Happy New Year

Love this thought from Elisabeth Elliot - especially looking forward to a brand new year:

“Will the young woman find a mate? Will the couple have a child? Maybe this year will be the year of desire fulfilled. Perhaps, on the other hand, it will be the year of desire radically transformed, the year of finding, as we have perhaps not yet truly found, Christ to be the All-Sufficient One, Christ the ‘deep sweet well of Love’” -Elisabeth Elliot, Keep a Quiet Heart pg 49

"Perhaps....it will be the year of desire radically transformed...."

Beautiful <3

you must know life to see decay

My husband and I have really been enjoying Mumford & Sons as of late. Recently one line in their song "After the Storm" really struck me. The line says "You must know life to see decay". It made me think about how we tend to notice pain, suffering, and trials but fail to recognize the abundance of grace, mercy, beauty, and wonder in our lives. You notice when you're sick - but you only notice it because it's out of the "norm" - being healthy is what's normal. You wouldn't be able to understand the sickness, unless you already understood health. The same is true for trials and suffering. You must know life to see decay. Sin and death wouldn't be so bad if we weren't CREATED FOR SOMETHING MORE. We were created for perfect intimacy with God. We were created to know LIFE. Every person at their core knows this - even if they don't recognize it. That's why we're able to recognize misery in the world - something in our gut tells us we were meant for something more. Our body's and soul's are longing and searching for perfection - but we search for it in ALL the wrong places. I think that's why some of the most godly people are also the one's who are most grieved by their sin. They know Life. They're able to see decay. And they're grieved by it, because they know that's not how it's supposed to be. Just some thoughts.

12 Mumford And Sons - After the Storm

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Isaiah 32

I've heard it said before that the woman really sets the tone for the house. When you walk into a home there is always a certain "feel" about it - and it's really the woman who gives the house that "feel". This has seemed to be true in my own experience - you walk into a home and it feels chaotic....then you meet the mom.....and you understand. Or you walk into a home that feels at peace - feels like a HOME.....and then you meet the mom, and you understand. (Obviously the man of the home has a HUGE impact on the family and home dynamics, but I'm just thinking about the woman's role right now) This was all an interesting thought until a few days ago when Scripture confirmed this truth for me, and I have a reignited desire to be a woman who creates a peaceful home.

Isaiah 32:9-20

This section of Scripture, from what I can tell, was/is talking to women - the women of Jerusalem. The first half or so is warning women who are complacent and comfortable with their lives - warning them that all of their comfort and security may be stripped away. This gave me quite a bit of food for thought, but what really struck me in this passage were verses 17-20 which says:

"The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest. Though hail flattens the forest and the city is leveled completely, how blessed you will be, sowing your seed by every stream, and letting your cattle and donkeys range free."

A righteous woman will be at peace.

A righteous woman will exude quiet confidence - forever. Quiet confidence. I love that. Trust in God will cause a woman to have a confidence that runs deep - she doesn't need to say anything - she just knows that God is God, God is good, and God will provide.

Then it goes on to immediately say: "My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest"

I can't help but make the connection that a righteous woman who is at peace will create a home that is peaceful for her family. Her husband and children can come home to an "undisturbed place of rest".

What a beautiful picture. What a difficult task - yet, it's such a simple task really. Since our righteousness doesn't come from ourselves anyway - it is truly Christ that sets the tone for a home. I will pray that Christ will use me to help set the tone for my home - and show me what it means to be at peace, to have quietness and confidence, and to let the peace of Christ reign in my home.

Enchanting

I love this

Not completely sure why

But I think you will too

Roberto Benigni

Life is seriously good right now. So good that I'm living it rather than blogging it :p Things I'm excited for in the near future....

Going here:



(which I found out has been ranked as one of the top 10 most beautiful honeymoon places! #5 to be exact)

With this man:



Drinking more of these:



Wearing this nail polish:



Playing more with my new toy:



Reading the second and third books in this series:



And probably many other things I can't think of right now :) Hopefully, soon, I can figure out how to get videos from my ipod onto my computer....

Happy June! <3

Life at Target

I have been thinking about my job lately - and how so very unimportant it is. (Don't worry, this is NOT going to be a "woe is me in my unimportance" sort of a blog - this is going somewhere, I promise!) The most exciting thing that happened this week at my job was getting new cash registers. The worst thing that can happen at my place of employment (Target - for those who don't know) is having to deal with an angry customer ("guests" as we like to call them) who isn't able to return a half-used package of crest white strips because she doesn't like them....or other issues along those lines. If Target were to cease existing - nobody would really care (except those few die-hard Target fans....usually young moms who purchase lots of diapers and children's clothing....) Target employees don't have to make life-and-death decisions every day, like doctors or surgeons. Target employees are not instructing future world leaders - like teachers do every day. We don't change lives. Let's face it - my job isn't very important in the grand scheme of things.

And I'm ok with that. God cares about each person who works at Target just as much as He values the patients at a doctor's office. Every person who comes through those doors is in need of a Savior - in need of Christ. God has placed me there for a reason - for however long He determines/I choose. If I have been placed there so I can tell my coworker who's husband is leaving her that I'm praying for her, I will do so joyfully. If it is so I can encourage other Christians who work there - I will do so the best way I know how. If it is simply so that I can love the single woman in her 30's, who may not have many people to talk to - to listen to what's going on in her life - I will gladly listen. My prayer is that I will not let this opportunity pass. That I will not think of this season as an "in-between" season that is leading to something "greater" (whatever that supposed something "greater" may be).

I want this season of my life to bear fruit. I want to fix my eyes on the Lord, and learn how to love the people He loves so deeply. Pray for me - that I will be obedient. I want to abide in Christ so that my life will have meaning - wherever I go - working at Target, going to coffee, making lunches for my husband. It all has meaning when it's done to the glory of God, and in humble reliance on His grace.

I have so many thoughts running through my head, I'll leave it at that. Happy Wednesday <3

2011

For the past couple of years, at the start of the year I have prayed about a word that I want the coming year to be marked by. I think the first year I did this was 2009 - the word that was pressed upon my heart that year, was JOY. I wanted 2009 to be marked by joy, and God taught me more about joy that year than I could have imagined - and in ways I NEVER expected. 2010 I chose "steadfastness." I was drawn to the verse "my heart is steadfast oh God, my heart is steadfast..." (ps. 57:7) I wanted 2010 to be marked by my steadfast heart - yet again, I was shown something different than expected. In reflecting on 2010, all I can say is that I learned more about God's steadfastness - and my lack thereof, reminding me once again that I cannot do this whole "life" thing on my own. I don't know why I so often think I can! Lauren Chandler wrote a blog recently and a line that stuck out to me, was when she said:

"There have been moments that I have gratefully sought shelter in the shadow of the Cross and moments that I have tried to climb up on that Cross and blasphemously become my own messiah."

That pretty much sums it up.

This year, the word that keeps coming to me, is REFRESH.

I think God wants this year to be a year of refreshment for me, and I think He wants me to learn how to be the kind of person with whom others find refreshment. I think God wants to refresh my mind, and heart - reminding me of who He is, and who I am in Him. I did a Bible word search on the word, and this verse stood out to me:

"Therefore, repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; and that he may send Jesus, the Christ appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of restoration of all things about which God spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets from ancient time" -Acts 3:19-21

What struck me about this verse is the reminder that refreshing comes from the PRESENCE OF THE LORD.

This is what I need to learn - what I must daily remind myself of. I so often seek refreshment from so many other sources - but they always come up short, and I never quite feel at peace when I am seeking after those other things.

I pray that this will be a year of being in the Lord's Presence - for that is where I will find true refreshment. I also pray that through receiving refreshment by being in the Presence of the Lord, I might learn to be a refreshment to others.

Thy will be done, Father.

2011: The year of Refreshment

p.s. in keeping with the theme of the year, if any of you would like to go out and partake in some sort of refreshment, let me know :) (see def. 1)