I read this today…
When you find yourself in a pit, stop digging.
So I was thinking about all the times I dug myself a pit and kept trying to dig my way out of it.
I was also thinking about the pits we fall into that someone else created, or the traps that were laid for us. But the hardest to get out of seem to be the ones we dig ourselves.
What are you thinking?
I’ve been having this disturbing feeling for the past few weeks. I’m forgetting something. I don’t know what I’m forgetting, but I have that unsettling feeling that I have forgotten something important… or worse yet, several important somethings. If you know what it is I’m forgetting, please let me know!
I am craving Ethiopian food. I can cook it, but I want a restaurant to do it for me. An authentic
Ethiopian meal. A year ago we lived 10 minutes from one. Now, the closest is Cleveland, Pittsburgh, or Rochester (all 3-4 hours from us). Maybe when I travel to Cincinnati in August I can track one down to eat in. 
We are rather lost at the moment. Don’t know where to go, or what we are supposed to be doing. Does anyone have a map we can follow? 
For those of you who don’t know him, Noreaster is one of my favorite blog-world people. In the video he created with his good friend, Chris, “The Church of Misfits: Official Interview” , he discussed his one flaw… carving a turkey. I would help him, but I’m just as bad as he is at carving poultry! So I found something to help him out. Here is the official tutorial on carving a turkey. Seriously. And if you have this problem in your life, join us in our quest to gain Turkey carving knowledge!
UPDATE: Apparently this was all a fraud. Please see my new post about it HERE.
Second UPDATE: The video’s have been pulled by Hillsong, so they are no longer available to view.
This song is amazing. The first video is the song being performed, and you’ll notice the oxygen the artist is wearing as he sings. The second video tells the story behind the song. The words are at the end of the post.
Hillsong This Is Our God
Song : Healer
Words & Music: Mike Guglielmucci
Verse1
You hold my every moment
You calm my raging seas
You walk with me through fire
And heal all my disease
I trust in You
I trust in You
Chorus
I believe You’re my Healer
I believe You are all I need
I believe You’re my Portion
I believe You’re more than enough for me
Jesus You’re all I need
Bridge
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
Nothing is impossible for You
You hold my world in Your hands
This tag is going around the blogsphere. Tam put it on her site, but just invited people to join in (rather than tagging them). So I’m joining in.
10 Years Ago I Was…
5 Things To Do Today (since the day is nearly over, I’ll let you know what I did do)
Snacks I Enjoy
Things I Would Do If I Were A Millionaire
Places I Have Lived
Countries I Have Visited (I added this one, since I like to see where people have been)
Please join in (either here or on your site) and don’t forget to send a link so we can visit and learn more about you!!!
Look what Michelle made me! Michelle’s blog is one I visit regularly. She always glorifies Jesus in her posts, and she is beautiful inside and out. She wrote this to me…
Good morning, Heidi. I just wanted to drop this off:
The artist in me won’t let me keep from drawing. Every time I see your avatar pop up on my site I have the desire to try to capture your eyes…they’re beautiful. So, it’s not with a real medium, but the challenge was fun. Hope you like it.
Isn’t she so sweet??!!?
You all should try out the Mr. Picassohead site. It is a lot of fun.
Jeff wrote a great post about regrets (read it here) that is resonating in my mind. Do you have regrets? Of course you do. I do. I have made some big mistakes in my lifetime. Most of them are my own fault. Some of the regrets are because I allowed other people to decide things for me (still my own fault). Several regrets are because in hindsight, I think I should have taken a different path (then again, perhaps not). A few regrets stem back to someone else’s poor choices, but this post is not about forgiving others, but rather dealing with my own sin. To be honest, some of the greatest regrets involve a loss of relationship.
What do we do with these regrets? We know absolutely that there is ‘No Condemnation” for those who are in Christ Jesus. But what does that mean for me? Does it mean I hold no responsibility for my actions? No. I still live with the consequences of my behavior. In fact, where it has involved others, they too carry the consequences for my behavior. That is a sobering thought. I’m not the only one involved.
So who condemns us? Romans 8 makes it clear that Jesus doesn’t condemn us. In fact, he is interceding for us! That is quite a thought! We condemn ourselves… others condemn us… we condemn others… the accuser of the brethren condemns us… but Jesus is interceding for us. Wow.
So what do we do with all the condemnation that we are NOT supposed to be carrying? Some people are really good at not carrying it. I’ve always struggled a bit to let go of it.
Since some of my sin has had an effect on others, I confess it to my Father, and receive forgiveness, absolutely! But there are still people who have been hurt by my actions. Where I’m able, I can confess and repent to the people I’ve injured. And I have. But there are areas where I cannot go back and ask for forgiveness from someone. So one thing I can do is confess to another person. I know that in the Protestant/Evangelical circles, we don’t believe there needs to be a mediator between God and ourselves. True. We can go to to the Father through Jesus with everything directly. But there is a scripture that talks about confessing our sins to one another (James 5:16). There is something healing in that. Chad talked about it in a post he wrote about condemnation (read it here).
But after all has been said and done, and we have confessed and repented… we have allowed ourselves to be humble and ask for forgiveness and restoration of damaged relationships… there must come a point at which we forgive ourselves and let it go. Ouch. Is this the hardest part? It is for me. To let go of the self-condemnation and move forward, receiving the grace God has offered us. How do we accept the fact that some things will not be made right by us? That God will redeem it, but we cannot fix it. We do all we can, but some choices and mistakes are beyond our own fixing. Some things have consequences that follow us through our life.
I wish I could go back to a few points in my life and do it again. I would do things so much differently. But I don’t get that option. The only option left to me is to LET GO of what is behind, and press on…
If we can truly get a handle on grace… if we could see ourselves (and others) the way that God sees us… then we can get back up and try again. We can build again. We can try again, this time on a foundation that is solid. We will always make mistakes (say or do the wrong thing at times)…. but it is how we handle them that truly defines our heart and motives, and shows what we really believe.
Don’t misunderstand me… I’m not talking about works. I’m not saying that grace is earned! I’m talking about restoring relationships, and at times there is a bit of work involved in that. I’m talking about learning how to let go of the condemnation and move forward in Christ.
I found this song on Chad’s site. I added the lyrics because I had to read them after listening. The song uses the word whore, so if this is offensive to you, please don’t listen.
Derek Webb (CD Title: She Must & Shall Go Free)
Wedding Dress
Lyrics: If you could love me as a wife
and for my wedding gift, your life
Should that be all I’d ever need
or is there more I’m looking for
and should I read between the lines
and look for blessings in disguise
To make me handsome, rich, and wise
Is that really what you want
I am a whore I do confess
But I put you on just like a wedding dress
and I run down the aisle
and I run down the aisle
I?m a prodigal with no way home
but I put you on just like a ring of gold
and I run down the aisle to you
So could you love this bastard child
Though I don’t trust you to provide
With one hand in a pot of gold
and with the other in your side
I am so easily satisfied
by the call of lovers so less wild
That I would take a little cash
Over your very flesh and blood
Because money cannot buy
a husband’s jealous eye
When you have knowingly deceived his wife
You can learn the story behind the song here.
listen to podcast 12.
I have nothing to say today, and yet I’m going to write a post anyway.
There are always thoughts running around like wild horses in my head. Like… hmmm… OK, there are always thoughts, UNTIL I sit down to write a post about them, and they all run away, leaving me blank.
(having a Homer Simpson moment… doh!)
Anyone have any thoughts they want to share?
Have you ever said (or written) something in the heat of emotion that you’ve regretted? Have you ever burned a bridge unintentionally because your reaction in the moment was emotional and then been unable to find a way back across? When rational thought and calm emotions return do you discover it is too late and the damage has been done? Or are people eager to show grace, and willing to forgive?
We are in the midst of an emotional season right now. My reactions have not all been perfect. Will I find that bridges are burned? I don’t know, but I suspect they are, given the total lack of communication in response to my attempts at contact. Right now I don’t even have the energy to expend to try and fix anything. My focus is on my family, and on getting through this time in our lives.
Will there be judgement or grace? So far, only the judgement rings out in the silence.
We feel God is steering our family in a new direction. If we go in that direction, someday it may be me who will have that choice in similar situations. Grace or judgement. I pray I learn this lesson well, and prepare my heart to show grace.
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