tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24214202785930462312024-02-19T08:43:05.724-06:00savor{so as to take hold of that which is truly life}
1 Timothy 6:19Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.comBlogger91125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-47130249637206220652014-03-05T21:05:00.000-06:002014-03-05T21:18:35.325-06:00Attitude Adjustment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So back in January, my brother's sweet girl friend invited me to participate in a group going through the book study on Biblical womanhood entitled <em>Miss Perfect</em> by </span><a href="http://www.highpointmemphis.com/karinconlee" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Karin Conlee</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. For a plethora of reasons I won't go into right now, I did <em>not</em> want to participate. However, suffice it to say, the Holy Spirit prodded my stubborn heart into committing, and the study has been wrecking me--in the best way possible. (If you read this, thanks, L!!) I don't have time right now-- in less than 72 hours we'll be boarding a plane with 17 students to Ireland, Wales, England, and Paris for 11 days (craziness!) and I've got laundry to the ceiling and stacks of papers to grade--to list all of the ways that God has been revealing Himself as I have read and studied and journaled. BUT, as I just finished a lesson, I had to stop and scratch out a few thoughts here--if for no other reason than to serve as reminder for my own heart and head which quite frequently struggle with <strike>amnesia</strike> selfish short-sightedness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So, here are the scriptures, thoughts, and commentary (by Karin Conlee) that have me wonderstruck, deeply convicted, and with God's help, progressing more towards the likeness of His Son.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- I need to act first and trust my feelings to catch up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>- I should have an attitude good enough to bless others.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- Luke 6:27-28 (AMP)</span> <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"<span class="text Luke-6-27" id="en-AMP-25172">But I say to you who are listening now to Me: [in order to heed, make it a practice to] love your enemies, treat well (do good to, act nobly toward) those who detest you <i>and</i> pursue you with hatred, </span><span class="text Luke-6-28" id="en-AMP-25173">Invoke blessings upon <i>and</i> pray for the happiness of those who curse you, implore God’s blessing (favor) upon those who abuse you [who revile, reproach, disparage, and high-handedly misuse you]."</span></span></div>
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<span class="text Luke-6-28" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- My approach to others should be one of empathy and compassion rather than authority and pride.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>- If we are waiting on circumstances to be right for us to have a good attitude, we never will.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- To me, one of the most beautiful passages in all of scripture. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">{<span style="color: #0b5394;">Luke 12:22-40 (ESV)}</span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="text Luke-12-22"><sup class="versenum">22 </sup>And he said to his disciples, <span class="woj"><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25473A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></sup>“Therefore I tell you, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25473B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></sup>do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-23" id="en-ESV-25474"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">23 </sup>For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-24" id="en-ESV-25475"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">24 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25475C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)"></sup>Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25475D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)"></sup>Of how much more value are you than the birds!</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-25" id="en-ESV-25476"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">25 </sup>And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25476E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"></sup>span of life?<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25476a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12%3A+22-40&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25476a" title="See footnote a">a</a>]</sup></span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-26" id="en-ESV-25477"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">26 </sup>If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-27" id="en-ESV-25478"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">27 </sup>Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25478b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12%3A+22-40&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25478b" title="See footnote b">b</a>]</sup> yet I tell you, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25478F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)"></sup>even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-28" id="en-ESV-25479"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">28 </sup>But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25479G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)"></sup>O you of little faith!</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-29" id="en-ESV-25480"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">29 </sup>And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25480H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)"></sup>be worried.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-30" id="en-ESV-25481"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">30 </sup>For <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25481I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)"></sup>all the nations of the world seek after these things, and <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25481J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)"></sup>your Father knows that you need them.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-31" id="en-ESV-25482"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">31 </sup>Instead, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)"></sup>seek <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)"></sup>his<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25482c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12%3A+22-40&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25482c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]</sup> kingdom, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)"></sup>and these things will be added to you. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span class="text Luke-12-32" id="en-ESV-25483"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">32 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25483N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)"></sup>“Fear not, little <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25483O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)"></sup>flock, for <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25483P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)"></sup>it is your Father's good pleasure to give you <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25483Q" title="See cross-reference Q">Q</a>)"></sup>the kingdom.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-33" id="en-ESV-25484"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">33 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25484R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></sup>Sell your possessions, and <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25484S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)"></sup>give to the needy. <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25484T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></sup>Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25484U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)"></sup>a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-34" id="en-ESV-25485"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">34 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25485V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)"></sup>For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. </span></span><span class="text Luke-12-35"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">35 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25486W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)"></sup>“Stay dressed for action<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25486d" title="See footnote d">d</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12%3A+22-40&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25486d" title="See footnote d">d</a>]</sup> and <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25486X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)"></sup>keep your lamps burning,</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-36" id="en-ESV-25487"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">36 </sup>and be like men who are <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25487Y" title="See cross-reference Y">Y</a>)"></sup>waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25487Z" title="See cross-reference Z">Z</a>)"></sup>knocks.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-37" id="en-ESV-25488"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">37 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25488AA" title="See cross-reference AA">AA</a>)"></sup>Blessed are those servants<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25488e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12%3A+22-40&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25488e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]</sup> whom the master finds <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25488AB" title="See cross-reference AB">AB</a>)"></sup>awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25488AC" title="See cross-reference AC">AC</a>)"></sup>he will dress himself for service and <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25488AD" title="See cross-reference AD">AD</a>)"></sup>have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-38" id="en-ESV-25489"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">38 </sup>If he comes in the second watch, or in the third, and finds them awake, blessed are those servants!</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-39" id="en-ESV-25490"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">39 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25490AE" title="See cross-reference AE">AE</a>)"></sup>But know this, that if the master of the house had known at what hour <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25490AF" title="See cross-reference AF">AF</a>)"></sup>the thief was coming, he<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25490f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]">[<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+12%3A+22-40&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25490f" title="See footnote f">f</a>]</sup> would not have left his house to be broken into.</span></span> <span class="text Luke-12-40" id="en-ESV-25491"><span class="woj"><sup class="versenum">40 </sup>You also must be <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25491AG" title="See cross-reference AG">AG</a>)"></sup>ready, for <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25491AH" title="See cross-reference AH">AH</a>)"></sup>the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="text Luke-12-40"><span class="woj"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>- Seeking His Kingdom allows me to have His perspective and thus a different--better--attitude.</strong></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Praying this "attitude adjustment" infiltrates every area of my life--especially my marriage and my work. And I'm sure there will be no shortage of opportunities for the Lord to teach me just how gracious and patient He desires for me to be as we navigate multiple airports, hotels, bus rides, and new cultures with a band of energetic teenagers, some of whom have never even flown before! :) But what a privilege I have. To travel with my husband and an amazing colleague (and friend!) with some truly awesome kids to some incredible places. And every moment is an opportunity to shine Jesus. To bless others. Because my attitude--it's all about perspective, right?</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocTl3kSpLQtzr4lbE1vF3WmAU06AFFaojrVSrx0pIqvmID72oimuKxfCvUwnoxDDaZtM8QD81l0dxQiEijMIDLKTZ3OPfA6DQ8vDRR1NpP1WxgTtPJsYNCEV8xQOMpAMWueYsynXc4xvn/s1600/Turn+Your+Eyes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocTl3kSpLQtzr4lbE1vF3WmAU06AFFaojrVSrx0pIqvmID72oimuKxfCvUwnoxDDaZtM8QD81l0dxQiEijMIDLKTZ3OPfA6DQ8vDRR1NpP1WxgTtPJsYNCEV8xQOMpAMWueYsynXc4xvn/s1600/Turn+Your+Eyes.jpg" height="400" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://vuible.com/pin/turn-your-eyes-upon-jesus-look-full-in-his-wonderful-face-and-the-things-on-earth-will-grow-strangely-dim-in-the-light-of-his-glory-and-grace/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Source</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">All's Grace,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Pea Mily Mix"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">rachael<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-20984669147034678532013-12-24T08:50:00.004-06:002013-12-24T08:50:57.104-06:00This is Christmas: Partnering for Permanency<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Merry Christmas Eve, y'all! You may already be en route to Grandmother's house or frantically preparing to host Christmas festivities in your own home, but I pray you'll take a few moments to stop. To breath deep. To grasp the BIGNESS of this season. Maybe reading </span><a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/this-is-christmas/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">this</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> will help?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So it’s here. The lights, the trees, the music, the parties and family dinners, the shopping and the gifts. These symbols are the so-called staples of the American Christmas scene, and they seem to ever increasingly blur the connection between Christmas and that dirty Bethlehem feed trough that was graced with our Creator God in the smooth, pink skin of a baby.</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">It seems so long ago and far away, doesn’t it? And really, was that “holy night” that big of a deal? </span><a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/this-is-christmas/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">[...]</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> (Click the ellipsis to continue reading.)</span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I'm so thankful for the work God is doing through <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/" target="_blank">The Forsaken Children</a> to <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/permanently-his/" target="_blank">bring the <em>permanency</em> of His love</a> to the precious hearts of children in Ethiopia. And thank you, TFC, for giving me the opportunity to spill a little "ink."</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaBfFPrCKrqHMHaNGJigDZD8FSJXZRm1hV9_x-_NA2OeqYk6oFumSrwhlmjPxeLv2x04HMrohnVuiNZLyeMgj7YQ9UPedU7Y9vVz7a7cRrVFiRwMUMDRpPaAOIUK-0lWSr4Ki9rCU_sHi/s1600/O+Holy+NIght.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPaBfFPrCKrqHMHaNGJigDZD8FSJXZRm1hV9_x-_NA2OeqYk6oFumSrwhlmjPxeLv2x04HMrohnVuiNZLyeMgj7YQ9UPedU7Y9vVz7a7cRrVFiRwMUMDRpPaAOIUK-0lWSr4Ki9rCU_sHi/s320/O+Holy+NIght.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.secondchancetodream.com/2013/12/diy-dollar-store-chrismtas-decor.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">image via</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">All's Grace,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Pea Mily Mix"; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">rachael<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-36491901494235461822013-10-02T18:02:00.001-05:002013-10-02T18:04:38.586-05:00Just One Thing<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Don't you wish sometimes you had <b>just one thing</b> on which to focus? I have been wishing that A LOT lately. These past couple of months, my mind and heart and schedule and to-do list has been so crammed full. I can't seem to get ahead, and I can't remember <i>anything</i>. I mean, I've questioned my sanity on more than several occasions recently. (I'm sure my husband is giving a foot stompin' "Amen!" that statement.) But is this hurried, task-oriented existence what Jesus has called me to? Maybe you're wondering that, too?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">The answer to that question came last week, as the Lord vividly reminded me of a precious, and at the time, shocking, scene from <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2013/06/who-am-i-lord.html" target="_blank">my time in Ethiopia this summer</a>. Let me introduce you to Nega...<b> </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>I wish everyone could get to know Nega.</b></span></blockquote>
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Nega is the director of <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/projects/onesimus/" title="Onesimus">TFC’s on the ground efforts in Ethiopia</a>.
Honestly, I’ve only “known” him for a short while— the only time I’ve
been around him and seen him in action was for a short week this summer
while on <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/see-the-seas/" title="See the Seas">my first trip to Ethiopia</a>. But, wow. This man never seems</span><a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/only-one-thing-is-needed/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">...</span></a></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><img alt="Nega and Sarah" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4868" height="300" src="http://theforsakenchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/Nega-and-Sarah-200x300.jpg" width="200" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You can click the ellipsis above to read more if you'd like.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This was the last of the three posts I originally was scheduled to write for TFC. (If you missed the first two, click <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2013/07/whats-that-you-say-people-are-real.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2013/08/robin-roberts-ethiopia-royal-geneology.html" target="_blank">here</a>.) </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I am so thankful to <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/about/staff-board-members/" target="_blank">Joe and the rest of the amazing TFC staff</a> for extending me the sweet opportunity to share on their blog these past three months. </span>And I'm so excited and beyond grateful to have been given an "open invitation" to continue writing for TFC. That invitation is such a blessing as </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I enjoy writing and teach English/writing every day, but don't often have/take time to write
much outside of that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I ramble on pages (screens) to help me make sense of stuff. And maybe occasionally the Lord will use my rambling to help you navigate this life, too. Or maybe just give you a good laugh as you thank Him that you're not quite as messed up and nerdy as me. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Praying that you and I will intentionally slow down to make sure we don't miss <i>knowing</i> our Savior and loving those around us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All's Grace,</span><br />
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<![endif]--><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Pea Mily Mix"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">rachael</span></span></div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-44227064032280446972013-09-17T19:39:00.000-05:002013-09-17T19:39:00.960-05:00Best Grilled Chicken Ever<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We have never ever gotten grilled chicken right. I've used tons of different seasoning concoctions and various marinades, store-bought and homemade, and we've never been impressed. And Paul will admit when it comes to chicken, he usually didn't quite get the whole grilling process right. So between the two of us, chicken on the grill was relatively flavorless and dry, at best.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">But a couple of weekends ago we decided to give it another go, and </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">it turned out SO SO good--both flavorful and tender/juicy.</span> Props to my hubs for mastering the grill. I googled "easy grilled chicken marinade" and stumbled across <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/marinated-chicken-breasts-recipe/index.html" target="_blank">this one</a>. I followed the recipe pretty closely except for proportions (I basically halved everything) because it was just the two of us. Here's what we did...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Ingredients
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<br /> 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">1 teaspoon each of thyme, oregano, rosemary, and crumbled bay leaf<br /> 1 tablespoon mustard (I used Woeber's Sweet & Spicy)
<br /> 1 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder
(I might have used fresh minced garlic & dried minced onion; I honestly can't remember. Probably doesn't make a huge difference either way.)<br /> 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
<br /> Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">2 boneless, skinless chicken breast, each about 6 ounces</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Place everything but the chicken in a ziploc bag; shake to combine well. Then add chicken breasts and shake to coat evenly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Grill for about 4 minutes per side (internal temperature should be 165 degrees F.)</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX73miQlTH5irbNzPfojTcbp54H3ieTOPlbbFA5blepo4-TzGHtEbitYW7FJIu91d7Yg8bFX8NlicVak1GZ5_2Yur-elnCoW2mdsMrU3yuJBasTXxuqxtJ5QStYvcJMOjqQRwaHRTcIRia/s1600/chicken+marinade+pic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX73miQlTH5irbNzPfojTcbp54H3ieTOPlbbFA5blepo4-TzGHtEbitYW7FJIu91d7Yg8bFX8NlicVak1GZ5_2Yur-elnCoW2mdsMrU3yuJBasTXxuqxtJ5QStYvcJMOjqQRwaHRTcIRia/s400/chicken+marinade+pic.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Granted, this is certainly not a lovely photo of a nicely styled plate. Good thing this isn't a "food blog." :)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I sure hope it wasn't a one-hit-wonder! We plan to try it again soon! Let me know what you think if you try it, too!</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All's grace,</span></span></div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-42613117532095288942013-09-15T19:16:00.001-05:002013-09-15T19:16:33.601-05:00When Your Feelings Get Loud<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Caution: <span style="color: #0b5394;">I'm fixin' to be real and raw here, y'all.</span> I'm sharing because maybe one of you who happens to read this can relate? And find comfort in the Truth?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Lately, I've been listening to my <i>feelings</i>. Listening to them way too much. Listening to them whisper--and sometimes scream--things like...</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't <i>feel</i> like praying.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't <i>feel</i> like speaking kindly to my husband. I <i>feel</i> like letting my tongue lash out.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't <i>feel</i> like being in community. Rather I <i>feel</i> exhausted/overwhelmed and just want to be alone.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I <i>feel</i> inadequate and insecure. As a wife, a teacher, a friend.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I <i>feel</i> like a failure...so many things I should be doing but never get done.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I don't <i>feel</i> like spending time in God's Word.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I <i>feel</i> like I just simply can't handle going through the same thing for a fourth time in four years.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I <i>feel</i> like I'm suffocating in dreams that are put on hold.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I <i>feel</i> trapped in toxic, self-centered thoughts.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I <i>feel</i> like God must be tired of me and my faithlessness by now. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The list could go on.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Obviously, there are some major red flags in that list. <span style="color: #0b5394;">Red flags that signify my mind and heart are eaten up with lies and ultimately, are right where Satan wants them to be. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Deep down, I know most of the time my feelings are lying. Why, then, do I allow myself to listen to my feelings and feed my mind and heart the lies that only perpetuate the noxious cycle? I'm sure there are lots of reasons, but the two that come to my mind are these: "</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick" (Jeremiah 17:9) and "Satan comes only to kill, steal, and destroy" (John 10:10).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So while I mentioned that I haven't felt like being in community lately, </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">this morning, I wrestled myself to church--or rather the Holy Spirit wouldn't take "No!" for an answer. Jesus is relentless like that. I punched my feelings in the face (Thanks, <a href="http://www.jonacuff.com/blog/start/" target="_blank">Jon Acuff</a>, for the analogy.), and </span>how thankful I am that I did. The lesson in our Connect Group (Sunday School) and the message in corporate worship couldn't have been more perfect.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I was reminded of some staggering, although familiar, Truths--<span style="color: #0b5394;">Truths that are dynamite to the lies I've been wallowing in.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">- <span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>I have been "sprinkled with His blood"</u></span></span> (1 Peter 1:2). How great a price the Father paid for me, even while I was still a sinner (Romans 5:8)! I can rest in His incredible demonstration of love: </span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">"He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:32). These verses reassure me that when I <i>feel</i> inadequate, insecure, like a failure, like He's tired of me, I can know it's a <i>lie </i>because my value and God's love for me is not tied to my performance--my accomplishments or my failures. Praise God that His love and mercy is independent of me!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">- <span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><u>God's Word transforms my mind</u></span></span> (Romans 12:1-2). My feelings have become so loud lately because I have let God's word become so quiet. Like I said, I haven't <i>felt</i> like reading my Bible or praying, so there have been days when I just flat out haven't done it and days when I have but my attitude has been so disgusting I might as well not have. But you know what? God's Word is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even to dividing soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). His Word is powerful. Those lying feelings I've been meditating on cannot stand up against the truth of His Word. And what goes into my mind and heart is what rule it and is what will come out of my mouth.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So today I'm choosing to let His Word be loud. Psalm 119 is a great place to start.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="btext2">(vs. 24) </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="btext2"><span class="btext2">Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="btext2"> (vs. 93) </span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="btext2"><span class="btext2">I will never forget your precepts, for by them you have given me life.</span> </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="btext2"> (vs. 111) Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="btext2">(vs. 114) You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="color: #0b5394;">And I'm blaring one of my favorite, old hymns.</span></span><br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Standing on the Promises</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">by Russell K. Carter </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Standing on the promises of Christ my King,<br />Through eternal ages let His praises ring,<br />Glory in the highest, I will shout and sing,<br />Standing on the promises of God.</span><span class="refrain"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="refrain"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="refrain">Refrain:</span><br />Standing, standing,<br />Standing on the promises of God my Savior;<br />Standing, standing,<br />I’m standing on the promises of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Standing on the promises that cannot fail,<br />When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,<br />By the living Word of God I shall prevail,<br />Standing on the promises of God.</span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Standing on the promises I now can see<br />Perfect, present cleansing in the blood for me;<br />Standing in the liberty where Christ makes free,<br />Standing on the promises of God.</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Standing on the promises of Christ the Lord,<br />Bound to Him eternally by love’s strong cord,<br />Overcoming daily with the Spirit’s sword,<br />Standing on the promises of God. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Standing on the promises I cannot fall,<br />List’ning every moment to the Spirit’s call,<br />Resting in my Savior as my all in all,<br />Standing on the promises of God.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Praying that if you've been listening to your feelings lately that you'll start now saturating yourself in His Truths. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Lamentations 3:22-23 </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> </span><span class="text Lam-3-22" id="en-NIV-20377"><sup class="versenum"></sup><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">Because of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>’s great love we are not consumed,</span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Lam-3-22">for His compassions never fail.</span></span><span class="text Lam-3-23" id="en-NIV-20378"><sup class="versenum"> </sup></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="text Lam-3-23" id="en-NIV-20378"><sup class="versenum"> </sup>They are new every morning;</span><br /><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Lam-3-23">great is Your faithfulness.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Lam-3-23">All's grace,</span></span></span></span><br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Pea Mily Mix"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">rachael</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><span class="indent-1"><span class="text Lam-3-23"> </span></span></span></div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-37065315607236127322013-08-29T19:49:00.001-05:002013-08-29T20:01:40.366-05:00the ESPYs + Ethiopia + Royal Genealogy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">This month I've been blessed to share again a little more about <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2013/06/who-am-i-lord.html" target="_blank">my time in Ethiopia this past June</a> and how it's ruined me for the ordinary, making me ever more conscious of my purpose as an ambassador for Christ. Below is a snippet from my post over at <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/" target="_blank">The Forsaken Children</a>.</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">The
story of Robin’s valiant fight against breast cancer and an ensuing
severe blood disease in addition to coping with the death of her mother
brought the tearful audience to its feet. And I have to admit the fact
that this incredible lady is a fellow Mississippi girl made my heart
swell with pride just a little.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">BUT what really rapt my attention and admiration was her bold faith in God and her conviction to follow her mother’s advice: <b>“Make your mess your message.”</b></span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">That
phrase is a poignant reminder to me of what God does for us when he
redeems us – He transforms our messy, broken, sin-eaten lives into His
message of restoration, hope, and future glory. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif; font-size: small;">While in Ethiopia <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/team-ethiopia-2013-intro/">this June</a>, I saw<a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/mess-to-message/" target="_blank">...</a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You can click the ellipsis above to read more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Pea Mily Mix"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">rachael</span></div>
<br /></div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-56845809257378255532013-07-31T07:59:00.001-05:002013-07-31T08:28:19.543-05:00Oh, Praise Him.<div class="heading passage-class-0" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 15px; "><h3 style="margin: 0px; "><div class="heading passage-class-0" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 15px; "><h3 style="margin: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-weight: normal;">I just began a devotional in my Bible app by "She Reads Truth" on prayer. Woah. Just letting these passages sink in this morning. So thankful for the beauty of The Word and convicting reminder. He is worthy of my praise and His goodness should be continually on my lips. </span></h3><h3 style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></h3><h3 style="margin: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); ">1 Chronicles 16:7-36</span></h3><p class="txt-sm" style="font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></p></div><div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html " style="font-weight: normal; "><p><span id="en-ESV-10828" class="text 1Chr-16-7" style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; ">7 </sup>Then on that day <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10828A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>David first appointed that thanksgiving be sung to the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> by Asaph and his brothers.</span></p><h3><span id="en-ESV-10829" class="text 1Chr-16-8" style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">David's Song of Thanks</span></h3><div class="poetry" style="margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="text 1Chr-16-8" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">8 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10829B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Oh give thanks to the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>;<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10829C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>call upon his name;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-8" style="position: relative; "><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10829D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>make known his deeds among the peoples!</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10830" class="text 1Chr-16-9" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">9 </sup>Sing to him, sing praises to him;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-9" style="position: relative; ">tell of all his wondrous works!</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10831" class="text 1Chr-16-10" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">10 </sup>Glory in his holy name;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-10" style="position: relative; ">let the hearts of those who seek the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> rejoice!</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10832" class="text 1Chr-16-11" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">11 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10832E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Seek the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> and his strength;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-11" style="position: relative; ">seek his presence continually!</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10833" class="text 1Chr-16-12" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">12 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10833F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Remember the wondrous works that he has done,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-12" style="position: relative; "><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10833G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>his miracles and the judgments he uttered,</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10834" class="text 1Chr-16-13" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">13 </sup>O offspring of Israel his servant,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-13" style="position: relative; ">children of Jacob, his chosen ones!</span></span></span></p></div><div class="poetry top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span id="en-ESV-10835" class="text 1Chr-16-14" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">14 </sup>He is the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> our God;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-14" style="position: relative; "><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10835H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>his judgments are in all the earth.</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10836" class="text 1Chr-16-15" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">15 </sup>Remember his covenant forever,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-15" style="position: relative; ">the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10837" class="text 1Chr-16-16" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">16 </sup>the covenant <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10837I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>that he made with Abraham,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-16" style="position: relative; ">his sworn promise to Isaac,</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10838" class="text 1Chr-16-17" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">17 </sup>which <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10838J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>he confirmed to Jacob as a statute,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-17" style="position: relative; ">to Israel as an everlasting covenant,</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10839" class="text 1Chr-16-18" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">18 </sup>saying, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10839K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>“To you I will give the land of Canaan,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-18" style="position: relative; ">as your portion for an inheritance.”</span></span></span></p></div><div class="poetry top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span id="en-ESV-10840" class="text 1Chr-16-19" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">19 </sup>When you were <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10840L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>few in number,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-19" style="position: relative; ">of little account, and<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10840M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>sojourners in it,</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10841" class="text 1Chr-16-20" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">20 </sup>wandering from nation to nation,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-20" style="position: relative; ">from one kingdom to another people,</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10842" class="text 1Chr-16-21" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">21 </sup>he allowed no one to oppress them;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-21" style="position: relative; ">he <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10842N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>rebuked kings on their account,</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10843" class="text 1Chr-16-22" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">22 </sup>saying, “Touch not my anointed ones,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-22" style="position: relative; ">do my <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10843O" title="See cross-reference O">O</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>prophets no harm!”</span></span></span></p></div><div class="poetry top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span id="en-ESV-10844" class="text 1Chr-16-23" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">23 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10844P" title="See cross-reference P">P</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Sing to the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>, all the earth!</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-23" style="position: relative; ">Tell of his salvation from day to day.</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10845" class="text 1Chr-16-24" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">24 </sup>Declare his glory among the nations,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-24" style="position: relative; ">his marvelous works among all the peoples!</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10846" class="text 1Chr-16-25" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">25 </sup>For <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10846Q" title="See cross-reference Q">Q</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>great is the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>, and greatly to be praised,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-25" style="position: relative; ">and he is to be feared<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10846R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>above all gods.</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10847" class="text 1Chr-16-26" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">26 </sup>For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-26" style="position: relative; "><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10847S" title="See cross-reference S">S</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>but the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> made the heavens.</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10848" class="text 1Chr-16-27" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">27 </sup>Splendor and majesty are before him;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-27" style="position: relative; ">strength and joy are in his place.</span></span></span></p></div><div class="poetry top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span id="en-ESV-10849" class="text 1Chr-16-28" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">28 </sup>Ascribe to the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>, O families of the peoples,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-28" style="position: relative; "><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10849T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>ascribe to the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> glory and strength!</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10850" class="text 1Chr-16-29" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">29 </sup>Ascribe to the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> the glory due his name;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-29" style="position: relative; ">bring an offering and come before him!</span></span><br><span class="text 1Chr-16-29" style="position: relative; "><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10850U" title="See cross-reference U">U</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Worship the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> in the splendor of holiness;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span id="en-ESV-10851" class="text 1Chr-16-30" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">30 </sup><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span>tremble before him, all the earth;</span></span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-30" style="position: relative; ">yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved.</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10852" class="text 1Chr-16-31" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">31 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10852V" title="See cross-reference V">V</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-31" style="position: relative; ">and let them say among the nations, <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10852W" title="See cross-reference W">W</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>“The <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>reigns!”</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10853" class="text 1Chr-16-32" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">32 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10853X" title="See cross-reference X">X</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-32" style="position: relative; ">let the field exult, and everything in it!</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10854" class="text 1Chr-16-33" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">33 </sup>Then shall the trees of the forest sing for joy</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-33" style="position: relative; ">before the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>, for he comes to judge the earth.</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10855" class="text 1Chr-16-34" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">34 </sup>Oh give thanks to the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>, for he is good;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-34" style="position: relative; ">for his steadfast love endures forever!</span></span></span></p></div><p class="first-line-none top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; "><span id="en-ESV-10856" class="text 1Chr-16-35" style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; ">35 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10856Y" title="See cross-reference Y">Y</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Say also:</span></p><div class="poetry top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="text 1Chr-16-35" style="position: relative; ">“Save us, O God of our salvation,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-35" style="position: relative; ">and gather and deliver us from among the nations,</span></span><br><span class="text 1Chr-16-35" style="position: relative; ">that we may give thanks to your holy name</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-35" style="position: relative; ">and glory in your praise.</span></span><br><span id="en-ESV-10857" class="text 1Chr-16-36" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">36 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10857Z" title="See cross-reference Z">Z</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Blessed be the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>, the God of Israel,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text 1Chr-16-36" style="position: relative; ">from everlasting to everlasting!”</span></span></span></p></div><p class="first-line-none top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; "><span class="text 1Chr-16-36" style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-10857AA" title="See cross-reference AA">AA</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Then all the people said, “Amen!” and praised the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>.</span></p></div></h3><h3 style="margin: 0px; "><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Psalm 100</span></h3></div><div class="passage version-NIV result-text-style-normal text-html "><div class="footnotes"><h4 style="margin: 16px 0px; "><div class="heading passage-class-0" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 15px; "><p class="txt-sm" style="margin: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">English Standard Version (ESV)</span></p></div><div class="passage version-ESV result-text-style-normal text-html "><h3><span id="en-ESV-15510" class="text Ps-100-1" style="font-size: 17px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">His Steadfast Love Endures Forever</span></h3><h4 class="psalm-title" style="margin-top: 1em; "><span class="text Ps-100-1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">A Psalm for <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15510A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>giving thanks.</span></h4><div class="poetry" style="margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span class="chapter-3"><span class="text Ps-100-1" style="position: relative; "><span class="chapternum" style="font-weight: bold; position: absolute; bottom: 0.1em; left: -3em; ">100 </span><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15510B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Make a joyful noise to the<span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>, all the earth!</span></span><br><span class="indent-1"><span id="en-ESV-15511" class="text Ps-100-2" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">2 </sup><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15511C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Serve the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> with gladness!</span></span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-100-2" style="position: relative; "><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15511D" title="See cross-reference D">D</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Come into his presence with singing!</span></span></span></p></div><div class="poetry top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span id="en-ESV-15512" class="text Ps-100-3" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">3 </sup>Know that <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15512E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span>, he is God!</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-100-3" style="position: relative; ">It is he who <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15512F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>made us, and<sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15512G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>we are his;</span></span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-100-3" style="position: relative; ">we are his <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15512H" title="See cross-reference H">H</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>people, and <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15512I" title="See cross-reference I">I</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>the sheep of his pasture.</span></span></span></p></div><div class="poetry top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span id="en-ESV-15513" class="text Ps-100-4" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">4 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15513J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>Enter his gates with thanksgiving,</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-100-4" style="position: relative; ">and his <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15513K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>courts with praise!</span></span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-100-4" style="position: relative; ">Give thanks to him; <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15513L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>bless his name!</span></span></span></p></div><div class="poetry top-1" style="margin-top: 1em; margin-left: 1em; position: relative; padding-left: 2.6em; margin-bottom: 1em; "><p class="line" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><span id="en-ESV-15514" class="text Ps-100-5" style="position: relative; "><sup class="versenum" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; display: block; position: absolute; left: -4.8em; ">5 </sup><sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15514M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>For the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps; ">Lord</span> is good;</span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-100-5" style="position: relative; ">his steadfast love endures forever,</span></span><br><span class="indent-1"><span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text Ps-100-5" style="position: relative; ">and his <sup class="crossreference" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-15514N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top; "></sup>faithfulness to all generations.</span></span></span></p></div></div></h4></div></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3I5gfDGMIicSLw9_GRQhUe9iScFsO2tu5RhAEWoJ6kiJdXdxoS9DjSmo6_GjiJwnaPXMhK9d7JYYIuLVPEiR-D3ScENiZ-_0OCdvSqj4Z6YqjwzfY40XxHayrEexymgjRymlnS2MCb7m/s640/blogger-image-1593718111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY3I5gfDGMIicSLw9_GRQhUe9iScFsO2tu5RhAEWoJ6kiJdXdxoS9DjSmo6_GjiJwnaPXMhK9d7JYYIuLVPEiR-D3ScENiZ-_0OCdvSqj4Z6YqjwzfY40XxHayrEexymgjRymlnS2MCb7m/s640/blogger-image-1593718111.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">My view from the plane on the way to Ethiopia in June.</div>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-86061218083936532492013-07-22T11:35:00.002-05:002013-07-22T11:43:14.942-05:00What's that you say? People are real?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So there's a little bit of my heart over at <a href="http://www.theforsakenchildren.org/" target="_blank">The Forsaken Children</a>'s blog today. Thankful for the opportunity to share some of the thoughts God's been stirring in me lately and praying anyone who reads will hear Him speaking and not my feeble words.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here's a snippet from my post: </span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;"><b>It was in the airports that I finally realized something : people are real.</b> </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">I know, hold the phone, right? Yes, people are real. I’d been hearing about <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/" target="_blank" title="The Forsaken Children">TFC</a>
and Ethiopia and these street kids for three years now. A couple in our
“Sunday School” class is involved with TFC and have been on several
trips, so I’d heard their testimonies, seen their pictures, read their
blogs, and, most importantly, seen their lives change as a result of
their experiences in Ethiopia. God had been spurring me towards
missions, both locally and globally, for a while, and He began using
this couple to prick my heart for this place. BUT, however passionately
they spoke and however heart-tugging their photos were, Ethiopia and its
seas of precious children living on the streets was not<i> really</i> real to me. </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">You know how this is, don’t you? You hear about this beautiful
destination from a friend, but, until you see it for yourself, it just
seems like a dream. Or everyone tells you how having a child will rock
your world, but you don’t really “get it” until the nurse puts that baby
in your arms for the first time or you’re up at 2 a.m. with him/her
screaming their lungs out. Or you see the commercials for sponsorship of
starving, hopeless children in impoverished countries, and they seem
like characters in a movie until one of them is glued to your lap and
puts his finger on your chest and says, .<a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/see-the-seas/" target="_blank">..</a></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">You can click the ellipsis above to continue reading.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhTe3WvX6InYLYWStQe4Thr2pCaK_5xHq5yQGTd_6DfLooMijUfNjbPgaXWUiS5McoesPH9eftg2EYnhTY67IXBFkUJZG5x_scf11piyIooDm93sOfcFbyx8xt6fI0Fe7DC0qZbh0kc2K/s1600/DSC_0969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDhTe3WvX6InYLYWStQe4Thr2pCaK_5xHq5yQGTd_6DfLooMijUfNjbPgaXWUiS5McoesPH9eftg2EYnhTY67IXBFkUJZG5x_scf11piyIooDm93sOfcFbyx8xt6fI0Fe7DC0qZbh0kc2K/s400/DSC_0969.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All's grace,</span><br />
<br />
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<![endif]--><span style="font-family: "Pea Mily Mix"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">rachael</span></div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-89853708885572713672013-06-22T16:36:00.000-05:002013-06-22T17:04:52.668-05:00Who am I, Lord?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The line spacing and hyperlink color issues on this post are driving me
batty. Maybe I'm a little OCD? I can't get them fixed though. Fellow
bloggers, is WordPress easier to deal with?</span></span></span><br />
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</xml><![endif]--><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Considering it’s been
six whole months since my last post, and before that, posts were pretty sparse,
it’s safe to say a lot of life has happened that I haven’t been recording here.
I hate that because this writing (and photographing) thing is probably my
favorite “outlet,” and I have the memory of a goldfish so I need to log my
thoughts and smatterings of life to have any hope of recollection. But I’ve
just had to resign myself to the fact that during the school year, my days are
just too jam-packed to squeeze in writing for myself. (Especially this year
when I changed schools and grade levels mid-October! Ahh! But a really good “ahh!”
God is so good.) So in lieu of blogging, I’ve been thankful for <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><a href="http://instagram.com/rachaelburnett">Instagram</a></span>—it’s like a quick,
mini blog for me. Anyway, that was an extremely long and maybe pointless
introduction to the real reason I’m writing today: I’ve just returned (on 6/17)
from a mission trip to <span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/et.html" target="_blank">Ethiopia</a></span>.
And I’m not the same. And that’s what I was praying for.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I’m still trying to
process everything I saw and experienced while I was there and praying that God
will continue to work out all that He taught and is teaching me into my daily
life back here at home in the U.S. So I’m sure this won’t be the only post that
revolves around this place on the globe that now has a huge chunk of my heart.
Actually I wasn’t even planning to write today, but as I was filling out the
trip evaluation form (something our church asks each team member to complete),
my answer to one of the questions became a bit longer than what is probably
typical for a response on a “form;” hence this post.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">This question led me to
explain probably the most significant thing God revealed to me while in
Ethiopia.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Q:</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> “How has your perspective and
understanding of God changed because of your experience?” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">A (expanded a little in this post):</span></b><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">
I think this experience gave me a more tangible understanding of a truth I have
been trying to learn for the past couple of years now (<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-more-grace.html">first
presented to me in a book I read, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One
Thousand Gifts</i> by Ann Voskamp</a></span>): “All is grace.” I had a moment
during/after our debrief on Monday night (6/10) where I was really wrestling
with the fact that these precious kids I had just been with all day, two of
whom were going to sleep in a tree that night, didn’t “deserve” this terrible,
poverty-stricken, lonely, hopeless life they were living. I remember thinking, “They
didn’t ask for this, didn’t do anything wrong—they’re just kids—kids who were
born into a mess.” And then it hit me—and hit me hard—just like these kids
don’t deserve this “bad” life, I don’t deserve my “good” one—my abundance of
family, friends, material comforts, and assurance of Hope. Of course, I have
always said that everything I have/am is a blessing from God and that I am
thankful. But I didn’t fully understand at the heart level that what I view as
my hard work and accomplishments doesn’t make me “deserve” this “good” life I
live. I deserve nothing. Who am I, Lord? And just this morning I read Job 38-42
and was reminded vividly that there is none like God and man is powerless in
comparison to Him.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">God speaking to Job:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“Where
were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Tell
me, if you understand.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Job
38:4</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“Have
you ever given orders to the morning,</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">or
shown the dawn it’s place,</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">that
it might take the earth by the edges</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">and
shake the wicked out of it?”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Job
38:12-13</span></span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">{I
have to say as a nerdy English teacher who gets a real thrill out of the use of
great imagery, I was wishing I could high-five God when I read these two verses.
I mean, seriously! The dawn taking the earth by its coattails and shaking the
wicked out of it?! Who but God could orchestrate that image?}</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“Do
you give the horse his strength</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">or
clothe his neck with a flowing mane?”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Job
39:19</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“Do
you have an arm like God’s,</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">and
can your voice thunder like His?”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Job
40:9</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Job’s response to God:</span></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">“I
know that You can do all things;</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">no
plan of yours can be thwarted.”</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">
</span></span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">Job
42:2</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">So to answer the
question, I think this mission trip experience re-centered and, more importantly,
elevated my view of God and humbled my view of self. He is the Sovereign
Creator and Sustainer of the universe <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2011/04/and-yet-he-gave.html" target="_blank">and yet He gave</a> all up for me and daily
pursues me in my mess. When I have the right view of God, worshiping him with
my life—being on mission with Him—becomes a joy and the only natural thing to
do. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">And if I truly believe
that God is good—only and wholly good— and that He is sovereign, then I can
trust that all—the good and the bad— is a gift. Somehow—even the despairing
mess of many of Ethiopia’s children’s lives—all is grace. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I’ve quoted this musing
from G.K. Chesterton on my blog before, but I just have to again:</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> <span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> <span style="color: #0b5394;"> </span></span></span><span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Here dies another day</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>During which I have had eyes, ears, hands</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And the great world ‘round me;</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>And with tomorrow begins another.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="color: #0b5394;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Why am I allowed two?</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">So as jumbled and
rambling as it is, there’s my first post on Ethiopia. I wondered what it might
be. There have been and are a myriad of things swarming through my mind and
heart since I hit the ground there and then returned here. I journaled pages
and pages throughout the trip, and there are countless images of faces,
especially the sweet little ones, that are seared in my mind. I’m praying for
the grace not to forget and to continue putting His love in action here in the
U.S. and somehow there, too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">*If you are interested
in reading a day-by-day account of our trip, you can visit <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/">The Forsaken Children’s</a> <a href="http://theforsakenchildren.org/blog/">blog</a>. I was blessed to have the
opportunity to try to capture the time for our team and those supporting us
back home.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">A few of my favorite
snapshots (in a really weird order and only from my phone since I mainly relied on one of our awesome team
members who acted as photographer all week!)…</span></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2eApcEQJjaElMfJMPaRS2XKhIt975KNDqPiceqfc_yEEOLGlGnOYktljVILveH1PJSjTHb3jKjLMkUbke_aj1K-qUVjEtBGP4EkfQOZcivkRzspCmq3mIlMOxSWBMzC67i-TOdJi2ts7/s1600/Nati,+Beckadu,+and+me+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2eApcEQJjaElMfJMPaRS2XKhIt975KNDqPiceqfc_yEEOLGlGnOYktljVILveH1PJSjTHb3jKjLMkUbke_aj1K-qUVjEtBGP4EkfQOZcivkRzspCmq3mIlMOxSWBMzC67i-TOdJi2ts7/s400/Nati,+Beckadu,+and+me+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{Loved hanging out with these fun boys at the half-way home and watching the one in blue show us his dance moves!}</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIJbMRCR4k9Qb9xo5wyZKyZlCTWovMO6VUqe6zMs9CYW_8TopzICwz_OmEiCCjC-1IyCnOhBU_JqETLx9kU0Gb8zQCdBO9T3G4a1ootkzVOi_0DmwjVGm2uROhyI92X0EPzjo73wdO7AX/s1600/all+the+girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixIJbMRCR4k9Qb9xo5wyZKyZlCTWovMO6VUqe6zMs9CYW_8TopzICwz_OmEiCCjC-1IyCnOhBU_JqETLx9kU0Gb8zQCdBO9T3G4a1ootkzVOi_0DmwjVGm2uROhyI92X0EPzjo73wdO7AX/s400/all+the+girls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">All the girls except for 2 on our team!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxCjeykVBtjY8365cy_h-nuFMVDxOKTpKEMJI5JPwEprLM3f7cDkKflxd8gwCvoknsEdYVQVM1sh6KaCaYTBoqGoTv1SYlsY5y1W8CcNPUUL6yiSSxW30BEpZwxXg_OWges8f-0Yg8GEm/s1600/David+and+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimxCjeykVBtjY8365cy_h-nuFMVDxOKTpKEMJI5JPwEprLM3f7cDkKflxd8gwCvoknsEdYVQVM1sh6KaCaYTBoqGoTv1SYlsY5y1W8CcNPUUL6yiSSxW30BEpZwxXg_OWges8f-0Yg8GEm/s400/David+and+me.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{The little boy who stole my heart and stuck to me like glue for most of the week</span>.} </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tZydvCS1ncyn8spoCXlXeduZ_5scdSPYd_Jh1_nTkKpJFTTOO1iKjSBEu8SZRVUaKxzUsy8lVxHWD-ofjH9LoKgWgwX4KlM9dN6FkDgq7PIlW7nMMa5mmvHJgdlVoG4KIJJMt2t8bu6p/s1600/flight+to+Germany.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tZydvCS1ncyn8spoCXlXeduZ_5scdSPYd_Jh1_nTkKpJFTTOO1iKjSBEu8SZRVUaKxzUsy8lVxHWD-ofjH9LoKgWgwX4KlM9dN6FkDgq7PIlW7nMMa5mmvHJgdlVoG4KIJJMt2t8bu6p/s400/flight+to+Germany.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{God's majesty on the flight into Frankfurt, Germany on the way home.}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTg9MND6GLXoJjwKb3myCWls045-T60mq1FLshcBqxfaIcmlfijArnf0EOUlHFU5LIhocvjI5Vt5C3tmyAd18ZxOgMOMr7oS2LFR1pi_7yUWxzvPpsGuE_KOj-NFun4iaTVZJsX2uC7HVc/s1600/from+Sudan+on+to+Ethiopia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTg9MND6GLXoJjwKb3myCWls045-T60mq1FLshcBqxfaIcmlfijArnf0EOUlHFU5LIhocvjI5Vt5C3tmyAd18ZxOgMOMr7oS2LFR1pi_7yUWxzvPpsGuE_KOj-NFun4iaTVZJsX2uC7HVc/s400/from+Sudan+on+to+Ethiopia.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{Again God's great artistry from the plane on the flight to Ethiopia after our brief stop in Sudan}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUf7uZ7Y1rldiwT8JOIlGHdyrRY00TgOJIdFjYM0anwxTRRSuIF9yycrEt6RvkmJIVOkMwCXppCi1DQ2YchNg7spmZIQtSSGsGYtHWsrE-O0LFKG98pfq8L5B_elQDLB2w_gmN4MMw-nA/s1600/Metoo+and+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUf7uZ7Y1rldiwT8JOIlGHdyrRY00TgOJIdFjYM0anwxTRRSuIF9yycrEt6RvkmJIVOkMwCXppCi1DQ2YchNg7spmZIQtSSGsGYtHWsrE-O0LFKG98pfq8L5B_elQDLB2w_gmN4MMw-nA/s400/Metoo+and+me.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{Loved getting to know this sweet and hilarious girl from the half-way home!} </span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hPhpz6Vps60UTA07UjevQER2sE6RRid2bIl9p-ABemySXD6u2wCNm5_7DLVzCjp3uqnZIdVNeTYj31b-C5EcGnHwQVwFdeXVriQg0gINNIQWc4up2crAavlG0p8F1TPg5KoKiRitugMP/s1600/street+with+chicken+huts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2hPhpz6Vps60UTA07UjevQER2sE6RRid2bIl9p-ABemySXD6u2wCNm5_7DLVzCjp3uqnZIdVNeTYj31b-C5EcGnHwQVwFdeXVriQg0gINNIQWc4up2crAavlG0p8F1TPg5KoKiRitugMP/s400/street+with+chicken+huts.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">{On a street near where we stayed. The domes have chickens for sale in them.}</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gM7mK1aYiei2-kuiB4Who6cehOEvXoRE9YkzkhBO5Tz3vqw5cG7n7YT-z0GYVYeVOugdXUo0KFljFun8KDxDl5BLTRED4UKsB_U3uXcdvkxBy6ABLLc3QgIyxljJPxVzN67Xxk2kI4AQ/s1600/view+of+Addis+from+restaurant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gM7mK1aYiei2-kuiB4Who6cehOEvXoRE9YkzkhBO5Tz3vqw5cG7n7YT-z0GYVYeVOugdXUo0KFljFun8KDxDl5BLTRED4UKsB_U3uXcdvkxBy6ABLLc3QgIyxljJPxVzN67Xxk2kI4AQ/s400/view+of+Addis+from+restaurant.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">{View of the city, Addis Ababa, from a restaurant.}</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-47222486290184646152012-12-19T08:52:00.001-06:002013-06-22T16:29:28.314-05:0026 Things {12/19/12}<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;">My hubs...He's <strong>26</strong> today.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApuEDIOtDLQmdTBZjeghU26Ot5gtx6YAQQrmh5qxrh8YQb9eKRcVv8Q7MZnSNo5XncJkauBe-q-J4mc92Q-WKZMPdcKc-rrtEem7yDKNsEl8SgYEG4mDYWlb5x0iGjlJipGyrNJXIcT9R/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApuEDIOtDLQmdTBZjeghU26Ot5gtx6YAQQrmh5qxrh8YQb9eKRcVv8Q7MZnSNo5XncJkauBe-q-J4mc92Q-WKZMPdcKc-rrtEem7yDKNsEl8SgYEG4mDYWlb5x0iGjlJipGyrNJXIcT9R/s400/10.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>And here's 26 reasons why I love and am thankful for him...</strong></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"></span> </span><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia;"></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.
He loves sports and wants me to watch games with him.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.
He followed me to Starkville, and he cheers for the Bulldawgs.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3.
He has an entrepreneurial spirit.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4.
He tells me he loves me at least twice a day.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5.
He makes me laugh.</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">6.
He forgives quickly.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">7.
He takes care of our yard.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">8.
He takes care of our cars himself (oil changes and anything else they need.)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">9.
He is wise with finances, but knows we can't take it with us when we go.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">10.
He helps clean our house.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">11.
He helps me grade papers.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">12.
He loves me unconditionally.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">13.
He sends me funny texts. And sweet ones, too.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">14.
He reminds me to chill out and that "every little thing is gonna be
alright."</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">15.
He never gossips or says anything negative about anyone.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">16.
He is not easily angered.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">17.
He plays with Reggie (our puppy child.)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">18.
He is an awesome uncle to Taylor and Lane.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">19.
His big brown eyes. (Really, just his handsomeness all around.)</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">20.
He loves music and concerts.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">21.
He tolerates my love of antiques even though they aren't his style.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">22.
He works hard.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">23.
He works out.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">24.
He is supportive of my dreams.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">25.
He likes putting Christmas lights on our house.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 6pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">26.
He can figure any</span></span><span style="font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: black;">thing out.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: black; font-family: Times New Roman;"><strong><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;">Happy Birthday, baby! I love you. A lot. A lot.</span></strong></span></div>
</span><br />Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-85778728201415088772012-09-29T13:08:00.000-05:002012-09-29T13:12:27.677-05:00a lesson in farming {sowing & reaping}<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">When I have my "quiet time" with the Lord, I usually don't just let my Bible plop open and then read whatever random passage my eyes land on. However, for whatever reason, this morning I did, and I don't think it was "random" at all. I read Hosea chapter 10, and verse 12 really grabbed by attention... </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"<strong>Sow</strong> for yourselves righteousness; <strong>reap</strong> steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is the time to seek the Lord, that He may come and rain righteousness upon you."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">{Hosea 10:12}</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">(And just for the record, I had to look up the word "fallow." Maybe you are wondering, too? It means "dead," "dormant," "inactive." Ouch! Sadly, my heart can totally relate to that description more often than I'd like.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Then, I found a couple of index cards that had been tucked into the pages of Galatians with the reference Galatians 6:7-9. And guess what those verses had to say... </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one <strong>sows</strong>, that will he also <strong>reap</strong>. For the one who <strong>sows</strong> to his own flesh will from the flesh <strong>reap</strong> corruption, but the one who <strong>sows</strong> to the Spirit will from the Spirit <strong>reap</strong> eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will <strong>reap</strong>, if we do not give up."</span></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">{Galatians 5:7-9}</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Hosea was not so random, huh?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">(Side-note: I just love seeing how God weaves the same story and principles all through His Word.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">These verses from Galatians were given to me weeks ago--with the intention of committing them to memory-- in the Chronological Bible Study I am a part of each Thursday afternoon.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>So God blew the airhorn loud and clear to me this morning:</strong></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Wake-Up-Call #1:</strong></span> Rachael, what is more important than saturating you mind and heart with God's truth? Quit being lazy! Start memorizing scripture!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Growing up, I participated in "<a href="http://www.mbcb.org/church_growth/dfm/bible.aspx" target="_blank">Bible Drill</a>" through my chuch. Though some may think the logistics of it (standing up in front of people, having a certain amount of time to look up or remember a verse, etc) are a bit ridiculous, I can't even express how thankful I am for those 9 years of participation--to this day, God often recalls to my mind verses and passages that we memorized. I am getting teary as I type this...realizing how amazing it is that He has given us His very Word...how we have total access to all the power, comfort, truth, encouragement, conviction, guidance, peace, and love we could ever need or want, yet I often wander aimlessly, short-sightedly, defeatedly, sickening-selfishly through my days...all because I haven't trained myself to live with His Word at the forefront of my heart and mind. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Storing up His Word in my heart is the remedy for that meaningless existence. Because whatever is stored up in my heart, can't help but spill out.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Luke 6:45</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I came across this video probably over a year ago; it is a powerful motivation to memorize scripture. Definitely worth the 3:52 of your time. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"></span> </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/-2ph6zKxJDk?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong></strong></span> </div>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong>Wake-Up-Call #2:</strong></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Rachael, are you sowing for eternity? Quit being distracted by the temporary! Get far-sighted. Less you, more Him. Less you, more others.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">The Bible is clear. It is not a confusing concept. What I sow, I will reap. I need Him to empty me of me daily. I need Him to "<a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12%3A2&version=NIV" target="_blank">fix my eyes</a>" daily. Nothing else matters. Nothing else truly satisfies.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Thankful for His convicting grace.</span> </span> </div>
Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-87196991473504366862012-07-06T23:37:00.001-05:002013-06-22T16:29:55.435-05:00getting ready to welcome our first nephew!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Paul's sister, Kelly, is about ready to pop with their second kiddo! She is due August first, and we can't wait to meet our first nephew, Lane Allen! We love Taylor to pieces, and I know we will be just crazy about Lane, too! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">This past Saturday, one of Kelly's best friends and I hosted a baby shower brunch to help her prepare for their first little BOY. It was lots of fun, and she got lots of sweet things. Lane is already very loved! I didn't get many pictures with my camera because Kelly wanted pics on her camera, but below are a few I managed to snag with mine.</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_u34K6ALlnb8124T_BFXHjeraDf2S8v9-sHTToChd3gGWIetFMGIoXdnCVUsOCzrg9KeODaeFu93S7sV4jaCQVNc00sOft_Mfyw9XD0dOO2Fzsy4KAV86KhyphenhyphenrcXj87vcBNAo1NOMCPRA0/s1600/invite+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_u34K6ALlnb8124T_BFXHjeraDf2S8v9-sHTToChd3gGWIetFMGIoXdnCVUsOCzrg9KeODaeFu93S7sV4jaCQVNc00sOft_Mfyw9XD0dOO2Fzsy4KAV86KhyphenhyphenrcXj87vcBNAo1NOMCPRA0/s400/invite+2.jpg" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{a little cardstock + scrapbook paper + glue = some pretty cute (if I do say so myself) homemade invitations!} </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_b6gxEggmfU9yWfrHYWS_TVzfKxIged8gEERES96zBjLHIBZVsSk2iYfoQ6vVN5u7sTt-ag9QNqatXGJ3JGGAa7VQZQyRx-1Fpo7fWdvA4108csrn92qTUQiNy1eujb9uXPlL-Y5JaRx/s1600/baby+shower+invite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_b6gxEggmfU9yWfrHYWS_TVzfKxIged8gEERES96zBjLHIBZVsSk2iYfoQ6vVN5u7sTt-ag9QNqatXGJ3JGGAa7VQZQyRx-1Fpo7fWdvA4108csrn92qTUQiNy1eujb9uXPlL-Y5JaRx/s400/baby+shower+invite.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{I found this little feet stamp at Hobby Lobby and thought it was a sweet embellishment}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vECwXeUxnp2J879KC5U78x-Gy2Q-rTL18I5VGQ_vHBiXUWSXM8KJraUh16wgf-p4dLVQdOHVtyzB2rXGpWlDcL5kOem60GgxiX-bj5ieIcF4o7OTVT_XUwis9qvKPuVmpxtWhd-HOTZx/s1600/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1vECwXeUxnp2J879KC5U78x-Gy2Q-rTL18I5VGQ_vHBiXUWSXM8KJraUh16wgf-p4dLVQdOHVtyzB2rXGpWlDcL5kOem60GgxiX-bj5ieIcF4o7OTVT_XUwis9qvKPuVmpxtWhd-HOTZx/s400/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+003.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{I decoupaged some chipboard letters with scrapbook paper, used a staple gun to attach them to some burlap ribbon, and then added a couple of bows for a little monogram decoration on the mantle.}</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgFG5fomiKdOPplqkBO3OO0WtZrFVieg0qjJ6MCorj37TfGCvWWpeI7nD3MFaQtd-AY_JudDs7kRAw-SqDIGbJsyJ8cmmiXOPNPiz5OPrnhe2cTBKq4LQyjxXlDAtJs1tVCrcqy92Ek3g/s1600/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtgFG5fomiKdOPplqkBO3OO0WtZrFVieg0qjJ6MCorj37TfGCvWWpeI7nD3MFaQtd-AY_JudDs7kRAw-SqDIGbJsyJ8cmmiXOPNPiz5OPrnhe2cTBKq4LQyjxXlDAtJs1tVCrcqy92Ek3g/s400/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+004.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{lots of present-love for baby Lane}</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifphs5QpgpngVh-f-jam9H07A6s7vIQNN0XPgFD1P3AM_XD5DCycGCsoQdVcNlmm54kpN_cUiQlbRWH8Vor0CXOxqYhprzRaRqXALPjraiMaWAu88p0Xjvxnpeuv5LjJ_oT1QtjR6il0l/s1600/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhifphs5QpgpngVh-f-jam9H07A6s7vIQNN0XPgFD1P3AM_XD5DCycGCsoQdVcNlmm54kpN_cUiQlbRWH8Vor0CXOxqYhprzRaRqXALPjraiMaWAu88p0Xjvxnpeuv5LjJ_oT1QtjR6il0l/s400/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{the food table...and see the tray in the bottom left corner? It's blueberry lemon bundt cake..a few people asked for the recipe, so read on if you want to try it out yourself! :)</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5r2yyKtm5lUbyHV3aRW2pQC_3T7ffGEx-wmr2OoC5O14V0lfcW1yEZXsTe70hXvXlL8gPStAsftORA9B0K7hYH2kLqQ1cES_-ydTz4L_81BAKCirjTdvx83odOYlfxzSazsH7gZ0HC8EY/s1600/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5r2yyKtm5lUbyHV3aRW2pQC_3T7ffGEx-wmr2OoC5O14V0lfcW1yEZXsTe70hXvXlL8gPStAsftORA9B0K7hYH2kLqQ1cES_-ydTz4L_81BAKCirjTdvx83odOYlfxzSazsH7gZ0HC8EY/s400/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{I love sunflowers; they're so cheery!}</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CQmff2H7s8afdark7-1k8oV6KrzwzVO3u3qJTTUXT1zMATntf8ERA5Th45lXzqtLWhLBU_dDZ11LKKpLZDHb0BoewHuHU7PLDXMBk1sKWOfKX33OVlSuDe9e1_vj2RpY57FzuNWaC2wQ/s1600/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CQmff2H7s8afdark7-1k8oV6KrzwzVO3u3qJTTUXT1zMATntf8ERA5Th45lXzqtLWhLBU_dDZ11LKKpLZDHb0BoewHuHU7PLDXMBk1sKWOfKX33OVlSuDe9e1_vj2RpY57FzuNWaC2wQ/s640/Kelly%2527s+baby+shower+008.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{with the glowing Mama!}</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVBESSbhMmR400LPpn0gPpextO8N8PNbDWuqr13rIQvtdcvH77ji2LfzJMdL50YN8Hx57Imvq8SXTt4jrrVxFp3HfkVTvqOm2X9arjiCIDttHASe8PT5qyTpUmHGtyFlFODaG7uYKyvR-/s1600/cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVBESSbhMmR400LPpn0gPpextO8N8PNbDWuqr13rIQvtdcvH77ji2LfzJMdL50YN8Hx57Imvq8SXTt4jrrVxFp3HfkVTvqOm2X9arjiCIDttHASe8PT5qyTpUmHGtyFlFODaG7uYKyvR-/s400/cake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{blueberry lemon bundt cake. original recipe </span><a href="http://peaslovecarrots.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">}</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Here's how I made it:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ingredients:<br />1 box white cake mix PLUS whatever ingredients the cake mix calls for<br />1 cup plain yogurt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">1 cup fresh blueberries<br />1/2 cup water<br />zest and juice of one lemon</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">Directions:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">1) Preheat oven to temperature according to boxed mix for a bundt pan. <br />2) Liberally grease your bundt pan. <br />3) Add blueberries and water to a small saucepan to simmer for 5 mins, then allow to cool.<br />4) Mix all cake mix ingredients according to directions, folding in the cup of yogurt, lemon juice and zest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">5) Puree blueberries using a hand blender or food processor/stand blender.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">6) Pour batter into bundt pan.<br />7) Pour puree into cake batter and use a butter knife to swirl or ribbon the puree through the batter...do NOT stir.<br />8) Bake according to the box instructions (may take a little longer because of the additions).<br />9) Allow to cool before inverting and removing.</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">10) Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh blueberries rolled in white sugar and a lemon slice twist.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: small;">*Unfortunately, my cake "fell" not long after I took it out of the oven. Not sure what caused that. The consistency, probably due to it falling and the fact that it has yogurt in it, was more like a pound cake. It was super moist, and I thought had a great flavor. I ate some of the leftover cake for breakfast. :) Let me know how it turns out for you if you try it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS; font-size: large;">Now hurry up and get here, baby Lane! Ra-Ra (that's what Taylor calls me) is ready to squeeze your sweet little cheeks!</span></div>
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Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-40547720192906562962012-07-06T21:14:00.004-05:002012-07-06T21:17:11.917-05:00{graduations} Oh, Happy Day!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">This May was full of graduations for us! </span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">- My brother graduated from Mississippi State University with a B.S. in Agricultural Science and a minor in Ag. Business. And he already has his first "big boy job"! I am so proud of him! (no pics because he didn't want to "walk"--he's cool like that.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">- After a long two years Paul finished his B.S. in Technology Leadership. He completed it through Fort Hays State University which is in Kansas. (I was totally willing to make the drive, but he didn't want to walk either...I guess he's a cool kid, too.) It was definitely a trying--to say the very least--two years because Paul hates school more than <strike>just about</strike> everything. But I'm really glad we stuck it out! May 12th (his technical graduation date) was a really big day of relief and thankfulness! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0Lg0zZNBKIpuRdulJj0kIXc0qvQwnDnZb5KfrZwnM1ylivjOcmEjFrUz8WtZphNsQX5wuPKVVXcy1wtKj0j6a6SLy1NZGyPHX2DVHhX3CgCpie-C3GAscxKKtWmMprSXZZLXZNA5tpUk/s1600/paul%2527s+diploma.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih0Lg0zZNBKIpuRdulJj0kIXc0qvQwnDnZb5KfrZwnM1ylivjOcmEjFrUz8WtZphNsQX5wuPKVVXcy1wtKj0j6a6SLy1NZGyPHX2DVHhX3CgCpie-C3GAscxKKtWmMprSXZZLXZNA5tpUk/s400/paul%2527s+diploma.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">- I finished my Master of Arts in Education through Union University. Though it was challenging, particularly in the second year of the program, working full time and going to school, overall I really enjoyed the program and learned tons! Since my bachelor's was in English and not in education, I knew the <em>content</em> I would be teaching very well, but I really had a lot to learn about the <em>how</em> of learning and teaching. Looking back on <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2010/06/bring-on-books-sack-lunches-field-trips.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this</span></a> and <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2010/08/so-much-to-learn.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">this</span></a> it's strange to think I'm now on the other side of that journey; two years seems both so long and so short at the same time. Time is funny like that, isn't it? </span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Of course, I'm a nerd and wanted to walk, so my sweet family humored me and came to watch--enduring a hot and long ceremony! Felt so good to cap off those years of hard work!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODPMh57AY7iLqDy6sJG7KhUIxCzl8UUTUE9k_is6e9mUZAvedso4yWDUNqrLqTwnHv7f6841Ub5M32yWjGSFk1c5zqPU5zgleKbOzV9K5MwdOaz0z2HTTknWeUkDJJQb2Xx6ia8C0XyBd/s1600/M.A.Ed.+Graduation+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiODPMh57AY7iLqDy6sJG7KhUIxCzl8UUTUE9k_is6e9mUZAvedso4yWDUNqrLqTwnHv7f6841Ub5M32yWjGSFk1c5zqPU5zgleKbOzV9K5MwdOaz0z2HTTknWeUkDJJQb2Xx6ia8C0XyBd/s400/M.A.Ed.+Graduation+(3).JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{The clock tower at Union waiting on graduation to start.}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQbtBR23ulD0-rk0c7yQjLXYIqANxmvwML-lXPTZJrgJwzLAEhfcE5JheHlBh5tE-UerofToRzWLxRA9rd_jtQY0_LPbxszL1Xe3g42r4k8nbx7QuZBWvkqLkjqCnYFNfzaUl1gsCPGs0/s1600/M.A.Ed.+Graduation+(7).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQbtBR23ulD0-rk0c7yQjLXYIqANxmvwML-lXPTZJrgJwzLAEhfcE5JheHlBh5tE-UerofToRzWLxRA9rd_jtQY0_LPbxszL1Xe3g42r4k8nbx7QuZBWvkqLkjqCnYFNfzaUl1gsCPGs0/s400/M.A.Ed.+Graduation+(7).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{Paul trying not to fry in the super hot sun!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04L3Hm945rbKsqSJTAXfh_GAvm7jtjfYfnmfiQCbwP2TzAN1cArpQOxMq2uR3NgRxvI04Uahnqo0X_YRBtB36QPYXhQRIs7ikzxAbs1YWtUXuxin7vaAjtQSTDprCupS_ObiymrG20VLO/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi04L3Hm945rbKsqSJTAXfh_GAvm7jtjfYfnmfiQCbwP2TzAN1cArpQOxMq2uR3NgRxvI04Uahnqo0X_YRBtB36QPYXhQRIs7ikzxAbs1YWtUXuxin7vaAjtQSTDprCupS_ObiymrG20VLO/s400/9.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{May 19th...a really good day!} </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4EAWSjI8YaW52WnDV8lmC5fJMByrAqEUDBADvyLqqTZDsBmk3YI2c0wgDKjODUxq7KaHsRzPLiDVuE6rHv2uga9bfs_B-Z_1JwYs8pB12hHrppRyKBXLDLJEh72mrCdzBSld1tgaMlg5/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4EAWSjI8YaW52WnDV8lmC5fJMByrAqEUDBADvyLqqTZDsBmk3YI2c0wgDKjODUxq7KaHsRzPLiDVuE6rHv2uga9bfs_B-Z_1JwYs8pB12hHrppRyKBXLDLJEh72mrCdzBSld1tgaMlg5/s400/10.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{love him}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittwcNEHnwg6Z7D8dwpiS8HW6gZ-EheeTvePXomcx_AuyqUttH9rR4SQI9B1bEfnVOisrzJg1X0RXIiTDwT9OnCjeEksbttlvbIAYcfqg4aGXa9oj-3UDCyZWmjqgwhltHfu5lMVWF5b0r/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEittwcNEHnwg6Z7D8dwpiS8HW6gZ-EheeTvePXomcx_AuyqUttH9rR4SQI9B1bEfnVOisrzJg1X0RXIiTDwT9OnCjeEksbttlvbIAYcfqg4aGXa9oj-3UDCyZWmjqgwhltHfu5lMVWF5b0r/s400/12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{my sweet Mother-in-Law came...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">she was so supportive and encouraging the whole time we were in school}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zo66MLNJ_tq2coJ4mI9Z7wdAThRt9amfa52Aa0SxMzODEeKPqou07-vY0qi9iW2uzzEY1liJjjSeBLFaTwdsYqMf5yEqHAux6IemJmS9wkUCa3T-WDyTXq2WbBbHJqPfaai0AktUAH2a/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zo66MLNJ_tq2coJ4mI9Z7wdAThRt9amfa52Aa0SxMzODEeKPqou07-vY0qi9iW2uzzEY1liJjjSeBLFaTwdsYqMf5yEqHAux6IemJmS9wkUCa3T-WDyTXq2WbBbHJqPfaai0AktUAH2a/s400/13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{Mama and siblings, Steven and Caroline...always by my side!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JqiQkgO9Oeu8DDaIIQh8zbk4AU306hslsfta9b1ak3aOZCwrKHCPKucnxuueUyceVlvCubkf5PuvwPzGS19CTcuqwTLRSaT6ei7wvdAokx9ZyaZy2Q5yi5xUT5-jWN4ZL1uXgy0BOyma/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8JqiQkgO9Oeu8DDaIIQh8zbk4AU306hslsfta9b1ak3aOZCwrKHCPKucnxuueUyceVlvCubkf5PuvwPzGS19CTcuqwTLRSaT6ei7wvdAokx9ZyaZy2Q5yi5xUT5-jWN4ZL1uXgy0BOyma/s400/18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{getting a hug from my baby sis. love her!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVMXF02dSsVtwNT-2lruIJlCFg97ApWSt1x2f0mamlSysU68LHKauM8vqTmIyabhfmJc8NJIa-HYmnrGA8wVUoMp62RFLIBV63YRBla1jgFA9T_-D4TOpTiTJo5mUb-ykSmRPPrhvsxmy/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikVMXF02dSsVtwNT-2lruIJlCFg97ApWSt1x2f0mamlSysU68LHKauM8vqTmIyabhfmJc8NJIa-HYmnrGA8wVUoMp62RFLIBV63YRBla1jgFA9T_-D4TOpTiTJo5mUb-ykSmRPPrhvsxmy/s400/16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{sisters}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGExHSZ8kKXsrAEp3fa-iCt_XQdEW4x-qx2VmPobEi71TFdlVEKfyv42lG5JuKcf9poZk3VswRHdDM6XvHR-NUCNTojCieNcDfqB-94YOtjNWkDtzIQcnyzZhlbH4PG1LVFgCT5PDlFCUy/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGExHSZ8kKXsrAEp3fa-iCt_XQdEW4x-qx2VmPobEi71TFdlVEKfyv42lG5JuKcf9poZk3VswRHdDM6XvHR-NUCNTojCieNcDfqB-94YOtjNWkDtzIQcnyzZhlbH4PG1LVFgCT5PDlFCUy/s400/17.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{my little-big brother} </span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">My dad, littlest sister Mattie, and Grandmama also came to graduation but had to leave as soon as I walked because my Grandmama's back was hurting. Really hate I didn't get a pic with them, but so grateful for their presence that night!</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">Definitely so glad we have school knocked out. Better now than to wish 5 or 10 years--and a possibly a few kids--from now that we had done it. I canNOT imagine how challenging doing school and having kiddos is--my hat's off to all those people that have done and are doing that!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">God was so faithful to see us through the hard days, long nights, and frustrating moments. Though there were definitely times when we tried to do things the hard way--in our own strength--and I'm so glad he never leaves us or forsakes. This time with both of us in school was a continual spiritual lesson in which God was teaching us: He is always right there, ready to be our strength if we just surrender! I hope that is some encouragement for you if you are juggling the work/school thing or whatever else you may be feeling inadequate to face! </span>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-84008517935430449262012-07-06T19:14:00.000-05:002012-07-06T19:19:23.987-05:00a beautiful place + some R & R<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So tonight instead of celebrating my beautiful, exuberant, soon-to-be-bride cousin<span style="color: #3d85c6;"> </span><a href="http://justlookupward.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Laura</span></a> at her bachelorette/lingerie bash, I am home half-doped-up on cough medicine and doing saline "sniffs" as my doc prescribed this morning. Blah! I've had some kind of "viral" cold for two weeks now and can't seem to shake it. I've migrated through very sore throat, extreme hoarseness (Paul lovingly informed me I sounded like a 50 year old smoker), ridiculous coughing fits, fatigue, and now major chest and head/nose congestion. I am so bummed to miss out on this fun night with Laura! But I just wasn't up to driving the four hours to Jackson and definitely didn't want to risk infecting anybody else. Okay, I'll stop whining now. :) </span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So since I'm home alone being BFF's with the couch and my kleenexes, (Paul had already made plans thinking I would be out of town) I decided to catch up on blogging some happenings from the last couple months.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">So now my post title makes a bit more sense: As soon as I was done teaching school on May 25 (we didn't waste any time and left that night!), we hit the road to Hilton Head, South Carolina. My mom's cousin graciously let us stay in her beautiful "Sea Loft", and we just had the best time! Neither Paul or I had ever been to Hilton Head or even any part of the east coast, so we thoroughly enjoyed seeing new landscape and exploring such a gorgeous place. The island is developed but in such a way that preserved the integrity of the natural landscape. It was so refreshing not to be bombarded with billboards and other overt aspects of a commercialized "touristy" place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">W</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">e had no schedule (I LOVE that about a vacation!) and did lots <span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">resting, eating, beaching, biking, live music listening, wildlife admiring, reading, and just enjoying being together.</span> This was a MUCH needed break for us as we had both been under lots of pressure in trying to finish our degrees. It was such a relief to be able to enjoy each other's company without having school assignments looming over our heads! (I've said it a million times, but I'll say it again: I am SO thankful to be DONE.) </span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">We took lots of pics on the trip, but here are a few of my favorites... </span> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd_EyppPiEF84rQCiv5EIlLrVzX9A2rEyOOHez02mKJEAJg1yvLgR35nLe4M8AnbEzaOE-6qaA7FxfCiyjvBMUG2u2xDoRIidYuWF3Do0ARnc9YR-LjD12r_VGlH4xMpbubDFIo02sq6e/s1600/2012-05-26_20-16-09_197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzd_EyppPiEF84rQCiv5EIlLrVzX9A2rEyOOHez02mKJEAJg1yvLgR35nLe4M8AnbEzaOE-6qaA7FxfCiyjvBMUG2u2xDoRIidYuWF3Do0ARnc9YR-LjD12r_VGlH4xMpbubDFIo02sq6e/s640/2012-05-26_20-16-09_197.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{stunning view out to the ocean}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9HHnAO9uJL7mxEhVrU_9N5V-jfnTQ4l0TSsY0ftj_aq1ORYh0zz7waqYJvV18i31VXs5vXkgzwKSkEsJjuPFa1Gx31NJ6zXD6WNOM9Z1jEX5gXq4kk_W_NPFiYo33zX3LVOhgS72dW-4/s1600/2012-05-28_20-05-21_401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9HHnAO9uJL7mxEhVrU_9N5V-jfnTQ4l0TSsY0ftj_aq1ORYh0zz7waqYJvV18i31VXs5vXkgzwKSkEsJjuPFa1Gx31NJ6zXD6WNOM9Z1jEX5gXq4kk_W_NPFiYo33zX3LVOhgS72dW-4/s640/2012-05-28_20-05-21_401.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{gorgeous sunset...I have lots of pics of ones throughout the week...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">could.not.get.enough.of.this.beauty.}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglT3geaqeM_vnKiqYtbwRhbRhGM-MfKuE9y18hSChhcI11yOx6-OCdQ819GYhXw4RqLuUhcnVWhWGFif2VndrOe55SMneINRUD6KEx_rkKp6wFCuo7OEBTw9eNBSzewhZOJxqWYCqKYQ27/s1600/Hilton+Head+2012+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglT3geaqeM_vnKiqYtbwRhbRhGM-MfKuE9y18hSChhcI11yOx6-OCdQ819GYhXw4RqLuUhcnVWhWGFif2VndrOe55SMneINRUD6KEx_rkKp6wFCuo7OEBTw9eNBSzewhZOJxqWYCqKYQ27/s640/Hilton+Head+2012+009.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{the bedroom in our lovely condo}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVYzlGl0cIqNxd-ZP5Q5GTpPW51VxCzwFQaQtDMwZwD9hlRGMcwY4OvEbBg3tG8qEqzO4yk7S_JCLOukxXddNDti3F6_lOXhfKxFuTqEwdiFb7PD7b-jELQKPur5eVj94SucryHX-Z44H/s1600/Hilton+Head+2012+018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxVYzlGl0cIqNxd-ZP5Q5GTpPW51VxCzwFQaQtDMwZwD9hlRGMcwY4OvEbBg3tG8qEqzO4yk7S_JCLOukxXddNDti3F6_lOXhfKxFuTqEwdiFb7PD7b-jELQKPur5eVj94SucryHX-Z44H/s640/Hilton+Head+2012+018.JPG" width="425" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{taking a walk}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtY6EXeUB1jtlGbc6clta9Xvmb_UzO6YOGCyOc2uMIq1J84Msv1W0I_86MN1wfZEHMmmlvNd5DvW3juw9MBet6CNelUhV2LoWDzzn6vy5L6xVUbjREEgvuUgUGqsxkXu7ysUe-yWELDERH/s1600/Hilton+Head+2012+056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtY6EXeUB1jtlGbc6clta9Xvmb_UzO6YOGCyOc2uMIq1J84Msv1W0I_86MN1wfZEHMmmlvNd5DvW3juw9MBet6CNelUhV2LoWDzzn6vy5L6xVUbjREEgvuUgUGqsxkXu7ysUe-yWELDERH/s640/Hilton+Head+2012+056.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{pausing our game of mini golf for a quick pic! Oh, and I have to mention: I got a hole-in-one!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy588N3Fq7YGojQm1xS6fVOF6xn4lm0FvXYd4ic7ES0GTW7Pnse7MHsLgpSCUUvrZZtB3ESnw_A7IdsQk8coUO8xJypp59kfIO8tVelAz-wQLvBSfTduIdxH8yxTQ1omzRuMnZQArfsdgj/s1600/Hilton+Head+2012+081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy588N3Fq7YGojQm1xS6fVOF6xn4lm0FvXYd4ic7ES0GTW7Pnse7MHsLgpSCUUvrZZtB3ESnw_A7IdsQk8coUO8xJypp59kfIO8tVelAz-wQLvBSfTduIdxH8yxTQ1omzRuMnZQArfsdgj/s640/Hilton+Head+2012+081.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{riding bikes...there are bike trails all over the island. so fun!}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitG8x6K0XmrpXSUm99hk7u3kwbMN9EBrq8MIqpYuPJsuzoe_N1s9iBhXuicYqjeZErDlLdYeTetqfK7dZDbeO8cCB43Uv5NcFekdmlDt5o6ipcpFKd5o-m-rKclG5EKZjhsi21LONqyZ9g/s1600/Hilton+Head+2012+089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitG8x6K0XmrpXSUm99hk7u3kwbMN9EBrq8MIqpYuPJsuzoe_N1s9iBhXuicYqjeZErDlLdYeTetqfK7dZDbeO8cCB43Uv5NcFekdmlDt5o6ipcpFKd5o-m-rKclG5EKZjhsi21LONqyZ9g/s640/Hilton+Head+2012+089.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{a little blurry...I'm not a master with the self-timer}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_hVyL33R6qtjb6WdJyDoDbDwSygn5Rt-tjxZTtaTDAG2syBUbvTJ1NyK-d6C5OsatBGa78aeHLetyEMw6FJrXr-FCDJrOkf2Nasku3YETtd8kzdyniHDs9N9k_eMtfcf-p9n1odJ_-y2/s1600/Hilton+Head+2012+114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5_hVyL33R6qtjb6WdJyDoDbDwSygn5Rt-tjxZTtaTDAG2syBUbvTJ1NyK-d6C5OsatBGa78aeHLetyEMw6FJrXr-FCDJrOkf2Nasku3YETtd8kzdyniHDs9N9k_eMtfcf-p9n1odJ_-y2/s640/Hilton+Head+2012+114.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{overlooking the Harbourtown Marina}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBVdJUFJcFJC1pp1cEeyR4PjaK-2W7lFr_RUUNwBv0SDCJC3b6JfLK2HYqX72vzREZ5GSd7D6J-nULdDa1Cr4U-dWavK4Fl4s9HeUI3uUQ_1xKA8GkZ7UtwalqvKAvasMVkLQzQdnowd3/s1600/image_8.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjBVdJUFJcFJC1pp1cEeyR4PjaK-2W7lFr_RUUNwBv0SDCJC3b6JfLK2HYqX72vzREZ5GSd7D6J-nULdDa1Cr4U-dWavK4Fl4s9HeUI3uUQ_1xKA8GkZ7UtwalqvKAvasMVkLQzQdnowd3/s640/image_8.jpeg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{reading + the beach + my State chair = bliss}</span> </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HUpXEYNYLnfJ0YB0xc6ZWJ2P2iKRAL7Lw-sb0YMjWAQsEW5mvnWHZ0nWt5CEfFZD9fYcpxyrmlIG9YGtIFecS5_hXNbfgANHd87wZ-IjpLSr0AJ57mZda8IiGHMMIorcTvnU6WhPiEsC/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3HUpXEYNYLnfJ0YB0xc6ZWJ2P2iKRAL7Lw-sb0YMjWAQsEW5mvnWHZ0nWt5CEfFZD9fYcpxyrmlIG9YGtIFecS5_hXNbfgANHd87wZ-IjpLSr0AJ57mZda8IiGHMMIorcTvnU6WhPiEsC/s640/photo.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{Atlantic waves}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyonW1t7ry6ybSBGhr9qHz0phim2XJIeht1Cs0NEJgs9xHkLu33vrdN_tpQ7iPATgE5s5BfuoZCTWEgzGWsp2mR0vaY-9nMCM_nDxG8VAhpWruRa-ZrBZcqhLRE02wWUZxo_rbqAGRUvZ/s1600/2012-05-26_18-59-49_631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyonW1t7ry6ybSBGhr9qHz0phim2XJIeht1Cs0NEJgs9xHkLu33vrdN_tpQ7iPATgE5s5BfuoZCTWEgzGWsp2mR0vaY-9nMCM_nDxG8VAhpWruRa-ZrBZcqhLRE02wWUZxo_rbqAGRUvZ/s640/2012-05-26_18-59-49_631.jpg" width="356" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{the famous Harbourtown Lighthouse...lots of neat history}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0jcodM_CAe5qNqGLpuHOqdzWydwl9RZnSo-vtTxsheKCM76b5LI1wRUIRPMozb6D0kUn4ppshlRBro5q6FIyCdhtZoS9ZMVByZZoBzRrAJmJHJqSrDOFNHbHo3GlYKttVNbDcD_sO344/s1600/2012-05-28_12-17-50_837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd0jcodM_CAe5qNqGLpuHOqdzWydwl9RZnSo-vtTxsheKCM76b5LI1wRUIRPMozb6D0kUn4ppshlRBro5q6FIyCdhtZoS9ZMVByZZoBzRrAJmJHJqSrDOFNHbHo3GlYKttVNbDcD_sO344/s640/2012-05-28_12-17-50_837.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{alligator! We saw several of these, one of which was just sun bathing on the bank of a pond very close to a house!} </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{Ol' Glory from the top of the Lighthouse}</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{Our "Sea Loft" behind me and getting ready to bike to dinner!}</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I'm super excited because I get to go back to this lovely place next week! My mom, sister, aunt, and I are taking a little girls trip and meeting our cousin Wanda, who owns the house, there. We have never taken a just a girls trip before, and we are all very much looking forward to it. Can't wait to spend some quality time with these special ladies! </span>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-40185638159093130832012-06-28T21:39:00.001-05:002012-07-06T12:17:36.292-05:00Belle & Books<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Beauty and the Beast is probably my all-time favorite Disney flick. I practically swoon every time I watch the opening scene where she enters the bookshop and flies around the the ladder searching for the next story to captivate her and then strolls through town with her nose stuck in the book. I want to <em>be</em> Belle. Just in case you want to see it for yourself...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So now that I've thouroughly nerdified myself, I'll get on with the meat of this post, assuming anyone is still reading. :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">One of the things I was most looking forward to when school (both teaching and finishing my Masters) was over was having time to read stuff I actually <em>wanted</em> to read! As exciting as journal articles for my capstone and textbooks on educational theory are, I was dying to read some stuff that has been on my must-read list for ages. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>So here's what I've read so far this summer:</strong> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong><em><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/9780439023481-id-9780439023481.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">The Hunger Games</span></a></em> & <a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/catching-fire-id-0439023491.aspx?source=igodigital" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><em>Catching Fire</em></span></a> by Suzanne Collins:</strong><em> </em></span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I devoured the first two books in the The Hunger Games Trilogy and am waiting on third to come available at the library. I know I'm a little late on this bandwagon (I usually am a bit tardy to the party), but I'd heard all the hype (especially from my kids all school year, I was asked with great enthusiasm a jillion times, "Mrs. Burnett, have you read <em>The Hunger Games</em> yet?" "Oh, you've <em>got</em> to read it!" (as a side note, I was just totally pumped that so many kids were reading, and moreover were <em>excited</em> to read at that! Did this ol' English teacher's heart good!)) and I will say the books did not disappoint! I'm a fan. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I have my misgivings...I'm one of those annoying "the book was sooo much better than the movie" people. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><strong><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/9780156027328-id-9780156027328.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><em>Life of Pi</em></span></a> by Yann Martel: </strong></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Well, I don't know that I can say I read this because I didn't technically read <em>all</em> of it. I read all of it I could stand: 227 of its excruciatingly boring and theologically whack-o 319 pages. And I made myself push that far through it (I have this annoying, compulsive urge that if I start a book then I <em>have </em>finish it, regardless of whether it is making me wish I was watching paint dry instead of burying my head in its pages.) But as I said, I only made it about 2/3 of the way through this, the first book I ever remember not finishing. While it sounds exciting enough--a boy survives a shipwreck and finds himself on a life boat with, among other beasts, a Bengal tiger--I do not reccomend it. Satiate your need for action/adventure/survival stories elsewhere. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/9780425232200-id-9780425232200.aspx" target="_blank"><em><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>The Help</strong></span></em></a><em><strong> </strong></em><span style="color: black;"><strong>by Kathryn Stockett:</strong> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Of course, I'm late to the party here, too. But I am so glad I resisted the urge to see the movie when it was all anyone was talking about because it definitely did not measure up to the book! Stockett did such an amazing job developing the characters and the dynamics between them. I was truly drawn into the story and emotionally invested in the lives of the characters (I warned you in paragraph one of this post I was the nerdy bookworm type, so I make no apologies for being "emotionally invested in the lives of the characters.") Being a proud Mississippi native, this book was at times hard to swallow and made me cringe at the history of my home state in regard to race relations and civil rights. But Stockett's writing made this familar, but sometimes forgotten, message resonate deeply: that<em> we are</em> <em>all--</em>regardless of race, socioeconomic status, gender<em>--</em><em>people, we all matter, and we should treat each other as such.</em> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/9781451612066-id-9781451612066.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><em><strong>Kisses from Katie</strong></em></span></a><strong><em> </em>by Katie Davis with Beth Clark:</strong> <span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">the absolutely incredible--and I mean for that to carry the full weight of both of those words--story of a young woman from Brentwood, TN who took and is taking God at His Word, living out the Gospel in Uganda. I read the whole book in one day, but it's not one of those stories you just read and forget about. It's a powerful reminder of who God is, what he asks of those of us who claim His name, and how <em>every.single.life.matters. </em>Muster up some courage to drink in Katie's example of what full obedience, service, and dependence on Jesus looks like. It's not that we all have to pack up and move to Uganda to truly serve Jesus, but I know I've got some re-evaluating to do concerning my Americanized, comfortable, riskless Christianity. </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><strong>Up next...</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">finish <em><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/9780525950493-id-9780525950493.aspx" target="_blank"><strong>The Reason for God</strong></a></span><strong> </strong></em><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">by Tim Keller</span>:</strong> I'm only a couple chapters in, and I already think everybody, believer or skeptic should read this book. Fascinating, and I would say, a near essential read for those who need to process through life's hard questions and/or want to encourage someone else who is both wondering and wandering.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">and lots of reading for school (which will be starting back in just over a month! what?!)...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/9780979777745-id-9780979777745.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em><strong>Brain Rules</strong></em></span></a><em><strong> </strong></em><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><em><strong>by John Medina:</strong> </em></span></span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">a school-wide read to support our goal for the 2012-2013 school year. I am actually excited to dive into this. I attended a brain-based-learning seminar last fall, and it truly is incredible how intricately designed our brains are and what makes them function and learn at optimal levels. God is such an amazing Creator! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And the three novels for my my first reading unit I'll be teaching when school starts: </span><strong><em>The Master Puppeteer</em>, <em>Beauty: A Retelling of Beauty and the Beast</em>, and <em>Black Horses for the King.</em></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;"><strong>So what have <em>you</em> been reading? Do tell! :)</strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">{Oh, and one more thing: if you click on any of the titles I mentioned it will take you a site called <a href="http://www.betterworldbooks.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Better World Books</span></a>. I started buying from this site rather than amazon.com or the like because for every book purchased, Better World Books donates a book to someone in need and raises funds for literacy and libraries. Sometimes their prices are a tad higher than amazon.com BUT the fact that Better World Books offers FREE shipping worldwide usually compensates for that difference. *</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS;">I'm no compensated spokesperson for BWB...I just love finding and shopping with companies who give back! Easy way to make my spending more purposeful! </span>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-48859575839487104192012-06-09T12:40:00.001-05:002012-06-09T12:46:15.093-05:0075 cents worth of service<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">75 cents won't buy much these days, but look what it scored me yesterday at Walmart... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Granted they were 75 cents each, but all the other small and not nearly as cute and cheery-colored pots were $3+ each, so 5 pots for less than $4 made my day...it's really the small things, people! :)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">These were just perfect for the little "happies" I had in mind as I attempt to live out Philippians 2:3-4. (If you read my <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2012/06/111-serving-cubed.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">last post</span></a> I'm trying to <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">serve at least <span style="color: #3d85c6;">1</span> family member, <span style="color: #3d85c6;">1</span> friend, and <span style="color: #3d85c6;">1</span> stranger each week</span>--a little plan to help me ditch the good intentions and actually get on with being less me-focused and more others-focused. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">So these pots plus some left over vinca plants (that I've had sitting lonely on the patio since I planted our front flower beds a month ago!), a little ribbon, and a note helped me get of my comfortable box, over my silly fear and go introduce myself to our neighbors. Yes, that's right, I said "introduce." We've lived in our house for three years (!) now, and I have yet to take time to meet, let alone get to know, anyone on our street except for our next door neighbors on our right. Shameful.Pathetic.Ridiculous.that my neighbors fall into this "stranger" category as I seek to serve people. I'm praying for courage, and to be honest, simply the desire to really reach out and care for those outside of my "normal" sphere. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">After I play out several inane scenarios in my head, I convince myself of three things: my neighbor really can't be <em>that</em> scary, I can stand awkwardness for 5 minutes, and seriously, who would refuse a flower in a cute-even-if-it-was-only-75-cents-pot?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">Time to dig in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I drag myself out the door feeling like I've got fifty pound weights on my ankles, and you know what? My-82-years-old-two-doors-down-neighbor was not at all scary, the awkwardness lasted less than a minute, and she happily accepted the card and little potted plant as she graciously invited me in to chat for a few minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Yes, I know stopping by to say hi and deliver a plant seems simple and insignificant as far as "serving" someone goes, but I'm praying that this small step will just be the first step in developing a friendship with this lady, getting to know her, and being able to find more ways to serve and show her Christ's love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now I've got 4 plants left and more stranger-neighbors to visit... </span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"> </span>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-39123446981689243002012-06-06T14:01:00.000-05:002012-06-09T12:42:51.136-05:001+1+1<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So I mentioned in my <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2012/06/hello-again.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">last post</span></a> that I am trying to <em>make the most of my summer</em>. Since I <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2011/03/abundance-of-his-house.html"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">teach</span></a> and technically "don't have to work" (at least not my real, paying job) during the summer, and since this is the first summer since I graduated high school (can that really be SIX years ago?!) that I have not been in summer school and working, too, I have more time on my hands than I have had, well, since ever! Of course, like everyone does, I have a list a mile long of have-to's and want-to's to accomplish this summer, but God has been impressing upon my heart for months now the conviction that this summer--and indeed, my entire life--is not about me. This is not necessarily a new revelation, but my life has been so consumed by school for the past six years that I have not had--or I should confess and say probably more accurately, not made--time for truly reaching out and serving others.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And that is why I am here, right? To serve?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility <strong>count others more significant than yourselves</strong>. Let each of you <strong>look</strong> not only to his own interests, but also <strong>to the interests of others</strong>." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Philippians 2:3-4</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And if I call myself a disciple of Christ, I'm supposed to be, through His grace and power, imitating Him, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">"Therefore, <strong>be imitators of God</strong>, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">And that's why Jesus came, right? To serve? To love sacrificially?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Though He was God, <strong>He made himself nothing</strong>, taking the form of a <strong>servant</strong>, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he <strong>humbled himself</strong> by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And now I need to backtrack a little bit: Last year, I read through the New Testament with <a href="http://www.centralchurch.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6;">our church</span></a>, and as I read through the Gospels, I was struck by how many times it is mentioned that Jesus "had compassion" on the crowds or the individuals that surrounded Him. But what pierced me even more is the fact that His "compassion" always moved Him to action--meeting some spiritual and/or physical need that the crowd or person had (See Matthew 9:35-36, 15:32-38, 20:34, and various other echoes throughout the other three Gospels.). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>So what does this mean for me?</em> <strong>If</strong> I recognize compassion in the scriptures, feel it in my heart, and know "how to" do compassion in my head, but<strong> it never moves my hands and feet to action, then that recognition and knowledge is worthless...then I don't really "get" compassion because... </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>T</strong></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>rue compassion is love in action.</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><em>So now what? How do I live like I believe His Word and example?</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm often the queen of good intentions in this area. I know the truth but fail to apply it. There is one word that has been resounding in my mind since all of this began swirling around in my heart a couple of months ago: <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">INTENTIONALITY</span>. <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've got to live intentionally for true compassion to take root and spill out into the lives of others.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">God knows the slightly OCD, planner in me (can I get an "Amen!" for calendars and to-do-lists? :)), and I'm so grateful He is teaching me to let go and trust Him and His plan. BUT, I think He also knows that sometimes having a distinct plan is just what I need to get my hands and feet moving in sync with what He is doing in my heart. SO, I've taken the long route to get here (thanks for enduring my ramblings!), but here's the "plan" He laid on my heart a few days ago:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Serve</span> </strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">1</span></strong> family member</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><strong>1</strong></span> stranger</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><strong>{Compassion} </strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><strong>{Love in Action}</strong></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I think about this charge the Lord has impressed upon me, I'm reminded of </span><a href="http://itsnotmydiary.blogspot.com/2011/03/for-one.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">a post from a sweet friend</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">where she quoted the following "Don't fail to do something just because you can't do everything." I certainly can't do everything, meet every need, but I can, and <em>must</em>, do something if I claim the name of Christ. Like they say, people may doubt what you say, but they will always believe what you do. So my words and actions must go hand in hand. Through Jesus I want to be an encouragement, finding little ways to minister to people's tangible needs as well as their spiritual. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Would you please chime in with suggestions (in the comments below) for ways to bless and serve those family members, friends, and strangers? I'd love to hear your ideas, big or small!</strong> I know sometimes its the seemingly small or even insignificant acts of service that can be the biggest blessing as people live Philippians 2:3-4...a note in the mail, a dinner you don't have to cook, a clean car, a night of babysitting, groceries, prayer, sharing scripture, a phone call...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or maybe you might take this "1+1+1" challenge this summer, too?</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://learnthis.ca/2010/02/100-ways-to-serve-others/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">image via</span></a></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="color: black;">Praying God will open my eyes to see the needs all around me and give me the sensitivity and boldness needed to act. Now to get to it! :)</span> </span></div>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-80000178572311761192012-06-06T12:02:00.000-05:002012-06-06T12:02:54.890-05:00Hello, again.<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Well, I'm back...after the most crazy busy, stressful--but good--year of my life!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know you <em>all</em> (I'm pretending I have a stellar, loyal, and large readership) have been anxiously awaiting my next riveting post! (Thank you for indulging this <strike>illusion</strike> delusion.) Since I have posted all of about three times since August of last year, I'm sure my all of about two readers have jumped ship by now, but that is just fine with me...I "blog" mainly for me...to have an "outlet" for my ever-running mind and as a sort of scrapbook-ish chronicle of our life. (Many thanks to my paternal Grandmama for passing down her journalling habit. Her mounds of spiral notebooks are my tapping out on the screen--but I admit, I do have a few notebooks, too.)</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now to return from that most necessary digression. So with my next several posts, I plan to try to catch myself up on this past year...to record some thoughts and lessons learned from my very first year of teaching full-time...and losing a granddaddy...and a small home reno (<strike>vaguely</strike> strongly reminiscent of </span><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091541/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Money Pit</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">)...and finishing my M.A.Ed....and Paul finishing his B.S...and simply life in between it all.</span><br />
<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While this summer is already filled with lots of stuff--baby showers and weddings and parties and curriculum training and vacation and books to read and projects to complete...--I'm praying to <em>make the most of it</em>. (Next post will share one way I'm praying for boldness and follow-through to make that happen.)</span><br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: large;">Happy, Happy Summer, Everyone!</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(remember, I'm pretending to have a boatload of readers)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hope your days are filled to the brim with all the best and then let that spill over in blessings to others!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5WkW7TN0AGg1SzI2Ij9g49oRIehO8OBhvukVXX686p9vOyQ2Wm3ayExWL7c-0snIjPgiwTyGEe-WzA3VngG0sKPSCkwKD4fzqE8uqZE-dU888N399hhclkGNPULPNA9p63_ibAXyKHd0/s1600/Hilton+Head+2012+038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5WkW7TN0AGg1SzI2Ij9g49oRIehO8OBhvukVXX686p9vOyQ2Wm3ayExWL7c-0snIjPgiwTyGEe-WzA3VngG0sKPSCkwKD4fzqE8uqZE-dU888N399hhclkGNPULPNA9p63_ibAXyKHd0/s400/Hilton+Head+2012+038.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">{a little of God's goodness from our recent trip to Hilton Head, SC}</span></div>
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<span id="goog_1872220283"></span><span id="goog_1872220284"></span> </div>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-7287320176695846582012-03-30T17:03:00.000-05:002012-06-05T10:40:14.218-05:00He Is.<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just wanted to share this video (in case you haven't already seen it--but even if you have, it's worth a re-run!). An amazing reminder of the magnitude of the One who has faithfully loved [messy, flighty, prideful] me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Oh, how I need this refreshed perspective. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">To put Him in His rightful place. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I pray you know Him today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{Thanks to sweet <a href="http://jennifermarielivingthelife.blogspot.com/">Jenni</a> for sharing this video in a faculty meeting devotion one morning a few weeks ago.}</span>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-86296771402512689002011-12-19T14:05:00.001-06:002011-12-19T14:09:21.378-06:00Welcome to Our World<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Finally finishing our </span><a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/11/free-jesse-tree-advent-family-devotional/"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jesse Tree Advent Ornaments</span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">. Listening to Amy Grant's "Welcome to Our World" on Pandora. This song is beautiful and truly captures the magnitude of what the Father did for us in sending His One and Only to reconcile us broken, selfish people. </span><br />
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<br /><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Tears are falling<br />Hearts are breaking<br />How we need to hear from God<br />You've been promised<br />We've been waiting<br />Welcome, Holy Child<br />Welcome, Holy Child<br /><br />Hope that You don't<br />Mind our manger<br />How I wish we would have known<br />But long awaited<br />Holy Stranger<br />Make Yourself at home<br />Please make Yourself at home<br /><br />Bring Your peace<br />Into our violence<br />Bid our hungry souls be filled<br />Word now breaking Heaven's silence<br />Welcome to our world<br />Welcome to our world<br /><br />Fragile finger<br />Sent to heal us<br />Tender brow prepared for thorn<br />Tiny heart<br />Whose blood will save us<br />Unto us is born<br />Unto us is born<br /><br />So wrap our injured<br />Flesh around you<br />Breathe our air and walk our sod<br />Rob our sin<br />And make us holy<br />Perfect Son of God<br />Welcome to our world</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Praying we will fill this Christmas week with joyful and grateful meditation--The King of Glory--He came down to us! To me, it doesn't make the least bit of sense. But that is what is so incredible about the mystery of the Gospel!</span> I <span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">can't even grasp "how wide, how long, how high, and how deep" (Ephesians 3:18) is the love of Christ. But though I can't fully grasp it, oh, how I'm thankful. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>{Many blessings to you and yours this Christmas!}</strong> </span> </div>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-21790457061352495982011-10-17T10:30:00.000-05:002011-10-17T10:30:27.093-05:00Slowing Down<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Yes, I've been MIA for oh, I don't know, two and a half months, now. I didn't know life could be busy--so non-stop--so full of necessary things, there has been no way to cut back. Or at least I haven't found the way yet. Finding the balance between full-time work, school, home, and family has been a huge struggle for me lately. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I couldn't be more thankful for this thing called Fall Break--I'm off Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday this week. Praise the Lord for a few days to relax and be re-energized. Hoping to maybe catch up on a few posts about teaching and other smatterings from life over the past couple of months, but we'll see. I'm off in a few to grab lunch with one of my sweet besties from high school, whom it has been WAY too long since we have enjoyed each others' face-to-face company.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Just wanted to share this quick word from my time with the Lord this morning. I often allow Satan to steal my joy for today by falling into his ever down-spiraling cyclone of worry, unrest, and misery in thinking about the future. For instance, instead of waking up with joy this morning because I've been given this day--and given this day off from work--I was already bemoaning the fact that Thursday would be here in a flash and was worrying about how I was going to accomplish/catch up on everything that has fallen by the wayside lately as well as lesson plan for next week. Crazy much? Yes, I know so. Choosing joy and rest in Christ must be intentional. I must bathe myself in His presence in order to combat the joy-stealing, worry-igniting schemes of the wicked one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The scripture from <em>Jesus Calling</em> for today:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;">Luke 12</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25473"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">22</span></strong></sup>And he said to his disciples, <span class="woj"><sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25473AO" title="See cross-reference AO">AO</a>)"></sup> "Therefore I tell you,<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25473AP" title="See cross-reference AP">AP</a>)"></sup> do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on.</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25474"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">23</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing.</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25475"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">24</span></strong></sup><span class="woj"><sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25475AQ" title="See cross-reference AQ">AQ</a>)"></sup> Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them.<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25475AR" title="See cross-reference AR">AR</a>)"></sup> Of how much more value are you than the birds!</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25476"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">25</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25476AS" title="See cross-reference AS">AS</a>)"></sup> span of life?<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25476c" title="See footnote c">c</a>]"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">[</span></strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2012&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25476c" title="See footnote c"><span style="color: #651300; font-size: x-small;"><strong>c</strong></span></a><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span></strong></sup></span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25477"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">26</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25478"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">27</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25478d" title="See footnote d">d</a>]"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">[</span></strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2012&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25478d" title="See footnote d"><span style="color: #651300; font-size: x-small;"><strong>d</strong></span></a><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span></strong></sup> yet I tell you,<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25478AT" title="See cross-reference AT">AT</a>)"></sup> even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25479"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">28</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you,<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25479AU" title="See cross-reference AU">AU</a>)"></sup> O you of little faith!</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25480"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">29</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25480AV" title="See cross-reference AV">AV</a>)"></sup> be worried.</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25481"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">30</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">For<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25481AW" title="See cross-reference AW">AW</a>)"></sup> all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them.</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25482"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">31</span></strong></sup><span class="woj">Instead,<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482AX" title="See cross-reference AX">AX</a>)"></sup> seek<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482AY" title="See cross-reference AY">AY</a>)"></sup> his<sup class="footnote" value="[<a href="#fen-ESV-25482e" title="See footnote e">e</a>]"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">[</span></strong><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=luke%2012&version=ESV#fen-ESV-25482e" title="See footnote e"><span style="color: #651300; font-size: x-small;"><strong>e</strong></span></a><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">]</span></strong></sup> kingdom,<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25482AZ" title="See cross-reference AZ">AZ</a>)"></sup> and these things will be added to you.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25483"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">32</span></strong></sup><span class="woj"><sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25483BA" title="See cross-reference BA">BA</a>)"></sup> "Fear not, little<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25483BB" title="See cross-reference BB">BB</a>)"></sup> flock, for<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25483BC" title="See cross-reference BC">BC</a>)"></sup> it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25483BD" title="See cross-reference BD">BD</a>)"></sup> the kingdom.</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25484"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">33</span></strong></sup><span class="woj"><sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25484BE" title="See cross-reference BE">BE</a>)"></sup> Sell your possessions, and<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25484BF" title="See cross-reference BF">BF</a>)"></sup> give to the needy.<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25484BG" title="See cross-reference BG">BG</a>)"></sup> Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with<sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25484BH" title="See cross-reference BH">BH</a>)"></sup> a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys.</span> <sup class="versenum" id="en-ESV-25485"><strong><span style="font-size: x-small;">34</span></strong></sup><span class="woj"><sup class="xref" value="(<a href="#cen-ESV-25485BI" title="See cross-reference BI">BI</a>)"></sup> For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">{How beautifully appropriate. The Lord knows just what we need.}</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">I pray this encourages you to slow down, fix your eyes on Him, and savor today. Father, please give me grace to remember the birds and the lilies today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">P.S. A true word from </span><a href="http://www.aholyexperience.com/"><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Ann Voskamp</span></a><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"> for today: "</span><strong><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Read it [the Bible] because it’s manna and and you’ve got nothing
to give if you haven’t gathered, and you have to gather it at
daybreak if you are going to gain from it the daylong."</span> </strong> </div>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-230002746137710392011-08-02T10:25:00.003-05:002011-08-02T10:31:36.761-05:00Wings for Our Troops<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Some of you may remember (back last December) me mentioning my cousin Chad who lost his life while serving in Afghanistan. My heart just broke for his mom, Tami (my mom's cousin), especially since Chad was her only child. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnU-Nrg6rx3IP5dadil6H6zyV4L4QrEGOnam7JOnJa1m0Sqsx_mkTXqd7JheuFjgF0L0clV6vPDvon_-ba9cv770jENRfDGBWug4sbrnX-4rZc3MAMKvQ7PoiQO7CDXZmInPvB5HF3yCX/s1600/Tammy+%2526+Chad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHnU-Nrg6rx3IP5dadil6H6zyV4L4QrEGOnam7JOnJa1m0Sqsx_mkTXqd7JheuFjgF0L0clV6vPDvon_-ba9cv770jENRfDGBWug4sbrnX-4rZc3MAMKvQ7PoiQO7CDXZmInPvB5HF3yCX/s1600/Tammy+%2526+Chad.jpg" t$="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: small;">CPL Chad S Wade, USMC dancing with his Mama</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Of course, since we don't have children yet I can't fully imagine the pain she went through and still feels, but I can tell you that I am amazed at how she has responded to such deep loss. Tami and her husband have started a non-profit organization called<span style="color: red;"> </span><a href="http://wingsforourtroops.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Wings for Our Troops</span></a> that aims to help our men and women in the military get home to their loved ones before and after deployment. </span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsXdKSHraexiLzXFicV0Jf9aKjO_9HdG5XnqJLjsL0y5VtSajGEBwMiPjruWCbfsm6S95XIXQF2D__-k2NfsKqgcSVw-ifnJWnqmiJBb72pN-QsJp8RKaOekX-qdlBX7xh9uezO8W83K8/s1600/wings+for+our+troops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMsXdKSHraexiLzXFicV0Jf9aKjO_9HdG5XnqJLjsL0y5VtSajGEBwMiPjruWCbfsm6S95XIXQF2D__-k2NfsKqgcSVw-ifnJWnqmiJBb72pN-QsJp8RKaOekX-qdlBX7xh9uezO8W83K8/s1600/wings+for+our+troops.jpg" t$="true" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Until Tami shared <a href="http://wingsforourtroops.blogspot.com/2011/05/wings-for-our-troops-in-loving-memory.html"><span style="color: #0b5394;">her vision for starting the foundation</span></a>, I never knew that our soldiers were responsible for their travel expenses to get home to see their families. If they can't afford the plane tickets, then their opportunities to visit their families are limited. (If Paul was in the military, I can't imagine how hard it would be to have the stress of not being able to spend time with him before or after he deployed due to financial worries.) So Tammy and her husband (along with many other people, particularly Tammy's sister,<span style="color: #073763;"> </span><a href="http://amberbanks61.blogspot.com/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Amber</span></a>) are hard at work getting this foundation established which will help relieve the financial burden on our soldiers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Finding a way to transform your loss into a vision for helping others is truly a testament to the way God uses all things--even tragedy--to bring about our good and His glory. I am excited to see how the Lord continues to bless their efforts and enables our soldiers, who otherwise would suffer through missing their loved ones, to enjoy time with their families before and after deployment. <strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Join me in spreading the word about Wings for Our Troops! If you know of a soldier who may be in need of the service this foundation provides you can contact Wings through their </span></strong><a href="http://wingsforourtroops.com/"><strong><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">website</span></strong></a></span><strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">. You can make secure donations there as well. </span></strong><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I know that I take our freedoms so for granted most of the time, but I am so thankful for Chad and others like him who gave their all to ensure our liberty and let others around the world have a chance at experiencing freedom, too. Because of moms like Tami and the rest of Chad's family, our military will know that they truly are appreciated and cared for. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">**A family in our Connecting Point (Sunday School) class also has a non-profit, <a href="http://www.supportticketsfortroops.com/"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Tickets for Troops</span></a>, that supports our military by providing them with free tickets to fun events (like sports games, etc.) so that the families can enjoy qaulity time together after thier loved one returns from a deployment. Learn more about the great work Tony and his wife are doing <a href="http://www.supportticketsfortroops.com/index.php?id=19"><span style="color: #0b5394;">here</span></a>. </span>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-65408588779065832692011-08-02T09:16:00.000-05:002011-08-02T09:16:59.357-05:00The Birds Still Sing...<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's a messy life isn't, it? This world is full of people battling sickness, death, hurt, exhaustion, hunger, unemployment, discontentment, anger, and the list goes on. This morning as I was praying for the needs of dear family and friends, I had a moment where I thought, "Wow. This world is full of junk. We are full of junk." I was overwhelmed by all of the "bad" stuff going on in this life. BUT, just as I was thinking about all of this--I mean, the exact same moment--<strong><span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><span style="font-size: large;">the Lord tuned my ear to the sound of the birds</span> <span style="font-size: large;">outside</span></span>.</strong> They were just chirping and singing away, their melody seeping in through my closed windows. I felt the Lord telling me, "Yes, this world is full of junk and suffering, but this world is also full of good--full of Me." All of the hurt we experience in this life does not change who God is. His character--his perfect goodness--remains the same. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). </span><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And He is ever kind, ever gracious to give us reminders of His goodness...like <span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><strong>the birds he made me hear</strong></span> when I started to get mired down thinking about the difficult stuff. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbPZov_gmjNJlnHYNxsgMk0NCBSgancBJaR_gtfCGO-LaQl97F634o3DwWnI0zvlvFubne1V95fCqdC8bSESRremWp7-QB0y1D89igs6BZZG4j3SVAv8-ZCbFpDGFuv6hCq2s-YEa2aWa/s1600/bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBbPZov_gmjNJlnHYNxsgMk0NCBSgancBJaR_gtfCGO-LaQl97F634o3DwWnI0zvlvFubne1V95fCqdC8bSESRremWp7-QB0y1D89igs6BZZG4j3SVAv8-ZCbFpDGFuv6hCq2s-YEa2aWa/s1600/bird.jpg" t$="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">image <a href="http://www.weddingbee.com/2006/11/29/polly-want-a-wedding/"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">via</span></a></td></tr>
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oh Lord, that you would tune my ears to hear (and my eyes to see) You, to hear your beauty and your grace echoing all around me.</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana;">{And as I finish this post, I realize God is still trying to teach me the lessons <a href="http://savor-burnett.blogspot.com/2011/03/one-more-grace.html"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">He first used Ann Voskamp's book to show me</span></a>. If you have not yet read <a href="http://onethousandgifts.com/"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">One Thousand Gifts</span></a>, don't miss out.} </span>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-15814979923223154252011-07-21T15:21:00.003-05:002011-07-21T15:31:50.965-05:00He's a Jokester...<div><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">My husband totally gets my laffy-taffy-joke-sense of humor. The fact that he gets it doesn't mean he doesn't make fun of me for it, but at least he gets it, right?!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">So I went to my classroom today for the first time to try to get some stuff done. I texted Paul these pictures...</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmEq1PjjQ5ZhLWGyKp62T9yXTeQQKUAb_h3Oc277_kKS2X40Fkg_A9j0eVwcTzekQGR4mvZCWflfjrmceLqbyeqvHsfmRdQsJ7FJpKFRlWOBCTOnMD2XtiEHTj9I_G3hcpGw2VanTPy94A/" width="400" /></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><img height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCKSYBQw7CYSbizqkzhZMYfwzRRrbVEP_h_gyL3-1gS7dyLpPeha1j2MeINYNgTS0xc4jwBg2nW7tclaGMN9MPnqPhXcwjAyIH6f45oc7WMci5bmX4Ljcc3vLo2PM4cFj1pKXmVehj25Tm/" width="400" /></div><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">And his response...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">"It looks classy. ;)"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">I was seriously laughing, all alone in my little classy classroom. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Don't judge me. Don't you dare judge me! :)</span></div>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2421420278593046231.post-51699144978796227052011-07-14T07:37:00.002-05:002011-07-14T07:49:12.063-05:00His mercies are new every morning!<div> Dew on the squash leaves.<br />
The first bloom on one of my tomato plants. <br />
And those petunias just make me happy. <br />
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{Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you?} Matthew 6:28-30 <br />
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<img height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DTLnHvGfBJnBViWUalFhmobNZotvx_WrTjrddHu5qIbTBFwWUj5JIjdjPPq38ldlXMdS-Pipv9EJNChrIOr86pVEOl8qt88PrjsrGqo02Bmxe2bjwhyphenhyphen1KeZRtBvIpiGtx7XNjiaVGIpp/" width="640" /><br />
<img height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZE-p-tfuSBNW75orABSBy_D165RmFY6crsnW1upIVfqfevIygyAEdHRQWMy8IxUDRLk1jw1VW-yLXoitHxMZDSEOSAX6O3Q_IH-aNAKSy6NXV9gHlddSKAO5vYSkS4fUBK30PkT95SeF/" width="640" /><br />
<img height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid4yo21ybx_AgeyVoUEqPonct3LTrHrAmC6WNH_aMACMlyzT8gnnepAMv0P8FA2EQ7IvEZbGA2UmrzWGurEZkNLzglL6V2x3smOKv7qzZuA6D_RG3xAZBz6Sj7r5M0t-uaLQkCbH38vf8A/" width="640" /></div>Rachaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00229497248739252521noreply@blogger.com1