An enlightened perspective

I have been given a perspective that I wish to rather not have, but all in all an appreciated perspective.

But I am not alone, as I have seen others endure a glimpse of THE CROSS as well. It is a gift full of heartache. But it is still a gift.

~

As Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane... his friends fell asleep. He was abandoned & left alone in his hour of need.
Jesus was betrayed... by someone in his inner circle. Someone he dined with, who knew his character and who he shared his heart with.
Jesus was falsely accused and arrested... "the disciples forsook Him and fled." For fear that the same may happen to them. They were looking out for themselves.
As Jesus is being questioned, his reputation is being tarnished... his friends denied even knowing him. No one was there to stick up for him or "have his back".
Jesus was publicly shamed and humiliated. When all he did was love people.
Jesus walked with his cross, endured physical beatings and unbelievable pain.
As Jesus died on the cross... His disciples were "looking on from afar" (Mark 15:40)
Who was there?.... His Mom =) And one friend... John.

~

If this happens to me... to us... Should I or we be surprised?

~

We will be betrayed & abandoned by loved ones & those we consider friends.
We will be left alone while we are in sorrow and anguish over a broken heart.
We will be gossiped about and our reputation will be tarnished by lies.
We will be falsely accused... no one will stand-up to attest of your character unless they are forced to, for fear they may be dragged into it with you.
We will be the one that no one wants to be associated with. As we walk to and fro about our daily lives carrying the cross... people will look on us as if we are wearing "The Scarlet Letter".
We will be publicly humiliated & shamed upon.
We will feel physical pain. Pain that makes you unable to even walk. And we may feel abandoned to endure alone.
We will go through heartache, humiliation and pain... and out of fear of what to say or do, others will only look on us from afar.



It is sad but true... we will all feel what Jesus felt at some point and in some way. A glimpse and or a fraction of what he felt in his hour of need. May it truly make me (us) appreciate all the more what Christ endured.

And when our moms or friends like John do come to our side... may we not take it for granted.

~

But there is one thing we will NEVER feel that Jesus did feel.
"My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"
God will never forsake us or leave us.

~

"You don't realize that Jesus is all you need, until Jesus is all you have." -Corrie Ten Boom

Thank you Jesus for the price you paid... for enduring... for allowing God to forsake you so that you could take our sins upon you. Thank you for allowing me to feel a glimpse of what you have felt, so that I can be all the more appreciative of what you did for me.
Now my prayer is that somehow when it is all said and done. That I may return to forgive and not be left with bitterness. Jesus, I don't know how you did not bare resentment! Thank you for grace. Thank you for mercy. Equip me with those attributes!
Thank you for my mom =) and for friends & family like John. AMEN!

Rembrandt's picture of Peter's denial... Notice Jesus in the background?

Kauai, Hawaii September 2011

I know this is a bit late... But better late than never :).

We had this great Murphy bed in our Kapa'a condo. We slept on it a few times to fall asleep to the ocean.



Nick loves Ahi Poke, shaved ice.... and his daughter =)

We have discovered that McKinley loves going new places. She was SUCH a good lil baby in Hawaii. Slept on the plane ride, was very content exploring the Kauai island with mom and dad, and just enjoyed looking all around. Perhaps it's fair to say that she is even more content new places than she even is at staying at home. I guess she isn't much of a homebody

The condo we stayed in was right on the ocean. Loved getting up early sitting on the deck to enjoy coffee and the sunrise while reading.

Po'ipu Beach

Looking down on Hanakapi'ai Beach

Kalalau Trail

What a great Island to seek outdoor adventure... We will be back again when the kids are a bit older to do some more extensive hiking, zip lining, snorkeling, etc.

McKinley experienced a lot of firsts in Hawaii. First time in ocean, first time hiking, first time on a plane. AND... AND... first time rained upon.

Ha‘ena Beach Park (Tunnels Beach)
Nick wanted to go to the beach where the surfer girl got her arm bit off by a shark... so here we are being dare devils swimming at the exact same beach. =)

Waimea Canyon
McKinley is impressed.

First family pic of all 3 of us... and we couldn't even wake McKinley up.

Our favorites.

Lydate State Park Beach

Headed Home.

How I Make Lemonade out of Lemons...

1.) Surround Myself With Positive, Loving People

Friends and family who truly know me and what I am about. People who have mutually shared their heart with me and I with them. They know my soul. Thus they can help feed it and bring out the best in me. I am blessed to have people like this in my life!

2.) Thankfulness & Praise

It is in the midst of chaos and trials that we truly appreciate what we have. Here is what God has revealed to me today to be thankful for...

I have a loving and supportive husband. He truly is my knight in shinning armor. (Cheesy!) Okay maybe not in shinning armor but he does do battle for our family. Both spiritually thru prayer and physically, thru support and words.
Every young lady deserves a man who will fight for her, alongside her and when necessary be the commander of the army. Please don't settle for anything less and when you're dating... put the boy to the test. He should be pursuing you and fighting for your hand in marriage. Nick did this, and God has blessed me with a man who won't back down.

I have a beautiful little girl who daily laughs and giggles with me. She is a testament that comfort does not always come in words but sometimes comes in just being present. At times I have not comforted others because I feared I didn't know what to say. Shame on me... God could have just used my presence for their strength.

Two people who have been through amazing storms. They chose to praise God in the midst and see Him work in amazing ways. If God gives them the strength & power to endure, than I can too.

3.) Daily Pour into Good Books

When life throws us lemons, God views it as a test of faith. Satan seeks to use it as temptation to bring us into despair, discouragement, depression, etc. All to say that there is a daily battle of my spirit and my mind. Will I choose to rejoice always?

There is no better way to do battle than by making sure I am prepared and equipped. So each day I HAVE to put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) or else I can fall into fear, anxiety, or discouragement. I equip myself by reading the bible daily. Personally I like to dig in and study it. I use Jon Courson's commentary and my fancy IPad app to read different translations. I also listen to sermons.

Few favorite pastors:
Mark Driscoll at Mars Hill Church www.marshillchurch.org
Brett Meador at Athey Creek Christian Fellowship www.atheycreek.com
Jon Courson at Applegate Christian Fellowship www.joncourson.com
Wesley Towne at Ekklesia www.ekklesiaeugene.org

4.) Hold on to and Grasp for Myself God's Promises

This is another way to do battle. I have experienced the benefits of praying God's word and specifically his promises. I attempt to not pray with words like, "God I hope and pray you'll do..." or "God if it is your will, please...." No, I am working on praying with faith and conviction. There are certain things God promises He will do. There are times in the bible when He does tell us His will. I choose to pray to him and remind him of what He says He will do. He has to follow thru on His word and He will. The question is... do I believe he will?

Philippians 4:4-8 - "Be joyful Always... Do not be anxious about anything... Just pray...and GOD WILL GIVE YOU PEACE that transcends all understanding."
Jeremiah 29:11 - "God knows our plans and they are to see us prosper, to give us a future and a hope."
Romans 8:28 - "For WE KNOW that all things work for the good.."
1 Corinthians 10:13 - "No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. "
Matthew 11:28-30 - "Come to me all who are wear and heavy, and I will give you rest"
Philippians 1:6 - "He who began a good work in you, will carry in to completion"
Nehemiah 8:10 - "The Joy of the Lord is your strength"

There are also times when God is silent about His will. It is than that I can pray,
"Not my will but thy will be done."

5.) "The Best Way to Cheer Yourself Up, is to Cheer Someone Else Up." - Mark Twain

Blessed are those who are persecuted and put to the test. Yes, we can acknowledge that it sucks, but having faith in God is saying "I am blessed for having to go through this." So don't seek to "feel sorry" in a way that slanders God's plan, but seek to cheer someone up by reassuring them of God's promises!

^"12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him." James 1:12

^"13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? ¹⁴ But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats^[a]; do not be frightened.”^{[b] 15} But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. 1 Peter 3:13-15

Fall Camping

I was pretty determined to get McKinley out camping so off we went a few weekends ago with Granny, Grandpa, Uncle Joey and Aunt Hanna. We went up to Belknap Hot Springs and Nick was able to join us for a day as well.

With Uncle Joey and Aunt Hanna... 3 weeks married!

"My mom found me this fleece camo bunting... It was on sale so that is why I got camo instead of pink. I don't like pink much anyways"

We decided to trek into this waterfall up the old Mckenzie hwy.

one of my favorite places in Oregon.... the Old McKenzie Hwy

McKinley and the North Sister

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Lil Baller

This past week McKinley took a trip to Utah with her mom. We watched lots of basketball. And yes, McKinkey actually watches the game too :). She stays awake for about a half. Than she attempted to take a nap the 2nd half only to discover that the buzzard horn greatly disturbs sleep. She would jolt awake whenever a substitution was made so I soon figured out it helped to cover her ears.
In Utah we got to visit and hang out with Velaida and her family. Than we got to visit and watch Elise play in her first college game. In 20 min of play she had 6 pts, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists... Not too shabby :) It was great to see Elise in her new home and so comfortable there as well. God is blessing!

Halloween

Nick and myself aren't much for dressing up for halloween or for any other reason really. We are in tshirts, basketball shorts and sweats the majority of the time :) But we have come to enjoy dressing up our little one. Here is her halloween costume as well as a few other favorite dress up outfits.