How beautiful are the feet...

Where do you draw the line?

2009-08-14T08:00:00.000-07:00

I've struggled with a concept for such a long time. It is the concept of money--where do you draw the line when you are purchasing something. I am not attempting to write a sound theological argument or anything like that. I am just putting my thoughts out there and seeing what kind of discussion I can generate. Let me start off by giving an example of my struggle and then I can try to explain my thoughts. Let's say you want to buy a car. You can afford a new honda accord easily. No sweat off your back, no debt. Lets say this honda cost $25,000. But someone asks you why you bought such an expensive car when you could have bought a used/new ________ (you fill in the blank for something cheaper). Well, the first question is what is expensive? I think expensive is a relative term. If someone makes millions of dollars a 25,000 dollar car isn't much money at all. Heck, 100,000 dollar car probably isn't much. My question is for Christians though. We are called to live above reproach. Be different. Have a higher standard for ourselves. We are called to give to the needy, help the poor, etc. Could I buy a cheaper car and give the difference to a family in need? Yes, of course! But, what if the new car I buy is safer than the used one. What if the used one needs tons of repairs done on it? What if the new one has a 5 year warranty. For the sake of the argument, lets say you buy a cheaper car for $15,000. That is a $10,000 difference. But someone else says woah, why didn't you buy a 5,000 dollar car? See what I am getting at? Where do you draw the line? Is it relative? You can always go cheaper so how cheap do you go? I don't have the answers to this. I have struggled with this thought for a few years now and here are some of my thoughts so far are:

1. Are you first of all giving you 10% to the church;

2. Is it a need;

3. Can something cheaper give you the same desired outcome without sacrificing safety (perhaps BMW vs. Honda);

4. What is the Holy Spirit saying to you;

5. What is your motivation for buying a "nicer" thing--recognition, pride, selfishness...;

6. When will enough be enough? People always want more--faster, newer technologies, seat warmers/coolers, dvd players.

I read through 1 Timothy today and the last chapter (6) is what finally sparked me to write about this struggle of mine.

Starting in verse 6:

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs."

--FIrst of all, I don't want to fall into all that! I am raising a child now and I want to raise her up in a way that will glorify the Lord. She imitates EVERYTHING I do and I know it only gets worse. I am going to be held accountable for how I raised my children. I want to be an example about how to spend wisely and I want to protect them from the things that happen when you desire riches. I don't want to raise children who are selfish that think they need everything. The Bible warns many times about the dangers of riches. Plus, in my own life, i have seen it tear people down.

--Continuing in the last section in chapter 6:17-19.

"Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life."

--Finally, I leave with this. Some people are going to be rich and some will be poor. No matter how much money is given, there are always going to be people in need. Can we save them all (in regard to ridding the world of poverty, etc)? No. So, how much do we give? How much do we sacrifice to help those in need? Where do we draw the line?

Thoughts?

McKenzie got the Roseola Virus!

2009-07-13T14:31:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night I noticed McKenzie started running a fever. I took her temperature and it was 104.7! I immediately gave her some motrin and the fever went down to about 102 ish...It was very bothersome though! I couldn't stand that she was running such a high fever!! So, the following morning we went to the doctors and had her checked out. He checked her throat and ears and all was clear, so he took some blood and it was clear, then he did a urinary test and it was clear.

So, Nathan and I are just puzzled--but the doctor isn't. He said that there is a virus called the Roseola virus (i may be misspelling this name!) that produces high fevers for a few days and then when the fever is gone a rash forms on the body. Well, this morning McKenzie woke up fever free!! but she had a rash on her belly and back. It is very faint right now but it is there. I will get some pictures when she wakes up and post them.

Funny stuff!

2009-05-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I came home from school the other day (after Kerre was watching Mckenzie) and started looking through my camera...Lo and behold, I found some awful pictures of my baby!!! They were borderline child abuse!

So, in order to make things right, I got a few pictures of my own:

In my opinion, I think she looks happier in the last two! haha!

Anyway, school is out for the summer (besides my Tuesday night counseling) and I am excited! I am going to really focus on photography and learning all the different settings to use to make good pictures. Hopefully I will get some experience soon and be able to start a part-time business that will help pay for school. I am still passionate about counseling for those of you who may be thinking "why are you in school then?" I am just going after a hobby that i have loved since a kid! Well, McKenzie is still asleep so I am going to take this time to curl up to a good book.

Where have I been?

2009-05-02T10:07:00.001-07:00

Well, I realize i have not blogged in quite a while. Friends and family have been getting on my case to get back to it :) So, here I am. I am about to finish this semester (on Monday)! I should be studying for my tests but this seemed to be more fun. To catch some people up, I am graduating May 2010 with my masters in Marriage and Family Counseling. It has taken me a while to get through this degree -- I started August 2006. Most of the people I started with have graduated or are about to graduate this May. I took a year off and taught middle school math for a year, but the Lord would not let me get away from Seminary :) I tried to fight it, but there was no doubt that was where I was called.

I have finally started to actively pursue learning photography. I have been so passionate about photography since middle school. I remember taking my little brother, Kyle, out to some fields with my little ghetto 35 mm camera and taking shots of him. I loved it! Well, now I actually have a good camera with some lenses that will allow me to do some good work! Plus, my mother-in-law has tons of stuff I can borrow so I am very blessed by that! So, if anyone needs a photographer (if that is what I am) I would love to work with you. I am looking for people who would let me practice on them or their family so I can get experience. If you are interested, let me know and we can get together. Right now I won't charge anything for the time because I need to learn and you would be helping me!

Lastly, my little baby girl is almost a year old...well, next Saturday she will be 11 months old! I can't believe how old she is but I can't say it has gone by fast because we have enjoyed every moment of her. It is just weird that the time has passed....does that make sense? It does to me :) So, I will begin posting more, sharing my pictures, thoughts, and life with you.

Moses, forgiveness, love

2008-10-01T21:39:00.000-07:00

Okay, it is 11:40 pm and I started "writing" a blog in my head as I was about to go to sleep. I wanted to just turn over and go to sleep, but in case it was the Lord's prompting I decided to get out of bed and be obedient if it was His calling for me to wake up and type this. There are times in my life I feel like I should do something and I just blow it off and then realize that could've been the Holy Spirit speaking to me...you never know.

So, I am in a Bible study called BSF (Bible Study Fellowship). It is amazing! It is the most in depth Bible study I have ever had and it is truly a Bible study and not a grief share time. No offense, but I have been to Bible studies where the first hour of the hour and a half lesson is dedicated to people talking about their problems and you never get to study Scripture. I can meet for coffee or something to talk about problems, but when it is a Bible study, I want to do just that.

Okay, so this Bible study I am in is a year long study on the life of Moses. Most people are familiar with his life and how God used him in the Old Testament. Think for a second of all the ways he was used by God.... He was kept alive by his mother when the Pharaoh made an edict to kill all male boys when they were born, he was adopted by Pharaoh's daughter, he led the Israelites out of Egypt and to the Promised Land, parted the Red Sea, wrote the Ten Commandments, and so much more. Okay so would you say God's hand was on him? I sure would...I mean, the angel of the LORD visited him as a burning bush and spoke to him! I cannot say I have ever experienced anything like that from the Lord.

So, there is some background on Moses. I tried to build him up a bit, not like it was hard because he was a great man. But, do you realize that Moses committed murder? Read Exodus 2:11-14. He murdered an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew. He acted on impulse and did a terrible thing. The Egyptian was in the wrong, but he did not need to be punished by the death penalty! I was encouraged this week and I wanted to encourage someone like I was encouraged. Moses made a mistake. He acted on impulse and murdered a man. Who knows what other things he may have done, we don't know much about his life growing up. I was encouraged by this because Moses made a mistake on impulse but God still used him greatly. God forgave his sins and didn't hold it against him. Too often, people hold grudges on us for things we did. We didn't mean to do them, and if we could we would go back and fix it but we can't go back. We can't do things over. Moses probably regretted killing that man, but the damage was done. An interesting fact I learned in my Bible study was that it is never mentioned again about Moses killing the Egyptian. God was not constantly reminding him of the mistake he made. God forgave him and not only did he forgive him, but he used him so save so many people. Scripture tells us that our sins are cast as far as the east is from the west. Your sins are forgiven. No matter what they may be. WHen you come to the Lord and confess what you have done, he forgives you automatically. We see in the New Testament that when Jesus met someone who was living in sin, for the most part, all he said was go and sin no more. He didn't badger them and give them a lecture about the wrong things they had done. He simply said go and sin no more. I love that!

If you are bearing the burden of a sin, confess it and ask the Lord to forgive you and help you in overcoming it. Once you confess it, it is done. You don't need to bear that burden anymore. Free yourself. We all make mistakes and we are all in need of forgiveness. If someone in your life is constantly reminding you of how awful you are, stop listening to them because they are not showing the love of Christ and they are only being part of Satan's plot to destroy you on the inside.

Jesus says in Matthew 11: 28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

Cry out to Jesus. If you feel like you can't be used for the Kingdom, you are wrong. God can use you and your testimony about your life to reach the lost. Don't give up on yourself. Don't let someone make you feel worthless. Find your worth in the Lord.

Okay, 30 minutes later, I am going to bed. I hope someone can be encouraged by this the way I was. We can all be used by Christ no matter how bad the sin may be, no matter how worthless we may feel. Christ loves you and died for you.

Who do you turn to?

2008-07-26T15:57:00.000-07:00

Have you ever heard of the saying, "Run to the throne and not your phone." When I first heard this little saying I was filled with guilt. Most of the times when I have some type of problem, I call Nathan because I want instant feedback. When I pray about things, I don't get instant feedback. Gods timing isn't our timing. At the end of the day I am glad Nathan is an ear that will listen to my problems, but he can't necessarily solve it for me or make it any better. I need to turn to the Lord with my problems because He alone is going to make things right.

In the book of Isaiah I read a passage about King Hezekiah. Hezekiah is a great example of what to do when we are faced with problems. In Isaiah 37:14-20 (chapter 36 and the beginning of chapter 37 explains more of what is going on) Hezekiah is told the Assyrian army is going to destroy him and that his "god" could not save him. When King Hezekiah receives word of this, he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD (Is. 37:14). King Hezekiah is such a great example to follow. He immediately goes to the LORD with his problem and in his prayer praises God! Hezekiah is being threatened by the Assyrian army and instead of getting scared and trying to run away, he turns to the LORD. Not only did he turn to the LORD but he praised the LORD before anything else! How many times do we praise the LORD first when we are upset? I know I don't do it. I come selfishly to the throne and give Him all my problems. I am not saying He doesn't want to hear my problems. God wants to know every thought we have, he wants a relationship with us!

So, do you want to know what happened to King Hezekiah? Well, the angel of the LORD went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand men in the Assyrian camp (Is. 37:36a). WOW! God is so good and He does take care of us when we come to him.

Now, I know some may say, I have been praying for years, months, weeks for the Lord to help me and nothing has changed. I ask this first. Is what you are praying for in accordance with God's character. For example, are you praying for God to give you all the riches of the world, make a man/woman divorce his/her husband so you can be w/ him/her, perhaps you are praying your spouse will look like Brad Pitt (had to put a funny in here)...Whatever it is, make sure it is in accordance with his character. The other thing to remember is to think what your motives are when you are praying. A verse that is very convicting for me at times is in Psalms 139: 23-24. It states: "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting." I find myself praying for things that may not be necessary or are very selfish. I don't really pray for God's will to be done, I pray that what I want will be done. Sometimes when we pray we think we know what God's will is and we really don't. How could we know the thoughts of God? I know I have prayed over and over for marriages to last and they don't. I know that when I pray for the Lord to keep these marriages together that is according to his character because God tells us in Micah he hates divorce and we see throughout Scripture how divorce is a sin (I know Scripture does give two reasons divorce may be okay). One thing I have to remind myself over and over again is that we are all sinners. Christians are going to get divorces, they are going to get drunk, have pre-marital sex, etc. But, Scripture also says that God works for the good of those who love him. So, maybe through a divorce God's glory will shine...somehow. We may not understand it but we have to keep faith that whatever we are praying for that God is in control and that he is going to do whatever it takes to make his name known and to bring his people to him. He may not allow a marriage to stay together or He may allow trouble to come your way in other forms so that it will bring his children back to Him.

I encourage you to keep faith. When you feel as though your prayers are bouncing back, tell yourself they aren't. That is Satan's way of making you feel like our big God doesn't care about our little problems. God cares about us more than anything else in this world. Don't lose hope in whatever circumstances you are in. You may be in them because you are far from the Lord and this is his way of bringing you back...it may be a way later on in life you can help someone else in the same situation...Just don't give up on God...keep praying. Make the Lord your best friend and come to him with your problems. Lay it at the throne of our Savior who desires deeply to help us in our needs. I leave you with this:

"Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord." Isaiah 55:6-8

We made it through!

2008-07-16T13:13:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night I woke up with stomach flu type symptoms! It was AWFUL! Nathan ended up taking me to a clinic and they pumped me with two bags of fluids. I felt a lot better afterwards but still very weak. Well, Sunday night I woke up to Nathan throwing up! He kept saying Sunday night before bed he wasn't feeling really good but we were thinking it was maybe in his head since I was so sick...well, we were wrong! He had to stay home from work on Monday because he was sick too. To top it all off, McKenzie started running a fever of 100 degrees mid afternoon on Monday and she was also having diarrhea. We called the doctor and he was able to see her that day. So Nathan, McKenzie and I load up in the car and drive to the doctors. We looked pitiful. Nathan and I were so pale and sickly looking it wasn't even funny. Then we are carrying this crying baby who is sick. It was just one of those days. Well, the doctor said McKenzie is going to be fine unless her temperature goes over 102. It hasn't yet. She is still having some diarrhea but her temperature is below 100 so that is great. It has been hard watching her cringe in pain when the diarrhea kicks in. She is so little and fragile and there isn't anything I can do to help her out :( I guess this is the beginning of many more trips to the doctors office. Anyway, she is sleeping soundly on my chest right now. I am sure this phase is going to go by too fast so i am enjoying every minute of listening to her little breaths on my chest :)

Forgiveness

2008-07-15T08:39:00.000-07:00

We have all been hurt by someone in our lifetime. It could be anyone...your spouse, sibling, parent, friend, etc. We tend to forgive some of the people and move on with our lives, but then we hold grudges towards other people and refuse to forgive them. We say to ourselves, they hurt us too badly to forgive them or they don't deserve to be forgiven. As Christians our lack of forgiveness towards others reflects our personal relationship with Christ. Throughout Scripture we are told to love one another over and over. If we love everyone (even our enemies) how do we choose to not forgive a grievance? I am reading through 2 Corinthians now and I found a passage that talks about forgiveness that I had never really come across before. It is 2 Corinthians 2: 5-11.

"If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent-- not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. The reason I wrote you was to see if you would stand the test and be obedient in everything. If you forgive anyone -- I have forgiven him in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes (NIV)." --I added the italics because those verses stood out to me the most.

Lets take a step back and think about some stuff before I go any further. We live in a fallen state. We ALL sin and fall short of the glory of God. Not just some of us, ALL of us. Who are we to sit and judge someone for doing wrong to us or to a loved one when we screw up all the time too? I know I have hurt people in the past and some of those times may have been intentional. I am not proud to say that, but it is true. If we think we can go through life without hurting someone or being hurt by someone we are in for a huge wake up call. I don't' think that forgiveness means automatically forgetting what someone has done...I don't think that is possible at least not right away. But I believe forgiveness is allowing yourself to continue to love the person and show compassion towards them, especially when they know they made a mistake. Why rub it in their face when they are already beating themselves up? Again, who are we to judge. The Bible says in Matthew 7:1-2: "Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured (NIV)."

Now, let me ask this question. If you are a Christian and someone has hurt you more than words could describe, does God want you to forgive them? YES! One of my professors once told me that research has shown (I am sorry I don't have the name of the research so it could be a lie...but it seems to be more true than false) the number one reason people are turned away from Christianity is because of Christians. Basically, we act holier than thou to our non-believing friends and then they see us go and get drunk, cuss like a sailor, or show lack of forgiveness (you can put anything in there that you want) and they think to themselves, these people are just like me, why do I need Christ? Christians need to stand out and be different. We need to be examples to the people that Christ has put in our lives. If you have children, they can see your love or hate towards someone. If your child sees how you are able to forgive someone for something, you are teaching them such a valuable lesson in forgiveness without even using your words, but by your own actions. If you show your child how to hold a grudge and not forgive, they will learn that and have a difficult time forgiving someone or worse, they may never respect much of what you have to say when you try to tell them areas they need to work on in regard to Christian values. We need to say yes, that person hurt me terribly but Christ forgave him the day he died on the Cross and if Christ can forgive him, I can. 2 Corinthians talks about how we are to be obedient in everything...that means in forgiving others. Let us be obedient and stand out for Christ. We need to show love towards everyone and like the last part of the verse I shared in 2 Corinthians, "I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." We need to be careful how we live because Satan is around every corner waiting to devour Christians. Harboring unforgiveness is only an avenue for Satan to use to make life more miserable. I leave you with this story from a book I am reading. The book is God has a Dream for your life written by Sheila Walsh. I am going to paraphrase what she said when she was talking to her son who was having a problem forgiving a girl in his class.

Sheila's son was hurt by a girl in his class and asked his mom why would God would want him to forgive someone who is not sorry. She pointed out that when you don't forgive someone in the end, you only end up hurting yourself...Well, she took her son on a walk and asked him to carry a large bag of flour for her. After they walked for a few minutes, he asked if he could set it down. She said not yet. They kept going and he kept asking if he could set it down and she kept telling him not yet. Finally, he said that he had to put down the flour because it was killing him. She let him put it down and told her son that if he refused to forgive, he will carry this huge load everywhere he goes.

First of all, I love how this mother showed her son about forgiveness! I pray I can be this wise one day! Anyway, holding onto what someone has done to us can make us angry. We become bitter and difficult for others to be around. Mark 11:25 says, "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

Most of us are familiar with this verse...Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through him who gives me strength." Ask for the strength to forgive someone if you can't do it on your own. We can do all things through Christ.

How do we reach them?

2008-06-05T07:09:00.001-07:00

I have been reading 1 Corinthians and today I was studying a passage in Chapter 3: 1-3. It states, "Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly-- mere infants in Christ, I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men (NIV)?"

It is hard at times to live knowing this truth. I taught middle school this past year and there were some students who were Christians but they were not yet ready to fully accept what they believed. They were as Paul would put it, "mere infants in Christ". I dealt with so much gossip, belittling, cheating, etc...I had to look back and realize who I was working with...TEENAGERS! Of course they are going to behave that way. They are hromonal and think they rule the world. Now, I will say there were a few exceptions with in my classroom, but not many. I would try to talk to the class about a situation where one student was feeling left out and thought all the popular students, who were Christians, were leaving her out. It broke my heart when this girl came into my room crying. So I addressed the class, and they just acted like nothing. It never sunk in and I wanted it to sooo bad! It was so hard at times to try to explain what it meant to live for Christ and model a life after his, they couldn't understand. I know at the end of the day that it isn't me working in the lives of my students, it is the Holy Spirit. I am a mere vessel doing what I feel the Lord is calling me to do and when I felt the urge to encourage my students with something that hadn't anything to do with math, I knew it was the Lords guiding. Plus, who knows, maybe some of the students came to some realization about the situation or maybe they will one day. I just have to remember I am just a seed planter and that Christ is the one who will come and water what I have planted. I can only pray the seed grows.

This was just one example of how that passage struck me. There are other examples I could have given but I chose not to. I just wanted to make it clear that adults are just as guilty and can easily be called mere infants in Christ as well. The sad thing is that adults in a way are worse than the teenagers because you would think they know better than to act the way they do in certain situations.

So, anyway, I answered my own question about how to reach them. It is through prayer. It is listening to the Holy Spirit and following his leading. We aren't here to play the Holy Spirit and intentionally make people feel guilty (just because someone feels guilty after you talk to them doesn't mean you are trying to play the Holy Spirit. It just determines where you heart is when you confront them). We are here to set examples.

Screwtape letters: chapter 2

2008-06-03T12:38:00.000-07:00

I have started reading The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. This book is so different from any other theological type book I have read. There are 31 chapters and these chapters are in the form of letters. The letters are written to Satan's demon nephew, Wormwood who is on earth, from Satan (Screwtape). Basically, Satan is training Wormwood how to keep people away from Christianity. I have read through the first six chapters. The book is pretty deep so I don't want to read through it fast and miss something that could be really important (Screwtape would tell Wormwood good job, you distracted Liana from reading something that could benefit the "Enemy's" kingdom--He calls Christ the Enemy! Craziness).

Chapter 2 starts off with Screwtape being displeased about Wormwoods patient becomming a Christian. Then he tells him not to despair but to make the best of the situation. Screwtape (Satan) tells Wormwood that hundreds of adult converts have "been reclaimed after a brief sojourn in the Enemy's camp"..."that the 'habits' of the patient, both mental and bodily, are still in our favour".

My viewpoint on this small section:

There are so many Christians that seem to have their "golden ticket" to Heaven but don't do anything else about their conversion. Sometimes it isn't the person's fault entirely. Evangelists get people to come forward by the masses, but they don't disciple them afterwards. These people that had their conversion experience don't really know what to do afterwards because no one is helping them along the way. That is why I think so many Christians fall back to the lives they were living before Christ--no discipleship/mentorship was available to them! So, these people walked down the aisle, they prayed the prayer in their bed at night alone, etc...There is this huge emotional feeling they start going through and they are all holy and godly for a week, month, year...and then it dies down. It is no longer this emotional high they once had and they fall back into the temptations of the world: drunkenness, drugs, pornography, lying, adultery....They are Christians but their habits are of this world. It is no wonder why people say they don't want to go to Church...they see us as huge hypocrites, especially when all the media covers about Christianity is when a pastor or pastor like figure has an affair or molests little boys and girls. Christianity is seen so negatively and Satan is just LOVING it!

Christians these days seem so scared to stand out. They don't want to "offend" anyone. We are called to hold our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable, yet when we try they get mad at us and don't want to listen. Christians need to realize the responsibility they have for the people that Christ has put in their lives. If we see a brother or sister in Christ living in sin, we should come to them (in a loving and humble way!) and talk to them about it. They won't want to hear it, but I feel it is our job to bring it to light. We see in Galatians 2: 11-21 that Paul opposes Peter. Verse 11 states, "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong (NIV)."

So, to fight Satan in this area, Christians can disciple/mentor new Christians. Hold Bible studies to help teach and encourage these new Christians live life for Christ. We need to hold our brothers and sisters in Christ accountable! Life is not easy! Especially when Peter tells us, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings" - 1 Peter 5: 8-9. Satan is on the prowl and wants to devour us. How awful is that? It is no wonder we struggle daily with temptations! We need to reach out to our loved ones and pray with them and pray for them! We need to quit pleasing Satan by letting our fellow Christians slide by the way side.

C.S. Lewis uses a quote from Luther in the beginning of the book:

"The best way to drive out the devil, if he will not yield to texts of Scripture, is to jeer and flout him, for he cannot bear scorn." Luther

Let us drive out the devil. Let us win the fight over temptations and let our habits glorify the Lord.

I love you all! I pray Christ dwells in your hearts and you follow him all the days of your life!

Penny Lane

2008-06-02T14:38:00.003-07:00

Okay, well I needed to post some pictures of our newest family member Penny Lane Randel (after the Beatles song--nathan made it up). She is the dang cutest thing I have ever seen in a while (I can't say ever seen b/c then my other animals and nathan will start to get jealous!). Ha ha! She weighs less than 2lbs and is sooo snuggly. We have to keep her locked in the back bathroom just to make sure she isn't sick and she doesn't contaminate our other animals. The vet said to seclude her for at least a week...it is getting harder each day b/c she wants out soo bad and the dogs want in soo bad. It is cute. Okay, just wanted to show off our new little girl. Seriously, our house is full of dang girls: me, gracie, roxie, kallie, penny, and soon to come McKenzie! Poor Nathan and RJ!

This N' That

2008-06-02T10:11:00.001-07:00

Okay, well a few things have happened since my last post.

Kallie has returned! Yay! Here is the story: A man called my cell phone a couple Saturday's ago (May 24) and said he think my cat has been hanging outside AND INSIDE his house! He believed this cat was in his house as he was talking to me. So Nathan and I go over there and search in his house and no cat. As we are looking he told us that on Friday night his sister woke up to a cat on her chest! She started screaming and the whole family woke up and searched for this mysterious cat and no one found her so they thought that this woman was dreaming. Anyway, the next day they see this cat on their coffee table and laying out by the pool. Then they see one of my missing cat signs and called. So Nathan and I search the house and no Kallie. Nathan told this man that he can call us anytime if the cat shows up. Well, 3:00 am on Sunday morning my cell phone rings and the man says he has a cat trapped in a bedroom. Nathan drives over there and Kallie was INSIDE the box spring! She found a hole in the box spring and crawled inside to hide. Nathan said she was terrified but he was able to get her out. I am so happy she is back! I got her microchipped last week and put a better collar on her so she is free to roam once again.

Well, when we were all down and out about Kallie, we (Nathan and I) started enertaining the idea of a new kitten. We were at the humane society and found this precious little kitten. It was love at first sight :) We ended up adopting her and Kallie came home two days later. It is what it is, but we saved a little kitten and we just lover her.
Nathan and I finished, "His Needs, Her Needs: How to affair proof your marriage. It was an amazing book and taught us a lot of things that will help us grow stronger in our marriage now.
I had two showers in Fort Worth the past two weekends and they were so great! I had so much fun and we got so many things that we really needed: stroller, car seat, jogging stroller, etc...ALL of our big items were bought so that helps out so much! We are also loaded up on clothes up to six months so we get to save money on clothing as well! Yay!
Our nursery is almost done! I haven't taken updated pictures but when I do, you will flip out because it is the cutest nursery ever! Kerre's friend Robin made some window toppers and this drape thing that hangs over the bed...it is just amazing and pictures will make you realize why it is so amazing.
Finally, I am reading a new book, Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis. I will post about this book for the next few posts until I finish. The book is pretty interesting. Each chapter is a letter from Satan to his little demon nephew (wormwood) on earth. Satan is teaching wormwood how to keep people from becomming Christians or keeping Christians from actually living like Christians should. It is such a neat way to see how Satan can play a role in our lives and how he keeps us away from trusting in the Lord and serving Him in all we do. So, tomorrow, I will share my thoughts on the chapters I have read so far..the book is really deep and there is so much you can learn from and it makes so much sense as to why we do things.

My Kallie Kay

2008-05-20T20:57:00.000-07:00

Kallie, oh Kallie

Why did you have to stray?

I don't know how to make this pain go away.

Kallie, oh Kallie,

I love your sweet white paws,

The first time I saw you I was filled with awe.

Kallie, oh Kallie,

I miss you so,

why, oh why did you have to go?

I don't know where you are,

but you seem so far.

I need to know you are okay,

and out of harms way.

I love you Kallie Kay,

and I will continue to pray.

Kallie

2008-05-14T19:58:00.000-07:00

My cat Kallie has been missing since Sunday night (May 11). She has never done this before and it is really hard on me. We have looked at the humane society and posted fliers around the neighborhood. She wasn't at the humane society and we haven't had any calls so we are just waiting. I have had her for over 5 years and I really don't know how to handle this. I don't want to believe she could be gone, but reality is starting to sink in and it is breaking my heart....That is all I have to say today.

The greatest gift you can give your children...

2008-05-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

Nathan and I are reading a book together titled, "His Needs Her Needs- Building an affair proof marriage" written by Willard F. Harley, Jr. There are 14 chapters and we read a chapter a night out loud together. It has been amazing sharing this time together and the book is phenomenal and we have only read 6 chapters!! The premise of the book is about ten basic needs for men and women. In a marriage, if one of these needs are not met, the husband or wife tends to pull away or take "withdrawals" from their "love bank". When the needs are met, deposits are put into their love bank. The book has made us realize the importance of affection, recreational companionship, sex, and communication (there are six more top needs). I recommend this book to anyone who desires to marry one day and of course to married couples. The author of the book is a psychologist and a counselor. He has found that most people who cheat on their spouses don't cheat intentionally...it tends to be a gradual pull away from their spouse. For example, he would say that if a woman's husband used to talk to her all the time (communication) and then years in their marriage they quit communicating, she feels neglected. Then, lo and behold, some man she works with starts talking to her and she feels loved again...Soon enough, they end up having an affair. The affair was never intended, the woman was missing something that her husband failed to give her and some other man was able to fill that missing need. It is sad and totally wrong, but it happens. We need to be aware of the needs of our spouses. We need to work daily on doing the things that make them feel loved and needed. The ten needs the book discusses are:

Affection (#1 for women) - typically
Sexual fulfillment (#1 for men) - typically
Conversation
Recreational companionship
Honesty and openness
An attractive spouse
Financial support
Domestic support
Family commitment
admiration

Some of these needs are more for men and some are more a priority for women. But he basically says that there are a top five for men and a top five for women and when one of these needs is lacking, things start to go downhill. Anyway, I believe that Satan is on the prowel seeking to destroy marriages (especially Christian marriages). Sadly, there is no difference in divorce when comparing Christian's to non-Christians. They have the same statistics. I believe this book can be a useful tool to fight the temptations that Satan throws at us because it educates us about our spouses and how they function. Christian men and women need to rise up and really fight for the sanctity of marriage. We need to quit being selfish and serve our spouses the way Christ served the church. We need to forgive each other for all the mistakes the other has made, and we also need to realize that WE make many mistakes too!!! One of the hardest verses for me to follow is 1 Peter 3:1, "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives. I basically take this to say to us women, QUIT NAGGING!!! It is not biblical! The author of this book says this:

"The greatest gift you can give your children is a strong marriage".

Amen to that! Families need to start strengthening their foundation so that their children see what it is like to have a strong marriage. Not just a strong marriage, but a GODLY, Christ centered marriage.

Well, I will have part II come out soon...I don't want to get too long, but there is so much to say on this topic!

the beginning

2008-05-10T15:30:00.000-07:00

Nathan and I on our 2 year anniversary!

I have had this blog for a while now, but I never post on it. I decided this would be a good avenue to share my life, thoughts, and opinions with family and friends.

Well, we are 8 weeks away from our due date (July 4th). I can't believe how fast the pregnancy is going! I can still remember the day at the hospital when they told us we were pregnant. It was one of the most amazing emotions I have ever felt. It is hard to imagine myself in this place(pregnant and over two years married), but I can't see myself at any other place in my life. I am starting back at school in the fall to finish my masters degree in Marriage and Family Counseling. I wasn't sure if this was where the Lord wanted me a year ago, but now I couldn't be more sure about this direction in my life. Do I plan on working 40 hours a week? No way! I am going to be a mom first, well second...Nathan comes first! I want to raise my children, I don't want other people to do that for me. I feel very strongly about how the mother is supposed to stay home with the children. I know that some women can't do it for financial reasons and that is understandable! There are some women who work because she and her husband want more and more. They can never have "enough" in their lives. I think this harms their children more and I in my opinion, that is why there are so many sad and depressed kids in the world. Since I can afford to stay home and raise my children, I am. It will be more rewarding than working. If that means Nathan and I have to eat out less or buy fun things less, so be it! It is all going to burn anyway, isn't it?

Well, Nathan and I have started painting the nursery this week and we are almost done! Here are a few pictures to see the beginning stages: Well, thats all for now, more to come!