Priests! Rise up!

One thing that I have learned about the Bible, is that it, to me, is like a giant "connect-the-dots". Everything is interwoven, & as I come to understand the meaning behind one "dot" it brings the whole picture into focus more than it had been before.

"In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away." Hebrews 8:13

Today we, as Christians, live under the covering of a new covenant with God--a covenant that was promised throughout the Old Testament, one that restores us to our First Love. This covenant of Grace removes from us the pressure to be good enough before God, because no one, other than Jesus Christ can ever earn salvation. The book of Acts marks the beginning of a new covenant with the Lord, but we are able still able to perceive God's heart for His people & His pure character throughout the entirety of the Bible. I love studying the Old Testament because it provides pictures of His Grace & a promise of what Jesus Christ would bring for all of us who are in Him.

In Exodus 32, the Israelites made for themselves a golden calf & worshiped it. Moses called for those who were on the Lord's side; all the sons of Levi gathered & wiped out 3000 who were worshiping the golden calf. On that day the Levites were ordained for the Lord's service as Priests. In Deuteronomy we see the duties of a Priest--to carry the Ark of the Covenant (the presence of the Lord), to minister to God, & to bless the people. (For a deeper understanding of a Priests duties read Identity: Priests). The New Testament shows us that through Christ we are now all Priests before God (1 Peter 2:5, 9). As Priests it is important for us to understand & to carry out our duties.

Now that I have established a solid background, let's take a look at what the Lord told the nation of Israel though the prophet Malachi.

"A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of hosts to you, O priests, who despise my name. But you say, 'How have we despised your name?' By offering polluted food upon my altar. But you say, 'How have we polluted you?' By saying that the LORD's table may be despised. When you offer blind animals in sacrifice, is that not evil? And when you offer those that are lame or sick, is that not evil? Present that to your governor; will he accept you or show you favor? says the LORD of hosts. And now entreat the favor of God, that he may be gracious to us. With such a gift from your hand, will he show favor to any of you? says the LORD of hosts. Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you, says the LORD of hosts, and I will not accept an offering from your hand. For from the rising of the sun to its setting my name will be great among the nations, and in every place incense will be offered to my name, and a pure offering. For my name will be great among the nations, says the LORD of hosts. But you profane it when you say that the Lord's table is polluted, and its fruit, that is, its food may be despised. But you say, 'What a weariness this is,' and you snort at it, says the LORD of hosts. You bring what has been taken by violence or is lame or sick, and this you bring as your offering! Shall I accept that from your hand? says the LORD. Cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished. For I am a great King, says the LORD of hosts, and my name will be feared among the nations.
Malachi 1:6-14

The Lord is speaking directly to the Priests of Israel. The sacrifices that the Priests had instructed the people to bring to God were the lame, mutilated, & diseased animals within their flocks. God points out that if they were to bring that to their government, it would not be accepted, so why would they offer such a poor offering to the Lord.

The sacrifices that we bring to God are a way that we express our love for Him. He is worthy of our best because of who He is! Under the covenant of Grace we do not have to offer animal sacrifices to the Lord anymore. (Thankfully. I get a bit queasy at the sight of blood.) However we are still to bring an offering to God. The reason it is called a sacrifice is because it was a sacrifice to give it. When we offer our finances to God, but do not make a sacrifice in it we are offering a "polluted sacrifice".

For example, in Mark 12 when Jesus went into the temple to watch how people gave money, He was not looking for the person who gave the greatest gift to God, but the person who made a sacrifice from the heart. To the Lord, the widow who gave two small copper coins gave far & above what any other had given.

Please don't misunderstand me. I am certainly not speaking from a position of perfection in this area. I have continually given the Lord far less than He deserves far too many times over the course of my life. I have worshiped my finances as I feared the outcome of the month instead of submitting my finances to the Lord & offering Him a sacrifice from my heart first. Pastor Robert Morris of Gateway Church said "We worship what we fear the most". Israel feared hunger in the desert & worshiped a golden calf. We worship money when we hoard it instead of submitting our finances to God. We as Priests need to model how to give with a heart filled with love for our Saviour. Worship is love expressed & we are to express our love by sacrificing the best we have to God.

Another piece to note from the text is that the Priests grew weary of offering sacrifices to God. In other words, they viewed worship as a chore instead of a privilege. God has always been more concerned about the attitude behind the act. We cannot enter into His presence if we view it as an obligation. We are blessed to have access into God's presence! When we worship God from our hearts, He shows up & meets with us! In Hebrew it is the word mishkan, which means Tabernacle or a dwelling place with God! And when the Lord shows up He meets His peoples needs. Praise the Lord!!

"And now, O priests, this command is for you. If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction."
Malachi 2:1-9

In the beginning of chapter 2, the Lord actually tells the Priests that if they do not have a heart change & honour the Lord with their offerings, He will spread dung on their faces. Poop. But not just any poop, the poop of the animals they are sacrificing! He is going to spread poop on their faces, poop on their offerings, & they will be taken away with the poop. When they sacrificed an animal they would take the skin, head, legs, entrails, & dung outside to be burned. (Leviticus 4:11-12) I believe that this is symbolic of Hell...as harsh as that may seem.

Then the text brightens up a bit & the Lord recalls His covenant of peace with Levi. The house of Levi feared the Lord & gave reverence to His great Name. They had a responsibility to instruct the people of Israel & to teach them how to follow the ways of the Lord. Jesus Christ is the Great High Priest! (Hebrews 4:14-16) He instructs us in the ways of a Priest & we are to follow His leading.

I strongly believe that the reason our society is in such a deteriorated state is because the people of God have not risen up & withheld their Priestly duties. We are to be set apart from the world & we are to engage Heaven's culture here on earth, but instead we are following the world's example. The culture of the United States continues to become more & more corrupt & people are shaking their fists at God saying that we know better than He does. The Priests of God need to rise up & reclaim our duty to teach the world how to honour the Lord! They do not know how because they have not seen an example of it!

Malachi goes on to discuss marriage in 2:10-16. The Lord expresses His favour over marriage between a man & the wife of his youth--that is a man's first wife. "Did He not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union?" The Holy Spirit resides in God's plan for marriage! God's plan for marriage is a man & a woman together until death parts them. Maybe the reason our culture is choosing to dishonour marriage by aggressively pushing same-sex-marriage is because they have not seen the Priests of the Lord honouring marriage from a Biblical stance.

Let us reclaim our responsibilities as Priests of the Most High God & begin to instruct the world around us in His ways. Let us restore the culture of Heaven to Earth & put the Lord first in ALL that we do. Let us give praise, honour, adoration, & true worship to the only One deserving. Let us express our love for God in such a way that the world cannot help but be mesmerized by our outpouring. Let us seek His Face & ignite this world with an excitement & see the presence of God manifested upon the face of the earth unlike any other generation has seen before! Let us carry the freedom of God's grace to all peoples.

Pride and Humility

“As long as you are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot see something that is above you.” - C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Pride is a tricky thing. It is difficult to recognize within yourself, yet we are quick to see it in other people. When we are behaving under the influence of pride we tend to look at others as if they are just not as talented or intelligent as we are. Pride seeks to draw a focus to ourselves in the hope that people will praise us. Pride can also be the refusal to recognize where we are wrong. 

As embarrassing as it is for me to admit, I have struggled with the issue of pride a lot throughout my life. I realize that the embarrassment I feel is also rooted in pride, in that I do not want to spoil how others perceive me. It became a means for me to internally pass judgement upon other people. Many times as I led worship I would be so focused on how my voice sounded that I was unable to minister to God. I was also overlooking my duty to host a meeting place between God & His people. Thankfully God still showed up because He loves His people & He wants to be with them. 


About a month ago God spoke to me & revealed to me my pride. Not only did He reveal my pride to me, but He affirmed His grace over me. Since that moment, the Lord has been revealing a lot to me--things He was unable to reveal to me while I was steeped in pride. Sin is rooted in pride, or to paint a picture "Pride is the soil that sin grows in" (Sion Alford, Gateway Church). I am going to go out on a limb & say that we are never more like Satan than when our hearts are filled with pride. That may sound harsh, but take a look at why Satan was cast out of heaven: 

Thus says the Lord GOD: "You were the signet of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, sardius, topaz, and diamond, beryl, onyx, and jasper, sapphire, emerald, and carbuncle; and crafted in gold were your settings and your engravings. On the day that you were created they were prepared. You were an anointed guardian cherub. I placed you; you were on the holy mountain of God; in the midst of the stones of fire you walked. You were blameless in your ways from the day you were created, till unrighteousness was found in you. In the abundance of your trade you were filled with violence in your midst, and you sinned; so I cast you as a profane thing from the mountain of God, and I destroyed you, O guardian cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire. Your heart was proud because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor. I cast you to the ground; I exposed you before kings, to feast their eyes on you." Ezekiel 28:12-17

Satan became proud of his beauty & the gifts God had given to him. Isaiah 14 speaks of how he tried to elevate himself above God. He abandoned his role as a worshiper of the Most High God & attempted to become a consumer of worship & without any fight God cast him down. Not because God was threatened or jealous, but because God is the only One who is deserving of worship. 

Pride is an attempt to elevate ourselves. When I sin I have the option to either react in pride & refuse to recognize my sin or I can repent & turn my life around. When I refused to recognize my sin as sin I was still covered under the Grace of God, ("but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more." Romans 5:20b), but due to my lack of repentance He was unable to use me in the ways He has purposed for my life.

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." 1 John 1:8-10

We live in a world that increasingly refuses to recognize sin as sin. The world has even twisted & misinterpreted Scripture in order to support their case. I myself have sought to justify my sin instead of repenting & turning away from it enabling me to embrace the freedom that can only be found in His Grace! I choose to submit myself to & seek after the culture of heaven instead of trying to subject heaven's culture to the world around me. The Bible is true for yesterday, today, & tomorrow. It needs no correction, it is not subject to changes in science--God wrote science & all of creation points to His divine detail.

We no longer have a set of rules to follow because the Lord has written it upon our hearts! (Jeremiah 31:33) We obey Him not out of obligation, but because we love Him so much! I do not need a list of rules in order to be faithful to my husband, I am faithful to him because I love & cherish him--I want to keep a large distance from anything that would cause his heart to be grieved or broken. I desire the same relationship between myself & my Lord! I want everything I do in life to display my love for God.
A picture of our Lord that is continually painted throughout the entire Bible is that He loves us so much that His deepest desire is to dwell among us & to be our God. From the Garden of Eden through to Revelation He wants to dwell among us. "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:3-4 (See also Exodus 29:45; Leviticus 26:12; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; 27:9; 1 Samuel 12:22; 2 Samuel 7:24; 1 Chronicles 17:22; Isaiah 43:21; Jeremiah 24:7; 30:22; 31:1, 33; 32:38; Ezekiel 11:20; 14:11; 36:22-28; 37: 23, 27; Zechariah 8:8; 2 Corinthians 6:16-18; 1 Peter 2:10) He wants to dwell with His people! Jesus Christ's sacrificial death on the cross was to cover our sin & make us pure in God's sight so that we can dwell with Him as He intended for us!
I desire to humble myself under His mighty hand & exalt Him as the Lord of all who is worthy of my praise, thanksgiving, adoration, & worship. I desire to dwell with my God who spared no cost when He freed me from death. I forever want to draw nearer to my Lord, the God who wants to dwell with me. 




Lord, I desire to be close to You. Please keep my heart free from the soil of pride that can so easily take a hold. I submit my life to You & I pray that You would use me to spread the message of Your Grace to a world that is hurting & so desperately needs You. Thank You for softening my heart & creating in me an awareness of my sin. Help me to always use my gifts & abilities to bring Glory to Your great Name! I want to be used by You, Father! I love You!

Identity: Betrothed

"And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord."(Hosea 2:19, 20 ESV)

In three weeks Rob & I will be celebrating our love for each other & making a declaration & commitment of that decision as we exchange wedding vows. All of that is really a fancy way of saying, "I'm getting hitched!".

I have spent countless hours & a good amount of resources planning the event over the past two months. Finally, last week I stopped & realized I should probably sit down & write my vows. It was great to take time to reflect on my love for Rob & the journey that we have had together. I knew that in writing my vows I wanted to be sure to make realistic promises to him & to understand that in the areas where I am lacking (& he is lacking) we will lean on the Lord for completeness as our covering & the One who binds us. Together we are entering into a divine agreement that will forever join us together as one.

Marriage is an earthy shadow of the Lord's relationship with His church. The Lord has given His promises (vows) to us & has also established His expectations of us as His bride. In the book of Hosea, the Lord tells the prophet Hosea to marry a prostitute named Gomer. Not only is Hosea to marry her, but he is to love her unconditionally & call her to himself when she leaves him for other lovers. Hosea even purchases Gomer when she is being sold into slavery & again brings her home as his wife.

We do this. I know there have been many times I have sought after other "lovers" instead of seeking after the Lord. He bought me at a very high price- with Jesus' blood. I am His even when I fall away. He wants to romance me. Hosea 2:14 says that He allures us & speaks tenderly to us. We are His bride, in fact the Bible calls us "the bride of His youth". He yearns for us. He ardently loves us. He is passionate for us. He is burning for us.

As I prepare to enter into this new covenant of marriage with a man who I yearn for, burn for, am passionate for, & love to the deepest part of my being, it causes me to fall more in love with my Saviour whose love for me knows no bounds.

I am betrothed.

Identity: Chosen

We humourously see a common scenario portrayed in multiple ways through television. It goes like this: a group of people decide to recreationally enjoy a team sport, so they pick captains who then go through & choose people for their teams. Those captains generally choose the most athletic, quickest, strongest, elite members first, leaving the undesired awkwardly standing about hoping that they are not the last one chosen. In fact, all of us have experienced rejection in some form or another. Hollywood can do its best to make light of it, but what occurs deep inside is painful & not at all humourous. We all hope that we are good enough, funny enough, attractive enough, skilled enough, etc..., when in reality, we all have weaknesses that will keep us from being chosen.

You did not choose me, but I chose you... (John 15:16a ESV)

God chose us first. He did not choose us when no one else wanted us, He came in & chose us before anyone else had the chance! The Bible calls us a "chosen race" (1 Peter 2:9) & in the book of Isaiah (41:9), God says "...I have chosen you and not cast you off". He desires us more than anything & wants us to choose Him as well.

About three weeks ago my boyfriend dug in the dirt & pulled out a beautiful ring he had buried there for me. He told me that of all God's creation I am the most beautiful, then he asked me to spend the rest of my life with him. He chose me. His proposal was not only a declaration of his love for me, but also of his choosing to do life with me forever. When Rob proposed & chose me, he esteemed value to me by pledging his life to be with me.

Jesus Christ chose us. He chose us before time began & He knew us by name. He chose us before anyone else could. We were not chosen because of our talents. We were not chosen because of how good we are. We were chosen because He deeply loves us. We have a God who wants us, desires us, & longs for us. He wants us to come into intimacy with Him & to do life with Him forever. He esteemed value to us by His death on the cross. We are priceless. We have been chosen.

All He Says I Am

One of the ways that the enemy attacks me is by telling me lies about myself. He tells me how the world sees me & attacks my self-confidence. I am constantly having to remind myself of who the Lord says I am, how He sees me, & the titles He calls me by. The enemy's language is lies; understanding the truth about who God says we are & identifying ourselves by His terms is the only way to defeat the lies the enemy constantly throws our way. This song beautifully depicts that internal struggle we face & who the Lord says we are.

All He Says I Am
Cody Carnes

He whispers in my ear tells me that I’m fearless

He shares a melody tells me to repeat it

And it makes me whole it reminds my soul

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am
And He says I am His own

I was blinded by scales upon my eyes

And He came like a light & burned up all the lies

Oh He set me free He reminded me

Chains are broken and scales are on the floor

Truth is spoken I’m no orphan anymore

I am loved

I am new again

I am free

I’m no slave to sin

I'm a saint

I am righteousness

I’m alive

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am

I am all He says I am
And He says I am His own

all that is within me...

Let's worship like David!

People have accused me of a performance-based ministry, of being too expressive, but there is a fire in my inmost being that I can’t contain. God’s love & forgiveness & the power of the cross cause me to dance into my future, regardless of what people think. And hey, what can I say . . . I am a woman in love! When I joined my first worship team in my mid-teens, I tried hard to participate in what I thought was worship. I became boring—not extravagant. It was in my thinking that to be a Christian musician meant mediocre, nothing extreme, quiet & safe, as if somehow this conformity made me more holy. But only a few years ago I decided to be all that God predestined me to be. Bland doesn’t mean righteous, & I had permission from the King to let “all that is within me bless His holy name” (Psalm 103:1)

When King David brought the ark of the covenant (representing the presence of God) into the city, he danced & celebrated amid the joyful singing, shouts, the sounding of rams’ horns, trumpets, cymbals, lyres, & harps. Triumphant praise resounded as all of Israel joined in the thanksgiving parade! David’s worship was so extravagant that his wife, Michal, felt he was making a fool of himself. From that day she despised him in her heart. If David’s worship had been halfhearted, Michal would not have reacted so strongly to him. Casual worship wouldn’t have disturbed Michal, but David was radical in his expression of worship that day. David had extravagant love for the Lord, & he praised his Lord with reckless abandon! He was crazy with enthusiasm because he was so in love with God.

When we are extravagantly worshiping God, we may have onlookers who won’t respond the way we’d hoped. Someone may watch us as we lay down our lives to worship our Lord. The testimony of our adoration may be viewed as something of great value that will cause others to join in, but it may also make someone despise us for the freedom & the joy that we are living in. But worship is unto the Lord & not unto men. Worship is an act of seeking God’s face & enjoying His magnificent presence.

Taken from the book "Extravagant Worship" by Darlene Zschech.

Who is Joseph Kony?

Eight years ago as a freshman in college I heard about the Invisible Children for the first time.

I was changed.

Learning that children- any child- has to live in constant fear of abduction was heart wrenching. Through the years I have shared the news & have given support, but it is so easy to let life happen & forget. Just like the genocide in Rwanda, people (myself included) consider how horrible the actions were on television & went right back to eating their dinner. Eight hundred THOUSAND people were tortured & murdered over the course of one hundred days in 1994 in Rwanda. Joseph Kony has been abducting children since 1986! Throughout his reign over two million people have been displaced & thousands of children have been abducted & forced into an army or into sex slavery. He is currently the most wanted international criminal.

He must be stopped.

We have until midnight of December 31, 2012. Let's bring him to justice & restore the lives of many. Children in Uganda should not have to go to sleep in fear. Let's give them a chance at a future, an education, an independence! Let's raise a resounding voice for all of the children & make sure Joseph Kony is captured.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4MnpzG5Sqc&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Kid friendly recipes

I realized that cooking is such a big part of my life, but I have never posted any of my own recipes. This needs to be remedied immediately. The following are two awesome recipes that will make anyone really popular making kid food. Enjoy!

Chicken Strips 
 (*yes...I realize I am a vegetarian, but someone's kids need to enjoy these.)


1 Pound chicken breast
Buttermilk (enough to cover)
To Taste Sriracha Sauce
To Taste Salt
To Taste Pepper
1 Package of crackers (any type will do, I prefer Water Biscuits)

Slice the chicken breasts into bite sized strips & place into a glass bowl. Cover chicken breasts with buttermilk & Sriracha Sauce. Cover the bowl with tinfoil & refrigerate for 8-24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Crumble the crackers into small crumbs. Gently remove the small pieces of chicken from the buttermilk mixture, coat them with cracker crumbs, & place on a greased baking sheet. Once all of the chicken pieces have been coated put the baking sheet into the oven & bake until the chicken pieces are cooked all the way through (use a knife to pierce the center of a thick piece- make sure the juices run clear & the center is not pink). Serve hot & enjoy.


Kids Quiche
This recipe came about one day when I was a nanny. The older boy, Alex, had the opportunity to go out shopping with his daddy one morning & Michael, the younger boy, needed something fun to distract him while big brother was out. It has many variations- anything that you would like to place in quiche really, but here is the basic gist. Michael enjoyed helping me stuff each muffin cup with all of our choice of fillings. It's a fun way to engage your children & encourage them to learn to cook.

1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Red (or Yellow) Bell Pepper
1 medium sized onion
5-10 Small Mushrooms (of choice)
1 Package of crackers (any type will do, I prefer Ritz)
Butter (softened)
Grated Cheese
Eggs
Milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

Grease a muffin pan. Whip together Eggs & Milk in a bowl. Crumble the crackers & kneed in a small amount of softened butter. Gently press the cracker mixture into the bottom of the muffin pan cups. Fill each cup with your sliced veggies, cheese, meats, herbs, etc... & top with egg mixture to just below the top of the cup. Transfer the pan to the oven & bake until the egg has reached a firm texture. Top each cup with more grated cheese & replace into the oven to melt the cheese. Remove from the oven & cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.  I love to eat these with salsa. Yumm...

Enjoy!

twenty-seven

Yesterday I celebrated yet another year of life- twenty-seven. Balls. It seems that no matter how you try to ward them off they just keep coming. Twenty-six had it's ups and downs, but in the grand scheme of things it was actually a beautiful year. Life changed often & at times drastically, but I have been surrounded by wonderful people through it all. Twenty-seven is bound to bring more life with it & I am excited for whatever this year has to offer.

Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of my first date with my amazing boyfriend. He took me to dinner followed by browsing through a bookstore & going to see "True Grit" (such a romantic movie...). Life with him is fabulous & I could not ask for a better partner in crime to live out the years with. He makes me smile.

Cheers.

When Life Happens.

The intention of this blog post is not to sound like Debbie Downer, but instead to acknowledge that God is continually & forever faithful. When life happens, He is always there as the constant Protector & Provider. I would not be able to face this life without Him.

December has been an eventful month (to put it lightly).

A couple of weeks ago Rob's phone disappeared & replacing a phone is not a inexpensive venture. Thankfully he will have a nice, workable phone that will allow him to do the things he needs to do for his many business endeavors.

The clutch master cylinder in my car went out. Don't ask me what that is or what is does, because I haven't the slightest, but I do know that after replacing it my car drives much smoother.

My (fantastic, strong, patient, loving, encouraging) mother (who we lovingly refer to as Meme), & one of my closest friends, was diagnosed last week with breast cancer. At this point we do not know what stage it is, but we do know that God is our Healer & we are believing for her healing. "...I am the Lord, your Healer." (Exodus 15:26) My younger sister battled cancer 18 years ago & is a living testament to our Lord the Healer. I want to thank everyone who has surrounded us with prayer & support & request that you continue to do so as we embark on this journey as a family.

We went up to Mill City yesterday with my grandparents to get a Christmas tree. Meme & I are presently waiting for Rob to begin decorating the tree- hopefully it will involve some hot cocoa & Christmas movies too.

I will be taking a break from school to assist Meme with her treatment. I feel strongly that I need to be available to her during this time & want to serve her to the best of my abilities. She has always been there for us kids & now it's time for us to show her our support. I will still be working as much as possible throughout the course of her treatment

I am looking forward to a relaxing & joyful Christmas holiday with the people I love the most- making memories that will last throughout the rest of my life.

Cheers.

'These things I have spoken to you, 

that in Me you may have peace. 

In the world you will have tribulation; 

but be of good cheer, 

I have overcome the world.'

John 16:33 

My content little life.

I realize just how cliche it is to post a blog about the things in my life that bless me on a day like today (Thanksgiving), but I also think it's important to recall those things more often than I do & why not do that now.

First off, I am thankful for a Saviour. My life would not be the same without the ardent love & indelible grace of Jesus Christ. As we enter into the Christmas season, I never want to forget the best present of all: "For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; & the government shall be upon His shoulder, & His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government & of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David & over His kingdom, to establish it & to uphold it with justice & righteousness from this time forth & forevermore." (Isaiah 9:6-7 ESV)

Today I get to celebrate the first of many Thanksgivings with the love of my life. It's funny when love finds you in an unexpected place & it blossoms after a casual friendship. Rob, you are my prince & you balance me in every way. Thank you for your love, support, friendship, humour, & warmth. "Whatever our souls are made of, his & mine are the same." (Emily Bronte)

My mom has always been a shining light in my life: she brightens my days & guides me (graciously) in the right direction. I love you, mom. Thank you for supporting me & bestowing love & grace all of my life. I adore the friendship that we have built through the years.

I am also thankful for my sister. She's our miracle. After a year long battle against cancer (1993-1994), she overcame & I seriously don't know how I would have survived without her. She is my hero & has brought into my life two beautiful nieces & a handsome nephew, as well as my wonderful brother-in-law- I always wanted a brother & their family blesses me always.

My father has been a caring figure in my life for always. I appreciate the friendship we have developed & enjoy our conversations & his continued wisdom. Thank you.

It's always difficult to find a church that fits you, & we not only found one that fits us, but one where the people have become family. I am so thankful for the love & support from all of the people at New Beginnings Christian Center. We love you all!

I have been with Starbucks on & off for the past three years. It's amazing to have a job that is flexible & takes really good care of you. Remember whenever you buy your coffee that you're not only buying a great product, but you're helping support me (& other baristas) & all of the benefits that my company gives to me, & you're helping keep me employed. I love my job.

There are also so many friends & family members who need to be acknowledged on here, but there's not enough time or space to do so. If you are one of the many people who has graced my life (& Rob's life) throughout the years please know that we love you & we have been blessed by your presence in our lives no matter how great or how small it may be.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Heart Like Mine

I ain't the kind you take home to mama
I ain't the kind to wear no ring
Somehow I always get stronger
When I'm on my second drink

Even though I hate to admit it
Sometimes I smoke cigarettes
Christian folks say I should quit it
I just smile & say "God bless"

Cause I heard Jesus He drank wine & I bet we'd get along just fine
He could calm the storm & heal the blind & I bet He'd understand a heart like mine

Daddy cried when he saw my tattoo
Said he'd love me anyway
My brother got the brains of the family
So I thought I'd learn to sing

Cause I heard Jesus He drank wine & I bet we'd get along just fine
He could calm the storm & heal the blind & I bet He'd understand a heart like mine

I'll fly away from it all one day
I'll fly away...

These are the days that I will remember
When my name's called on the road
They'll meet me with two long stemmed glasses
& make a toast to me coming home


Cause I heard Jesus He drank wine & I bet we'd get along just fine
He could calm the storm & heal the blind & I bet He'd understand a heart like mine


Miranda Lambert

Twelve Weeks

As of yesterday, I am officially twelve weeks into achieving my culinary degree through Le Cordon Bleu. It's funny how serious you get about your education when you have an understanding of the debt you're getting into. I have my Bachelor's degree in music & I graduated from college with a 3.49, but I was never serious about my degree. In college, my professors would let us know up front how many absent days we are allotted for the semester & I would save them up carefully & use every single one. Now my chefs also let us know how many days we can be absent, but after missing one day this cycle due to illness I realized that I would rather come in sick than get that far behind again.

Since I mentioned finances, I will admit that they have been floating around in my head a lot lately. Recently, I finished paying off an accumulative debt of over $8,000 I had racked up in credit cards & fees. It feels amazing to finally be rid of that monster looming over my head at every turn. My amazing, loving boyfriend & I also opened up a joint checking/savings account to plan for our future together. I never realized just how scary the words "joint checking" are until we were sitting in front of the banker & filling out the paperwork. In reality though, I am so happy that we are budgeting & planning together & creating healthy habits that will one day transfer over into our marriage.

One thing that I don't have a lot of is time. My classes are butt-crack-of-dawn early & then I work afternoons & evenings. Sleep is something I hope to have over Christmas break, or maybe next summer sometime. Thankfully my job is amazing & I can look forward to it instead of dread going. Six more weeks & then it's Christmas vacation! I will be hibernating during this period of time & picking up as many shifts at work as I can...& possibly watching a Christmas movie here or there. I have never been in a relationship during the Holidays & I am so happy to be able to create new memories & traditions with the love of my life. He's a bit of a "bah humbug", so I am hoping to coerce him with a bit of Christmas cheer. 

This Christmas will be very exciting as we will have a new addition to the family- my sister & her husband are expecting their third child (& first son) any day now. My oldest niece is staying for a weekend sleepover & her little sister was very disappointed she could not join us. I made her a promise that we will have a play date just her & me soon. Being an auntie is the best!

If you are a lover of music, I have three albums to recommend to you:
"The Whole Love" by Wilco
Bon Iver's new self-titled album
"Great Great God" by Gateway Worship

I have fallen in love with Wilco. My work friends joke that we have a copy of their new album for every room in the house (four copies in total...mostly by accident). Bon Iver's album did not leave my cd player for weeks. And "Great Great God" was a song I fell in love with on my trip to Dallas back in February & I have been anxiously awaiting it's studio release, as my only copy of the song prior to was taken from a Gateway Church small group devotional. All of the songs have been on repeat in my head for the last week. Amazing.

Fisher of Men

Fisher of Men

He tied a feather to the hook for to get you to look
And by the time you know what took you, you already took
He's got a line in the water, he's a fisher of men

He put the thorns on the rose for to get you to bleed
And by the time you know what stuck you, the pain's in deep
He's got a line in the water, he's a fisher of men
He's got a lot on the line, he's a fisher of men

He's a fisher of men and he's wise as a prize fighter
He's like a soul miner mining souls on down the great divide

He put his name in my verses and his name in the hook
Before I knew what I was cooking, it was already cooked
He's got a line in the water, he's a fisher of men

And he put his name in my chorus like the dark before the dawn
So that in my hour of weakness, I'd remember it's his song
He's got a line in the water, he's a fisher of men 

Words & Music by M. Ward

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

"There is nothing wrong with change, if it is in the right direction."

Winston Churchill

A good friend of mine wants to get a tattoo that says "change is constant, growth is optional". I love the truth in that. Because life is a series of changes, I have found myself in the midst of some recently & felt compelled to expand on my new life journeys.

One of the goals that I have set for myself before I turn thirty is to return to school. I've tossed around various degree/certification ideas over the past four years, but never settled on anything that sat well with me. At first I considered getting my CNA so I can potentially use the skills overseas on the mission field, but I have a weak stomach & can hardly handle blood when I pop a zit, so I crossed that idea off of my list. I looked into Event & Meeting Planning certifications, but they are not very prevalent in the Northwest so it too was crossed off. I looked into Communications, Journelism, Viticulture, MBA Programs, Mastors Programs in Music, among others, but all of these ideas stayed in that idea phase & never grew beyond that. I felt that it would be silly for me to take out a loan if I was not one hundred percent certain that I was pursuing something I would love & benefit from. After a lot of thought & prayer, I considered my long term dreams & goals & then established the game plan to get myself there.

Now for the unveiling... *drum roll*

My dream for the past five years has been to open up my own restaurant one day, so I decided to revisit the idea of Culinary School. I inquired at Le Cordon Bleu about the Culinary Arts program & a week later was accepted & enrolled in classes with a job lined up to sustain me through school. It is amazing how quickly & smoothly the whole thing came together. I begin classes on the fifteenth of August & start at Starbucks a week from today. I am so excited about this next series of life journeys & am so thankful for the support & encouragement I have received from friends & family along the way.

Life will certainly be busy again, but I wouldn't have it any other way.