So My Thoughts For Today...

The Historic Liturgy - Issues Etc. internet radio program
I've been listening to a great series on Issues Etc. issuesetc.org that is on the liturgy that we use in our church still and which has been used for centuries. It is fascinating to hear from Pastor Weedon the details about the different parts of the liturgy. Why each part is important and where it came from historically. If you are at all curious about what the liturgy is and why churches such as the Lutheran church has held onto it look up the series on The Historic Liturgy on Issues Etc. Thanks Pastor Weedon and Pastor Wilken for this series!

In my opinion a church service with the liturgy and wonderful hymnody is much more meaningful than a service without it. And I am one of those who gets irritated when the wording gets changed because I don't comprehend what it is saying as well when the words are changed.

Thoughts on becoming a new mom
In about 4 months time I will be a new mom. I'm guessing most in my situation have fears about not doing enough in terms of the right foods and enough exercise for the baby to grow properly inside me. I find myself relying on prayer and God to take care of this baby since He is there and knows exactly how the pregnancy is progressing. I want nothing more than to have a healthy baby when it is born and I get to meet this new person. I also expect that most moms have a great sense of excitement about the changes happening and about the months to come when baby born and starting to grow up. It is wonderfully exciting!

Time on my hands
Is it true that the more time you have the less you do with it and the less free time you have the more you want to do and don't have time for? It seems so for me. For the first time I am, by choice, not working or going to school. I am working on two cross stich/embroidery projects. One of which I want to have done in one month's time. I have also started on making Christmas cards, and there are some scrapbook projects I can be working on too. My goal for the next little while is to get into a routine of making these projects a priority.

I have also taken on a hobby of cooking and baking. We've gotta eat so we might as well enjoy what we are eating to the best of my ability to cook it. :) I made some delicious zucchini bread this fall with zucchini given to me from someone's garden. Mmmm. One new recipe a week would probably be a good goal!

Wishing that life was simpler and distances weren't so great! But I guess life is pretty simple most of the time. It's just when things get challenging. Distance between family members can be quite challenging. Especially when it's an elderly parent and an only child.The only child then has to travel quite a ways and sometimes on short notice to take care of their parent. My thoughts are heavy with this today and praying and hoping for safe travel and for God's will to be done in the situation.

Pirate Christian Radio

I just posted a new widget on the right side of my blog. This is an awesome talk radio online broadcast that has programming that you can listen to online. I would recommend listening if you are interested in learning more about the Bible and hearing what it's all about. If you are a new Christian or have been a Christian for a long time already. Anyone can learn something from the shows on PCR. I've listened to a couple of the shows as a podcast and started listening to the other shows directly from PCR just recently. I love it! It broadens my knowledge of Christian issues and Biblical truth.

Impressions

Sometimes I wish that I looked mature rather than young. I remember that growing up I always looked younger than my age. Now that I'm in my twenties people older than me tend assume certain things of the "young" people, like me. Things like inexperienced, knowing little, single or with a not married partner, immature, don't make smart choices, and probably others. While some of these might be true, I don't always make smart choices for example, it would be nice to not give off these impressions with my looks or age.

Yesterday Tim and I were told that we seemed too young to be married. Once she found out how old we are she reasoned her statement with the fact that a growing number of people are waiting till their thirties to get married and many don't get married but just live common law. Somehow her comment made me think about how we come across and why people make assumptions.

Most of the people I can think of that are married and in their twenties are Christian and therefore have the Bible as their foundation setting the rules and morals for life.

Maybe if I didn't look so young I would also be taken seriously more often too.

Awesome things

I found a new blog yesterday. www.1000awesomethings.com. If you don't know it you may want to check it out. This guy started writing about the little positive or enjoyable things in life that we take for granted. Or the things that we can appreciate if we are aware of them. Things like clean, warm sheets right out of the dryer. I personally love having clean sheets and clean pjs on the same day! There are so many little joys we can see in each day. And we can give the glory to God for these things. That's one of the best parts for me. When you're having a low day, when you can't quite get out of a sad mood noticing the little joys around you can help. Or reading something from this blog of awesome things can too!

Neil Pasricha who writes this blog says that the Three A's of Awesome are Attitude, Awareness and Authenticity. Having a positive attitude that does not focus on the sad things but on positive things. Awareness to notice your surroundings and I would think especially the details. Authenticity to be true to who you are and be ok with that.

I think I agree with this and would add from a Christian standpoint that God made us who we are and we can strive to live that way. God created all the blessings and joys around us. They are gifts from God for us to notice and enjoy. And God gives us the strength to have a right attitude. A self-less attitude of love for others and an attitude to do God's will.

Whether you credit the awesomeness around you to God or not it is still a joy to notice these things and enjoy them!

Shine God's Light

A couple of verses that I thought worthy of sharing as I was reading Philippians Chapter 2 last night. Good things to remember in daily life.

³ Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, ⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling or arguing

If we grumble or act selfishly, thinking of ourselves better than others then we are not living our life in the way that the Bible says to. We are not shining God's light in the world but rather are putting God's Word in a bad light by our words and actions. Shine God's light by thinking of others and not grumbling today.

Quadra Island

10 minutes away by ferry from Campbell River is Quadra Island. A nice place to go for hiking and picnicking.
This picture is taken from the east side of Quadra Island looking at the rocky mountains.

A fun pic of Tim and me and a big tree.

Apparently one of the only lighthouses in BC that you can access by a road. Which we did....obviously.

On the west side of Quadra Island you can see Campbell River. Yes...there is snow on those roofs. It's February.

See how close Campbell River is to the mountains on the Island? But I don't know which peak that one is. Anyone know?