This week's featured music is an oldie but a goodie! "Enough: by Christ Tomlin use to be one of my favorite worship songs when I was in high school. It is so simple but so great. God will always be enough!
(bear with the cheesy images)
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Monday, March 26, 2012
re:Deemed & re:Joice
Lent Learnings:
Week 3 re:Deemed:
- I am a redeemed child of God
- God set us free as he was nailed to a cross with arms stretched out wide. Those arms reach down now to comfort, protect, and teach us that we are his beloved. We are his redeemed which means he has paid our debt, he has bought us. How cool is that?!?!? Christ hung on that cross to purchase you and me. Who would do that? I don't deserve to be bought at that price. The price of one's life. Yet Christ did it and I am forever thankful for that kind of love.
- Ephesians 1:7- "we have redemption in Him through His blood, for the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace."
Week 4 re:Joice:
- I am to rejoice in all circumstances. To have a joyful heart
- In the bible we see distruction, war, devestation, people walking away from the Lord, God's disciples thrown in prison and so much more that would cause the normal person to be angry, sad, hopeless and for sure not joyful. Yet Paul rejoices while in prison. The people of the Old Testament find joy in God's delieverance. So why is it so hard to find joy in the midst of our pain? Our society focuses so much on harvesting our depression and anger instead of finding something to be joyful about.
- I am normally a pretty positive person and have learned to "rejoice in the Lord always" (phil 4:4) but this week I found it a little hard to rejoice and had to get a reality check from my mom. One of my good friends is about to loose her mom to cancer and it is devestating. Yesterday I went home to my mom's after a conversation with my friend and melted in my mom's arms. I couldn't understand (and won't ever), how such a great lady could be suffering so much. And more than ever my heart is so broken for my friend. My mom had to help me remember all the good times my friend has shared with her mom in recent years and all the cool things my friend has done that has brought her mom such joy. It was a moment that made that verse above come alive. We are to rejoice ALWAYS, which means even in pain and even when we don't understand, we are called to rejoice in what God is doing and what He has done.
- I found this verse this week during a quiet time and loved it!! Isaiah 29:19 "The humble will have joy after joy in the Lord, and the poor people will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel."
I have learned that God relentlessly pursues me, I need to constantly repent, I have been redeemed, and I am called to rejoice always!
1 Month!!!
One Month! Wow one month away from facebook and I can honestly say I DO NOT miss it. Okay so technically it will be one month on Thursday but I know I won't have time to blog this week so I'm getting ahead =) After a month of being "disconnected" to the facebook world I have realized just how much our current culture relays on it. Students, parents, my family, friends, coworkers, everyone is guilty of using facebook as a HUGE source of information. I can't tell you how many times a day I hear "did you see on facebook ______." No I haven't because I've been working, exercising, talking on the phone or just plain hanging out with people. It isn't all bad but it has opened my eyes to a whole world that I knew depended on the social media but never realized how much. Because of this reliance I have had some frustrations while away. It has been hard to connect with students for serve projects, weekend services, office help and just plain hanging out. It was most frustrating when I couldn't communicate to our El Toro Owns the Weekend Kids. I know I have missed some birthday parties and other events because I forgot to put them on my calendar before signing off facebook (sorry if i missed your party). I miss writing notes on students walls and celebrating them in status' so everyone can see. Here is some honesty for you; I hate that two of my small group girls have new boyfriends, and I can't get online to "stock" them and make sure they are good, God loving, boys. I hate that a friend from college had a baby and I'm not going to see pictures until he is over a month old (I love baby pics). And yet I love that I have to trust my girls when they tell me the facts about these boys. I love that after the facebook hype over my friends baby pics, I'll be able to look at them and bring some new joy and hype back to her pics. With all that said I also have to admit that I have had people help me stay a little up to date on what life is like on facebook. My mom has kept me up to date on what family status updates are out there and what some of my old friends are doing. My Life Group girls have updated me on all student drama, including sending my some screen shoot pics. So I'm a little in the loop =)
While feeling a bit disconnected, I have also felt a huge relief. I am involved in less drama. I am less consumed by looking at peoples pictures. I don't lay in bed at midnight looking through status' on my phone. Most importantly I am connecting with the people most important to me and not worrying about the people who aren't truly in my life. It is not that I don't care about the people that I would call acquaintances, it is just that in the small amount of time I have outside of work and pouring into students, I would rather catch up with people that are near and dear to me. And that is exactly what I have done. I have spent hours on the phone. Hours reading books. Time writing cards and sending emails to family and distant friends. I spend less time looking at my phone and more time looking across the table with my family. Needless to say I am really enjoying not having facebook!! I may even dare to say that when I go back to it, I will check it occasionally but not use it anywhere close to how I use to.
While feeling a bit disconnected, I have also felt a huge relief. I am involved in less drama. I am less consumed by looking at peoples pictures. I don't lay in bed at midnight looking through status' on my phone. Most importantly I am connecting with the people most important to me and not worrying about the people who aren't truly in my life. It is not that I don't care about the people that I would call acquaintances, it is just that in the small amount of time I have outside of work and pouring into students, I would rather catch up with people that are near and dear to me. And that is exactly what I have done. I have spent hours on the phone. Hours reading books. Time writing cards and sending emails to family and distant friends. I spend less time looking at my phone and more time looking across the table with my family. Needless to say I am really enjoying not having facebook!! I may even dare to say that when I go back to it, I will check it occasionally but not use it anywhere close to how I use to.
10 Day Review
Here is a 10 Day Review in Pictures:
Spent last weekend in Havasu remembering my cousin and her daughter. These crosses are at my grandma's church and it was so neat to just sit at the foot of the cross and remember all that God has done for my family through our pain.
I LOVE sports! So it has been so nice to spend some evenings watching my girls play their favorite sports.
This weekend was ET Owns the Weekend at HSM! We did a pancake breakfast for dinner on Sat night and pancake breakfast on Sunday.
ETHS students rocked it this weekend! So proud of them and what they are doing for the Lord. It is great to see amazing things coming out of my Alma Mater =)
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Featured Music
This is the first of a bi-weekly post that will feature some type of music. It may be random. It may have some explanation attached. No matter what, I promise it will be good!
This weeks featured music is "Never Once" by Matt Redman. It has been about a two weeks since I first heard it and let me just say, I'm a little obsessed. My life hasn't always been the most glamorous and I have definitely had my fair share of struggles. Struggles and life situations that have really caused me to question God and question his purpose and timing of certain things. "Never Once" is a great reminder of God's faithfulness even when we think we are walking alone. Check it out:
This weeks featured music is "Never Once" by Matt Redman. It has been about a two weeks since I first heard it and let me just say, I'm a little obsessed. My life hasn't always been the most glamorous and I have definitely had my fair share of struggles. Struggles and life situations that have really caused me to question God and question his purpose and timing of certain things. "Never Once" is a great reminder of God's faithfulness even when we think we are walking alone. Check it out:
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Life in Pics
Mom and I went to the LA fashion district for great fabric finds.
Spent the weekend in Murrieta w/a great college friend, Ashlee Martin
Went to Louisville, Ky for a conference. Got to tour the slugger factory!!
while in Ky the tornados hit the surrounding area. a couple of us went out and bought supplies and then took them to Henryville, which was only 20 minutes from our hotel.
I went and "hair modeled" at a salon called "Dry Bar". So cool and fun! loved this lamp!
In honor of National Women's day, the HSM girls went to LA together. Love them so much!
Two Week Mark
Two weeks have flown by since giving up facebook and it has honestly been the most freeing two weeks I have felt in a while. I didn't realize how much drama comes with being connected to facebook and how many conversations start with "did you see _______ on facebook?" Having real life conversations with people over the phone or at a coffee shop is so satisfying verse over online chat! Here are some things I've spent the last two weeks thinking about and doing.
1). The first week of lent I dedicated to the word re:Lent. I spent my times with God focusing on this word and how it was used in the bible and how I can apply it now. I learned that God is relentless. He never gives up. He doesn't chose the easy way out. I learned that relent means to soften in feeling, temper or determination. In the Old Testament God relents towards his people often! His people do things day in and day out that don't honor him and only bring more harm to themselves, but God chooses to soften the blow by showing grace and favor upon them (Isaiah 57:6 is a good example). I learned at the end of the week that I need to soften (relent) my determination and self motivation for some compassion and grace. I get too wrapped up in power through stuff that I forget to let others come along side me so that I can teach them.
2). Week two was re:Pent. This was been the toughest week. It was the toughest to be away from facebook and it was the toughest to be honest with God. We always hear the need to repent and be forgiven of our sins but I often times do not truly repent of everything that is on my heart and in my mind. I try to talk myself out of things that I did that are not pleasing to the Lord. So as I struggled with not logging into facebook as every talked about what students were doing, or pictures posted by friends, I also struggled with fully being honest about things of the past, hurts, healing, and current struggles. I learned that I am selfish about my time and activities to an extent that could be preventing me from things that God desires in my life. I came to face to face with what my desires in life are verse what God's desires for my life are. It was a healing week that I ended up loving by Tuesday night.
3). This week is re:deemed!! excited to share about that later =)
4). Since giving up facebook I have had the best phone conversations with friends. I have sent a couple of letters to people that live out of state! I have read more blogs and finished 2 books (I started them over 6 months ago). I feel more productive and accomplish then I have in a while. It really has been a freeing experience. I also have been involved in way less drama!! I'm not a dramatic person at all...I try to avoid drama at all circumstances, but it seems like knowing every one's business over facebook lends itself to getting involved in unwanted pressures of life =/ But it has been awesome to not be a part of that!!
That's the update for the last 2 weeks!
love ya all
A
1). The first week of lent I dedicated to the word re:Lent. I spent my times with God focusing on this word and how it was used in the bible and how I can apply it now. I learned that God is relentless. He never gives up. He doesn't chose the easy way out. I learned that relent means to soften in feeling, temper or determination. In the Old Testament God relents towards his people often! His people do things day in and day out that don't honor him and only bring more harm to themselves, but God chooses to soften the blow by showing grace and favor upon them (Isaiah 57:6 is a good example). I learned at the end of the week that I need to soften (relent) my determination and self motivation for some compassion and grace. I get too wrapped up in power through stuff that I forget to let others come along side me so that I can teach them.
2). Week two was re:Pent. This was been the toughest week. It was the toughest to be away from facebook and it was the toughest to be honest with God. We always hear the need to repent and be forgiven of our sins but I often times do not truly repent of everything that is on my heart and in my mind. I try to talk myself out of things that I did that are not pleasing to the Lord. So as I struggled with not logging into facebook as every talked about what students were doing, or pictures posted by friends, I also struggled with fully being honest about things of the past, hurts, healing, and current struggles. I learned that I am selfish about my time and activities to an extent that could be preventing me from things that God desires in my life. I came to face to face with what my desires in life are verse what God's desires for my life are. It was a healing week that I ended up loving by Tuesday night.
3). This week is re:deemed!! excited to share about that later =)
4). Since giving up facebook I have had the best phone conversations with friends. I have sent a couple of letters to people that live out of state! I have read more blogs and finished 2 books (I started them over 6 months ago). I feel more productive and accomplish then I have in a while. It really has been a freeing experience. I also have been involved in way less drama!! I'm not a dramatic person at all...I try to avoid drama at all circumstances, but it seems like knowing every one's business over facebook lends itself to getting involved in unwanted pressures of life =/ But it has been awesome to not be a part of that!!
That's the update for the last 2 weeks!
love ya all
A
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