Sunday, August 31, 2008

.....fellowship at LOTS of birthday parties (661)
..... hard work (662)
..... the Honeymooners (663)
..... sleepy kids (664)
..... the anticipation of seeing my dearest friend (665)
.... fresh cut grass (666)
.... plans to start exercising tomorrow (667)
..... double sunsets (668)
..... time away with friends (669)
..... homemade chicken pot pie (670)
..... a day off of school (671)
..... a Monk marathon (672)
..... giggly girls (673)
...... rain (674)
..... a good book (675)
..... moose track ice cream (676)
..... exhaustion because of busy, productive days (677)
..... old pictures (678)
..... quiet walks (679)
..... making lists (680)
..... wild sunflowers....everywhere! (681)
..... asaigo cheese bagels (682)
..... reading encouraging blogs (683)

Saturday, August 23, 2008

...... organized school stuff (635)
..... getting a HUGE project done (636)
..... time (however brief) with good friends (637)
..... watching my girls enjoy their new horse (638)
..... having a menu planned out for the next week (639)
..... movie night with my family (640)
...... spending time (playdate) with a friend (641)
..... everything bagels (642)
..... the news of a long awaited pregnancy (643)
..... a light afternoon rain (644)
...... orange sherbert (645)
..... pictures of Isaac (646)
..... a visit to a supporting church (647)
..... chips and salsa (648)
..... an afternoon nap (649)
..... betsy (650)
..... peach mango juice in the morning (651)
..... new patio furniture (652)
...... quiet mornings out at the barn (653)
...... going to bed early every night this week (654)
...... hearing my kids giggle (655)
...... the sunflowers in bloom (656)
..... hummingbirds around my porch (657)
..... prayer meetings (658)
..... the smell of hay (659)
..... upcoming routine (660)

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

a new kind of work out....

Well, as many of you know...we've made the move from the city to the middle of nowhere. Literally, there is nothing for miles around us except a few houses and good old Joe Milos (the post office).....and I LOVE it! I don't really miss living in town at all....except for one small thing: the gym. i was really spoiled because i lived less than 10 minutes from one of my favorite places.....the YMCA. For years I've been a member and used it faithfully. I've met many new people, learned kickboxing, trained for races with best friends, learned how to do the butterfly stroke, and watched my kids do "gym time".....lots of good memories. And of course, I spent lots of time exercising and "trying" to lose weight...ugh! but really, I did enjoy the exercising......although I will never be a skinny size 5, I consider myself in pretty good shape because of all the time I spent exercising up there. It was easy, for the most part....they had all the latest equipment, a huge pool and any kind of class you needed....all very convenient.
But now that I live in the middle of nowhere, I am having to re-adjust my work out methods. Now instead of running on the treadmill, I am taking nice long jogs through the quiet desert....and instead of lifting weights, I am hauling 80 pound bales of hay......and instead of doing kickboxing, I am scooping poop for a couple hours a day. And even though I miss the "gym life" a little, I don't think I would trade it for what I have here. I get to do all my exercising outside, under the most amazing blue sky, surrounded by beautiful scenery......my kids are often with me......and although I miss chatting with my friends while I sweat away the calories, I kinda enjoy the remoteness of it all and the peace and quiet. It's a good thing.....thank you Lord for the good things you give us.....even without us asking!
Hopefully, this new workout will yield better results and the pounds will just FALL off!!
(a girl can dream, right?)

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Memory verses

Like I mentioned earlier, I want to start polishing up my memory verses. In Bible college, I had to learn literally hundreds of verses....some stuck, but some faded, but most turned into a fog. I am pretty sure I know where to find them if I have to, but I can't quote them AND the references easily. So I am going to start working on really memorizing them....so many times here I need to quote a verse on the spot to someone....and even to myself when a moment of temptation, anger, selfishness, you name it, arises.
So, I thought I would try and put them here....to keep me accountable and maybe it will even encourage or challenge someone else :)

I Corinthians 6:19-20......"What? Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have of God, and you are not your own. For you are bought with a price; therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."

I Corinthians 9:14....."Even so has the Lord ordained that they who preach the gospel should LIVE of the gospel."

1 Corinthians 9:22....."To the weak, I became weak, that I might gain the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some."

I Corinthians 10:13...."there is no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but GOD is FAITHFUL, who will bot permit you to be tempted above that you are able, but will, with the temptation, also make the way to escape, that you may be able to bear it."

I Corinthians 10:31....."Whatever you eat, or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

I Corinthians 15:50....."Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither does corruption inherit incorruption."

I Corinthians 15:58......" Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."

2 Corinthians 10:5....."Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ."

2 Corinthians 12:9....."And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
The family and I just went on a mini-vacation last week.....it was there that I was able to spend some time in my one of my favorite places.....underwater! I love to swim and I love to be in the water. Back home in WV I went to the pool at least 3-4 times a week.....not to play or splash around....but to really swim and work out. Over the months and months of doing that, I began to love the water more and more....mostly being 'under' the water. It is so amazingly peaceful down there.....so quiet and slow. I wish I could hold my breath for hours (but sadly, it's only about a minute +......my kids timed me!). It's funny, because in some ways, I can be terrified of the water....I'm extremely claustrophobic and can't stand to be held on to in the water....but when I'm in control (ha, no comment!), I absolutely love it!
Underwater, everything moves slower, more graceful, more fluid.....communication is almost impossible.....it's a very "alone" kind of activity. Don't get me wrong, I love my time with people and hanging out with friends and family, but I do enjoy some alone time too.....and underwater there is no expectations of chatting, dealing, or anything.
I know this all sound pretty lame and cheesy, but when you life is constantly bombarded from all sides with people in need, a family who demands your attention, and constant issues to deal with, finding that alone time can be a precious thing! That must be why I love to take showers too....no one bothers me there!!!
Anyways, Gallup recently opened an aquatic center here and I am looking forward to getting back in the pool....to work on getting back into shape, improving my techniques, AND getting some much needed alone time!! :)

Friday, August 15, 2008

......a vacation with just the family (610)
.....swimming...man, i have missed that!! (611)
..... having hours where I am thinking about nothing but my kids and having fun (612)
..... good food (613)
..... phone calls from WV (614)
..... beautiful scenery on our drive to Farmington (615)
..... the best salsa in the whole world! (616)
..... leisurely enjoying a county fair (617)
..... ribbon fries and amazing sweet tea (618)
..... watching my kids laugh (619)
....... night swims (620)
...... sleeping the whole trip home (621)
...... hanging out with the girls (622)
...... funny tv (623)
...... the gift of a horse for the family (624)
...... the anticipation of seeing my daughter's face when she sees the horse (625)
..... getting out in the morning to feed (626)
..... chatting with a friend in the cool shade (627)
...... having the ladies come over tonight for fellowship (628)
...... the opportunity for my hubby to have some male bonding (629)
..... alone time playing basketball and going for a run (630)
...... Sam's (631)
..... tilapia (632)
..... feeling the Holy Spirit direct me and correct me (633)
..... seeing myself in my oldest daughter....not sure if that's a good thing.....(634)

Monday, August 11, 2008

Don't Waste Your Life, by John Piper.....continued

Well, I've continued my reading and as expected, continued my learning (and conviction!).
In an earlier blog, I shared that Piper (along with Tripp, in Quest for More) has challenged my thinking in the area of my focus and where it lies.....that he made a very good case for how NOT to waste your life......that he realized that God's purpose for his life was that he have a passion for God's glory and that he have a passion for his joy in that glory....and that these two are ONE passion. He went on to discuss the cross and how it is so intimately tied in with the glory of God.
"The opposite of wasting your life is living life by a single God-exalting, soul-satisfying passion." (pg 43) He stresses the importance of 'single'.....how everything we do (eat, leisure, relationship, etc) are all to tie into the glory of God. "Living for the glory of God must mean living for the glory of Christ crucified. Christ is the image of God. He is the sum of God's glory in human form" (pg44). Piper uses Paul's quote from I Corinthians 2:2 as his primary text....."I decided to know nothing more among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified." That is a powerful verse and I know I have never seen it in this light before.....and I am sure I am not living to this standard. I know lots of things....I'm not a genius in any area, but I know enough about a few subjects to get by. But Piper says it well when he says, "The people that make a durable difference in the world are not the people who have mastered many things, but who have been mastered by one great thing.......you have to know a few great, majestic, unchanging, obvious, simple, glorious things - or one great all embracing thing - and be set on fire by them." And i agree with that completely. One of the things I think I know a little bit about is the Bible (and I dont' say that in a bragging way, because I know there are SOOOOO many things I have yet to learn about the Bible....but I have studied it to some extent)....but the question I ask myself is WHAT do I know about the Bible and am I set on fire by it? ouch.....
Philippians 3:7-8 says, "Whatever gain I had, I count it as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." Paul seemed to have it down....a wonderful testimony of a life not wasted. Another example of his commitment is in Galatians 6:14....."Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world." Again, I haven't really looked at that verse from this perspective before or so intently.... sure I boast in Christ, but is it the ONLY thing I boast in? no way! i boast in lots of other things, namely myself.....what a waste! I am seeing more clearly now that the cross has to be the central focus in order to truly glorify God. "because for redeemed sinners, every good thing - indeed every bad thing that God turns for good - was obtained for us by the cross of Christ. Apart fro the death of Christ, sinners get nothing but judgment.......everything that you enjoy in Christ - as a christian......is owing to the death of Christ. And all your rejoicing in all things should therefore be a rejoicing in the cross where all your blessings were purchased for you at the cost of the death of the Son of God, Jesus Christ." (pg 51) I do understand that, but I don't always live with the mindset of glorifying God as the end result. I'm appreciative of the work of Christ on the cross and the blessings that come as a result, but I am not always truly turning it back to God in a way that glorifies Him. I know so often that I take things for granted.....breath, life, family, etc.....again, what a waste.
Piper shared what God told him, right before he entered into full time ministry....."God's mandate: So live and so study and so serve and so preach and so write that Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen God, be the only boast of this generation......to live and speak in such a way that the worth of Christ crucified is seen and savored by more and more people. It will be costly for us as it was for him" (pg 54-55). I have adopted that as my own mandate as well.....although I know I will fail often, but know that it is what is required of me as a servant of God. The way to accomplish that can be found back in the Galatians 6:14 verse. There is much to say about how we are 'crucified' and have to die to self.....how we are to be dead to sin and alive in Christ.....that is a hard balance, to be dead and alive at the same time. We have to be 'alive' in the world, it is true....but "the world is no longer our treasure.....it's not the source or our life or our satisfaction or our joy. Christ is" (pg 57). We are dead to the world but we still have feelings and emotions tied here.....that in itself is not wrong, but if we don't ultimately turn those emotions toward Christ and the cross, that is where we fall short. ".....every legitimate pleasure in the world becomes a blood-bought evidence of Christ's love, and an occasion of boasting in the cross" (pg 57). Lord, help me to always turn my gratitude, my joy, my boasting to you!!!
I know I have quoted a lot and have really just rambled....but I want to share all that I am learning....I hope some of it is coming through......I am not a very good communicator....especially when my brain is overflowing!! :)
I want to leave you with one last quote by CS Lewis......
'"I was standing today in the dark toolshed. The sun was shining outside and through the crack at the top of the door there came a sunbeam. From where I stood that beam of light, with the specks of dust floating in it, was th emost striking thing in the place. Everything else was almost pitch-black. I was seeing the beam, not seeing things by it.
Then I moved, so that the beam fell on my eyes. Instantly the whole previous picture vanished. I saw no toolshed, and (above all) no beam. Instead I saw, framed in the irregular cranny at the top of the door, green leaves moving on the branches of a tree outside and beyond that, ninety-odd million miles away, the sun. Looking along the beam, and looking at the beam are very different experiences.' The sunbeams of blessing in our lives are bright and of themselves. They also give light to the ground where we walk. But there is a higher purpose for these blessings. God means for us to do more than stand outside them and admire them for what they are. Even more, he means for us to walk into them and we see the sun from which they come. If the beams are beautiful, the sun is even more beautiful. God's aim is not that we merely admire His gifts, but, even more, his glory."
"Thus a cross-centered, cross-exalting, cross-satureated life is a God-glorifying life.....the ONLY God-glorifying life. All others are wasted" (pg 59).

Saturday, August 9, 2008

..... a day at home (581)
..... a chance to clean and bring my home back to some kind of order (582)
..... watching my kids enjoy their friends (583)
..... saying good bye, but knowing there will be more fellowship in the near future (584)
..... a few minutes with a neighbor (585)
..... having neighbors (586)
..... my office ALMOST done (587)
.....finalizing plans for a much needed vacation (588)
..... having a country worth being proud of (589)
..... laughter with a friend from back home (590)
..... organizing (591)
.... the opportunity to pray (592)
..... God's provision of food (593)
..... my oldest wanting to sleep in my pj's .... way too big, but cute! (594)
..... encouragement from a friend....thanks haley! (595)
..... gifts from a friend for my kids (596)
..... my nice cozy living room (597)
..... the many opportunities to encourage through this computer (598)
..... watching peter go go-cart riding with wes....his face was priceless! (599)
..... a wonderful mechanic (600)
..... old movies (601)
..... crossiants (602)
..... reminders of God's patience and mercy (603)
..... reminders that His glory is the ultimate goal (604)
..... knowing that He is all I need (605)
..... long days (606)
..... completed projects....marking things off my list (607)
.... sleeping in (608)
..... not knowing the next step....but confident that He does (609)

Friday, August 8, 2008

Random rambling....it's all bubbling up

Ok, so now camp is officially over.
one week of orientation
8 weeks of camp and
one week of mission's conference....
the camp is officially quiet now.
It's a nice feeling, but a little sad too. There is so many awesome things to see at camp, so many opportunities to see God at work in some amazing ways....every week we physically get to see lives change right before our eyes, as campers give up the fight and surrender to the call of Christ. Words can hardly describe it.
But there is a positive side to the peace and quiet.....a person can really only take so much chaos and then there needs to be peace and quiet. It's nice....today is the first day that it has been quiet here at camp.....i could use a few days of it ;)
At the same time the peace and quiet can be slightly intimidating. Now that the focus is no longer on the campers, the program, or the staff.....it starts to slowly drift my way. And although I spend the entire summer in the spotlight (all part of the job as Program Director), I don't necessarily enjoy it during these times. Now that the chaos is over, things in my life start to surface....things that somehow got pushed to the side during the summer are starting to make their way back to the top now. Oh boy, right?
Well, of course I know it's not going to be fun to work through those surfacing issues....but I also know (from past experience) that nothing comes to me (good or bad, easy or difficult) that didn't first pass through the Father's hand. That helps....on a deeper level. But I have to admit, on a more surface level (the level where I have to still be a functioning person, deal with my children, take care of my husband, keep up with relationships, etc), I am struggling. Ugh....I hate to struggle there.
Regardless, I have many things to face during this time of peace and quiet.....but I am attempting to do it with confidence and diligence (a dear friend reminded me recently, of the importance of diligence).
"Whether, therefore, ye eat, or drink, or whatever you do (the easy and the difficult things), do all to the glory of God" (I Cor 10:31)
Even as I write this, I am encouraged by the fact that all of this ties into the books I'm reading (earlier blog....Piper and Tripp books). We miss out on so much when we don't focus on the glory of God and our joy in it.....I pray that I will have the right focus during this time of working through things. And more than that, I look forward to the way that God will be glorified through it all. Regardless of how I struggle, or where I struggle.....God will be glorified! Pray to that end!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

thankful....

.......camp is over (567)
.......rest (568)
......good friends to say good bye to (569)
.....seeing lives changed (570)
.....alone time today (571)
.....time to clean (572)
..... goals (573)
..... lots of Monk (574)
..... long, quiet walks (575)
..... seeing old friends (576)
....sleeping in REALLY late today! (577)
.... candles that smell like food (578)
.... baby Colt finally coming into the world (579.....I love you Haley!!)
..... a nice cold pepsi (580)