The New Day

i could not sleep very well last night, because today is the day my new company launches. i dreamed i was stacking things on bookcases in my childhood home, and they were very precariously balanced. ha. fitting, i guess. however, so far, everything has gone smoothly. i'll tell you tomorrow if that continues to hold!

ha.

i think the thing that strikes me as really, really new - is what is going on inside of me. it's been a slow build...from a walk thru a dark valley of uncertainty, to still not knowing what is ahead, but knowing that i am in fact on a path.

our pastor has been talking about stewardship these past few weeks ... for the first time in my christian life, a stewardship talk that is not centered around $$! i believe money is a part of stewardship, but of course, we can all be generous with money and still live entirely for ourselves. christian stewardship is of course 'something else.'

yesterday, we talked about spiritual gifts. i've already been thinking about them for awhile. specifically, what they might be. i know that i HAVE them, because the bible says so, but to be totally honest, i have never felt a real calling spiritually. i have lots of gut desires, but most of them have to do with creative pursuits. what ELSE am i made for? that is a big question, isn't it?

i welcome the chance to see. as pastor shel listed a long list yesterday, from teachers and prophets and evengelists and lots more, i checked the ones that struck a chord. i am asking God for more clarity. and how to begin to step into the gifts....to do what the bible says, instead of just knowing it! yay.

i found it interesting that one of my favorite devos this morning spoke in a similar fashion to the pastor yesterday. it encourages me to know that God has new things for me, on this new day. here's what i read:

excerpt from Grow Up in Me (by frances roberts)

My purpose was not simply to bring you into my family to remain babies or children. I am concerned with your maturity; with your growth in wisdom and knowledge of things pertaining to myself; with the perfection of your ministry; and with the producing of the fruits of the spirit in your life.

And so for this end, I have provided for you the ministries and gifts of my Holy Spirit. As you receive these by faith, and as you walk in these by faith, so that I am allowed to manifest myself through you in this way, you will grow in me, growing in your grace and knowledge of me.

Commit to me your sanctification. Bring your thoughts into captivity and let your mind be under the control of the mind of Christ. Do not curb the impulses of the Spirit within you, nor refuse to allow me the freedom to manifest myself through you by means of the gifts. You may resist me because you feel unworthy or unready to be used. This is a delusion of the mind. I do not use you when you feel prepared, but when i need you and when you are yielded. When I use you, you will discover that I also work to edify your own heart and life.

so, here goes today. let's all begin anew, shall we?

snow day

*sigh*

i live in a bubble

so, remember awhile back when i fantasized for you guys about moving to britton, sd?

um, slight change of plans.


yesterday, here in lovely sf, which i never thought of as 'south' before, it was a gorgeous day. even though my driveway is still recovering from 3" of solid sleet over the weekend, the roads were actually pretty good. and as i jumped in bert the honda to meet up with my client on the interstate - heading for clear lake, sd - life was fine. i was jamming to my radio, admiring the sunny snow, and had no worries whatsoever.

yikes. that is, until we continued north - luckily, lindsey was driving by then. friends, i'm telling ya, my life was in danger. we drove for an hour and a half on sheer ice. i rode in the driver's seat with my foot on the brake ;)

every time a semi rolled past us at the speed of light, i prayed. i prayed alot yesterday....there were alot of semis.

luckily, we made it both to and fro, safely and soundly, if not late for our meeting. however, the next time i decide to move ANYWHERE that involves more north than here, please kick me in the shin. yes, lou, that probably means the North Shore is out, too :)

sigh. it's good to be back home in the south.

let's get growing

i finally got my seeds ordered yesterday. i also woke up this morning, and it's 1 degree out again. sigh. back to winter for awhile.

however, the end is coming, people. we've got to prepare :)

monday motto

so, i found this wonderful little marketing treasure a couple of weekends ago when i was thrifting with lou. it's from a funeral home.

it is hilarious! the whole premise is that 'it's up to you' what kind of attitude you have. it's all very fitting and makes a ton of sense, if you were teaching it to some kids in kindergarten. but the fact that you are handing it out to somebody whose LOVED ONE HAS DIED makes it...wow. just makes it.

"what did you do with your beautiful day?
God gave it to you, did you throw it away?"

sometimes, i just LOVE my job.

friday goodness

lots of good things going on this week, in no particular order. i am going to give credit to God, for providing nearly 50 degree temps and a hope for spring, and a unique sort of calm and joy which is propelling me as i work on all sorts of new stuff.

last night, chris tomlin was good, too. i esp. like his buddy louie giglio, who is a pastor and inspirational speaker. he talks alot about God and astronomy, science, etc. last night was cool, he talked about all creation worshipping God. siesta and i often listen for the 'rocks crying out' - so that was neat :)




then, there is carl. i absolutely love my new little buddy app. siesta hates him. when you talk to him, he repeats what you said in a high tech babyish voice. i die laughing. he repeats me dying laughing. hours - or at least minutes - of fun!

speaking of, i have 37 apps now. how the heck did that happen? this phone is the most miraculous, magnificent invention since the .... well, the phone. it's really fun ;)




okay. on to more good things. i have a new beverage from a can. last weekend, i shopped at a new grocery store, and i could not find my old fave, fresca. for you people who are not into fresca, what makes it good is the slight grapefruit undertones. grapefruit and metallic chemicals of some sort...yum!

anyhoo, i saw a very nice design/packaging concept called sierra mist. name seems a little too good to be true, but they had a grapefruit version! oh my. wondering if any of my friends (ahem, anne) can tell me if potassium benzoate is REALLY all that bad for you. like a 12-pack of it per week. or something like that :)

ha. anyway, all is well with my soul, if not my intestines. have a great weekend, guys!

too everything

photo from gaping void

funny how things change. i went from 0 to 100 in about 1 day last week. in the old days, i would be freaking out. but God has other plans for me, and so far, they seem like good ones.

i had the calmest, most in-control week of teaching that i have had to date, ending last night. which is good, and finally might mean i'm getting the hang of it. it could possibly be that i was just blessed with good kids, too. because they are, and i am.

anyhoo, my devo (Come Away My Beloved, by francis roberts, get IT) last night was wonderful. a reminder that God is in control, as long as i choose to put Him there:

If you would only make yourself a place apart,
yes, removed from the pressure and the turmoil,
and there i will meet you. Yes, I wait for your coming.

For I know what you need, and I am concerned
about your duties and responsibilities.

You will find your cares vanish,
and your load is lightened by an unseen hand.

I would have you bring Me your love,
and even as you are bringing Me your love,
I shall in turn bring to you my Power,
so that I work for you in twofold measure.

I will give you the power to discharge your duties
with greater efficiency. I am actively engaged in
working for you in ways you cannot see, to make your
path clear, and to bring about things you could
never accomplish, and which would otherwise
absorb your energies and wear out your patience.




i hope this blesses one of you reading today as well.
i also hope, like me, you're gonna get a bunch of stuff DONE ;)

peace and chris tomlin

starting to get excited about seeing chris tomlin tomorrow eve. i would not list him as one of my favorite musicians, but i haved been moved by his music a time or two. especially his song 'i will rise' which really gets me fired up!

i'm fairly certain that i will be embarrassing to kristie at some point tomorrow night if this song is on the playlist ;))

happy wednesday and peace to you!

There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise

And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"

super sunny

gotta love the 40+ days in february. gotta get used to the fact that they will probably not last :)

live each day

there's a little post-it note on my computer monitor these days. it goes like this:

live each day as the day
that all of the gospel is true.

live this day and be glad in it.

live this day as the day of laying
down sin and taking up the glad
and good forgiveness of Jesus.

live this day determined to be useful
and joyful in Jesus.

live this day in a way that, should
all things change tomorrow,
you will know that the Lord is
your God and this is the day
to be satisfied in Him.


i got this quote from here.

it was right around the time (actually right BEFORE the time) that the writer, michael spencer, got cancer and subsequently died quite quickly.

for some reason, it makes the quote that much more meaningful.





i love the thought. i want to always live like this. i am glad in Jesus today.

are you?

well, there went a half hour of my life.

kirsten, i kind of hope you don't read this.

Verizon makes iPhone debut - KSFY Action News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, Sports

Verizon makes iPhone debut - KSFY Action News - Sioux Falls, SD News, Weather, Sports


note to self: don't just decide to DRIVE BY the iphone store, if you do not really plan to purchase. however, i am super happy so far. i am having a training session with lou on saturday, and then i imagine i'll be even happier :)

ps. also note to self: if you act super excited when you are AT the iphone store, you may be asked to be on tv. doh! nothing like saying absolutely nothing with 100% joy on your face!

here's what i love

sunbeams. definitely sunbeams. in fact, they are almost 99% responsible for my sanity these last couple months of winter.

my friend carey. i actually now must talk to her literally every day, except the weekends. she does sports and other yucky stuff on the weekends.

my church. this afternoon, when i stopped in to say hi to the 'kitchen crew' who is madly furiously cooking their hearts out for tonite's dinner, for a little tiny moment, i really felt like it was home. i love that.

the fact that tonite is class, and i'm not totally stressing out. schwew. i still have a hard time staying awake until 10pm, however. what if some day i actually love 'class' itself?! crazy thoughts!

i'm sure there are other things, but for a wednesday, this is a pretty good list.

pioneer woman my foot

i'd like to think i can outpioneer that ree woman today. how, you may ask?

it's 16 below zero right now, and i am going to GO OUTSIDE. to feed the birds. who are fluffy little balls with their heads stuck under their wings right now.

i will wear my pj bottoms and my sorrels. we'll see how long i last.




in other news, siesta started pulling her stitches out of her body with her teeth yesterday. why should i be surprised? after freaking out that her insides would 'pop out' - i called carey who said animals are instinctive this way. my instincts are that i don't want to see cat leg guts on my couch ;)

he he.

anyway, she is a serious super healer. i actually think the wound is pretty safely closed, so i am going to let her pull away at the remaining stitches. it will save me the trouble in a week or so when it will be MY JOB to remove them!

sigh. at least it's not monday :)

what i didn't do this weekend

i did not watch the super bowl.

i did not have chicken wings and rotel cheese dip for dinner last night.

i did not miss the black eyed peas.

i did not yell or get upset when either team failed to score.

i did not toggle between channels and try to see all the good commercials.






i did spend an entire evening on the couch with siesta (in place of a good book) and 'pawn stars.'

i did check facebook before i went to bed, so that i could pretend i watched at least SOME of it, if necessary, today.




i did not succeed at doing that very well, either, did i?


:)

the turning away

whew. the surgeries are over, and little miss siesta came through everything fine. unfortunately, the thing i dreaded most is that she would change her personality. i'm still hopeful, but she has not exactly turned back to me with joy. she's the kind of cat who gets VERY stressed by changes in her day. she loses her confidence, and shrinks into a scaredy cat really fast.

i wonder if she knows how much i have hurt for her in this, and prayed about her, and pleaded for good things to get her through this ordeal.

i wonder if she knows i have done the right things, and that everything was done for her well-being.

i wonder if she knows that my heart hurts when she loses trust, and runs and hides when i come to find her.

i wonder if she knows that i would give nearly everything for her affection, because she belongs to me. that i won't give up. that i long to have her come back to me, and not choose to stay distant.






nope. she doesn't know (she is a cat, after all :)). I KNOW that with time, i will regain her trust and regain her love. i'm sure of that.



but it did cause me to see a picture of how God must feel when we react in the very same way when painful things happen to US. surely, we know that He longs for us, and that we will both be the better for it if we just GO and be with Him. i am sorry, Lord, for my turning away sometimes.

the force

my friend anne shared this with me yesterday, it bears sharing some more.

reading lists

i have been picking up books from my bookshelf lately, many of them that i have never opened, or opened only briefly. how fun is that! i am kind of amazed that i have so many books i've never read. i am excited to have new thoughts pop into my mind.

i would love love love to hear some 'must read' books concerning your relationship with the Lord. what is your favorite? what are you reading now? where is it bringing you? how is God moving through your reading?

here are a couple that are on my current list:


perhaps the most beautiful book about God i have ever read...(well, except for the Bible). it's been very personal to me during this season of quiet and confidence. the book is written from the first person of God himself, and has been so 'right on' in terms of my heart need, that i am sure it is God-breathed. i just know it is.


last night, i started re-reading this one by mike bickle. i do love his preaching, he is the leader of IHOP in kansas city. if you have never heard his series on 'song of solomon' - i highly recommend it.

i have loved the chapters so far on 'the longing for fascination' and 'the longing for beauty' - they touch at the very deep nature of our souls, and how earthly counterfeits often take their places. good stuff!


next up will be this book by dorothy sayers. have never read it, but look forward to her comparisons with the human mind and the mind of God. she was friends with CS lewis and TS eliot, and died in 1957.



i also want to read this book by tommy tenney. i have read and loved 'God chasers' and i think this book is a follow-up. tenney is a wonderful man with much passion and vision for the Lord on earth.

yay!! excited to have so much to look forward to. any other recommendations?

firmly planted

for reasons i really don't know or understand, i have determined that the mission statement for my new company is going to be psalm one.

Blessed is the one
whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.

That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.

i have long loved the psalm, but just recently it came to me that this psalm is my life's goal. to be FIRMLY PLANTED in whatever i do. it also occurred to me that it's a good life goal for anybody. so, i have decided to use it as an underlying scripture for the new company.

yesterday, i got some new labels i made in the mail. i was a little excited to see that i still like them. by months' end, i should have a small website, new business cards, and a cool little 'announcement' mailer and gift. all of these things done, for a purpose that i don't know yet :)) he he. very seriously silly.

however, it would not be the first time that the Lord worked in that way for me, creatively speaking. i thought up and used the name of my LAST company for a couple of years before the Lord told me what it meant. so, i'm operating on trust that it does probably mean something.

in the meantime, i am 100% sure that my desire to be FIRMLY PLANTED comes from God. as i was reading this morning about the Lord's deliverance of the people from Egypt, another such image came to mind:

You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain –
the place, O Lord, reserved for your own dwelling,
the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established.
The Lord will reign forever and ever!

who wants to come live in my neighborhood with me?!!
happy tuesday, everyone.