Matthew 13:1-9
"That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.”
Where are you planting seeds? Are you letting your light shine?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Change, Fear, and Chocolate
If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies. ~Author Unknown
I feel like I am waiting for the butterflies. I want them to come. I want them to emerge from their cocoon, but I fear what happens when they are butterflies. What comes next?
I have been asking that a lot about myself lately, "Ali, what comes next?"
I met with my small group last night and one of the girls is reading a book called "The Power of Now". And she was just sharing how the author stresses how important it is to be in the now, not the past, or the future. To be able to focus on the here and the now. What does that look like for you? What does that look like for me?
Well if you are anything like me, I stress a lot. And when I get stressed...I eat chocolate. LOTS of chocolate. And I realized that I eat chocolate because I focus on the flavor in the moment I am devouring it. I gobble up the rich flavor and the decadent taste as it melts away...and when that piece is gone, I have another, and another. Then I come back to reality and realize that I don't focus on the now. I focus on the future...the what comes next part of life.
I am constantly asking myself questions like When will we move again? Will we find a home as perfect as the one we are in now? Are we going to rent, or perhaps consider buying? Will it be a safe neighborhood? Where will we keep my horse? Will she be safe, and nearby? Or I stress about money, and I always fear we won't be able to pay every bill this month, or next month.
All these fears...all these stresses..I can't keep hanging onto them... So I try and give them all to God.
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity."
Joel 2:12-13
I have to constantly remind myself that our God is a God of never ending love, full of compassion, and holds a grace we do not deserve.
I have to remember I am a child of God, that He will never give me more than I can handle, and that He has a plan and I have to let Him work.
I am slowly but surely letting my stress go about fear and change, and giving it to God...but still eating chocolate of course.
I feel like I am waiting for the butterflies. I want them to come. I want them to emerge from their cocoon, but I fear what happens when they are butterflies. What comes next?
I have been asking that a lot about myself lately, "Ali, what comes next?"
I met with my small group last night and one of the girls is reading a book called "The Power of Now". And she was just sharing how the author stresses how important it is to be in the now, not the past, or the future. To be able to focus on the here and the now. What does that look like for you? What does that look like for me?
Well if you are anything like me, I stress a lot. And when I get stressed...I eat chocolate. LOTS of chocolate. And I realized that I eat chocolate because I focus on the flavor in the moment I am devouring it. I gobble up the rich flavor and the decadent taste as it melts away...and when that piece is gone, I have another, and another. Then I come back to reality and realize that I don't focus on the now. I focus on the future...the what comes next part of life.
I am constantly asking myself questions like When will we move again? Will we find a home as perfect as the one we are in now? Are we going to rent, or perhaps consider buying? Will it be a safe neighborhood? Where will we keep my horse? Will she be safe, and nearby? Or I stress about money, and I always fear we won't be able to pay every bill this month, or next month.
All these fears...all these stresses..I can't keep hanging onto them... So I try and give them all to God.
"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning." Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity."
Joel 2:12-13
I have to constantly remind myself that our God is a God of never ending love, full of compassion, and holds a grace we do not deserve.
I have to remember I am a child of God, that He will never give me more than I can handle, and that He has a plan and I have to let Him work.
I am slowly but surely letting my stress go about fear and change, and giving it to God...but still eating chocolate of course.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
peace
"Peace. It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart."
Are you calm in your heart? Do you have peace?
Are you calm in your heart? Do you have peace?
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Change Change Change
Continuity gives us roots; change gives us branches, letting us stretch and grow and reach new heights. ~Pauline R. Kezer
Where are your roots at? How do you respond to change?
I must say, I don't respond to change as well as I would like to. I do occasionally dig my heels, stomp my foot, and cross my arms most of the time. But when I do those things, God cannot get to me. He cannot reach inside my heart and continue to mold and transform me. It is so easy to say that I let God lead my life, but in times of change and transition when I shut down, I am not giving him the chance to take a hold of my life and make it greater than I ever could on my own.
It is also hard in the midst of change to see the other side, the finish line, the end of the road as some would say. Because sometimes not all change is exciting. Some change is hard, and full of pain. But I often come to realize even in those times of immense pain and hardship that it is even harder when I don't lean on God. But once I uncross my arms and try not to stomp my feet, something inside me shifts. The change that I am experiencing gives me branches to stretch and grow and reach new heights. That transformation happens when I fully surrender myself to God, whether the change is good or bad.
The thing about God is He can take the bad and turn it into something good. When we let Him do what He does best, He transforms us and molds us in ways we could not even imagine.
I leave you with this: What are you struggling to give to God? In what ways are you not letting him rule your life? If there is change on the horizon are you stomping your foot and crossing your arms, or are your feet still and your arms stretched wide to Him?
Where are your roots at? How do you respond to change?
I must say, I don't respond to change as well as I would like to. I do occasionally dig my heels, stomp my foot, and cross my arms most of the time. But when I do those things, God cannot get to me. He cannot reach inside my heart and continue to mold and transform me. It is so easy to say that I let God lead my life, but in times of change and transition when I shut down, I am not giving him the chance to take a hold of my life and make it greater than I ever could on my own.
It is also hard in the midst of change to see the other side, the finish line, the end of the road as some would say. Because sometimes not all change is exciting. Some change is hard, and full of pain. But I often come to realize even in those times of immense pain and hardship that it is even harder when I don't lean on God. But once I uncross my arms and try not to stomp my feet, something inside me shifts. The change that I am experiencing gives me branches to stretch and grow and reach new heights. That transformation happens when I fully surrender myself to God, whether the change is good or bad.
The thing about God is He can take the bad and turn it into something good. When we let Him do what He does best, He transforms us and molds us in ways we could not even imagine.
I leave you with this: What are you struggling to give to God? In what ways are you not letting him rule your life? If there is change on the horizon are you stomping your foot and crossing your arms, or are your feet still and your arms stretched wide to Him?
Monday, January 24, 2011
decisions
How do you know when the right time is for something?
How do you know when to say goodbye, hello, or to let things go?
Life is hard. Decisions are hard. Sometimes it is easier to be passive and not make decisions. But sometimes being passive and taking a step back can be more damaging than actually stepping up and making a decision no matter how hard it might be.
What does God say about decisions?
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4.6-7
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
Proverbs 3.5-6
"If you are looking for advice, stay away from fools."
Proverbs 14.7
Let God be your guide. Go to Him. Run to Him. Seek Him out always.
How do you know when to say goodbye, hello, or to let things go?
Life is hard. Decisions are hard. Sometimes it is easier to be passive and not make decisions. But sometimes being passive and taking a step back can be more damaging than actually stepping up and making a decision no matter how hard it might be.
What does God say about decisions?
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4.6-7
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."
Proverbs 3.5-6
"If you are looking for advice, stay away from fools."
Proverbs 14.7
Let God be your guide. Go to Him. Run to Him. Seek Him out always.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
lemons
Lemons are and interesting fruit. They are tart, but paired with sugar, or poultry or sliced and placed in a pitcher of water, they can taste different. I feel that life is like that sometimes, and we often hear the quote, "What do you do when life hands you lemons..."
What do you do? How do you respond when things get tart? How do you respond when life throws a curveball and hands you something tough, or unbearable? Do you face it head on? Do you push it under the rug? Do you shut down? Do you play the victim? Do you only think about yourself?
What does God call us to do?
Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
It's hard being humble. It is hard not to be selfish, conceited, and vain. The world tells us to think about ourselves all the time, and God tells us to think about others, even in times of distress or immense pain.
So I ask you, when life hands you a lemon, what are you going to do with it?
What do you do? How do you respond when things get tart? How do you respond when life throws a curveball and hands you something tough, or unbearable? Do you face it head on? Do you push it under the rug? Do you shut down? Do you play the victim? Do you only think about yourself?
What does God call us to do?
Philippians 2:3-4 says, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others."
It's hard being humble. It is hard not to be selfish, conceited, and vain. The world tells us to think about ourselves all the time, and God tells us to think about others, even in times of distress or immense pain.
So I ask you, when life hands you a lemon, what are you going to do with it?
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
soup soup soup
I made beef vegetable soup today with cornbread.
I love soup.
I can eat it any time of day.
Actually a little history on soup is that most places in the world usually have some type of soup, or soup broth for breakfast because it has most nutrients your body needs to start your day. A homeopathic doctor told me that.
Now it makes me want to eat soup more.
For the beef vegetable soup I first cooked 1/4 of white onion in equal parts olive oil and butter along with a little garlic salt. I usually use a clove of garlic but I got a little lazy. Then add your meat...chicken, beef, turkey, veal, duck, whatever you'd like. The only thing that changes is the broth flavor.
I used beef. I let it cook with the onions for about 10 minutes. I didn't let it cook all the way before I added the beef broth.
Let simmer while you cut your vegetables.
You can use any vegetable really, but I used carrots, celery, potato, and green beans. Cut them up and throw them in. you might need to add a little water to the broth and some spices when you add the veggies.
Let simmer for 1 hour, and tada! You just made delicious soup.
Recipe for Beef Vegetable soup:
1 package beef (I buy it already cut up)
1/4 of white onion
1/4 stick of butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and cut
3 handfuls of green beans cut in half
2 potatoes peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery cut
2 basil leaves cut up
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 can of beef broth
1 cup water
I will post a picture of the finished product. :)
Enjoy!
ps- for the cornbread I just used a box of jiffy cornbread mix. I usually add a little yogurt and a can of corn to the mix...but I didn't have those.
I love soup.
I can eat it any time of day.
Actually a little history on soup is that most places in the world usually have some type of soup, or soup broth for breakfast because it has most nutrients your body needs to start your day. A homeopathic doctor told me that.
Now it makes me want to eat soup more.
For the beef vegetable soup I first cooked 1/4 of white onion in equal parts olive oil and butter along with a little garlic salt. I usually use a clove of garlic but I got a little lazy. Then add your meat...chicken, beef, turkey, veal, duck, whatever you'd like. The only thing that changes is the broth flavor.
I used beef. I let it cook with the onions for about 10 minutes. I didn't let it cook all the way before I added the beef broth.
Let simmer while you cut your vegetables.
You can use any vegetable really, but I used carrots, celery, potato, and green beans. Cut them up and throw them in. you might need to add a little water to the broth and some spices when you add the veggies.
Let simmer for 1 hour, and tada! You just made delicious soup.
Recipe for Beef Vegetable soup:
1 package beef (I buy it already cut up)
1/4 of white onion
1/4 stick of butter
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and cut
3 handfuls of green beans cut in half
2 potatoes peeled and sliced
2 stalks celery cut
2 basil leaves cut up
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 can of beef broth
1 cup water
I will post a picture of the finished product. :)
Enjoy!
ps- for the cornbread I just used a box of jiffy cornbread mix. I usually add a little yogurt and a can of corn to the mix...but I didn't have those.
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