Changes :)

My brother has been working these past weeks to repaint our hallway... I LOVE the new color scheme... Kind of a mint chocolate :)  White, Minty green and brown.  These pics don't nearly do any justice, esp since I didn't edit them, but it gives an idea :) 

Saturday I got into a sort of spring winter cleaning mood.  I started on my room and didn't get very far cleaning before I decided to stop and paint my nightstand to match my color scheme :)  Monday I got back into my cleaning mood and cleaned my room (which always involves intense rearranging and figuring out how to fit all my junk into my small-ish room.  I'm sure some one understands what I'm going through ;)).  Today I moved into the bathroom... I had found a lot of new cleaning tips and techniques from pinterest, so I was excited to try them and see how they worked :)  

Some Funnies to Cheer You Up!

I don't know if anyone reading this needs cheered up, but just in case... and if not, some good laughter is always needed :)

Lol, Oh my goodness....  At Fairhaven, at the beginning of the spring semester we have Volleyball Marathon, 72 hours of volleyball straight!!  And, if you play volleyball for long periods of time with a shortage of sleep, you start getting a little crazy!!  Like, sliding around on the gym floor with your socks... My friends still make fun of me for this :P

Looking Through His Eyes

Let me see this world, dear Lord, 

As though I were looking through Your eyes. 

A world of men who don’t want You Lord, 

But a world for which You died. 

Let me kneel with You in the garden, 

Blur my eyes with tears of agony; 

For if once I could see this world the way You see, 

I just know I’d serve You more faithfully. 



Let me see this world, dear Lord, 

Through Your eyes when men mock Your Holy Name. 

When they beat You and spat upon You, Lord, 

Let me love them as You loved them just the same. 

Let me stand high above my petty problems, 

And grieve for men, hell bound eternally; 

For if once I could see this world the way You see, 

God, Please Make My Man Like Joseph!

I was reading the account of Joseph in the Bible and was struck with how much I would love for my husband to be like Joseph!  It's actually funny, because the thing that got me thinking about it is when he sees his brothers in Egypt and weeps.  I thought, this man has a heart!!  And I started thinking about all his other wonderful character traits.

• Brave; This is shown many ways in Joseph's life.  One example is in his dealings with his brothers.  Gen. 37:12-17
• God was with him; Gen 39:1
• Good Steward; He ran Potipher's household affairs and prospered.  He also showed 'business' smarts when he was put in charge of the wheat during the 7 years plenty/7 years famine.  Gen. 39:4; 41:57
• Remained Pure; He resisted the temptation of Potipher's wife.  When temptation faced him, he got out of the situation as soon as he could.  Gen 39:7-12
• Used by God; A godly testimony.  Gen. 40:8
• Gives God the Glory: Gen. 41:16
• Smart and Witty; He came up with quick plans when his brothers showed up in Egypt.  
• A man with a heart; He wept when his brothers came back into his life again.  But, he didn't sit down and start crying when his brothers sold him into slavery.  Gen. 43:30, 46:29
• Faithful to Family and Loved Ones; even after his brothers betrayed him, he provided and protected them in Egypt.  He protected those he loved, and never considered what he could gain from it, or what they had done to him.  
• Thanked God in Everything; Gen 50:20

And my favorite part... :)

• He lived to a good ole age!!! :)   

Keeping Busy

Things are catching up with me... this week has been pretty busy!   Monday I got up and was going to spend the morning just doing things around the house and getting ready for a tutoring appt at 3:00 pm, but while I was getting around I got a phone call from a friend wondering if I could come over to help her paint some stuff at her house.  It was a blessing to get out and have some 'girl' time with her and her lovable two girls!! I left there and went to pick up the girl I was tutoring and did that, then a workout then... ME TIME!! lol!!   Next Monday we're driving up to my grandparents cottage for a few days and Tuesday we're going skiing.  Then that next weekend the boys are going to be gone at camp.  And then... the weekend after that Luke and I might be driving down to Shipshe to help out at the store that we worked at during a annual sale.  Finishing up the rush with another ski trip with the church on the 14th... A busy month :)

Smile, Life is Beautiful :D

Learning

Lord of My Heart

Jesus, my heavenly Father,

King of the heavens you are,

Loving and caring, forgiving,

You are the Lord of my heart.

Jesus, my wonderful Savior,

King of all kings from on high,

Lord of all glory forever,

You are the Lord of my heart.

Jesus, my rock of salvation,

My refuge, my fortress, my God,

Hope of the world and all nations,

You are the Lord of my heart.

Lord of my heart, Savior divine,

You shed your blood, suffered and died;

Giving me life, you gave your all,

Lord of my heart.

Night Out

The other night we went out for an impromptu pizza dinner at our favorite pizzeria.  We hadn't gone there since we had been back, so it was good to enjoy the delicious pizza again :)  Not to mention the opportunity for a photo shoot.  But, as everyone knows, it takes a couple practice shots because you have 

the goof-offs

 the bad timing

 and finally the... well... semi-good one

 afterwards, Hunter and I got bundled up (btw, it was, and is, freezing cold out) and went for a quick walk with the dog, so I figured I'd shoot this quick pic :)  

Don't You Wish...

In church tonight we were reading in Acts and I remembered a verse I had read just this morning about how the apostles were accused of  "turning the world upside down".  I don't know how or what made me connect these thoughts, but I kept thinking how nice it would be if the people I pray about would just get their lives right.  I'm sure everyone has someone that they wish that would work for.  For example

~Family that need to be saved~

~Family that are away from the Lord~ 

~Friends that are rejecting godly council and not serving the Lord~ 

Like I said, I'm sure everyone has someone like that in their life.  You sit there thinking and praying about someone and wish they would just get their life right, both for their sake AND for yours.  You wish they would realize how many tears are shed for their salvation/repentance.  How much time you spend praying for them.  You wish they would JUST GET THEIR LIFE RIGHT.  

So... what can you do?  You can't get their life right for them.  You wish you could say JUST the right words for them to see their wrong.  All you can do is live your life fully for God and be and godly example to them. Oh, and most important you can pray for them...  

You say I’m not able 

I’m too young or I’m too old 

And I can’t sing or teach 

And no title do I hold 

Lord, what can I do? 

For I want to do my part 

And I want to help the hurting 

With all of my heart 

My family shows no interest 

My child has gone so far 

Though I try my best to reach them 

Their hearts just seem so hard 

Lord what can I do? 

To help bring them back to you 

For my family’s lost and dying 

And my words don’t get through 

I can pray until the walls come down 

Until there’s healing all around 

That’s something I can do 

I can pray in my secret place 

Calling on your name 

That’s something I can do 

I can pray 

Blog List Updated!!

I updated my list of blogs that are awesome to read :)   Check them out!!!

Life's To Short...

Here Comes Monday!!!! :O

This is what I'm thinking right now... Get up earlier than normal... doing a face mask (Post coming soon!!)  my devotions, shower, etc... then babysitting at 8.  Now will that happen?? In the morning, I'll probably look like this:

Yeah... definitely

O The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast, unmeasured, boundless, free!
Rolling as a mighty ocean in its fullness over me!
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore!
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, nevermore!
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own;
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne!

O the deep, deep love of Jesus, love of every love the best!

’Tis an ocean full of blessing, ’tis a haven giving rest!
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heaven of heavens to me;
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee!

Why?

I remember, as a teen, hearing a preacher preach that we should never ask God "why".  I wish I could say that I remember clearly the text and context of the message he preached that day.  One thing I can say that I remember is that he drilled that central point home in my mind.  

As I have looked back on my life since that point, I have told myself over and over again, "Don't ask God why!"  I have found that to be very difficult to practice in my personal life.  I have instead tried to ask God "what" instead of "why".  "God, what are you trying to teach me in this trial I am facing?"  I have had to ask God "what" when my parents filed for bankruptcy and we lost the roller skating rink that we owned.  I asked God "what" when close friends of mine got into serious trouble and had to be kicked out of school.  Again, when I learned my parents were getting a divorce.  I had to ask God "what!"

Looking back now, I see many times, even still, that I must ask God "what" rather than "why".  I have learned though that it is not sin to ask God "why".  It is only sin when we fight against God's plan and working in our lives/  You see, God is our Heavenly Father.  Nobody loved you more than God Almighty!  Not even that boyfriend/girlfriend or best friend.  God want nothing but the best for you in your life.  Sometimes those "trials" you are facing may seem to be impossible to make it through, but God is making you into the man or lady of God that He intends for you to become!

~Kurt Copeland  Youth Pastor of Franklin Road Baptist Church, Murfreesboro, TN  

This is a devotional I read just the other day.  It applied to my life so much, I feel like I could have written it. I once heard a message on asking God "why" and the thought I took home was that I could ask, and it might even help to ask "why".  But it needs to be "why is this trial in my life" and not questioning God's motives.  I don't know if that makes sense, but oh well... It does for me :)

 

 

 

 

Friendship

This has been proven so true in my life.  Those who have stuck with me through good and bad... even when I did them wrong they stuck with me.  And then those who, as soon as trouble comes, turn tail and run.  This year I want to be the one who proved that "I'm here for you"... to pray for those that have wronged me, and that I don't keep in touch with, and to be an encouragement for those I can.

No comment needed!!

Liebster Award

I was nominated for the Liebster award!  Thank you so much Dixie and Dottie


With this reward the recipient needs to do a few things:

• Thank the person who awarded you
• Tell 5 things about yourself
• Answer the 5 questions asked by the person who awarded you
• Nominate 5 new bloggers
• And, ask 5 questions

So... let's see... 5 things about me!!

• I LOVE <3 playing the piano
• I'm babysitting two kids, one of them is 4 years old and I've been watching him since I *ahem* he was born.  I call him 'my guy'. :)
• I have 4 brothers... and I am the ONLY girl
• I was the youngest person in my college my freshman year, and even in my sophomore year, I was one of the youngest. 
• My favorite color is green

Answers to the questions from Dixie and Dottie

• 
  

Nominees:

• My brother @ Poems, Thoughts, and Quotes
• Kali @ *It's a Wonderful Life*
• Maggie @ Maggie's Moments
• Sharon @ Run For Your Life
• Hannah @ The Life of a Country Girl

And my questions will be mostly the same:

• Do you play an instrument, and if so, what? 
• What is your dream vacation?
• What is the most unique thing about you?
• If you could meet three people, other than Jesus and no matter what time era, who would they be?
• What is your favorite song?

Random Things Just for Fun :)

AND... my little brother is starting his own blog... check it out!!  

Poem, Thoughts, and Quotes

Welcome to Michigan

"It's snowing still," said Eeyore gloomily.

"And freezing."

"However," he said, brightening up a little, "we haven't had an earthquake lately."

In My Weakness

When living life for Jesus Christ, becomes too hard a task. When obedience means sacrifice, that seems too much to ask. That's when I learn that my own strength isn't really strength at all. And I find rest, in humbleness when I surrender all.

In my weakness, He is strong. In my need He leads me on. When I come to the end of all I am. Then I place my trust in Him. That's when His strength begins, in my weakness.

When failures in my human strength have weakened all my pride, and ruined hopes, and fallen dream have crumbled me inside. It's then by grace, I finally see the strength of Jesus Christ. His victory is real in me, when weakness feels my life.  

I LOVE IT!!!