This Picture Speaks for Itself

I thought this was so cute and funny I just had to put it on here. I hope it made at least one person laugh.

I've Been to the Ends of the Earth and Back...

...and Big still makes these cookies better than I do.

FOOD. It's a thing of beauty. If only it tasted as good as it looks.

HELLO ALL! I know. It's been over a month, but I wasn't allowed to go online at all in October.
Well, as you can see, I'm back now.
So, how y'all been?
Me? I'm alive. Life isn't easy, but it's worth living.
I'd better say my good-byes for now. I got stuff to be doin'.
TRUST IN GOD.

SMILE!

My family! In...19...90....6? I think. That's John John, Me, Sara Becca, Issy, and our puppy, Blacky.

My second cousin, Jake. He's two.


I love the truth in this song. We should all have this kind of a testimony.

Sorry about the sound quality. You can't upload audio on Blogger, so I had to use the digital camera to record it and then upload it as a vidoe.

Random Pictures of Random Things (Basically My Life)

"A friend" inspired me, so I thought I'd post some pictures. (No, I'm not copy-cating you, "A friend".)

These are the flowers that Rachel gave me (awwwww!).

Clairissa, Me, Rachel, John John, and Matthew at the beach.

Clairissa and I one day this spring.

Andrew and Rachel (a different one) at the beach.

I was at the Astoria Column looking out over the Astoria Bridge.

And look, I even threw in a couple of bonus videos!

The funny video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv5zWaTEVkI

And the intensely real video-I was covered in goose bumps by the end. (My friend, April, sent it to me. Thanks again, btw.):
http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5

The New Dog and Bear =D

I thought this was pretty cool, so I thought I'd share it with y'all. (Hey nifty! It's writing like it's a link. That's wicked!)

http://speakingoffaith.publicradio.org/programs/play/audiogallery/soundseen.shtml

The Big Blue House

WARNING: The characters in this story do not always accurately reflect the behavior of the people they were based upon.


This is The Big Blue House.






























This is John John of The Big Blue House.

































This is John John of The Big Blue House's older sister, Mary.






























































































































(As you can see, she is slightly more photogenic than her younger brother.)










"Now what," you may be wondering, "do John John of The Big Blue House and his older sister, Mary, do with all their time?"

John John of The Big Blue House has his ideas of fun, but his older sister, Mary, would much rather be outside enjoying the splendid beauty of The Ream Acre.






































Many times she has found comfort and joy in The Big Blue Barn...































...The Big Blue Shop Building...

...The Big Blue Garage...

...The Big Blue Mailbox...

...The Big Blue Pump House...

...and last but most certainly not least, The Big Blue Pool House (complete with guess quarters).









































She tends her garden not only for pleasure, but also as a way to relieve stress and wind down from John John of The Big Blue House's unwavering younger brotherly torment.












































The orchard brings much satisfaction as well as tranquility.












































But above all, she treasures her swing. There's something truly irresistible about the wooden seat gently swaying in the soft breeze. Yes, her swing is her one dependable escape. When the walls of her buildings shake in the wind, when she gets drenched from the rain because her garden offers no shelter, when she's forced to flee the orchard to escape the wild dogs, one thing always holds strong: her swing. It's her source of security, of strength, of joy, of true peace and comfort, of forgiveness. Her swing is Jesus. Who is your swing? Is it Jesus? It took me 16 years to realize that He's the only source of true security, strength, joy, peace, comfort, and forgiveness. No other "substitute" will do. They will always fail you, but He never will.











































Who is your swing?

JOHN

Psa. 51:1 was the context of our morning Bible study today. It's one of my favorites, so we went ahead and read the rest of it too.

Psalm 51

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-she'-ba

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.
Psalm 51, KJV


It had been a while since I had read this Psalm, but it spoke just as loudly and clearly to me this morning as before.
When I commit a sin many times, I start to get the idea that maybe this time my sin was too great. I feel so terrible because I know how much it hurts my Lord when I sin that I wonder how He could forgive such a wretched sinner. So many times I asked forgiveness and said that I wouldn't do it again, but here I am, crawling back to His Mercy Seat, hoping with all my strength that He won't look at me and say, "Alright, Mary, this is it. You've told me countless times that you'd never do it again, but here you are. Well, I'm done forgiving you. Your sin is just too much," and banish me to eternal damnation. And you know what? He never does. That's right. Never. He always forgives me without thinking twice. He never even considers leaving me to wallow in despair because my sin was too great. Why? There's two reasons I think of immediately.
The first is, of course, salvation. I believe that Jesus Christ came into this world fully God yet fully man; lived a perfect, sinless life; died on the cross to take away my sins; rose from the dead; and ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father therefore I am saved and going to heaven no matter how much I sin. (Read any one of the four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John for more details on the life of Jesus.)

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. -John 3:16

24 Verily, verily, I say to you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.
- John 5:24, KJV

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. -Romans 8:1, KJV

12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.
15 And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. - Hebrews 9:12,15, KJV


The second is sin can't be too great. God wouldn't be God if He could be defeated by sin.

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. - Acts 26:18, KJV

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; - Ephesians 1:3,7, KJV

Grace. It is by grace we are saved and by grace we are forgiven.

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Ephesians 2:8, KJV

Well, I could keep going on and on about this passage for a long while, but my time is limited. But there is one more thing I want to touch on before I wrap all this up.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. - Psalm 51:16,17, KJV

If I am truly sorry for what I have done, God will forgive me. God wants me on my knees, giving it all to Him, my joy and my sin. He wants my whole self.

Alrighty, there's a cake to be baked, a shower to be taken, and more Bible chapters to be read. So I guess this is all for now.

Oh, y'all are probably wondering why I titled this post John. No, it's not just because I love my lil bro, but also because the English meaning of his name is "God is forgiving". The Hebrew meaning is "God is gracious".

Much love in Christ,