Wordless Wednesday

Nick Vujicic's Story

The story of Nick Vujicic is amazing, and I'm looking forward to reading his book, Unstoppable (coming out in October). Below is a short video about his remarkable story. Look for a review in the near future!



Updated Blog

So I finally got around to editing my blog and sprucing it up a bit.  Most of the designs are the same (because I have a hard time dealing with change), but the dimensions are a bit different, so I apologize if previous posts and pictures look a little weird.  I love the graphics and tutorials from Shabby Blogs...thanks to them for all the downloads!

Book Review: 90 Days of God's Goodness (Alcorn)

There are many books out there that address the problem of evil and seek to answer why difficult things happen.  90 Days of God’s Goodness not only addresses the theological implications spot on but is an amazing tool for a hurting person.  Grief usually lasts much longer than the time allotted to read a book on loss.  Alcorn breaks this book into ninety easy to read segments that allow a person a minimum of three months to process if they read one section a day.  What I like about this book is that it walks along with the reader as they slowly work through the feelings and questions related to the problem of evil.  I found this format encouraging to a hurting soul, allowing the reader time to read, digest, feel, and fight through what is true about God. Alcorn empathizes and allows room to ask questions and feel, but he does not shy away from the truth.   90 Days of God’s Goodness is a patient, but challenging process book, rather than a quick fix book.  As a counselor, I appreciate this perspective, as I believe grief and sanctification are processes.

"Truth matters.  To touch us at the heart level – and to keep touching us over days, months, years, and decades – truth must work its way into our minds.  Never seek comfort by ignoring truth.” (p. 12)

A theme that Alcorn weaves throughout all of his books is the idea of having an eternal perspective on life here on earth.  90 Days of God’s Goodness picks up on this theme, forging a way for the reader to understand (as much as we humanly can) how God sees His big story unfolding on earth and in our lives.  Alcorn continually points back to God’s glory shown through the Gospel as the ultimate backdrop.

“The Cross is God’s answer to the question, ‘Why don’t you do something about evil?’  God did do something…and what he did was so great and unprecedented that it shook the angelic realm’s foundation.  It ripped in half, from the top down, not only the temple curtain but the fabric of the universe itself…Evil and suffering formed the crucible in which God demonstrated his love to humankind.  His love comes to us soaked in divine blood.” (p. 75)

“Whenever you feel tempted to ask God, ‘Why did you do this to me?’ look at the cross and ask, ‘Why did you do that for me?’” (p. 92)

Alcorn also upholds who God is throughout the book and helps the reader wrap his mind around the problem of evil with God’s attributes at the center.  He never minimizes who God is or His attributes to attempt to explain suffering from the human perspective.  Alcorn is able to insert truth appropriately and point the reader to Scripture.  Overall, I would highly recommend this book to someone who is experiencing loss or to someone who wants to help a friend through it.  Alcorn does an amazing job of speaking heartfelt truth in these pages.


(Waterbrook Multomah Publishers/Blogging for Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.)

Entrusted

I've been wanting to write this post for a long time.  Lack of time has kept me from getting the words down, as I've wanted to be responsible with this subject and address every angle and point of view.  Then reality slapped me in the face and I realized that desire was unrealistic.  So, as a disclaimer, I definitely won't touch on everything.  Nowhere near to everything.  Just so you know where I'm coming from, my Biblical convictions are foundational, and you can read a little more about them in a post my husband wrote on his blog.  This, however, is simply a post full of ramblings from my heart...
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I have a 3-year-old daughter and a 6-month-old daughter.  They are sleeping now and I just went into check on them.  Sometimes I like to just stand in their rooms and listen to their rhythmic breathing as my eyes adjust to the darkness and I see their small forms laying peacefully in bed.  It's almost 1:00am and I know that in about six hours our day will start again.  I am exhausted, but content with my time spent with them today.  It was nothing special.  In fact, we left the house only once to get the mail at the end of the driveway.  And we did it in our socks and flip flops because we couldn't find our shoes.  It was definitely a teaching moment for Abigail about this particular fashion faux pas.

I smile as I catch myself say that our day was nothing special, because that's far from the truth.  Our time eating, potty training, reading books, cuddling, counting, playing word games, playing, laughing, and talking was precious.  I am blessed to have been able to be with my girls all day and wouldn't trade it for anything.  How grateful I am for the time spent together!

When I have a chance to steal away, I am able to step back from the busyness of my life and see it in light of eternity.  Having an eternal perspective changes so much in the present.  And sometimes I imagine meeting God face to face when my time on earth is done.  What will I tell him I did with the life he gave me?  I want to be able to tell him that, by his grace, I was able to fulfill the role he created me for and was a good steward of the lives he entrusted to me.  I'm not saying that nothing else is important, but how could I tell the one who created me that I didn't live out my calling as a wife and mother to its full potential?  Sure, I believe he's called me to other things as well, but in no way do I want any of those to trump this primary role.  What kind of excuse would I try to come up with as to why I put something in its place or made it just as important?  I think any excuse I could come up with now would seem so incredibly lame when face to face with God. 

I've been told countless times by wise women that have gone before me that these moments go by so quickly.  It's not what they say that gets me, but the look in their eyes.  A bittersweet longing for days past.  Sometimes I can tell they drift into their memories for a split second.  And it seems that they always want to say more, but can't seem to find the words to explain the immense joy of raising a child.  But I can see it in their eyes, pleading with me not to take it for granted, to cherish the mundane, and to be present in body and mind with my babies.  And that I shall do.

What I'm Reading...

"The church becomes irrelevant when it becomes purely a human creation.  We are not all we were made to be when everything in our lives and churches can be explained apart from the work and presence of the Spirit of God." (Chan, Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit)

Recipe: Creamy White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

After a few months of hemming and hawing, I gave in and joined Pinterest.  My caution had everything to do with the look of awe and wonder (almost a glazed over look) from my friends that recommended it.  Conversations usually went like this:

Friend: "Ooooooh, I saw this really cute ____ on Pinterest.  I so want to make it!  There are sooooo many good ideas on there!  I'm spending way too much time on there!"

*** Friend's husband standing next to her rolls his eyes

Me: "Nice.  I can tell how excited you are about this.  I'm slightly scared of your enthusiasm."

Alas, I drank the Pinterest punch, and am rather glad I did :)  Within a mere 48 hours, I've planned about 10 new recipes, 8 crafts to do with Abigail, 8 crafts to do by myself, 25 ways to redecorate my house, 5 ways to make a doghouse for Jackson...oh, and read oodles of quotes that seem even more quotable because they are written out in a pretty font.  With all that being said, here's my first recipe I made from Pinterest (originally from kraft.com):

Creamy White Chicken & Artichoke Lasagna

2 cups shredded cooked chicken breasts
1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped
1 pkg. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup chopped drained sun-dried tomatoes
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped, divided
12 lasagna noodles, cooked

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine chicken, artichokes, 1 cup mozzarella, Parmesan and tomatoes.  Beat cream cheese, milk, and garlic powder with mixer until well blended; stir in 2 Tbsp. basil.  Mix half with the chicken mixture.

Spread half the remaining cream cheese mixture onto bottom of a 13x9 baking dish; cover with 3 noodles and 1/3 of the chicken mixture.  Repeat layers of noodles and chicken mixture twice.  Top with remaining noodles, cream cheese mixture and mozzarella; cover.  Bake 25 min. or until heated through.  Sprinkle with remaining basil.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting to serve.