look for Christ

Psalm 145

beyond the weeds

Romans 8:12-15
"So then my brothers, we are debtors- not to the flesh- to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will dies, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, then you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. You did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry Abba Father."

Weeds and grass can look very similar. Same color, same texture. They are only discernible to us because we have been around them long enough to know the difference.

Hopefully I am seasoned enough in my walk with Christ to identify the weeds in my life. Yet often times I am much too tentative when it comes to removing them.

When you pull weeds, you yank at it's base, so that you pull the root out, so that the weed doesn't grow back. You must make sure that the root comes out with the weed. As you pull weeds, you get better and better at it.

You have to be bold in approaching the sin in your lives. I have to be bold in approaching the sin in my life. Kneel in front of it, face it eye to eye, clarify that it isn't of the Lord, and in utter confidence, grasp it by its' strongest point and destroy it.

We don't have to do it alone. We don't have to do it in fear. We are tended to by the great gardener, after all.

I choose to be bold in facing my sins, because I desire to be blameless and pure as my Abba beckons me to a life beyond the weeds.

~bethany

love 'em to death

My big girl, Chelsea, cuddled up next to me on a recent Sunday morning and fell asleep in my arms.

I'm not even her momma yet my heart overflows with love for her. So ridiculously so.

I was told Happy Mother's Day yesterday. I laughed before telling the sweet lady that I wasn't a momma. She smiled at me, before commenting that any one who has children to love deserves to be told Happy Mother's Day.

I do have children to love, tis true. My heart is absolutely for children.

When I have kids, I'm in trouble. My heart will bust with love for them. But that is how it's supposed to be. And I look forward to it.

~Beth

Laura Osnes

As the girl who grew up watching and reenacting Rodgers & Hammerstein, I get all excited when I find people from my generation who love that stuff too. I have this crush on Laura Osnes Johnson (stage name is just her maiden name, Laura Osnes). 

 

 

 

 

 

You might be thinking, "Who?!"

She's a Broadway star. Don't you know me at all by now?!

Laura Osnes. Isn't she gorgeous? Her voice is this classic, gorgeous mixture of Julie Andrews and Doris Day, with a little forties/fifties vibe in it that is all her own. She has played Sandy in Grease, Nellie in South Pacific, Maria in The Sound of Music, Elizabeth Bennett in Pride & Prejudice, and Bonnie in Bonnie & Clyde, to name a few. Currently she's Cinderella, in (what else?) Cinderella. I'm dying to see it.

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

  

 

 

 She's been nominated for two Tony Awards. She has a live album from Café Carlyle last summer, and another one coming out soon.

 

 

 AND Laura and her husband (a photographer named Nathan) love Jesus. How awesome is that?! 

 

You can find her music (all the Broadway soundtracks, and her album) on Amazon and ITunes, just search for Laura Osnes.

 

Twitter- https://twitter.com/lauraosnes

 

Instagram- http://instagram.com/lauraosnes#

 

You'll thank me for introducing you to her.

 

-Bethany

 

all photos via pinterest.com/lauraosnes , http://laura-osnes.tumblr.com/tagged/laura-osnes , http://lauraosnes.tumblr.com/tagged/laura+osnes

hope

 

xo-blv



blink and it's gone.

Blink moments are what I refer to as the photographs and videos your brain takes of special moments. We store those photographs and videos in our brains, to revisit later.

We take blink moments of our lives- but God takes blink moments of us.

Gang, we have choices- every single day- to serve Him. We have the choice to honor Him with our speech and our thoughts. With the way we love those around us. The way we worship Him. Every moment, there is another oppertunity to Honor Him.

I want to use as many of them as He gives me.

I want my words to be a beautiful photograph for the Lord I love.

I want to make His name known. I want my life to be lifted up to Him, offered to Him, spilled out for Him.

I will not turn from Him in my joy or in my agony. I will remember the scars and the gracious love that the world couldn't believe.

What do you want God's blink moments of you to be?

~beth

Blessed, Thankful, Grateful.

Charles Dickens wrote, "Reflect upon your present blessings -- of which every man has many -- not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”  

I spent time today reflecting on my blessings. I journaled the things I'm grateful for, the things I'm thankful for. The things I'm blessed by.

I came up with lots of different things.

I'm blessed to sleep in on days off.
To cook breakfast with sweet, funny friends.
To have a big brother who is willing to do handy stuff for me.

Thankful for friends who cover me in prayer, support, and encouragement.
For glorious weather to bask in.
For bi-weekly phone calls with my Brookie.
For a friend at work amidst nonbelievers and drama queens.

Grateful for materialistic things.
Like a clean house.
I'm grateful for coffee.
For mac & cheese in my pantry.
For paychecks.

Grateful that I get to spend time in my Lord's presence, daily. For as long as I want, which is forever.

Thankful for grace that is lavished on me, so undeservingly.

Blessed are the cracked, for they let the light in.

in Christ, bethany