Tears

Tonight I cried. The tears started out, as I thought, for myself. Selfish tears of remorse that I can't sit in large groups of those people who know me best and laugh, and study, and talk of life and God. Tears because the last things in the world I want to be reading and studying are the sociology of gender and education. Tears because I just want to go to bed and forget the world for a few short hours. But as my throat clinched, and eyes blurred I realized another, deeper reason for my despair. "There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind:" (Ecclesiastes 6:1 ESV) People are cruel, in the name of right, sometimes even under the banner of Jesus, they say and do things that are terrible, horrible. Things that make God cry. And that made me cry. My heart hurts, my head hurts. One for the world, the other because I'm no where close to going to bed. As I drove, and thought on the things that had been said during my previous study time a song with these words came to mind "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things" (Philippians 4:8 ESV) and how if I, and everyone else in the world, would take these to heart...well, that would be good. After I had sung these words through several times in an attempt to "renew my mind". I prayed for my friends. All of them. Anyone and everyone I've ever talked to or cared anything about. "And this is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled the fruit of righteousness that come through Jesus Christ, to the glory and pray of God." (Philippians 1:9-11 ESV) If you are reading this, this prayer is for you, and it was, I assure you, heart felt.

~Peace

        سلام  

God's Adventure

Well, here is it one hour before Chirstmas day 2011. I still haven't posted any pictures (except on Facebook) but maybe one day I'll get around to it. This Christmas season has been weird in a ton of ways. Missing people, missing food, missing snow. Okay, well, I've never actually had snow for Christmas but I do miss the snow from my New Hampshire days. Also I am a "missing person", skipping Christmas as it were to go to work. very responsible of me and everything, probably the right thing to do...but sad none the less. Oh yes, it's been an unusual month, but as I sit here in my Grinch pj pants and orange sweatshirt, I think about Christmas and what the true purpose of it is.
Simply put, it's a start. The start of Christ's life on earth. A celebration of the beginning of God's perfect plan. Like that trip you've been planning for 4 years and finally your all pack up and driving out the drive way. I was reading a devotional earlier this evening, by Max Lucado, about going on God's adventure versus staying home and being safe. I was struck by the term "adventure". It conjures up pictures of sailing ships, jungles, dragons, pirates, and Bilbo Baggins. And as these swirled in my imagination a longing from deep inside me swelled up and a grin crept onto my face as I thought about me and Jesus taking and adventure together! No more boring seemingly meaningless work, no more sitting around wasting time. Off to great places! Off to see the see and save the world!
And then....reality hit. What if this, what I'm doing right now, is God's adventure? What if sailing the ocean as a missionary pirate with a elephant and a dragon is my adventure? What if running a bed and breakfast / missionary furlow house is my adventure? What if working in the Emergency Room in downtown Atlanta and finding some tiny apartment with a good sunrise view is my adventure? These are MY adventures...not God's. What if God's really is working a job I hate, having my closest friends on the other side of the country, and trying to make A's in school? If He sent me a letter in the mail with specific instructions that these are my duties, would I say, "Yes"?
On one side, yes. With all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. On the other, no. I will break free of this and find God's will, because, this simply cannot be it. It is not in me. This is the truth. But praise be to God, my strength does not come from within. "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen." (Jude 24-25)
Christmas is about a beginning, and perhaps the Christmas is a beginning for me also. Perhaps it is the start of contentment in my heart to be in God's adventure. Contentment would be a good Christmas present :o)

Merry Christmas and Peace to all!

To come!

Well, I haven't posted anything a long time, But I'm going to try and post of pictures from the last year soon. My last final is tomorrow, and then maybe I can catch up on pictures and pick a few of the best ones (or worst if their funny...) to post :-)

Recent Epiphanies

So God's been teaching me a lot lately, and I thought I'd share the wealth

1. Freaking out over things that aren't really your problem simply isn't worth the effort.

2. Freaking out over things that are your problem, but you can't change, isn't worth the effort.

3. Freaking out over things that are you problem, and you CAN change is stupid, because you should just be putting your energy into changing them.

4. God is faithful. Even if we're not seeing how at the moment.

5. If God has all the money in the world, and He knows I need it to go to college, He will either give me some, or I'm supposed to be doing something else.

Now I realize all of these are a little on the "duh" side when you read them. But living them is entirely different, and I'm just glad God takes the time to teach me slowly. The end.

First Days in Israel

We arrive about 5:30 Wednesday Morning, minus our luggage, walked to the Promenade to get a birds eye view of the old city, and visited the Garden tomb.

Thursday brought us to the old city to see the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and a visit to the Shuk (an open air market).

Friday morning was spent in class, during the afternoon we cleaned house and did prep work for dinner then went to the western wall to welcome the Sabbath.

Below are a few pictures.

Strawberries at the Shuk

Windows in the Lutheran Tower

The Garden Tomb

Chocolate at the London Airport

January In Review

January has brought mostly snow. About 3ft of it. And as a result of afore mentioned snow January has also been filled with warm socks, hats that cover my ears, and a lot of tea and coffee.

Classes from January include Genesis, and Daniel. The main thing I got out of Genesis class was not building security towers. When God calls us to something we can and should trust Him fully. We don't need a backup plan; we don't need to give God room to fail. He won't. One example we saw of this was Abraham when he went to Egypt told the Egyptians that Sarah was his sister in order to protect himself. He was worried about his own safety and build a tower for himself of lies and deception to protect himself. God had already promised to bring a mighty nation from Abraham, God would have taken care of Abraham if he had only trusted. There are plenty of places in my life where trusting God seems like the dumb thing to do....But God's calling aren't required to be logical, their just supposed to be obeyed.

Daniel was a class of standing alone. We were encouraged not only to have standards and values but to also stand up for them.

I was going to post a few pictures from January, but it will have to wait. I told the nephews that I wouldn't look at the pictures without them here, and they're still outside, so, maybe later.

2011

This is my first post in 2011, though I do not say I will post more often in this year than I did in the last I so say I will think about doing so.

2011 so far has been blessed. It started with driving back to school with my Brother-in-law. It is the only road trip I have been on with just him and also the only road trip where the keys have been locked in the car, "coincidence? I think NOT!" And even though the gas station we were at was closing, before it kicked us out to stand shivering in the cold they did allow us to call AAA on their phone (ours were both locked in the car...). Thankfully we didn't have to wait more than 5-10 minutes because the AAA places was right around the corner, and the quickly came and opened the door. Which by the way was ridiculously simply if you have the right tools, my Dad's mantra of "locks were made for honest people" rings yet more true. That was the only worth-talking-of happening on the trip. And now, it's later than when I started and I am going to bed.

Favorite Christmas Carol

Crown Prince of the Ages

Long ago, as tiny Infant,

Came to earth our blessed Lord;

Poor, and laid within a manger,

By the shepherds first adored.

While on Earth He healed the suff'rer,

Showed the meek the path to heav'n,

Then on Calv'ry gave His life blood

That our sins might be forgiv'n.

And we love our blessed Saviour;

Soon to earth He'll come to reign,

For He's gone to heav'n before us;

But He said, "I'll come again."

See! The eastern dawn is breaking;

Earthly night will soon be o'er.

There are signs now of His coming,

He is almost at the door-

Not a humble Jewish infant

To be spurned and thrust aside,

But the King, the Crown Prince glorious,

To receive a glorious bride.

He is coming, surely, coming;

Those who for His presence yearn,

Robed and ready to receive Him,

Thus shall hasten His return.

Now with hope, the Gospel heeding,

Let us watch and ever be

Ready for the Bridegroom's coming,

When with joy His face we'll see.

Christmas angels, spread the message

That the meek and lowly One,

Now the Crown Prince of the Ages,

Comes in clouds to take us home.

We are watching, waiting, longing,

Struggling from earth's fetters free;

Come, Lord Jesus! Oh, come quickly:

Here are hearts that long for Thee.

~F Hadassah Harriman 1936

Recent Portrait Session

Nails

I was just going to take the pictures off my camera....1.5 hours later...my room still isn't clean.

Skating

Kingdom History Trip

Lots of driving

Pretty scenery

A paintball course that made me want to play

Awesome people

Red Bush in Maine

Moon

Late Afternoon Leaf

Yesterday's Portrait

This is Allison. She came over to swim and hang out with Ruth, I stuck her in Diane's clothes and drug all over our yard and the neighbors trying to find the "perfect picture place"...to bad the ant's already had this one...Thanks Alli, Your a good sport!

Diane

Dandelions

Portraits From Last Week

He didn't actually have his hair styled that way...it was the wind....
I'm not really sure who took this...I think one of the Reed boys...after taking close to 200 pictures they got a good one

Thu. & Fri

Panorama view from the top of Rattle Snake Mountain in NH
Thursday Afternoon

Brandon

Bobby

Aaron

The Beach in Newport RI
Friday at Sunset