appropriate.

"I'm not gonna spank you for that..I'd prob'ly do it myself!"

i found this to be pretty funny. john piper speaks on using the internet to find a spouse:

Withheld

Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you face trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness...if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach -James 1:2,5

This morning as I read a bit of James I started to think back on the "trials of various kinds" I've encountered in my life. I was amazed thinking back and realized how much the Lord has done not only to grow my faith, but to bless me through them. Especially the ones where I prayed for something I never received or received from the Lord but not quite in the way I had asked.

Oh, the wisdom and sovereignty of God! How often he has "withheld" things from me for my good! Who could count the number of times God has protected me from my own will and desires!

For starters, and also by far the biggest blessing of my life, He did not let me marry my high school sweetheart. He ended that relationship and gave me a new one: with His Son Jesus Christ. He took my idol away but in return, He gave me all things! What a trade!

Nursing school was probably the hardest 2 & a half years of my life. I prayed hard for peace about being a nurse and being in nursing school. I didn't get that peace the whole time I was in school. He made it very clear that that is where I was supposed to be, but He never gave me peace to know that I would actually finish. But because of my silly fears, I leaned hard on Him. My fear of my next clinical and my future job humbled me and drove me to the cross where I found peace for my soul in learning to put Christ before all other things in my life. I ended up making it through nursing school with good grades. As soon as I got my job in Labor & Delivery I had a major peace about being a nurse. With the best job ever.

I went to nursing school largely because I wanted to be a missionary and do medical work in some other country where people needed medical care . "Send me, Lord, ANYWHERE but here." I planned on leaving the country the semester after I became an RN. I just figured the Lord would be able to sanctify me better if I gave up all the luxuries of being an American with air-conditioning. I began praying about where God would have me go outside the US, and He said, "You're staying here."

And He immediately went to work on my biggest fear in life besides nursing school: marriage. He withheld what I thought would be the ultimate sanctification route (ie living in the bush of Africa or in the jungle in Cambodia) and instead was kind enough to have a gentler plan for me- by dissipating my fears of marriage by giving me a biblical understanding of it then giving me a godly man to marry! Ryan-He is my most wonderful earthly blessing the Lord has given me! Maybe marriage its a slower process than suffering, but I am learning that God does things His way and that is that.

God may have "withheld" a few things from me so far in my lifetime, but I'm sure glad He did (not that He owed me anything to begin with). What a wonderful, loving, and wise God! "His rod and staff they comfort me!" I don't know if God will answer my prayers for the future in the way that I think it should go, but I am learning something:

All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and His testimonies. -Psalm 25:10

He doesn't always give us what we want, but He always gives us what is best.

And I'm trying real hard to keep Garth Brooks' "Unanswered Prayers" outta my head! haha.

Vote!

A couple of months after I got married I found these super-cute wedding charms for a bride's bouquet on Etsy. I drooled over them, wishing I'd found them just a little sooner!

The seller has entered them in a contest at Martha Stewart Weddings, and we can help her by voting for our favorites.

Here's a link to the seller's blog where she gives instructions (and 20% off of any purchase from her store) Cherry Creek Designs.

Here's a link to her store. She has lots of handmade personalized sterling silver charms!
cherrycreek.etsy.com





































Hmm...Maybe I'll order myself some and wear them on a necklace!

this is where i'm going.

next week! God willing, northern california.
yosemite.
san francisco.

suddenly, the theme song from Full house is filling my mind...

What ever happend to predictability?
The milk man, the paper boy, evening T.V
You miss your old familar friends, but they're
waiting just around the bend.

ok, enough of that.








we will be going to a giants game on july 3, fireworks included! and who in all of major league baseball will they be playing while we are in S.F?

The ASTROS! and i'm so going as an astros fan.

this what i'm about to read.

I can't wait to read it.



Especially after seeing THIS.



Read Carolyn's blog HERE.

common sense for preggos.

1. if you have gestational diabetes, don't ask your nurse if you can eat powdered donuts for breakfast while you're in labor. seriously.

2. get a car seat for the infant and bring it with you to the hospital. you just might need it if you are planning on taking the child home with you.

3. if you think or know you're pregnant, SEE A DOCTOR. please don't wait until it's been 36 weeks since the child was made.

4. think you're water is broke? NOW is a good time to go to the hospital.

5. don't skip meals. you may not be hungry, but the kid inside you is. and would probably like something to drink. a coke for breakfast should not be the only thing you've ingested all day.