do they play the violin in bulgaria?

Two very exciting things are happening in my life over the next 6 months:
1. I'm taking voilin lessons. It's only 6 weeks, but enough to test it out and see if I have any talent at all. And it's something I've always wanted to do so I'm super excited. Hopefully I'll catch on quickly.
2. I'm going to Bulgaria. Just for 10 days. We're headed to southern Bulgaria to clean up trash and hang out with some kids. It's a real unique group and I'm so excited that the Father is letting me be a part of it. I can't wait to see what He does as He uses us in the lives of these "untouchables" in Buglarian culture. Pray for me that I won't be tempted to take it all in my hands and will trust Him with every detail-including one of the most difficult-finances. He's always provided before, so I'm sure He will this time too.

Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me. . .
Romans 15.30

Just in case. . .

you were worried that I didn't get anything truly fabulous for my birthday, I wanted to assure you that is not true. Last Friday when I returned to my desk from our staff meeting I had a beautiful present waiting in my seat. My friend Amanda, always the practical jokester, was sweet to remember me. . .


check out the lower right corner for my gift from Amanda--my very first black Jesus!

All Grace

"And he is full of grace. Ah! had he not been I should never have been saved.
He drew me when I struggled to escape from his grace; and when at last I came all trembling like a condemned culprit to his mercy-seat he said, 'Thy sins which are many are all forgiven thee: be of good cheer.' And he is full of truth. True have his promises been, not one has failed. I bear witness that never servant had such a master as I have; never brother such a kinsman as he has been to me; never spouse such a husband as Christ has been to my soul; never sinner a better Saviour; never mourner a better comforter than Christ hath been to my spirit. I want none beside him. In life he is my life, and in death he shall be the death of death; in poverty Christ is my riches; in sickness he makes my bed; in darkness he is my star, and in brightness he is my sun; he is the manna of the camp in the wilderness, and he shall be the new corn of the host when they come to Canaan.
Jesus is to me all grace and no wrath, all truth and no falsehood: and of truth and grace he is full, infinitely full.
My soul, this night, bless with all thy might 'the only Begotten.'"
Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening

The Scorched Places

Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you. . .
Acts 3:19.20



Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of wickedness,
to undo the straps of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry
and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover him,
and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?
Then shall your light break forth like the dawn,
and your healing shall spring up speedily;
your righteousness shall go before you;
the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer;
you shall cry, and he will say, 'Here I am.'
If you take away the yoke from your midst,
the pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,
if you pour yourself out for the hungry
and satisfy the desire of the afflicted,
then shall your light rise in the darkness
and your gloom be as the noonday.
And the LORD will guide you continually
and satisfy your desire in scorched places
and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden,
like a spring of water,
whose waters do not fail.
Isaiah 58:6-11

Celebrations Galore, and other stuff too. . .

It's official-I'm 28!
This week was a week full of birthday excitement. Of course there were other things distracting me so I totally forgot to take in pictures. But, Wednesday Frank, my boss, took me and Jennifer and Joanna out to lunch at LaFiesta (mexican), then Thursday night my sister and several of my friends celebrated with me at Cocina Superior (mexican once again), and since Amy couldn't be there Thursday night, she and I went and tried out a Tapas restaurant last night (yes, that's mexican too). What better way to celebrate a birthday on Cinco de Mayo. My friend Ruthie even gave me a special Cinco de Mayo shirt to celebrate in. I did break up the Mexican festivities with a trip to Flatrock with my friends from work on Friday. So, as you can see, this year I celebrated by eating, and eating a lot.
But this week was also a week of breaking for me. A lot of stuff is going on in my heart as the Lord rips some things out of my hands. I found out some news about a long lost friend and was disappointed by a new one.
Last night Amy and I thought we'd finish off the fun with a lighthearted movie. Little did we know. We ended up with "The Family Stone". And let's just say it hit a little too close to home. I sat and cried about my daddy for the first time in a very long time. But, I think it was the release I needed in general after an emotional roller coaster of a week.

Only Grace

Amy and I were talking last night. About a lot of different stuff, but mostly about some people from a different religion who have recently been stopping by seeking to convert her. I guess the Lord has seen it best to keep me away from home at these times, considering how upset I get about all of it.
As we were talking last night, I heard myself continually saying, "I just don't understand." But then it hit me, I'm thinking about it all backwards. I should be thinking from the standpoint that it's only God's grace in my life that causes me to understand. Only His "gracious choice," which I'll never understand, allows me to walk with Him.
This Matthew West song keeps coming to mind:

There's only grace
There's only love
There's only mercy and believe me it's enough
Your sins are gone
Without a trace
There's nothing left now
There's only grace

Happy Easter

After a great morning of worship, we headed down to our Granny and Pa's to spend a little time with the fam and eat some great food. Amy came with us this year and got to see how much we're all alike and how insane it really is. . .


Crystal and I with our Granny


all the generations together, how cute is baby Elise


with Amy


with Crystal, this year we managed to not end up matching


with my Mom


all four of us, that's my stepdad, Ben


with our Pa

Rescued

I never wanted to follow Jesus.
I never wanted to follow Jesus.
I never wanted to follow Jesus.
He rescued me. He rescued me.

He gave His life's blood for my salvation.
He gave His life's blood for my salvation.
He gave His life's blood for my salvation.
And now I'm free. And now I'm free.

No turning back. No turning back.

Isaiah 53- The Suffering Servant

1Who has believed our message?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
2For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,
And like a root out of parched ground;
He has no stately form or majesty
That we should look upon Him,
Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him.
7He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,
And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,
So He did not open His mouth.
8By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered
That He was cut off out of the land of the living
For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?
9His grave was assigned with wicked men,
Yet He was with a rich man in His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.
10But the LORD was pleased
To crush Him, putting Him to grief;
If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,
He will see His offspring,
He will prolong His days,
And the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand.
11As a result of the anguish of His soul,
He will see it and be satisfied;
By His knowledge the Righteous One,
My Servant, will justify the many,
As He will bear their iniquities.
12Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,
And He will divide the booty with the strong;
Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors.

Like Wax

from Spurgeon's Morning and evening

"My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels." Psalm 22:14

Our blessed Lord experienced a terrible sinking and melting of soul. "The spirit of man will sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who can bear?" Deep depression of spirit is the most grievous of all trials; all besides is as nothing. Well might the suffering Savior cry to his God, "Be not far from me," for above all other seasons a man needs his God when his heart is melted within him because of heaviness. Believer, come near the cross this morning, and humbly adore the King of glory as having once been brought far lower, in mental distress and inward anguish, than any one among us; and mark his fitness to become a faithful High Priest, who can be touched with a feeling of our infirmities. Especially let those of us whose sadness springs directly from the withdrawal of a present sense of our Father's love, enter into near and intimate communion with Jesus. Let us not give way to despair, since through this dark room the Master has passed before us.
Our souls may sometimes long and faint, and thirst even to anguish, to behold the light of the Lord's countenance: at such times let us stay ourselves with the sweet fact of the sympathy of our great High Priest.
Our drops of sorrow may well be forgotten in the ocean of his griefs; but how high ought our love to rise! Come in, O strong and deep love of Jesus, like the sea at the flood in spring tides, cover al lmy powers, drown all my sins, wash out all my cares, lift up my earth-bound soul, and float it right up to my Lord's feet, and there let me lie, a poor broken shell, washed up by his love, having no virtue or value; and only venturing to whisper to him that if he will put his ear to me, he will hear within my heart the faint echoes of the vast waves of his own love which have brought me where it is my delight to lie, even at has feet for ever.

My Savior My God

Aaron Shust
From the album Anything Worth Saying

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior

I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

Chorus
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior’s always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be

Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring;
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior