Wow, it has been a busy week and it's not getting any less busy! There are lots of awesome things going on...just all at the same time this week..or so it seems.
Despite a busy week and amidst the craziness, God taught me a neat lesson on Monday night. While Jonathan was at a men's event at Parkway I spent the evening at Starbucks.
Side note: while I was at Starbucks, I finally bought the drink that earned me a GOLD CARD!! I'm just a little bit excited about that :)
So back to what I was saying... During my little evening retreat spent in the Word at Starbucks I learned a cool lesson from scripture. Currently in my Bible reading I'm going through the book of Matthew. Monday I was in Matthew 2 where it talks about the wise men going to see Jesus after he was born. When the wise men see Jesus in Matthew 2:11 they do three things:
1- They bow down
2- They worship Him
3- They present Him with their gifts
This is when I briefly thought to myself, aww cool, it's nice to read the Christmas story in June haha... but THEN the real revelation happened, and I mean literally Revelation! My mind immediately went to the scenes I've imagined in Revelation when Christ is being worshipped as the Lamb who was slain and rose again, the one who defeated sin and death once and for all, and the one who the angels can't stop calling Holy.
When Christ is worshipped in Heaven it doesn't sound like a funeral, it's not boring, and the people aren't thinking about what their next meal is...you know what they do? The elders in Revelation 4:10 fall down before him, worship Him, and then they lay their crowns before Him. Sound familiar?
What do we do when we encounter Christ? Do we humble ourselves by bowing down and submitting to his authority? Do we worship Him? Do we present our gifts to Him? This is what wise people do.
These are convicting thoughts. I know it's been rocking my world this week. I hope it will encourage you as well!
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Song of the Week Saturday
I love God glorifying hip hop... a lot! So much of it is deeply rich in theology. This is probably one of my favorite songs of all time. I really think I could listen to it everyday.
"Bear with You" by Trip Lee featuring Tedashii
(the video has the lyrics)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6aJzbAWNlA
"Bear with You" by Trip Lee featuring Tedashii
(the video has the lyrics)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6aJzbAWNlA
Friday, June 7, 2013
Foodelicious Friday
Alrighty for this weeks foodie Friday we're talkin' dessert. The kind with two "s's" because you want more :) This week's recipe once again has to do with my awesome Husband's taste for food.
I'd say that Jonathan's favorite food in the whole wide world is brownies. He's crazy about them. His favorite brand of brownies are "Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate" brownies. They are SO good. As the Chumleys in Tennessee would say, they'll "make ya slap ya Mama".
Well one day when we were feeling creative, we decided to try and take this brownie mix and use it to make cookies! So we did. Thank you Pinterest (so addicted).
Here's the awesome recipe we found, you can also find it here (http://voices.yahoo.com/ghirardelli-brownie-cookies-6976848.html?cat=22 )
I'd say that Jonathan's favorite food in the whole wide world is brownies. He's crazy about them. His favorite brand of brownies are "Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate" brownies. They are SO good. As the Chumleys in Tennessee would say, they'll "make ya slap ya Mama".
Well one day when we were feeling creative, we decided to try and take this brownie mix and use it to make cookies! So we did. Thank you Pinterest (so addicted).
Here's the awesome recipe we found, you can also find it here (http://voices.yahoo.com/ghirardelli-brownie-cookies-6976848.html?cat=22 )
Ghirardelli Brownie Cookies
1 Ghirardelli brownie mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons flour (1/3 cup for high altitude)
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or nuts to mixed-in (optional)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
3 tablespoons flour (1/3 cup for high altitude)
1 1/2 cups of chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, or nuts to mixed-in (optional)
Mix flour into brownie mix. Lightly beat eggs with oil and mix in. The dough should be stiff like cookie dough. One recipe will make 24-30 cookies, depending on the size.
Bake at 350° for 10-11 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies, less if the cookies are 2" or smaller. Let cookies rest on pan for 2 minutes.
Promises
Considering that today is Friday and I'm just now writing for this week's "Theology Thursday" I'd say I'm a little late. I've had a few ideas on what to write about today but wasn't really settled on anything... until in my own lateness, the idea occurred to me!!
Our words carry much weight, sometimes probably more weight than we wish they did! Check out this previous blog post Toothpaste.
There are two verses in particular I'd like to discuss that talk about our words, especially in regards to promises and integrity. These verses convict me a lot of times and I think we can learn a great deal from them.
Matthew 5: 33-37 ( "Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.") and James 5:12 ("But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.") both talk about our words.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me like Jesus and James are giving us a warning here. Be careful about making promises. This begs our question of, "but what if my promise is a good one like 'God I'll promise I'll read my Bible everyday' or 'Friend, I promise I'll pray for you this week'?"
I'm not sure that the actual words of the promise are what could lead to evil... I just think that we are evil. Humans are fallen creatures and even those saved by grace through faith in Christ still struggle with sin. Promises are good when coming from a perfect God. But, we are not perfect and many times are unable to keep our promises. So it is better to not make extreme promises that way we do not fall under judgement (James 5:12) or become enticed by the evil one (Matthew 5:37).
On the positive, what we can do is let our "yes be yes and our no be no" (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12). When you tell that friend you'll pray for them- do it! When you say you'll meet someone at 5 o'clock- be there! When our yes isn't yes and our no isn't no or our 5 o'clock dinner becomes a 5:15 dinner it leads to distrust and it shows a lack of integrity. Even if our intentions are pure, we are not doing what we said we would do. I'm also not talking about that one time you were late to something. This is more in regards to habitual lateness, for whatever reason, that makes you known as "the late one" to everything. Or in my case, I constantly make promises and proposals I don't keep on this silly blog! Let's do better. All that we do, the thoughts we think, and the words we say are an act of worship...the question is who or what are we worshiping? Let's worship God in how we use our words.
Our words carry much weight, sometimes probably more weight than we wish they did! Check out this previous blog post Toothpaste.
There are two verses in particular I'd like to discuss that talk about our words, especially in regards to promises and integrity. These verses convict me a lot of times and I think we can learn a great deal from them.
Matthew 5: 33-37 ( "Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s throne; or by the earth, because it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Neither should you swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. But let your word ‘yes’ be ‘yes,’ and your ‘no’ be ‘no.’ Anything more than this is from the evil one.") and James 5:12 ("But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No,” lest you fall into judgment.") both talk about our words.
Maybe I'm wrong, but it seems to me like Jesus and James are giving us a warning here. Be careful about making promises. This begs our question of, "but what if my promise is a good one like 'God I'll promise I'll read my Bible everyday' or 'Friend, I promise I'll pray for you this week'?"
I'm not sure that the actual words of the promise are what could lead to evil... I just think that we are evil. Humans are fallen creatures and even those saved by grace through faith in Christ still struggle with sin. Promises are good when coming from a perfect God. But, we are not perfect and many times are unable to keep our promises. So it is better to not make extreme promises that way we do not fall under judgement (James 5:12) or become enticed by the evil one (Matthew 5:37).
On the positive, what we can do is let our "yes be yes and our no be no" (Matthew 5:37, James 5:12). When you tell that friend you'll pray for them- do it! When you say you'll meet someone at 5 o'clock- be there! When our yes isn't yes and our no isn't no or our 5 o'clock dinner becomes a 5:15 dinner it leads to distrust and it shows a lack of integrity. Even if our intentions are pure, we are not doing what we said we would do. I'm also not talking about that one time you were late to something. This is more in regards to habitual lateness, for whatever reason, that makes you known as "the late one" to everything. Or in my case, I constantly make promises and proposals I don't keep on this silly blog! Let's do better. All that we do, the thoughts we think, and the words we say are an act of worship...the question is who or what are we worshiping? Let's worship God in how we use our words.
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Song Saturday
Okay this'll be the last alliteration for ya this week! On each Saturday I'll recommend a song...
This song has been rocking my world for a few weeks now. Gorgeous voice, nice showcase of both guitar and piano, lyrics deeply rooted in scripture, and just plain catchy :)
He is All We Need
Highlands Worship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3nQtaKlIQ0
This song has been rocking my world for a few weeks now. Gorgeous voice, nice showcase of both guitar and piano, lyrics deeply rooted in scripture, and just plain catchy :)
He is All We Need
Highlands Worship
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3nQtaKlIQ0
Friday, May 31, 2013
Foodie Friday
Yep, another alliteration. Foodie Fridays.
I have a confession...I am a wanna be chef. I love making (and eating!) food. My husband and I also enjoy pretending like we're "Chopped" judges whenever we go to restaurants. So on Fridays I plan to share something of this sort with you.
My husband, Jonathan, is usually not found in the kitchen. He likes to say that he "mixes" things, but he doesn't "cook" food. Contrary to what he may say, he is actually a great cook and can make a mean Chicken Marsala :) This summer while we have a little more time on our hands, he's expressed an interest in learning to cook more. So one goal we are trying to accomplish this summer is to cook dinner together at least once a week.
One of the things Jonathan makes that could win an award is his Chicken Salad. It's my favorite! So tonight we made a meal that puts a little twist on chicken salad. It's a bit of an adaptation from Rachel Ray's (love her!!) California Chicken Club Wraps. Here's the recipe for our twist which we'll call "California Chicken Club Salad Pitas" or maybe a cooler name is C3SP?
Ingredients:
-Canned Chicken
-Salt & Pepper
-1/2 an Avacado
-1/4 Onion diced
- 1 Celery Stick diced
-1/4 Mango diced
-Juice of 1/2 a Lime
-Bacon chopped like Bacon Bits
-Pita Pockets/Bread
-Lettuce
-Tomato
Instructions:
1- Mix ALL ingredients besides pita, lettuce and tomato.
2- Warm Pitas
3- Slice Pitas in half and stuff with Chicken Mixture, Lettuce and Tomato
4- ENJOY!
*For a healthier option cut out the bacon and use whole wheat pita or lettuce leafs to wrap Chicken Salad instead of Pita.
I have a confession...I am a wanna be chef. I love making (and eating!) food. My husband and I also enjoy pretending like we're "Chopped" judges whenever we go to restaurants. So on Fridays I plan to share something of this sort with you.
My husband, Jonathan, is usually not found in the kitchen. He likes to say that he "mixes" things, but he doesn't "cook" food. Contrary to what he may say, he is actually a great cook and can make a mean Chicken Marsala :) This summer while we have a little more time on our hands, he's expressed an interest in learning to cook more. So one goal we are trying to accomplish this summer is to cook dinner together at least once a week.
One of the things Jonathan makes that could win an award is his Chicken Salad. It's my favorite! So tonight we made a meal that puts a little twist on chicken salad. It's a bit of an adaptation from Rachel Ray's (love her!!) California Chicken Club Wraps. Here's the recipe for our twist which we'll call "California Chicken Club Salad Pitas" or maybe a cooler name is C3SP?
Ingredients:
-Canned Chicken
-Salt & Pepper
-1/2 an Avacado
-1/4 Onion diced
- 1 Celery Stick diced
-1/4 Mango diced
-Juice of 1/2 a Lime
-Bacon chopped like Bacon Bits
-Pita Pockets/Bread
-Lettuce
-Tomato
Instructions:
1- Mix ALL ingredients besides pita, lettuce and tomato.
2- Warm Pitas
3- Slice Pitas in half and stuff with Chicken Mixture, Lettuce and Tomato
4- ENJOY!
*For a healthier option cut out the bacon and use whole wheat pita or lettuce leafs to wrap Chicken Salad instead of Pita.
Thursday, May 30, 2013
Awesome, Amazing Alliteration...
I've got a plan. A plan for blogging this summer, that is. I shared in my previous blog post about a goal to blog at least three times a week. So today is (brace yourself for cheese...) "Theology Thursday". More alliteration is coming to a computer screen near you, but I'll leave ya on the edge of your seat for now :)
For my first "Theology Thursday" let's just talk about what theology actually is... I don't know about you but usually things that end in "-ology" either scare me into apathy or put me to sleep. But a few years ago I took my first theology class (shout out to Southeastern) and something happened. My interest was piqued, and a love was cultivated here:
Theology simply means the study ("logy"- from the Greek word logos which means word) of God ("theo"- Theos in Greek is the word for God). There are of course all types of theology. This blog will focus more on what is called "Systematic Theology" which engages theological areas and "systematizes" them into a formula to grapple with contemporary issues. My hope is that each post would also offer "Practical Theology" so that what is learned can be applied to one's Christian walk. The fact of the matter is, God changes people. His word cannot be read without a seed being planted that either stirs an unbeliever's heart or encourages believers to align their lives more with Christ's.
I'm excited about talking more about theology in the future. Here are two insightful articles about theology and why it matters for the church.
http://betweenthetimes.com/index.php/2013/05/24/teaching-theology-in-the-local-church/
http://thomrainer.com/2013/05/21/7-steps-to-teach-theology-in-the-local-church/
Until next time...
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