this post is permenant. scroll down for updates.
The most often-seen-on-this-blog kids
my four youngest siblings
(^) Josiah is 5 months old — Mercy Kate is 2 years old (^)
(^) Annie is 6 years old — Sarah Joy is 9 years old (^)
Brothers. December 11, 2009
I’ve been incredibly blessed in the family I’ve been given and, you know, my soon-to-be 5 brothers are one of the best gifts God has given me. Trey, Josiah, Jake, Tyler & Ben are some of my best friends, and this post does not really nearly tell you why, but here you go anyho:
Sometimes it’s their seemingly tireless working to advance the Kingdom of God…
sometimes it’s just their little personality quirks, like walking around wrapped in a blanket (the john deere one is best, don’t you think?)…
or how happy they make my sister…
or their devotion to Christ…
or the way they’re Just So Cute….
or the way they sometimes sing on the porch with me..
or their love for the outdoors…
or their love for the family…
or the way they’ll lay on the floor & play with the little ones…
or the way they yell in the shower…
or their smile…
or their incredible wit…
or their ability to have a normal expression while wearing that…
my brother’s are just pretty much the coolest. Don’t you think?
In Your Presence there is Fullness of Joy December 7, 2009
Who could ever have thought up such incredible joy? Surely it is “He Whose name is Love”(Amy Carmichael). At times it grows so acute. It surges through my veins til their bulging, my heart races with it. I wouldn’t ever have thought of it- that is a beauty of the Love that will not let me go: He fills me with a joy which I did not think to think of- a joy which I do not understand. he is so desirable. “How can they live without Jesus?” No, we cannot call it life. What a great urge toward missions: that their are souls heartlessly swimming, sinking, drowning in a sea of meaningless existence. Will they drown there? Will they never know there is anything other? O bride of Christ, where is thy joy? May Your Joy descend, O God. Fill the bellies of Your people with it- compel us to action. May the joy of our salvation compel us to live for Christ in everything.
Are you a part of the problem? Or a part of the solution? December 3, 2009
God forbid that I should ever become apathetic. I know myself. I know how easy it would be to not care- I am surrounded, it seems, in American ‘Christianity’ be people who would probably never consider themselves apathetic- but it appears that in many areas apathy has become a way of life which they are so used to that they don’t even notice. And I know my own heart, I know how easy it would be… I don’t want to be comfortable with the fact that they are “making void God’s law” all around me. I don’t want to get used to souls dying all around.
But then it gets tricky. Then I see the apathy in my own heart- I see how little I really care. I see how seldomly I weep. I see how often I don’t care and I see that it’s easy to write good sounding words when it doesn’t cost anything. Where is my heart? I never, ever want to be apathetic. I never want to not care.
They are not only people being immoral with other people. Not just people killing babies. Not just those horrific things- they are people created in the image of God living in open rebellion to Him. And I was once there.
The joy which is now my reality is available to those who will but come to Him. The Blood which paid my ransom, is it not effective for them? My Christ Who is what it means to have “life abundant” is more than capable to save them.
Not only that, but they are openly dragging the Name of Christ through the mud. And are not His people, by our silence, dragging it lower? Will the world look on and be able to say that we care less about the cause of Christ than homosexuals and pro-abortionists care about theirs? “Are you a part of the problem of a part of the solution?” Is the Name of Christ really worthy to be glorified?
Pray that God Himself would be with us. Pray that He would revive His Church and make us into a praying people. Pray the He would come.
WHAT? You’re a PERSON??? November 3, 2009
For serious?
LEFT TO RIGHT: Tyler (20), Sarah (11), Emily (21), Josiah (1), Ellen (17), Momma (Christy), Trey (19), Mercy (3), Daddy (Les), Annie (7), Jacob (16), Hannah (14), & Ben (12).
When God Molds Our Dreams October 30, 2009
… and tunes them to His will.
Sometimes he does, you know.
No matter how crazy they sound to others, we find the things He calls us to beautiful.
So beautiful that we almost can’t stand it.
“Can’t stand what?”
The joy.
hmmmm… October 30, 2009
So what do y’all think Mercy is talking about?
“Our brother in law is getting married.” Tyler?
“Who can I be married to?” No one yet.
“But I can be married to someone, when I’m walking down the island.” The island?
Peanut Butter Boy October 29, 2009
“As soon as he got home, he went to the larder; and he stood on a chair, and took down a very large jar of peanut butter from the top shelf. It had PEANUT BUTTER written on it, but, just to make sure, he took off the paper cover and looked at it, and it looked just like peanut butter.”But you never can tell,” said Josiah. “I remember my uncle saying once that he had seen cheese just this colour.” So he put his tongue in, and took a large lick. Yes,” he said, “it is. No doubt about that. And peanut butter, I should say, right down to the bottom of the jar. Unless, of course,” he said, “somebody put cheese in at the bottom just for a joke. Perhaps I had better go a little further … just in case … in case Heffalumps don’t like cheese … same as me … Ah!” And he gave a deep sigh. “I was right. It is peanut butter, right the way down.”
A.A. Milne, Winnie-The-Pooh (personalisation added)
The Big + pt. 2 (links) October 29, 2009
O.K, so I’m FINALLY posting the second part on this subject… although those who didn’t know I even had a second part probably didn’t notice… hmm…
First, visit the websites of Project Hopeful, Ahope, and the some of the sites listed here. Go ahead, do it. Read There Is No Me Without You (((older readers))). Research HIV.
Did you do it? Now consider what you have read: HIV is not so easily transmitted nor so “scary” as you might have thought. Now consider this: even if it was, that would be no excuse for God’s people to neglect His call to care for the “least of these.” Isn’t His carrying our disease and conquering us with His love enough to compel us to us to carry them- their sickness and their souls- before His throne? Isn’t it enough to inspire us to show them that love? Do we believe that the love of Christ is enough? Do we believe it will reach even them? “‘Love never fails’- is love failing now?” (Amy Carmichael)
Love So Amazing October 26, 2009
“My beloved speaks and says to me:
‘Arise, my love, my beautiful one,
and come away’”
Song of Solomon 2:10
And my Beloved is altogether desirable.
