tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26690205209720720352024-03-12T21:14:13.110-05:00ContentEwelearning to be content in whatever circumstancesContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-72459671611389554582014-11-04T11:51:00.000-06:002014-11-04T15:59:33.011-06:00In the Power of Christ I'll Stand<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It has been almost
two years since I have written on this blog, and I want to share why.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have been
away because God answered my prayers in a way I did not foresee. (Isn’t that how
He normally works?) He also answered my prayers in a way that I did not want
and in a way that blows my mind because He is so amazing.<span style="line-height: 115%;"></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I just read
my last post, and couldn’t help but get emotional thinking of all that God has
done in the last couple years. I had
written:</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">It is time for me to be still before God so that when He
says, “Go,” I can say, “Here I am,” instead of, “I should be there. Why
did you put me here?”</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">There have
been two instances since then when God has said “Go” and by His grace and
strength, I was able to say </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“</span></span></span>Here I am.” The first instance happened a month
after I wrote my last post, and to be honest, at the time I did not see it as a
“here-I-am-send-me” moment. </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I need to
take a step back and give a bit more back story. I wrote <a href="http://contentewe.blogspot.com/2012/06/pride-of-discontentment.html" target="_blank"><u>my last blog post</u></a> following a
breakdown in my car in an HEB parking lot after seeing a mom pushing her baby
in a shopping cart. Yup, that's all it took. I just started bawling, asking God
why I couldn’t have kids now. Michael wanted to wait to start a family until we
paid off our school loans, and that was going to take six or more years if
nothing changed. And things did change—my hours were cut at one of my
part time jobs because my position didn't have a full-time equivalent.
(Retirement issues were involved. I'll spare you the details.)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYZ9IhwCK518SCdfa808cQPwmmtRdYdJFgXQDJ0dUEp9dsivyGZZqtSlmcilkdEgsiv8mhKNaZGv0SoSJavqi1FruscfPJBEZeXC3BuZqcX6QDspasvfMOUH8xNqIbdHZos6KE_tveNU/s1600/A.W.Tozer+quote2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFYZ9IhwCK518SCdfa808cQPwmmtRdYdJFgXQDJ0dUEp9dsivyGZZqtSlmcilkdEgsiv8mhKNaZGv0SoSJavqi1FruscfPJBEZeXC3BuZqcX6QDspasvfMOUH8xNqIbdHZos6KE_tveNU/s1600/A.W.Tozer+quote2.jpg" height="178" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I prayed for
God to give us money to pay off our loans.
I imagined that we would be one of those families that you hear of that
find an anonymous check in their mailbox for just the right amount of money. I
prayed that God would put such a burden on someone’s heart—then I could have
what I wanted. (Yes, I now realize that
this was ridiculous.) Later that evening, Michael came home from Bible study
announcing that he wanted to give more to others. “NO!” I thought, “I just prayed that God
would have people give us money, and now you want to give our money away. That
does not fit in my plan.” I was mad at him and at God because I was not getting
my way. I was not being submissive to my husband. This caused distance between
us, which I believed was his fault. (Now,
as I type this I think “Wow, that is one ugly woman. No wonder there was distance between us. Who would want to be around that?”)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I wrote my last blog post after God had gotten
my attention and shown me that I was the one in the wrong, not Michael. I was the problem. I was not being submissive. And most of all, I was not trusting God. God
had gotten my attention with the pages of a book called <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Love-Overwhelmed-Relentless-God/dp/1434768511" target="_blank"><i><u>Crazy Love</u></i></a>. He brought me to my knees. He showed me my pride. He began to humble me
at that moment, but at that moment I had no idea to what extent He would humble
me.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> </span> </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">At that
point, I was no longer angry and I was working to trust God’s timing, but I
still prayed that He would give us a way to pay off our debt sooner than later. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A couple
weeks later, my Bible study teacher said off hand, “We do not need to worry
about money. God controls the storehouses.”
That truth struck me. God could provide
a way for us to pay off our loans, no problem. I finally rested in Him.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">A couple
weeks after that, I received an email from my boss asking if any of the part-time
tutors (of which I was one) were interested in a full-time position. The
college had decided to make a full-time equivalent to my part-time
position. If I got this job, it would be the answer to our prayer.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">There was
one glaring problem. I have panic
attacks. And this job opportunity scared me.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Some say that when they experience a panic
attack they feel as if they are dying or going crazy. I agree. I had been
struggling with panic attacks for the last four years. At the moment I opened
that email about the job, God began to break me and bring me to a place where I
had to solely depend on Him. I was terrified to apply for the job, but I knew
it would be disobedient to tell God, "No, I won't accept this answer to my
prayer."</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">So I bought
a suit, (I had always wanted to buy one of those powerful yet feminine pants
suits—not a Hilary Clinton pants suit but something with a Kate Middleton
vibe.) I prepared answers to possible interview questions and created a list of
questions to ask when my boss would inevitably ask if I had any questions. I was ready, but I was so scared. I feared
that I would have a panic attack during the interview. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I did not.
In fact, a week later I was offered the position. Still, I feared the new work
environment, the new people, the new job tasks, and that all these things would
trigger panic attacks. But I had to say yes, and I believed God would give me
the strength I needed to walk in the path He had laid before me.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8dq-oIRg8GEeNPSX53LOTIvwo0BX2-6TNl75XZGhuhWFx_ZUYvogg90LlEbPrZ7D-rFNxf4s-xutD0-RxNfDJXY5Kw7WhAasHtocXyw7i_leevMz3CVM7avRMAMOlDkNK-gxeHLQk60/s1600/Atkinson+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl8dq-oIRg8GEeNPSX53LOTIvwo0BX2-6TNl75XZGhuhWFx_ZUYvogg90LlEbPrZ7D-rFNxf4s-xutD0-RxNfDJXY5Kw7WhAasHtocXyw7i_leevMz3CVM7avRMAMOlDkNK-gxeHLQk60/s1600/Atkinson+quote.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="maintextwhite"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Through God given faith, I chose to believe God's truth
instead of Satan's lies, even though it was often tempting to believe the lies.
When my heart and mind would race and my hands would tremble and go numb and my
stomach ache, my forehead sweat, my throat become dry and choked, when all the
symptoms I experience when I have a panic attack would hit me, it was easy to
believe that I couldn't take on the tasks of this new job. One of my first
tasks I was given was to speak in front of 250 students to tell them about our
college's tutoring program. In high school and early college, I had performed
in front of crowds near a thousand, but the first panic attack I had experienced
quickly drew me inward and I closed door after door to the outside until at my
lowest point I was diagnosed as agoraphobic. Thus, you can imagine the fear I
felt as I walked in front of those students and grasped the microphone with
both hands in order to help control my shaking. But in Christ's strength, I did
it.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="maintextwhite"><span style="line-height: 115%;">God was melting away the frost of fear that paralyzes those
it possesses.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I was facing
the hardest trial I had experienced up to this point. Through the trial, I
often sang <a href="http://www.gettymusic.com/hymns-inchristalone.aspx" target="_blank"><u>these words</u></a>:</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="maintextwhite"><span style="line-height: 115%;">In Christ alone my hope is found;</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">He is my light, my strength, my song;</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">This cornerstone, this solid ground,</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">What heights of love, what depths of peace,</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">My comforter, my all in all—</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">Here in the love of Christ I stand.</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="maintextwhite"><span style="line-height: 115%;">...</span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="maintextwhite"><span style="line-height: 115%;">No guilt in life, no fear in death—</span></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">This is the pow'r of Christ in me;</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">From life's first cry to final breath,</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">Jesus commands my destiny.</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">Can ever pluck me from His hand;</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">Till He returns or calls me home—</span><br />
<span class="maintextwhite">Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.</span></span></span></span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="maintextwhite"><span style="line-height: 115%;">I know these words to be true. I know what it is to stand
solely in Christ's strength because the mental battle has stripped away all of my
own. And because of this, I know "the hope of His calling, what are the
riches of the glory of the inheritance in the saints, and what is the
surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe" (Ephesians
1:18,19). </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span class="maintextwhite"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Michael would read Ephesians 1 to me so I could fall asleep
at night. He would play a song He found for me, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQan9L3yXjc" target="_blank"><i><u>Blessings</u></i></a> by Laura Story. He would text me a verse, Psalm
55:22, to encourage me on a day I needed encouragement: "Cast your burden
upon the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be
shaken." He would patiently listen to my faint voice on the other end of
the phone when I did have panic attacks at work. God had given me in Michael an earthly rock who
points me to my spiritual rock, Christ Jesus.
I wrote the verse Michael sent me on a note card along with other promises
in Scripture, and pinned it to a wall of my cubicle. The righteous feed on God's Word, and it was
His Word that brought me through this trial still standing. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Through all
this, I know God as my Provider. When my hours were cut and we didn't see how
we could pay off our debt, God was all the while working to provide a way. He allowed my hours to be cut, so that He
could create a full-time position for me. God can create opportunities out of
nothing. (Can we expect any less from a God who created the universe out of
nothing?) I can no longer doubt God in my tough circumstances, or at least I
shouldn't! Through that job, we were able to pay off all of our debt in 6
months rather than 6 years! But I knew God had given me the job in order to do
something more in my life. He provided a chance for me to overcome my anxiety and build my
confidence in Him.</span></span></span><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">God matured my faith in so many ways through that job—namely He
showed me I can live in Christ's strength when I have no strength of my own (a
lesson I needed to learn in order to say yes to the next time He would say
"go"). I also only had to work that job for a year and a half
until God would lead me back <a href="http://contentewe.blogspot.com/2011/02/when-are-you-going-to-get-real-job.html" target="_blank"><u>home where I desired to be, as a stay-at-home mom</u></a>.</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">This was not the path I had imagined for myself,
but now I know God more and love Him more, so I am thankful for the trial. The
blessing of trials is that you get to personally know God's promises. Your
faith is tested, but you also get the chance to test God's promises and
experience them as true. Our heavenly Father knows what we need, and He
provides our daily bread, the provisions we need today for life and godliness
(Matt. 6 and 2 Peter 1).</span></span></span>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-17899152201591437342012-06-12T10:56:00.000-05:002012-06-12T10:56:07.362-05:00The Pride of Discontentment<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVocuXWLOANOOgHl_nlW50uk0o9LlL4Q2I719608ixedvsxu9LMuk5a3gtaAL4kpxaotg2ScfzYWOF_cRXpI_qFNT2E3TmvPicX6zJZ6R03zyc6OSBf0KFclDYNhYjgYK7LClH1E27SYc/s1600/2012-06-07%252020_26_52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" fba="true" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVocuXWLOANOOgHl_nlW50uk0o9LlL4Q2I719608ixedvsxu9LMuk5a3gtaAL4kpxaotg2ScfzYWOF_cRXpI_qFNT2E3TmvPicX6zJZ6R03zyc6OSBf0KFclDYNhYjgYK7LClH1E27SYc/s400/2012-06-07%252020_26_52.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
I have not been content lately. And it is hard to write on a blog about contentment when you are not content.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But this trial is teaching me more about how I can be content in Christ alone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I desire to start a family with Michael. And in the past few months this desire has taken over my life and has been my number one focus. It became an idol.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This sin reached its climax when I became angry with God, asking Him why so many women get to have babies only to abort them and why so many parents get to have babies only to abuse them. I want to adopt those babies, and I wanted to know why I couldn’t do that now. Why was He being so unfair to me? Why did He put this desire so strongly in my heart only to not fulfill it now?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I cried myself to sleep that night angry with God.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My husband said something to me that night, though, which after I calmed down in the next day or so made me realize that I was off track. He said, “Why can’t we enjoy now?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had been so discontent when God has given me so many blessings. I have salvation in Him! I have everything in Him!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice! Philippians 4:4</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All I want is to bring glory to God and I thought I should do that through having a family as soon as possible and that God should follow along so I could bring Him glory. How preposterous! How arrogant!<br />
<br />
<div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div>
Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Ecclesiastes 5:2</div>
</blockquote>
</div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were created by him and for him. Colossians 1:16</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him. Psalm 115:3</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
All the peoples on the earth are regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: “What have you done?” Daniel 4:35</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am so prideful that I thought I had the right to question God. But God has no obligation to concern himself with my approval. I am not the authority on right and wrong. He is.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The earth is full of his glory.” Isaiah 6:3</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Isaiah “saw the Lord seated on a throne” and when He saw the Lord in all his splendor, he said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips and I live among a people of unclean lips; my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am no better than Isaiah. In fact, I am sure I am much worse.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How can my life be anything but an outpouring of praise and obedience in response to a God who is so holy and just and yet has prepared a way for me to come boldly before his throne?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4:16</blockquote>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It is time for me to be still before God so that when He says, “Go,” I can say, “Here I am,” instead of, “I should be there. Why did you put me here?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-36014853888935468842012-02-15T12:13:00.000-06:002012-02-15T12:13:51.905-06:00This Is How we Know What Love Isdust.<br />
<br />
created in the image of God.<br />
<br />
chosen.<br />
<br />
accepted.<br />
<br />
forgiven.<br />
<br />
worthy in Christ.<br />
<br />
precious.<br />
<br />
righteous.<br />
<br />
blessed.<br />
<br />
equiped.<br />
<br />
co-heir with Christ.<br />
<br />
Is this how we see the ones we love? This is how God sees His children.<br />
<br />
<em><span class="Highlight">This</span> <span class="Highlight">is</span> how we know <span class="Highlight">what</span> <span class="Highlight">love</span> <span class="Highlight">is</span>: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. </em>1 John 3:16<br />
<br />
Is this how we treat the ones we love? Is this how we treat the unlovable?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCscu8X72idQ-ZpJvus4UPw-E4lnMiq92n6so4U0u4k907Ly2W9laP2eADoIqf1_yOEaRaa2gqgFFRV1-d_eDLjbFvzV9MnUEoyKoBbMXoGlDzyqVWpnfHMOIG1NvdhhKCyVZ0syaDXDs/s1600/IMG_1710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCscu8X72idQ-ZpJvus4UPw-E4lnMiq92n6so4U0u4k907Ly2W9laP2eADoIqf1_yOEaRaa2gqgFFRV1-d_eDLjbFvzV9MnUEoyKoBbMXoGlDzyqVWpnfHMOIG1NvdhhKCyVZ0syaDXDs/s400/IMG_1710.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSHNxkBkO3AbqpU37Y8wpZX03hv9JLYcn-E5U0k39s5MpgEBl6W5bkWu4L_c_EMxYxjCktPCCuf6GpnJbqZhMom103gb_OQRXD16VrJsR2mG8sajZxDsZwyGvvn7d1FtholFgq-TcVNE/s1600/IMG_1711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivSHNxkBkO3AbqpU37Y8wpZX03hv9JLYcn-E5U0k39s5MpgEBl6W5bkWu4L_c_EMxYxjCktPCCuf6GpnJbqZhMom103gb_OQRXD16VrJsR2mG8sajZxDsZwyGvvn7d1FtholFgq-TcVNE/s400/IMG_1711.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love is expressed through much more than candles and hearts and sweets. Love is expressed through much more than smiles and open doors and nice words.</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Love is expressed through nails peirced through hands and feet streched out on a tree. </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Do we express this kind of love?</div><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-1293017716041029222012-02-09T17:27:00.006-06:002012-02-11T10:24:58.387-06:00The Age of Distractions<div style="border: currentColor;">Gmail, Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, Yahoo News, Hulu. Ahhhh!</div><br />
I'd get on the internet just to check my email and all of the sudden I was watching <em>The Bachelor</em> (I'm not proud. I realize it's meaningless filth...but the previews are so dramatic. And I am so weak.)<br />
<br />
<div style="border: currentColor;">So I asked my husband to block Hulu. This is how one overcomes I thought. And that is part of it. Running from temptation is wise. But I still get drawn into what fashion crime so-and-so committed, or what new diet shake will make me look 18 again, or the new good thing Martha is up to. And I look up and somebody has messed with my clock because 20 minutes have gone by and I haven't had my quiet time and Miss Scruffy is starring up at me with her little back legs crossed. </div><br />
I can't block the whole internet! <br />
<div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJLUKA7ZtH7msxPkAFLfohVJMyPk_Vh2cX8Zi7cbhQQ86sFNMRJ6ie2O_QHLHR1igTEdpIWYjv_JbqLXmnjnHDUYcLaIcXyh861Rp0_jXqb0BzRns1K7ySppmgniC8IBFtD9C5-9mbF4/s1600/33472_570488236834_199306639_33160135_1694285_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" sda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPJLUKA7ZtH7msxPkAFLfohVJMyPk_Vh2cX8Zi7cbhQQ86sFNMRJ6ie2O_QHLHR1igTEdpIWYjv_JbqLXmnjnHDUYcLaIcXyh861Rp0_jXqb0BzRns1K7ySppmgniC8IBFtD9C5-9mbF4/s400/33472_570488236834_199306639_33160135_1694285_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Scruffy is as bad as I am.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<div style="border: currentColor;">So what's the plan? </div></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><div style="border: currentColor;">Well, I'm not sure.</div></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><div style="border: currentColor;">But I do know that preaching the gospel to myself puts this life back in perspective. </div></div><br />
I don't even deserve life, but Jesus gave me eternal life. <em>He <span class="strongs" sn="4160">made</span> Him who </em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="36"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1328827132082="59" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/2-corinthians/5.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-36" id="36" jquery1328827132082="119" title="Acts 3:14; Heb 4:15; 7:26; 1 Pet 2:22; 1 John 3:5"></a></sup><em><span class="strongs" sn="1097">knew</span> <span class="strongs" sn="3361">no</span> <span class="strongs" sn="266">sin</span> to be </em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="37"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1328827132082="60" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/2-corinthians/5.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-37" id="37" jquery1328827132082="120" title="Rom 3:25; 4:25; 8:3; Gal 3:13"></a></sup><em><span class="strongs" sn="266">sin</span> on our <span class="strongs" sn="5228">behalf</span>, <span class="strongs" sn="2443">so</span> that we might <span class="strongs" sn="1096">become</span> the </em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="38"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1328827132082="61" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/2-corinthians/5.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-38" id="38" jquery1328827132082="121" title="Rom 1:17; 3:21f; 1 Cor 1:30"></a></sup><em><span class="strongs" sn="1343">righteousness</span> of <span class="strongs" sn="2316">God</span> in Him.</em><br />
<br />
That loving God is my Master, and I am willingly His slave. So what am I doing? What grounds do I have to waste my Master's time? <br />
<br />
In my ladies Bible study at Church, we have been studying 1 John. We've talked a lot about how this is the age of distractions. We as Christian women desire to walk down God's path, but Satan wants to devour us with distractions that draw us to dead ends and away from our Bibles and from giving our time to others. I've been looking through my Bible study notes, because it is in this study that God really convicted me of my laziness and idolatry of entertainment and the mind numbing computer screen. (I said it. Oh, it sounds so terrible out loud!)<br />
<br />
I thought I'd share some of my notes:<br />
<br />
<strong>1 John 4:13 </strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="35"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1328827558412="53" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/1-john/4.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-35" id="35" jquery1328827558412="128" title="Rom 8:9; 1 John 3:24"></a></sup><strong>By <span class="strongs" sn="3778">this</span> we <span class="strongs" sn="1097">know</span> that we <span class="strongs" sn="3306">abide</span> in Him and He in us, <span class="strongs" sn="3754">because</span> He has <span class="strongs" sn="1325">given</span> us of His <span class="strongs" sn="4151">Spirit</span>.</strong><br />
<br />
<em>If my body is a tent for the Holy Spirit, who am I to live for myself or to be lazy?</em><br />
<br />
<div style="border: currentColor;"><em>I have to set my will aside.</em></div><br />
<strong>1 John 5:4-5 For <span class="strongs" sn="3956">whatever</span> is </strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="f"></a><sup class="footnote" jquery1328828416250="19" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/1-john/5.html#fn-descriptionAnchor-f" id="f" jquery1328828416250="96" title="Or "begotten""></a></sup><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="9"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1328828416250="38" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/1-john/5.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-9" id="9" jquery1328828416250="115" title="John 1:13; 3:3; 1 John 2:29; 5:1, 18"></a></sup><strong><span class="strongs" sn="1080">born</span> of <span class="strongs" sn="2316">God</span> </strong><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="10"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1328828416250="39" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/1-john/5.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-10" id="10" jquery1328828416250="116" title="1 John 2:13; 4:4"></a></sup><strong><span class="strongs" sn="3528">overcomes</span> the <span class="strongs" sn="2889">world</span> ; and <span class="strongs" sn="3778">this</span> is the <span class="strongs" sn="3529">victory</span> that has <span class="strongs" sn="3528">overcome</span> the <span class="strongs" sn="2889">world</span> -our <span class="strongs" sn="4102">faith</span>. <span class="versetext" id="1jo5-5" style="display: inline;"><span class="versenum">5</span> <span class="strongs" sn="5101">Who</span> is the one who <span class="strongs" sn="3528">overcomes</span> the <span class="strongs" sn="2889">world</span>, but he who <a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="11"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1328828416250="40" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/1-john/5.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-11" id="11" jquery1328828416250="117" title="1 John 4:15; 5:1"></a></sup><span class="strongs" sn="4100">believes</span> that <span class="strongs" sn="2424">Jesus</span> is the <span class="strongs" sn="5207">Son</span> of <span class="strongs" sn="2316">God</span> ?</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span class="versetext" style="display: inline;"><em>You have overcome the world in Christ Jesus. Do you live like it?</em></span><br />
<br />
<span class="versetext" style="display: inline;"><em>When we get caught up in worldliness, we forget our purpose (to bring glory to God).</em></span><br />
<br />
<div style="border: currentColor;"><span class="versetext" style="display: inline;"><em>Don't get bogged down on useless matters.</em></span></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><div style="border: currentColor;"><span class="versetext" style="display: inline;"><em>Hate distractions; focus on the eternal. Focus on Christ.</em></span><br />
<br />
<div style="border: currentColor;"><div style="border: currentColor;"><span class="versetext" style="display: inline;"><em>Be intentional!</em></span></div></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><div style="border: currentColor;"><span class="versetext" style="display: inline;">And our teacher asked us <em>What do you live for?</em></span></div></div></div></div><span class="versetext" style="display: inline;"></span><br />
<div style="border: currentColor;">Honestly, I really don't care about some celebrity's new pinkie toe ring, and the Real Simple website won't bring me contentment. The media brings me neither joy nor fulfilment. The media is not my God, and especially not my Lord.</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div>So that's how you overcome the distractions! You "walk in a manner <span class="Highlight">worthy</span> of the calling with which you have been called" (Ephesians 4:1). <br />
<br />
"Dear children,<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="42"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1328829230383="55" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/1-john/5.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-42" id="42" jquery1328829230383="111" title="S 1Jn 2:1"></a></sup> keep yourselves from idols." These are the last words of John's first epistle. <br />
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</div>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-85970755386735403032012-02-07T22:04:00.003-06:002012-02-11T10:27:42.328-06:00Resting and GrowingI've been on a sabbatical of sorts I guess. At first I stopped writing here because I became very busy with work and the holidays. I've still been busy with work lately, but I have a new writing job for a family ministry, and it has required me to do much Bible study on the definition, importance, and purpose of family. I am so enjoying this time of soaking up God's truths. God's Word brings me joy because it draws me nearer to my Lord who is my joy. I'm looking forward to sharing with you what I have been learning.<br />
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God has also been giving me greater courage in Him in these last few months. That is what being continually in the Word does to a person--it grows us in sanctification and makes us more like Christ. We are filled with the Spirit, steered by the Spirit, when we are in God's Word. It is true!<br />
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<div style="border: currentColor;">I found myself in a kind of funk, a depression, in the middle of last year, as you may have observed from some of my posts. The worst part was that God was not using me as He had before. I <strike>guess</strike> know I was ignoring His leadings or just saying no to Him out of fear. But by immersing myself in God's promises and truths, God has brought me out of that pit. Since December, I have been offered a job writing for an emerging family ministry and I have had multiple opportunities to share Christ with my coworkers. I had been letting fear control me instead of the Lord, and because of that I gave up many opportunities to share my faith. I also had this strange idea that I couldn't share my faith with my coworkers because I waited too long and it wouldn't make sense to all of the sudden start talking about God more. I can tell you now that is a huge lie. Also, I find that most people are open to talking about spiritual matters. Most people don't agree with the Gospel though, so talking about Christianity is confrontational. </div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;">I am not a confrontational person.</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;">I used to shake when I would talk about controversial topics with people I knew disagreed with me, but as I plow forward more and more with my love for Christ urging me on, my shakes are starting to disappear.</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;">I still deal with my mind going blank, though. Do you deal with this? Today a coworker asked me what I was reading. I was reading "The 'Family' Quarrel" by Joe Dallas, which I found from <a href="http://www.equip.org/">Christian Research Institute</a>. I knew she was a feminist who loves confrontation, a nice lady, but with an opposite worldview from mine. My mind froze and I had to struggle to explain the Biblical concept of the family, which I have been intently studying. I knew she wouldn't understand since she didn't understand the gospel, but I didn't share the gospel with her. Why didn't I share the gospel with her?! I felt so frustrated and guilty. </div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;">Does this happen to you? Can you relate? How have you matured in this area?</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;">In conclusion, I find I am growing in Christ, but I am not perfect yet. This is a major theme of my life on earth. </div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
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</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-28771182340195919372011-10-19T14:14:00.001-05:002012-02-11T10:25:50.240-06:00The Bible over Food<div style="border: currentColor;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FgPMucnjLB_w-E3GMPgEUlGso-cnHLA44iAcEz4b880duhUa9cMHJ4ReVSplSm-Rvk0CSlVVEIDEqUHBvVbpHqH9oNX3ToZLlaMG-tE07fyUcEnD8DGyQZp20V6Ocr9uPPutrny2yUM/s1600/IMG_0837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" rda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3FgPMucnjLB_w-E3GMPgEUlGso-cnHLA44iAcEz4b880duhUa9cMHJ4ReVSplSm-Rvk0CSlVVEIDEqUHBvVbpHqH9oNX3ToZLlaMG-tE07fyUcEnD8DGyQZp20V6Ocr9uPPutrny2yUM/s200/IMG_0837.JPG" width="200" /></a>"Send us Bibles. Don't send us food. We don't need food; we need the Word of God," I heard the sweet voice of an Indian man on the radio say. Then the voice of many men sang behind him, "Amen!" </div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div>These men truly understand that Jesus is the bread of life (<a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/john/6-35.html">John 6:35</a>). They are hungry, but they understand that it is better to be undernourished physically than to be malnourished spiritually. They would rather have a shriveling stomach than a shriveling heart.<br />
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I live in a country with stores so full of food it can take an hour to get through the store and fill your cart. You can drive the food home in your air conditioned car and stuff your freezer and pantry until the doors barely shut. I do not know want in this area of life, but I often have want in my spiritual life. <br />
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Yet I have seven Bibles in my home and a book self full of commentaries and a lap top with wireless Internet where I can search for even more study materials and sermons and can read the Bible in any translation I want. I do not know what it is like to not have a Bible. I have never had to choose between a Bible or food.<br />
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How dare I ever go a morning without a healthy portion of God's Word filling my heart and then walk through the day in darkness without my lamp, so that I stumble and disgrace my God. How dare I go a day without meditating on God's Word in such a way that I become transformed into the likeness of Christ. How dare I let my Bible collect dust when my brother's and sister's across the globe are crying out for the nourishment of their soul, while I cry out for nourishment like a blind woman with Thanksgiving dinner before her and starve. <br />
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How foolish. I will put relationships and entertainment and work and sleep and chores and meals before spending time with God in His Word. <br />
<span class="versetext" id="ps119-33" sizcache="32" sizset="166" style="display: inline;"></span><br />
<span class="versetext" id="ps119-33" sizcache="32" sizset="166" style="display: inline;"><blockquote><span class="versetext" id="ps119-33" sizcache="32" sizset="166" style="display: inline;"><em>Teach me,</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="54"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="68" sizcache="32" sizset="167" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-54" id="54" jquery1319050219680="400" title="ver 12"></a></sup><em> O LORD, to follow your decrees; then I will keep them to the end. </em></span><span class="versetext" id="ps119-34" sizcache="32" sizset="168" style="display: inline;"><em>Give me understanding,</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="55"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="69" sizcache="32" sizset="169" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-55" id="55" jquery1319050219680="401" title="ver 27,73,144,169; S Job 32:8; Pr 2:6; Da 2:21; Jas 1:5"></a></sup><em> and I will keep your law</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="56"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="70" sizcache="32" sizset="171" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-56" id="56" jquery1319050219680="402" title="S Dt 6:25"></a></sup><em> and obey it with all my heart.</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="57"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="71" sizcache="32" sizset="173" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-57" id="57" jquery1319050219680="403" title="ver 69"></a></sup><em> </em></span><span class="versetext" id="ps119-35" sizcache="32" sizset="174" style="display: inline;"><em>Direct me</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="58"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="72" sizcache="32" sizset="175" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-58" id="58" jquery1319050219680="404" title="Ps 25:4-5"></a></sup><em> in the path of your commands,</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="59"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="73" sizcache="32" sizset="177" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-59" id="59" jquery1319050219680="405" title="ver 32"></a></sup><em> for there I find delight.</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="60"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="74" sizcache="32" sizset="179" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-60" id="60" jquery1319050219680="406" title="S Ps 1:2"></a></sup><em> </em></span><span class="versetext" id="ps119-36" sizcache="32" sizset="180" style="display: inline;"><em>Turn my heart</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="61"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="75" sizcache="32" sizset="181" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-61" id="61" jquery1319050219680="407" title="S Jos 24:23; 1Ki 8:58"></a></sup><em> toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain.</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="62"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="76" sizcache="32" sizset="183" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-62" id="62" jquery1319050219680="408" title="Eze 33:31; Mk 7:21-22; Lk 12:15; Heb 13:5"></a></sup><em> </em></span><span class="versetext" id="ps119-37" sizcache="32" sizset="184" style="display: inline;"><em>Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="63"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="77" sizcache="32" sizset="185" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-63" id="63" jquery1319050219680="409" title="ver 25; Ps 71:20; Isa 33:15"></a></sup><em> according to your word.</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="a"></a><sup class="footnote" jquery1319050219680="13" sizcache="32" sizset="187" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#fn-descriptionAnchor-a" id="a" jquery1319050219680="345" title="Two manuscripts of the Masoretic Text and Dead Sea Scrolls; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text "life in your way""></a></sup><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="64"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="78" sizcache="32" sizset="189" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-64" id="64" jquery1319050219680="410" title="ver 9"></a></sup><em> </em></span><span class="versetext" id="ps119-38" sizcache="32" sizset="190" style="display: inline;"><em>Fulfill your promise</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="65"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="79" sizcache="32" sizset="191" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-65" id="65" jquery1319050219680="411" title="S Nu 23:19; 2Sa 7:25"></a></sup><em> to your servant, so that you may be feared. </em></span><span class="versetext" id="ps119-39" sizcache="32" sizset="192" style="display: inline;"><em>Take away the disgrace</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="66"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="80" sizcache="32" sizset="193" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-66" id="66" jquery1319050219680="412" title="ver 22; Ps 69:9; 89:51; Isa 25:8; 51:7; 54:4"></a></sup><em> I dread, for your laws are good. </em></span><span class="versetext" id="ps119-40" sizcache="32" sizset="194" style="display: inline;"><em>How I long</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="67"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="81" sizcache="32" sizset="195" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-67" id="67" jquery1319050219680="413" title="ver 20"></a></sup><em> for your precepts! Preserve my life</em><a href="http://www.blogger.com/" name="68"></a><sup class="crossref" jquery1319050219680="82" sizcache="32" sizset="197" style="display: none;"><a href="http://www.biblestudytools.com/psalms/119.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-68" id="68" jquery1319050219680="414" title="ver 25,149,154"></a></sup><em> in your righteousness.</em> </span><span class="versetext" sizcache="32" sizset="194" style="display: inline;">Psalm 119:33-40</span></blockquote>One can only find contentment in the Lord.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-13454101636713213362011-10-17T08:29:00.000-05:002011-10-17T08:29:43.958-05:00Do Christians Ignore the Fossil Records?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/6yYcgH1lOLg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-57710674743144417062011-09-26T19:12:00.000-05:002011-09-26T19:12:49.668-05:00Are You up for the Challenge? Watch the 180 Movie.<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ray Comfort positions abortion in a way that enables people to think critically about the issue, and many even change their minds on abortion within seconds. Are you up for the challenge?</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/7y2KsU_dhwI/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7y2KsU_dhwI&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7y2KsU_dhwI&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-88743677401525233482011-09-25T16:48:00.000-05:002011-09-25T16:48:01.231-05:00Pro-Choice to Pro-Life . . . in Seconds! New Documentary Premires Tomorrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/pxou1UADa4E?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The <em>180</em> documentary premieres tomorrow. Watch it at </span><a href="http://www.180movie.com/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.180movie.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">.</span></div><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-16079537018677769632011-09-24T19:36:00.002-05:002011-09-24T19:39:06.313-05:00A Year with Miss Scruffy<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Miss Scruffy has been in our lives for a year. She has now been a part of our family more than with any other family. Her first owner passed away, so she was brought to a shelter. Her second owner broke her back right after she took Scruffy in and had to have a friend bring her right back to the shelter. When we adopted her, we hoped we weren't next in line for a disaster. Turns out the dog isn't cursed; she has only brought us happiness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Well, that's true for me. Michael says she's not a real dog--she's small, doesn't devour her food immediately, doesn't understand toys, and she's shy around men. She wouldn't go near him her first few months in our home. But I can tell he's got a soft spot for her in his heart. His eyes sparkle everytime she jumps in his lap.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here is our first year with Miss Scruffy:</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU38ictazul2LVkKUJSLuSDR99ogNEAh9fXxZy1ebLt5PoIF09VPNiWM9KAbo6Es4ZIAo13TLFumw3cQec-a79ms_BozIv1oMyYnHtVRsrH9DYFPykz7I2khmBIfF1PU3IuCBytg16dcg/s1600/scruffyandhernewparents%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU38ictazul2LVkKUJSLuSDR99ogNEAh9fXxZy1ebLt5PoIF09VPNiWM9KAbo6Es4ZIAo13TLFumw3cQec-a79ms_BozIv1oMyYnHtVRsrH9DYFPykz7I2khmBIfF1PU3IuCBytg16dcg/s400/scruffyandhernewparents%2521.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first family photo. This is us at the shelter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_4NGwdIRtvp4PC6rmxN3iV45mCTKYRzC1yMjus6ypeRXjtV9jcQCEHjxA_fNrce25_USCUFtNGDe45hF9aGEawbd1XjldosSvmHs6_ciTeB21m2kHZYKqm1Ntbz7VNdWWUOWPYjlKrU/s1600/59161_568767829544_199306639_33120614_3762994_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_4NGwdIRtvp4PC6rmxN3iV45mCTKYRzC1yMjus6ypeRXjtV9jcQCEHjxA_fNrce25_USCUFtNGDe45hF9aGEawbd1XjldosSvmHs6_ciTeB21m2kHZYKqm1Ntbz7VNdWWUOWPYjlKrU/s400/59161_568767829544_199306639_33120614_3762994_n.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miss Scruffy's first morning with us.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH6V-vxsVn9oLJ9B0X7Wi6ozuY13hCB-SmsDQz7lX84_P9AgBMoVcS_t4qPkDx3p_t8eMI6uD7_NbdH_BqwaFEFzydWqFgSaCD9_lBE2hpNjoMmeVE1kimWCABPAcubk_l6cNjNzvY3s/s1600/57982_568767839524_199306639_33120615_3345389_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXH6V-vxsVn9oLJ9B0X7Wi6ozuY13hCB-SmsDQz7lX84_P9AgBMoVcS_t4qPkDx3p_t8eMI6uD7_NbdH_BqwaFEFzydWqFgSaCD9_lBE2hpNjoMmeVE1kimWCABPAcubk_l6cNjNzvY3s/s400/57982_568767839524_199306639_33120615_3345389_n.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She loves car rides.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTh00b93QmoWGhiJYwhcjnqXGGXb1PQSjHmPtLsC7saTu705GK5bW15m2I9rQYnSkpfOaYJMHKqegmxxKSZ8LZ3tdgTTbJ4fHLsXy6Rb7Dw_yQxxJQkn7fA0J00eCOlpLtJiycDxodJuI/s1600/33878_571456202024_199306639_33182077_2023138_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTh00b93QmoWGhiJYwhcjnqXGGXb1PQSjHmPtLsC7saTu705GK5bW15m2I9rQYnSkpfOaYJMHKqegmxxKSZ8LZ3tdgTTbJ4fHLsXy6Rb7Dw_yQxxJQkn7fA0J00eCOlpLtJiycDxodJuI/s400/33878_571456202024_199306639_33182077_2023138_n.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And has her own seat belt.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnFjYH7eKkbbGZoeOy0g5Z8symTkezG4y5h66-B2NcJQkp19s9cqtexUILL8fG8-ljd2ZCb4An1CzOetdvvCqDfAdbumfkQHkZLSINhiP7AKvRcZIO8bghskp5VOd9JQkQ-6HMP731kw/s1600/60303_568767849504_199306639_33120616_4546889_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHnFjYH7eKkbbGZoeOy0g5Z8symTkezG4y5h66-B2NcJQkp19s9cqtexUILL8fG8-ljd2ZCb4An1CzOetdvvCqDfAdbumfkQHkZLSINhiP7AKvRcZIO8bghskp5VOd9JQkQ-6HMP731kw/s400/60303_568767849504_199306639_33120616_4546889_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I used to lovingly refer to her as our third couch cushion <br />
until we stopped allowing her on the couch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKcXLplnIgHoFOgfTX9OIW59yZiAlFF-96C877-Xqv5kng_OZYDbq6HHdUqZG6QZ4Bw79gpdDmzFjc9OVK4v27dsKzfqent1tThyphenhyphenScYzpgCZmhGgXqi0UByuLQCzO64x3yV4LORGmLmg/s1600/33472_570488236834_199306639_33160135_1694285_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhKcXLplnIgHoFOgfTX9OIW59yZiAlFF-96C877-Xqv5kng_OZYDbq6HHdUqZG6QZ4Bw79gpdDmzFjc9OVK4v27dsKzfqent1tThyphenhyphenScYzpgCZmhGgXqi0UByuLQCzO64x3yV4LORGmLmg/s400/33472_570488236834_199306639_33160135_1694285_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She checks my messages.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSVX0FtUX2Fspgmr3znfgoxWxRTf5kQF0d_nyYTDvxv3JzLDXEEelJHuFYQBBl5YAm50emYYHQpiWARAyHUE9kdJNO0YEXDb9E0luI4XkNbWdpuBfUtSjbpFzKLwJe9yN3iZbroKR8yo/s1600/34820_585911154184_199306639_33486505_3918457_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoSVX0FtUX2Fspgmr3znfgoxWxRTf5kQF0d_nyYTDvxv3JzLDXEEelJHuFYQBBl5YAm50emYYHQpiWARAyHUE9kdJNO0YEXDb9E0luI4XkNbWdpuBfUtSjbpFzKLwJe9yN3iZbroKR8yo/s400/34820_585911154184_199306639_33486505_3918457_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modeling for me.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5Lg5dDOpkhn4ffcZjS7ZJH_wZcU81mULDwR3HY_aldxJvq7zLUAq6y_KuIo1rjto97hrQWirCyGzQWEO2MLXDXjS-1norWgxMs-qxP3270d-ldmncvzZhQIxUOKu846MNeGweD0Fbyw/s1600/163777_585911957574_199306639_33486539_2917785_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5Lg5dDOpkhn4ffcZjS7ZJH_wZcU81mULDwR3HY_aldxJvq7zLUAq6y_KuIo1rjto97hrQWirCyGzQWEO2MLXDXjS-1norWgxMs-qxP3270d-ldmncvzZhQIxUOKu846MNeGweD0Fbyw/s400/163777_585911957574_199306639_33486539_2917785_n.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first family Christmas photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwmj-MU0PzlS0kzpxgk_2hn3Sqn30qk5rfnAmq0oQbsvkJl7sEAUv9fsKwR_BERB3rAP4rV9Uen2d_k7CuyqmwYoAxEWbCoWhXyzW2b5My49q2LmLMrnp7XC-YEDgBb3OD-lU6CJDtpA/s1600/165764_585911653184_199306639_33486525_1593024_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrwmj-MU0PzlS0kzpxgk_2hn3Sqn30qk5rfnAmq0oQbsvkJl7sEAUv9fsKwR_BERB3rAP4rV9Uen2d_k7CuyqmwYoAxEWbCoWhXyzW2b5My49q2LmLMrnp7XC-YEDgBb3OD-lU6CJDtpA/s400/165764_585911653184_199306639_33486525_1593024_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She decided she liked her cousin's big bed better than her own.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhia8XxlsyvzfFGmTEN-WbX8FAYRHmdBjfe_Em9gqptW6lJEiEErEy9VGq1Mp8KK7BZ4d7NEwLpxyyXRGHOEoSD1mr_sYF8KVu9V0DH-UKz4DT57aqi25_-9oVX9FFpQfnsjSKTVVtXN48/s1600/34809_585911473544_199306639_33486518_211387_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhia8XxlsyvzfFGmTEN-WbX8FAYRHmdBjfe_Em9gqptW6lJEiEErEy9VGq1Mp8KK7BZ4d7NEwLpxyyXRGHOEoSD1mr_sYF8KVu9V0DH-UKz4DT57aqi25_-9oVX9FFpQfnsjSKTVVtXN48/s400/34809_585911473544_199306639_33486518_211387_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving my mom's van.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chilaxin'</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1Wa5IzRoPkAPoZtj12B4T4rHB-NJvd-M7qkuhVBAFxe8wCo4TfDmH_ZHd1PjvqVCyNA2ffG2IOfwcCc2uiVa9nCLbW6Z_Hc3B1GfrCe0pkrI9DMvJ7w8ZgkMA_Qfc1F2q6g9kNO5seI/s1600/37942_571456137154_199306639_33182073_640515_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr1Wa5IzRoPkAPoZtj12B4T4rHB-NJvd-M7qkuhVBAFxe8wCo4TfDmH_ZHd1PjvqVCyNA2ffG2IOfwcCc2uiVa9nCLbW6Z_Hc3B1GfrCe0pkrI9DMvJ7w8ZgkMA_Qfc1F2q6g9kNO5seI/s400/37942_571456137154_199306639_33182073_640515_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She likes to people watch from the balcony.</td></tr>
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What a fun year!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-22231972526472029562011-09-21T08:55:00.000-05:002011-09-21T08:55:59.474-05:00Do Christians Ignore Science?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/lISNMAFjl-Q?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skys proclaim his craftmanship. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make him known. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Psalm 19:1-2</div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-77576908261984018102011-09-19T09:35:00.000-05:002011-09-19T09:35:08.764-05:00Are Christians Irrational?<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">See for yourself:</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/rfcy_8F95fo/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rfcy_8F95fo&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/rfcy_8F95fo&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-66359782804101251582011-09-08T19:20:00.005-05:002011-09-09T08:01:26.966-05:00Trying to Learn Some Apologetics<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=conte0a-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1414326270" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=conte0a-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B0036WDROA" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=conte0a-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0310209307" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=conte0a-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0785242198" style="border: currentColor !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I just finished listening to my pastor's study on Christian apologetics. I love that my God is not only my Savior from sin and hell, but He is logical. Our faith is logical. Contrary to popular belief, Christians do not have to leave their brain at home when they go to church. Well, I'm sure some do, but we don't need to!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I want to eventually have some of this apologetics stuff ingrained in my brain, so that I can share it with my sceptic friends when I share Jesus or with my Christian friends when they have legitimate questions about how we can believe what we believe. My poor little brain is having a hard time processing all this great information. I believe repetition and teaching is the key to knowing and understanding new material, so I am going to keep listening to lessons like my pastor put out and reading books on the topic. It's time to go listen to Pastor Lance's study again.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?seriesOnly=true&currSection=sermonstopic&sourceid=harvestbible&keyword=Grad101%3A+Christian+Apologetics&keyworddesc=Grad101%3A+Christian+Apologetics"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> is a link to all of his lessons on Sermon Audio.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="border: currentColor;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">He used <em><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Have-Enough-Faith-Atheist/dp/1581345615#reader_1581345615">I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist</a></em> <span style="color: black;">by </span><span style="color: #666666;"><span jquery1315499289684="188"><span class="contributorNameTrigger" jquery1315499289684="187">Norman L. Geisler <img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=conte0a-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1581345615" style="border: currentColor; margin: 0px; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />and <span class="contributorNameTrigger" jquery1315499289684="241">Frank Turek </span></span></span>as part of his study.</span> </span></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><span style="font-family: Georgia;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Have-Enough-Faith-Atheist/dp/1581345615?ie=UTF8&tag=conte0a-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist" height="200" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1581345615&tag=conte0a-20" width="125" /></a></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Here are some other great books and websites on Christian apologetics that I love:</span></div><br />
<div style="border: currentColor;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310209307?ie=UTF8&tag=conte0a-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="The Case for Christ: A Journalist's Personal Investigation of the Evidence for Jesus" height="200" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0310209307&tag=conte0a-20" width="126" /></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lewiss-Mere-Christianity-Lewis-Paperback/dp/B0036WDROA?ie=UTF8&tag=conte0a-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Lewis's Mere Christianity (Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (Paperback - Feb. 6, 2001))" height="200" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=B0036WDROA&tag=conte0a-20" width="131" /></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Carpenter-Josh-McDowell/dp/1414326270?ie=UTF8&tag=conte0a-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="More Than a Carpenter" height="200" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=1414326270&tag=conte0a-20" width="121" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Answers in Genesis: </span><a href="http://www.answersingenesis.org/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.answersingenesis.org/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Ravi Zacharias International Ministries: </span><a href="http://www.rzim.org/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.rzim.org/</span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Summit Ministries: </span><a href="http://www.summit.org/resources/research/category/apologetics/"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">http://www.summit.org/resources/research/category/apologetics/</span></a><br />
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</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a></div>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-40412559815159508802011-09-06T22:24:00.000-05:002011-09-07T19:58:09.822-05:00Quilt FortMichael and I did not drive far to get to our Labor Day vacation destination. We stayed in a fort built in our living room. <br />
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Michael said he never built a fort out of quilts as a child, and he still hasn't built one. I did most of the work. He did hand me some clothes pins and was a good sport once it was up.<br />
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We had a mild disaster while I was assembling the east corner. The structure collapsed, and the books and tile coasters I used as weights nearly fell on his face! He survived, but this incident may not have happened if he he had been doing more draping of quilts over chairs and less reading of Star Wars. Just goes to show ya--sometimes manual labor can be more beneficial to society than having one's nose in a book.<br />
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Scruffy enjoyed the fort before we did. She took a nap while we took a lunch break.<br />
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We had to push her to the back of the fort so we could get in. She promptly fell back to sleep.<br />
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Then we laid down on our pillows and turned on <em>Gremlins. </em>I thought it seemed appropriate to watch a campy kid movie. <br />
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This was my first time to watch the flick. I would no longer categorize it as a kid's movie. As a child, I would have freaked if I saw little monsters blendered and nuked to death, and worse, I would have become mortified of Christmas trees, one of my favorite Christmas traditions.<br />
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However, the movie was campy and so was our living room.<br />
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I got this idea from my friend Laura at <a href="http://mintyfresch.wordpress.com/2011/07/01/101-in-1001-update/">Minty Fresch</a>. It proved to be a fun indoor date.<br />
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What creative dates have you had indoors?<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-18105560294424721242011-08-31T14:30:00.003-05:002011-09-01T08:30:28.024-05:00A Productive DayYesterday I tried out some of the projects I've found on Pinterest.<br />
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I made tons of cookies using <a href="http://tendercrumb.blogspot.com/2008/09/my-favorite-chocolate-chip-cookie.html">New York Times best cookie recipe</a>. I made a couple revisions because I wanted to use ingredients I already had...I'm frugal like that. I used semi sweet chocolate chips instead of chopping up bittersweet chocolate, and I used all purpose flour instead of pastry flour. (I was unaware until now of all the types of flour that exist.)<br />
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They still turned out yummy. Perhaps someday I'll try the actual recipe.<br />
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By the way, this recipe makes about <em>eight</em> dozen cookies. I had to store quite a few in my freezer. They're good frozen, too, you know. And that way you'll be more apt to eat just one because it takes longer to eat it. Learned this trick from a good friend. That is probably how I should eat these from now on. I got a stomach ache last night from eating too many, and the hubs said he didn't feel sorry for me. Sad.<br />
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I also made <a href="http://whynotsew.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-make-homemade-laundry-detergent.html">homemade laundry detergent</a>. This was easy and should have a nice impact on the apartment supplies budget. This homemade detergent costs about one cent a load. Compare that to the 23 cents a load that All has been costing me. Cha-ching!<br />
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The Ivory soap was cheap, but I suggest choosing a different soap. I'm afraid we may be mistaken as citronella tiki torches for awhile. Ivory smells very lemony.</div>
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It was also time for a new soap dispenser, so I made one out of a mason jar I had. The pump of my last soap dispenser broke, so I bought a new pump, but that pump didn't fit the old bottle. I was still stuck without a soap dispenser until I found <a href="http://theblissfullycontentlife.blogspot.com/2010/08/homemade-christmas-canning-jar-soap.html">this</a> tutorial on how to make one from a mason jar. I already had all the supplies, and this turned out to be the easiest project I did all day.<br />
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I did some of my usual projects, too--crocheting and copyediting. I'm a crafty, frugal nerd, and I had a crafty, frugal nerd kinda day. It was nice.<br />
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I don't know what's yummier--those cookies or all this yarn.</div>
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I am going to try out amigurumi for the first time with this stuff. It's so fluffy I'm gonna die!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border-width: 0px !important;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-57194986693056319312011-08-22T11:46:00.003-05:002011-08-22T13:12:48.329-05:00Mirror WallI finally decorated this empty wall. All I've had up there was the clock for the last year or so. The other round mirror is an antique that I wasn't sure what to do with, and the two rectangle mirrors my mom gave me because she didn't know what to do with them. So I found them a home.<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I painted the frames off white and then lightly painted over the white with silver.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hSfMej1dHimCijWZ1ixME-CGh0MJ0UZBY1PJ8rUu33H6weUu7A2niq06FrlEw5cPv7TbMnrtRP-wTYlFM7pwbyazpMleTM8dbsYU4glHvaiBhG62l3vB1DgJXeJspZvKu7ZGeb6r9FM/s1600/IMG_1359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1hSfMej1dHimCijWZ1ixME-CGh0MJ0UZBY1PJ8rUu33H6weUu7A2niq06FrlEw5cPv7TbMnrtRP-wTYlFM7pwbyazpMleTM8dbsYU4glHvaiBhG62l3vB1DgJXeJspZvKu7ZGeb6r9FM/s400/IMG_1359.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The bird was a wedding decoration. I like how peaceful he looks sitting up there.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7snXildMKI3KrlHuXSedAGe53v48WNugKMxp8mCsjpJNIPRICgsZZJDT7bM4rsQ1AOw_yzmBSxdTvBPpYDfc1g9Aly1YP1FqQapumPUHxmhaTKc7hW7j46NdBfRNejgP7IzmeuSbQcY/s1600/IMG_1362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7snXildMKI3KrlHuXSedAGe53v48WNugKMxp8mCsjpJNIPRICgsZZJDT7bM4rsQ1AOw_yzmBSxdTvBPpYDfc1g9Aly1YP1FqQapumPUHxmhaTKc7hW7j46NdBfRNejgP7IzmeuSbQcY/s400/IMG_1362.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Ah, that wall looks much better.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_4aFXxNCsTEkmwTPltQ0gN9RqvrRxq2JGkeyajhmGTrUYriOEcgfUCY-lKE_If8Kr6lhS_WVVC9OeaYnsB3rFEM9LGnH4NnOZKxkEyd3uPCtWF3v-yMKRhaJzxoVrjyUJ78K4HJ3S8Y/s1600/IMG_1367.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_4aFXxNCsTEkmwTPltQ0gN9RqvrRxq2JGkeyajhmGTrUYriOEcgfUCY-lKE_If8Kr6lhS_WVVC9OeaYnsB3rFEM9LGnH4NnOZKxkEyd3uPCtWF3v-yMKRhaJzxoVrjyUJ78K4HJ3S8Y/s400/IMG_1367.JPG" width="272" /></a></div><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a><br />
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ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-47184907039470612011-07-31T15:52:00.001-05:002011-07-31T15:52:28.272-05:00Sunday Video: Gianna Jessen Abortion Survivor (Part 2)She unashamedly lives for Christ.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/k8B1nKGIAeg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-6990840411504567892011-07-28T18:24:00.003-05:002011-08-03T17:46:22.039-05:00He Leads me through Fear<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I've been lazy lately. Do you have those days, those months? For me it's been months, months of piled up dishes, piled up laundry, piled up prayers that haven't been prayed, piled up words of encouragment and God's grace that haven't been shared, blogposts that haven't been written, steps of obedience that have't been taken. I reached this peak of emotional crisis, questioning my purpose, my motives, my fears. I took time to relax and it became a habit. Actually, I didn't take time to relax if I'm honest. The truth is I didn't know what to do, so I just stopped. The truth is I've been battling anxiety, this general anxiety, and I just stopped. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygpafeY1MeLKW6O7mYZE1NAjgd-ZzSpaAm0U4gl-EgHw_oAv3fNZsimb-8LNnF6nwSZSQY7d3JE_i26tss36X-_VlLxz7Qm3XF0xx4luGPYG7rJbH6Ht3Gtr-rX_KGd_9YxLd_Dwv7TI/s1600/IMG_1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhygpafeY1MeLKW6O7mYZE1NAjgd-ZzSpaAm0U4gl-EgHw_oAv3fNZsimb-8LNnF6nwSZSQY7d3JE_i26tss36X-_VlLxz7Qm3XF0xx4luGPYG7rJbH6Ht3Gtr-rX_KGd_9YxLd_Dwv7TI/s400/IMG_1343.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Fear is paralyzing. I froze and struggled to break through the icy fear that encased me and walk through the spinning world that didn't wait form me. </span><br />
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<div style="border: currentColor;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Yet, God knows what I am made of, dust that so easily drifts with the wind of the world's shifting currents, but He never shifts to turn His back to me. </span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZjTXrMCRgdQsfzr09wHtLiq1uWshYpi4yIP2CqzBHfec9ftd6zpHYC0W6AM3mKXMba8mjlX3Wl6g2jMZl6gf_t9eE2MCZxkn2F1WlOU7hQ27cTBj3tUkaTlN-bnfE0dlmGf5egYWMvM/s1600/IMG_1350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3ZjTXrMCRgdQsfzr09wHtLiq1uWshYpi4yIP2CqzBHfec9ftd6zpHYC0W6AM3mKXMba8mjlX3Wl6g2jMZl6gf_t9eE2MCZxkn2F1WlOU7hQ27cTBj3tUkaTlN-bnfE0dlmGf5egYWMvM/s400/IMG_1350.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love the encouragement of this line from <em>A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23</em>:</span><br />
<blockquote><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The disappointments, the frustrations, the discouragements, the dilemmas, the dark, difficult days, though they be shadowed valleys, need not be disasters. They can be road to higher ground in our walk with God.</span></blockquote><div style="border: currentColor;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The dark days break our pride and allow us to dwell in intimacy with our Saviour. When these dark day hit, I stopped, but I am thankful that our Good Shepherd drives us along through the valleys. I am beginning to hear His voice once again. "Walk this way," he whispers, and He gives me the strength to take each step. Christ, my Shepherd, enables me to keep walking ahead toward the next mountain. He strengthens me through his Word, godly friends, scripture, sermons, radio shows, books, a stranger's smile. </span><br />
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</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp5M7U87PjqGi5VYAhO67cpvXd_EjnbDrMjJ6zLnxk2fDrz2wAFHjSljoQlzYTSYb5ByeKr4z0LI1ixIQSrH_ll4esEAod0xeU3RZAJPvbeSJV2K-NuWhvXrPm8jm9Y2WyRiKjXeyON8/s1600/IMG_1345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilp5M7U87PjqGi5VYAhO67cpvXd_EjnbDrMjJ6zLnxk2fDrz2wAFHjSljoQlzYTSYb5ByeKr4z0LI1ixIQSrH_ll4esEAod0xeU3RZAJPvbeSJV2K-NuWhvXrPm8jm9Y2WyRiKjXeyON8/s400/IMG_1345.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I must keep taking steps forward, trusting that God is concerned with my every step. My Maker accompanies me; He understands, and He alone lovingly carves out my paths. This is the truth. My head will tell me lies, but God doesn't lie. My head says that I need man's approval, that I am worthless, that I should give up. This is a lie. I can step forward with joy and confidence in what God has ahead. This is the truth.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmP5dSz7tg3kplDrQZ7fHQumqJa7ukJ0cfShDVhNBsmCTlzdK_71iHKJBlNpVmh2fW1PeRmHA8PeTCJ1OsfAZtoAM28FPFCOkbILCIe5SgeBxgdMuWLFgVeZh2HqUV1zv7O8LePw1594c/s1600/IMG_1355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmP5dSz7tg3kplDrQZ7fHQumqJa7ukJ0cfShDVhNBsmCTlzdK_71iHKJBlNpVmh2fW1PeRmHA8PeTCJ1OsfAZtoAM28FPFCOkbILCIe5SgeBxgdMuWLFgVeZh2HqUV1zv7O8LePw1594c/s400/IMG_1355.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I still have many piles to pick up, but I am learning again that I can trust in God's stability to stand up, walk over to those piles, and get to work. The Christian life is all about standing again. </span><br />
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</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border-width: 0px;" /></a></div>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-17796755592070364342011-07-25T17:12:00.003-05:002011-07-26T20:58:37.115-05:00The Cost of Preparing the Table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5z6c_nzMwY3asvmFiDqlC2w172UzmUkLHnpHR0q-XWvLjZ4MNXg9DA3kZS3ywGAi9K8ZfLDgTsiOsaN4rH9jV2D6eAheER5ATFUkHo_X3UQz3ngGca-VT59mBzOxqSSxkpU039JKgJo/s1600/IMG_1334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5z6c_nzMwY3asvmFiDqlC2w172UzmUkLHnpHR0q-XWvLjZ4MNXg9DA3kZS3ywGAi9K8ZfLDgTsiOsaN4rH9jV2D6eAheER5ATFUkHo_X3UQz3ngGca-VT59mBzOxqSSxkpU039JKgJo/s1600/IMG_1334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5z6c_nzMwY3asvmFiDqlC2w172UzmUkLHnpHR0q-XWvLjZ4MNXg9DA3kZS3ywGAi9K8ZfLDgTsiOsaN4rH9jV2D6eAheER5ATFUkHo_X3UQz3ngGca-VT59mBzOxqSSxkpU039JKgJo/s320/IMG_1334.JPG" width="232" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Last weekend I prepared lunch for my Papa and dad and dinner for some good friends all in the same day. I enjoy cooking for others, but Michael and I have decided not to do this twice in one day thing ever again. (It brought out my cranky side.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was busy all day preparing the table for guests, washing dishes, setting the table with clean linens, preparing the appetizer in the crock pot, washing dishes, pounding out chicken and rolling it up with ham and Swiss, icing cookies, and washing dishes. (And nagging the hubs--I'm not proud.) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Preparing the table can take a lot out of a host, but joy comes when the guests arrive. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In Phillip Kellers's book <em>A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23</em>, he states, "It is not always apparent to us what a tremendous personal cost it has been for Christ to prepare the table for His own." He is referring to Psalm 23:5.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">As I read this line of the book, I had to stop and think about this some more. I had just prepared a table; it was a lot of work, but I was happy to do it. I also thought about how when I am the guest, I don't always consider all the personal cost it takes my friends to prepare the table for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Christ didn't prepare the table for friends, however. He prepared the table for His enemies. We were not His fiends until we finally sat down and submitted ourselves to His care. And it is He who had to sit us down. He did all this work while we balked and fussed that we could do it on our own. We said we didn't need His help.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And what was this work that He did for us? What does it mean that Christ prepared the table? It was a much larger cost than washing loads of dishes. The cost for Him was His blood. I may have sweat a little from the heat of my oven, but Christ sweat blood at Gethsemane as he looked at the task before Him. And blood poured from His head and His hands and His feet and His side when He died on the cross to prepare the table for me. And for you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Yet He considered it all joy (Hebrews 12:2). He prepared the table with no complaints. Why? Because He had planned this banquet from the beginning. Because He set out to restore a relationship between a wretched people and a holy God. All people are sinners. We cheat, steal, lie, lust, hate, fornicate. And all these things separate us from God because holiness and unholiness cannot unite. And separation from God is hell and death. But Jesus laid down his life willingly for us so that our lives would be spared.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">And one day, all us who trust in His work will have a big banquet feast with Him in heaven, because God now sees us as holy through Christ's work. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">There's a lot to ponder next time we set the dinner table. Do I acknowledge the cost it took Christ to prepare the table for me? Do I acknowledge it more than just in my head but in my actions as well?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"></span><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-6755868061896242262011-07-24T20:51:00.000-05:002011-07-24T20:51:28.169-05:00Sunday Video: Gianna Jessen Abortion Survivor (Part 1)<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I love this lady. She just exudes joy!</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/kPF1FhCMPuQ?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor !important;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-80234257535048379092011-07-15T15:10:00.002-05:002011-07-28T18:28:53.492-05:00Orange Mocha Frappuccino<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LPD9yKk4O2mYHGkk751znz15FrAIk8Bbu1SsNwR8U1JSujKYyMLc8wmVeZOgVooeq7D8QJj9wGJ0TAAc2fXcaUBDzyy-M1jMsx5_nJFBUKGkcTxyZsoHblzIoo_TKbxJZKdfWG9HlYc/s1600/IMG_1298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_LPD9yKk4O2mYHGkk751znz15FrAIk8Bbu1SsNwR8U1JSujKYyMLc8wmVeZOgVooeq7D8QJj9wGJ0TAAc2fXcaUBDzyy-M1jMsx5_nJFBUKGkcTxyZsoHblzIoo_TKbxJZKdfWG9HlYc/s400/IMG_1298.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My aunt recently reminded me that I hadn't shared my orange mocha frappuccino recipe with you like I said I would. I apologize. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Starbucks made a drink like this years ago but discontinued it after a summer. It was one of my favorite drinks, so I finally decided to try to replicate it.</span><br />
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<strong><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Orange Mocha Frappuccino</span></strong><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup strong coffee (frozen)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 cup milk</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 Tb chocolate syrup</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 cup ice</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 tp orange extract</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">whip cream for top if desired</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">First make some strong coffee and poor 1/2 cup in a container to freeze. I like to freeze the coffee in little jello molds.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9TtSzhkykamSpeoCt9m5ScDYsZapPqZ6vIMfUFCtJylcDghfNAlcK_FAfFP3F77tZXGh76r-1HWNlu08hA-lsWTXEZI25-J6eaNYvxqipKeGN2OtjjC1gUkeW8E4mwRdVVimdyz_klE/s1600/IMG_1239.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="271" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9TtSzhkykamSpeoCt9m5ScDYsZapPqZ6vIMfUFCtJylcDghfNAlcK_FAfFP3F77tZXGh76r-1HWNlu08hA-lsWTXEZI25-J6eaNYvxqipKeGN2OtjjC1gUkeW8E4mwRdVVimdyz_klE/s400/IMG_1239.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaNAtu2MMY_fz0B2d3AGeYXTIfdsxT4A51b7BaXvt78oVidGvYFcHw-BnvXLCw-bcp38WeURJqnLaPD9aDjyWTv4sA81ACg-OWrpffN8OrlULPtBuynvfN-TRMsukQ3-iLn9W7aIMZWE/s1600/IMG_1244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDaNAtu2MMY_fz0B2d3AGeYXTIfdsxT4A51b7BaXvt78oVidGvYFcHw-BnvXLCw-bcp38WeURJqnLaPD9aDjyWTv4sA81ACg-OWrpffN8OrlULPtBuynvfN-TRMsukQ3-iLn9W7aIMZWE/s400/IMG_1244.JPG" width="322" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> After the coffee is frozen, it will easily pop out of the mold into the blinder. Blend all the ingredients together until the desired texture.</span><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGa1i4Q8npkGyLP1sTjcUVzzqj88FFhKRhpdXji8bsn2boUmWUG0Yp8O9ZoZ5Fukyc1RT14ypO_t9XTd3s5MEV7V1C1eEUy1NuU87mLuMeDosrRZx75_arvH6qDoBX_2Foi5gxJG6s6Aw/s1600/IMG_1276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGa1i4Q8npkGyLP1sTjcUVzzqj88FFhKRhpdXji8bsn2boUmWUG0Yp8O9ZoZ5Fukyc1RT14ypO_t9XTd3s5MEV7V1C1eEUy1NuU87mLuMeDosrRZx75_arvH6qDoBX_2Foi5gxJG6s6Aw/s200/IMG_1276.JPG" width="182" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWEjjvQksp47rgHFS2mzWg8IvuvPsbHGyj0IBcd-lmva2pls7TiBNuJqRMGHfiUI8rsClFpEbm2Cbo1w23NYfPH6u3CJFbrDYKdf1C4IAQtjhk-Xkbbq9eAqueP8oZ9rhEBjMnS6kMWk/s1600/IMG_1283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkWEjjvQksp47rgHFS2mzWg8IvuvPsbHGyj0IBcd-lmva2pls7TiBNuJqRMGHfiUI8rsClFpEbm2Cbo1w23NYfPH6u3CJFbrDYKdf1C4IAQtjhk-Xkbbq9eAqueP8oZ9rhEBjMnS6kMWk/s200/IMG_1283.JPG" width="154" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border: currentColor;"> Top with whip cream and more chocolate syrup and wha-la!</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgEhrzG1XJfOeGUY3REX2VEnaKh7PsyXBvu3lj7Mv4FCWwOzCSYRg-Cj738hg4QW7ByDBKUzb_cz4YAkzeAGLBomImOOHuS5rVwDlGeh9zTTpcBtobLCDaoua6eftL3OwYQctZA15fbU/s1600/IMG_1296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgEhrzG1XJfOeGUY3REX2VEnaKh7PsyXBvu3lj7Mv4FCWwOzCSYRg-Cj738hg4QW7ByDBKUzb_cz4YAkzeAGLBomImOOHuS5rVwDlGeh9zTTpcBtobLCDaoua6eftL3OwYQctZA15fbU/s640/IMG_1296.JPG" width="464" /></a></div><div style="border: currentColor;"><br />
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</div><div style="border: currentColor;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Who needs Starbucks?</span></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"></a></div><div class="separator" style="border: currentColor; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="border: 0px currentColor;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-50691623822365801552011-07-04T10:23:00.000-05:002011-07-04T10:23:04.608-05:00Yarn + Nerdiness = Star Wars Hat<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My hubby wants me to make this for him:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/images/2/24/Storm-Trooper-Hat.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image:Storm Trooper Hat.jpg" border="0" class="mwimage101" height="370" src="http://pad3.whstatic.com/images/thumb/2/24/Storm-Trooper-Hat.jpg/629px-Storm-Trooper-Hat.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Image:Storm-Trooper-Hat.jpg">http://www.wikihow.com/Image:Storm-Trooper-Hat.jpg</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">He asked me if I would walk with him in public if he wore this hat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I said, "I don't know."</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Then I found these today:</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/images/3/37/C3PO-and-R2D2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Image:C3PO and R2D2.jpg" border="0" class="mwimage101" height="398" src="http://pad3.whstatic.com/images/3/37/C3PO-and-R2D2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.wikihow.com/Image:C3PO-and-R2D2.jpg">http://www.wikihow.com/Image:C3PO-and-R2D2.jpg</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Maybe I"ll make him R2D2 for his desk at work.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-77022676565777938762011-07-03T19:04:00.000-05:002011-07-03T19:04:21.270-05:00Sunday Video: Pictures of Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/x-6VLUVglG8?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Wow. Can't argue with that.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-26369257685787347772011-06-27T18:01:00.003-05:002011-06-27T18:49:17.289-05:00Weeping and Gnashing of Teeth<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Let me share with you some pillow talk I had with my husband at 2:00am this morning.</span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrdeo_jObQXtO-01mYF0nAkJ5yZbgcjPHvvpOH4-o_lCKPwTj8sTJXZuF6rT6ajusMKJE6v7okVjxERWJiSWvyjR9b7inow48BScW_INMThB9hVC7QReJo5Xa5uoQamm10uAwzEgbMAg/s1600/pillow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="138" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhrdeo_jObQXtO-01mYF0nAkJ5yZbgcjPHvvpOH4-o_lCKPwTj8sTJXZuF6rT6ajusMKJE6v7okVjxERWJiSWvyjR9b7inow48BScW_INMThB9hVC7QReJo5Xa5uoQamm10uAwzEgbMAg/s200/pillow.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Michael: Grind. Grind. Grind. (The teeth grinding is not the same decibel level of Maria Sharapova, but it's close.)</span></div><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Me: (Awakened by teeth grinding.) Michael, can you please put your mouth guard in?</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Michael: Um-hm. (Doesn't move.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Me: (Shakes him a little.) Michael, can you please put your mouth guard in?</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Michael: (Rolls over about to get up and then just flops onto stomach.)</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Me: (Louder voice.) Michael?</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Michael: (With an attitude.) Wh-at?</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Me: Can you PLEASE put your mouth guard in?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Michael: (Very poignantly.) No. Because then I'll wake up.</span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">He was apparently asleep through this whole conversation (He didn't recollect any of this in the morning.), but I was definitely wide awake by this point.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">At our wedding rehearsal dinner, my mother-in-law asked our guests what they wish someone had told them before they got married. Our pastor said, "How difficult it is to sleep with someone." I don't see what difference this information makes, but sleeping next to Michael is more difficult than I ever imagined it would be. I love it, but some nights not as much as others. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">A friend of mine, at the beginning of her marriage, used to wake up to her husband slapping her in the face with his arm in the middle of the night. She finally slapped him back one night, and that was the end of that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Michael and I also went through this violent stage at the beginning of our marriage. There were some nights where I thought he was reaching over to hug me, but he instead hit me in the stomach and rolled back over. It didn't really hurt and it wasn't on purpose, but it's hard to get a good nights sleep when that is joined by stealing all the covers, snoring and teeth grinding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">He eventually learned the parameters in which he needed to keep his hands, feet and elbows. We got him a night guard to fix the teeth grinding problem. We now have separate covers. The snoring still happens, but if I fall asleep before him, I can usually tune it out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">I used to think of myself as a heavy sleeper before I got married. Maybe God is just working to prepare me for kids.</span><br />
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<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">Do you have any funny sleeping/not sleeping marriage stories? Do share.</span></em><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2669020520972072035.post-9294377351425277662011-06-26T15:28:00.000-05:002011-06-26T15:28:20.267-05:00Sunday Video: Jesus Wants the Rose<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Matt Chandler on God's grace...</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/o-zR3h2UsR4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/117/D4BF7C88297E1C4F0B77BB050A23DAB1.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a>ContentEwehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13125110045144996466noreply@blogger.com0