Two worlds of blue

Sitting in this boat,

What can be seen?

A world of blue a world of green.

Okay, no green but double blue,

Two worlds of blue I see.



The blue of the air,

The blue of water

Meet together at the sun.

As I sit I ponder,

how these two worlds of blue begun.



In the beginning our God He spoke

Creation had began,

He created the birds of the air,

The mammals in sea & on land.



Back to reality in these worlds of blue

I remember I’m on a boat.

Time to stop & gaze on the beauty

That surrounds me with every stroke.



Guided through the water

Each stroke a new sight to see,

Whether the birds or the fish,

The beautiful blue worlds surround me.



Most view the world in blue and green,

Yet in a boat you’ll find,

There is no green, but double blue

Two worlds of blue I see.

"Now is the time"

The Lord lately has been speaking to me through little phrases.  This Spring I was constently thinking of the silly phrase "If life brings your lemons, make lemonaid!" I was constantly praying asking the Lord if it was worth it to make lemonaid, and if it was how I went about making lemonaid.   Remembering scriptures such as Neh 8:10 "The Joy of the Lord is my strength" and John 10:10, ".. I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."  I would struggle with the fact that I did have Jesus and I should have His joy, a full life in Him and geese I was trying hard a making things work (to make lemonaid of the situation I was in but it never came). As I sought the Lord He showed me a different "recipe" if you will; I thought for the longest time to make lemonaid I needed to stay where I was at and make things better.  But after seeking the Lord I I realized I didn't have to stay where I was, I had the freedom to follow my desires (the desires He'd given me) and to move in a different direction.  It wasn't an easy process to step in faith, even though it was something I so badly desired to do.  It did however end in one heaping glass of very, very sweet lemonaid.  :-)

Another phrase I had going on in my mind this Spring was  "when the going gets tough, the tough getting going!"  I thought about this often followed by my thoughts of thinking, "I've always thought I was tough, but man when the the going gets tough- I don't get tough, I get tired, I get weary.  I would think on Isaiah 40:28-31"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired  His understanding is inscrutable. He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."  I needed help, I had worked so hard at "making lemonaid" I was exhausted, I couldn't make it work any longer.  I needed Jesus, I needed His strength and He delivered.  I really thought that once He showed me the the direction I was supposed to go that life would get a lot easier, a little less heavy.  Little did I know making a tough decision is hard, and though I knew I was doing the right thing of moving- it was hard to take the steps to make that happen.  I was completely exhausted, mentally, spritually, emotionally, I HAD to lean on the Lord and remember what He'd shown me above through the process of seeking Him.  He would be my strength, He was my strength.  It wasn't me who got tough to get going, the Lord through me was tough and got me going.  He filled the gap, just like He's done many times before. 

Lately the phrase that has been going through my head is, "now is the time."  Transition in life is always interesting, things/ schedules get a little off course, and it takes awhile for things to get settled back into a sense of normalness.  I feel like the Lord's chanting in my ear "now is the time" coinsides with my life becoming more normal.  (if normal is even possible.)  See, my time in the boonies was great because it allowed me to get good picture of what a semi-balanced life looks like (minus a few things).  The Lord showed me some essentials that need to be in my life daily for me to experience life to the full thru Him.  Life is slowing down, things are settling and He is saying "now is the time" to get back to the basis of those things.  Orgainization of life, exercise, time in the Word, fellowship with people, etc.  As I walk through this I just wanted to throw the thought out to you, what is "now" the time for you?  What is the Lord asking you to partake in, change, or where would He like you to go? 

I know, if you are anything like me you are already thinking... Lord, what if I fail?  What if I can't make it happen just like I feel it should?  What if I can't make the time?  As I question I hear Him say, ""My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."  I have to continualy realized that it's NOT ABOUT ME, it's not about what I can do but IT IS all about Him and what He wants to do.  Just like when the going was tough and He made me strong He will once again fill the gap so that He can be glorified.  Take a step of faith today not only remembering that the Lord is sufficient for us, making us perfect in our weakness but also that we are promised that this "now is the time" moment is part of Him molding and making us to be more like Him, and ultimately letting Him be glorified. In Philippians we are told, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."  Daily the Lord is working in us and through us to make us more like Him.  Take a step today in the direction He is taking you.. Now is the time.  Be blessed!

Runs Deep

The desires of my heart,


Your will runs so deep.

It puts movement to my feet,

And tells me when to speak.

Patiently waiting Lord to see your plan,

I will seek your face-

I will rest in your hands.

Your timing is perfect,

As surely as winter turns to spring.

Like a wild flower blooming,

Which brings a smile, daily to me.

Without question we should trust and obey.

Your character never changes,

You are the one thing that stays the same.

The desires you’ve given me,

I know will come to be.

Because it’s Your will I desire,

It’s Your will that runs deep.

Red fingernail polish.

For some reason I have a lot of "phrases" going through my head right now..they have been continually flooding my brain kinda like a broken record if you will. (and I know you will).  I think they started when I painted my fingernail red.. (red romance that is-ha!)


Some of these are:
Hmmm... I don't know how I feel about that.  Funny thing is, I haven't had much to think about.

Sassy, but classy..haha (I'm feeling sassy today- whatever that means!)

Move along, move along.

Yay, buddy!

Well, mylanta! (who says this? apparently I do now..)

Really??  (that's what I said after attempting to fix my hair this morning)

I can turn a gray sky blue, I can make it rain whenever I want it too.. (that's the song thats been in my head for 3ish days)
I wonder...

Are all things really as they seem?

Sometimes you have to be willing to take a risk.


How does a pair of jeans fit the same if you've lost 20 pounds.. ya, thats weird.  Does that mean the scale is lying to me?

I wonder what those choc/ pb bars taste like that I made last night.. (the fact that the recipe says one was 216 calories has kept me from finding out).  I'm needing a jdm..

I'm not good at taking pictures yet.. i'll try to get better. :)  After posting this I thought I could post some more pictures...

I thought it might be fun to show one (whoever that one maybe) where I daily run. Most the thoughts that run through my head happen here, all other times I'm just a blank canvas. 

Me looking silly, and feeling sassy (at work mind you).. red fingernail polish will do that to you every time.

We are simply following Him...

Holy moly! What have I done?


A leap of faith, and I’m on the run.

I don’t know where this search will take me

I am confident however the Lords voice will direct me.



Taking a step can be hard, can be scary

Do I need to hurry up, or do I need slow down & tarry..

Question after question thought after thought

The mental aspect alone, for me is a lot!



Paul in Philippians gives some good advice,

Do not be anxious, take time to pray.

The words that follow go on to say:

think on these 8 words in the midst of your day.

(Think on things that are true, noble, right, pure,

Lovely, admirable, excellent & praiseworthy)



The combination of these things comes with a promise too.

Think on these things and

The peace of God will be with you!

What a promise, what a truth in the midst of seeking the Lord.

He is always with us,

He won't leave us alone.



Be strong and courageous DO NOT fear..

The book of Joshua commands and tells us the Lord will always be near.

So instead of stopping and thinking Holy Moly! What have a done?

Stop and pray not my will Lord but yours be done!



The Lord will answer, He will direct.

His timing is perfect, we must not forget.

He is the author and perfector of our faith,

In Hebrews were told He’s the

Same, yesterday, forever and today!



What a blessing,

Will you take hold?

He wants to be your Savior,

To make and to mold.

To teach you daily how to live for Him.

Where we no long have to say

Holy moly! what have I done,

We just know we are simply following Him.

the ONLY THING we need

I have gotten to where I basically run every day. Some days I am really excited about getting to run, other days its work; yet I know that when I get done I will feel so good, so I try to push through. There are also some days when I think I'm excited about running but it’s hard for me to stay focused long enough to get done what I want (or need to) get done. (Especially if I'm training for a distanced run). See most the time I run on a treadmill, in a house (that's the workout gym in the boonies) with no tv, I stare at a wall. Thank goodness for my ipod- I on most days get lost in song or thought and the time has passed before I even know it. I've had days that I easily spent 2 hours on the treadmill without even coming close to feeling like 2 hours were gone. Yet still, there are days when I can barely last 20 minutes.. I get bored.. I don't feel like running, quite frankly I'd rather be somewhere else, doing something else.




Yesterday, I had a really good run and some really good thoughts in the process. Because the run was good, it was easy, freeing, etc I was in no hurry to get off the treadmill. I only ran 5 miles, but I could have easily stayed on there for hours and loved every minute of it. This contentment made me stop and think about the other runs (like the ones listed above) which were so hard, when I couldn't help but be ready to get off the treadmill- and let’s be honest sometimes in those moments I've bowed out WAY before reaching my goal. After getting off the treadmill I often wish I'd stuck it out. Fighting boredom would be more worthwhile to me than the feeling of not doing what I set out to accomplish in the first place..



This made me start thinking about life. How often do we get in a place and when it’s not exactly what we thought it would be we want to hurry on to the next thing? I remember growing up and hearing my Mom talk to kids about growing up and how often we go from elementary school thinking life was going to be great in Junior High, or even High School. I'm sure there is some thinking that ah, I just can't wait to be on my own, independent, or life will be perfect when I get married, then the next think you know you are thinking you need kids to make things better. Or even, you think my career will be absolutely perfect if I could just get to this point, or if I'd win this price. Some might even say, Lord- I will not ask for another thing if I could just get to this point and Lord you will get the glory! Granted, all these things are wonderful. Marriage and children are definite desires of my heart- but they will never make life complete... they are blessings from the Lord, over and above what He has already given us.



John 10:10 says, "The thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy, yet I have come to give life, and give it to the full."



When Jesus was at the well in John 4, He talks about being the living water:

”So he came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the field that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”



The Lord, unlike the world, provides us a way to become completely satisfied in Him. The world likes to offer us many things, many pleasures, and in all honesty not all these things are bad. Yet how often do we look to these things to base our feelings, actions, or emotions? At the end of the day, will that provide the consistency we are all looking for, or even seeking in life?



We are told in Hebrews that Jesus is the same, yesterday today and forever. When you look at the Bible from the beginning to end (even on a surface level- side note is that a friend and I were talking about how the more you study the Word, the more you realize you don't know- so I'm not claiming to know it all, just telling you what I've seen.) there is never a flaw, or inconsistency in the Character of Christ. This is completely unbelievable- the Lord will provide, protect, comfort, discipline, redeem, free, satisfy, etc .. Over and over again, that’s what He’s been doing from the beginning of time!



Why then do we constantly get distracted? Lose focus, and forget what we had set out to do? In conversation I had a friend tell me one time, “Andrea- last fall I was completely certain of what I was supposed to do, and was at peace with my decision. Now- I’m not so sure.” All I could really say in that moment… well what has changed? Has your focus changed? Have you let yourself get distracted? I can’t speak into what the Lord is telling you other than to say, seek- pray- search your heart and see if something has come in the way to make your thoughts change. Because I don’t believe the Lord will give us a desire, and a peace that He won’t fulfill.



As we run, we get distracted (like I do so easily on the treadmill). We lose our focus, which also causes us to miss out on what the Lord has for us. Maybe we miss out on growth, maybe we miss on the experience of seeing the Lord move, and even the experience of Him using us for His glory! All these things are challenging yes, and sometimes we want to jump off the treadmill- Especially when we can’t see exactly what the Lord is working on. However, I know for certain He is always working. If you don’t know Him yet.. He wants to do a work within you. He wants to change your world! And if you do know Him, He wants to continue working in you! He wants to work through you, to work in others. We serve an individual God, whose come to save the world... its not about US, its about HIM, and people coming to know HIM.



How often in this world are we waiting for or wanting the next big thing? When in all honesty if you know Jesus, you have the ONLY THING we need. Sure we'll recieve blessings (Ps. 128:5), but He is the ULTIMATE blessing. Don't jump ship in the middle of a great run, because you get distracted by something at the time that seems better... there is no better. There isn't anything that compares! Let the Lord be your focus, your ONLY THING needed. When He is the ONLY THING we need, everything else seems to look completely different. Experience that joy today.. Be blessed!





Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”



Ps. 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

MUCHNESS

So this morning as I was driving to work, I thought a lot about a movie I had seen last week. A week ago I went to go see Alice in Wonderland with a friend.. I didn't realize until I started watching the movie though, that I had actually not ever seen the original (oops, don't tell Homeboy). It was a cute little movie, that I didn't go see for a deep meaning, yet simply enjoyment. Like I said though, today I couldn't help but think of the movie and how I can relate to where Alice is in life. She continually has the same dream, yet cannot overcome it because she gets frighened in the middle, or doesn't think she can handle the situation at hand. The Mad Hatter tells her at one point, "You used to be much more..."muchier." You've lost your muchness." Such funny wording, yet I got exactly what he meant.


Due to somethings that have happened in my past I too had lost my "muchness" (sounds funny doesn't it? I can't believe I'm really using Alice in Wonderland to explain this). The missing muchness is an area of my life that has needed a major overhaul for sometime. Because: muchness is like the ump to get things going, the bait that catches the fish, the wings that fly the bird (?) haha. See the happenings of my past allowed me to come up short in a lot of different situations, frustrating situations, which after experiencing a couple times you just want to go through the motions of doing things so you don't have to deal with the hurt and frustrations anymore. And because of this attitude you quit looking to see what the Lord is doing in the midst of these situations which could help grow you into the person He has you to become. (Romans 8:28).

Through the process of the movie Alice in Wonderland, she is faced with many situations inwhich she has to overcome fears, doubts, etc. I found it interesting that usually she'd be timid approaching these situations, yet after remember something that her father had told her as a child- she would charge on and conquer. I spent a year at the Institute being taugth the Word daily which added depth to the foundation on which I stand. It also provided me Words from my Heavenly Father to face situations in the past in which I have usually ran from. Verses that tell me who He is, and who I am in Him. It's not easy to face stones left unturned, yet amazing to me that just like in Alice's case, the more that I listen to Him and His Word's and let them infiltrate my life- the stronger the force behind the way inwhich I live. I guess what I'm telling you is that the "muchness" is returning. :) As Alice would say, "How's this for muchness?" I'm living in the boonies (by myself), and the Lord is blessing my socks off daily, He is moving in me teaching me, growing me... restoring me in ways I never knew imaginable. The Lord knew I needed to be placed here, so that I could only focus on Him and allow Him to teach me knew things.

I will finish with this thought: Alice at the end has to overcome a jabawake (sorry if I spelled that wrong), and she has to use a special sword. She was basically told she just had to show up and the sword would know what to do. What a great reminder to us the Lord will fight the battle for us, we just have to pick up the sword. We basically just have to be willing to let Him lead, be willing to take action in what He is doing, and let Him do it. HE''S ALREADY WON THE BATTLE! This could apply to a lot of different areas in my life right now, and daily the Lord and I are conquering these things. It feels good to desire to do things, to see the Lords purpose throughout, and to want to be a part of it. Yet in the midst of those desires, I still get destracted. Don't we all? Since January I've been asking the Lord to show me what needs to be a part of my life and He has consistantly shown me- yet I haven't always followed through with everything. Something I have wanted to take time to do for awhile now is to work on a chidren's devotional book that I started this summer while working at Kanakuk.. Therefore with great MUCHNESS for the next 52 days (random number I know- its just the one I feel like fits the best for the plan) I will work on this devotional book and see what the Lord plans to do through it.

Do you desire more muchness in your life? Its been a long process but the Lord most certainly provides when we ask. The Lord wants to fill you up, heal your wounds, and minister to you in a new way. He wants to be behind (well and in front of) your every move. Will you let Him be? Serve Him with a new found MUCHNESS today! Be blessed!