Easter

Easter egg hunting is the BEST

So Proud

Doin it right

Finished Product

Easter so significant to what our Faith is all about. Jesus came to die for us, and to be raised to never die again. He conquered sin and death, and this is our Hope. Greater Love hath none than this, that he lay down his life (John 15:13). Christ has done what only He could do. Because of His Holiness, it had to be done, and because of His perfectness, only he could do it. Christ is risen! And we look to the author and perfector of our Faith (Hebrews 12:2) as we do this thing called life, that we might be the aroma of Christ (2 Corinthians 2:15).

Paul tells us to follow his example as he follows Christ. (1 Corinthians 11:1)

Oh that we might live a life that others can follow our example as we follow Christ, and praise God for those divine relationship to whom we follow as an example.

KaGraMo

Ah, the Gap Kids and Abercrombie years. Looks like the Youth room in our Chruch?

I'm guessing Pine Cove? Middle school judging by Kathleen's height and my hair? Also, this was clearly my favorite shirt.

 Grace entertaining herself by offering Harry Potter Jelly Beans.

 "Here, want a jelly bean?

Seriously try one!

{giggle}

No seriously they're fine

They're really good!

Here, try one!

{giggle}

Just one, eat it!"

  Unfortunately we didn't capture this in highschool, but as we've all discovered, we actually havn't changed that much :)

This weekend felt like we were in highschool again: staying at the parents house, zero cooking, sleeping late, sunning, late night convos laughing until we hurt...

I do not know what I would do without these ladies.

Decentralized Dance Party

That's right, a decentralized dance party.

  Anything, written by a good friend and Spiritual Mentor of mine, Jennie.

I can't wait to jump in, knowing Jennie's heart and our many conversations late-night after babysitting in college, or over coffee post college. She is an encouragement and inspiration to meeting the call Jesus has given each one of us specifically. I feel so blessed to have such a tangible example of God working in our lives, going before us to prepare the way (and us) for the future which only He knows.

on Leading Yourself

Gchatting with the madre

 Anne:  Who is that curriculum with?  DTX?
U sent your info to pray for you with me

me:  by "U" do you mean "I"

 Anne:  Yes, I do

 me:  and by "DTX" do you mean "DTS"

 Anne:  fingers not working well today

 me:  and no, it was with Denver Seminary

 Anne:  YES
ha
DENVER??

 Anne:  Would LOVE to sit at feet of strong SMART prof just blah blah the info...

 me:  are you encouraging me to just move their now? I'll tattle on you to dad

 Anne:  ONLY if I can go too

 me:  ok deal

 Anne:  then Joe and I could just sublet your apt.....LOL

 me:  you could!

 Anne:  Again...gotta pray about future.....and God's will....as OBVIOUSLY.....WHAT are you going to do with MA???
thought you wanted a MRS?

 me:  ha
ha
ha

 Anne:  you make me smile....
OK, finishing here on computer....reconciling VISA stmt....and then out to work in flower beds....WOOHOO...

 me:  woohoo!
i'm out to apply to denver, pack up my house, and put gas in the uhaul!

 Anne:  lol
What happened to the "prayer part".....listening to Him part....??
AND you didn't answer my question about MA VS MRS degrees????  and how you will use each?

 me:  it's like grace v obedience, they both work at the same time and encourage the other
MA = prime husband hunting opportunity
MRS = smart wife/mom

 Anne:  lol
well, you'd get a A+ in the humor classes

The Cost of Dicsipleship

"God is the giver [of the law] and its Lord, and only in personal communion with God is the law fulfilled" pg 122



The Cost of Discipleship by Bonhoeffer

Bonhoeffer begins his books speaking about Grace. The costly Grace that we are given, rather than the cheap Grace of self-justification. He continues to write about Grace's relationship to obedience, something else that has been wrongly interpreted. 

In our culture, we have seen the pendulum swing from cheap Grace (sins are already forgiven so why quit) to legalism. As a great example of this himself through his involvement with WWII, he goes on the say "the only way to follow Jesus was by living in the world." His writing is convicting to those who 1) do not engage in the world, and 2) those are settle for a secularized Christianity. 

Bonhoeffer always points to Jesus, and that the call to Faith and Obedience are both calls to follow Him. He refers to Peter, who "had to leave this ship in order to learn both his weakness and the almighty power of the Lord," pg 63. "We can only take this step aright if we fix our eyes not on the work we do, but on the word with which Jesus call us to do it... Christ must first call him... the first step of obedience proves to be an act of faith" pg 66. 

"The call to follow means...adherence to the person of Jesus Christ and fellowship with him...is not the hero-worship we would pay to a good master, but obedience to the Son of God," pg 76. "In Jesus the law is at once fulfilled and cancelled," pg 83

"The call of Christ...sets the Christian in the middle of the of daily arena against sin and the devil," pg 90. It is impossible to do this without his strength, yet "adherence to him means persecutions," pg 101.

Bonhoeffer gives a sobering insight to Jesus' statement that we are the salt of the earth, "everything else needs to be seasoned with salt, but once the salt itself has lost its savour, it can never be salted again," pg 116.