I find it fascinating, that even atheists have no problem believing in "Mother Nature", and that scientific types can talk about "nature's plan" or "nature's design" etc. Like as if it somehow just happened, and coincidentally all worked out into some sort of wonderful cosmic accidental plan. I'm sorry. If there is a plan, it stands to reason to me that there was a "Planner". If there is a design, does it not follow that there had to be a "Designer"?
Creation Calls
by Brian Doerksen
1. I have felt the wind blow, whispering your name…
2. I have seen your tears fall,When I watch the rain.
How could I say, "There is no God"?
When all around creation calls!!
3. A singing bird,
4. A mighty tree...
5. The vast expanse of open sea…
6. Gazing at a bird in flight...Soaring through the air!
7. Lying down beneath the stars...I feel Your presence there.
8. I love to stand at ocean's shore, and feel the thundering breakers ROAR...
9. To walk through golden fields of grain, 'neath endless blue horizon's frame...
10. Listening to a river run...watering the earth.
11. Fragrance of a rose in bloom,
12. A newborn's cry at birth!
How could I say, "There is no God,
When all around, Creation calls ~
A singing bird, A mighty tree,
The vast expanse of open sea,
I love to stand at ocean's shore
And feel the thundering breakers Roar,
To walk through golden fields of grain,
'neath endless blue horizon's frame...
I believe,
I believe,
I believe,
Just like a child...
13. I BELIEVE!
To put my money where my mouth is, (or maybe my F.R.O.G. where my blog is), as it were. You've probably noticed my little frog sitting at the top of my blog with the words, "Fully Rely On God. Basically, I've decided it's time to practice what I preach.
A few weeks ago, I applied for a full time cake decorating position at our local grocery store. I had an interview and it seemed like everything went really well. Then I even found a few pairs of white pants and a brand new white polo shirt at the Used Clothing Center and garage sales, just in case I was hired and needed them to wear to work. The way things were going, I felt sure that this was where God was leading me. He was going to provide a way for us to have a stable income, and either be able to keep our home, or at least help pay the rent for wherever we end up moving to. I had the prayer chain from my church praying for this job and everything. I anxiously waited over the weekend, and then I got the call on Monday. This is what the bakery manager said, "It was a tough decision, but we decided to go with another applicant." She told me she would like to keep my application on file in case something opened up in the future, but this was not to be my job. Okay. I can deal with that. God must have something even better planned for my future, right?
Well, now that it looks as though there is no longer anything we can do to keep our house, we have been looking for one to rent. We thought we'd found the perfect house. In town, within walking distance to almost anywhere we might want to walk to. It was an older home, but had been nicely remodeled. The problem was, there was another couple in somewhat the same situation as we are, that the owner had promised a week to make their decision whether they wanted it or not. They took the full week...and then decided "Yes", they would take the house. Okay. I understand. We still don't have a place to live and I don't yet have a job to help pay for wherever we do end up renting either.
Ray and I have just started a new bible study at church. It's called, "In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day". Interesting title, don't you think? It's based on a book by Mark Batterson. The title is in reference to a man in the bible named Benaiah, who ended up as one of King David's body guards. Apparently, he had killed a lion in a pit in the middle of winter in his past, which I guess made David decide to hire him as his bodyguard. Anyway, it's all about how we don't see the big picture that God does, and we don't know what He is preparing us for in the future while we are going through difficult times. The things we go through that seem the scariest while we are going through them, are oftentimes the greatest experiences we've ever had, once we are looking back on them. He also talks about how our "unanswered prayers" are usually blessings in disguise.
So last night, after reading some of this book, I got to thinking. I have this friendly little frog at the top of my blog telling people to "Fully Rely on God", but do I really do that??? Not usually. I'm always trying to figure out a way to fix things without going to Him first. I need to get it through my head that God knows what He's doing and that He is in control of everything in our lives... and that He will get us through this too. We just have to trust in Him!
I am going to the Beth Moore conference with a group of women from my church. Some of us have done several of her bible studies over the past few years, which all had videos that went along with them. I have always enjoyed these studies, because she's so good at relating to other women. During almost every video lesson, if you looked around the room, everyone was laughing, or crying...or crying until we laughed. Come to think of it, I should really pack my purse with a bunch of Kleenex right now.
It should be an inspirational and fun weekend. I also get to spend tonight in a hotel room with 3 other women...that should be interesting too! Although, we won't be done until 9:30 tonight, and the doors open at 7:30 tomorrow morning...so I guess we'll have to get some sleep...I've never done anything like this before, and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll let y'all know how it went.
Well, believe it or not, I was actually down 2.8 lbs tonight! I was pretty happy with that, especially after the week I had. As I said in the last post, I had a hot dog on Wed., we had ladies night out at church on Friday, so I had some cake there, since we had a birthday girl there. Saturday night, Ruth and her fiance, Dan took us out for Father's day and I had ice cream. We did our usual Chinese buffet yesterday, and to top it all off I had a pork steak and even a mini cheesecake at our Father's Day pot luck dinner at Mom and Dad's yesterday! Just think what I might have lost if I hadn't "indulged".
That's okay. I have decided that if I'm going to stick it out and lose this weight, and then keep it off, I have to be able to enjoy myself once in awhile. If I feel like I'm depriving myself all the time, I won't be able to keep it up. As long as the numbers on the scale keep going down...I will keep "indulging" now and then.
I've had a couple of non-scale victories this week too! I sat in one of the church nursery's rocking chairs the other day, and noticed that my thighs were no longer touching both chair rails, like they used to! Maybe that's not that exciting to most people, but it was to me. Then on Wednesday, I tried on a pair of size 18 jeans that I had saved from the last time I wore that size...quite a few years ago. I got them zipped...and buttoned. Woohoo! They were a little tight around the waist, but I wore them anyway. Friday night, my friend Sarah brought me another couple of pairs of jeans...one of them was a size 16! I can get them on too, but they're not exactly comfortable yet. I started out in a tight size 22, and right now I'm wearing a very loose size 20. I really need a size 19 right now. Those new jeans are going to be my inspiration for the next week or two.
I have stated that I would like to be down to my "target weight", (10 % off) by my birthday which is two weeks away. I am within 4 lbs of that goal right now. I can do it. I know I can.
Graphics and Myspace Layouts at pYzam.com
