U is for Unbelievably Behind!

It has not been a very successful challenge for me with regard to my timing of the posts. Last year, I remember priding myself on keeping up (for the most part) even while very close to giving birth to my son (born May 1). This year has proven more difficult as I do not have a computer at home right now. This also means I have not been able to visit the others taking part in this challenge as much as I would have liked to. I hope to have a pc at home again soon so that I can get back to some more regular blogging and lots more visiting as well!

Alas, for now...I will just keep plugging away, trying to complete this challenge, hopefully before the first week of May is out! I do plan to come back and read many of the A to Z posts when I have more time to do so!

God's blessings to you all!

T is for Trouble

A favorite board game growing up...

A phrase that will always haunt me...

 "Oh, you are in so much trouble!!!"

An everlasting promise:

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

God's blessings to you all!

S is for Staying the Course...

My heart is breaking. Some of you know, most of you don't. My marriage is in trouble and has been for quite some months now. My husband and I have been separated since just before Thanksgiving. I continue to pray for reconciliation, which God has promised me on more than one occasion, however...our ways are not His ways and our paths not His paths. As I was praying just this morning, asking God if there was another way to go, an easier way, He simply told me to 'stay the course'...He told me that He was proud of me, His beloved child. As magnificent as it is to hear from the Creator of the universe....it's not always easy to accept what He has for us. While it was reassuring to hear that I am to continue on this path right now...it isn't always a path I want to be traveling. I take comfort in knowing that I am in God's will, but that certainly does not come without a good deal of pain at times. I continue to put my faith, hope, love and trust in the Almighty!

As Jesus Christ prayed in the garden before being taken away to His death...
Luke 22: 42 'Father, if it is your Will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.'

May God bless all of you!

R is for Rain, Rain, Rain

It is raining here today. It was raining here yesterday. It is supposed to be raining here tomorrow. But, the forecast for Easter Sunday is 62 and sunshine! No rain in the forecast at all. When I looked at that weather report this morning, I got the biggest grin on my face, thinking about how perfect that was. How it just makes sense. Today is dark and dreary...our Savior was hung on a cross. Tomorrow is still going to be dark, rainy and dreary...Jesus was dead. BUT...on the 3rd day (Easter Sunday)...the Son rose. Even death couldn't hold him down. So, the sun WILL rise on Sunday and we will have a glorious day indeed!

Q is for Quiet

I like quiet. Quiet suits me just fine a lot of the time. It is in the quiet times that I feel so closely connected to my Creator. Just as it says in Psalm 46:10 'Be still and know that I am God'. I struggled with quiet for a lot of my life, struggled with being still. While I have always desired solitude, it didn't necessarily have to be a quiet solitude, if that makes sense? I love music and movies, television and games...so could always fill that space with something, even while I was seeking 'solitude'. Even reading doesn't truly give me that 'quiet' that I desperately seek at times, because while I am silent when reading, my mind is still cluttered with whatever I am reading. I have learned to soak up the quiet times, to be still and listen for the voice of God in my life. It is an amazing thing to actually be able to hear the Creator of the universe speaking to you!

I thank God He has helped me learn to embrace the quiet times of my life.

God's blessings to all of you today!

P is for Photo Shoot!

I am so excited to have Benjamin’s next photo shoot on our calendar! These will be his 1-year photos. No, I can’t believe it…not for a second! My little boy is growing so quickly…right before my very eyes. We have a good friend at church that does photography for fun and just does an amazing job. I couldn’t be more excited if I wanted to be. We are planning an outdoor shoot this time, weather permitting. I have so many fun ideas just bubbling in my head, but also love the natural shots…so am looking forward to what she captures on that day. Then, the following day we will have his 1^st birthday party, so much fun. I will have lots to share a couple weeks from now!

O is for Only in Minnesota!

It is April 20th. This morning, in Minnesota, I woke up to this....

We have a saying here that goes like this...only in Minnesota! Yes, that's right. Only in Minnesota can we go from 75 and sunny to 30 and snowing in the span of 5 days. I remember a day many, many years ago when I was still at college in St. Cloud. It must have been in the spring, possibly April, and we had snow in and cold in the morning..it was probably in the mid-40's, but by late that afternoon the sun was shining and it was in the low 70's. Students who had been shoveling their sidewalks earlier in the day were now suntanning on their roofs. Again, say it with me this time...only in Minnesota!

While the snow IS still pretty, the best thing I can say about it in April...it will melt much more quickly!

God bless you all my friends.

N is for Name

 

What’s in a name? Since it is Holy Week, I wanted to discuss the name of Jesus.

Recently, our pastor gave a sermon on religious roads, posing the question as to whether or not all religious roads lead to the same end. Speaking specifically of how different religions view God, Jesus and Holy Books, and whether or not the understanding of them in the different world religions was the same. Here is what we came up with in regard to Jesus.

Judaism says that Jesus was a great Teacher or prophet, but did not rise from the dead.

Islam says that Jesus was a Prophet below Mohammed, not crucified nor the Son of God.

Buddhism says that Jesus was a good Teacher but less than Buddha. Death and resurrection are insignificant in the Buddhist religion.

Hinduism says that Jesus was an avatar or incarnation of Vishnu. Death and resurrection are insignificant in the Hindu religion.

Christianity says that Jesus was fully God, fully man, died on the cross and rose from the dead.

Who do YOU say Jesus is?

I'm still playing catch up and know that we are actually supposed to be posting the letter 'P' today, I may or may not catch up. We'll see, but I WILL complete this challenge, LOL!
God's blessings to you all!

M is for Mighty to Save

I primarily listen to Christian radio, both music and talk. Once in a great while I will flip through the stations, but I truly enjoy this so don’t fetter around too much. I love the song in the title above, which is by Hillsong. I have sung this song with the worship team so many times that it sometimes loses its’ meaning and effect. I wanted to post the lyrics here today for you to see, let them truly sink in to your soul, for we to have a very mighty Savior!

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears & failures
Fill my life again

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender (I surrender)[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong_united/mighty_to_save.html ]
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

Shine Your light &
Let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory
Of the risen King
Jesus

You're the Savior
You can move the mountains
Lord You are mighty to save
You are mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
You rose & conquered the grave
Yes You conquered the grave

God bless you all!

L is for Love

I wonder how popular this particular 'L' post will be in the A to Z Challenge? It just kind of rolled off of my tongue because, well..L IS for Love. Love is a wonderful thing. A many splendored thing. A battlefield. A 4-letter word? In any case, it most certainly is a popular topic and I fully expect to see at least a handful of other posts on this same topic. There are so many facets to love that I could go in any number of directions with this one. For this post, I wanted to focus on the love a parent has for their child. My son Benjamin is fast approaching his first birthday (sigh) and the love I have for him knows no bounds.

There is literally NOTHING he could ever do that would cause me to love him any less. I mean, look at that face (spoken like a true mom)! I tell him quite often how much mommy loves him. I also (almost) always follow that up by telling him that even though mommy loves him that much, it could never compare with how much Jesus loves him. I have often heard people compare the love that God has for us with the love we have for our children (or perhaps a spouse, for those who do not have children). It is unconditional, void of circumstance and unavoidable. So, if you take a moment to think of the love that you have for your child or children, take the next moment to fully realize that this is NOTHING compared to the love that our Father in Heaven has for us through His son Jesus Christ. Here are just a few reminders of that great and perfect love.

Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 3:16
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Colossians 3:14
And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

And finally, as we prepare our hearts and minds for the Holy Week ahead, the one, true perfect example of love:

1 John 3:16
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

God bless you all my friends!

K is for Kite!

Today it is quite windy outside. As Benjamin and I were heading to the car this morning, trying not to get blown away, I thought about what a great day it would be to fly a kite. It would be perfect if we could add about 20 or 30 degrees to the thermometer, but still. I remember flying kites in the big schoolyard next to our home when I was younger. We always loved to do it and there was only one big tree that could catch that kite and wreak havoc. Of course, my kite always managed to find that one tree eventually, no matter how hard I tried to steer its’ course away. I look forward to the day I get to take our son to fly his first kite and hope he enjoys it as much as I always have. I will pray his sense of steering and direction are a bit more keen than mine as well!

Blessings to you all!

J is for Jacket

 

That’s right…I had to haul my winter coat out of the closet again this morning, along with Benjamin's. Just when I thought we could put another winter in the books, she’s rearing her ugly head once again. We are shooting for a high of 50 today, with a good chance of snow as well! It’s not supposed to warm up for the weekend a whole lot either. I’m so fed up with winter this year, it has been a long one. And now since I am still trying to catch up after being out of the office for a few days…I will be heading off to do my next two posts and schedule a third! THEN, I will be back on track again. This challenge is certainly not unfolding the way I had hoped, but I still intend to put a bit more thought into the posts going up.

God bless you all!

I is for...well, 'I'!

I am a child of God.

I am a daughter.

I am a sister.

I am a wife.

I am a mother.

I am a musician.

I am a writer.

I am uncoordinated.

I am happy.

I am loved.

I am sensitive.

I am losing weight!

I am also very behind at work, so…

I am out of here!

Have a blessed week my friends!                     

H is for Heat!

Today, H is for Heat!!! Something we haven't had a lot of lately in Minnesota. It's been a brutal winter, with lots of snow and cold temperatures. For so long it seemed we either had one or the other in winter, either brutally cold temperatures with lower than average snowfall, or lots of snow with lower than average temperatures. This year, we got both...lucky us. Well, let's just say they don't call us 'hearty' for nothing. I do love the changing seasons, which is one of the things I appreciate most about living in the Midwest...we definitely do have all four seasons. This year I am welcoming Spring like a breath of fresh, warm air. This week has been absolutely beautiful, temps right where they are suposed to be, along with sunny, clear blue skies. I think my thermometer even showed a 70 yesterday, for the first time this season. We are stupposed to stay in the 60's today and through the weekend, with a chance of thunderstorms on Sunday. I'm cool with that though, just one more sign of Spring! Now I'm off to actually visit some of you for a while (right after I schedule my 'I' post for tomorrow, so I can stay on track)!


God bless!

G is for Grapes!

Grapes are my second favorite fruit...for those who just have to know, the apple is my favorite! I love grapes…they are just fun to eat. I love the ‘pop’ when you bite into them, the juicy punch and the flavor. Well, except for those sour ones, who likes them??!! Have you ever tried freezing your grapes? They are a fabulous snack…especially in the summertime!

I think that’s about it for my G post…I’m just Grateful to finally be caught up in this challenge! Now let’s see how long I can stay caught up.

I also just put up my ‘F’ post and doubled up yesterday on my 'D' and 'E' posts…if anyone is interested in all I have to say!

God’s blessings on your day!

F is for Friendship!

Friendships are one of the true cornerstones of life. God made us social beings for a reason, He created us to be in relationship with others. My friendships have changed throughout the years, a lot! I still have a couple (almost) lifelong friendships, though they have also changed through the years. As we change ourselves, it is inevitable that friendships will begin and end as a result. Some are lasting, some are fleeting, some are healthy and some are just plain unhealthy. Sometimes when we meet a new friend, we just KNOW that they will never truly go away…they are ‘lifers’ as we say. There is a saying out there that some people come into your life for a reason, others for a season and still others for a lifetime. Don’t quote me on that, I’m sure the actual saying is far more eloquent, however…you get the drift. My take on that little motto is this:

Friends for a reason come into our lives for just that…a specific reason, to help us through a difficult time, provide us with some type of support, be it emotional, spiritual, physical or all three! They are placed in our lives specifically to meet that need, for that purpose and time. When that time/difficulty passes, the relationship comes to an end.

Friends come into our lives for a season when there is something to teach or share. This goes both ways, I believe.  God places new friends in our lives for seasons when He sees a need for us to grow, be challenged or to help others grow or challenge them. In my experience, these ‘seasonal’ friendships are usually filled with joy. I believe that God has placed me in many ‘seasonal’ friendships at this time in my life’s journey, as He is calling me to a much higher place spiritually as I am in a difficult ‘life season’.

Finally, I like to refer to those friends who are placed with us for a lifetime as the framework for our friendships. These are the friendships that we either knowingly or unknowingly base all other friendships upon! They are the friends who you will just about put up with anything from, just because you can’t imagine your life without them in it. I am blessed to have a few of those special friends in my life.

Here’s hoping that God will bless all of your friendships, those for a reason, season and lifetime!

E is for Eternity!

With Holy week rapidly approaching, my thoughts have been on the gift of eternity that we have all been given, paid for by the blood and sacrifice of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Do you know Jesus? It is my prayer that you all do, and that you have a personal, saving relationship with Him.

According to dictionary.com, eternity is defined as 'infinite time; duration without beginning or end'. The second definition listed is 'eternal existence, especially as contrasted with mortal life; the eternity of god.

I want to take a look at eternity through God's eyes for a moment.

Salvation vs. Eternity
Everyone has an eternity, but not everyone has salvation. Salvation was granted to all of us when we were rescued from the penalty of sin, through Jesus' death on the cross and resurrection on the 3rd day. However, by not accepting Jesus as our personal savior and ONLY way to the Father (John 14:6), we remain dead in our sin and subject to eternal separation from God.

The second aspect of salvation is being in right relationship with God, both now in this life and throughout all eternity. It sure would be nice to accept the free gift of salvation that Jesus has given us and still be able to do whatever we want, whenever we want to. However, that's not how this whole process works. When we truly are right with God and have established a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, God begins the process of sanctification within us. Sanctification is a process of changing to become more holy, in a sense. While none of us will ever be truly holy, (Romans 3:23) God will start to change us and mold us to be more Christ-like.

If you have never confessed Jesus as Lord of your life, please consider offering up the most important prayer you could ever pray. It's a simple one and I will list is here for you.

Dear Jesus,
I know and confess that I have sinned and that I need Your forgiveness. I believe that You are the Son of God, that You died on the cross and shed Your Blood for my sins and that You were raised from the dead to life by God the Father. I want to turn from my sins and I ask You now into my heart and life. Please help me to live for You. I ask You to be Lord and Savior of my life. I thank you now for my salvation. I thank you that I know that I will live with You now and for the rest of eternity. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen!

May God bless you all today and every day!

D is for Disqualified!

Yes, today...D is for disqualified, since I believe the creators of this wonderful challenge should do exactly that...disqualify me from participating, since I can't seem to keep up! Of course I know that won't happen, which is the true beauty of it. I just feel a big discombobulated without the computer at home. Which also makes it so very difficult for me to connect with others who are participating in the challenge, which I find to be one of the true joys of it. I love meeting new blogging friends and learning what they are all about. I do hope that I will once again have a computer before the end of this challenge, so that I can do that. However, for now...in order to avoid disqualification...I'd best head onto my E and F posts, so I can catch up with everyone!

Have a beautiful day everyone!

C is for computer

C is for computer...which is part of the reason I am currently lagging in this challenge! I don't have a computer at home right now and did not plan ahead with my B and C posts. Therefore, I will have to put a bit more thought into those posts that will fall on the weekend, so I can schedule them to post ahead of time.

I'm not much of a planner by nature so this does kind of go against the grain! However, a little bit of planning never hurt anyone, so I will do my best.

If you're dying to see my B post, you can find it here (or just scroll down a bit, I think).

B is for Behind!

Yes, B is for behind...as in I am running behind in this challenge already! B is also for Benjamin...who I love to talk about and share pictures of on my blog!

First, the talk. Benjamin truly is my 'little light'. I could not love this kid more if I tried, and I do try! We will be celebrating his 1st birthday in less than a month now. This blows my mind, truly! He has been an absolute treasure and I look forward to continuing to watch him grow.

Here are just a few more pictures to share. And then I need to continue getting caught up on this challenge!!

This one is a bit dated, but still a favorite to date...which was our Christmas card this year!

And finally, a favorite from our first photo shoot!

Yes, 'B' is also for blessed...which I am, beyond measure!

May God bless all of you as well!

A is for Adversity

A is for Adversity             

I am excited to be off on another exciting blogging journey today…once again, I will be blogging through the alphabet, from A to Z! I took part in this blogging challenge a year ago now and am looking forward to where it will take me this year too. I have been in quite a blogging drought lately and am hoping this challenge will provide the necessary rejuvenation! I also look forward to meeting many others who are participating in this challenge. To learn more about this challenge, or join up yourself, please visit Arlee over at Tossing It Out!

For those who are ‘meeting’ me for the first time, let me give you just a real brief background. First and foremost, I am a Christian, a child of our Heavenly King! Much of what I write on my blog testifies to this truth and I also love sharing pictures of my beautiful gift from God, my 11 month old (today!) son, Benjamin. With that being said…off I go with the letter ‘A’!

Adversity is a part of life, there really is no denying or escaping it. The fact that I am a Christian and believe that Jesus Christ died for my sins and has paved my way to eternity does not preclude me from experiencing adversity in this life. Adversity is not a way for God to bring us down, rather it is a way for us to be lifted up, to demonstrate the power of Christ in our lives. In fact, right there in the Bible….God tells us we will experience adversity. Here are just a few examples of that:

From Isaiah 45:7 “I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.”

From Ecclesiastes 7:14 “In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other, so that man can find out nothing that will come after him.”

It is also a Biblical principal that God uses bad, or adversity, to bring about good. I am a living testament to that right now, in the midst of my life circumstances. I have been faced with lots of adversity as of late and God is shaping and molding me through all of it. I have come to find the joy in adversity, which is a daily choice that I make, just as I choose daily to pick up my cross and follow Jesus.

It is my prayer that all of you may come to know Jesus and the joy that can only be found in Him, in times of adversity and in times of prosperity.

God bless!