Newness.

Happy Springtime :)

Hallelujah! He makes all things new.

A Birthday. A Holiday. A deep Revelation.

Today is my dog's 10th birthday.

Happy Birthday, Lucky!

Isn't she sweet?

This is her taking a nap with her birthday present, Lloyd.

ha, BFFL :) 

It is also St. Patrick's Day!

YES, I wore green.

These are my brand new trail running shoes that I wore as my green for the day.

They are also helping me train for a half marathon.

THAT'S RIGHT, I'm training to run a half marathon in October.

It's something I've kind of always wanted to do, but have never had enough internal motivation

or accountability to follow through...

but with the help of my good friend Erin, I'm finally going for it.

While having a conversation with the Lord the other day, I asked Him to make me a runner, to which He kindly responded that even if I became a runner, I should stay true to who I am in my heart.

Apparently, I thought running would make me a different person...a better person...

not so.

On a deeper level, God is teaching me that what I do really doesn't define who I am.

I've apparently been trying to earn the love of God (and people) through my actions...

somewhere in my heart, I believe that if I do well, if I do enough, I will finally be worthy of love, and God will approve of me, and people will love me.  If I can't do it perfectly, it's not good enough...God will be upset with me, and people will be disappointed in me...

LIES.

Jesus bought my freedom with his life...freedom from sin, freedom from performance and striving...

GRACE.

I'm learning to receive the abundant love and grace of God...to live in the peace of knowing that the work was done on the cross, that Jesus' death and resurrection is ENOUGH.

God LOVES me, and wants the BEST for me, so YES, He disciplines me and calls me to a higher standard...but the bottom line is LOVE and GRACE.

Without the basic knowledge of the unconditional love and unending grace of God, building intimacy, growing in character, maturing in faith, and LIVING out Kingdom values, all become a thing of performance and striving...ah!!

No, No, NO!

GOD LOVES US!

BOTTOM LINE.

AND GRACE ABOUNDS :)

Praying a Spirit of sonship over us all today...and everyday.

That we would KNOW we are God's children, co-heirs with Christ, created to dwell in His house of goodness and joy forever, infinitely loved, never alone, and always enough.

"pretty things"

Say hello to "Puch".

He's my new old bicycle, and I don't really know how to pronounce his name, but he's on my list of "top 7 things that interest me". I did minimal research on his make and model, and really didn't find much at all...

Also on my list of things that interest me are, "pretty things". On my Google Reader, I have all the blogs I follow separated into two categories- "pretty things" and "deeper things". "Pretty things" include various design and fashion blogs, while "Deeper things" include blogs that my friends keep to share their creative writing process, or to write about heart wrenching, mind splitting, life changing revelations they've been given straight from the heart of God, or to write about their everyday escapades in faraway countries. For a second, I wondered to myself if it was bad that I like "pretty things" and spend a small chunk of time browsing various blogs to find "pretty things" to be inspired by...but I decided that it wasn't. Not so I could excuse or justify the time I spend browsing blogs, or re-decorating my room, or putting together an inspired outfit, but because I'm in a process of learning that God really did knit me together in my mother's womb, and He created me purposefully the way I am. Everything about the way I was created speaks of my dear Creator and His Kingdom- how I like things to be beautiful, the way I feel deeply, how I come alive with the changing seasons, etc...I know that through the eternal perspective and in the Kingdom mindset, it's okay that I like pretty things.

every neat little thing about you speaks of God, too.

We were after all, created in His image :)

Let's delight in that for awhile...

enjoying my record player...

here's what I've been spinnin'...

ha!

I've recently taken up watching old episodes of the Cosby show via netflix when I feel I've nothing better to do with my time. I've noticed that Dr. Huxtable makes Claire laugh a whole lot, and I thought to myself, "I hope my husband makes me laugh as much as he makes her laugh..."

That's all.