Reflections

Here Comes the Morning

2010-10-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Is is night time in your life right now? Is the darkness thick? Do you feel that you will never again see the light of morning? Maybe God promised you the morning but it seems like that was decades ago. Has He forgotten? Never. God is a God of Life, Resurrection and Light. He will eventually bring the morning sunshine.

"For You are my hope O Lord God. You are my trust from my youth." Ps 71:5

How do you feel?

2010-10-02T15:02:00.000-07:00

Ever feel old?

I have to admit hanging out with

17 to 22 year olds for a couple of weeks made me feel old. When I

told them I usually hang out with 26 to 30 year olds they

said, "Wow! That is a big difference."

What is so wrong with being "old" anyways?

After all, some of the best things are things that

have aged a while. :)

Plus, God made you the age you are because He

wanted you that way.

It's perfect.

Enjoy every moment and every age for what it is. :)

CRF

To do before I die # 1

2010-09-27T22:22:00.000-07:00

Someday before I die I want to...

Go SCUBA DIVING

Granted this ambition may perhaps seem on the small side. Come on Christy. If you are going to make a "bucket list" why not put something really ambitious. Does it help that I want to do it in Australia and see the amazing coral reefs? Or dive on that Polynesian Island (which I can not remember the name of, but which looks utterly amazing) that people go to just so that they can go diving. As I recall they even have a place to dive where they see lots of turtles or a turtle graveyard or something. Ok so my mind is slipping in its old age. But hey it had to do with turtles. That is all that matters. Ah...turtles. Why turtles? That is another story for another time.

To go scuba diving... Yes that would be amazing, but I think I should have laser surgery first.

CRF

From Simple to Complex

2010-09-09T16:04:00.000-07:00

Witnessing the plethora of four wheelers, seeing the hugest smiles, hearing that simple, joyful laughter once again, smelling certain smells that I would not know how to describe if I was asked, once again seeing dried fish hanging from the sides of houses and seeing the many trails of mud I found myself walking along, all took me on a journey back in time to the days of my childhood.

Although I have never been to this particular village in my life, being there this week was in a way like being home. Having spent the early years of my childhood living in a village, those same old village smells, sights and sounds flooded my mind with memories. As I thought back to my life growing up in the village, I remember it as being so simple and innocent. I was simply a girl who enjoyed riding bicycles around town and creating simple games to keep myself and other children entertained. I was content in a world that was simple with out the chaos that cities and technology bring. This week I looked back at that world I once lived in and found that my eyes were then too young to see the complexity and the not so innocent parts of that world, the world that I still to this moment look back on with fondness.

I now look at that world through eyes which have aged about 15 years. I see a world that is far from innocent and simple. While there are a vast amount of sights and sounds that have remained the same in my eyes, I now see deeper. I see what happens to children who have had hurtful things spoken and done to them. I see pain. I hear and see anger. I see broken relationships between family members. I see great sadness. I see fear. I see the complexity of hundreds of little words and actions that have been built into a life to construct a world that in the eyes of that person is no longer worth living. I hear words that are in reality masks hiding what is deep within. No. It is not an innocent world nor is it simple. Why was I blessed to live in that world and enjoy its simplicity while missing out on its heart wrenching facets?

How can your heart not break when you encounter things such as these? What must it be like to be God and experience that same heart break, but at a greater level due to the fact that your love is greater than all of mankind's? Why was I of all people chosen to represent Him to that broken world? I am so unworthy to be His hands and feet to a world that has fallen apart in so many ways. I fall so short of being the hands and feet of Jesus in a way that broken people need. Yet, I believe I have been placed here for just such a task and as my world becomes more and more complex, the beautiful thing is that His grace and salvation becomes more and more simple.

Summer Time

2010-07-06T20:44:00.000-07:00

So...apparently my blogging has been non-existent as of late. I am still alive. Be at peace concerned souls if you even exist.

Summer time has consisted mainly of partying, cooking for groups of guys, dishes, house building, job hunting and life planning. Although this has been the summer of constant people in our house, it has been quite a fun summer so far.

I turned 25 last week. Half way to 50. According to Ben it is the age when you start the dying process. I also have heard it is the top of the hill which means I am on my way down...AND I got cards about being old on my birthday...so apparently I am now officially old. Cool! Bring it!

Georgia

2009-03-31T15:14:00.000-07:00

My expectations have been shall we say...shattered? I thought GA was supposed to be warm. So why am I freezing? I am going to have to go back to Cincinnati and get warmed up. Talk about spending quality time with my hoodies. So much for any type of a tan. Not that I tan anyways. My epidermis refuses to acknowledge that such a thing as a tan exists. No. I am not bitter.

Leaving on a jet plane tomorrow. Spending a few hours in Philadelphia and then...
back to working my brain. Yes, sadly it has been on vacation. Actually, I think it was on vacation before I left but we won't go there.

The List

2009-03-16T15:11:00.000-07:00

Happy things...

Spring
Sun
Coffee
Flowers
Cheesecake
Shoes
Pretzels
Philosophical discussions (sometimes) :-)
Bed :-D
Music
Painting
Smoothie King
Rook
Friends
Sweet Iced Tea
Vacations
Oratorio
oh...
and nutty bars. :-)

I am NOT going to live with the British.

2009-03-03T13:52:00.000-08:00

So I was at Wal Mart... again. I have been there twice since getting back from break. Plus... add to that all the times I was there on tour. (sigh) I might as well start moving in.

While standing in the art isle today, some guy with a British accent comes up and starts talking to some lady nearby. So what do I do? I start talking in a British accent as well. I really didn't mean to make fun of him. I didn't even realize what I was doing. I guess I heard him talking and it filtered into my little brain sub-consciously and I started talking the same way without realizing what I was doing. Yes. I have a special way of embarrassing my friends. I give lessons for a small fee by the way. ;-) Fortunately, I soon became aware of what I was doing and I stopped and we quickly left.

Maybe the next time I will meet a Frenchmen. ( insert French quote here) :-)

What would you title this? Its kinda random.

2009-02-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

I thought of something cool to write about the other day and now low and behold, I can't remember for the life of me what it was. Grrr.... I hate it when that happens.

Break is here! YES! I am excited about choir tour.

Now to flesh out my new schedule.
Sit on the bus.
Sing.
Eat.
Sleep.
Sit on the bus.
Eat
Sing
Eat
Sleep
Eat again
Sing
Sit on the bus.
Eat.

You get the picture.
Bring it on.

The Faith of a Child

2009-02-09T13:09:00.000-08:00

It was a sunny afternoon in the city of Cincinnati. In a small, homely church I watched from across the table as the little girl of probably about 7 or 8 attempted to incorporate color into the plain white picture of Jesus that lay in front of her. Out of the blue I was confronted with a question...

"If I tell a lie will I go down there?" she asked pointing down.

" If you don't have Jesus in your heart you will." I said.

"Jesus come into my heart. Jesus come into my heart. Did he come in?"

"You have to mean it." I said. "We can pray if you want."
And so she repeated after me.

Dear Jesus
Dear Jesus
Forgive me of my sins.
Forgive me of my sins.
Come into my heart.
Come into my heart.
Thank you for dying for me.
I'll obey you.
I'll obey you.
Amen.
Amen.

"Did He come in?"

"Yes, if you meant it."

"He's in my heart?" she asked pointing to her heart.

"Yes."

"Can Jesus hear me breathing?"

"Well He didn't come into your literal heart. It means he came into your life."

"Can Jesus hear me breathing?"

"Yes."

"Can Jesus hear you breathing?"

"Yes. He hears everything."

When one of the other workers came over she told them...
"Jesus is in my heart."

"Did you ask Jesus into your heart and ask him to forgive you of your sins?" asked the worker.

"Yes"

As I carried her down the steps a while later... she looked up and said...

"I love you Jesus."

2009-02-04T18:05:00.001-08:00

Is anyone out there?

Let it speak for itself. Who needs titles?

2008-03-30T18:14:00.000-07:00

Why?