This week, much of the attention has been on the big Chick-fil-A debate. I have watched numerous debates and discussions occur on Facebook, but have not chimed in. I don't want to cause any drama or create any arguments, which is why I am posting here (Does anyone read this anyway? Ha!)
I believe that God calls us to love everyone. Mark 12:31 says to love your neighbor as yourself. Not certain neighbors, all neighbors. This is a challenging one. God has called us to love everyone, no matter whether we agree with their lifestyle or not. I firmly believe this. (Do I live it out everyday? Probably not because I am a mess.)
I also believe, though, that God calls us to stand up for what is right according to Scripture. Does that mean pointing a finger in the face of an unbeliever? No. Does that mean standing up for your beliefs when you are asked what you believe? Absolutely. In John 2, Jesus went and overturned the tables in the temple because people had turned it into a marketplace. The same Jesus, though, is seen having dinner with sinners in Matthew 9:10. He made His message clear, never compromising it, but making sure that everyone knew how much He loved them. What an amazing example.
Dan Cathy was asked what He believed on a very controversial issue, and he held to his beliefs. Should he have pretended he didn't believe that so as to not create controversy? No. He never said he hates people who live a gay lifestyle. In fact, I have found out that there are several people from the Gay & Lesbian community employed by Chick-fil-A. He was standing up for what was right, and he did it in a very non-hateful way. When I think about how Jesus would have handled the situation, I think it would have been in much the same way. We are called to love people without compromising on what we believe in regards to Scripture. So instead of focusing on the controversy, let's do just that. Love God, Love People. Ready, set, GO!!
Life Interrupted
I recently purchased a new Bible study off of Amazon called "Jonah: Navigating a Life Interrupted" by Priscilla Shirer. I've found that I do much better when I have a study to direct my quiet time and have heard great things about Priscilla's studies, so I went for this one. I am only on day 2, but am already loving it. In this season of Chad and I's life, God is taking is down a totally different path than we could have ever imagined. It is amazing and scary all at the same time, and requires total trust and faith. This study is absolutely perfect for where we are, and I am loving God's confirmation of His plans for us.
Today, I read this quote from the study: "Knowing that we have an opportunity to participate in God's purposes should cause us to sit on the edge of our seats in anticipation of divine interventions disguised as life's interruptions." (Priscilla Shirer) Woah. I can't wait to see how this life interruption/ divine intervention allows us to participate in God's perfect purposes for our lives. I am definitely on the edge of my seat in anticipation because I can't wait to see what God does. To HIM be the glory-- thank you Lord for life interrupted!
http://www.amazon.com/Jonah-Navigating-Life-Interrupted-Member/dp/1415868492
Today, I read this quote from the study: "Knowing that we have an opportunity to participate in God's purposes should cause us to sit on the edge of our seats in anticipation of divine interventions disguised as life's interruptions." (Priscilla Shirer) Woah. I can't wait to see how this life interruption/ divine intervention allows us to participate in God's perfect purposes for our lives. I am definitely on the edge of my seat in anticipation because I can't wait to see what God does. To HIM be the glory-- thank you Lord for life interrupted!
http://www.amazon.com/Jonah-Navigating-Life-Interrupted-Member/dp/1415868492
Top 5 things not to do on the beach
Chad and I just returned from spending a week in Folly Beach, South Carolina. To sum it up, we played in the ocean, relaxed under a beach umbrella, and ate. It was AWESOME! We both like very low key vacations, so this was right up our alley. We did, though, make several observations of what not to do on the beach.
If you are at the beach, you should NOT...
#5: Tan until you are oddly dark. Like freakishly dark.
#4: Leave your food unattended. Birds will have a party on your beach towel.
#3: Pour diet coke on your kid's hands to wash the sand off for snack time.
#2: Bring your newborn to the beach. It is 100 degrees outside and neither of you are having fun.
#1: Tell your kid not to get sand on the towel. Really people? It's the beach!
On a different note, I absolutely love the beach. God is so amazing & the beach just proves that even more. It is gorgeous. Also, since my love language is quality time, I really enjoyed all the uninterrupted time that Chad & I got to spend together. This summer has been crazy busy (in a good way!), but it was great to get to relax for a whole week. I hope that one day we get to return to Folly Beach. Until then, I will dream of the beach, the waves, and the sand =).
4th of July
Chad and I spent the 4th of July by doing 2 musts: eating BBQ and watching fireworks. We stopped by Rudy's BBQ with the mobs of other people, but it was worth it for the deliciousness! From there, we headed to Boerne to see the fireworks. It was a great show with minimal crowds, it may be our new tradition for the 4th. Yay for independence!
Hayley's visit
My wonderful friend from freshman year in high school came to visit this week & we had a great time. I love that we can just start off from right where we left off, even if it has been months since we talked. I am SO blessed to have her as a life long friend. I can't believe I didn't get any pictures of the two of us... =/
We made our first stop to the teacher store-- of course! For dinner, we had these amazing wraps that we made.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/09/crispy-southwest-chicken-wraps.html
This goes inside them...
And here is the finished product. YUM.
We watched a chick flick while letting our food settle. Then we made mini peach cobblers. Also delicious. Here is the recipe:
http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/02/mini-peach-cobblers/
On Tuesday we went to H-E-B Plus (a big deal when you live in Kerville) & had lunch at Panera Bread. Several House Hunters episodes were watched during the visit too =). It was so fun and I am very thankful for Hayley's friendship!
We made our first stop to the teacher store-- of course! For dinner, we had these amazing wraps that we made.
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/09/crispy-southwest-chicken-wraps.html
We watched a chick flick while letting our food settle. Then we made mini peach cobblers. Also delicious. Here is the recipe:
http://www.alli-n-son.com/2011/06/02/mini-peach-cobblers/
On Tuesday we went to H-E-B Plus (a big deal when you live in Kerville) & had lunch at Panera Bread. Several House Hunters episodes were watched during the visit too =). It was so fun and I am very thankful for Hayley's friendship!
Cinnamon scones
My best friend from high school, Hayley, is coming to visit me tomorrow so I wanted to make something yummy for breakfast. The result= cinnamon scones! Here is a link to the recipe:
http://www.food.com/recipe/cinnamon-scones-17366
And here are a few pictures of the process. I think you are supposed to make the dough in the shape of a circle, but I didn't... Either way they turned out delicious!!
http://www.food.com/recipe/cinnamon-scones-17366
And here are a few pictures of the process. I think you are supposed to make the dough in the shape of a circle, but I didn't... Either way they turned out delicious!!
Thinking back...
Well, apparently blogging isn't my strength considering I haven't posted since October. Oops. Life has been really busy as of late, but a good busy. As I was driving to work recently, I was playing back the last year in my mind. When I finally stopped to think about it, I realized that God has been so good to us. He really has brought us out of a very difficult time into a wonderful place in our lives. I love where He has us right now. The journey to get here was hard, don't get me wrong, but I learned so much through it. I am grateful for the way He used people in our lives to encourage us and lift us up during the stressful times. God has taken such great care of us, and His plans for us are better than anything I could have dreamed up. There are still challenges, and I know that life is never perfect. But I look forward to seeing God's plans for our future, because HE is the ultimate planner. And HIS plans are perfect for us.
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