Woo Hoo!

It's been snowing all day! I thought it would show up in the picture, but I guess not. Isn't my kitchen Christmas tree darling?

Psalm 63

1 O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly;
My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You,
In a dry and weary land where there is no water.
2 Thus I have seen You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.
3 Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
4 So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
5 My soul is satisfied as with marrow and fatness,
And my mouth offers praises with joyful lips.
6 When I remember You on my bed,
I meditate on You in the night watches,
7 For You have been my help,
And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.
8 My soul clings to You;
Your right hand upholds me.
9 But those who seek my life to destroy it,
Will go into the depths of the earth.
10 They will be delivered over to the power of the sword;
They will be a prey for foxes.
11 But the king will rejoice in God;
Everyone who swears by Him will glory,
For the mouths of those who speak lies will be stopped.

I've Been Dry Lately...God is Bigger

A thousand times I've failed
Still Your mercy remains
And should I stumble again
Till I'm caught in Your grace

Everlasting
Your light will shine when all else fades
Never ending
Your glory goes beyond all fame

Hillsong United We Stand

If Cindy and Grandma can...so can I!

A New, VERY Real Perspective

Romans 8:18-25 (New American Standard Bible)
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now. And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it."

The intensity of my labor has made this passage exciting for me! Now I understand the groanings of childbirth and the hope and perseverance for something that can't be seen. I'll admit, when I was delivering Cedric, all I could think about was how horrible the pain was...and I really didn't think I would ever be able to appreciate the "fruits of my labor". But I am finding more and more thrilling evidence of why God allowed women to experience such suffering...and I really think the Holy Spirit is teaching me a lot about my attitude and about distractions (distractions during childbirth are very taboo-so they should be in life).

I find it so fascinationg and overwhelming that in this passage, Paul says creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. That's us! I can't believe God would make us that special. I love His creation so much, and to think that the suffering of it will be alleviated in connection with the final glorification of mankind. My soul should long for this freedom with the same intensity as I longed to get my baby "out" 6 weeks ago.

I'm Ready and Waiting

I am always ready for Christmas. In fact...Christmas music is year-round! What I really look forward to-besides family-is decorating. And I'm making myself wait. It's not easy! Small things are "accidentally" making an appearance: a tea cup, some ornaments, an evergreen swag, etc. I'm thinking right now about the thrill of waiting for the holidays...and feeling guilty that I don't usually have that same thrill for Christ's return...and even just for time with Him now. Am I really so unimaginative that I can't believe that everything about Christ is more exciting than one little holiday celebrating Him?

As I learn to anticipate (ready and waiting) an ever increasing closeness to Christ (and His return), I hope small things will also make their appearance in my life: Grace, wisdom, courage, etc.

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On a side note, I met Grandma at a little cafe/boutique for coffee, and she bought this angel ornament for me! I love getting ornaments as gifts!

Surprised by Joy

C. S. Lewis once wrote about being Surprised by Joy. That is how I'm experiencing life at the moment. There are lots of grueling ordeals (like washing out soiled diapers in the toilet), and sad moments, and even just times of boredom. But what keeps catching me are these little times of joy. It is a joy that I believe God gives to those who experience a more real sort of living...a living that is full of hope and faith. It means I know that God is watching over me-that He is watching over my tiny, beautiful baby who can't yet understand His love. It means I can catch my breath when I think about the seasons and when I think of Jesus understanding the throb in my heart for loved ones. It's the freedom to enjoy the coming holidays...because good things come from God...not the other way around!

But the challenge....for joy to not be surprising! I know God offers a joy that surpasses surprise. It wipes away the toil and sorrow and blahness of life, and it doesn't come and go. So as much as I enjoy surprises...I'd like to embrace Christ Himself to the extent that joy is expected.

A Little More Grace from God

I should be cleaning the house right now in preparation for our small group tonight, but I need to write. A childhood friend took several hours to read my entire blog from start to finish, and then wrote me a letter to tell me how much she saw the grace of God in my life. Wow. I must say it set me to thinking. I, in turn, started reading my blog from the beginning. I haven't forgotten what God has brought me through, but I do forget the sweet excitement of it all!

I really do need to get to work. But as soon as I can, I plan on writing more about this...because I want to regain the fresh outlook of such a blessed life.

Random and Rickety

I bought this chair for $2 back when I was in college (probably 5 or 6 years ago). I was so sure that it had been thrown away long ago...but to my surprise, Mom saved it for me! So I'm enjoying a very random and rickety chair garnishing my front porch!

Bittersweet

Can you believe this stuff is real?

Drum Roll, Please!

We finally got our trees and our sod. So the landscaping is done...and I look forward to planting lots of flowers in the spring!