Jayhawks

Okay...so last night was not a good evening for me. My Jayhawks lost to one of our biggest rivals ksu. I got so upset I could not watch the whole second half of the game. I didn't feel the Jayhawks were playing to their fullest potential and consequently lost us the game. Ugh...I guess there is always next time but I hated to see that loss. We will see them again on March 1st. I hope to see better results next time around! Rock Chalk Jayhawk! Go KU!

a time to search and a time to give up

Have you ever lost something and frantically looked all over for it? Or have you ever lost something and it just made you sick to your stomach when you knew it had been lost? Have you ever searched for the Lord to the extent that you have when you lost something of great value to you? I can say yes yes and yes! I remember the day I thought I had erased all 400+ photos from our honeymoon to Hawaii. I was sick, I wanted to curl up and die, I wanted to just beat my head against a wall. Praise God that feeling went away after I found out my brother in law could possibly restore all of the pictures, and he did! Praise God or I would probably be sick to my stomach about it still today; actually just thinking about it makes my tummy turn.

I remember the time I thought I had misplaced $100. I searched high and low and everywhere in between until I found it. Thankfully it was found. There have been times I have lost something that I never did find and had to give up. Giving up is not usually an easy task for me. Once I set my heart on finding something or doing something, there is usually no turning back and no letting go. Which can sometimes be helpful but can also be hurtful in certain circumstances.

My time that I search for the Lord with all my heart and all of my being was when I was faced with the decision to forgive my mother for all the pain she had inflicted on me as a child. I know now that God had a plan and placed me in the family that he did for a reason. I look back now and know that forgiving her and breaking that cycle of bitterness was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life and it built perserverance and hope in my life and most of all strengthened my relationship with Christ. One of the verses that helped me get through such a difficult time in life was

Romans 5:1-5 "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into out hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."

I had hope that through the Holy Spirit I would be anew work through the Lord and He would change my heart. Praise the Lord for working in me and through me to change my heart and my thought process. Thank you Lord for your forgiveness upon us and your love for us regardless of our faults. Thank you for removing the bitterness that had built up in my heart for so long. I love you Lord!

Psalm 103:12 "as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us."

a time to embrace and time to refrain

This verse reminds me that there are times in life that I need to take to heart something that maybe happening or said and sometimes I just need to step away and not worry about it. That is a huge reminder to me. I have a tendancy to easily be swept up into something, may it be conversation or doing things that I dont have time for. I also have the tendancy to let things affect me that I shouldn't let hurt me or occupy my time, maybe thats the emotional woman coming into play again. :) Right now God is really teaching me what is important in life and what needs to be taken to heart and what doesn't. I have a wonderful husband to turn to for guidance in this area and I am ever so thankful to God for placing him in my life. What an awesome God he is to bless me in so many ways when I dont deserve it.

Psalm 62:8 says, "Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge."

I just need to remind myself that God has complete control over every situation and I need to surrender to him and trust him to take care of every aspect.

I will leave you with a picture of something worthy of my time.

a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them

hmmm...when i think of this part of the verse I think of church planting. When a church decides to break up and move to different areas to bring others into the church body and to lead them to Christ. The Church people breaking off from the main church to start a new one are like the stones being scattered and the people coming into the new church are the gathered stones. I guess this could be applicable for Missionaries too as they go out into the mission field to gather stones and bring those people to Christ. "Dear Lord as I serve you where I am at in life may I be a light to those around me and may I be a witness and a glimpse of your love to them."
What a mighty God I serve, who so loved me that he gave his only son to die for a wretch like me.

a time to mourn and a time to dance

Today I am mourning and dancing. On one hand I mourn because my daughter is sick and is running a fever, Please Lord get us through this time. But my wonderful husband had such a wonderful surprise for me this morning when I woke up. He was having a new refrigerator delivered! Ahhh...what a blessing! Our old one, you had to latch shut to keep it sealed, this one is so pretty and white and makes me feel like a kitchen princess! :)
So my thoughts don't get too deep today, I'm tired and my baby is running a fever, I feel so bad for her! okay enough of my self pity party.
Anyhow its one of my best friends birthday today, and tonight we are going to celebrate by going to dinner in a neighboring city (not to mention we are going to my favorite resturant). This year has been quite the adventure for her. In March she will be getting married! (congrats!) I am so blessed to have such a great friend like her! Happy Birthday Crystal! Love you sister!

Here are a few pictures!! Awwl! I have such a wonderful husband!

The old!

The new!! Isn't she pretty?


And the simple pleasures in life arent they great?

A time to weep and a time to laugh

They say women are emotional beings and emotional I am. That's what comes to mind when I read that verse.....emotion, emotion, emotion! Some people cringe at the thought of emotions, but they deny themselves the chance to embrace the gift God gives us through our emotions. Yes I believe emotions can become a center focus for some people and over take who they really are, but for the most part I believe God gave us emotions to express our deepest feelings. There is a wide range of emotions between weeping and laughing and I know at times I have hit many of them in a short period of time. Which in turn lead to feeling emotionally drained. I think God desires for us to be emotionally healthy just as he desires good spritual and physical health. I also believe when our physical and spiritual health are not good they in turn will effect our emotional health and vise-versa. Isn't amazing how complex our systems are and how well God made each of us? He amazes me each day with his creations. Giving all Glory and Honor unto HIM!

A time to tear down and a time to build

What do you do with something old, you tear it down and build something new! Each year is a chance to build something new in your life. Being able to break this verse up and meditate daily on what he is saying is helping me to better understand not only this verse but what God has for us daily.

My other thought on this verse is that a time to build is a chance to build one another up and to make a special effort each day to build relationships with others. This verse reminds me that I have a great opportunity to encourage others and to build upon the relationships that I have with them. I am so very blessed by not only my husband, my daughter, and extended family but God has placed some amazing friends in my life that have really replicated and been an example to me of building one another up. So my question to you is...Which comes more natural to build someone up or to tear them down? I know for me somedays its just easier to tear down but this verse has encouraged me to be a builder even in times when it is tough and maybe I don't feel like that person deserves to be built up. God has shown me mercy 77 x7 times. Now will I show that mercy 77x7 times? What a wonderful God we have that spares us destruction when we deserve it. He loves all of us enough to be merciful, loving and caring.

healing

When I think of this part of the verse I think about those who have lost a loved one from a shooting or a bad circumstance. I have never been in a situation like that and hope to never be.

I apply this verse by focusing on the healing part. There are many people who will hurt you in life and I have had those people in my life and still do but I have made the decision to not focus on that hurt but the healing that Christ brings through his love for me. It's amazing the healing that Christ can bring during a time of difficulty. When I think of the Lord in this way I always think of "Jehovah Shalom" which means the God of peace. There have been many times in my life I have been anxious or uncertain about a circumstance and the Lord has always prevailed and shown himself faithful to provide peace. As a child, facing the trials that I did with my family, I know Christ's hand was always over me providing a shield of protection and peace. It is my honor to praise and give glory to the Lord of my life and the Lord of peace.

A time to plant and a time to uproot. When I think of this verse I think of a couple of things. I think of a person with crops and harvesting season. Then I think of a time when God asks us to do something and asks us to move out of our comfort zones and plant ourselves in another situation, which may not always be as comfortable or as widely accepted. Our family has recently been undergoing some changes and God is directing us in another direction than we were going. For many years we attended the same church fellowship and have felt recently that God was directing us else where. We are still in the transition stage and trying to figure out where God has us and is directing us. It is amazing what you learn from His word and His direction during times like these. And I think that's another reason God has been revealing this passage to me lately. To give me confirmation that he is working and we are in a particular season of life where we are being uprooted from what seemed comfortable and now we are in the waiting and patient stage to see where he is directing. Oh how great is he who will direct my path and will guide my husband and our family to a new season in life.
On to a lighter note it is my DMIL's birthday today and we have been able to spend the greater portion of the day with her, what a blessing it is to have family so close and be able to spend time with them in fellowship! Happy Birthday Christy! I Love you!

A season

Since the beginning of the year this verse has spoken to me and has been brought to mind several times so far in 2008.
Ecclesiates 3:1-11

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and time for peace. What does the worker gain from his toil? I have seen the burden God has laid on men. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Each single verse in this passage can mean so much and as I remember it and meditate on it daily it brings a new perspective each time.

A time to be born and a time to die: what a gift God gives us with life! This verse brings on a whole new meaning after you have a child. I found it incrediable how much I could love someone that I had only known for such a short amount of time. But that is only a fraction of the love God has for us. It is hard to fathom. He give us life and he takes it away. I lost my Grandma this last spring. She was probably the closest person to me that I have ever lost but God has given me an abundance of peace in dealing with my lose. How great is He to love me enough to send his only Son to die for me and for you; as we are lost in sin and he washes that away when we accept His awesome gift of salvation.

Ahhh...just a few thoughts I have pondered today and lately! How great is our God!

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Go KU!

Kansas Jayhawks 24

Virginia Tech 21

Jayhawk Nation! Go Hawks!

Happy New Year

Welcoming the new year! I can't believe its 2008 already! 2007 was a year of growth for me. In 2007 we didn't have any major events and life slowed down a little bit, considering the three previous years had been pretty eventful with a college graduation, engagement, wedding, honeymoon, pregnancy and baby. As I reflect on 07 I needed life to slow down a bit and I am really looking forward to seeing what the Lord has in store for 2008. I have so much to be Thankful for: a loving and supportive husband, a beautiful daughter, good health, a warm home, and most of all a wonderful Savior!
" Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name." Psalm 100:4