You're Gonna Miss This

I dream of a small farm outlined by a split rail fence with daffodils smiling in the fence line. A long driveway leads to our house near the back of the property. Blackberry bushes full of fruit (and not stickers :) ) are at the edge of the woods, where a creek trickles through.  And of course a huge garden would be planted in an open field, to be tended by the kids and me.

Picturesque southern life, right? This dream is still several years away, though. Land where we live is expensive so we are saving to find the place for our dream to come true. Some days I find myself wishing we were there NOW, not 10 years in the future. At times I go into our guest bedroom and imagine how I would rearrange furniture for a nursery.

Then I think back on my life and realize just how quickly time passes. I began my senior year of college four years ago this past week. FOUR years! If I had gone to PA school (yikes!) I would be graduated and working right now. Whoa, baby. Where is my life going? I'm only halfway through my twenty-fifth year (and my twenties, for that matter. Next year I can say I'm in my late twenties.), but I appreciate time so. much.

Let me clarify: I've always known how quickly time flies by. I have often had to remind myself to slow down, enjoy the days, and stop wishing life away.  I miss college life so much and those are days I will never get back. In 10 years when I, Lord willing, have two or three kiddos, I will have days when I would give anything for the easy-peasy life I'm living now. (Hubby fully appreciates this!)

I enjoy sleeping in on my days off. I enjoy staying up late being goofy with my husband and (mostly) bouncing back quickly--and when I don't, I can take an afternoon nap! I enjoy being able to go to the grocery store in under 30 minutes without having to wrangle babies and bags. I enjoy spur-of-the-moment milkshakes after 8 pm with Hubby and not having to find a sitter.  Based on how much I miss the community and comradarie of college, I KNOW I will miss these simple pleasures.

Yes, I want to be a mother more than just about anything. My children will wear matching monogrammed smocked outfits. (Have I mentioned I dream of the perfect Southern life?)  But, and its a big but, I'm definitely enjoying the ride until that day comes.

So to the high school girl who feels like there's a bigger world outside her hometown: there is, but enjoy the pep rallies and easy homework. Soak up those childhood friendships. Enjoy this time while it lasts. P.S. Mom and dad are right. About everything.

To the college girl who's ready to graduate and find a job and get married: enjoy living with your girls, your free gym membership, and Tuesdays and Thursdays with only one class. The real world is tough. Health insurance, house hunting, and taxes are the worst.

And to the young wife who is letting the "when are you having kids?" question get to her: if you're not ready, don't feel bad saying so. Be honest that you love kid free time with your husband. You married him because you love him and like his company. Relish it.

I'm only 25; I've got a whole life ahead of me. Hopefully it's full of more late night Sonic runs. ;)

Post coming soon...

I think my gluten free lifestyle may be affecting me quicker than I thought... I was sick all day Monday after eating quite a lot of bread over the weekend. Sad day. Fortunately I haven't had headaches since cutting gluten and sugar, but the vomiting was no bueno. Perhaps it was one of those 24 hour bugs, but I'll be more mindful of how much wheat I consume in the future, just in case. That being said, I didn't get a new post written Monday, so I'll share later in the week.

Stay classy, San Diego.

A Study in Grace, Post 2: Separation from God

Scene: After a long period of Egyptian slavery, God delivered the Israelites. Three months later our weary sojourners are encamped at the base of Mount Sinai.  Moses left them to go upon the mountain to receive God's instructions and commandments.  One of these commands is to have no other gods before the one true God.  Moses ascends Mount Sinai again, this time for forty days. During this brief time, scripture says that the Israelites gave up on Moses, "not knowing what had become of him," and decided to make their own gods. Enter brother Aaron to the rescue. "Give me your gold jewelry," he said, "and I will make a new god." Aaron fashioned a calf of gold and declared:

"This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!" Exo. 32:4, NKJV

The people of Israel were so happy and pleased with their new god and danced and sang their praises to it. Remember that this was less than six months after God performed many miracles and saved the people from Egyptian bondage. How could their faith be so weak? Meanwhile, Moses and Joshua heard the great commotion and came down from the mountain. (Cue Moses breaking the stone tablets with God's commandments.) After Aaron explained what had happened, God instructed Moses to consecrate the people: about 3,000 men died that day. Moses went to God and begged His grace.  Moses was so afraid that God would wipe out all the Israelites.  He even bargained with his own soul, saying that if God could not forgive the people, to blot his name out the book of life. As punishment, God said that the people had to leave the mountainside and continue on the land flowing of milk and honey, but He would leave their presence. What a wake up call. God had been with them in a cloud by day and fire by night since they escaped Egypt. Oh, how the people were grieved at this news! Again, and not for the last time, Moses begged God to change His mind. God told Moses,

"I will also do this thing you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight and I know you by name." Exo. 33:17, NKJV

The fate of a people was decided again due to one man and God's magnificent grace. God had just commanded that they were to not have any other gods before Him, but they disobeyed. Even though the people had turned their backs on Him, God would continue in their presence and lead them home.

Sin separates us from fellowship with God. The Israelites were to be literally separated from God's presence and left in the wilderness alone.  We all sin and we are all separated from God due to our sin. But through the precious gift of Jesus's sacrifice, we find grace in God's eyes.  We don't need an official intercessor like Moses to "go upon the mountain" to beg God each time we sin.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence," Eph. 1:7-8, NKJV

How bleak and depressing is the thought of being separated from God! The Israelites understood that meant no guidance from the Father, and the peace that comes with being in His presence. Because God knew Moses by name and found grace in him, He chose to extend that grace to the people. Christ's one-time offering saves us and allows us back into fellowship with our Father. Even though we will continue to fail Him, God's grace and forgiveness is abundant. As long as we keep Him first and are truly repentant, we can have hope to not be separated from Him.  The road to heaven is a long, difficult journey, but God's grace is never ending.

"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Cor. 9:15, NKJV

A Study in Grace, Post 1: A Boatload of Grace

Grace has been defined as "unmerited favor." This means even though we are not worthy, God has provided us with the greatest gift--the salvation of our souls. Did you know the first time grace appears in the Bible is in reference to Noah? If you did (or now that you know) have you thought about why that is the first mention of grace? Perhaps because this is the point when things had gotten so out of hand that God's mercy was necessary? Let's review the scripture:

"The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the Lord said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry I have made them.""     Gen. 6:5-7, NKJV

Most of us know this part of history inside out, but do we fully grasp the emphasis of this passage? Things must have been REALLY rough at this point in time. It had only been 1,656 years since God created the world and everything in it, and He was already grieved with His creation. In the beginning, God saw that His creation was good. Parents and grandparents are so proud of their children, they will show endless pictures and share stories, saying, "Look at this wonderful thing I made!" At first God was proud of what He had made, but at this point He was so sick and fed up with man's wickedness that He was ready to completely destroy His brand new creation! Parents surely get aggravated with their children, but never to this point. You can picture God sitting back like a frustrated parent, sighing, ready to give up. His patience had nearly run out.** But wait! He opened His eyes to look at His children again, and saw a righteous man.

"But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." Gen. 6:8, NKJV

Here's where we get to that point about God's mercy and favor. Even though the world was so vile, so corrupt, so lost, there was one man who found grace in God's eyes. Think about what this meant! The destruction of God's created world was stopped because He found one righteous man.

The account of Noah ties in with our own salvation today. Yes, God showed Noah and his family grace, but He also gave them instructions on how to obtain their salvation. God said, "Okay, Noah, I am extending my mercy to you, but you've got to prepare the lifeboat yourself and make sure you're on it when the rains come." Today, we don't need to build a huge boat to save us from impending doom but like Noah, we are also saved through action.

"that He might bring us to God being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an anti-type which now saves us--baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, " 1 Pet. 3:18-21, NKJV

I am so thankful Noah found God's grace and the world was saved so many years ago, and even moreso that God extends that grace to me!

"not by the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit whom He poured out on us abundantly through Christ Jesus our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." Titus 3:5-7, NKJV 

Did you catch that last part? Through God's abundant grace, we are made joint heirs with Christ to the kingdom of heaven. Thank you, Lord, for your AMAZING grace!


**Side note: Can you fathom God's patience with the Israelites throughout the Old Testament after He had spared the world from destruction and they continued over and over to fall away from Him? More on this thought in later studies. 

Oh, hey there, blog

It's been nearly two years since I've blogged. Whoa, baby! A lot has happened since then! Shortly after my last post I started working at a pain management clinic as a specimen processor and continued there through July of last year. That placement ended and I was distressed the rest of the summer, but it gave me time to work on my first garden and become acquainted with a sewing machine. :-)

In September I was introduced to the idea of taking over as director of my congregation's Mothers' Day Out program (Tuesday/Thursday School) and I've been working there since the last week of September 2014. It has been so much fun working with the children and their families and it is such a good mission work. Brian still enjoys his job at Bridgestone. We have been on a few trips to Texas to visit his grandpa. Our youngest nephew has encountered some health issues requiring an eventual transplant, but that's a post for another day.

In March, I also began assisting our realtor and friend, Dana. This job doesn't even feel like a job! I am very blessed and happy. I'm not using my degree and bring in very little income, but it helps and I stay busy and useful. What more could a girl ask for? Sure, all my college friends have fancy jobs, or will after graduate school, but I am content.

I've had an on and off relationship this year with Paleo, but I've decided to try a new approach. Instead of completely grain-free, I'm going to try gluten free and no sugar. I know I'm addicted to sugar, so I've started the Fed Up 10 day challenge: no sugar added, including the 56 other names/types of sugar, except for naturally occurring sugars in fruits and veggies. We'll see how this goes... Hopefully with me kicking my sugar addiction and eating sweets only at birthdays and very special days. I'm on day 2 and will update later in the week.

Cheers!