Isaiah 6:1-8 (NIV)
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord, high and exalted, seated on a throne; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphim, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.”
6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.”
8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
I absolutely LOVE this. Picture how beautiful it is. I like to put myself right in the middle of this, right in Isaiah's sandals. It's completely overwhelming. Can you even imagine it?!
This is one of my favorite passages, and therefore, this is one of my favorite songs. Sit back, close your eyes, and soak it in.
P.S. If you are like me, and like to read more than just the specific passages people present to me, be sure to check out the explanation of the Hebrew for the second part of this verse, here. It makes a lot more sense.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Cool Find
I like to use natural body care products, for the most part. I just can't get myself to use the all natural deodorant, and the toothpaste I tried didn't keep my breath from smelling. But, overall, I like to take as many chemicals out of my environment as I can. I actually discovered this years ago, when my mom convinced me to stop using typical acne washes and go with something natural. She told me, "All those chemicals can't be good for your skin." I had amazing success with my skin after switching to a natural body wash. And, shampoo? Don't even get me started. Most shampoos contain an ingredient that can cause blindness. And we rub it all over our heads, and let the shower rinse it down our faces?!
I know that natural stuff like this is typically more expensive, but if you go to the right place, it can be bearable. And, really, who can put a dollar amount on our health? :)
I went the The Vitamin Shoppe (one of the "right" places that you can get natural body care products for cheaper), today, to pick up some shampoo, conditioner, and face soap. I found this!
It's called African Black Soap, and says it's for "acne fighting, detoxifying & healing." The description on the back says, "African Black Soap, made from palm ash, tamarind extract, tar and plantain peel has been used in Africa for centuries to treat eczema, acne, oily skin, psoriasis, and other skin ailments." It smells great, too! I can't wait to use it.
I know that natural stuff like this is typically more expensive, but if you go to the right place, it can be bearable. And, really, who can put a dollar amount on our health? :)
I went the The Vitamin Shoppe (one of the "right" places that you can get natural body care products for cheaper), today, to pick up some shampoo, conditioner, and face soap. I found this!
It's called African Black Soap, and says it's for "acne fighting, detoxifying & healing." The description on the back says, "African Black Soap, made from palm ash, tamarind extract, tar and plantain peel has been used in Africa for centuries to treat eczema, acne, oily skin, psoriasis, and other skin ailments." It smells great, too! I can't wait to use it.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Way Better Than the Mall
I love home improvement stores. The smell of the wood, the life of the plants, the possibilities that stretch before me in aisles and aisles of fixtures, knobs, doors, flooring, and organizational items. I am in my element, there. I remembered this, yesterday, when I went to Lowe's to pick up some Drano and Weed & Feed. I came out with 2 herb plants, an 8 pack of lightbulbs, a Scott's version of Weed & Feed, rolling casters for my coffee table, Liquid Plumber, and this awesome, $5 lamp!
It goes perfectly in my living room. Unfortunately, and quite comically, my 64 lb dog is afraid of it.
It goes perfectly in my living room. Unfortunately, and quite comically, my 64 lb dog is afraid of it.
Destruction in Paradise
OK, maybe I don't live in Paradise, but the area that I live in seems pretty close, sometimes. It's been a few weeks, now, and I just haven't sat down to write about the awful tornadoes that came through at the end of April. I found myself to be extremely emotional about it all. It still upsets me to talk about it. I felt so helpless. We donated some items, and my mom and I went to volunteer in our town (once they were finally letting people into town), but it doesn't seem like enough. This has inspired me to get disaster relief training, so that I can be of more help, if this sort of thing happens nearby, again. Rather than trying to recap it, I am copying a letter that I wrote to a radio station about the tornadoes (I took out my town....just to practice safe blogging).
It's one thing to hear about tornadoes in other towns, think that it's sad, and move on with your life. It's a completely different thing to see the devastation at your own home. I live in (?) and there was an incredible amount of damage only a few miles from my home. I am incredibly thankful for the safety of my home and my family. It brings tears to my eyes when I realize how close I was to being pulled into this disaster. My parents were out of town and so I went over to check on their home Thursday evening, as they live in (?), as well. My husband called me and let me know I needed to stay at their house for a bit, because storms were going to be coming through. I drove home once it looked like I had a safe window. Only 2 hours later the worst of our the tornadoes came through the path I took to get home. It leveled homes, destroyed businesses, and took lives. I don't know how I was blessed enough to make it home in such good timing, but I am so grateful for God's safety in my life.
My heart breaks for those that weren't as lucky as I was. They still have our town closed to through traffic, but have been overwhelmed with more volunteers than they can use. I know it's easy to forget about these things after a few days, but I hope that everyone will remember that there are still people hurting and can use donations and prayers.
Please remember the TN Valley and North GA in your prayers as well as Joplin, MO, which was struck with tornado destruction, yesterday.
It's one thing to hear about tornadoes in other towns, think that it's sad, and move on with your life. It's a completely different thing to see the devastation at your own home. I live in (?) and there was an incredible amount of damage only a few miles from my home. I am incredibly thankful for the safety of my home and my family. It brings tears to my eyes when I realize how close I was to being pulled into this disaster. My parents were out of town and so I went over to check on their home Thursday evening, as they live in (?), as well. My husband called me and let me know I needed to stay at their house for a bit, because storms were going to be coming through. I drove home once it looked like I had a safe window. Only 2 hours later the worst of our the tornadoes came through the path I took to get home. It leveled homes, destroyed businesses, and took lives. I don't know how I was blessed enough to make it home in such good timing, but I am so grateful for God's safety in my life.
My heart breaks for those that weren't as lucky as I was. They still have our town closed to through traffic, but have been overwhelmed with more volunteers than they can use. I know it's easy to forget about these things after a few days, but I hope that everyone will remember that there are still people hurting and can use donations and prayers.
Please remember the TN Valley and North GA in your prayers as well as Joplin, MO, which was struck with tornado destruction, yesterday.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
An Ear to the Issue
Alright, it just needs to be discussed. I pierced my ears. I was raised in a fairly conservative church, and piercing was not encouraged. In efforts not to be a "stumbling block," I feel a need to give a moment to discuss it.
When I started to want to pierce my ears, I chewed it over for at least 2 years. When I got serious about it, I researched it online and biblically. I prayed about it. And THEN, I decided to do it.
I firmly believe that we should we should believe things because WE believe them, not because we are told to believe them. I believe that we should research and study and KNOW what we believe and why. This is not an excuse to do whatever we want, or to have an absence of belief. It is, however, a reason to study in order to understand our beliefs.
That being said, I don't want to be used as an excuse for someone else to make a decision on ear piercing, or anything for that matter. Because of this, I don't feel it would be appropriate for me to discuss the details of why I made this decision. I want others to make decisions based on their own prayer and study, as I did.
I just wanted it to be clear to any that may be questioning it, that I made my decision to pierce my ears after study, thought, and prayer, not just on a whim.
When I started to want to pierce my ears, I chewed it over for at least 2 years. When I got serious about it, I researched it online and biblically. I prayed about it. And THEN, I decided to do it.
I firmly believe that we should we should believe things because WE believe them, not because we are told to believe them. I believe that we should research and study and KNOW what we believe and why. This is not an excuse to do whatever we want, or to have an absence of belief. It is, however, a reason to study in order to understand our beliefs.
That being said, I don't want to be used as an excuse for someone else to make a decision on ear piercing, or anything for that matter. Because of this, I don't feel it would be appropriate for me to discuss the details of why I made this decision. I want others to make decisions based on their own prayer and study, as I did.
I just wanted it to be clear to any that may be questioning it, that I made my decision to pierce my ears after study, thought, and prayer, not just on a whim.
Pursuit of Passion
I've been thinking about passion, lately. I went to a friend's concert, a few weeks ago (check out Matt Chancey on Facebook or on iTunes, he's pretty awesome). He's an incredible musician with obvious passion for music and his guitar. I found myself rather jealous of his ability to live out his passion. He plays in local venues, goes on tour, and gets to spend time doing what he loves (in addition to being a student).
I found it easier to follow my passions when they were readily available for me. It was easy to spend time with kids when I worked at a preschool, or when I didn't work full time and could spend my summers working at summer camp. The same goes for my passion for water and teaching swimming. It was easy to enjoy acro sport when I went to schools with acro teams. It was easy to be involved in music, when I went to school with weekly worship services and friends who often asked for my help with song service.
Now, I find it much harder to pursue my passions, but that has now become one of my many goals.
My current passions:
I found it easier to follow my passions when they were readily available for me. It was easy to spend time with kids when I worked at a preschool, or when I didn't work full time and could spend my summers working at summer camp. The same goes for my passion for water and teaching swimming. It was easy to enjoy acro sport when I went to schools with acro teams. It was easy to be involved in music, when I went to school with weekly worship services and friends who often asked for my help with song service.
Now, I find it much harder to pursue my passions, but that has now become one of my many goals.
My current passions:
- Crafts/Creativity-Most likely my strongest passion. I couldn't keep this one out of my life, if I wanted to. I feel like it practically oozes out of me. This is why I started my craft blog.
- Music- Aside from listening to it, I don't have much of it in my life. I used to sing with the worship team at church, but it's been some time since I've done that. I've had a guitar for years and still barely know how to play it. I am hoping to find time to do something about that, soon. I guess I need to find a good (and cheap) guitar teacher.
- Kids- I LOVE them. I want about 167 of them. I used to work at summer camp and teach at a preschool. But, currently I just have the kiddos in my family. It will have to be good enough, for now.
- Helping Others-I am able to volunteer every now and then for different things, but I definitely don't do it enough. Currently, we have tons of tornado damage here in my area (which I will write about sometime soon). I was really glad to be able to help with some cleanup. And, once things calm down from the tornado upheaval, I am planning to get some disaster response training, so that I can possibly be of more help in the event of a future disaster.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Witness at Every Stop
Safelite came by last week to look at some windshield damage. I found it interesting (actually, I found it amazing), that within the few minutes that I stood outside with him, he found a way to bring up God, talk about his grace and mercy, and explain how welcoming his church is.
I only assume that he does that at most of his service calls. What an amazing way to turn a seemingly "ministryless" job into a way to witness to a broad range of people.
How can we each turn our every day activities into a way to share God?
I only assume that he does that at most of his service calls. What an amazing way to turn a seemingly "ministryless" job into a way to witness to a broad range of people.
How can we each turn our every day activities into a way to share God?
Culturally Thinking
About a week ago, Brandon and I went to see the movie "Rio". I love watching cartoons in the theater. The movie was set, in Rio, around the time of Carnival. I know it was just a cartoon, but it made me think about culture and tradition. Is it just because I am used to our culture, that it seems to me, that we don't have any? We have tradition among families, but what American traditions do we have, other than Christmas and 4th of July?
Wouldn't life be more fun if we embraced culture and followed more traditions? I think I'm going to try and embrace tradition and culture, both locally and within my heritage, as well as start new traditions within my little family.
Wouldn't life be more fun if we embraced culture and followed more traditions? I think I'm going to try and embrace tradition and culture, both locally and within my heritage, as well as start new traditions within my little family.
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