Not knowing any better, I watched it while sitting at Starbucks.

I almost snorted. Out loud. Twice.

Thank the Lord I didn’t. But, oh, it was close.

So now, for your viewing pleasure, I present….

7 Lies About Homeschoolers

Oh. PS: This is my 100th post:)

I also happen to hate mysteries.

Allow me to explain.

My favorite genre of fiction happens to be suspense/mystery. I love them. Mysteries are a perfect escape from reality for me. I like not knowing what’s going to happen next, and I love trying to figure out what happens next anyway, and of course, trying to guess “who dun it.”

In real life, however, I have a much harder time getting excited about not knowing what’s around the bend. It’s far too easy for me to fall into anxiety about anything from what’s going to happen when I call this person, to what’s going to happen this year. When I don’t have a grasp on what to expect or what’s going to happen, it doesn’t matter how big or small the situation is, I just plain don’t like it.

As you can imagine, God brings these types of situations into my life fairly often. And I have to keep relearning how to trust and surrender.

Sometimes I wish life were like one of my favorite, well-worn novels. But in a way, it is. The difference is, God’s the one who wrote the book, has read the book, and is smart enough to figure out what happens to next in the book.

I’m like an 8-year-old who can barely read and is trying to read War and Peace. My tiny brain just can’t comprehend it. The good news, though, is that God is like my super-genious father who’s reading ”Go, Dog, Go!”

And since that’s the case, I think it’s pretty safe to say I can trust Him with the pages of my life.

ALREADY THERE
Casting Crowns

From where I’m standing
Lord it’s so hard for me to see
Where this is going
And where You’re leading me

I wish I knew how
All my fears and all my questions
Are gonna play out
In a world I can’t control
Oh, oh

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there
Oh, oh, oh, oh

From where You’re standing
Lord, You see a grand design
That You imagined
When You breathed me into life

And all the chaos
Comes together in Your hands
Like a masterpiece
Of Your picture perfect plan

When I’m lost in the mystery
To You my future is a memory
Cause You’re already there
You’re already there
Standing at the end of my life
Waiting on the other side
And You’re already there
You’re already there
Oh, oh, oh, oh

One day I’ll stand before You
And look back on the life I’ve lived
I can’t wait to enjoy the view
And see how all the pieces fit

…sipping green tea.

…talking to a good friend on IM.

…listening to Audrey Assad.

It’s the simple things on a Saturday morning that make me happy.

               why’d he give us the Old Testament?

If Jesus was against religion,

               why did He make the sacrifices?

If Jesus came to abolish religion,

               why did He teach in the temple?

If Jesus and religion are complete opposites,

               why did He participate in all the festivals?

 ____

 ____

While religion without Jesus is bad, I think Jesus without religion is even worse.

I find that many people who “hate religion” but “love Jesus” are using “religion” as an excuse to live their old life and claim a new one.

Religion, as my good friend Holly pointed out, is just a belief system.

“Christianity IS a belief system… belief in Jesus Christ, the One Who came not to abolish religion or the law but to fulfill it. You can have both the relationship and the religion. God’s religion is Christianity.”

What happened to religion when Jesus came was that we were able to stop trying to earn our salvation through our works, and instead began to show our salvation through our works.

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

-James 2:14-25

I don’t believe that Jesus and religion are polar opposites. Not real religion. Religion isn’t the infection. Sin is. That’s why there are always nutjobs out there that are twisting religion.

It really boils down to this: religion is obedience to God. It’s serving at church. It’s loving others. It’s forgiving. It’s not smoking. It’s not gossiping. It’s not lying. It’s praying. It’s studying the Bible. It’s putting off sin. It’s putting God first.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

-James1:27

I don’t know about you, but me? I find that I can’t very well keep myself from being polluted by the world if I’m not obeying God.

Just something to think about….

In fact, it’s looking to be a mild Christmas.

Last year it snowed on Christmas night, and it was marvelous.

This year, though, I have a feeling will be in the 60s.

Ah, well.

That’s why you read Christmas-y books, right?

Let me tell you, I have quite a collection of Christmas books. I pulled them all out in October and lined my shelf with them. Everything from “Peanuts Christmas” to “The Judge Who Stole Christmas” to “Boo Humbug” to “The Joy of Christmas.”

Every year I pick out a book to read on Thanksgiving.  This year’s choice was “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” by Susan May Warren. I picked it for several reasons. One, it’s a Christmas book. Two, it’s a new book. Three, it’s by Susan May Warren. Everything she writes is fantastic.

I managed to have the book in my room for a full MONTH, waiting until November 24th to break it open and dig in. But wouldn’t you know it, I was so busy watching the parade, cooking, eating, and having fun, that I barely read the first page. This was a first. Usually there’s not much going on for me on Thanksgiving. But I wouldn’t trade the day for anything.

That weekend I finally was able to dig in. And wow, what a book. It far surpassed my expectations and I fell in love with it.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside is about five strangers in the 1940s who get trapped in a house together two days before Christmas by a furious winter storm. Through the several days they are forced to spend together, they learn not only about each other, but an awful lot about themselves, too. Several main themes are honesty, forgiveness, sacrifice, and true love.

Dottie is still reeling from the death of her only son in the war.

Violet, ever independant, is afraid she’ll never find someone to spend her life with.

Jake is trying to ignore and hide the past in hope that no one will see the real him.

Gordy is hurting from being pushed out of Dottie’s life for the last twenty-five years.

And finally, 10-year-old Arnie, with the vivid imagination. Arnie stumbles to his “storm house” scared to death of the woman who lives there.

Extremely well written, it will draw you in and you won’t be able to put it down.

It’s a wonderful Christmas novel; the best of the best.

And I’d like to prove it to you.

I’m giving away a copy

All you have to do to enter the drawing is leave a comment telling me your favorite Christmas song.
(But if you put “The Christmas Shoes,” I might have to disqualify you )

The draw will close on December 10th at midnight (EST).

Happy Christmas!

It’s easy to be discouraged in this world.

I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace.
You will have suffering in this world.
Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
-John 16:33

In this world, we need hope.

Without hope, why go on?

Without hope, where do we go? What do we do?

Without hope, we will always crash and burn.

Delayed hope makes the heart sick,
but fulfilled desire is a tree of life.
    -Proverbs 13:12

A man’s spirit can endure sickness,
but who can survive a broken spirit?
    -Proverbs 18:14

So where’s our hope when the world crushes us?

Where’s our hope when the death of a loved one cripples our hearts?

Where’s our hope when evil seems to reign in the world?

Hope changes everything.

For the waves of death engulfed me; the torrents of destruction terrified me.
The ropes of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
I called to the LORD in my distress; I called to my God.
From His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help reached His ears.
    -2 Samuel 22:5-7

Against hope, with hope he believed,
so that he became the father of many nations,
according to what had been spoken:
So will your descendants be.
-Romans 4:18

Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD his God,
  -Psalm 146:5

This is not to say that you can’t be sad, discouraged, or hurting.

But it’s a different kind of sadness.

A different kind of discouragement, and a different kind of hurt.

Because in the midst of the pain, there’s hope.

This is not the end.

God is in control.

He loves me.

He always does what’s best for me.

I have a reward in Heaven.

Soon I will be done with this world.

Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
I say: The LORD is my portion,therefore I will put my hope in Him.
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him.
It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the LORD.
-Lamentations 3:21-26

Not that we are constantly longing to die; but rather, we strive to have God’s perspective.

We choose His perspective.

We choose to have an attitude of hope.

We choose to be happy.

For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I will know fully,as I am fully known.
-1 Corinthians 13:12

Why am I so depressed?  Why this turmoil within me?
Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him,
my Savior and my God.
    -Psalm 42:5

Happiness isn’t something that depends on our surroundings…
It’s something we make inside ourselves.
     -Corrie ten Boom

Because our happiness doesn’t depend on our circumstances.

It doesn’t depend on the world.

It doesn’t depend on our friends, our family.

It depends on Jesus.

And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions,
because we know that affliction produces endurance,
endurance produces proven character,
and proven character produces hope.
This hope does not disappoint,
because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
-Romans 5:3-5

If you look at the world, you’ll be distressed.
If you look within, you’ll be depressed.
If you look at God you’ll be at rest.
     -Corrie ten Boom

Now may the God of hope
fill you with all joy and peace in believing,
so that you may overflow with hope
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13

Well.

Correction.

These are the INTERESTING things that have been consuming my time.

1. Pinterest.
How could I have not realized how awesome this is? I could easily spend all day on there. I’ve got tons of ideas for Christmas, parties, what I want in my future home. I love it.

2. The Story
Amazing CD. Soundtrack of about 80% of my life the past two months. Please check it out. You won’t be sorry.

3. Starbucks.
Well, duh. No explanation necessary there. I’m still drinking inordinate amounts of iced green tea (sweetened) but sometimes I venture out to a wonderful thing I like to call “Christmas in a cup.” Normal people call it a peppermint mocha. Weirdos.

4. The Minor Prophets.
Poor things often get neglected, but I tell you what, some of my favorite passages are in Hosea, Joel, Nahum. Good stuff, ya’ll.

5. This Peanuts Puzzle.
It’s addictive. All of the women at the house agree. We can’t seem to take a break from it. But it’s an awesome puzzle. A little large. A little hard. But really cool, nonetheless.

6. Coughing.
Weird? I know. I have a cold. It’s not fun. But it’s not too bad. Yet, anyway.

Well. That last one probably doesn’t fit in the “interesting” category. Sorry.

But that’s about all I’ve got for ya.

I’ll try to be more interesting soon

If you’re at all familiar with or my blog, you know how much I enjoy Jenny’s books, blog, twitter, you name it. I’ve reviewed several of her books. Most recently, Save the Date, which you can read here.

I was very looking forward to reading There You’ll Find Me, which released earlier this month, as the main character, Finley Sinclair, is Alex’s (from Save the Date) little sister. I loved her from the first.

I already knew that this book took a lot out of Jenny.

I had high expectations.

She did not disappoint.

10 stars.

“Maybe it’s time you stop living by how you feel, and live by what you know is true.”

Finley Sinclair is not your typical eighteen-year-old high school senior.

Two years ago her older brother, Will, was killed in a terroist attack of a school in the middle east.

Finley adored her big brother and was hit hard by his death. After going through a lot of junk, including trying out her wild-child-side, she finally seems to have her grief under control. The only thing missing is God.

Finley feels abandonded by God – like he’s not listening to her anymore, and certainly not speaking.

As a way to get closer to God and to remember Will, Finley goes to Ireland with the foreign exchange program – to the exact same town that Will went for his senior year. Armed with her battle verse, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us,”  and Will’s journal, Finley is convinced that Ireland holds everything that’s missing – her music, her peace, and most of all, her relationship with God.

Will saw God in everything – he wrote vividly in his journal about the places he went, the sights he saw, and the things he experienced. Finley is determined to retrace his steps, to see what he saw, and hopefully find God there. Unforunately, her host family runs a Bed & Breakfast and hardly ever has the time to take her – and she can only go so far on a bike.

Enter Beckett Rush, current heart-throb of the vampire-movie-star variety. Finley already had a run in with Beckett on the airplane over – and had hoped that it would be her last. Unfortunately, Beckett is staying at the B&B while filming a movie in the area. Turns out, he needs someone to help him run lines. More specifically, someone who won’t gush and go crazy on him. Seeing as how Finley can’t stand him, it seems like a perfect fit. She helps him with his lines, he takes her around to see everything that Will saw.

Well, almost everything.

In the very last page in Will’s journal is a picture of a celtic cross. Unlike the rest of his journal, pictures, and notes, this one has no description. No information. Determined that it holds the key to being able to finish her musical composition for her audition to the New York Conservatory, Finley searches everywhere and asks everyone. But celtic crosses are everywhere in Ireland – and none of them appear to be the same as what Will saw.

Add in to the mix a cranky, old woman who Finley is assigned to befriend for school, a host-sister who is a completely loveable geek, a host-brother who thinks he’s God’s gift to women, a tryant of a principle’s daughter at her all-girls Catholic school, and that she’s falling for the one person on earth she can’t stand, and Finley’s picture-perfect plan is about to fall apart.  What’s a girl to do when nothing is going as planned?

Through the process of searching Ireland for the cross, Finley has to eventually search herself. Is God really silent, or is she just not listening?

Look for yourself and you will find in the long run
only hatred, loneliness, despair, rage, ruin and decay.
But look for Christ and you’ll find Him,
and with Him everything else thrown in.

-C.S. Lewis, in Mere Christianity

One year ago today, I moved “away from home” to be the night-supervisor of the women’s home.

One year ago today, I was a nervous wreck and barely made it through the night.

I spent much of that first week on the phone with my dad, in tears, overwhelmed.

I had no idea how I’d make it through each day.

Everything was new and completely terrifying.

But I knew it was what God wanted me to do.

Suddenly the days turned to weeks.

Which turned to months.

And now here I am a year later, amazed.

2 Corinthians 9:8.

And God is able to make every grace overflow to you, so that in every way, always having everything you need, you may excel in every good work.

In case you were wondering, I’m living proof.