asking that you may be filled with knowledge of His will
in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord,
fully pleasing to Him,
bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God.
May you be strengthened with all power,
according to his glorious might,
for all endurance with patience and joy,
giving thanks to the Father,
who has qualified you to share in the inheritance
of the saints in light.
He has delivered us from the domain of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of His Beloved Son,
in whom we have redemption,
the forgiveness of sins."
~Apostle Paul
Colossians 1:9-13
Hallelujah!!
May the beauty and profound truth in these verses find rest in the inmost chambers of your heart today that you may have endurance with patience and joy in all the you encounter. If you have a personal relationship with Christ, remember that you are no longer under the domain of darkness but share in His kingdom! We have been redeemed and forgiven!
Strength, peace, joy and fruitfulness be yours today in the name of our blessed Redeemer and Lord!
In my brief two months as a blogger, I have come to appreciate the community that blogging creates and the wealth of information, ideas and encouragement that dwells within it.
For those of you that know me, you will smile when I say that I am in over my head. My motto has always been, 'go big or go home' and blogging is no exception. This particular blog has been a great blessing for me (and others I pray) as I have been able to share through writing what God is teaching my wayward heart. For this I am deeply grateful and I am looking forward to what God has in store for this humble blog.
I have now started a second blog entitled 4years4months. (I thought choosing the names for my children was difficult--at least I didn't have a computer telling me the names we liked weren't available!) My four children all arrived within four years and four months, hence the inspiration for the title. My life is chaos. To be a fly on the wall in my home would require a good pair of sound muffling head phones and a lot of popcorn. I created 4years4months to be a place that I can share practical things about my everyday life as a mom, home schooler and circus master. I look forward to sharing the creativity that evolves out of our chaos, new or interesting recipes (which really is a relative term in my world), crafts, teaching aides and any other random ideas that may stroll through my messy brain throughout the day.
I can't thank you all enough for supporting me in this new venture. The comments and support that I have gotten have been overwhelming at best and I am humbled by your admiration and support.
Thank you and happy reading!
<><tce
I am a Bible writer. Not as in I helped write the Bible, but rather I write all over in my Bible. I underline, jot notes in the margin and date verses that speak to my heart in times of trouble or discouragement. As I was spending time with God this morning, I came across something I wrote regarding some verses in Colossians during a very dark time following my brother's death. My brother's death came just six weeks after my time in the hospital that I shared in the previous post. I was on strict bed rest and had to lay completely flat for the duration of my pregnancy. I spent my days completely alone as friends cared for my other children and my husband worked. Through this solitary time of nothingness, God ministered to my heart. I despised my bed rest. I went from being a very active and involved mother of three to a pregnant, inactive mother of one (I felt anyway). Then, only six weeks into my 'sentence', my brother tragically passed. There were many that pitied me and wondered why God would allow those two events to overlap. I too wondered, but as time went by, I knew exactly why God allowed these two things to happen together and I became extremely grateful for it. I had a lot of time to be literally 'be still and know that He was God' (Psalm 46:10) and during this time I started to write. I would send out update e-mails weekly and they were more of me sharing what God taught my anxious heart through my quiet days. The anger following my brother's death would have swallowed me whole had I not had the time to process it in the light of God's Word. As a busy mom, it is easy to forfeit that time with God for the sake of laundry, family or an extra 15 minutes of sleep. As I began to spend time faithfully in God's Word, He faithfully met me there and not only used it to encourage me, but to encourage others in their journeys as well.
"Continue steadfastly in prayer,
being watchful in it with thanksgiving.
At the same time, pray also for us,
that God may open a door for the Word,
to declare the mystery of Christ,
on account of which I am in prison--
that I [Paul] would make it clear,
which is how I ought to speak."
Colossians 4:2-4
Paul was in prison. This was not a prison with cable TV, three daily meals and outdoor exercise time. Undoubtedly, this was prison in a damp, dark concrete hole filled with mice, odor and other prisoners. Paul was there undeservedly. Many of his letters were written during his times of imprisonment. As I read this, my heart felt imprisoned to my situation. I felt trapped and limited in my ability and the loneliness about drove me out of my mind. I read this and realized that Paul knew those things well. So many times, it is easy to get hung up on the fact that we don't deserve the pain we are going through and therefore should not have to endure it. We become bitter and angry with God and as a result, we have little to no positive impact on others and we become more and more consumed in our pain. Paul did not deserve the meager rations of rotten food, the beatings, and the mistreatment that accompanied the undeserved imprisonment. But his response was vastly different than many of our responses as we face the fire. He was not asking for prayer in regards to his release or for his plight to be seen and heard, but rather for a greater opportunity to share the Truth of Christ in the midst of his imprisonment.
Where are you today? What is your story? What is God teaching you through the journey you are on? I undoubtedly believe that there is someone longing for encouragement if you would only be willing to step outside of yourself, examine how God is loving you in the midst of this fire and share that truth with someone else. It is often through the fire that we experience the most intimate fellowship with God and others. It is time for Christians to start sharing their stories and sharing the Truth of God's Word through them.
With this said, there is a story of a blessed family that I would like to share with you. I asked for permission to post these links and they graciously said I could. I grew up with Holly and have known her since I was a small child. God has really been challenging them as you will see, but I pray that you will also see how God's grace and presence is woven through the fibers of their pain and trials.
I pray that their story, my story and mostly the Word of God, would not only meet you in your fire but would spur you on to share the love of Christ with someone else in need.
Look around you.
I see my eight year old daughter assembling a puzzle at the table.
I hear the soft breathing of my youngest through the baby monitor.
I see rolls of carpet that represents a lot of money spent in hopes of home improvement.
My dog is curled up on the floor at my feet.
In a moment, any one of those things could be gone.
The soft breathing could stop, the carpet could burn and the dog could meet his fate while challenging the snow plow as he often does.
I challenge you to look around and find something that is not temporary, something that you can hold onto forever, something that is not at the mercy of the temporary nature of this earth.
February 13, 2004, while 20 weeks pregnant with our last child, our only son, I stared death in the face for the first time. The doctor made no guarantees and my husband and I waited in angst to hear if our unborn baby was going to live or die.
During this time of turmoil, these dark hours, God met me there. I scoured the pages of my Bible, feverishly searching for a story that would promise me a favorable ending. The thought of putting this precious life into the ground was something I couldn't even bear. I needed to KNOW that God would not require that of me. After hours of searching and nurses telling me I needed to rest, I slammed my Bible closed. I looked toward heaven and reminded God of my faithful service and reprimanded Him for His failure to meet me in my anguish. How dare He turn His back on me in my darkest hour. How dare He walk me through this fire. I didn't deserve this.
Sweetly. Quietly. Undeservedly. His voice spoke truth to my angry and fearful heart. The verse is tucked away in the middle of the tenth chapter of Hebrews and reads like this: "Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23 Although these weren't the words my weary soul wanted, they were the words my weary soul needed. Although everything around me seemed to be crumbling, the confession of hope had not been moved simply because the Promiser had not been moved.
In those quiet moments in that dark and solitary hospital room, God quietly spoke truth and peace to the inmost chambers of my heart. "Tiffany, you search for a promise that you will be spared from this trial, but that is not what I will give. What I do promise is that I am faithful. I am faithful in life and I am faithful in death. I am faithful in sickness and I am faithful in health. I am faithful in all things and at all times. I am faithful when your spouse hurts you. I am faithful when the Doctor fails you. I am faithful. When it is there that your hope is found, you will not be shaken. Though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, you will not be moved because I am faithful."
For those that know the ending and for those that don't, I will say that my baby was spared. For now anyway. He too is a temporal being, under the curse of death as is every other living thing on earth. He is dying just as I am dying. His days are numbered just as my days are numbered.
God's Word commands us to "set our hearts on things above and not on things of this earth" (Colossians 3:2)for the simple reason that everything on earth is subject to the temporal nature of this earth. When our hearts find our fulfillment, completion and hope in people or things of this earth, we find ourselves in a dangerous place. People will fail, things will break and living things will die. If our everything is summed up in these things, there will come a day when you will stand before a coffin or hospital bed and watch everything you live for slip through your fingers. You will find your hope snuffed out and your heart angry. BUT, when the first affections of our hearts are given to Christ, everything else becomes a blessed detail. While those blessed details fill our lives with beauty, we recognize that they themselves are not the source of the beauty. Just as Abraham held loosely to the life of his beloved and promised son (Genesis 22, Hebrews 11) we too must hold loosely to the things our hearts are inclined to worship. When we fail to do so, we become slaves to the temporary. We live our lives in fear of the unknown. We fear the possibility of evil, infidelity, financial ruin, disease and death. The temporary idols of this world become shackles around our hands and feet and imprison us to fear. God has come that we may have hope. God's Word says that in this life we will have trouble (John 16) but He goes on to remind us that He has overcome the world. He overcome death and disease and while he has not promised a painless existence with no 'unfair' suffering, He has promised to be faithful.
When all is said and done that alone remains. That alone is enough.
<><tce
I told you in my last post that I would post the cheesecake recipe as well as the lemon curd topping that I made to go with it. I also have something that I would like you to hold me accountable for *gulp* but I will share that after the recipe. First thing's first....
*Side note: This is a recipe for an authentic cheesecake. If you are looking for something cheap and easy this would not be the recipe for you. If you are looking for something that is comparable or better than the Cheesecake Factory, this is it.
Philadelphia New York Cheesecake
1 individual package honey grahams, crushed (I use my food processor) 1 C (I use about 1 1/3C), plus 3 TBS sugar, divided 3TBS butter melted 5 -8oz pkg. cream cheese, softened (it is BEST to do this by letting them sit on your counter top. It is really tricky to do this in the microwave without them getting clumpy) 3 TBSP flour 1TBS vanilla (I always use a little more and I use vanilla bean paste--noticeably better but equally more expensive) 1 C sour cream 4 eggs topping of choice (lemon curd recommended :)
1.) Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare spring form pan. Mix crumbs, melted butter and 3TBS sugar; press into pan. Bake 10 minutes. 2.) Beat cream cheese, remaining sugar, flour and vanilla in mixer until blended. Add sour cream, mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, on low speed just until blended. Pour over hot crust. Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set (it will be golden to dark brown, raised and appear cracked. This is normal.) 3.) After pulling it from the oven, allow to cool completely on the counter top. Release the buckle on the side of the pan and allow the cake to set a bit longer. Carefully (use a butter knife to release the edges if needed) remove the outer edge of the pan. Top with desired topping and enjoy!
Microwave Lemon Curd from allrecipes.com
1 cup white sugar 3 eggs 1 cup fresh lemon juice 3 lemons, zested (I typically just use 1 or 2 depending on the price of the lemons) 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until smooth. Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest and butter. Cook in the microwave for one minute intervals, stirring after each minute until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from the microwave, and pour into small sterile jars. Store for up to three weeks in the refrigerator.
Ok friends...
Here is the challenge...
I love to read. I think there is much to be learned from one another and the stories we share through our writing (hence the reason I blog). However, if you are anything like me, by the time I get the kids to bed, finish any topical house cleaning and clear a place to sit, I am almost completely out of steam. I often try to pick up a book but after reading the same paragraph about three times, I usually admit defeat, shut the book and turn out the lights. As a result, I have been reading the same books for years! I am determined that will change in 2011. I have no idea how many of you are out there and reading this, but I am going to say this anyway. My goal this year is to read a book every month and at the end of each month I will write my 'book report' and share it with you, what I learned and if the book will go on my 'To Recommend' list or into the trash. I will tell you the book ahead of time so if you are interested in taking my challenge you can read along too and provide your feedback. I like to switch up my reading a little bit, just so you know. I love to read books about theology, marriage, parenting and Christ as well as novels and pleasure reading. If you know of something that would be worth my time, please share!
Anyway, thanks for taking the challenge and holding me accountable. I just started reading The Pursuit of God by A.W. Tozer. So far, it has been pretty easy reading and I am looking forward to the encouragement and challenge that exists within it's paragraphs and pages.
My beloved turned 30 yesterday. I was hoping to do something special for him, but considering the fact that our house is in major renovation mode, it would have been impossible to do anything here. After giving it a lot of thought, I asked some of our sweet friends what they thought about the idea of hosting a surprise party at their house in my husband's honor. They readily agreed. Thus, the secret party planning madness began.
The evites went out (Side note: evite.com is a FABULOUS way to send invitations! It's a great and trustworthy program on-line that makes RSVP easy, lets you know who has even viewed the invite as well as saves lots on postage. Check it out! ), the plans started coming together. His parents drove six hours to share the special night as well as his brother, which made it really special. I planned the menu, cooked nine pounds of spaghetti, enough sauce to fill a small swimming pool and enough salad to feed both teams competing in the Super Bowl. I crossed my fingers that no one would slip the secret and baked 4 Midnight Bliss Chocolate Cakes with chocolate glaze, 1 cheesecake with lemon curd as well as 48 cupcakes (recipes below).
After scheming and planning, I was able to deliver my Beloved to the specified location at the specified time. Once he heard "SURPRISE!" he removed his blindfold (which he was not happy about wearing by the way, but I kind of enjoyed his agony ;). He had no idea and was completely shocked by the amount of people that came to share his night. For fun, I threw in an 80's theme. The ratted hair, the bad denim wash and the neon colors just added to the fun (J and I changed upon arriving).
As he and I talked about it on the way home, we were blown away by the people that love us and those at the party were just a sample of that. Although we don't live near family, we have friends that have become family to us. They support, challenge and pray for us as we raise our kids, walk through marriage and just live life. They have served as a concrete reminder that although something may be absent (in our case, family that lives nearby), God will never let His people lack that which they really need.
'And my God will supply every need of yours
according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father be glory forever and ever.
Amen.'
Philippians 4:19,20
'A friend loves at all times
and a brother is born in adversity.'
Proverbs 17:17
"No longer do I call you servants,
for the servant does not know what the master is doing;
but I have called you friends,
for all that I have heard from my Father,
I have made known to you."
~Jesus Christ
John 15:15
Here are the recipes for the yummy treats!
Baker's Midnight Bliss Chocolate Cake
4 eggs
1 pkg. (2-layer size) chocolate cake mix, any kind
1 container (8 oz.) BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
1/2 cup MAXWELL HOUSE INTERNATIONAL CAFÉ, any café flavor (you can use any brand/flavor coffee. I use International Cafe Suisse Mocha caffeine free and sugar free)
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup water
1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, chopped (I omit this and use the chocolate glaze on top instead)
2 Tbsp. powdered sugar (Again, I omit this and use the glaze on top)
PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan; set aside.
BEAT all ingredients except chopped chocolate and powdered sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed just until moistened, stopping frequently to scrape side of bowl. Beat on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Stir in chopped chocolate. Spoon into prepared pan.
BAKE 50 min. to 1 hour or until wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 min. Loosen cake from side of pan with metal spatula or knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.
Satin Chocolate Glaze
from allrecipes.com
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I don't care for semi-sweet so I use milk chocolate--yummy!)
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
*I also use a dash of milk. I found it to be clumpy without it. You can add it right away or wait until the end and add until desired consistency
Due to other responsibilities I have waiting for me, I will post the other recipes as well as pictures of the party at a later time.
he [Jesus Christ] departed and went out to a desolate place,
and there he prayed."
Mark 1:35
I don't know about you, but I love to sleep. Often, this creates a bit of a conundrum, especially in the dark, cold, winter mornings. It is not unusual for me to lie in bed and between my nine minute snooze sessions, rationalize why it is ultimately to my benefit to linger in the sanctuary of my bed.
As we take a moment to look at the example of Jesus Christ, we see him rising while it is yet night and intentionally meeting God in a desolate place to pray. Initially it is easy to think, "well, He is after all God--of course He would rise early to pray...." when in reality, the Bible says that He was in every way tempted as we are (Hebrews 4:15), yet He remained sinless. I am certain that after pulling those long nights of teaching, healing and shepherding (is that even a word?) that the morning came all too quickly at times. Let's not forget that although He was in every way God (Philippians. 2:6-8), He was still confined to the agonies of a human body. A body that undoubtedly begged for a nine minute snooze...just one more time...before the pressures of the day stared Him in the eye.
As I was reading this, it struck me a different way this time. The verse itself is referring to darkness as it relates to the time of day. I believe that it can also mean darkness of sadness, grief or weariness. Often times, we wait for God to pull us from our pit first, then worship and pursuit follow. It is easy to blame God for the darkness, but if you read His Word, you will see that where the Spirit of God is darkness has to flee (Psalm 139:11). I would encourage you, if you feel like darkness is covers you like a garment, I would encourage you to meet God there. In the desolate place that your soul often abides, reach out, touch His heart and let His heart touch yours.
My prayer for us this morning, is that we would be intentional about meeting with Jesus today regardless of where we are or where we have been. Does it have to be early morning? No. The Bible often refers to this because it signifies (I believe anyway) the ranking of priorities and the desire of our heart. For me, if I don't take the time in the morning to prepare myself mentally, emotionally and spiritually for the day, it is not going to matter if I got an extra 18 minutes of rest. When I allow His presence to renew my heart and mind, His Spirit of Rest covers me and lingers throughout the day. Take time to meet with Him. Be intentional. Seek Him as though you are searching for a precious child lost in the chaos of a large crowd...for this is exactly how God has pursued us.
