Don't Buy Stuff
Amy Sedaris- The Anti-Martha Stewart
The Story of Jonah
Because I'm studying Jonah right now and this little girl
Because I'm studying Jonah right now and this little girl
gives a stunning sermon
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
And on my iPod...
Worship music playing in my house, in my car and on my computer is a huge blessing to me. Soon those words are in my heart and on my lips.
I don't know about you but I need help. I am prone to wander. God reminds me often of what's true through the words of those songs. Here's what I've been playing:
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| Beautiful photo Jeff took of the Oregon coast at Netarts (completely unrelated to iPods or music) |
Worship music playing in my house, in my car and on my computer is a huge blessing to me. Soon those words are in my heart and on my lips.
I don't know about you but I need help. I am prone to wander. God reminds me often of what's true through the words of those songs. Here's what I've been playing:
Kristian Stanfill - Mountains Move
Especially this song - Day After Day
Chris Tomlin - And If Our God Is For Us
Especially this song - I Will Follow
How in the world does Chris Tomlin continue to produce worship music that is so anointed? What a gift!
*Fascinating sidenote: Did you know Chris was at Desert Chapel in Palm Springs? Oh yes he was! Not as the main act but as part of the sort of 'fill in' music for Rebecca St. James. (I can't think of what bands are called who don't 'headline' a concert but, you know, fill in. Google isn't helping me with this.) We were watching old video (2002) of the concert when we heard a familiar worship song, hit rewind and realized that was Chris Tomlin on the stage, right out in the DC football field (before it was a football field). Then we were laughing about how I was Rebecca St. James' body guard for that concert. Oh yes I was! Hey, I'm really not dull after all! Anyway...
Casting Crowns - Until The Whole World Hears
Especially this song - Glorious Day
"Our shame was deeper than the sea - Your grace is deeper still!"
What's on your iPod? What famous people have you seen? Do tell!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
On my nightstand
I just love a good book recommendation. So I thought I'd tell you what I'm reading right now and give a short review...
50 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe is a collection of short bios on people like Charles Spurgeon, AW Tozer, Fanny Crosby and Amy Carmichael. I always tell myself I'm going to read these people's biographies so this is the Reader's Digest way to do it! Very inspiring.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah This is the story of a 12 year old boy who gets swept up in the civil war in Sierra Leane. I haven't started it yet but have a feeling it will be hard to read and that I won't be able to put it down. (It's a young adult fiction book.)
Tea Time For The Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith This is book #10 in this series set in Botswana about a female detective named Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I love this series - the characters, the pace, the humor and the beautiful word pictures of another land. HBO has filmed Season 1 of the tv series and you really should check it out - literally. More on that in a minute.
Radical by David Platt. I know that you've already read this a year ago but I am still trying to get past the first chapter. I keep starting over.
Must. Read. This. Book.
Readers Digest, February 2011. My parents have given me a subscription for as long as I can remember. I love it because you can pick it up and read one article or story and then come back to it another time without getting lost. And I almost always learn something new.
Did you notice the theme for this issue?
50 People Every Christian Should Know by Warren Wiersbe is a collection of short bios on people like Charles Spurgeon, AW Tozer, Fanny Crosby and Amy Carmichael. I always tell myself I'm going to read these people's biographies so this is the Reader's Digest way to do it! Very inspiring.
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah This is the story of a 12 year old boy who gets swept up in the civil war in Sierra Leane. I haven't started it yet but have a feeling it will be hard to read and that I won't be able to put it down. (It's a young adult fiction book.)
Tea Time For The Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith This is book #10 in this series set in Botswana about a female detective named Precious Ramotswe of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. I love this series - the characters, the pace, the humor and the beautiful word pictures of another land. HBO has filmed Season 1 of the tv series and you really should check it out - literally. More on that in a minute.
Radical by David Platt. I know that you've already read this a year ago but I am still trying to get past the first chapter. I keep starting over.
Must. Read. This. Book.
Readers Digest, February 2011. My parents have given me a subscription for as long as I can remember. I love it because you can pick it up and read one article or story and then come back to it another time without getting lost. And I almost always learn something new.
Did you notice the theme for this issue?
Is this not the theme of every issue of every magazine in the world right now?
I got three of these books at the library.
I SO love the library! Do you?
There are definitely some books I want to own but I love being able to go online, search for a book or movie I've heard about, have it sent to my local branch and get an email when it's in! I am often jumping from a website or blog over to the library webpage to reserve a book. Very fun!
Wow.
It just occurred to me that lots of people write on their blogs about trips to foreign lands, home makeovers, personal triumphs... and I am sitting here in my reading glasses typing "Very fun!" about checking out books at the library. Suddenly I feel incredibly dull. Why are you still reading this?
What's on your nightstand right now?
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Sunday, January 16, 2011
I've been thinking
I've had this thought running through my head this week...
There have been several things in the news and in blogland that have reminded me this is true.
The Simple Wife, who blogs about her family, faith and living simply suffered a major stroke on Jan. 11th. She is 38 years old. Her husband and kids didn't expect this. One day, she was writing about roasting marshmallows with her girls and the next she is sedated in ICU with an uncertain future.
Another blogger, Edie at Life in Grace, lost her entire home to a house fire right before Christmas. One day they were getting ready for a wonderful holiday and suddenly, all they owned was gone.
My dad's friend Roy was found slumped on the floor of his apartment after suffering a heart attack - and Dad's meal partner won't ever sit with him again.
The tragedy in Arizona. Everyone who left to go to Safeway that morning probably never gave a thought that they wouldn't return home.
We're always shocked when someone we know dies. No one expects a stroke, a fire, a death. I don't want to live in fear but I also don't want to take what I have for granted either. It's a delicate, difficult balance for me.
I hate to be apart from any of my family. I don't like them traveling. I often think about parting words - and if they might be the last ones I'll get to say to someone I love. I can let my mind go all over the place making up outcomes for my kids that are NOT GOOD. I sometimes imagine terrible things happening and end up miserable. I'm not a huge worrier but this is something I do struggle with.
So... what am I to do?
I trust that my times are in His hands. That every day of my family's lives were written in His book of life before we were ever born.
Consider carefully the words I speak.
Take time often to look around and give God thanks for these moments He's given.
And keep working on my foundation - to know Him more and more.
There have been several things in the news and in blogland that have reminded me this is true.
The Simple Wife, who blogs about her family, faith and living simply suffered a major stroke on Jan. 11th. She is 38 years old. Her husband and kids didn't expect this. One day, she was writing about roasting marshmallows with her girls and the next she is sedated in ICU with an uncertain future.
Another blogger, Edie at Life in Grace, lost her entire home to a house fire right before Christmas. One day they were getting ready for a wonderful holiday and suddenly, all they owned was gone.
My dad's friend Roy was found slumped on the floor of his apartment after suffering a heart attack - and Dad's meal partner won't ever sit with him again.
The tragedy in Arizona. Everyone who left to go to Safeway that morning probably never gave a thought that they wouldn't return home.
We're always shocked when someone we know dies. No one expects a stroke, a fire, a death. I don't want to live in fear but I also don't want to take what I have for granted either. It's a delicate, difficult balance for me.
I hate to be apart from any of my family. I don't like them traveling. I often think about parting words - and if they might be the last ones I'll get to say to someone I love. I can let my mind go all over the place making up outcomes for my kids that are NOT GOOD. I sometimes imagine terrible things happening and end up miserable. I'm not a huge worrier but this is something I do struggle with.
So... what am I to do?
I trust that my times are in His hands. That every day of my family's lives were written in His book of life before we were ever born.
Consider carefully the words I speak.
Take time often to look around and give God thanks for these moments He's given.
And keep working on my foundation - to know Him more and more.
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| Photo: nytimes.com |
The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Matt 7:25
Truly He is my rock and my salvation;
He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
He is my fortress, I will not be shaken.
Psalm 62:6
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Waiting for the weather...
Isn't it funny when the weatherman predicts a winter storm and the whole city 'chains up' in preparation, only to have it be a false alarm? Portland was supposed to get snow and freezing rain tonight - at one point earlier in the week the forecast called for 6" of snow overnight. I found myself thinking I needed extra candles and maybe a large cannister of cocoa. Never mind that I have a cupboard full of candles and plenty of hot chocolate too. There's something about impending snowdrifts - even 6" ones - that causes my nesting instinct to shift into overdrive.
I love days when everything is cancelled and all there is to do is stay home and read. Unless, of course, I want to go somewhere. Or, heaven forbid, the power goes out. Then I get cranky. I am a spoiled brat.
I think of all the people on the east coast who are trying to get home, get to necessary medical appointments, or who don't have adequate heat. Or the residents of those cities in Australia whose homes and cars and businesses are being swept away in the flooding.
I have so much to be thankful for.
It's raining now outside. Our "weather event" hasn't materialized and probably won't.
Can you come over for a cup of cocoa?
I love days when everything is cancelled and all there is to do is stay home and read. Unless, of course, I want to go somewhere. Or, heaven forbid, the power goes out. Then I get cranky. I am a spoiled brat.
I think of all the people on the east coast who are trying to get home, get to necessary medical appointments, or who don't have adequate heat. Or the residents of those cities in Australia whose homes and cars and businesses are being swept away in the flooding.
I have so much to be thankful for.
It's raining now outside. Our "weather event" hasn't materialized and probably won't.
Can you come over for a cup of cocoa?
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Undecorating
I know. You took down your Christmas tree on the 26th and packed away all your decorations eons ago.
I am sloooowly getting it done.
The problem is, our tree is still fresh! It still smells wonderful and nary a needle has dropped. I'm not kidding! You'd think it was a living tree.
And the lights - I can hardly bear to see them go. I sit in the living room every morning for my quiet time and enjoy those white twinkling lights so much. I've been trying to think of some way to have white lights up in there year round but I think it would look pretty tacky to wind lights around the media console or string icicle lights along the edges of the room.
Stolen Borrowed from Google Images
I am sloooowly getting it done.
The problem is, our tree is still fresh! It still smells wonderful and nary a needle has dropped. I'm not kidding! You'd think it was a living tree.
And the lights - I can hardly bear to see them go. I sit in the living room every morning for my quiet time and enjoy those white twinkling lights so much. I've been trying to think of some way to have white lights up in there year round but I think it would look pretty tacky to wind lights around the media console or string icicle lights along the edges of the room.
Yeah, I guess not.
So today I'll finish it. I'm looking forward to getting rid of a few boxes worth of stuff that we don't put out any more. This was a helpful post in that regard.
We're all either savers or purgers. I am a purger. I love to clean out, sort and get rid of stuff. I am, however, married to a saver. So I may have to be sneaky.
We've purchased an ornament for the girls every year and labeled it, with the idea of giving it to them when they're out on their own. Looking back on these, I have a feeling they might not be appreciated. Some are now broken because we've used them each year (in hindsight, that probably wasn't a good idea). So I'll box them up and the girls can do with them whatever they want.
Sidenote: It's 9:34 am and I'm still in my bathrobe, spending too much time on this post and not getting any work done.
I sincerely hope, as a result of reading 'Have A Cup' today, that you feel much better about yourself! (You're all undecorated and I'm not! You're all dressed and I'm not.) You're welcome!
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