Simple Woman's Daybook

I saw this on a friend's blog a while a back. I've been trying to journal more as well as use this blog more and I thought this might be a good writing exercise as well as a way to stop and reflect on the simple things. I hope to do this consistently on Mondays. I'd also like to add a verse that I read that dad.

Verse for the day:
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, "Abba! Father!" The spirit also testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Romans 8:16-17 NAS

My Simple Woman’s Daybook For today... Feb 23, 2009
Outside my Window...blue skies with a few dabs of clouds, and very cold wind

I am thinking… about my dream that brad pitt came to my old church and i kept trying to talk to him about why he was there but it never happened before i woke up...weird.

I am thankful for… growing friendships

From the kitchen… right now it's just my coffee

From the learning rooms… e is wanting to learn to read and really picking up on it! love this.

I am wearing… black comfy pants, black cami, brown sweater and ugly blue socks


I am reading… various parts of my Bible, and getting back into Under the Overpass: A Journey of Faith on the Streets of America, by Mike Yankoski

I am hoping… for warmer weather soooooon

I am hearing… the still of a house with sleeping children (whom i need to get up)


I am creating…mostly ideas for some sewing projects


Around the house… I'm trying to think of ways to reduce clutter in our bedroom, it overwhelms me!

One of my favorite things…lately v has been such a charmer and loves to give kisses, i do wish they weren't so sloppy, but that's part of the fun.


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week… get ready for truth project tomorrow, watching other kids, considering whether or not it would be worth it to set fire to my bedroom.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you…

Bulletin Cover 2/15

I’d Rather Have Jesus
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands,
I’d rather be led by His nail pierced hand.

Than to be a king of a vast domain
Or be held in sin’s dread sway,
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than world-wide fame,
I’d rather be true to His holy name.

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out of the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs,
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead.
Rhea F. Miller (1922)

This song was in my head last night as I went to sleep. I love it. The words are simple and pure. They are refreshing to me, a perspective on life that I desire to have at all times. We live in a time when we have so much. I know most people would not say that they are wealthy. Yet, compared to most of the rest of the world we are. I don’t believe that having all that we have is sin itself. I just want to know that if God asked me to get rid of it all, would I? Do I really believe that Jesus meets every need in my life? I hope so.

I resonate with this passage in Matthew in the Message:
24 -26Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?

What could I ever trade my soul for? How about an active relationship with the Living God, and the bonus of eternal life?

Buried

Me: "I'm asking you as a husband. What do you think? Because I don't want to."

Husband: "Then I think you should."

He was right. When the pastor mentioned a few weeks ago that there was going to be a baptism service, I immediately felt a weight fall upon me. When he said that if this was something that we were ready to follow the Lord in, and that we should come see him, I felt almost a burning swell up within me.

I can't remember a time where God wasn't a part of my life. I can remember praying and making a decision by a gold couch in my old room. Though my dad remembers an earlier prayer with him. In fourth grade I went forward in church to make a public profession of faith and later talked with our interim pastor. Baptism came up in the conversation, but soon after our church hired a full time pastor and it didn't come up again.

I honestly didn't think of it tons after that. It didn't bother me. I had been baptized with the Holy Spirit at conversion and water baptism is not a requirement for salvation, so it was no big deal. Then when as I matured, opportunities arose and I let them pass by. (One opportunity being the chance to be immersed in a lake in the Rocky Mountains...still trying to forgive myself for this, sigh.) There were times I even wore it as a banner for the cause "saved by grace, no works required." This being true, we are saved by grace, we are still called to obey in order to have a full, deep and intimate relationship with the One who has saved us.

Needless to say, the Lord has been persistent in pursuing me. After the earlier mentioned conversation with my husband I went talk to our pastor and could barely get the words out. The hardest part of this whole experience was to be willing to humble myself before people I know and many I don't know. To be able to say to everyone, that I want to follow Jesus and after 25ish years of doing so, I am stilling learning, still seeking, and I have not figured everything out. I think I do this in small ways or with close friends who know me well. However, if I'm honest I'd rather not have people thinking that I can be clueless on various points of life including an array of spiritual matters.

When I was there, it was easy. I thought it would be hard, but it wasn't. There was a passing moment of emotion and near tears when we sang Amazing Grace. I was moved as the pastor read from Romans. And that was it. I was just happy and peaceful. It was the right thing to do. As it is always right to obey our Lord.

Thank you to all who supported me from near and far, if you only knew how much that meant to me, and how much I love you.

I am thankful that I was be able to share this with my children and my man. Don't I look happy?

*first photo of cross by my son J

*all other photos by Tina, who would probably like me to say that she doesn't think they are that great, but like them!

guilty

I'm copying my friend Deanna who posted this link. As I read it and kept thinking things like "ugh, i hate that.." I would be lying if I too wasn't guilty of some of these. Dare to read it.

TRUTH

This blog is not forgotten, but definitely neglected. I have a few ideas for posting, we'll see what happens. However, tonight Den and I are hosting our first night of the Truth Project. Check it out here.

Bulletin Cover 12/7

So this blog is sorely neglected for a variety of reasons. One being I'm posting daily on my fam blog for the advent season. For now here is my recent bulletin cover.

Christmas is here. Okay so perhaps we still have some time until the actual date, but the season is upon us even now. The most common question asked of me as a child was “what do you want for Christmas?” I still get asked this question by family and I can think of several practical and impractical things to fill my list with. However, this year I want to ask myself the same, but slightly altered, question.

What do I want for Christmas that cannot be bought in a store?

• A deeper relationship with my Lord. Oh I hope I never stop yearning for this. I don’t want to be caught in a place where I think I’ve “arrived” in my relationship with Christ. There is more of Him to know than I could ever dream of.
• A deeper appreciation of my relationship with Christ. My dad has said that when we get to heaven and see people like Moses, and run up to him and ask what it was like to see the Red Sea split, or ask Abraham about seeing God’s glory pass by, that they will say, “Ya, it was great, but tell me what it was like to have the Holy Spirit with you, and have it never leave you?” Our New Testament relationship is unique to those before Pentecost. I don’t want to take it for granted.
• I want to be completely yielding to God being the author of my life story. There are so many things in my life that have not gone the way I thought they would have. There are even some things in my finite mind that I still don’t understand and would change. How dare I? I want to take honor and be humbled that the author of the universe has taken interest in my story. He has specific plans for every aspect of my life, from being and wife to a mother, a friend and a servant. He has details for each. I don’t want to keep any part of it to myself.

I suppose those three things sum most of it up. Don’t get me wrong, I am looking forward to presents under the tree. But if I don’t get excited about the gifts that are listed above, there is no point in anything else. What’s great is that I already have all things in Christ. ALL THINGS! I wish you could hear me shout for joy right now. Actually I wish I could shout, but I don’t want to frighten the children. Maybe I’ll go downstairs and get them to shout with me. Merry Christmas!

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. James 1:17

Advent

I'm having some fun with an advent calendar on my family blog. Click here.