(day eighteen) taste the rainbow

Ok, so today totally made up for yesterday. Sometimes i think that little booger (aka: devil) just wants to drive us to the brink of hopelessness so we become blinded to the blessings all around us. Lame. Alright, so I was down for half a day or so... but not out; I knew I had to hold on to God's promises and persevere to see what the future held!

The last three days i've been doing a little photography workshop for a few youth in town. They have been such a blessing this week. Through them God kept reminding me to be "childlike" in my faith. You see, most young kids believe ANYTHING is possible until the world tells them otherwise. Most of the time that's our "safety net" so that we won't get our hopes crushed or God won't even have the chance to "fail" us. So, as we get older... we trade in that kind of faith for a more "grown-up" sophisticated version that's not the least bit biblical, but somehow we justify it. (speaking to myself too....)

Good thing his character does not depend on our faith, and His promises are still true. It's our choice to step into them or not. So, when the times get tough or the expectations of the world seem too heavy... Do we hold onto His promises or just call the rainbow a mirage? We must CHOOSE to walk in that truth and taste what He's offering us.

Just for a moment I'd like everyone reading this to pretend that they are a kid again. (And pretend this isn't cheesy, Ha. :) Let's say that you just loooooove your skittles. You love the taste, the shape, the colors, the smell... everything. You eat them everyday and when you are not eating them, you're talking about them. (Let's hope there are not real kids with this obsession.) So now you are with your parents on a mission trip in some remote village in Africa. You just ran out of your last bag and they are NOWHERE to be found. You are freaking. In that moment, you randomly see some other kid with a package. The other kid says if they are that important to you he'll sell them for $100 bucks. You hesitate knowing that is serious cash money to you. But then you think about they way the look, smell, and taste again and you begin to dig around in your pocket. (Pretend you have the $ for some reason). You then look at the money and think about all the other things you could buy... but nothing would quite satisfy you like those skittles. After returning to your house (er... hut) with your tasty treat, someone randomly gives you $100. (For the sake of the analogy, forget about the fact this kid had an ugly addiction that he paid $100 bucks for :)

You see, God seriously offers us His "skittles" every day, but not just for us to look at. It sometimes looks like a high price or some sort of sacrifice for those promises, but once we step out in faith... He's already taken care of everything. He's paid that price already... done and done. Whatever we do have to lay down is totally worth it and looks way more insignificant in hindsight. I want to be that addicted to Jesus! (Just like the kid with the skittles). That nothing would ever be worth hanging on to in this earth, to simply receive more of Him... and enjoy all the flavors (sorry, i just had to) of His promises.

When we STEP INTO that rainbow- we become a reflection of Him, a testimony of His promises and our lives become that much more rich and colorful! I mean, who doesn't love a rainbow? I learned many years ago that rainbows are always there in the sky, we just don't see them unless the conditions are just right. The correct definition of a rainbow is: appears in the sky opposite the sun as a result of the refractive dispersion of sunlight in drops of rain or mist. So even when we don't see them, we trust they are there.

I like to think that we finally see the promises when they are opposite the son as a result of the refractive dispersion of the son's light in our tears. Whether those tears are from pain or brokeness, it's Him reflecting off of us that reveals His true glory as it becomes a living testimony to the world. No one can argue with your testimony of God's love... because it's yours and it's real to you. So maybe instead of us showing others what is wrong with the world today; we should gently, humbly and joyfully lead them to what's right by our actions.

B90: (Joshua 19:1- Judges 6:21) How fitting for today is Ch. 21:45? "Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed: all came to pass." And then again in Ch. 23: 14-15. Gets a little sticky after that, but time and time again... God proves His faithfulness in the word, and not even because He has to... I mean, He's God.

I love this quote by George Mueller,"If the Lord fails me at this time, it will be the first time." If you've never read this man's autobiography, it's on the top of my recommendation list! This guy was constantly putting himself out there, totally exposed... making His needs clear to the Lord. He could have lived a comfortable life, never really asking or needing anything. But He decided to start caring for God's orphans one day... and because of this His needs became greater, He was responsible for more, his reputation suffered.... but His faith in the Lord grew every breath. Why? Because He HAD to rely on God and God ALWAYS came through.

I'm not talking about more clothes, a new car, a bigger house, or better job kinda needs. I'm talking about trusting God for food on the table, transportation to your job, clothes to wear and a roof over your head. That's when we know that we NEED God to survive. And to be honest, most of us living in America have never known this kind of need. And we are certainly not bad people because of that, we just might need to make a little room for Him to move in our lives every once in awhile.

One of the definitions of sacrificing is: to surrender or give up, or permit disadvantage to, for the sake of something of higher value. If we really truly do believe our relationship with God is of HIGHER value, then we'll give up anything for Him. Even if it means to our earthly disadvantage. But what we find is once we hand something over, He gives us a much better version of fulfillment and satisfaction in Him. And we are even MORE blessed because we see it came directly from His hand!!!

xtra: So today, right after i'd decided what to write this blog on... one of my photography student pulls out a bag of skittles!!! Ha ha. I just looked at them, looked up and laughed. Seriously, God just cracks me up all the time. And now, I'm sitting at my desk and look over at a book my mom bought me a few days ago. This book is called "THE FUTURE OF THE EARTH" and has a big ole rainbow across the front of it. You tell me that God doesn't care or want to interact with us daily... and I just won't believe you. Haha! Enjoy it folks! We only get one :)

P.s.s. And don't even get me started on my rainbow stories... we'll save those for a rainy day (tee hee). Love you all dearly... thank you so much for reading these extensive blogs!!! You are my sunshine... my only sunshine... you make me happy... (ok ok, i'll stop.) Goodnight!!!

(day seventeen) wrappin up the crap

You ever have one of those crap days that you can't really explain but everything just seems to fall apart in front of your eyes? Yea? Well, today was one of those. I was constantly aware of my flesh... all day long. Even now as I write, I look forward to seeing the sun and promise of a new day tomorrow. No matter how bad it gets, we always have that hope... right? I say that I was fully aware of my flesh because I definitely was NOT acting out of my spirit. And then I just got mad that I don't have any more composure, patience, or gentleness than what I'm revealing to the world in that moment. I wanted to crawl in a hole. Mostly so I could have my own little pity party with a chocolate cake and everything. But also so no one could see me like this. I was ashamed in my irrational behavior rather than choosing to change my response. And I guess I want the world to have this perfect little pollyanna picture of me, when i'm really just a girl who falls a lot but recognizes her endless need for a savior.

That's what this whole "90 day" thing is about anyway... seeking to honor and respect God by being a good steward of what He's given us. That's love, not law. I definitely think law has it's place, but if there is not love there is only legalism and a strive for perfection or feeling of failure. Our Dad loves us more than a set of rules and He eagerly scans the world looking for those who love Him the same. He's a good dad. I believe He's ok with watching us figure things out and realizing our need for Him rather than just robotically going through a motion with no heart behind it. (Sidenote: But God is God and even though sometimes we may not feel it, He still deserves our praise, glory and honor!!! Bc no matter what we say/think, He is who He says He is.) This love for us is very REAL whether we've had a true love encounter or not. We can stand at a distance and ask "why?" all day long, but the way to hear His whisper is to get to know His heart. Walking in His direction is a good start. When we do, we stop asking and just know... we are exactly where we are supposed to be: in His presence. In that place beautiful things will be revealed, ugly things exposed, dirty parts cleansed, and hearts made WHOLE.

We become "effective" in the world as christians not just by what we say rather who we are. If we know WHOSE we are and are caught up in that romance, it will naturally flow outward and many lives will be impacted in an amazing way!!!

I had such a great convo with a friend tonight about His new revelation. This guy travels all over the world with christian artists and is pretty much their right hand man. Today he began seeing the connection. His eyes were opened to the significance of taking God's word seriously when it calls us to honor and love Him with our mind, body, soul and spirit. That to honor Him means to love what He loves... and to take proper care of it. He started seeing that this means His body (temple) and treating it well, taking care of the earth around Him, and all of the people God places in His life. He now is seeing the importance of having a healthy lifestyle and wholeness.

It's not too late for any of us. Matters not our current physical condition, age, or feelings of hopelessness.... It's our response in this moment that matters. All of life God is pursuing each of our hearts relentlessly... our response is our worship to Him. So, even though I've had a crap day...and acted terribly... God still cares, wants to cleanse me... and make me whole again. It's time to WRAP UP THE CRAP and chunk it. (This is the only thing, other than styrofoam, that can't be recycled. Haha.)

B90: (Joshua 6:20- 18:28) I mean... if we think age and such really matters then check out Chapter 13 vs 1 again. This cracks me up every time I read it... "Now Joshua was old and advanced in years, and the Lord said to him, "you are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess." Took the words right out of his mouth. Ha. My grandparents version would prob go somethin like this... "welp, your not gettin any younger, whatcha waitin for???"

Another one of my fav's in this section is when Caleb is speaking in Chapter 14 vs 11 about His health and strength even at 85- and he certainly has bragging rights if anyone does. And I loved when Joshua blessed him and gave him his inheritance because Caleb WHOLLY followed the Lord. (14:14) I think it's a neat picture of God's desire for our lives and the blessing that comes from loving and honoring Him and caring for what He loves in this world.

p90 and nutrition: Ok, so because of the crap day i decided to slack on my workout and eat a brownie. Hmmmm.... Ok, if i don't overdue it, but i think i was emotionally eating- not so good. Alright, I look forward to a new day tomorrow with new mercies... again! haha.

A little somthin extra: Humor of God 101... As I'm writing and re-reading this blog i'm listening to some music in the background. As I'm typing "it's not too late"... my friend Steph is singing those exact words. And then as i'm reading "when everything just seems to fall apart" I hear Phil Wickham saying the exact same words at the same time. Oh God, you are so funny.

(day sixteen) liquid gold :)

This blog's gonna be short and sweet :) I'm even more exhausted than usual for many reasons. After holiday and catching up, i'm sure everyone is a tad bit tired.

Tonight I came home to find a huge box on our dining room table with my name on it. It was our new water filter!!! Yahoo!!! Am I the only one that gets excited about stuff like that? Prob so :( I couldn't wait to put that thing together and finally start putting mineralized, alkalized, purified water in my body!!! I speedily opened the box with little or no effort, washed every part like the instructional video told me, and put it all in place!! Yes! I did it! Man, it's amazing what satisfaction i felt from assembling this piece of machinery that was going to provide this "liquid gold" for the whole family. My lips turned dry and mouth started salivating at the mere thought of it rolling down my throat. Overboard? Perhaps. You would've thought I was high and dry lost in a desert somewhere.

I began to lose a little steam once i read the next instruction... let two things of water run through the filter BEFORE you drink the water. What???? You mean i have to wait. OK, whatever... I'll wait. So i gently poured the water in the top container and waited.... and waited.... and waited. I just thought other water filters were slow, this one beat all! Oh my goooooodness, seriously?

Although that was a little bit frustrating... i began to look deeper into the "system". It seems as though it goes through many different layers of filtering. It's a process, and a slow one at that! If it weren't for just one of those layers, this water would not have the beneficial effects on nutrition that it claims... it would just be like every other tap water out there full of lots of things to weaken our immunity. So, really... this water couldn't filter any faster because of the natural tendency of gravity to pull it downward through the system.

It slowly began to dawn on me how much like life this was. I began to see that, in the journey of life, God is allowing a system of filters to slowly purify all of the impurities away. He wants the ones who ARE thirsty for Him to drink the most healthy purified water possible... the water that most represents Him!!!! This can be a very slow process at times, and somewhat painful.... but He does use each of those layers of our journey for His glory if we allow it, cleanses us and draws us to Him- the source of all life.

Another crazy thing about the filter is that, to keep it full enough to have a constant flow of water... you almost need to put some in the top when you take some out of the bottom. Isn't it just like God for me to see Him in a water filter of all things??? Hahahaha. We are called to never stop pouring out his love, truth, and blessing of life to all those who are thirsty.... and in order to have this constant flow we've got to keep going back to the source and filling up.

I hope there weren't too many spelling errors in there... i just don't have the energy to check it right now :( I hope you understand. And I'd so love to hear your revelations and stories along the way, it's always so encouraging!!!

The rest: B90: (Deut 28:53-Joshua 6:19) Good read. Lots of things to draw from these stories. I probably will later :) What did you see?

P90: still pushing through, had some shoulder issues... but a little bit of rehab and prayer, and feeling MUCH better.

nutrition: still snacking on those gluten-free brownies i made for the 4th... not good. Must buy more fruits and veggies. Haven't eaten just how i wanted during this 90 day challenge, but i'm picking it up a notch this week! Still drinking LOTS of water- which everyone should be doing in this heat! Love love love you all! lins

(day fifteen) FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!

So yesterday we talked about the fight for freedom in the realm we can not see.... today we celebrate our freedom in this country. I can't help but immediately go to the image of William Wallace with a painted face and sword high giving one of the most motivational, sacrificial speeches of all time. No matter what, no one could take away their freedom...

True freedom is something no one can ever touch, because it is deep within. So rooted, in fact, that not even prison walls could take that away.

Since I've seen how other people in the world live, it's hard to celebrate happily when most of them don't have the same choices we do. But more than anything I'm grateful to be able to speak about my relationship with God openly. That has been a difficult hurdle in other countries, but one worth jumping. God is super creative and always finds a way to show up. Our country does have a mantle of freedom over it, and a special anointing that we have a chance to take to those all over the world who don't that privilege.

I remember being in Bangladesh in 2007 and having to be "secretive" about WHOM i love and belong to. I had a cool opportunity to meet a local college girl who began asking me all sorts of questions. It had to end at some point and she never "prayed a prayer", but i have a feeling God moved in her heart that day!

It's disheartening, but such a wonderful opportunity, to be able to go into the worst brothel areas in the world... where women think they actually deserve this slavery; and bring hope, light, love and freedom. And when these women see and accept the freedom we have, you can see it all over their face! Everything changes!!! Talk about a reason to celebrate!

I'm also reminded of all those who are in prison. I've had the chance to visit the women's prison in newport a few times and every single time walked away more blessed than i could've imagined. I saw more spiritual and emotional freedom in these women behind those bars, than others i've seen who have physical freedom but are enslaved with their own sin. Can you imagine what it might be like for them once they are released?? To have ULTIMATE freedom, able to say/do whatever they want... and totally surrendered to God having complete freedom in Christ as well. These women have so much to be grateful for and they are not afraid to share it with you. It's quite beautiful.

I also remember once in Thailand when we got to be a part of a baptism ceremony at one of the women's prisons. I'll never forget the rain pouring down in this outdoor covered concrete patio and the 10 gallon bucket we used to baptize them in. These women sang, laughed, and cheered for each other as one by one stepped into this freedom for all eternity.

So not only will I honor all of those who physically give their lives for freedom, but today i will pray for those who have yet found the REAL freedom. I know it's God's desire for every single human being to experience this freedom on earth. And my heart breaks for those who misunderstand God and His love for them.

Whenever I'm upset, hurting, or feeling lost and alone... my mentor always asks me one question: "What part of your heart has not had the revelation of God as your loving Father and you as His beloved child?" Always gets me thinking and praying, and He always reveals it to me somehow. At that moment I ask Him into that piece that's broken, and He makes me whole again :)

He CHOSE us, He wants us to be free in Him. If we're not sure what all this talk of freedom means - simply remember the cross, the price, and more than anything the undeniable, unchangeable, unconditional, eternal LOVE offers to all of us. This kind of freedom we can celebrate with the world... our global family :)

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your friends and family. Thank you for following this blog, I hope that God continues to use me how He chooses... I'm so blessed to know you all. Many blessings to you today!!!

(day fourteen) restoring eden: the "fight"

"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, the authorities, and the cosmic powers over this present darkness, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." Eph 6:12

About 8 months ago, I found myself eating - in complete and utter silence- in a dining hall full of people. But it wasn't just me that was silent, it was everyone. Believe it or not, i signed up for it - we all did. I was at a place in my life that was at a standstill, right after a time in my life that had been going down hill fast. I still had some big unanswered questions and a few spiritual concerns, but i still felt numb with no direction or motivation. I had heard from a friend that there was this silent retreat you could go to with a one hour counceling session every day with a very wise, holy-spirit filled nun. Seemed i had nothing to lose at this point and everything to gain. So now, I found myself munching away on some food with no one to talk to but God. It was a little hard (ok, so i like to talk), but SOOOOO revolutionary. One particular day I looked up from my plate and saw a statue of mary holding her arms out. She had the most peaceful look on her face, and the way she was positioned seemed to portray a surrender to the Lord. Perhaps it represented a need for her Savior (aka son). I took detailed note of this moment. The following day i sat right next to the statue. I observed it again, only this time i could see her feet. To my shock, she was crushing the head of a serpent... as she walked forward in complete surrender to her Lord. A flood of emotions came over me as I realized this was the key to battle: Follow Him, Have no fear, and He will fight for you. You see, this peace on her face showed the absence of fear, worry, or doubt.... and all the while she was standing on a freakin snake!!! Come on now. I've been learning that if our eyes are ON HIM... we will tread on ground we never would have chosen to tread on, we will win battles we never would have fought, and we will reveal His glory in a way we could have never done if it weren't for His power in our lives. And instead of being worried, fearful or doubtful... we will be in complete awareness of our need for him, be humbled by the fact He wants to use us, and be so awestruck with His love that we will follow Him anywhere!!!!

Ever since the fall of man, God has been pursuing our hearts and battling for our souls in a realm that we just can not see. And for every step closer to Him we take, the more AUTHORITY the army of God has in our life. The more authority He has, the more FREEDOM we experience... no matter our earthly experiences.

For the sake of our freedom, there is a daily battle: a fight. We know who ultimately wins, but until then God desires the best for us... and that's freedom in all areas of our life. If we choose not to take steps closer to Him we are giving more authority to the one who has the ability to enslave us here on earth. And we ARE NOT MEANT TO JUST SIT AND DEAL with that slavery until God comes back to "rescue us" from it. We are MEANT to live FREE and WHOLE in the KINGDOM of HEAVEN on this earth fighting the battles in the spiritual realm for the souls of the walking dead on this earth. He offers LIFE abundantly.... it's what we receive and give FREELY as He penetrates our lives daily with the fullness of His love.

Just like we've been learning as we travel through the old testament: God hates sin. Why? Well, sin goes against every reason He created us... and if we sin, we are exposed to the enemy. As the ones in the OT repented, they were covered with His blood... their sin was atoned for, and they were once again living under the protection and authority of God. But if they didn't repent, it wasn't hard to see how sin began to taint the family- generation after generation. Sin IS toxic... and in the absence of repentance and cleansing (or detoxification) it can literally eat you up. It makes sense to me now why certain people "tainted by sin" were not allowed behind the veil... and why certain generations of the israelites "tainted by sin" were not allowed into the promised land. Now I have to pose the question whether those who weren't allowed in had un-repented sin or not?? Hmmmm....





All this talk of fighting and freedom reminds me of Chronicles of Narnia. In the film, these children are normal kids who play games, act silly, fight with each other, are self-conscious insecure orphans, and probably suffer from some sort of abandonment issue. But when they walk through the wardrobe... they began this journey of REAL self-discovery the more they get to know the heart of Aslan. They pick up their armor (Eph 6) and they begin to fight the battles we can not see on earth. I believe that when they walk through the wardrobe into Narnia they are stepping into the kingdom of heaven on earth. The REAL Narnia (later mentioned) being after this life in heaven. To me this movie represents the war that is raging... that doesn't have to do with fuel, weapons, crops, illegal immigrants, the ozone layer, or even local crime. It's way beyond that, and way bigger than we could imagine. It's an honorable battle fighting for life, truth, love, peace... our KING. And against the TRUE enemy opposing all of these things. When we walk through that wardrobe we KNOW who we are because we know WHOSE we are. We are adopted sons and daughters of the most HIGH KING who has fought for our lives till death and now lives so we can live. We pick up our armor daily- letting the earthly battles go... and tread on ground only He has the guts to take us to because He is the one fighting on our behalf and fighting FOR our behalf.

Sometimes I think the Old Testament is a physical representation of what is REALLY going on now in the spiritual realm. Almost like a map for us to follow that lead us all to His righteousness.

I want Eden on earth. I want my mind, body, soul, and spirit to be as pre-fall as possible in this fallen world. So many times we lose site of Eden because we've come so far past it... when He offers the kingdom of heaven for us to live in every day. I tell you what, after this revelation I sure saw the Lord's prayer more clearly than ever before. (Matt 6:9-13)

B90: (Deuteronomy 1:26-13:18) As I looked deeper in the word today, it's almost as if things were just highlighted. Going right along with the revelation above, I feel like one of the things the Lord is saying to us to keep us safe and in His love and authority is: Do not rebel. (1:26) Looking down further He says: Do not be afraid. (1:29) And in vs.30 He says He will fight for us and in vs.31 He will carry us. And right there in vs. 32 He strongly encourages us to BELIEVE Him because He is always going before us and showing us the way we should go. It seems as though this was a theme for most of Deuteronomy if not the bible itself. And I love how God even sums it up in Chapter 4: 29-31... re-establishing and verbally confirming the foundation He set from the beginning of time.

So... for those of us who think life is just neutral until we die, a re-think may be in order. Whether it's a silent retreat you need or just some solid meditation-on-the-word time, i beg you to seek for yourself and not just take my word for it! I pray that I always speak the truth and align everything with the word, but i'm also not afraid to ask questions and stir up something inside of us that longs for more of HIM!!! There is a daily fight for our freedom that we cannot see, whose authority are you walking under? All creation is being pursued by His love, are we actively responding to this love? Have we asked for the kingdom to come daily, so we can walk around on this earth as adopted kids- humble, unashamed, protected and directed- by a LOVING FATHER? Just in time for 4th of July i ask: Do we want REAL freedom in every part of our lives and are we willing to surrender it all so that the enemy will have no grip to enslave us?? So that we will be free to love Him and His creation how He intended it to be... back in Eden.

(day thirteen) soak it up, spill it out

Today was a Sabbath full of rest, family time, pool time, scooter time, and community life. I am feeling more and more that i should rest on saturdays, even when it comes to this challenge. I did finish my reading, but didn't do much else. This little break felt nice :) I hope everyone out there doing a challenge hasn't given up, and if you have... just start where you left off! You can all do this!!!

So... I'm pretty spent and have to get up early, but i'd like to pray for you all.

Dad... Thank you for this life. I wanna lift up every single person out there who is reading this... that whatever struggles they are having, broken relationships, shattered dreams, financial burdens, lonliness... etc, you touch their heart right now. Align their spirit with yours, so they see your heart for them and the world. Let us all become ministers of your kingdom as your kingdom changes us. You are so so good... and no evil comes from your hand. Help us to lean heavily on you with full body weight, and fully place every ounce of trust in you. I pray each person crawl up into your lap, look deep into your eyes and see the powerful and mighty yet gentle and humble love that you so long for us to find. Keep pursuing your loved ones and let us all respond to your love in glorifying praise. Thank you father for every part of your being. Let us all live to the fullest the rest of our days.... We love you. amen.

Soak up His goodness and spill out His love to the world! Have a blessed day with community tomorrow :)

(day twelve) footprints

Last night I had a dream about making this town "green". It was probably due to the fact I read myself to sleep with "Green Revolution" by Ben Lowe, which is an incredible book by the way! In the dream I was teaching people how to recycle all over town, it was awesome. This has been something on the forefront of my mind lately and i'll tell you why.... In the book Ben talks about "green" not as a fad but as a biblical mandate to take care of God's creation. The more I research for myself in the word, the more my heart resinates with it. You see, our footprint in the world- as Americans- is much bigger than we think. Every decision we make is not just affecting us, but the whole globe. As a citizen of this country, most of us are unintentionally buying in to a system that doesn't support global family... but instead hides the ones that are paying for it with their lives. If we understand the kingdom of heaven and desire to live IN it on earth... there are many things we can do that reveal our heart for God's world and that can actually make a real impact in saving lives! I honestly believe that God will honor us making baby steps in that direction and with His power do even more than we could imagine through us!

I've heard the arguements before: that this earth is fading anyways, that we'll be in heaven one day so who cares, that there's nothing really we can do, that our first priority is to "save people".... etc etc. But what about being stewards of what He has given us... doesn't that also honor our Father? Think about it like this: Let's say your dad builds a house. it's so beautiful and He put everything He had into making it perfect! Then one day someone comes in and steals something... next day it happens again... and again ... and again, until there is nothing left. Our dad has built a beautiful home for us... sure it's temporary, but it's HIS and He loves His creation. Shouldn't we?

I know the list to make a healthy impact in lives globally could be endless and quite overwhelming, but the good news is: It starts simple. Simplifying our lives. Not only does simplifying create physical space, but it creates mental space as well as room for God to move in our lives. The less we have, the more we need HIM. Using less, re-using things, and recycling are all a part of this process as well. Not only will we be able to save money to share with others and their needs, but we'll have more time and energy to spend on people... which is what God is all about- real relationships. Ours with Him and with others.

Today I got to work with my dad again. We went to several different jobsites moving things, cleaning, painting, etc. It was a pretty good day, but I could tell He was ready for the day to be over. I wasn't sure when we would be done, but I was just enjoying my time with Him more than anything. The job doesn't even really feel like work because I'm getting to spend some quality time with pops creating things together :) Sometimes I can tell he just gives me random jobs to keep me around. He really just wants me to want to be there with Him. We don't always feel like this if we are tired or cranky, but when we do it reminds me of how God must feel about us. Sometimes it doesn't even matter what we are "doing" as long as we are with Him and honoring Him with our whole lives. At the end of the day dad looks at me and says..."Alright, it's time to go home." I look forward to that day, but until then i'll try and enjoy every minute serving with our Dad on earth.

B90: (Numbers 15:22- 26:27) I loved this section mainly because of the talking donkey. I know, call me crazy... but there's just something about animals that can talk that crack me up! I originally wanted to title this blog "smart ass"... but my mom quickly shot it down. I mean, it was a pretty smart donkey to talk, right? I digress.... I do love this story for other reasons as well. It's so interesting to me how this animal understood the fear of the Lord more than this man bent on doing his own will. We've got to begin digging deeper into the heart of God to feel His beat for the whole world and everything in it. When we do, we'll gladly follow His lead rather than our own and leave footprints that represent our Dad well :)

P90: I feel like this daily workout is actually helping me think clearer as well as making me feel better all together. Today my mom decided to join me. Turned out to be a comedy routine. The workout instructor keep saying "it's time to towel off" and my mom kept saying, "did he say, take a tylenol"? Boy, she was ready to ease some of that pain she was startin to feel. And to think, if I hadn't been superivising, she would've been drugged up half way through the workout! Oh mom....

Nutritional tip: Set goals that are within your reach right now. For example: my mom and i decided it was a good idea for us to let ourselves have some sort of snack on the weekends and maaaaaaybe go to local culture (yogurt shop) for two punch tuesdays. Ha ha. Another suggestion dealing with food is composting. I've recently learned more about this, and am excited to begin! Basically you are taking the scrap food left over from meals (except for meat) and putting them in a rectangular space in your back yard with leaves and grass clippings. Over time, this turns into beautiful nutritious soil. So again, you are saving space in the earth AND saving money!

With that said... i'm very sleepy, see you tomorrow folks! Have a great weekend.