Spring cleaning??!

I'm not sure about any of you, but spring cleaning hit my house today! I'm sure it's just wishful thinking that spring is right around the corner but I was dying to get my clothes closets cleaned out! I've been so antsy about cleaning that I could wait no longer and had to do it! Every morning when I was working on getting dressed, I would struggle to identify the clothes that actually still fit me! So, I tried on all my clothes today (except the ones in the hamper that I've confirmed appropriate fitting) and I got rid of 2 large trash bags of clothes that no longer fit! Astounding! I have two trash bags of clothes headed to goodwill. They are in great shape...they just don't fit MY shape anymore! :-)

Some clothes I was so glad to see go...they weren't my favorites and it was good to have a legitimate reason to excuse them from service in my house. But there were others that I really liked. Isn't it odd that a person can become so attached to something like an article of clothing?! Sometimes I am attached because of memories associated with the item. But, sometimes it's just pure silliness!

Whatever the reason, I was reminded as I was cleaning that I am a sojourner in this land. This is not my permanent home. It is my home for now but one day I will be with my Lord and Savior, worshipping at His feet and praising His name! I am looking forward to that day when I will see him face to face. Are you looking forward to that day, too?

Face to Face
by C. Breck

Face to face with Christ my Savior
Face to face--what will it be--
When with rapture I behold Him,
Jesus Christ, Who died for me?

Only faintly now I see Him,
With the darkling veil between;
But a blessed day is coming,
When His glory shall be seen.

What rejoicing in His presence,
When are banished grief and pain;
When the crooked ways are straightened,
And the dark things shall be plain.

Face to face! O blissful moment!
Face to face--to see and know;
Face to face with my Redeemer,
Jesus Christ Who loves me so!

Chorus:
Face to face I shall behold Him,
Far beyond the starry sky;
Face to face in all His glory,
I shall see Him by and by.

My Song is Love Unknown

A few weeks ago, I was practicing the piano. When no one is listening, I love to find unfamiliar songs and play them. I came across this hymn, My Song is Love Unknown, (Hymns of Truth & Praise, 162) that has a lovely tune and, more than that, the words struck me. I haven't been able to get them out of my head. And, today, as I was forced to miss meeting because of feeling a bit under the weather, I came back to this song, thinking on the wondrous love of my Savior for me, that He showed love to me, the loveless, so that I might be lovely. He has set me free and I gives thanks to Him with a heart grateful for the love He has bestowed on me!

My Song is Love Unknown
by Samuel Crossman

My song is love unknown, My Savior's love to me,
Love to the loveless shown, That they might lovely be.
Oh who am I, that for my sake My Lord should take Frail flesh, and die?

He came from His blest throne, Salvation to bestow;
But men made strange, and none the longed-for Christ would know:
But O, my Friend, My Friend indeed, Who at my need His life did spend!

Sometimes they strew His way, And His sweet praises sing;
Resounding all the day Hosannas to their King:
Then "Crucify!" Is all their breath, And for His death they thirst and cry.

They rise, and needs will have My dear Lord made away;
A murderer they save, The Prince of Life they slay.
Yet cheerful He to suff'ring goes, that He His foes from thence might free.

Here might I stay and sing, No story so divine;
Never was love, dear King, Never was grief like Thine.
This is my Friend, In whose sweet praise I all my days could gladly spend.

**If you like, here is the tune on YouTube to the rendition found in Hymns of Truth & Praise

Memories and Scripture

I like the beginning of a new year. It feels like a fresh start. It's an opportunity to reflect on the past year and the lessons learned. It's a chance to look at the good times and smile at the memories. It's a chance to look at the not-so-good times and rejoice that the Lord brought me through it. It's an opportunity to look at my mistakes and determine what I will choose to do differently this year to avoid those mistakes. A new year gives me a chance to assess my habits, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

One weakness that is identified every year, to my shame, is my lack of faithfulness to memorizing scripture. I STINK at memorizing. I am not being dramatic! I really am awful at it! I've struggled with it for as long as I can remember. I remember something for about 2 seconds...then it's gone! In fact, I have a dear friend, who I lovingly refer to as my "Sticky Note" because she can remember things FOR me better than I can for myself!

Why should I memorize scripture and what do I know about God's word, (according to Psalm 119)?

1. God's Word is truth. "The entirety of Your word is truth..." Psalm 119:160
2. God's Word is cleansing. "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your Word." Psalm 119:9
3. God's Word keeps me from sin. "Your word have I hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you." Psalm 119:11
4. God's Word revives. "My soul clings to the dust; Revive me according to Your word." Psalm 119:25
5. God's Word strengthens. "My soul melts from heaviness; Strengthen me according to Your word." Psalm 119:28
6. God's Word gives life. "This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life." Psalm 119:50
7. God's Word gives light. "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Psalm 119:105
8. God's Word is pure. "Your word is very pure; therefore Your servant loves it." Psalm 119:140

Those are just a few reasons I think it's important for me to work diligently to create a new habit of memorizing scripture.

To help me in this memorizing endeavor, I'm using a new program, that I found on "Revive Our Hearts" website...it involves repetition...a LOT of repetition.

1. Choose your verses.
2. Review them daily for 7 weeks.
3. Then, weekly for 7 months.
4. Then, yearly for 7 years.

Each time you rotate your verses to the next step, add in new verses. So you'll always have new verses to read through....ie memorize!
(Click on the above links to find the printable pages to follow the program!)

I've started with a bite size number of verses...but, I'll share those with you another day! Good luck and Happy Memorizing!!

A Look in a Book

Strife...

1. Heated, often violent dissension; bitter conflict.
2. A struggle, fight, or quarrel.
3. Contention or competition between rivals.

http://www.answers.com/topic/strife

I've never taken much time to think about strife and from the above definition, I really want to try to avoid it! Surely, I do not have strife in my life, right!? Well, let's be honest. We all experience strife in our lives at some point, so when a friend recommended we read "Conflict Free Living" by J. Meyers together I took her up on the offer! We've been reading through it, examining the scriptures together, and discussing what God says about strife in our lives and how to deal with it. To be honest, it seems easier to deal with strife in a book than it does in real life...but I suppose that's always the hard part...applying what we learn!

Peace...

1. a state of tranquility or quiet.
2. freedom from disquieting or oppressive thoughts or emotions.
3. harmony in personal relations.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/peace

I am thankful, that although this world seems to surround us with strife and contention, that we are able to experience peace through our Lord Jesus Christ.

"Therefore, having been justified by faith,
we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."
Romans 5:1-2

There is a lot I can't fathom when it comes to peace with the God of this universe, and there is a lot I don't understand about how to live peaceably in this world, but I DO know that the Bible asks us to strive for peace with everyone and I am praying that the Lord will help me to be sensitive to things in my life that lead to strife and that I might have my eyes opened to what it means to live in peace, in the midst of a world that offers anything but peace!

"Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble..."

Hebrews 12:14-15

Blogging, food & working out!

BLOGGING

My intent to post more frequently isn't going great...but, then again, I'm shooting for progress NOT perfection because we both know I'll never reach perfection!! So, hopefully I'm making progress towards posting a little more than I did last year! My problem? I get inspired to post while I'm in the car, reading a book, at work...and then, my memory fails me. I forget those "great inspirations" or somehow they feel less inspiring when I actually sit down to write. Other times, I have a thought that just seems difficult to portray through a blog medium. And, so, these thoughts are lost, never to be found in this blog-land!

In many ways, I need to remember WHY I want to blog in the first place.

• I like to write and it's a good outlet for this!
• It's a really fun way to keep in touch with friends!
• But most of all, I enjoy being able to go back and be reminded of the faithfulness of the Lord, of the lessons He is teaching me over time. (And hopefully can see a little bit of growth in the process!)

Like many things in life, it's important not to lose perspective and I think blogging is no different! So hopefully, as I work towards being a little more consistent in posting, I will also be able to return to the "roots" of why I started this blog in the first place!!

FOOD

I added a most glorious item to my house over the holidays.....a small, single-person sized deep freezer! I LOVE IT! It has opened a whole new world for me! Cooking for one person is a challenge...it is difficult...I generally don't enjoy it one bit! You cook something and then eat it, breakfast, lunch and dinner for a week and vow you will never eat it again...EVER! Or, every time you go to the refrigerator you realize there is yet MORE food to throw out because one person just can't consume that whole casserole alone! (Are you feeling the negative feelings I have regarding cooking for myself?!!)



But no more! THERE IS HOPE!! I am cooking more now than I have in a long time! My mom gave me a great cookbook for Christmas..."Ready, Set, Eat", a Gooseberry Patch book. It has lots of great, quick recipes! And, now that I have a freezer, I cook a meal, eat a serving and put one serving in my refrigerator. Then, I split the remainder into single serving containers and freeze it! It's my version of "once a month cooking". I'm essentially making my own frozen meals so I can easily pull them out after work. It's been great! Not only do I have home cooked meals again, but I'm saving money, too!! (And hopefully helping my cholesterol in the process!!)

WORKING OUT

Ah, the struggles of trying to be healthy and fit! I love the IDEA of being fit, but rarely have the discipline to follow through on it. I would love to be able to do workouts in the great outdoors but sadly, breathing in large amounts of allergens isn't ideal according to my allergy doctor! And, it seems like when I finally get a good habit down, I get sick and my lungs don't tolerate a good workout without being followed by a significant coughing fit (not exactly the sort of "FIT" I'm aiming for!). But, I've been able to avoid a respiratory infection for several months now (Praise the Lord!) and am now ready to commit to regular workouts again! So I joined the local community center with a friend today and jumped back on the wagon! I figure, that if I ever want to be in shape, I'd better do it now, because we all know, we're not getting any younger!! (And maybe, just maybe, it could help with my migraines too, as they've decided to re-surface over the last few weeks!)

Well, if you're still reading now...kudos to you for being able to bear with my ramblings and I hope you stay tuned for any other ramblings that might surface!

A Look in a Book

I've started reading The Shackled Continent, a book that seeks an answer to why African nations are crippled by war, disease, and corrupt governments. I am not a political person. I recognize that nearly everywhere I turn, I am faced by politics...but, in all honesty, I despise politics. I hardly have an understanding of American politics, let alone any idea about the world political forum! But, I've found this book to be quite interesting so far and I thought I'd share quotes with you as I read!

"Since independence, Africa's governments have failed their people. Few allow ordinary citizens the freedom to seek their own fortunes without official harassment. Few uphold the rule of law, enforce contracts or safeguard property rights. Many are blatantly predatory, serving as the means by which a small elite extracts rents from everyone else. Predatory governments usually make their countries poorer, as in Nigeria and the central African Republic. Worse, when power confers riches, people sometimes fight for it, as in Congo and Liberia."

*The Shackled Continent: Africa's Past, Present and Future, by Robert Guest, p. 12

I may not agree with many of our government's decisions but I can be thankful that I rest in a higher power, a Power that will never fail me and has proven to be faithful for many generations before me! It has been a stark reminder to me to be thankful for all that the Lord has blessed me with...the many things that I so often take for granted...especially many of the freedoms we have the liberty to enjoy in our country!!

Happy New Year!!

I found this in my email inbox this morning and thought I would share it with you! Happy New Year to you all!!

After serious & cautious consideration...
your contract of friendship has been cautiously renewed for the New Year ~ 2009!
It was a very hard decision to make.
So try not to screw it up!!! ;-)

My Wish for You in 2009
May peace break into your house
and may thieves come to steal your debts.
May the pockets of your jeans become a magnet for $100 bills.

May love stick to your face like Vaseline
and may laughter assault your lips!

May your clothes smell of success like smoking tires
and may happiness slap you across the face
and may your tears be that of joy.
May the problems you had be forgot & your home be your Sanctuary!

In simple words .... May 2009 be the best year of your life!!!

I have been thinking a lot about what my New Years post would be and I haven't been able to come up with one better than last years. Last year, I had a prayer for the year instead of resolutions and I must tell you, that throughout the year I was continually reminded of the need to pray for others and reminded of how influential and essential prayer is in our lives. I was reminded of how important it is to pray specifically and persistently. I was reminded of the faithfulness of my God every time I saw another prayer answered!

Fervent prayer is crucial to leading a victorious life in Christ and is crucial to building an intimate relationship with our God! So instead of trying to come up with something better, I'm going to keep the "prayer of the year" from last year because I think it is just as essential in 2009! Please, join me in praying this prayer for the loved ones in your life this year!