::2014::

2014.

The year of no routine.

The year of interruptions.

The year of watching my bank account (mostly diminish, haha).

The year of learning to trust even more...for situations, timing, and direction.

My work schedules have been crazy (thus no routine). I've dealt with sickness, allergies, and injuries (thus the interruptions). A multiple-thousands-of-dollars trip paid for in full, doctors appointments, saying yes to some activities and no to others (thus watching the bank account). I'm praying about ministry opportunities this summer and into the fall, about school set-backs, about the yet unanswered long-term requests, about waiting patiently and actively (thus still learning to trust).

God encouraged me this week with Psalm 118. I encourage you to follow the link and read the whole thing, but here are a few snippets:

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
    for His steadfast love endures forever!
I shall not die, but I shall live,
    and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has disciplined me severely,
    but He has not given me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Always there are many reasons to rejoice. As usual, a picture is worth a thousand words...

::The girls were excited to ride in my car with me a few times::

 

 

 

::Who wouldn't want to show Barney the elephants on the zoo cam?::

 

 

 

::As usual, mid-west weather is unpredictable; we've only just broken out the summer clothes, but my first week of school in March held a few wonderful days!::

 

 

 

::The First Day of Spring (third holiday in line after Easter and Christmas :) deserves to be celebrated! (Fellow employees and family all got to enjoy.)::

 

 

 

 

::Starting the love of reading early with Baby Girl (now 8 months old--time is flying by!)::

 

 

 

::Self-portraits are hard when there's three to consider, and two of them don't sit still::

 

 

 

::The teasing days of early Spring allow for activities outside!::

 

 

 

::Best Day of the Year: Easter!! So incredibly grateful for the empty tomb::

 

 

 

::Girls night out. Blessed by the friendships God has given!::

 

 

 

::The Injury: Broken Toe. Who knew one little pinky toe could cause so much trouble. Word of advice: never, ever, ever break your toe (or anything else, for that matter)::

 

 

 

::Forced sit-down day. Three weeks into the broken toe and not much improvement felt, and two days off in a row (unheard of), required movies and a to-do list involving sit-down activities. Evidently I had plenty to do. :) ::

 

 

 

::So, so blessed to be able to take care of these kiddos. {I try to avoid posting pictures of them since they're not mine, but cave every now-and-then and employ heavy watermarks. :) ::

 

Baby Girl and Big Brother, now 8mo and 2 1/2

 

The Twinsies, now 3yrs

 

::Redemption::

Redemption.

I love Easter. Because of Easter, my life is changed. I am now heaven-bound, graciously forgiven, amazingly loved, saved for eternity. I am redeemed. I, who once was an enemy of God, am now a friend of God. When I was an unlovable, wretched sinner, Christ redeemed me. I am redeemed...I am a friend of God...and more than that, I am a child of God. I have been adopted with full inheritance rights!

One year, a difficult situation came up around Easter time, and I was not happy. This is supposed to be a glorious, "hallelujah" time. I should not have to deal with this.

The conviction was quick and pointed.

"What is Easter all about, Laura?"

Oh.

During Easter weekend, the Sovereign Ruler submitted Himself to the hands of His creation. The Perfect One hung between two wretched and convicted sinners. He looked with eyes of love upon those who mocked and betrayed Him.

The One who secured my eternal presence with God was separated from Him for a time. The One against whom all rebellion occurs bore my sin.

Easter is about God reconciling sinful, rebellious mankind to Himself. Easter is God graciously loving those who spit in His face. Easter is God pulling hard-hearted sinners from a miry pit with no other way out.

Because of Easter--because I have bowed in repentance of the sin that put Jesus on that cross, because I have accepted and admitted the fact that I am helpless and hopeless part from Christ's work, because I know I need a Savior and cried out for His salvation--because of Easter, I have a new heart. While I live in this body of flesh, I will still struggle. My flesh--my sin nature--will still often win. But I am no longer bound to sin, buried in that miry pit.

Because of Easter, I, too, can graciously pour love into those who have been anything but kind to me. I can live out the story of Easter to those who do not appreciate the fact that I am doing so.

Have you been redeemed? If so, what does it mean to you? Is it just a ticket to heaven? Does it just mean a friend to pray to or comfort for the asking?

Or does it mean a transformed heart and Spirit-empowered strength to live a life that honors, pleases, and glorifies God? A life that "walks worthy" is not easy...but O! the blessings that are being stored up!

Happy Resurrection Day!

May I never lose the wonder of the cross...

I stand redeemed...

I've been washed in the blood, I am clean and whole...

Hallelujah! What a Savior...

When I survey the wondrous cross, on which the Prince of Glory died...

So many wonderful words to sing.

~ ~ ~

On "good" Friday, we went to a Darkening service, centered around the seven sayings of Jesus on the cross. After the finish of each section, another light would dim and in the background was the noise of a hammer on a nail. Last night we remembered the anguish...

And tomorrow we celebrate the victory!

But in the joy and awe, never forget that there was a high price paid for me...for you. I love this thought-provoking quote from the Mahaneys.

HAPPY EASTER!

Day of Victory

He is not here,

but is risen!

~ ~ ~

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered;
Now is ascended, my Lord evermore!

photo courtesy ClickArt Christian Graphics Deluxe

Scripture: Luke 24:6

with One Day (O Glorious Day)

Day of Confusion

But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”
Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?”
She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

~ ~ ~

Mary wept because she did not understand.

None of the disciples did, until after Jesus resurrected.

What was that Sabbath day like for Jesus' followers? Luke describes how confused they were, even as they began hearing reports of the empty tomb, and how they didn't fully believe until they saw Jesus themselves. We can rejoice, knowing now what they did not fully know!

~ ~ ~

Dying for me, dying for me,
There on the cross He was dying for me;
Now in His death my redemption I see,
All because Jesus was dying for me.

Risen for me, risen for me,
Up from the grave He has risen for me;
Now evermore from death’s sting I am free,
All because Jesus has risen for me.

photo courtesy christian-graphics.net

Scripture: John 20:11-15

with Wounded for Me

Day of Sorrow

 Who has believed our report?
      And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
       For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
      And as a root out of dry ground.
      He has no form or comeliness;
      And when we see Him,
      There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
       He is despised and rejected by men,
      A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. 

~ ~ ~

O sacred Head, now wounded,

with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns,

Thine only crown...

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee,

Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee

and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish,

with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish

that once was bright as morn!
~ ~ ~
      And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
      He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
       Surely He has borne our griefs
      And carried our sorrows;
      Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
      Smitten by God, and afflicted.
       But He was wounded for our transgressions,
      He was bruised for our iniquities;
      The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
      And by His stripes we are healed. 

~ ~ ~

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered,

was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression,

but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior!

’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor,

vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

~ ~ ~

     All we like sheep have gone astray;
      We have turned, every one, to his own way;
      And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
       He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
      Yet He opened not His mouth;
      He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
      And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
      So He opened not His mouth.
       He was taken from prison and from judgment,
      And who will declare His generation?
      For He was cut off from the land of the living;
      For the transgressions of My people He was stricken. 

~ ~ ~

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Sheds its beams around me.

~ ~ ~ 
And they made His grave with the wicked—
      But with the rich at His death,
      Because He had done no violence,
      Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
       Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him;
      He has put Him to grief.
      When You make His soul an offering for sin,
      He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
      And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.
       He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
      By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
      For He shall bear their iniquities. 

~ ~ ~

Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.

~ ~ ~      
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
      And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
      Because He poured out His soul unto death,
      And He was numbered with the transgressors,
      And He bore the sin of many,
      And made intercession for the transgressors.

photo courtesy christian-graphics.net

Scripture: Isaiah 53, NKJ

with O Sacred Head Now Wounded

and Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross