New Every Morning

  It is of the 

LORD'S mercies 

that we are not consumed, 

because his  

compassions fail not.  

They are 

New every morning: 

great is thy  

faithfulness. 

- Lamentations 3:22-23

I was sitting in church Sunday morning.  The minister was talking about how NOTHING is impossible with God.  I know how true that is.  

I don't know if you ever feel this way.  Sometimes I think the best thing for me to do would be to give up hope. Sometimes I think I HAVE given up hope.  Sometimes I think I'm in a place so dark and deep that God doesn't even know about it.  

But these valleys have their purpose.  For one thing, I have learned, in each and every valley that God is always there.  I have learned that every time I "give up" deep down in my heart, deeper than I knew I had thoughts... God is there.  And He won't let me give up.  The hope He has given me is stronger.  It is deeper than the valley.  

As Corrie Ten Boom said: "There is no pit so deep that the LOVE of GOD is not deeper still."

And then the thought came to me, so clear that I cried for the joy of it.  

It was then that I carried you.

           -From the poem Footprints in the Sand  

If you haven't read this poem yet I encourage you to do so.  Maybe you're going through a valley right now. If you are, be encouraged!  There's only one set of footprints in the sand. 

  For I know the thoughts

that I think toward you, 

saith the LORD, 

thoughts of peace, 

and not of evil, 

to give you an 

expected end. 

-Jeremiah 29:11

Hello Monday!

Dear Monday,
Please be better than last week. I would REALLY appreciate it. Thank you~
Rebecca


The great thing about today is it's MONDAY!

Ordinarily Monday is one of my LEAST favorite days of the week...

THIS week... well, let's just say that I'm very happy to have last week behind me and am believing that it can only get better from here on.

So, Monday marks the start of a whole new week! Last week is over and done forever.

So.

I had a BAD week. But, it's over. I'm not looking back. My eyes are FORWARD!!!! I don't want to go into lots of details, but I will tell you that I had a horrible stomach bug for... 5 days? 6 days? I lost track. That was besides all of the OTHER things that happened last week. But, I'm determined not to look back and dwell on the past. It's a whole new week!

Thank you JESUS! I am optimistic!

Experiencing Disappointment

Published today on the THE IDD BLOG


Disappointment is one of the worst emotions in the world. I've been experiencing it lately.
But, I came across this quote by Oswald Chambers at the perfect time the other morning. I wrote it on a Post-It and stuck it in my pocket so I could pull it out and read it all day.

"If your hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope and dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses of life is the stress of waiting for God."

I know the feeling of waiting all too well. I'm experiencing the purification of my hopes. My noble hopes and dreams WILL be fulfilled. But, they will be better than I can imagine in my finite mind.

On Coffee

A friend of mine once said that the "Smell of coffee brewing in the morning means everything is right in my world."
I agree. 

Life may be a mystery.

But, coffee puts things in perspective. 

What Have I Been Up TO?

Good question!

I've had several people ask me lately what I've been up to and why my blog has been neglected. 

Well, I'm sorry to say, there's no real answer to the question.  I don't have big news to share or a huge project to unveil. 

To be honest I think I'm going through a "no-bloggy" phase.  I seem to have no inspiration for posts.  Not that things haven't been happening in my life and they aren't plenty of things to talk about....  I really can't explain it. 

But, anyway, here's the rundown on "what I've been up to"

• Preparing for Camp.  Youth Camp is the 3rd week of July this year.  We're already deep into preparations for it.  Mainly, at this point, writing the skits.  My personal skit is proving way more difficult than anything I've run into before.  Lots of agonizing over this.
• I've been working on some other writing.  I'll talk more about that later.
• My sister Lydia graduated from high school and we spent one crazy weekend getting ready for and hosting an open house in her honor.  Unfortunately, I have a limited amount of pictures from the actual event, due to Steph and I both ending up working in the kitchen for most of the party.  (Evidently Lyds has more friends than any of us realized... :)
• Graduation Parties.  'Tis the season.
  
• Working in the yard.  I did WAY more yard work/planting of flowers/gardening than I've ever done in my life.  It takes a lot of time, but I'm so excited about the results!  It doesn't look like much yet, but I'm greatly encouraged at the gladiolus that are getting taller every day.  I'll post pictures once they bloom!
• TRYING to keep the house clean.  Like, even though I'd RATHER be outside working in the yard, I still need to clean my bathroom, you know?
• Feeling discombobulated...  It's the change of seasons, you know?  Last winter I would come home from work, and snuggle in for the night.  I didn't go back outside... why would I?  It was -25 degrees!  I watched movies and gobbled up books.  Summer time is completely different.  I come home from work and meet a list of things to do a mile long.  I haven't been reading much, people.  This is sad...
• Also, I had a slight health issue for a couple of weeks (on top of a stomach bug earlier last month), and it's amazing how many things can work together to take up ALL OF YOUR TIME!  And completely push blogging to the back of your brain.

Anyway, I hope to be back up to normal blogging speed very very soon.  Stay tuned!  And thanks for sticking around!

On The Schedule For Tonight

• Dinner
• Chat with a friend (I now have to SCHEDULE these things...)
  
• Laundry (boo)
• MOVIE!
• Hanging out with my sisters!
  

Luke Plays Baseball

Next year he'd like to play for the REAL Cardinals...

This year, it's just little league.

 

Playing Shortstop

 

Waiting for a fabulous play

At 1st base, waiting to run to 2nd

Running to 2nd.

June 4th...

And it doesn't feel like it people.  Well, actually it's beautiful out today... and it was yesterday too, but on Tuesday the weather was dismal and cold and rainy... yuck.  And the forecast for Saturday is similar.  Which is not good, BECAUSE....  Lydia's Grad Party is that day!  Hopefully people bring sweatshirts.

Is it really supposed to be this cold in JUNE?  I don't remember June ever being like this... 

Yes, I'm rambling and complaing about the weather..  :)

I really don't know what else to say...

After work I'm hoping to run by Lukey's Baseball game (maybe get an autograph) :) and say hi to Grandma and Grandpa before heading out to do some recording.  (Have to warm up my voice... la la la la)

My life has been even crazier than usual lately.  That's why I haven't been blogging as much.  I'm sorry for that.

But!  Exciting weekend planned so hopefully that means lots of picture to share with you all on Monday!

And if I don't see you tomorrow, have a WONDERFUL weekend! 

May Book List

 Sadly... this is a very short list. 



57.  Goose Girl by Shannon Hale- (****)  I really liked this book.  I had never before heard the fairy tale of the Goose Girl so it was all new to me.  But, like I said I enjoyed it very much.  I was sad when the book ended... so that's a good sign.  :)  Thankfully, there is a sequel!

58.  The Penultimate Peril by Lemony Snicket- (*****)

59.  Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix - (****)  First in the new series "The Missing" by Haddix.  I had heard a few people say they liked it so I ordered it from the library.  Possibly my first ever sci-fi.... :)  Very gripping.  Fast moving, starting with the very beginning and not slowing down at all until the end which ends... in a cliffhanger.  When's the next book coming out?

60.  Unnatural Death by Dorothy Sayers - (*****)  Pretty Good :)

61.  The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club- (****)  I liked this one.  Not my favorite probably, but it wasn't as "edge of your seat" as some other mysteries I've read. 

62.  Enna Burning - (***)  This is the sequel to the Goose Girl but, as is the case with many sequels, I didn't like it as well.  Shannon Hale is an incredibly gifted author, though (which I think I've already said) and it's a pleasure to read her writing.  Awesome title. 

63.  Strong Poison- (*****) Very good.  I love Lord Peter.  Add Harriet Vane and it's even better!

I'M SORRY!

I took a sudden, unexpected and completely unplanned Blogger break this past week. 

I've got a thousand and one things on my mind right now and sorry to say blogging isn't one of them. 

I'll be back tomorrow with my May book list, which sadly is kind of short :(