Psalm 27

This Psalm spoke mightly to my heart this week.  In the midst of life's chaos, it is a wonderful reminder that God is always with us and that He is our strength in all situations. 

Something else that struck me was that as David wrote this Psalm, he said that one of his desires was to "gaze on the beauty of the Lord."  Wow.  I want that to be my desire. 

The LORD is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

When the wicked advance against me

to devour me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.

Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.

One thing I ask from the LORD,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the LORD

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the LORD

and to seek him in his temple.

For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the LORD.

Hear my voice when I call, LORD;

be merciful to me and answer me.

My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, LORD, I will seek.

Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

Though my father and mother forsake me,

the LORD will receive me.

Teach me your way, LORD;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the LORD

in the land of the living.

Wait for the LORD;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the LORD.

Taking Time to be Thankful

It’s easy to get caught up in the world’s ways of wishing time away because things aren’t exactly how we might want them to be, or because life gets harder than we anticipated.

I get caught in that trap sometimes.

All those who are guilty say “aye.”

Aye.

One thing God is teaching me lately is to cherish today. A wise friend reminded me recently of the joy a 2 year old has in how they approach a new day. They aren’t worried and burdened-down about crabby bosses, bills to pay, or what to make for dinner. They wake up in the morning and are (usually) eager to face the day and see what it will bring.

With that little scenario in mind, I’ve been trying to start my days on a slightly more optimistic note. Perhaps starting by thanking God for a new day to be alive; another day to do His bidding; another day to be a wife, a daughter, a sister, a friend. Learning to enjoy today for what it is and not freak out about having to go to work, or if the house is messy when I get home.

I love my life, my family, my marriage, our little home, but sometimes I simply need to stop and dwell on how tremendous blessed we really are! It’s easy for other people’s negativity to rub off and to start thinking about everything we don’t have instead of everything we do have.

So what if I can’t run to the mall on a shopping trip whenever the whim strikes me?

Big deal that we can’t go out to eat very often or that we have to save up in order to have car repairs done.

Does it really matter that there is only one sink in our bathroom and we have to take turns using the mirror?

We have been blessed with full-time jobs, good health insurance, reliable vehicles, a warm cozy home, families that love us, friends that support us, and a marriage that we think is the best-thing-ever.

We’re not promised tomorrow; all we have is right here and right now. Several weeks ago I posted about the car crash that Mike & I helped out at. That whole experience is with me wherever I go, follows me every day as I leave the house, drive to work, or kiss my husband good-bye. Our lives can change in an instant, and if this is my last moment, I don’t want to have spent it wishing it all away.

My advice to you?

Kiss your spouse a little longer.

Hug your loved-ones a little tighter.

Laugh a little louder.

Smile a little bigger.

Maybe even dance in the rain once in awhile. 

Count your blessings, because no matter what is going on in your life, we can always find lots of things to be thankful for.  We have been blessed beyond measure, and now I'm just trying to live every day remembering that.

Every good and perfect gift is from above,
coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights,
who does not change like shifting shadows.  

- James 1:17

Happy Thanksgiving, dear ones! Hope it is a beautifully blessed day for you all!



This -n- That

I have become the epitome of a bad blogger. 

'Tis sad, but true.

Can you spell: S-p-o-r-a-d-i-c?

On a *brighter* note, I saw this amazing rainbow the other day. 

And yes, it was right after I enjoyed an order of Qdoba's delicious Chicken Nachos. 

And speaking of food. . .

Do any of y'all ever go to FireBowl Cafe?

I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of their food!

The price, however, was much less-impressive.

Did anybody watch Sarah Palin's Alaska on TLC this week?
#1) the scenery was amazing

#2) I find Sarah absolutely charming

Lastly, I have to mentioned our little guy here, who livens up our quiet house.

Gizmo is a solid two pounds of bundled up energy & fur.

And he adores us. 

That's all for now, folks!

Our Love Is

Our Love is:

Climbing the tallest mountains ~

Riding the biggest waves ~ 

Hockey Games ~ 

Football games ~ 

and Endless cups of coffee. ~

Holidays ~ 

Fun days ~

and Dress-up days. ~

Trying new things ~

Always having a date ~ 

Sharing every moment ~ 

And waking to every sunrise together ~ 

Our love was the opportunity of a lifetime
and it has changed my world forever.