::Heaven::

It never ceases to make me cry...

Frodo's speech: "I'm glad to be with you, Samwise Gamgee...here at the end of all things."

The Aragorn-Arwen reunion.

The ship sailing away.

And I couldn't help but compare it this time ~ as much as I love Tolkein's ending (movie version, in this case at least), I thought of the ending God has for this story of Real Life. The victory over sin and death and evil, already His, will be fully realized and He will gather His people home.

I think of Frodo's excitement and relief of leaving the Shire and "sailing away," ready to be rid of the ache of the Black Riders' wound. I think of the day when my wounds--physical and emotional--will be done with. I will be with Jesus, face to face, and there will be unending joy, unmarred by sin and death. I will not be sinned against nor will I commit sin against another person. I will never have to repent of my sin again, for the power and presence of sin will both be destroyed.

That is, indeed, a day to look forward to.

::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!

::HOPE::

Hope.

 

Last week, I took three separate walks with my nanny-kids. The week before (well, I was actually out of town dealing with ice and snow issues there, too, but the week before that…) I was calling work to make sure I was needed and then shoveling snow off my car so I could leave. I actually like shoveling out my car. Such an accomplishment! :) And I actually love the snow.

 

But I do love Spring. And flip-flops and iced coffee and reading outside and taking walks. Especially walks with my little kiddos.

You gotta love where I live, because with as much snow as we got that week, the snow piled up. Especially along the curbs and especially the curbs at the crosswalks. But a few days of 60s and the snow melts. Except at the curbs near the crosswalks. So as I'm basking in the sunshine with my 3-year-olds in their double-wide jogging stroller, or the 2-year-old and the 6-month-old (sleeping 2-year-old and almost sleeping 6-month-old, mind you) in their very long double stroller, I had to stop and shovel snow away with my foot. Or actually take another route in a few places.

 

This week we've pulled out the hats and gloves again. Last week was just a teaser. I will drink my coffee hot yet for awhile, and have to keep explaining to the persistent 3-year-old that temperatures in the teens and twenties with even lower wind chills definitely are not conducive to going outside to play. Really. I promise I'll let you know when it's warm enough to go outside!!

 

But it's more than just a "teaser"--there's hope mixed into the February thaws. A reminder that snow and cold and dry skin and no walks don't last forever. Spring is coming...and it's actually just around the corner!

 

Hope is refreshing and reviving. I know, because I've experienced it. The pain still hurts, but the reminder that I am God's child, that I am forgiven and now blessed, and that I am promised that everything that happens in my life is a part of my sanctification (and not wasted or unnecessary), is a breath of fresh air. It's peace in my heart. It's strength to take the next step. Praise God for hope!

 

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer."

{Romans 12:12}

 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!

According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be

born again to a living hope through the resurrection of

Jesus Christ from the dead…"

{1 Peter 1:3}

 

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing,

so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may

abound in hope."

{Romans 15:13}

::Plans::

Plans.

 

 

This week has been a little crazy, deviating from the normal plan--my entire work week was rearranged and has included more than one double shift. And then there was Monday night Bible study, and the third week of Good News Club, and Thursday night Bible class as church. I've had to repeat to myself over and over again the day's activities in order...and oh yeah, what day actually is it again??

 

I plan to attend a Biblical counseling conference in a few weeks. I plan to go to Israel in June. I plan to take a class in March.

 

I have shelled out a lot of money already for this conference--I've always wanted to go to Israel--one more class means two more credits closer to graduating--but in reality I have no control over these plans or any other I might make. Interruptions and disappointments come up that I would rather not plan on.

 

But one of my favorite songs on one of my favorite CDs reminds me,

Sovereign One, You work all things to Your plan.

Sovereign One, You hold all things in Your hands.

 

That I can count on. Even when, as the song goes on, I don't understand or I don't like what's going on...I can trust. And I must.

Thirty Days

At the end of last month, I was talking about dreams. It was rather ironic, actually.

You see, four years ago, in the middle of my senior year at college as a Creative Writing major, God asked me to put my writing--fiction writing--on the back burner. I knew He hadn't completely taken it away, but even the indefinite setting aside was painful.

I've tampered with writing a few short stories over the last few Christmas breaks, but always heard the whisper, "not yet."

When I found out I would not be taking any classes this fall, I wondered what on earth to do with my time. It did not take me long to think of National Novel Writing Month--where a bunch of crazy people sign up to write a novel in one month with the only prize being a congratulations. That would be my sister's definition, anyway. For me, it was a challenge and a goal and accountability and just the chance to write.

And the most important thing--God said "yes, now."

NaNoWriMo is completely customizable, but in general the goal is 50,000 words in one busy month of November. (On the 20th, when I should have been well over halfway to 50,000, I think I had just 15,000.) This past week and a half was crunch time, and thankfully my schedule cleared. As often as possible, I tucked myself away in a booth at some coffee shop and wrote like crazy. I am thankful that the twins I nanny decided to have nice long naps for the whole month! Although, at my other nanny family, I more often than not typed with a sleeping baby in my arms during Big Brother's nap, afraid that if I put Little Sister down, she would wake up again and then I would get no writing done at all.

I wrote over half of my words in the last 10 days, but I did it. My file stands at 51,071 words. I've sent it in and been declared a NaNo "winner" (everyone's a winner above 50,000 words :)).

For the past few years, I've lived through November and thought "someday."

My someday came, and I praise God for that.

Sometimes God gives dreams back, and in His impeccable timing, makes them come true.



I stayed up past midnight to begin writing right away on November 1st.
(Somehow, staying up until 2am writing a novel is much more fun
than staying up until 2am doing homework. Go figure.)
After decorating for Christmas most of the morning, I set out to finish
a few thousand words. It was official at 5:11pm today!



1) November 1st ~ Ready to get started!!
2) top left and bottom right=Coffee shop views
3) Formerly mentioned sleeping baby...
4) November 30th ~ Heading home, feeling accomplished and grateful



Dreams

"When dreams that are good

seem shoved aside, I must die."

 

When I first copied this over, I originally put "are shoved aside." Correction: seem shoved aside. I love that. We don't know the end of the story, but as for me, I serve the One who does know.

 

In thinking of dreams, I thought of Abraham, and how God gave Him a vision--a promise--of great blessing of family and land and ultimately a Savior. Abraham surely had dreamed of a son and probably even greatness, and God blew his mind away with His answer.

 

I thought of Sarah, whose pursuit of her dream caused unimaginable tension. Hannah's dream was a baby. Do you think Esther ever dreamed of saving her people? What do you think David's dreams were? Or Daniel's? Or Mary's? Or Peter's?

 

And what about the unnamed others--the little Israelite boy who dreamed over helping to conquer the Promised Land? Or the priest in Babylon who dreamed of returning to Jerusalem? Or the little girl who witnessed one or two of Jesus' miracles? God knew their dreams, too.

 

Do you have dreams? Sometimes it's scary to dream. Sometimes it seems foolish. Sometimes I don't know what to think--but God knows. He knows that the best place for my dreams is in His capable hands.

 

He also knows--and teaches us to know as well--that only as we hope in Him, rather than in the fulfillment of our dreams, will we be satisfied.

 

Sometimes our dreams come true...sometimes they don't. And so we must die to our dreams, say "Your will be done," and allow God to resurrect them as He chooses.

 

What are your dreams...what are you doing with them?