Catching Up :)

Guess what!? I've had my blog for just over a year!! and I've only posted like, fourteen times. That's pretty pitiful. lol. I would say that I am pondering a New Year's Resolution to blog more, but I'm not. And they don't usually work, so . . . forget that. ;)

Let's see...first the most exciting thing!!! :D My brother is officially courting a girl!! I'm sooo excited for them! They're super cute together, if I do say so myself. lol...maybe I'm also stoked because my brother is the first one in our family to actually be in a "facebook official" relationship. :D Happy days!

Anyway, life here is Hardin Lane is speeding busily along! Jerusha and I are in a homeschool co-op with two other families that meets every Wednesday. We just had our last class on Wednesday, so it's Christmas break for those subjects!! :)

Orchestra/Choir has also finished for the year. On December 3rd we had orchestra from 8:30-4:00, and then we had two performances that evening. I played violin in our Orchestra performance at Winterfest (we play background music at Hammons Hall while people shop at different booths). Then we went from Winterfest to Evangel University where our Concert and Bel Canto choirs sang in their Christmas Performance. The next day, December 4th, was our orchestra/choir's Christmas concert!

Here's a picture of our concert. :)

Okay, so in my last post I mentioned those cookies I was about to make...they were okay. I mean, we ate them and everything...but they definitely tasted better frozen. :) My most recent experiments are scones, (Yummy!!) Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins, Fudge, Chocolate Coconut Balls, and Broccoli Cheddar Bacon Soup. *sigh* Cooking is so relaxing. :) Hm...from that list it looks like almost everything I bake is sweet. . . lol :)

Last week, my sister Jessica took Jerusha and I out to dinner
at a local restaurant called "Aviary Cafe and Creperie". A-mazing!!! We absolutely loved it! Plus, I love hanging out with my sisters, so that made it all the more fun!! <3 On a more serious and pertinent note, in the past week and a half or so I've been learning a lot from my personal devotions with Jesus. <3 I thought I might share a little of what I've been learning. One night a couple weeks ago I was really struggling with something the Lord was teaching me. He brought this verse to my recollection.

Hebrews 12:11 "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."

I couldn't remember the exact wording of it right then, but I remembered something like "No chastening right now seemeth joyous, but in the end it yields a peaceable fruit of righteousness." (yes, dramatic rewording :))
Peaceable fruit of righteousness...that phrase was the one I could actually remember accurately, and the one that kept coming back to me.

I think to really understand this verse, though, you need to back up to verses six and seven.

"For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.
If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

As Christians, we are God's sons and daughters. Members of HIS family. Sometimes His children mess up, though, and that's when God has to discipline us. Just like an earthly parent should correct their child in love (not anger), so God always rebukes us lovingly. Knowing that He has our ultimate good in mind, and is molding us like Himself.

So while our present chastening may seem hard or unfair, it is really God's correction in our lives as a Father. Repentance from our disobedience to Him, and a right heart attitude should be our response to His corrections. Not disbelief, anger, or a hardening of our hearts.

Yesterday we were blessed to be able to go to Silver Dollar City with the Carr family! It was a blast! SDC's Christmas decorations are so pretty...I had never really noticed before how many lights they put up...and how long it must have taken them to put all the lights up!! (And I thought our Christmas tree took a while to put up...lol)

Lord willing I'll do another blog post before Christmas. . . :) Until then, May the Lord bless you and keep you!

"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 8:38-39