The Earth is the Lord's . . . and events in our lives :)

Aww!! That was so nice of Spring to listen to me! This weather is incredible!! (I'm also choosing not to think of what it will be like in August...lol) Anyway, the grass is lush and green, the birds are gleefully chirping away, the trees are budding in full force, and the gorgeous flowers are blooming quite nicely. What a wonderful God we serve!!! He has created so many beautiful thing.

Speaking of beautiful things . . . my brother got engaged a couple weeks ago!!! It was super cute to see him heading out the door to go "ring shopping".  ;) Three weeks ago, he set up a whole plan of how he wanted to ask her (Joy). Joy, who was over at a good friend's house watching movies and making dinner, had no idea what was going on! Soo...Josiah hopped in his car and drove to the mutual friend's house, surprised Joy, said some sappy stuff, and they had dinner together. Okay, so that was the super super short version, but you get the picture!! lol :) Oh yeah!! She said Yes. =D

Let's see...what else has happened since I last posted...oh! I got my driver's license last month! Perfect timing too, because my mom unexpectedly needed to go to New York for 3 weeks, so I got to chauffeur Jerusha and I all around town to different events/lessons/orchestra/etc... :)

And last, but most assuredly NOT least, I wanted to share with you some things the Lord has been teaching me in the last few weeks.

My little brain only has the teeniest, tiniest little glimpse of the big picture. In reality, I have no clue of the scope of God's plans and intricate details! I'm just a little dot...a speck of nothingness in the grandeur of the whole universe. . . yet, God cares for me! He cares about what I'm worried about, what I don't understand, my sicknesses, my hopes, my disappointments, my dreams, my excitements, my joys, everything! And guess what, he understands everything about me! Why? Because He made me and He loves me dearly. <3 Recently in my Bible reading, I've been challenged to reset my thinking. I notice myself constantly stressing out about what's going to happen "down the road"....am I supposed to go to college? I'd like to go on a mission's trip, but where? and when? or should I? My heart is in ministry, but the doors don't seem to be opening (or doing much of anything) at present...aghhh!!! What should I do!? It's then that I read verses like  

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah."

That's just one example of the dozens of verses with which God comforts His people! Here's another another verse that really stood out to me in my personal devotions:

 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." Psalm 51:17

 Even when we're confused, especially when we're confused, the Lord wants us to bring everything to Him! Our problems, our uncertainties, our anger, our brokenness, our contrite hearts. . . He desires that we lay everything at His feet.

"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7

How wonderful to think that the God of the universe loves and cares about every little detail of our lives!! We're not bogging Him down or depressing Him if we tell Him all our troubles...in fact, He tells us in the Bible to do that very thing!

"Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah." Psalm 62:8

 Trust in the Lord! Tell Him all your troubles and know that He hears you and will help you! <3
I serve a great and glorious God!

Shakespeare and Springtime :)

Spring, oh Spring. Wherefore art thou, dear Spring? Summer, hence thou be thrown off no longer. Tarry none. Prowl thither and shake from thee Winter's dull mantle. Toss forth thine head in glorious triumph. Reign once more: victor.

I think Shakespeare has warped my mind . . . lol. :) We are reading "King Lear" (a Shakespearean tragedy) in Bristish Literature. I haven't finished it yet, but there has been one major question in my mind throughout this book: Why couldn't we have read a Comedy? ;) But wait! I think this could lead to an interesting thought . . .

Yes. I really do want spring - or summer. or something with warmth, an array of colors, and sunshine.

But you know what?

Even though I would love those things right now, guess what I am going to be wanting come August...

Yep. A cold winter's day; a cozy fire casting an iridescent glow on the couch, a cup of tea with wisps of steam pervading the rim, snow falling lazily aloft a frozen ground.

Are we ever truly grateful for what we're given right now? Even if we are, how long does it last? Sure, we may enjoy what we've just been handed. . . .until it gets old or a trial arises. Take, for instance, my second paragraph. The one about the tragedy vs. the comedy. Why couldn't we have read the other one!? Why do we have to do this!? Argh, I'm so tired of this! (Read in high-pitched whiny voice for added effect.) Instead of complaining about this and exasperating everyone around me, I could look at it like this. How grateful I am that God is allowing me to take this class! Wow, this book is really expanding my mind to be able to read different things! I'm so thankful that I have the ability to read!

Anyway, that's just one example, - and not a very good one at that - but you get the point. :)

Just a little thought to leave you with today. Instead of complaining and griping about our circumstances, let's find the things to be grateful for in each situation and praise the Lord for His goodness toward us! :)

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings:" Philippians 2:14

"Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:1-2

My Everything for Jesus

Do you have something in your life that is time-consuming? Something that is draining much of your time. Something frivolous in the light of eternity. Maybe it seems like it is invaluable to you, take a step back and look at it from a fresh perspective. Are you worshiping that thing? Idolizing it above Christ?

There are a countless number of things throughout our lives that demand or desire our attention. The only thing to which our attention should be so much attuned to that we worship, is Jesus Christ.

Let's put this in perspective. God created the earth. The Milky-Way. The Universe. And beyond. He also created every tiny cell. Every nucleus. Every atom. Every electron. Besides creating all these things without any effort whatsoever, God also knows how each one of these things work. Individually. He knows what is going on with that cell in your body that is going through mitosis right now, and at the same time, he knows exactly how many shooting stars are whizzing through the sky (and not just the ones in our solar system)! Okay, so this God that created every single thing, is -along with keeping the universe in order - listening to your petty complaints. Your pitiful pleas for help. Your scrawny thanks. Your ignorant demands.

Me: So, God. What's up?
God: Not much. I'm just holding together the atoms and molecules of your body. What about you?*

Think about it this way...

Me: God, if you get me out of this mess I've gotten myself into, I'll give you all my service.
God: Uh, what are you going to do? Bring me food or something? I own it all anyway.
                                                                ---------------------
Me: God, if you give me a million dollars today, I'll give you the rest of my life!
God: I already own your life. I'm keeping you alive right now, you are in no position to bargain with me.

I'm sure you've heard the phrases "God is omnipotent" or "God is omnipresent". Have you ever grasped the meaning of those phrases? I know I can't. He's so beyond what I could even begin to understand. SO powerful! SO awesome! All the greatest words in any dictionary ever compiled by anyone anywhere, could not begin to describe Jesus!

Now that we've touched on how great God is, let's get into how this applies to our lives. Near the end of Philippians chapter 2, Paul is writing to the Philippian church about Epaphroditus. In verse 30, Paul says,

"Because for the work of Christ he was nigh unto death, not regarding his life, to supply your lack of service toward me."

Wow! This man was so sold out to Christ that he didn't even regard his own life! That's how I want to be...so sold out to Jesus that I'm not concerned about fleeting life issues; so sold out to Jesus that I'm perfectly content with where He has me; so sold out to Jesus that it doesn't even matter where He leads me or what I'm going through, I still trust HIM; so sold out to Jesus that I'm putting my life in His hands and giving Him complete control to do what he will.

I saw this quote on facebook from one of my sister's wall posts: ". . . read this from Beth Moore on Twitter: "It occurs to me that I sometimes pray like God is all out of ideas. Like, if I'm stumped, He is, too. He knows both what and how. Move over."

Put all of yourself into following Christ. Pour your life into His design.

*A lot of these ideas I got from a sermon by Matt Chandler on "The Cross" series.

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

Almost Holidays = Baking! ...right?

      On Tuesday my mom and Jerusha went to meet some friends at the mall. Jerusha and two of her friends got their ears' pierced! Anyway, I decided to stay home so I could get some school done.Along with the attempt to get some schoolwork completed, I went on a baking frenzy! It was so great!! Very relaxing. In the midst of other things, I found a recipe for Buttery Soft Pretzels, which I thought looked fun to make. After making them, this is my conclusion:

Homemade pretzels are like, one of the most fun things to make!!!! If I were creative, it would be even more enjoyable to make, but since that is not one of my strong points . . . . ;) I've included the recipe (which I obtained from allrecipes.com) below in case y'all want to check it out.

Because the Holiday season is rapidly approaching, I think I'll put up pictures and recipes if we make any fun things that we'd like to share! :) In case you didn't follow that train of thought, The Holiday season = lots of fun baking! (among other things...) lol :)
Well, I must get back to my "busy life". Spiced Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies are next!! ;) The verdict is pending....

Buttery Soft Pretzels

Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup baking soda
• 4 cups hot water
• 1/4 cup kosher salt, for topping

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, mix together flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. If the mixture is dry, add one or two tablespoons of water. Knead the dough until smooth, about 7 to 8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
3. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). In a large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water.
4. When risen, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all of the dough is all shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda solution and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, until browned.

Fireworks and Cameras

Have you ever noticed how human lives reflect fireworks? There for a moment, then gone. Vanished.
We could also put it in a smaller scale and say, Have you ever noticed how our seasons in life reflect fireworks? It seems like such a big deal at the time, and the it's gone. Vanished. Never to have the opportunity again.

In a way I could relate it to my life right now. I feel that my school has overwhelmed me . . . overshadowed my life . . . bogged me down. Then I realize that what I feel right now is only for a season. No need to complain about it. It's not going to last forever! I should strive to do my best in what God has in front of me right now, all the while praising Him for everything He is doing in my life. Hmmm...that looks easier to write than it is to do . . . :)

"And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."  Galations 6:9

"Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:" 1 Peter 1:6

Last week, a few members of my family and I went to Colorado for vacation! (A break from the currently overwhelming school. hehe) We could not have been there at a more perfect time!! The scenery was absolutely breath-taking! God is so amazing and colorful with His creation! ;) The aspen trees were just peaking a fantastic golden yellow - along with a few oranges and reds in the mix. The dark green fir trees made a beautiful backdrop for these stunning aspens.

The thing that really struck me, though, was the brillantly colored wildflowers that occassionaly popped up along the sides of the trail!

Of course, I'll be cliche and say "the pictures don't do it justice at all!" :) But what camera can do God's wondrous creation any justice? Lenses just don't catch the splender of the little things and the glory of the enormous things in one snapshot. God created the human eye to have the ability to view His creation in a way a camera never can. He is wonderful!

 

Backwards could work . . .

I've tried reading through the Bible a few times . . . starting in Genesis and going to Revelation. Well, 'round about Genesis 19 or so, I'd either get behind in my reading, or just forget completely! After this happened several times, I decided to start again . . . except backwards. I still wanted to save Revelation for last, so I started in Jude. 1 Peter is almost completed and then it's on to James! I kind of like this arrangement . . . although if reading the Bible "forwards" isn't even necessarily chronological sometimes, reading it backwards will be really non-chronological. However, it could be like a negative times a negative equals a positive type thing. :)

Anyway... :) Mom, Jerusha, and I are leaving for New York to visit our relatives in a few days! Because of this impending trip, Josiah decided about a month ago that Jerusha and I could have his old netbook. (He was buying a new laptop for himself...) Regrettably, I destroyed the old netbook before it was even totally ours yet! Not-regrettably, Josiah (with the help of one of his friends) bought us a new one!! And it's an amazing shade of red! ;) I could hardly believe it when he set a box on the table and said "This is for you girls." He's such a great big brother!!!! :)

Recently I've been really enjoying going through our hymnals and sitting outside singing them. Sometimes I just pick a random one and try to sight-read it . . . it's at those times that I'm glad our cat is the only one outside! :p  The one song that has stuck out to me in the past few days is called Give of Your Best to the Master.

Give of your best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth;

Throw your soul's fresh, glowing ardor Into the battle for truth.

Jesus has set the example; Dauntless was He, young and brave;

Give Him your loyal devotion, Give Him the best that you have.

Chorus:

Give of you best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth;

Clad in salvation's full armor, Join in the battle for truth.

Give of you best to the Master; Give Him first place in your heart;

Give Him first place in your service, Consecrate ev'ry part.

Give, and to you shall be given; God His beloved Son gave;

Gratefully seeking to serve Him, Give Him the best that you have.

Chorus:

Give of you best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth;

Clad in salvation's full armor, Join in the battle for truth.

 

Give of your best to the Master; Naught else is worthy His love;

He gave Himself for your ransom, Gave up His glory above:

Laid down His life without murmur, You from sin's ruin to save;

Give Him your heart's adoration, Give Him the best that you have.

Chorus:

Give of you best to the Master; Give of the strength of your youth;

Clad in salvation's full armor, Join in the battle for truth.

 

Although it has a nice tune, I really like this song because of it's words. It reminds me that I truly need to give every single part of myself to my Master; to HIS service. Nothing less than everything is worthy His love.
I am required to give Him all my heart's adoration. When I hear this song, why wouldn't I want to give Him everything? ...It's all the distractions in life that keep me from loving Him wholly. All the things to whom I give little pieces of my heart, when all of it should belong to my Saviour.

Mark 12:30 "And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment."

Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."