Pudding

Ok, so with everything going on in our country these days I've been thinking a lot. Today specifically I came to the conclusion that there are 2 kinds of people in this world. Those who like their pudding cups refrigerated and those who do not. Let me be very clear, I do NOT fall into the latter category. :) You may be wondering to yourself, "she must be eating pudding right now", and I have to tell you that you are, in fact, correct. I am sitting here eating my generic sugar free pudding, pondering how lovely it is and I was reminded rather abruptly that there are actually people out there who don't eat their pudding cold. How horrible! How could any clear thinking human being do such a thing?!? It's simply against nature and must not be tolerated. My mind goes back to a day my mom came over to visit and we were rummaging around my kitchen for "snackies" and I had said rather proudly, "I have pudding!". Her face lit up and we both relished in the moment before we were to partake in our glorious snack. Unbeknownst to me this great satisfaction would be severely cut short when I reached into the fridge, face beaming, and my mother looked at me quizzically and asked, "don't you have any that isn't cold?" Her judgemental question cut me to the core as I realized that my mother was "one of those people", you know, "them". Those we don't speak of who eat their warm pudding and like it. Well, I tried to reason with her, but she simply wouldn't have it. We sat in silence in my livingroom as a cloud hung over our snacktime. Panic quickly set in as I wondered, "are we related? Am I even her child?" How can this be????????!!!???? had everything in my life been a lie??!!?? We no longer had anything in common and I could see that soon we'd be mere aquaintances of each other and eventually distant memories. My mother and I reconciled, but I may never fully recover. PLEASE! Please, if you love pudding, for goodness sake, put it in the fridge. And if you are a hater of pudding then I beseech you to turn from your foolish ways, but I fear that you are already too far gone. :)

Today I"m just thinking over how incredibly dangerous it is to want someone who doesn't want me. How utterly foolish it is and making an effort to guard my heart, but at the same time knowing not to trust my heart either, it is deceitful and blows back and worth by the wind and can't be trusted. After crying for weeks for someone who doesn't want me and that is evidenced by their actions what is the point of desiring them? I think the most difficult part is that they are the kind of man I need, a godly man who could lead me, and I don't just want the kind of person he is, I care deeply for him individually , but I spent years of my life waiting and hoping and "trying" to get someone in the past to really love me and its insane because if someone loves you then you don't have to make it happen. They simply love you and pursue you and risk everything to have you. I woke up today with a peace about this and am seeking my One true love, my savior even more. The frustrating aspect to this is that I"m generally content being single, these last few weeks have just been hard.

Biblical view on inaugural choice

I found this on the Desiring God blog. Obviously those who don't have the Spirit can't understand the things of the Spirit, but those of us who do claim to and are believers should very much think on this choice by Barack Obama at the inauguration and it should make us angry when choices like these basically slap our God in the face. It should matter a great deal.

How Barack Obama Will Make Christ a Minister of CondemnationJanuary 17, 2009 By: John Piper Category: Commentary
At Barack Obama’s request, tomorrow in the Lincoln Memorial, Gene Robinson, the first openly non-celibate homosexual bishop in the Episcopal Church, will deliver the invocation for the inauguration kick-off.
This is tragic not mainly because Obama is willing to hold up the legitimacy of homosexual intercourse, but because he is willing to get behind the church endorsement of sexual intercourse between men.
It is one thing to say: Two men may legally have sex. It is another to say: The Christian church acted acceptably in blessing Robinson’s sex with men.
The implications of this are serious.
It means that Barack Obama is willing, not just to tolerate, but to feature a person and a viewpoint that makes the church a minister of damnation. Again, the tragedy here is not that many people in public life hold views (like atheism) that lead to damnation, but that Obama is making the church the minister of damnation.
The apostle Paul says,
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves , nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
What is Paul saying about things like adultery, greed, stealing, and homosexual practice? As J. I. Packer puts it, “They are ways of sin that, if not repented of and forsaken, will keep people out of God’s kingdom of salvation.” (Christianity Today, January 2003, p. 48).
In other words, to bless people in these sins, instead of offering them forgiveness and deliverance from them, is to minister damnation to them, not salvation.
The gospel, with its forgiveness and deliverance from homosexual practice, offers salvation. Gene Robinson, with his blessing and approval of homosexual practice, offers damnation. And he does it in the name of Christ.
It is as though Obama sought out a church which blessed stealing and adultery, and then chose its most well-known thief and adulterer, and asked him to pray.
One more time: The issue here is not that presidents may need to tolerate things they don’t approve of. The issue is this: In linking the Christian ministry to the approval of homosexual activity, Christ is made a minister of condemnation.

So, I'm sitting here so incredibly thankful of the faithful friends that the Lord has placed in my life. 3 weeks ago a dear friends of mine's mom passed away suddenly and unexpectedly and young. I have been grieving for my friend and her family and specifically for God to show me how to minister to her best, how to give of myself to help her and for her husband to know how to love her the way she needs to be loved right now. Tonight at Bible study was the first time I've seen them since everything happened and they went out of town and God used them to bless me and teach me in a way I've never seen. They are hopeful! They love their Lord more today than they did yesterday. She is grieving, but asking us to pray that God will show her how to grieve in a way that glorifies Him!I honestly think the 2 of them speaking about how God is using this heartache to draw them closer to Himself and to long for him more and to hate sin that much more( because the ultimate reality of sin in our life here is death) is the most beautiful moment I have ever been a part of. I began the day seeking out how I could best be of benefit to them and the Lord used them to teach me and to show me what a faithful believer looks like in the face of anguish and loss. I love them so much and they are such an example to me. Thankyou Jesus for the light you are shining through them and their great encouragement!

Christmas Day 2008

So, I've been thinking a lot lately about those times my parents told me that each year goes by faster than the one before- this year has been the quickest year seemingly of my life. But even more than that I can barely remember the last 5 or so years period, mainly because I hid myself in a hole for many of them due to painful situations off and on. For a really long time I simply survived, that was my mentality, to get through another day and I didn't even realize how incredibly lacking that kind of life was. It took God's Word and intentional friends to show me that I should be enjoying my life. More than that- I should be immensely enjoying Jesus Christ! The life of the believer is not simply some "stick to it" and "deal with it" situational life, but a life of joy and unbridled passion for my Creator and Sustainer who gives and who takes away and who heals what is broken and holds me when all around me is breaking and who disciplines me because He loves me and tears down and rebuilds according to His will and for His glory! My hope and my joy and my satisfaction can only be found in Him and I will never be who I am meant to be unless I am obedient to Him! There is no greater gift for me to dwell on today than that of my precious Lord whose death was not even about me, but was about God being glorified and His will being done and drawing a people to Himself, people who didn't deserve anything but seperation from Him, but in His great and wonderful mercy He demonstrated His love for me that while I was still full of every kind of evil towards Him He gave His life! How can I not praise Him? How can I complain? Why should I be complacent?

Excitement

So... I've lost 8.5 pounds! i know, I still have like a gazillion to go, but am encouraged!

So... it's been awhile.... :)

Well, I've decided to try to start blogging again.... you know, since my life is so incredibly interesting, lol. Not much to report today, worked and am tired now since it's almost 2am. Had a phenomenal day at church today, very encouraging. Am very excited about a project we're getting together to help out some refugees that have been re-located to downtown Louisville from Asia. More about that later. Spent some time reading 1Cor.1-3 tonight. Am praying that the Lord will continue to mold me into who He wants me to be and am laying my dad at His feet. That's it for now.