Oh, Look! I have a blog!

maybe I will post some things soon...

Five Pivotal Moments

So, I'm reading this book that my friend Wendy lent me (thanks, Wendy!) I will post its title another time, but it's an eclectic mix of thoughts, songs, and writings from Amy Grant. It gives a peek into her life and some of the inspirations for her songs. In one section, she writes about the pivotal moments in her life. It made me wonder: what would be the five I would choose?

Here are my first thoughts - not well-thought out and developed and I may change my mind later. Just for today...

1. My mother's death - she died of cancer when I was eight, and the dynamics of what happened in our family were forever shaped by this fact. It has given me an experience that is not the norm, and I have been able to use that experience to minister to several families where the parent has died with a young child at home. Biggest lesson learned: record memories and thoughts so the child will have a sense of who the person was. I didn't get that...

2. Becoming a part of a blended family. After my mother's death, my father remarried and I gained a stepmom, two stepsisters, and three stepbrothers. The experiences we had and still have shape my life even today.

3. Becoming a Christian. At the age of 13, I heard the message of Christ's love and was baptized. Becoming a part of His kingdom has been the deciding factor in many life choices. I don't know what the future holds, but I know who holds MY future.

4. Becoming a wife. Although it is a life long process of learning, I am learning how to love my husband with Christ's love.

5. Becoming a mother. My two boys are precious to me. It has been life-changing for ME to see the decisions that their father and I make played out in the development of their lives. I am proud of the young men they have become and I look forward to what the future holds.

Looking at this major list, it is amazing to think the daily instances attached to these things that have woven together to make me who I am. I am amazed at God's providence and I see His hand all around me.

Resurrection Day

Hello, blogger friends!

We had a great service at church today celebrating the resurrection of Jesus!!

Our preacher preached from 2 Chronicles, where a prophet gave King Asa the message to stand strong and brave and know that God was with him. One main point of the sermon is that God is with us when we are with God.

I want to get closer to God. How about you?

It's been a while

I really meant to keep up-to-date in this blog; it just hasn't been happening. Tonight's offering: a list of things that have happened or that I want to talk about in a later post:

- I discovered facebook. It's been fun connecting with old friends. I'm trying to figure out how to post a link to this blog on there.

- My stepmother died in January. It was sad, but it was a blessing to go back and visit with everyone.

- I had a life-changing female surgery in December. More info on the repercussions in a later post.

- I have for today committed to a lifestyle of eating healthy and living active. That's been going on for about a month. For today, I will do what's best for the body God gave me.

Anyway, more later!

Change is in the Air

If you're reading a blog, then you're not hiding your head under a rock. So you must know by now we have ushered in a new era here in the United States with the election of Barak Obama.

I will post my political opinions right now and say that the economic principles that Mr. Obama appears to condone do not "sit right" with me. His party's platform and beliefs in the woman's right to choose abortion goes against every grain in my body. His support of marriage as an institution between homosexual couples is distasteful to me, and goes against what I believe the teaching of the Bible is.

THOSE THINGS BEING SAID, I got chills as I heard a local resident describe her grandfather's laughter of joy when he heard that Obama had won the election. Chills of joy to imagine how happy he was that an African-American has been elected to the highest office. I think the record of the United States as a whole shows a horrible mistreatment of slaves and freed slaves in the years following the Civil War. I know the years of Jim Crow laws in the south fostered resentment and anger. It is a blot on American history. Although I do not participate in discrimination, I hear it around me still today - and it disgusts me.

I hope that America is on the path to becoming color-blind; we are all created equal in God's sight.

As a Christian, I am praying that this country does have change: a change of heart and search for God's will in all areas of life.

As a Christian, I am praying for the upcoming administration and the government. In 1 Timothy 2, the scriptures command us to pray for those in authority over us:

1First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3This is good, andit is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, 4who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

And so I will pray for this leader and for those he chooses to advise him in the direction he is taking this country in.

As I said in my devotions to the teachers at my school the other day: It doesn't matter who's in Washington - it matters Who's on the throne! God is in control and I trust in His unfailing promises.

Car Troubles

Let me tell you a little about our driveway. In the driveway on a typical evening are three vehicles: one blue Astro van (my baby since last December), one Ford Explorer (my mother-in-law's vehicle), and one Ford Escort (my husband's "baby" - that hasn't moved - in a year - and will take $800 dollars to fix- if he would fix it - but he hasn't yet...)

And now, the Ford Explorer has a problem - we think it's the fuel pump. Which, of course, is in the gas tank. So the hubby can't really fix it. So off it goes to Firestone.

I hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I need those appendages.

Thankfully, my coworkers are giving me a ride to school. So we're covered with that. God provides.

What fun!

Motivation

So, my doctor has let me go off my medicines because I am losing weight. So the weight loss is good for my health.

Several people have noticed the 14 pound weight loss and commented on it. That's good, I suppose.

But I want my motivation to be pleasing God - I wanted to be motivated by living in obedience to His word. I haven't been doing well in about a month, and it shows. I have used the excuse that I don't have an accountability partner.

The only accountability partners that matter are God and me. I don't need to change my eating habits for anyone else. I want THAT to be my motivation. So, here we go - again.


Sometimes I wish not eating was an option - but I know it's not.