Identity

To Whom it May Concern:

A boundary has been crossed, I think hope you realize that.

Give him space to breathe.

Don't muck up his name-it will just roll off because the people that really know him, REALLY know him-and his heart is GOOD.

And what you say about him doesn't matter to him, he finds his WHOLE identity in Christ.

Not in you.

Not in me.

It's between him and God now. It's not between anyone else.

~B

HA!

My King!

And Now for Something a Little Different.

Storm Clouds

There are storm clouds in our life right now.

I am trusting that the Lord is having them there for a reason.
I am not going to believe that evil is in control.
I am going to believe that this is happening so that
we can all grow closer to what He wants.

The "birth" process is incredibly painful.

But it brings blessings in the end.

~B

From a Past Post (2006) But I Needed It Today.

By Elisabeth Elliot
When there is deep misunderstanding which has led to the erection of barriers between two who once were close, every day brings the strengthening of those barriers if they are not, by God's grace, breached. One prays and finds no way at all to break through. Love seems to "backfire" every time. Explanations become impossible. New accusations arise, it seems, from nowhere (though it is well to recall who is named the Accuser of the brethren). The situation becomes ever more complex and insoluble, and the mind goes round and round, seeking the place where things went wrong, brooding over the words which were like daggers, regretting the failures and mistakes, wondering (most painfully) how it could have been different. Much spiritual and emotional energy is drained in this way--but the Lord wants to teach us to commit, trust, and rest.

"Leave him to me this afternoon," is what his word is. "There is nothing else that I am asking of you this afternoon but that: leave him to Me. You cannot fathom all that is taking place. You don't need to. I am at work--in you, in him. Leave him to Me. Some day it will come clear--trust Me."

"Humble yourselves under God's mighty hand, and he will lift you up in due time. Cast all your cares on Him, for you [and the other] are his charge" (l Pt 5:7).
=========

Realization

It's so hard to see what you grew up to be.

I can't control you.

And you sure aren't controlling you.

Won't you be embarrassed when you wake up from your drunken stupor?

~B

Lake

Like a Lake

by Sara Groves

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
so much hurt and preservation like a tendril round my soul so much painful information no clear way on how to hold it when everything in me is tightening curling in around this ache I will lay my heart wide open like the surface of a lake wide open like a lake standing at this waters edge looking in at God's own heart I've no idea where to begin to swallow up the way things are everything in me is drawing in closing in around this pain I will lay my heart wide open like the surface of a lake wide open like a lake bring the wind and bring the thunder bring the rain till I am tried when it's over bring me stillness let my face reflect the sky and all the grace and all the wonder of a peace that I can't fake wide open like a lake everything in me is tightening curling in around this ache I am fighting to stay open I am fighting to stay open open open oh wide open open like a lake

Circles

There's a cycle that my husband and I have noticed in our relationship.....
It's in the shape of a circle.

---------------------

You start at the top-
You are new to each-other,
In love with each-other,
Happy to see one another.
Passionate.
Loving.
Under a spell, if you will.

Then you hit a patch,
it gets bumpy.
It's hard to communicate.
It's hard to want to be loving/respectful to one another.
It's hard to understand each-other.
The passion fades.
Feelings are hurt.
You start to like each-other less.
Time spent apart.
Communication gap.

Tears.
Tears.
Anger.
Tears.

It's normal.
It's where we have to put our hearts
into God's hands completely.
We reach out to Him.
We cling onto Him.

We don't let go of Him.
We try to encourage one another, while grasping for the Life-Vest
that will save our marriage
once again.

And soon,
if we hang on long enough.
The passion will come back.
The pain will subside.
The anger will be dealt with.
The communication is slow, but at least it starts.
Trying to fall back under
that spell
called
a
Good
Marriage.

~B

Like I've said before:
Good Marriage=Hard work.

Funky

I'm in a funk.

I want to get out of the house and do something other than just be here.

I know I should be happy to even have a "here", but I still just want to get out for a while.

It seems like I don't have "days", I have a "week" of feeling low-energy/off-kilter--that week is here.

I went and bought vacuum bags, shampoo and.... I can't remember the third thing, but that's how far out I have been this week.....

Tomorrow or the next there are plans to go out with the Hub..... I can't wait.

Sushi and ice cream always make me a little more patient for spring.

(We haven't gone out for Valentine's yet....)

~B

Changing the Bible

Removing words out of the Bible
and making it sound
the way we want it to,
is like children telling
their parents
how to raise them.

~B

This Too Shall Pass

{Hat-tip: Food for the Body, Mind and Soul Blog.}

If I can endure for this minute
Whatever is happening to me,
No matter how heavy my heart is
Or how dark the moment may be-

If I can remain calm and quiet
With all the world crashing about me,
Secure in the knowledge God loves me
When everyone else seems to doubt me-

If I can but keep on believing
What I know in my heart to be true,
That darkness will fade with the morning
And that this will pass away, too-

Then nothing in life can defeat me
For as long as this knowledge remains
I can suffer whatever is happening
For I know God will break all of the chains

That are binding me tight in the darkness
And trying to fill me with fear-
For there is no night without dawning
And I know that my morning is near.

Helen Steiner Rice

Home-Edukatin'

I just don't know how to do it all , Lord.

Home-schooling gets set to the side when life gets in the way.

We did meals on wheels on Monday and then paper-route.

We did babysitting for a womens group on Tuesday; piano lessons and then a band boosters fundraiser.

Now today is here and I have to work. I just don't know how to keep up right now.

One lesson has been done this week--nothing else--but my kids learned how to smile and talk to the elderly, earn money, work hard, take care of small children, play an instrument, and help serve food to others, do laundry, wash dishes, and draw self-portraits...all in two days.

So, what looks like an incredible education to me, might look like no education to anyone else.

Sometimes, this is just how our life is--it's educational--but not educational.

Help me figure this all out, Lord. I don't know how to balance it all.

Once in a while we just have one of those weeks.....

~B

Lost Season 6: episode two

C'mon people at Lost Headquarters.
The Season Premier was excellent.
The next week was choppy
and
a WASTE of my time.

Let's get it together here.

~B

Evidence of Fingerprints.

I found these photos on a news channel.

Amazing.

These simple snowflakes speak to me.

People say that you didn't create me.

People say that you didn't make all of this-that's it's all random.

People say that we have no purposes-- that life is meaningless.

I could go on and on--but I'll save that for another time.

They can't see Your fingerprints--but I can.

~B

I Hate Stupid.

I was supposed to do a "Meals on Wheels" thing today for the elderly.

I wrote down 11:50am instead of 10:50am...... I was there an hour late.....

and the friend who asked me to do this was there packing up the stuff to take to the people.....

I hate it when things like this happen.

I hate it.

~B

Jesus Is My Friend by Sonseed

Whoa. Is this a joke?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Thanks, D!

~B

Divorce

Divorce packs a painful punch, I know this, and I'm not even from a family that has parents that are divorced.....

It's a cycle that's hard to break.

It teaches that when a spouse doesn't match up to what we want from them, that we just leave.

It teaches non-commitment.

It teaches that love is conditional.

It makes the children on edge: Will Mommy still love me if I don't match up to what she wants from me?

It teaches children to think that it's their fault.

Grow up, peoples. Divorce isn't the answer.

No wonder God hates it.

Hate is a pretty strong word from the creator of the Universe.

~B

DUIN: 'Narnia' drifts from its vision - Washington Times

DUIN: 'Narnia' drifts from its vision - Washington Times

Interesting article...... I would rather they not make anymore Narnia movies, then to change the ultimate message that Lewis had in these beautiful books--what's the point of changing something that's perfect?

And anyways--there's ALWAYS Radio Theater!!!! (Which stay remarkably close to the book).

If you haven't tried radio theater--you NEED to NOW!
(Especially if you have children or time on your hands.)

~B

The Finality of It All

Dear Lost,

How can you do this to me? Our relationship is so new.

I discovered you just a few years ago and have been crazily devouring you on abc.com the day after your episodes air.

Nights have been spent consuming way too much ice cream and sitting and screaming at the DVD player when it wouldn't work {we were borrowing Season Five from my nephew}.

Now, you have let me know, that it is the last part of our relationship; the winter, if you will.

We will voraciously eat you up every Tuesday at my Mom's house since we are too smart to have cable, yet to dumb to figure out how to make the freakin' "gov't" tv box work.

This is a bittersweet time.

Will Juliet and Sawyer ever be the same--(I like him so much more in the 70's).

Will Jack grow that incredibly ugly fake beard again?

Will Kate ever stop wearing "wife-beaters" when she's on the island? (What's with their clothes staying mostly nice anyway???)

Will John Locke ever STOP driving me nuts (I can't stand him!)

And oh, my precious Sa'id--wilt thou stop shooting people (I mean, come on, man--enough's enough).

It's all too much.

And that hobbit guy.... Charlie.

And Desmond.

And, and--hopefully I'll never have to see Ethan EVER again.

But, how will I ever live without my Hugo---he's mine forever.

So, for now, It's a bitter farewell....

don't go screwing up their futures too much, ABC.


~B