life after turkey

thanksgiving break was over in about 2 seconds, full of long car rides and dog food and rain storms. and cowgirl boots.

we spent a few days in fairhope with the fam, experiencing our first thanksgiving in the new house. the best part of the house are the brick floors in the dining room....i don't have a picture so if anyone wants to see they will have to come visit. :) 

we also got to experience a full fledged fairhope style turkey trot, complete with a trotting turkey and all. puff thoroughly enjoyed herself. she ran a mile in 7(ish) minutes! (she could have run faster, but I was slowing her down.)

then we headed up to birmingham for a few days, and of course we got to enjoy watching the crimson tide beat up on auburn, roll tide roll.

the turkey is gone, and now it is time to break out the christmas decorations. its the most wonderful time of the year!

high five for first kiss

a daily fight

life in pictures

                                                  does it get any cuter than that face?

 

 if that little girl doesn't win the cutest child ever award then i don't know who will. my favorite Lainey!

Its a rainy wednesday, my car wont start because it needs a new alternator, i've been sick as a dog the past 3 days, im drowning in schoolwork, there are a lot of activities this week with the youth kids, and i basically need to get a grip. and on top of that, i have this ridiculously unhealthy fear of tornados ever since this little incident a few months ago....

its a daily fight and struggle to not give in to fear and anxiety and a generally hopeless feeling of overwhelmedness. (i know, thats not a word.) today is not the day for a super spiritual post full of inspiring and thought provoking theological concepts. today its just a fight to keep functioning.

and why couldn't we just beat LSU? i mean losing in overtime by a field goal? seriously? another complaint to add to my list of problems.

you know how St. Francis of Assisi says to preach the gospel to yourself everyday, and if necessary use words? well today I need words, because the feeling of grace and love for the gospel is definitely not oozing out of everything i think and do.

so i will use words. these words:

My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

twenty-one

a year ago I posted a list of deep reflections and inspiring thoughts as the days approached my twentieth birthday. well....its almost birthday time again, and this is what i'm reflecting on...

  

i'm almost 21 ya'll.

forgive?

in  approximately 3 hours I am supposed to be leading my weekly bible study for junior high girls. the topic this week? Forgiveness.

In our entire study on womanhood, what it means to serve, what it means to encourage, give life, etc,....i have never felt so inadequate to teach about a topic as I do at this very moment.

Forgiveness? I'm the last person in the world who should be telling 11 and 12 year old girls how to forgive.

why just this morning I got in a huge argument with my sister, and I haven't spoken to her since. (except to text her and ask her to let the dog out when she gets home.)

i spent an hour last night talking with a friend about a situation that i am frustrated with, and i went away feeling far more angry and unforgiving than i did in the first place.

i am constantly holding grudges against friends that i love, and replaying instances in my head where i wasn't treated the way i wanted.

and ultimately, i don't believe that God forgives me. I haven't had a quiet time all week, and I think that as a result, God is angry with me and holding a grudge, just like I would do if I was Him.

when i think about forgiving someone who has really hurt me, i dont think about it for long. why? because forgiveness... its pretty much as impossible as flying.
But recall the little poem of John Bunyan:

Run, John, run, the law commands
But gives us neither feet nor hands,
Far better news the gospel brings:

It bids us fly and gives us wings.

the gospel is what enables me to fly. to forgive. the flying is forgiveness. just as God in Christ has also forgiven me. why? Because the death of Jesus satisfied God's demand, and my sin has been forever forgiven, and eternally washed away.

in the words of the hymn by Lewis Jones, circa 1899,

"Would you be free from the burden of sin?
There’s power in the blood, power in the blood;
Would you over evil a victory win?
There’s wonderful power in the blood.

There is power, power, wonder working power
In the precious blood of the Lamb."

the power to forgive.