There is nothing quite like witnessing friends become husband and wife!
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Dressing for the Weather
When you live in Seattle, it is nearly impossible to dress for the weather. The day starts cold, cloudy and perhaps a bit rainy. The sun later decides to show up and the temperature rises a bit. You realize that you are super sweaty because you are wearing a turtle neck, your eyes hurt because you are not used to the sun and you find no motivation to get anything done because you desperately want to enjoy the few hours (or minutes) of sunshine.
The above scenario has occurred a couple of time this month of May.
Hopefully, summer (or spring) will decide to come and stay for a while!
The above scenario has occurred a couple of time this month of May.
Hopefully, summer (or spring) will decide to come and stay for a while!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Refreshments on the Journey
I have mentioned at least 10 times in the past six months that I have been wanting to get a good devotional to help me become more disciplined in reading the Word daily.
Well, it turns out I had a great devotional on my bookshelf all along!
I am currently reading "Readings for the Year" - the daily readings are experts taken out of different books written by C.S Lewis. I wanted to share one that really spoke to me this past week:
The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature is the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our own return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.
After reading these words, I realized that I often mistake the inns for home - or better yet, I want to make the inns become home...but the attempts are never successful.
Why not?
Because this life is temporary and home is yet to come.
Well, it turns out I had a great devotional on my bookshelf all along!
I am currently reading "Readings for the Year" - the daily readings are experts taken out of different books written by C.S Lewis. I wanted to share one that really spoke to me this past week:
The settled happiness and security which we all desire, God withholds from us by the very nature is the world: but joy, pleasure, and merriment, He has scattered broadcast. We are never safe, but we have plenty of fun, and some ecstasy. It is not hard to see why. The security we crave would teach us to rest our hearts in this world and oppose an obstacle to our own return to God: a few moments of happy love, a landscape, a symphony, a merry meeting with our friends, a bathe or a football match, have no such tendency. Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home.
After reading these words, I realized that I often mistake the inns for home - or better yet, I want to make the inns become home...but the attempts are never successful.
Why not?
Because this life is temporary and home is yet to come.
Monday, May 2, 2011
A Steadfast Spirit
My heart has been heavy, so heavy I can hardly breathe at times.
I have been struggling with loneliness, confusion, sadness…My heart is full of worries and all of me is exhausted. I often wish I could just pack a suitcase and go somewhere where I can rest my body, mind, heart and soul.
I know these feelings do not come from the Lord, but I am having such a hard time overcoming my brokenness.
I feel like I am fighting myself – this is a spiritual battle that is consuming all my energy. In my weariness I want to give up, but I know that the Lord has a plan for me (a plan I do not understand).
I want to live, knowing that my hope is in Him – and Him alone.
So, this is my prayer today:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12
May he grant me a steadfast spirit. May my heart be filled with joy, and may I be sustained by Him alone!
I have been struggling with loneliness, confusion, sadness…My heart is full of worries and all of me is exhausted. I often wish I could just pack a suitcase and go somewhere where I can rest my body, mind, heart and soul.
I know these feelings do not come from the Lord, but I am having such a hard time overcoming my brokenness.
I feel like I am fighting myself – this is a spiritual battle that is consuming all my energy. In my weariness I want to give up, but I know that the Lord has a plan for me (a plan I do not understand).
I want to live, knowing that my hope is in Him – and Him alone.
So, this is my prayer today:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12
May he grant me a steadfast spirit. May my heart be filled with joy, and may I be sustained by Him alone!
Friday, April 22, 2011
The Greatest Gift
Ever since I was a child, I was bothered that Easter had somehow become a holiday in which bunnies and eggs were the center of attention. Bunnies don’t even lay eggs! The whole concept was bizarre to me.
During Easter time last year, John and I were involved in the Sunday School Program at our church. We taught kindergartners about the life of Jesus, including his last days before he was betrayed. I asked some of the children what we celebrated during Easter time. To my surprise, many of them explained that we celebrate the Easter bunny and the Easter egg and they all really liked the Easter egg hunt.
Really, the Easter bunny and the Easter egg!
What about Jesus?
What about his death and resurrection?
Isaiah 53
1 Who has believed our message?
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
To whom has the Lord revealed his powerful arm?
2 My servant grew up in the Lord’s presence like a tender green shoot,
like a root in dry ground.
There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance,
nothing to attract us to him.
3 He was despised and rejected—
a man of sorrows, acquainted with deepest grief.
We turned our backs on him and looked the other way.
He was despised, and we did not care.
4 Yet it was our weaknesses he carried;
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
it was our sorrows that weighed him down.
And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God,
a punishment for his own sins!
5 But he was pierced for our rebellion,
crushed for our sins.
He was beaten so we could be whole.
He was whipped so we could be healed.
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away.
We have left God’s paths to follow our own.
Yet the Lord laid on him
the sins of us all.
7 He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
yet he never said a word.
He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.
And as a sheep is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
8 Unjustly condemned,
he was led away.
No one cared that he died without descendants,
that his life was cut short in midstream.
But he was struck down
for the rebellion of my people.
9 He had done no wrong
and had never deceived anyone.
But he was buried like a criminal;
he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10 But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
and cause him grief.
Yet when his life is made an offering for sin,
he will have many descendants.
He will enjoy a long life,
and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11 When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish,
he will be satisfied.
And because of his experience,
my righteous servant will make it possible
for many to be counted righteous,
for he will bear all their sins.
12 I will give him the honors of a victorious soldier,
because he exposed himself to death.
He was counted among the rebels.
He bore the sins of many and interceded for rebels.
Friends, not only did Jesus die for our sins, he also rose from the dead! Through his life and death we have been given everlasting life. Oh, my heart is thankful for the gift of life, life in abundance!
Monday, April 18, 2011
A Cleaning Weekend
John and I recently had some work done in our bathrooms – which means that while the bathrooms started to look awesome, our house quickly became a home to lots of dust.
Our friend Chad Chad
The not so exciting part about this renovation included having to live in a dusty home for a while – and later, having to clean it all up. I am sure I have mentioned before that I like things to be clean and organized. It was so hard to see a layer of dust on everything.
So, this past weekend we cleaned and cleaned and cleaned. John helped me.
We changed the bed, washed lots of clothes, dusted, mopped…and at the end of the day, passed out. I am so glad we live in a small home…
There is still some dust lingering in the air, but our home is no longer infested with it. I can breathe and think and walk barefoot again!
The best part is that we can now enjoy our new bathrooms – and I am totally obsessed with the new fan. Really, it is amazing!!!
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