Blog Help!

Does anyone have any tips on blog sprucing? I'm really sick of how mine looks and am not excited about any of the templates I can find online! Sadly, I'm a bit ignorant when it comes to doing it myself without some detailed instructions! Can you recommend any helpful books or even someone who I can pay a nominal fee to spruce it FOR me!? (All the ones I've found so far are not accepting new customers!)

Please help!!

Praying, Waiting, Exalting

John Heller spoke last Sunday on one of my favorite verses. He was speaking on the 10 lepers where 9 did not return thanks and then he took us to Isaiah 30:18 that says:

"Therefore, will the Lord wait, that He may be
gracious to you and there He will be exalted..."

John spoke on the fact that an immediate answer to our prayers is not always the answer that will be the best for us or will glorify the Lord the most. Perhaps, there are things that need to change in me, or perhaps in circumstances around me, for the answer to be the best for me. Perhaps time just needs to pass. Whatever the case, the Lord is waiting because He wants to receive the glory. And, for me, that brings comfort. To know that it's not that the Lord is ignoring my prayers or holding out on me. He is waiting so that He will receive the most glory. And, if it means that I wait all my life for an answer and He receives the most glory by the way I respond in waiting, than that is what I want. Everything is designed for His glory.

I say these things, but I must be honest that my heart doesn't quite fully follow in this line of thinking yet. I sometimes struggle with really desiring the Lord's will for my life if it means that what I want won't be fulfilled. That statement brings out the reality of my childish heart...to desire what I want over what is God's best for me. I read it in scripture, I know it in my mind, that it is best to be in God's will but sometimes it is hard for my heart to follow in suit.

What I have realized, too, is my sinful heart in how I approach my prayers to the Lord. Sadly, oftentimes, I am "doubting God's ability to bring it about...expressing a kind of 'hope fatigue' and resignation...a strong current of unbelief toward God."* Whatever my prayer is for-healing from illness, salvation of a soul, provisions for my needs, etc- I seem to be so surprised when I see the Lord answer my petitions because in my heart I am minimizing God's ability to bring it to pass.

So I have been challenged this year to "pray things through" (George Dawson), to not just present them before the Lord once or twice but to be faithful to the fulfillment of an answer (yes or no!). I have been challenged to be committed to pray boldly to the Lord with unwavering faith that He WILL answer me ("you have not because you ask not") when He will be glorified the most...and that He will help my heart to truly desire His exaltation over my own need for an immediate answer.


*Quoted from Radical Womanhood: Woman Praying Boldly

"...and let us run with ENDURANCE..."

Do you ever find yourself discouraged by the monotony of your daily life, by the menial tasks that never seem to end? I know I do! But I was so encouraged when I was reading my devotions several days ago.

I've been going through Bill MacDonald's "One Day at a Time" this year and it has been such a blessing to my heart. I was reading what he wrote about endurance in this life, an endurance for the things of God. He talked about how many people view the Christian life in a very idealistic manner, a manner that makes it seem as if every day should be filled with an "uninterrupted series of mountaintop experiences." It's like this idea does not include heartbreak, trials, daily routines that become monotonous, hard work, etc. And, when we find ourselves experiencing these things we become disheartened, discouraged and feel deprived. MacDonald goes on to say:

The true facts are these. Most of the Christian life is...'the way of plodding perseverance in the doing of apparently small things.' This is the way I have found it. There has been a full share of menial tasks, of long hours of disciplined study, of service without apparent results. At times, the question has arisen, 'Is anything really being accomplished?' Just then the Lord would drop some token of encouragement, some wonderful answer to prayer, some clear word of guidance. And I would be strengthened to go for a while longer. ... If you are ever tempted to quit, remember the words of Hebrews 10:36 (NEB), 'You need endurance if you are to do God's will and win what He has promised.'

So, when you're feeling discouraged because you have yet another load of laundry to do or the floor needs to be scrubbed again or just another day of work, be sure to look for those "tokens of encouragement" that the Lord gives you to help you go on, to remind you of His faithfulness, even in the midst of the mundane!

A noble life is not a blaze
Of sudden glory won,
But just an adding up of days
In which God's will is done.

One Day at a Time, January 10

Isn't snow wonderful!?

This is what I woke up to this morning! A blanket of snow! Isn't it lovely?!

Just for Fun

Ok, so I know I'm a week past doing this but Rachel tagged me and here it goes! By the way...I tag...Anne M. & Jenica! Have fun girls!!

I give you money and send you into the grocery store to pick up 5 items. You can only pick one thing from the following departments. What is it?
1. Produce: Sugar snap Peas
2. Bakery: Donuts :-)
3. Meat: Hamburger
4. Frozen: Pizza
5. Dry goods: Cheez-Its

Let's say we're heading out for a weekend getaway. You're only allowed to bring 3 articles of CLOTHING with you. So, what's in your bag?
1. Jeans
2. T-shirt
3. Underwear (Have none of you been wearing underwear on this weekend getaway! ha ha!)

1 task you wish you were better at doing?
1. Piano Playing

1 Celebrity you wish you looked like (silly, I know:))
1. Ummm..this is hard b/c they may look pretty but then their character kinda of ruins it for me.

If I was to listen in on one of your conversations throughout the day, what 5 phrases or words would I be most likely to hear?
1. Hey, mom, How's your day going?
2. Kate did what? Ha ha!
3. Is it time to eat yet?
4. What a cute baby! (especially the days I'm at work!)
5. Dear Lord, Help me to get through another day and glorify you in the process.

So, what 3 things do you find yourself doing every single day, and if you didn't get to do, you probably wouldn't be in the best mood?
1. My Quiet Time
2. Take a shower
3. Talk to a friend or family member

What 5 places do you visit roughly every week?
1. Church
2. Work
3. Gas Station
4. Starbucks (I have bible study there!)
5. Target

If you were to shop at three stores for a whole year to supply your wardrobe and money was not an issue, which 3 would it be?
1. Banana Republic
2. Nordstroms
3. Northface

You just scored tickets to the taping of any show that comes on t.v. of your choice. You can pick between 4, so what are you deciding between?
1. Flip that House
2. House
3. 24
4. Real Life in the ER :-)

You're hungry for ice cream. I'll give you a tripple dipper ice cream cone. What 3 flavors can I pile on for ya?
1. Mint Choc. Chip
2. Bunny Tracks (sounds gross but if you've had it you know it's delicious!)
3. Coffee

Somebody stole your purse… in order to get it back, you have to name 5 things you know are inside to claim it. So, what's in there?
1. Red wallet
2. Cell Phone
3. Planner
4. Hand Sanitizer
5. Lip Gloss

If you could go back and talk to the old you, when you were in high school, and inform yourself of 4 things, what would you say?
1. Focus on the will of God...your sanctification
2. Study the Word
3. Life may not go according to your plan but His will is best. Trust Him. Lean on Him. He will be faithful. And be pleasantly surprised at how His best can really be great, even when its not what you expected!
4. Your parents really are wise and know what they are talking about so LISTEN!

Grief & Comfort

My heart has been heavy this week. Various friends and families that are going through trials have constantly been on my mind. Eli H., Elliot H., Luke K., the Hausmann's, to name a few. My heart breaks to think of the pain that these families are going through right now. I wonder how to give them words of comfort. The things that come to mind are true. All things DO work together for good for those who love the Lord. God WILL only give us what we can handle (in HIS strength). The Lord DOES have a purpose behind everything that happens. But are these words really comforting when someone's heart is breaking from grief and pain?

I wish there were a magic wand that would make everything "right" again. But, that isn't how God designed things, did He? Everything is designed with the purpose that God might be glorified...even through these horribly, heartbreaking events. So, my conclusion for now?

Be there for them.
Listen to them.
Pray FOR them.
Pray WITH them.
Cry with them.
(And of course, do some of those practical, every day things for them so they can focus their attention on their loved ones.)

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice and weep with them that weep." Romans 12:15

My prayer for you this year

I am having trouble sleeping tonight and so have been sitting here reading and thinking. I have been thinking about how I want to pray for my loved ones this year. I have been thinking about what I want to see the Lord do in your lives and that I want to see you "be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God..." (Colossians 1:9-10) Sounds like a pretty lofty goal, right?! But, I figure that if Paul could pray that for the people at Colosse than surely I can pray it for you too!

As my mind has been drawn to prayer this evening, I was wonderfully encouraged and surprised when I opened up my One Day at a Time devotional by William McDonald and saw that it's all about a prayer for the year. And so tonight, before I lay my head on my pillow to hopefully finally drift off to sleep, I will be praying these things for my life and for yours in this New Year! (The following is taken from One Day at a Time. It has been modified and is not quoted in its entirety.)

Lord Jesus, I rededicate myself afresh to You today. I want You to take my life this coming year and use it for Your glory. "Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee."

I pray that You will keep me from sin, from anything that will bring dishonor to Your name.

Keep me teachable by the Holy Spirit. I want to move forward for You. Don't let me settle in a rut.

May my motto this year be, "He must increase; I must decrease." The glory must all be Yours. Help me not to touch it.

Teach me to make every decision a matter of prayer. I dread the thought of leaning on my own understanding. "I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jer. 10:23)

May I die to the world and even to the approval or blame of loved ones or friends. Give me a single, pure desire to do the things that please Your heart.

Help me to speak what is edifying and profitable.

Give me tears of compassion for the perishing.

Help me to be a good steward of everything you have entrusted to me.

Help me to remember that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit. May this tremendous truth influence all my behavior.

I pray that this may be the year of Your return. I long to see Your face and to fall at Your feet in worship. During the coming year, may the blessed hope stay fresh in my heart, disengaging me from anything that would hold me here and keeping me on the tiptoes of expectancy. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus."

Amen.