If you're going to have a birthday Proverb it's nice when it is something awesome!
Proverbs 3:3-8
Let not loyalty and faithfulness forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. So you will find favor and good repute in the sight of God and man. Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your flesh and refreshment to your bones.
{No it's not my birthday yet :)}
And this one has been a favorite for a long time now~ If you have known me for any length of time, I probably sent this to you..if not, here ya go~
Isa 43:1-4 The Redeemer of Israel
But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O {Julie},
And He who formed you, O {Julie}:
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
NKJV
~This has been a great verse whenever I feel like Life is coming on fast and furious. To ponder that the Creator of the everything in the universe, all the way down to the atom... thinks I am precious and honored... and He loves me... Selah~
Me *julie* at # 10:31 PM
Interesting article claiming Halloween as a Christian holiday!
Me *julie* at # 5:01 PM
I love this:
All I really need to know I learned in Kindergarten
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon. When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder...
think what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world- had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap,. Or if all governments had as a basic policy to always put things back where they found them and to clean up their own mess. And it is true no matter how old you get- when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
By Robert Fulghum
Me *julie* at # 3:49 PM
*we are having an awesome wind storm!*
Me *julie* at # 6:09 PM
I learned some more interesting information this weekend about Genesis. At the conference that I was at a NW speaker was there doing various slide presentations that he has developed. He name is Dr. Tom Hoyle and speaks to area-wide churches, school groups, and other clubs about the Creation/Evolution debate along with some other interesting subjects.
I left a class session early and found him at his booth. He took about 20 minutes talking to me about some questions that I have been having concerning the Young Earth view. You could tell he was definitely in his realm because he got so excited while describing the information. The question that I asked him was his take on day 6 of creation; how did all that happen in just 24 hours? He smiled and asked me what I thought really happened on day 6. I started to relate the Day's happenings and he stopped me at the naming of the animals. He asked me what animals Adam was suppose to name and I proceeded to name what I had thought was the right answer ~ all of the land animals and cattle and birds. He clarified that it wasn't the fish or water animals, or insects etc. He then asked what the purpose of the naming was for. So that Adam could see that he didn't have a mate and needed one, I answered. Right, it wasn't a scientific study or for the generations coming necessarily, otherwise God would've had him name ALL the animals. He explained that he had studied Hebrew and that the translation of the words 'beasts of the field' was common field animals. Meaning that it was the basic animals that lived around him; domesticated animals is another way of looking at the translation. God's purpose wasn't in a categorizing of animals. It was so that Adam could look around him at the various animals that were eating and grazing right there in the vicinity and see that all of them had mates. Whereas that may have taken a couple of hours, it wasn't the indepth scientific study that some want to ascribe to that day. In short, he explained that the Young Earth version didn't have to extrapolate the story and could translate the text directly from Hebrew and have it make sense.
Then he went from there and started getting really excited! "Where are the missing astroids in the Grand Canyon walls?!" so we discussed the missing astroids, and we talked about the geology of the walls and how it is very interesting that the heavy type of rock (the name escapes me right now) is at the bottom and the softer water soluble type is along the top. There were a few more things we covered and it was very interesting and fun. I do love to learn the scientific reasons behind beliefs.
I have read the Old Earth's view of the 6th day and I have also read a Young Earth's hour by hour detail of that day (of which I thought was really stretching it). So now, I have another view of the day from another perspective. This has been a GREAT study.
On another note, Dr. Holye was so southernly cute in his talking about the Old Earth's authors. He would quote from one or another and always add in "Bless his heart!'. He did say that unlike some of the Young Earth pudits, he would never equate one's position on the age of the earth with their salvation or walk with God. He said he used to be Old Earth and came kicking and struggling into this other view after he saw the scientific evidence for it all. So he knows that the view doesn't make the Christian.
Me *julie* at # 2:32 PM
We have some friends that have two kids..the youngest turned 20 this last year. But evidently she still wanted more kids, just not babies. So after praying a bunch they decided to adopt a three-some of siblings. I think they are 9, 7, and 5. The 5, and 7 year olds seem to be adjusting well. But the 9 year old is having a harder time learning to trust again. I guess they had been in various foster homes and such, and she just has alot of protective walls up. As a kid in a slight disfunctional home, I know I learned to put up lots of walls- it must be real tough to learn to trust after so many others had failed you...
Then it made me think of how hard it must be for some who are 'adopted' into God's family later in life- Life and people have failed them over and over and now God is saying 'Trust me with everything'. God is so patient with us.. I can just imagine how tenderly He takes their hand and continues to tell them,'You can trust me! I will never leave you or forsake you!' .........I want to be trustworthy like that...
Me *julie* at # 11:53 PM
PS..As I have been typing here tonight, a little brown mouse has been visiting me by the window sill...such a sweet little thing...Where's the d'con?
Me *julie* at # 11:52 PM
Thank you Morgan for my new blog look! You are the most awesomest 17 year old I have!!
Me *julie* at # 8:39 PM
I went to an all day seminar for our church's AWANA club. I was encouraged with what I came away with. I am not a shy person, but not a real out-going one either. So I often doubt that I have much influence on people one way or another. God reminded me today that it isn't my presence that is the influence but Him in me and that takes the pressure off of me to perform, ya know what I mean?
Next thing that hit me was really a small idea that has been growing lately and I really was able to put words to it today. I have been considering the power of prayer when one prays over a child's life. It has mostly been contained with my family and close friends, but today God expanded my view to see the various kids at any given point that I am in contact with. It wasn't a huge revelation, but just a reminder that I may never know what my presence and/or prayers for the kids around me may be doing and to keep praying for them.
"Ministry is what we leave in our wake as we follow Jesus" --Gerald Hartis
On another note.. Jim got the Papers for his dog today... why do they name them such weird names when they have papers? "Magical Star of Courageous" Hmmm I don't get it! And then the last owners nicknamed her Miranda. I have no idea how they came up with that out of Magical Star...
Me *julie* at # 8:39 PM
We've had a frog, a large grasshopper and several dragonflies all hopping, or flying through my house lately thanks to kids and open doors. Oh yeah, and one of the kids found a dead mountain beaver and left in on my front porch so we could all see it. Oh yeah! Road kill on my porch! I love nature and animals.. I just would like them to stay outside.
Me *julie* at # 1:30 PM
I was praying for a friend and was thinking of how he sees people so honestly like God would like us to. And that made me think of how we say a child has his parents eyes or nose or whatever. And that made me think of one of Amy Grants first songs, "Father's Eyes". What an awesome thought... Maybe I'll tell him someday that I think he has his Father's eyes...
Me *julie* at # 12:04 AM
New Wineskins
"No one puts new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins." Mark 2:22
Anytime we do new actions without changing our attitudes or our heart issues, the actions will seem empty at best and fail at worst. We can all come up with things that we have tried to do before we have had a heart change that didn't turn out as well as we would have hoped. From trying to diet before we change our attitude about food, or trying to change our actions so others perceive us differently without changing the attitude behind them to trying to do religious things without letting God change our hearts first.
So what is the results of putting the 'cart' before the 'horse'? Personally we are discontent thinking that if we just do enough, or have enough or earn enough we will finally be content and happy. Socially we feel that we have to put on masks or pretend to be what we perceive we should be because we are looking at everyone else. Everyone else has it together, everyone else has a friend, everyone else is having fun.. so we try to imitate them to achieve what we think they have. But we need to change our view of ourselves first from the inside. And spiritually we become the dreaded hypocrites that we loathe by having actions without a heart change; 'having a form of religion but denying its power'. But until we start from the inside we will continue to try this new activity, or that new group or this new religion and our wineskin cracks and bursts and usually we have no idea why our actions failed.
Personally we have to see that what we have and who we are, is 'enough'. The best analogy I can think of right now is a seed. A seed all of it potential inside from the beginning. It just needs to develop, mature, and grow up so to speak. Socially and personally interconnects to some degree. We can't be honest to others before we are honest with ourselves. God can only do the spiritual change. If any of our spiritual actions are coming from ourselves rather than from God renewing us, it is pretty much dead works. Being able to know scripture, or say the right things, or do a good thing isn't the same as Knowing God and letting Him do those things through us. They may be good socially or morally but spiritually they don't cut the mustard with God. And it will appear as hypocrisy because our heart has to reflect our actions.
New wineskins before new wine!
Me *julie* at # 3:40 PM
I am committing to not eating sugar or simple carbs. I have lost 4 lbs..Whoo Hoo! I'm glad I don't smoke... sugar is a bad enough addiction to try and break.. I would hate to have two.
Me *julie* at # 11:54 AM
In Tribute to my last post here is a view of Seattle that changes form 1907 to 2002 by the movement of a bar.. take a look!
Me *julie* at # 1:16 PM
This afternoon Morgan and I got to meet Sarah and her mom, Kim. This must be the year to meet friends from the internet. So far the total is 26 ranging from WA to KS to AR to MI to TX and AK. I think we are done for the year!Sarah was so fun to be around. And we found out that she lives 1 mile down the road from my childhood home! How fun!
Today we drove down to Seattle and walked through Pike Place Market. This has a huge open air market that everyone from anywhere nearby comes to purchase fresh veggies, lots of fish and fresh wrapped flowers. We skipped the veggies and fish, but did take home some flowers. The rest of the market is made up of odd trinket shops and various artists selling all kinds of things in booths. There was a barber shop quartet singing and a few others playing all kinds of instruments. Saturdays are always slightly more varied than the weekdays. Reminds me of Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco.
We also got to eat a great meal at the Spaghetti Factory. It was a fun, full day!
Me *julie* at # 9:27 PM
Yesterday I had so much fun waking a good friend out of a wonderful sleep. Now, I really didn't mean to wake him up, and I had waited until 1:00 PM to call knowing that he keeps graveyard shift hours. My reason to call was to encourage him because the kids had prayed for him last night and this morning and I know he loves kids...so I thought that would be great for him to hear. Well, it so happened that he was still asleep and got woken up with my 6 year old daughter trying to converse with him about Blues Clues! She was trying to explain to him who Joe was and what Blue was doing in the movie the kids just watched. She then passed it over to her 4 year old sister who loves to talk on the phone but isn't always clear in her speech (if you've been around a 4 year old you will understand what I mean). She proceeded to ask him about whatever popped into her mind. It wasn't until a bit later when the phone got passed on to me that I found out he had been dead asleep. Maybe you had to be there... but it was fun... and he did like it... after he figured out who was talking. Yeah, I am terrible!
Me *julie* at # 2:32 PM
This just does not seem right.... I have all of these programs running in the background of my computer at all times. I have no idea what most of them are or if I really need them running. I know that my computer is slowing down lately but I couldn't tell you why. Anyone out there know what these stand for... if I need them... if I don't how do I stop them from uploading everytime I start windows. arg!
*since this post I have figured out that if I click on the start button, and then the 'run' icon, and then type in "msconfig" it will pull up the start up program. In there you have the option of disabeling various programs from startup. (Or really messing up your programing!!) All I did was to uncheck the 'start up' line. That way the system boots up but all of the optional programs don't. If you know which ones you want to have start up there is the option of clicking on individual programs so that they load and others don't. After windows is loaded then you can manually load the programs you want running. My computer runs soooo much faster now!!*
Msmsgs.exeowner
Taskmgr.exe ...owner
ccEvtMgr.exe ...owner
BackWeb-137903… ...system
Wcmdmgr.exe ...owner
Hpztsb05.exe ...owner
OPXPApp.exe ...system
Wanmpsvc.exe ...system
Svchost.exe ...system
ALCMNNTR.EXE ...owner
omniServ.exe ...system
nvsvc32.exe ...system
CCAPP.exe ...owner
Spoolsv.eve ...system
Svchost.exe ...local service
Svchost.exe ...network
Aoltray.exe ...owner
Qbupdate.exe ...owner
Svhost.exe ...system
Lsass.exe ...system
Services.exe ...system
Winlogon.exe ...system
Crss.exe ...system
hpgs2wnd.exe ...owner
kbd.exe ...owner
hpgs2wnd.exe ...owner
smss.exe ...system
hpqcmon.exe ...owner
hpsysdrv.exe ...owner
memorymeter.exe ...owner
msnmsgr.exe ...owner
explorer.exe ...owner
msmgt.exe ...owner
rundll32.exe ...owner
system ...system
Me *julie* at # 2:13 PM
It has been awhile since I went through Flylady's cleaning steps. I think it is time for a refresher...
Declutter 15 Minutes a Day
The 27-Fling Boogie
We do this assignment as fast as we can. Take a garbage bag and walk through your home and throw away 27 items. Do not stop until you have collected all 27 items. Then close the garbage bag and pitch it. DO NOT LOOK IN IT!!! Just do it.
Next, take an empty box and go through your home collecting 27 items to give away. Suze Orman taught me this in her book, The Courage to be Rich. This will change the energy in your home and bring about good feelings. Every time I do this I feel better and my home is becoming decluttered in the process. As soon as you finish filling the box, take it to the car. You are less tempted to rescue the items.
Rule of thumb: if you have two of any item and you only need one, get rid of the least desirable.
I also sing a wonderful song as I am doing this fun job: "Please Release Me, Let Me Go" as sung from the stuff's point of view.
The 5 Minute Room Rescue
This is a reminder to spend just 5 minutes clearing a path in your worst room. You know this area of your home: the place you would never allow anyone to see. Just 5 minutes a day for the next 27 days and you will have a place that you can be proud to take anyone!
Me *julie* at # 11:25 PM
Psalm 8:3-9
When I consider Your Heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have ordained, what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than the angels, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; you have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen- even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth! NKJV
Me *julie* at # 9:42 AM
The jury is still out on my creation research study. I am doing a very detailed Precepts study on Gen. 1-5. It is obvious now to me that this study is coming from the Young Earth view point. At first they were presenting all views as equal but now that we are getting into the Hebrew meanings of words and looking up various verses all through the Bible that refer back to creation, that the YE view is the basis.
I am also looking into Hugh Ross's stance on Old Earth and am in the middle of an e-mail discussion with someone who is Pro-Old Earth who switched from Young Earth.
I think the thing that amazed me the most isn't the study at all but my attitude toward it. This is the first time I have been faced with an issue of the Christian world and not felt threatened that my view of it may be wrong. I have in the past completely stayed away from 'hot topics' because of the potential conflict it would cause.
And because of my neutral stance emotionally with this issue I am finding arguments on both sides that just aren't conclusive or are too subjective. For instance, in the YE view they want to take the Bible as literal so much that they use arguments like, "The Bible always means the literal sense of any given word the first time it uses it... so the first time it uses the word 'day' must be a literal meaning of the word." That is just too subjective for me to accept. This study also wants to let the Bible interpret itself without using outside sources and that just seems like they are saying science has no place in understanding God or His word. Frustrating.
And in the Old World side, I haven't studied enough yet but my initial questions are about symbiotic relationships between plants and animals/insects. How did those plants survive for ages before the insects or animals that help it survive were 'created'? And I am wondering if they are saying that plants were around ages before any animals.. if so then from my basic elementary science classes we have always been taught that plants give us oxygen and we give them carbon dioxide... where did the plants get the CO2 before any animals were around?
My other frustration with this study thus far is that the two sides do not argue on the same issues. For instance the OE side looks at the YE side and says, "explain starlight"... and the YE replies, "no, you explain Ex 31:16,17 concerning the Sabbath." I haven't found a list of arguments, so far, that each goes along down and gives their own view on it. I may the more I look into it.
But in the end, I am not worried about coming to a conclusion about either one. I am finding so many good points on both sides that ultimately point me back to God and His amazing handiwork. It puts me in awe looking in depth at the creation and knowing that no matter how immense it is, or how minuscule it is, how long or short that He took to create, God is surrounding it all. God is so amazing! He doesn't speak in NKJV! He speaks in colors and stars and oceans etc. You know what I mean! He is Vibrant!
Me *julie* at # 9:32 AM
My son is trying to enlarge his web-site's forum. So if you enjoy being part of an online community then go over and sign up!
Me *julie* at # 9:21 PM
Summer is over... the rainy season is upon us... for the next 9 months! Yea for the NW.. If you come to visit us, bring your own bumbershoot!
Me *julie* at # 7:30 PM
Standards Vs Legalism
My thoughts lately have been on when are standards good, and when are they just being legalistic? And if you change your standards are you compromising? Or just loosing up on being legalistic?
At some point it seems that everyone has to have standards of some sort. Even if they are those who feel that being legalistic is very wrong, they have to have some area that they say, 'that goes against my personal standards'. Now to make a basis for this I am saying that if the Bible forbids something then it is not what I'm talking about. It's the gray areas I'm thinking about.
Over the years I have changed my standards in various areas a lot... sometimes quite drastically. For myself it hasn't been a huge personal conflict because I am fairly flexible. I also have 'caught' myself in double standards. A good example would be in the movies I think are 'OK' to watch. Take two movies that have the same rating and the same foul words (or whatever) and I would choose one as being 'OK' and the other not. The reason was very subjective. So in time I have realized that I can't put any expectations on others for what they do or don't do.
But that then leaves me thinking I'm being a flake and not standing up for anything... I just can't see being able to say a certain standard is right or wrong without feeling like it is legalism.
I have come across various blogs and other discussions on forums lately that people state their standards as being a foundation for a Christian's walk. They state it so forcefully and will back up their statements with verses and all. But in their zeal they push others away. These same people I'm sure can't loosen up on their judgments because then they would feel like they were compromising. But that dogmatism/legalism seem to be a wall they put up that keeps others away.
Another area I have come across this idea is in the various Biblical studies I have been in lately in some forums and in my own Creations study. The whole 'debates' about Calvinism vs. armeneism or Old Earth Creation vs. Young Earth are so unnecessary to me. To discuss the various points is engaging and can be enlightening. But to stand for either so dogmatically that you give no room for the other idea is unfounded. I just don't feel that there is going to be any way we can know those kinds of truths before Heaven. So the divisions they create seem to hurt more that they help.
It even came up just in the comments from my last post. Various people have strong opinions on parents staying home with their kids, or home schooling vs. public schooling etc. I think each should be able to have their own standards, but there has to be enough tact to share that standard without passing judgment on others who don't have it for one reason or another.
So then with all these thoughts I wonder how to stand for my standards in my gray areas. How do I have standards and not make others feel that I am judging their lack of attention to those standards? How do I change my standards when I feel I need to and not look like I'm wishy-washy and compromising?
I guess it comes down to the opposite of legalism... GRACE. We all have needed it from God and we all need to give it to each other. It seems to be the one item that is scarce in today's church. God has taught me lately that no matter what personal standards I have, I need to have so much grace for others that they know without a shadow of a doubt that I care about them as a person and neither my standards not theirs is the basis for my care for them. Man, God has just been rockin my world-view lately!
Me *julie* at # 7:29 PM
I love my 'Job'.... I love being a mom... When we first had kids many people, including my family, were always interested in when I was going to 'go back to work'. I used to mumble a few 'can't tell for sure right now...' kind of answers. I now firmly state I have absolutely no desire to work outside the home. Obviously, if situations were such that we had to have me work then I would... but it wouldn't be my choice. Why would I want to? I am having a blast with these kids. I like snuggling with the little ones in the morning with my coffee and them with their cocoa. My heart is totally full when they are playing and yelling. "Mom, watch me!". I am totally enjoying watching them become adults and taking on the world. I can't imagine any kind of work that would be more satisfying. ok.. I will admit the pay isn't that great and the hours can be real long... but to be in these people's lives is worth all the pain and frustration that comes with it. I think that is why it's so easy for me to be 'mom' to my kids' friends.. it just comes natural for me and I end up wanting to walk through life with them too. I can't get an outside job... I don't have time...I'm too busy investing in lives!
Me *julie* at # 1:47 PM
Washington could use a huge dose of southern hospitality! We found that there is far more independent thinking and racial tension up here than anywhere we visited down south. I think what we decided is that even though a lot of church going folks down there go for social reasons, at least they are going and hearing basic Bibical truths for walking with others. Up here we have the New age Capital of the West and a high percentage of those who go to no church at all which means most are not familar with those same basic truths. Just goes to show you that God's Truth is going to work no matter who walks with it. Baiscally, we fell in love with the south... now to figure out how to make a living down there!*smile*
Me *julie* at # 12:55 PM
Worlds Colliding..
I think that sums up what I feel about this trip. Seeing Real People... Breaking down preconceived images.. Seeing God in unusual places and unusual people... Doing things unimagined a week ago... meeting people that turned our lives around... Having fun at all hours of the day and evening... All in 6 days..
Amazing...
Me *julie* at # 5:29 PM
First of all, thank you so very much to all those who were praying for this trip. Morgan and I prayed almost daily for this trip for about a month. And all the answers to those prayers and yours were visibly evident from the time we got to Arkansas to the final goodbye in Longview, TX. I don't think I could count how many times something happened that couldn't have happened the way it did without God's hand on it. I really am trying not to over-do the spiritual; but it was so awesome Morgan and I couldn't stop talking about it.
Some of the highlights of our trip:
Safe flight down;
the faculty at OBU put out the red carpet for all of us. I think at one point or another almost all of the staff/faculty from the janitor to the President of the University greeted us. They paid for meals, let Morgan stay over two nights, gave us a huge tour of the University, and paid for us to go to their Main stage theatre show's opening night. There were specific answers to prayers happening from the moment we stepped on campus (no exaggeration there either!).
Jim totally felt great about Morgan going to that college. And you will only know how much that was an answer to prayer if you know how much Jim did not want Morgan leaving home to go to any college much less one half way across the US.
~We had a great visit with some friends in MS.
~Let me show one good example of how God was working in this trip. While we were in MS visiting friends, we had planned to go visit a guy Morgan knows at a nearby university. The first people we see are a guy and a girl talking. It turned out that he had just had dinner with that guy about an hour or so ago and had talked about us coming to visit. So guy walked us down to our friend's dorm and went up to get him. But that kind of specific answer to prayer was what we kept experiencing all week. It wasn't even that we had prayed for that thing either.. we had just prayed consistently for God's will in this trip. We are still amazed!
~Met a lot of fun new friends at LETU
~Actually got to meet Caleb we we've known for 1 1/2 years but have never met. Awesome young man!
~ Spent some time with Sam and had a great mixture of activities: philosophizing, eating, laughing, and having some great talks!
It is soo hard to encapsulate a week of constant activity in a short paragraph. So I will leave it with this and in time will add more things that come to my mind.
Me *julie* at # 12:45 AM
Sun Dappled Country Roads
Family...
metnal
AIM
Friends and Aquaintances...
Email
Prayer Request: Misconstrued accusations have been made about Jim through the leadership at the church. Long story.. just pray it gets resolved correctly.
bravenet.com
Just for Fun...
Learning...
Music...
Men of God Radio*Cory's a DJ soon
Archives...
current
07/01/2003 - 08/01/2003
08/01/2003 - 09/01/2003
09/01/2003 - 10/01/2003
10/01/2003 - 11/01/2003
11/01/2003 - 12/01/2003
12/01/2003 - 01/01/2004
01/01/2004 - 02/01/2004
02/01/2004 - 03/01/2004
03/01/2004 - 04/01/2004
04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004
