Thursday Ramblings

I blog for several reasons, one being I love to write. Writing it down for the whole world to see wasn't what I had in mind, but when it enters the blogosphere, that is the risk I take. I also journaled for 20+ years before I began my blog. Those journals are stowed away in a safe place with a disclaimer on top if I happen to go to heaven unexpectedly. Journals and blogs are very personal, but I also want them to be my spiritual heritage handed down to my family when I am gone.
Another reason for blogging was stated in a post which I have highlighted here:

 I wanted to be able to communicate to the women of our church, to my extended family who do not live nearby, to anyone who might be reading. My desire for this blog is to point you and myself to Jesus Christ. If I can encourage one person to love God and continue in your pursuit of the lover of your soul, encouraging you to get to know God in all his glory through HIS WORD, then I have accomplished my goal for writing.

Here are a couple of posts regarding my purpose for blogging.

Why Blog?

To Blog or Not

All that to say I want to continue to encourage you my reader in your pursuit of our Great God. There always seems to be so much sadness in our world that would seek to take our focus off Jesus and our desire to follow him with all our hearts, mind and soul. Whether it is world events, a financial crisis, marriages that need the gospel applied to them, children who are straying, etc. you fill in the blank.

But God is always wanting to use any and every circumstance to draw us closer to Himself and conform us to the image of His son. That is not always easy to do when tragedy sometimes knocks on our door. My only encouragement comes from God who talks to me everytime I open His Word.

Paul, the author of Romans speaks about peace with God through faith. Since we have been justified, declared innocent because of Jesus and his work on the cross, we can have peace. We can rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And God is glorified when we can rejoice in our sufferings because of what suffering produces, which you can read in Romans 5:1-5. The best part? God's love is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. God doesn't just love us, he POURS his love into our hearts.(v.5), which in the greek pour means to bestow or distribute largely.

Be encouraged today reading friend, whatever you are facing, God knows and is pouring his love into your heart.



Something New

I am thrilled to have a beautiful new header for my blog courtesy of my friend Lori. Her blogs are My View From the Mountain and her photography blog. I have been wanting a header on my blog for some time. One that describes me, one that shows you the reader where my heart is at, where I come from, where I've been and where I'm going. Lori took time out of her busy Thanksgiving weekend to take a trip down a country road not far from hers to capture in her lens my family farm. The farmer is gone, but the farm and it's many memories are still there. I hope to be able to share those photos some day. Lori did a great job taking many pictures that I had to choose one from. You see it here. Some of my favorites. An Iowa sky, and Iowa sunset and an Iowa farm. Yes those are a big part of me, but my blog is much more than that. It is sharing my life with you and my life in Christ, glorifying God in writing, parenting, following God in ministry with my husband, so much more. I trust you will continue to read and invite your friends to check out my blog. And always, wanting to glorify God in everything I do.

An Award

I had an interesting email tonight telling me my blog had won an award. Not sure exactly how I won, but I am in good company with some of the other blogs, one is Beth Moore's personal blog, that won the same award. I am listed at #7, not sure about the title of the blog that is listed above me. :(
You can check out the blog award page on my side bar. I'm just hoping it isn't a scam or some type of spam. I did some research, so we shall see. I am also listed on another top 100 that was announced last year some time. I guess I have more readers than I thought. Thankful for all my faithful friends who stop by to see what is happening in my part of the world.

Uncluttered Heart

Blogging these days has hit a slump. I like some of the synonyms taken from Dictionary.com. Although I am not in a blue funk, that is how I feel about blogging right now. I have been in a blogging rut before and I am sure this lapse will pass.

Everyone is back to school and I am back to babysitting for Baby K who is no longer a baby but a very active two-year old. He loves to read and talk, talk and read, and comment on all the sounds he hears outside. He is good company.

In my spare time I am preparing for a Wednesday night group for women, mentoring and walking almost 3 miles a day.  I also enjoy helping my husband as much as I can.
Life definitely has a different pace and I am continually asking the Lord to use me wherever he pleases. I don't want to waste time or the life he graces me with everyday.
My roles and relationships are changing, but I will always be a child of God. I want to be conformed to the image of my Savior everyday, so I will continually set the Lord before me so I may glorify God in whatever I do.

I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Psalm 16:8

Too much water

As I approach the second anniversary of beginning my blog I was looking back to previous posts. This was an early post, done in October of 2008. I am repeating it here to remind myself of 'why' I blog and to keep my life centered and grounded in the precious Word of God. The only way to know Him.

The goal of my blog is to communicate to you that I want to "know Christ" and make him the supreme center of everything I do in every season of life. This year I believe the Lord has been showing me more of himself, or it could be that God now has my undivided attention, through His Word. You won't see me stray far from that goal. I want to know him and His Word, so you will see a lot about that topic. I was recently thinking about being waterlogged, can't tell you why. It means to be so filled or soaked with water that the object that is waterlogged becomes too heavy or hard to manage; saturated. Can you be Bible-logged?(probably not a word!) Am I so saturated with God's Word that I am overflowing with it? Hmmmmm.(10-2008)

I want to be able to say with the Psalmist:

Whom have I in heaven but you?

And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.

Psalm 73:25

To Blog or Not to Blog

Ever get to the point in a project where you just want to quit? Saying 'why bother? what's the point? Those have been my questions as of late regarding this blog. Why do I write almost all of my feelings, thoughts, opinions, etc. on a social and very public place? I have been questioning my motives and I know the Lord has been searching my heart. 
I have kept a journal for over 20 years and switched to this medium 18 months ago. Why?

• I initially began because I was not going to let something new get the best of me. Stubborn I guess. I was going to figure out the 'blog' thing because I love to write.
• I wanted to talk to my "sisters" in Christ, communicating to them on a regular basis.
• I wanted to glorify God in everything I do.

This blog has evolved over the months. I now want to convey I am living my life before the face of God, whether  I am

• Raising my family
• Cooking for my family
• Teaching Sunday School and women's Bible studies
• Weeping with those who weep
• Listening to the hurting
• Loving my husband and children
• Watching Kansas beat Syracuse in mens college basketball(watching college basketball)
• Serving the Lord along side my husband

I want to walk in a way that is worthy of the Lord, attempting to be as authentic and bare faced, which has always been a goal of mine, that I live, love and struggle just like everyone else. I am a 

• daughter of God
• daughter and sister
• wife
• mother
• friend
• pastor's wife

glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.
The blog? We shall see!!

Why Blog?

Combined with the fact that I like to write and wanting to communicate with all of you, I am entering the world of blogging. I do a substantial amount of reading, always finding some hidden gem in scripture or my reading that I just have to share. That will be my goal of this blog. It is possible as women of the 21st century to have Jesus Christ as our honored center treasuring him in everything we do.

A New Blog

I finally did it. I've started a blog. What fun. In the days to come I will explain why I wanted to blog and fill you in on all the juicy details.