Staggering....

This morning, I am simply amazed at this one verse from God's Word:

"Therefore, behold, I will allure her, Will bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfort to her." Hosea 2:14

This is just amazing. God is confronting Israel on her harlotry...and He uses some very vivid, almost shocking imagery here. He has clearly confronted her actions and behaviors, and handed out judgement. He says that He will punish her for the idolatry and for forgetting her God... and then he says this: HE, God, will allure her. He will do the work of drawing her back to Him, of showing her the beauty that is only found in Him, and speaking comfort to her.

I am just utterly amazed at the lengths our God goes for us...

And, as if that were not enough, this is the closing of chapter 2 in Hosea:

"I will betroth you to Me forever;

Yes, I will betroth you to Me

In righteousness and justice,

In lovingkindness and mercy;

I will betroth you to Me in faithfulness,

And you shall know the LORD.

It shall come to pass in that day

That I will answer, 'says the LORD;'

I will answer the heavens,

And they shall answer the earth.

The earth shall answer

with grain, WITH NEW WINE,

And with oil;

They shall answer Jezreel.

Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth,

And I will have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy;

Then I will say to those who were not My people,

'You are My people!'

And they shall say, 'You are my God!'"

Ahhh!! A-mazed by the GOSPEL this morning.

Big Week for Noah...

First trip to the eye doctor....
AND the dentist....

One Year....

My sweet Judah Sean. Today, you are a year old. The years seem to go by faster with every child!! It seems like just the other day, you came...and you were so big. And I blinked my eyes, and now you have eight (or more!) teeth, and you crawl faster than I can keep track, and you are into everything and you have a definite will of your own. You are amazing. Everyone loves you so much!! You bring a special
Joy to our family. And so today, my sweet Judah Sean, all day I have looked at you and thought of your name: praise God who is gracious. You are a constant reminder of His grace, and it causes me to praise Him all the more. I love you sweet boy.

Psalm 145 is super appropriate:
I will exalt you, my God and King,
and praise your name forever and ever. I will praise you every day;
yes, I will praise you forever. Great is the LORD! He is most worthy of praise!
No one can measure his greatness. Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts;
let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor
and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue;
I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness;
they will sing with joy about your righteousness. The LORD is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. The LORD is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation. All of your works will thank you, LORD,
and your faithful followers will praise you. They will speak of the glory of your kingdom;
they will give examples of your power. They will tell about your mighty deeds
and about the majesty and glory of your reign. For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom.
You rule throughout all generations.
The LORD always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does. The LORD helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads. The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it. When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. The LORD is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness. The LORD is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth. He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them. The LORD protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked. I will praise the LORD,
and may everyone on earth bless his holy name
forever and ever. (Psalm 145:1-21 NLT)

Personal....

I am passionate about sharing what large abundance we have with people who have little. I am passionate about every tongue, and tribe and nation hearing of God’s fame and giving Him the worship He is due (in fact, I can barely keep the tears back when I say that phrase, “every tongue, and tribe, and nation”). I am passionate about cultivating an excellent soul...that is, I am passionate about reading God’s Word, reading wonderful books, entering into and breathing in the beauty of God's creation, so that our souls will be full of His light, and we can exhale some of His beauty as we speak and interact with others. I am passionate about studying God’s Word. I find myself so fulfilled, and in awe of the privilege of being a mom, when I am sitting and studying God’s Word with my children. I am passionate about speaking life into these dear little ones....whispering that God has an important part for them to play in His grand story. I am passionate about ordering a home according to the principles of God’s Word. And while I would not be so bold as to tell a woman that she needs to be at home with her children (since every situation is so different), I weep with those moms who wish that they were but can’t be. I am passionate about marriages that don’t just get by and function well, but are a reflection of the intimacy God designed for this special relationship. I am honored and blessed to have my very best friend in the whole world for my spouse. He has challenged me more than any other human up to this point... but he has also loved me deeper and more steadfastly than any other human up to this point (all while knowing me the most intimately!!).

But...for the purposes of (this specific ministry). The two things that I am most passionate about are discipleship, and the gospel of Jesus Christ. By discipleship, I mean... making disciples who will make disciples. A legacy for Jesus Christ. Seeking for Him as for hidden treasure. I absolutely love taking the hand of a dear sister in Christ, and placing her hand in Christ’s as she seeks Him in the midst of troubles. I do not know much, because I am young and I myself was not taught. But, what I have been taught has been sweetly taught from the Lord and His Word, and so it is there that I place my hope and affection. I am passionate about other women finding the depths and riches and beauty that is found only in Christ.

And by the gospel of Jesus Christ, I mean that it is all different-every aspect of life is changed when we apply the gospel to it. Our response to sin, our desires, the way we work, the way we love.... all of it is changed forever. Sometimes it is so difficult for us to see the way the gospel changes things... but that is my passion, to help search and find how the gospel changes it all.

But oddly enough... the two things that I find women asking me about the most frequently are: mothering/homeschooling and food/recipes. Go figure. :-P

Zoo Fun

Today, we threw caution to the wind and met some friends at the zoo. It was just what we needed. To breathe in God's beautiful creation, to laugh and play with friends, and to get some
energy out. I am so super thankful my mom got a zoo pass. :)

Overheard

While I was making dinner, I overheard the kids:
Emma: Caleb! Do you remember the book The Year of Miss Agnes?
Caleb: Emma! It's been, like, three years since I've read that.

I had to chuckle because he's seven.
But, he's probably right.