I had the opportunity to sing a duet at church this week. I gathered up three of our extremely talented youth group kiddos to sing and play with me. I chose Carry Me to the Cross for us to sing/play. Here are the lyrics:
When the path is daunting
And every step exhausting
I'm not alone, I'm not alone
No, No
I feel You draw me closer
All these burdens on my shoulder
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
You call me from this place
Hallelujah
You carry me every day
You carry me all the way
Hallelujah
You carry me to the
You carry me to the cross
How Your love has moved me
To the foot of all Your glory
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
I'm not alone
Hallelujah
You carry me every day
You carry me all the way
Hallelujah
You carry me to the
You carry me to the cross
All of these cities You have built
And every cathedral You have filled
To all of creation You gave life with Your hands
And with those hands You comfort me
Lift me up from my knees and carry me
You carry me
Hallelujah
You carry me every day
You carry me all the way
Hallelujah
You carry me to the
You carry me to the cross
The cross
You carry me to the
You carry me to the cross
I love this song because it's so encouraging when we're going through trials. James 1:2-4 says, " Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." When we face trials, we can be encouraged that God uses them to make us more like Him. He tears away the idols in our heart, so our heart can be filled with Him. We are called to be steadfast in our faith and turn to God always, but especially through trials. This song is a great reminder that it's not in our sinful nature to want to move to God. He calms our fears, takes up our burdens, and carries us to the cross. He reminds us how much He loves and cares for us through the sacrifice of His son for our sins. No matter what we're going through, we can cling to the cross for freedom from our sins, relief from our burdens, and comfort for our pain. And as crazy as it sounds to the world, through the pain and suffering we become stronger. God makes us stronger than we ever could have imagined. We become living examples of the grace and mercy of God. He uses us for His glory. Again, that sounds crazy to the world. God sounds selfish, right? He allows us to go through pain for His glory? Even our sinful nature sometimes tries to convince us of the injustice of it all. But then we remember that we're talking about the Creator of the universe. Not only did He create everything (EVERYTHING!) with mere words, but He's also the Lord of all of it. Who are we to expect anything from Him? We are sinful, evil people. Yet, He loves us and wants to have a relationship with us. The Creator and Lord of all wants to know us! But that's not all. He also wants to make us more like Him. "Perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." If He created us, why would He want to change us? Because we are sinners, who cannot be in His presence. The perfect and holy God of the universe cannot stand sin. Nothing that is unclean or unholy can be in His presence. So God not only wants to have a relationship with us, but He also wants to draw us close to Him and have us in His presence for eternity. How amazing! We are so undeserving of all of these things! Therefore, when we face trials of various kinds, we count it all joy, as James says. We are joyful because we know God is using the trials for His glory and our good.
Joy is different than happiness. Happy is superficial. It's not long lasting. It's momentary. "I'm happy that it rained today." Joy is focusing on God's blessings. I can find joy in all things because I know that I get to spend eternity with God because of Jesus' sacrifice for my sins. No matter what you're going through, that will bring you joy, if you have that promise from God. So through this trial in my life, I am joyful. Joyful in God's promises. Joyful in His plans for my life. His ways are infinitely better than mine. His plans are always perfect. Mine are littered with flaws and imperfections due to my sinful nature and selfishness. I find joy, comfort, and peace knowing that He has the perfect plans for my life. Plans to bring Him glory and plans for my good, in that order. He is using my situation for His glory. Wow! The God of all things is using me for His glory! What an honor! So we take joy in our trials. We're thankful that He carries us to the cross every day.
I made a video with the recording of our duet and pictures from our trip to Colorado this summer. I pray that you are blessed by it.
Monday, August 13, 2012
Sunday, July 29, 2012
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Monday, June 11, 2012
A Little Crunchy
Summer is finally here! We are really enjoying our time off. We've relaxed, moved half of my classroom boxes(the district is moving the other half) to my new school, and spent time with our high school kids. We'll add a few trips in there, but that's pretty much what our summer looks like. Last summer we ran around like crazy and remodeled our kitchen, so we're looking forward to a relaxing summer!
I have five or six projects picked out for the summer. I finished my first and second projects today! I'm very excited about them because they're quick, easy, and will save our family some money. So what did I make in about 30 minutes? Laundry soap and fabric softener! Thanks to Pinterest, I found several recipes for each. D and I like powdered soap better than liquid, which is actually even easier to make.
Here's the recipe:
1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup of Washing Soda
1 Bar of Fels Naptha
Grate the bar of Fels Naptha. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Place mixture into a container.
You use about 1 teaspoon for each load. The hardest part is grating the bar of soap, but it's pretty easy. I got a little gung ho at the beginning and grated more than the soap.
After the soap was so easy, I decided to move on to the fabric softener at the same time.
2 Cups of Hair Conditioner (I used Suave Ocean Breeze)
3 Cups of Distilled White Vinegar
6 Cups of Hot Water
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Stir until the conditioner is well mixed. Use a funnel to pour mixture into a container. I used an empty Gain container and a tupperware container because I ran out of room in the Gain container. Use about 1/4 cup in each load.
I immediately started a load of laundry to try out my projects. Stay tuned for the results!
I made both products in about 30 minutes and they will last a long time. The best part is how inexpensive they are. Derek recently bought Tide laundry soap (40 loads) for $12. The Borax was $5, Washing Soda was $5, and the Fels Naptha bar was $1. So that's only $1 less than the Tide, BUT next time I make the soap I only need to get the bar of soap. The Borax and Washing Soda will last me a LONG time! The laundry soap I made should last much longer than 40 loads, too. My only hesitation on this project was knowing where to buy the ingredients. You can find all of them at your local grocery store right next to the expensive laundry soap;)
Recently, I've been having a hard time finding a scent of fabric softener that I like. We don't have a specific brand that we always buy, but last time I bought Gain. It costs $8 at Walmart, but it probably cost me more at Kroger. Compare that to $2 for the Suave conditioner. I already had the vinegar and hot water (of course!) The homemade fabric softener completely filled a Gain container and would have filled at least half of another if I had one. It's empowering to create your own products because you know exactly what is in them and you're saving money.
I've found some great websites for making your own cleaning products. Again, they are MUCH cheaper, but the main draw for me is fewer toxic chemicals in our house. I guess this girly-girl is turning a little bit crunchy;)
I have five or six projects picked out for the summer. I finished my first and second projects today! I'm very excited about them because they're quick, easy, and will save our family some money. So what did I make in about 30 minutes? Laundry soap and fabric softener! Thanks to Pinterest, I found several recipes for each. D and I like powdered soap better than liquid, which is actually even easier to make.
Here's the recipe:
1 Cup of Borax
1 Cup of Washing Soda
1 Bar of Fels Naptha
Grate the bar of Fels Naptha. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
Place mixture into a container.
You use about 1 teaspoon for each load. The hardest part is grating the bar of soap, but it's pretty easy. I got a little gung ho at the beginning and grated more than the soap.
After the soap was so easy, I decided to move on to the fabric softener at the same time.
2 Cups of Hair Conditioner (I used Suave Ocean Breeze)
3 Cups of Distilled White Vinegar
6 Cups of Hot Water
Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.
Stir until the conditioner is well mixed. Use a funnel to pour mixture into a container. I used an empty Gain container and a tupperware container because I ran out of room in the Gain container. Use about 1/4 cup in each load.
I immediately started a load of laundry to try out my projects. Stay tuned for the results!
I made both products in about 30 minutes and they will last a long time. The best part is how inexpensive they are. Derek recently bought Tide laundry soap (40 loads) for $12. The Borax was $5, Washing Soda was $5, and the Fels Naptha bar was $1. So that's only $1 less than the Tide, BUT next time I make the soap I only need to get the bar of soap. The Borax and Washing Soda will last me a LONG time! The laundry soap I made should last much longer than 40 loads, too. My only hesitation on this project was knowing where to buy the ingredients. You can find all of them at your local grocery store right next to the expensive laundry soap;)
Recently, I've been having a hard time finding a scent of fabric softener that I like. We don't have a specific brand that we always buy, but last time I bought Gain. It costs $8 at Walmart, but it probably cost me more at Kroger. Compare that to $2 for the Suave conditioner. I already had the vinegar and hot water (of course!) The homemade fabric softener completely filled a Gain container and would have filled at least half of another if I had one. It's empowering to create your own products because you know exactly what is in them and you're saving money.
I've found some great websites for making your own cleaning products. Again, they are MUCH cheaper, but the main draw for me is fewer toxic chemicals in our house. I guess this girly-girl is turning a little bit crunchy;)
Friday, March 30, 2012
Life Lately
It's been FOREVER since I've updated our blog! Here's a very brief overview of the last 10 months:
Summer-We had a very busy summer. We remodeled our kitchen, traveled to visit family, and spent time with our youth group kiddos.
Fall-In the fall, I coached volleyball and Derek coached football. His team won the district championship again! We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year. Derek's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephews all came down to spend a week with us. We had a blast! We even took the boys over to College Station for an Aggie football game. It was so fun to see the boys again after our summer visit. J actually knows us now, so we're not just voices on the phone. He is such a sweet and spirited boy...makes this auntie proud!
Winter- Over the Christmas break we traveled to Delaware to visit my family. It's always nice to spend time with our grandparents. My family loves game nights. We played Phase 10, (fr)Uno, and other card games....I was in heaven:) We enjoyed our visit, even though it was VERY cold! In February we took a few of our high school youth kids on a retreat with other PCA churches. It was wonderful to bond with them!
Spring-We're just getting to spring and are looking forward to the rest of the school year. Derek is in the middle of track season. His long distance runners have won most of their events. I've been busy with our youth group. Wednesday nights are truly the highlight of my week! Over Spring Break we went to the Houston Rodeo and saw the Band Perry perform. We also had a lock-in. The kids get along so well and really enjoy spending time together. They inspire, challenge, and bless us beyond measure! D and I are helping Nat plan some fun events this summer. We can't wait!!
Looking Ahead-We have some big changes on the horizon for us. Next year I'll be moving to a new school. My magnet program has grown so large that the district decided to replicate it on a second campus! The second intermediate school(League City) is in our neighborhood and I was selected to move over there. I'll be three stop signs and about 4 minutes from our house. What a blessing! Today we had our first meeting of the new WAVE team. Several of our new team members are teachers at League City. They are very kind and welcoming! I got to see my new classroom and meet some of the other science teachers. My classroom "neighbor" is the department head. She's super "gold" (organized, neat, etc), too. I can tell that we're going to get along really well. With any move, you leave good friends behind. Three of my closest teacher friends will be staying at the original campus and I will miss them dearly! I've been praying for my new coworkers, specifically to be paired with like-minded, kind, caring, teammates. God is always faithful and I know he will bring me new teacher friends who will bless me just as much as the ones I'm leaving. As with any change, there has been a lot of anxiety among our magnet, specifically the students and parents. Change can be especially difficult for gifted kiddos (and their parents, who are most likely gifted too.) We covet your prayers as we prepare for and begin next school year.
We're planning several trips this summer. D is going on a two week trip with his Teaching American History Grant group. They'll tour Boston, Jamestown, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and several other cities. He is super excited! We also have a Vinson Family reunion in Colorado and possibly a Cain family reunion in the Northwest. Besides that, we're planning to relax this summer. It will be nice to have a break from the busyness of last summer and this school year.
So that's what we've been up to this year. I hope to update the blog more often in the future:)
Summer-We had a very busy summer. We remodeled our kitchen, traveled to visit family, and spent time with our youth group kiddos.
Fall-In the fall, I coached volleyball and Derek coached football. His team won the district championship again! We hosted Thanksgiving at our house this year. Derek's parents, sister, brother-in-law, and nephews all came down to spend a week with us. We had a blast! We even took the boys over to College Station for an Aggie football game. It was so fun to see the boys again after our summer visit. J actually knows us now, so we're not just voices on the phone. He is such a sweet and spirited boy...makes this auntie proud!
Winter- Over the Christmas break we traveled to Delaware to visit my family. It's always nice to spend time with our grandparents. My family loves game nights. We played Phase 10, (fr)Uno, and other card games....I was in heaven:) We enjoyed our visit, even though it was VERY cold! In February we took a few of our high school youth kids on a retreat with other PCA churches. It was wonderful to bond with them!
Spring-We're just getting to spring and are looking forward to the rest of the school year. Derek is in the middle of track season. His long distance runners have won most of their events. I've been busy with our youth group. Wednesday nights are truly the highlight of my week! Over Spring Break we went to the Houston Rodeo and saw the Band Perry perform. We also had a lock-in. The kids get along so well and really enjoy spending time together. They inspire, challenge, and bless us beyond measure! D and I are helping Nat plan some fun events this summer. We can't wait!!
Looking Ahead-We have some big changes on the horizon for us. Next year I'll be moving to a new school. My magnet program has grown so large that the district decided to replicate it on a second campus! The second intermediate school(League City) is in our neighborhood and I was selected to move over there. I'll be three stop signs and about 4 minutes from our house. What a blessing! Today we had our first meeting of the new WAVE team. Several of our new team members are teachers at League City. They are very kind and welcoming! I got to see my new classroom and meet some of the other science teachers. My classroom "neighbor" is the department head. She's super "gold" (organized, neat, etc), too. I can tell that we're going to get along really well. With any move, you leave good friends behind. Three of my closest teacher friends will be staying at the original campus and I will miss them dearly! I've been praying for my new coworkers, specifically to be paired with like-minded, kind, caring, teammates. God is always faithful and I know he will bring me new teacher friends who will bless me just as much as the ones I'm leaving. As with any change, there has been a lot of anxiety among our magnet, specifically the students and parents. Change can be especially difficult for gifted kiddos (and their parents, who are most likely gifted too.) We covet your prayers as we prepare for and begin next school year.
We're planning several trips this summer. D is going on a two week trip with his Teaching American History Grant group. They'll tour Boston, Jamestown, New York, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and several other cities. He is super excited! We also have a Vinson Family reunion in Colorado and possibly a Cain family reunion in the Northwest. Besides that, we're planning to relax this summer. It will be nice to have a break from the busyness of last summer and this school year.
So that's what we've been up to this year. I hope to update the blog more often in the future:)
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