His Steadfast Love

 

Last night and this morning I went to the women's conference at the Village. It was a really great time of fellowship, worship, and awesome teaching. I was unsure at first of how good the teaching would be. Lauren Chandler is ALL girl, with a super soft voice, and she definitely fits the typical female vocalist mold. So, I felt like she was teaching  just because she was Matt's wife, but not really because she was particularly gifted in that area. Last night she told us that she would feel much more comfortable behind a mic singing than teaching up front as Matt does. She went on to explain how God had asked her to speak this weekend and said that He would enable her to do it. He definitely did! I was impressed, though skeptical at first. Her first talk was good, but today she brought it. The teaching was centered on Psalm 107, reflecting on God's steadfast love according to that chapter.

"Sometimes He wrings the worship from our hearts" was the statement that Lauren started off with on Friday. She then preceded to go through the different ways in Ps 107 that we come to know God's steadfast love in a deeper way: the desert, prison, folly, and the storm. Lauren talked about how we get to each of those places and how God rescues us out of them. My favorite thing about her teaching was that she constantly cross-referenced to other parts of the Scripture. The whole teaching was saturated with the Word.





Jourdan Burks led worship, Jeff Johnson's fiance, and it was incredible. Look her up on itunes because she is so talented. When Lauren finished teaching today, she led us with Jourdan in a time of worship. It was a really special moment for me because I have a terrible cough, and I was not able to sing the whole time. I sang this time, though, and it felt so great to be able to! We sang some of my favorite songs, and after hearing the profound teaching, there was so much to respond to God with in worship. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to go to this conference, the great girls I got to go with (Gina&Paige), and the awesome privilege of meeting and talking with Lauren Chandler. Whenever I have heroes in the faith, I always want to express to them how they have affected my walk with Christ. The Chandlers have affected my faith and life more than they will ever know, but today I was able to express that to Lauren and encourage her by it. She kind of teared up. It was a special moment. I told her that they had been amazing examples to me and to Jeremy and that I was thankful for their transparency. I am. They are great leaders, and I couldn't ask for a better church. God is showing me His steadfast love through that church, and I am excited for all that He will continue to do and work in me there. Give Thanks to Him for His Steadfast Love.



All of us with Lauren Chandler

Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble,
And He brought them out of their distresses.
He caused the storm to be still,
So that the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they were quiet,
So He guided them to their desired haven.
Let them give thanks to the LORD for His steadfast love,
And for His wonders to the sons of men!

-Ps 107:28-31

Cheesecake?



Ethan and Paige came over for dinner last night,
and then we made cheesecake brownies!Yum!



This week has been a good one, good in the sense that it has been hard, but fulfilling. I am trying to work more diligently in my classes, which is a hard thing for me to find balance doing because I tend to over-work myself for school (this semester I am struggling with the perseverance in academics that has come so naturally in previous semesters). Even though I have been fighting a cold/cough thing, God has given me a great week. I know that He has sustained me through my classes and responsibilities.

This weekend I have the privilege of attending the Women's Conference at the Village (Gina is coming with me)! This is such an exciting thing for me to be able to go to this, and I don't know if I will have this opportunity again. Lauren Chandler is teaching on God's steadfast love, almost a year after Matt's seizure and the beginning of their fight against cancer. She will have a lot to share, I'm sure, from her journey and how it has impacted her faith.



Turtle Cheescake!



This is a white chocolate peppermint cheesecake.
I have also made a white chocolate raspberry with this recipe.

Cheesecakes are calling to me. I want to bake one!I just can't decide which kind....I have made a lot of different kinds in the past: chocolate, chocolate swirl, white chocolate raspberry, white chocolate peppermint, brownie cheesecake, and turtle (to name some off the top of my head). Pumkin and pecan cheesecakes sound good to me right now. They're just so much fun to make :-)


Now I must work on History of Christianity homework for my quiz at 8am. joy.

-AB

Kleenex, Coffee Dates, and Road Trips

One of my favorite things in the world is letters. I like to write them and receive them. Today there were 2 letters in my mailbox :-) and a mysterious package from my sister Rachel. It turned out to be a mini-kleenex box. She sent it to me just for fun. I smiled.

Last weekend Gina and I went over to Randy and Kristy Stephen's house because Gina needed to interview some kids and adults together for her children's ministry class. It was a wonderful night and especially refreshing to talk about ministry and its purpose. We had so much fun and hope to hang out with them more in the future! 

Yesterday Jeremy, Zach, Josh, and Brenda came up here to go to a Thousand Foot Krutch concert. Jeremy just came to spend time with me. It refreshed my heart and soul. One of my assignments for Philosophy was due at 12am last night, so I made myself finish it earlier in the day, and then I really enjoyed my time with Jeremy. We ate at Taco Cabana, which was filled with Rangers fans (go Rangers!), and then had a coffee date at Starbucks. mmmm.

It is raining outside right now, I have the town home to myself, and I am going to spend the day doing something very important...nothing!I haven't had a day where I did nothing in a long time. Now, clearly I will do something, but I don't have to. Phew. What a relief after these past few weeks.
-Amby


p.s. Monday is one month till Thanksgiving. Bring on the Turkey and Macy's Parade!

Take Time to Watch the Ducks

I wish I had something crazy interesting to write about, but sadly nothing comes to mind, and I am updating simply for the sake of updating.
Though I have tons of ideas for interesting blog posts, it is difficult to find time to sit down and write.

time.

My sister said to me recently that the world would be very different if everyone could control time. I said I would hate it because my life would be a mess, even messier than now, but she was more open to the idea of being able to stop time, slow it down, and speed it up. Not that she thinks she would be better at it than God, but just that it interests her. Thoughts?

I am doing much better this Wednesday night than the last. Last Wednesday I hit my breaking point. I am not sure exactly what threw me over the edge, but sadly I think it was a lecture that was poorly structured and poorly presented in one of my classes. It put me over the top in my frustrations with school. I love my school and enjoy my classes, but I was completely overwhelmed with all of my papers, tests, quizzes, and various other assignments.

Two wonderful friends at work noticed that I wasn't exactly doing "well" and took time to talk with me about why school is weighing so heavily on me this semester. They reminded me that I must take time for myself, to rest and just "be" rather than "do." Great advice I'de say! The next day I sat down by a lake, sort of, outside my town home. I just sat there and watched the ducks. It was wonderful. Yesterday I started slipping into that  same overwhelming feeling, so I quickly escaped to the lake and watched the sunset. Nature soothes and calms me. I love it. It helped a lot to sit out there.
Take time this week to watch the ducks :-)

I wish I had pictures to make this post super cool, but they are all on my phone :-(
-AB

Life and School and Balance



Studying at Starbucks


I'm glad to hear that several people are reading my blog and enjoying it.
I decided to try to update more frequently, even if the update is just what's happening in my life.

  I went home last week for Fall Break. It was a great time. I enjoyed seeing everyone and getting to have more face-to-face time than I usually get to. It's progressively getting harder to balance living in Dallas and maintaining relationships in Austin. I don't know how I'll keep up with everyone as I get older.






Quality time with Jerbear



It is crazy to think that the next time I'll be in Austin will be for the holidays. I am a holiday-junkie. It truly is the most wonderful time of the year. Last week at work we pulled out the Christmas tunes, and as I listened to them I felt such peace as my mind flooded with memories of Christmas' past. Even now, I long for a nice turkey dinner and laughter. There is something beautiful about it to me. Anybody else crazy about the holidays like I am?





Getting out the Winter Clothes!



Anyway. Back to life. The church was having a d-now this weekend, which that added to the busyness, and I felt torn in many directions as I tried to see everybody and complete a little bit of homework.
Nevertheless, I love home and I love the opportunities that I am given to go home.

 
School. Sigh. This semester has been one of my most difficult. I expected it to be easier which may be why I am having such a hard time. I think that part of it is my desire to be graduated. I see the completion of my degree and simply want to be at that place. Because of this, a big thing that I have been convicted of lately is living in the present. There's a reason why I am at DBU in my senior year, living in this townhome, and in Dallas, not Austin. I hope to focus more on where I am at right now. It is so easy to look to the future all the time and wait for the next big thing. When the next big thing arrives, I turn my focus to the one after. I choose to see today as full of purpose and as significant in the journey that Christ has me on.



The Tea(top left) is SO good and there's tons of flavors!The Clean/Dirty thing is for our dishwasher, which he rememberd isn't magnetic, so he got us a suction cup one, and the adorable minnie mouse apron is for my cooking adventures. Thanks Jer.

 Jeremy got me perfect gifts from Disney World. I couldn't have picked out better ones. I've been enjoying them all :-)



Sipping Alice in Wonderland Unbirthday Tea in our living room,
wishing it were winter, and wearing scarves. Fun times.

Live for today. I know that sounds incredibly cliche, but there is much more joy when life is lived in the rhythm Christ created. We should drink deeply of all that He has for us right now in this moment and with grateful hearts praise Him for this peregination (thanks for the big word, Dr. Naugle).

A Great Grandpa

This past weekend my family, Jeremy, and I went to Wichita Falls to visit my grandparents and Aunt and Uncle. The reason for the trip was my grandpa's heart condition, which is worsening.



Sitting in his beloved truck

I love grandparents. I love old people in general. The only frustrating thing about grandparents is that they can't stick around forever. Many times it seems like just when you need them, it's time for them to depart this world.


On a much lighter note, I must say that my grandpa is a ton of fun. He has the craziest stories of anyone I know- if you think you've got a crazy story, he's got a crazier one. He seems to pull these stories out of no where, this weekend ranging from a story about bell peppers to the time that the alligator came back to life in the boat and tried to attack his mother. Usually older people tell the same stories over and over again, but he always manages to find a new one.

While we were visiting, I asked him what he does late at night when he can't sleep(after he told me that he usually only sleeps only 1 hour to 1.5 a night. Envious?) His response was that he thinks about all of his memories, some from when he was just 5 years old. He is in his 80's now, and though his heart is giving him some problems, he's still truckin'. Maybe it's in these late-night sessions that he comes up with his creative tellings of stories. He has mastered this art, there is no doubt.

Recently, God used my grandparents in my life in a big way concerning provision for school. I was overwhelmed with gratitude because of their generosity. When I went to see them over the summer, I regretted not spending more time with them, realizing that it is my responsibility now and no longer solely belongs to parents. Now I am talking to them and spending more time with them than ever, only to find out that the upper chamber in his heart isn't functioning correctly, and his pacemaker isn't correcting it.

That has a way of happening. Often. Life goes along, happy-go-lucky, and bam. You get that phone call. You read the e-mail. Life stops in its tracks. Suddenly what was important 5 minutes ago is no longer even on the radar. The silly arguments you get into with your loved-ones are exposed for what they really are.

Time becomes cherished and guarded.

I was enjoying building a deeper relationship with him, and now I have the constant reminder that any moment could be my last with him. Isn't this true of all of our relationships? Maybe it is a blessing to be aware of that. Certainly we are more cognizant of it with the elderly who have drunk their full of all that life has to offer. When it's our peers, even our parents for some of us, it is difficult to think of our time with them as fleeting.


Time tends to get away from us. I wish I had more time to spend with my grandpa. I have resolved, however, to be thankful for the time and memories that I currently have and do my best to make more.
I'm thankful for scientific advances that have made it possible for my grandpa to live longer because of a pacemaker (it has given me more time), and I'm thankful that God is in control.

This picture is from their backyard. We spent a lot of time out there this past weekend. A weekend that could have been filled with sorrow and mournful thoughts over the potential loss of my grandpa was instead filled with hope, love, and beauty. How wonderful to be blessed with more time.

There's a First Time for Everything

In my last fall semester of my senior year, my mind is being challenged more than ever. Since I changed my major to Biblical Studies, I have been overloaded with classes that must be taken before graduation. It is a little crazy to take a full-load of classes all pertaining to basically the same subject matter.

A result of this has been all sorts of thoughts in my head.
My classes have actually got me thinking, imagine that.

My roommates, boyfriend, co-workers, family members, and friends could not possibly have enough time to hear the incessant rants going on in my head...
So here I am. Just me. and my seemingly insignificant thoughts that must express themselves.

My main hope is for clarity. I know exactly what I'm thinking, but getting that point across can be difficult and time consuming.
I hope my thoughts are relevant or enjoyable to someone.
Even if not, I know it will be therapeutic for me, and I expect that I will polish my writing skills in the process.
-AB

A rather good quote:
"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."-C.S. Lewis