Finalite

Happy birthday Caspian!

2012-02-02T12:00:00.001-06:00

Four years ago today, Lil Fratz was born into the world. Our lives haven't been the same since and we all have a better appreciation for flying side kicks and crooked snips on noses.

Watching airplanes

2012-01-28T12:21:00.000-06:00

Dad and Bundle

Beautiful Sisters

2012-01-28T12:18:00.000-06:00

Melt my heart

2012-01-26T15:35:00.000-06:00

(one of) my adorable nephews, who happens to make this auntie very happy by being a model for many photo shoots:

Melt my heart

2012-01-25T18:20:00.005-06:00


Mr. Darcy and Valiant: cousins, friends, and melt my heart

Great is Thy Faithfulness

2012-01-23T08:42:00.000-06:00

Great is your faithfulness oh God
You wrestle with the sinner's heart.
~ Chris Thomlin

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God, my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with thee;
Thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
As thou has been forever thou will be.

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Another post of random thoughts

2012-01-20T08:49:00.003-06:00

I love my Australian Shepherd.
I miss my two big beautiful growing way too fast nephews.
I would like to meet my sisters at Starbucks this morning for a chai and goofy conversation.
I'd like to take a walk in the desert with Mom and Dad.
I got up early this morning and cleaned the house.
Now I need a shower.
I'll start sounding like Pioneer Woman if I'm not careful.
I'm looking forward to Spring. But not Summer.
What is with the 80 degree weather in January?
Looking forward to new things to come in 2012.
I have way too many books to read. I'm not allowing myself to buy any more new books until I've read the ones I already have. Yeah, ask me how well that is going in a couple weeks or so.
My roommates have declared that I have too many mugs. They say that as they are both drinking out of my mugs. Still trying to wrap my head around that.
I would like about three more months of really cold weather so I can keep wearing my down vests and jacket. Two weeks worth of wearing them isn't very satisfying.
I really need - yes, need - a manicure and pedicure.
Happy Friday!

Israel memories

2012-01-13T23:53:00.001-06:00

Israel memories

2012-01-13T23:40:00.001-06:00

Israel memories

2012-01-13T23:39:00.001-06:00

How exactly...

2011-12-13T06:18:00.002-06:00

... does one condense a three week trip to Israel into a short(ish) blog entry? How do you adequately describe the adventures, the revelations, the changes in your soul through experiencing Jesus' country first hand?

I am currently in the process of going through about 3800 photos, editing them, and soon will upload them (don't worry, I'm only going to upload about 1000, as if that is any better). My hope is they will somehow convey what I have experienced and describe what has changed me, as a person, as a believer, and my general perspective on life.

I come away from the trip amazed at how big God is and yet how He loves to meet us in the details of our lives. Here are some of these details from the trip:

we began our trip at a kibbutz that was also hosting an international bird festival. I was intrigued not only by the armloads of camera equipment walking into the dining room, but also by the people from literally over the world that were fascinated by these little flying creatures that God cares so much about. Israel is a major migration path for millions of different birds migrating from Europe down to Africa.
toward the end of the trip, God stopped me and gave me my own little bird watching opportunity on the Sea of Galilee. It was like they were showing off and putting on a show just for me at His request.
warm hot tea with steamed milk. Over there, when you ask for milk for your tea, you are likely to get a steaming hot cup of milk to add to you tea's goodness. It was amazing.
happening up on a bar mitzvah going on at the Zion Gate at the Old City of Jerusalem and getting carried along with the celebration.
getting approached by three young Israeli soldiers for a small interview and then in return getting their photo.
Getting a "drive-by" from Israeli jets as we were at the Dead Sea. They were low and they were very loud.
It seemed that every important site we toured, including the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden Tomb, the Seven Stairs, the Western Wall tunnel, the old City of David, and the Baptism site were not crowded and at times our group was the only group there. We were able to truly focus on what our guide was telling us at each of these sites.
Coming up from the sights, sounds, and bustling of the city of Jerusalem to the over-look and exquisite view of Mount Arbel which was peaceful, chilly, calm, and overlooking the beauty of the Sea of Galilee.

More to come; this is just a start on the journey I've recently taken that has had an immediate change on my life, and will continue to bring about change for years to come.

Tonight

2011-11-09T21:10:00.004-06:00

There's something about brushing my big horse that makes the stress of the day roll off.

Last Weekend

2011-11-08T20:47:00.001-06:00

Mom, Eryn, Jess, and Declan visiting.
Art show debut. Totally blessed by all the folks who came out for it.
Markets days with Mom. Shopped till we dropped. Well, at least I dropped. Mom didn't - she ran circles around me, as she always does.
Holding Baby Will-yum.
Kissing my Pooh Bear's big nose.
Hangin' out with the small group, including the Smiths!
Hangin' out with the McGarys.
Listening to Mom's Toast Master's speech, which was excellent.
Too many goodbyes.

Again, Wow.

2011-11-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

My personal life may be crowded with small, petty happenings, altogether insignificant. But if I obey Jesus Christ in the seemingly random circumstances of life, they become pinholes through which I see the face of God. Then, when I stand face to face with God, I will discover that through my obedience thousands were blessed. When God’s redemption brings a human soul to the point of obedience, it always produces. If I obey Jesus Christ, the redemption of God will flow through me to the lives of others, because behind the deed of obedience is the reality of Almighty God.

~ Oswald Chambers

Wow

2011-11-01T09:47:00.000-05:00

The first thing God does with us is to get us based on rugged Reality until we do not care what becomes of us individually as long as He gets His way for the purpose of His Redemption. Why shouldn't we go though heartbreaks? Through those doorways God is opening up ways of fellowship with His Son. Most of us fall and collapse at the first grip of pain; we sit down on the threshold of God's purpose and die away of self-pity, and all so-called Christian sympathy will aid us to our death bed. But God will not. He comes with the grip of the pierced hand of His Son, and says - "Enter into fellowship with Me; arise and shine." If through a broken heart God can bring His purposes to pass in the world, then thank Him for breaking your heart.

~ Oswald Chamber, November 1

This Weekend

2011-10-24T11:17:00.002-05:00

No, Wilbur did not play polo. He would give me that look if I ever dared ask him to do anything like that. It would be quite the sight though!

Today

2011-10-21T09:27:00.000-05:00

We do not need the grace of God to stand crises, human nature and pride are sufficient, we can face the strain magnificently; but it does require the supernatural grace of God to live twenty-four hours in every day as a saint, to go through drudgery as a disciple, to live an ordinary, unobserved, ignored existence as a disciple of Jesus. It is inbred in us that we have to do exceptional things for God; but we have not. We have to be exceptional in the ordinary things, to be holy in mean streets, among mean people, and this is not learned in five minutes.

~ Oswald Chambers

Last Week

2011-10-21T09:04:00.000-05:00

Love them and miss them.

Yesterday Evening

2011-10-10T08:50:00.001-05:00

a muddy horse - he rarely rolls, so he must have enjoyed the rain as much as I did
brushing the muddy horse
chasing my friend's goat around the barn (little turd)
bareback ride on the clean horse
cool breeze and pretty cloudy sunset
Mr. Darcy running around the barnyard and keeping a close eye on the nearby coyotes
Mat Kearney on the way home
Kalachies from my roomies for dinner
closing down the weekend by reading a good book
pretty much a perfect evening

Beautiful

2011-10-07T22:09:00.000-05:00

Cool Factor: High

2011-10-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

I love these people

2011-10-07T10:20:00.000-05:00

He is not ours; we are His

2011-10-07T08:58:00.000-05:00

When you meet God, you cannot put the meeting into words, much less the God you meet. God cannot be an object of our concepts. Concepts shatter like broken eyeglasses, like broken eyes -- in fact, like broken I's. No longer am I I and God my Thou, my object; now God is I, and I am his thou, his object. The illusion that is destroyed is not the self itself but its usual standpoint in which I am I, the center, and God appears on my screen somewhere. This self is illusion, and God shatters it by reversing the standpoint: we appear on his screen. We are his object, not he ours.

~ Peter Kreeft from his book Three Philosophies of Life

So apparently

2011-10-05T18:00:00.000-05:00

my camera has a focus lock button. Who knew?

It's a funny little slide-action lock on the back of my camera that, well, locks the focus in place. Though small, this funny little thing was cause for much angst, consternation, frustration and worry on my part. For about the last three months, I have lived with taking photos with the focus "jammed" to the upper left-hand quadrant of my focus field. I was picturing a major computer repair to my not-so-old camera. I think I had about $1000 as the repair estimate in my head.

So, much to my relief and the amusement of the camera repair man and my dear friends Kim and Bethany, I am now educated in all things related to focus locks! I think I made the camera repair guy's day. He gave me that look. Something that goes like this, "poor thing, she is so completely camera illiterate. Someone please get her a Polaroid camera!" Should I mention the fact that Kim and Bethany were laughing rather loudly as this whole scene unfolded? Sympathy? What sympathy?

Glad I can provide a little entertainment in their worlds.

PS - I'm also proud to say that I've added a new most embarrassing moment to my rather large repertoire. No, it's not the above story. But you'll have to call me for that story, because I'm not going to blog about it. Maybe when I'm 87 I will.

All That's Left

2011-10-05T12:56:00.000-05:00

Love this song...

Slowly drawn moths to the flame
We think we’re strong we think we’re anchored down
Then it comes, the hurricane
Down come the walls up comes the foundations
We’ve been building on
And suddenly….we’ll see that

(Chorus)
All that’s left is to love
That’s all that we have
That’s all that we ever really had and
All that’s left is to love
That’s all that we have
That’s all that we’ll ever have

So let us look into each other’s eyes
And read the stories written there between the lines
And take the list off all the wrongs we keep
And tear it into pieces let mercy be the only
Thing we’re harboring
Cause eventually… we’re gonna see that

This is why our hearts are beating
To love each other as we have been loved
Everything else is a fleeting shadow
But love endures all things, believes all
Things and hopes all things
And love never ends
Love never ends

All we really ever have
All we have in the end is love

Oh the only thing that matters is to love
This is the only lasting treasure

Love endures all things and believes all
Things and hopes all things

Steven Curtis Chapman

This morning

2011-09-30T10:16:00.000-05:00

Chiro appt (for my ailing back)
Starbucks chai
FILTHY car washed (the inside is still gross, but at least now I can fool people about my cleaning skills)
New keyboard (for my ailing back)
New laptop set up with keyboard and mouse (for my ailing back)
Figured out how to blow up my desk chair (exercise ball) with the electric pump instead of taking an hour with the hand pump (for my ailing back)
Listening to my Josh Turner station on Pandora
Super glad it's Friday!

This morning

2011-09-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

If a man or woman is called of God, it does not matter how untoward circumstances are, every force that has been at work will tell for God's purpose in the end. If you agree with God's purpose He will bring not only your conscious life, but all the deeper regions of your life which you cannot get at, into harmony.

~ Oswald Chambers, September 29

A couple evenings ago

2011-09-28T08:51:00.000-05:00

Massive storm blowing through about 15 miles north of the barn.
Rapid-fire lightning, both vertical and horizontal.
My big beautiful horse standing out in the field watching the storm and keeping an eye on my approach.
Standing next to him, with his mane whipping against my face in the wind.
Spending several minutes there, marveling at the intense beauty and hugeness of the evening and its storm.

This Weekend

2011-09-26T09:41:00.000-05:00

Jess came to visit this weekend and we had so much fun!

Last Week

2011-09-21T12:28:00.000-05:00

The past few months

2011-09-07T23:07:00.001-05:00

lots of travel, both work and personal
holding my new nephew, Declan William, born in the ambulance on the way to the hospital
slow dancing to Mat Kearney with Madigan Luke
finding a wonderful trainer for Caspian - he starts his training this next week!
a cousin, my own age, going through major surgery and the sobering fact that we are all so frail
putting down our old horse, Billy, of 32 years. my heart is still hurting. and processing.
time on the mountain with two close friends and Dad in Flag, healing and restoring
time on the mountain with two close friends in CO, good food, incredible beauty, fellowship
my lil sis moving close and how special and wonderful that is
looking forward to two friends getting married to each other and I couldn't be more excited for them
looking forward to a new small group in the fall
looking forward to going to Israel in the fall
amazed at God's abundant blessings and provision
cooler weather starting to make an appearance
both thankfulness and conviction that I "live in a bubble"
gratefulness that the Christian walk, while not easy, is simple

Goof Ball

2011-09-02T14:41:00.000-05:00

Handsome Nephew III

2011-08-18T15:22:00.000-05:00

Handsome Nephew II

2011-08-17T20:58:00.000-05:00

Handsome Nephew

2011-08-08T08:59:00.000-05:00

Miss Devs

2011-08-07T15:07:00.000-05:00

Didn't Think

2011-08-05T15:05:00.000-05:00

I didn't think I could possibly love another person as much as I love Madigan (nephew #1), but I love Declan (nephew #2) already just as much! Sure sign that our hearts are capable of always loving more and more.

Sophie the Goat

2011-08-03T08:47:00.000-05:00

Affectionately known as "Tofe-tofe".

My Two Tiffanys

2011-07-20T10:52:00.000-05:00

courageous and compassionate; tough and tender

2011-07-15T12:57:00.000-05:00

"Lord, make us courageous and compassionate; tough and tender."

~ Matt Cassidy

random thoughts in my head

2011-06-13T21:47:00.000-05:00

Alasdair Fraser's music touches my soul.
I miss my family right now. All of them. More than I can say.
I love my big horse. And my small one, too. I was thinking the other day what a horse would look like if you combined the two of them.
I am blessed with some dang amazing friends.
God continues to knock my socks off by things He shows me and opportunities He takes me to.
Life is hard, beautiful, tragic, and good.
One day, all will be right. Everything. Even the little things.
I'm craving a day on the mountain in Flagstaff. Sometimes, you just want to go home. I hope to do that very soon.
I can't wait for Mat Kearney's new album coming out on August 2.
I can't believe it's already mid-June. Where did February, March and April go? and May?
I've been craving Jolly Rancher jelly beans all day. I really need some. Right now.

wisdom from a former boss

2011-06-08T17:09:00.001-05:00

- Run to opportunities, but not away from challenges.
- We need to be analytical about our lives. What makes you happy? What makes you unhappy? Where are you on that scale?
- Ask yourself if your discomfort is your "cross to bear" or a "sign to move on"?
- Write a pro / con list of what you like about your job. Be specific on both accounts.
- Remember that your main purpose is to bring Christ to the marketplace. Are you doing that?

Followers of Christ

2011-06-06T22:15:00.000-05:00

Followers of Christ should feel a magnetic pull on their lives toward wartime simplicity so that they may be lavish in giving and alleviate as much suffering as they can -- especially eternal suffering.

John Piper

from his book Think (p 202)

Oh Lord, help me. I am so far from this.

a good evening

2011-06-03T23:19:00.000-05:00

coldplay
root beer float
sunset ride on a frisky horse
challenging conversation with friends over dinner
peace

Confidence

2011-06-03T11:37:00.002-05:00

When you are deeply peaceful and confident that, because of Christ, God will bring you safely to his eternal kingdom and be the all-satisfying Treasure of your life forever, then you are free to see the truth, and love the truth, and speak the truth no matter what, and joyfully spread a passion for the truth whose name is Jesus.

John Piper, in the book Think (116)

He Leads

2011-06-02T22:46:00.001-05:00

This World

2011-06-02T22:39:00.000-05:00

...is a broken place, but God is the Great Healer.

There are signs of this brokenness and this healing all around us. They cannot be ignored.

In search of a gas station

2011-05-31T10:57:00.000-05:00

We didn't find it.

But this just means more east Texas driving adventures.

My friend Tiff and I headed out to shoot a gas station last night, but we couldn't find it.

Now, don't be alarmed, there were no bullets involved. But there were curvy roads, Chik-fil-A waffle fries, a sunset, and dessert with new friends. Not to mention good conversation with a friend who knows me well.

This illusive gas station resides on some back country Texas road and we WILL find it!

This Weekend

2011-05-26T22:20:00.000-05:00

equals:

staying home
watching movies
hanging out at the barn
getting a root beer float
calling a friend
reading
sleeping in

i can't wait.

lesson

2011-05-11T17:54:00.000-05:00

So I was walking up Madison Ave this afternoon at a fairly brisk pace (needed to get to the Met store before it closed) and BAM! I walked straight into the guy in front of me who suddenly decided to stop and dial a call on his cell phone. I politely smiled and walked around him, but on the inside was feeling smug that I had finally learned to navigate the streets of NYC to such an extent that I now know that stopping in the middle of a busy sidewalk in this city will cause certain calamity.

30 minutes later.

I was on the phone with my sis and having lousy reception, so I stopped to look at my phone and see what was up with it. Yes. I stopped. I stopped in the middle of a busy (and very crowded) sidewalk in this city. BAM. The poor (short) dude who ran into me gave me that look as he side-stepped around me. I'm sure I can guess what he was thinking.

I'm not feeling so smug anymore. Ah pride, you do cause the mighty to fall.

a few things

2011-05-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

i heart baby horses.
i really don't like ticks.
a recent photo shoot of my nephew = so fun.
i'm excited about Fratz returning to TX.
John Piper's book Think is fabulous.
i can't believe my lil sis is graduating from college. i feel a little aged.
i think i have a crush on Rep. Paul Ryan.
i had the best caramel frapachinno the other day. so good i'm still thinking about it.
not sure i'm quite ready for the long hot summer.
i really really like Trader Joe's flattened bananas. oh my goodness.
and speaking of Trader Joe's, i'm stoked about them possibly coming to Tejas!
the Return to Snowy River is a fabulous movie. you probably have to be a horse person to understand this.

April Post II

2011-04-26T22:26:00.000-05:00

In keeping with tradition, here is an April post with some updated random thoughts:

- I'm not ready for summer weather. And I would have enjoyed a bit more Spring weather, rather than it turning into Summer on March 31st.
- I love Irish Breakfast tea, and not just for breakfast either. It's STILL the best!
- Work lately has been the most challenging it has ever been. I have lots to say about this, but won't.
- I STILL love food from Masala Wok. So good!
- My tiny point and shoot Nikon camera has gotten lots of use this past year. It also takes great little videos. I still keep it in my purse, for the main purpose of taking photos of Marianne whenever she is not looking.
- I think my love of mussels may have been short-lived.
- I STILL like Hillsong United and I still feel old.
- I would STILL like to hike Oak Creek Canyon again with Dad, Eryn, George, Jess, Marra, and Liisa
- I am completely in love with my nephew even more this year than last. And I'm looking forward to meeting my 2nd nephew this summer!
- (new random thought) I love Chik-fil-A
- (another new random thought) - my horse blew buggers all over me. They were dark brown, in case you were curious.

In closing, my friend Tiffany M needs to start blogging again!

Mini Mac

2011-04-26T10:01:00.000-05:00

The One Who Saves

2011-04-06T22:27:00.002-05:00

Achievement

2011-04-05T15:16:00.001-05:00

Achievement, as the world sees it, may at times be a stumbling block to Christian faithfulness.

~ Albert Mohler

2011-04-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Do you take yourself more seriously than God does? Surely, He looks down on us with merciful amusement at some of the things we do in our self-importance.

Think

2011-03-31T09:49:00.002-05:00

Typically, reading anything written by John Piper is like eating spinach. I know it's good for me, but I don't particularly like the taste or texture. Piper's book Think is different. It's smaller than other books of his that I've chomped through and it's more personal and "on the street", something I can more easily identify with. Ironically, I think because he gets fairly personal and less heady in this book, I am able to more easily connect with it.

Here are a couple excerpts that I really like:

[This book is] mainly for the Christian - in or out of school - who wants to know God better, love him more, and care about people. (p 16)
It's about using the means God has given us to know him, love him, and serve people. Thinking is one of those means. I would like to encourage you to think, but not to be too impressed with yourself when you do. (p 17)
...the serious thinkers may be humble. And the careless mystics may be arrogant. The aim of this book is to encourage serious, faithful, humble thinking that leads to true knowledge of God, which leads to loving him, which overflows in loving others. (p 20)
Without a profound work of grace in the heart, thinking puffs up. But with that grace, thinking opens the door of humble knowledge. And that knowledge is the fuel of the fire of love for God and man. (p 21)
Some of my notions about God went up in the flames of biblical truth. (p 26)
...the soul would have no rainbow if the eye had no tears. Some joys are only possible on the other side of sorrow. (p 26)
...all training is painful and frustrating on the way to skills that later become second nature and lead to greater joy. The person who will not embrace the pain and frustration will remain at lower levels of achievement and joy. (p 47)
...the golden rule of reading implies: work hard with your mind to understand what an author intended to convey. (p 45)

I like the recurring theme: know God better, which leads to loving him more, which leads to loving people in deeper and more God-like ways.

Spring

2011-03-24T10:04:00.001-05:00

I like spring:

daylight savings time means more time in the evenings after work
green grass
blue bonnets
warmth
new babies
looking forward to summer where the pace of life seems slower, even when it really isn't
the plants on the back porch that made it through the winter are now showing new life
salads
Sonic root beer floats
shedding horse and dog
iced chai lattes
hope
newness
reminder that after the night comes day
Genesis 8:22: God has promised that as long as this earth remains, the seasons will not cease and Spring will always follow Winter

Stars by David Crowder

2011-03-23T11:45:00.001-05:00

you should see the stars tonight
how they shimmer shine so bright
against the black they look so white
comin down from such a height
to reach me now, reach me now

you should see the moon in the flight
cuttin cross the misty night
softly dancin in sunshine
reflections of this light
reach me now, you reach me now

and how could such a thing
shine its light on me
and make everything beautiful again

and you should feel the sun in the spring
comin out after a rain
suddenly all is green
sunshine on everything
i can feel it now, i feel you now

and how could such a thing
shine its light on me
and make everything beautiful

and you should hear the angels sing
all gathered round their king
more beautiful than you could dream
i've been quietly listening
you can hear 'em now, i hear em now

and how could such a king
shine His light on me
and make everything beautiful
and i wanna shine
i wanna be light
i wanna tell you it'll be alright
and i wanna shine and i wanna fly
just to tell you now
it'll be alright, it'll be alright
it'll be alright.

cus i got nothing of my own to give to you
but this light that shines on me shines on you
and makes everything beautiful, again.
it'll be alright, it'll be alright.

pooh bear

2011-03-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

springtime

2011-03-18T14:40:00.000-05:00

Excerpt from The Reason for God

2011-03-17T23:03:00.000-05:00

"The Bible tells us that God did not originally make the world to have disease, hunger, and death in it. Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that he has power but also wonderful foretastes of what he is going to do with that power. Jesus' miracles are not just a challenge to our minds, but a promise to our hearts, that the world we all want is coming." (p 99)

Tim Keller

NYC

2011-02-14T21:32:00.000-06:00

NYC seems a cold and lonely and not-so-soulful city at times. I came here this trip with a bad attitude. Admittedly, my attitude was really bad. Silly as it may seem, it was bad mostly because I had to leave Austin on an absolutely gorgeous day and come here. To where it's cold. And busy. And crowded. And soul-less.

But God is good.

He is good to remind me that He is everywhere. There is no place I can go away from Him.And that this city isn't quite so soul-less after-all.

He reminded me in Starbucks when the music playing overhead was a redone hymn, set in an upbeat, folksy tune. He reminded me when I walked into the office, following some colleagues and when the automatic hallway lights came on, they all three exclaimed, "And God said 'Let there be light'!". He reminded me yet again that He is at work in this soulful city, as I overheard two people a couple desks away discussing church and worship and what it means to be a true believer.

God is good. And He is faithful to remind me that He is with me. All the time and everywhere. There is nowhere I can go where He is not already there, at work.

sad face

2011-01-21T19:57:00.000-06:00

My Two New Office Mates

2011-01-19T22:06:00.000-06:00

Fierless and Pearl

Sometimes I just miss Arizona sunsets

2011-01-17T22:33:00.000-06:00

Further thoughts on my letter to Steve Jobs

2011-01-12T06:17:00.001-06:00

1) I think my letter was lacking in grace and, consequently, love. How would my tone have changed if I were standing in front of Mr. Jobs appealing to him in person? Would he have heard any love? Would he have seen grace? Or would my words have been a "clanging gong"?

2) As I was reading through Romans 8 (versus 31 - 39), I found myself reading and re-reading verse 36 - "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." This passage that talks about God's position being one where He will never leave or lose us and our position as sheep losing life. Verse 36 is not a pleasant verse for me and I must admit that I too often gloss over it when reading this (favorite) passage.

I am a Christian. I follow a "King who died for His enemies and forgave his foes". He also cleaned out the temple and challenged the Samaritan woman at the well. As His follower I need to be ready to show that same kind of love and truth, albeit at the level of a fallen human. Can I simultaneously challenge people, including Mr. Jobs, on their reasoning and positions and show the love and grace that God extends?

I would challenge my fellow Christians to wrestle with ideas and stand up for truth while applying a large dose of humility and love (of which my letter lacked). I would also challenge them to never lose sight of the fact that we are "sheep heading for slaughter" who are never out of the Hands of our loving, seeing Father.

My letter to Mr. Jobs

2011-01-12T06:16:00.001-06:00

Mr. Jobs,

I am writing this from my MacBook Pro which I love very much. I recently purchased it and it is a joy to use. Your product line is stellar and worthy of commendation.

However, your intolerant stance on applications that can and cannot be added into your universe of Apple ingenuity is not so stellar.

You are of the mind that you are standing for tolerance by limiting applications of certain "cultural and or ethnic" (such as the Manhattan Declaration), but, using basic logic, your "tolerant" stance immediately makes you intolerant of whomever your are standing up against. You are not tolerant after all.

Are you also limiting iPhone applications of other "cultural or ethnic" groups whose basic religious beliefs is make to war and kill those who would oppose their religious beliefs? The religion you are currently targeting is a following whose King died for His enemies and forgave his foes. Consider whom your tolerance or intolerance is against and reconsider being a bit more open-minded to all "cultural or ethnic" entities who desire to use your stellar products.

Sincerely,
Krista McCaleb

Theology of Death

2011-01-11T22:37:00.000-06:00

Continuing the thought in this post, what is your "Theology of Death"?

Death is something we were never designed to deal with. It was not in God's original plan and is the result of the curse brought about by sin. The entire earth is affected by it and it permeates every layer of life, including the non-physical.

As Christians, our theology needs to be proactive, prepared ahead of time, not reactionary. We must think ahead of time what our reaction to trouble and death will be, what God will expect from us, and what God has promised us.

Some thoughts on this:

This world is broken and there is ugliness all around. But God is the Great Healer and He is on the move.
Revelation is true and He will return and make all things new.
God delights in the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15). This verse seems somewhat contradictory, but it points to the reality that He delights when we are in fellowship with Him and what better place to be in fellowship than directly in His presence?
Death is a stark reality - one that we cannot avoid.
We will never fully understand death and it will always be a "familiar stranger".
When our work is done, He will take us home to be with Him. In this, we should find comfort. "I am immortal until God's work for me is done. The Lord reigns." Henry Martyn
We know not when our death will be, so even in this we must trust in Him.

That word trust is key here. Trust that He knows what He is doing in every layer of our lives and the lives of everyone around us. Trust that His timing is perfect and purposeful. Trust that He is redeeming all the ugliness in this broken world.

Since death is and will be a stark reality in all of our lives, we must think ahead of time what our theology of death is. Let us wrestle with it now so that when we face it in our lives or the lives of those around us, we can stand on the foundation of our theology and trust in God.

Suggested resource: Beauty Will Rise CD by Steven Curtis Chapman

Trainwreck by Mat Kearney

2011-01-11T09:12:00.000-06:00

I'm past the point of returning
For you I'm ruined and broken
There is no way of me turning
You've got my heart in the open

I see it shrink in the distance
In the glow of your glory
And I never will miss this
Bottom line of the story
I see the ocean come crashing
Under lavender skies

I see clouds come flashing
Now tell me, who am I?
Your're the air that I'm breathing
While I'm lying there sleeping
You're the cool of the evening
Now you got me believing,
Singing...

CHORUS:
Trainwreck, I'm a trainwreck for
Trainwreck, I'm a trainwreck
Trainwreck. I'm a trainwreck for
You (Oh lord. yes I am) x2

I'll kiss it all with a farewell
Goodbye, how you doing
And let it echo in stairwells
All these songs of my ruin

Now watch me climb my own cross
Without a loss for these words
As I motion a moment's silence
Let it fly with the birds

All else I got without you
Is mucha ado about nothing
I'd rather stand by you gone
Than on the throne of another

You had me all from the start
I count it lost every part
I'll sing it out in the dark
You've got a grip on my heart

(CHORUS) X4

Where could I turn from you
The darkest nights, you know you'd find a way
What else have I to do
What words are there left to say
You are the air that I breathe in
Here is my heart I give
You are all of my reason
You are my reason to live

First Coming

2010-12-26T19:59:00.000-06:00

He did not wait till the world was ready,
till men and nations were at peace.
He came when the Heavens were unsteady,
and prisoners cried out for release.

He did not wait for the perfect time,
He came when the need was deep and great.
He dined with sinners in all their grime,
turned water into wine. He did not wait.

till hearts were pure. In joy he came
to a tarnished world of sin and doubt.
To a world like ours, of anguished shame
he came, and his Light would not go out.

He came to a world which did not mesh,
to heal its tangles, shield its scorn.
In the mystery of the Word made Flesh
the Maker of the stars was born.

We cannot wait till the world is sane
to raise our songs with joyful voice,
for to share our grief, to touch our pain,
He came with Love: Rejoice! Rejoice!

~ Madeleine L'Engle

Peace Is Here

2010-12-18T20:38:00.002-06:00

Little children, born to chaos, sojourn by the stars appear,
Though your fears wrap all around you, love has come and peace is here.

Men to men, in violent rapture,
Wars lay sons in fields unknown,
Hope to quell the disappointment,
Justice born and mercy shown,

Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here.

Angels sing in righteous envy,
Kings of Earth kneel by the throne,
Born to push against the fall, as far as the curse is found.

Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Peace is here, peace is here.

Na, na, na-na-na-na,
Na, na, na-na-na-na, na,
Na, na, na-na-na-na,
Na, na, na-na-na-na, na.

Gloria, Gloria, (peace is here)
Gloria, Gloria, peace is here,
Peace is here, peace is here.

~ Jars of Clay

Pooh Bear loves his auntie

2010-12-16T14:37:00.000-06:00

New York at Christmas

2010-12-16T14:29:00.000-06:00

is a very pretty place.

one-liners

2010-12-13T22:29:00.002-06:00

We do not want joy and anger to neutralize each other and produce a surly contentment; we want a fiercer delight and a fiercer discontent. We have to feel the universe at once as an ogre's castle, to be stormed, and yet as our own cottage, to which we can return at evening. ~ G.K. Chesteron

(ok, so that was more than one line.)

Excerpts from The Praying Life

2010-12-08T21:11:00.002-06:00

Imbedded in the idea of prayer is a richly textured view of the world where all of life is organized around invisible bonds or covenants that knit us together. Instead of a fixed world, we live in our Father's world, a world built for divine relationships between people where, because of the Good News, tragedies become comedies and hope is born.

~ Paul E. Miller (p 217)

Trust thou thy joys

2010-12-08T20:42:00.000-06:00

Trust thou thy joys in keeping of the Power who holds these changing shadows in His hand; Believe and live, and know that hour by hour will ripple newer beauty to thy strand.

~ Thomas Wentworth Higginson

one-liners

2010-12-08T16:35:00.001-06:00

I am immortal until God's work for me is done. The Lord reigns.

~ Henry Martyn

one-liners

2010-12-07T20:41:00.000-06:00

Soaring whispers

Shouting fears

Both are just as real.

~ Mom

You are the God of the early mornings

2010-12-06T20:34:00.000-06:00

You are the God of the early mornings, the God of the late at nights, the God of the mountain peaks, and the God of the sea; but, my God, my soul has further horizons than the early mornings, deeper darkness than the nights of the earth, higher peaks than any mountain peaks, greater depths than any sea in nature - You Who are God of all these, be my God. I cannot reach to the heights or to the depths, there are motives I cannot trace, dreams I cannot get at - My God, search me out.

~ Oswald Chambers

one-liners

2010-12-05T20:38:00.002-06:00

Nothing happens by chance, but by the far-sighted wisdom of God.

~ St. Julian of Norwich

The best place

2010-12-05T18:48:00.000-06:00

The best place is wherever He puts us, and any other would be undesirable, all the worse because it would please our fancy, and would be of our own choice. Do not think about distant events. This uneasiness about the future is unwholesome for you. We must leave to God all that depends on Him, and think only of being faithful in all that depends upon ourselves. When God takes away that which He has given you, He knows well how to replace it, either through other means or by Himself.

~ Francois Fenelon

Matthew 5, 6, and 7

one-liners

2010-12-04T20:50:00.000-06:00

Duty is ours; results are God's.

~ John Quincy Adams

one-liners

2010-12-03T22:26:00.000-06:00

I would give nothing for that man's religion whose very dog or cat are not the better for it.

~ Rowland Hill

one-liners

2010-12-02T22:23:00.002-06:00

What would you do if you had no fear of failure?

~ Matt Cassidy

Frosty Morning

2010-12-02T17:17:00.000-06:00

one-liners

2010-12-02T15:21:00.000-06:00

Ask boldly; surrender completely.

~ Paul E. Miller (from his book The Praying Life)

one-liners

2010-12-01T22:23:00.000-06:00

Make wherever you are the eye of the storm. Be all there.

~ Janice Joyhart

Two Fingers

2010-11-30T15:36:00.000-06:00

They just make the world a better place.

Bundle-lish!

His Cheekiness

2010-11-27T12:15:00.000-06:00

as his Auntie Kristin would say.

I miss them

2010-11-08T22:59:00.000-06:00

Three of my favorite things

2010-11-08T22:52:00.000-06:00

fall, nephew, sis

Hillsong United - The Stand

2010-11-02T20:48:00.000-05:00

The Talented Miss TPalm

2010-10-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

TPalm took this photo of me riding Wilbur and I really like it.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Theology: 1 Timothy 6:4 and Blogging

2010-10-19T09:38:00.000-05:00

Strawberry-Rhubarb Theology: 1 Timothy 6:4 and Blogging: ". . . an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and con..."

Jesus Sightings on a recent trip to NY

2010-10-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

In keeping with the theme from the previous post, I'm trying to "develop an eye for Jesus". Here are some things I saw and experienced.

on the plane - a father caring for his two young sons. he reassured them when there was turbulence, gave them schedule updates as our flight continued to be delayed, spoke to them gently when they got irritated at each other, spoke kindly of their mother (who was not with them), put a protective arm around them both when the plane jumped and acted like it was going to fall from the sky
on the streets in NYC - a sweet smile from an older woman I walked past
two couples from England who let me go first in line to check into my hotel room when we all get there at the same time around 2am in the morning. i saw them again the next day and it was fun to see "familiar" faces in a sea of strangers
getting two standby flights from JFK to ATX after I missed my flight due to travel delays out of the city
the AA ticket agent who noticed I'm tall and worked on getting me a seat with more leg room, not just on the leg from JFK to Dallas, but also on the flight from Dallas to ATX
on the plane - a (cute) Marine who put my suitcase up in the overhead for me
barely getting to the connecting plane in Dallas before the flight left and being greeted by name by the AA ticket agent and getting reassured that I indeed had a seat on that flight
watching the same AA ticket agent offer a first class upgrade to the military officer who arrived at the gate the same time I did. his smile of gratitude was fabulous
the parking agent in ATX who offered to stay at my car with me while I found my car keys

Developing an eye for Jesus

2010-10-16T10:44:00.000-05:00

I've been reading a book by Paul E. Miller called The Praying Life and it is fabulous. It has changed the way I view prayer and it has deepened my walk with God. Every chapter is rich in truth and Miller's writing style is simple but poetic. I think I've underlined practically the whole book.

One chapter called "Developing an eye for Jesus" talks about looking for God at work in a cynical world. In this chapter (and throughout the book) the author not only confronts the world's cynicism but also believers' cynicism in how they've forgotten to watch for God in our every day lives.

Here are some quotes from the chapter:

"Cynicism looks in the wrong direction. It looks for the cracks in Christianity instead of looking for the presence of Jesus. It is an orientation of the heart... Jesus never used his power to show off. He used his power for love. So he wasn't immensely noticeable... Humility makes you disappear, which is why we avoid it... The presence of Jesus, the only truly authentic person who ever lived, would reveal itself in the restoration of authenticity in people... When we look for Jesus we can find him, even in seemingly mundane encounters... With a little conscious reflection, it is easy to see the beauty of Jesus... Because he keeps his eye on the present work of Jesus, Paul is not overcome by evil but overcomes evil with good. Goodness infests Paul's prayer life. He is living out the gospel. Even as God has extended grace to Paul, so Paul extends grace to the Corinthians. He looks at the church through rose-colored glasses, tinted with the blood of his Saviour... Christians aren't superior, but our Saviour is. He makes the difference. He is alive and well in his church."

Streams of Evangelicalism

2010-10-11T10:25:00.000-05:00

Streams of Evangelicalism

The One Who Saves

2010-10-06T10:36:00.001-05:00

Finalite

Happy birthday Caspian!

Watching airplanes

Beautiful Sisters

Melt my heart

Melt my heart

Great is Thy Faithfulness

Another post of random thoughts

Israel memories

Israel memories

Israel memories

How exactly...

Tonight

Last Weekend

Again, Wow.

Wow

This Weekend

Today

Last Week

Yesterday Evening

Beautiful

Cool Factor: High

I love these people

He is not ours; we are His

So apparently

All That's Left

This morning

This morning

A couple evenings ago

This Weekend

Last Week

The past few months

Goof Ball

Handsome Nephew III

Handsome Nephew II

Handsome Nephew

Miss Devs

Didn't Think

Sophie the Goat

My Two Tiffanys

courageous and compassionate; tough and tender

"Lord, make us courageous and compassionate; tough and tender."

~ Matt Cassidy

random thoughts in my head

wisdom from a former boss

Followers of Christ

a good evening

Confidence

He Leads

This World

In search of a gas station

This Weekend

lesson

a few things

April Post II

Mini Mac

The One Who Saves

Achievement

Think

Spring

Stars by David Crowder

pooh bear

springtime

Excerpt from The Reason for God

NYC

sad face

My Two New Office Mates

Sometimes I just miss Arizona sunsets

Further thoughts on my letter to Steve Jobs

My letter to Mr. Jobs

Theology of Death

Trainwreck by Mat Kearney

First Coming

Recommended Reading for Christmas "break"

Peace Is Here

Pooh Bear loves his auntie

New York at Christmas

one-liners

Excerpts from The Praying Life

Trust thou thy joys