Crazy how things work isn't it? I thought I had lost my blog forever and then one day Facebook introduces this new feature that takes you back to "this day in your life" over the past five years and bingo bang there she is! A bit of searching for passwords later and I am back in business.
Not sure where this will go, or even if I have anything worth saying or worth reading, but at least now I have the option again and history is not lost.
Friday, December 18, 2015
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Happy 2013! Glad we all didn't go up in flames!
You know what always intrigues me about New years? The excitement people feel about having the chance to start all over. A clean slate, a fresh start. Whether they liked the past year or not, they always want that new beginning.
I get it. Some people do choose to leave the past (or think they can choose) behind them. Others Cherise every lesson they have learned and use it in their new start, as sort of a "jumping off point" for the next big thing. They way they do this is "resolutions" *gasp* *croak* *sob* , I know I said it!!! They don't work! Never have never will! Because we were not created to work this way. "New Years" Just one measly day a year to renew your whole life, well that seems like a pretty tall order doesn't it? I mean just one day to think of all you want to change, and then start doing it. Personally I would be overwhelmed. Like this lady---------------------------------------->
The truth is, God gave us this amazing plan of renewal in his word, it happens all throughout the year. And better yet, He did it through a series of Holidays so that we could have fun doing it and not get overwhelmed as we were faced with the tough stuff!
I think for me the two most important are Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Passover. The reason being (for me) this, DOA= is a time of recognition of ones unworthiness in the presence of God, it shows us how very little, and how stained we truly are, AND YET HE LOVES US. HE made a way for us! It is a time of opening our hearts to Him and hearing what He would have us lose in our lives as a sacrifice to Him. Now, I not all talking "I heard God telling me to go kill those people" type thing. And in the wake of the tragedies that have occurred recently I do not put that sentence in here lightly. I put it in here to be clear, that when you surrender your heart to God, truly surrender it completely, He does not ask you to do things that are outside His will (like those killing were). But He may ask you to do strange things... give all the food in your pantry to the local food bank (when you are unemployed and have little food, and no money coming in and kids to feed.) I know of a time he asked a very poor woman who had been gifted with a Starbucks barrista cappachino maker not to long ago, and told her to give it to one of the wealthiest men in church. (and no he wasn't single) He refused to take it and instead took it and (to honor what God said, And then handed it over to someone else to destroy it. Such worldly things do not make send to us now, but I know for a fact all those people involved have been blessed, both spiritually and financially (no they are not all rich, but they are doing better than they were) They had new beginnings.
Passover should be easy to understand, if you know the story of the exodus from Egypt. For the entire thing is about freedom! I love that time of year, as spring comes round, and you are looking at your life and you start to see who or what are the "Pharaohs" in your life. God usually starts His work in my on this one a few months in advance, sometimes it's how I talk to people, or sometimes its something like reading the word, or being a better wife. Sometimes its more physical like eating healthier or not smoking, or more spiritual, like praying to be less selfish (which by the way is a really hard one!)
Mathew 6:19-21 says :
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
I tend to think of this verse a lot at Passover time, where am I putting in all my energy? Are they worldly things or Godly things? Are they both? It isn't as if God doesn't want us to have a good time while we are here on Earth. He wasn't to bless us. But with things that are pure. I recently saw this meme on FB and it made me think.
It is kind of the same thing isn't it? I wonder who or what rules over the presidents heart and mind? We read so much trash about him. Some true. Some not. When I think of all the babies murdered in womb every day it is very hard for me to look at this face and not hate it. But maybe that is my lesson for this new year. To learn how to love without prejudice. To pray with out condemnation. And understand that while I can still hold him morally accountable for his actions and have righteous anger, Maybe I should also be able to look at him, a little bit more like God looks at me when I come before him at Yom Kippur. Unworthy, full of filthy, but, if willing to surrender, always redeemable. Isn't that what new beginnings are all about?
So for this New Year, that is my resolution. to attempt to pray for him more, and show more grace. I am sure it will be a journey, and I am certain I will fail. And that is why I also am thankful for Grace!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!
The truth is, God gave us this amazing plan of renewal in his word, it happens all throughout the year. And better yet, He did it through a series of Holidays so that we could have fun doing it and not get overwhelmed as we were faced with the tough stuff!
I think for me the two most important are Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Passover. The reason being (for me) this, DOA= is a time of recognition of ones unworthiness in the presence of God, it shows us how very little, and how stained we truly are, AND YET HE LOVES US. HE made a way for us! It is a time of opening our hearts to Him and hearing what He would have us lose in our lives as a sacrifice to Him. Now, I not all talking "I heard God telling me to go kill those people" type thing. And in the wake of the tragedies that have occurred recently I do not put that sentence in here lightly. I put it in here to be clear, that when you surrender your heart to God, truly surrender it completely, He does not ask you to do things that are outside His will (like those killing were). But He may ask you to do strange things... give all the food in your pantry to the local food bank (when you are unemployed and have little food, and no money coming in and kids to feed.) I know of a time he asked a very poor woman who had been gifted with a Starbucks barrista cappachino maker not to long ago, and told her to give it to one of the wealthiest men in church. (and no he wasn't single) He refused to take it and instead took it and (to honor what God said, And then handed it over to someone else to destroy it. Such worldly things do not make send to us now, but I know for a fact all those people involved have been blessed, both spiritually and financially (no they are not all rich, but they are doing better than they were) They had new beginnings.
Passover should be easy to understand, if you know the story of the exodus from Egypt. For the entire thing is about freedom! I love that time of year, as spring comes round, and you are looking at your life and you start to see who or what are the "Pharaohs" in your life. God usually starts His work in my on this one a few months in advance, sometimes it's how I talk to people, or sometimes its something like reading the word, or being a better wife. Sometimes its more physical like eating healthier or not smoking, or more spiritual, like praying to be less selfish (which by the way is a really hard one!)
Mathew 6:19-21 says :
19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
It is kind of the same thing isn't it? I wonder who or what rules over the presidents heart and mind? We read so much trash about him. Some true. Some not. When I think of all the babies murdered in womb every day it is very hard for me to look at this face and not hate it. But maybe that is my lesson for this new year. To learn how to love without prejudice. To pray with out condemnation. And understand that while I can still hold him morally accountable for his actions and have righteous anger, Maybe I should also be able to look at him, a little bit more like God looks at me when I come before him at Yom Kippur. Unworthy, full of filthy, but, if willing to surrender, always redeemable. Isn't that what new beginnings are all about?
So for this New Year, that is my resolution. to attempt to pray for him more, and show more grace. I am sure it will be a journey, and I am certain I will fail. And that is why I also am thankful for Grace!
HAPPY NEW YEAR FRIENDS!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Proverbs 31 woman
Proverbs 31:10-31
New International Version (NIV)
Epilogue: The Wife of Noble Character
10 [a]A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
14 She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
18 She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
19 In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
20 She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
22 She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
26 She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
27 She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
WoW. When I look at that, when I read that, when I even try to wrap my mind around one sentence of that I get overwhelmed. On a bad day I struggle with my fibromyalgia just getting out of bed and a shower is a bonus! It is on those days that images of these verses tear through my heart as I watch my husband come home from another long workday to no home cooked meal. But lately I am starting to realize, that God didn't mean for a woman to necessarily be all of these things all the time at one point in her life. She may have been all these things, but at different points in her life, what was important, and what was sustaining, and what was the focus, was that her eyes were always on The LORD. She praised Him, feared Him, raised her children to fear and love Him, and that was why the work of her hands were blessed. I think that is what I have lost sight of myself.
So I started to find ways to change that. One has been my health. There are many things I cannot change about it, but there are many things I can. Like quitting smoking, eating better, getting better diagnosis, fighting with Dr's for better treatments, researching alternative treatments and just plain not giving up and giving in (which I had).
Another is starting my make ahead meals. I am slowly changing over some of my family favorite recipies to healthier versions, and making them freezer friendly. This is not only helping with the having a hot meal ready issue, but it also might turn out to be a future income maker for me. I am not sure where God is taking me, but this is another adventure. There is one thing that is for sure, with Him it is always exciting, and you always end up better off than you were!
So I started to find ways to change that. One has been my health. There are many things I cannot change about it, but there are many things I can. Like quitting smoking, eating better, getting better diagnosis, fighting with Dr's for better treatments, researching alternative treatments and just plain not giving up and giving in (which I had).
Another is starting my make ahead meals. I am slowly changing over some of my family favorite recipies to healthier versions, and making them freezer friendly. This is not only helping with the having a hot meal ready issue, but it also might turn out to be a future income maker for me. I am not sure where God is taking me, but this is another adventure. There is one thing that is for sure, with Him it is always exciting, and you always end up better off than you were!
Monday, December 3, 2012
Please, give me something, to blog about!
So yeah, it has been forever since that first blog, and each month, then each year that I haven't posted another word I have felt more and more useless as a blogger. I just couldnt seem to get the hang of how it all worked and what should have been so easy to do (after all I type like 140 wpm or something like that) was taking hours upon hours to figure out! Well, there was that AND the fact that I simply had nothing worthwhile to say. Facebook allowed me to get all of my whiney B&Moaning out of my system so really, what was left?
I am thinking, what I could start doing is blog about some of the things I have been dabbeling in lately. I know everyone does that, and we are all oh-so-proud- of our back-to-our-roots movements (nothing is new under the sun!) but someone has to be! If it weren't for all of us these arts would die out, never to be heard from again (and let's be honest some of them should be)!
So my newest foray, besides the fact that I am still learning and broadening my sewing abilities, is into the world of coming up with workable freezer/slowcooker recipes for people (family and friends) who live around me and are much much to busy to surf the web, try them out and see if they work and adapt them as needed for thier families or lifestyles (I.e. vegan, gluten free, other allergens etc etc) So here I am, surging the net and trying to make heads or tails of it all and still come up with workable, easy meals that taste good and that my husband will eat. I am also trying to balance it out with making as much of it homemade as possible, yet knowing when and where to cut the corners. A great example here is my meatloaf recipe. I spent YEARS in search of the perfect meatloaf recipe and I am not exagerating one iota when I state that I have probably tried at somewhere between 30-50 different ones in my quest. I finally came upon what I feel is the perfect balance by pure chance and now, I will not change it even though... yes... it contains.... stove top stuffing. Yep. You read that right. I know, I know... But it MAKES the meatloaf. And if you do not believe me, try my recipe and you will agree. You really will.
Anywhoo... no promises, but my plan as of now is to try and post my successful freezer meals on here along with pics and recipes and shopping lists as I get them.
Lemme know if there is anything you would like me to try to work out.
xoxo
Jessica
I am thinking, what I could start doing is blog about some of the things I have been dabbeling in lately. I know everyone does that, and we are all oh-so-proud- of our back-to-our-roots movements (nothing is new under the sun!) but someone has to be! If it weren't for all of us these arts would die out, never to be heard from again (and let's be honest some of them should be)!
So my newest foray, besides the fact that I am still learning and broadening my sewing abilities, is into the world of coming up with workable freezer/slowcooker recipes for people (family and friends) who live around me and are much much to busy to surf the web, try them out and see if they work and adapt them as needed for thier families or lifestyles (I.e. vegan, gluten free, other allergens etc etc) So here I am, surging the net and trying to make heads or tails of it all and still come up with workable, easy meals that taste good and that my husband will eat. I am also trying to balance it out with making as much of it homemade as possible, yet knowing when and where to cut the corners. A great example here is my meatloaf recipe. I spent YEARS in search of the perfect meatloaf recipe and I am not exagerating one iota when I state that I have probably tried at somewhere between 30-50 different ones in my quest. I finally came upon what I feel is the perfect balance by pure chance and now, I will not change it even though... yes... it contains.... stove top stuffing. Yep. You read that right. I know, I know... But it MAKES the meatloaf. And if you do not believe me, try my recipe and you will agree. You really will.
Anywhoo... no promises, but my plan as of now is to try and post my successful freezer meals on here along with pics and recipes and shopping lists as I get them.
Lemme know if there is anything you would like me to try to work out.
xoxo
Jessica
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Living in the middle of Nowheresville!
So as most of you know, Jeff and I have undergone an "extreme home makeover" by the Lord! It all started about two and a half years ago when I started praying my husband would become the head of our home, and my husband started praying that God would heal his anger issues. I have often said, "It's a good thing, when we pray, that we don't know what it will cost to answer our prayer, or else we would never have the courage to ask for it!" This has never been more true than it was these past few years.
For those of you who have just recently caught back up with us and don't know all that happened in Idaho, I will try to give you the "readers digest" version to catch you up...
Jeff and I were married in 2002. He was not a christian, I was a wayward one and it was a disaster. While we cared for one another, neither of us knew what it meant to truly LOVE one another. We were entangled in our past hurts and experiances and didnt know how to move forward. In 2003 Jeff's company asked him to relocate to Boise Idaho. Needless to say I did NOT want to go! But we really had no choice and so we went. That first year was very lonely. I had no desire to go to church and thus met no one. Jeff worked all the time. We fought constantly. Then, as I was starting to realize that I desperately needed to find a church the most amazing thing happend. We moved and I met my very dear friend Ruthi who invited me to hers. I went with her and soon felt the Lord calling me back to him. After serious repenting and surrender I began to pray. My husband at this time was still not a christian and my going to church and changing so much was not making our marriage any easier. But the Lord was SO faithful!!! He began to change my heart as I prayed for the salvation of my husband and our marriage. I began to see how MY sin was keeping him from God, How MY sin was keeping him from me! As God began to transform my heart and reveal the Sin in MY life, I began to see my husband softening towards us both.
My wonderful church family gathered around me and loved me. Let me state that again. THEY LOVED ME... not because I was loveable, in fact I was everything BUT! It was through them that I began to see what REAL love for others was. Christ working through them showed me a beauty I have never know. How many times have you heard people talk about the hypocrisy of christians? How many times have YOU said it yourself? These people were by no means perfect. They were flawed and broken just like me... But there was something there I had never experianced before, they were so commited to following the Lord and submitting themselves to his will and loving others. They showed me what Grace means. As God began to change me, they gathered around me to pray for me. Pray for my marriage. Pray for Jeff.
Jeff accepted the Lord in November 2005 and was baptized in July of 2006. I have no doubt that it was the prayers of these dear people that created the Miracle that took place!
Over the next few years the culture of my marriage changed. For the first time Jeff and I really began to love one another. As we practiced grace with one another our marriage became better and better... and that leads me back to 2 and half years ago... and the prayers for leadership and removal of anger...
Jeff had been really... REALLY unhappy at his job for some time. He and I had discussed him finding a new position with another company. He promised to update his resume and find another job before quitting this one... Then one day he came home. He had lost his temper and quit his job. WITHOUT a new one... a few days later the economy crashed, HP, micron and other companies in Idaho let go of THOUSANDS of employees. Suddenly there were no jobs to be found. Even waiter/ess positions were getting 500+ aps from college educated adults! We lived off our saving for about a year, cut corners... Jeff got temp work but we couldnt keep food on the table. Eventually we were hitting foodbanks and calling around to see if we could get utility assistance. But we didnt qualify for help so we started selling off our possessions. I know it sounds horrible, and in some ways it was... but oh so much GOOD was there too! God was present through all of this and began to show Jeff how his Sin of not letting his anger go could affect our lives. My husband changed more in that first year than ever before and finally became the head of our household as I had always prayed!!! He also showed me how to let GO of control that wasnt MINE to possess. How to submit to my husband and hold him up.
As money ran out we realized we had to make a major change. Through a lot of prayer and tears we decided to move back to MN. We stayed with my parents for 3 and a half months. Jeff got offered a job with Homeland security only 4 weeks after moving back- he then went to San Diego for training for 2 months. Upon his return we moved to Newfolden MN. A little town about an hour south of the candian border and 60 minutes east of ND. This is smack dab in the middle of his territory so it is a good place.
Living in such a small community is new and scary and lonely and hard! 362 people is LESS people than in my graduating class in high school. WEIRD!!! The town motto as you drive in is " Newfolden, Minnesotas best kept secret!" lol! We are slowly getting used to it. Looking for a church, paying off bills and debt from our move. It is slow going, but I have every faith that God is with us. And I guess in the end that is all that matters!
For those of you who have just recently caught back up with us and don't know all that happened in Idaho, I will try to give you the "readers digest" version to catch you up...
Jeff and I were married in 2002. He was not a christian, I was a wayward one and it was a disaster. While we cared for one another, neither of us knew what it meant to truly LOVE one another. We were entangled in our past hurts and experiances and didnt know how to move forward. In 2003 Jeff's company asked him to relocate to Boise Idaho. Needless to say I did NOT want to go! But we really had no choice and so we went. That first year was very lonely. I had no desire to go to church and thus met no one. Jeff worked all the time. We fought constantly. Then, as I was starting to realize that I desperately needed to find a church the most amazing thing happend. We moved and I met my very dear friend Ruthi who invited me to hers. I went with her and soon felt the Lord calling me back to him. After serious repenting and surrender I began to pray. My husband at this time was still not a christian and my going to church and changing so much was not making our marriage any easier. But the Lord was SO faithful!!! He began to change my heart as I prayed for the salvation of my husband and our marriage. I began to see how MY sin was keeping him from God, How MY sin was keeping him from me! As God began to transform my heart and reveal the Sin in MY life, I began to see my husband softening towards us both.
My wonderful church family gathered around me and loved me. Let me state that again. THEY LOVED ME... not because I was loveable, in fact I was everything BUT! It was through them that I began to see what REAL love for others was. Christ working through them showed me a beauty I have never know. How many times have you heard people talk about the hypocrisy of christians? How many times have YOU said it yourself? These people were by no means perfect. They were flawed and broken just like me... But there was something there I had never experianced before, they were so commited to following the Lord and submitting themselves to his will and loving others. They showed me what Grace means. As God began to change me, they gathered around me to pray for me. Pray for my marriage. Pray for Jeff.
Jeff accepted the Lord in November 2005 and was baptized in July of 2006. I have no doubt that it was the prayers of these dear people that created the Miracle that took place!
Over the next few years the culture of my marriage changed. For the first time Jeff and I really began to love one another. As we practiced grace with one another our marriage became better and better... and that leads me back to 2 and half years ago... and the prayers for leadership and removal of anger...
Jeff had been really... REALLY unhappy at his job for some time. He and I had discussed him finding a new position with another company. He promised to update his resume and find another job before quitting this one... Then one day he came home. He had lost his temper and quit his job. WITHOUT a new one... a few days later the economy crashed, HP, micron and other companies in Idaho let go of THOUSANDS of employees. Suddenly there were no jobs to be found. Even waiter/ess positions were getting 500+ aps from college educated adults! We lived off our saving for about a year, cut corners... Jeff got temp work but we couldnt keep food on the table. Eventually we were hitting foodbanks and calling around to see if we could get utility assistance. But we didnt qualify for help so we started selling off our possessions. I know it sounds horrible, and in some ways it was... but oh so much GOOD was there too! God was present through all of this and began to show Jeff how his Sin of not letting his anger go could affect our lives. My husband changed more in that first year than ever before and finally became the head of our household as I had always prayed!!! He also showed me how to let GO of control that wasnt MINE to possess. How to submit to my husband and hold him up.
As money ran out we realized we had to make a major change. Through a lot of prayer and tears we decided to move back to MN. We stayed with my parents for 3 and a half months. Jeff got offered a job with Homeland security only 4 weeks after moving back- he then went to San Diego for training for 2 months. Upon his return we moved to Newfolden MN. A little town about an hour south of the candian border and 60 minutes east of ND. This is smack dab in the middle of his territory so it is a good place.
Living in such a small community is new and scary and lonely and hard! 362 people is LESS people than in my graduating class in high school. WEIRD!!! The town motto as you drive in is " Newfolden, Minnesotas best kept secret!" lol! We are slowly getting used to it. Looking for a church, paying off bills and debt from our move. It is slow going, but I have every faith that God is with us. And I guess in the end that is all that matters!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)