Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Running

Over the weekend, I had conversations with two moms,

young mothers,

each grappling with large issues of parenthood and purpose.

For vastly different reasons, my heart broke for both of them,

and I started thinking about this whole thing of moms and choices and callings,

and that made me think about some moms that played huge roles in this Advent season.

There’s Mary, the obvious one,

but there’s also the others found in Christ’s lineage--

Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba.

When you think about it,

this list has a liar, a prostitute, an idolater, an adulteress, and a good church girl.

That about covers it for people.

Chances are you and I are (or have been) somewhere on the list.

I could write a novel about those gals (a few folks already have), because their stories speak volumes about big ideas

like, for instance, motherhood and choices and callings.

Today I’ll keep it at this:

none of them got a bye on the hard decisions.

Not a single one of them earned a place in Heaven.

Some of them followed their desires and paid the consequences,

and some of them followed directions and ended up in the right place,

but all of them ran smack into their

Redeemer,

the true lover of their souls,

the One Who really knew the secret places of their hearts all along.

As moms who face choices and callings,

who sometimes run in the right direction

and sometimes don’t,

let’s stop hiding from—or in-- our hearts’ desires,

and just run into the Redeemer.

Be blessed,

Ginger

 

 

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

In Gratitude

This is just to say

I am thankful for

you,

readers who have stuck with me through a busy year of sporadic posting;

it’s a pleasure to share

bits and pieces of life here with you.

May your heart be filled

with gratitude

towards the

God of all Peace

and His Only Son

Jesus Christ.

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving.

Be blessed,

Ginger

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Pinteresting Projects

On the Pinterest to-do list:

Neato cheap, easy teacher gifts:

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Cool book page banner for the bibliophile-themed basement

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Using a shoe bag as cabinet-door storage under sinks.

Well, duh. Why didn’t I think of that?

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Things I’ve actually done from Pinterest: (Yes!)

Best scrapbook layout site ever, for the 45 seconds I’ve worked on my albums this fall:

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Yummy food we’ve tried #1: Lemon Roasted Cabbage

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Yummy Food we’ve tried #2: Oregano Feta Lemon Chicken

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Yummy Food We’ve Tried #3, though we were hoping for amazing and just got basically good:

Whipped cream from coconut milk

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Recipe I’m craving but haven’t tried:

Chocolate Cake

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Coming next week:

my most favorite project from the Web ever!  Can’t wait to show you!

Hope your week is productive and blessed!

Ginger

 

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Welcome to the Casa de Amore

One Sunday afternoon, Big Red and I took off on an old-fashioned “Sunday drive”.  We had a destination in mind, but we purposely traveled every side road known to the mailman ( and a few that probably weren’t) along the way.

As we passed by a little neighborhood of houses with mowed grass and other usual indications of normal life, we noticed a hand-painted sign in front of one that read

“Welcome to the

Casa de Amore!”

Being the people we are, this got us (well, me anyway) tickled.

Was this some sweet, romantic gesture,

or just

Love Shack

in EspaƱola?

Hmm.

Well.

This morning I was considering all my best-laid bloggy plans; I had hoped to blog every day for Leah’s Living Thankful series this month, a plan quickly derailed by work, illness, and life in general.

Then I found something I had written on a slip of paper in my Bible that reminded me of our little field trip past the Casa de Amore.

In Psalm 27 (y’all know I like that one), David asked to "dwell in the house” of the Lord forever.  He is asking for what, in the earthly sense, he is not allowed to have.

Only the priests could enter the Holy Place, and David is, in essence, asking for the privileges of the priests.  Eventually, David gets this—in Heaven!

What David desired, I am offered in Christ.  Full access, torn veil.

I am invited, not only as God’s guest but as His child through His grace—to be a kingdom of priest, serving and seeking Him in His presence. 

He also says that my body is a temple—His dwelling place.

I am both priest and tabernacle.

Casa de Amore.

A house of Love,

because Christ loved me and gave Himself up for me,

and when He was glorified, the Spirit came.

This Thanksgiving, I want to be grateful all over again for the blood of Jesus that alone satisfies the Father.

I am thankful that He didn’t stop at atonement--

He gave me access,

tabernacles with me,

loves me from the inside out.

Be blessed,

Ginger

 

 

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Scripture and a Snapshot: Early to Rise

To begin the day in His presence--

how often I let something else jump ahead!

Lord, I want to earnestly seek You.

Your word promises You’ll be found.

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Linking up at Scripture and a Snapshot

Be blessed,

Ginger

Thursday, November 3, 2011

In which I Keep Promises, Melt Records, and Give Thanks

Have you ever been behind in your social obligations, so you just threw one big party to get everyone at once?

Yes, well.

This post does sort of the same thing.

It multitasks, if you will.

I promised y’all a post explaining why we melt record albums around here.

Knowing you were dying to find out, here’s the scoop:

1. Visit your local thrift store and pay .25 for records with obscure titles. (Aside: I just noticed there is no cent sign on my computer!  How have I missed that for years? Wonder what that says about inflation?)

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2. Heat your oven to 200*. 

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3. Turn an oven-safe bowl upside down on a cookie sheet.  Balance your record on top.

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4. Place this odd arrangement into the oven for 8-10 minutes.

4 1/2.  Meanwhile, read the record covers and see if you remember any of these songs from some episode of Captain Kangaroo.

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5. Immediately after you remove it from the oven, use an oven mitt to flip the bowl over and arrange the flexible album inside it.  You can shape your folds until you get the shape you want.

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(Straight out of the oven.)

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(Shaped to look like this.)

6. Ta-da!

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We’ve used these as bread bowls for themed dinners, but they could also hold a plant or other items for the vintage music lover in your life.

This time, we used them here:

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(Me, with eyes half-closed courtesy my hurried photographer-in-training. )

Welcome to Trunk-or-Treat, our church’s October outreach.

Check out our 50’s diner trunk, complete with cotton ball “ice cream” sundaes and glass bottles of Coke.DSC_1312

I’m a pretty convincing as a teenager, don’t you think? Winking smile

That leads me to the thankful part of this post.

I’m joining my buddy Leah for 30 days of Thanksgiving.  I’ll catch up in a few days, but for now I’ll say I am blessed beyond measure by my church.

It’s been a rocky season for us lately for a lot of reasons, but I am trusting the Lord for His Spirit to convict, lead, heal, and guide His people. 

These families are my peeps-in-Christ.

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(Very large dogs that starred in another trunk.  We became peeps.)

I’ve prayed, laughed, cried, and worshipped with them over the last 6 years, and I love them.

May we always be His peculiar people.

Be blessed,

Ginger

 

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