Distinctions...

I was listening to Michael Farris on courtship the other day, and he made a really interesting point. He said there's a big distinction between

a) looking at someone objectively and being able to say, "they are A, B, and C which I could very easily see marrying" or "they are X, Y, and Z which are traits I definitely *don't* want in a marriage."

and

b) having a crush on someone or giving your heart to them in any form.

This was interesting to me because I've always had the mindset of "don't think about a person of the opposite gender in any way that pertains to marriage". But as I've gotten older, it's been harder and harder to not at least analyze other young people that way. It was freeing to hear that it's okay to do so as long as I'm not giving my heart to that person.

Agree? Disagree? Your thoughts?

Grrr....

I hate stopping in the middle of a project....but even more, I hate giving up. (feeling slightly OCD tonight!)

It's The Thought That Counts!

Can you imagine if everyone could read your thoughts? You know, like those funny little thought bubbles you see in cartoons - what if one of those always floated above your head, broadcasting your thoughts for all to see?

Disturbing? I agree.

I was talking about this with a good friend a few weeks ago, and it's been rolling around in my mind ever since. Of course, we all know that what we think is just as bad as what we say, we all know that God reads our thoughts, and we're all very careful not to say more than half of what we think.

Why is it that it's so easy for me to keep my mouth shut, but so hard to take my thoughts captive?

Girls, I think it's especially hard for us. We, or at least I, have a tendency to fantasize. Everything. We easily function based on our emotions - rational or not. One little thought can send us spinning off into...well, that's just not stuff you say.

And it's not stuff you should think.

This can range anywhere from a romantic-type fantasy all the way to getting in an argument and holding your tongue, but thinking oh-so-terrible things about the other person.

Two verses that really hit me about this.....

1 Chronicles 28:9 "for the Lord searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts..."

Romans 2:16 "....God judges the secrets of men according to Jesus Christ."

Should our attitude be "if it's not nice/edifying/pure/profitable/you-name-it, don't say it" or "if it's not nice/edifying/pure/profitable/you-name-it, don't think it"?

I'm starting to realize I've been way too lenient with my thought life. What are your thoughts (no pun intended) on all this?

"Boys Are Bigger Than Girls"

Instead of going to church, I spent today babysitting a family of 7 children under the age of 14 while their parents were at the hospital bringing #8 into the world!

The conversations were priceless. Some, um....cannot be repeated :)

But here was one I got a kick out of.

6 y/o boy: Well, Lisa, boys are bigger than girls.

Me: Oh yeah? So why am I bigger than you?

6 y/o boy: (roll of eyes and a "duh, hello" look if I ever saw one) 'Cause you're so much older than me!

Me: (not thinking before I speak) So why's my mommy bigger than your daddy? (my mommy's 6'3")

6 y/o boy: (bigger "duh, hello" look) 'Cause she's so much older than him!

Me: (mental head-palm, quick recalculation): Well why am I bigger than your daddy? (I'm 6'2")

Silence. Apparently 6 y/o boy hadn't thought that far!

Lightening...

Just came in from working horses, listening to Rich Mullins, and watching a gorgeous display of God's firework arsenal!! Love Arizona storms, and gotta love living in the country :) :)

Photo Shoot!

It was SO FUN!!!!!!!!!

Picture Day!!

The girls and I spent an amazing afternoon with a friend getting our pictures taken - for a change! She is sooooo incredible and talented and I cannot wait to see how the shots turn out  BUT...the highlight of the day was when she crawled under the altar to get the angle she needed!! To say it was priceless would be an understatement!!

On the way home, the dark and gorgeous sky with the cornfield in front proved too good of an opportunity to be missed. We pulled the truck over, and got some shots...or tried to. I LOVE the monsoon season and the clouds and storms it brings!!

*disclaimer - Jessie took this one...thus the soft focus :) :) :)*

True story!!!

Gotta love it when you see one of these on Facebook and you think, "Okay...they made that one for me..." :D

Onions

To peel and chop an onion is the saddest thing one can experience.

Cold wave comin' through!

Over the past few weeks, due to it being ridiculously hot, I've been trying to get in the schedule of going to bed around 9 PM and being up by 5:30 or so.....way hard to do for me because I love staying up late. But my body is finally adjusting, and this morning, it was so worth it.

80 degrees!! A beautiful, cloudy 80 degrees!

I was in heaven :) Worked horses, cleaned stalls, took pictures, trimmed trees...and then, unfortunately, it still got hot.

But, walking back into the barn, I saw the freshly cleaned, big, sparkling, full horse water bucket. The temptation was too much. Yes, I dunked my entire head and most of my shoulders down in the water bucket, and it felt wonderful ;)

Best picture from the morning? Right here.....

Letdown {short story}

Letdown

**             **               **

It wasn't a big deal. Honestly, it really wasn't. Compared to everything else going on in the world, it didn't even qualify as a drop in the bucket. Only a very small group of people (relative to the billions of people on this earth) even knew it existed.

But it mattered to her. It was a big deal to her.

Which was exactly why this was so hard to swallow. She had worked for this...hard - blood, sweat, and tears hard. Dreamed about it...and dreamed big. Gotten excited for it...more excited than anything else in a long time. Planned and schemed and pictured it in her mind a million times...and she fantasized well.

And now...this letdown. This huge, painful, incredibly disappointing letdown.

But honestly, it wasn't a big deal at all. At least, that's what she tried to tell herself. Attempting to distance herself and think realistically about it, she told herself countless people had life much, much worse.....this was such a small thing. But somehow that didn't help.

She next tried to comfort herself with a reason. Obviously God didn't want them to do this...maybe they shouldn't be on the road at that time...maybe they were needed home for a special reason...maybe...maybe...maybe....

Maybe there was no reason at all - at least none she needed to know about. Maybe God was just way, way big and had a plan too expansive and wonderful for her to begin to understand.

Maybe she just needed faith.

Faith to accept that this was the Plan, to be content with her situation, and to rejoice in the trial.

**             **               **

God's been working on me lately!! Trusting that He will bring me to completion in Him...

Happy Independence Day!!

"This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion."

--Thomas Jefferson, letter to Henry Lee, 1825

Yarnell Hill Fire

I'm sure by now most of you have heard of the terrible fires here in Arizona. Thankfully, we're about an hour and a half from them, but it is so sad. Sad enough that it is burning Yarnell, a gorgeous little town, but the saddest part is the huge loss of life. 19 Granite Mountain hotshots died on Sunday trying to stop the fire.

Please keep these families in your prayers...and pray that the fire will stop.