What IS love?!

Yes folks.....I do have love on the brain as of late. :-) It might be due to the fact that the man I love is constantly on my mind. But....ahem....you probably don't want to hear about that. What YOU want to hear about is what I think love is.....hence my title.

But....I'm not going to define love as I see it. Since the Lord has brought this new love into my life I've been contemplating even more what it means to love. The world has its own definition. Often it involves feelings and emotions that change at every turn life brings. Amidst this disillusioned people who seem to think they have love figured out yet can't make a marriage last, how are we supposed to come to a true understanding of what love is and what it means to love?

Just like anything in life, we turn to the One who DOES have it all figured out. There's no need for us to question or wonder. We have all the answers at our fingertips. We just have to crack the Book open and let Its light shine in our hearts.

So what DOES God's Word say about love? I don't think we can go very far without looking at Christ's example of love. It is said that 1 Corinthians 13 is the Love Chapter. I think 1 John 4 is pretty competitive!

1 John 4:7-11

Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.

Wow.....What an incredible example of love we have in our Savior! So then what IS love? The chapter continues...

Vs. 16-21

And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

We love him, because he first loved us.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.

Verse 16 says "God is love". How has God loved you? THAT is how you are to show love to others. Is it easy to love others? Not always. But then....as often as I fail the Lord it would be so easy for Him to choose not to love me. Yet, He doesn't! I'm so grateful for that.

How have YOU shown love today to those in your life?

It's Tuesday!

What's so special about Tuesday? Well, not much.  This morning as I was evaluating the day at hand, I realized that I love Tuesdays! For several reasons: It's not Monday.  It's a short(er) day at school. I haven't been going to school all week so I'm not as exhausted.  I get to teach piano.

School tends to take up a good portion of my time and makes me quite weary even just thinking about it. It's so easy for me to fall into the trap of complaining and displaying a lack of joy. That shouldn't be! I have SO much to be joyful about. The greatest thing that I can rejoice about is my salvation.  Even if I had nothing else to be joyful about (which I DO), my salvation would be enough to cause me to rejoice every waking moment.

Psalm 27:6- And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me: therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.


Today, Tuesday, is the 15th so before I ran to class this morning I sat in my car and read Proverbs 15 aloud to my friend. What a blessing!  Over and over again I read about joy in the believer's life and my heart was affected as I realized that I have not been displaying joy on purpose like I should be!

4a- A wholesome tongue is a tree of life:


13- A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.


15- All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.


23- A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it!


My day hasn't been without frustrations and disappointments, but purposing to have joy has made all the difference. How can I hand someone a tract and expect them to read it if I am so consumed with my own valleys and trials? How else will they see the joy of the Lord unless they see it from ME?!

Worship In Song!

Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  Once I began to reach the point with my piano abilities that I could produce beautiful (tolerable?) music I would be immediately drawn to the piano as a sort of comfort in times of trial.  The music blessed my soul and gave me a certain peace.

I'm so grateful to the Lord for the gift of music.  God created music to give us a way that we could worship Him! I know He delights in listening to His children sing praise to Him.

To study classical music at school gives me much pleasure and is certainly challenging.  However, at the end of the day, I will choose a hymn in worship to my Saviour over any Chopin or Bach piece.  Earlier today I did my normal routine of going down to the church for a few hours to practice piano and voice.  My heart and mind has been very full and heavy these past few weeks and as I sat down to warm up my voice I pulled the hymnal down from the top of the piano and began to lift my voice in praise. It then ceased to be a warmup and turned into my own private time of worship with my Lord. Practice time turned into praise time and Beethoven was left behind. As I left to walk back to my house my heart was overflowing with joy.  No longer was it heavy and feeling like it dragged as I walked. In fact, I felt like skipping home! :-) God is so good like that.

So I encourage you to take a look at your hymnal a little closer. If you don't own one....get one!  Who says worship in song should be restricted to Sundays and Wednesdays?!? :-) I think you'll find that with a song in your heart and a tune on your lips you'll have a lighter heart and you'll bless those around you.

Psalm 7:17- I will praise the Lord according to his righteousness: and will sing praise to the name of the Lord most high.

 Psalm 150:6-  Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD

What A Year!

2011 has truly been a year to remember.  In all honestly, I feel like I was just sitting here recapping 2010!  This year has flown by, but has not been without event.  I have to say that it has been one of the most growing years for me spiritually.  God has grown me through the valleys as well as on top of the many mountains of 2011.  Looking back, I had no idea that this year would hold so much for me.  We never do predict these things well. :-) 

~Major Events of 2011~

**Started school at Skagit Valley College.  Big change for me after taking several years off after highschool.  I am thoroughly enjoying the challenge musically and academically. 

**Began new ministries, primarily that of working in our church print shop.  I absolutely LOVE this ministry! 

**Embarked on my first missions trip.  Staying in Thailand for three months was an experience I'll never forget.  I learned so much in that little amount of time. God opened my eyes to so many needs!  It didn't take long after being there for me to fall in love with the people and the culture.

**Saw a dear friend married and another close friend join the military.  Miss you guys!!! :-)  Meanwhile, God has provided given me new friends throughout the year and I'm so grateful for them. God is so good to me.

This really just scratches the surface.  Knowing what I do now about this past year makes me so curious about 2012.  What changes will ensue?  I know that whatever happens, God's plan is perfect. 

May your 2012 be filled with God's blessings!

A Day of Thanks

Today is one of my favorite days out of the year.  Not because school is on break.  Not because we can stuff ourselves in addition to the turkey and eat shameful amounts of pie. I L.O.V.E. this day because it is a time that is dedicated to giving thanks to our God.  And what an amazing God He is!  Granted, giving thanks is to be done daily.  But I love having it as a main focus. 

Now, can I just tell you that I serve a God who deserves more thanks than we give Him?!  How many of us sit down on a regular basis and give thanks to God for creating us. For even giving us existance.  And how often do we thank Him for giving us spiritual existance?  The opportunity to have a relationship with Him.  When I think of all that God is and what He does, it still baffles my mind that He would want to have a relationship with me.  I am soo grateful for it.

Because we don't have extended family living anywhere close by, we chose to spend Thanksgiving with our church family.  The house was packed and we had way more food than we knew what to do with.  The time was spent laughing and encouraging each other.  I love my church family SO much and nothing beats that bond we have in Christ.  Giving of thanks is not over.  It will continue through the rest of the night and throughout the rest of my days.


Food preparations last night started out right with Whidbey Coffeeeeeeeee :-)

Getting started on the pies. Pumpkin Pies...YES!

Dad was the Turkey Guardian

Awaiting guests

Trying to squeeze in for a group picture

I love these crazy girls. :-D

Food lined the whole kitchen!!

The Strength of My Heart

I'm still here. Glad to have a moment to breathe and share with you some things that have been going on.  When I reflect back on the past month (ok....five weeks) I realize that I've pretty much been doing the same thing each week day: Go to school, come home, piano practice, teach piano (a couple days a week), do homework, go to bed.  Each day is a new start to this vicious cycle.  To say it's been stressful would be an understatement.

But I'm not writing this to tell you how crazy my life has been or how stressful things are.  I want to let you know that God has proven to me over and over again that He's in control of every situation in my life.  When I feel like my seams are coming loose and I'm about to fall apart, He shows me through his Word and through others in my life that it's ONLY with Him that I can accomplish all that's necessary.  There is NO way that I could make it through each day without Him holding me up to keep me from falling flat on my face.  Whoever says that God is not active in the lives of His children has never experienced what I have these past few weeks.

Psalm 73:26  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

Psalm 18:1,2  I will love thee, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Blessings and Lessons

Being here in Chiang Mai I have learned so much.  Not only about what it's like to live in another culture so different from ours, but to depend on God MORE for all of my needs.  I had a tremendous blessing yesterday that I want to share. 

I think I mentioned before that school starts three days after I return home.  That means that I have to purchase my books while still here in Thailand.  Now, if you've taken any college classes you're aware of how expensive that can be.  Seems like my textbooks this quarter are more expensive too. It appeared at first glance that this money would have to come out of my Thailand fund and that would be cutting things pretty close. Granted, I know that there are those who would have helped me if I needed it, but I just prayed about it.  A few hours later I went to check my bank account and I saw a pending deposit for around the same amount that I need for my textbooks! I was expecting that money to come but had completely forgotten about it. Praise the Lord! I L.O.V.E. when he answers prayers like that.  So immediate and so direct.  It was a practical lesson for me in God's provision. 

Since being here I've often asked myself, why didn't I do this sooner? I feel like I've wasted so much time when I could have been doing SO much more!  I really want to encourage each of you to consider where you're at in your life right now.  The Lord has different plans for different people, the important matter is whether or not you are wasting precious time or if you are USING it!  Especially for us single people. I think this is the time of our lives that the Lord can really use us in ways that he cannot use married people.  So I ask you to please ponder this question: in five years time will I have regrets? Or will I feel like I filled every single moment that the Lord gave me with service for Him?  Recently I've asked myself these questions and it's really eye-opening. Especially as I look on the past several years of my life. I don't want to look back in five years and be wondering what I COULD have done. I would love to look back and say "Look at everything that the Lord allowed me to do because I was willing to be used."

Just sharing my heart today. Any comments?

A Blessing and a Lesson

Recently I wrote about my scholarship audition.  I found out about it kind of last minute and felt rather rushed to put the whole package together.  Especially since I had never done anything like this before!  It involved an audition, an essay, and much more.  My thoughts were, "There is NO way that I am going to receive this scholarship.  After all, I am not all that great at the piano (Comparitively) and part of my college is paid for."   I knew that even though I most likely wouldn't get the scholarship that it would be a good experience for me to perform in front of judges.  Let me tell you, it's WAY different than playing for a recital!!

The Lord proved He can do anything when I received a letter last week telling me that I was to receive an honor or scholarship and wouldn't find out what it was until the Honor's Reception on April 28 (today).  I assumed that it was the scholarship but I wasn't sure.  Tonight's reception confirmed that I DID receive the Lillian McDearmid Music Scholarship!! Praise the Lord!!  It was for the amount of $600.  While that may seem like an insignificant amount, it truly helps in the long run.  For different reason I now have to readjust my plans for fall quarter but this is SUCH a blessing! The Lord has certainly taught me through this that I should not say "never"...He obviously knows what's best even when I THINK I know what will happen. :-)

Each Step I Take

It's amazing how the Lord will use little things in our lives to encourage us just when we need it!  Flowers to show you're appreciated, a small gift from a piano student, a conversation with a new friend, the list goes on!  I am so grateful to the Lord for how much He blesses me.  There are times I feel so overwhelmed with my life but He constantly reminds me that He is with me with every single step I take.  What a comfort!

Each Step I Take   by W. Elmo Mercer

Each step I take my Saviour goes before me,

And with His loving hand He leads the way.

And with each breath I whisper "I adore thee;"

Oh, what joy to walk with Him each day.

At times I feel my faith begin to waver

When up ahead I see a chasm wide.

It's then I turn and look up to my Saviour,

I am strong when He is by my side.

I trust in God, no matter come what may,

For life eternal is in His hand.

He holds the key that opens up the way,

That will lead me to the promised land.

Each step I take I know that He will guide me;

To higher ground He ever leads me on.

Until some day the last step will be taken.

Each step I take just leads me closer home.

A New Year, A New Phase

You've heard it said, "Out with the old, in with the new". That explains my life right about now. First, I'll take a look back. This year was one to remember! While it went by SOO fast, it's incredible to look back at everything that happened. Memorable occasions were: The Sweetheart's Banquet (we SPGs organized it), My birthday (turned 20!!), LTIA (Leadership Training Institute of America), Played the piano for a wedding for the first time, Youth Camp (I was a counselor over the younger girlies), a couple of adventures over the mountains with the Waldrons, attended several classical concerts, and welcomed my dad home from deployment. It was a great year! Not only did I experience things physically, but the Lord really grew me spiritually.

I'm moving into a new phase of my life. After I graduated the Lord showed me that I needed to just work and wait. Wait for Him to lead me into the next phase of my life. That next phase for me is college. This past Tuesday was my last day at work (more on that later) and I am officially unemployed. The Lord has directed my life into furthering my music education in order to better serve him in the future. While I am really looking forward to it, it's scary to be making such a huge change. I have been veeeery comfortable, but now all that will change. School starts on Monday!

It's a bittersweet experience to be leaving A Knot In Thyme. I've worked there for 2 1/2 years and have gained such valuable experience as a result. My main job title was Garden Manager, but it went much beyond that. I was pretty much whatever I needed to be even aside from the gardens. :-) It was fun to learn practical things like fence and wall painting, transplanting, every day and not so everyday gardening techniques, holly pruning & picking and more! It was always challenging to learn about the 100's of plant types as we planted the seeds in the spring and nurtured them from there. Challenging, but really fun! I say it's bittersweet because while I will miss the job, I am looking forward to this new experience. I will also enjoy having free Saturdays. :-)

On one of our busiest days of the year, I lost my voice and couldn't sing. So my job was to help the kids transplant and it was SO much fun!

The Quilted Garden.....one of the many gardens at AKIT

The Vertical Garden

Back to New Years, we drove over the mountains this past week to pay a visit to the Waldrons. Last time we visited my dad was on deployment so it was great for him to be able to come with us this time! We had a blast! We played so many games....some of which I schooled my opponent, and others in which I was schooled. LOL New Years Eve was spent at the Watchnight Service here at BBC where we had two different PITs (preachers in training) preach, a Bible quiz, a "year in review" slide show, lots of singing, food & fellowship, and prayer. To actually ring in the New Year I did a video chat with the Waldrons. Can't break tradition! Every year since we've moved back we've spent New Years Eve at their house. Sad to not be able to do that this year. I am SUPER excited at what this new year will bring. I have a pretty big plan in view, but that can't be disclosed quite yet. I hope that each of you have a year filled with God's blessings!

I'm So Thankful (Part 2)

*~ I'm so thankful for the good education I received in Highschool. (A Beka DVD homeschool for credit) While math never was my favorite, it's starting to come back to me! I'm preparing to start college classes for the Winter quarter and all this testing is forcing me to brush up on my Algebra. Even though it hasn't been a very "fun" thing, I am glad that I was forced to learn it well at one point because it's making my life a lot easier right now.

*~ Music.....a passion of my life. :-) While I have been very busy lately and not able to really get to the piano as much as I would like, I am SO glad to see the church orchestra growing! We now have four flutes (including me), a violin and two guitars! And a few up-and-coming musicians. :o) Music is something I can't imagine my life without. The Lord has given me the ability to praise him through the song of my fingers, and that is something I will never EVER be ungrateful for. My prayer is to enstill that in others. It was such a blessing last night to be able to play an offertory duet with one my students, a seven year old who has been playing for less than a year. I'm excited to see how the Lord uses her growing talent in the years to come.

*~Our military. Today is Veteran's Day and it is extra special to me since my Dad is a veteran. In fact, he's over there serving right now! I will forever be grateful to every person who has given their life for the sake of this country. I speak not only of those who have died, but of those who have made many sacrifices to ensure that our country and its freedom is protected.

*~I'm very grateful for the Lord's provision and how He teaches us faith. This last month was Missions Month and that involves a renewal of Faith Promise. I knew the Lord wanted me to increase my amount, but it was definitely a test of my faith because I know that I will be unemployed over the next year due to full time school schedule. After much prayer, I went with the amount the Lord laid on my heart. A few days later my mom informed me that the stipend I'll be receiving while going to school is much more than I expected! Not only will this allow me to freely give the amount I promised, but it will allow me to give even more! Praise the Lord!

Didn't intend to write paragraphs for each, but hey....this is me! :-)

I'm So Thankful For...

Ok....so it's been November for over a week now. I still can't believe it. 15 days until Thanksgiving! So, as I count down the days, I will share things I am thankful for. I don't know if 15 days is enough to cover it all!

- Good health. Haven't been feeling too well these past couple of days but I am up and perky now! :-)
- A wonderful church! The Lord has blessed me so much in allowing me to be part of a church that preaches the pure Word of God. I have grown so much since we've been here!
- Bible Training Institute (this kind of goes with the last one). So many times I have found myself in conversation with someone and have been able to answer questions, thanks to the thorough teaching of the Bible Training Institute at BBC.
-My family. We love to tease (a Hower trait) but also know how to love.
- My dog. Ok so he's not MY dog, but he's definitely a pal. Yesterday when I was sick he just snuggled with me all day. So cute!

Those are a few for now....till tomorrow.