The End of My Blog as We Know It

Howdy faithful (maybe 3) readers, haha! After much prayer and thought, I have decided to end my blogging for this season. While my hope for it was to provide a means for family and friends to keep up with our family's happenings, to encourage and edify the body of Christ, and to declare the gospel to those who have not yet been transformed by its power, I feel that I can better work toward those ends outside the realm of a blog at this time. Thanks for reading with me and sharing in my life in this way. I may be back in a later season, especially if I start up a small WAHM (work at home mom) craft company as I am praying about doing. But for now, it's the end of my blog as we know it. :)

Grace and peace, dear blog world friends,

Loler

Blessin's and Lessons of Baby K

Well, it has been over two months since my last post. Since I have been gone from blog world, I have been blessed to give birth to a sweet baby girl. I don't know that my blogging (or lack there of) can get much less frequent, but if it does, you now know why. :)

So far, the transition has been HARD. Everyone tells you that it's a joy, but it's hard. But you don't really know what that means until you get there. There has been much pain, ample frustration, many tears shed, and much sleep lost - all in all, great sanctification. This period of life truly has been one of the most difficult ones I have faced thus far, but I am so grateful. Oh how we prayed for this baby girl! I am already re-learning how I can't and shouldn't control everything, how much I am truly dependent upon the Lord for every little thing, and how precious I, as one of His children, am in His sight.

Before little K was born, one of my sweet sisters-in-Christ Erica introduced me to the work of Noel Giger, an artist who has been gifted and inspired by God to redeem into art what others cast off. What an amazing concept, and what an opportunity to share the gospel! I bought a sweet hymnal plaque from Noel for K's nursery.

Then Erica surprise gifted me with one of the necklaces (a redeemed domino) that Noel donated to her auction/garage sale fundraiser that she held for her year-long mission/teaching trip to Czech. You can follow Erica in her adventures here.

As I prepared my heart to take important pieces, including times of trials and suffering and all the sanctification that came with those, with me into becoming a mom, I asked Noel to create a custom necklace representative of this occasion. I gave her general preferences but left the design up to Noel's creativity and heart, as we both have fellowship in learning the hard way that God truly is good through all circumstances (See her blog - link above - for her story). You can't see the whole necklace (especially as it is designed on both the front and back), but here is a picture of it around my neck with little K's hand reaching up and grasping it. :) Makes my heart happy.

This beautiful custom piece was created out of a hymn written by Charles Wesley (music attributed to Dmitri Bortniansky). I am posting the hymn below both because it is a good artistic expression that speaks my heart better than I can in my own words and because I hope it encourages you:

Thou Hidden Source of Calm Repose

Thou hidden source of calm repose,
thou all-sufficient love divine,
my help and refuge from my foes,
secure I am if thou art mine;
and lo! from sin and grief and shame
I hide me, Jesus, in thy name.

Thy mighty name salvation is,
and keeps my happy soul above,
comfort it brings, and power and peace,
and joy and everlasting love;
to me with thy dear name are given
pardon and holiness and heaven.

Jesus, my all in all thou art,
my rest in toil, my ease in pain,
the healing of my broken heart,
in war my peace, in loss my gain,
my smile beneath the tyrant's frown,
in shame my glory and my crown.

In want my plentiful supply,
in weakness my almighty power,
in bonds my perfect liberty,
my light in Satan's darkest hour,
in grief my joy unspeakable,
my life in death, my heaven in hell.

Picture Update

Since pictures were requested, here is what I have been up to:

These are the curtains I made for the guest room that resulted in MUCH sanctification. :) With the changed perspective I shared a post or so ago, my dislike for sewing is slowly decreasing.

I sewed a bulletin board cover that had about three redesigns thanks to my inability to cut straight. I wanted to bring some of the red (not really red, but I've never been good with color names) curtain color to the other side of the room. I must thank my darling husband a thousand times for doing the sewing math for me - one's brain gets pretty fried after so many redesigns.

I finished the door curtains for our fake French doors, and my wonderful hubby graciously took the time to hang them so evenly even though he's got an uber busy week! Here are before and after pictures.

I finally started crocheting baby girl's baby blanket (this is my second attempt to start - the first started with an incorrect chain count. Boo).

Nothing increases one's affections for sewing like fun fabric! Hooray! These are my recent fabric purchases for burp cloths and cloth diaper wipes. I have started the measuring and cutting and will try to post instructions and pictures for anyone who is interested in making their own later.

Relationship Health

This week, I have really found myself thinking about the way I live my life and what that shows about the state of my heart. Last Sunday's sermon at church was AWESOME! You can find it in .mp3 format here. I always love being reminded of the beauty of the gospel of grace. There was one question in the sermon that really caused some soul searching and conviction. I can't remember the exact wording, but it translated to me as:

Do you spend as much or more time pursuing and seeking the Lord as you do pursuing and seeking things in His creation?

When this question was posed, the answer, "No," immediately came out of my heart. We can seek God out in His creation - an example would be my most recent post about finding and worshipping the Lord in sewing - so pursuing Him isn't just what has become the cliche "quiet time". But how often are we really that intentional about seeking Him in all things? How often is our goal to meet with Him instead of learning about Him being an after thought as we pursue our own passions. I wish I always had an eternal mindset consumed with desire for the Lord and His presence, but the truth is that I often don't.

Recently in home group, we studied the topic of marriage and how it is a reflection/a shadow of the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32). I've been talking a lot with some of the women in home group about what it really looks like to submit to our husbands as unto the Lord (Ephesians 5:22) and how to respect our husbands well (Ephesians 5:33). We've been talking about what healthy marriages look like, what unhealthy marriages look like, things that really hurt marital relationships, and things that make marital relationships grow in the beauty and joy that they were meant to be. This of course has made me think on my own marriage a lot.

One of the biggest things I have learned about myself in marriage is that quality time and intentionality speak volumes to me. I enjoy verbal encouragement and nice words, but they mean nothing to me if actions don't seem to back them up. But oh man! If Robbie is thinking of me and responding to love he has toward me in being intentional about spending quality time with me or doing things that he may or may not like doing, how rich is the mutual joy and affection that results? What beautiful depths of love do we experience? How much more are we one?

Now, if I am the bride of Christ, what type of marriage/relationship do we have if I always put Him off, fail to make Him a priority, only spend leftover time with Him instead of using my time intentionally to respond to Him and His pursuit of me? Thinking on this relationally really takes the legalism out of Christian living for me. It's not about checking my check boxes. Think about all the richness and depth I'm missing out on! What if I'm too busy doing things supposedly for Him and His benefit that I actually end up ignoring His pursuit of my heart and affections? Then I'm actually depriving myself of love, peace, and joy that is offered.

Oh how I've fallen short before my heavenly husband and brought destruction to our marriage! But the good news is that He's offered grace through a covenant pledge (shedding His blood on the cross to reconcile me to Himself) - regardless of my failure (Romans 5:8). He's still pursuing me, still wooing me. How will I respond? How will you respond? How's the health of your marriage with Christ? Do you put as much or more effort into your heavenly marriage as your earthly one? If you do not have an earthly spouse, do you put as much or more effort into your heavenly eternal relationship as your earthly temporal relationships?

Starting to Sew; Starting to Grow

It's been fairly recent since I've seriously ventured into the world of sewing. I decided to start with a few home accessories first - pillows, various curtain styles. I've always wanted to know how to sew and have always had high hopes that I would really enjoy it. So far... WRONG! I am not enjoying it at all!!! But I'm going to keep pushing through the beginning stages hoping that as I become more comfortable doing it, it'll be begin to grow on me. I went to bed sooo frustrated and flustered last night, but when I woke up this morning God changed my heart and attitude about it by revealing Himself to me in sewing. I believe this is a great opportunity for growth. Here's what He's revealed to me so far:

• I don't like it, because I lack patience. I like to see things grow - like to see immediate results. Sewing has very little construction time; most of it is spent measuring, cutting, squaring, pressing, pinning - none of which have very encouraging visual results of progress. This is an opportunity for me to stretch my patience and learn that things are coming together and pushing forward in progress even when I am unable to see it.

• When I go to the fabric store, I deliberate forever!!! I want to know what type of material is best suited for the job, then I think about what it needs to look like to maintain unity with the rest of the house or whatever project, then I look for what is appealing to my eye, and (of course being the frugal person I am) I finally consider cost. God created us each with great care - He constructed us with a bigger picture in mind and with a purpose to serve and fit within that bigger picture. He made us to be beautiful and appealing to Him - a reflection of His own image. BUT God is not frugal. He did not consider cost. He paid His son out on the cross to bring us all together in beauty for His glory. Wow!

• In sewing, one must pay attention to the little details - edges must be straight, corners must be squared, measurements must be accurate. God straightens and squares us as pieces of His masterpiece for our good, the good of the whole piece, and most importantly for His glory. Sometimes we must have our wrinkles ironed out. Sometimes we must be pressed with heat to straighten our edges. Sometimes we need our poorly done and crooked stitches ripped out so that they may be lovingly straightened by the eyes and hands of God. Sometimes we also need to be pressed with heat to heal the holes left behind from torn out stitches that we're trying to keep.

I'm sure there's so much more of Christ in sewing than I can even see. But for now, I am praying that my heart and attitude toward the task will change and that I will rejoice in every little step as laboring in love over these pieces helps me see God's labor of love in me. I'm hoping to grow in patience and humility - here's to growing while I sew!

Where do you see God? I'd love to hear about it!

Strawberry Goodness

If I had to pick a favorite food that definitely wells up worship inside me, it would be a hard choice between Ruffles & Hidden Valley ranch dip, spicy fried chicken, bacon, and strawberries. Most of my friends might be surprised to find that good strawberries probably top my favorites list above bacon (for which my admiration is well known, hehe). It's just that bacon is pretty consistent whereas some batches of strawberries are good and others are mediocre at best.

Anyway, I am always interested in recipes for pretty much homemade strawberry anything! I recently came across a simple recipe for strawberry ice cream that does not require an ice cream maker and thought I would share it with you. I found the recipe here and have made measurement conversions and ingredient adjustments to be able to make this recipe in the U.S. My trial run led to delicious tasting ice cream, but I did find it to have a bit of an icy/grainy texture. Let me know if you end up with a creamier consistency. I may have slacked a little on whisking times as sometimes you just have to make allowances for spontaneous steakburgers and games of 42!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/3 1lb containers of good strawberries
• 2/3 cup of extra fine granulated sugar (can be found in grocery stores or you can be cheap like me and try to make your own with a food processor or clean coffee bean grinder)
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 10oz heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cu + 1Tbs + 1tsp milk

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash, de-stem, and core (if necessary) strawberries. I also halved or quartered them for easier processing (since I don't own a food processor).
2. Set aside about a dozen strawberries, and put the rest in a food processor (or blender) with the sugar and lemon juice. Process (or blend) until smooth, and transfer to a bowl.
   
3. Put the dozen strawberries into the food processor until mangled. I used my little electric chopper for this job. Add mangled strawberries to the bowl of liquidy, strawberry goodness.
   
4. Put the cream into the processor until it is thickened but not stiff.
   
5. Pour the cream and milk in with the strawberries and mix thoroughly with a whisk.
   
6. Place the bowl in the freezer. Remove from the freezer and whisk every hour for at least four times total.
   
7. After the last whisk, transfer to a tub with a lid and freeze until solid.
   
8. Eat and enjoy!
   

Domestic Bliss

Growing up, it seems we never appreciate the opportunities we're given until we're older. Now, I find I really enjoy domestic arts. Sorry, mom, for refusing your cooking lessons for so many years. Also, with grandparents and aunts and uncles in other states, there was no one to teach me the arts of crochet or sewing.

I love all these domestic arts, because they are such wonderful tools God has given us with which to reflect the light of love from its Source. I enjoy cooking/baking, because I love caring for my family in this way and hosting and feeding others. It is a reflection of God's provision for us and His richness. He doesn't just give us food to sustain us and keep us alive, but He gives us flavors and tastebuds, noses and scents, eyes and colors to behold to enjoy. I love crochet, because I can give something homemade, time/thought/effort-rich, and prayed over with love to encourage another. Every other crochet project I work on is a small blanket for our church's miscarriage and infertility ministry; the hope is that it will be a small tangible reminder of God's compassionate character. I (once I really get started, am sure that I will) love sewing, because it will help me serve my household and help and encourage others. I look forward to reflecting how God made me in sewing projects and perhaps giving others sewn gifts one day as a reminder that the recipient is loved.

So as I am just starting to really grow in these domestic arts, I wondered whether I should include my journey in this blog, in a separate blog, or not at all in the internet world. But as I searched the depths of the internet for crochet goodness the other day, I stumbled across a blog that helped me make this decision. The internet has been such a helpful tool in encouraging me in the Lord through growing and equipping me in the areas in which He has given me a passion to glorify Him. So I don't think it would be out of place on this blog of our lives and learnings to share these adventures, recipes, skills, projects, and tips with you.

I know some of you readers have no interest in domestic arts, but I encourage you also to remember, "And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:17). Whether your thing is computer programming, reading books and seeking out knowledge, athletics, or sci fi, remember, "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Ephesians 2:10). God created you with your passions, talents, and giftedness that you may passionately, gratefully, and joyfully glorify Him.

So to kick things off, I will write two posts in one day - this one and a recipe for strawberry goodness. I know strawberries certainly lead me to worship! Enjoy!

Better Late Than Never

A long time ago, I mentioned that I was reading through Genesis and planned on posting reflections from my reading. Oops! It never happened! Well, I started over reading the Old Testament due to a new Bible in a Year Plan I have been working through and was convicted yesterday evening, by the Spirit through a great friend, that I don't even remember a quarter of what I learned and haven't ever shared it with the hopes of encouragement and edification of others. So I figured better late than never! Here are just a few things that jumped out at me as I read:

• Fruit bearing: God didn't just call us to bear fruit; He showed us what it looks like first. He designed it, spoke it into being, brings forth new life from it, and produces from it according to its kind or designation. Then He commands us to do likewise. Fruit carries the seed to bring forth new life; this is what we are called to do spiritually! We carry the seed, but it is He who designates what type of fruit it will be, when it will come to fruition, and how it will come to fruition. We also know that not every seed from fruit that hits the ground bears lasting fruit, but fruit carries and scatters its seed nonetheless. Furthermore, spiritual fruit then is not just about qualities or characteristics that a person would want to attain, but it is about bringing forth life! Joseph was grateful for his suffering, recognized it came from God, was quick to forgive those God used, and He realized his suffering was used to bring life. He knew his role as a fruit bearer!
  
• Blessing: Many people think of blessings as stuff - things we get that we're thankful for. My family is a blessing. My house is a blessing. We wish each other blessings. Some people even wish others a blessed day. There are different types of blessing in the Bible, but I'm just going to discuss this one. A blessing isn't just something graciously given to us that generates thanksgiving; it's actually a call by God and a means to fulfill the call - the ultimate call being to glorify Him. How awesome is that?
• Sovereignty & Prayer: Genesis 6:5-7 is tough in regard to this subject. God created man, and as He is omniscient, He knew what sinners we would become. Yet, He was sorry (as in grieved, not apologetic) He had made men and planned to destroy them. Noah actually changed God's mind. Later, Abraham interceded for Lot and Sodom. God's mind is so unfathomable! It's crazy that He could plan to destroy something and yet save that same something at the same time, and that He would use human pleas and prayers to accomplish His purposes.
• Questioning: Abraham, named the father of faith, could converse honestly with God about questions and details, but he believed. His questions were asked in faith - in God's promises rather than whatever his desires or passions were. This is encouragement to me that it's okay to talk with God and ask Him questions.
• Big Picture: God often promised things to the people in Genesis that would not be fulfilled until many years and much suffering later. But aside from the fact that He was still faithfully fulfilling His promise, He was often accomplishing part of a bigger picture (such as judgment of a nation) while slowly (to us) fulfilling His promises. This was a great reminder that God's work in my life is just one small part of a huge picture. Also, when Abraham didn't trust that the Lord was enough or that the Lord would keep Him safe, he almost brought sin upon others. Our sins and lack of trust do have consequences that may affect others.
• Weight of Sin: It is said that Esau 'despised' his birthright, because he gave it up so easily in exchange for immediate fleshly desires (food in this case). Wow! 'Despise' is a strong word! So when we choose the created over the Creator, could it be said that we are essentially in that moment 'despising' Him? It is clear that we are showing a low valuation of Him at the time. How weighty is that? Thank God that He has mercy on us!
  
• Valuable Presence: When the trinity appears to Abraham, he RAN to serve them for the pleasure of the Lord's presence. Why do we serve? Do we truly value the presence of the Lord? What does the presence of the Lord stir in us? How awesome must the Lord's presence be?!

Well, those are just a few things that stuck out to me. I hope they have encouraged and/or edified you! I will do the same for the other books as I complete them (hopefully). It will take me a while for Exodus, Leviticus, and Matthew as I stopped taking notes for a while.

Let The Field Exult, And Everything In It!

This past weekend, Robbie and I spent a delightful day taking family and friend pictures at an arboretum. We were absolutely blown away by God's incredible beauty and creativity! It is crazy to think that this beauty is just a shadow and nothing in comparison to the beauty of His face (Psalm 27:4), that all of creation "...waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God" (Romans 8:19), and that the way He clothes the fields is nothing compared to the beauty in which He clothes His children - in Christ's righteousness (Isaiah 61)! I thought we would share some of the pictures with you; enjoy!

Psalm 96
1 Oh sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Splendor and majesty are before him;strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
9 Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
tremble before him, all the earth!

10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
he will judge the peoples with equity.”

11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
and the peoples in his faithfulness.

*Not that my pics are that spectacular, but they may be copied and used for personal use. However, please do not use them for any advertising and money-making reasons. Thank you.

Thoughts on Supposed Contradiction of Genesis 1 and 2

One of the awesome blessings of this past year, was having our discipleship resource pastor visit our home group. It was an awesome night where we got to go through questions we had about various passages of scripture. It was not to fill our heads with facts and make things fit our small understanding but to further open our eyes to the character of God and His truths and to be transformed by Him.

We emailed our questions in advance to make good use of our discipleship resource pastor's time and give him an opportunity to prepare. But one question was asked toward the end of the evening that we did not get a chance to look into together very deeply. The question is, knowing that scripture is the inerrant word of God, how do you reconcile Genesis 1 and 2's timelines of the creation of plants, animals, and man? This question is not a vital part of the core theology of Christianity, but God did not create us to turn our heads the other way to questions and pretend that faith is to not think. As our pastor reminds us so often, it is good to think, to question, to wrestle. God sanctifies us through these things. At the end of the day, there will still be mysteries. Not all things are for us to know at present (see 1 Cor. 13:12).

I really enjoyed the time we spent digging into the Word together working through questions, so I decided to work through this one on my own. I am posting my study here in case anyone else has wondered about this or has had someone point these texts out to them as contradicting each other. I figure it's better to share in hopes of building up and encouraging the body than hoarding learnings and risking getting puffed up. Afterall, isn't that what God gave us our personalities, gifts, and abilities for - to glorify Him? Plus, it gives others a chance to review my study and gently point out if there are any flaws. I would love feedback! Please note that the ESV was used for my study as exact wording differs per version, and my study tools were my Bible, Blueletter Bible, and Strong's Concordance. Here goes!

The Issue:

• Genesis 1 can seem to convey that vegetation was created on day three, birds on day five, and beasts of land and man on day six.
• Genesis 2 can seem to convey that man was created before shrubs, small plants, birds, and beasts of land, inferring that he would have to have been created on or before day three.
  

Observations from the text (with the help of Blue Letter Bible and Strong's Concordance):

• Different Hebrew words are used in Genesis 1 than Genesis 2 in regard to plant life. The word 'vegetation' in Genesis 1 is the Hebrew word 'deshe' which means "tender grass, first sprouts of the earth" which is different than grass ripe for mowing and more mature herbage already in seed. 'Bush' in Genesis 2 is the Hebrew word 'siyach' which means "a shoot (as if uttered or put forth), i.e. (generally) shrubbery;--bush, plant, shrub. So Genesis 2:5 could mean that no plant life that was the result of cultivation by man existed before man was formed, though beginning plant life did already exist.
• There is also a distinction in place. Genesis 1 refers to vegetation on the earth 'erets'. I believe this is referring to the earth at large as it is the same word used in Genesis 1:1 where it says that God created the heavens and earth. Genesis 2 specifically states that what does not exist yet are bushes and small plants specifically of the field. The Hebrew word for 'field' is 'sadeh' which is used in the Bible as a cultivated field, home of wild beasts, plain (as opposed to mountain), and land (as opposed to sea). It is possible that this designation of field used in Genesis 2 refers specifically to a cultivated field. I believe this is a possibility due to reading Genesis 2:15 where man is then placed in the garden that God created after man to cultivate it and due to the curse on man and the land found in Genesis 3.
• Genesis 1:26 does specify a timeline with the word, 'then'. So God made man in His image after the creation of the birds of the air and beasts of the field.
• Genesis 2:19 does not specify an exact timeline; it merely states that at some point God had made every beast of the field and birds of the air. It never says that He created them after man, so I would be careful in making that inference. Being a sequential person, I struggled with the word 'So' at the beginning of the verse, but if you're like me, remember that so is not a time indicator it's an indicator of a causal relationship. Meaning that because God deemed that it was not good for man to be alone, He brought all the beasts and birds that He had created at some point in time. 'So' does not indicate time.
• The phrase 'to make' in Genesis 1:26 is from the Hebrew word 'asah' which in its broadest sense and widest application aside from the literal 'to do' or 'to make' can also mean to accomplish, advance, appoint, bestow, etc. Which means it's possible that Genesis 1:26 is not necessarily referring to the creation/formation of man but to the appointing of the image of God in man occurring on that sixth day with man having already been created earlier.

My Conclusions:

• I am not God and do not pretend to know His mind fully - I only know what He has revealed to me and to the extent that He has revealed it to me. So I confess that I don't know with certainty whether man was created on day three or six. Also, I am no Hebrew scholar.
  
• It is clear that these passages can easily (and without stretching anything) be reconciled with each other so that there is no conflict between them whether one thinks creation of man occurred on day three or six. That is the important thing - that scripture is indeed inerrant.
• I personally lean more toward man being created on day six due to the observations from the text I made above. While 'asah' can mean appointing or accomplishing as well as physically making something, I personally think that the word 'made' is used consistently throughout the first chapter of Genesis in terms of physical creation. Granted the case referring to men is differentiated from the rest, because it is in the present tense as 'make' rather than the past tense 'made', I still believe it is in regard to physical creation. But this is just my personal leaning. As it is not vital to the faith to know, I simply conclude that I lean this way in belief but openly admit that I could be wrong in that; however, even if I am wrong, scripture still holds up as inerrant. :)

Hope you all enjoyed the food for thought. I'd love to hear your thoughts and feedback! Please make sure that your comments are not divisive or to stir up trouble but are delivered gently in hope and love. I do filter comments.