Free to great home

It's unfortunate, but true... Adelaide must go.

The good news is, she has to go because I'm getting married (which far outweighs the sadness of losing poor Adelaide) and my husband-to-be is very allergic.

So, this blog is really just a sales pitch.

I need to find a good home for Adelaide.

She is absolutely gorgeous. She is half Persian and half Main Coon (for pictures of cats like her, type in Main Coon on google). Basically she is a long haired beauty, almost two years old (in May), de-clawed, indoor, up to date on shots, and a wonderful pet and companion.

She causes me no trouble and is an absolutel joy. She is not necessarily a lap cat - at this point she would rather play (no need to buy toys - bags, boxes, q-tips, bottle caps, your fingers, etc can entertain her for hours), but she does love to cuddle in the morning and night (if you're available).

Let me know if you or someone you know would like her. :)

Bliss

This weekend was one of the best weekends of my life...

On top of an excellent slumber party with some high school friends and a great bridal shower for my cousin, Daryl and I promised to love each other our whole lives long!!!!!!

A.K.A. - WE GOT ENGAGED!

On Friday Daryl took me to this gorgeous restaurant called The Le Mont which over looks the three rivers and highlights the skyline beautifully! We had a wonderful meal together just enjoying each other’s company and then we went down to Market Square.

Out of God’s kindness to us, it was Light Up Night in Pittsburgh where they have a bunch of fun activities downtown and light up Christmas trees and put off fire works. We rode up this incline to Mt. Washington and walked out onto an overlook to watch the fireworks.

When the fire works ended our overlook emptied out all except one girl who I didn’t even notice! This too was God’s kindness towards us because not only were the other overlooks around us still packed with people, the girl was able to take our picture afterwards! (Hee hee)

Daryl began by sharing some things with me and then he got down on one knee, took my hand in his and asked if I would marry him! I of course said yes and wow – the ring is beautiful! I feel prettier all the time!

But I don’t just love being engaged because I have a cool ring, I love being engaged because it makes our love for each other and our commitment to each other public and obvious. I literally have a seal of his love for me, much like I have the Holy Spirit as a seal of God’s love for me.

Pretty amazing how the love between a man and a woman can mirror the love between Christ and the church – and how I have already learned so much about God’s love for me through my relationship with Daryl. It is Christ in him that has so much captivated my heart and I can’t believe God’s kindness towards me in sending me a man who loves me so well and who I want to love so well, always. He is such a gift and I hope you all can meet him soon if you haven’t!

Thank you for sharing in our excitement with us!

More to come…

Unraveled...

I don't get to watch TV too often, but this week I've gotten more than my fair share!

I was home the other night and joined my roommates for Inside Edition where we heard about all the stars who were divorcing, jealous, or in rehab - all of which made my heart really hurt for them. The show quickly moved into describing the latest fashion at the CMA awards and the prices of some of the girls dresses, enough to feed small countries for years - literally.

Then I went to the gym and they of course hang TV's above all the elliptical machines because thinking is apparently a dangerous thing. Although I had my ipod in my ears, I was distracted by the images that flashed above me. Victoria Secret displayed soft porn in front of me while I prayed that Daryl and my friends husband wouldn't happen to walk over right then, and the other screen showed Nicolas Cage being held at gun point, and the other one a lesbian encounter. All on just regular TV at 9pm.

I confess that I don't typically watch TV so I may be more shellshocked than most, but 2 Corinthians 4:20 says, "Brothers, stop thinking like children. In regards to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults."

While trying to put my finger on why the things I was viewing bothered me so much Daryl made a wise comment, "It's because everything in your Spirit is contrary to what you were watching."

Christ has come to give us hope and life - not death and despair. Christ has given us love and peace - not immorality, jealousy and violence.

Interesting that Satan has come up with such deceiving counterparts to what Christ really has to offer.

As I completed my work outI honestly wondered if media would be the demise of the world and the demise of my children, should I ever be blessed with them.

But this is the encouragement I received from the one who is all together faithful...

Galatians 1:3-4, "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father..."

And 2 Peter 1:3-4, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

He will rescue. Praise Him!

Lions, and tigers, and bears - OH MY!

Last week Daryl and I got the chance to go to Hovatter's Zoo in Kingwood. If you haven't been there, I would highly suggest it. It brings me much joy, and fortunately, Daryl loved it too!



Told yah...

Anyways, last week a bunch of us were talking about memorizing Scripture and how Ephesians 6 lists "the sword of the Spirit" (the Bible) as our one offensive weapon. In youth group that night I shared a story about a man who killed a lion that had attacked him with his sheath knife. Had he not had the knife, or had the knife not been sharp, it would have been all over for him.

In the same way, when I don't have the word of God in an attack, ready to fire, I can get mauled, or tangled up in the devils claws and teeth. 1 Peter 5:8 calls the devil a "roaring lion seeking whom he may devour."

It was cool to go to the zoo the next day and watch these lions. They are so massive and muscular and scary. They are not nice. They are not house cats. They are mean and they will eat you.



Satan is looking for who he can devour. We don't want to just scare him off, we want to wound him. Have your sword ready.

Keyless

Daryl went out of town this week for a conference and oddly enough both sets of my car keys are with him, under the passengers seat of his car.

Who does that?

This just serves as another obvious sign that I need to do better at keeping order in my life, which requires some slowing down.

I didn't know that they they were in his car until yesterday so I spent Sunday night into early Monday morning searching. When I realized that all hopes of finding them in my home were gone, I decided to sleep in, cancel my 11am meeting that I had scheduled on my day off and...continue to sleep.

I got up around 12:30 which is craziness for me, watched Family Feud, prayed, journaled, read, and prayed some more...

I haven't felt so good in months!

Some times less stuff means less stress. It was one of the most relaxing days I have ever spent.

Oh how I appreciate the sovereignty of God. Truely.

Back from the dead

Okay, so I most certainly haven't been dead, but maybe that got your attention!

This morning I was up working fairly early for me. There was a CD playing in the background and the singers were singing about being all happy in love with God.

I wasn't necessarily all "happy in love," but I was extremely delighted when God reminded me that love isn't "a feeling of ecstacy" or "overwhelming excitement about someone" (although these feelings are often associated with love).

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

The two greatest commandest are to love God and love others. I wish I always had the ooey gooey feeling towards God and others, but the truth is sometimes I don't have that ooey gooey feeling. Sometimes I just have to choose to love the way 1 Corinthians says to and that's okay. Sometimes I have to choose to tell Him that I love Him. Choose to hug a friend. Choose to sit and read His Word. Choose to listen to others. Choose to sing. Choose to smile. Choose to raise my hands and delight in Him. Choose to serve the desires of others rather than my own. Choose to obey. Choose to submit.

I choose because "the law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. By them is your servant warned; in keeping them is GREAT reward." Prsalm 19:7-11.

Organic Milk Tastes...

Different.

That's what we discovered today around the lunch table. How organic milk is different from regular milk, I'm unsure, but it must be, because it tasted so.

Such a difference reminded me of the difference that is supposed to be seen in my life. If I'm living out of my intimate relationship with God through Christ, there should be a noticeable difference in me, just like there was a noticeable difference in my milk today.

And that difference should be love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.

I'll have to be more careful not to dilute myself with busy-ness and to do lists, but rather to sit and know God. I want to taste different too, and I can, by His power.

The Ultimate

My last post was from March 2006, so to state the obvious, perhaps I'm not so great at blogging!

But this morning as I was studying to teach some middle school students what it means to have eternal life, I was overwhelmed at what God so kindly revealed to me, and I have to share it.

John 17:3 says, "This is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

The word "know" means "to associate oneself in an intimate relationship."

Knowing God doesn't mean knowing all about Him or even doing the things we think or know He would like us to do. Knowing God means being in an intimate, personal relationship with Him - pouring out our hearts to Him and living life with Him.

How do we get there?

God out of His kindness draws us to Himself through Christ Jesus and overcomes our natural desire to hate and deny Him. He removes blinders from our eyes to see Him as He really is, and when that happens, whether it's through His Word or a person, we are overwhelmed with how wonderful He is, and how much He loves us, and cannot help but desire to submit to His goodness.

Our motive for this eternal life is not to avoid Hell (which we hear is bad), or to get to enjoy certain pleasures. Our motive for eternal life is to enjoy God.

In eternal life (which begins the moment we believe God) we do receive blessing upon blessing - gifts and wonderful relationships with others. But the things those who know God and have eternal life love about those gifts and relationships is what we see of God in them.

How I pray He will open my eyes to His glory and goodness more and more and that I will know and therefore love Him above all else.

"Continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 3:18