Naked and Unashamed

The subject of condemnation has been in front of me for several weeks now. It's a trigger topic for me. One that makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up and I fight against with all I have. The Lord has been showing me several things lately and yesterday was the most beautiful thing yet.

To condemn means to express strong disapproval or adverse judgement. It is everything we should feel in the presence of a holy God apart from Jesus if that could that even be attained. Whether it is real or imagined, projected or self imposed, it is one of the most awful and painful things to deal with. God sent his Son not because he disapproves of us, but exactly the opposite, because of his great love for us. John 3:16-18 gives lots of insight to this.

Yesterday I was reading John Piper's book The Momentary Marriage and he was discussing Adam and Eve and the original marriage. He talks about the reason Adam and Eve were able to be naked and unashamed is not because they were perfect and had nothing to be ashamed of. Although this was a possibility, Piper gives a few reasons this theology doesn't work. He suggests the reason they were able to be shameless was because they were in the fullness of covenant love. In other words, they were free from shame because they had no fear of disapproval from each other.

Oh how I love this! It made me think of Hebrews 4:13 - And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him who we must give an account.

And a most alluring picture is made when we tie this in with 1 John 4:18 - There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been made perfect in love.

Did you catch that? We are already naked and exposed before him and his love that endures forever  casts out fear of punishment. I love that! Did I mention I love that?

You see, in the garden Adam and Eve experienced the completeness of God's pledged love. There was no reason to fear His disapproval of them. There was absolute vulnerability and boundless assurance. That is the original way God wanted to be in relationship with us. For us to be able to know the freedom of taking every thought, every question, every hope, dream and desire to him and never feeling like he might disapprove of us.

What happened in the fall, and in every situation we are prone to feel condemned, the enemy whispers in all manor and variety of words but the same idea: "You can't really trust His perfect love." The enemy throws out a bait of doubt and if we take it, his classic calling card of shame is sure to follow.

I fully believe that Eve could have taken that apple to God and said "Hey God, this snake is telling me something about good and evil. What is that? What does he mean?" God is big enough and secure enough in who he is that he can handle our questions. He created our frail frame and knows just how limited we are. I would dare suggests he even expects our questions as we saw that he walked with Adam and Even in the cool of the day.  In the same way that I hope and expect my kids to come to me with all their questions and hopes, fears and dreams, I believe those were the same conversations God had with Adam and Eve on their evening walks.

He offers through Jesus, and desires for all people, to experience the beautiful gift of being naked and unashamed.  Totally transparent, and completely without fear. As John said "made perfect in love." These are the examples we saw him live out in his encounters with Nicodemus, the woman at the well and the woman caught in adultery.

This is the picture he wants to paint in a marriage - a bride and a groom unveiled and unafraid. This is the picture he wants for the body of Christ to express - forgiven and free to confess our sins to each other. This is the picture of love - not that we have nothing to be ashamed of, but living in a genuine alliance that covers a multitude of sins.

This is the covenant He has made with us. A blood covenant through his Son. One without condemnation where we are safe to be naked and unashamed.

If God says his chosen ones are acceptable to him, can anyone bring charges against them? Or can anyone condemn them? No indeed! Christ died and was raised to life, and now he is at God's right side, speaking to him for us. Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death? No in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. Romans 8:33-37

How to make a difference for Christ in this age

I read the following post over at Serving Strong the other day. So simple, so good. Hope your summer is off to a great start!

Start each day with an uplifting song.

Be generous.
Encourage others.
Be real.
Admit mistakes.
Stand for what’s right; Right what’s worth standing for.
Listen to understand.
Laugh a lot.
Appreciate the dead; Appreciate the living.
Persuade to consider, not to win.
Care for yourself.
Share your story when you’re asked.
Compliment.
Dive into the deep end of Christ; Stop treading water.
Ask for little.
Use technology for good.
Do what you say.
Change your passwords every 6 months.
Be sensitive to each person’s emotions.
Blame no one.
Look for the opportunity.
Smile at the mirror.
Search the eye color in each person you meet.
Give the barista $5.00 to give to the next stressed person in line.

End each day with a Psalm.

School's Out For Summer!

We made it through our first year of public school and what a great year it was. The girls had excellent teachers, support staff and classmates. Lots of learning happened and tons of fun too. And oh my gracious has Lucy changed and matured this year. Here they are back in August.

And here she is last week with her teacher. 

Ok,  so maybe she doesn't look so different to you, 

but this momma sure sees it. 

Stinky Pete and her teacher.

Wow! I can hardly believe I am now the parent of a first grader and a middle schooler! 

Stinky Pete's birthday was this month and we celebrated this weekend. What better way to prepare for summer than with a pedicure? 

That's a whole bunch of prissy in the tub scrubbin' feet! I'm not sure if there were more giggles or toes! And what good is a pedicure without a new pair of hand crafted flops? 

To fully get ready for summer, this year for Mother's Day I got to spend the whole day sewing! I had gotten all the parts for this project some time ago and have been waiting for the right time to whip it together. It's our official picnic blanket. 

It's just a simple bandanna quilt and I have wanted to make one for years. I found a denim bed skirt in FL years ago at a yard sale and knew instantly I wanted to back a bandanna quilt top with it. The bandannas were only a dollar at my happy place, Hobby Lobby. I got it all together on Mother's Day and finished it off this afternoon. There are all kinds of crazy, sloppy mistakes all over it, but my favorite part of this project is the FINISHED part! 

My lovely model! Grin. Can't wait to share some PB & J and goldfish with my girls on here. We have lots of summer plans already including a trip to NC to see family and back to FL as well. 

 Come on summer, we are ready!! 

Loves Little or Loves Much?

Bible study this week took me to Luke chapter 7 verses 36-50. This is the portion of scripture where Simon invites Jesus over for dinner and the woman with the alabaster jar comes and publicly anoints Jesus' feet with her hair, tears and kisses. While Jesus is receiving this act of worship he makes a teaching moment with Simon. I've never really liked this passage because I identify more with Simon than the woman in the scene and that makes me very uncomfortable with myself.

Scripture doesn't tell us Simon's motives for having Jesus over for supper, but we do know that he was a Pharisee and that carries much definition on its own.  And given the ritualistic and perfect performance the Pharisees kept, it is interesting to note all the things Simon didn't do when Jesus got there.

As they were eating, the woman comes in and makes quite a public display of affection. Oddly enough the love that motivated this act is not what upsets Simon, but rather the reputation and character of the woman is what rattles him most. He is not upset over this display so much as that "a sinner" would touch Jesus.

 I love that we don't read Jesus' tone to be an angry one. It could be that Simon's thoughts were simply what he had been taught and had never ventured away from, something Jesus has grace for. We see Jesus teach in his usual pattern of a gentle parable and leading questions. A good coach always asks the right questions that will lead you to discover the answer yourself. Jesus leads Simon to a place where he could begin to look past a person's issues and see their heart. A heart that loves much and a heart that loves little. "Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven-for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little loves little," he says. Then he speaks to the woman and tells her "Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you; go in peace."  In the camera view of this in my mind, I see Simon sit back and take it all in and I wonder, did he get it?

 As one who knows all too well a Pharisee's heart, it completely unnerves me to think that I might be one who Jesus considers "loves little."

I wrestled this out with Jesus hard. Thank you Lord for my upbringing and your hand of protection and provision over and on my life. Thank you Jesus that my testimony is not one I will be embarrassed to tells my kids about someday. Thank you God for the blessing of a family who lead me to you early in life and a church body that kept me busy enough to not get in difficult trouble.  You put people in my life that steered me well and lead me rightly, it has shaped me into who I am today!

But does all that mean I love you little?

Have there been times I've entertained you and neglected to worship you? Have I gained your gracious attention forgetting to honor you with all I have? Have I been in your presence and considered myself....anything other than "a sinner?"


Yes.


Devastating.


A brokenness comes over me as I repent and confess my arrogance and unworthy heart. Why are you so patient with me Lord? So gentle when you coach me to see me for who I really am? So gracious as you open my eyes to see you for who you really are?

Through my tears his tender voice responds, "Your sins are forgiven. Your faith has saved you, go in peace." And in this moment he shows me I have moved from identifying with Simon the self righteous to this unnamed woman, the worshiping sinner.  No longer to love little, but to go in peace and to love much.

Father, in the upbringing you allowed, somehow I picked up wrong theories and warped theologies.  Sometimes it's so hard to look past a person's issues and look to their heart, my own included. Transform my eyes Lord to see how you see.  Your kindness changes everything. I don't ever want to gain your attention again without giving you my all. May all of my days be a continual act of worship that shows you how much I love you. Your love is better than life! 

Adventure

I was the first to wake up this morning. A late night usually guarantees I'll be able to have a few quiet minutes in the morning. My favorite!

I started looking for something I had posted a long time ago on my blog and ended up reading several things I had forgotten about that made me feel like I was once so much stronger than I am now.  So I decided I would take full advantage of the quietness in the house and study some. I am currently working through an old book that I have previously done. It's a workbook/journal style book and it has been so interesting to read my thoughts from 6,7 years ago. My answer to some of the gut check questions this morning were exactly the same as they were last time I went through this. All of this reflecting reminded me of the simple fun I had yesterday.

Last night I hung out with a friend and we took our kids to the park. It was a relatively new park with great big, tall swings. They were the kind adults can swing on and get some good height. Well, if you don't know, I absolutely LOVE to swing. Such a simple joy in life to go back and forth and feel the rush of the air in your face and the fun of the plummet and rise over and over again. Pumping my arms and legs hard for the innocent delight. My girlfriend and I both jumped on one and giggled like 5 year olds racing to see who could swing higher and faster. What fun.

Pondering my walk with Jesus this morning in some ways felt like that swing. Times I've worked hard processing through the junk to get way up high. Spaces I've laughed with Jesus and felt sheer joy.  Moments I've heard him speak and felt him as close and real as the air sweeping my hair on my face.

But as great as all that is, when it's over, all I did was go back and forth. Repeating the same motion again and again. It sure is fun and I do love it but it made me think of something else He has been speaking to my heart lately.

He is a God of big adventure. Check these out:

However it is written, what no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived, the things God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9 

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us... Ephesians 3:20  

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. Psalms 84:11 

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels or demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

Now as much as I love a good swing, I really love a good roller coaster. In fact my hubby calls me an adrenaline junkie. He's right. The bigger, the badder, the more Gs, inversions, twists, drops, and tricks the better. And I'm not picky either. Steel or wooden, daylight or blacked out, slow climb or sling shot start, inverted or regular, short or long, new or old, I love 'em all! (Side note here, I saw this yesterday and I can't believe I live so close!! I MUST go ride it!)

My God is a big God! He will not withhold good things from me when I walk with him. He will do more than I can imagine! He has prepared good things for me beyond my scope of compression. And he wants to take me on a ride that will soar heights, plummet depths, twist by angels and demons, roar through life past death, and shake through powers. All while I am safely strapped in his arms screaming and laughing and loving every thrill.

It's been great swinging back and forth gaining an appetite for a thrill and leaning to to trust that He is faithful and will not let me fall, but I'm ready for some big adventure. My seat belt's locked and the safety bar's been checked. The "all clear"has been given and I'm ready to go.

The wind blows where is wishes, and you hear it's sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8

My identity

Have you ever seen those shows on The Learning Channel called "My Strange Addictions"? My family and I watched one the other day and it was so intriguing.  The first woman would not cut her toe nails or fingernails. All she could wear was flip flops and her activity and mobility was greatly hindered by choosing to keep the nails so long. It was beginning to affect her health as she could not get proper exercise and was a diabetic.

The second lady was addicted to eating dirt. Yes, like from the ground. Her favorite was potting soil.  This was affecting her health as well for obvious reasons. And it was also becoming a job risk since she was a landlord and was eating her tenant's soil.

Crazy I know! But there are enough people doing enough crazy things that The Learning Channel has made a series out of this stuff. Same way with the show Hoarders.

However my point in bringing this up is not to mock or judge someone, but because I noticed something I could identify with. The lady with the long nails emphatically said she would just die if she had to cut them.  The lady eating dirt said she could not imagine not eating soil, that it was her life. And I've seen enough of the Hoarders show where they come to that same place; time to make a change, and it nearly does them in.

So how in the world do I identify with this? I have things in my life that if someone told me I could never have again, I might think I'd die. You do too. Don't think so? Lets see, I'll go first. Can I go a month without any refined sugar? I mean no chocolate, no gum, no dessert, no mints. NO SUGAR. I think I could do that.    Maybe.

What about TV? Could I go 1 month without watching any TV at all? 30 days with no being a couch potato in front of the tube. Roughly 730 hours with no 2 hour movie breaks.  Might not be too bad, for the first few days...

How about internet? Can I find some other way to occupy my time than plugging in and scrolling endlessly on all my favorite social media sites? Ok, now we are getting serious. But really, should need be, I could do it. Like if I was in a coma.

But let's take it a step further. What about my kids, or my husband. What if someone told me I couldn't be a wife anymore or I had to stop being a mom. How would I handle that? What would I do? Who would I be?

And here is where I identify with the people on those shows and see a lesson that I believe Jesus has been patiently trying to show me for years. Yes, I said years. I'm a slow learner.

There are a thousand things every day that I can choose to have my identity in. Here are a few without even thinking too hard: a leader, a homeschool mom, a minister's wife, and having a successful income. But what about those other identities that are choices too. Like victim, hopeless, or depressed. Or how about even less obvious affinities we take on like offended, right, or entitled.

If someone told me I could never be right again for the rest of my life? Whoaa! Now I understand the feelings of those people on those shows. I also understand more clearly than ever the heart of the prodigal son. How quick we are to put our identities in things, in positions and in attitudes that we don't know how to function without. Things that we do and are as much a part of us as breathing.

The heart of the prodigal son, and the older brother too, was a heart that was not satisfied in being the Father's son. They both wanted a different identity. The younger wanted independence and the older wanted honor. Neither could just rest in being their father's son and live a life fully in that alone. Oh the simple truth of my heart and the people on those extreme shows.

We have so many options all day long of who we will choose to be. My prodigal heart has come to its senses again. I realize that I am starving and apart from Christ, I am not worthy of the only identity that will truly fulfill me:
                                                      His child.

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1

A Schedule

I have come to realize why I like running so much. I am a goal oriented person.  Accomplishing short term goals make me feel successful. Besides the fact of 20-30 minutes with nothing but my thoughts, the endorphins that kick in, and the energy produced afterward, the beauty of a training schedule is an excellent thing.

To have a road map of sorts put before you telling you exactly what you need to do each day in order to accomplish a given goal is incredibly attractive to me. One of the many great things is that it is nearly self guiding. It takes so much of the guess work out of how to be ready to cross the finish line. It completely puts the ball in my court. All I have to do is decide weather or not I'm going to do it. That is the blessing AND the curse.

Last January when I was still deciding weather of not to run a half marathon, Mike and I had a conversation that made me so mad at him. I wasn't fully convinced yet that I could run the whole thing, I am a run/walk kind of girl as of now. But my friend was committing to run the whole thing and I just wasn't sure I could do that. So as I was wrestling it out in my mind and with Mike and he said to me; "You're not gonna run it."

"What?!" How dare he call me out like that! He proceeded to tell me the truth about myself and how I had already given myself an out to run/walk it. I was so frustrated with him because he was right. My friend was running it, not run/walking it and I really wanted to train with her, but I knew if I didn't run it, that wouldn't happen. So, I had to decide if I really wanted this. Because if I did, I was going to be run/walking it and the training would be on my own.

So I committed to do it. I committed to train, to race, to finish. And it would be by myself. It was up to me every day of training to decide if I was going to do it or not. I had to resolve that this is what I was going to do and like Nike says, just do it.

I am discovering that my walk with Jesus in one way is exactly the same. I have a road map before me in the scriptures and an endless amount of resources to help me read it, study it, and digest it if I care to find one. The schedule is really very simple.

Get up.
Die to myself.
Find my life in Jesus.
Enjoy the day. 

It's just a matter of deciding if I really want to do it. No one's gonna make me and a divided heart will not get me across the finish line. It will only happen when I truly decide that the reward is greater than the sacrifice.

And it is.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23 

This is what you have trained for.

Two weeks ago I had an opportunity to hear pastor Wayne Cordeiro speak on sifting from Luke 22. He told a story of being on a rowing team and entering a 40 mile race.

He said everyone had a great start. He was feeling strong and performing well. At mile 10, he was still feeling good as were all the competitors. By mile 20 there was starting to prove to be a gap in those that were really able to win the race and those that were not. At mile 30 he was exhausted, spent and ready to quit.  But he said he came to realize that this was the very moment he had been training for. All the workouts, all the time and energy put into being the strongest and best rower was for this exact minute. It was here he coached himself to not give up. "This is what you have trained for!" he told himself. And he reached down to find more strength, fight through the fatigue and finish the race.

The moral of the story was that the reason you ever do any training is for the time when we are squeezed. The things we have deposited in our lives will be what comes out in those intense times in life.

I ran a half marathon last weekend, and I thought of that line so many times. A half marathon is thirteen miles and my training had made about eight or nine miles not too crazy difficult. On race day mile ten was pushing me.  My feet were tired and I was feeling kinda queasy. "This is what you have trained for!"  Mile eleven came and my toes were really, really sore, and I had a rock in each shoe. "This is what you have trained for!" Mile twelve was a bitter sweet mark, almost done, but somehow it seemed like it was the longest mile ever. I was reaching for every ounce of energy possible. "This is what you have trained for!" At the last half of the mile were two friends screaming my name cheering me on. What an encouragement! "This is what you have trained for!" I few steps later, one more friend yelling and cheering for me! "This is what you have trained for!" And finally the finish line. What a moment! This is what I had trained for!

A sweet friend was there to greet me and celebrate. Yes, celebrate the accomplishment, but celebrating that I didn't give up. Giving up is always the easy way out. I have so many thoughts about it all. So many spiritual parallels. I see a sifting in areas of my life and I want all the junk brought out. All the pride, all the selfishness, all the obnoxiousness. All those things that I have deposited and deposited over and over again have been coming up as I have felt squeezed in a few ways. The whole purpose of a filtering sieve is to bring to the surface all the junk and get rid of it. And I want it all up. All up and out. Then, when it's done and over with, all I want left in me is Jesus.

A few verses come to mind:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. 1 Corinthians 9:24 

I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God who loves me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

That is what I want my life to show I have trained for. Less of me, more of him.

These are some of pastor Cordeiro's impactful thoughts:
     ~Sifting accelerates spiritual growth.
     ~The best veggies grow in sifted soil.
     ~Sifting enables us to teach out of our scars, not our theories.
     ~If you are not on the road to the right goal, then the road to success and failure are the same road.
     ~Everything God has invested in you is for the moment you are ready to quit. It's to get you through that dark night of the soul.

 Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers. Luke 22:31


He is praying for us, what do you want to train for?

Celebration Sunday

Our previous pastor of my church family instituted regular prayer services and celebration services in the mix of whatever given sermon series. It's a wonderful thing. I love going to hear a message that God has laid on a pastor's heart, but I have come to love just as much the times we corporately seek God in prayer and the times we choose to stop, look around and celebrate what God has done and is doing. It is a gift to be able to take the time corporately to do this.

This week is a celebration Sunday and I am in the mood to celebrate! I've had an icky few weeks of God showing me my ugly heart. It is my usual nature to wallow in this recognition and beat myself up a bit. However, this time there has been progress. So clearly I heard Jesus speak to me heart the words of John 8:11 "Go and sin no more." It is of no benefit to punish myself for an issue that Christ has already paid for. He willingly took the beating that I know I deserve. Now my job, since he has pointed out the problem, is to go and change that behavior. And in the grace that's given with no ounce of condemnation, what love fills my heart to make the change!

So, this week as I gather with my local community of believer to celebrate Jesus, I'm excited.  I am celebrating Jesus' perfect life - a life that I can hide in because I'm not perfect. I am celebrating Jesus' blood spilled on Calvary - blood that covers me and grants my sinful heart access to a holy God. And I am celebrating Jesus' powerful resurrection - a resurrection that brings this dead heart to life and life more abundantly.

This is the day the Lord has made. I will be glad and celebrate!

Enough

I was studying Solomon last week for some writing that I do and an element of his life really peaked my interest.


The book of first Kings opens with the curtain coming to a close on King David's life and his son, Solomon, being appointed as the successor to the throne. Chapter 3 begins and tells us that Solomon loved the Lord. That he walked in his father's footsteps but then we are given a description that will ultimately define Solomon's legacy, "he also made sacrifices and offerings to other gods." He had a dream and the Lord said to him: "Ask for whatever you want, and it will be yours." Solomon's response was humble and admirable to say the least.  He acknowledged God's provision and protection to his father and asked only for wisdom on how to be a good king to his people. This pleased the Lord greatly. He honored the request and along with it gave wealth and fame beyond what any other had ever known.


Just a few short chapters later is where the plot thickens. In the opening of chapter 11 we find Solomon with quite a menagerie. 700 wives, princesses and 300 concubines. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure of the difference between a wife and a concubine, but however you shake the thing down, the only word available to describe the situation is excess!


The scripture says he clung to them (the wives) in love. (1 Kings 11:2) He loved them so much that eventually they turned his heart away from the undivided devotion to the one true God, the very foundation of his childhood training and experience as a Jew. What in the world would make a man cling to a lifestyle of this level of excess? How do you get to a place where your heart is attached to this kind of extravagant living? And was 1000 enough? I would guess not.


I began to think about David's childhood and what that must have been like as a shepherd. Scripture records that he had an experiential and intimate relationship with God. (1 Samuel 17:33-37) And then I began to think about what Solomon's childhood must have been like growing up as royalty.  Blessed and without want I would assume. I am in no way trying to paint a picture about money or lifestyle, but I am trying to suggest that David felt satisfied in God. And I think Solomon was still looking for something. With everything at his disposal and whim, what was he still missing?


In his blessed and bountiful upbringing, and wisdom and wealth filled reign, over time he forgot the connection that all he had the Lord had provided. Instead he bound his heart to what could not satisfy.


One moral of the story is that wrecked lives happen slowly. No one wakes up and says: Today, I will ruin my life and destroy all I have.  I don't believe one acquires 1000 women and comes to love them with a love that would deny all upbringing overnight. This dulling of the senses and out of control appetite I imagine snuck in slowly.  That's often the way the enemy lures us away. One glance at a time until our hearts our given fully to something other than Jesus.


It made me consider what sorts of excess is in my life. I don't really want to tell you about my craft room. The fact alone that I have a whole room in the house for crafts, sewing and the like suggests I might possibly, maybe just a little bit, be dealing with a smidge of .... lets call it blessing! Grin. Oh conviction. Lets move on. haha And I surely don't want to confess how many countless hours am I spending on FB and Twitter and Pintrest gathering thoughts and quotes, recipes and ideas. All with good intentions, mind you. I want to connect with people, have great nuggets of wisdom, and make something fun and creative for my family and friends. Side note here, Pintrest may or may not be contributing to my "craft room."Anybody else on Pintrest feel a little bit like a virtual Hoarder?  Is that going to be the next TLC show?  HA! I digress. The fact is, after a quick peak at my own life,  I'm sure not ready to fight for some grounds for accusation at the lifestyle of what was the wisest man on earth.  


But really, what's going on here? What is it that makes us constantly want more? Why does it seem at times we are never satisfied in a space where clearly, abundance flows? 


Solomon had no comparison. There was none wiser, none richer, none more famous. If I crafted and sewed every day from now till next Christmas, I wouldn't be able to use all I had, or run out of ideas or connections for more ideas. The excess is profound. 


But I don't believe that excess is the problem. We serve a God who is able to do exceeding above all we can think or imagine. And he tells us that when we give it will be given back to us; pressed down, shaken together and running over. I think the issue at hand is our appetite. I believe God made us to crave and that there is no fault in desire. The key is however, what is it that we are going to try to fill ourselves with? I think Solomon was keenly aware of the empty hole. His own words in Proverbs say 'above all else a man desires unfailing love.' What I think that David understood more than Solomon was that God alone is the only one who is unfailing. Here are some of David's thoughts in the Psalms: 

Your steadfast love is better than life. 

My soul will be satisfied (in you) as with fat and rich food.  

My soul clings to you. 

The old saying 'you can't fit a square peg in a round hole' is true. God made us to crave, but the only thing that deeply satisfies is Him. Things of coarse will always fail us somehow even if only in getting old. And one does not have to live much life at all to realize that people, even 1000, will fail us also.  It is against this backdrop of unfulfilled excess that there is a new sweetness to Jesus' words: 

                                   "My grace is enough for you."

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.

If you only knew

Well it's the last day of January, so I'm not technically too late for the whole New Years post am I? My new years resolution was to stop procrastinating, but well .... Just kidding, I'd never make that resolution. Grin.

But the New Year did come and go and in the bustle of it all I didn't make time to do the whole reflect-on-the-past-and-dream-for the-future-thing till a few weeks ago.

As I was reminiscing the past year on my blog, I noticed while there were some tough things in 2011, there were lots of good things too. My word for the year last year was obedience. What I wanted from God was not a master/slave type of obedience. But a closer walk with Him. A keep in step with the Spirit, personal relationship type of obedience. Obedience that is a response from love, not from command. There has definitely been progress there.

I kept reading even past 2011 into 2010 and was reminded of some truth I felt God speak to me in a new way. I had blogged about a passage in Matthew and condemning the innocent. I was dealing with my own insecurity and the fact that I needed to stop rehearsing abusive thoughts towards myself.

Well God just so worked it out that the day before I read that old post, I was writing and studding this same passage for a different connection.

The scripture is Matthew 12:1-8 and the setting is Sunday, the Sabbath. The disciples are hungry and as they are walking through the wheat fields, they help themselves to some dinner. The Pharisees observe this and start a'fussin. They rebuke Jesus for the unlawful act of working on the day of rest.  Jesus accurately uses scripture to correct them and help adjust their flawed thinking. What he says to them grabbed me as if Jesus turned from the Pharisees and began speaking directly to me;

"And if you had known what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is the lord of the Sabbath." 

The words 'I desire mercy' rang in my head.

One of the things that made 2011 tough in some ways was a period of transition. Life always brings change. And change brings to the surface stuff that you may or may not have recognized, or more importantly, may or may not have wanted to deal with.  And upon remembering, (oh the pain of transparency) the Lord has revealed a critical spirit in me.

Ministry is tough. Because when ministry is as it should be, it's not about programs or events or Sunday mornings. Ministry is about people. And people, beginning with me, are messy. And just like a Pharisee whose vision gets too tightly zoomed in on 'this is how we do it', I forget that God is sovereign and not really interested in everyone keeping my rules that falsely make my little corner of the world feel secure.

How intriguing that my "goal" for myself last year was to obtain a more loving relationship with my Creator by keeping in step with him. The very thing I want for myself is the very thing he wants for everyone.

He desires I give mercy to the people around me that aren't keeping my "rules." He wants to walk with them too, and give them the freedom to eat when they are hungry. The truth is, when I find more comfort in obedience to my self imposed "rules" than in recognizing Jesus, I'm living as if he is not the Sovereign God that he is.

He is the Lord of the Sabbath, and of every other day of the week. And he is working and moving in other peoples lives at different times and ways than how he works and moves in mine. And to be critical of what Jesus himself is allowing displays a dangerous lie.

He is God. And he is Sovereign.

And his loving compassionate heart desires mercy.

The delicate intimacy that an ever reigning God has indivisibly linked to compassionate kindness is the beauty of the gospel.  It is exactly what he means when he defines himself as love. He didn't come here to condemn me. And he didn't come here to condemn anyone else. He came to bring mercy. And satisfaction not from food. And comfort not from rules. And fulfillment not from good behavior. Treasures I am learning as I walk with him.

The mercy that he brings allows for relationship. Relationship most importantly with him, but also with each other. Mercy that is ready to feed the hungry. Mercy that is inconvenient and selfless. Mercy that is judgement free. Mercy that gives life to this hungry, selfish, unreasonable heart.

So now I know.  He desires mercy.

Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 10:8

Precious Jesus, how freely you have given grace and mercy to me. How selfishly I have held onto it until it has become a moldy critical mess inside. This is why your mercies are new every morning! Help me to remember who you are and to give like you give.  Thank you that you are in control. Thank you for your patience as I slowly realize more and more just how in control I am not. Your grace is enough Jesus. Enough for me and all those around me. Forgive me and remove this prideful critical spirit. Make my heart a catalyst of your mercy Lord, and hold me accountable for what I now know. Your love is so beautiful! 

Kids

Do you ever have those times when you are reading scripture and you see something you've never seen before even thought it's been there all along? This has happened to me several times in the past few weeks.

The first was when I was studying Hannah's story in first Samuel for some writing I was doing. Chapter 3 reveals Samuel's calling in the opening verses by labeling him as a young man. Many translations read "boy." This account in scripture jumped off the page at me. The dialog that takes place is incredible. Samuel hears God, responds "here I am" and doesn't wait for a response but runs to his trusted leader. (There's a blog post in itself.) Eli tells him, "I didn't call you, go back to bed." The whole thing plays out again and when Eli realizes what's really going on, he says "Oh yeah. That's God. Tell him your listening. Then listen."

Instructions that seem to roll off the tongue as if conversing audibly with God in the middle of the night is as common as taking out the trash. The details given are few, yet the message is clear. God is speaking to this child. And the child is hearing God speak. Astounding.

Then at group later that week, we were discussing David's anointing to become king over the nation of Israel in 1 Samuel 16. We considered that this happened when David was possibly as young as 9 or 10 years old. A juvenile. A preteen potentially. Anointed to be king over God's chosen people. In this year with a presidential election on the horizon, this thought is almost indigestible.

In bible study the following morning, a quick reference to Hagar's story was made in Genesis 21. She and her son are in the wilderness about to die. Verse 16 records the desperate cries of a mother begging for mercy. But verse 17 says: And God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, "What troubles you Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the boy where he is."

Woah. Again, such few details supplied except a mother's request and God's response to an unrecorded prayer from a kid.

Wow! How many times before have I passed over these verses as if it was seemingly insignificant? God hearing, moving and providing on behalf of a boy. Jehovah anointing, what we would consider a minor, to be king of his chosen people. The I AM speaking and giving prophecy to a child that would be difficult at best for it's recipients to hear. Nearly unimaginable.

I have been thinking and rethinking about the three instances of God interacting with kids and I'm instantly reminded of Jesus saying "Let the children come to me, don't stop them. For the kingdom of heaven belongs to them," and "whoever humbles themselves like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven."

While stewing and brewing over all these accounts, one thing is clear: Age is of no discrimination to Jesus.  That's very convicting to me as one who defines a main area of ministry life as my children. In what ways am I being diligent to show my children this quality of God? How am I leading my girls to pray and anticipate God to move and respond? Am I myself expecting God to hear and answer their prayers? Such real examples in scripture that have come alive and I can no longer act as if I haven't seen them.

God speaking to children. God hearing little one's prayers. God anointing a youth to profound leadership.

How tired God must get of the small box I keep trying to put him in? I'm so thankful for his patient grace that not only choose me and adults, but chooses children. My children and yours.

Lord Jesus, your ways are so much higher than mine. You use the things this world considers weak and lowly to display your glory so that no one can boast. Forgive me God for when I brush my kids away and am dismissive of their thoughts and actions of you.  Continually remind me of how much you treasure childlike faith. Transform my heart and the hearts of my girls into a place where your kingdom reigns. Hallelujah that you hear my children's prayers! Open their ears that they may hear from you. You Jesus, are my and my children's righteousness, holiness and redemption. All glory, from birth to death, is yours and yours alone. 

They shall be called...

Yesterday morning my bible study took me to Matthew 5:9, a familiar passage of the beatitudes. It says this:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. 

A few things jumped out at me.

I learned long ago there is a great difference between a peacemaker and a peacekeeper. Far too often a peacekeeper isn't really keeping the peace. So much of the time in difficult situations we mistakenly think that if we don't say anything or just let stuff lie, then all will eventually be well. And, there are times that this is appropriate, however, I wonder if more often than not, this thinking proves more toxic than beneficial. It seems to me that the fear driven, forced indifference rarely brings real peace. This type of passive, responsibility-less, void of genuine love for another usually just brings a nice big pot to stew in, that eventually boils and explodes at the first stir.

To the contrary, peace making some times looks like having a difficult conversation with humility and compassion. Peace making sometimes looks like directly ending an unhealthy relationship. Peace making sometimes means standing up and speaking the truth in love with grace. Peace making is not always the most easy way out. Peace making, I believe, is often vastly different than peace keeping.

The other thing that grabbed me was the part that says "they shall be called".  I recently was taught a new to me method of studying scripture by learning how to ask questions to hear God speak. So my question is; who is going to be doing the calling? Who is it that is going to look at a person's life and say "Whoa! This person is a peacemaker. They must belong to God!"

I think there are several answers. First, I think God sees when we are living the sometimes difficult life of peace making and says "Yes! You are mine and I will pour out my favor on you!"

I also think that our christian brothers and sisters see when we are choosing to walk in genuine love for others and recognize the truth as they see it. And then the Spirit moves in them to heap blessings on us in gifts of grace and compassion, mercy and encouragement.

But the option that I felt God really impress on me as an answer were the people that have yet to have an encounter and intimate relationship with Jesus. John 13:35 came to mind which says this: By this all people will know that you are mine, if you have love for one another all the time.

It's only in walking with Jesus that we can ever have productive, difficult conversations. It's only in being led by His Spirit that we can have healthy, growing relationships. It's only by His power we can be bold and be strong in a fruitfully lasting way.

Real love for one another.
Being a peacemaker, not a pseudo peacekeeper.
Keeping in step with Jesus.

This is a life of blessing.

This is how I want to be called.

Full

My heart is so full today.

A beautiful friend in the hospital,
a very loved family moving away,
approaching holidays,
so many thoughts of love.

Seems to be a good time to check my focus.

Turn your eyes upon Jesus
Look full in his wonderful face
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim
in the light of his glory and grace.

Thank you Jesus that even in the midst of so much life, there is nothing more captivating that you. 

Yummy Comfort Food - Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder

Fall is in full effect here and it's time to bust out the soup recipes. This one is from my sweet friend in Florida. It makes A TON so be sure to use a BIG pot!

Ingredients:

3 lbs chicken breast
1 qt half and half
1/4 chopped green onions ( I like a little more)
8 oz cream cheese
2 tablespoons minced garlic (again, a little more never hurts)
3 cans Cream of Potato
2 can Cream of Mushroom
2 cans cream corn
3 cans whole kernel corn
Tony's Chachere's to taste
1 stick of butter


Directions:

Boil the chicken.  Then in a separate BIG pot, melt the butter. Add garlic and onions. Now cut up the cooked chicken. Add cream cheese, soups and half and half to pot. Mix well. Now add all cans of corn including juice. Mix again and let simmer. Add Tony's to coat the top good, stir in and give a rest between sprinkles. The more Tony's you add the spicier it will be. Enjoy.

This soup is so good and every time I've made it, it has been a big hit. I love that it's so easy and pretty quick to throw together. Makes a lot for leftovers or serving a big crowd.

What's your favorite fall comfort food?

I've been thinking...

My amazingly fabulous hubby has been encouraging me to blog more consistently.  I do want to, I just get so hung up on trying to really be as perfect as I can than that more often then not, I end up not writing at all. So I'm going to try to be more faithful in posting even if I don't always have some cool insight and a great way to tie it all up. After all writers write don't they?  And getting better requires practice, so here we go.

Last week Jesus clearly spoke to me a fresh understanding of sin: taking my eyes off him. I've been thinking about that a lot. As I've been considering it, Galatians 1:10 has come to mind repeatedly. It says this:

Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ. 

I made the connection that guess what; I am a human being. I am people. (Thank you Captain Obvious for THAT public service announcement!) Yes, some days, I am just that slow. Haha

The picture I'm trying to paint is that it's not just a problem when I'm worried about what others think. Because wrapped up in that is a root of self. I want to be liked. I wanted to be approved. I want to be accepted and esteemed. So that means the truth is while I am trying to please others it is for completely selfish motives. I'm not sure I have connected before just exactly how linked these two thoughts are.

Then this morning I read Romans 6:16 which says this:

you are slaves to the one whom you obey, either of sin (remember, taking my eyes of Jesus), which leads to death, or of obedience which leads to righteousness. 

Slaves to whom we obey. There is so much to unpack in those five words, but the idea for me this morning is very simple. Am I obeying me, or am I obeying Jesus?

Not exactly a new concept, I know. But definitely a new layer of insight into my heart has been pulled back and revealed. Don't you just love how God's word really is alive and active, sharp and piercing, discerning the thoughts and intentions of our hearts? And it's in the hands of a skillful and attentive, accurate and gracious, faithfully patient God. Sigh. I love him so.

Your turn now. (Grin) What's God speaking to your heart lately? Any "aha" moments to share?

Tangled

I read an article once about the way that some people in third world countries train elephants. These people get the elephants when they are babies and chain one leg with a big heavy chain that keeps them "caged" and unable to escape. Then when the elephant's strength is needed, the chain is loosed and the elephant is made to perform whatever task is needed. When the elephant's services are complete, the chain is replaced. Over time however, as the elephant grows, the weight of the chain is reduced slowly till eventually only a thin string is needed to keep the elephant imprisoned. The elephant's memory of the pain from early in life provides all the bondage needed to keep the elephant trapped and at the whim of the people.

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you that I woke up wrestling with an issue and felt God speak to my heart to press on. There were many verses in my bible study that morning that the Lord took me to. One of them was Hebrews 12:1-2 which says this:

Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God.

The timing of reading this was so cool because that very week were the final days of training enabling me to run a 15K race.  I was so encouraged as I felt God was cheering me on for my race. But the more I thought about this verse the more I began wondering what weights I needed to lay aside and what sin was clinging so closely to me and not just in a physical sense.

In training for a race, endurance is the name of the game so carrying any extra unnecessary weight of any kind just doesn't cut it. But sin that clings so closely, that one seemed a little more tricky to identify. I decided to check out a few different translations on that phrase. The Message reads "no extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins." The NIV says "let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles." I like both of those. After reading them is when I was reminded of the story of the elephants in captivity.

I, and so many I know, are just like those elephants. We too were born into captivity, chained by the flesh.  Taught early on to keep all "the rules" and trained to perform and act rightly. Limited freedom came when we served as we were told and when we behaved in just the right way. But as soon as the expectation was met and the obligation was kept, the chain went right back on. And we were left alone and isolated. Wondering if our work would ever be good enough or ever completed so that real freedom could be experienced.

So what is this sin that clings so closely? This parasitic transgression? This error that so easily entangles?

It's when we are looking at anything but Jesus. It's when we are rehearsing our successes and faults. It's when we are obsessing over our guilt or lack of worth.  It's when all we can do is worry. It's when the only thing we see is our lack or someone else's gain. It's when every bit of our energy and effort is going for that next new toy. It's when we think consciencely or sub consciencely that that next bite, new outfit or one more workout will finally settle us. It's what ever way we are trying to cover that nagging pain.

This sin that clings so closely, this parasitic, entangling sin is the sin of taking our eyes off Jesus. The writer of Hebrews gave us the "how to" lay down this stuff in the directions. He says: "let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ( HOW?) looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God."

You and I can never be good enough. There will always be something someone can make us feel guilty or unworthy over. In the physical realm, there is forever something more to want of every fashion imaginable. Just like that grown elephant who is really only bound by a memory, the deceiver is always throwing something our way that says "Hey look over here! You don't have this! You can't have that! You'll never get this!" All things that probably early in life might have even been healthy guidelines, but somewhere, somehow became bondage. Painful chains that kept us tied up and wrapped up and bound up and able to see nothing but the memory of slavery.

But here is the good news; Jesus was good enough! And he will NEVER use guilt as a means of communication. And all the work that needed to be done to make God happy is complete, that's why he's sitting at the right hand of God. And because of the shame he despised and endured, I don't ever have to wonder any more. Wonder if he's pleased with me because I acted right or mad at me because I messed up. I never have to worry if tomorrow is gonna work out. I don't need to ever again feel like I'm missing out on something, somehow, someway.

How can this be? How do we get to that place? Where does this happen?

By looking to Jesus. The founder. The perfecter. He is the one who began a good work in us. He is the one who is going to complete it too. To look to Jesus is the very definition of faith. Where he leads is out of captivity like a mighty elephant walking out of a thin string tied to his ankle and into real freedom. Looking at him instead of our chains. Looking at him instead of our pain. Looking at him, the perfecter of faith.

You see, every race is won the same way; with eyes forward, one step at a time.

So what do you think? Ready to lay aside some baggage with me, even if it's only memories?  Ready to focus in on Jesus? He's so beautifully, transformingly perfect. He's already freed our feet and he's enabling us to follow him. Straight to the victory line.

Therefore since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of God.

Press On

The other day I had a friend who was discouraged and I texted her this big long thought reminding her of who she was in Christ and encouraging her to not let the enemy beat her up about the past. I can't stand condemnation, self imposed or other imposed because I know that is not from the Lord. It absolutely drives me bananas and I believe it is a tactic the devil uses relentlessly.

As I woke up this morning I found myself feeling sheepish and embarrassed about some of my choices throughout the day yesterday, all boiling down under the category of wanting people's approval. I know that this is an area that God is doing to house cleaning in my heart. So I began telling Jesus how much I needed him and how much I was a mess. I opened my bible study asking God to speak to my heart and the passage for today was Philippians 3:13-14 which says this:

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

What beautiful encouragement to my heart. "Press on" he said to me. "Yesterday's done. Today is new. Lets move forward not backward." How tender is the heart of my saviour who knows my every thought? The Maker of heaven and earth is beautifully personal! See, I know that when I am rehearsing my faults and failures, that my eyes are not on Jesus. And I know that the more I am focused on myself, the more insecure I'm going to be. I've been fighting this battle for sometime. And I can encourage others with all kinds of truth and authority but for some reason, I haven't been able to hear my own words.

I'm not trying to say that there are no consequences to our actions, but I realized with fresh eyes today that when I'm consumed with me and how I'm acting, good or bad, I'm not pressing toward the prize of Jesus! The greatness of anything good I might ever be able to accomplish, and the despair of any grievous sin I could possibly commit can not compare to the completed work of the cross.

So if the enemy is bullying you that your good is not good enough, or that you bad is just too bad, shut him up by just agreeing with him. Truth is, our good isn't good enough. And our bad is worthy of much worse than we can imagine. But it's not about you and I. And it's not about how good or bad we act. It's all about Jesus and the work he already did.  And he said "It is finished".

So today is a new day. Press on. The goal AND the prize is Jesus.

An invitation

Every year at the ministry kick off in September, Trinity hosts a 24/7 church wide prayer time where members take an hour at a time to come and pray for the new year.  Last year when we did this, to be completely transparent, I was less than excited. In fact, the whole deal sounded really, ...well, ... like it wouldn't be my new favorite thing. I was greatly mistaken. What a gift to quietly press in alone with God. Fastest hour ever. This year I eagerly signed up for a slot.

We have a prayer room here that has been beautifully and carefully thought out. There are 8-10 stations that give directions and instructions for how and what to pray if you should choose to use them. The first is a praise stop. My favorite. My heart lingers here a while.

The second is a confession station that is set up with paper and a leading prayer to write out any thing the Holy Spirit may be speaking to your heart. There is also a 'Paid In Full' red stamp and a paper shredder to the right to lead you in the truth of God's word that promises forgiveness with confession.  The instructions at this table are topped with the following verse:

"Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall become white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool." Isaiah 1:18

My eyes read this verse so fresh and new. Did the Maker of heaven and earth really just invite me to come and reason with Him?

Maybe reason doesn't mean what I think it means.

Dictionary.com says when used as a verb reason means:
     ~to think or argue in a logical manor;
     ~to form conclusions, judgments or facts
     ~to urge reasons which should determine a belief or action.

Nope, it does mean what I think it means. How could the God of the universe, the omniscient, the omnipresent, the all powerful I AM ask me to reason with him? What does that look like? How does that happen? What does that mean?

Who am I that I could argue with God, or lead him to a conclusion that he himself has not thought of. Do I really think that I could change God's mind? That he would relent the things he has defined as sin and somehow I'd be "off the hook"?

No. Quite the contrary. As I sat and pondered these thoughts, it occurred to me it is exactly the opposite. It's not his mind that needs to be changed, it's mine. God is very secure in who he is. Don't be mistaken, He is fully confident and competent in being God. He will not change his mind on what he has deemed holy and what he has not. But it is that very fact of him being settled in himself, and with himself, that enables him to not be threatened, rattled or have to be defensive with me.

In other words, my sin, my messes, my stuff doesn't change the fact that he is who he says he is. And it is because of the fact that he doesn't change his mind about my sinful nature that gives him authority to invite me in to look at things from his perspective. He knows what a holy life looks like. And he knows that on my own, I'll never attain it. And the scriptures teach that it's his kindness that allows me his captive audience.

He knows the damage that sin does to us. He understands the pain and brokenness that come from it. He is acutely aware of the suffering and choking isolation that sin brings upon a life. It is this very understanding that moves his heart to extend an invitation to me that says 'Come, wrestle this out with me. I'm a safe place. I will not humiliate and exploit you over this. No, I will teach you and show you why this is not for you. Let me give you an understanding of what it is I have for you. Cleanliness. Righteousness. Holiness."

I was reminded of a few other places in scripture of God inviting us to come to him.

But the LORD God called to the man and said to him, "Where are you?" Genesis 3:9 

Come to me all who labor and are weary and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need. Hebrew 4:16

This is such a different picture than the warped and distorted view of God I have sometimes. What a gentle invitation. "Come, talk with me. Come walk with me. Come, let me help you."

It is certainly not at the exemption of consequences or discipline, but oh how the heart remembers a lesson when guilt is recognized and acknowledged and then grace is given and received.

This is what it is to be known and to be loved.
This is an experience of love that casts out fear of punishment.
This is what it is to be refreshed.
This is the invitation, "Come."

Summer Fun

Is summer over already? Boy it was sure hot today, but the kids are in school so that means it's supposed to be fall right? I'm ready!

Here is a picture recap of a few of our fun adventures this summer.

                                       Fun in Abuello's BIG back yard near the mountains.

Some neighborhood horses near Abuellos' house.

Cousin fun.

Group hug goodbye for Abuello.

Cousin fun at the Lincoln Museum.

The girls and I went to Indiana beach and had a blast. This was atop the BIG ferris wheel.

A personal favorite ride, the swings!

Stinky Pete's fav, the carousel.

This was in the van on the way to Niagara Falls. Where is Stinky Pete?

There she is!! This kid loves tents!

Our hotel had the BIGGEST bathroom!

The Falls. So beautiful. Pictures do not do justice.

The Maid and Mister of the Mist.

On the way home we found the house where they filmed the movie The Christmas Story.

Playing around in the gift shop.

We also toured the USS Cod Submarine.  This was so fun! It was a self guided tour on a kept in tact actual submarine, We could touch all the controls, open all the drawers and and lay in the bunks. The girls couldn't believe how close the beds were.   

Checking out out the machine gun on top.

I think Daddy may have liked this part best!

The girls scored free tickets to 6 Flags for reading this year. We managed to pick up a few extra tickets and brought some friends. What a fun day! This was the first coaster of the day and everybody rode! (Some of us in the family are NOT coaster riders and refer to themselves as "the purse holder.")

Sweet friends.

Here we go!!

My favorite ridding buddy.

And this was the highlight of my day! I have been wanting to ride this ride for YEARS! It's called Superman, and appropriately so. After you are belted/locked in, the seats turn so you feel like you are flying through the air. I was the only one who was tall enough that wanted to go, so go I DID! Here is a short video of how they load you on the thing. It is the baddest ride I've ever been on! Can't wait to have a chance to go again, so very fun!

What a great summer this has been! But school has started now and we are finding our new rhythm. The girls are enjoying it. Mostly. Haha Still adjusting to the school day starting at 8:30 instead of 10ish. :) They both like their teachers and are making new friends. I'm excited to see what God has in store for the school year. I think it's gonna be good. 

How about you? Is your summer over yet?  What has been your favorite part?