the Songs on the Way

I'm Blessed

2012-01-30T19:25:00.001-05:00

It's time for me to recount my blessings, those things from God I'm thankful for, and praise Him. I'm thankful that God never changes, even when everything else does and I'm going crazy. I'm thankful that Sophie calmed down* yesterday and slept most of the day away. I'm thankful I felt confident enough she'd be okay I could make her vet's appointment for tomorrow afternoon instead of this

Psalm Sunday

2012-01-29T20:31:00.000-05:00

I'm bringing back my Psalm Journey today. Tomorrow I'm starting a Bible in 90 days challenge. As it approached, I realized it seemed right to finish what I'd started with the Psalm Journey first. But I thought, "I was supposed to blog about them... if I try to blog about all those Psalms all in one week that'd be nuts." Then it occurred to me I didn't have to do actually publish all the posts

The Liebster Awards

2012-01-28T19:28:00.002-05:00

I won an award! Hannah at Sadie Mae's Mommy gifted me with a Liebster Award. I am delighted. Liebster is German & means "dearest" or "beloved" but it can also mean "favorite." The idea behind the Liebster award is to bring attention to blogs with less than 200 followers. As part of receiving the Liebster Blog award, one is to: 1. Choose 5 blogs with fewer than 200 followers to grant

A Week Which Grew Me

2012-01-28T00:21:00.000-05:00

This week has been so up and down and crazy. So crazy in fact that before I published this earlier in the evening, I heard a horn honk outside and realized my sense of time was off by an hour and I had to run outside, hair not brushed, to grab my ride to Bible Study. Let me tell you about it, and I promise I'll bring it back around to the Lord. This week I: attended the balloon release on

Preparation Thursday

2012-01-26T12:58:00.001-05:00

I'm starting a new thing on my blog! For me, Preparation Thursdays will be about me preparing for India. This includes, but is not limited to, preparing for the move, the culture, and marriage. I would love to have this not just be about me, though. I doubt any of you are preparing for India, but many of us are probably in preparation for something. Perhaps you're preparing for a new child, a

Post and Updates

2012-01-25T17:15:00.000-05:00

(yeah, I haven't brushed my hair today.) Today is one of those days when so much is going on in your head that nothing really is coming out. That I'm deep in my heart pondering, and also have a list scrolling through my head of all I *should* do. Where I am too excited to share things, too somber to blare things, and glad. So I sat here, a-starin' at this blank thing thinking, "Should you

Day Jobs

2012-01-24T18:57:00.002-05:00

You know the expression, "Don't quit your day job?" A "day job" is a job someone does to pay the bills while they pursue a passion on the side. Maybe they're a musician or a painter, a writer or jewelry maker. Maybe they want to start a bakery or come up with the next big invention. If you're a Christian doing ministry having a day job is often called "tent making." And of course, there are

My Darling God

2012-01-24T01:21:00.000-05:00

It's late Monday night... really, Tuesday. And I am sitting here, thinking way too much. The Lord is really moving in my life. I am delighted and also anxious. Grr. Why do I have to get anxious so much? One specific: I'm anxious about all the errands I have to get done tomorrow. Since I don't have a car, I have to get things done during my dad's day off. And I have a lot to get done tomorrow.

The Balloon Release and the rest of Saturday

2012-01-22T19:03:00.000-05:00

Yesterday it was my privilege to attend The Field of Sunflowers Balloon Release. It was done for the memory of my friend Hannah's daughter, Sadie Mae, who was born and died last year. The event raised money for Perinatal Comfort Care, an organization which helps families who receive a fatal diagnosis for their child during pregnancy. It was both a moving and joyful event. God decided to

Dreams

2012-01-20T16:48:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, I had a dream where I was in the small town I grew up in (I still live right near it) and I ran into one of my friend's husbands. Two days later, I was in that town and I ran into him. Now, you have to understand, I've only met the man maybe twice in my life so it's not like I see him everyday. The dream had had what I call a 'significant quality'. Now, I hadn't run into him

Remembering and Praying

2012-01-18T11:45:00.000-05:00

As I was laying in bed slowly waking up this morning I realized I should write this post. I'm not sure I have a right to, but I feel like I need to... Then I woke up and read my friend Hannah's post and cried. Sharing her post and asking for prayer is probably the best way to go. Today it's been one year since Hannah and her husband TJ have seen their baby, Sadie Mae. One year ago today she was

I'm Blessed

2012-01-17T23:49:00.002-05:00

Normally I do the "I'm Blessed" post (where I thank God for blessings in my life) on Mondays, or if I'm a little late on Tuesday. But now it's pretty much Wednesday and I really need to get on it. I didn't do it earlier because first I had trouble with my review that I'd planned on posting early on Monday, and secondly I hurt my rib somehow. I was in a lot of pain Monday and stayed in bed and

Book Review: The Christmas Singing by Cindy Woodsmall

2012-01-17T13:03:00.002-05:00

This novel is the story of Mattie, an Amish girl who at the opening of the book has a pretty happy life. She's the successful owner of a cake bakery, and is seeing the nice and stable Sol with the intentions of marrying him, someday. She's come a long way since three years ago when her heart was broken by finding the man she loved, Gideon, in an Englischer girl's embrace. It was because of this

Lemonade Sunday...

2012-01-15T13:53:00.002-05:00

part of the way I walked. You know how I ended yesterday's post on the optimistic note that I'd get to take Communion twice in a row? Well, another example happen on how God doesn't like me to plan. I totally overslept. I woke up and was lying happily in my bed, not feeling any urgency to get up when suddenly it hit me, It's Sunday. I have church! I shot up and reached out to grab my clock

Ordination Saturday

2012-01-14T17:32:00.003-05:00

Today I went to an ordination at our church. It was the first time I've ever been to one, so I was pretty excited to get to go. It was pretty much what I thought it was, and so of course that meant it was really good. It was a slightly more formal style service than our normal Sundays, which seemed befitting. There were lots of clergy members there, which was fun to see. I only knew a couple

Fruitful Prayers

2012-01-13T15:01:00.000-05:00

God has been hearing my prayers. He has been reassuring me. My job, which God sent to me after nineteen and a half months of waiting, has ceased. So one prayer: what do I do now? Ryan and I are wanting to get married. There are practical considerations thereof, which require thought and planning... and openness to God's unexpected nature. We have to know when to be firm, when to be flexible;

Calling for Prayers!

2012-01-11T17:04:00.003-05:00

Okay, you know how I posted the other day about being more authentic? You know I'm planning on moving to India and marrying Ryan? Well, in order for that to happen, we need to have an income. I can't legally work for the first year in India, so Ryan has to make enough for both of us to live. So, prayerfully he left his not-paying-enough job and has been searching since, with a few breaks. Then

Book Review: The Christian Lover by Michael Haykin

2012-01-11T13:08:00.001-05:00

This is a collection of love letters from Christians throughout history. Haykin picked letters to express all the seasons of love. There are letters are from ministers, missionaries, and martyrs. The first few chapters were slow, but I found myself chuckling at Martin Luther's humorous tone with his wife, and somberly reading of Calvin's grief. I was enjoying the book, but was beginning to

I'm Blessed

2012-01-10T07:50:00.003-05:00

It's time to thank God for just a meager sampling of the blessings of the week. Thank you, God, for the conversations Ryan and I have been having this week. Thank you for the sweet friendships you've given me with so many wonderful people. Thank you for Bible Study and church. Thank you for the guidance and insight you've been giving me this week. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for my

Sunday

2012-01-09T04:09:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I actually took this photo on Saturday. My Sunday was blessed. It started with my getting ready for church. I was flipped around the television and found a Christian program that was so inspiring I found myself dancing around the living room praying and praising. Then I went outside and waited for my ride to arrive. I'm just so joyful and grateful to be able to go regularly to

Authentic v. Private

2012-01-07T08:22:00.001-05:00

I love reading blogs almost as much as I love writing this blog... or maybe I love writing this blog almost as much as I love reading other blogs? No, I love writing this blog more... I think. So, in the reading of dozens of blogs, I've noticed a few things. There seems to be two styles. The very authentic, talking-to-my friend, opening my heart style, and the polished, public face, professional

Peace

2012-01-06T08:30:00.001-05:00

I thought I'd be short and sweet this week. The peace of the Lord be with you. Do you know that peace that surpasses all understanding? It is truly mind boggling, and I love it so. God created us to be in peace like this, not stressed or strained. It's the kind of peace that can coexist with the busyness of life. You can feel this peace while the world around you falls apart. Death and

Catching Up on a Bunch of Little Things

2012-01-06T01:47:00.001-05:00

On Tuesday I was going to hang out with my best friend Tabitha, but her morning sickness ended up getting in the way. So instead I went to the Turtle Parfait, one of my favorite local haunts, and enjoyed their wifi. I got to talk to Ryan and other best friend Lydia on the web cam, have a delicious bowl of white chicken chili, and download some ebooks. Everyone has been resolution crazy, both on

Book Review: Real Marriage by Mark & Grace Driscoll

2012-01-05T23:58:00.000-05:00

The full title is Real Marriage: The Truth About Sex, Friendship, & Life Together, written by the famous pastoral couple Mark and Grace Driscoll. They tell the story of their marriage, go into the differences between men and women, talk about sexual intimacy, and apply the Bible throughout.They dive into the hard subjects of past abuse, secrets, and just plain selfishness. They did a good job

Sleep Debt

2012-01-04T22:18:00.002-05:00

So, when I was a kid doctors said that if you missed any sleep, if you didn't get your 7 or 8 hours a night, you'd never make it up. They told me this, because I had a sleeping disorder from birth. I knew that was wrong. I knew that if you missed sleep, you not only could make it up later, you had to make it up later to maintain your health. That's why people tend to sleep in on Saturdays, the

Thanks and Blessings

2012-01-03T04:10:00.000-05:00

I'm taking time to thank God, as I do each week. Decided to do it a little different format this week. Thank you God for Sophie. She's really cute. Thank you God for loving me. Thank you for forgiving me. Thank you for Ryan, and his patience. Thank you for having us grow closer this past week. Thank you for showing me more and more of my weaknesses, even though it's painful, because I know

Song Inspiration

2012-01-01T15:38:00.000-05:00

Me being silly with my hymnal & camera. Okay, so I spent some time debating what I'd post today. I had some ideas, but none seemed right. Then I visited my friend Hannah's blog and she posted about how she was comforted by a song at church this morning and I thought "That's it!" Because I was also struck by a song we sang in church this morning. I attend an Episcopalian church and we

Welcome, 2012!

2011-12-31T21:10:00.000-05:00

I want to knit up my hopes and share them with you. I'm using the scheduler feature here on blogger for the first time in forever. I messed up constantly before, so I hope it works now. I should actually be at work when this publishes. One thing God taught me about some years ago is divine Hope. I realized that while Hope is discussed in the Bible, when I really tried to define it, I had

Farewell, 2011

2011-12-30T23:14:00.000-05:00

(This post has lots of pictures. :) ) a lighthouse in New Jersey As I was glancing at the blogs I follow in my feed and I realized. "Oh wow. Right. Tomorrow is the last day of 2011. It's time for a 'reflecting on 2011' blog post. Oh! And that'd be perfect for a Brag on God Friday. Good!" After all, God's the author of our stories in this thing we call time. Grand Central Station To be

Book Review: Sisters of the Quilt by Woodsmall

2011-12-27T22:43:00.000-05:00

the book on a Christmas quilt of ours! Sisters of the Quilt is a trilogy by Cindy Woodsmall that's now available in one book. I am so glad. I really don't know how I could have handled reading it as three different books: they each ended with me longing to read the next one! I was delighted I could just flip the page and do it. Woodsmall has a great talent for conveying injustice and the

Merry Christmas!!

2011-12-27T21:32:00.001-05:00

Our tree Yep. I know it's December 27th. But it's the first time I've been online since before Christmas, so bear with me. Plus, as I've said before, I celebrate the twelve days of Christmas, so it's really just Merry Third Day of Christmas. If you don't know, the twelve days of Christmas are the twelve days from Christmas Day (Day One) to Epiphany, January 6th, when one celebrates the

Brag on God Friday

2011-12-23T22:52:00.001-05:00

I'm excited to brag about God. Oh, people, He's come through for me SO MUCH this last week. I've been wiped off my feet. The sickness made me have even more insomnia than I normally have, and between cleaning, shopping, and working, there was no way to get any real rest. I didn't sleep at all Wednesday night and then had to work at eight in the morning. As I told Ryan the only way I made it

I'm Blessed

2011-12-19T20:14:00.000-05:00

Okay, before I do anything else I want to share an amazing blog post I read earlier today. You will thank me. God was definitely speaking in it. Here you go. I finally was able to go out and do some shopping for Christmas on Saturday night. I am almost done. I love giving. I am thankful for being able to do this, give things, and for having people in my life to whom to give gifts. I am

Retreating to My Shell

2011-12-19T19:57:00.001-05:00

Me in my shell... er, old beat-up hoodie. Okay, my brain is working now. I just wrote about, oh, two articles in an email to a friend. I like exercising my intelligence. I don't feel good. I'm home sick again. I'm not sure if it's the same thing I had Friday, because while I'm still stuffed up, now I just feel weak. I was doing chores yesterday and felt like I needed a little break so I

Rejoice With Me! (A.K.A Y'all Are Awesome)

2011-12-17T16:46:00.001-05:00

Guys, I have lovely news to share with you! Do you remember back in November I asked you to vote for Heartline Ministries (and facebook friends I asked you several times) to help them get a grant? Well, they got it! $50,000! They will be saving so many lives, and making a difference in even more. You can share in the celebration here and here. And remember how the other week I asked you to

Brag on God Friday

2011-12-16T01:40:00.000-05:00

God's glory is everlasting. I only begin to know how amazing He is. So I write this to you as a meager offering of some of my recent experiences of His Total Awesomeness. He's met me in my weakness and gave me energy and strength. The depths of my soul is like a musty, dusty, dirty, cluttered room. And each time I think we've made progress in making it clean God walks over and opens the top

Book Review: Praying for Your Future Husband by Gunn and Goyer

2011-12-15T23:59:00.000-05:00

Praying for Your Future Husband by Robin Gunn and Tricia Goyer has a pretty self explanatory title. However one of the interesting and enjoyable features is that the book is propelled by stories. Both authors tell their unique stories of past relationships and meeting their husbands. They also share many diverse stories from women of various ages and backgrounds who have written them about how

A Call for Prayer

2011-12-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

Today started out well. I got a package and a card! I talked for a while with Ryan, and then I went to work. I forgot to eat anything but crackers and raisins before I left. Twenty minutes after I got to work, my throat got scratchy. I almost lost my voice, and then suddenly it came back. Weird. I feel weak and exhausted, but I don't have a fever. I'd love some prayers. I was really bummed

Discombobulated Brain Daze

2011-12-13T23:51:00.000-05:00

I got on facebook... and get showered with love. It was subtle. But I have one group of friends talking about getting together... another friend wanting to meet up with me and do a present exchange... a friend asking me how I am and saying we should meet up while she's home visiting her family for the day... another friend patient enough to answer my silly questions... and another whose response

For My Book Loving Readers

2011-12-13T19:53:00.002-05:00

Hey friends, I have an offer I can share with you from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers. They are one of the company's for which I review books. How do you feel about free shipping and 30% off? Remember how a few weeks ago I reviewed Cindy Woodsmall's Harvest of Grace, a novel of the Amish genre? Well she's had a new book come out for Christmas called The Christmas Singing. You can check out a

I'm Blessed

2011-12-12T12:34:00.000-05:00

Yay! My domain name is working now so I can post again! Well, I could have posted before, but no one could have seen it (me included) so there really didn't seem to be a point. Of course, I had at least four great blog ideas while I couldn't post... and now am having trouble remembering them. I need to really write stuff down. But it doesn't really matter, because today I do the post where I

I Got A Domain Name!!

2011-12-10T03:46:00.001-05:00

Very exciting. But the problem is, it apparently will take 6-48 hours to sync it up or something? So I figured I'd post this for the blurb for any RSS feeds that can see this as the preview. :) You probably can't actually go to the blog yet... but maybe!

A Post to Help

2011-12-07T14:27:00.001-05:00

It always seems like I think of great, amazing, truly literary ideas for blog posts... when I'm far away from any computer or time to blog. By the time I get to the computer, I've either forgotten it entirely or I just am not getting it right: "Didn't it have something to do with trees? I mean, I thought about it while I was... wait, where did the first inspiration come from? If I could remember

Why I Cried This Morning

2011-12-06T07:09:00.001-05:00

I don't know how many of you watch the show "How I Met Your Mother"... my little sister got me addicted to it. She's a character though; she's obsessive about having to watch things in the right order, so she's always a season behind because if she misses one episode she has to wait for the DVD. I've got some emotional stuff to talk about that relates to last night's episode. So if you like the

Counting Blessings and Giving Thanks

2011-12-05T08:19:00.001-05:00

Hope all you are found well today, and if not, take some time to count your blessings. Giving thanks with a grateful heart is a balm to the weary soul. Also give thanks if you are well! Let us be grateful, and joyous, about the blessings lavished upon us from a generous God, instead of being covetous or impatient. I'm so blessed by being able to go to church regularly again. Indeed, this

Past, Present, Future

2011-12-03T13:38:00.001-05:00

Speaking of the past, this is from last winter. Pretty though, huh? Sometimes I just tell myself: write something. Right now I'm in the mix of thinking about the past and the future. I spent a ton of time today looking at wedding things. Ryan and I are getting married, so this is appropriate and fun (and he knew I was doing it and was cool with it), but I know I have to control myself. I

Change

2011-12-02T01:58:00.001-05:00

Change. Life on earth is change. Growth and renewal. Our skin cells fall off. Our blood cells on constant patrol. A birthday goes by. Fall gives way to winter. Kids you swore were 11 are suddenly graduating high school. Change. Change. Change. But then we enter these times of waiting and of rest. And nothing big changes. Oh, you finish off the jar of peanut butter and you cut your hair.

Book Review: Harvest of Grace by Cindy Woodsmall

2011-11-30T21:01:00.001-05:00

Sylvia, an Amish woman, is utterly betrayed by her sister and her intended at the start of this book. Honestly, I had tears in my eyes for her. After years of trying to deal to suppress her emotions at home, she leaves to help on the Blank farm, where the son, Aaron, has been for a while absent after going to rehab for alcoholism. I really enjoyed this book. I got drawn into the plot right

Thanksgivings and Blessings

2011-11-30T20:03:00.001-05:00

This past week has been crazy... well really, this past week and a half. It'd be this past week if I'd actually written this on Monday like I normally do! In one week I started a new job, celebrated my sister's birthday, Thanksgiving, met my best friends new (and first) boyfriend, worked Black Friday at a giant retail store, and was able to plug back into my church again (finally!) Crazy busy

Body Image, Part 1

2011-11-30T05:14:00.001-05:00

Me, this June I was recently reminded of some wise words given to me by a friend back in college. She'd been praying over her own body image problems and God gave her some immense wisdom, which she felt He wanted her to share with me. He told her that God had designed her body to please her future husband. So when she complained against her body, she was saying God didn't know how to give

Looking Forward to Sharing More

2011-11-29T01:38:00.001-05:00

I've not been posting freestyle so much. I'm sorry about that, since really that's what most people enjoy reading and I enjoy writing. By freestyle I mean not a link-up, book review, psalm journey, See Pam Run or other formatted, pre-determined post. I like all those kinds of posts, but I've been too rigid about them lately. For example, I'll think of a great idea for a post and then get all

Book Review: Why Men Hate Going to Church by David Murrow

2011-11-28T02:27:00.001-05:00

In most churches, not just nationwide but worldwide, there is a gender gap: more females than males attend. This is especially critical to churches when you realize that churches that have a large gender gap usually plateau and die, and many believe no gender gap is an indication of a churches spiritual health. David Murrow focuses on this issue, the possible reasons for the problem, and more

Waiting on a Guest Post!

2011-11-25T11:55:00.001-05:00

I wrote a guest post over on Oh That Mom Again, which was posted on Wednesday... but I'm just now getting to telling you about it. So go check it out! The subject is Waiting on God, so I guess it's fitting you guys had to wait a few days for me to link to it...

Couch to 5K: Sensible Break

2011-11-23T01:50:00.001-05:00

When I started the Couch to 5K originally, I had a deadline: the 5K my friend Hannah was organizing in honor of her daughter. However, she and her husband decided to a) change the date and b) change it to a balloon release. Which I totally understand, it sounds like she and her husband prayed and found peace about the change. I started week 5 last Tuesday, and day one was the hardest I'd done

Book Review: Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul

2011-11-21T02:57:00.001-05:00

I loved this book. Dragons of Chiril by Donita K. Paul is the exciting (and amusing) adventure of Tipper and her companions quest to save the world. Tipper is a brave young girl who has been struggling for years to keep her family and household together since her father mysteriously disappeared. Then he comes back... mostly... with news that due to his mistake years ago, the world is falling

Thanksgivings and Blessings

2011-11-21T02:33:00.001-05:00

Yay! I'm just smiling here. I am so very, very blessed. I'm thankful I got to go to my church this morning. It's been a few months since I got to go, and not only did I have a ride, but I also got to go to Sunday school! So exciting and awesome! I love my church family, I got to greet and catch up with many I'd not seen in a while, plus meet new people. I'm thankful for my family and the

Brag on God... Saturday.

2011-11-19T22:47:00.001-05:00

I didn't do a Brag on God Friday post on Friday, because I was really busy... getting a job! I had the interview at noon. I got there and they had me take a questionnaire on the computer, then wait ten or twenty minutes for the interview. God really provided, because in the interview was an employee sitting to train in case she has to do interviews in the future... and I went to college with her

Gainfully Employed

2011-11-18T22:06:00.001-05:00

I got a job!!! I am now a seasonal cashier at a large retail chain. I start Tuesday. Yay. After 19 and a half long months, I can say: I have a job! God is so faithful and good!

A New Look

2011-11-16T08:14:00.001-05:00

I've tweaked things on the blog here. Check it out and tell me what you think. :)

Thankful for Blessings

2011-11-14T21:11:00.001-05:00

I am thankful for God. He's been lifting me up and holding me, not just this week but every day of my life. I am thankful for Ryan. He is just the most awesome and amazing man. I am so, so, so incredibly thankful to love and know Him. God, you did so good! I love him so much! Thank you! I am thankful for having a bank account in the black. It was a constant niggling stress over every minute

Book Review: An Amish Wedding by Wiseman, Fuller & Long

2011-11-14T18:50:00.001-05:00

This was actually my first Amish fiction book, though I was pretty sure from knowing my personality that I'd like the genre already. An Amish Wedding is actually three novellas by three different authors that intersect and take place in the same Amish community. A wedding takes place in the last story that is referred to throughout the other stories. If I was reading this again, I'd advise

Weekly Psalm Journey

2011-11-14T17:38:00.001-05:00

Okay, so it's been a little more than a week. I've not really been able to get online much the last few days, and when I have I've decided the Psalms can wait one more day... then another... So here are my reflections on Psalms 37 through 45. And if you'd like to reflect along with me, add yours below! Psalm 37-This psalm offers a lot of wisdom: the brevity of man's life, to take delight in

Couch to 5K: Week Four

2011-11-13T03:44:00.001-05:00

Finished week four. Yay! This is also the last week I do the same workout each day. So this is what I did: Walk 5 minutes Jog 3 minutes Walk 90 seconds Jog 5 minutes (longest time yet!) Walk 2 1/2 minutes Jog 3 minutes Walk 90 seconds Jog 5 minutes Day One: This was the first day I was doing something 'new' in a long time, since last week I caught up. But I found I was perfectly able to

God's Memory

2011-11-11T00:20:00.001-05:00

Today God has brought so much together, I know He's writing this through me. God has been prodding me to clean my room. While I am pretty much a slob, I don't mean normal dusting or picking up laundry. I'm living in my old bedroom from when I was in high school, the storage and resting place of many momentos and such over the years. It's a large room and I've really only been occupying about a

God Provides.

2011-11-10T01:27:00.001-05:00

My bank account is back in the black. God provides. :) Thank you to anyone who prayed. I've been diving into listening to God full-time, and I'm doing much better spiritually. He's been showing me more to make me more confident in Him, as well as showing me the deep ugly wounds and scars in me I like to pretend don't exist. But He knows they're there, and He wants to remove any barrier they

Thanks and Blessings

2011-11-07T18:53:00.000-05:00

I'm thankful this is my 400th post! At my 200th post, I changed the way I blogged. That means I've had just as many blogs after that point (only this April!) as before it. God has been so good! I am thankful for the snuggliness of Sophie. I'm thankful I posted the book review I was struggling with and it's finally behind me. I'm thankful I can call Ryan a few hours before his alarm was

Book Review: Relentless by John Bevere

2011-11-07T16:23:00.000-05:00

This is the hardest review I've had to write. I've been in prayer, not even just with myself but by asking others to pray for me. I wrote this review in prayer. When I began to read Relentless, I was happy and looking forward to an inspiring message. God's been calling me to be relentless, in His power, in my life and to new and great things. Therefore when I came to a few challenging uses of

Weekly Psalm Journey

2011-11-05T18:22:00.000-04:00

So I've decided to have the blogging aspect of my Psalm Journey be weekly. I was going to do it late in the day yesterday, but wasn't able to get online until now. I decided I'd do a quick reflection on each of the Psalms since my last regular post. The link-up will be below, and is open up for your reflections on any Psalm 1-36. You can link up to a post on your blog, or you can post in the

What God Did Yesterday

2011-11-04T11:08:00.000-04:00

God has been good to me. Yesterday I was having one of those crises that happen when we are faced with our flaws against God's goodness. I was crying to Ryan, "Don't give me advice! It seems like I'm drowning in advice. My yoke is a burden, it's heavy, so I know there's more on me than what God wants, because His burden is light. Don't give me advice, because I need to sort out what I've already

Quickly Make a Difference

2011-11-02T18:16:00.000-04:00

Hey! This is just a quick post to ask you to vote for Heartline Ministries here to get a grant. They are a wonderful maternity center in Haiti that is saving lives. They are in fourth place, and the voting ends Friday. If you're not sure, click the link and go read what they've written about themselves and I'm sure it'll convince you to support this amazing ministry. I've been following the

Couch to 5K: The Catch-Up Week

2011-11-02T17:00:00.000-04:00

I should really get a new "running" photo... I did it! I caught back up to where I was before the biopsy. So now I'll be starting Week Four (of Nine) of the Couch to 5K program. In the Couch to 5K program, each week has three days, and you're supposed to have a rest day between each day you exercise. For the first three weeks, the ones I had to make up, the exercise plan was the same each

Book Review: Healing is a Choice by Stephen Arterburn

2011-11-02T08:34:00.003-04:00

I'm reviewing a copy of Healing is a Choice that is the book plus the workbook. For the sake of this review, I've decided to just read the book and look over the workbook without writing in it. If I found the book to seem helpful, I'd go through the workbook or give it to someone who might need it. Healing is a Choice presents 10 choices Arterburn believes all people who want healing (

I'm Blessed

2011-10-31T08:59:00.000-04:00

I'm blessed by Ryan, by his faith and his sweet patience with me. I'm blessed to have access to the Bible, Christian books, study tools, and all those wonderful things. I'm blessed to have a roof over my head in this cold weather. I'm blessed to have a Sophie willing to be my living water bottle. I'm blessed to have food to eat and air to breathe. I'm blessed to have a patient and loving

Right Now and A Question (Day 31!)

2011-10-31T08:40:00.001-04:00

I am cold. And weary. I've been grumpy and weird today. I'm pretty sure Ryan would run away and leave me just based on the last few hours if he wasn't desperately in love with me. It's nice to know love really does cover over a multitude of sins. So I'm coming on here, doing Psalm 31. And I have a question for you: should I continue to do this daily? I started with the intention of doing it

My Dream Battle

2011-10-30T07:11:00.001-04:00

I want to share a dream with you. Like the kind you have when you're sleeping, not like an over-arching life desire. The first part of the dream had some elements that I don't feel comfortable sharing, as they contain references to personal things. But then I was at home, getting ready for school (even though I was the same age I was now, for some reason everyone was insisting I go to high

Simply the Word

2011-10-30T06:14:00.000-04:00

I will exalt you, LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. LORD my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. You, LORD, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but

My First Word Study!

2011-10-30T02:52:00.001-04:00

My mood is being affected by the music I'm listening to, some wonderful Indie thing I found on PBS. It's making me hum and be happy. As I've talked on previously, the Psalms are really the Biblical songbook, so it all seems so appropriate to go to the lovely Psalm 29 with these delightful tunes singing away in my brain. I'd like to sing the Psalm today, but I don't have Ryan handy. Blogger

Every time.

2011-10-28T08:35:00.001-04:00

I don't think it's a secret I've been struggling with discontentment. The thing about a mature faith is it's more than your feelings in a situation. It's been a week since I've truly felt good. It's not that I've been miserable, just struggling. Just fighting discontentment. My bank account has been in the negative for almost a month, accruing fees daily. Next week the same bill that the made

Carry Us Forever (with link-up!)

2011-10-28T03:50:00.000-04:00

I rewrote today's Psalm (28) in my own words. I call to you, Beloved. You are my Rock, do not turn a deaf ear to me. If you remain silent, I will be in despair and anguish. Hear me calling to you for mercy, crying to you for help as I lift my hand to You, a plea to Heaven. Be merciful towards me; do not drag me away with those disobey you. They do evil, the two-faced people who are nice to

Telling You a Little More (Lots of Pictures)

2011-10-27T14:23:00.000-04:00

Me, today. Being a little silly. I needed a departure from my normal blogging. So I've decided to have a little fun and join this "Blog Bash", which is a giant blog party where bloggers tell you a little about themselves and their blog. This should be fun for all of us. I'll start it out with five random facts: I've owned one guitar or another for thirteen years and have never really

The One Thing

2011-10-27T06:22:00.001-04:00

Oh how I love Psalm 27! This is one of those ones I return to over and over. I love it. I pray it. I sing it. I rejoice in it. I honestly don't even know what to say about it, I feel like it proclaims itself so well. Oh, just read it! Read it and let your spirit pray it back to God! Let it minister you, soothe you, flow over you, love you... happy sigh... The LORD is my light and my salvation—

Like a Smug Pharisee

2011-10-27T02:28:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed I didn't post for a few days, then went crazy with the posting. I had to catch up on the Psalms. I didn't get online from Saturday night until Tuesday night. I wish I could tell you it was for a great reason, but it wasn't... It's hard for me to reflect on Psalm 26. I feel bad admitting this, because I know it's not the right attitude, but I read it and I think the

Turning to My Beloved in Prayer

2011-10-26T09:26:00.001-04:00

Today, Psalm 25 is definitely my prayer. So, Beloved, I am praying to You. Adoring you. I life my soul up to you, Lord. I trust in You, you are my sole Hope. Let me not be ashamed, Let not our enemies (for we are One in covenant and Truth) triumph over me. Yes, God, let none of us who wait on You be ashamed. (You are our deliverer!) Waiting on You is never something shameful; there is a lot of

The Earth is the Lord's

2011-10-26T09:06:00.000-04:00

That's the lovely first line of Psalm 24: The earth is the LORD’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein. For He has founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the waters. Isn't that lovely? I feel secure knowing that the earth belongs to God, every bit of it. I trust my God, I love Him dearly. I still struggle with knowing He loves me as

The Classic Psalm

2011-10-26T02:34:00.000-04:00

There are some things we learn when we're young and we don't really know what they mean. For example, I remember having no idea what "allegiance" was when I learned the pledge of allegiance* when I was four or five. But it was something you said, and it didn't cross my mind to ask. Learning and saying it was just a part of growing up and going to school. Similarly, I remember learning "The

A Song I wrote at 14!

2011-10-22T23:47:00.002-04:00

My sister Beth and I (at around age 14) I am sharing with you a song I wrote when I was fourteen. It's inspired by Psalm 22, so it works for today. I used to write songs all the time. Be kind. Here it goes: It Was You