Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Seasons of Change

Things have been a-changin' 'round here. I finished my thesis several weeks ago and got that all turned in. Immediately after that I went with our college group to Glorieta, New Mexico to the retreat center there. That was a nice relaxing time where I went to the things I wanted to and relaxed if I wanted to. I got to spend some time with the Penicks and their beautiful baby and I hear some wonderful teaching by Matt Chandler and Michael Kelly. Of course, I didn't take pictures like I said I would (because I'm not so good at doing things and taking pictures of said things) so here's what I have of the St. Francis of Assissi Cathedral Basilica.


Lee throroughly impressed me with his Latin skills. Translation: Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
 Since Glorieta I've pretty much been working. My job is not a lot different than it was before I graduated, but I get paid a little more and I don't have to worry about a thesis. Win win. I do have to work on that whole multi-tasking thing (see excuse for not taking pictures). I'm looking forward to what this year brings.

I'm also working on finding a job for when Lee and I move next year. Well, I'm at least working on making contacts, and that's a bit of a struggle for me, so keep me in your prayers. It's a little bit of a step outside my comfort zone.

Some of the biggest changes I've seen recently have been in church activity. I'm out of the college group so I've moved up to the big kids class. Different Sunday school, I'm attending a new bible study tonight, I'm going to try to do BSF, etc. With Lee still in the college group there will be some stuff there that I still attend, like the lake day a few weeks ago ;) but for the most part I'm a real grown up. Scary. I'm really looking forward to the changes God is doing around me and in me. I pray I continue to feel this way.

What about you? Any big changes in your life?

Monday, August 29, 2011

MM: Intense

Today's Manic Monday is not as carefree as previous posts. I tweeted about this song last week and a friend mentioned this video so I had to check it out. Amazing. Combining one of my favorite songs and one of the most dynamic preachers of our time into a YouTube video...awesome. So please watch the video and make sure you watch to the very end. The ending is important. I hope everyone has a wonderful day and remember that the God of the universe loves YOU!


Saturday, August 13, 2011

Christian Fiction Book Club - Digitalis by Ronie Kendig

EdgyInspirationalRomance


The selection for this month’s Christian Fiction Book Club read is Digitalis (Discarded Heroes, Book 2)by Ronie Kendig. The host is Jules over at My Own Little Corner of the World. Check out the other blogs and look at the discussion questions found here.

Digitalis is about the secrets we keep and how those secrets affect those we love. Colton (Cowboy) Neeley is an ex-marine whose life is shattered because of what he’s seen in war. He’s attempting to start over in the secretive black ops group Nightshade. Piper Blum has secrets of her own that if discovered could destroy her family and the tumultuous country she used to call home. They meet and sparks fly, but the resulting fire is deadly.

I really liked this book. It’s very action packed and thrilling. Military details don’t particularly interest me, but relationships do because that’s what I can identify with. The dynamics of the relationships in this book are intriguing, but I did get frustrated with Colton’s character because even his trying to protect other people was pretty self-centered. But that’s something we all struggle with isn’t it?

All in all it was a good book and I read it pretty quickly on my vacation. It brings to light a lot of what our soldiers struggle with and gets you thinking. I’d recommend it.

Discussion Questions:

5. Although Colton is a Christian and seeks to live his life for God, he struggles and wonders why God hasn’t healed him of the flashbacks. Does anything about Colton resonate with you or your life?
I heard something this past week at Lifeway’s College Week at the Glorieta Conference Center that really stuck with me. If you don’t understand that God gave you everything you need through Jesus Christ, if you think God is holding out on you, you can become bitter. When I start to think that my life should be easy because I’m a Christian, I misunderstand the gospel. It’s so easy to think God should take away any suffering we have just because He can, but we can’t see the big picture. It’s like allowing you to watch 1 second of a movie and then ask you what the movie’s about and how it will end. It takes an enormous amount of faith to trust that God has your best interests at heart, but understanding who He is and that He is always faithful is crucial to get that.

The next book for the book club is The Preacher's Bride by Jody Hedlund on September 24.

A special thanks to The Book Club Network and Ronie Kendig for giving me the copy I read for this review. I love giveaways, don't you!

Monday, August 1, 2011

MM: 2 Years

Sorry it's been forever. I successfully defended my thesis last week and now I'm working on making a few changes before I turn it in this week. Thanks for the prayers everyone. After 2 solid years of grad school I'll very soon have my degree. It's also been two years that I've been married to my wonderful husband. I definitely would not have made it through the sleepless nights and stressful days without him. He showed me this video earlier and thought it was pretty funny. I thought I'd share it with you.


Here's to many more years to come!

Photo taken by the dynamic duo at Beaty Photography