March 31, 2012

• Remember

  

  Her name is “Remember”…doesn’t it capture things perfectly? My aunt Tina gave this little willow tree figurine to me like 2 years ago for my birthday, I think, and it’s still my favorite of all the ones I own. I think it’s because I have so much remembering to do…sometimes the memories are beautiful, sometimes they’re unbearably sad…

   

  Hi, everyone. It’s the last day of March and I couldn’t wait any longer to update my xanga, and I got a whole extra day just given to me by God! I had to work today from 7-3 so I woke up at 5:30 and went in to the Hospital and circumstances were such that I did NOT have to work…I grinned all the way down the elevator and on my walk out to my car. There was the smell of wisteria coming down the hill to me on the breeze and I just KNEW today was going to be a Very Good Day.  

  I made chocolate chip cookies this morning as soon as I got back home (very quietly so as not to wake my slumbering guys…no complaints, so I think I did a good job:), and then after they went off to wherever they went for the day, I cleaned the house while listening to bangy, Spring music, and now it’s been switched to Gabriel Yared and I’m sitting on the porch where I can plug my laptop and cellphone in and still hear the music through the open window. It looks like this: 

  

  I love studying outside..:) (and that glass is from Honduras and it makes things taste Just Right)

   

  Papa’s last two sermons were about remembering what God has done for us…I hadn’t noticed before but the thing of remembering is throughout the entire Bible…old and new testament. There’s a lot about it in Deuteronomy…”Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth…from the house of bondage” (Deut 6:12) for a tiny example, and there’s a LOT of Jewish traditions that were ordained by God for the sole purpose of making them remember things. The Passover for example. It comes out over and over how God doesn’t want us to forget what he’s done. He made sure they did certain things so the children would ask why it was done that way so the stories would be passed down and generations later would still remember what was done for them. If you read Psalm 107 it shows the cycle of being in that happy place of praising God after a miracle he’s performed and then slowly forgetting, falling on their faces, being sold into captivity (or wandering in a wilderness) and then calling out to God and Him bringing them back. It starts with, “O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; and gathered them out of the lands from the the east, and from the west, from the north and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them out of their distresses. And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing of the soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death being bound in affliction and iron; because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High: therefore he brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses.” See the pattern? And it goes on like that…up and then down into rebellion and pain and then when they called to God, he would always rescue them. I wonder if we’re like that…;)

   

  

  Misty mornings

   

  

  chickadees are my favorite birds. So spunky and cute!

   

  

  Redbuds are one of the most beautiful things about spring..they grow everywhere and are breathtakingly beautiful!

   

  I’ve been listening to some sermons Papa gave me on conflict resolution. The guy’s name is Ken Sande and he’s a lawyer and wrote the book “The Peacemaker” (which I really want to read) and works with Peacemaker Ministeries. I’ve listened to 3 of the sermons so far and felt like crying with every single one. The depth and beauty of the things he says are absolute Truth and they feel like water in the desert. He brings out how the Bible is FULL of conflict and there’s a lot of advice on how to deal with it…he gives so many practical examples and just…WOW. I want to gather all my dear friends together, sit them down, put the cd in and just make them sit there and listen. It’s life giving. anywho! That was a rabbit trail. He talked about The Gospel and how important it is in conflict resolution. But somewhere along the line, it hit me. I’ve forgotten about the gospel and what it’s done in my own life. I very rarely think about Jesus dying on the cross and the sacrifice (isn’t that such an inadequate word for what he did?) he made for us..for ME and how I’ve taken it for granted. It made me stop in my tracks. I don’t want to forget. So…how do we remember? I’m sure there’s lots of ways, but one that Jesus specifically set up is Communion. It brought a whole new meaning to Communion…thinking of it this way. Makes me want to do it far more often. And I may cry next time our church does it…it’s so…words can’t describe the depth of it all.

   

  

  My paradise is in full bloom…the bluebells go on forever…it’s impossible to capture it with my camera..wish I could.

   

  

  

   

  

  towels drying in sun

   

  

  “my heart is wrapped in clover…” (the song At Last)

   

  

  ripply pie edges

   

  2 Peter 1 says “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust…for if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall. Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance; knowing that shortly I must put off this tabernacle, even as our Lord Jesus Christ hath showed me. Moreover I will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance.” The rest of the chapter is really good too, and I skipped a few verses. Go read it..slowly.

  Do you get that he’s dying? And that they already know these things but he just HAS to tell them because they must remember the greatness of God and how he has set them free from their old sins…and that if they don’t remember, they’re blind? 

   

  

  Willy brought me home a meal the other day…YUM.

   

  

  I was surprised to notice napoleones in our school library! It made my day of course. 

   

  

  the moonset the other morning..:)

  

  the lights in my room

   

  

  Cilantro randomly transplanting itself and growing on the other side of our sidewalk

   

  

  Spring flowers and trees are simply The Best!

   

  

  A wonderfully fun afternoon With Him..:)

   

  

  Morning devotions on our porch

   

  

  Budding things

   

  

  lizard!!

   

  

  Our tulips knew which day was the first of Spring and burst out that day:)

   

  

  time with beautiful friends…

  

  FUN!! Can you guess which is mine?

   

  

  tiny pinecones noticed

   

  

  Bumble bees and their annoyed buzzing when I sit in spots they supposedly own

   

  

  Delightful card from wonderful friend

   

  As you may have guessed…remembering to me, translates as “Thanking”. Isn’t it funny that Psalms 107 starts out with that? And halfway through he almost BEGS people to praise God. To BE in that delightful place where we’re thanking him for his amazingness. If we could only stay in that spot, right? I think we can. *huge excited grin* It’s called eucharisteo. Living thanks. Being grateful in all things. FOR All Things. Yes, even the ones you don’t like. I don’t believe in happenstance. If it’s in your life (unless it’s sin of course), and it’s a circumstance you can’t change no matter what you do…maybe there’s something beautiful God wants to do in your life through it. There’s infinite possibilities when a person is living for God..:) Maybe thanking him, accepting it through that thanksgiving…maybe that’s when he’ll open your eyes to the why behind it all. Maybe not. Maybe you’ll have to wait a year or two to understand things…but that’s what hindsight brings. A direct view of God’s fingerprints in a person’s life and how every single thing we’ve given him has been turned into gloriously, sparkling beauty. New and shiny from the ugly and painful. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow..” And he’s amazing at healing…I would know. :’)

  Next month it’ll be four years since we moved up here. Sometimes I wish I knew then what I do now. I could give the me back then quite the talking to and the me back then would have been either highly encouraged or maybe she’d smack me for poking around in her painful places and offering hope when all she could think of was the all consuming pain. So maybe it’s good I can’t go back hehe But seeing what all God has done in my life in these 4 years…it makes me feel encouraged about the next 4. Not only in my life, but in the lives of my little sisters and brothers who still seem to be floundering a bit. Pray for them okay? If you think about it…

   

  

  strawberry pear shake…it was amazing, if I do say so myself

   

  

  dogwoods…

   

  

  interesting tree stuff (not sure what these are)

   

  

  I love what evening light does to make things sparkle..:)

   

  

  Kaye gave me this little guy for my birthday…he’s inspiring..:)

   

  

  Gift from my beloved who spoils me with candy all the time. 

  It’s a miracle I’m not waddling with fat by now.

   

  

  Green things make me HAPPY!!

  

  “pale green baby leaves on the trees..” -Bethany Detweiler

   

  

  Such a variety of wonderful people in my life…so many of them commenting on my facebook for my birthday…it made my day

   

   

  

  Another gift from my boyfriend. These shoes are everything shoes should be…:)

   

  

  reflections

   

  

  more reflections..and dandelions

   

  

  time with my sis…that morning is branded in my memory with so much happiness..:)

   

  

  more redbuds..:)

   

  

  what morning light does to make things sparkle..:)

   

  

  the alfredo pasta I taught myself to make. (and I just made my own stomach growl haha)

   

  

  All the happy faces

   

  

  This pic makes my eyes go “ahhhhh”..:)

   

  

  Who can blame me for loving them so much? They’re so delightful.

   

   

  

  Annual four leaf clover…I’ve found one every year for 3 years now…the past 2 both happened in March. Makes me happy:)

   

  

  Wisteria..wish I could capture the smell for you guys…it’s so amazing..:)

   

  I’ve come to the conclusion…after living in thanksgiving for a while now…that it’s Heaven on Earth. We’ll be continually praising God in Heaven…delighting in Him and his love for us…and this life is our only opportunity to learn to give thanks through pain and hardship. To see him in the “every day”… If we get there and praise is completely foreign to us…wouldn’t that be sad? So go give thanks, dear ones. Go remember what all he’s done. Thank him for what you can remember, and thank him for what you cannot see, what he’s done for you that you don’t even know about yet. Just…thank him for…Everything. And wait for the smile…:)

   

  Much love,

  me

   p.s. The # of pictures is at 151!

   

  • 5:54 pm
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