The Last Piece

I love the fact that after Caleb put together this cool globe puzzle (Thanks Granny!), he gave Seth the honors of putting in the last piece.

Serving a Sovereign God

Sometimes the world just doesn't make sense. 

Actually, most of the time it doesn't.

We live in a broken world with a real enemy.  Hurts are real and attacks in spirit and body happen.  We live in a world where God does not force anyone to follow and obey Him.  We live in a world where we try to make up our own rules and expect all to play by them.  It seems "truth" is different for everybody these days.  And then we wonder why there is such chaos.  The world has chosen to go its own way, so God has let it (Romans 1:18-32) and allowed Satan to have a presence here....for a time...and then he will be driven out (John 12:31).  Our arrogance, blindness, yearning for independence, and desire to be our own gods can keep us from seeking the one true God, who knows us and our weaknesses, and offers hope and salvation to us. 

Human nature has not changed.  It started way back in the garden of Eden when Adam and Eve faced a dilemna, when they were tempted by Satan, who met them in the form of a snake, with the promise that they could be God.  Should they trust their Creator who had loved, provided for them, and given them peace?  Or should they disobey the one who had been faithful to them in exchange for a lie that they could make a better way for themselves and be their own god? Yeah, Satan's tactics haven't changed much either.  He still tempts today in the same way.  A simple act of disobedience caused the fall of man. A simple act of disobedience and man had the knowledge of evil.  It wasn't suppose to be that way.  God had a reason for not allowing Adam to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He knew what was best for Him, but Adam made a choice to do it his way.

So here we are.  We are often unwilling to learn from past mistakes and are still trying to do it our way. Unwilling to humble ourselves, we often will not admit that we do not know what is best for ourselves, and refuse to bow down to our Creator, who does.  But apart from God, I guess we really can't.  Spiritual blindness is real and Paul spoke of it in 2 Corinthians 4:4, "Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God."  Apart from God and the filling of the Holy Spirit, humans are incapable of not being led by their sin nature and are vulnerable prey for the enemy.

I don't mean for this to come off like a rant or even a pessimistic view of just biding my time until my time on earth is through.  That is not my heart at all.  I am blessed to experience the abundant life that God offers through Christ. Praise Him! I see the Holy Spirit at work all the time and know how good He truly is.  God's goodness is all around if you open your eyes to see it.  Evil will NOT win and through Christ, we can live in peace, even when the world is in tormoil.  I guess this post is speaking more to the fair weathered turn our faith...my faith...can take when things don't make sense or when we feel like we can't see God's hand in a situation. I can be guilty of losing sight of the promises of God for a moment in the midst of worldy chaos and confusion.  I can be tempted to be my own god.

It also comes from a sadness within me from hearing those who don't know the Lord using tragic acts as their proof that God does not exist or that if He does, He is certainly not good, because why would God let X, Y, or Z happen?

With that being said, believer or not, we will not always understand the way God works.  Even the most seasoned believer will never have it all figured out or understand all of His ways.  For we are not God. Our minds are not capable.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9.

But that does not negate His goodness. Oh, He is good! It just negates that fact that we serve a God that is only concerned about our happiness and comfort and that the gospel is centered around us.   That is not a true gospel.  It is actually not about you, me or anyone else for that matter.  It is about His son, Jesus Christ.  Our purpose is to serve Him, so that Christ can be glorified.  We were created for God's pleasure and His glory, not the other way around. The fact is, God does not bow down to man.  God doesn't have to defend Himself to anyone. God is who He says He is whether we believe or not. God's power is not dependent on our belief. Nor is it dependent on whether we understand His ways. God is God.  His ultimate plan will come to fruition, whether we choose to join Him or not. The enemy WILL be defeated and Christ will reign over His kingdom in victory.  Because He is God.

"And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." Revelation 20:10

"No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.    They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.   There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever."  Revelation 22:3-5

He is sovereign, mighty, merciful, faithful, and loving.  Yes, loving.   He offers an incredible inheritance to us, through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.   For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  John 3:16-17 

What an amazing testimony to the love He has for His creation!  It is undeniable proof that He is a loving  and merciful God! 

1 Peter 1:3-4 states, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,   and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you," 

I want to stop right here in the verse, because this is where I think a lot of us get really confused and mad at God.  Our confusion and frustration is often fueled by the fact that we can not seem to make things perfect NOW.  We are often seeking to find heaven on earth.  We forget that this world is broken and sin is running rampant. We forget that this is not the destination.  When horrible things happen and don't make sense, instead of clinging to the hope of our inheritance, we want to say how unfair God is and how He must not be true to His promises.  But this life is not the promise.  Our inheritance is not right here, right now.  Our inheritance is to come.  

Let me pick back up in at 1 Peter 1:6,  "In all this [the inheritance in heaven] you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.   These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire —may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."  1 Peter 1:6-7 (parenthesis mine)

John 16:33 Jesus says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

The promise was never that life would be perfect, worry free, or would always make sense.  No, the promise is that through our faith in Christ, we would have eternal life with Him.  And that in the end, Christ will reign victorious forever over His Kingdom.

Scripture tells us that we will never have it all figured out. It will not always make sense. If it did, then there would be no room for faith, which is what brings salvation. "For it is by grace you have been saved, THROUGH FAITH —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God." Ephesians 2:8 (emphasis mine)

"Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Hebrews 11:6

I don't always understand why babies die, cancer ravages bodies and lives, tragedies happen where some die and others are spared.  I do not always understand why people have to endure unspeakable abuse, live in crippling poverty, and have to make devastating choices in order to survive. I don't always understand, because sometimes things just don't make sense.  But through faith, I trust my Lord and know that although circumstances may be beyond my finite comprehension, they are not beyond His.  That same finite comprehension of mine will neither change who He is nor my belief in His sovereignty and goodness.  I can only cling to Christ.  I can only cling to the promises of God, made known through His word. I can only cling to His goodness that has also been made known time and time again through His word and that I have been a witness to daily. I can only cling to the hope that is offered to all, even when lives are turned completely upside down from tragedy or adversity.  I cling to the fact that beauty so often comes from the ashes in life, praise be to God.  I cling to the fact that contrary to the often negative media (and the sort of negative tone in this post), God's goodness is happening all over the place all the time.  I cling to the fact that we can know Christ and be completely transformed by Him, and although we may suffer here on earth, we WILL NOT suffer in eternity, if our faith is in Him. I cling to the fact that the pain and trials on earth are no comparison to the immense joy that awaits in heaven.  I choose to cling to Christ, who is the hope of glory and the ultimate victor over sin, this world, and the enemy.

I love you, Lord.  Forgive me when my faith waivers and when my belief is weak. You are sovereign and you are GOOD...ALL THE TIME!

Little Survivor

If you know me very well, you know that I kill plants.  It isn't on purpose or that I have a vendetta against the little things.  It is just that I obviously, after many, many tries, can not take care of any form of plant life. 

Thankfully, I fair much better with growing little boys. 

Anyway, we are so proud that after nearly three months, a plant has actually survived living in our home.  Yay!  That is a record, for sure. 

And what has made the difference in this little plant's life? 

Well, I will tell you.  Momma has not been the one caring for this plant, that's what!

Caleb brought home from school a plant (I am still not even sure what kind of plant it is) to me for Mother's Day.  He knows my track record with plant life, so he took it upon himself to care for our friend.  Caleb has been very diligent about watering it daily and checking on it over the three months.  When he went to Meem and Peeps house to stay last week, he gave me instructions to make sure I watered his plant, so it wouldn't die.  Oooh, pressure.  I actually got a bit nervous.  Thankfully, he made sure to remind when he called.  Multiple times. Actually, that was sometimes the first thing he asked when he would call each night.  Yes, he knows me and the danger his beloved plant was in, under my care.  But the plant made it through a week without Caleb.  Whew!

I was quite impressed this week when Caleb noticed his little plant was outgrowing its plastic cup home.  A plant had never made it that far here before, so I had not given it a thought.  He told me that its roots just didn't have any more room and were all bunched up.  He asked if he could dig a hole in the backyard to put his plant, so it could have more room to grow.  So, when Eric got home, they borrowed a shovel from our neighbor and got to work.

Within a couple of minutes, Caleb's plant had a new home, complete with a rock barrier (for protection from the weed eater, according to Caleb).   What a good little care giver Caleb is.

Yay plant!  You are the first greenery to make it out of our house alive!

5K in the Rain

I have decided that the main reason I like to run is because I get to do a lot of talking to God in the process.  I continually ask Christ for His strength to make it to the tree ahead or the sign that I can see off in the distance. I sing His praises when I reach each marker.  I sing praise songs and hymns in my head (yep, no Ipod needed for this gal) and quote scripture to take my mind off the task at hand.

 Most of what Christ hears from me during a race is, "Please don't let me pass out...or throw up."  "Please let me finish this race running, because I want to make it worth Eric's while for hanging back with me, when he could be running a much quicker pace."  "Thank you for giving me the ability to even be here to run.  May I finish well."  "Give me your strength, Jesus! I trust you!"  All of these things I talk to God about, because in myself, running is so far from natural for me.  I would much rather walk briskly and never have to worry about keeping my breathing under control. 

Me running is a complete testimony of how if you ask, Christ will give you the strength to accomplish what you thought was impossible, if it jives with His will.   Running has been an awesome way for Eric and I to spend time together, and running 5Ks together has been a great addition to our marriage.  And God certainly loves marriages and is all about them being strengthened for His glory.  Running wasn't exactly my first choice for a bonding relationship builder, but God has been faithful and put the desire in my heart to begin an activity that my hubby loves, even though I thought my first few runs would kill me.  They didn't.  And God continues to bless my running, give me the strength to run each race, and He is so sweet to give me a joy in this activity, too.  Eric and I really do have a blast running together. 

I ACTUALLY ENJOY RUNNING.

I NEVER thought I would say that. 

Never say never when Christ is your Lord and Savior. 

This past Saturday, Eric and I ran the "Race Across the Spectrum for Autism Awareness."  Our friend, Ben, told us about it at our last 5K and said that his friend organizes a team each year to honor her precious son, Turner, who has autism.  The event raises funds to support research-based early intervention for young children impacted by Autism in Middle Tennessee.  Ben asked if we wanted to run with him and we were in, making us a part of "Team Turner."

I did not go into the race with high hopes of breaking any records this time, since we got to do little training in the weeks preceeding the run, due to vacation and weather.  My goal again was to run the entire race and not pass out.  I was pretty sure I could accomplish the second, but very doubtful about the first, but was ready to give it a try.  When we woke up at 6am, we were delighted with how cool it was.  When we got lined up to start the race, the sky opened and the rain began to fall.  It wasn't a torrential downpour, but a nice steady stream of light rain that was PERFECT.  Nice touch, God.  It was cool and rainy and in much contrast to the hot and sunny conditions of my first 5K.  I quickly assessed that running in the rain is the way to go!

I also quickly discovered that sun visors are of great use, even when the sun is nowhere to be found.  They are great sweat catchers and keep the rain from pelting you in the face.  I am a fan.

Once we were off and running, I hung in quite well.  I could tell my pace was slower than the first time, but that was okay.  Eric encouraged me, especially up the hills.  I was extremely delighted when we crossed the 2 mile mark, because I totally missed the sign marking 1 mile.  I kept thinking, "This mile is going on forever."  What joy to see that sign with the "2" on it and know we were 2/3 finished.  Woo Hoo! 

I was really running out of steam midway through mile #3.  I am pretty sure Eric sensed that, because he started singing a praise song and grabbed ahold of my hand. Now I don't recommend running in tandem the entire race, but it sure is a good boost in the home stretch.  Like last time, I feel like he carried me across the finish line.

We finished in 31 minutes 20 seconds.  Not too bad for as little training as we got to do.  We ran a 10:07 mile, which was not quite as fast as the first time, but seeing that I ran the whole way, didn't pass out or feel like throwing up when I crossed the finish line, it was all good.  I did discover that my recovery after this 5K was much quicker than the first, so I am certainly making progress in my running career.  Ha!

Two take aways from the morning:

God's strength will ALWAYS overcome the lack of your own.

And

Running in the rain is good.  Very good.

Sweetness

The Old Mining Company

I love that these tracks are STILL getting a lot of use in this house.

Oh Happy Day!

Yes, I am a stalker.

I admit it...a little sadly.

For the past eight years, I have been stalking the Culver's website just waiting for the announcement that they were coming to Franklin.  We were first introduced to Culver's deliciousness when we lived in Iowa. When we moved from the midwest to Tennessee, we were sad that the restaurant was no where to be found in the south.

That changed six years ago when they started migrating this way. 

Yay!  Hope.

When I learned that they had put a store in Bowling Green, KY...within arms reach...I was overjoyed. We often ventured to Bowling Green to meet up with the fam and once it opened its doors there, Culver's became our new official meeting spot. We easily converted our family into Culver's fans, too.  At one point, Caleb thought that Culver's was called "Bowling Green," because each time we went, we would stop there to eat. 

The food is really good there and you just can't beat the custard, but I think there is a bit of nostalgia that comes along with our visits there.  I have such good Iowa memories and going to Culver's is such a sweet reminder of those days.

Ahhh...

Once they were nice and settled in Bowling Green, I thought it would be only a matter of months before they crossed the Tennessee line.  

FOUR YEARS LATER they did.


But they set up shop in Murfreesboro...Forty-five (or so) minutes away.

Oh, COME ON!!  They were just teasing me at that point.

I continued to wait...and stalk.

Finally, TWO YEARS later...

Culver's is here!

The waitng and stalking are over.


Yay!

July 2nd marked the opening of their new store in Franklin.  Less than 5 miles from our house.  Woo Hoo!

We decided to play it cool and not show up on their doorstep on the first day. 

They did make me wait EIGHT years after all. 

We decided that since everyone would probably be grilling out for July 4th, we would head over to Culver's that evening for our maiden trip and beat the rush.

Well, we were wrong.  Everyone else must have had the same idea.  The place was packed!

Thankfully, we got a table.  Many did not.

It was so good!  Just like I knew it would be.

It was Granny's last night in town, so what better way to send her off than a fancy pants trip out for butterburgers and frozen custard!  YUM!

I am not in the habit of taking multiple pictures while we are eating dinner at a restaurant, but an occasion such as this warranted an exception.

It was more like a celebration.

And it was July 4th, so it was all good.

Daddy and Seth even sported their new "Wild Kratts" shirts, designed and colored by Seth. 

Told you it was a fancy trip.

Yeah, it doesn't take a whole lot to make this family happy! 

So glad Culver's has found a new home here.

Ten Years!

Ten years... married to my best friend!

Two are better than one,

because they have a good return for their labor:

If either of them falls down,

one can help the other up.

But pity anyone who falls

and has no one to help them up.

Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.

But how can one keep warm alone?

Though one may be overpowered,

two can defend themselves.

A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Our covenant verse

I love him!

Thank you Jesus for Eric and for a wonderful 10th Anniversary!

 

Scavenger hunt, Fruit of the Holy Spirit, The Brentwood B & B, power outage, beautiful pearl, ice cream, EACH OTHER...it could not have been a more perfect day. 

Happy Anniversary PLB!