sMORGANsbord
God, hold us to that which drew us first,
when the cross was the attraction, and we wanted nothing else. ~ Amy Carmichael
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Trust me
Monday, April 25, 2011
Patrick
Sunday, April 10, 2011
He gives us beauty for ashes
Friday, April 1, 2011
Post-Mexico Thoughts
Thursday, March 3, 2011
More than a Starbucks life
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Distraction
1) Buy bird paper to make cards (thanks for the idea, Elle. Put a bird on it = art)
2) Come up with a running plan
3) Look for slightly-used running shoes online
4) Meet one on one with each high school girl going to Mexico in two weeks
5) Go on a personal retreat to spend time with the Lord seeking clarity and direction and vision for my life
6) Borrow Leah’s guitar
7) Buy tickets to a play or opera for Papa’s birthday weekend in San Francisco next week
8) Find leaves and/or sawdust for my smelly compost
9) Buy more herbs to grow indoors
10) Buy Na’s dining room table
11) Diligently look for a roommate
12) Practice Spanish. Take another class. Become an English tutor to someone Spanish-speaking. 13) Look for a job that doesn’t include keeping ridiculous hours (doctor’s office? School nurse? Health department?)
14) Stop being lazy and apathetic and get involved in ministering to the least of these. Homeless ministry? Volunteer at the Pregnancy Resource Center?
15) Explore creativity – make more writing goals, work on THE BOOK, paint things, take some djemba lessons
16) Finish the Candyland project for Austin
17) Finish making the aprons for Taylor, Sevan, and Lily – everyone loves belated Christmas presents
18) Send a care package to John-Michael and clan in Kaua’i
19) Look on half.com for SkippyJon Jones books for Elijah
20)Get a cat? Might as well fully embrace the stereotype. (Don't tell Amy or Kyla or they will talk me out of it)
21) Get a bike
22) Sign up for a half marathon. Look for a triathlon. Learn to swim.
23) Go to Disneyland with the sistahs and kiddos in October?
24) Europe next spring?
25) Entrepreneur ideas (I don’t want to spend the rest of my working life under florescent lights) – lay midwifery, doula, childbirth education…
26) Become a barista
27) Figure out things I haven’t done or seen in the Rogue Valley and then go do them slash see them
28) Develop my couchsurfing.com profile. Get another couch. Get a guest bed.
29) Buy a used camera and pretend to be a photographer
Send hand-written letters to all those people I’ve been meaning to send hand-written letters to.
Friday, February 25, 2011
A fulfilled life with unfulfilled desires
"God never witholds from His child that which His love and wisdom call good. God's refusals are always merciful -- "severe mercies" at times but mercies all the same. God never denies us our hearts desire except to give us something better." Elisabeth Elliot
And so the sifting process begins again. I'm not sure why I ever think it's through. God is ever refining and shaping me into the woman He created me to be. He could make my life easy and pain-free, but not if He's going to conform me to the image of His Son. I have this image of my broken, sliced open, and hemorrhaging heart. A band-aid would do me no good. Instead, the Lord's nail-scarred hand applies deep, breath-taking pressure. Oh how it hurts! But I know through this pain and discomfort will come ultimate healing. He wants to bind up my brokenheart in order to make me whole again. Rather, to make me whole for the first time.
I love the passages of scripture that compare us to trees planted by streams of water (Psalm 1:1-3; Isaiah 61:1-3). How I long to be like a tree, firmly rooted in Christ. Quenched by the water of the word, growing by the light of the Son. Steadfast and unshakable, despite the chaos around me, despite disappointment, despite heartache. Gazing always heavenward, eyes fixed upon Jesus, no matter if I stand in a forest or stand alone. Would that He was my only desire!