good friday

"...through His name {JESUS- the one who died, who rose 3 days later, and is alive now}, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins." {acts 10:43}

remission 
noun
the act or process of remitting {to release from the guilt or penalty / to cancel or refrain inflicting / to restore}
synonyms: absolution, amnesty, forgiveness, pardon
antonyms: penalty, punishment, retribution

oh. man.
the weight of that one word. isn't that insane?!
sin deserves punishment. my sins deserve a penalty. sins done against me deserve retribution.
Christ gives the exact opposite... He not only cancels, voids, pardons all those sins, but takes it one step further and restores.

restoration
noun
a restoring to an unimpaired or improved condition
synonyms for restoring: recharge, recreate, refresh, regenerate, rejuvenate, repair, renew, resuscitate, revitalize, revive

read that list of synonyms again.
He takes our sin, our shame, our guilt, our dead souls and, in exchange, He gives us life, energy, vigor, vitality, oh and not to mention His love, guidance, peace, joy, hope, protection, and a future above and beyond anything we could think or imagine.
all we have to do is believe!!

yep, it's a good friday indeed.

by a different route...

"indeed, don't try to get there at all. it'll happen when you're not looking for it." - the professor, the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe

how did it happen? so glad you asked. :)
just a few days after i blogged about not knowing where God would lead us next (the last blog i wrote actually) the husband received an unexpected call from fresh life, and quickly realized he was being offered a job. it seemed like an obvious open door, but we took time to pray about it anyways... (a good lesson we learned from joshua -- even if things "seem right", they may not be, so we need to seek God first in everything!)
after praying and talking about it for a few days, we knew we were supposed to go... so we are! at the end of the month. yeah, i know, i should've blogged about it sooner, but honestly i just kept thinking that we have another month before we leave, until my husband reminded me that we, in fact, are moving in two weeks. crazy!
it's amazing to see God work all this out... and all the ways that He's providing, confirming, and preparing for the move. He desires to bless us and give us a future - we just have to give it to Him, all to Him. love what my friend, crystal lewis, wrote on her blog about that very thing. it's not an easy thing to do... i think that's one reason why Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow or the next day, and offers new mercy every morning... we have to take it one day at a time. give God the wheel (or reigns, if you live in montana:)) today, it's not too late, it's only 3:45pm pacific time - God can still do a lot with the 7-8 hours left of march 15th. :)

"because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. great is His faithfulness, His mercies are afresh every morning."
lamentations 3:22-23

"seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. so don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries, today's trouble is enough for today."
matthew 6:33-34

there & back again...

"not all who wander are lost." - j.r.r. tolkien

march 8, 2011 :: after much prayer and various confirmations/urgings from God, i felt like it was time to focus on a book i've been slowly working on for years... so i put in my notice {a 3 month notice} at work...

march 20, 2011 :: the husband and i receive a completely unexpected, exciting email from our amazing friends in montana, inviting us to stay with them for a month or two that summer - to work on a record for their daughter, izzi, {which, btw, will be on itunes in about a month! woohoo!} and help out at the church... it was perfect timing!

april 3, 2011 :: we put in the notice to our landlord... knowing we didn't want to pay rent for our place during our six-week stay in montana.

may 1, 2011 :: moved into my parents' house to save for the big trip.

june 15, 2011 :: my last day at work

june 16-18, 2011 :: travelled through 5 states and finally made it to our much-anticipated destination :: whitefish, montana!

june - august 2011 :: the husband worked on izzi's project, and i worked on the book... then decided to stay until the end of august... but God had other plans! the skull church band wanted to cut a record, so guess who they hired? yep, the husband...

sept - november 2011 :: husband worked on the skull church project and kept playing with phil wickham, flying out on weekends, etc... i continued to work on the book, wrote another children's book {for the little tykes}, and began painting and drawing again.

a week before thanksgiving 2011 :: God provided for us to stay until early december.

december 7, 2011 :: we said emotional good-byes {ok, i was the one that got emotional} to the people and place we had come to know as "home" and began our trek back down to california.

december 9, 2011 - now 2012 :: adjusting to california life in the fast lane, enjoying holidays with our families, catching up with friends, getting our fill of portola and kean, and keeping busy with projects and the book {yep, still writing}.

i'm not exaggerating when i say that the last 10 months have been life changing and we really have no idea what's next! we do know that we're supposed to stay where we're at for the next few months but after that... we're still just praying. :) which is so exciting and maybe scary to some people, but i like to look at it as an adventure... God's in control, He knows what's next, so i don't need to worry about it. i love what beth moore said in her inheritance study - "if you're a christian and your life is boring, then something's wrong."
through this whole experience, we've learned a ton, but the one thing that sticks out the most is the calling {for every christian} to walk by faith, not by sight. where God guides, He provides. sometimes God only reveals a tiny bit of His plan, just enough for us to move - just move one step. because let's be honest, if He were to reveal His whole plan, we'd get in the way. we'd start worrying about the details and the 'how' of it all. He knows that about us, and i think that's one of the reasons he asks us to live by faith over and over in His word - it's an act of giving up our will for His, letting go of what little control we think we have in our lives and willingly asking Him to lead.
life should not, cannot, will not be boring if you are walking by faith with Jesus Christ! just do it! :)

as iron sharpens iron

have you ever really thought about that phrase? i always hear it, say it, read it - "as iron sharpens iron, so a person sharpens his friend" {proverbs 27:17} but i can honestly say that i've never really really thought about it. i mean, after some quality coffee time with one of my godly girlfriends, i always think "yeah! as iron sharpens iron - that person sharpens me!" and i'm not saying that's not part of it, but i think the word sharpen implies a little more than that.
can you picture a rough piece of iron, scraping/shaping/filing/grinding another piece of iron? ouch. that can't feel great, in fact, i think it's safe to say that has to hurt. but what's the end result? a smooth, pointed piece of metal - fit for one's use.
recently, a close friend of mine challenged me. it hurt a little initially; it's hard to listen to someone call you out on something, even if it's done in love... but it was exactly what i needed to hear. now i can't stop thinking about it, and how thankful i am for her - a friend that loves and cares about me enough to not allow me to become complacent and comfortable... sharpening me so that i can be fit for One's use - God's use.

{btw - i know the photos are cheesy but they're the best that google had to offer... and i just had to give you an illustration} :)

bday surprise

ugh. i cannot get over my montana friends. they are amazing in every way and i hate to think that i won't be seeing them for awhile. they have inspired, encouraged, sharpened, and blessed me in every possible aspect of life... and they were kind enough to throw a surprise party in honor of my 27th birthday {which was today... ok, technically yesterday}--- it was perfect. thanks again to the lovelies that organized and pulled it off without a hitch and made my birthday so special!!!

as if that wasn't enough, God gave me another bday surprise this morning. i woke up to my 7:30 alarm and sleepily turned it off, then lay there for a few minutes until my eyes felt like opening. normally, when i'm in this state, i'll reach for my phone and scan through instagram or the twitter feed to get my brain working and then i'll get to my bible reading plan... but this morning, i felt pretty awake so i decided to dive right into my psalms/proverbs reading plan.
proverbs 31. yep, that was my proverb for the day... for my birthday. all i could utter as i read it over was "thank you Lord"... i even shed a little tear. i just felt so humbled that God loves me and cares for me so much and so intimately that He would give me proverbs 31 on my birthday. it blew me away... i'm still blown away. God's love is real people. so real.
best birthday ever.
goodnight!

the whole picture

you may or may not know that i'm currently working on a children's book {more like pre-teen book} that's all about one's relationship with Jesus. everything that happens in the story is symbolic of our choice to follow him and the struggles and victories we encounter as we do so. the more i write, the more i see and hear God speaking to me... which is funny because as i was telling mike rozell, of potters field ministry, about the book he said: "Through the story, God will have to speak to you first, then He will use it to speak to others."
and it's true. i feel like if this book were only meant to draw me closer to Jesus then it was time well spent and i'd be happy. of course, i do pray that he would use it to help and encourage others to know that he loves them.... but if he chooses not to for some reason, i'm totally fine.
with all that said, writing this thing hasn't been easy the entire time. yesterday, i came to a major block... i'll spare the details but i decided to take a break, go to church, and pray. when i woke up this morning, i still didn't hear which direction to take...so i started journaling this morning.
i told God that it was really hard to keep writing this book when i can't see the full picture, or the full complete story in my mind. i stopped right there like on one of those cartoons where the lightbulb appears above the character's head:
{ faith! }
it was as if God interrupted my thoughts and asked me right then, "do you ever get to see the full picture of your life... or know the whole 'story' in its entirety?"
nope. i don't know what's going to happen next year, or next month, or even tomorrow... but i have faith that God is taking care of it - He has a plan and i don't have to worry about that, all i have to do is walk, day by day.
i don't need to know the entire story right now, all i need to do is be obedient in writing and he'll reveal what he wants, when he wants... it's his thing anyways. :)
so too in our lives - we don't need to see the whole picture, all we have to do is trust and follow the One who does see the whole picture and continue to walk even if we can't see right in front of us.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
Hebrews 11:1

"But without faith its impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Hebews 11:6

it's worth it...

a couple of weeks ago, a bunch of us went to this beautifully secluded lake where i felt like i was in middle earth or something {i get that feeling a lot here}. anyways, the girls all decided to go kayaking and once we settled into the kayaks, kelli led the way under a small footbridge to an even more secluded spot on the lake. while there, we were graced by the presence of a bald eagle... it was absolutely stunning. izzi, crystal, and i paddled closer to get a better look. {totally necessary side note:: izzi and i have a fear of animals and bugs pooping on us... it's a real phobia folks!} so we get as close as possible to this incredibly majestic bird and izzi says -
"i hope it doesn't poop on me...[then to the bird] please don't poop on me!"
then i say, "yeah but it's so beautiful and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity... so if it did poop on you, it would be worth it."
she was a little unsure about it, but somehow the words that came out of my mouth made me think about my walk with Christ {hear me out} ....the gift of God, Jesus Christ, is so beautiful and we get one chance to walk this earth to know Him and make Him known... so if we get "pooped on", so to speak, or "bad things" happen to us, it would be worth it right? crap happens to everyone, it's inevitable but when we get to see the beauty of His majesty, it's all worth it... plus, He promises to work all things together for good to those who love Him - even the crappy stuff, peeps.

"Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and Your right hand will save me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
Do not forsake the works of Your hands."
Psalm 138:7-8


:)

inheritance

noun
1 a : the act of inheriting property
   b : the reception of genetic qualities by transmission from parent to offspring
   c : the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations
{definition taken from merriam-webster}

***

being in montana since mid-june, i've had to skip my treasured NCL women's study that is currently going through beth moore's inheritance study. HOWEVER, the Lord has faithfully guided my devo time to inheritance-themed scripture... yay!
on sunday mornings, pastor levi lusko {of fresh life church - here in whitefish & kalispell} is going through the book of joshua aka the uprising... so, i started reading that for my morning devos and the book of proverbs as well. i highly, highly recommend reading these concurrently with each other... it has been amazing! full of awesome inheritance nuggets. :)

...and i actually looked up the word inheritance today and totally geeked out about it. i thought it was kind of amazing that i could apply all three merriam-webster meanings to my spiritual inheritance through Christ ::

def. a) the act of inheriting property
when we put our faith in Jesus, we are made His sons & daughters, thus being heirs to Himself and His heavenly kingdom. { galatians 3 }

def. b) the reception of genetic qualities by transmission from parent to offspring
just like we inherited our earthly parents' qualities - brown eyes, straight hair, whatever - we will inherit His qualities too - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control - if we are truly his children. awesome! { galatians 5:19-26 }

def. c) the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations
when i read this one, i immediately thought of joshua observing moses' faith in God and all the miracles that God performed when he obeyed.......  and how joshua then steps up after moses dies and demonstrates the same faith and obedience in God as his former leader. he acquired that vital trait of faith from the past generation. i love that!! { joshua 1 }

since we are in that same spiritual family, we can read these amazing stories of faith and obedience and possess those same traits as joshua and moses... let's take hold of that faith and obey God - He will do amazing things!
:)

good friday

"for God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved."
{john 3:17}

i absolutely love that verse... condemnation never ever comes from Jesus - He loves all and desires to save all. what a gracious God! He came, He lived and led by example, He died a torturous death for our disgusting sins, He rose from the dead, and has been preparing/designing/building a place for us to call home ever since. seriously, what a gracious God.

i'm pumped on that truth. hope you are too....

it is a good friday, isn't it? :)

...good morning...

this morning, the husband and i read mark ch. 9... and something that really stood out to me was Jesus' dialogue with people...
he asks questions - even though he's God and already knows the answer; he's interested in us and what concerns us. {verses 16, 21, 33}
he answers questions - he answers every question that he's asked; might not always be the answer we're hoping for, but he will answer us. {verses 12, 23, 29, 35}

he wants to have a conversation with us! yay! such a simple truth but all too easily forgotten:

"But they {the disciples} did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him."
{v.32}

this verse gave me a little wake-up call ::: am i missing out on a dialogue w/Christ because i'm afraid of asking or afraid of the answer? either way, i'm missing out.
thankfully, Jesus doesn't give up easily and will engage us a million times over........

"Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, "What was it you disputed among yourselves on the road?" But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, "If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all."
{v.33-36}

i seriously love this. the disciples were not going to engage in this convo... they were too embarrassed, or ashamed, or afraid, of what Jesus was going to think. Jesus gave them an insightful answer anyways. :)
be reminded that Jesus cares about you and everything that is concerning you today... so tell him about it! {hope that doesn't sound too cheesy :) }

divine appointment with the little green bug

Nothing is more annoying than having to put gas in your car, or in this case, my car. If you know me (which I'm sure you do) you also know that I can't stand bugs either. So it was kind of ironic when I was thanking God when those two things collided tonight.
Nic and I were minding our own business, waiting for the pump to stop filling our tank with some pricey oil, when all of a sudden Nic points out a little green bug on his (driver's) window. Oh, cool.... (sarcastic statement in my mind) but Nic insisted I take a closer look at this "really cool" guy. So I lean over to get a better look, and to my actual astonishment I see this little green monster cleaning himself!! Yeah, I thought the same thing you're thinking- I had no idea that bugs clean themselves! I leaned even closer to the little animal. Reaching his little hand to the base of his antenna, he pulled it downward to clean the entirety of his censory device. Lather, rinse, repeat. His antennas were again cleaned to the tip. Then, his microscopic green hands rubbed his face in a circular motion as if to mimick my nightly face-washing routine.
We stared at the green wonder for another 10 minutes and both decided that it was definitely the coolest thing we've ever seen... and probably won't ever see another sophisticated bug cleaning its face and 'hair' so to speak. We couldn't help but think that God sent that green guy just for our enjoyment- to bring us enjoyment at a 76 station... just because. [sigh] Wish you could have been there. Goodnight and good luck (finding a little green spectacle).