I can't believe March is soon coming to a close. it kind of freaks me out when I think about how fast this semester/2009 has flown by so far. I counted today...only 6 more weeks of one class and 7 more weeks of my other two. actually, when i type that out it seems a little longer, but thats ok. but im technically only done with 56% of my internship hours...yes, i calculated my hours into a percentage! i need get moving. only 200 or so more hours to go...that sounds depressing when i think of it like that. ok, well this section is boring...moving on.
this is just kind of a rambling blog today, but i mainly wanted to let everyone know that Jas is taking the civil service exam on Thursday morning! this is just the first major step in the Dallas fire department application process that is almost a year long ordeal. but please pray that he would do well! if he passes he moves on the next thingy...and we just want to move on through each process til he gets to be a fire fighter! thanks for praying! we will keep you posted!!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Lukewarmness
So I have been studying Revelation as I lead our girls time at small group. Here are some things God is teaching me...
Revelation starts off with letters to the angels of the 7 churches. The 7 letters to the churches are really neat & scary, but also beneficial to study as an individual and as a member of Christ's body. I know a lot of people are familiar with the letter to Laodicea and the idea of lukewarm water)and Jesus spitting you out)....but I thought John Piper's words on lukewarmness were penetrating and powerful.
"The essence of lukewarmness is the statement, "I need nothing." The lukewarm are spiritually self-satisfied. To find out whether you are among that number, don't look into your head to see if you think that you are needy; rather, look at your prayer life. It doesn't matter what we think in our head, the test of whether we are in bondage to spiritual self-satisfaction is how earnest and frequent and extended our prayers for change are. Do you seek the Lord earnestly and often in secret for deeper knowledge of Christ, for greater earnestness in prayer, for more boldness in witness, for sweeter joy in the Holy Spirit, for deeper sorrow for sin, for warmer compassion for the lost, for more divine power to love? Or is the coolness and perfunctoriness of your prayer life exhibit that you are spiritually self-satisfied and lukewarm? " (to see the whole article go to this link- http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ScriptureIndex/17/373_How_to_Buy_Gold_When_Youre_Broke/ )
That statement really got me thinking. I hope it stirs your heart as well.
One thing that I think really shows Gods character in all of these letters is that he gave warnings to the churches. He could have easily, with one flick of the wrist, blown them all to smithereens. But instead he gave his churches the chance to repent...to turn away from their sin and iniquity. He did not have to do this, but by his great mercy, he did. I love that character of the Lord....his great mercy. It really is great when we think about our sin and depravity. Anyways, hope this encourages you today. Have a happy monday!
Revelation starts off with letters to the angels of the 7 churches. The 7 letters to the churches are really neat & scary, but also beneficial to study as an individual and as a member of Christ's body. I know a lot of people are familiar with the letter to Laodicea and the idea of lukewarm water)and Jesus spitting you out)....but I thought John Piper's words on lukewarmness were penetrating and powerful.
"The essence of lukewarmness is the statement, "I need nothing." The lukewarm are spiritually self-satisfied. To find out whether you are among that number, don't look into your head to see if you think that you are needy; rather, look at your prayer life. It doesn't matter what we think in our head, the test of whether we are in bondage to spiritual self-satisfaction is how earnest and frequent and extended our prayers for change are. Do you seek the Lord earnestly and often in secret for deeper knowledge of Christ, for greater earnestness in prayer, for more boldness in witness, for sweeter joy in the Holy Spirit, for deeper sorrow for sin, for warmer compassion for the lost, for more divine power to love? Or is the coolness and perfunctoriness of your prayer life exhibit that you are spiritually self-satisfied and lukewarm? " (to see the whole article go to this link- http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/ScriptureIndex/17/373_How_to_Buy_Gold_When_Youre_Broke/ )
That statement really got me thinking. I hope it stirs your heart as well.
One thing that I think really shows Gods character in all of these letters is that he gave warnings to the churches. He could have easily, with one flick of the wrist, blown them all to smithereens. But instead he gave his churches the chance to repent...to turn away from their sin and iniquity. He did not have to do this, but by his great mercy, he did. I love that character of the Lord....his great mercy. It really is great when we think about our sin and depravity. Anyways, hope this encourages you today. Have a happy monday!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Valentine's Weekend!
Jason and I had a GREAT Valentine's Day this year! You must be thinking it involved roses and mushy love letters...but nay, this year it was about basketball and friends! Jason and I took our good friends, Tim and Jaya, to good ol' Waco to go to a Baylor Basketball game. The only weekend that worked out for all of us was Valentine's, and it was so fun!! Baylor played A&M...and we won! Good thing we went to this game because the other games before and after this one have been a big disappointment. What happened this season?? Thats a whole different story....But, the weekend with Tim and Jaya went like this. We ate big, juicy burgers at Kitoks, walked on Baylor campus, went to Dr. Pepper museum and devoured floats & shakes, then went to common grounds for more tasty treats, and then off to the basketball game! It was fun to be able to spend time with the Birdwell's because they are moving to Austin in May to plant a church, so our time with them is limited! We will miss them very much, but are excited for God's plans for them...which includes the arrival of a little baby girl in May, also! wahoo!! ok, here are some pics from the weekend!!
Tim and Jason at the Dr. Pepper Museum!
The Birdwell's...being Birdwells!
Jason and I
Cute!
I thought Tim would want me to post this one...This is Tim and Jaya with Antwone Wright, who plays for the mavs! He was at the game because he played for A&M!
Anyways, thanks to the Birdwell's for coming to the game with us! Hopefully we can do it again some day!!
Tim and Jason at the Dr. Pepper Museum!
The Birdwell's...being Birdwells!
Jason and I
Cute!
I thought Tim would want me to post this one...This is Tim and Jaya with Antwone Wright, who plays for the mavs! He was at the game because he played for A&M!
Anyways, thanks to the Birdwell's for coming to the game with us! Hopefully we can do it again some day!!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Alex's Top 5 Ideal Travel Spots in the World
I love to dream about places in the world that I have never been to and may never have the chance to see in my lifetime. If I was a trust fund baby...then I would definitely use some of that money to travel the world. And ever since Jas and I got married, I love to think about how much fun we would have experiencing different people, sights, foods, languages...etc. So I have compiled a list of the top 5 places I want to go in my life. Who knows if we will actually set foot in any of these places...so in the mean time I will dream.
-- Africa...anywhere in this continent, just get me to Africa in my lifetime.
-- Jerusalem...I really want to make this one happen.
-- The Patagonia in South America...hello hiking and beauty.
-- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...the exoticness is calling me.
-- Turkey...its my favorite food. no, but seriously, I want to go here. i've been so close, but didn't quite make it over the Aegean Sea.
What are your top 5???
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Moroccan Meal for Two
I saw this recipe in Women's Health a while back and it intrigued me because it was Moroccan. Jason went to Morocco a few years back and it was one of his favorite mission trips and he brings it up all the time...so I wanted to make a Moroccan meal. Anyways, it turned out pretty good. So here it is
Moroccan Stewed Chicken
1 lb. boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
1 large zucchini, cut into cubes
1 can (16 oz) garbanzo beans
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomotoes (i used organic)
1/2 tbs. olive oil
1 c. chicken stock or water (i used chicken stock)
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp gorund cinnamon
chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- Place oil in large saute pan or wide pot over medium heat.
- Season chicken with salt and black pepper and cook in pan until browned, 2 to 3 mins. per side. Add zucchini and continue cooking, stirring often.
- When zucchini pieces have browned lightly, add garbanzo beans(drained), tomatoes chicken stock, cayenne, cumin, and cinnamon. Turn heat to low and simmer until chicken is tender and cooked through, 10 to 15 mins. Seasons to taste with more salt and pepper; garnish with chopped cilantro.
**Now I have a grocery budget, and I don't like buying spices that I probably use for only one meal, so I nixed the cayenne pepper, cilantro, cinnamon, and cumin...which might have made this meal less moroccan. haha i dont know. i added garlic when i was cooking the chicken and that was my added flavor. Overall, it was pretty good, but i think it would be good with the cayenne pepper and cumin. I also made couscous...the boxed Far East brand...which was easy to make and was tasty.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Mars Hill
I was reading in Acts 17 yesterday and I was reminded of my time in Greece back in 2006. I had the privelege to live in the Netherlands for a few months and study abroad. We traveled through out Europe, and Athens, Greece was one of our stops. Visiting the Acropolis was such a memorable time for me. Especially standing on top of Mars Hill, which is where Paul preached to the Athenians in Acts 17. This is where Paul said these words to the philosophers and idol worshipers who had an altar dedicated to "the unknown god"... "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything."
This scripture is a good reminder to me and I was encouraged by it yesterday. I hope it speaks to you too. Here are some pics from Greece...
Mars Hill...the big rock that all the people are standing on.
Me standing on Mars Hill...not the most attractive picture, but im ok with that.
This scripture is a good reminder to me and I was encouraged by it yesterday. I hope it speaks to you too. Here are some pics from Greece...
Mars Hill...the big rock that all the people are standing on.
Me standing on Mars Hill...not the most attractive picture, but im ok with that.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
new style
new year, new style, new background. just keeping you guys on your toes...also, please take note of spud on the side. so cute!
today is day #2 of "everything is canceled" day. yesterday school was canceled! score. tuesday's are my long days from 2 pm to 9 pm...so i was glad about that. but today CDM was closed so I couldn't go to my internship! i need every hour i can get, so i was secretly disappointed because 8 hours is a lot to miss. so i decided to make some cookies today instead. they are called chocolate crinkle cookies. i am pretty excited about them. the dough is in the fridge right now and will be for a few more hours before i bake them! i will take pics and post the recipe if they turn out good! i have been wanting to make them for a while, so that is why i am so excited about a silly batch of cookies. until next time...
today is day #2 of "everything is canceled" day. yesterday school was canceled! score. tuesday's are my long days from 2 pm to 9 pm...so i was glad about that. but today CDM was closed so I couldn't go to my internship! i need every hour i can get, so i was secretly disappointed because 8 hours is a lot to miss. so i decided to make some cookies today instead. they are called chocolate crinkle cookies. i am pretty excited about them. the dough is in the fridge right now and will be for a few more hours before i bake them! i will take pics and post the recipe if they turn out good! i have been wanting to make them for a while, so that is why i am so excited about a silly batch of cookies. until next time...
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