One of my favorite things about our house is that it backs up to a reservoir w/ wetlands in between. At night when you open the back door you can hear a choir of crickets & frogs. During the daytime, we have the usual birds & squirrels…
The Squirrel
but we’ve had some more unusual animals lately…
The Turtle
The Raccoon
what’s next?! out of all the likely animals we could see, this is the one I hope I never have to see in my backyard.
The Alligator
Frustrating, Exciting, Energetic, Weary, Busy, Restful…
Just a few words to describe the last week. Out of town family and guest were a few highlights, while sickness and fevers were a few low points.
Lily is still recovering from 4 days of high fevers, and the busyness has slowed down. Filipe took Monday and Tuesday off this week to hang out here at the house and rest- its been a nice break from the norm. Things are turning around for our family and its going to be a good week! Filipe gave me this verse last week when my head was spinning and I could hardly get out of bed.
Isaiah 30:18
But the LORD still waits for you to come to him so he can show you his love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for him to help them.
My last post is a video of Oprah and some of her views toward faith & God. I didn’t have time to really write why this was important to me, so here goes…
Anyone who is alive & breathing has most likely heard of Oprah. She is one of the most influential and powerful women in the U.S. (I almost said the world, but not too sure about that). Oprah has money and fame. She can pretty much do whatever she wants and get recognized and applauded for it (except for the whole beef incident).
Years ago I used to be an avid Oprah fan and watch her show pretty consistently. This was during the same time in my life that I began growing in my relationship with God and pursuing Jesus Christ more and more. Whenever I would watch Oprah and she had conversations about faith & religion, it would confuse me. I couldn’t figure out what faith she stood for. There have been many different people of different faiths on her show and she seemed to agree with them all. Whatever faith fit her mood was the one she went with for the day. One day she talked like a Christian, the next, a Scientologist, the next, something else. This new movement she is into now seems to be her “feel good” faith of the moment. It will come and go.
From my perspective, it seems clear to me that Oprah has probably not had a true encounter with the God of Christianity, the God of the Bible, Jesus Christ. If so, there would be no doubt where her faith lies. In Christ, there is a love that is above any other type of human love, a joy that surpasses any earthly happiness, a peace that “surpasses all understanding”. He forgives us of all we have done wrong, extends grace far beyond what we deserve, and gives us a hope for our life that is worth more than all the money in the world. Once you’ve experienced this God, there’s no going back, AND when you have experienced it, you will want everyone else to experience it with you. I pray that one day Oprah will experience the love and joy that only comes through a relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s incredible!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW4LLwkgmqA&hl=en]
April 5th, 2003
The emotional roller coasters that life bring us are hard to sort out sometimes. This week marks the 5th anniversary of one my dearest friend’s death. Monday, March 31st, was the day of her car accident and Thursday, April 3rd, was the day she died.
Saturday, April 5th, 2003, is my 5th wedding anniversary- the day I married the man of my dreams and whom I love so deeply. He has brought me more joy in life than anything or anyone else.
Every year I struggle during this week knowing how to feel. Happiness or Sadness. Joy or Sorrow. I experience almost all of them- yet I feel guilty that I should be experiencing the other. Kind of confusing.
Though sometimes I wish the accident never happened, I can’t change the past, but only learn through it. I force myself not to wish she were here, but to wish I were with her- with our Savior Jesus, in His perfect & Holy presence where there is no suffering or pain. Nothing on this earth could be worth the exchange.
I saw this video on one my friends’ sites and it inspired me to write this today. I was trying to get through this week without mentioning this, but I couldn’t do it. That week tested my faith in God more than any other event in my life and my main goal in life is to be completely satisfied in Jesus Christ no matter what life throws at me.
John Piper- The Prosperity Gospel
