Anna Grace

An Exerpt From My Journal

2012-01-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

Often times when I write, whatever I have been contemplating just tumbles out of me.
So, here is something that I wrote in my journal yesterday:

Tiny Savior, emerging from the warm arms of Mary's womb,

into this once-perfect world He created,

now marred and torn by idolatry of self.

He came to offer salvation to a people who had pushed Him off of the throne

in each and every dark heart and sat themselves in His place.

He came to live, suffer, and die.

For you.

For me.

He became subject to the grotesque torture that He didn't deserve.

But I did.

He took each splintering shard of pain and horror for me.

And still.... I doubt His love.

Still.... I worship my miserable self above Him.

How wretched.

My heart screams "No!"

"I will love Him with every breath I take.

With every joyful elation, and every shattering sorrow.

With all that I am.

This life, He has given me. How will I use it?

Will I live as a fatherless orphan, believing the lie that He doesn't really love me, that He is not trustworthy? Grasping for every chance, any glimmer, of significance?

Drudging out my days loving, serving, and living for only myself?

Or, will I live as His child, the one He has gone to every length for.

I must choose.

I will choose God.

I run into His waiting arms,

and before words of confession and "I'm so sorry!" can even form in my raw throat,

He has forgiven me.

He holds me close against His heart.

Weeping tears of joy for this child He loves.

He heals my wounds.

He clothes me in His own righteousness.

I am His daughter.

I am made new.

Holy and righteous now in His eyes.

When joy fills me,

overflowing gladness,

I will run to Him.

When pain tears through this heart He formed,

I will run to Him.

My Father.

My Jesus.

This is a new year, and I have been wondering what God has for me.
Whatever it is, the desire of my heart is to stay faithful to Him.
Soli Deo Gloria!!

Learning

2011-12-01T20:30:00.001-08:00

Intricate patterns of glittering ice cling to evergreen branches.

Cheerful sunshine's golden rays reach to touch this cold landscape.

I step outside the door, breathing in the stinging cold.

Clad in boots and coat. Journal, and mp3 player in hand, I start off.

I love to walk.

Quite time, treasured moments between only God and myself.

I watch my breath cloud in front of me.

All around me, the beauty of creation sings praises to the Creator.

There is an oddly-bent tree on our property which I have claimed as my own.

That is my destination.
As I walk up my driveway towards my tree,
I listen to the lyrics of the song "Everything" that trills through my headphones.

"And how can I stand here with You,
and not be moved by You."

Those words sink deep into my heart.
Conviction.

How often do I stand in the midst of God's glory, but harden my heart towards Him?

It sounds terrible. It is terrible.
But in all honesty I do it far too often.

I numb myself towards His prodding.
I clap my hands over my ears to block out His calling.
Or, like Jonah, run in the other direction.

These thoughts dance through my mind, paining my heart with their ugly truth.

"Would you tell me, how could it be any better than this."

We sacrifice Jesus Christ, the only thing that is truly worth having,
on the alter of self.
Choosing pride, comfort, fear, or a sense of control, over Him.
And often we do it unconsiously.
I mean, we choose it, but we don't frequently say,
"Today I want to choose my comfort and ease over God."
Sometimes we just get scared and try to take control.
Or, we subconsciously believe the lie that God doesn't really have the best for us.

I reach my tree, make myself cozy, and open my worn journal.
I need to write this down!

I am so very thankful that, though I choose to serve myself rather than Jesus,
He is always there, calling to my heart.
Remaining faithful while I choose not to trust Him
Waiting for me to be willing to step off of the throne and let Him rule my life.
And over and over again, here I am,
standing right with Him, but choosing not to be moved.
And He has been waiting, He is drawing me to Him.

Is He waiting for you too?

Fill Me With You

2011-11-23T12:45:00.001-08:00

There are moments in my life when I rush.

Often, when I’m in a hurry the first thing to be sacrificed is my time with God,

I push Him aside knowing that He’ll always be there,

I can get around to Him when I have extra time.

But does that specific “extra time” that I plan to spend with Him ever come?

No, it never does.

There is always something more urgent to fill every moment.

As a Christian, I cannot live this way.

I have come to a place where I desperately need to sit with God.

I desire to soak Him up until He is absorbed through every pore of my being.

Inhale Jesus.

Often I feel the need to be immersed in His presence.

When I rush through my day without setting aside time to spend alone with Jesus then before long. something happens to jostle me. And I find that if I haven't taken the time to be filled up with Jesus then what comes spilling out is...me.

I will tell you very honestly that when all that spills forth is me, it is never pretty.

It's always horrifying and much regretted. I truly don't want to live that way.

The prayer of my heart has become

"Fill me up with You, God!"

Inhale Jesus.

When I take time to fill my mind and heart with Him, it is then possible for me to

Exhale Jesus.

I will never exhale Jesus until I inhale Him.

Those expressions have become very dear to me as I seek to live my life this way.

Inhale Jesus, Exhale Jesus.

God is teaching me to stop rushing.

He is teaching me to cry out

"Fill me with You."

This song The More I Seek You by Kari Jobe has become such a treasure to me.

I would encourage you to sit still, close Your eyes, and inhale Jesus

Be Still

2011-11-23T12:41:00.001-08:00

He is here for the broken and life to the one who is undone
He is peace to the wounded and hope for the helpless one
He is here, He is here

Be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsty.com/kari-jobe-be-still-lyrics.html ]
When the waves rise against me and the wind tries to draw me away
I will stand on the mountain, safe in Your arms I will sing I will sing

Be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still

Be still I know He is God
He is here, He is here
Be still I know He is God
He is here, He is here

So be still my soul, be still
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still
Wait patiently upon the Lord
Be still my soul, be still

Giveaway.

2011-11-23T08:22:00.001-08:00

I forgot to add that the giveaway ends Sunday November 23rd. And if you would like to purchase some of My Memories software. The exclusive code that they have given us that will save you ten dollars off of every purchase. Here's the link:

Give Away!!!

2011-11-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, are you ready for a giveaway?

I don't know about you but I love, love, love to scrapbook when I have the time.

My Memories digital scrapbooking software has offered to give away their new

software set to the winner of this giveaway.

Here's how you enter:

Go to the My Memories Gallery and choose your favorite page.

Then comment here and tell me which one you like best. :)

You can only choose one.

Worth one more entry each:

1. Like My Memories on Facebook.

2. Follow my blog. :)

Each is worth one more comment, and your name will be entered again.

Have fun!!

Beautiful

2011-11-03T19:51:00.000-07:00

Our culture and society today has impossible standards for "beauty."

It has been taught as a truth that we must look like an airbrushed,

photo-shopped model, weigh a certain amount,
or dress a certain way to be "beautiful."

But is it true?

No.

No. No. No.
God is a god of beauty, of order, of creativity.
God creates beautiful things. God created you. If there was only one standard of beauty we would all look exactly the same.
`
Imagine you are walking through a luscious flower garden,

everywhere you look there are vivid splashes of yellow, pale hues of pink,
brilliant reds, blues, purples, oranges, greens. Every color and form imaginable delights your eyes.
You bend to inhale the delicate fragrance of a lilac. Mmmmmm. How beautiful.

But because the lilac is beautiful could never mean that a rose or a sunflower isn't just as lovely.
Each is incredibly gorgeous in it's own very unique way.

As are you.

God loves to be creative. That's why you are a one-of-a-kind insanely beautiful masterpiece.

Beauty is important.

Physical beauty is only one aspect of who you are.

God says that real beauty comes from within.

We've all met that girl with the stunning good looks whose attitude and heart are repelling.

She no longer seems so appealing when you catch a glimpse of what is inside.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4

Think about that. Let it sit with you.

Outward beauty means nothing if the heart is ugly.

A beautiful heart transfigures the inside as well as the outside.

So how do we attain this inward beauty?

We must go to the source of beauty.

Jesus Christ.

Let us seek Him earnestly.

Let us sit at His feet.

Inhale Jesus.

Read His beautiful love letter to you.

Store up each precious word in your heart.

He will make you beautiful.

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

Proverbs 31:30

Praying For Your Prince Charming

2011-10-19T13:57:00.000-07:00

Tucked snug between the pages of my Bible is a list.

A list of things I have committed to pray for in my future husband's life each day.

Of course I don't have a husband yet, so my prayers sound a bit different. :)

I want to share this list with you.

It is so very important to pray for your husband.

Peace. Lord, as my husband faces another day of challenges,

reveal Your deep love to him. Cast out his fears. Let Your peace rule his heart.

Strength. Thank you Lord, for daily bearing my husbands burdens.

Remind him that You uphold him- physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

Refresh him with an overwhelming sense of Your presence.

Intimacy With God. Lord, remind my husband of Your deep,

personal knowledge of him, and assure him that he can pour out his heart to You.

May his walk with You be more than just an intellectual exercise.

Reveal Yourself to him so that he can know and worship You as You are.

Sensitivity To The Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit, thank You that You live in

and reveal truth to my husband. Teach him to live in Your power- filled with, motivated by, and in step with You. Help him to listen to Your voice, and follow wherever You lead.

Significance. Lord, show him how valuable he is to You.

Help him to know that his real worth comes from You.

Success. Cultivate in my husband a diligence and desire to do his best for You.

Establish the work of his hands.

Direct him into roles best suited for his gifts, talents, and personality.

Finances. Lord, as my husband provides materially for our family,

help him to serve You, and not money. Enable him to rest in Your provision.

Perseverance. Strengthen him with faith and patience in the difficulties he faces.

Assure him that You are with him and are working all things together for good.

Spiritual Protection. Lord, protect him from the temptations he faces today.

Teach him to guard what enters his mind, to focus on You,

and to resist the enemy by faith.

Sexual Purity. Lord, Satan would twist my husband's God-given desire for sex into something ugly.

Prompt him to turn to You for safety and freedom from lust, pornography, sexual fantasies, and inappropriate relationships. Help him to find acceptance and contentedness in You and within the context of our marriage.

Influence. Thank You, Shepherd, for leading my husband as he

interacts with and leads others- at home, at work, and in our church and community.

Enable him to set a good example for and love those under his care.

Marriage. Lord, on his own, my husband cannot fulfill

Your desire for him to love me as You love the church.

But You are love, and You live in him. Teach him how You want to love me through him.

Vulnerability. Lord, give my husband the courage to share his innermost thoughts and feelings with me. Grant me the grace to listen with acceptance and share honestly with him.

Fatherhood. Be my husband's wisdom in the challenges we face as parents. Teach him how to relate to and love our children the way You, our Heavenly Father, relate to us.

Friends. Lord, bring my husband friends with whom he can share his joys and struggles- friends who speak frankly with him and remind him of Your love and power.

Show him how to be a good friend in return.

Loving Others. Give my husband courage and opportunities to share Your love with others in words and actions. When people frustrate him, help him to respond in humility and peace.

When e sins against others, or is sinned against, guide him to ask and give forgiveness.

May those who interact with him touch Your light and life.

Physical Protection. Lord, please keep my husband safe and healthy. Teach him to care for his body. Heal his diseases.

Passion For Life. Father, show my husband his true purpose for living, especially in areas that seem mundane. Let Paul's claim, "To live is Christ," always be true for my husband.

You can certainly edit and adapt this list for your prince charming if you like.

I love that I can pray these prayers for a man I may not even know, but God knows just who I'm praying for. What a huge reminder to trust Him. :)

A Wandering Heart...

2011-09-21T11:56:00.000-07:00

The warm sun slowly burns the glistening,

swirling, sparkling,

frost patterns on the window pane away.

Fall is here.

This is the time of year when I curl up under a warm blanket,

Bible and steaming red mug of coffee in hand.

I am reading the book of Hosea.

God commanded Hosea to take a harlot as his wife.

She committed adultery.

A picture of Israel's unfaithfulness to God.

"Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry,

for the land has committed great harlotry by

departing from the LORD."

Hosea 1:2

How often my own heart strays!

"Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love..."

Like the Israelites, I easily become ensnared in my sin,

a slave to my flesh.

I willingly choose this over the glory of God?

Jesus Christ set me free from the bondage of sin,

and yet I return so swiftly.

In my heart and mind I do not desire to enslave myself to sin,

but then how do I fall so easily?

"O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

I thank God - through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God,

but with the flesh the law of sin."

Romans 7:24 & 25

It is a never ending war against the flesh. I must kill sin every waking moment.

"For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit

you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

Romans 8:13

Well, that is what is on my mind this morning as I savor

the richness of God's grace towards the Israelites.

And towards me.

Remembering

2011-08-08T12:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes we need to be reminded of who our God really is.

Like the Israelites in the desert, we forget just who

brought us out of our slavery.

We complain and we fight against God.

We need to Remember.

Jesus Christ is..

Our Atonement who was slaughtered for our sin.

Our Banner who leads us in triumphant victory.

Our Comforter who comforts us in all our afflictions.

Our Deliverer who freed us from Satan, Sin & Death.

Our Encouragement who reminds us that we are more than conquerors.

Our Freedom who liberates us to abundant life.

Our Grace who welcomes us freely into His arms.

Our Herald who proclaims "Our God Reigns!"

Our Illumination who shines perfect light in dark places.

Our Justification who declares us forgiven, pure & secure.

Our King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Our Living Savior who could not be held by the power of death.

Our Merciful and faithful High Priest who understands all our weakness and temptation.

Our Namesake by which we proudly declare "We are Christ's!"

Our Omega who guarantees the final victory.

Our Pastor who leads us beside still waters.

Our Quickner who ignites the Spirit in our inner person.

Our Righteousness who imputed so rich a gift to us.

Our Sovereign who holds all things in the palm of His nail pierced hands.

Our Tower of refuge and strength, an ever present help in time of need.

Our Unwavering Hope who promises us that faith prevails.

Our Vindication who frees us to love our enemies.

Our Witness who fully declares the fullness of our Father.

Our eXpiation who takes away our guilt and shame.

Our Yoke who gives rest to our souls.

Our Zion

and...

He reigns Forever and Ever and Ever!!!

Loving Like Jesus

2011-08-03T11:45:00.000-07:00

Something I have been thinking about often lately is the way Jesus loves us.

He loves us Unconditionally.

He loves us in spite of our Sin.

He loves us in the midst of all our Wretchedness.

He loves us when we Reject Him.

Though we sin against Him, or turn away; He never leaves us. He carries us through the difficult times. He helps us to grow. He is self-sacrificing for us. He loves us regardless of our filth. He reaches out to us even when are in the midst of sin.

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." 1 Peter 2: 21-24

We will never be perfect in this world as Jesus was, but we can live by His example, striving to be like Him.

We are called to love others the way that Jesus loves us. This is something I have been convicted of recently.

I need to love others regardless of where they are spiritually. I need to love others even if they hurt me, instead of building walls to protect myself. I need to love others when they sin against me, forgiving them as Jesus forgives me. I need to love others in difficult times, not just be their friend when all is rosy and as it should be. I need to love others in the midst of their mess like Jesus loves me in the midst of mine. I need to be self-sacrificing, willing to love others as myself. I need to be willing to go outside of my comfort-zone to love others. I need to love others as Jesus loves me.

"Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
Love them like Jesus.."

This song by Casting Crowns came to mind. :)

I pray that God will teach me to love others the way that Jesus loves me.

Love In Christ, :)

God Is So Good

2011-07-27T22:25:00.000-07:00

I am so thankful for the blessings God has given me.

I just returned from working at a Bible Camp. I was gone for three weeks, God certainly stretched and molded me while I was gone, but I was so very, very, thankful to come back home!

Here are just a FEW of the things I missed about home...

Daily walks in places like this.

My family.

My Mommy's cooking. Amen?

My best friends.

I'm glad to be home. Blessings!!

10 Things I Am Thankful For Today

2011-07-02T11:19:00.000-07:00

1. God's beautiful Word.

2. My Mother and Kindred Spirit.

3. John is home from fighting fires. At least for today

4. Wildflowers Growing Abundantly.

5. Coffee... with creamer.

6. Red Toenail Polish

7. A baby who pets your face when you feed her a bottle.

8. My Daddy and brothers who are working hard to make our land beautiful.

9. A brand-new Red Suitcase.

10. You.

Mercies Anew

2011-07-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Every morning that breaks..

There are mercies anew.

Every breath that I take
Is your faithfulness proved.

And at the end of each day
When my labors are through...

I will sing of Your mercies anew.

When I’ve fallen and strayed
There were mercies anew.

For you sought me in love
And my heart you pursued!

In the face of my sin
Lord, You never withdrew...

So I sing of Your mercies anew.

And Your mercies, they will never end!
For ten thousand years they’ll remain.
And when this world’s beauty has passed away..

Your mercies will be unchanged.

And when the storms swirl and rage
There are mercies anew.
In affliction and pain,
You will carry me through.
And at the end of my days
When Your throne fills my view...

I will sing of Your mercies anew.

Pondering...

2011-06-25T12:38:00.000-07:00

How great is our God!

Is not His mercy everlasting?

"I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;

I will tell of all Your marvelous works.

I will be glad and rejoice in You;

I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High." - Psalm 9:1-2

What a Savior.

Blessings upon you today, beloved of the Lord.

Love In Christ,

Family Prepares You For The Future

2011-06-10T10:20:00.000-07:00

Family is a blessing.

I am so very thankful for my family, and for the home environment God has blessed me with. For the present I am a single young woman living in my Father's house. If I am wise, I can practically take advantage of this unique period of my life. Living with your family prepares you for the future. Here is how:

Being under your father's headship prepares you to submit to the leadership of your future husband.

If you will not submit to the biblical leadership God has given you in your father, you will never be able to submit to your husband either. Regardless of his imperfections, your Father is your leader. You will benefit immensely from working now to develop a good relationship with him.

Receiving teaching from your mother will prepare you to be a better wife, homemaker and mommy.

Your mother may very well be a blessed source of wisdom to you. Ask her questions, listen to her wisdom. Allow her to teach you all she has learned, to be your Titus 2 mentor. Mothers most certainly are a blessing from the Lord. I would advise you to make her your best friend and confident. Being under her mentor-ship can also help prepare you to be a godly mentor to your own children as well as other people God will place in your life.

Siblings teach you to live in grace. Am I right? :)

Sometimes living with your brothers and sisters can be exasperating. But this is a prime opportunity for you to practice forgiving, seeking forgiveness, and living in grace and mercy with the people around you. Also siblings can help you develop good communication skills, and believe me, that will be needed greatly in marriage and many other relationships. Living with my siblings helps to prepare me for all kinds of relationships I may have in the future. With all their diverse personalities and character quirks, my relationships with each of them is developing in me an ability to appreciate differences and not shun people who are different than I am.

Neglecting the resources that God has given me in this period of my life would be terribly unwise.

I realize that many who read this may not have all the figures in their lives that I have. Ask God to give you wisdom, look around for the resources He has given you.

Love In Christ,

Catching Up

2011-06-07T13:03:00.000-07:00

A dear friend visits the family!!!

Just to make you smile.....

Mud boots.

More dear friends to visit!

Meet: Flopsy, Mopsy, Cottontail, Peter, and their doting mother Lulu.

Sunshine...

Love In Christ,

Dinosours

2011-05-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

How does a dinosaur say goodnight?

When Daddy comes in to turn of the light?

Does a dinosaur slam his tale and pout?

Or throw his teddy bear all about?

Does a dinosaur stomp his feet on the floor and shout:

"I want to hear one book more!"?

Does a dinosaur ROAR?

How does a dinosaur say goodnight?

When Mommy comes in to turn of the light?

Does he swing his neck from side to side?

Does he up and demand a piggyback ride?

Does he mope?

Does he moan?

Does he sulk?

Does he sigh?

Does he fall on top of his covers and cry?

No, dinosaurs don't. They don't even try....

They give a big kiss....

Tey turn out the light...

They tuck in their tales...

And they whisper "Goodnight!"...

They give a big hug...

and then one kiss more.

Goodnight, goodnight, Little Dinosaur!!!

That is Gabriel's favorite book, I always recite it to him while I'm tucking him in. :)

Love In Christ,

One Man For Me

2011-05-27T10:14:00.000-07:00

"Lord, I love the life You gave me.

I accept the way You made me.

And I hold the hope You place in me.

Oh, I know there's someone out there.

Someone who I know I'll care for.

He will be the man You have for me.

But until the day You show me,

You will be my one and only.

You have my heart, and You will hold me.

Then our hearts will be enraptured,

we will love forever after.

Love with all the beauty of freedom,

Love within the joys of purity;

I know you have one man...

Lord I pray that my someone out there,

keeps his heart and desires in his prayers.

Fill his mind and his heart with Your ways,

give him grace - a godly man raise;

Let Your word be his daily bread.

Keep his eyes for me only,

fill our days so we wont be lonely,

Til' we're joined in matrimony.

On the day we stand together,

make our vows to love forever;

stay as one through worse and better.

Bless our union for Your kingdom,

fill our home with precious children;

This, Oh Lord, is all my vision.

Then our hearts will be enraptured,

we will love forever after.

Love with all the beauty of freedom,

Love within the joys of purity;

I know you have one man for me.

Oh I know there's someone out there,

someone who I know I'll care for,

Lord, I know you have one man for me."

- Written by Lisa Jost

My Star Wars Epic

2011-05-15T11:11:00.000-07:00

The other day I was enjoying the company of Wade Skywalker (7), Jonas Skywalker (5), and Princess Leona Skywalker (3). :) These Jedi knights are VERY justice oriented, and I had violated their morale code.

Without further ado here is the tale of my recent adventure in a galaxy far far away....

Wade: "Anna, you are under arrest!!! Don't move, I have my light saber!!"

Me: "Why am I under arrest? I didn't do anything wrong!"

Wade: "Yes you did, you did not tell Jonas that if he threw his balloon on the rocks it would pop."

(This last line was spoken very gravely. You didn't know I was such a criminal, did you?)

Jonas Skywalker heartily agrees.

Wade: "We Jedi Knights will escort you to prison, and you will stay there forever!! And you will only eat dry, yucky bubblegum..... forever!!!!"

(This is where the princess enters the scene.)

Leona: "No Wade! You may not throw my Anna friend in prison, that is MEAN!!!"

Wade: "You can be on our side or Anna's."

Leona: "Fine, I will go to jail with my Anna friend."

(I am so touched by her loyalty!)

Jonas: "Alright, get in my speeder. We are taking you to the planet Har where you will be thrown into jail!!! But first, we will handcuff you."

We are then handcuffed with imaginary handcuffs and made to climb under the table, I mean into the speeder, and flown away to the desolate planet Har. Where we are imprisoned in their bedroom, oh, um, I meant dungeon, for apparently several years, and fed lots of dry yucky bubble gum.

Then one day the Jedi Knights return.

Jonas: "We will set you free, but you cannot ever go home."

Me: "Oh, I'm so happy we are finally being released, since we didn't do anything wrong. But can't I please go back home!"

Wade: "Yes, we are sorry that we threw you in jail. But next time, tell Jonas not to take his balloon outside and drop it on the rocks."

Me: "Alright, I will tell Jonas not to drop his balloon on the rocks."

Jonas: "Then you are free!!!"

And so you see, all ended happily. But, just in case you are ever in such a situation, always remember to tell the Jedi Knight that if he drops his balloon on the rocks it will pop; otherwise you may spend several years on the planet Har eating dry yucky bubblegum. :)

Anyway, I hope that made you day a little brighter! God bless you!!!

Love In Christ,

Some Good Rules For Cultivating Godly Speech

2011-05-09T12:05:00.000-07:00

This morning I was sitting at the desk while Mama did school with the older pupils in our household, she was teaching from the book of Proverbs, which is our core school curriculum. This is the verse she was teaching: "A prudent man conceals knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaims foolishness." -Proverbs 12:23

This verse means that a wise person knows when to keep a matter concealed, or weather to bring it to light. Not everything that passes through your head is worthy of expressing in conversation. And it is not necessary to reveal the knowledge you hold. On the other hand, a man without prudence blurts out any thought at all that happens to develop up there in the peanut gallery.

So, how do we develop a habit of moderating our speech? Here are some good questions to ask yourself before you say something:

1. Will this only confuse the person?

2. Is it edifying?

3. Am I speaking out of pride?

4. Is this discussion just out of striving for preeminence?

If we ask ourselves these questions before we make a remark we will cultivate a habit of godly edifying speech! I am by no means a master of this yet, but by God's grace I am perhaps getting better.

Always keep this quote in mind:

"A WISE man will carefully measure his words."

And, there it is: my fist deep musing of the day. :)

May God bless, encourage, uplift, and work in you and though you today.
Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

My Revised List

2011-04-21T17:55:00.000-07:00

I know I have already posted my "List" once before, but a friend and I were just discussing what kind of a man I was looking for. That combined with some things my mother and I have been discussing lately reminded me that I had revised my list some months ago, but hadn't published it, so here it is.

1. He Must Be A Committed Christian.

2. He Must Have Godly Vision.
I need a "Hombre De Pasion." A man with Vision and Drive.

3. He Must Be Honest.
This one is important.

4. He Must Be Self Disciplined.
A man who is self disciplined will not be wasteful, frivolous, or lustful.

5. He Must Be Pure.
This doesn't mean I'm looking for someone who has never made mistakes, rather someone who has been redeemed and strives to live purely: physically, emotionally, mentally, and in speech.

6. He Must Be A Servant Leader.
He must be a leader, but, like Jesus, be a servant also.

7. He Must Be Tender Hearted.

8. He Must Love Children.
This one is very important to me. He has to love kids.

9. He Must Love My Family.

10. I Must Love His Family.

And there it is, my revised "List." Let me know what you think!!!

Love In Christ,

Femininity And the Power Of Manipulation

2011-04-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

What does femininity look like?

One aspect of Femininity my Mother and I have been talking about recently is the God-given ability to nurture. This discussion was brought on by the movie "Tangled" in which, the main character, Rapunzel, uplifts, encourages, and nurtures nearly every person and creature she comes in contact with.

We think this is biblical. Women were created to be nurturers, we were given an astounding ability to nurture and uplift anything we touch.

"A wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands." - Proverbs 14:1

We have the faculty to use what I will term our "Manipulative Skills" for the glory of God, or for blasphemy.

You see, if we are wise women, we could use our "Skills" to encourage and bolster everyone we come in contact with. The scary part is that we could also turn around and use these Manipulative Skills for harm. Proverbs declares over and over again what ruin comes to those who have are manipulated by women who have distorted this particular skill.

Just think about those you could uplift if you purposed to use your God-given feminine gift of "Manipulation" for God, I call this "Beautifying." I think God gave all of us women a desire deep within to make things beautiful; we like to arrange flowers, scrapbook, sew, decorate a room, make a beautiful and tasty meal, we are drawn to all things beautiful, and of course we always want to look simply gorgeous. This yearning for beauty is in our makeup.

There are opportunities to cultivate beauty everywhere, let's purpose to look for them and seize them!

And that is what I have been contemplating today, dear friends. I would love to hear any thoughts on this subject, so make sure to comment and give me you two cents! Thank you so much for stopping by today.

Love In Christ,

An Inspiring Word On Modesty

2011-04-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Here is a short message that a friend shared with me. It was very convicting and even brought tears to my eyes. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Love In Christ,

A Few Pictures From My Trip To Colorado

2011-03-30T17:34:00.000-07:00

A dear friend and myself.

Cute Shoes!!!

At the Castle.

Our Chocolate at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Store.

Me in the Imagination Station at Focus On The Family.

I just got back from a trip to Colorado where I visited some dear friends at their home in Colorado Springs. I enjoyed myself immensely! This family was such a blessing to me, their hospitality and kindness was exemplary. Anyway, I thought I would share a few of the pictures with you all!

Love In Christ,

A Beautiful Day

2011-03-24T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today was a gorgeous sunny day. The Littles rode bikes, climbed trees, splashed in mud puddles, bounced on the trampoline, got stuck in the mud, and generally had a glorious time playing outdoors.

I am so thankful for each of my siblings. Here are a few snapshots of these precious blessings.

Above is Gabriel playing "Dress Up."

I have come to doubt weather it is humanly possible for little boys to WALK past a mud puddle without leaping into it. Jim demonstrates above.

Happy Baby. :)

Bethany loves to make up praise songs on the piano, she sings her little heart right out.

These sweet children are a constant source of laughter and mirth in our household.

With much love and blessing to you,

Pain and Psalm 91

2011-03-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

My eyes are burning this evening,
maybe it's from unreleased tears,
or maybe it's the result of the onion I chopped up before dinner.
Who knows, could be both.
The sky is gray and shadowed with the coming night.
This has been one of those difficult days.
The kind that always makes me want to crawl back into bed,
.and refuse to come out until a happier day.

But alas, I certainly can't just go to sleep every time trial arises, now can I?

Jesus told us we would be persecuted, that suffering and adversity would come.
As Christians, in the tough times, we should never go hide in a cave,
we are called to a life of trials, and it will get messy,
but God gives us joy and comfort and rest in the midst of the pain.
Hallelujah!

The first place I went in my Bible today was to Psalm 91. Read it for yourself:

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
         Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
         My God, in Him I will trust.”

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler
         And from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with His feathers,
         And under His wings you shall take refuge;
         His truth shall be your shield and buckler.
You shall not be afraid of the terror by night,
         Nor of the arrow that flies by day,
Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness,
         Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
         And ten thousand at your right hand;
         But it shall not come near you.
Only with your eyes shall you look,
         And see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD, who is my refuge,
         Even the Most High, your dwelling place,
No evil shall befall you,
         Nor shall any plague come near your dwelling;
For He shall give His angels charge over you,
         To keep you in all your ways.
In their hands they shall bear you up,
         Lest you dash your foot against a stone.
You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra,
         The young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

“Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him;
         I will set him on high, because he has known My name.
He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him;
         I will be with him in trouble;
         I will deliver him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him,
         And show him My salvation.”

This Psalm brings me great comfort!!!
And then the joy comes, when in the last paragraph God speaks.
He promises that He will uphold those who trust in His name.

I can rest in the Lord, under His protection.
It may seem like everything is about to unravel,
it may seem like the world is about to explode,
maybe those you love have turned against you,
but you know what?

GOD HAS A PLAN!!!!

In my pain, and the pain of those I love, right now.... God has it all under control.
And He WILL work everything out for GOOD. For my good.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

Even through the most agonizing ordeal, He will bring about good for His glory.

I know it's scary, I know it's really, really, really painful!
But God is right there, all we have to do is stop pushing Him away in our pain,
and rest in His arms instead.

At this point in my life, the sorrow and pain are very real,
but I'm not stuffing it,
I'm not going to go off the deep end,

I'm going to rest in the loving arms of my Savior!!!
He will hold me, and He will comfort me.

And it may never get "fixed"
but it will be alright.

And that is some of what's going on on my head and in my heart.

Love In Christ,

Big Sister

2011-03-12T22:59:00.000-08:00

It is just beginning to get light as I hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet on my bedroom floor. NOOOOOO!!!! I really don't want to get up yet, maybe I can pretend to be asleep until this two-year-old shadow of mine wanders away. No such luck. I can feel his tiny fingers poking me. "Nanny!!!" He says "Mornin'. You. Up. Tum UPth-tairs. Me. (This is translated: It's morning, get up, come DOWNstairs with me. For some reason down is up and vise-verse)

I open my eyes.

Only a few inches away is his sweet cherub face, he tilts his head sideways, closes his eyes, and gives me his best big cheesy smile. "Pleeeaaathe" he whispers, his little-boy lisp in full effect on the "S."

How can I resist?

"You know Gabriel." I tell him "It's not particularly nice of you to wake me up like this EVERY morning." I arch my eyebrow for effect.

He tilts his head again "You teeeute, Nanny." (You're cute Nanny)

Alright, I admit, I'm a sucker for his manipulative charm. Even as I write this he has somehow managed to wriggle his way into my lap and is snuggling with me. (I must tell you that he is sporting upside-down sunglasses and footie pajamas. And making it rather difficult to type.)

As I was saying. I can't resist his charm. So I reluctantly leave my warm bed, don my slippers, and bend to lift this precious child, who is standing with outstretched arms chirping: "Meeeeee. Nanny, meeeee."

As I carry him down the stairs he grabs my face with his chubby hands. "Coffee Nanny?" He wants coffee.

What two-year old thinks he needs coffee in the morning?

"Nope." I tell him "Little boys don't need to drink coffee."

He bats his eyelashes very rapidly at me, trying hard to cajole me into letting him have some of that highly caffeinated beverage. But, when I give him some milk instead he flashes a grin and says "Fank you much Nanny!"

I don't have to tell you that this tyke melts my heart like butter. What a sweetheart!

..........

One day I walked innocently through the Living Room on my way upstairs; suddenly I am ambushed from behind a chair. Ben, Bethany, and Gabriel are dressed up like Indians/Soldiers/Cowboys/Super-Hero's, pretty cute. :-)

All three of them jumped on me, causing me to fall to the ground. "Yes! We killed the bad guy." They chant as I lay there silently with my eyes closed.

"Oh no!" says Ben "this is no bad-guy, this is our dear sister. And she's DEAD. We have to save her!"

And before I realized what was about to happen, Gabriel and Bethany begin pounding on my chest, attempting to do CPR I presume; and Benjamin bellows, "I'll have to do mouth-to-mouth!!!" leaning close to my face and taking a deep breath.

"Nooooo!" I shriek, clapping a hand over my mouth.

My attackers-turned-rescuers collapse on the floor in fits of giggles and I make a mental note to avoid any situations that would encourage them to try to revive me. :-) But at least I know what lengths my dear brother is willing to go to in order to keep me alive.

..........

Life as a big sister is such a blessing to me. It has cultivated in me an ability to laugh at things others might not find amusing. Being a big sister prepares me to be a mother to my own children one day. It cultivates in me: patience, humility, laughter, flexibility, a servant's heart, compassion, and forgiveness. I have learned to choose to rejoice and to laugh when I'm trying to cook lunch and Gabriel is wrapped around my leg; it's far too easy for me to grow cross instead. I have learned to be selfless when I just wanted a peaceful walk by myself and ended up instead ambling along at a toddler's pace, waiting as my darling siblings jumped in every puddle and collected every speckled stone.

Finding lego men in my sheets, army guys in my shoes, and rocks and pacifiers in my purse; this is the lovely life of a big sister, I honestly love it!!!

Being a Big sister is indeed a refining process. God continually uses my brothers and sisters to point out my weaknesses.

I am soooo blessed.

Well, thank you for stopping in. I always love to here from you. As always, Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

My Answer

2011-03-09T09:43:00.000-08:00

A dear friends answer to the question in the previous post was "A gentle and quiet spirit." and I have to agree, God tells us that this character trait is of high value to Him:

"Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight." 1 Peter 3:4

I think that if a woman has a truly gentle spirit she cannot help but be gracious, sweet, servant hearted, submissive, humble, winsome, and loving. And if she possesses a quiet spirit then she is not nervous, or anxious, she is not rash, or boisterous.

The word "Quiet" in this passage does not refer to a woman with a soft voice, who rarely speaks. Rather it means that she is not worrisome, she doesn't freak out, she's not anxious, she is not fretful; she is peaceful, serene, and composed.

Proverbs 31 says this about the godly woman:
"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."

Being peaceful and "quiet" is important. A godly woman should not be a worrier. A woman who is always uptight and worried about everything is not resting in Jesus, or giving her burdens over to Him, which means she is trying to fix whatever is worrying her all by herself, thus she is putting herself in God's place, which is sinful idolatry.

The gentle part, I think, speaks for itself, what comes to mind when you think of a gentle woman?

Any-who, that is my answer. What do y'all think about this? I always love to hear from you. Thank you for stopping by, and have a blessed day!!!
Soli Deo Gloria!!

Love In Christ,

A Question For You

2011-03-05T13:49:00.000-08:00

I have a question for you:

What would you consider the most important character quality a woman should attain?

I would LOVE to hear your answers, so please comment!!!

As always, Love In Christ,

My Proverbs 31 Mama

2011-03-03T13:30:00.000-08:00

Today is my lovely Mama's birthday, and I want to take a moment to tell you about this exemplary woman. :-)

She is a wonderful and skillful Mother, she seizes opportunities to instruct and encourage all of her children, pointing the towards our Savior.

She is my very best friend, we are sometimes so alike in our mannerisms and thinking that it is hysterical.

She is a faithful, trustworthy, virtuous wife.

    ^"Who can find a virtuouswife?
      For her worth is far above rubies.
        The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
      So he will have no lack of gain.
       She does him good and not evil
      All the days of her life."

^"13 She seeks wool and flax,
      And willingly works with her hands.
       ¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
      She brings her food from afar.
       ¹⁵ She also rises while it is yet night,
      And provides food for her household,
      And a portion for her maidservants.
       ¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
      From her profits she plants a vineyard.
       ¹⁷ She girds herself with strength,
      And strengthens her arms.
       ¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is good,
      And her lamp does not go out by night.
       ¹⁹ She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
      And her hand holds the spindle.
       ²⁰ She extends her hand to the poor,
      Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
       ²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
      For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
       ²² She makes tapestry for herself;
      Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
       ²³ Her husband is known in the gates,
      When he sits among the elders of the land.
       ²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
      And supplies sashes for the merchants.
       ²⁵ Strength and honor are her clothing;
      She shall rejoice in time to come.
       ²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom,
      And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
       ²⁷ She watches over the ways of her household,
      And does not eat the bread of idleness."

Even this morning as the rest of sat around the table eating breakfast, she was up and about, making bread, tidying up. She is NEVER idle. Especially not with nine children. :-)

"Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her. Many women have done well, but you excel them all. Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates."

She is the most feminine and beautiful woman I know. She always looks lovely. She's smart, efficient, whimsical, godly, and isn't she just plain adorable?

So here's a tribute to my Proverbs 31 Mama, my role model, and my best friend!

Happy Birthday Mom! God blessed our family tremendously when He gave us you!

Love you all!

Trusting God

2011-03-02T13:34:00.000-08:00

I know my posting has been sporadic lately.

I have been dealing with some pretty rough stuff, as is apparent in previous blog posts.

I am dealing with pain and anguish over the choices and circumstances of those dear to me, it seems to be happening to everyone I hold dear; families on the brink of disaster, friends balancing precariously on the very edge of catastrophe. I struggle with the knowledge that God holds each and every one of them in His hands, that He is in control, and most of all, that I AM NOT!!!! Gasp. Groan. Oh no, not my pride!! Ouch! That really hurts! What?!! I can't save them? But.......

Nope, I can't.

JESUS can.

It hurts to stand back and trust God when the ones you love most are walking the road to destruction. I want to shake some sense into them, anything to keep them from falling off the cliff they are headed for.

Can I trust God?

Does He really know what He's doing here?

What about "God is love." This doesn't look loving!

" God is Love," we are taught as children to believe. But when we first begin to get some inkling of how He loves us, we are repelled; it seems so cold, indeed, not love at all as we understand the word." - W. H. Auden

In life there are trials, pain, sorrow. Where is God in this?

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress;
My God, in Him I will trust.”

- Psalm 91:1-2 NKJV

God is always with us through calm and storm, He never leaves or forsakes us.

I do not understand His ways, but then again, neither do I know all or see all, and He does.

So I'm just going to trust Him!!!

Love In Christ,

The Girls Room

2011-02-26T15:38:00.000-08:00

Rosie and I recently finished mud-ing, texturing, and painting most of The Girls Room. The main wall and ceiling still aren't finished, as you can see from the picture below. Any-who, I thought I would share with you.

Our room is semi-separated into individual spaces, all within on big room. This way each of us can have our own rooms, without having our own rooms. :-) It's kind of like berths on a ship.

This is the view down the length of our room, from my window, Bethany's nook is in the middle, and Rose's is on the end.

And this is looking in the opposite direction, from Rosie's window to mine.

This is my room.

The sign above my window. I love it !!!

This is my wall, looking from the end of my bed.

I LOVE candles, most especially Vanilla scented ones. :-)

I had to post this one because that is my favorite candle, and my favorite picture. Pictures of one's bedroom can tell you a lot about that person, cant they?

This is Bethany's room. All PINK. Including of course, pony sheets and a princess nightlight- essential to every little girl's bedroom. :-)

And from another angle.

Rose's room. Don't you love her sunny yellow walls?

Rose's closet, shelf and Hope Chest.

And that's our room. Have a Blessed Day!!!

Love In Christ,

Thoughts For Today

2011-02-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

What do you do when someone you love turns their back on the Lord and heads for the valley of destruction?

You cry.

You grieve. You feel sick to your stomach.

You pray.

Then you grieve some more, pray some more.

Fast and pray.

You have a lengthy conversation in your head with them.

In the end, you know you have no wisdom to speak, and they have no ears to hear. So you collapse in bed each night, your heart heavy for the coming pain of their ruin.

If only…..

If only they weren’t so….

So….stubborn, rebellious, willful, wanting their own way.

The truth is we all are.

That is why we need Jesus.

The truth is, we are all just a hair away from ruin.

Oh I didn’t believe that for years. But I can see now that it was pure pride that blinded me.

“Well, I wouldn’t do that!”

When, in fact, I already have.

I have been stubborn,

recently.

I was stubborn in admitting I held pride in my life.

I have been rebellious in the past.

Rebellious to be teachable from people I felt better than.

There is that ugly pride again. It is ugly too, and it grieves God just as much as any other sin.

Sin is sin, you know.

That makes us all on the same page; sinners saved by grace.

I, therefore, cannot claim to be any better than anybody else.

The good things in my life are done by the grace of God,

not because I am super nifty.

If we are going to continue to walk with God, we must realize that we need Him more everyday.

We need truth everyday.

When we start believing we can get through this day on our own, it is one step in the direction of that willful, rebellious friend.

Turning our back on God,

for the moment,

the day,

or evermore..it is all the same sin.

Just like David, a man after God’s own heart. Yet tempted by what he should not have seen, he turns his back on God and commits adultery and murder before he realizes where he is going.

Or Solomon, dedicating his life to building God’s temple, yet turned away from the very God who had given him so much, for the demonic idols of his many wives.

We are all so alike.

So in need of a Savior.

Just a hair away from ruin.

You, me.

Needing Jesus every hour of every day.

Needing His mercy, His grace, His presence in every way.

I think that is called living a cross centered life.

It is humble. It is focused. It is real. It is relational.

It is…the only way to live.

What do you do when your friend walks away from God?

You realize it could be you,

and that makes you cling ever more closer to His Majesty.

Valentines Day Video

2011-02-14T10:06:00.000-08:00

This is great. Enjoy!!!

Oh, So Pretty: Interior Decor

2011-02-08T17:35:00.000-08:00

I have been decorating my room. Last month for our date my Daddy helped me to put the finishing layers of mud on the drywall tape, and finish the corners. (See the previous condition of my walls in the picture below, not very appealing)

Then while I was in Seattle, my wonderful Mom, and my lovely sister Rose, surprised me by painting my room, something I was planning to do after I returned from WA.

So, since then I have been practicing my skill as an interior decorator. My Mom had some training as an interior decorator when she was younger and has taught me some of what she learned. So here are some pictures of my room. Enjoy!!!

I am VERY into the spring fashions that are out in all the stores, everything is cream lace, and feminine, feminine, feminine. So I decided to bring that theme into my room.

And there it is.

Thank you for stopping by!!!

Love In Christ,

My Redemption Group Experience

2011-02-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

Okay, this is going to be the everlasting blog post, but please, bear with me because I think it’s gonna be good!!!

Last week, I, with my Daddy, my best friend, her Daddy: Mr. B., and our neighbor Mr. H., were in Seattle WA, at Mars Hill Church, participating in a Redemption Group Immersion. I have to confess it was one of the least fun things I have ever done. But it was SO good for me. It really was. The RGI is designed to train people to lead Redemption Groups. (Redemption Groups are the Mars Hill system for leading people to redemption from their sin and suffering, kind of like AA for every problem, except it works!) The way that they accomplish this training is to put you in a high speed, high intensity, actual Redemption Group, you literally get thrown in the deep end! There were about 15 Redemption Groups all together. The redemption groups are divided by gender, with about 6 participants and 2 leaders in each group. So there were about 100 people there. The cool thing was that even though there weren’t nearly as many people as I expected, the people that were there came from everywhere, it was an international event. So you get put in a Redemption Group with an assortment of people that you have never seen before, people from all over the world; no one familiar, no one comforting.

Having done NOTHING like this ever before in my life, I was terrified.

Let me make it clear that this process is for Christians, who still carry baggage from their life prior to Christ. This process biblically leads people to see their sin, to mourn over it, to confess it, to give it to God, to ask for forgiveness, to be forgiven. And finally to be redeemed!!! Thus the name Redemption Groups.

We met altogether for general sessions in which the gospel was taught brilliantly through the story of the Exodus. The Israelites being delivered from Egypt by God alone, and still worshiping their idols, still grumbling and raging against God when they didn’t receive all of the comforts they thought they needed. No sooner had they promised God that they would worship Him alone, they built an idol and paid homage to it. They struggled against God and rejected Him; didn’t they remember what He delivered them from?

We do the exact same thing every day. Do we remember what God has delivered us from?

At the end of every session Pastor Mike Wilkerson would leave us with a question that, if answered honestly, would bare our souls.

After the general sessions of teaching and training we would split into our Redemption Groups. The first several groups we each shared our stories, our hurts, our sufferings, our sins. We had 10 minutes each to do this. Talk about hard! But, this time limit forced us to stay on track and keep from wandering all over our lives. (A good rule… especially for those who are talkers, and storytellers.) We only had enough time to share themes and defining moments; what we already knew we were struggling with. We practiced being leaders by responding to peoples stories, asking them questions, or pointing out themes that we saw in their lives. Then when everyone had shared we dug into each other’s lives. One by one we were each prodded, probed and questioned about our stories, about our lives. We were led to see our sin; we were each led to a point where we couldn’t deny our filthy wretchedness. There was no comforting, no Kleenex passing, or defending one another. In these times we practiced being leaders by asking questions, lots and lots of questions; probing, deep, hard, leading questions. One of the big things I learned is that I cannot just throw truth at someone, because they won’t listen, I can’t tell them what their conclusions need to be, but I can learn to ask questions in such a way to lead them to come to their own honest conclusions. Our leaders were wonderful at asking questions that drew people out, they didn’t just tell people where their sin was, like I tried to do; they asked questions that brought you to a place where you had to either flat out lie, or fully confess and see the deep, deep root of your sin.

This was so hard for me. I have not yet learned to look deeply into people. I have not learned how to ask questions that lead. And I am awed at the way God worked through my leaders, because my leaders were struggling, sinful people just like me.

After we had dug deeply into each person’s life, the leaders would ask questions like “What does repentance from your sin against God look like right now?” They would help the person to see that God is ready to free them from their sin, to redeem them, to forgive them, all they have to do is look at Him and ask.

Now I will tell you what this was like for me personally. Stay with me, because I haven’t got it all figured out yet, I’m still working through this.

On Tuesday night we got to Camano Island, WA at about 11:50pm, we trudged into the guest house where we were staying and collapsed into bed. My alarm buzzed rather annoyingly at 5:30am. We all got up, got ready, packed up all of our stuff, and left for the West Seattle Campus of Mars Hill Church. We picked up some breakfast on the way, arrived, registered, and began our Redemption Journey.

We sat together through the general session and then went to our groups (they strategically placed each of us in a different group.)

When I told my story, I really don’t think I was forming coherent thoughts well, I’m sure that what came out of my mouth was a muddled mess. At least that’s what it sounded like to my foggy brain. I don’t remember hardly any of what I said; I just remember thinking that it would be a miracle if my group could figure out what I was trying to say. J I cried a lot, which is weird, because I never cry, I will tell you about that in just a moment; I’m sure that all the crying didn’t help me to communicate clearly either!

I told about how much God has blessed me in my life already. How I’ve never had any deep wounds or scars, how I’ve never had any great suffering. How no one has ever committed any great sins against me. How as a Pastor’s Kid I had heard people say that PK’s are either rotten devils or perfect angels, I had grabbed that idea and taken it deeply to heart; how I try SO hard to be perfect. Living in such a way that nobody ever saw me sin, never saw me slip up; never saw me doing anything unpleasant.

The next day it was time for me to go through what Mr. B. began referring to as “The Wringer” which means that it was time for my group to LOVE me by completely stripping me of any remnant of pride and exposing me to the blatant ugliness of my sin. Let me just say, it doesn’t feel very loving until you are through, and you see exactly what they did.

As they asked probing questions to which I had to admit truthful answers or else lie, I felt as if they were stripping me naked, like an onion, layer by layer. Although I already knew of my sin, I’m not sure I really comprehended the lengths and depths to which it went. I did not like confessing it to other sinful struggling people who I didn’t know, and who didn’t know me. I hated it. I tearfully confessed that I had a deep, deep idol… myself. I confessed that I paid homage to my idol by trying to rescue other people so that I could look like a good person, creating a perfect image of myself for other people, by trying hard to earn the praise and affirmation of anyone who would give it to me, by judging other people to make myself feel better, and by believing the lie that I couldn’t really go before God and let Him love me until I had myself together, all packaged up and tied up with a pretty bow.

I didn’t strive to resist sin because I loved God, but because sin made me look bad. I didn’t serve people to serve God, but to make myself look good. My life centered on looking good to family, friends, church, strangers, and even God.

I had taken Christ off of the throne of my life, and had seated myself there instead.

Although my behavior was commendable, my heart motives were sinful.

I felt like my sin was even uglier now, (although I realize that sin is sin and can’t get uglier) because everyone could see it, I was totally exposed, it wasn’t only God and myself who could see my sin. Everyone could. I was ashamed… and now I wanted God to save me from my shame and my guilt, I knew that I could be redeemed through His blood. The one thing I wanted was to get to the REDEMPTION part of the process; I didn’t want to have to sit in my naked, exposed state; I wanted to get to the part where they would re-clothe me, where they would tell me how to get rid of my sin, I wanted to get to the part where I felt loved and healed despite my sin. But as group session ended, my leader asked that I sit in silence while everyone in the room told me exactly how they saw me. I sat SILENTLY… unable to defend myself, while they all told me about my sin and my wretchedness. And then my leader told me to “sit with it” which means to go to God and just sit and think about what I had been told. I struggled as I walked out of that room, that is not what I wanted, I saw my sin, now I wanted to get rid of it, I didn’t want to sit there in my wretchedness ALL NIGHT LONG.

I couldn’t hold back the tears of frustration as I walked down the hall and towards the stairs; my best friend ran up behind me and gasped when she saw my face. “Anna!” she said “I have never seen you cry before, WHAT did they do to you?!!!” I told her about being emotionally stripped naked, feeling completely exposed, and my frustration. The full reality of what she had said to me didn’t resonate until the following day.

On the following morning in group session, they finished picking me apart. (At least that’s what it feels like.) I realized at that point, the lengths that I had gone to in order to promote the best image possible; my best friend of four years had never seen me cry, I mean come on, I’m a teenage girl? That has got to be a feat of epic proportions! And just a few weeks prior I had removed nearly 100 pictures from my Facebook because I thought that these photos were unflattering, so I removed the tags. The depth of my vanity hit me like a 2x4!

Since the day that I invited Jesus into my life, I have known for a fact that I am saved and redeemed, but it was brought to my attention that I had somehow been deceived into believing that I needed to work my way through my sin to get to God. I had forgotten reality… I don’t have to do anything to earn His love. That, however, is not an excuse I can use to sin. In fact, my love for Him helps prevent me from choosing sin. Of course I know I will still sin, but when I do His grace abounds, and by His grace He works in me, chipping away at my imperfections until the day I die. That is how redemption works. The truth I need to cling to is that I don’t need to go and get all pretty before I can crawl into His arms. He died FOR my sin, He KNOWS my sin, but when He looks at me He sees His daughter, covered in His shed blood. He has forgiven me, He has redeemed me. Hallelujah, WHAT A SAVIOR!

I really had a difficult time focusing all the next day. I really feel like I was under spiritual attack. My brain seemed to be full of cobwebs, and when we were in group, I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. All day guilt and shame from past sins kept coming to my mind, and I struggled to meet them with the promise that Jesus had redeemed me from each one. I KNOW that that particular struggle was the work of the devil; God does not condemn us for forgiven sins.

That night was the celebration ceremony, the end of RGI.

Our groups were supposed to sit together for the Celebration. So I sat with my group, next to one of my leaders. It was a wonderful time of worship that brought healing and rest after condemnation I had been under all day. We sang lots of worship songs that absolutely broke my heart, and made it soar at the same time. People gave their testimonies, read the Psalms they had written. In the front of the sanctuary there was a table on which were sheets of red paper and sharpies. During the worship time people were to go to the table, get a sheet of paper, and on the top half of the paper write their little piece of Egypt, their idol, their sin, their shame. Then on the bottom half you wrote a promise from God’s Word, then tearing the paper in half, you took the top half up on the stage and laid it in a basket at the foot of the cross, then you walked across the stage, took communion, and then went back to your seat, taking your promise and redemption with you. It was very meaningful.

That night we went back to the place we were staying. We relaxed, talked about the experience of the RGI, and just unwound. We had each received an evaluation from our leaders, and we looked at them, and discussed them, I’m ashamed to tell you that I did terribly on mine. It was humbling. It was hard for me to accept. But it was either take it or leave it, so I took it.

The next morning we packed up and headed for home.

So, it was quite the ordeal for all of us. I thought I was going to get trained to be a leader in one of these groups, but God had plans to completely humble me, and in the process, to draw me closer to Him.

I can’t wait to see what God will continue to do in my heart, as I work my way through all that He is bringing to light in my life.

I would do the RGI again in a heartbeat, lugubrious as it was!

"It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply." – A.W. Tozer

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

A Song For Prince Charming

2011-02-01T13:58:00.000-08:00

Darling did you know that I
I dream about you
Waiting for the look in your eyes
When we meet for the first time
Darling did you know that I
I pray about you
Praying that you will hold on
And keep your loving eyes only for me

Cause,I am waiting for
Praying for you darling
Wait for me too
Wait for me as I wait for you
Cause, I am waiting for
Praying for you darling
Wait for me too
Wait for me as I wait for you
Darling wait
Darling wait

Darling did you know I dream about life together
Knowing it will be forever
I'll be yours and you'll be mine
And darling when I say
Till death do us part
I'll mean it with all of my heart
Now and always faithful to you

Cause, I am waiting for
Praying for you darling
Wait for me too
Wait for me as I wait for you
Cause, I am waiting for
Praying for you darling
Wait for me too
Wait for me as I wait for you
Darling wait
Darling wait

Now I know you may have made mistakes
But there's forgiveness and a second chance
So wait for me
Darling wait for me
Wait for me
wait for me

Cause, I am waiting for
Praying for you darling
Wait for me too
Wait for me as I wait for you
Cause, I am waiting for
Praying for you darling
Wait for me too
Wait for me as I wait for you
Cause, I am waiting for

Praying for you darling
Wait for me too
Wait for me as I wait for you
Cause, I am waiting for
Praying for you darling
Wait for me too
Wait for me as I wait for you
Darling wait
Darling wait
Wait for me
Darling wait
Cause I'm waiting for you
Cause I'm waiting for you
So wait for me
Darling wait
Wait for me

That is one of my favorite songs.
It is "Wait For Me" By Rebecca St. James. Soooo pretty!

A Higher Price, A Higher Value

2011-01-20T18:20:00.000-08:00

Did you know that perceived value increases or decreases worth?

Immodesty removes the obstacles that a young man must face when wooing a girl, and instead invites any passing beholder to desire you in his mind. Immodesty creates a cheap thrill, it requires zero investment as far as he is concerned.

He is motivated by his LUST.

When you dress immodestly your perceived value is lessened, you become an object of lust.

On the other hand....

Dressing modestly leaves the true secrets of your body undiscovered for one man. Now he (the one man) is required to work much harder for you. Investing time in your life and in your heart, until one day he can enjoy your allure. He must earn your trust and your virtue. Part of what makes this so sweet is the difficulty of it. By dressing modestly your perceived value soars, this way requires choosing to love instead of to lust, making the end result much more captivating.

He is motivated by his LOVE.

Now he is moved to woo and romance you!

I hope you'll agree with me that, even though this kind of sounds like an "old-fashioned" way to handle things, candle light, soft music, and Mr. Darcy moments, sound more enticing than the casual sex scene of today's "romantic" relationships.

Why do I say modesty is more romantic?

When your perceived value is heightened because your modesty has protected your reputation as well as your sexuality, you'll find that there are now obstacles between you and everyone who possesses a "Y" chromosome.

These obstacles pose a challenge to any man trying to win you. Romantic dinners, thoughtful notes and other such things are often one of ways a man might try to prove himself worthy of your virtue.

" But dressing immodestly is fun" you might argue. True you will receive much more attention when you're flaunting all ya got. But on the day you get married, the passion that follows your choice to be modest will far outweigh the fun of cheap thrills, I promise.

Dressing modestly doesn't mean you'll be less attractive, it will make you more attractive to any worthwhile man, especially to the man that you marry.

Here is what one guy said: "A man yearns most for what he can't have."

I admit that we all want to be desired. But there is a difference between giving someone a cheap thrill and being romantically and passionately pursued as your modesty requires...am I right?

Which one do you choose?

I know that the long, difficult, and often lonely road of modesty is well worth it in the end.

Love In Christ,

Feminine Friday

2011-01-14T13:02:00.000-08:00

Because I am sick today and wearing sweat pants I have opted to post some pictures I took last summer of my lovely little sister Rose.

This is one of her favorite Feminine outfits.

The Best Homemade Mac & Cheese

2011-01-10T08:27:00.000-08:00

Our little children LOVE Mac and Cheese, but most everyone over 11 in our household cant stand the boxed-processed stuff, which of course is the kids favorite; so here is our yummy solution:

In a pot, boil water and add your favorite pasta.

Cheese Sauce

In a saucepan on Med/Hi, heat:
1/2 Cup Butter (1 stick)
1/2 Cup Flour
Then slowly add:
3 Cups Milk
2 Tablespoons Chicken Broth Granules
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Stir until thick then add:
1/2 Cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 Cups Cheddar Cheese
( Feta Cheese is also good)

Drain your cooked pasta and add the sauce stir well and enjoy!!!

Tip: Leave the sauce a little salty because the pasta absorbs the flavor.
Sprinkle a little Cheese or Bacon over the top if you desire.

Note: This recipe is big enough for our family of 11, so if you do not want enough Mac & Cheese to feed an army, reduce the recipe.

Love In Christ,

Saturday's Journal

2011-01-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

Here is a little update on what I've been up to, kind of like a journal entry:

This week has been full of school, which is a good thing since working sometimes makes me fall behind schedule, this week I was able to get ahead a little in preparation for the next few months which promise to be hectic. Daddy and I have been on the HCG+ diet for the last twenty four days, and as of today I have lost twenty pounds, which makes a huge difference on a short person.
On Wednesday I helped at our kids outreach at Church as usual, I love those little kiddos. Then that night at Young Ladies Bible Study we were missing a few of the girls but we had some great discussion...I love you girls, you bring so much joy and blessing to my life!
Thursday was Epiphany, the day that we celebrate the Twelve Days Of Christmas, and the Wise Men coming to worship Jesus and offer Him their gifts. We had an Epiphany Feast, and we open our gifts then instead of on Christmas, when we want Jesus to be our only focus. Friday Daddy and I went on a date to town to buy goat milk for Gabriel who is lactose intolerant. Today has been a slow, laid back kind of day. Mom and I have been in kind of a de-cluttering mode as of late, so I putter around in my room, and she does the same around the rest of the house. I am reading "Living A Beautiful Life" by Alexandra Stoddard as well as working through some material from Mars Hill in Seattle for the Redemption Group Immersion that I will be participating in at the end of this month. Right now I'm listening to "When God Made You" by Newsong, a really cute song, I put the lyrics to it in my Journal To My Future Husband... there's an idea for you if you have a journal. And that is what I have been up to this week. Thank you for stopping by. Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Feminine Friday

2011-01-06T15:31:00.000-08:00

Blessings in 2011 everyone. I know that as of late my blog posts have been scanty and sporadic at best, I think that I'm back on track now, so here is your Feminine Friday post. This is just about my favorite skirt, it is very long and flowing, which is the best thing about it, it's plaid patterned, and it's GREEN! I love this T-shirt, which I found at Shopko, (the brand is "My Favorite Tee") I have a hard time finding shirts that are flattering on my "Apple" body shape, but this one really works well, so when I found them I purchased several in varying colors. I have heard that the best Camisoles as far as modesty goes are really men's undershirts, however I prefer a more feminine look so I regularly purchase women's camisoles, take in the straps so that the neckline is higher, and re-make the arm holes so that the fabric does not rub on the underarms, this works well if you buy Cami's that are really long. Skirts can often be too chilly during the colder months so I stock up on leggings, I can usually even find them with pretty lace around the ankles...even better!

Love In Christ,

Unforgivable And Yet Forgiven

2011-01-04T16:27:00.000-08:00

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

- Romans 5:8

Filthy, wretched, and bedraggled, I fell on my face before the Risen Lamb, the King of Glory, I was more than aware of the stench of my sin, the repulsiveness of my selfish humanity. Filled with shame I bowed at His feet, not daring to look into His face. For this was Jesus Christ, the crucified lamb. There was no reason for Him to even look at me, I had broken every law there was to break, I was sinful, a hypocrite, but, every fiber in my soul was longing for Him, He was the only way I could be saved from myself. Weeping bitterly, I saw that the mess I had become was my own fault, and I knew I had brought others down the wide, shallow way that I had traveled, my whole being screamed for forgiveness, to be made clean again, to be set free from the cruel grip of sin in my life: “Jesus, I beg you SAVE ME!!!” I felt two strong arms around me; two nail-pierced hands lifted me gently to my feet, I winced as I saw those cruel gashes, with great anguish I realized that it was I who put them there. “Forgive me Lord!” I cried in agony. Overwhelmed by the sorrow of my soul, and the foulness of my sin, I was unable to stand. But those heavenly arms encircled me and held me up. I looked up into His face and was amazed to find His deep, penetrating, eyes filled with love, and compassion, gazing down at me. Tears ran down His face, was He shedding those tears for me? “You are forgiven, My child, My blood has covered your sins.” He said lovingly. The blood from His wounds ran over my body in scarlet streams, cleansing me from all unrighteousness. My sin and my shame vanished, I was made whole and clean!! I was filled with wonder, for I realized that he had looked on me with love when I was unlovable. I knew how unworthy I was; I was most undeserving among men. I was ugly and hateful, and now, Oh wonder of wonders; He was beginning to mold me into something beautiful!!! Hallelujah What A Savior!!!!!

While going about our everyday lives we often forget just exactly what Jesus did for us, think about the fact that he died for you when you were nothing but a hateful, sinful, wretch. Before you made clean, before you were made whole. When you were a big mess, when you could hardly stand yourself, would you be willing to die for someone like yourself? I know I wouldn't die for the person I used to be.

Then think for a minute about the work that God is continually doing in your life, if He had let you to yourself you would have kept spiraling downward, digging yourself into a hole that is continually getting deeper and deeper. But instead He has picked you up, dusted you off, and just generally done an "Extreme Makeover" on you inside and out!!!

Remember to thank him daily for what He has done, and don't forget to give all the glory to Him for the change He has made in you.

Love In Christ,

New Years Eve In The Woods

2011-01-01T15:35:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from our New Year's Eve Party, Enjoy:

Brandie and I.

Ben sipping hot cocoa.

Caleb, Myself, Brandie, Winter, and Rosie.

Jonas. Such a Cutie.

My Beautiful Mother.

John, Mr. B, Mr. A, and Dad in their funny hats. :-)

Maybe a little too much sugar???

Leona Marie.

Joel.

Brandie Faith.

And Caleb.

We built a bonfire, sat around it fellow-shipping over our Hot Cocoa and Cider. Taking pictures, laughing. The little children had a scavenger hunt in the snow, discovering brightly wrapped packages of treats. After it got dark we retreated to the warmth of the house, had a potluck, and then enjoyed much laughter and competitive spirits as we played board games.

Blessings In 2011!!!

Love In Christ,

A Monday Recipe: Black Bottom Cupcakes

2010-12-20T08:50:00.000-08:00

Black Bottom Cupcakes

Ingredients For Filling:

2 (3 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened.
1/3 Cup of sugar
1 egg
1 (6 oz) package of chocolate chips
..........................................................
Ingredients For Muffins:

1 1/2 Cups all- purpose flour
1cup sugar
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla
...............................................
Topping:

1/2 cup chopped almonds if desired
2 Tablespoons sugar if desired
...............................................................................................................................

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line muffin cups with paper baking cups. In a small bowl combing first set of ingredients, mix well, set aside.

2. In large bowl combine second set of ingredients. Beat at medium speed for two minutes. Fill paper-lined cups half way full.

3. Top each half-full cup with a spoonful of the filling. Sprinkle nuts and sugar over the top if desired.

4. Bake at 350 F. for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the cream cheese filling is a light golden brown. Cool 15 minutes and remove from pan, cool 30 minutes longer. Enjoy!!!

Thank you for stopping by! Have a blessed day! Soli Deo Gloria!!!!

Love In Christ,

The Big News

2010-12-02T17:34:00.000-08:00

I realized this morning that I had not yet shared with all of you my big news!

Tuesday night a precious bundle of joy was adding to our already large family, Olivia Serene Primer!!!

She was born @ 9:05 p.m. She weighed 7lb 6oz, she was 19 inches long. She has LOTS of dark curly hair.

She was born by emergency C-section due to Preeclampsia.

Both Mama and Olivia are doing very well.

Just like the rest of us, Gabriel is quite enamored with "His Baby" as he refers to Olivia!

We are all anxiously waiting for Mommy and Olivia to come home. We are hoping and praying that they will be released from the hospital tomorrow.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

The Most Important Thing

2010-11-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

In pondering the kind of wife I want to be for my Prince Charming, I have come to the conclusion that the most important character quality which I should be striving to refine in myself at this point in my life is a Gentle And Quiet Spirit. What a blessing it is for a man to have a Helpmeet who IS NOT clamorous and discontent with her circumstances; who, instead, IS sweet and thankful in every situation, servant-hearted, and humble. This has caused me to compare what I will call a Clamorous And Boisterous Woman with a woman who possesses a Quiet And Gentle Spirit. Let's take a look at the former:

The Clamorous And Boisterous Woman
Loud, immature, giddy, discontent, self-centered, insecure, rude, uncouth, always the center of attention...these are words that describe a woman with this negative character trait. She works hard to be the sole focus of those around her. Her sense of worth comes from the amount of attention that is paid her, and so she strives to gain any and all attention without ceasing. She is often abrasive and rude. She talks loudly, laughs loudly, she is even loud in her actions. She says whatever comes into her head, makes lots of jokes, pokes fun at everyone, and is generally rather immature, nonsensical, and frivolous. Her focus is perpetually on serving her own selfish desires. She is absolutely enthralled with earthly possessions, clothes, makeup, and jewelry. I may also point out that while this woman might be a Christian, she obviously doesn't act like a child of the King.

I don't know about you but I really don't want those words to describe me!!!

Let's take a close look at tho second woman I named:

The Quiet And Gentle Woman
I want to mention here that having a quiet and gentle spirit does not mean that you are the silent, mousy little woman that often comes to mind when we hear that phrase. A quiet and gentle spirit means that you posses the three S's: you are Submissive, Servant-Hearted, and, Self-controlled.
Sensible, honorable, practical, wise, loving, servant-hearted, secure in God's view of herself, humble, gentle, sweet, caring, nurturing, biblical, child of God... these are the words that describe this lovely woman. She loves to serve others. She does not seek to be the center of attention, but seeks to give glory to God instead. Her sense of worth comes from being a child of the King. She is sweet and gentle in her speech and actions. She seeks to bring joy and encouragement to others, rather than putting them down. She thinks before she speaks, she doesn't participate in course joking, she doesn't make fun of others, but neither does she degrade herself in her jokes. She asks God for wisdom and maturity. Her focus is on serving God first, and then others, then herself. She is a good steward of her body, she is mindful of her outward appearance but she does not obsess over it, instead she focuses on beautifying her character, and her heart. She behaves with honor, she is the daughter of the King!

Here are some verses for your contemplation:

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in the sight of God." 1 Peter 3:3-4

"Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:30

"Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies." Proverbs 31:10

"As a gold ring in a swine's snout, so is a woman who lacks discretion." Proverbs 11:22

"An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones." Proverbs 12:4

The Bible has a lot to say about these two women, which do you want to be?

Thank you so much for stopping by! Soli Deo Gloria!!!
Love in Christ,

Feminine Friday

2010-11-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Hey Everyone, there will not be a Feminine Friday post this week because I will not be here!
Sorry!!!

Love In Christ,

Fellowship, Dessert, and Good Friends

2010-11-18T12:56:00.000-08:00

Our dear friends Paul and Pam Hunter have a ministry in Uganda. Next Generation Ministries. They do not build churches, schools, or orphanages, but they love to love the people. They have hearts for mentoring people.

Last night we had a dessert social at our house, Paul and Pam gave a presentation of their ministry and gave an invitation to go to Uganda to the members of our Church family.

Here are some pictures of their short stay with us:

Love In Christ,

A Prayer For Prince Charming

2010-11-17T15:15:00.000-08:00

" May the wisdom of God instruct him, the eye of God watch over him, the ear of God hear him, the hand of God defend him, the way of God guide him."

This is a prayer I wrote out when I was about twelve years old, and have prayed it ever since. :-)

Love In Christ,

Feminine Friday

2010-11-12T17:45:00.000-08:00

I can hardly believe that it is Friday once again. Well, here is this week's Feminine Friday post. I love this denim skirt, mostly because it's so long and flowing. But I also love that it is denim, so it goes with everything. The reason I love long and flowing skirts is because they are so very feminine and lovely.

Love In Christ,

A Woman Of God Is...

2010-11-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

A woman of God is...

A Lady Of Wisdom
A woman becomes wise through training, skill, insight, and the fear of the Lord.
Words to describe a lady of wisdom: humble, disciplined, discerning, elegant, prudent, sensible, accomplished, judicious.

A Helper - A Completer
Woman coming from man to help him in his work and complete him as a person.
Words to describe a helper and completer: loyal, faithful, lead-able, flexible, cooperative, adaptable, insightful.

A Lifegiver
Woman as a giver of life and the means to spiritual life.
Words to describe a lifegiver: generous, compassionate, kind, patient, affectionate, enthusiastic, sacrificial, merciful, unselfish, nurturing.

Mistress Of The Domain
Woman in the image of God, as a ruler and a subduer.
Words to describe a mistress of the domain: responsible, dependable, organized, efficient, decisive, independent, persevering, determined.

The Glory Of Man
Woman glorifies her husband and her heavenly King.
Words to describe a "glorifying" woman: pure, loving, submissive, responsive, attentive, sensitive, trusting, beautiful, adorned, worshiper.

Love In Christ,

Why I Made A Decision To Stay Pure: My Testimony

2010-11-09T18:21:00.000-08:00

I have only ever dated one guy, and I am still dating him today, that guy is my Daddy. Some of you might think this is kind of weird, but I have given my heart to my Daddy, so naturally I date the man that I have given my heart to. Not many girls are blessed with a Daddy like mine.
His love for me is unconditional, I can tell him anything, and I can always ask him to deal with any flirting boys!!! :-)

Anyway, I wanted to share with all of you my decision to keep myself pure. The biggest thing that made me want to do this was simply that God commands it in His word, and big part of loving God is obeying Him.
We find this in 1 Thessalonians4:3: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality;” It’s as simple as that.
Song of Solomon 2:4 says: “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles or by the does of the field, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.”
And again, in the same book, chapter 8, verse 4: “I charge you, O daughters of Jerusalem, do not stir up nor awaken love until it pleases.” These verses should wave big red flags in our faces: Don’t Awaken Love. God clearly shows us what happens when we don’t obey Him, as it tells us in the Bible.
Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal life, in Jesus Christ Our Lord.”
I have seen first hand the consequences of adultery in the lives of some of my closest friends. So I made my choice, I decided that I would make the commitment to keep my body pure.

But it wasn’t long before God got a hold of me again, and he showed me that there were some other areas that I needed to keep clean and pure.

God used scripture and godly people to teach me to guard my heart and emotions as well as my body. Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”
If you give away your heart, an emotional attachment is formed, and that is how you get attached to people. It’s easy to become emotionally attached to someone; all it takes is trusting that person with your deepest secrets and emotions, all of your struggles, hopes, dreams, and prayers. This is what we call giving away your heart!!! And once you have given away your heart and emotions, you are well on your way to giving away your body too.

As always, God still wasn’t done with me.
I have a lot of good friends who are guys, and I love talking to them and hanging out with them (in a group setting) I mean sometimes I just need to get away from the cat fights, fashion shows and giggle fits that teen-aged girls are prone to.
But those friendships can get a little weird when there are no boundaries, so something that I have learned is that I need to define all of my relationships with members of the opposite sex. Here is an example:

Let’s say I have a really close guy “friend” and we talk to each other a lot, we call each other when we’re down, we hang out with each other ALL the time and he gave me a nickname that only he uses. I think he is my friend, kind of, but neither of us has ever said anything about being “just friends.”
But…I start to wonder… what if he doesn’t just like me as a friend, what if he has a huge crush on me and that’s why we hang out so much, what if he’s too nervous to just ask me out??? It’s easy to go on and on from there. So, I call my best friend and I share with her all of my questions. She says, “Girl you’ve just now started to notice how much he likes you?” “But how do you now that he likes me?” I want to know, “All the signs are there,” she tells me. “I mean, doesn’t he treat you differently than any other girl, didn’t he give you a nickname, and doesn’t he tease you incessantly about everything?” and I have to say “Yes” to each one. Obviously, it’s not long before I am absolutely convinced that he has a ginormous crush on me, and I begin to form deep feelings for him as well.
About a week later, he introduces me to his new girlfriend. I am hurt and angry, and he doesn’t understand. We will NEVER be as close as we were, we will be lucky if our friendship survives this misfortune.

So, Define Relationships, you don’t have to sit down and discuss friendship with every person of the opposite sex that you know. When you’re talking to one of these friends it’s easy just to say, “You know, you’re a really great friend.” That is a simple, natural way to tell them that you think of them as a friend. It’s another way to protect and guard the heart that God has given you. Just like we’ve already learned in Proverbs:
Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”

Ever since I was old enough to understand what dating was, I was convinced that it was something I would never take part in, I had seen many hearts wounded and broken after the dating scene.
In our world today, many Christians think that dating is the only way they can ever meet "Mr./Ms. Right." But what many people don’t realize is that it is much SAFER not to mention easier to hand it over to God.
Don’t you think that if he can move mountains, he can make a way for you to meet the person you will marry???
If he cares about every sparrow that falls, don’t you think that he cares enough to make it happen for you??? But first you need to trust him with your relationships.
TRUST, that’s a hard thing for us to do, but its something that God commands:

Proverbs 3:5 says: “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.”

Isaiah 12:2: “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.”

Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”
Do not worry, you are worth a lot to God, and He will take care of you.
And then God rebukes us for not trusting:

Matthew 6:30: “Now if God clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?”

And Mark 4:40: “Why are you so fearful? Why is it that you have no faith?”

Matthew 10:29-31: “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Being humans we did not trust Gods plan, instead we have thought up this brilliant system called dating. Dating is an easy way to get your heart broken, because we readily give pieces of our hearts away, until we get married; it is then that the real owner gets the leftovers.
How would you feel if you were invited to somebody’s house as their guest of honor for dinner, but when you sat down to eat, your hosts brought out half eaten leftovers? Three day old meatloaf perhaps, at any rate I’m sure you would no longer feel as if you were an honored guest.

People don’t seem to realize that after the dating scene, that is what many hearts look like.

For myself I have decided to leave the matter up to God, and so I don’t date. I realize that waiting for Gods timing will be extremely difficult, but I know that it will be worth it in the end.

Helping Each Other Out
The next thing God worked on me with, is the mission he has set before me as a daughter of God. In many different ways he showed me that I have an opportunity, and an obligation to help my brothers in Christ. I learned that men are visual creatures, they just are, and that the way that I dress can help them to keep their minds pure. Yes, it’s their responsibility to guard their eyes, but… I can help them, or I can cause them to stumble, simply by the way that I dress. This mindset has changed my way of thinking a great deal.
The world is constantly sending us messages. The greater portion of these messages is negative. There are a lot of things out there that none of us ever need to see, hear, or think about. Keeping our minds pure is a huge task, but we can always help each other out. God created men to be protectors, warriors. I think we would see a drastic change in our churches, if the young men would be determined to watch over and protect the hearts and minds of their sisters in Christ, being careful how they treat them. And what a great change we would see, if the young women thought about protecting their brothers mind and heart by dressing modestly. In Joshua Harris’s “I Kissed Dating Goodbye” series, he said that he wanted to be the kind of man who stood as a protector over the hearts of his Christian sisters, he wanted to help to keep her pure for the man that would become her husband, he said he wanted her husband to be able to thank him for the part he played in her life. Girls can do the same thing, simply by considering the things that might cause her brother to stumble and then avoiding those things. But why should we bother going to all this trouble? We shouldn’t do it because its something a Christian would do; it should be something that we want to do:
1) To set an example. As Paul instructs Timothy to do in his first letter to him:
1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

2) Out of love and respect for each other. Which Paul and Peter, and many others tell us is important.
Romans 12:10: “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another.”
1 Peter 3:8 “Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tender hearted be courteous.”

I know that I am most assuredly still a work in progress, and God is still working on me. And he will be working on me for the rest of my life.
I pray that God will use my testimony to get you thinking about trusting him with your relationships. I know that just that thought scares some of you to death. But I want to encourage you to let God handle it. It will be well worth it in the end!!!

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Young Women's Bible Study

2010-11-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to start a Bible Study with the young women in our Church, we meet weekly and enjoy the opportunity to fellowship while we study God's Word. I have really enjoyed leading the Bible Study, and growing close to each of the girls. We're a pretty small group, so it's easy for us to grow in relationship with each other, and I think I am starting to see a real sisterhood growing between all of us.

We are reading the book Lies Young Women Believe by Nancy Lee DeMoss and Dannah Gresh, which we are thoroughly enjoying, we have discovered many lies that we are believing, and we are searching the scriptures to find the truths that counter those lies.

Here are all my beautiful girls:

Alyssa

Kaitlyn

Rose

Brandie

Grace

Winter

And here are some more pictures.

I like to use the dry-erase board to write out key verses, important words, and quotes, among other things.

I read out of the book, appointing different people to look up and read verses as we go.

I encourage the girls to take notes, I think this helps to keep everyone focused. And then they can go back over what we learned when they go home.

God has blessed me immensely through this Bible Study, and I am SO thankful to Him for that.

Well, as always, thank you so much for stopping by! Have a Blessed day.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Beauty Inside And Out

2010-10-29T15:01:00.000-07:00

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward- arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." 1 Peter 3:3-5

It started when I was a little girl, playing dress up and tea party with my younger sister and my cousin, and as I grew older the desire became stronger: the desire to be beautiful.

As young children we often played "Makeover" when we would lock ourselves up in my Grandma's upstairs bathroom and play for hours with her old jewelry, makeup, and hair stuff; which she kept in a drawer just for us. We would take turns transforming each other into what we considered to be "movie star beauties." It was our favorite pastime.

Then I hit the Twelve-Year-Old stage, and I was hopelessly convinced that I would be stuck in that awkward year for the rest of my life. I did not yet have a sense of fashion, or a personal style, I didn't know how to take care of my hair, my skin, or my body. I had pimples all over my face. And to make matters worse I am highly un-photogenic. As a result I greatly dislike all of my twelve-year-old pictures and am happy to banish that year from my memory.

Throughout the last 4 years of my life, I have been slowly developing a personal style, one that includes modesty, femininity, and I hope, beauty. I have researched how to take care of my hair, skin, and body. I have learned from my wise mother how to find styles and colors that are flattering.

However, all of this is only enhancing my outward appearance. And while our outward appearance is certainly important, it is far more important that your beauty comes from what is in the heart.

“Beauty is not only in the creamy cheek, the well-formed brow, the freshness of the face of youth; Beauty is of the heart, the soul, that reaches out to grace the world with strength, love, kindness, compassion devotion & tenderness.”

True beauty consists of what is inside of your heart. The only way to beautify your heart is by spending time with God. Because He is beauty.

Dwelling in His word, spending silent moments writing love letters to Him, talking to Him.

Beautify your character by studying the women in the Bible.

Ask Him to mold you and make you beautiful.

And then place yourself willingly in His hands so that He can work in you.

That is true beauty.

“The beautiful woman is disciplined, chaste, discreet, deferring, gracious, controlled, “together.” This kind of woman God considers godly; which means she’s got is qualities, and she is close to His heat. This is “His kind of woman.” -Anne Ortlund

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Feminine Friday

2010-10-29T11:32:00.000-07:00

Well everyone, I can hardly believe it's Feminine Friday once again, I'm sorry I haven't written since last week's Feminine Friday post. I have hardly even been home at all. But it is Feminine Friday none the less.

I am wearing: a lovely long green skirt found at a thrift store. A T-Shirt bought at Wal-Mart.
I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas, so be sure to comment! Have a Blessed Day! And Thanks for stopping by.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Another Feminine Friday

2010-10-22T10:07:00.000-07:00

Modesty is a huge issue in our culture today. And dressing modestly and femininely is a ginormous challenge, it's sooooo difficult to find clothes that are modest but still feminine and attractive, almost all of my clothes have been thrifted because thrift stores are the only place I can find modest and feminine clothing. However, I have often found lovely skirts at Ross, and tops can be found in almost any store, and they can be worn over a camisole and so become modest.
The desire of my heart is to help guard and protect the purity and honor of my Brother's In Christ, and to have a PURE heart!

I am Wearing: an outfit that was completely thrifted.

Fall is the perfect time for layering and mixing textures!

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

The Top Ten Boy Craziness Busters

2010-10-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

Boy-craziness is an epidemic among girls in this day and age, so here is a list of things you can try doing to bust you boy-craziness. Guys this list works for you too if you just adapt and adjust it a little bit. Here we go:

10. Go on a mission trip.

9. Read Passion and Purity By Elisabeth Elliot

8. Begin a journal to your future husband

7. Write a list of qualities you are looking for in your future husband

6. Ask a godly woman to mentor you and hold you accountable

5. Exercise or get involved in sports

4. Invest time in the man of you life: Your Dad

3. Hang out with friends who aren't boy-crazy

2. Make a list of great books and movies that dont fuel impure thoughts and romance

1. Write love letters to God

Any thoughts or comments? I'd LOVE to here them!

Thanks for stopping by!

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Feminine Friday

2010-10-15T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here is this weeks Feminine Friday outfit. Enjoy!

I am Wearing:

- A sweater and v-necked shirt that were thrifted.

-A skirt inherited from a friend

- A Cami from Wal-Mart

-Ballerina Slippers from Payless

Thanks for stopping by, Have a Blessed day!

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Graceful?

2010-10-14T12:03:00.000-07:00

By nature I am not a very graceful person, my mother and my boss would tell you that I am forever tripping over things, dropping things, and generally just being a klutz. I am even slightly afraid of vacuuming the stairs at work because I am sure that someone will come down the stairs and I wont be able to see them, and then when they say "excuse me" it will startle me so badly that I and my vacuum cleaner will fall backwards down the stairs, which would be extremely embarrassing! So working on being elegant and graceful is certainly a challenge for me.

I am endeavoring to learn proper etiquette and protocol, and one of my favorite books on the subject is Protocol Matters By Sandra Boswell.

That book addresses proper etiquette in society and at home but what about the graceful part? Perhaps I should just learn to walk around with books on my head? Well, maybe that's a good idea and maybe it's not, I have a notion that if I tried to do that someone would end up with an injury. :-)
But something that my lovely mother once told me, and this has been in the back of my mind ever since, is that you should "Always walk like a thousand people are watching you."

Well, that is what I am up to these days, endeavoring to cultivating graceful elegance into my natural manner.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Looking For A Cute Guy?

2010-10-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

At home, and at work, at church, and in the homes of friends and families, everywhere I go. Those who love me are ever trying to set me up with cute guys. From cowboys to soldiers, from very young men to very old men, I'm serious everyone, they are always trying to set me up, I wouldn't mind this too much, but...

to tell you the truth, I have already found the guy for me, he is absolutely gorgeous, he adores me, I LOVE his family, and he has a way of always managing to make me smile!!!

Here he is, my man, my heart-throb:

...alright I'll confess, that is my sweet little baby brother Gabriel, my little man, my heat-throb. :-) I just thought I would give you all a little laugh.

But seriously, people do try to set me up an awful lot, but sometimes the candidates they pick out for me are NOT the kind of man I'm looking for at all. This has caused me to consider, what kind of a man AM I looking for? To see THE LIST click here:

http://annaprimer.blogspot.com/2010/08/list.html

I'm not just looking for any cute guy who will have me, I have REAL biblical standards that I simply won't back down on!

What kind of person do you want to marry? Do you have biblical standards?

I would encourage you to consider making a reasonable, BIBLICAL, list of aspects that you are looking for in you future spouse.

Note: Having a List doesn't help if you make it un-reasonable, un-biblical, or un-real. It must be realistic, but even more than that it must be God-pleasing.

Well, have a great evening, God Bless, and Thanks for stopping by.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Feminine Friday

2010-10-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

I have decided to start a Feminine Friday theme on my blog, every Friday I will post a modest, feminine, outfit. Of course this mean that I will simply have to get over my severe case of writers block and actually write on here a couple days a week, so that this blog wont become just outfits. :-) so here is my first Feminine Friday outfit:

I Am Wearing:

A Cami from WalMart

A cotton shirt that was a yard sale find

A long skirt inherited from my lovely mother

And that is my Feminine Friday Outfit.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

The Best No-Bake Cookies

2010-10-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

No Bake Cookies

2 Cups White Sugar
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Milk

In a saucepan combine, and boil. Then add:

1/2 Cup Peanut Butter
1 Tablespoon Vanilla
4 Tablespoons Baking Cocoa
3 1/2 Cups Oatmeal

Mix well, then spoon out onto sheets of waxed paper. Enjoy!!

Love In Christ,

Family Camp

2010-09-23T12:27:00.000-07:00

Left to Right: Leona Be. Wade Be. Jonas Be. Hannah Br. Ben P.

Every year our family takes a camping trip with several of the families in our church. We camp, swim, fellowship, read the Bible, play games, roast marshmallows and drink cocoa.
Six families participated, which added up to a grand total of 38 people, 26 of those being children 18 and under. The littlest children spent the weekend running on sugar highs from all the S'mores. :-)

Lucky for us their is a playground right next to our campsite, so all the little ones could burn off their energy.

We usually go in September, before it gets to cold, and after the popular camping season. I was so happy to get the weekend off work so that I could go!

Here are some great pictures:

Gabriel P. and Daniel Br. giving each other some brotherly love. :-) They are less than two months apart.

Jonas Be. and Joshua Br.

This is me when I attempted to Water Ski, I never skied,

I just did the splits, so much for that. :-)

Yours Truly.

Baby Bramble M. and her lovely Mommy!

Mr. Eric Be. posing for the camera.

Daddy and Gabriel, ya gotta love that cheesy grin.

Judy, Dave, and Joel A. This picture was taken while we were having Church around the campfire.

Well, that's this years Family Camping Trip.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Cultivating Knowledge

2010-09-20T11:14:00.000-07:00

Right now in my life I have an opportunity to cultivate knowledge, and to strive to turn that knowledge into wisdom. There is a vast ocean of necessary and useful bits of knowledge spread out before me. I can glean knowledge from the wise and faithful wives and mothers that I know, I can acquire wisdom from the people I know who have weathered life's storms year after year.

I don't know what God has for me in life, I don't know what my story looks like. One day I might have to attend formal gatherings, in which case I need a proper knowledge of etiquette and poise. I may need to have a profound knowledge of practical skills such as sewing and gardening, anything could happen, and right now as a young woman in my father's house I have an opportunity to glean that wisdom and knowledge.

This year I really want to "round myself out" in the sense that I want to have a vast variety of skills, I want to know how to do things, so that I can at least be slightly prepared to handle whatever God brings me. God has really shown me that in order to be ready for life as a wife and mother in the future I need to know more than just how to cook and do laundry.

I am particularly working on cultivating poise and elegance into my personality (this is something which I am seriously lacking) I want to become a good conversationalist, and I am working on grounding my personal style so that when and if I become the mistress of a home I can create a home that fits my personality.

Anyway, those are just a few things that I have been contemplating.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Creating Memories And Leading By Example

2010-09-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

As the oldest girl in a household of 9 (Soon to be 10) children, I have learned that my younger siblings are all "copy cats" from reflecting the way that I dress and do my hair, to copying my bad attitudes and sinful behavior. My sweet little bothers and sisters have mastered the art of "monkey-see-monkey-do" and I often notice that when I am easily irritated towards them, they turn around and become irritable too. The pressure is on to be a good example instead of a bad one. You see weather I like it or not, they will look up to me because I am their big sister, I am by no means fit to be their role model, I stumble far to often to be a good example. Only through Christ Jesus can I walk without falling!!!

As I am human, I have not the slightest idea what tomorrow might bring, so aside from striving to be a good example to my precious younger brothers and sisters, I am making a marked effort to include them in my everyday life, and to create memories that will last. I can make good memories, and unfortunately I can also make bad ones. I have been endeavoring to spend quality time with each of my brothers and sisters. To pay close attention to what is going on in each of their lives. This may mean:

...Pausing to admire the toad they caught, no matte how unappealing it may be!

Taking a few minutes to indulge their taste for taking goofy pictures, regardless of how dumb you my end up looking.

Letting them help you with a project, no matter how much more difficult they might make it ( This is a "biggy" for me, I really dislike having their "assistance")

I have really been trying to create memories for my siblings. For Example: a new Saturday morning tradition in our household is that all the kids, including Rosie and Grace (if they are awake) pile onto my bed and snuggle under the covers with me while they listen to their Saturday morning programs on the radio:

"Ranger Bill","Kidz Corner", "Adventures In Odyssey" and, "Down Gilead Lane"

They LOVE doing this, and, although at times I think I must have been crazy to have the idea in the fist place, I enjoy it too. :-)

So, if you are blessed to have siblings, take a few minutes every day to spend time with them, create memories, and invest in their lives!

And who knows, monkey-see-monkey-do right? They might just turn around and start creating memories too.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ,

Watch The Attitude: A Change Of Heart

2010-09-02T20:49:00.000-07:00

"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong, but rejoices in the truth, love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

The Lord has been working in my heart, He is continually showing me where I tend to stumble, and where I am falling behind. Like the verse that says: "For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before me." -Psalm 51:3 Christ made my sin in one area of my life very clear to me this week:

There are several people whom I interact with on a weekly basis that I have not had a right attitude towards. You see these people all seem (key word) to know just how to push my buttons and get me in a bad mood, and I have chosen to become perpetually annoyed with each of those people. As a result I have been unkind, rude, and impatient (in my heart at least) with these people, I have had a really bad attitude towards some of them, and I have fallen out of fellowship with them.

I have been challenged and convicted, over the past week, to turn my attitude, and my heart, around and start living and loving the way Jesus Christ called me to. So I got out my road-map (Bible) and started searching to find where I had begun to take my sinful detour; that's when I turned to 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a:"Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong, but rejoices in the truth, love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."

Now I understood what had happened, I had failed to LOVE my brothers and sisters in Christ, when they hurt, offended, or upset me I chose to become bitter, and harbor a nasty attitude against them; not outwardly, but in my heart. What I should have been doing was loving them and being: patient, and kind, not envious or boastful, not proud or rude, NOT keeping a record of their offenses against me, I should not have failed. I tend to be a very critical person, so I REALLY have to watch my attitude AND my heart, and make sure that I am willing to love them in my inward attitude, and not just by my hypocritical outward actions!!!

So that is what God has been doing in my heart this week! I pray God will use me to bless you.

Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Writing To Prince Charming

2010-08-27T16:43:00.000-07:00

Since I have kind of been on a “Pondering Prince Charming” streak, I’ve decided to share with all of you about my Journal to Mr. Right.

I keep a journal for my Future husband, I don’t write in it every day, but every now and again I like to sit down and write a few words to him. My journal is not strictly me writing to him, I also include some of my prayers to God on his behalf, some poems, songs, Bible verses, quotes, and of course some cute girly embellishments, :-) and so on and so forth.
Since I began this journal last year I have been amazed at how much easier it has become for me to quickly douse the flame that my imagination so quickly kindles: why is it that as soon as one young man is polite to me my brain abruptly jumps into fast foreword and suddenly I am imagining the possibility of an immediate future with this boy?

But as I write in my journal, Prince Charming becomes someone very real and dear to me, he is no longer just some fantasy out there in my future, but one very special man, who will someday be my husband. I’m not entirely sure why, but this makes it seem so much more important for me to guard my heart every single moment of every day, knowing that there are TWO specific people that I am guarding it for. My Daddy, and My Man.

My Journal could be called a “Love Journal,” keeping a Journal for my future husband is a lot like writing love letters to him, in fact that is exactly what I am doing! Only I haven’t the slightest idea of who my Prince Charming is. Honestly Prince Charming could be standing next to me in the elevator, in the same isle in the grocery store, or sitting across from me in church and I would never know it. But keeping a journal in which I can express even the deepest of thoughts, and someday handing that Journal to him for him to read and then treasure; in my mind is just as romantic as the gooiest of love letters exchanged between a love-struck duo.

I really think that every girl who is committed to saving herself for her “Mr. Darcy” should begin a journal to her future husband. It’s a really fantastic way to commit you heart to him. Writing your own “Love Journal” to him might really help you to truly pledge your heart to him while you‘re waiting .

Have A Blessed Day. Soli Deo Gloria!!!

Love In Christ

Praying For Prince Charming

2010-08-25T10:55:00.001-07:00

Proverbs 31:12 says "She does him good and not evil all the days of her life."

One of the matters in which I have been challenged to bless my darling Future Husband is to be diligent in praying for him.

I am a firm believer in praying for Mr. Right long before you ever know who he is. Which is exactly what I am doing. I have no inkling of who Prince Charming could be, however he does hold a very special place in my heart as I pray for him each day. There is something very special about praying so explicitly for someone whom you do not know.

Here is a list of things I pray about for my future husband:

~ I pray for his personal relationship with God, that he would draw close to God day by day.

~ I pray for his purity, that he would remain faithful to God and to me!

~ I pray for his character, that he would be a strong leader and a man of radical faith.

~ I pray for his heart, that it would be set on God, and ready to follow wherever God leads him.

~ I pray for his relationship with his family, and that he would be a family man.

~ I pray for his wisdom and knowledge, that he would honor God in both areas.

~ I pray about his personality, that God would perfectly match us together, for example: I am not a leader, so I need a man who is a strong leader, who will lead me wherever God leads him!

~ I pray that God would be working in my life to make me into a godly woman, and that I would become the kind of woman that my Prince Charming needs.

I love having the ability to talk to my heavenly father about my each and every need, and knowing that though I may not even know who Prince Charming is, God does, and that if it is His will He can give me a man that completes me in every way, there is a reason that opposites attract!

Praying for your Prince Charming helps keep your heart committed to him, so that it does not stray so easily, because lets face it, we often let our imaginations get away with us, and send ourselves on a wild goose-chase in the world of unreality and wishful thinking. Consider praying for your future husband every day, God wants you to talk to Him about everything, and that includes your prince charming.

Have a blessed day! Soli Deo Gloria!!!!

Love In Christ,

The List

2010-08-19T17:01:00.000-07:00

I want to share with all of you "The List" which is my personal, firm, and un-budge-able (I dont think that is a word :-) list of requirements for Prince Charming, each of these aspects are extremely important to me, and I will not waver in them!!!

1.) He must be a firm Christian!!! 2 Corinthians 6:14 - "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers." I need a man who is strong in his faith so that he can be my spiritual leader.

2.) He must Love. 1Corinthians 13:4 - "Love is patient, love is kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrong, but rejoices on the truth; love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endues all things. Love never fails." He must be crazy in love with God, he must love God more than he loves me (and I hope he loves me with all his heart)

3.) He must be DEVOTED to godly speech. Proverbs 15:4 - "A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit" Striving to honor God with his mouth. Banishing all foul language and crude joking from his lips.

4.) He must strive always to be pure in body, mind, and heart. 1 Timothy 5:22 "Keep yourself pure."
Or, if he has made past mistakes in the purity of body area, then he must have confessed his sin to God, repented of it, and become a renewed virgin.

5.) He must be honorable and respectful. Titus 2:7 "In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works..." To others as well as to himself. He must not be fond of picking on others or putting others down. Instead he should be always ready with an encouraging hand and a kind word.

So that is my "List" it's not super long, and not unrealistic. Each standard on my list is extremely important to me, each is something I need in a husband. I want to encourage you to make your own list that you will stand by, this helps to ensure that you will not lower your standards to accommodate any guy that you happen to like. It will also help you to identify Prince Charming when he comes!!!

Soli Deo Gloria!!! Love In Christ,

Empty Me!!!

2010-08-11T08:27:00.000-07:00

Holy Fire burn away, my desire for anything

that is not of you and is of me.

I want more of you and less of me.

Holy Fire burn away,
my desire for anything
that is not of you and is of me,
I want more of you and less of me, yeah.
Empty me,
Empty me, yeah,
Fill, won't you fill me,
with you, with you, yeah.

Holy Fire, burn away,
my desire for anything
that is not of you and is of me.
I want more of you and less of me, yeah.
Empty me,
Empty me, yeah.
Fill, won't you fill me, with you, with you, empty me now.

Well won't you empty me, well won't you empty me now?
I want more, I want more, I want more of you, Jesus.
I want more, I want more, oh.
Thank you, Jesus.
Thank you, Jesus, oh yeah,
Thank you, Jesus, yeah.
Holy Fire, Holy Fire, Holy Fire, Holy Fire.

- Jeremy Camp

...........

In my own selfishness it is SO easy to become completely wrapped up in myself, But... how can I be full of God when I am so full of myself?

The answer is I CAN'T.

Jesus said no one can serve two masters. So now it is a question of choosing who I am going to serve. MY HEARTS DESIRE IS TO SERVE THE ONE TRUE GOD, but I must daily fight against my humanly flesh, resisting the temptation to serve my own selfish desires.

I want to empty me of me, so that I can be filled with God.

My desire is to be a living sacrifice, to serve the one true God by making a choice, EVERY DAY, to climb back on the alter.

You see the problem with being a living sacrifice is that I am tempted to jump of the alter as soon as I feel the fire. To serve and trust God is to make the decision to climb back on the alter, and to be a living sacrifice!!!

So, my prayer today is that God would take me, and empty me of me, so that I can be crammed full of Him!!!

Have a Blessed Day!

Love In Christ,

Striving To Become A Godly Woman

2010-07-30T20:34:00.000-07:00

The Almighty God who created me, designed me intricately, He designed me with a purpose, He gave me a drive and a desire, a desire to be a Wife, a Helpmeet, a Mama, a Homemaker, a teacher; a desire to come alongside one man and help him in his God-given mission, a desire to teach my children about their heavenly Creator and raise them up to love God and to bring abundant glory to His name, a desire to take a house and make it a home.

So how does this apply when I have no husband, children, or house?

God, in His infinite grace, gave me everything I need to learn to be the woman He created me to be; He gave me: A Daddy to be a helper to, little brothers and sisters to help to point towards God (and they often return the favor for me!) a mother to teach me to help with all kinds of housework, and so much more!!!

I long to be a woman after God's heart, and I have been very blessed to have an amazing role model who lives with me 24/7, my Mother! And I have two other favorite role models whose godly examples I can read about daily in the Word of God; Ruth, and The Proverbs 31 Woman! These three women combined have taught me these straightforward truths that I will list below; A godly woman is:

1.) Devoted to her family. (Ruth 1:15-18-- Proverbs 31: 10, 12, 23)

A godly woman is completely devoted to her family, she knows that her relationship with each family member is important to no end, even the best of friends grow distant, but family is always family. A wise woman will invest in that opportunity.

2.) Delighting in her work. (Ruth 2:2-- Proverbs 31:13)

It is extremely important that a woman who desires to be godly has the mindset that she is doing "everything unto the Lord" this should be a source of delight to her as she realizes that every seemingly mundane common task is an opportunity to serve and glorify the Lord, as well as those around you. When this is your frame of mind, even folding socks can become an act of worship and service to God.

3.) Diligent in her labor. ( Ruth 2:7, 17, 23--Proverbs 31:14-18, 19-21, 24, 27)

A godly woman is always on the move, she does not lay languidly on the couch watching soap operas all day, oh no, she is vigorously active serving and loving God, her family, her friends, and those in need. She does not resemble Lazy Lucy, or Slothful Susan, nope, she is diligent in all her tasks!

4.) Dedicated to Godly speech. (Ruth 2:10, 13-- Proverbs 31:26)

James talks about the danger of possessing an unruly tongue, and a woman who lets fly whatever words run through her head is unsightly to say the least, a woman who fears the Lord is dedicated to honoring Him in her speech, she speaks word of wisdom, words of encouragement and love.

5.) Dependant on God. (Ruth 2:12-- Proverbs 31:25b, 30)

A wise woman knows that she can do nothing without the strong hands of her Creator guiding her and giving her strength. She relies on God in all circumstances, she knows that He is in control. She abides in his sheltering shadow, he is her refuge, in Him she trusts.

6.) Dressed with care. (Ruth 3:3-- Proverbs 31:22,25a)

Careful and modest dress is the fashion statement of a woman who fears the Lord, her dress is neat and tidy, feminine and attractive, NOT, seductive and gaudy, her desire is to honor God in the way that she dresses.

7.) Discreet with men. (Ruth 3:6-13-- Proverbs 31:11, 12, 23)

A godly woman knows how to behave properly around men, she is not flirtatious, she is not loud and boisterous so as to make herself the center of attention, she is not manipulative in order to gain a man's pity. She is respectful, she treats him as a brother in Christ.

8.) Delivering Blessings. (Ruth 4:14,15-- Proverbs 31:28, 29, 31)

A woman after God's heart seeks to bless all those whom she comes in contact with. She stretches out her hands to the needy, she pours out blessings of love.

So, those are all the things I am striving to practice in my everyday life!!!
...........

I just had to include this picture of Gabriel, he is too cute! I think those shorts are still a bit too big.

Have a Blessed Day!!!

Love In Christ,

Some Thoughts About Our Church

2010-07-25T18:21:00.000-07:00

Here are a few things I love about our church, and our church family. I got some really great pictures today so enjoy:

In our church, the word of God is preached, and if it makes you uncomfortable then you need to get on your knees before God.

In our church family, we are a family, we worship together, we get smacked in the forehead with spiritual 2x4's together (our code name for being strongly convicted), we learn about our Savior together, we pray together, we hurt together, we rejoice together, we fellowship with one another, we stand by each other, we serve Christ by serving each other, we LOVE one another.

We laugh at and with one another.

In our church the little ones learn about God sitting right there with the grown-ups.

...

In our church we often slip, and we know it, we strive to be transparent in our day-to-day living.

...

I love our church family. and that is the way it should be.

Love In Christ,

Primary Camp

2010-07-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

The last couple weeks I have been counseling at our Christian Camp. I counseled there last year, and the experience, though totally exhausting and emotionally draining, it is VERY rewarding. So here are some photos of the campers and staff at Primary Camp for you to ENJOY!!!

Andie, friend and counselor.

Playing Kick Ball

One of my Campers

Don!!! Another friend and co/counselor.

A few Munchkins in line at the Snack Shack.

On a Nature Hike.

The Speaker.

Fun and Games.

Kaileb, commonly known as "Fuzzy" at Camp, found a chipmunk who was playing dead in an effort to avoid being eaten by the Camp kitty. We named him Sylvester.bki

this was Sylvester's temporary home while he was recovering from the episode with the cat.

Fun on the water slide.

And Gwen staff member and friend!

That's all for now!!!

Love In Christ,

The Dole Family Prayer Update

2010-07-17T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know that Jethro has several major surgeries coming up this week, so keep up the prayers for this little guy. And there is some exciting news to share too: the building of the new Dole house starts this week, please pray that it will go well!!!

Love In Christ,

Anchor

2010-07-12T19:26:00.000-07:00

I love this song, it sounds so much like life, when we find ourselves up to our wait in the swift rapids of life Jesus can be our Anchor! However we, in our flesh, are often to let God help us, we think we can handle it on our own, and before we know it we are in up to our necks then we scream for Jesus to help, only to discover that he has been waiting to save us from the very beginning. I was thinking about this the other day, "Haha, that's cool!"

"You said, “Open your eyes.” and,
I said I don’t like surprises.
You said, “Surprise, you’re up to your knees in the water and don’t have a life vest.”
I know, I know, I know, but don’t worry,
‘Cause I’ve got it figured out.

You said, “Jump in the boat, man.”
I said no; you reach your hand.
You said, “The storms that will come will be more than enough and alone you cannot win.
You know, you know, without hope,
You’ll only sink not swim.”

And the current here is stronger now, than I remember.
And I’m crying for you to help.
Please save me.

When I feel like I am drifting away,
Sinking down, the sails aren’t shipping today,
I’m about to lose my way,
You anchor, anchor me down.
Looking out, the skies are turning to gray,
All around the tide is pulling away,
Just about to lose my way,
You anchor, anchor me down.

You said, “Whatever happens,
Don’t get caught in the rapids.
Hold on.” I’m over the edge and I’m reaching for help ‘cause I’m paddling the deep end.
I know, I know, I know what you said:
That I’m in over my head.

You said I’m not alone here.
I said throw me a rope and,
I’ve had more than enough of the rain and the cold and I wanna give up and,
I know, I know, I know without hope,
I’ll only sink not swim.

And the current here is stronger now, than I remember.
And I’m crying for you to help.
Please save me.

When I feel like I am drifting away,
Sinking down, the sails aren’t shipping today,
I’m about to lose my way,
You anchor, anchor me down.
Looking out, the skies are turning to gray,
All around the tide is pulling away,
Just about to lose my way,
You anchor, anchor me down.

And the current is stronger now, than I remember.
When I cry for you to help,
You save me.

When I feel like I am drifting away,
Sinking down, the sails aren’t shipping today,
I’m about to lose my way,
You anchor, anchor me down.
Looking out, the skies are turning to gray,
All around the tide is pulling away,
Just about to lose my way,
You anchor, anchor me down."

- Anchor By Satellites And Sirens