Snapshot Saturday

These photos are actually from last Saturday but I didn't get a chance to post them and since probably won't get to post any photos from this Saturday, I thought I'd share!  Rob and I had plans to go to a state park about 4 hour away but that didn't work out. Instead we went to a local park. Nothing too exciting but it was great to get out in the fresh air!

View from the Hawk Viewing Deck.

My hubby bubby enjoying the day.

Me (and a tree).

Tangled trees and palms.

Little walkway.

Palm

This is the pond area, lots of pretty ducks and birds.

This walkway went up to a picnic area.

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.

One Thousand Gifts

About two weeks ago I began reading Ann Voskamp's book titled, "One Thousand Gifts." I just finished chapter three and let me just say, this book is a huge eye-opener. In her book Ann says, "I discover that slapping a sloppy brush of thanksgiving over everything in my life leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life." As I am reading her book I begin to realize the truth of this statement. Ann began to list all the small things she was thankful and working her way to one thousand...but the journey continued. Now Ann has written this book and continues to blog about the things she is thankful for on her blog, A Holy Experience. I encourage you to check out her book and also her blog. It may just lead you to your own epiphany!
As for me, I will be starting my "hunt" for things to be thankful for today. Sometimes I will list here and sometimes I will be just writing them down on scrap paper, etc. I will let you know when I get to ONE THOUSAND!

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours!

Wintery Weather

We had some beautiful weather through the weekend and it really got me in the mood for SPRING! I love the sunshine and cool breeze! Today, however, we got blasted with another "artic front," as the weather man loves to say. It is rainy, windy, and c-o-l-d.

Nothing a good cup of coffee can't cure!

A few more weeks and the weather should be warming up. Can't wait to plant some flowers and work on my spring ambition, a garden retreat.


In unrelated news, God had a word for me last night and I just love it when He speaks to us so clearly! 
But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. -Psalm 69:13   
**That is absolutely without a doubt my prayer right now...this verse was a reminder that our needs are not new to the Lord. He hears us loud and clear!  So if you have a need speak up, let it it be heard and at an acceptable time, God will make his answer known. 

I hope all of you are keeping warm and safe out there. Winter's sleep will soon end and we will be greeting with the wonderful awakening of God's creation! I can't wait!

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.

 

"O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word...-1 Kings 18:36

Have you ever had a period of time where God keeps revealing a certain passage from the bible to you, over and over again. Sometimes we don't quite get why and then suddenly it all becomes quite clear and God speaks to you through His word. Since A and I first read the story of Elijah in his bible curriculum, I have been seeing this passage (1 Kings 18-19) come up in conversation, studies and bible readings. I immediately was drawn to the story the first time I read partially for the humor in Elijah's taunting of the Baal worshipers and partly because I was touched by the gentle way God chose to speak to Elijah. It wasn't until yesterday in our Sunday sermon that God chose to personalize this passage for me.
Our pastor was using Elijah's story to show how depression can take over us even after a "mountain-top" high. After God put to shame the Baal worshipers through Elijah (1 Kings 18:38-40), Jezebel began to plan an attack on him. (1 Kings 19:2) Elijah had just been used to glorify God (and as you may know that is such an amazing experience) but directly afterward he was forced to flee for his life. These kinds of highs and lows are so real to our lives. I know that many times I after experience a remarkable time with the Lord I come under deep spiritual attack and often end up having to deal with some hard emotions. This situation isn't unique to Elijah or even to me. But there is more to Elijah's story, even while struggling to protect his life the Lord calls upon him (19:9). God doesn't want Elijah to sit in his sorrow, He calls Elijah to work for Him. The same message applies to us, although God may allow us to be in our own self-pity for a little while, ultimately (if we accept) He will pull us out of our pain and call us into action for Him.

One other aspect of this story really made an impression upon me was God's method of speaking to Elijah. He sent a mighty wind (in my mind, something like a tornado?), an earthquake and a fire. But God did not choose one of these glaringly obvious methods to speak to Elijah. He chose the simplest of all, a whisper (19:11-12). Amazing right!? Our God is capable of calling out to us by any means necessary but sometimes He chooses the most humble of ways!

I  really began to consider this whole story in terms of my life... I need to pull out of my thoughts of sadness and dwelling on things I cannot change and instead focus on seeking to serve My great and mighty Lord in whatever way He chooses for me right now! I need not look for Him in some miraculous event but rather in the quiet hours of life. I am waiting upon His whisper of a call for me.

Shhh. 
Listen.
The Lord may be whispering to you.

Until next time, may Christ's blessings be upon you and yours. 

Snapshot Saturday

This is my second Snapshot Saturday, hope to be more frequent with these.

After a three days of being iced over, it was 60 degrees and beautiful sunshine EVERYONE wanted to feel the beautiful weather:

These were abandoned for 

 

 

 

BUBBLES!

Most of the green is gone for the winter

But some remains

And a certain someone thinks it's tasty!

And last but not least my fabulous Saturday find. Nike shorts + NY&Co. Bermudas for $4 @ Goodwill

All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling. -Oscar Wilde

Lately I have been doing a lot of reading from many who are suffering through the battle of infertility. Each of these women describe their feelings with meaning and purpose. Some describe feeling like they are a failure because they cannot do what their bodies were created to do, some describe feeling like they are letting their husbands and loved ones down, and still others describe the feeling of no control, that fertility is not within their control. Hearing all these women communicate their feelings in their writing, I began to examine my own emotions and thoughts about infertility. The only problem was there weren't any. I don't feel like a failure or like I've let anyone down or even still I'm not driven crazy by the lack of control.

I feel hurt.
Pain.

I feel a deep black hole devoid of any emotion beyond sadness and bordering on numbness.


Now don't misinterpret this. This feeling doesn't consume my life. I am no longer in a state of depression and can carry on, actively participating in my own life. However, if I stop, only for a moment and begin to dwell on the situation of no baby, this sort of blackness envelopes me.

I am continually praying that if for whatever reason, God chooses to never give me another child He will take away my hurt and fill it with His unfailing love. I know He wants only the best for His children and I accept that. I just need His comfort, His grace and love to fill me...overflowing, abundantly. I have the utmost confidence that the Man who died on the cross to save me has compassion enough to ease my aching burden. If I focus on that, a glimmer of Light fills that blackness, breaks through the pain and makes it bearable once again.

And that is how I feel about my inability to conceive. It can't be wrapped in a single package or confined to a single sentence. I don't know if even makes sense to anyway one else but writing it, expressing it, brings me one step closer to understanding it and moving beyond.

Until next time, may Christ's love and blessings be upon you and yours.