Church Is A "Go"

I am happy to report that the UPS man arrived with my shipment of bulletin covers at 11:10 AM this morning.  Perfect timing!   I had already copied the prayer bulletin and prepared the other inserts to go inside of them. 

I had enough time to print the front and back of the bulletins, fold them, and stuff them, leaving enough time to spare to type a short letter before I called it a day.

Church may now proceed this Sunday as usual.  We have a bulletin.

And as a side note to Candy... no paper cuts!  {wink}

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A Day at the Office: Edition #6

Watch the video, and then I have a couple comments I'd like to make.

A Day at the Office: Edition #6 from Liz on Vimeo.

1.  I do not know why I tilt my head to the side while I speak.  I don't think I do that in a normal conversation when a video camera is not running, but I guess you would have to ask my "in real life" friends.

2.  This video was taken first thing this morning.  It was actually the calm before the storm.  I got quite harried as the morning went on.  Just trying to be honest on the blog.  Didn't want you to think I'm all perky like this all the time.  In fact, you'd be scared if the camera had kept on recording through the next 2 hours.

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She's Rambling Again

Won't you be glad you visited my blog today.  (Are you reading that tongue-in-cheek?)  It's time for some rambling, only because I don't have a specific topic to share deep thoughts on and also because so many new folks stopped by yesterday from Musings of a Housewife that I feel like I need to stay "on a roll" with my posting, you know, just in case one or two of you decided to stick around to see if I say anything else interesting.

Okay, since I'm already beginning to ramble, let's just keep that ball rolling.  Thought I'd share a few new things going on in my life.

Headaches:  I've been getting headaches off and on for a week now.  I normally only get occasional headaches, so this is a little concerning.  They come on sometime after I get in to work at the church office and will last pretty much the rest of the day.  I told my dad that they come on at that time, and he seemed to think stress might be the culprit.  As much as I would like to blame it on something of that sort, I really don't believe that's the trigger.

My Husband:  No, he isn't new, but I wanted you to know he's over his pneumonia and went back to work today.  Yay!  He was such a good patient and never complained.  He did come home feeling exhausted, but I expected that.  Hopefully, he'll get his energy back.

The Cat's New Toy:  Our cat Teddy has found a new toy to play with.  I've had a tennis ball sitting on our TV cabinet for the longest time.  The other day he discovered it, reached up, knocked it down, and started playing with it.  He rolls around on the floor with it and bats it across the room.  Then when he can't remember where he left it, he goes back to the TV cabinet, stands on his hind legs to peek and see if it's there.  I've never seen a cat do such a thing.  He certainly is good for entertainment.

Alright, you guys.  That's all for now.  If you're looking for something slightly more entertaining than this post, might I direct you over to Big Mama's blog.  She's usually pretty funny.

Have a nice day.

You can find me on Twitter. I'm discoveringliz.
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Doesn't It Take Your Breath Away?

We've gotten a lot of snow here since Friday night.  It just sort of came in bits.  Some Friday, some Saturday, some Sunday, and even more on Monday.

Having been in a car accident involving icy roads several years ago, there's always that feeling of trepidation when I know I have to go out and brave snowy and icy roads.  Not to mention that 180 turnaround I took on the ice about a month ago.  It's so nerve-wracking.

At church on Sunday the topic of snow came up and it was suggested by someone that it is blasphemous to complain about the weather.  I'm not certain if that falls under the definition of blasphemy, but the person does have a point in that God creates the weather.  To complain about it is to complain against God.

That's been on my mind today as I watched big, fluffy snowflakes fall from the sky.  It was really quite lovely to look at.  I guess the only thing that's difficult about the snow is being able to drive safely in it.  Why can't I appreciate it more?

I knew there was a particular reference to snow in the Bible that would speak directly to God's design in the weather, and I looked it up this morning.  We find it in Job 37:6-13...

For He says to the snow, 'Fall on the earth'; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength. He seals the hand of every man, That all men may know His work. The beasts go into dens, And remain in their lairs.  From the chamber of the south comes the whirlwind, And cold from the scattering winds of the north. By the breath of God ice is given, And the broad waters are frozen.  Also with moisture He saturates the thick clouds; He scatters His bright clouds.  And they swirl about, being turned by His guidance, That they may do whatever He commands them On the face of the whole earth. He causes it to come, Whether for correction, Or for His land, Or for mercy.

I don't know about you, but those verses stop my mouth.  Almost takes my breath away to think of it.  Can you picture God breathing out and forming ice?  Can you imagine the whirlwind coming from the south by His guiding hand?  He speaks to the snow, and it falls.  Such beautiful words, a description of the origin of weather elements.  It's amazing.

I think I want to spend more time taking in the beauty of nature and stand in awe of my powerful God who created such things, rather than complaining.

*Photo courtesy of Microsoft Office clip art.

What I Learned This Week: 1st Edition

What did I learn this week?  It's pretty simple, really.  I learned that I'm just as sinful as the next guy... or girl.

In the last 7 days or so I've gotten pretty miffed, steamed, and quite ticked off at various people at church.  {gasp}  Yes, you heard me right.  At church.  Let me tell you... I was quite justified in every one of those incidents, too.  {ahem}

Strange thing happened, though.  Within 24 hours of each of those incidents I was making demands within my own heart that each of those offenders had made of me.  Oh, I never spoke them out loud to anyone, but I know what was going on in my thoughts.  God made it glaringly clear to me that I am JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.  A sinner.  {sigh}

You know what?  That's why I need the grace of God, and it's also why I need to extend grace to others.  We are not perfect, no matter how much I wish I was.  I'm not.  That's why the apostle Paul told us that we need to bear with each other and forgive when there is an offense because we want to look like Christ and have the kind of love we've been called to have in His body. 

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.  - Colossians 3:12-15 (NKJV)

So the next time I get a little crosswise with someone, I'm praying I'll remember I am exactly like them.  Very much in need of grace....and willing to extend some.

~Click on over to Musings of a Housewife to see what other bloggers have learned this week.~

Conquering Dinner!

You must see what I made for dinner last night.  Yeah, I know you're probably wondering, What's the big deal about dinner?, but that's probably because you're new around here. 

Everyone knows that Liz does not like cooking meals from scratch, but rather from a box or a bag with all ingredients included.  But things are a-changin' around here.  Remember the vegetable soup?  Well, the cooking continues.

Okay, so back to what I made for dinner last night.  It was pizza.  From scratch.  Made my own sauce with my own spices.  Spread the dough into a circle with my bare hands.    Applied cheese and toppings.  The only thing I didn't do was make the dough myself, although it was made from scratch, too.

Check this out!

It was delicious! 

(We'll have to work on the quality of pepperoni I use in the future.  I'm not happy with the way it discolors the cheese.)

Troubled

Life doesn't feel normal right now.  And I won't cover it up... I'm worrying.  A little.  I like routine... and well... normalness.

The only thing that really feels normal to me is work and my coffee.  Isn't that sad? 

My sleep patterns are off.  My food cravings are all over the place, and I'm entirely undisciplined.  I've been feeling troubled over some personal things. My husband has pneumonia.  I have felt headachey and blah off and on all week.  And one of our good friends was hospitalized yesterday because they discovered he had suffered a mini stroke.  Being in his early 40's, that was just a shocker.

It's really natural to look at the circumstances and feel discouraged.  I'm trying to remember that God loves me, so much that Christ laid down His life for me.  Why do I doubt that He knows what I need?

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.  John 10:14-15 (ESV)

It's Such a "Man Thing"

My husband has been living on Nyquil for the last month or so.  I hadn't realized it until he ran out two nights ago.  That's his way of medicating himself when he has sinus trouble.  It helps him sleep when he feels... uh... let's just say "ucky poo".

As I always do, I suggested he go see a doctor.  But I'm pretty sure it's a "man thing" to be stubborn about toughing it out and expecting the illness to pass any day.

I didn't realize how bad he was actually feeling until he started up with a dry cough that wracked his chest a couple days ago, and then he mentioned yesterday that he had been running a fever off and on.  Alright, that's it!  Get yourself to the doctor, Mister.   I pretty much ordered him.

He called the doctor this morning and was told they couldn't get him in until Thursday.  Uh yeah, that's a big help.  So off to the urgent care he went.

It's a good thing he went.  He has a mild case of pneumonia - packed sinuses, packed ears and packed lungs.  He can't return to work until next week.  Hopefully, they caught it in time for this not to get too serious.

If there are any men reading my blog, I plead with you on behalf of all wives out there.  Go to the doctor when your wife lovingly suggests it. She knows what she's talking about.  There are reasons why God created wives to be helpmeets, for occasions such as this.

(Alright... I'm off my soapbox now.  By the way, I had permission from my husband to blog this.)

In His Eyes, I'm Perfect

In my commitment to be a more avid reader of theological books this year, I have been engrossed in some pretty good books since January.  Currently, I'm in the middle of Because He Loves Me by Elyse Fitzpatrick, and it is yet another excellent recommendation, which will be appearing over in my sidebar list of completed books in a few days.

Somehow my passion for what I read gets a bit lost in the translation, though, so I rarely write a book review.  It seems I lack brevity and conciseness, which is really the point of a book review.

So for now I'd just like to share with you my favorite part of the book, the part I keep going back to over and over again.  Mrs. Fitzpatrick blew me away with the truth she shared, and I can hardly believe that it's true. 

In chapter 4 she talks about our justification in Christ and proceeds to explain what that means.  She says that our sin slate has been wiped clean.  Now quoting from the book:

...Jesus' perfect record has become ours.  Because God has accredited or imputed Jesus' perfect obedience to you, when God looks upon you, he sees you as a  person who

• always does the things that are pleasing to him;
• is so focused on accomplishing his will and work that doing so is your daily food;
• doesn't seek your own will but seeks his will instead;
• doesn't seek to receive glory (praise, respect, worship) from others;
• has always kept all his commandments;
• lives in such a way that your life brings holiness to others;
• loves others and lays down your life on a consistent basis;
• lives in such a way that the people around you know that you love your heavenly Father more than anything else;
• seeks to obey every command so that righteousness will be fulfilled.

In God's opinion (the only one that matters!) that's your record today. 

(Elyse Fitzpatrick, Because He Loves Me, "The Verdict" pg. 72-73)

Is that not the most incredible thing a Christian can hear?  Are you as blown away by these statements as I am?  I'm nothing like this list describes, but God looks at me and sees Jesus instead.  I'm no longer under condemnation.  I'm justified.  And knowing that's how He sees me somehow makes me want to live like that even more.

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  (2 Corinthians 5:21 - NKJV)

Why I Love My Husband

I'm not one to get all mushy on Valentine's Day or any day, for that matter.  But I always see other bloggers bragging on their men, so this seems like an appropriate time for me to do that too.

Ten (Random) Reasons Why I Love My Husband:

1. He isn't afraid of housework.
2. He takes my dog out at night, so I don't have to go outside in my jammies.
3. He always knows when I'm too pooped to cook and orders a pizza instead.
4. He knows how to research and shop around for the best deal when making a new purchase.
5. He works hard at his job and does it well.
6. He reads my blog regularly.
7. He has always taken an interest in my hobbies and collections.
8. The guy brushes my hair!  (So relaxing)
9. He lets me be me.
10. After 13 3/4 years of marriage, he still loves me.  That's what you call longsuffering.

Yes, It's a New Post

... and yes, it's a Vlog.

It Just Can't Compare

I'm sure you don't struggle spiritually like I do, so you probably wouldn't understand how I've been feeling depressed the last couple days.  I can't even tell you the number of times over the course of blogging that I've wanted to shut down, just because I wanted to isolate myself from people because of the struggles.

But I'm still here.

So, I've been feeling this struggle and unsure how to really get on top of it.  Prayer didn't help because I didn't know how to pray about it.  All I knew was that I hurt and wanted circumstances in my life to be different.  I'd cry while praying, but that wasn't accomplishing much.

Thank the Lord for godly friends that share scripture.  And not just any scripture, but the very scripture that meets the need.  The very scripture that kept coming up again and again the last couple of weeks.  The one that I meant to memorize and haven't gotten around to it yet.

My problem was that I wanted a certain situation to be a certain way, and it just isn't working out that way right now... which hurts.  My friend, perceiving my idol for what it was, shared these verses with me...

Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.  ~Psalm 73:25 - 27

Then she asked me a question... Is your portion going to be [certain situation] or is it going to be God?  Let me put it in different terms for you.  Are you going to make [certain situation] the most important thing in your life, or is God going to be the most important thing in your life?

Immediately, I recognized how large of a contrast it is to compare my relationship with God to needing this desire fulfilled in my life in order to be happy.  It is incomparable!  I need God... more than anything else. 

Suddenly that certain situation didn't seem so important anymore.  That's peace.

She Did It Again!

Dear Ms. Barista,

You just don't seem to get it, do you?  When I order a non-fat raspberry mocha with whip, all I want is a non-fat raspberry mocha with whip.  And please don't tell me how much it smells like chocolate covered cherries.  It doesn't!  It can't because the perfume you left behind on my cup lid is overwhelming my nostrils.

You were doing so well, too.  What happened?

It seems I may need to take my business elsewhere if you keep this up.  At more than $3.00 a cup, I just can't afford to not enjoy my mocha.

Regretfully,

Liz

Ladies Bible Study

I'm not sure if I've told you before, but I attend a ladies Bible study on Tuesdays.  We have a small group of women who come for prayer and study, and we've been in Revelation.  It's been pretty exciting!

Today the study was different, though.  My friend Judy leads it, but she was sick and couldn't make it.  I don't think that has ever happened before.  When I found out she wasn't going to be well enough to teach, she said I could go ahead and have the group pray as usual and then read some scripture and discuss.

Currently, our church is focusing on the book of Colossians as a daily reading.  So that's what we did in place of a study.  I had no idea what we would talk about, as I had not prepared anything.  All I knew is that we would read the book of Colossians and then discuss the things that grabbed our attention. 

It was a very special time, and we had a terrific discussion.  My favorite section of the book is the passage in Colossians 1:9-12 that says,

For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy; giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in the light.

I like it because Paul says how he has prayed for the church, and this is how I ought to be praying not only for myself, but also for others.  I can be sure I'm praying according to God's will for others because this is what He wants for us:

1.  Be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.

2.  Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him.

3.  Be fruitful in every good work

4.  Increase in the knowledge of God.

5.  Be strengthened with all might to be able to experience joy in suffering.

6.  Give thanks in all things because the Father has made us partakers of the inheritance.

We need these things prayed over our lives that we might become mature, and I encouraged the ladies to be praying this way for each other.  No matter what adversity we face, God can always answer this prayer with a resounding YES. 

Officially a Dot Com

Well, I finally did it.  After more than a year of blogging and deciding if I would really, really, REALLY keep doing this, I took the plunge.  I am now...

www.discoveringliz.com

It doesn't really change how you get here, but it's shorter than typing out that whole long Blogspot address.  It's also just cooler to say, Check out my blog... I'm at discoveringliz.com 

Oh yeah, I am all about being cool.  Just don't ask anyone I went to school with because they might tell you something different.  Who are you gonna believe anyway?  A bunch of strangers or your good ol' blogging pal, Liz?

Yeah, that's what I thought...