Thanksgiving Repost

I blogged these thoughts two years ago and I think they're so good that I'm reposting them again. : ) Happy Thanksgiving!!

"During Thanksgiving, I was trying to think of what I was most thankful for. I am thankful for many things, but I wondered if there was something I was thankful for above all else. Then it hit me--I am most thankful that God saved me!!

"...we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God–not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do". (Ephesians 2:3b-10)

I was an object of wrath and dead in sin but God in His mercy sent Jesus to save me! I never did anything good and yet God still saved me. And not only that but I have become His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

"[B]eing confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6)

I am so grateful and thankful that God saved me, and not only that, but that He is working in me so that I can do good works that He planned in advance for me to do. I pray that my life would bring glory to His Name."

Better than Pride & Prejudice

Have you seen the BBC's movie version North & South (based on a novel by Elizabeth Gaskell)? I just rewatched it recently and it is SOOOO good. : ) If you haven't seen it, here's a fan-made trailer to pique your interest (warning: spoilers).


If you've seen it, what do you think? Better than Pride & Prejudice? Equal? Worse? I'm pretty faithful to Austen and I do think the book Pride & Prejudce is 10 times better than North & South, but I really like the inclusion of the history, politics, and religion in North & South. Also, my Dad liked this movie and actually stayed awake for it so that's saying A LOT.

The movie version of Wives & Daughters (also by Gaskell) is very good too.

Washington Post: Mark Driscoll

I really like Mark Driscoll who pastors Mars Hill Church in Seattle, Washington. He was asked the question: "What makes the best 'case for God' to a skeptic or non-believer, an open-minded seeker, and to a person of faith and Why?" Here's his answer:

Jesus.

Christianity is not first and foremost about a sacred place to pilgrimage to, a philosophical system to ponder, a moral code to live, a religious tradition to honor, or an impersonal god to experience. Rather, Christianity is about a person who claimed to be the only God and said he would prove his unprecedented claim by living without sin, dying for sinners, and conquering death through resurrection. You can read the rest here.

Dug Down Deep

I'm looking forward to getting Joshua Harris' new book Dug Down Deep. The book is about his personal thoughts on theology, doctrine, and orthodoxy. You can read the first chapter here. I'm going to go read it and then I'll post some thoughts. : )

OK, finished the first chapter... it is SOOOOOOO good. : ) You HAVE to read it.

A Lil' Update...

I have a lot on my plate right now, but I kind of like to being busy. For some reason when I have a lot going on, I'm able to prioritize better and it makes me feel energized and productive when I'm busy. Not sure if that's good or bad... Here's a list of what I'm up to:

• Worship Choir on Sundays (with a Thursday evening practice)
• Christmas Choir rehearsals on Sunday afternoons
• Volunteering at CareNet on Wednesdays (teaching childbirth ed, training in ultrasounds, doing pregnancy tests)
• Teaching English as a Second Language on Tuesday nights
• Volunteering as a labor doula overnight shift once a week (usually overnight shift on Wednesday)
• Classwork and reading for labor doula certification
• Working at UMASS on various medical and surgical floors (usually Mondays, Fridays, and Saturdays--days, evenings, and nights--whatever's available!)
• Childbirth educator certification (finishing that tomorrow!)
• Recording the alto rehearsal track for the Christmas choir (so fun and almost done!)

I also managed to get a few 1-2 mile runs in the mix too!

On my to do list (after I get some of the above OFF my 'doing' list)? Find a guy I like, get married, buy a house, and have some babies already! : )

AMEN!!!

Trust in Christ! He is SUCH a Savior!!

David's Palace Unearthed

...For a growing number of academics and intellectuals, King David and his united kingdom of Judah and Israel... is simply a piece of fiction. The biblical account of history has been dismissed as unreliable arguing that [it] was resurrected by the Zionists to justify dispossessing Palestinian Arabs.... Today it's become fashionable to say there was no David, no Solomon, no Temple, no prophets. But suddenly the facts on the ground are speaking, and those outspoken voices are stammering...

The world of archeology is rocked by evidence of King David's palace unearthed in Jerusalem.

HT: Between Two Worlds

Critters

A groundhog is one thing... a family of skunks is another thing altogether.



Skunks are usually nocturnal but they also sometimes come out during the early morning or late evening. This video was taken around 7am. YouTube has lots of videos of baby skunk sightings during daylight so I don't think they're rabid.

Isn't it funny how they notice me and run for cover? : )

The Purpose of the Book of Jonah

One of the first blogs I check (daily) in my feed reader is Between Two Worlds by Justin Taylor. He describes his postings as a mix of 'theology, philosophy, politics, and culture'.

Anyway, I like this recent post on the book of Jonah.

Mark Futato:

The primary purpose of the book of Jonah is to engage readers in theological reflection on the compassionate character of God, and in self-reflection on the degree to which their own character reflects this compassion, to the end that they become vehicles of this compassion in the world that God has made and so deeply cares about.

Posted using ShareThis

7/6/09-After I posted this my pastor preached on Jonah the next morning! : )

15 Books

Since I got tagged on Facebook to answer the following: "Besides the Bible, what 15 books have influenced you the most. Within 5 minutes think of them and see what you come up with." I figured I'd share the list with you. So... here are some of the most memorable books I've read. Many have also been very influential. (All the books are 'click-able' links.)

Little Women
Clara Barton: Angel of the Battlefield
Baby Island
I Kissed Dating Goodbye
Passion and Purity
The Four Loves
Pride and Prejudice
The Excellent Wife
A Tale of Three Kings
Homemaking
Hind's Feet on High Places: Children's Edition
Living the Cross Centered Life
God is the Gospel
When I Don't Desire God: How to Fight For Joy
Idols of the Heart

What are some of your most memorable reads?

The Gospel In Two Words

“But God.”

(Ephesians 2:4a)

Read the rest...

(HT: Already Not Yet)

Women, whose lives are harder...

One of the blogs I read ends their week of posting with 'Friday Funnies'. Last week they posted the following quote along with an explanation:

“[W]omen, whose lives are harder, need jokes more than men and make them more often." (Paul Johnson)

Do you think it's true? I do. Of course, I am a biased opiner. : )

(HT: GirlTalk Blog)

And let the beauty...

And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands. (Psalm 90:17, NKJV)

Such a pretty verse to make a prayer! : )

Not the Gospel

Good stuff from a good blog.

“By contrast, the first two greatest commands—to love God with heart and soul and mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves—do not constitute the gospel, or any part of it. We may well argue that when the gospel is faithfully declared and rightly received, it will result in human beings more closely aligned to these two commands. But they are not the gospel.

Similarly, the gospel is not receiving Christ or believing in him, or being converted, or joining a church; it is not the practice of discipleship. Once again, the gospel faithfully declared and rightly received will result in people receiving Christ, believing in Christ, being converted, and joining a local church; but such steps are not the gospel.

The Bible can exhort those who trust the living God to be concerned with issues of social justice (Isa 2; Amos); it can tell new covenant believers to do good to all human beings, especially to those of the household of faith (Gal 6); it exhorts us to remember the poor and to ask, not “Who is my neighbor?” but “Whom am I serving as neighbor?” We may even argue that some such list of moral commitments is a necessary consequence of the gospel. But it is not the gospel.

We may preach through the list, reminding people that the Bible is concerned to tell us not only what to believe but how to live. But we may not preach through that list and claim it encapsulates the gospel.

The gospel is what God has done, supremely in Christ, and especially focused on his cross and resurrection.

Failure to distinguish between the gospel and all the effects of the gospel tends, on the long haul, to replace the good news as to what God has done with a moralism that is finally without the power and the glory of Christ crucified, resurrected, ascended, and reigning.”

D.A. Carson, Themelios, 34.1

(HT: Already Not Yet)

If you want me to

This is a beautiful song by Ginny Owens.



Lyrics

The pathway is broken
And the signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
So if all of these trials bring me closer to You
Then I will go through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When You lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'll never go alone (yeah oh oh)

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the sufferin' Your love put You through
And I will go through the valley
If You want me to

When I cross over Jordan, I'm gonna sing, gonna shout
Gonna look into your eyes and see you never let me down
So take me on the pathway that leads me home to you
And I will walk through the valley if you want me to

Yes, I will walk through the valley if you want me to

Perseverance

The perseverance of the saints is based upon the perseverance of God to make us like Christ. ~B. Ware

(HT: Stephen Altrogge)

Phil Returns

We've had quite a few Phil sightings this year. I thought I'd share one with you. : )

My Neighbors, The Super Mario Brothers

They did this last year too. I just don't understand. It continues for hours. Around and around. Right outside my bedroom window. Make sure you turn up the sound to get the full effect.

The Infinite and the Eternal

“The one essential condition of human existence is that man should always be able to bow down before something infinitely great. If men are deprived of the infinitely great, they will not go on living and will die of despair. The Infinite and the Eternal are as essential for man as the little planet on which he dwells.” ~Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Possessed

I thought this quote had a lot of truth in it. I find that when I don't have sufficient reminders, either through preaching or reading, of the infinite and eternal greatness of God I begin to despair and grow weary. But when I contemplate a great, eternal, infinite, majestic God I feel my spirits lifted and my heart begins to soar. : ) I love to ponder the Infinite and the Eternal.

(HT: Already Not Yet)

Wedding Pictures of Megan and Joey!!

You can view a sampling of Megan and Joey's pictures 0n the photographer's blog here.

Ha ha ha! Putting our sin nature to practical use...

"Put ‘gently used’ stuff [out] with a sign “free” on it…no takers. Put “for sale” and it was stolen by morning."

-Derek Sanford

HT: Twenty Two Words

God himself gave himself to save us from himself

“According to the Christian revelation, God’s own great love propitiated his own holy wrath through the gift of his own dear Son, who took our place, bore our sin and died our death. Thus God himself gave himself to save us from himself.”

—John Stott, The Message of Romans (Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity Press, 1994), 115

HT: Of First Importance

All Over the Blogosphere: Death is not Dying

Since everyone else is posting this to their blogs, I decided to post it to mine as well. It is a video of Rachel Barkey giving her testimony. She has terminal cancer and, barring a miracle, will not live to see her 38th birthday. She is married and has two young children.

I watched the video on Saturday. Her testimony is incredibly powerful. You can watch the video here and listen to the audio here.

Engagement Pics

Ha! Shocked you all with that title, didn't I!? These are my brother's engagement pics. : ) I don't think I shocked you anyway. We all know I am VERY single. : ) Anyway, Joey and Megan were married yesterday evening in a beautiful church with marble floors and high ceilings. It was sort of strange but at the same time totally normal to watch my brother get married. Joey told me two summers ago that he was going to graduate from school and then get a wife... and he did! He'd had his eye on Megan for a while but they started dating just this August. Then they got engaged in December and married in March. : ) Megan looked beautiful and elegant in her gown and Joey was very handsome. He sang Megan a song (that he wrote) with words from Song of Solomon. It was so beautiful and incredibly romantic. I recorded a small clip and I'll post it here soon. Today they are off to their honeymoon in Vermont. Congratulations Joey and Megan!! (Isn't the photographer amazing?!)

Gospel Motivation & Real Change

“All change comes from deepening your understanding of the salvation of Christ and living out of the changes that understanding creates in your heart. Faith in the gospel re-structures our motivations, our self-understanding, our identity, and our view of the world. Behavioral compliance to rules without heart-change will be superficial and fleeting.”

- Timothy Keller, The Prodigal God (new York, NY: Dutton, 2008), 121.

(HT: Of First Importance)

22 Things About Me

I really like Abraham Piper's blog 22 Words. I also like his wife Molly's blog entitled The Pipers. So in honor Molly's recent post and Abraham's blog, I give you...

22 Things About Me

1. I was delivered by forceps.
2. When I was two my uncle nicknamed me the 'Pink Tornado' because my mom always dressed me in pink and I tore around the house like a crazy tornado in my walker.
3. I failed 'Cutting With Scissors' in preschool.
4. I had a crush on a snotty-nosed (literally) boy named Shawn when I was in the third grade.
5. I was home-schooled from the middle of fourth grade until the end of eighth grade.
6. I got a D one semester in Freshmen English because I could not bring myself to read Great Expectations which is probably the most boring book ever written.
7. I was nicknamed 'Air Jessica' in high school because I was really good at driving to the hole in basketball.
8. I won MVP my senior year in Track & Field. My events were 4X100 Relay, Long Jump, 330 Hurdles, and Shotput.
9. I do not like peas. The texture really gets to me.
10. I was terminated from my position as a bank teller because my cash drawer was short. I was SO depressed, but then they hired me at Victory Supermarkets because the manager knew my brother.
11. I was a waitress at The Bull Run for a year. That was a good job and it really prepared for my job now... as a nurse. 'Is there anything else I can get for you?'
12. A nursing instructor told me I gave a bad image to nursing. I told her I didn't think that was true so she removed those comments from my evaluation.
13. I have had 6 cars... a 1982 Dodge Aires, 1988 Ford Tempo, 1987 Plymouth Sable, 1982 Dodge Daytona, 1992 Mercury Topaz, and finally a 2000 Nissan Altima.
14. I took African Jazz Dance in college to fulfill my physical education requirement.
15. In college I took my car (that I used to get to and from my clinical in Boston) in for it's yearly inspection. The mechanic told me the only reason he was letting me drive it home was because I lived less than a mile away. He said something about rotted tie rods or something...
16. I LOVE mint chocolate chip ice cream with peanut butter topping.
17. One of my pupils is bigger than the other. I was born that way. When I get stressed or tired you can really tell the difference.
18. I didn't travel by plane until I was 24.
19. I sing alto and sometimes tenor in the choir but never soprano (or bass).
20. I have never broken a bone.
21. I am deathly allergic to pine nuts and have eaten them four times--in my grandmother's stuffed chicken, in spaghetti sauce at camp (apparently they add them to increase the protein content), in a Smart Ones dinner entre, and in finger sandwiches at a baby shower.
22. I have left my lights on in broad daylight and have had to get jump-started more times than I can count. I haven't done it in a while but I could always relapse.

Hope

I found a wonderful article on singleness at Boundless by Elisabeth Adams entitled One Single Day. I really would like the topic of marriage and singless to NOT exist, but I find that it follows me everywhere. I can never get away from it in my heart. I want to be married, and yet, I am not. I want the desire and the glaring lack of it's fulfillment to just go away, but at the same time I don't because I really want to get married. Oh my. Thankfully, with God's help and with the *years* of experience I have at being single I'm able to manage my unmarriedness without routinely wanting to jump off a bridge because of it. Pretty much, I have no choice, I must resolve myself to being single, nearing 30, with no end in sight. Now that I'm done sharing my very sad and sorrowful life, I'll share with you a quote from the aforementioned article.

Hope is inconvenient. It is paradoxical. It can be painful. It can search my heart and motives to the very bottom. I don't ask for hope, and often I don't actually want it. What I really want is for the desire to go away, or be granted. But by His grace, I hang onto hope anyway.

I may not have the 58 years of companionship that my grandparents had. It's unlikely that I'll have the eight children my parents had, and I will never be the young mommy that I had. But as as time goes on, it grows more clear to me that while my waiting years are irreplaceable, they are not wasted. Ultimately, it's not because of some great adventures they are giving me, some great benefit to others, or some great work I am doing. It's simply by knowing His outrageous love that I'm able to take something that's happening to me against my will — and mark it "Freely given to Jesus."

When Mary anointed Jesus' feet with pure spikenard, she gave something costly, something precious to her, something irreplaceable. It was others who said "Why this waste?" To the one who gave and the One who received, it was pure joy.

He never wastes what is precious to us! Not one single day.

My 20-somethings are gone. I will never, ever be married or have kids in my 20's. It is something I would NEVER have chosen. It was my dream to be a young mother and wife. And that will never happen. That chance is gone.

And, I do not believe things always happen because God is doing what's best for me or because He is trying to refine me and make my desire more focused on Him. I won't deny that my extended singless hasn't been very refining or cause me to draw closer to God (because it has!) but sometimes I think God allows things to happen or not to happen simply because He is, and was, and will always be. Simply because He can. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He spoke the stars into existence and calms the seas with a word. "Our God is in the heavens; He does whatever He pleases" (Psalm 115:3). And THAT is an awesome God. That is the God we serve and we worship.

May I bring glory to the God who is 'in the heavens' and 'does whatever He pleases'. And may I also be 'able to take something that's happening to me against my will — and mark it "Freely given to Jesus."'

Israel 2009

I took some random clips on my digital camera while in Israel. Here they are edited and put to music! Hope you enjoy! (I wish I had known that I could make a movie out of my clips because I would taken more and better shots.)

If you would like to see a large, full screen version of this try clicking here. A condensed 10 minute version is available to watch, full screen on YouTube here.

I also made a Shutterfly Website where you can view some pictures and take a peak at the photo book I made.

I'm Going to Israel!

On Monday I leave for Israel for 10 days! I'm really glad that I took the opportunity to go even though I had to work like a crazy person to pay for it without dipping into my savings too much. I'm looking forward to everything except the flight! I'll post lots of pictures when I get back!

He knows what we need

“Everything is necessary that He sends. Nothing can be necessary that He withholds.”

- John Newton

HT: First Importance

Stir My Heart

I was going through CDs to upload music to my MP3 player tonight (getting ready for my trip to Israel!) and I came across this song again by Sara Groves. Reading the lyrics is not nearly as powerful as listening to her sing. You can listen to a clip here.

If time were ever to wear you away
And circumstance should bind me
If age should bring a dark night on my soul
If fear and doubt should bind me

Please stir my heart
Take me back to the fire
And bring to me recollections of joy
And renew my first desire

If pains and trials come to me
And I cannot stand strong
If fools adjust my theories
To believe your truth is wrong

Please stir my heart
Take me back to the fire
And bring to me recollections of joy
And renew my first desire

I swear it will never happen to me
But how I can I know
For Peter swore the same to thee
Oh, hear the cock crow

Please stir my heart
Take me back to the fire
And bring to me recollections of joy
And renew my first desire
Please stir my heart
Take me back to the fire

Being Labeled

Pastor and author Kevin DeYoung explains why he doesn't mind being labeled Reformed in 'What I Mean By Reformed'. I've been attracted to Reformed theology for the past couple years and his post explains perfectly why I'm so fascinated with it.

And it's not that I want to be divisive or separate myself (I admit I did so at first) by taking the label, it's just that Reformed theology is so rich and beautiful to me, and unlike anything I've ever heard in all my 25 church going years.

And I don't mean to say that no other 'label' or theology thinks and believes this way (link here for some harms of labels), it's just that I personally prefer Reformed theology to any other theology I've heard explained and preached.



I know, I know. I'm really weird. Can't I just post about something normal, right?

A Pastor's Heart

About ten years ago I was in an ungodly relationship. In God's mercy, I was saved from this relationship, but coming out of it, I was VERY confused as to how I actually got in such a messy, ungodly relationship. I read Joshua Harris' book I Kissed Dating Goodbye and it opened my eyes to fickleness of being 'in love' and it helped me to understand how important it is for me to involve my parents.

But as I continued to read about courtship and relationships more, I became very legalistic. I made all sorts of rules for how I would act around guys to protect myself and to protect them. I made sure to guard my heart but what I really did was make in impenetrable fortress. I'd made so many mistakes before that I tried to earn God's and other's approval by following all the right rules. Legalism is not just trying to earn your salavation through works. I like how C.J. Mahaney defines it: Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God, justification before God, and acceptance by God, through our obedience to God.

Over the past year or two, God has really changed my heart. He's helped me understand that through the cross, there's nothing more I need to do to earn His approval. I've also come to understand that God is merciful and He is my Father and my Shepherd. He will guide me. I don't need to erect all sorts of walls and follow all sorts of rules. God will keep me safe. He is generous towards me. Now I'm not saying that I do whatever I want. I still follow what the Bible says and I believe that is imporant to obey the Word.

Over this same past year or two I've rediscovered Joshua Harris through his blog. I'm posting to honor his pastor's heart. There are many men and women who writes books or run parachurch ministries or hold seminars or produce materials for churches. Though many of the principles in the materials are good, some of the applications are not. And sometimes people twist the principles presented in the materials and make their own rules about how the principles should be applied. Such things often lead to legalism.

I appreciate that Joshua Harris has taken the time to assess how his writings and teachings have affected his followers. I like that he tries to correct any errors in application that may arise from his teachings. That is a pastor's heart. Since I'm in the medical field, I compare pastors to physicians. A good physician will study the principles of medicine and then he will apply the medicine to his patients through medications or recommendations. But a good physician must always be assessing his patients and how they respond to his applications. The same must take place with pastors.

A recent post, What I've Learned Since I Kissed Dating Goodbye, on Joshua Harris' blog does just this. The gist of it is this:

I still stand by the message of that book [I Kissed Dating Goodbye] that premature, short-term romantic attachments can be a big distraction from serving God—especially for teenagers. But in the years since I've also seen that a legalistic application of these ideas can be unhelpful, too. One of my main concerns in my church or any other church is that there be no disunity among Christians over issues of dating and courtship. We need to learn to hold our own convictions on this matter with charity. Most importantly we need to make sure that our convictions are shaped by scripture—not culture, church culture or my books.

Happy Heart Day

All glorious is the princess in her chamber, with robes interwoven with gold.... You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.... How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are!... My beloved is mine, and I am his....

For your Maker is your husband, the LORD of hosts is his name.

Psalm 45:13, Song of Solomon 2:16, Song of Solomon 1:15, Song of Solomon 4:17, Isaiah 54:5

Ultrasound Training

I completed my didactic training in Limited Obstetrical Ultrasound last week and I was amazed at how much I learned in just three days! The training was done through the National Institute of Family and Life Advocates (NIFLA). From their website, NIFLA "exists to provide life-affirming pregnancy help centers the best legal education, consultation, and training possible". In providing training in ultrasound, they follow the guidelines given by The Association for Medical Ultrasound (AIUM).

For the past six months I have been volunteering some of my time as a nurse at Care Net PRC of North Central MA. I've really enjoyed volunteering there and felt so privileged to be able to attend this training! Now I just need to complete the practicum or 'hands-on' part of the training which includes 50-75 scans before I can do them on my own and be fully certified. Limited Obstetrical Ultrasound is not diagnostic but it can give preliminary information on the gestational age of the baby, the location (is it in uterus), and the viability (is the heart beating). This is very helpful information for women who need to make a decision regarding their pregnancy and it also serves women who are awaiting health insurance.

One of the instructors brought up an interesting point. She said that ultrasound didn't really come on the scene until right around the time that abortion became legal. Ultrasound is a window into the womb and when you see that tiny beating heart there's no denying that a life has begun.

Clay Feet

I enjoyed reading John Piper's thoughts on Lincoln in honor of his 200th birthday at DesiringGod.org. I've always known Lincoln as a hero for ending the injustice of slavery. And it is true, he was considered to be a progressive in that area in his time and is credited with ending slavery in America.

But consider these comments made by Lincoln:

• [H]e had “no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races.”
  
• He was not in favor of “making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry.”
  
• He said there is a “physical difference between the two” that would “probably forever forbid their living together upon the footing of perfect equality.”

Shockingly, in 2009, Lincoln would have been a considered racist! John Piper relates:

"[L]ike every hero, his [Lincoln's] feet are clay. That is what human greatness is—deeply flawed.

There is one hero, and only one, who will not let you down—Jesus Christ. All other heroes fail us, and the reason they do is to point us to Christ. There is no one more admirable, and more worthy of our praise, than Christ. At the very moment when he looked least praiseworthy, he was achieving the highest triumph of love—his death.

I thank God for Abraham Lincoln today. And among other great reasons one of them is: admiring and disillusioned I turn to Jesus."

It made me think of some men and woman I have 'heroized' in the past. It's true: The failures of men have served to point me to Jesus as the hero that will never, ever fail. Thinking of clay feet makes me think of how Jesus' feet are described in Revelation 1:15 "like fine copper when glowing in a furnace." Wow. What a comparison.

All items in italics were taken directly from Desiring God, Admiring and Disillusioned I turn from Lincoln to Jesus, by John Piper.

Thy Mercy, My God

I just heard this song and I think the lyrics are so beautiful!! I want God's mercy to be the theme of my life.

Thy mercy my God is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart, and the boast of my tongue.
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affection and bound my soul fast.

Without Thy sweet mercy, I could not live here.
Sin would reduce me to utter despair,
But through Thy free goodness, my spirit's revived
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart.
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground
And weep for the praise of the mercy I've found.

(Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah)
(Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah)

Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own
In the covenant love of Thy crucified Son.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy and pardon and righteousness mine.

You can listen to it here sung by Sarah McCracken.

What I've been up to....

• I've started to feel better lately. 2007-20008 at my church were really rough and it completely wore me out. I was bone weary tired all the time and felt very overwhelmed, but I've finally started feeling better.
• Starting in April, I will be volunteering my time at Henry Heywood Hospital as a labor doula. A doula is a labor assistant and pretty much assists the family through the birth process. This hospital provides doulas free of charge upon request to all their patients as a service to the community. I went into nursing initially because I wanted to get into maternity. So I figure this is a perfect opportunity to get certification as a labor doula and to get some experience in maternity nursing.
• I've also been volunteering at Care Net PRC of North Central MA in Fitchburg since July. I love volunteering there and have grown so much from my experiences. My duties have been counseling women, facilitating childbirth education classes, and keeping the boutique organized. I volunteer every Friday. I'm traveling down to Virginia on Wednesday (by train) to get training in limited obstetrical ultrasound. I'm so blessed!
• I've also been singing in the choir at church. We're not that great and you can hardly hear the choir (bad mics) and Pastor Rafael is a brand new pastor and he's nothing like our previous worship pastor so while we got a few marks against us, I'm really enjoying learning to read music better and find a harmony I love it (phew! run on sentence). Hopefully the congregation will too.... eventually.
• I've been working a lot lately. I work per diem at UMASS and Favorite Staffing. I don't get any benefits (but I do get payed at a higher rate) but I can work as little or as much as I want. I can pick the days I want to work. It's really great. Everyone always asks about health insurance--I get it through Fallon at $240/month. Ideally I'd like to get a job closer to home. I'd really like to get into Leominster Hospital. The commute to Worcester is no fun. I'd also like to make myself available for night shifts and driving home from Worcester after a night shift is NOT safe.
• Also big news: My brother is engaged. : ) Her name is Megan and he met her at the church he attends. She's perfect for him and I like her a lot. The wedding is set for May 16th.

Turning 30

So, I'll be turning 30 this year and you know what? I'm actually happy about it! I kind of like getting older. I love the perspective I have. I can think back just a couple years and see how much I've grown and it gives me so much hope for the future. It's SO good to know God. I'm so grateful for the growing He does in my life!

I'm also OK with being single. It's definitely not what I want. And the idea of having babies after I turn thirty is NOT ideal to me. But I will have to trust that God knows what He is doing. God is sovereign and His ways are not my ways. Not having my desires fulfilled has really helped to train me to believe that God is always good. It is not natural for me to think that God is good. Mostly I want to complain to God and wonder why He doesn't act. But not getting what I want has forced me to always keep in my mind that GOD IS GOOD. No matter what. All the time.

Now, I don't want anyone to think that it does not matter to me and that I feel nothing and I'm perfectly OK. I still desire to get married and have children. I will never be able to be married and have children before I turn thirty. And that kind of makes me sad. Many of my younger friends are married with children and that makes me sad sometimes too (although my joy for them kind of makes my sadness go away). I may never marry and that makes me sad too. But this life is not what it's all about. And, in light of eternity, marriage is only momentary.

The Supremacy of God

I love to be reminded that God has the power to do anything He wants and that He orders all the events that take place. It helps me to so much more grateful for His mercies. Check out The President, The Passengers, and The Patience of God by John Piper for a beautiful description of the supremacy and mercy God in the events that took place over the last week.

"Sometimes we are so overwhelmed at being treated better than we deserve that we must exult in the all-sovereign God—the God of birds' flight and Obama’s rise. When King David pondered how many were God’s “wondrous deeds,” he said, “I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told” (Psalm 40:5). That’s the way I feel watching God’s public mercies in the last few days"... Read the rest here.

Because of the steadfast love of the LORD, we are not cut off his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

HT: Desiring God

Life: Imagine the Possibilities

(An ad airing in select markets of Black Entertainment Television)

HT: Justin Taylor

As You Turn the Pages of Scripture

If your eyes don't catch a glimpse of the cross as you turn the pages of Scripture, you're likely to spend much of your day staring at yourself, wallowing in endless introspection, rather than staring at your Savior, delighting in his costly love. ~Justin Buzzard

The Difference

"I often tell my congregation that when it comes to battling sin in our lives, the difference between Christians and non-Christians is not that non-Christians sin whereas Christians don't. The difference is found in which side we take in the battle. Christians take God's side against sin, whereas non-Christians take sin's side against God. In other words, a Christian will sin, but then he will turn to God and his Word and say, 'Help me fight against sin.' A non-Christian, even if he recognizes his sin, effectively responds, 'I want my sin more than God.'"
-Mark Dever

(HT: Reformed Voices)

Thank you Laurie!!

I just wanted to give a shout out to Laurie Babcock who so generously and rather unexpectedly gave me a car safety kit sometime last January. It came in very handy on Sunday when I found myself stuck at the bottom of a hill.

Leah, who I will affectionately call my calamity partner, was also with me; we both had come in separate cars. We tryed cardboard, my floor mats, Leah's floor mats, Leah's ice picks, windshielf washer fluid, spinning the tires, Leah spinning the tires, and Leah trying to push. All to no avail. Oh, and did I say we did all of this was in our church clothes? (Random... we had both been joking earlier how we looked like Jehovah's Witnesses in our black pea coats and skirts... no offense but maybe that's why no one came to our aide right away?)

So after all that I opened up the trunk and start to rifle through the car emergency kit. And guess what was in there? A tow rope. So Leah and I thought it would be fun to experiment to see if her car could tow mine out. Guess what? It couldn't. : ) But apparently a neighbor had been watching us for some time and once he saw the tow rope he offered his truck. He said he would have come out sooner if he knew we had a tow rope! He said I should give the person who gave me that tow rope a great big thank you.

So, Laurie Babcock....Thank you!!!

Hudson River Crash

Every time I read or hear something about the Hudson River crash it takes my breath away and brings me to tears. The reports are amazing and beautiful all at the same time! Here's a few articles I liked:

A Shout-Out to Chivalry From a blog I subscribe to.
All Survive Jet's Splashdown in Hudson A very complete and well written news article combining fact, experience, and opinion.
Passengers of Flight 1549 share stories of survival Video stories about the heroism of the captain, crew, and passengers.
Hudson River Plane Survivor Describes Ordeal I like this one because it's in a written interview format.

Anyone have any good links to articles on the Hudson River crash out there?

Photo: Chris McGrath/Getty guardian.co.uk

The whole point of reading through your Bible

I'm reading through the Bible this year and I'm doing pretty well using The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan. It's a great reading plan because it allows for a few 'off' days each month so if you miss a day you don't always to read double to catch up. Well, anyway, I just saw this great post on Buzzard Blog regarding reading through your Bible:

The whole point of reading through your Bible on a regular basis is to begin to see and celebrate that the whole Bible is about the cross--about the gospel, about the good news of what Jesus has done for you.

Make it to the cross.

If you don't make it to the cross, if you read a few verses in Proverbs and a paragraph of commands in Philippians without detecting how these sentences connect to the blood-stained beam of wood where, "For our sake he [God] made him [Jesus] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21), then consequences will follow.

If you don't make it to the cross, you'll make your Bible reading and your relationship with God about your performance rather than about Jesus' performance. You'll gravitate away from the gospel and towards religion. Anxiety and fear will take the place of confidence, joy, and rest. Legalism will replace freedom. If your eyes don't catch a glimpse of the cross as you turn the pages of Scripture, you're likely to spend much of your day staring at yourself, wallowing in endless introspection, rather than staring at your Savior, delighting in his costly love.

Cultivate the habit of making it to the cross every time you read your Bible.

I thought it was a great reminder for me to look for the cross in my reading. And, oh my, I can certainly relate to cross-less reading that involves 'staring at yourself, wallowing in endless introspection, rather than staring at your Savior, delighting in his costly love'. I'm so thankful that God has helped me to learn to see the cross more!

BTW, I love Buzzard Blog and I read it everyday (by RSS feed)! The articles are relatively short but very helpful. Always worth a stop!

Resolutions

I usually make the same resolutions every year in the hopes that one of these years I'll actually do them. My two resolutions are usually to 1. To maintain good spiritual health through regular Bible reading and 2. To maintain good physical health through regular exercise. When I was younger and full of energy I did fairly well in these areas but I feel like I get less motivated as I get older. Also, my work schedule is crazier and harder and I have new pesky injuries that prevent me from exercising at times. So I make resolutions and goals to beat back that laziness and try to assemble some sort of order in my life.

I'm going to use The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan (it's a good one because you can miss five days a months and still keep up) and this exercise program from PersonalTrainingPrograms.com. If you have access to a gym you can tailor your own program according to your needs with beginner to expert 2-5 day schedules. (I'm doing the 3 day beginner.)

Last year I made some headway on my resolutions. I exercised for a good portion of the spring and summer and read regularly over the fall and part of the winter. I struggle greatly with both as I am often quite lazy and not motivated. I lack intentionality and discipline in much of my life. All of that said, I'm not discouraged!

The Blazing Center posted a great article Reasons To Have Hope You'll Change to discourage any feelings of inability in making resolutions: "We should use all God’s means of grace to grow - reading and meditating on Scripture, prayer, fellowship, worship, communion. But our hope for change is our mighty Savior, not ourselves. So take courage - Jesus is at work in you!"

Oh yeah, and though this wasn't a resolution, I've also flossed regularly for most of 2008. It was, of course, after my dentist and hygienist said all my teeth would fall out if I didn't but, hey, whatever motivates you! : )