Time for sharing a couple more music favorites.
I am a huge fan of Keith and Kristyn Getty; modern-day hymn writers who write beautiful, theologically sound music. They are my inspiration. This song is to the tune of Londonderry Air (Danny Boy), a gorgeous melody, made even more powerful by these touching lyrics.
"So I will go wherever He is calling me. I lose my life to find my life in Him. I give my all to gain the hope that never dies. I bow my heart, take up my cross, and follow Him."
The next is another favorite of mine by Chris Tomlin. Next Sunday I am playing this song as our choir sings it in the Easter program. I get chills each time I play it.
Today's theme appears to be grace. A fitting theme for every day.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Something to Think About
I found this today and thought it was interesting enough to share with all of you. It ends with the haunting question, "So what does it all mean?" I'd love to hear your thoughts and I may share my own sometime in the future.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
How to Have a Good Sick Day: 5 Simple Steps
It happens to all of us...one day we are going about our normal lives, and the next we find ourselves dizzy, stumbling out of bed with stuffed heads or nauseous stomachs, and wishing there were a nearby rock to crawl underneath and die. If you have ever experienced this feeling, I offer you some simple steps to make the most out of your sick day. May they help you cope with the aches, pains, monotony and bordom.
1. Choose an appropriate spot to exist. A chair, a bed, a couch; wherever you feel most comfortable remaining for extended periods of time. My personal preference is the recliner.
2. Arm yourself with enough Kleenex, cough drops, and vitamin C to supply a small army.
3. Choose your entertainment for the day. Some suggestions include: A favorite 'feel-good' movie such as "You've Got Mail", a laptop for blogging and Facebook purposes, a good book (mine is currently 'Los Numeros de la Experanza' to get in some Spanish practice), an i-pod for music that makes you want to get up and dance. Or not.
4. Don't forget the doctor's orders, 'Drink lots of liquids'. My favorites in times of sickness happen to be Sierra Mist and orange juice (not mixed together, that's gross!). However, I am hoping that milkshakes also count.
5. Keep a cell phone nearby. Not only is it useful for maintaining contact with the outside world, it also helps keep track of how much time remains till you can take your next dose of wonderful, life-preserving, elixer from heaven, cold medicine!
With these steps in mind you can conquer any sick day with style. However I would not recommend taking a picture.
1. Choose an appropriate spot to exist. A chair, a bed, a couch; wherever you feel most comfortable remaining for extended periods of time. My personal preference is the recliner.
2. Arm yourself with enough Kleenex, cough drops, and vitamin C to supply a small army.
3. Choose your entertainment for the day. Some suggestions include: A favorite 'feel-good' movie such as "You've Got Mail", a laptop for blogging and Facebook purposes, a good book (mine is currently 'Los Numeros de la Experanza' to get in some Spanish practice), an i-pod for music that makes you want to get up and dance. Or not.
4. Don't forget the doctor's orders, 'Drink lots of liquids'. My favorites in times of sickness happen to be Sierra Mist and orange juice (not mixed together, that's gross!). However, I am hoping that milkshakes also count.
5. Keep a cell phone nearby. Not only is it useful for maintaining contact with the outside world, it also helps keep track of how much time remains till you can take your next dose of wonderful, life-preserving, elixer from heaven, cold medicine!
With these steps in mind you can conquer any sick day with style. However I would not recommend taking a picture.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
The Little Things
I love "little moments".
(I am not referring to said country song of that same title. That is another topic entirely)
"What are little moments?"you may ask.
They are those times during the day where God sends tiny reminders of His love; moments that bring a smile to your face and a bubble of joy to your heart.
Here I give you just a small sample of my recent "little moments".
-Holding a new baby.
-Hearing a child laugh.
-Sharing a great big belly laugh with my family.
-Receiving a card, e-mail or text from a friend.
-Waking up and realizing it is not morning yet, but there are still hours left before the alarm goes off. (This is huge; I may elaborate further in a future post :-)
-Meeting John (a man with Downs Syndrome) while at work and having him remember my name and blow me a kiss as he left.
-Singing outloud to my favorite music while on the drive to work.
That is all for now.
Have any of you experienced some special "little moments" recently?
Please share.
P.S. Don't forget to look for them
(I am not referring to said country song of that same title. That is another topic entirely)
"What are little moments?"you may ask.
They are those times during the day where God sends tiny reminders of His love; moments that bring a smile to your face and a bubble of joy to your heart.
Here I give you just a small sample of my recent "little moments".
-Holding a new baby.
-Hearing a child laugh.
-Sharing a great big belly laugh with my family.
-Receiving a card, e-mail or text from a friend.
-Waking up and realizing it is not morning yet, but there are still hours left before the alarm goes off. (This is huge; I may elaborate further in a future post :-)
-Meeting John (a man with Downs Syndrome) while at work and having him remember my name and blow me a kiss as he left.
-Singing outloud to my favorite music while on the drive to work.
That is all for now.
Have any of you experienced some special "little moments" recently?
Please share.
P.S. Don't forget to look for them
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Lazy Sunday Afternoon
Enjoy a couple of the songs that I have been pondering this afternoon...they are special to me for many reasons.
Monday, March 08, 2010
On the Job: Incidents and Insights
Tonight at work a part-time co-worker was sharing with me his love for animals. Now please understand, I enjoy animals. They can be cute and fun and furry little companions. However, not all of this nameless co-worker's animals have fur...
He owns a python.
The very thought makes shudder.
Then he proceeded to tell me about several of his dogs (a rotweiller among them), guinea pigs, and mice. (However the mice were strictly for 'breeding purposes'...let your imagination go where it will...apparently pythons have to eat something).
Oh wouldn't life be dull if everyone was the same?!
P.S. My to-do list from yesterday was a success! I am going to try it again for tomorrow...but this time it is a secret.
He owns a python.
The very thought makes shudder.
Then he proceeded to tell me about several of his dogs (a rotweiller among them), guinea pigs, and mice. (However the mice were strictly for 'breeding purposes'...let your imagination go where it will...apparently pythons have to eat something).
Oh wouldn't life be dull if everyone was the same?!
P.S. My to-do list from yesterday was a success! I am going to try it again for tomorrow...but this time it is a secret.
Sunday, March 07, 2010
To-Do List
It is Sunday night... the responsible voice in my head tells me it is time for bed, but part of me wants to prolong the inevitable.
Does anyone else struggle to find the desire and joy to begin a new work week? Every Monday (and sometimes more often than that) I start giving myself a "mental pep talk" to get in a positive state about the challenges that must be faced in the coming week.
I want this week to be productive (see previous post), and my favorite way to be productive is to make lists! So I will start my Monday to-do list...
-Devotions
-Work out
-Straighten up room
-Pack away box of old room decorations
-Pack supper for work
-Send a card to a friend
-Go to work
-Come home and sleep!
That should be sufficient for now... :-) The trick is getting everything crossed off by the end of the day!
Who else functions by making lists? Tell me about your methods to stay motivated and get things accomplished! I always welcome your brilliant suggestions!
Does anyone else struggle to find the desire and joy to begin a new work week? Every Monday (and sometimes more often than that) I start giving myself a "mental pep talk" to get in a positive state about the challenges that must be faced in the coming week.
I want this week to be productive (see previous post), and my favorite way to be productive is to make lists! So I will start my Monday to-do list...
-Devotions
-Work out
-Straighten up room
-Pack away box of old room decorations
-Pack supper for work
-Send a card to a friend
-Go to work
-Come home and sleep!
That should be sufficient for now... :-) The trick is getting everything crossed off by the end of the day!
Who else functions by making lists? Tell me about your methods to stay motivated and get things accomplished! I always welcome your brilliant suggestions!
Monday, March 01, 2010
Is it Profitable?
*Warning: This post may cause spiritual discomfort.
I have recently been reading the book 'Don't Waste Your Life' by John Piper. (If my grandparents are reading this, this book was a graduation present from you, and I aplogize that I haven't gotten it read sooner. However, I believe reading it now is divine timing)
To say that certain points in this book have been convicting is an understatement.
The past couple of days I cannot shake the question 'Is it profitable?' from my mind.
How much of my life do I spend on things that are unprofitable; things that have no true or lasting value and are utterly insignificant when it comes to eternity?
How often am I consumed by culture, media, and other distractions that take my focus off of God's Word or other activities that could have more meaning?
For example...television (I realize that I am stepping on toes, my own included). A quote taken from the book states...
"What is happening in America is that television is transforming all serious public business into junk....Television disdains exposition, which is serious, sequential, rational, and complex. It offers instead a mode of discourse in which everything is accessible, simplistic, concrete, and above all, entertaining. As a result, America is the world's first culture in jeopardy of amusing itself to death." Ouch.
I am not completely anti-television...but maybe I should be.
How much of life have I wasted by simply 'turning off my brain' in order to relax, instead of pursuing something to stimulate my thinking?
Television is not the only life-waster. There are many other pursuits that can suck me (and you) away from what is meaningful and eternal and significant.
So I come back to the question, 'Is it profitable?' My desire would be to look back on each day and see that the work I did, the conversations I held, the things I achieved, the entertainment I read or viewed were not a waste, but were of real, significant value. Profitable.
What things are sucking the life out of our lives? What can we do to change this?
"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." 1 John 2:15-17
I have recently been reading the book 'Don't Waste Your Life' by John Piper. (If my grandparents are reading this, this book was a graduation present from you, and I aplogize that I haven't gotten it read sooner. However, I believe reading it now is divine timing)
To say that certain points in this book have been convicting is an understatement.
The past couple of days I cannot shake the question 'Is it profitable?' from my mind.
How much of my life do I spend on things that are unprofitable; things that have no true or lasting value and are utterly insignificant when it comes to eternity?
How often am I consumed by culture, media, and other distractions that take my focus off of God's Word or other activities that could have more meaning?
For example...television (I realize that I am stepping on toes, my own included). A quote taken from the book states...
"What is happening in America is that television is transforming all serious public business into junk....Television disdains exposition, which is serious, sequential, rational, and complex. It offers instead a mode of discourse in which everything is accessible, simplistic, concrete, and above all, entertaining. As a result, America is the world's first culture in jeopardy of amusing itself to death." Ouch.
I am not completely anti-television...but maybe I should be.
How much of life have I wasted by simply 'turning off my brain' in order to relax, instead of pursuing something to stimulate my thinking?
Television is not the only life-waster. There are many other pursuits that can suck me (and you) away from what is meaningful and eternal and significant.
So I come back to the question, 'Is it profitable?' My desire would be to look back on each day and see that the work I did, the conversations I held, the things I achieved, the entertainment I read or viewed were not a waste, but were of real, significant value. Profitable.
What things are sucking the life out of our lives? What can we do to change this?
"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever." 1 John 2:15-17
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