip began with a wise word of advice from Ronan, my three year old nephew. "MarMai," he said to my mother-in-law who was driving, "don't forget to stay on the road." Thus began our exciting journey. A little less than an hour later we drove up to a wonderland of peacocks, goats, donkeys, chickens, a pond, a river, a playground and so much more.

As all six of us piled out of the van, we were happily pleased to see the accommodations for the week far exceeded our expectations. After unpacking, no one had to ask where we were headed next. We were going down to see the animals.

The first animal to greet us was almost literally right outside our front door. It was a shy llama.



It didn't take long for us to discover that there were actually three llamas. All of them are quite curious and come up to the fence every time we pass by. However they are not too sure about us touching them. They are a bit shy.

As we trekked down the dusty trail we soon spotted the goat pin to our left. I was thrilled to discover this fun little critters. I would love to have a goat farm, and I think now that Arlen has seen the fun animals, he may agree.



This is me with Emma. Emma is the sweetest goat of them all, and I quickly fell in love with her. As we stepped inside the goat pin she looked up at us and quickly came running over. That's just how Emma is. Every time we visit her, she comes trotting right over as soon as she sees us. This little goat loves attention, especially if it includes a good neck scratching. Not only is Emma a sweetie, she is quite curious. When Arlen was taking pictures, she saw the flash on the camera, and immediately she was there, trying to figure out what that flashy thing was. She even climbed Arlen in a effort to figure out her discovery.



The thing about Emma is that although she is a sweet heart, she is very jealous. She wants all the attention, and doesn't want to share with anyone around. These are a couple of goats that very much wanted our attention, but were afraid of Emma. (She has a tendency to head butt any of the other goats who get too close to the people giving her attention.) All of the goats are well behaved, but when Emma is around, they are much more cautious to approach humans for attention.



I'm looking at the time, and I'm realizing that I'm going to have to end this blog here pretty soon. I'll continue part two tomorrow. But, rather than ending abruptly, I'd have to say that as usual, God has taught me a lesson through little Emma. She is very sweet, however her jealousy often gets in the way of her enjoying the attention she craves. When people come to the petting zoo Emma typically gets put in the barn, away from all the excitement. Her selfish battles tend to scare the kids and her behavior to the other goats is completely unacceptable. The thing is, if Emma allowed the other goats to come over and get some attention as well, she would end up with a lot more loving pats, scratches, rubs (and even a few more treats).

I can't help but realize how much I take after this little goat. I often am so afraid of loosing the gifts that God has given me that I become protective of them. I don't want to share my time, my stuff, my husband, I want these things all to myself to be used how I think they should be used. I wonder how many times God has to give me a "time out" because of my selfishness. God has created us to share all the blessings that He has given us. Only by doing this will our blessings continue to grow and our joy increase. I pray that God will help me learn to share...ALL of the blessings He has given me!

The Crazies...

Yup, I've got those. I don't want to do anything but I have so much to do! (Does this sound familiar?) Well, if you're wondering why this sudden burst of craziness hit, I will tell you. (If you're not wondering, you can stop reading now, and I promise I won't hold it against you.)

Here's the deal. This summer I already had the following items on my list:

1) Work (wherever I can, as much as I can - right now Thatcher and Thatcher South)
2) Keep up with the house (this includes deep cleaning, gardening, and lots of fun from-scratch cooking)
3) Joshua's House (I'm starting a non-profit, it takes a lot of time, okay)

As you can see, my summer was already going to be pretty busy. But now, there's more. My husband and I have been spending a lot of time praying about finances and what God has in store for us, what His will is. While we have no clue what the next little while holds in general, it is clear that my husband's company just doesn't have enough workers. So guess what - I'm going to be doing a lot of organizing and the like for Aspen Web Design.

I know it's crazy. I'm not quite sure how 3rd summer secession will work. Aspen, on top of my other two jobs, not counting anything for Joshua's House, will put me at at least 55 hours of work a week!! AHHHH. But God will help me.

That's what I'm learning today. He has a plan and as long as I turn to Him and allow Him to be my guide I can know that it will all be okay. The hard part for me is the letting go part. I like to sit down and make schedules and figure everything out and KNOW how I'm going to fit every little detail in. However, I know I must resist the urge.

Pretty much, this is what God is trying to say to me:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heat and do not lean on your own understanding. IN all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fer the Lord and turn away form evil." ~Proverbs 3:5-7

So, I'm a little overwhelmed, but I know that God WILL help me. I just have to be willing to let Him choose my priorities. :D

My Quest for Health

Okay, so here is the deal. A while back my doctor told me I have to lose weight (for those of you wondering, I'm not overweight). The reasons are long, boaring and complicated, and I won't get into them now. Anyway, I don't just want to loose weight, I want to be healthy - really healthy. I want to learn how to take care of my body, and how to teach people to take care of theirs. Here are some problems I've been running in to:

1) Most diet programs focus on just weight loss and tend to leave out the total health issue.

2) It's almost impossible to find a diet program for a vegan who does not buy pre-packaged foods.

3) Contradictions. It seems that for everything that's said there are 10 completely different things stated on the same topic. (ex. Carbs are bad, Carbs are good)

4) There is no simple way to understand proper nutrition. How much is a serving? What does 1200 calories look like? And what in the world do you categorize foods as? Some places say beans are carbs, other say they are protein!!

5) What constitutes a good exercise program? How must strength training, cardo? When I'm on cardion workouts does my goal need to be to keep my heart rate up, or to push myself as hard as I can? What exercise routine is really healthy?

6) What are exercising options? People say it needs to be fun, but I just haven't hit on that yet.

7) What is a balanced diet? I mean what vitamins and minerals need to be included, how many of them, where can I get them?

8) What constitutes a good multivitamin? What supplements should I be taking?

Okay, I could go on, but I think You get my point. I've looked in books and books, and it seems that there are so many contradictions, and people make such broad generalizations that I can't seem to find anything that's actually helpful! RAHH! Oh, and all these things are so expensive! I do not have a lot of money to spend on memberships or special foods. I just want to have a natural healthy lifestyle. I know that one of the things that most books talk about is having a low level of stress. Does this industry realize the stress that all of their incongruences and overabundance of only partially useful information causes?

So, this is my current struggle. I don't really know what to do, or where to go, or how to begin this health journey. I do know one thing. I don't drink near enough water. I know that water effects our skin, our appetite, and our overall health in so many ways. For that reason, my first step on this quest for health is going to be to drink 80 ounces of water a day (that's four times of filling up my water bottle). But I can't go from drinking hardly any water to drinking 80 oz just like that, so my beginning goal: Drink at least 40oz of water a day. If I can keep that going, next week I'll increase it to the full 80 oz.

Let's see how all this goes!

The Mad Dash to...Forgiveness

Last night I was worked until close to 1am. I was crazy tired when I got home. As I cuddled up to my husband, he told me he would let me sleep in in the morning. By that I thought he meant somewhere in the neighborhood of 7am (seeing that's late for a morning that I have to work). To my surprise, I woke up at 8:21! I jumped out of my bed and scrambled to the bathroom to get ready. "Arlen," I shouted, "I was supposed to be at work 20 minutes ago!" All of a sudden it was a mad dash to get me ready for work. As Arlen patiently gathered the items I called out, "I need my work shirt, and khakis, and an undershirt, and some socks...Ahhhh! I can't find my ID card," together, we got me out the door, and I arrived at work at 8:31!

Needless to say, when I arrived at work, I was very sleepy and a bit bemuddled, but as I sat and spent time talking to Jesus, I realized something. It is so clear that He has been working in my life. My typical response to being so late to work would be first to snap at Arlen for not getting me up earlier, then to beat up on myself for all of the ways that I could have possibly slipped up to make such a thing happen. I would have droned on and on about how irresponsible I am and would have let it ruin my day. Yet, Jesus calmed me.

Yes, being late to work would mean that I would miss that pay for the day. Being late might mean that I would get in trouble at work. Being late meant that I didn't get a shower before coming to work and that breakfast would be late. I would have some consequences. However, that's not where it ended. I was already late when I woke up, I could not change that, so I decided I would do my best to get to work as fast as I could - and I did. Arlen had not made a mistake, there was simply a misunderstanding, so why blame Him? When it all comes down to it, this is what I really discovered. I cannot continually beat myself up for every mistake I make. I must take responsibility for my slip ups, and accept whatever consequences go along with them, but then I must learn from them and move on.

Then, suddenly I was hit with a better understanding of God's love and forgiveness. When we sin, there are consequences, there is no way around that. However, rather than beating ourselves up and gloating, we can learn from those mistakes, allow them to help us grow, and move on. Christ has covered our sins and has fully forgiven us. He wants us to live like His forgive children.

I can't help but wonder if this is what Jesus was talking about in Matthew 11:28-30 when He said,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

This is me at work - Thrown together, but forgiven!

Being Rich

Even though I am poor when it comes to money and other worldly measures, I am really quite rich. I am rich in love, and in happiness. God has poured His blessings out on me and my husband. Not to mention that but our Father has all the resources in the whole world, AND, he has given us eternal life. Rich...yeah, I'm rich. :)

Only Slightly Bored

I haven't posted today, so I thought I would. I really have absolutly nothing in mind as far as what I'm writing, so we'll see what happens. I'm working as a D.A. in the dorm today. It's really a good job and it pays really well, but there are rather dull moments in which there is nothing to do...at all. I am currently faced with one of those moments. Arlen will be here soon to pick me up for a lunch break, and that will be nice. But, in the mean time I am going to fill up this space with a bunch of randomness.

There have been a few things today that I have not been particularly eager to do. However, there is nothing that bad, and I have absolutly no room to complain. I am trying to remember 1 Peter 4:10-11, and am praying that God will give me a cheerful working spirit.

"As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen."

So that's pretty much it. There is not a whole lot else going on. Thanks for reading this ramble if you've made it all the way to the end. If you haven't however (and I guess at this point I'm talking to myself), that's okay - I totally understand.

Well I hope you have a wonderful day! Remember to stay connected to the Source!!

Learning about...life

So, I know I posted about how discouraged and unmotivated I was earlier today. However, God helped me to rummage up enough motivation to get a few things done. No, my day didn't end up being fantastic, but it wasn't bad either. The neat thing is that throughout the day I was filled with joy because God helped me to remember Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." And that's just what I did.

So, here are some pictures from what I did on my ordinary day that Jesus made extraordinary!

Discouraged

Yeah, I'm pretty much discouraged and unmotivated, and I'm not really sure why. I mean there are tons of reasons I could be discouraged I guess. I don't want to list them though, cause that will just make it worse. I have no motivation. There are about 5 things I could/should be doing right now, and I don't want to do any of them. The problem is that there is nothing in particular I would rather do. I just really don't want to do anything. Grrr - this is such a frustrating mood to be in. I need motivation, I need to be cheered up, I need to turn to Jesus, I need...I don't even know what I need. Anyway, it was good to get this off my chest. Thanks for letting me ramble.

But, things are going to change right...now. I'm going to go take my shower, get dressed and clean up this office before work at noon. Hold me to that. On my mark...get set...GO!

Sad News

Okay, so Arlen and I have to move in December. That's when I'm graduating, and we have to move out of student housing. Well, we found a house that we really wanted. It was perfect for us. We just found out today that it is sold!!!! We are so bummed because the location was perfect, and there was land, and all sorts of things.

I know that God has a plan for us (although sometimes I wish He wasn't so secretive). I have decided however, to wait a few more months before I get into the house hunting again. I am pretty familiar with the market around here. It will be different by December too, and I don't want to become to attached to another house that gets sold. Besides Jesus tells us not to worry about tomorrow (Mathew 6:34). James also reminds us of the dangers of getting caught up in plans of tomorrow. We must focus on Christ and His plans for our lives rather than be caught up in the things we will do here on earth (James 4:13-17).

So yes, I am quite sad that the house we wanted didn't work out, but I know that God has a plan in mind for us. All of the things we thought were perfect about that house may not fit in with the plans He has for us. So I look forward with hope to see what He has in store.

Garden

Just so that you're aware, this blog is going to be a little different than my other blogs. I don't have some deep message to share, or even anything from the Bible. I just thought I would share a little something I'm thinking about.

It's good to have dreams and aspirations, right? Well, I have a dream. It's rather small, but - it's important to me. Let me start out by giving you a little bit of background. I spend all week working on homework and slaving away over text books. Well, it turns out that all of my classes this semester utilize my left-brainness while completely neglecting the other 50% of grey matter. (Yes, I am split right down the middle, I use both my left and right brain equally). What effect does this tid bit of information have on my life? Just this. After a few weeks of running lefty to the max, he gets tired and decides he's overworked and can't do any more. While this is happening Righty begins screaming at the top of his lungs begging for a chance to stretch his aching legs (imagine a 12hr car ride in a tiny back seat). This results in me avoiding my homework because lefty is so plumb tuckered out and can't take any more, yet without allowing righty the chance to move around because all of his work takes to long. If I've lost you at this point I'm dreadfully sorry.

The point I am trying to make is that I want a garden!! This would give me a chance to stretch my creative right brain while giving my left brain a chance to relax. Not only that, but I would then have beautiful flowers to look at and maybe even some tasty veggies to eat! Horray!

There is one cog in my plan - time. So, what is the point of this blog? I'm not really sure. But, I guess I'm done, so I'll stop rambling on now.

Thanks for sticking it out with me. I hope you have a wonderful evening. God bless you!

Scary Stuff

So I have been asked to lead out in a "support group" - I guess that's the best name for it. But to be honest, I'm terrified. I have spent a lot of time wrestling with God. It is clear that this is something He wants me to get involved with, yet I am so under qualified.

Last night I was talking to my husband about this and sharing my apprehensions. What do I do about this, and how to I respond about that, and what if the right thing to say makes someone mad at me, and what if I'm not sensitive enough, and what if I'm too afraid to say what really needs to be said, and... The list went on. I was realizing how much I'm lacking in the wisdom department. But Arlen kept reminding me, "Laura, God will give you the words to say. His Holy Spirit will be with you and He will anoint your lips. All you have to do is ask." Then, it struck me like a tree branch that you don't see until it's left a permanent indention on your forehead, my faith is so weak. As I came across this realization, I became a little more afraid, yet somehow slightly reassured (don't ask, I don't understand it either).

Then Arlen shared this with me:

When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

What are you arguing with them about?" he asked.

A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."

"O unbelieving generation," Jesus replied, "how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."

So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?"

"From childhood," he answered. "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."

" 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."

Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"

When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, "He's dead." But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?"

He replied, "This kind can come out only by prayer."

~Mark 9:14-29 (emphasis mine)

God will meet us where we are at. When our faith is weak, all we need to do is ask Him, and He will help us to trust and believe.

What Will You Lay Down?

i·dol
-noun
1. an image or other material object representing a deity to which religious worship is addressed.
2. any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion

Idol is a word that has been thrown around a lot over the past few years. In secular circles American Idol is the new big thing, while for centuries, Christians have been asked to lay down their idols. There are certainly a few common idols that we quickly call to mind like materialism, prestige and reputation, but what about digging a little deeper.

The second definition above says that an idol is a "person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion." An idol is anything that we place our hope and trust in other than God. So, I guess an idol could also be classified as anything that prohibits us from total devotion to God by placing that devotion elsewhere. Hmm...that's something to think about. What are some idols you struggle with? Here are a few of the ones that seem to get me (maybe you can relate to a few of them):

1. emotions
2. grades
3. reputation
4. the clock (my schedule)
5. achieving
6. stuff/covetous (ie. a house, better clothes, a garden...)
7. selfishness (my own desires)
8. My dreams and plans (sometimes I seek these above God's will)
9. comfort
10. laziness (lack of discipline and drive)

So, why is it some important to understand what our idols are? As I've been reading Isaiah, I've noticed that only when the people turn away from their idols, when they lay them down so that they can fully embrace God, it is at that point that the Lord can come to them and truly rescue them. This is because God can only truly lead us, guide us and pour out His best on us if we can receive them in full. We must not allow anything to get in the way of living out His amazing law that He has set in place to bring us true joy in peace.

Ask God to show you the idols in your life. What are they? Hebrews 3 says this:

12See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. 13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.

So let us now encourage one another. If you would like to share the idol that God has placed on your heart to give up today, reply to this blog, and we can all lift each other up in prayer!

Today I will strive to lay down my idol of emotions.

I Didn't Get the Job!

I still remember my junior year of high school. I was finally old enough to work at camp. This is a job I had longed to have since my first visit to Cohutta Springs Camp. I couldn't wait. I filled out my application, and met with the director. I was sure I would get the job. My references were wonderful, I had a lot of confidence, my interview went well...and...I knew the brother of the person who was doing the hiring and he said he would put in a good word for me. With that type of recommendation I was sure I had the job. As my friends and I all got our letters from Cohutta, telling us our fate for the summer, I was excited as all my friends eagerly opened their envelopes to find that they were going to be working at camp. Then, I got my letter. I opened it, never wondering what would be inside. I was sure I would be spending the summer with my friends and all sorts of fun kids. I slowly slid my finger under the envelope seal. I pulled out the piece of paper it contained and began to read the words. I was on a "waiting" list. It was a nice way of saying I didn't get the job!!

"What?" I thought. "How could this be?" I knew the right people - I had a really good connection, I had great credentials (I had been working in the business office at the school for goodness sake), I wanted to work there way more than some of my friends I had to convince to apply so we could be together for the summer and they got in. What happened??

As you can imagine, this was a low point in my life. It seemed I had so much to put my hope and trust in. The problem was, I put it all in the wrong stuff. Isaiah 31 tells us of a people who trusted in the strength of horses, chariots and horesemen in Egypt. They poured their faith into these feeble, earthly strongholds rather than looking to and seeking the ultimate strength, their Heavenly Father. This is exactly what I did. As I recall, I don't even think I spent much time talking to God about what He wanted me to do that summer. But that wasn't the only time I placed my trust in things of this earth. It seems I have often placed my trust in reputation, a job, people I know, my own knowledge, or any number of things. However, I think David truly had it right when he wrote:

"Now I know that the LORD saves His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
With the saving strength of His right hand.
Some boast in chariots and some in horses,
But we will boast in the name of the LORD, our God."
~Psalm 20:6-7

May this be our prayer today - that we may boast and trust in our Lord!

Am I a Rebellious Child?

If you know me at least somewhat decently, you're probably laughing at even the idea of me asking this question. "Laura...rebellious?" your probably thinking, "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard." So maybe I don't run around living a shockingly wild life, coming to my family only for more money so that I can get a new tattoo, just one more piercing, more cigarettes, drugs, boos, etc. Nope, You won't find me with any of the above.

However, this morning I came to discover that I am quite rebellious. Isaiah 30 talks about God's rebellious children. Here are the characteristics (see if any are familiar)
1) They execute, but not God's plan
2) They make alliances and are nice to people, but not of God's spirit
3) They move forward with plans and their lives, but without consulting God
4) They take refuge and shelter in things other than God.
5) The would rather hear pleasant lies than the truth (v9)

I don't know if any of those ring a bell with you, but they sure do with me. I continually move forward in my life without even seeking God's will. I do things out of wrong motives and I look to things of this world for shelter, comfort and safety.

In verse 15, God tells us that salvation lies in repentance and resting in the Lord; and that true strength comes from quietness and trusting in Him. Stick with me for a minute as this point will spring to life in just a moment.

Despite my (our) rebelliousness God is eagerly waiting and paying close attention. He wants us to call out to Him, and He wants to be ready when we do. When we turn back to Him for comfort, safety and salvation, He is eager and ready to show us grace and compassion. We will clearly hear God's voice and direction and when we fully turn to Him, He will pour His blessings out on us.

Then comes his wrath!! Dun dun dun... but have no fear, His wrath is against our enemies. Because of this truth we will rejoice because we can rest in His protection!

Wooo Hooo! I'm so glad that God loves me and that He is eager to forgive even a rebel like me!

His Blessings are the Awesomest

So, as you can tell by the date of my last blog I have been a little busy lately. I just realized that I didn't even have a chance to post anything over spring break - wow. Well, just to catch you up a little bit. I'm still going to school. Things with Joshua's House (the ministry I'm starting) are moving forward. I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in the Junior department at Sabbath school. This is a big time commitment for me, but has been a wonderful blessing. Each week I see new signs that the kids are moving toward making a decision for Christ, and that thrills me! I've been working - still tutoring, and am possibly going to be facilitating a women's support group pretty soon. As you can see, I have been quite busy. I have to admit that amongst all this business I get so overwhelmed. I tend to become discouraged and bogged down with all that has to be done. Sometimes I even feel trapped my my enormous to-do lists, and I wonder if it will ever be over. But you know what? God has been blessing.

That's one thing that I have been noticing more and more lately. God blesses me so much. At the beginning of this school year, I prayed that God would help me to see the wonderful blessings that He gives us through nature. I asked for this request specifically because I knew that there was so much I was missing. And sure enough, I was right. God has been opening my eyes. I love being outside more now. I get so excited when I see pretty flowers blooming when before I would have just walked right by.

God often blesses us in so many ways and we just don't get it. I know for me, it's easy to get caught up in all the things that seem to be going wrong in my life. It's easy to turn mole hills into mountains. It's easy to forget to trust the One who holds the world in His hands. Yet what Jesus said in Matthew 7 is so true (as if I should be surprised). He said,

" Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

It is so true, yet how often do I live like it's true? How often do I thank God for the wonders He is working all around me? How often to they go completely unnoticed? I pray that I may continually become more and more aware of God's working in my life. I also pray that my faith can grow. God will keep His promise, and He has promised to care for me always.

But wait, before I wrap up the fun little (OK big) post there's one more thing I have to add. The quote from above is not complete. The last thing that Jesus says after all of that is this:

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."

God blesses us so much! How can we best thank Him for those blessings? By sharing them with others around us. By sharing where these blessings came from. By sharing God's love and gifts with those around us. I pray that God can turn my selfish heart into one of thankfulness and giving.

Christmas Unwrapped

Let’s face it, sometimes Christmas can feel like a big burden. I’m mostly referring to the shopping. First of all you have to think of something to get for everyone, then you have to scrounge up the funds, which can be a difficult task. Sometimes buying Christmas gifts means giving up something that you really want. Then there’s the whole thought that you might be wasting money on something that the person won’t use and doesn’t really need. (Okay, maybe this is something that only practical minded little me struggles with.) Then, there’s the receiving of the gifts. It’s so easy to sit in horror and dread as a set of excited eyes is glued to you. You open the gift and do your best to pretend that you like it, but inside you’re thinking “This is not what I had in mind,” or “They were thinking of me when they bought this?” or “Man, I didn’t get what I really wanted.” Even though we may all tend to have similar thoughts once or twice over the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, there is so much more to think about.

This whole gift giving thing points to something so much bigger. Let me unfold some splendid parallels for you. Why do we buy Christmas presents for people? Is it because they deserve them, or because they did something to earn them? No, when it all comes down to it, we buy Christmas gifts to show the recipient that we love and care about them. There is certainly a sacrifice involved. Sometimes this sacrifice is small and rarely felt, but financial purchases outside of the norm are sacrifices. This is reminiscent of what Christ did for us. He gave us the gift of His life here on earth, and then His death. He sacrificed Heaven and so much more, not because we deserve it, but because He loves us and He wants us to know that.

There is more to this interesting parallel though. What about us as the recipients of God’s magnificent gift? Just as I get frustrated with Christmas gifts sometimes because they don’t fit the mold I have decided they should fit into, I get frustrated with salvation because it doesn’t look like I think it should look. Sometimes I feel like I deserve salvation, like I deserve better. I don’t deserve salvation, just like I don’t deserve Christmas presents. They are wonderful gifts of love and sacrifice.

I pray that as I both give and receive Christmas gifts over this holiday season that Christ will help me to remember the great gift that He has given me and that He will open my heart so that I can accept that gift with totally open arms.

We're all familiar With...

W.W.J.D. It has become one of the biggest cliches of our time. We are to constantly ask ourselves "What Would Jesus Do?" before we make a decision to act. Yet what would this really look like? If we truely and honestly seek to know Jesus better through prayer and the Bible and then ask ourselves how Jesus would react in our situation, how would it change our lives? How would it change work? School? Covernsations? Priorities?

It is true that with this decision, there is truly a cross to bear. Following Christ is not always easy. People may not understand, they may think you are being foolish, but the question is what is more important, mans acceptance and praise, or worshiping and honoring God? The Bible says "No one can serve two masters." While the context is refering to money, it also refers to other aspects of our lives. Are we willing to put everything else aside and follow the example of our Lord 100%, no matter the cost?

These and many more are questions that I have been considering in my life lately. My husband and I are reading a book called "In His Steps." It is the original "What Would Jesus Do?" presentation. Written in 1896 as a sermon series, author Charles M. Sheldon traces the lives of people that have made a pledge to live their lives for a whole year asking the question "What Would Jesus Do?" before making any decisions. The results are shattering for some, some break under the pressure, and some have lives that are totally transformed. This is a highly recommended read. Even if you don't read the book, consider truley asking yourself the question, "What Would Jesus Do?"

New Arival in the Family!

On October 23 at 11:32pm, Aurora Anne was born, weighing in at 6lb 9oz. We had a birthday party for her today. Here she is (along with her very happy family of course!)


Create Your Own!

It Speaks For Itself

That's right, I could write all of the ways that this text is absolutly amazing, and how it speaks to me, but it really speaks for itself. Therefore I have posted it. But don't just read it arbatrarily. Think about what it is saying. How does this apply to you? Your sturggles? Do you get off track? Just read it, ponder it, and pray over it.

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us,
let us also lay aside every encumbrance
and the sin which so easily entangles us,
and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,
fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and perfecter of faith,
who for the joy set before Him endured the cross,
despising the shame,
and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself,
so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."
Hebrews 12:1-3.

But it doesn't make sense!

My husband and I have been reading the autobiographical sketch of Ellen White in the first volume of Testimonies for the Church. It’s very good and quite exciting. We’re always trying to find little slots in our day when we can squeeze in another chapter. I never realized that Mrs. White had so many personal spiritual struggles. This book is really helping me to see her as a human and it makes all of her other writings make so much more sense as well. I find that I can relate to her on way more levels than I thought I could. She always seemed kind of up on a pedestal.

When we were reading yesterday morning, while Arlen was making breakfast, something we were reading disturbed me greatly. Ellen had a son. He almost died due to some surrounding conditions, but God spared his life. So if we’re following – she has a son, she almost looses him, she gets him back, and this next part is what I struggled with. The White’s were quite poor and they were doing a lot of traveling to spread the work of the Lord. They realized that they could not continue in God’s work and take care of the baby, so they decided to give there son up to another couple for a few years. What?!? Give away your son?!? OK – I’m a family studies major, so I’m sure you can imagine why this is difficult for me to grasp. Why would God give someone a son, almost take him away, give him back, and then take him away for like 5 years again? That’s crazy!!

First of all, I struggle with this whole idea of her giving up her first son. To me, this is difficult to reconcile in my mind. I guess it’s certainly better for the child to have a good stable home for the first few years of his life than to be emotionally, and maybe otherwise neglected. I just don’t understand why God would give them a child, almost let him die, and them make them give it up again. This is where I struggle. So often I let reason win over God’s command. I’m sure God had His reasons for what He did. I guess it’s not my job to know them all right away, or some of them even until Heaven. (Maybe he knew that the White’s would not have the financial means to care for their child as they should). If this is what God called the White’s too, it was important that they were able to put His calling before their desires, and maybe even everything that made sense to them. In these times it’s important to trust that God knows what He’s doing and that He will help things to turn out alright in the end.

“And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” Romans 8:28. I suppose that trusting in this statement is part of what it’s all about. If we are striving to serve God and follow His will, the things that we do won’t always make sense, but we have to have faith, blind faith. We have to trust that He will in fact, take care of everything. I pray that I can have that kind of faith and trust in God!