In less than two days I will have read through the ENTIRE BIBLE in a year!

Wow, I only have two more "reading plan days" of the Radical Experiment. I can't believe it's almost over. This truly is a big accomplishment for me to read the entire Bible in a year. As mentioned before I've set out to do it more than once and failed miserably by February each time. Looking back on when we first started this I was a little nervous about how I would "fit" reading the Bible into my life but thankfully I never fell more than a week behind. Even with traveling and tax season I kept up!

 

Reading through the Bible in chronological order has been great. I've learned so much in the process but I can't wait for us to start focusing on certain passages. It's hard to "meditate" and let God's words really soak in when you are reading like 5 chapters a day. I felt like I was breezing through some days but this has definitely been an amazing year! I hope to read the Bible in a year again but I'm not thinking it will happen in 2011.

 

God's Word is good. You should read it, too!

 

 

 

 

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New Years Resolutions

It's been about two years since David Platt ruined my life. As I think about "new years resolutions" (out of habit this time of year) I wish I could come up with some selfish things like work out, eat right, take up a new hobby, make more time for myself or something like that. But no, thanks to David Platt this is what I come up with -

 

*Commit to praying for the nations daily using Operation World

*Tackle debt with a vengeance so that I can be free to give BIG starting in 2012

*Pray daily for Ruth and Jefferson

*"Schedule" a concentrated quiet time daily for prayer and reading God's Word

*Commit to the "New Normal" plan (not totally sure what that is yet)

 

That may not be a complete list but those are some goals I have.

 

While the "official" Radical Experiment is winding down in just a few days I will keep this blog up and going. Once you've "gone radical" I don't think you can really go back. I am reminded constantly of the lifestyle I lived before and although I joke that Platt ruined it, God really used Him to give me my life back, or more accurately stated, to give my life back to Christ. I am completely surrendered to Him. He has given me a purpose. He has given me His eyes. He's broken my heart for what breaks His. He has allowed me to be His hands in feet. He's forgiven me. He's guarded my heart. He has given me a heart for His children. He's provided for my every need. He has protected me. He has given me eternal life. 

 

Surrendering to Him may seem radical to some but I think it's just plain smart. I'm so thankful for my church for coming up with this "experiment" as it has really taught me a lot about how life should look on a daily balance as a Christ follower.

 

PS - I also have a new blog that I will be starting soon, too, but I'm not ready to publicize it just yet.

 

Bookworm

I love to read. Before my 10 day vacation I asked a friend for some book recommendations because I wanted to "get lost in a story" while I was on the cruise. Based on her recommendations, I decided to read "Same Kind of Different As Me" by Ron Hall. I highly recommend this book to anyone that loved the movie or book "The Blind Side" as it is a somewhat similar TRUE story about a family welcoming a homeless man into their family. It will touch your heart. This was just the kind of book I wanted to read while on vacation.

Another book she recommended was "Little Bee" by Christ Cleave. I read reviews on the book and was very intrigued by it even though it didn't give hardly any detail about what the story was about but everyone spoke very highly of the book so I decided to read it. Amazing book! I can't really share any more than that except it's about a little African girl. That's all I'm saying. I thought of my sweet Ruth the whole time I read it.

 

Yesterday I started reading "Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches" by CJ Mahaney. It's a book that has been on my Amazon wish list for a long time. I am so excited about reading this book. I think this is probably a must read for ANY Christian. One line that stands out to me so far was this, "It struck me that this question betrayed what most of us tend to view as really important when it comes to sonship: traceable genetic makeup." This was in regard to people asking his family if the boys they adopted from Russia were "really" brothers? I think David Platt got a lot of his inspiration for his adoption messages from this book so I'm looking forward to reading it.

 

Anyone have any books they would like to recommend to me, recommend away!

 

 

No More HIV?? Really?

I got a text from my mom this morning that said, "did you see Rebecca's post? Ruth tested negative for HIV! Awesome God!" Somehow I had missed her post so I immediately went on Facebook and went to her page and sure enough Ruth AND her sisters Faith and Mercy tested negative for HIV. I literally started crying when I read it. I was so overwhelmed with joy I couldn't help it. 

 

I don't know much about science but I had always thought that once you had HIV you had it for life but it could be "managed" by treatment but with God ANYTHING is possible. HE is the only explanation for their testing negative.

 

Just to remind you, Ruth is my "new niece" in Uganda. She and her sisters were raped and infected with HIV when she was only 4 years old. I am SOO thankful to get up to date information about this sweet little girl. Never did I dream that I would witness the miracle of healing when I became her sponsor. Praise God for her precious life that is HIV free!

 

Consider sponsoring a child today! Go to http://www.myfathershouseintl.org/ for more information about other children in Rebecca's ministry.

 

"Her China Symbolizes Everything That is Family"

For as long as I can remember I have wanted my grandmother's china. I would just stare at the dishes in her china cabinet when I would visit and would, of course, joke that it was "my china." I've always been a pink "girly-girl" and thought her china pattern was just so pretty and dainty.

I'm pretty sure if I had gotten married while she were still alive that I wouldn't have even registered for china because I believe hers were worth waiting for. When my grandmother passed away she left everything to my dad and aunt but I think it was a given that the china was to go directly to me. So last week they became "my" china (although I think I will always refer to them as hers). I transported them from Florida with great caution and couldn't wait to place them in my other's grandmother's china cabinet (although it's not a glass front cabinet so I'm sad I can't admire them all the time).

As a child I just thought her china was pretty and that was why I wanted them. It wasn't until after she passed that I realized how truly special her china is. The other day a friend on Facebook posted this comment, "Her china symbolizes everything that is family." After I read that I realized there is a great deal of truth to that. Every year our family had Thanksgiving and Christmas meals on that china so basically my holiday memories revolve around eating on this china. Then at the funeral I learned that my grandmother used to host a lot of pastors, evangelists and singers for dinner and they ate off her china.

I am so thankful for this precious reminder of my grandmother and the servant she was. She truly loved to cook and host people for dinner. In fact, as she got older it was very hard for her to give up her cooking responsibilities at the holidays. Her dishes are used to being utilized for serving family, friends, and ministry leaders, not to collect dust in a china cabinet. So being their new owner requires me step it up. Unfortunately I did not inherit her love for cooking but I think I have not only inherited her china but also the task of becoming a better servant.