tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21013869863163339262024-03-13T14:29:43.850-04:00One day more. . .Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger205125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-50081394975770957202014-01-12T01:00:00.001-05:002014-01-12T01:00:16.912-05:00Letting Go<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">And the tears come streaming down your face</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">When you lose something you can't replace</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">When you love someone, but it goes to waste</span><br style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Could it be worse?" ~ Coldplay</span></span></i><div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love. They say it is a many splendored thing. So often we celebrate the joys and the beauty of love, but we neglect to remember that just like everything else, there is another side to this coin. On one side are visions of weddings, best friends enjoying each others company, or a mother cradling her wee bairn. But the other side is darker and more painful. We don't talk about it much. The mother's arms are empty as places the first handful of dirt on that casket. The friends haven't seen each other in years. The wedding memories are buried deep as angry words lash out hard as a whip, aiming to wound each other deep. It's love's dirty secret - love does not equal happiness. As C.S. Lewis put it, </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">"</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">Love doesn't protect us. In fact, it's the opposite. The best way to be hurt and broken beyond compare is to open yourself to love. You'll be rejected and pushed away. You'll weep and mourn. Yes, there will be happy moments dancing in the sunshine, but it's only a matter of time before the dark clouds gather and the storm comes. When the one you love takes your heart and tramples it on the ground, how can you pick up the pieces and move on? Before you the choice is death or life. You can kill what love remains, uproot it and toss it onto the trash heap. Build up walls so thick no one will ever be able to come close to you again. You'll be protected, safe. But the sunshine won't be able to enter. There will be none with which to sing and dance. You'll be far away from the dark side of love, but you'll be absolutely alone. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;">It's a choice we make every day. Death or Life. Protection or Hurt. Loneliness or love. Choose love today, won't you? It'll hurt more than you've ever thought possible, but trust me - it is worth it. </span></span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-60991313646276812182012-08-29T11:02:00.003-04:002012-08-29T11:02:47.753-04:00Hair Clip Giveaway/Online PartyJust slipping in for a minute to let you all know about an online party a friend of mine is having on <a href="http://contentedseamstress.blogspot.com/2012/08/introducing.html">her blog</a>! Head on over there before tonight and you can enter to win a clip from <a href="https://secure.lillarose.biz/MemberToolsDotNet/(S(msykc0mefbmkap1ydvxmuezp))/ShoppingCartNew/MainCart.aspx?PriorNav=ProductDetail_67&PartyID=0&PartyGuestID=0&ReferringDealerID=823624">Lilla Rose</a>. Even if you don't win, be sure to check out the different flexi clips, hair sticks, and other items on the Lilla Rose website. I have several flexi clips that I use all the time. I love these and receive a compliment just about every time I wear them! I don't spend a lot of time fixing my hair, so it was wonderful to be able to find these - just a quick twist of my hair and I'm done! These are very sturdy, I've been using mine for about three years now and the only problems I've had is one of the little dangles coming off of one (it's still fine and you don't notice it's gone). One of my favorite times to wear the flexi clips is when I'm dancing. Any other hairstyle always seems to fall out or come loose since I'm a bit of a rambunctious dancer. :) With these clips, I can quickly pull my hair up and out of the way without worrying about it getting messed up. If it starts getting loose, or I want to readjust it, I can easily and quickly do it in a matter of seconds while I'm waiting out at the top or bottom of the dance. These are great for girls, and guys these would make great gifts for your sisters, mothers, and significant others! Head on over and check them out today! :)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-21022370820556719032012-07-17T00:52:00.001-04:002012-07-17T00:52:44.152-04:00Fix Me<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; color: black; overflow: hidden; text-align: left; text-decoration: none;">
<span class="line line-s" id="line_1" jquery17108428536876245822="51" style="mozborderradiustopleft: 8px; mozborderradiustopright: 8px; webkitborderradiustopleft: 8px;">When you try your best, but you don't succeed<br />When you get what you want, but not what you need<br />When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep<br />Stuck in reverse<br /><br />And the tears come streaming down your face<br />When you lose something you can't replace<br />When you love someone, but it goes to waste<br />Could it be worse?<br /><br />Lights will guide you home<br />And ignite your bones<br />And I will try to fix you<br /><br />And high up above or down below<br />When you're too in love to let it go<br />But if you never try you'll never know<br />Just what you're worth<br /><br />Lights will guide you home<br />And ignite your bones<br />And I will try to fix you<br /><br />Tears stream down on your face<br />When you lose something you cannot replace<br />Tears stream down on your face<br />And I...<br /><br />Tears stream down on your face<br />I promise you that I will learn from mistakes.<br />Tears stream down on your face<br />And I...<br /><br />Lights will guide you home<br />And ignite your bones<br />And I will try to fix you</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-71339311142638851782012-07-13T22:44:00.001-04:002012-07-13T22:44:16.460-04:00CrumblingWhen the world around us is shaking, when our dreams are falling to pieces, when our shelters crumble to the ground, there is only one place we can find true shelter. Your next step may find you being sucked down into a pit of quicksand, stuck in a place where everything goes wrong and nothing goes right. You despair, but do you grab onto the Rock to keep from sinking further?<br />
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We're all being broken down, cracks filled in, corners rounded off, but we are being made more beautiful. Take your eyes off the pain, and look towards the hope of future glory - when all will be made right.<br />
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Sometimes, just looking at the facades tricks you into thinking they all have it together, everything is going all right. But those are just illusions - if they let you in, you realize they have struggles and fears just like you. Man was meant to have fellowship, companionship. From the beginning he was never meant to go it alone. Don't hide behind whitewashed walls, open your gates to let in your forever sisters and brothers. It isn't always easy, but it is necessary and worth it. It would be discouraging to run in a marathon with everyone far ahead, but if you glance around you will find there are in fact others running right beside you, going through the same trials and difficulties. Find them, be encouraged as you encourage, and keep your eyes on the goal.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-7789204290277133532012-06-03T00:21:00.000-04:002012-06-03T00:21:17.811-04:00When it falls apart......give thanks. We've all heard "give thanks in everything". Sometimes it is hard to be thankful for the hard, difficult pills we are given. When two souls suddenly and unexpectedly depart this earth, for what is there to be thankful? What about when the best laid plans go awry? Or those days when everything falls apart and nothing seems to go right? It's difficult. Sadness swells inside up, overflowing drop by drop. Depression sinks in. One feels helpless, useless. The waves are rising to greet us, threatening to crash over us. But what /should/ we do? Continue looking down at the water swirling all around, or do change our focous and raise our eyes to behold the Son? So often it's a matter of where we are looking. When we focous on the bad, the things that go wrong, that wring our hearts dry, they are easily blown out of proportion and become the first things we see, the prominent objects on the stage of life. But what if - what if when we have a choice, we raise our eyes to behold the goodness that has been bestowed upon us? Everything else will grown strangely dim when we begin to look for the good, when we start to name and number the gifts lavished upon us. Funny how quickly they pile up, how eagerly we look for more, how simple it is. It won't always be easy to give thanks, especially in the darkest hours, but we have to fight off the mud of despair that threatens to pull us down. Simple enough, really, but so very worth our time.<br />
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~sunsets in review mirrors<br />
~good music to accompany long roads<br />
~a second driver willing to take a turn<br />
~a hand held out when stepping out of a slippery boat<br />
~rain that waiting until halfway through to soak us all. At least we got to eat a little something before it began.<br />
~laughter with friends<br />
~grace and mercy when we need it most<br />
~her smile when she tells you she's having fun<br />
~completed projects<br />
~finished books<br />
~excited voices, happy faces, and little people that nearly tackle you at the door when you get home.<br />
~another day to serve the KingUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-27931843374377293432012-04-30T00:51:00.001-04:002012-04-30T00:51:38.640-04:00Post Event BluesSometimes it's rather aggravating how much work goes into such a short amount of times. Six hours of meetings, countless hours of planning, four hours of shopping, nine hours of cooking, eight hours of decorating and hundreds of dollars later, the annual historical ball is over, just like that. Just now it is really starting to sink in, though the full post-event blues will really set in after the thank notes are written, the final checks cashed, and the decorations packed tidily away. It's a bittersweet feeling. I'm looking forward to getting a decent amount of sleep (the five hours every night this week just didn't cut it) and having some other things to think about and focus on. I won't have to worry any more whether I'm missing or forgetting something as I drift off to sleep. I will miss all the fun I had planning this with some very amazingly awesome people. I will miss dancing the night away with friends. In some ways, I'll miss the rushing around, pulling things together at the last minute (like those pitiful target cookies that started as a great idea but ended up not having enough time allotted for them). However, I'm not desperate enough to find something else to plan quite yet. I'm ready to enjoy just being a guest for a while. :) Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-30640752228000755172012-04-22T14:06:00.001-04:002012-04-22T14:06:02.658-04:00DrowningThose days everything seems to go wrong? They can feel like the worst. When you run 45 minutes late to a graduation because you mixed up the time, end up locked out of aforementioned graduation, discover the gown you designed looks awful on you so you are left without a costume, can't find a way to translate much needed Paypal money into cash in a timely manner, awkward situations arise that you have to address, and a million other little things go wrong, the sea of hopelessness starts to bury you beneath her waves. But turn your focus towards the Son, and the gifts he has given you - rest, safe travels, extra meal tickets, going home, smiles and laughter, good food, packages in the mail, "I love you", a happy boy, great movies - the darkness of the depths fades in comparison.<br />
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This is not to say I'm not stressed out, worrying, crying, and sometimes losing sleep. I need to get this money switched over, and I don't know if it's going to happen before the ball. I wanted to make a fantastic dress, but it doesn't look like it isn't going to happen. It's hard sometimes to trust, to let go, to rely on someone else. So hard. But then maybe that is the point - things will become easier with practice, once we learn to let go. At least that is what I'm hoping...Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-83113678527404293442012-04-04T00:21:00.001-04:002012-04-04T00:21:39.386-04:00...And She's BackFebruary completely changed my schedule. One of my older brothers left to spend a semester of study in Spain, which left a gap in our family business that my sister and I have been helping fill. By necessity I rearranged my schedule to account for the several hours a day I would spend away from home, and since blogging isn't exactly at the top of my priorities list, this blog has once more gathered dust. So, I'd thought I'd drop by and ramble on for a bit as I brush away the cobwebs.<br />
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The gifts still pile up, and are met with thanks though unfortunately most haven't been recorded. God is good all the time, whether we can see it or not.<br />
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February may have rearrange things, but it was nothing compared to March. Three people admitted to the hospital through the Emergency Department on three separate days over six days was one crazy week. It was one heck of a week which I hope never to see the likes of again. The gifts did flow freely if one just looked for them. We were immensely blessed with the gift of groceries from our church family for two weeks afterwards, which was such a soothing balm during that time. April has been calm thus far and hopefully will stay that way, though we will head back to the hospital in a couple weeks for little man's next surgery. The summer should be a marvelous vacation though, compared to this past Winter/Spring. Things seem to be falling into place for BWSC. Since I missed out on the Greenville conference, I'm forward to BWSC that much more. I'm sad though that so many great people aren't able to go this year. It's also my last year attending as a student. Just another thing to make me feel old - aging out of the college age bracket. I'm thinking about getting my CNA training over the summer while things are quiet, if everything works out. Then in the fall, it'll be back to the hospital again with little man for his foot surgery. After that? Only God knows.<br />
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One thing lead to another, and I'm leading the homeschool ball again this year. There have been a bit more frustrations this year, but so far things have been working out. It really is like planning a wedding reception every year (which is probably why the leadership usually changes every year!). I'm excited about our Robin Hood theme, though in some ways I wish we could've done a Titanic theme this year I know it would've been a lot harder than Robin Hood. The hardest part is probably trying to make it both formal and like Robin Hood, while on a small budget. Scratch that, the hardest part is getting people to register in a timely manner. We're only a week or so away from the early bird cut off and only have a handful of registrations. Why are homeschoolers such notorious procrastinators? Just a few more weeks before the event, and I'm starting to get nervous. All the planning doesn't bother me, I really enjoy it, but the crunch time can get stressful sometimes. It's the couple of weeks before hand when you wonder if you'll even get enough people to register, or if you'll forget something extremely important, or if something will go wrong at the last minute, or if someone you are counting on to do something either doesn't do it or doesn't do it well. So many things can go wrong, and the less time you have before the event the harder is it to fix. Hopefully all major crisis' will be avoided, and enough people will register so we have a decent crowd. And most of all, hopefully I won't worry myself sick.<br />
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I've been trying to start reading again. I've done a simply awful job reading this past year. I have about six books I started in 2011 that I am really wanting to finish, along with a couple books I recently started. It doesn't help that I'm a slow reader!<br />
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I have an adorable niece that is growing up so fast. I can't wait for her to start talking, crawling and walking, but I'm also enjoying every single minute of the stage she's in right now. She's definitely a cutie pie.<br />
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Well, my time is out, but I guess this is enough rambling for now. Kudos to you if you've actually read all this without skimming. ;) Actually, kudos to you if you are actually reading this, I doubt anyone actually reads this anymore. Until next time...toodles!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-622735423887579422012-01-30T00:04:00.000-05:002012-01-30T00:04:07.669-05:00Motherhood as a MissionfieldClearing out my blogger drafts, I came across <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/motherhood-as-a-mission-field#.Tf8LUMGLAbt;facebook">this article</a>. Very much worth the time it takes to read it. Sometimes we forget that we are very much missionaries no matter where we are or how glamorous is our work.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-37802219268203515472012-01-29T23:50:00.001-05:002012-01-29T23:50:14.385-05:00Joy Dare: Days 22-29<em><em> <em>What better way to start a week than listing His gifts? Blessings on you this week, friends, as you look for His gifts with a thankful heart.</em><br />
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<em>#66. cool cloth bringing relief to this aching head just when it need it the most.</em><br />
<em>#67. plans going awry, but everything comes together perfectly in the end.</em><br />
<em>#68. freshly washed clothes when the drawers become empty. so thankful for this convenience.</em><br />
<em>#69. the assurance of his sovereignty, i can't see it yet but it is all for a reason and it'll work out in the end.</em><br />
<em>#70. freedom from the shackles of fear, i know the future is in His hands.</em><br />
<em>#71. sanctification...need i say more?</em><br />
<em>#72. the blue eyes of the little one I get to cradle in my arms.</em><br />
<em>#73. clorox wipes, a fantastic tool to create a sparkling bathroom.</em><br />
<em>#74. blue flowers dancing along the dishes, a little bit of beauty to lighten up an everyday item.</em><br />
<em>#75. a book lent by a friend, encouraging and teaching just what one needs to hear.</em><br />
<em>#76. a wonderful sale glimpsed in the corner of the eye. </em><br />
<em>#77. perfect necklace to complete an outfit, handed down to me from my grandmother.</em><br />
<em>#78. being able to hit snooze just one last time.</em><br />
<em>#79. trying a new recipe, discovering a new favorite.</em><br />
<em>#80. stars twinkling in the heavens, declaring His glory. how brightly they shine!</em><br />
<em>#81. her laugh when tickled just so. </em><br />
<em>#82. leaving late, but arriving just in time.</em><br />
<em>#83. him showing off his room. </em><br />
<em>#84. flash bouncing off just right. perfect snapshot to preserve perfect moments.</em><br />
<em>#85. the friend that makes me laugh so much when we're together.</em><br />
<em>#86. the friend always ready with the encouraging thought.</em><br />
<em>#87. the friend that makes any bad day seem better after a short chat.</em><br />
<em>#88. blessings by laura story playing on the radio, perfect reminder to give thanks for everything.</em><br />
<em>#89. good morning hugs and kisses.</em><br />
<em>#90. worshipping Him together, just a glimpse of His glory.</em><br />
<em>#91. working so hard and enjoying the reward.</em><br />
<em>#92. laughter echoing through the house as friends and family eat and fellowship together.</em><br />
<em>#93. sharing food with loved ones, eating the fruits of hard labor.</em><br />
<em>#94. uncertainty about a new recipe, yet it coming together and turning out so well.</em><br />
<em>#95. making memories as he prepares to leave the country for a few months.</em><br />
<em>#96. looking through photos, laughing almost as hard as we did when we took them.</em><br />
<em>#97. happy planing as i learn that my friend wants to take the same course. Yay!</em><br />
<em>#98. little ones sitting through church quietly.</em> </em></em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-67046394665343743502012-01-28T15:04:00.000-05:002012-01-28T15:04:17.548-05:00Joy Dare: Days 15-21<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">running behind, and still not quite caught up, so perhaps two posts this day as we look forward to </span>worshiping<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Him </span>tomorrow<span style="font-family: inherit;">?</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">#45. perfect ball dress that fits just right.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">#46. that little thing that wasn't being used, making someone else so happy.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">#47. dish of goodies coming out just perfect, because you never know what will happen when baking.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">#48. so much love in the eyes of the new mama and papa.<br />#49. she getting to go to a debate, her perfect happiness when it all works out.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">#50. grandmama holding her first grandbaby.<br />#51. photos edited by a friend, a small snapshot of the fun we had, bringing a smile to my face<br />#52. getting lost...thinking how much i need His patience </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">#53. an unexpected thank you from a little one. little ones learn by imitation - oh that they will pick up the good and not the bad!</span></i></div>
<i><span style="font-family: inherit;">#54. His endless grace, always given just when i need it.</span></i><br />
<i>#55. that needed reminder of His faithful love towards us, love that i can't even begin to comprehend.</i><br />
<i>#56. just this, His words, love letters on paper to cherish forever. </i><br />
<i>#57. someone cleaning that dish i hate to wash. so thankful.<br />#58. the raining letting up just as i leave the grocery store. yay for not having to unload groceries in the rain!<br />#59. pumping gas in sc. the price makes me smile. i didn't want to drive down here, but so glad he gave me the gift of finding gas along the route for the perfect price.</i><br />
<i>#60. getting a text at 4:30 in the morning. what better way to wake up in the middle of the night than for the first picture of your beautiful niece?<br />#61. holding this little gift for the very first time. babies are such miracles.<br />#62. uncle love. this little girl has so many relatives that love her so.<br />#63. flaming colors painting the sky at the death of the day.<br />#64. holding this little girl for the first time, remembering holding janae and jon for the very first time. so many happy memories.<br />#65. ink made into circles and lines across the page. not the most beautiful picture, but when the little one says "that's me and you!" it certainly makes you smile and see the beauty in the "ugly".</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-47854756311297244962012-01-15T00:05:00.002-05:002012-01-15T00:05:29.641-05:00Joy Dare: Day 8-14<em>#22. that moment when His word shines as a lamp in the moment when need it most, when the path is at its darkest.</em><br />
<em>#23. a reflection of thankfulness - a thank you when you least expect it, from the person from whom you expect it the least, and the joy catches you by surprise.</em><br />
<em>#24. shadows of things past, reflecting on happy days that bring a smile to ones face.</em><br />
<em>#25. an unexpected thank you card with a sweet note and gift. what a way to make someones day.</em><br />
<em>#26. peeking in the oven, and that new recipe has come out rather well. so happy to avoid a potential major disaster.</em><br />
<em>#27. my brothers and sisters in Christ, eating together, singing together, playing together, learning together, laughing together. precious moments indeed.</em><br />
<em>#28. cancelling the ball the day before. a sour moment indeed, but such a gift because it worked out so much better. so thankful He worked it all out.</em><br />
<em>#29. little ones coming up and hugging you, saying "i love you". such a bright spot in a day.</em><br />
<em>#30. parents that offer guidance that sometimes tastes sweet, sometimes tastes sour, yet always right and for my best.</em><br />
<em>#31. the sun rising above the horizon. every day a gift, every hour a blessing, every breath a gracious mercy from Him.</em><br />
<em>#32. a caution light staying lit just long enough for you to squeeze by, such a mercy when one is running late.</em><br />
<em>#33. finding gas at a fantastic price while the cost begins to rise once again.</em><br />
<em>#34. a roof above my head keeping me dry.</em><br />
<em>#35. the beautiful wood floor my parents bought for the kitchen just 'cause I love wood floors. </em><br />
<em>#36. my sister and younger brother, belting out Les Mis songs with me as we ride in the car.</em><br />
<em>#37. heat blasting through the vents - so thankful to have heat in my car on blistery days like this.</em><br />
<em>#38. laughter bouncing off the wall, so happy to see everyone enjoying themselves.</em><br />
<em>#39. fine music coming together in harmony, sounding so wonderful.</em><br />
<em>#40. abundance of food thanks to multiple contributes.</em><br />
<em>#41. so close to paying the musicians the amount mentioned - so grateful for the generous donations.</em><br />
<em>#42. being reminded through His word how His love never changes. how hard for us to imagine and so comforting to know.</em><br />
<em>#43. passing by the scene of a car wreck, being reminded how gracious God is every time we get behind the wheel. sometimes we don't think about it until it is taken away.</em><br />
<em>#44. running late, and discovering everyone else is running late too so it all works out anyway.</em><br />
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Until next week ~ have a wonderful Sabbath, and a joy-filled week!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-38307420286950377112012-01-07T22:28:00.000-05:002012-01-07T22:28:45.085-05:00January Joy Dare: Day 1-7<em>#1. good health</em><br />
<em>#2. the use of my hands and feet</em><br />
<em>#3. the sight of my eyes</em><br />
<em>#4. the christmas lights our neighbours put up - makes me smile!</em><br />
<em>#5. a clean carpet - hard work, but worth it </em><br />
<em>#6. all this fresh, yummy food - so thankful for the abundance available to me</em><br />
<em>#7. commenting how delicious the food is, even when one knows it was imperfect</em><br />
<em>#8. a little boy "reading" a book by himself.</em><br />
<em>#9. "oh, i get it now." such a happy feeling to hear someone mutter these words after you try to explain a complicated concept.</em><br />
<em>#10. that bit of writing in a notebook from a year ago, a reminder of how far we've come.</em><br />
<em>#11. those toys that bring such delight to little faces.</em><br />
<em>#12. snuggling under a blue comforter with some of my favorite little ones.</em><br />
<em>#13. One Thousand Gifts, a borrowed gift from a friend. trying to resist underlining nearly every page... ;)</em><br />
<em>#14. working on this gift of love, a late present, for my newly married couple.</em><br />
<em>#15. a grinning face, happy, holding a snack in his hand. so good to have him like this again.</em><br />
<em>#16. a pink and black otterbox cover for my iPad. aren't there many things that are better pink? ;)</em><br />
<em>#17. ingredients for baked alaska. just waiting to try out this nifty dish on monday!</em><br />
<em>#18. longing...a reminder that things will change, this too shall pass.</em><br />
<em>#19. forgiveness so freely given. i need so much of it.</em><br />
<em>#20. a sinkful of my dirty dishes, washed by my amazing father while i was shopping.</em><br />
<em>#21. coming down to discover they've already carried in the week's worth of groceries from the car. </em>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-21080962986351181072012-01-07T21:54:00.001-05:002012-01-07T21:54:45.867-05:00A Dare to JoyA little behind here, but my New Year's resolution is to make it to one thousand gifts. I didn't get far last year, but with the help of <a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/01/the-1-habit-your-new-year-cant-do-without-giveaway/">the joy dare</a>, by God's grace I shall certainly seek to make it to at least one thousand gifts this year. Care to join me?<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/21570503@N03/6639233869/" title="onethousandgifts-januaryportrait by annvoskamp, on Flickr"><img alt="onethousandgifts-januaryportrait" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6639233869_b36bc388ae.jpg" width="381" /></a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-25355804047218226472011-12-22T01:17:00.000-05:002011-12-22T01:17:38.754-05:00The twofold gift of gifts...{It's time for a draft from the past! This seems particularly pertinent, so I have added some conclusions and I hope it still makes sense.}
Something I've had to practice lately is submitting myself to be served. Like anyone else, I'm very independent and dislike showing signs of weakness. I'm thankful for those gentlemanly men I know that so readily exhibit chivalry when I need it (and when I don't). I have come to welcome a strong pair of hands that will carry a heavy package, or hold the door open when ones hands are full (and even if they're not). What I have sometimes struggled with is admitting a weakness, a need for help in other areas. When someone asks how they can help it can be difficult to say how much you need a meal, a visit, an extra pair of hands to clean up the house. It feels downright selfish to ask someone to do something for yourself. What I've had to learn is that sometimes we have to open up ourselves to be willing to accept blessings. People don't always know particular needs unless you being attention to it. We can't expect to always be on the giving end and not the receiving. When you see a need, don't wait to be asked, just do it. If someone asks you what they can do to help, be honest and you will be allowing much blessing to both to the giver and the receiver.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-28182137230128314622011-12-20T00:53:00.005-05:002011-12-20T00:53:41.283-05:00The safest place in the world...When the hurting becomes too much, sometimes all we can do is stumble into His arms. Wash me with your healing water, grant me the strength to go on, send me your wisdom. I can't do this on my own.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-54479620314075229542011-12-01T23:49:00.001-05:002011-12-02T10:22:58.730-05:00Counting...I'm so tired of this crazy life, living mostly at the hospital and just a bit at home. Hurrying to get there before the doctors round. Wanting answers where there is none. Yet in the midst of this rain I can find a multitude of reasons to dance, a thousand ways to brighten the day of others. There's a family down the hall that's been here nine weeks while we've been here one. We share our muffins with the security guard. We hang lights and decorate the hospital room for Christmas, hoping this will be one holiday we can celebrate at home. My brother plays games with one of the other patients here. Jon can eat whatever he wants, we no longer have to hide it, spell it out, or tell him no when he asks for it. Sometimes someone brings us a homemade meal and we enjoy the short break from food prepared at home in a hurry and cafeteria food. If we look hard enough, even the darkest cloud will contain a glimmer of silver lining if I will focus on the light.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-30460234272276170412011-10-17T23:52:00.001-04:002011-10-17T23:52:50.581-04:00I'm aching, but I don't know why.
I'm crying, but for no reason I can see.
I'm missing people, but I haven't even met them.
I'm homesick, but for places I've never been.
I'm discontent, but the world is full of His goodness.
I'm lonely, but surrounded by people.
I'm tired, but I haven't done anything.
I'm certain I'm understanding, but there are more questions than answers.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-83594828803854497262011-09-20T00:36:00.000-04:002011-09-20T00:36:21.416-04:00breakingMusic, swirling all around, delighting the senses, expressing my heart's song. And it's breaking me.<br />
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Mercy, undeserved, unreservedly poured into a imperfect vessel. And it's breaking me.<br />
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Beauty, the canvas of the world, the palette of colors singing to me, the mountains calling, the rivers dancing around me, all singing to me of His beauty. And it's breaking me.<br />
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It's breaking off the stone encapsulating my heart, making room for more beauty and grace, creating holes only He knows how to fill.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-61590522825514999652011-09-13T18:44:00.000-04:002011-09-13T18:44:09.171-04:00what if. . .<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We pray for blessings<br />We pray for peace<br />Comfort for family, protection while we sleep<br />We pray for healing, for prosperity<br />We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering<br />All the while, You hear each spoken need<br />Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things<br /><br />'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops<br />What if Your healing comes through tears<br />What if a thousand sleepless nights<br />Are what it takes to know You’re near<br />What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise<br /><br />We pray for wisdom<br />Your voice to hear<br />And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near<br />We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love<br />As if every promise from Your Word is not enough<br />All the while, You hear each desperate plea<br />And long that we'd have faith to believe<br /><br />'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops<br />What if Your healing comes through tears<br />What if a thousand sleepless nights<br />Are what it takes to know You’re near<br />And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise<br /><br />When friends betray us<br />When darkness seems to win<br />We know the pain reminds this heart<br />That this is not, this is not our home<br />It's not our home<br /><br />'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops<br />What if Your healing comes through tears<br />And what if a thousand sleepless nights<br />Are what it takes to know You’re near<br />What if my greatest disappointments<br />Or the aching(s) of this life<br />Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy<br />And what if trials of this life<br />The rain, the storms, the hardest nights<br />Are Your mercies in disguise</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">~Blessings by Laura Story</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sometimes I forget that blessings can come in all shapes and disguises. This is one of the few songs that speaks to me so deeply that I feel like crying whenever I hear or listen to it. </span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-86258635273288598422011-09-03T01:17:00.001-04:002011-09-03T01:17:46.274-04:00does it ever happen to you?Reaching. Straining every muscle to reach the prize, that piece of happiness so tantalizingly near. Grasping, almost within reach. Close enough that I have no doubt that dream is truely mine. I ca. not foresee any reason it will not be in my grasp.
Then the ladder is kicked out from under me. A broken soul laid bare by the cold cruel earth. My spirit is crushed, broken into a hundred pieces. What a twist, what a cruel trick to play. It was never mine. A dream that now must dissolve into a vapor for it will never be.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-73300162435582506552011-08-20T16:48:00.001-04:002011-08-21T01:07:35.449-04:00The danceThe friends, the laughter, the music swirling through the air. Playfully poking fun at one another when we forget a step. The notes that force our feet to move, keeping them from standing still, calling us to join in the fun. The bits of conversations as we make patterns with our feet. We end up back where we started, for it is not so much the destination as the journey (unless you get hopelessly lost and ruin the dance). I don't know what it is, but there is something there that keeps one coming back for more. You can come every week and never tire, always counting the days until the next time. The dance, that unique marriage of music and step, there's nothing like it. There is something here, perhaps just a small glimpse of the larger dance of which we are a part. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-43307074306231397912011-08-02T20:56:00.000-04:002011-08-02T20:56:37.403-04:00FreedomIn the corner of her eye, a waterfall is forming. She is weary. Her heartsong has become a whispered lament. She seeks to take refuge in a secret place, hidden from the cares of the world, from the hurt and the pain and the anguish. She runs fast and hard, but no matter how hidden the place she hides or how far she travels, it is always right behind, haunting her every step and stealing every happiness. Collapsed in a corner, the weight is nearly unbearable as it presses in and threatens to crush her. These chains cannot be shaken. This burden cannot be loosed. There is only One that has the key that will fit the locks. He is ready and willing to help, but He waits for the willing heart. Run to Him, dear child, and He will free you. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-80781262639412346942011-08-02T20:41:00.003-04:002011-08-02T20:41:46.541-04:00PerseveranceTired and weary, the lonely soul continues on. Thirsty, exhausted, threadbare, with no oasis in sight. Straight and narrow the seemingly endless road stretches on and on and on. Everything says to turn back, to give up hope. But the soul trudges on, for in her hand is a love letter, written promises of something better that are just out of sight, signed by the One that loves her dearly. She just has to trust, to believe, to continue on, to <em>persevere</em>. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2101386986316333926.post-39045337026672160772011-08-01T12:50:00.001-04:002011-08-01T12:50:46.943-04:00The Silence is Broken!My, my...it has been awfully silent on here for the past month. Perhaps because the past few weeks have been intensive, to say the very least. And there are two more weeks left before some respite, recharging, and reorganizing.<br />
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The pain, hurt, tears, frustrations, heartache: it is preparing us for something, something better. Suffering is often what prepares us for joy. The mountains wouldn't exists with the valley, those places of vision, in between. It's the bad days that cause me to become even more thankful for the good days, and for the daily outpouring of mercy and grace from above that overflows an undeserving vessel.<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0