Sewing!

Did I ever tell you guys how much I love blogs? I LOOOOOVE THEM! I would read them all day if I could. They’re so full of inspiration, creativity and best of all…TUTORIALS! I’m talking about tutorials for purses, jewelry skirts, dresses, and anything else you might possibly wish to make.

I have a list of things I want to make so long I could dress myself in it. (I wonder if there’s a tutorial for that!).

And it really doesn’t help that my entire wardrobe is falling apart and I desperately need new clothes. I’ve been looking for some decent work clothes for a while now, but have you seen the cost of things these days?! There’s no way I’m spending $80 on a dress that will probably not last me very long. Especially knowing I can buy the material for like $20 and make it myself.

Oh AND Christmas is coming up in just 7 weeks and I still have a million presents to buy/make!

So first on my list…Christmas presents…I won’t say what because I don’t want to spoil the surprise.

And then…clothes for me! First up (after I attempt some work clothes) is a circle skirt! I already started a simple one using elastic for a waist band, and I just found instructions for making a 50’s style version! Don’t you just love em! I’m so gonna rock this style in the New Year!






Unfortunately, my sewing machine (that’s almost old enough to be vintage lol) is giving me problems L…hopefully I can get it up and running this weekend without needing to spend $50 to get it serviced!

Chapter Five - Getting Started

YAY! This week's chapter is all about putting into practice everything we have been learning about having a quiet time!



Nancy gives us three general principles to help us establish a personal devotional life, each of which is taught in Scripture and illustrated in the life of Jesus.



The first principle is to have a consistent practice. This is not an obligation, but a huge priveledge! We get to spend time with the God of the entire Universe! He WANTS to spend time with us! Isn't that amazing!



In the Old Testament, the Israelites were instructed to collect Manna, their food, on a daily basis. They could only collect for that day, and for themselves. This physical bread is a picture of the Bread of Life, God's Word, and our need to spend time individually each day with God.



The second principle (which is particularly hard for me), is to spend time with God in the morning. She gives numerous examples of people in the Bible rising early in the morning to pray, including David, Moses, Mary and Jesus. The Israelites also had to rise early to collect the Manna. If we do not take the time to meet with God in the morning, we are telling him that we don't need His help in making it through our day. We have to be willing to pay the price of getting out of bed if we really want to know God.



And the third principle is to find a solitary place to meet with God. Luke 5:16 tells us that Jesus often "withdrew to lonely places and prayed". She says that she has found it helpful to set apart a place in her home to meet with God. We need to get away from all the people and distractions in our lives to focus on Jesus.



She concludes by saying "I know of no way to experience unbroken union and communion with our beloved Lord Jesus apart from a conscious, deliberate choise to spend time alone with Him each morning." This is coming from a woman who knows and loves God.



So my questions for this chapter are:

1. Which of these three principles is the hardest for you to follow?

2. What are the greatest barriers you encounter in maintaining a consistent time alone with the Lord in the morning?

3. What practical steps can you take in overcoming these obstacles?

Chapter Four - The Outer Walk

Two long weeks ago, in Bible study we discussed chapter four of A Place of Quiet Rest.

This chapter presented us with four more reasons why we need to spend time with God. She says "As the Holy Spirit fulfills each of these objectives in our hearts, the result will be seen in the way we live our lives toward God and others."

The first of these reasons is Submission. "As we spend time alone with God, our lives are brought into submission to God and His will." So often we find ourselves in positions we'd rather not be in. This could be anything from singleness, to the place we live, to our jobs/schools, to sickness...it could even be something small like being stuck in traffic or getting annoyed at the people around us. The problem is that God plays a huge role in bringing that situation into our lives. He wants to use that situation to change us. But so often we resist...

As we spend more time with God, He enables us to relinquish control and humbly submit to His plan for our lives.

The second reason for quiet time is Direction. In the Bible, God tells us "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him". (James 1:5). Sometimes life just gets so overwhelming. We're presented with endless options for everything...and it can be so hard to make decisions. But God will give us direction if we ask him. The thing is, we have to get quiet enough, long enough to listen to God.

But how can we hear God? He doesn't exactly speak audibly into our ears...instead, He directs us through His Word, as we read and meditate on it. Nancy Leigh DeMoss says "I often claim the promise of Proverbs 16:3, "Commit they works unto the lord, and they thoughts shall be established". As I am praying regarding a specific decision or issue, I will sometimes symbolically place that concern in my hands, then lift my cupped hands to the Lord and say, "lord, I am committing this matter to You. I am your servant; I want to do what You want me to do. Please establish my thoughts and use Your Word to guide me to a wise decision that will please You".

That is something I am planning on putting into practice in my own life!

The third reason for having quiet time is for Intercession. We need to pray for our friends and families. That should be our first inclination, instead of trying to fix problems on our own and turning to God when we fail.

"O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear,
All beacuse we do not carry
Everything to Go in prayer!
- Joseph M. Scriven

And the final reason she gives us is Transformation. "For as we linger in His presence, we are transformed into His likeness". The more time we spend with people, the more we become lik them. "How important it is, then, that we fix our eyes on the One whose image we wish to bear."

I don't know about you guys, but I want to be like Jesus. I long for his quiet and gentle spirit, and the love he has for others. I think I need to spend some serious time reflecting on him!

So my questions for this chapter...

1. Are there any areas of your life where you are struggling with submission, particularly submission to God?
2. Do you ever consult God before making plans or commitments? If you do, do you wait for an answer?
3. Have you seen any evidence of your transformation in becoming more like God as a result of your quiet time?

Costumes

Here's something to make you smile...

Aren't these just the cutest/funniest Halloween constumes ever! I am so in love with the lobster baby! Do you see the juicyness of those cheeks!

There's more pictures too where I got them from... http://twitchvintage.blogspot.com/2010/10/i-love-you-baby.html

Happy Reformation Day!

As Christians, we always question how we should celebrate Halloween. It's a day considered evil, when trouble reigns. Right now, if I were to go outside there would be hundreds of people wondering around causing trouble. Cheap, dangerous fireworks are going off every second, probably being shot at people. Somewhere someone is throwing eggs at people's cars, and possibly toilet papering someone's house.

If you didn't know how Halloween came to be, the myth is that today is the end of the witch's calendar. November 1st marks the first day of the new year, with winter right abour the corner bringing death with it. Its supposedly a day when the gates of evil open up and the dead can come back to wander the earth. Then one day the Catholic church decided to take this day over, make it "Christian". November 1st was designated as All Saints Day, or All Hallows Day, a day to remember the saints. The day before become All Hallows Eve, eventually Halloween.

For me, Halloween means nothing. I'm home cooking and cleaning and blogging as usual. It's just another day. But this day does have special meaning for another reason. On this day, in 1517 Martin Luther published his 95 Theses on a Catholic church door. This is recognized as the catalyst for the Protestand Reformation. Before this day, all Bibles were written in Latin, and the average person had no access to God's Word. The Church kept the people in ignorance, making laws they had to follow in order for them and their loved ones to get to heaven. The reformation changed all of that! Eventually the Bible was translated into English and the common man, that's me and you, could read and meditate on God's Word.

I don't know about you, but for me, I'm very grateful for this day in History. I'm grateful that I can have a personal relationship with Jesus, without needing a pope or priest. I'm grateful God accepts my confessions anytime, anywhere! And I'm especially grateful I don't have to obey laws that say I need to give the church all my money so that my loved ones can get into heaven!

Happy Reformation Day Everyone! To celebrate, read your Bibles and give God thanks!

MIA

Hey everyone!

I know, I know...I've been missing for a looooong time! I am so sorry. Please forgive me!

You're probably wondering where I've been...

And the answer is, right here living life as usual. I've been extremely busy lately. I think Daniel and I finally have a rhythm to our week and its pretty grueling. Monday nights is Bible study, Tuesdays I've committed to spending time with my sister, Wednesdays we have small group with some people from church, Thursday is date night, and of course the weekends are always busy with different stuff. Somewhere among all that I still have to (more like attempt to) keep my house clean and feed my husband.

I know my schedule is probably tame compared to some of you but for me its pretty crazy. I don't think I could keep it up for life. But for now, we have no kids so we can manage!

In addition to all that, I got a new toy that's really distracting. I'm not sure if i told you guys, but I got a promotion at work! I'm now officially a Senior Auditor! Whoo Hoo! lol...just kidding! It's a decent position, with a whole lot more responsibility, so I will probably have to add working overtime to my schedule soon. Thankfully it came with a small raise, so I bought myself a promotion/birthday gift. An Ipod Touch...It's great! I can do anything on that thing! Except Blog...that would take forever. I'll try not to let it get in the way again.

Also, last week I read an amazing book. A friend of mine lent me Prague Counterpoint by the Thoines. It was a touching story about Austria in World War Two, and a few people who were willing to take a stand for goodness and for God. It's amazing how much you can learn from historical fiction! For instance, did you know Hitler took prayer and Bibles out of schools in the Third Reich (his territory) and replaced them with prayer to Him and a book he wrote while in prison?? And he took over a ridiculous amount of countries, while England and France looked the other way because they didn't want to get involved in a war and were basically just completely complacent? If they had taken a stand for what was right at the very beginning there never would have been a WWII and those hundreds of thousands of people who died would have been left to live and leave legacies behind. It's so sad. A real lesson in doing the right thing right away. If you guys are looking for something good to read, and have exhausted all Francine Rivers books, I would recommend checking out some of their books. They're pretty decent.

So that's where I've been. Again, I apologize...I'll try to be more present!

Oh P.S....updates on my goals...quiet time is going much better for the most part. But everything else is a complete failure. I'm still working on it...but I could use some encouragement!

Proof I'm getting better at cooking...

My kitchen in the middle of cooking dinner...I think its even cleaner than when I started!

and this is the fruit of my labor...

I am NOT defensive!

Good morning guys,

TGIF! And also, thank God its a long weekend! I have a full and exciting weekend ahead of me, and I can't wait!

I started this morning, the way I start almost every morning...reading my blogs. I think I'm subscribed to about 30 :) It's just so interesting to start the day reading about other people's days and being inspired/convicted/encouraged/etc.

This morning I came across an interesting article. A pastor in the States recently posted an article about yoga and its spiritual foundations, concluding that Christians should not practice yoga. He made some very good arguments, and quoted a few experts (dedicated practicers- is that a word?) of yoga.

Yesterday, Yahoo posted his article on their site, and caused a huge stir among Christians. A lot of people were upset, and hundreds emailed him to tell him that. Today, he talked about this upset, and defended his article. He said "We are in worse shape than we thought. I have heard from a myriad of souls who have called me insane, incompetent, stupid, vile, fundamentalist, and perverted. Some others are best left unrepeated. These souls claim to be Christian, but offer no biblical argument nor do they even acknowledge the basic fact that yoga, as a spiritual practice, runs directly counter to the spiritual counsel of the Bible. "

The whole thing got me thinking...when someone confronts you about an issue incompatible with you faith, why is our first reaction always defensiveness? We quickly speak up to defend ourselves and our actions, even if it means insulting the person who is just trying to help.

As Christians, shouldn't we be seeking to grow and become more holy? And shouldn't we be willing to do so at any cost? Even if it means giving up something we love? So by that logic, our initial reaction shouldn't be to think of ways to justify ourselves, but to stop and seriously consider whether what we're doing is a sin, and might be keeping us from growing closer to God.

If after considering this seriously we still believe our actions are holy, then we can come up with real, Biblical reasons for continuing with them. And our response will be loving, not nasty and ignorant.

Sorry for preaching. This message is as much for me, as for those reading. My devotions have been focusing on pride this last week, and it really has been thinking about pride in my own life. A few years ago, I was considering practicing yoga myself. But before I started, I decided to do the research to see if it could be reconciled with my faith. I decided it couldn't. But if I hadn't done that research and now regularly practiced yoga, I wonder how I would have responded to that argument. Defensively? Or with the intention to grow?

Wake Up!

Soooo I took a big step today. I made the committment to start waking up early! I joined the Maximize Your Mornings challenge over at Inspire to Action.

As I've mentioned many times before, I am NOT a morning person. I hate waking up early, and absolutely love hitting the snooze button "just one more time"...

But it' just not working for me. I always oversleep and end up rushing to get ready for work. Then I have no time for devotions or breakfast and suffer for it all day. Plus I'm pretty sure that last 15 minutes hurt more than it help, because I end up feeling groggy and unfocused all day.

Under this challenge, we'll be waking up earlier a little bit at a time, until it becomes a habit. The goal is to evenutally have enough time in the morning to have quiet time, exercise and plan your day, in addition to the normal getting ready for work stuff. So it should go hand in hand with my new running plan!

The plan has an ebook with advice and a strategy for making waking up early a life long habit. And everyone will be connected by their forum and twitter (which I do not have). They're just starting with week 1.

This week's goal is to GET OUT OF BED! When the alarm goes off, I have to just roll out of bed and resist the urge to go back to sleep. I can do that right?

Anyone want to join me?

Birthday Blessings!

It's been a whole week since my birthday and I have not told yall what I got yet! This was the first year in many that I got real presents that I did not have to buy myself! And they were GREAT presents.

I got some couple presents this year, from two (new) couples!

(In my best Price is Right voice...)First off we have the lovely Kristi and Wendell! They gave me a gift card to 100% Bible Bookstore. And I already used it lol. I got myself a really solid devotional on personal revival, which I'm sure I will be telling you guys about shortly! It's really good. Thanks Kristi!!!

My friends Tisha and Brian got me a cute little sundress, that is just a tad bit short but perfect for my favorite place in the world and my newest toy! A BRAND NEW CAMERA!!! OOOOOOOOOO! (Note: All pictures for the rest of this post were taken by said camera!) Courtesy of Daddy...This camera is waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof, and dust proof, and comes with a very big, orange, funny looking floating strap (that I think might glow in the dark!).

And from Mummy, a very special machine that you will hopefully be hearing about a LOT in the future! I will be using it to make some cool things, including Christmas presents hopefully.

For those of you who have no clue what it is...it's a serger. Used to make just about every piece of clothing you own. I already bought some stretch material to attempt to make a tshirt.

And lastly, Daniel gave me the most thoughtful gift...a beautiful hand made-card, and sailing lessons! They haven't happened yet, and considering there's a tropical storm outside, probably won't happen for a while. But when they do, I'll be ready in my black sundress, with my water camera and an extra tshirt in case I get went!

Thanks for the wonderful presents guys! I love them ALL!

Chapter 3

Do you ever think any of these thoughts?

If I have my devotions, God will be pleased with me. If I have don't devotions, God will be disappointed with me.

Having daily devotions makes me more spiritual.

If I have devotions my day will go better. If I don't, I know it will be a disaster.

I have to have daily devotions - every good Christian does.

These thoughts tend to keep us in bondage to lies. The truth is "if we belong to [God], we already have his favor; He could not love us any more and He could not love us any less."

So if those are reasons to have devotions, why should we have them? In this week's chapter, Nancy gives us four reasons for quiet time that affect our inner life:
- Communion - to experience intimate union with God, who desires a deep, growing relationship with us.
- Purification - to cleanse our hearts and our lives. God uses the water of the Word to cleanse us. (John 17:17; 15:3; Ephesians 5:25-26).
- Restoration - to have our supply of grace, strength, and wisdom replenished and to gain fresh perspective and renewed desire and strength to serve him another day.
- Instruction - so that God would show us what He is like and how to live in a way that pleases Him.

She goes on to ask, "whom does the Lord teach? He instructs those whose hearts are humble - those who have a teachable spirit, whose who know how little they know and how much they need to learn. And He teaches those who fear Him and those who reverence and stand in awe of Him."

I don't know about you guys, but I would never use the word "teachable" to describe myself. But I am growing, and hopefully one day, that will change.

So my questions for the week are:

What are some inferior motives you have for spending time with God?

Think of someone you share a close relationship with. What are some elements of that relationship that help make it successful, and how can you apply it to your relationship with God?

If you haven't already read the chapter, I would encourage you to do it. It's such an amazing chapter, full of so much wisdom, and I think I covered about 3%. If I could I would quote the entire book!

That's my schedule and I'm sticking to it!

Guess what guys! I started running...I've been twice so far. And it was suprisingly not too bad.

I think I always secretly wanted to be a runner. I always envied those super fit people who could run for hours and make it look so easy, while I was trying to make it around the field once without stopping to breathe.

So does running twice make me a runner? I'm sure I have terrible form, don't breathe properly, have no clue what I'm doing, can only run for two minutes at a time...and probably look like this...

But I ran, and I have plans to run again...so that makes me a runner (in my own eyes at least)!

Now I just have to become a better runner. That means being able to run a little bit long than just two minutes. So I made myself a plan.

Week 1 Run one min, walk 90 seconds. Repeat eight times. Do three times a week.
Week 2 Run two mins, walk one min. Repeat seven times. Do three times a week.
Week 3 Run three mins, walk one min. Repeat six times. Do three times a week.
Week 4 Run five mins, walk two mins. Repeat four times. Do three times a week.
Week 5 Run eight mins, walk two mins. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.
Week 6 Run 12 mins, walk one min. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.
Week 7 Run 15 mins, walk one min, run 15 mins. Do three times a week.
Week 8 Run 30 mins continuously.

Following this plan, I should be able to run a full 30 minutes by the end of November. I'm going to try to run four days a week, that way if I miss a day (like last night) I can still get in my three days of running. And hopefully, it will make the transition between weeks a teensy bit easier. Just thinking about running for five minutes scares me to death!

I will run outside as much as possible. But when it rains, like its been doing for about three days straight, I will go to the gym, which I hate.

The good thing is I'll be finishing right before Christmas, which means I can combine rewarding myself with Christmas presents. Hmmm, what should I reward myself with? Something to encourage me to keep running.

What do you guys think? Is my plan doable? And what should I reward myself with?

A Day of Turning

I just read something from the Desiring God blog I want to share with you guys.

Here’s the challenge John Piper issues as he closes his chapter on prayer (chapter 6) in Desiring God:

[O]ne of the main reasons so many of God’s children don’t have a significant life of prayer is not so much that we don’t want to, but that we don’t plan to. If you want to take a four-week vacation, you don’t just get up one summer morning and say, “Hey, let’s go today!” You won’t have anything ready. You won’t know where to go. Nothing has been planned.

But that is how many of us treat prayer. We get up day after day and realize that significant times of prayer should be a part of our life, but nothing’s ever ready. We don’t know where to go. Nothing has been planned. No time. No place. No procedure. And we all know that the opposite of planning is not a wonderful flow of deep, spontaneous experiences in prayer. The opposite of planning is the rut. If you don’t plan a vacation, you will probably stay home and watch TV. The natural, unplanned flow of spiritual life sinks to the lowest ebb of vitality. There is a race to be run and a fight to be fought. If you want renewal in your life of prayer, you must plan to see it.

Therefore, my simple exhortation is this: Let us take time this very day to rethink our priorities and how prayer fits in. Make some new resolve. Try some new venture with God. Set a time. Set a place. Choose a portion of Scripture to guide you. Don’t be tyrannized by the press of busy days. We all need midcourse corrections. Make this a day of turning to prayer—for the glory of God and for the fullness of your joy. (Desiring God, 2003 edition, pages 182–183)

Wow...you can't get where you want to go without a plan. I definitely want a significant prayer life! Like I said yesterday, my goal for the next year is to get fit, spiritually and physically. And so I need a plan...

I'm going to spend the weekend thinking about it and let you guys know my plan next week.

P.S. My birthday update is coming soon too!

Birthday Resolutions...

It's my birthday! I turn 24 today. Does that count as mid-twenties? Does that mean I'm getting old? It sure doesn't feel like it...

I think today is a good day to evaluate my life, to look back at the last year and figure out where I want to go from here.

What did I achieve as a 23 year old? What were the highlights? Hmm...well to start with, I got married! It was definitely the best decision of my life. Marriage has been so good so far, and now I'm more in love with Daniel than ever. (For good reason...I'll show you guys my birthday present later.)

Other than that though, I can't say that I'm really in a different place this year than I was last year. I feel like I've been stuck in a rut for the last few months. I want to be growing and maturing, but it's just not happening.

So today, I'm making some changes! Where do I want to be in a year? Mostly, I would like to be healthy and in shape, both physically and spiritually. I want to be a morning person, who wakes up early every day (and loves doing it!) to go for a run and spend some quality time with the Lord. And as a result, I want to be full of joy and energy! I would like to run a marathon...or maybe just a 5K. I would like to be a prayer warrior, and be learning new things about God every day. That seems like a really good goal right?

But how can I get there? I think I need some practical guidelines to help me put this into place. I need to start small and work my way up!

Any ideas?

J-A-M-JAMAICA! - 10 random facts

Week before last my company sent me to Jamaica for training. Of course, when they told me I was going, what I really heard was "We're sending you to Jamaica for vacaion". So after long, exhausting days at the office in Jamaica, me and my coworkers spent our weekends and evenings exploring and eating!

While I learned absolutely nothing about my job, I did learn alot about Jamaica...or at least the parts we got to see. So without further ado, I present some random facts I learned about Jamrock!

1. Jamaican money is confusing.



Their dollar is like $85 to $1. When we got there and changed our money I knew I was wealthy beyond my wildest dreams. I turned $100 into like $9,000..and then I realized a pizza is $2,000, a book is $850, and a taxi ride is $1,300! WHOA! Confusing! My $10,000 disappeared like nothing, and I'm still trying to figure out where it went!

P.S. I'm pretty sure we got ripped off by everyone. We were spotted as tourists everywhere we went!

2. In Jamaica, you don't tip people. You give them donations. And everyone expects a donation. The tour guides (who you already paid), the man hitting on you and trying to give you an ugly statue you don't want, the man who gave you a tour of the waterfall and gardens, even the man chillin on the side of the beach and waterfall (taking credit for God's work).

3. Ocho Rios and Montego Bay are the tourist names. They are more affectionately know as Ochie and MoBay by the locals.

4. The fountain of youth can be found in Ochie, aka Fire Wata!



It's a tiny little pool and sulfer spring somewhere in the back of the bush! You can actually light the water on fire...or the gas or whatever...point is you can walk through water that's on fire! Pretty cool! It comes complete with a full body massage by a bonafide rasta, healing of all your bodily problems, and dinner cooked on a rock on top of the fire...and all for just a small donation of course! :)

5. Jamaica's version of potcakes are goats...they're everywhere.



6. Speaking of everywhere...







There were billboards all over the place, for everything from phones to mackeral in tomato soup.

7. I almost died 33,349,238 times in a week riding in taxis going 100 miles an hour up winding mountain roads, overtaking on curves, right next to 1,00,000 foot drops. I thought Bahamians couldn't drive!





This was our limo for the week. ;) We rode in style!

8. The mountains are really high up and Kingston is huge!



You can't tell but all three of us were scared to death in this picture! There's a huge drop right next to us and we were all scared of heights. It really is beautiful though.

9. Nothing compares to floating in fresh water rivers and climbing waterfalls. It was absolute heaven!







10. The word likkle gets used in every conversation, and everytime I hear it laugh a likkle inside and then proceed to use it in every sentence for the rest of the day. I have the worst Jamaican accent ever, and I am only a likkle bit affraid of using it! (Told ya!)

I had a great time in Jamaica! I can't wait to go back!

Chapter 2

Last night, I wrote about Chapter 1 of our book. Today, I'll catch up to the Bible study by talking about Chapter 2.

Chapter 2 - Made for Intimacy

In this chapter, Nancy talks about the need in each of us to fellowship with God. She says "In the Scriptures, we encounter a God who moves toward us, who seeks to draw us to himself, who knows us intimately and passionately, and who invites us to know him in the same way". Doesn't this just sound so good to you? I can't tell you how much I long to love God intimately and passionately! And to feel his love for me! I long to be admired and cherished by my Creator!

I have to confess that lately I have not been feeling any of that. I haven't had good time with God for a few weeks, and I'm really suffering for it. I've been more sad, angry, depressed, anxious...basically I've been feeling every negative emotion there is! And I know its because I haven't spent time with my Father. God forgive me! I know I need it!

Our discussion on chapter 2 mainly focused on the section of the chapter regarding Martha and Mary. The book contrasts the love Mary had for Jesus, with Martha's desire to get things done. She chose to be busy instead of spending time with the Lover of her soul, and she suffered for it. She became anxious and angry, kind of like I'm feeling now.

But Jesus tells her "It's ok...your company means more to me than your cooking. You are more important to me than anything you can do for me".

Like Nancy says, "There is only one place where that angry, reactive, overwhelmed self can be transformed - the same place that Mary chose - the feet of Jesus".

Will you choose with me to sit at the feet of Jesus today?

Questions to Consider
1. Who do you know that has an intimate, growing relationship with God? How did they get that relationship?

2. If people were to look at your life, what would they say is important to you?

Chapter 1

I realize I'm about two to three weeks behind in blogging about the book. I'm not really sure why. I've been meaning to write for a while, but I keep making excuses. I really want to tell you guys about my trip to Jamaica, but the pictures are on my computer at work and I can't blog from work! But I'll get them for tomorrow...promise!

Tonight we discussed chapter 2 of our book, A Place of Quiet Rest, and I remembered why I love this book so much! But before we go there, let's back track a little...

Chapter 1 - A Day in the Life of the Lord

This chapter discusses Jesus's life and how he handled the people and situations that followed him everywhere. One particular day, as described in Mark 21-38, Jesus did more than most of us get done in a week (or ever??). He taught in the synagogue, cast out an evil spirit, went to his best friend's house where he had to heal his sick mother-in-law, went to the door and found an entire town of sick and demon-possessed waiting on him, and healed many of them! I'm sure he went to bed exhausted that night. And yet in verse 25 we see that the next day "very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." I wonder how much sleep he actually got that night?

If that was me, I think I would have slept in the next day. I really love sleep! Why in the world would he get up early after being awake late at night healing people?!

Keep reading...his disciples come to him, everyone is looking for him. So what does he do? He tells them "Let's go somewhere else, so I can preach. After all, this is why I came". That's pretty deep! I mean, isn't that why we're all here? To worship God and lead other people to him? But how was Jesus able to consistently love other people? On page 28, Nancy tells us "Jesus knew that any power or ability He had to minister to others was due to the fact that He was "One with the Father". He knew it was essential for Him to stay connected to His Father, for that was His source of life, joy, power, peace, and fruitfulness. He knew He had to walk in union and communion with His Father if He was to know and do His Father's will. He had no other purpose for being on this earth than to do the wil of His Father. So He had no high priority than to abide in intimate, unbroken fellowship with His Father, so that He might fulfill His Father's will".

I know sometimes it's hard to remember and believe that we are only here to do God's will. We get so caught up with life, whether that be school, work, relationships, or the interenet. Those things are good, but they shouldn't get in the way of our relationship with God and fulfilling his will.

I would just encourage us all to realize that we can't know God's will for us, if we're not in fellowship with him. Let's follow Jesus' example and make time with God our priority!

Questions to consider
1. Think about your relationship with God. How is your relationship with God right now? Do you delight in his word and presence each day? Do you go robotically about your devotional life, not really getting anything out of it? Do you have no real relationship with God whatsoever?

2. What would you like for God to do in your life? How do you think you can build a stronger relationship with the Father?

Getting Robbed...

This morning I went to my car to go to work, not noticing the shattered glass in the parking lot. I opened my trunk threw my laptop in with the rest of the junk, that somehow managed to look even messier. Then I got in the car, and got annoyed that Daniel left the glove compartment and arm rest open. And then I realized, someone broke into our car last night and robbed us. We were robbed of our ipods, some money and our snorkeling gear. And my joy...

We never take these things seiously when they happen to someone else. We question their feelings and actions. But when it happens to us, we finally understand. I spent all day feeling a little sad, a little violated, and a little grateful. But mostly just plain mad! What right does anyone have to break into MY personal space and steal something I worked for! None of that stuff belonged to them...it was all MINE! And how could God let it happen? He's supposed to keep us, and our stuff safe....right? I've prayed for my car...didn't he hear me?

After spending all night at the police station, my head is a little clearer. Now I'm mostly feeling thankful. Things could have been much worse. I could have left my laptop in the trunk, or they could have stolen the entire car. They could have broken into our home, or hurt one of us.

And on top of that, I'm grateful for the gifts those stole items gave me. Like that day Daniel and I sent snorkelling, and all of the times I have been blessed by the music on my ipod. Yes, I have a lot to be thankful for.

After such a long day, I came home to neighbors who care about us, who were willing to come out of their home to help us patch up our window and reassure us things would be all right. And now, as I type I can hear them praying and singing to God. And I can only say thank you. Thank you God for surrounding me with people who love you! Thank you for keeping us all safe! Thank you for my amazing husband who stands by my side through it all!

And hey God? You know those tracts that look like money they also stole from our car? Can you please use it to show my car thief your love?

Let's talk about it...

So I've been thinking about how we can do this book study together! And I think the best way to do it is to do a weekly post on whatever chapter we're currently reading.

I'll discuss my thoughts and the discussions we had in Bible study, and will ask a few questions on the chapter just to get us thinking. You guys can respond in the comments section, and we'll get some good discussions going. :)

Let's start by introducing ourselves so we know who is reading along with us! Make sure you tell us where you are right now, and what you're doing there!

I'll start...I'm Sarah (obviously)and this is my blog! Right now I'm living in Nassau working as an auditor and learning to be a good wife!


P.S. If you don't have a copy of the book, its not too late to grab one!

A Place of Quiet Rest

I think most of you know that we're starting a new book in Bible study, A Place of Quiet Rest.

It's a wonderful book about having a daily devotional time with God. I've been so blessed by the book already. I started reading it through on my own, but I realized there's power in numbers and accountability. If I'm going to change my life and the way I spend time with God I'm going to need help. I can't do it alone. So I'm excited to be reading it together with the girls from Bible study.

If you're off the island, or can't make it out on Monday nights, I encourage you to grab a copy of the book and read along with us! Let your life be transformed so that you "bear the sweet, rich fruit of meeting with God on a consistent basis".

Tonight, we read the foreword and a small section titled "From my Heart". And as we read, I realized how important it is to make the effort to have quiet time each morning. When I think of women I look up to from the past, or even in the present, I'm amazed at their quiet hearts for God. Women like Sarah Edwards and Suzanna Wesley, who raised up children who would change the world for God. Women like Elizabeth Elliot, who had the power to foregive the people who murdered her husband and live among them to share the gospel. These are women I want to be like. I want people to look at me and think "Wow, she has a beautiful Spirit".

And I can't have that spirit without spending time with God. That's the only way he'll be able to change me and shape my heart so that it matches his. I need to have quiet time every single day of my life! Otherwise, I'm nothing like these women...I'm nasty and selfish. I have no joy, and being loving is the furthest thing from my mind.

But the struggle to have quiet time is not an easy one. Nancy Leigh DeMoss talks about this. She points out that "one of the reasons it is such a battle is that the enemy of my soul knows if he can defeat me here, he will ultimately be able to defeat me in every other area of my spiritual life." It's so true...

So I need to be prepared to fight! Right now I'm exhausted...but I need to fight! No sleep for me! I need Jesus more than I need sleep!

I also need Jesus more than I need to Blog...so on that note, time for some quiet time!

Running on Empty

Daniel and I have been taking church membership classes for the last couple months. Our church is very serious about membership. They want to make sure you're committed and know what you're getting yourself into before you become a member.

One thing that keeps coming up during classes is the topic of serving. You're expected to serve the church in some way...period. No excuses.

And naturally, with that being said, we've randomly been asked to serve in like three new areas. It's funny how that happens.

We (and by we, I mean Daniel) were asked to consider teaching the teens in Sunday School. And to help run a program with an orphanage on the island. And to join a small group. That's on top of Monday night Bible study, church membership classes (which should be ending soon), church and random mentoring/evangelism/fellowship.

The thing is, I don't connect well with teens. I never have. I've tried, and failed miserably! Even though I know I was just like them as a teen, their unwillingness to learn from other people's mistakes and take life seriously just annoys me. Daniel, on the other hand, is wonderful with them. And since I want to be passionate about the things he is passionate about, I kind of feel like I should put my personal feelings aside so that we can work together. Especially in our first year of marriage.

I've recently been praying about the direction my life should take. Should I commit myself to working with Daniel with teens? Should I give up the Bible study, or really push to make it stronger? How can I manage any of these things and still keep up the running of my home?

So far, the only answer I'm hearing is that I need to "be still and know that He is God". The truth is, my relationship with God isn't the greatest right now. I hardly have any devotional life, and no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to overcome this period in my life. So now doesn't seem to be the time to dedicate myself to a million things. Instead, it seems to be a time to fill myself up with God's word and prayer. I need refreshment before I can pour myself out to others. Even if that means I can't serve others along side my husband.

What do you think? Is it ok for me to take a break from ministry in order to work things out with the Lord?

Wives are to submit to their husbands

The topic of submission has been popping up alot lately.

For some reason, I feel like Daniel has been telling me what to do a lot lately. I don't think its true, or at least not anymore than normal. I think I've just been taking it a lot harder. For instance, this morning Daniel asked me to put all our laundry away and to bring some cups of water downstairs. Mind you, this is after he basically cleaned our whole apartment the day before.

My reaction? "Stop treating me like a child!"...pretty selfish huh? I felt quite stupid when I thought about it. Especially after he asked me if I really wanted to be a submissive wife.

And tonight, for date night, we went Salsa dancing. Neither of us is a particularly good dancer. We can do the basic steps but our spins are quite ackward. And even though Daniel led, he never really stepped up to the challenge and took control.

I wanted him to spin me quickly, and make me feel dizzy. I wanted him to change things up alot, and do all the steps the woman just taught us. I wanted him to swing me around like all the professionals were doing with the women around me. I wanted....are you noticing a pattern? Everything is about me and what I want. Yes, I wanted Daniel to take the lead, but I wanted him to lead me the way I wanted to go. I wasn't willing to submit to his ideas and desires. And that's not real submission at all.

It's easy to be submissive when things are going smoothly, and we both want the same things. But what happens when opinions differ? That's when submission is the most important for the unity of the relationship. I haven't yet learned to overcome my selfishness at those times.

But I'm working on it...until then, thank you Daniel for being gracious with me!

Happy Shark Week!

I've neglected this blog for about a week now! I doubt anyone's reading, but its nice to pretend I'm writing for an audience. And right now, my imaginary audience is wondering what happened to me.

Don't worry! I'm safe! And I've missed you. I spent the weekend playing tourist with my sister, and taking some time to sew. I'll post pictures and commentaries soon.

Meanwhile, I'm just sitting here with Daniel and my mom watching TV. I don't really watch a lot of TV, but this week I just can't resist. Why? Because its SHARK WEEK on Discover Channel!!! Best week of television ever! Shark diving, shark attacks, shark facts, and anything else you can think of to do those beautiful deadly creatures.



I'm not sure why I have such a fascination with them. I love to just sit by the tanks in Atlantis and watch them swim by. I wish I could swim with them but I'm terrified of being eaten! Do you think there will be sharks in heaven??

Late Nights, Late Mornings

So I wrote this post on monday and its been in my drafts since then...I was supposed to add pictures and I never did. Oh well!

This weekend was pretty interesting. Friday morning I woke up feeling sick, so I slept all day. I think Daniel thought I was faking it...he kept asking me to do stuff for him, like making him lunch and washing the dishes. Meanwhile, I'm lying on the couch dying.

Eventually though, I did feel well enough to get up and do some housework. So I spent Friday night watching Lord of the Rings and cleaning during the commercials!




Saturday night was much better! I went with a friend to watch Miss Teen USA at Atlantis. It was pretty exciting to be there and see all the girls, and of course, Nassau's version of Donald Trump, Sol Kerzner. It was nice to get out of my shorts and flip flops, and dress up and feel pretty for a change.

I was really suprised by the shallowness of it all though. I mean, obviously beauty pageants are shallow, but at least they usually pretend to be somewhat about brains by asking (slightly?) challenging questions. But the girls got questions about Lindsay Lohan and Facebook. Yes, I know, Facebook is taking over the world. But still...are these things really important?

After it was all over, my friend met some other friends at a martini bar and I went home. And tried not to cry. You see I don't belong in places like that. They have nothing to offer me, except trashy music and drunkenness. That's not what I want for myself. But even though I have no desire to go to clubs anymore or to be caught up in the partying lifestyle, it still hurts to not fit in. And I felt like I was losing one of my best friends.

After a few failed attempts on his part, Daniel was able to cheer me up. And I decided not to let a life long friendship fall apart because of something so silly. We'll just have to find new things in common, and hang out in new places!

And finally, yesterday after church we picked my mom up from the airport and hung out with her for the afternoon. I made muffins with grated carrots and apple, coconut, raisins, applesauce, and chopped walnuts. Suprisingly yummy! I'm slowly learning healthy ways to cook and eat that don't taste like cardboard.

And then we spent the night jump starting my mom's car since the battery went dead while she was away. You learn something new every day! :)

In conclusion, I did not get to bed early any night this weekend, and I therefore did not get up early to have devotions. Is this one big giant excuse? Yup. Am I accepting it? For now...

I failed...

This morning I woke up bright and early at......8:00. Not 7:45 like planned. Now I know if I want to do this thing I can't accept excuses.

But if I was giving excuses I would say that I got pretty much no sleep last night. I couldn't get comfortable or make my mind shut off. So naturally, I was exhausted this morning. Also, I said I would get up 15 minutes earlier, and considering I actually got out of bed at 8:15 the day before, that technically was 15 minutes earlier!

But still....NO excuses. I failed. But I am determined to have grace with myself (something new I'm learning) and try again tomorrow.

The start of a new blog

So I'm finally doing it. After months of reading other people's blogs and secretly longing for my own, I got up the courage to start.

I got married seven months ago and I have no idea how to be a wife or homemaker. I am currently extremely messy, a terrible cook, and pretty bad at managing my time. However, little by little I am growing and learning. And so I will use this blog to document my journey into womanhood. This includes my cooking and crafting experiments, my attempts to keep our apartment (relatively) clean and organized, and anything else that might help me (and maybe even you) to grow.

How will this blog be different from all the other blogs out there? What will make it special? I guess we'll have to wait to find out.

Speaking of waiting to find out. For the past few months I have been trying to wake up early. One of my favorite things in the whole world is sleeping. Very few things in this world can compare to the feeling of lying in my bed, snuggled in a blanket, snoozing for "just five more mintues". And so I sleep, and I sleep, and I sleep...This usually means waking up at 8:15 and rushing to get ready and get out the door. No breakfast, no bible study, no prayer. And the results are not pretty. Poor Daniel!

Every night I tell myself, "Tomorrow will be the day!", and then wait to find out if it really is. It never is. But this afternoon I came across an article called Establishing a Morning Routine and I realized I can't just wait around until I feel like getting out of bed. That's never going to happen. I have to plan for it, and tackle it little by little.

So tomorrow the goal is to wake up 15 minutes earlier than I already do for some much needed quiet time.

So 7:45, here I come!