The Joy of Christmas

I just finished the last of three performances in our church's Christmas production, "The Joy of Christmas." It was a great show with the choir and live orchestra and drama. I played the mom of a 10-year-old girl. My character had heard the story of Christmas from her grandparents when she was young, but never told her own daughter about the real meaning of Christmas. She gets her grandmother's old nativity set in the mail, and it sets the stage for her explaining the story of Christmas to her daughter. Despite some minor technical glitches with our microphones, it went very well! I am glad it's over, though. Even though performing is fun, it carries with it a certain level of stress that I am quite happy to be free from again!

Here's a photo of me with Desanka Ilic, the little girl who played my daughter. She did such a good job! It was a joy to work with her!

I had to re-wrap the nativity set each night to be used for the next performance!

I'm thankful that the Lord helped us to remember our lines and that many people were blessed by the performances all three nights! All glory to Him!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Sorry it's been so long since I've written here...I need some more inspiration for things to write about, I guess!

Andrew and I are here in Oregon this week with my family, and I'm loving getting to hang out with my nephews (Ben is 2 1/2, Aaron will be a year old next month). It's neat to see how they have changed even since I was here a few months ago. They're so fun!

I am so thankful for all that the Lord has given me...much more than I deserve. I have a wonderful husband, a loving family, and precious friends. God provides for all of my needs, over and above. I am truly blessed!

Praying you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving celebration!

Avocado Love

Growing up in Portland, Oregon, with parents who possessed decidedly bland, predictable tastes in food, I was not exposed to avocados. Not once. The only thing I knew about them was that they were the main ingredient in guacamole, which I never tasted because my mom thought it was gross; I just assumed I wouldn't like it, either. (Note to moms out there: if there's some good-for-you food that you don't happen to enjoy, you should still buy or make it for your kids to try. They might like it, and it doesn't mean you have to eat it yourself!)

Anyway, after moving to California eight years ago, I suddenly discovered this wonderful little fruit! Now, I eat avocado almost daily.

Fun Avocado Facts (courtesy of www.avocado.org):

*Avocados were once a luxury food reserved for the tables of royalty.

*California produces about 90% of the nation's avocado crop. San Diego County is the Avocado Capital of the U.S., producing 60% of all the avocados grown in California.

*The avocado's smooth, creamy consistency makes it one of the first fresh fruits a baby can enjoy. Sodium- and cholesterol- free, avocados contain valuable nutrients including 8% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for folate; 4% DV for fiber and potassium, 4% DV for vitamin E; and 2% DV for iron. A serving of avocado also contains 81 micrograms of the carotenoid lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene. Per serving, avocados have 3.5 grams of unsaturated fats, which are known to be important for normal growth and development of the central nervous system and brain.

Some of my favorite ways to eat avocado:

*In a sandwich, mashed up and spread on the bread.

*Mashed up and mixed with fresh salsa (basically homemade guacamole) and served with chips.

*Cut into small pieces in a salad.

*Sliced and mixed with sliced tomato, with a sprinkling of sea salt on top, as a side dish to almost any entree.

If you haven't caught the avocado train yet, hop aboard! You'll be glad you did!

The Cow Train

My brother, Nate, and I were in Oregon on Labor Day, and we spent a few hours with my parents, my sister, Anna, and her two boys at a farm. My 2-year-old nephew Ben really enjoyed sitting on the old tractors and going down the inflatable slide with his Uncle Nate, ascending the climb-able hay pyramid with his mommy, and imitating the rooster in the barn. Then Anna and I decided it would be fun to take Ben on the “Cow Train” for an idyllic little tour of the cornfields and pumpkin patches before lunch. So we paid our $2.00 and settled in to enjoy the ride. Don’t we look happy?


That sense of joyful expectation soon gave way to a sense of “What in the world did we get ourselves into?!!!” and “How soon is this going to end?”

The way this “train” was constructed is there’s a guy on a four-wheeler type of vehicle pulling a chain of these little “cars” made out of plastic barrels with wheels attached, painted to look like cows. They did include seatbelts, which is a good thing, seeing as how….well, we’ll get to that in a moment. But the seats were not padded in any way, shape, or form, which was not a good thing, seeing as how…well, just keep reading.

The man driving this train (I shall fondly refer to him as The Torture Master from here on out) either had to go to the bathroom really bad or he thought we were being chased by a swarm of angry wasps, because once all the victims, er, riders were in place, he tore off down the bumpy lane as if he were racing a cheetah! I think I caught a glimpse of some corn fields before the first turn, but I was bouncing around so much that it might have just been tall grass. Thank goodness for those seatbelts I mentioned earlier, or I’m sure Ben would have bounced right off of Anna’s lap and onto the side of the road! I’ll just say that it’s a good thing we decided to go before lunch and not after.

As we sped along, I noticed that the roads were very dry and dusty. I could tell because the huge wheels on the contraption The Torture Master was driving were showering those of us in the first few barrels with a fine, gritty layer of terra firma. “So that’s what I’d look like with a tan,” I thought as I looked down at my darkening arms. As our dusty hair blew in the wind and we tried not to breathe, I thought I glimpsed some large oranges lying in a field – oh wait, those were pumpkins! Too late to get a closer look, though…they were already far behind us.

After what felt like hours (but was, in reality, probably less than five minutes), we came to a fork in the road. Finally, we were going to head back! But wait, oh…no! He turned left instead, away from where we started! I gripped the sides of the barrel, white-knuckled; steeling myself for more jolts; closing my eyes against the dust; feeling a new kinship with the tin cans people tie onto the backs of newlyweds’ cars.

If you had been watching as we raced by, you would have thought that my sister and I were having a good time…we were even laughing! But it was more a laughter of bewilderment, of shock, of “We paid good money for THIS?!” – it was not a laughter of enjoyment, I can tell you that!

Finally, we rounded the last corner and the cow train screeched to a halt back at starting position. As we unbuckled and shakily stepped out of the barrels, trying unsuccessfully to wipe the dust from our hair and clothing, I had to suppress the urge to shout out a warning to the people waiting in line for the next ride: “Spare yourselves the agony and get away while you still can!” But I kept silent as I glanced at The Torture Master, who was busy accepting people’s dollars and strapping them into the plastic cows. I think I heard him give a sinister little laugh under his breath.

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I didn’t get any “after” pictures, but just imagine something like this:

Scrabble-tastic!

While I was visiting my sister in Oregon last week, we came up with a fun way to spend an evening. She suggested playing Scrabble, and then I suggested that when we were finished, we should each write a story – using all the words from the game at least once. So that’s what we did!

Anna thoroughly enjoyed my tale of a hapless teenage boy smitten by a girl he knew from band, only to discover upon visiting her home that she was a bit, um, odd. And I was laughing so hard that it hurt when she read what she had written about pirates trying to appease the sea after an oil slick (complete with pirate-y voices). It was really cool how we were using the same words as starters and came up with such completely different stories!

We had so much fun that we decided to do it again the following night, and I think it will become a regular event during future visits!

Both of our husbands (hers from the other room and mine when I told him on the phone about it later) expressed their opinion that our choice of entertainment was something akin to Chinese water torture. All I can say is, it’s their loss!

I got tagged!

My friend Amy has "tagged" me to participate in a little blogworld fun...I'm supposed to list eight random facts about myself, and then tag eight other bloggers to do the same. Well...since I don't really know that many other bloggers, I'll just leave it up to whoever reads this to decide if they want to list eight random things about themselves on their blog (and leave me a comment if you do, so I can read them)! (Sorry I'm changing the rules...I guess that's my prerogative, seeing as this is my blog)! ;-)

So, eight random things about me:

1) There are two 80's/90's Christian rock bands I really enjoy and still listen to fairly often -- Petra and Whiteheart.

2) I own a book of poetry that was published in 1838 (the oldest of my extensive antique book collection).

3) I wish I were more disciplined as a writer, and that I made more time in my life for creative writing.

4) I sometimes dream in Russian, although not very often.

5) I'm planning to grow my hair out for a few years, to see how long I can get it before it starts bugging me enough to make me want to cut it again.

6) I have been having fun lately experimenting with raw foods (also known as living foods) -- creating unique main dishes, salads, beverages, and desserts with raw fruits, veggies, nuts, and sprouted grains. I even bought a couple of raw cookbooks (although they'd be more appropriately labeled "un-cookbooks"). I've also pretty much given up most animal products (meat, dairy, eggs) -- I guess that makes me a vegan, although I will make exceptions now and then. I'm not going to be too legalistic about it!

7) Despite my healthy eating habits, I have a very hard time getting into an exercise routine, and that is the next main part of my physical life that I want to tackle. It's not good enough to just eat healthy, or to just exercise...it needs to be a good combination of both, so I'm working on this!

8) I will never wear a swimming suit in public, or if there are men other than my husband or brother present. If you want to ask me why, go ahead, but my opinion on this can be strong! ;-)

Oregon

A few weeks ago I flew up to Oregon to spend some time with my sister Anna and her family, and then to go to Women's Camp at Camp Tadmor with my mom and Anna. It was a really good time! I love hanging out with family...below are some pictures of the trip!

We shared a special moment with Anna and Matt as Benjamin (2) and Aaron (7 1/2 months) were dedicated at their church (where Matt is the youth and worship pastor)

Ben and Aaron -- the next "little boy" band..."Hadley" ;-)

Brothers

Benjamin

Aaron

Anna, Mom, and me after Women's Camp

Us!

Andrew and I celebrated our 12th anniversary yesterday... how is it possible that we've been married that long? The years just seem to fly by...

After all this time, we love each other more than we ever have, and are both so grateful for the years the Lord has given us together...we look forward to many more!

On Saturday we spent some time in San Francisco...here's a picture of us at the Botanical Gardens there...such a beautiful place!


Thank You, Lord, for giving me such a wonderful husband! I am so, so blessed to have him!

Speaking of simplicity...

A little gem from my favorite poet; it goes so well with my previous post:
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"I Have Found Such Joy"
Grace Noll Crowell

I have found such joy in simple things;
A plain, clean room, a nut-brown loaf of bread,
A cup of milk, a kettle as it sings,
The shelter of a roof above my head,
And in a leaf-laced square along the floor,
Where yellow sunlight glimmers through a door.

I have found such joy in things that fill
My quiet days: a curtain's blowing grace,
A potted plant upon my window sill,
A rose, fresh-cut and placed within a vase;
A table cleared, a lamp beside a chair,
And books I long have loved beside me there.

Oh, I have found such joys I wish I might
Tell every woman who goes seeking far
For some elusive, feverish delight,
That very close to home the great joys are:
The elemental things - old as the race,
Yet never, through the ages, commonplace.

Saturation Point

sat·u·ra·tion point – noun

Definition: “Limit to scope for expansion: the point at which no more can be added.”

I don’t know when it happened, exactly, but somewhere along the way I seem to have reached the saturation point when it comes to material possessions. And not just in a physical, running-out-of-places-to-put-things sense, although my storage closets do seem to require “No Vacancy” signs these days. This feeling of “No more, please!” goes beyond a mere lack of shelf space. The concept of an uncluttered, simplified lifestyle resonates with my soul; I long to live more simply in the midst of this modern existence. But I’m still trying to figure out how to make that a reality, practically speaking.

It’s gotten to where I almost dread Christmas and my birthday because I know I’m going to end up with more stuff… stuff that has to be put somewhere. Now I know why so often, when older people have birthday celebrations, they put on the invitation: “No gifts, please.” I’m not that old, but I understand getting to the point where things become a burden instead of a joy. It’s like, the first piece of cake is delicious, but if you were to keep eating and eating…you’d eventually be sickened by the thought of another bite. Too much of a good thing and all that.

I own more than many people in the world…so much more than I need. My perfume shelf is full, my jewelry box is full, my closet is full, my bookshelves are more than full…I have more pretty stationery and cards than I’ll probably ever be able to use in my lifetime. I’m running out of storage space in the kitchen, and the garage is overflowing. I am in need of nothing – and save the occasional new book or DVD release, I want nothing.

We remodeled our home a couple of years ago, and when it came time to clean out the closets I happily tossed items into a huge bin to give away, glad for the chance to simplify and de-clutter. Yet even though we got rid of a lot, and we own less than many other people I know, it still seems like we just have too much.

Has anyone else reached the “possessions saturation point” or am I the only one feeling overwhelmed by the stuff I own and longing for more simplicity?

If you're happy and you know it...

I just love this picture I took in Jerusalem when we were there last year...it always makes me smile!

Lake Tahoe and a letter from God...

I just got back from our church's annual Women's Prayer Encounter. A prayer encounter (or prayer summit, as they are often called) is when a group of believers goes away for a few days to seek the Lord and His will for their lives, to worship Him, to draw close to Him in a way that's hard to do back home surrounded by the noise of our daily lives. There's no speaker, just a leadership team of facilitators who meet before each session to pray about how the Spirit will lead our times together. There's lots of worship through song, lots of Scripture, lots of tears, lots of joy! The bond of love that is formed and strengthened with our sisters in Christ is something the world could never hope to understand. Truly a blessing!

So I, along with about 90 other women, went up on Friday to a beautiful conference center right on Lake Tahoe, on the Nevada side, and we couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather or gorgeous scenery. God's creation is stunning!

As part of the day yesterday, we had what's called a "Code of Silence," where we go out for an hour or so and are not to talk to anyone else -- just get alone with God somewhere and see what He wants to say to us. I sat on some steps overlooking the beauty of Lake Tahoe...sparkling blue waters, with the stately pines surrounding it and the majestic mountains off in the distance. It was an amazing backdrop to my time with the Lord...

Speaking of time with the Lord, that is something that I've really neglected lately. I mean, I think of Him throughout the day, and read His Word when I find the time...but had really gotten spiritually lazy and out of the habit of spending focused time with Him and in His Word, just being with Him and listening to Him. I was feeling really convicted about that, and during my quiet time yesterday afternoon, I remembered what I'd recently heard a speaker recommend. She said that often when she's alone with God on a personal retreat, she'll take out her journal and a pen and just ask God to write her a letter, praying that she'll be open to hearing what He wants to say to her. I decided I'd like to try that, so I got my pen out and just prayed that God would show me what He would say to me if He wrote a personal letter just to me.

Before I knew it, the words just started to flow. It wasn't "divine inspiration" or anything mystical like that...just His Spirit prompting me with words from His heart to mine. I know what He wants from me...I just needed to hear it from His perspective! He reminded me of how much I miss out on when I don't spend time with Him each day, and how much He loves me and wants to just "hang out" with me, so I can get to know Him better. After I finished writing, I really felt that I needed to share it with Alice, our lead facilitator, so after last night's session I sought her out and read the letter to her. She felt strongly that it was something that would benefit the other ladies in attendance, and asked me if I would read it at our final session. I had sensed she would ask me to do that, and I was prepared if that's what God wanted me to do!

So today at our final session, Alice asked me to stand and share the letter that God gave me. I wanted it to be an encouragement to all of my sisters there that God desires the same thing from them, and loves them just as much. I was only a little nervous...a few times I noticed my hands starting to shake a little, then I thought about the Spirit just kind of surrounding me like a hug and wasn't nervous anymore. I found out later that my sweet roomie, Cathy, was praying for me while I shared -- I had a suspicion that might have been the case! :-)

Anyway, after the session, so many ladies came up and told me how much they appreciated me sharing the letter, and that God had used it to convict or encourage them. Several ladies asked for copies, so I decided to post the letter here on my blog so that they could come and re-read it and maybe print it out if they want to. I pray that it is an encouragement to you, and that we will all be drawn to desire to spend time with Him more and more, and not to keep Him waiting while we go about our daily lives. He deserves so much more than being put on the back burner, and I pray that I will give Him the position and priority He deserves in my life! Thank you for praying for me in this!

So here's my letter from God. Of course, my version says "Dear Sarah," but I've made it generic so it can apply to any woman who reads it!

God's peace and joy to you,

Sarah <><

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My Dear One,

You are beautiful to Me. More beautiful than gorgeous lake Tahoe or the majestic pines surrounding it or the snow-dusted mountains in the distance. You are special -- you are Mine, and I make no mistakes. I made no mistakes when I created you, and I am making no mistakes in how I'm allowing the circumstances of your life to play out. I do all things well.

I love you -- so, so much, my darling girl. I know you feel defeated in those areas of your life that seem so hard to change, those habits that are so ingrained in you, those ruts that seem so hard to get out of. But be encouraged, my dear -- I am available. I am here. I want you to come to Me for the strength and motivation you need. I want to help you. But first, you need to come to Me.

Head knowledge alone isn't going to help you change. Neither can you rely on the fumes of past experience with Me. My mercies are new every morning. Each morning that you fail to spend time with Me, you miss out on the "something new" I had for you that day. Make Me a priority, dear one. I am worth it. And when you begin to do this, all the other things will fall into place. You'll have the energy and motivation to do all that I've called you to do. You'll be less inclined to fill your mind with things that crowd My Spirit out. You'll rediscover the joy of your salvation. Just come to Me -- every day; make Me a priority.

It's really as simple as that. Don't try to complicate it with feeling like your time with Me has to be spent a certain way. My Spirit will guide and direct our times together. You only need to come. I long to develop our relationship -- it's what I died for, this privilege of fellowship with you. Yes, you will know Me fully in eternity. But don't miss out on the joy of choosing to know Me better here and now. As the song says, this world is empty, pale, and poor compared to knowing Me.

Don't dwell so much on your failures -- dwell on Me instead, and all those things will fade in the light of Who I am. I love you so much. I long to bless you beyond your wildest dreams with true spiritual blessings in Christ. All I have is yours. I stand ready to give you so much good stuff -- eternally good. All you have to do is ask. Come to Me -- I'm waiting. Don't keep me waiting for long.

Your Faithful God

Do it again, Ben!

I have to share this adorable video my sister Anna filmed of Ben making Aaron laugh!

Currently reading...

The Great Omission by Dallas Willard.

What a thought-provoking and convicting book...this book is all about learning to be Jesus' disciple, or apprentice...learning from Him how to live the Christian life. It's about learning to incorporate the spiritual disciplines of solitude, silence, and fasting, among others, into our lives on a consistent basis. I'm not very far into the book yet, but it's one I need to read slowly, to pray through.

One thing he pointed out is the heresy that we can just enjoy forgiveness at Jesus' expense (have Him be our Savior) and then have nothing more to do with Him (not have Him be our Lord)...he referred to people who do this as "vampire Christians," telling Jesus, in essence, "I'd like a little of Your blood, please. But I don't care to be Your student or have Your character. In fact, won't you just excuse me while I get on with my life, and I'll see You in heaven."

Definitely a lot to think about and pray about in this book! Any of Willard's books are highly recommended!

It's so sad that so many Christians go through life with little to no understanding of the deeper Christian life available so readily to all of us, if we'd just choose to pursue it. I, for one, don't want to miss out on this great adventure, which is like nothing that the world has to offer!

Jesus is alive!

Happy Resurrection Day, everyone! May your heart be filled with joy as you ponder anew that because Christ died and rose from the grave, we have the awesome gift of forgiveness and eternal life with Him! May your celebrations with family and friends tomorrow be blessed!

And our future will be more wonderful than we can even begin to imagine!

Happy Spring!

I'm so thankful for a creative God who enjoys lavishing such beautiful gifts on His children!

Daffodils

by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the milky way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

Out-did the sparkling leaves in glee;

A poet could not be but gay,

In such a jocund company!

I gazed—and gazed—but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

Unwelcome tasks...

I came across a great quote today:

“NO unwelcome tasks become any the less unwelcome by putting them off till tomorrow. It is only when they are behind us and done, that we begin to find that there is a sweetness to be tasted afterwards, and that the remembrance of unwelcome duties unhesitatingly done is welcome and pleasant. Accomplished, they are full of blessing, and there is a smile on their faces as they leave us. Undone, they stand threatening and disturbing our tranquility, and hindering our communion with God. If there be lying before you any bit of work from which you shrink, go straight up to it, and do it at once. The only way to get rid of it is to do it.” -- Alexander MacLaren

Since my to-do list is full of "unwelcome tasks" that never seem to get crossed off, this quote was a good kick in the pants for me today. Maybe I'll go clean out the fridge (and clean the fridge shelves, too) -- why should it disturb my tranquility any longer?

What are some of the unwelcome tasks you could accomplish today?

Pictures!

I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves...

Modesty

I recently discovered a blog called The Rebelution, written by the twin younger brothers of Joshua Harris, who wrote the well-known book I Kissed Dating Goodbye. These guys recently conducted a modesty survey of Christian guys (geared at helping Christian girls understand how the way they dress affects their brothers in Christ) -- they'll be releasing the results of the survey on Valentine's Day, but in the meantime, they're posting some of the responses they received from Christian guys who took the survey.

This post from a brother in Christ gives a great analogy to help us as women understand how important modesty is. The site seems to be geared to younger, single Christians, but I think that the importance and value of modesty applies to us as women our whole lives long. I love a good analogy, so this post was really encouraging.

I strive to dress modestly, but from time to time I need to stop and evaluate my wardrobe...and my reasons for wearing certain things. I look forward to reading the results of the survey at The Rebelution, and being reminded of my responsibility as a woman to dress in a way that would make it less likely for my brothers in Christ to fall.

Fake snow

My cat, Gilligan, loved sleeping on the fake snow under our Christmas tree (gotta have fake snow to go with the fake tree) so much that when I took the tree down, I didn't have the heart to take away his new favorite bedding. So I stuck the snow in a box under our bed, and now whenever we can't find Gilligan, we know exactly where to look. "Gilligan's sleeping in his snow box again!"

Cats are cute. You have to humor them.