Busy with papers tonight, so just passing on a prayer from Tozer.
"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing. I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, 'Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.' Then give me the grace to rise and follow Thee up from the misty lowland where I have wandered so long."
Begin in mercy a new work of love within us, always, every day.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
Rotary and Pizza Cutters
Today I used both a rotary cutter and and pizza cutter within the span of like an hour, and I realized they are a lot a like...except that the rotary cutter is much sharper. I realized that little fact when I cut my finger today with said rotary cutter! Those things can slice you! Wouldn't stop bleeding... but don't worry, my fabric's fine (and my finger too!)
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Food for Thought Wednesday
Though this is in Crazy Love, it is a quote by Piper from his book God is the Gospel.
"The critical question for our generation - and for every generation- is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasure you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ was not there?"
I think this quote speaks for itself - it requires more thinking than writing/talking. But it raises several weighty questions. How do we desire Christ? Is He our desire? Or do we simply desire the lack of conflict and the presence of pleasure?
God has been teaching me that he has instilled in us a longing for the eternal; it is inherent in us. Nothing (nothing!) can fill this longing except the One who is eternal. All other things pass away - and purposefully so... so that we might be directed once again to the Eternal One. The friends, the absence of sickness, pleasure, natural beauty... none of these will fill us, so if they are what we are looking for, they will fail us. If we are looking for anything other than the person Christ, we are misdirected.
Think of him as a person - he was a man. He had hair on his head, and fingers and toes, and a laugh and smile. Do you long for this Jesus? Do I long for this Jesus? How much more we should long for him than we do!
"The critical question for our generation - and for every generation- is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasure you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ was not there?"
I think this quote speaks for itself - it requires more thinking than writing/talking. But it raises several weighty questions. How do we desire Christ? Is He our desire? Or do we simply desire the lack of conflict and the presence of pleasure?
God has been teaching me that he has instilled in us a longing for the eternal; it is inherent in us. Nothing (nothing!) can fill this longing except the One who is eternal. All other things pass away - and purposefully so... so that we might be directed once again to the Eternal One. The friends, the absence of sickness, pleasure, natural beauty... none of these will fill us, so if they are what we are looking for, they will fail us. If we are looking for anything other than the person Christ, we are misdirected.
Think of him as a person - he was a man. He had hair on his head, and fingers and toes, and a laugh and smile. Do you long for this Jesus? Do I long for this Jesus? How much more we should long for him than we do!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Twenty Five
So, I turned 25 on Friday. It feels a little old, but I think I'm okay with it :) And, it's been quite the year. Huge things have happened in my life this last year.
The year in review: got engaged, worked as a TA at southwestern, studied at cambridge, completed my middle semester in the MABL, took a sister trip to alabama (and pieced a quilt top in 24 hours!) planned a wedding, got married, went to New York... and now almost finished my MABL.
Grateful for: my husband - my best friend who became my covenant partner, my mom - for getting to plan my wedding with her, my family - always, a new church family in pecan grove - people who love so well, and YHWH's convictions and teaching in my life.
Thank you Lord for a year of loving and learning.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Food for Thought Wednesday
I wrote some notes last night on Humility, but honestly there are a few books that I have read so far this year that I would love to write my reactions to. But writing my reactions to an entire book is apparently a feat too extensive, because it's just been sitting on my to-do list for a couple months now. So, I've decided to examine them little by little... Ergo, I'm introducing... Food for Thought Wednesdays.
And our inaugural FFTW was incredibly timely this morning. I've read Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and decided to start with this book. During a break in between classes this morning, I opened it up, thumbing through to find my first major sticky note. (I have to read with sticky notes, or else I forget everything. blah.)
And the first hot pink sticky note that caught my eye immediately convicted me. It was on worry and stress, along with the command in Philippians to "Rejoice in the Lord always."
Now this morning, I had been throwing myself quite a pity party. My ride to school was filled with thoughts like: "D's got this new job, and I'm afraid I will never get to see him." "I have these stupid papers that won't stop nagging me." "I hate my job. I'm dreading going to work today." It was pretty pitiful. I'm embarrassed to even admit.
But God met me there, with this command, and these pages from Crazy Love. "Rejoice," he said to me. "Rejoice!"
Here's some thoughts from Chan: "You'll notice that it (Philippians 4.4 - 'Rejoice in the Lord always.') doesn't end with '...unless you're doing something extremely important.' No, it's a command for all of us, and it follows with the charge, 'Do not be anxious about anything.' (v 6)... When I am consumed by my problems, stressed out about my life, my family and my job, I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a 'right' to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities... Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. "
Goodness, this got me. What is more important? My desire to throw a pity party? Or God's goodness leading to rejoicing?
Rejoice, Ashley, Rejoice!
What do you think? Are you humbled by these words? Does it cause your heart to rejoice? Honestly, it's probably not an automatic "Oh, I'm happy now." But I'm trying to make it my mindset - to rejoice - to think on and meditate on the God who calls me to rejoice.
And our inaugural FFTW was incredibly timely this morning. I've read Crazy Love by Francis Chan, and decided to start with this book. During a break in between classes this morning, I opened it up, thumbing through to find my first major sticky note. (I have to read with sticky notes, or else I forget everything. blah.)
And the first hot pink sticky note that caught my eye immediately convicted me. It was on worry and stress, along with the command in Philippians to "Rejoice in the Lord always."
Now this morning, I had been throwing myself quite a pity party. My ride to school was filled with thoughts like: "D's got this new job, and I'm afraid I will never get to see him." "I have these stupid papers that won't stop nagging me." "I hate my job. I'm dreading going to work today." It was pretty pitiful. I'm embarrassed to even admit.
But God met me there, with this command, and these pages from Crazy Love. "Rejoice," he said to me. "Rejoice!"
Here's some thoughts from Chan: "You'll notice that it (Philippians 4.4 - 'Rejoice in the Lord always.') doesn't end with '...unless you're doing something extremely important.' No, it's a command for all of us, and it follows with the charge, 'Do not be anxious about anything.' (v 6)... When I am consumed by my problems, stressed out about my life, my family and my job, I actually convey the belief that I think the circumstances are more important than God's command to always rejoice. In other words, that I have a 'right' to disobey God because of the magnitude of my responsibilities... Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. "
Goodness, this got me. What is more important? My desire to throw a pity party? Or God's goodness leading to rejoicing?
Rejoice, Ashley, Rejoice!
What do you think? Are you humbled by these words? Does it cause your heart to rejoice? Honestly, it's probably not an automatic "Oh, I'm happy now." But I'm trying to make it my mindset - to rejoice - to think on and meditate on the God who calls me to rejoice.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Humility
I read this book earlier in the year, and was so grateful for the journey it took me on.
Humility: The Journey Towards Holiness, Andrew Murray
Murray encourages our prayer to be: "Oh for the humility of Jesus in myself and all around me."
He makes the point that our pride is not revealed in the midst of sin, but instead, it is grace that reveals our pride. This grace is His working on us, disciplining us, molding us to be more like His Son. It may not be too comfortable, but it is for our good, for our restoration.
My favorite chapter is the one on faith, and how pride impedes faith. “It is indeed pride that makes faith impossible.” “…pride and faith are irreconcilably at odds, we learn that faith and humility are at their root one, and that we can never have more of true faith than we have of true humility.”
Whoa. Read it again. How prideful am I? And what does this say about my faith?
He says of faith: "Is it not in itself the most humbling thing there can be – the acceptance of our place as dependents who can claim, or get, or do nothing but what grace bestows? Humility is simply the disposition that prepares the soul for living in trust.”
This is beautiful. My prayer is that I would have that disposition that prepares me for living in trust. I want to live in trust in My Savior. D and I are in such an 'in between' phase. Everything ahead seems uncertain, unplanned. May we live in trust ... may this trust be rooted in a faith&humility that is our breath of life.
Will leave you with this last quote from Murray:
"Let the glory of the all-glorious God be everything to you. You will be freed from the glory of men and of self and be content and glad to be nothing. Out of this nothingness, you will grow strong in faith, giving glory to God, and you will find that the deeper you sink in humility before Him, the nearer He is to fulfill every desire of your faith.”
May Your glory be everything to us.
Humility: The Journey Towards Holiness, Andrew Murray
Murray encourages our prayer to be: "Oh for the humility of Jesus in myself and all around me."
He makes the point that our pride is not revealed in the midst of sin, but instead, it is grace that reveals our pride. This grace is His working on us, disciplining us, molding us to be more like His Son. It may not be too comfortable, but it is for our good, for our restoration.
My favorite chapter is the one on faith, and how pride impedes faith. “It is indeed pride that makes faith impossible.” “…pride and faith are irreconcilably at odds, we learn that faith and humility are at their root one, and that we can never have more of true faith than we have of true humility.”
Whoa. Read it again. How prideful am I? And what does this say about my faith?
He says of faith: "Is it not in itself the most humbling thing there can be – the acceptance of our place as dependents who can claim, or get, or do nothing but what grace bestows? Humility is simply the disposition that prepares the soul for living in trust.”
This is beautiful. My prayer is that I would have that disposition that prepares me for living in trust. I want to live in trust in My Savior. D and I are in such an 'in between' phase. Everything ahead seems uncertain, unplanned. May we live in trust ... may this trust be rooted in a faith&humility that is our breath of life.
Will leave you with this last quote from Murray:
"Let the glory of the all-glorious God be everything to you. You will be freed from the glory of men and of self and be content and glad to be nothing. Out of this nothingness, you will grow strong in faith, giving glory to God, and you will find that the deeper you sink in humility before Him, the nearer He is to fulfill every desire of your faith.”
May Your glory be everything to us.
Really excited to start working on this project!!
But first... My papers await me...the particle ki and adverbial participles are my projects for the next few weeks. Houndstooth will have to wait until then. So looking forward to being done, for a break from school. Just about a month away... then freedom!
My sweet husband is such an encourager. He reminds me that soon, very soon, these papers will be over, that I will get a break, and that I will have a Masters degree! That our God is provider, that He is our Stay.
But first... My papers await me...the particle ki and adverbial participles are my projects for the next few weeks. Houndstooth will have to wait until then. So looking forward to being done, for a break from school. Just about a month away... then freedom!
My sweet husband is such an encourager. He reminds me that soon, very soon, these papers will be over, that I will get a break, and that I will have a Masters degree! That our God is provider, that He is our Stay.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Finally :)
I finally finished quilting my quilt! My free motion quilting leaves MUCH to be desired, but I'm not too upset, because it was my first shot at it, and I learned a lot. I attempted right off the bat to do swirls, but i wish i had started more simply, with either straight lines or curvy lines and then moved onto swirls. But it's all good. Like I said, a learning experience :)
Now onto binding (one of my favorite parts!)
I found all these very helpful!
http://www.camilleroskelley.typepad.com/ from Camille (on the very bottom on the left - stippling tutorial. its a pdf.)
http://anyonecanquilt.typepad.com/my_weblog/machine-quilting-tutorial/from Anyone Can Quilt
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/from Free Motion Project
Now onto binding (one of my favorite parts!)
I found all these very helpful!
http://www.camilleroskelley.typepad.com/ from Camille (on the very bottom on the left - stippling tutorial. its a pdf.)
http://anyonecanquilt.typepad.com/my_weblog/machine-quilting-tutorial/from Anyone Can Quilt
http://freemotionquilting.blogspot.com/from Free Motion Project
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