The Case for Christ

I just started reading a new book called The Case for Christ. The author Lee Strobel, former editor of the Chicago Tribune, retraces his journey from atheism to faith. Just a few pages in and this is my favorite part:

"For much of my life I was a skeptic. In fact I considered myself and atheist. To me, there was far too much evidence that God was merely a product of wishful thinking, of ancient mythology, of primitive superstition. How could there be a loving God if he consigned people to hell just for not believing in him? How could miracles contravene the basic laws of nature? Didn't evolution satisfactorily explain how life originated? Doesn't scientific reasoning dispel belief in the supernatural?

Lets face it: even a cursory examination of the evidence demonstrates convincingly that Jesus had only been a human being just like you and me, although with unusual gifts of kindness and wisdom. But that's all I had ever really given the evidence: a cursory look. I had read just enough philosophy and history to find support for my skepticism- a fact here, a scientific theory there, a pithy quote, a clever argument. Sure, I could see some gaps and inconsistencies, but I had a strong motivation to ignore them: a self serving and immoral life style that I would be compelled to abandon if I were ever to change my views and become a follower of Jesus.

As far as i was concerned, the case was closed. There was enough proof for me to rest easy with the conclusion that the divinity of Jesus was nothing more than the fanciful invention of superstitions people.

Or so I thought..."

I cant wait to read what happens next in his journey!

Lean on Me

We all experience difficulties, problems, and trials throughout life. We also look for ways to solve those problems. One basic question we all ask is "What can I do to solve this?" Rather we should ask "What can God do to solve this?"

In my experience I’ve found, the more I try to take control of a situation (and not pray about it or involve God in it), the more the situation seems to fall apart or not go as planned. Not only do I feel like I’m losing control, I feel afraid and worried.

I found this really wonderful explanation of how we can handle problems throughout life. I hope it helps you as much as it helps me.

Colossians 2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him.

This is such an awesome scripture. It says that the way we are saved is the way we should live.
-We didn't get saved by trying and struggling; it’s free! Likewise, you don’t have to live your life on your own strength by trying and struggling.
-Help from the Lord is free. We just have to receive it.

Every believer is saved simply by believing (and receiving) God's love, grace, and mercy. We are not required to quote ‘clean house’ to receive His forgiveness. We simply need to receive a free gift. Pastor Ray Johnston at Bayside Church tells a really funny example that I know my family and friends can relate to. Of course his explanation is much more entertaining than mine, but I’ll try.

Ray compares receiving Gods grace to cleaning your house. For example, many people hire a cleaning lady to clean their house. We feel embarrassed by our messes so we actually straighten up before the cleaning lady come…which is silly. That’s what the cleaning lady is for!

Likewise, many of us think that in order to have a relationship with God we have to ‘clean house’. Many of us think God won’t be interested in a relationship with us because we’re not good enough. We think we need to become ‘religious’ or do certain things and act a certain way and only then will God consider a relationship with us. In truth, we don’t need to ‘fix our selves’ to have a relationship with God. He simply accepts us as we are.

Similarly, we don’t have to solve our problems on our own. We don’t have to fight and struggle to get by. We simply need to lean on him and He will carry our burdens.

-1 Peter 5:7 Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

-Psalms 37:5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.

-Psalm 37:24 though he stumble, he will not fall, the LORD upholds him with his hand.

-Psalm 68:19 Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

With all that being said, trust the Lord God in every area of your life, even during problems, because every problem He gives you an opportunity to strengthen your faith and trust Him.

Trust in the LORD forever, For in GOD the LORD, we have an everlasting Rock. Isaiah 26:4

<3

Inspiration for Life!

One of my moms friends husband was seriously injured in a motorcycle accident. He is currently in the hospital recovering. My mom's friend (Jessica) posts updates on facebook every few days with her husbands status. Jessica's posts are so incredibly encouraging and positive and faithful and brilliant all at the same time! Im so inspired I couldn't help but to share one of her posts. It's listed below:

"I want my husband back. Body and mind, I want him back. I am contending today for his speedy and FULL recovery. He'll be undergoing PEG placement procedure at some point in the day (stomach feeding tube)which should help him regain his strength and muscle mass more quickly. The goal is to have him off the monitors and taking baby steps by next week. If all goes well, he will be transferred to the full-time rehabilitation unit at Mercy General Hospital for about 5-6 weeks.

Chris really challenged me last night. He told me his goal was to be out of the hospital and at the Steelers vs. 49ers game on December 19th. I poo-pooed him. How ridiculous! With weeks of recovery and months of healing ahead of him, what an absurd plan! But God put a check in my heart! "You think I can do this?" I heard him say. "But God! It's ridiculous! I know You CAN do it, but I just don't think You WILL!" Then i realized where Chris is putting his faith. He is simply thinking and living Phillipians 4:13! "I can do all things through Him who GIVES ME STRENGTH!"

True, God is famous for making rules for our own good and benefit, but God is also desperate for a RELATIONSHIP with us. Not A one sided affair where He does all the work or we live by our won strength only, but a give and take relationship where BOTH are involved. Chris knows that he can get up and out of the hospital bed because Chris knows God. He knows who God IS. They are friends! They have been in a relationship for years.

My prayer today is that you experience the God of RELATIONSHIP, who gives you strength to do ALL THINGS. Lean on Him. Trust Him. Talk to Him. And let Him give you HIS strength TODAY!"

Arbonne? Ever Heard of it?!

Arbonne means “good things from the earth”. It’s also the name of a health and wellness company that sells safe skin care and wellness products. I began using Arbonne products a few months ago and I love love love the products for the following reasons.

All products are:
•Botanically-Based
•Hypoallergenic
•Dermatologist Tested
•Never Tested on Animals
•Formulated without Animal Products or By-Products
•Formulated without Dyes or Chemical Fragrances
•Formulated without Mineral Oil or Alcohol
•Glutton Free
•Vegan Certified

One of my other favorite things about Arbonne, there’s something for EVERYONE!
•Skin care
•Hair care
•Baby care
•Men’s Line
•Acne Line
•Cosmetics
•Healthy Living
•Detox

I love the products so much I decided why not try my hand in selling them! :)

So I took a leap of faith and jumped in 2 feet first!

I’m officially an Arbonne consultant and running my own little business! With my own skills and person effort, Arbonne is able to provide a fantastic income potential. It doesn’t limit me to a set schedule or long commute. I can work when and where I want on my own terms. It fits right into the nooks and crannies of my life. My goal is to have Arbonne help me achieve my personal and financial goals so that one day I can wake up in the morning, walk 10 steps to my office and be my own boss! :)

So excited for this new journey!

Planning for the future and taking control

College- Check!
Job- Check!
Wedding- Check!

I’ve been looking into the future wondering what my next BIG step in life will be. At this point, most of my friends are starting to have babies and some of their babies are now toddlers! I’ve been trying to determine what exactly I want out of life. For me, there’s no way I could live an entire life time and not experience having a child or being a mother.

Am I ready yet? I think so.
Could I be more prepared? Absolutely!
Are there a few things I want to do first? A few.

However, I know exactly what I don’t want.

I think about being a kid and how busy my parents were. I remember my parents seeming like they accomplished something when all us kids were off to school wearing matching socks, and they made it to work barely at 8am and got the bills paid before they were 30 days overdue.

It seems like we get so busy that we’re desperately trying to keep one thing or another from crashing and burning. While I know there’s no way to completely avoid being “busy” I don’t want life controlling me. I don’t want my kids to grow up before my eyes, I don’t want to NOT get up for work every day and I don’t want to say ‘NO’ because I’m too busy to add another thing to my plate.

Ideally I’d prefer not to work a full time job. Get up, get ready, feed the kids, get kids ready for school, drop kids off, work 8 hours, pick kids up, play with kids, feed kids, bathe kids, go to bed and get up the next day to do it all over again! Yikes! Props to working moms! If I HAD to do it, I would. But I’m not sure I’d be the prime candidate for ‘the working mom’ job. I know how I function and instead of being ‘super mom’ I’d be ‘barely hanging in there’ mom.

Although being a stay at home mommy doesn’t sound all that appealing. I’ve heard the story told time and again that women get so caught up being a mommy that they forget how to be themselves. I'd like to avaoid that crisis as well! So, I’d like to have a part time job and be a full time mommy! Even though kiddo #1 is not even a ‘bun in the oven’ I’d still like to prepare myself.

So to all the people asking ‘when are you and Mike going to start having kids’ the answer is, when I can work a part time job. I’m currently working on that part time job behind the scenes in hopes that in the next year or so I will earn enough to replace the income from my full time job. In the mean time I’m simply enjoying being married. Enjoying my family and friends and enjoying the flexibility of a life without kids.

Life doesn’t have to be filled with BIG steps. They can be filled with little steps too! And that’s what I’ll be doing for a little while.

I Have a Decided Heart

A wise man once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Knowing this to be true, I am taking my first step today. For too long my feet have been tentative, shuffling left and right, more backward than forward as my heart gauged the direction of the wind. Criticism, condemnation, and complaint are creatures of the wind. They come and go on the wasted breath of lesser beings and have no power over me. The power to control direction belongs to me. Today I will begin to exercise that power.

My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

I have a decided heart. I am passionate about my vision for the future.
I will awaken every morning with an excitement about the new day and its opportunity for growth and change. My thoughts and actions will work in a forward motion, never sliding into the dark forest of doubt or the muddy quicksand of self-pity. I will freely give my vision for the future to others, and as they see the belief in my eyes, they will follow me.

I will lay my head on my pillow at night happily exhausted, knowing that I have done everything within my power to move the mountains in my path. As I sleep, the same dream that dominates my waking hours will be with me in the dark. Yes, I have a dream. It is a great dream, and I will never apologize for it. Neither will I ever let it go, for if I did, my life would be finished. My hopes, my passions, my vision for the future is my very existence. A person without a dream never had a dream come true.

I have a decided heart. I will not wait.

I know that the purpose of analysis is to come to a conclusion. I have tested the angles. I have measured the probabilities. And now I have made a decision with my heart. I am not timid. I will move now and not look back. What I put off until tomorrow, I will put off until the next day as well. I do not procrastinate. All my problems become smaller when I confront them. If I touch a thistle with caution, it will prick me, but if I grasp it boldly, its spines crumble into dust.
I will not wait. I am passionate about my vision for the future. My course has been charted. My destiny is assured.

I have a decided heart.
I am a person of action.

Andy Andrews~

San Diego

So, this blog is way overdue. This year for my (our) birthday, we (Morg and Mal) flew down to San Diego to visit our very best friend, Brittany. Britt had a fun yet relaxing weekedn planned for us. Friday we started with pedicures. We made appointments at the cutest little spa called Mingle. The 3 of us enjoyed our pedicures with a glass of champagne! So relaxing and a great way to start the weekend.












































Later that day we enjoyed walking around Pacific Beach. We had lunch at a little cafe called Zanzibar and shopped at all sorts of cute stores. We ended up on the beach where I have to admit was a little chili. That night Brit cooked us a yummy dinner at home and we spend the eveining drinking drinks and catching up with each other.

The next day we spend in Down Town San Diego. We started off at the Gas Lamp Tavern and had some yummy snacks and of course some yummy drinks. Then we headed to the coolest bar called Vin De Syrah. It's a Wine and Spirits parlor in down town SD. It has this very unique Alice in Wonderland feel to it. I've never been to such an interesting kind of bar before. It was so creative!




















Later that evening we had dinner on the top of the Marriott hotel. The top of the hotel over looked the Padres stadium. It was so cool!






















At about 10pm the top of the Marriot turned into a night club. We only last an hour before we left. LOL






















Our flight left at about 5pm on Sunday, so we had a half day to play. We went to Belmont Park which is sort of like a mini carnival on the beach. We decided to ride the roller coaster which was SUPER fun! LOL I cant remmember the last time I rode a roller coaster. We did some more shopping and spend a little bit more time at the beach.


























Then we were off to the airport to go home. Good friends! Good Times! It was a great birthday weekend!