Pondering Homelessness...

As some fellow church members have been really getting involved in local homeless ministries, I have really been considering this huge need. I have been so convicted about how critical I can be when I see a homeless person. I dare to think, "Is he really homeless? Is he just faking it?" or worse, I may see someone and be really burdened and not do anything. So often, I do not even pray.

There are over 10,000 homeless people in Louisville each year. You can read about it here. I hope to share some more things we are learning about ways to get involved. For now, I long for grace to start opening my eyes and heart to see and love them.

The Gospel is for so many more people than just middle-class "safe and white" Americans.

Ratatouille

Anyone else like the movie Ratatouille?
We really enjoyed it!

Now, I'm curious what the dish made popular by the movie tastes like?
I'm hoping to find out soon. It's a peasant dish, right, so maybe it will fit within the tight seminary budget. :)
Go here to find the recipe. Makes me kind of wish I already had a houseful of older kids who were in love with the movie to come over and make it with me. How fun would that be!

Yippee!!

Everything's Happened On Schedule

We were listening to some old cd's this weekend, and I was reminded just how good these lyrics are from Caedmon's Call. I'm sure many of you know this song. I thought it was also a good one to write out on a note card and keep on my desk at work. I think it's good to be reminded that God is Sovereign over the details as well as the big stuff.

Well this day's been crazy
But everything's happened on schedule
from the rain and the cold
To the drink that I spilled on my shirt
'Cause You knew how You'd save me
before I fell dead in the garden
And You knew this day
long before You made me out of dirt

Hospitality Tips

Hospitality Tips from Purple Cellar...

Less Overwhelmed!

They are closing school early due to a coming ice storm. Yippee!
Do pray for safety... but man, am I excited about some extra time at home.
Thank you, Lord!!!!

Overwhelmed?

Although many moons have passed since our college graduations, our lives are still revolving around the academic calender. For Dustin, it is the semester schedule, and for me, life revolves around 4 intense quarters and a glorious summer. There seems to always be that point in the semester where things get busy, and I feel overwhelmed. I remember this time last year... the 3rd quarter... Dustin's getting into the thick of his semester. It's cold outside. I'm not winning my "night fights" and thus "morning fights" are harder. Starting to run late to school. Impersonal and posted-for-all-to-see blogs are not necessarily the place to dump out emotions or sin, in my opinion, so I'll hurry to my point. :)

Long story short though... several things have greatly encouraged me. My husband, my small women's group at church and dear friends have provided a place where confession of sin and honesty about struggles can create authentic fellowship resulting in genuine encouragement in the Gospel. Gospel Hope.
Speaking of... I'd like to point you to a resource about feeling overwhelmed. Maybe it will be of some help to you. I plan on printing it and keeping it on my desk at work.

Here is an excerpt from this resource:

Feeling overwhelmed is often a sign that we’re
trying in our own strength to do what He’s called us to do. We will never succeed with mere
physical and mental stamina. We desperately need His grace and the power of the Holy
Spirit. He has made us to need Him. If appropriate, repent of pride and declare your complete
dependence on Jesus. Tell yourself the gospel in detail.

Love

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

There's No Day Like a Snow Day!!!

Woohoo!!

Oh the weather outside is frightful...

Okay, I realize this is post #3. I'm not getting addicted, but give me a break. It's starting to pour down snow! I hurried home from my Monday grocery run, Dustin is in class most of the evening except for a quick dinner, and I am determined not to go anywhere. I thought about doing laundry today, but the one house task that is hardest for me to do is laundry when it snows. When it snows, you feel so weird, bundling up with your "recess coat" and trying to hold all of your stuff and slosh down the stairs, up the hill and to the basement of the nearby missionary house where our apartment complex does laundry. Usually when it is snowing, they are all full, because others are trying to get done before even bigger snow storms, so you have to slosh back with nothing to show for it. This time, I decided we can wait. It's just now worth the hassle. =)

Brr!! It's currently 21 degrees here and it feels like 12. Everyone at school is hoping for a snow day, but I have learned NOT to get my hopes up, because our school never closes. Hence, I remain the school's eternal pessimist (realist, I say) when it comes to wishing for school delays or closings. We haven't had one since I've been here. We'll see...

Since I have a free night ahead of me and I'm already in my jammies and warm socks and ready for MORE cocoa (yea for an evening of reading, grading and catching up on phone calls), I will go ahead and post some pictures I took today.



**Check out the picture on the last post, too!
(The door mat picture was taken right when I got home. NOW, just 30 minutes later, my car is already completely covered in snow.)

Encouraging Your Husband

I know, I know... Valentine's Day is way commericialized, overdone, cheesy, etc.

As a 5th grade teacher, however, you can't escape the holiday. You still even get to decorate a box and get lots of candy and little cards that say things like, "You're tops, Teacher". (The downside is having to break up the flirting, shoogie-doogie, as we called it at camp...)

I've been scheming up ways to surprise and encourage my husband, like planning a special meal, for example.

One thing that I found seemed especially share-worthy this. I haven't read all of it yet, just skimmed, but I trust the author. If you don't use each day, you can at least glean some ideas.

There are also ideas here at GirlTalk.

Speaking of, I have something I want to share in praise of my sweet husband. He often volunteers to help me with school tasks, spending random "date nights" up here on Fridays (about once a month) until about 7 before we head to dinner. This is a tremendous help, because together we get so many things done. He sacrificially does this so I can enjoy the weekend, get things done at home and come up for air if I feel like I'm drowning in paperwork! I can't thank him enough. He's a huge part of the reason that my job is going so smoothly these days. He even brings Dr. Pepper and chocolate!! Terrific, huh?

So this past Friday, I was especially behind with being sick. Super Dustin came to save the day, DP and chocolate in hand, and completely finished my Valentine's Bulletin Board while I graded, and it turned out great! I snapped a picture to share.

Conference period, Cocoa and Counsel Received

Sipping my cocoa (It's cold today!!) and getting geared up to attack some papers with my red pen...

This post will be reserved for fuller explanation on a different day, but I wanted to share one thing.

I have had the privilege of being mentored and discipled by a godly woman at our church. Meeting often and "doing life together" in many ways has been a tremendous source of growth over the last year or so. One valuable tidbit she shared with me quite awhile back was how much she had been blessed when she designated her Monday time with the Lord to review the sermon from Sunday.

Along with my goals to read biographies, this became a desire of mine as I started the new year, and after a few weeks in, I can't recommend it to you highly enough.

Skip your normal routine every Monday and focus on reviewing, meditating upon, applying, praying about, rereading the passage from and being sanctified by looking over your notes from the sermon.

For example, the 2 overaraching themes from yesterday's sermon over Luke 18:9-14 were
A. The dangerous deception of spiritual pride
B. The necessity of spiritual humility
and it was such a blessing to start the week meditating on all of my notes.

I have spent years, decades of them, having many sermons go in one ear and out the other. I'm serious. I often couldn't remember them past lunch unless we talked about them in depth! This is such a great way to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord... not to mention to start your week off thankful for the Gospel and ready to share it and live it.

So... I'm grateful for this advice and example. So grateful that I heartily pass it on to you... however, some of you probably already do this. In what ways has it blessed you to review the sermons you hear?

P.S. I got my sweet Dustin sick. :( Guess us married folk share everything! Pray that he is feeling better soon and can catch up in his reading. Even missing a few days of study can be very challenging...

Biography #2

Well, I finished the biography of Elizabeth Prentiss. I am glad to have been able to read her novel (Stepping Heavenward) and then her biography, which together gave me a good picture of this woman and her story.

I decided to make tangible New Year's Resolutions this year. Goals challenging enough to stretch me, but also realistic enough to keep! One of mine was to read 4 biographies this year.

The second one I am picking up is an autobiography of a lady you have probably heard of before, Joni Eareckson Tada. I've heard her story my whole life, but I have never read her books or seen the Billy Graham movie on her life. I was curious.

Being home sick 2 days this week has provided time to rest and recover, as well as grade papers... and read. I knocked out 5 chapters of my new book yesterday. It is written so well. You find yourself wondering how on earth you would react if you went from "normal" to a a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, unable to use your hands. I went to sleep thinking about this. She opens the book with a helpful reminder,

Oscar Wilde wrote: "In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it." To rephrase his thought, I suggest there are likewise only two joys. One is having God answer all your prayers; the other is not receiving the answer to all your prayers. I believe this because I have found God knows my needs infinitely better than I know them. And He is utterly dependable, no matter which direction our circumstances take us.

- Joni

I'll have to tell you about the rest of the book soon. It's rather addicting. I think I'll be done soon...

30 Crockpot Recipes

Hola!
To those who submitted recipes or asked for the mail-out of recipes, I just wanted to give you a quick update. I'm a little under the weather today, but they are almost ready. Be watching your e-mail in the next day or two. They look really yummy.

We had a wonderful weekend in Texas. Thanks for praying. The Gospel message was proclaimed and clear. Seeds were planted.

Just trying to recover now and get back in the swing of things, despite being a little sick.

So... the crockpot recipes are coming your way soon! :)