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Christmas Countdown!

Word.

God-Sized Dreams

There is something stirring inside of me. I don't know what it is, or how I am going to do it, or when it's going to happen. But yet, I feel it, an aching to do something bigger than me - something God-sized.

You see, I am plagued with a gotta-do-something-bigger-than-what-I-am-already-doing disease. Sometimes, it feels as if the things that I am doing in the name of the Lord aren't big enough. As if these small(ish) things are somehow insignificant. Here's the thing, to God, anything done in his name is big enough.

So, if you start a charity or simply raise your children to love God, no task is too big or too small. At the end of the day, it's OK to set your sights on a God-sized dream, because "...with God, all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

The Last Page

Please tell me that I am not the only one who has picked up a new book, read the first few pages, then in a move of nagging desperation, flipped to the last page to read the ending.

I have to admit that I have done this a time or two. This act of impatience begs the question: Why is it so important to know the end of something before it has even begun? Not to mention that most of the time, the last page rarely gives anything away. You have to read the pages in between the beginning and the end.

What a concept, right? It's right up there with opening Christmas presents before Christmas, re-wrapping them, and putting them back. Yes, I know people who do this. Let me re-phrase, I know adults who do this.

Recently, God has been whispering this to me - the message goes something like this; 

If, as Christians, we already know what happens "at the end of the book" (so to speak), then why do we live our lives worrying? Why do we live our lives fretting over how our stories are going to end when we already know that salvation is ours because of Jesus Christ?

John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

This is a pretty simple truth that speaks volumes and it's not found in the beginning of the bible or the end, but more or less, smack dab in the middle.

Make this pact with me. Let's not burden ourselves with how things are going to end. Live in each moment as it arrives, taking as much as we can from it, and leaving nothing behind. Don't waste opportunities, and most of all, let's live our lives for God's glory, because Jesus died so that we could live. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) Let's be an example to those who do not know God, or to those who are new to their faith, that He will take care of us. 

If by chance you haven't read the bible, I'd recommend it. It's a best-seller and it has a good ending. ;)

...and the greatest of these is Love.

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." (1 Corinthians 13:4) To some, this may sound a bit cliche.

Surely, most of you have attended at least one wedding that included this passage from scripture. Because of its popularity in wedding vows, I think many people find the scripture to be cliche and do not think much of it beyond vows.

This chapter in the bible is often referred to as the love chapter, because its entire purpose is to define genuine, Jesus-like, love.

Let me backtrack. Recently, my husband and I went out on a date night, leaving our sons at my parent's house. When we returned to pick them up, my mom told me that my older son had stuck a pea up his nose, and had apparently left his "listening-ears" at home.

To be honest, the whole thing angered and embarrassed me. The anger that I was feeling was directed toward my son, and even the next morning, I had a really hard time letting go of it. I kept racking my brain as to why he would behave so badly. Had he had a bad day? Was coming down with something? Was it because he hadn't taken a nap that day?

Then it occurred to me, he had done this the last time we left him there for a date night - nearly six months earlier. This is the point when I started to do exactly what the bible calls me not to do; I began to keep a record of wrongs, which just made me more angry.

As I took a shower that morning, this verse whispered into my thoughts:

"

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails." 

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8)

I have no doubt that this is a God-thing, as the lesson for preschoolers this week at my church is about genuine love, and we are using the love chapter to demonstrate this.

What a powerful message this has been for me today. Not only should I work harder at not angering easily and keeping a record of wrongs, I also need to be a consistent example of genuine, Jesus-like love for my children.

So, the next time you hear all or some of these verses at a wedding, don't roll your eyes. These simple truths extend far beyond wedding vows -  they are truly worth thinking about.

"There are three things that will endure - faith, hope and love - and the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord

But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. - Jeremiah 17:7-8

Leap of Faith

My toes gripped desperately to the edge of the diving board, my heart pounded in my chest and my nerves were a jumble in the back of my throat.

Dive in, really?

Head first?

Bravely, yet full of fear, I took the plunge - literally.

Fear is the enemy's best tool. It's the one that will keep us on the sideline and/or diving board indefinitely. God however, calls on us to trust him. He calls on us to take that preverbal leap of faith, no matter how crippling the fear is.

So the next time you find yourself overcome with fear - whether that means taking a new job, meeting new friends, or simply attempting to dive off of the diving board - keep this in mind;

God sprouts your wings once you take the leap.

Trust in the Lord with all of your heart... - Proverbs 3:5

Spring is here!

The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.
Isaiah 40:8

Cutest Pet Contest...

The Medford Mail Tribune, my local paper, is conducting a cutest pet contest. Jericho should win!! Vote below:

Project 365 - Week 4

Who knew this would be such hard work! With my husband out of town last week, photography wasn't my top priority. Therefore, there are only four images this week.

I haven't thought of my excuse for this week yet...

Project 365 - Week 3

Better late than never...

Love never fails

Project 365 - Week 2

Week two found me thinking outside of the box and I think I like what I came up with!

Newborn Session

Nearly a month ago, my best friend had a baby - and boy is he adorable! Though my experience with photographing newborns is limited to my two boys, I really wanted to give my friends a special gift, so I volunteered to do a newborn session for them and, luckily for me, they agreed!

In all honesty, I never thought I would never fall in love with the idea of photographing people other than my own family, but something about this little guy made me re-think a few things. After this session, I feel confident in saying that I would love to do more of this - plus families and kids.

Here are some of my favorite images from our session: