Lay Them Down

Here's a game I got from Diane's blog.

RULES:
1. Put your MP3 player, iTunes, Windows Media Player, etc. on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS.
4. Tag at least 10 friends
5. Have Fun!

*caveat: I have thousands of podcasts on my iTunes, so I’m skipping those…

IF SOMEONE SAYS 'ARE YOU OKAY' YOU SAY?

One More Broken Heart (by Point of Grace) hmmmm

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF

Don’t Stop Me Now (by Queen)(this is pretty good - at times I really do get on a roll...)

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?

Who is Like You? (by Tim Neufield)

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?

Violin Concerto in A (by Antonio Vivaldi)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?

Sanctuary (by Stephanie Seefeldt)

WHAT'S YOUR MOTTO?

We Can’t Wait Any Longer (by Michael W. Smith)(This is VERY good...I hate waiting!)

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?

Cours D’amours - Amor volta indique (from Carmina Burana)

[Translation: Courts of Love)

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?

The Tennessee Waltz (by Patti Page)

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?

We Fall Down (by Kutlass)

WHAT IS 2 + 2?

Silent Night (by Sheila Walsh)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?

Peace (by George Winston)

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?

Thy Word Medley (by Glad)(my favorite answer!)

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

God’s Still on the Throne (by Calvin Hunt)

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?

Here with Us (by Joy Williams)

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?

Joy to the World! (by Amy Grant)

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?

Superstar (by Murray Head) (funniest answer!)

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?

Call to Worship (by MercyMe)(great answer!)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST FEAR?

Angels We Have Heard on High (by Josh Groban)(who knew?)

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?

God of Wonders (by Paul Baloch)

WHAT DO YOU WANT RIGHT NOW?

Always (by Sheila Walsh)

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?

They’ll Soon Discover (by The Shins) (Ha...this is from a Sponge Bob Square pants soundtrack I put on my iPod for Jake 7 or 8 years ago…)

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?

Lay them Down (by Stephanie Seefeldt)

This and That

It's almost the end of February - that is amazing. I'm in a blue kinda funk, and not very chatty, as you might have noticed. Here's a bit of this and that, in no particular order.

• I enjoyed 5 days in Scottsdale Arizona last week. Sun and fun for two days. Cool and rainy for three days. Luxurious rest and relaxation throughout. Free luxury condo thanks to a friend. Good company with a friend from church. All good.
• While there we attended two evenings of the Joyce Meyer convention. That woman preaches the Word. I've listened to 100's of hours of Podcasts and now have seen her live and have not heard *any* theology with which I would take issue. She preaches the Word. I recently heard her slammed again on a conservative Christian talk show, and it really troubles me.
• At the convention I was introduced to the music of Phil Wickham. Two thumbs up.
• We attended Scottsdale Bible Church, and all I can summarize with is: WOW. Loved it. Moving to Scottsdale is now on my bucket list.
• My dad's plant sprouted. This brought inordinate joy to me this morning. Gib loved this plant which was in his nursing home room for the 5 years following my mom's funeral. It thrived no matter how much it was ignored. A couple months before he died I took a cutting of it - for sentimental reasons. A succulent, I simply put it in wet soil. And I've kept that soil wet. One long ugly branch. Well today there's a shoot. The original plant was disposed of at his death - it had definitely seen better days, and it would have made me sad. And yes, it was ugly. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to cutting off this one long ugly branch. Maybe it will be a pretty plant as it sprouts up. I'm smiling just looking at it.
• There were hoofprints in the snow by the bedroom window today, and they trail to the woods. The bird feeder is newly empty. Deer. They found the feeder again.
• My theology prof mentioned a song recently, "Joy in the Journey" by Michael Card. I downloaded it on iTunes and have found such comfort in it. Today I downloaded the sheet music, and I'm hoping to sing it on Sunday. Full of hope.
• Going out with the neighbors tonight - to a fish fry. We have the annual Christmas party, and have been credited with bringing the neighborhood back together. Hospitality is such a lost gift isn't it? We love having people over.
• Me, the non-tv gal, I've been really enjoying snippets of the Olympics. We have a tv in our room that is truly never used, but a few evenings I've had it on as I've sorted through the desk piles. Our bedroom is much cleaner! I think I enjoy the fact that it's in Vancouver, where I used to live. Just seeing the mountains in the background has lifted my spirits. My brother who lives out there is an Olympics addict - he and I text back and forth as we watch. That's been sweet as well.
• Sweet Sue is coming over tomorrow. That might get me outta this funk. I love sweet Sue.
• Still *loving* Beth Moore's Bible study and DVD series, "Breaking Free." I highly recommend it. Solid study. Universal application. Get's you thinking...
• There. You're all up to date. Pretty boring, eh?
• Leave a comment. Cheer me up. I dare you.

Flying V

Our youngest son, age 14, debuted on his electric guitar last night. He's been taking lessons for over three years, and he spends hours in the basement rocking the house.

Between his guitar, and his sister spending over an hour a day on piano, our house is a bit noisy. But I love it. Every time I hear them I thank God for such a HEALTHY way for teenagers to spend their time. They both have such talent, and they find pleasure in it. We are blessed.

If you'd like to see Jake in action, you can see it here.

Enjoy. And Happy Valentine's Day!

Computers

Snow Day

Sitting at the dining room table, staring out at the woods and a swirl of white, I am feeling blessed. The commute in a possible 10 to 14 inches of snow was not worth it today, and my morning appointment and lunch appointment are both rescheduled. It feels like a gift. Due to the amazing invention of wireless internet I am able to monitor work from afar, and will be setting up meetings by email - much the same as I would have done in the office. One of the men for whom I work is emailing with me about a future project. I'm really not missing much by being here instead of there.

But what am I gaining? Oh, the list is amazing.

I spent a leisurely time with God, as today's study had me in Matthew 26 and Psalm 55 looking at the topic of betrayal. I cried again as I read of my Savior's time in the garden of Gethsemane. His prayers, His aloneness, His acquiescence to God's sovereignty. And then in Psalm 55 David reveals the heart pain of having a close friend turn on him. As I worked through Day four of Week Five of Breaking Free, I went well beyond the questions and meditated on the pain of those Scriptures. The betrayals I've experienced came to memory. Forgiveness. My favorite passage, Hebrews 4: 14-16, resonated in me again. Jesus understands. He knows disappointment. He knows lonely. He knows betrayal. He knows desertion. He knows temptation. He knows what it is like to repeatedly beg God for Plan B. Oh the relief of realizing that my Savior knows and understands. There is nothing that compares with the intimacy I feel with Jesus. It's worth the hours invested. The benefits are exponential - it's easier and easier to dive in and be heart to heart. (The same as any relationship, the groundwork had to be laid. It was discipline at first to invest the time...) It's so worth it.

I pulled myself off the love seat, (I could stay there all day!) and now am working on my midterm paper due in a couple weeks for my Theology class: "Discuss the theological importance of the Image of God. How does the doctrine bear on contemporary debates about human value?" Having a few extra hours to study is such a gift. I love this studying too.

I'll be able to get 30 minutes in on the treadmill.

I'll be here when Jake gets home, which today is an extra blessing since he'll be running the snow blower. I need to be here during that time, so now he can do it in the daylight. (Frank is out of town)

I can putter - wipe the counters, do the straggler dishes, pick up, put away the laundry on the drying rack...all the things that get neglected from Tuesday to Thursday most weeks. I'll have to work part of Friday to get in my hours, but that's okay.

The best part is the unexpectedness of it. It feels so decadent to be home on a Tuesday. It makes me appreciate again the amazing job that God has provided for me. I know that He provided me this job so that I could make a decent earning in just 3 days a week and devote extra time to study and teaching. I know that. And I appreciate it. And I *love* it! And I do believe that I honor Him with it, remembering the *why* of these extra hours. And I get to be HOME - where my heart truly is. Sigh.

Happy Snow Day.

It's the Relationship

As I've been reading on healing, whether that be emotional or physical, it's been emphasized that the process is to produce a relationship with the Healer. This viewpoint does put our struggles into perspective. The result is relationship, not just healing, and is helpful in understanding James 1.

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete,

lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4 NASB

I'm pretty sure I don't yet consider it all joy. But I do realize that who I am today is a result of everything that has happened to me, along with the choices I've made. If I hadn't struggled in certain areas, I would not have compassion. I see people all around me who do not have compassion, and it is very unattractive. I'm thankful for my compassion which has been earned the hard way: I've been there. And even if my "there" is not the same as your "there," I know pain, and can relate to your pain. It is a beautiful thing if we'll let each other get close enough to know about the pain.

God is working on this very slow learner. It's not about me. It's about Him. And whatever it takes to get me to shift my focus from me to Him... it's worth it. Through it all, I've gained a really close relationship with my Healer. While I'm still in process, I'm seeing progress. When I think of my trials and think they were worth it... that will be progress indeed.

It's Never Hopeless.

My Bible study this morning is on the topic of generational sin. (Day 4 of Breaking Free week 4) The sinful habits that we observed in our parents or other close older relatives are so very easily incorporated into our lives. We grew up in this habit. It can become our normal, and effort is needed to live outside of that normal. Oh how well I know this.

Jeremiah 18: 1-6 combined with verse 12 have hit me hard this morning.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NASB95)

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord saying,

2 “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will announce My words to you.”

3 Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something on the wheel.

4 But the vessel that he was making of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he remade it into another vessel, as it pleased the potter to make.

5 Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,

6 “Can I not, O house of Israel, deal with you as this potter does?” declares the Lord. “Behold, like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel.

12 “But they will say, ‘It’s hopeless! For we are going to follow our own plans, and each of us will act according to the stubbornness of his evil heart.’

How many times have I excused certain behaviors thinking "That's who I am ... that's what I observed and learned. It's hopeless, and it's a bummer. If only ... "

Verse 12 is so very telling. God is telling Jeremiah that even though He, the God of the Universe, is willing to remake His people into new vessels ... in fact verse 5 tells us it pleases Him to do so ... we just shrug our shoulders, say it's hopeless, and stay in our muck.

Wow. Read this passage over and over. Ask God to open your eyes. And then move on to Romans 8:37-39

Romans 8:37-39 (NASB95)

37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,

39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Did you notice the "how" of it? We are conquerers THROUGH HIM who loved us.

Luke 1:37 (NASB95)

37 “For nothing will be impossible with God.”

AMEN!