The Beginning of the Adventure Called 2012

Wow!  Okay, you've probably heard a million and a half people say this, but seriously, where on earth did 2011 go?!?  I feel like it was just the other day that we were ringing in 2011 and now it's over.  Totally weird!  However, I don't think I've ever been as excited for a year to start as I am for the beginning of 2012.

I'm not a person who's big into New Year's Resolutions because, in all honestly, it seems like they're made to be broken.  I am, however, a person who LOVES new beginnings - Mondays are pretty much my favorite.  You have a whole brand new week laid out in front of you with all kinds of possibilities!  So, when I get an entire new year laid out in front of me, coupled with the fact I have been working on setting more goals in my life, you'd better believe I'm pretty excited!

The big thing I'm going to  try to do  begin doing (my CP! co-workers understand that...) this year is focus oh, so much more on time management.  Time management is such a buzz word, but it really is something that everyone wants and needs to work on.  How many times do you look at the clock and wonder what on earth you did for the past two hours?  How annoying is that?  Personally, I hate it!  I have a hard enough time getting everything I want to done in 24 hours and wasting two of them on who know what is not a wise thing!  And, in all honesty, I'm starting to get a bit convicted about it.  I mean, we know all about being wise stewards of our money and resources, but how often do we really think about being wise stewards of our time?  We state with our lips that every day is a gift from God, but are we acting like it?  If each day is truly a gift and we don't know if we are going to get another one, would it not be wise to actually use the gift and not fritter it away aimlessly?!

So, in light of all this thinking I have been doing, I decided to set some goals for myself, schedule more things, take out some things and, overall, start using my time more effectively.  I made a list of things I want to accomplish this year, from go on a missions trip to write my own recipes.  But those kinds of goals can be a bit ambiguous.  Write my own recipes.  That's a good enough goal, but how do I know if I've achieved that?  If I make one?  If I write my own cookbook?  There needs to be something more concrete to measure.  So, I pulled out my Life Purpose Planning book that I haven't looked at since Jan/Feb 2009 and took a look at the one year plan.  There's a five year plan in it, too, but that's a bit extreme for me right now.  I need to make sure my laundry is getting done on a regular basis before I can think about where I want to be in five years!  Instead of squishing everything into my workbook, I created a master spreadsheet in Excel with all the blanks per month just like in the book.  However, I took it one step further and created monthly sheets, too.  That way I can get even more specific in my goal setting.  For example, I want to attempt to make (or adapt so I can have it) a new recipe once a month.  It took a bit of work lining everything out, but I have every expectation it is going to be completely worth it!  I didn't plan everything out for the entire year because there are quite a bit of unknowns (I can't be planning a girls' Bible Study for over the summer if I end up being in Europe travelling and doing some missions work like I'm hoping to!), but I was at least able to set some things for January and February with some larger goals for a few months down the road.

I then took a look at my schedule: work, family, friends, church, etc. and asked myself where everything was going to fit in and what rules I was going to need to establish for myself.  I realized that if I am going to be able to read the books I want to and do the learning I desire, the TV is going to have to be completely off during the weekdays.  There's no two ways about it.  I had to ask myself, is that trade off going to be worth it?  After thinking about the content of the books I want to be reading and the TV and movies I would be watching, I decided that it would be.  Desiring to be a good steward of my time made that decision a no-brainer, even if I do like watching TV and movies a lot!  After some tweaks and cuts, my schedule looks very nice, both figuratively (everything fit in nicely and I didn't have to plan out every second to get it all done) and literally (the colors I chose to create the spreadsheet look very nice together! :P )

Then I started getting practical and took the time I had while on vacation from work to clean everything up, so I can start fresh and just maintain.  I went through drawers, closets, my desk, bins, even my pen and pencil cup!  I tossed things that I didn't need or use or was just plain clutter (those stickers I've had since first grade: I think it's pretty safe to say I will never use them!) and put things where they belonged.  I organized my file folders so I would actually start using them and not just pile everything on top of them until I have a chance to organize and label the files.  I organized my bin of yarn that has numerous projects going in it and wrote them all done and prioritized them.  I can't tell you how many times I've sat down to watch a movie with my family and wanted to work on a project at the same time but didn't have time to figure out what start with.  Now I have a list of ones in progress so I know what to grab and am going to work to consolidating that bit to just a bin, not a bin and a large Michael's bag, a smaller travel bag and another large Michael's bag... (Let's just say that I'm a little bit better at the money stewardship part and like sales on yarn that I will eventually use!)  I actually worked on one of those projects last night while watching a movie with some friends and finished it!  One checked off the list!

The beauty of all of this is I'm sitting on my computer on New Year's Eve without anything hanging over my head - I have gotten everything done that I need to and can enjoy my evening tonight and my last day of vacation tomorrow.  Monday will start the catch up and organization of my work things, but I don't think that will take long and, hey, I get paid for that!  I'm planning on blogging more about how all my plans and goals are going and I am hoping to be able to share some more things I've learned as I go along (the plan right now is to do a review at the end of every month).  I know that tweaking will occur and that's okay.  The goal is to have everything lined up and if God redirects, He redirects.  I've heard the saying, 'God can't drive a parked car' and although I don't entirely agree with that statement, there is some truth in the sentiment.  God wants us to get busy and if we are dedicated on getting busy serving Him, learning more about Him and wisely using the time He has given to us, I believe He will bless that and steer us in the right direction if His plan looks different than ours.  And if our heart is truly in the right place, we'll be excited for that change in direction and glory in the knowledge of feeling God's guiding hand on our life!  Plus, His plans are always better in the long run!

I strongly encourage you to, if nothing else, look back over 2011 with it's good and bad, identify what you have learned, how you have grown and write it down.  Then look forward to 2012 and write down what you would like to write down on this same day next year.  You will be amazed how you will be able to grow if you have a vision for the future!

Happy New Year!!!

Blessings in Christ,

The Things I Learned From Godspell

This started out as a simple thought and Facebook status update, but it started getting pretty long, so I switched to a full on blog post!

In my Bible reading this morning (yes, I seem to get blog ideas from my Bible reading!), I read about the resurrection of Christ in the book of Luke and I couldn't help but notice how real, tangible and emotion-laden the story has become to me since performing in Godspell.  It may have been almost four years ago now (gasp!), but the lessons I learned and the emotions I felt as I participated in acting out events in the life of Jesus will stay with me for the rest of my life.  Some of them cause me to giggle in the middle of sermons, some cause me to cry when most eyes around me are dry.

I will never be able to hear the song 'Day By Day' without thinking about how close I can be to my Savior on a daily basis and longing for the day when I will be able to smile up into His face, embrace Him and feel the warmth of His love and arms around me.

I will never be able to hear the story of sower with a straight face!  The entire time I will be thinking about pretending to be a Kindergartner not paying attention to the lesson and having a make-believe tea party with my two friends instead and yet somehow being able to be honored to play the part of the 'good soil!'

I will never be able to read the story of The Prodigal Son without thinking about the devotions we had for several weeks reading through Henri Nouwen's book "The Return of the Prodigal Son."  The insight I received as we read through that book and discussed it afterward is something I will always remember.  Thinking about the aspects of myself that are 'prodigal-like' but also recognizing the 'older brother' tendencies I have gave me some valuable insight into my life.  Of course, there's also the part about the Father's love for BOTH sons, which is always a good reminder of how awesome our Heavenly Father is.  I will also not be able to think about that story without thinking about "Chariots of Fire"...

I will never be able to read the story of Jesus separating the sheep and the goats without thinking about wearing sheep ears, baa-ing at the goats who were trying to get on the sheep's side and dancing on my hands and knees like a sheep!

I will never be able to hear about Jesus washing the disciples feet without feeling the embarrassment of having the Creator of the Universe stoop down to wash me.  And then, of course, I will always think of Peter - "Not just my feet, but my hands and my head as well!"

I will never be able to read the story of the Last Supper without feeling the love of Christ for His disciples and the confusion the disciples must have felt when the Man they loved so dearly tried to explain that He was going to be betrayed and die.  That 'goodbye' scene and the tears that would well up will forever be ingrained in my memory.

I will never be able to hear the story of the crucifixion again without feeling the agony of the betrayal of the disciples and what my sin caused Jesus to do for me.  And yet, how many times do I betray Him like this every single day when I continue to sin and not do what He desires me to?

I will never be able to think about those three days Jesus was in the grave without thinking of the excruciating mental state the disciples were in, knowing they fled from Him in His darkest hour and now the Man they had spent every waking moment with for the past three years was dead.  In a grave.  I will also always think about the confusion they felt - is this what He was trying to tell us about?  Why didn't we understand?  Why didn't we listen?  What are we supposed to do know?  What's going to happen to us?  I will forever remember the clinging to each other in utter grief, pain and bewilderment.  I will also never forget looking at what held Him to that cross and thinking, "What a small thing to hold Him to that cross.  That's not what kept Him up there - His love for me and for all those standing around me and for every person who has lived on this planet down through the centuries is what kept Him up there and NOTHING else."

And I will never, ever, ever forget the moment that started me on this blog post - the resurrection of Christ.  We've heard about it, we believe it, we know all about it, but I don't believe I truly 'experienced' it until I was standing on that stage, clinging to the other disciples standing around me, crying and trying to sing, then hearing the strains of "Prepare Ye" floating into the room, looking up and seeing a man in white coming down the aisle.  He died as a sacrifice, but He rose from the dead - He conquered sin and death so that all might live forever with Him!!  I will forever remember the relief and utter joy and peace that flooded me!  The knowledge that things may get rough, but everything is going to be alright.  The joy of knowing of my Savior's love for me became fresh, new and tangible.

Now I know some of this may sound funny to some people because it was 'just' acting in a show, but let me tell you, when you're acting out something that you know in your heart and soul to be real, it becomes very real and you learn so much about yourself and the people and story you are acting out.

There are many more things that I learned, but two last things I want to share don't have so much to do with the play itself, but with the people.  The first was sitting around in a circle on stage, acting out what we were supposed to do during the song, but also praying the entire time for the girl who was leading the song who was sick and who's voice had been going in and out.  You could palpably feel the prayers that were going up on her behalf and you could also feel the love we all had for her and how we were all coming together to lift her up.  The bond we all had in that moment was so tight and it was truly an amazing feeling.  Of course, she sang the song beautifully and I remember all of us secretly glancing at each other with a smile and maybe a few tears after she sang the highest note with ease.  That day I learned the power of corporate prayer and the camaraderie that comes from a group of believers praying together and loving on each other together and the bond that is formed.  Unfortunately, that's my best effort of trying to describe a scene that is truly beyond words - you really had to be apart of it to know exactly what happened on that stage that night.

This last thing I learned is probably one of my favorite and most memorable stories from all the plays I've been in.  We were all standing in a circle praying about 10 minutes before we were supposed to start the show.  We finished the prayer and looked up, only to see one of the 9 disciples (another one, not the same one mentioned in the other story) sitting on the floor, white as a ghost and suddenly feeling very sick.  I remember someone grabbing her something to eat and drink while the rest of us gathered around her, laid our hands on her and prayed.  There was someone else in the building who could play her part and play it well, but it wouldn't be the same - we needed HER.  After eating and drinking a little bit, she felt well enough to go on, but we were all on alert, making sure she was okay the entire time on stage, prepared to help her if she needed it, grabbing her some water on stage if she needed it (we never left except at intermission) and praying for her every chance we got.  It wasn't just those of us on stage who were praying for her - everyone working backstage was praying for her and everyone else in the cast not on stage and everyone was ready to assist at a moment's notice if anything went wrong.  That show was our best one.  We all flew across the stage and the one who was sick - she was AMAZING!!  No one who saw the show would have believed that she had been barely able to stand up just 10 minutes before the show started!  Again, words can't quite describe the emotions that were felt during that performance.  Yet another example of what I learned about prayer during that show.

I learned oh, so many other things - I gained more insight in the story of the woman caught in adultery, the Good Samaritan, Jesus crying over Jerusalem, the log and the speck, the list goes on, but I won't bore you in a very long trip down memory lane.  To sum up, being in Godspell was one of the most amazing experiences in my life and I am still building on the things I learned during it.  So, for all of you who cringe at the mention of Godspell, let me tell you: when it's done well and for the glory of God, it can be a most powerful tool!

Jesus and the disciples in my cast.  Love you all!!

Blessings in Christ,

RUN!

Oh, my poor, dear, neglected blog!  It's been over 3 months, but here's something! :)  I didn't have a whole ton of time and I'm not the best writer, but I had something that was on my heart that I felt needed to be shared to anyone who was interested in listening.


Let me just start out by saying, what a wonderful God we serve!  When I sat down to read my Bible this morning, I prayed and asked God to use His word to speak into my life this day and show me something I had never seen before.  Wow, did He deliver!  Not only did He do that, but I also got an idea for a blog post in the bargain! :)


Anyway, after I prayed, I started reading my Bible and found myself in the book of Acts (amazing book!) reading about Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch.  Now, I've heard this story tons of times and it's one that I really enjoy, but I got to see it with new eyes today.


Acts 8:26-31


²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. ²⁷ So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.” 
³⁰ So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
³¹ And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² The place in the Scripture which he read was this: 


“ He was led as a sheep to the slaughter;
      And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
       So He opened not His mouth.
       ³³ In His humiliation His justice was taken away,
      And who will declare His generation?
      For His life is taken from the earth.”<sup>[Isaiah 53:7,8]

34</sup> So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. ³⁶ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” 
³⁷ Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” 
And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”^[c]
38 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. ³⁹ Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.


Now, the coolest part of this story is probably the fact that Philip was caught away and 'transported' about 20 miles away after he baptized the eunuch and the eunuch went away rejoicing!  But that's not the part that stuck out at me (and convicted me) today.  No, it's much deeper than that.


Verse 29 says, "Then the Spirit said to Philip, 'Go near and overtake this chariot.' "  And what's the very next thing that is said?  "So Philip ran to him"  He didn't walk, he didn't ask God for confirmation this is what He wanted him to do, he didn't pull out his Bible to check if this was the right thing to do, he RAN.  The Spirit spoke and he ran.  No questions asked.  And Philip, the eunuch, every person who knew either one of them and every person who has read the Bible since then has been blessed.  All because of one simple act - the Spirit spoke and Philip ran.


How many times have we asked for God to reveal something to us or use us in a mighty way or start a revival?  How many times have we sought Him and asked what we were supposed to do in a situation or asked Him what He wanted us to do with our lives?  How many times?  If you're anything like me, a lot!  How many times has He whispered the answer and we delayed?  How many times has He shown us something and we decided we needed to pray more about it or asked for more confirmation?  Gideon and his fleeces come to mind - what would have happened in this situation if Philip went home to 'lay out some fleeces'  The eunuch would have been home in Ethiopia by the time Philip learned this was what he was supposed to do!  How many times have we hesitated saying something to someone because 'we weren't sure we are going to say the right thing'?  How many times?  How many times has God told us to do something and we ran after it?  Hopefully at least a few times!  And how amazing and rewarding and encouraging and blessing-filled were those times?!?!


As Dr. Jeff Myers says in his book 'Handoff' (call-out to Jeff Reid for posting this on Facebook last night - God's timing is amazing!) "When you're doing what God designed you to do, your Master can guide you in a whisper."  This is what happened to Philip.  His heart was focused on his Heavenly Father and what he could be doing to serve Him.  And an angel came and woke him up in the morning: “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza” (v.26) and Philip went.  That's all it took and nations were blessed because of it.


Now, you're probably thinking, "God has never spoken to me like that.  If He had, I would certainly have done what He asked me to do!  He just doesn't talk to people like that anymore."  And I say, "have you ever listened?"  I'm speaking to myself, too.  We get so lost in day-to-day life, all the things we have to accomplish and all the information we have to sort through on a daily basis, we don't take the time to sit down and listen.  And I mean really listen.  We have lost that art.  We all have something we need to say, some point we need to get across it to another person or even to God, that we don't sit down and listen. 


Brothers and sisters, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever."  The way He operates and who He is never changes!  He didn't just speak to people in the Old and New Testaments and then stop.  We just stopped listening.  Granted, they didn't have the Bible like we do and needed some more 'speaking to,' but I submit that God speaks to people today and not as many as He would if more people were listening.


Again I ask, how often do you ask God for wisdom and guidance?  How often do you run after it once you ask?  You have the Holy Spirit living inside of you and as long as you are focused on your Master, you will be able to run and do incredible things for His kingdom!


Again, I say what a wonderful God we serve!  What are we going to do about it?  Where are you going to run??


Blessings in Christ,

Amy Carmichael Prayer

Once again, I don't have time for a decent post, but I was reading A Chance to Die: The Life and Legacy of Amy Carmichael today while I was waiting for my sister at the chiropractor and came across this poem that she wrote during a very hard, confusing time in her life.  I had to share!

And shall I pray Thee change Thy will, my Father,

Until it be according unto mine?

But, no, Lord, no, that never shall be, rather

I pray Thee blend my human will with Thine.

I pray Thee hush the hurrying, eager longing,

I pray Thee soothe the pangs of keen desire--

See in my quiet places, wishes thronging--

Forbid them, Lord, purge, though it be with fire.

And work in me to will and do Thy pleasure

Let all within me, peaceful, reconciled,

Tarry content my Well-Beloved's leisure,

At last, at last, even as a weaned child.

Blessings in Christ,

The Gospel

I had every intention of doing a nice sized post today, but after staring at my computer screen all day long for work, I just need to get up, turn off the computer and go something constructive with myself!  However, I will leave you this to chew on.  And, trust me, it's a full on meal packed into it's 11 minute size!

Have an awe-filled rest of your day remembering what He came to do for you and how you are going to share that with the world!

Blessings in Christ,

Rejoice in the Lord

This week is going to be very sporadic on posts because I start my new responsibilities at work this week!  (Exciting, but crazy!)  However, I came across this powerful verse today and wanted to share it.  


Though the fig tree may not blossom,
Nor fruit be on the vines;
Though the labor of the olive may fail,
And the fields yield no food;
Though the flock may be cut off from the fold,
And there be no herd in the stalls—  Yet I will rejoice in the Lord,
I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The Lord God is my strength;
He will make my feet like deer’s  feet,
And He will make me walk on my high hills. 


Habakkuk 3:17-19 NKJV (for the record, I love the old King James version of the Bible and that's what I do my daily reading out of.  However, when I memorize scripture, I do it in the New King James because when I want to quote it to someone [especially an unbeliever] down the road they are most likely going to appreciate it more if they can understand it and it's not in archaic English!)


How powerful is that?  No matter what happens, Habakkuk has realized (yes, realized; just read chapter one if you want to know what Habakkuk thought of God shortly before writing this powerful passage!) God is his joy and his strength.  No matter what happens in this life, the stock market crashes, abortion stays legal, the value of the dollar continues to plummet, droughts, pestilence, floods, food supplies dwindle, you get tossed in a jail and tortured, we can still rejoice in our Lord because He is our God of our salvation!  He is our strength and He will give us the strength, wisdom and whatever else we may need to navigate the high, steep, 'insurmountable' hills in our lives.  What a mighty God we serve!!


Blessings in Christ,
 

Kitchen: 'Ice Cream'

I just made this 'ice cream' last night and it was delicious!!  It is made with yogurt (so it's a bit tangy) instead of milk and/or cream and honey instead of white sugar, so it certainly tastes a little bit different, but is oh, so much better for you!  We're split about 50/50 in my family when it comes to liking it.  But, I'm the one who can't/won't have the other stuff, so I'm a happy camper!  I got the original recipe from my new favorite cookbook: The Grain-Free Gourmet by Jodi Bager and Jenny Hess, but tweaked it quite a bit and added some of the deliciousness!  Feel free to substitute your own fruit or chocolate or caramel or anything else - it's ice cream, you really can't mess this one up!

Coconut-Pineapple Yogurt Ice Cream

2 cups whole milk yogurt (if you have or want to make your own yogurt with half-and-half, even better.  I used the European Style Organic Whole Milk Yogurt from Trader Joe's)

Honey (how much you use depends on preference - the original recipe called for 1/2 cup, yesterday I put about 3 Tbsp in and next time I might use a little bit less.  It doesn't taste too sweet if you use the whole 1/2 cup [I have tried it before with the full amount], I just prefer to use the smallest amount of sweetener possible.  Also, keep in mind that the less honey you use, the tangier the ice cream is going to taste because of the yogurt.)

2 Tbsp pure vanilla extract (don't use the fake stuff.  Also, you can substitute 2 tsp almond extract if you prefer the flavor, are out of vanilla [like I was last night!] or if it will go better with what you are putting into the ice cream.  If you go with my mom's cherry almond idea, you are definitely going to want to go with the almond extract!)

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl and place in an ice cream maker and make according to manufacturer's directions.  You can either finish at this point or proceed and put some deliciousness in it!

Here's the problem, I don't really measure when I don't have to, so I'm not terribly sure how much pineapple and coconut I put in the ice cream!!  I pretty much just added by small handfuls until I thought I had enough...  So, just add what you feel it needs! :)

Canned pineapple (crushed is best, but you can also cut/crush up your own tidbits or chunks depending on what you have on hand - I had chunks on hand, so made do.  I think I used between 1/2 cup and 3/4 cup, plus a splash or so of the pineapple juice from the can)

Toasted coconut flakes (sprinkle coconut flakes on a baking sheet and place in 350 degree oven for about 3 minutes.  Be sure to keep an eye on it because it goes from white to dark brown/black really fast!!  Yes, it did happen to me last night!  I probably put about 1/2 cup of the second coconut batch in the ice cream.)

Mix add-ins into the ice cream and eat if you like soft serve or put ice cream in a freezer-safe container and place in freezer for a few hours until harder.

As I experiment more and more, I'll mention what other add-ins I try (and I'll try to remember to measure them!) and how they turned out.  If you experiment any, let me know!  I'd love to hear how it worked for you and what you came up with! :)

Bon appetit!!

Blessings in Christ,

What I'm Listening To Today

I was running errands with my youngest sister yesterday and she was picking music on my iPod. We listened to quite the variety of music, but when she picked this song that we hadn't listened to in a while, it stuck with me. (Don't forget to pause the music at the bottom to the blog before watching the video!)

One of these days we're going to be able to ask Moses how crossing over the Red Sea was. We're going to be able to ask Esther what it was like to approach the king with her request. We're going to be able to ask David what it was like to slay Goliath. We're going to be able to ask Mary what it was like to carry the Savior of the world. We're going to be able to see what Paul saw and couldn't speak about. And all of that will pale in comparison to being able to see 'my Jesus face to face!' What a glorious day that will be!!

Blessings in Christ,

The Miracle of Creation

Today I started reading The Holiness of God by R.C. Sproul.  I know, I know, I'm starting yet another book, but I do like to have one biography, one theology and one fiction (when I have time) book going, so now I've got all three! :)  In the first chapter, Dr. Sproul talks about the creation of the universe and the awesomeness of it and I just had to share!  We sometimes just read the black words on the white page: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."  I hope this passage will help you (as it helped me) realize the majesty and grandeur of the sentence that begins the Book of all books!

"God's fiats [explained in an earlier passage to be 'a command or an act of the will that creates something'] are not so limited.  He can create by the sheer force of His divine command.  He can bring something out of nothing, life out of death.  He can so these things by the sound of His voice.


The first sound uttered in the universe was the voice of God commanding, 'Let there be!'  It is improper to say that this was the first sound 'in' the universe because until the sound was made there was no universe for it to be in.  God shouted into a void.  Perhaps it was a kind of primal scream directed at empty darkness."


The command created its own molecules to carry the sound waves of God's voice farther and farther into space.  Yet sound waves would take too long.  The speed of this imperative exceeded the speed of light.  As soon as the words left the Creator's mouth, things began to happen.  Where His voice reverberated, stars appeared, glowing in unspeakable brilliance in tempo with the songs of angels.  The force of divine energy splattered against the sky like a kaleidoscope of color hurled from the palate of a powerful artist.  Comets crisscrossed the sky with flashing tails like Fourth of July skyrockets.


The act of creation was the first event in history.  It was also the most dazzling.  The supreme Architect gazed as His complex blueprint and shouted commands for the boundaries of the world to be set.  He spoke, and the seas were shut behind doors, and the clouds were filled with dew.  He bound the Pleiades and buckled the belt of Orion.  He spoke again, and the earth began to fill with orchards in full bloom.  Blossoms burst forth like springtime in Mississippi.  The lavender hues of plum trees dance with the brilliance of azaleas and forsythia.


God spoke once more, and the waters teemed with living things.  The snail sneaked beneath the shadowy form of the stingray, while the great marlin broke the surface of the water to promenade on the waves with his tail.  Again He spoke, and the roar of the lion and the bleating of sheep were heard.  Four-footed animals, eight-legged spiders, and winged insects appeared.


And God said, 'That's good.'


Then God stooped to to earth and carefully fashioned a piece of clay.  He lifted it gently to His lips and breathed into it.  The clay began to move.  It began to think.  It began to feel.  It began to worship.  It was alive and stamped with the image of its Creator."

Unfortunately, I can't type up the whole chapter I just read and the things it got me thinking about.  I cannot wait to continue reading this book!!  (Thank you dear student, you know who you are, for telling me about this book!!)  I have been blessed immensely already and I've read a grand total of 8 pages!

What a mighty God we serve!!

Blessings in Christ,

Closet: Bible Reading

Today being Sunday, I thought it would be fitting to post what I try to do for my morning devotion time.  I'm not always successful, but ideally, this is what I would like to do:

• Morning devotion from Spurgeon's Morning &amp;amp; Evening (if you don't have it - get it!  I try to make it a point to read the Morning selection before I get out of bed.)
• One chapter from Great Women of the Christian Faith by Edith Deen (I really like to read about and be inspired by Christian women over the years.  This book is far from perfect as it praises some of the women who did things that I completely disagree with - put their children in boarding school so they could ride around the English countryside preaching (they were the ones preaching, they weren't going around with their husband who was preaching), for instance...  But, on the whole, it is a very inspiring book.)
• A prayer from Valley of Vision by Arthur Bennett
• Ten 1 chapter segments from the Bible (thank you Mrs. Beaver for the idea!  I don't know why it is, but sometimes I would struggle with keeping my mind focused to read half that amount of chapters.  Now that I started reading the shorter segments, I find I am staying focused and am totally blessed by reading all over the Bible!  For instance, today I read a chapter from Genesis, Joshua, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Isaiah, Matthew, Acts, Romans and 1 Timothy!  I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for your first time through the Bible, but if reading through the Bible in a year was part of your home school curriculum for years, so you know your way around the Bible and what's going on at all times, it's great!)

Before going to bed:

• One chapter (or more if I can't put it down!) of whatever biography or theology book I am reading
• Evening selection of Spurgeon's Morning &amp;amp; Evening

Other books I have read/used in the past and liked:

• My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers
• Daily Light on the Daily Path by the Samuel Bagster Family (a collection of related scriptures for morning and evening readings)
• Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper (I had the idea to read one reason every day between Easter and Pentecost, but it didn't happen this year - I think I made it to Reason #15 because I kept forgetting or wasn't able to do my devotion.  Here's hoping for next year!)
• The Narrated Bible by F. LaGard Smith (this is what my mom used to read us every day to begin our school day.  The entire Bible is put into daily readings for a year in chronological order with Psalms and Proverbs organized by subject, the books of the law also organized by subject and the gospels harmonized.  There is also occasional introduction and history.  For instance, there is a whole daily reading that is comprised of the history of the inter-testament period that is great!  It's really a great way to start reading the Bible or to just read the Bible in one year!)

What do you use for your devotions??  Post up! :)

Blessings in Christ,

Library: Gladys Aylward, The Little Woman by Gladys Aylward

What an awesome book!  Gladys Aylward, The Little Woman is the autobiography of Gladys Aylward, a missionary to China and Taiwan from 1932 until her death in 1970, with occasional journeys back to her native England to speak about the work God was doing in China.  Her autobiography covers her 'adventures' in her early years in China - including just getting there!

When Gladys felt a call on her life to go and minister to those in China, she did the practical thing - go to the missionary societies and offer her services.  However, none of them would have her.  So, instead of giving up, she decided to go on her own and, after working for months to save up enough money for her train fare, she traveled by train from England to China because it was much cheaper than going by boat (pull out a map if your geography is a little rusty - it's a long way!).  By the grace and protection of God, she made it through the USSR (barely!!) and into China to begin her ministry.  The fortitude, humility, grace, patience and love this woman had is absolutely astounding!  She lived to see numerous power changes (never peaceful) in the town she lived in, took care of many resulting orphans, stopped a prison riot, became an advocate for prison reform and led 100 children on a 27-day trek to safety across mountains, a river and through many cities left desolate by the Japanese.  As soon as they arrived to safety, Gladys collapsed with typhus, among other things, and was seriously ill for months and recalled that "I have no idea how long I laid in that hospital, for typhus affected my memory, and the following two years are very hazy."  This is yet another book that reinforced for me the importance God has placed on children (especially orphans) and the hazards He asks His people to go through to protect and save His little ones.


Here's what Gladys Aylward had to say later in life about being called to China - "I wasn't God's first choice for what I've done for China. There was somebody else. I don't know who it was --- God's first choice. It must have been a man --- a wonderful man, a well-educated man. I don't know what happened. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he wasn't willing. And God looked down and saw Gladys Aylward."


As much as I am convinced that she was God's first choice, may we take the warning and if God calls us to do something - GO!!!!  Don't make Him find a second choice.


I am currently trying to watch The Inn of the Sixth Happiness which is the movie based on Gladys Aylward's early life.  However, I do know that she didn't like if very much (she was still alive when they made it), so I'm not making it a top priority.  I have heard fabulous things about it, though, so we shall see!


Blessings in Christ,

Support the Ground Zero Cross

Oh, I probably should have mentioned that I will occasionally get political!  Please show your support by signing the American Center for Law and Justice's brief to defend the Ground Zero Cross!  Just the fact that it's under attack is sickening!!

Here is an email from Jay Sekulow:

We are days away from filing our legal brief, and the atheists who are suing to have the Ground Zero Cross removed are stepping up their angry rhetoric. The President of American Atheists believes the reason a clear majority of Americans want the Cross placed at the 9-11 memorial and museum is because, “Christianity hates that [9/11] had nothing to do with them.” Now that is a statement born of anger and ignorance.
I want to thank you and every member of the ACLJ who is responding to these ridiculous attacks.
Over 66,000 people have already signed on to our brief using ACLJ.org. We need only 6,000 more to reach our goal of 72,000 online signatures representing the 72% of Americans who support the Ground Zero Cross.
If you have not already done so, please sign on to our brief to defend the Cross from these atheists’ lawsuit today. You can help us reach our goal by forwarding this message to your friends and by using the Facebook “Like” buttons in this email.
So many of you have already taken action in support of the Ground Zero Cross and stood by the ACLJ as we defend our liberties in court. We are days away from filing our legal arguments in this case with the court; but because of your support, I want to give you a first look at what we are going to say.
Here is a short excerpt of what we will be presenting to the court:

In the days and weeks following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the challenged World Trade Center Cross (the “Cross”) had a widely documented and positive effect on the first responders at the Ground Zero site. It is entirely appropriate and lawful for the curators of a museum to acknowledge the Cross’s historic role by placing it in the National September 11 Memorial &amp;amp; Museum. The Supreme Court of the United States has directly addressed the constitutionality of religiously-themed museum exhibits and has clearly held that such exhibits are within the realm of appropriate government speech. In fact, the constitutionality of religious displays in museums has long been presumed by the Court. Simply put, historically significant religious artifacts can be displayed in taxpayer-supported museums, and any contrary ruling would lead to absurd results.

I made a similar argument in Pleasant Grove v. Summum to the U.S. Supreme Court and won. The amicus brief we are filing to keep the Ground Zero Cross at the National September 11 Memorial &amp;amp; Museum is just the first step in what will be a long legal battle, but I am confident we will win this battle as well.
Please join us in defense of the Cross by joining the Committee to Protect the Ground Zero Cross today. We need only 6,000 additional online signatures. You can help push us over the top.

Once you have signed, please encourage your friends, coworkers, and neighbors to join us in this fight by forwarding this email. You can also join the nearly 10,000 Americans who have shared the Committee to Protect the Ground Zero Cross on Facebook by using the “Like” buttons in this email.

Thank you for taking a stand for the Ground Zero Cross and for your continued support for the ACLJ.

Sincerely,

Jay Sekulow
ACLJ Chief Counsel

P.S. I just told you a little about the winning argument made resulting in a precedent-setting, unanimous decision by the U.S. Supreme Court Justices in a case that has significant bearing on the current Ground Zero Cross case. You can hear the argument I made before the U.S. Supreme Court and watch a short, three-minute video about that case by following this link to ACLJ.organd scrolling down to the case name: Pleasant Grove v. Summum.

Come, Jesus, Come!!

Under Construction: My Great Adventure

Well, I never thought this day would come, but it has - I'm blogging!!  Who knows how often I'm going to be get a chance to share, but hey!  Also, please bear with me while my blog is still under construction!


I named this blog 'The Great Adventure' after the Steven Curtis Chapman song.  I hadn't heard the song in years and then I heard it a few days ago and have listened to it one or two times a day since then!  It consequently seemed like the best title for what I want this blog to be.  I want this blog to chronicle my lifetime of adventure through the endless frontier of following Christ.  There are mountains, mountain tops, valleys and so much more, but it is the adventure of a lifetime and I would hate to miss it!


I decided on the pen name of Amelia because it means Work of the Lord and it seemed to be a perfect fit.  The Lord is always molding me and shaping me into the woman He desires me to become.  It's not always easy, being molded and chipped away at, but when it hurts, I look at the Craftsman's nail-pierced hands and bask in the love of my precious Lord and Savior.  Is there anything better than to know His love?!?


I think it's fitting to finish my first post with the song that has been on my mind and heart so much:

The Great Adventure
Steven Curtis Chapman


Saddle up your horses

Started out this morning in the usual way
Chasing thoughts inside my head of all I had to do today
Another time around the circle try to make it better than the last

I opened up the Bible and I read about me
Said I'd been a prisoner and God's grace had set me free
And somewhere between the pages it hit me like a lightning bolt
I saw a big frontier in front of me and I heard somebody say "let's go"!

CHORUS
Saddle up your horses we've got a trail to blaze
Through the wild blue yonder of God's amazing grace
Let's follow our leader into the glorious unknown
This is a life like no other - this is The Great Adventure

Come on get ready for the ride of your life
Gonna leave long faced religion in a cloud of dust behind
And discover all the new horizons just waiting to be explored
This is what we were created for

(Chorus)

BRIDGE
We'll travel over, over mountains so high
We'll go through valleys below
Still through it all we'll find that
This is the greatest journey that the human heart will ever see
The love of God will take us far beyond our wildest dreams

Yeah... oh saddle up your horses... come on get ready to ride

(Chorus)


Blessings in Christ,