Keeping it Simple

A cozy afternoon at home.

So thankful for a chance to head out from work early, to restore the house to a deeper level of cleanliness and order :) and to refresh with a good walk out in this lovely warm autumn weather we've been blessed to continue to enjoy well into November.  Almost unheard of up in the north country!  Bread is in the oven for potluck tomorrow.  Some favorite songs playing on the station in my living room.  The guitar sits in the corner happily played and not neglected as it often can be lately.  Fireplace fan is (rather loudly) cooling down after working long and hard today to keep me happy with warmth and flickering flames, haha. Not near as wonderful as a true crackling wood-burning hearth, but it does the job well :)  And some chicken is just getting to the point of fall-apart tenderness in the crockpot for future meals.  Having found a moment to write a bit on this little blog of ours.  Feeling pretty relaxed and accomplished.

Far above all that, though, is the feeling of peace found in fulfillment in being reconciled to Christ.
No other thing, as good as it may be and happy as it may make us, will bring that deep satisfaction of full surrender and trust in our Father.  Hard as it may be to remind ourselves over and over, again and again to find this place of peace by letting go of our own agendas, our own pride, and our own control.  So important.  Yet so often blurred by the business of life.

In our Bible study group one night, we were considering how we would live if our daily checklist consisted of one thing: glorify God.  So simple.  Yet so complex when we try to do it as another check along with all the other things we may try to accomplish on our own strength.  Father, forgive us.  Help us seek You first in everything we say and do.  Help us consider relationship with You to transcend all else.  To be our foundation.  Our strength and peace.  Our hope.

(A snippet of the incredible beauty in the landscapes of Kodiak Island.  Ahh, Alaska.  We miss you.  Our visit to your breathtaking views, roaming wildlife, laid-back & rugged culture, time with loved ones... much too short.  We'll be back to explore again someday soon :)

~Eliza

Fellowship

 

 

Gathering together and seeking the Lord is such a beautiful thing.

 

In our Bible Study a while back, we studied the last part of Acts chapter 2 and were inspired by the incredible picture it paints of God's people.  We had just finished the last in the series by Francis Chan (http://basicseries.com/) and enjoyed imagining what it would be like to live at that time and how we can incorporate such faith and fellowship into our lives today.

 

"Many, O LORD my God,

are the wonders you have

done.

The things you planned for

us

no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of

them,

they would be too many to

declare."

 

Psalm 40:5 (NIV)

 



Apple Tree

 

Someday I want an apple tree.

One with many branches, heavily loaded with red apples.

I loved getting apples again this year from my aunt and uncle's trees!
Baking cinnamon apple treats is on the agenda for this week, now that they've been thoroughly admired on the counter in their little white pail for a few days.  : )

While I was thinking of these apples, I remembered a picture I had looked at when I was scrapbooking with Grandma this summer - apple picking with our cousin. 
Wow, we were little...and the tree was little too!  Sad thing is, I can't remember if I remember this day or not! ;)  Sometimes I'll see a picture from when I was little and it will bring back memories, and other times it is all based off stories my parents, sister, or grandparents have told me.  Who knows, maybe I'll have to ask...
 



 

 

~Eliza

His Eye Is on the Sparrow...

...and I know He watches me!

This morning is evidence! :) First of all, let me back up a few hours...

Ok...so yesterday I knew I would be up late into the night working on my clinical assignments for school (since you don't get your assignments until noon on Thurs. and they are due early Fri. morning!). I have another class that is later in the afternoon, and this cuts out a few hours from the time I have to write up all my super long assignments and review my nursing "skills"!

Long story short...I was up until midnight working on them and then finally collapsed into bed, after setting my two alarm clocks to get up at 5:15am (one for back-up just in case the other doesn't, for some odd reason, go off! ;)

Anyway, this morning I woke up to my dad asking me if I should be getting up and ready to go (to which I was thinking that I had left myself plenty of time to get ready before I had to be at clinicals at 6:45). When I looked over at my clock...to my petrified demise, it was 6:15...the time I was planning on leaving!!! Now, before you all freak-out and lose sleep from worring about me ;)...I'll just tell you that I made it there 5min early! (yep...now you know how fast I can get ready if I need to---and I sure was glad that I planned last night to get there extra-early---SIDE NOTE: my family knows that I can take the fastest or the longest shower...and nowhere in between! :) Although...today there was absolutely no time for even my fastest!

It was just amazing how everything worked out with such a late start:

my super-dad got me up just in the nick-of-time,

my wonderful sister whipped up a sandwich for my lunch, and

all of my nursing supplies and my scrubs were laid out to grab and go (which I had--not by chance--done last night)

Then, as I was driving there, I started singing praise to Him who is in control...when I was reminded of the verse I had read late last night right before I went to sleep:

"Because you are my help,

I sing in the shadow of your wings."

~Psalm 63:7

Our Lord watches over the entire universe...yet His eye is on each one of us!

Praise the LORD!

~Eliza

Adventure

You've gotta love it when something small becomes an adventure...

***

For instance...this afternoon, while my friend and I were videotaping a nursing skills test-out, the fire alarm went off!!! Students are told to NEVER stop the video tape during a test-out. So, of course, we took that very seriously...to the extent that we didn't dare turn it off even when there could be a fire---this goes to show how dedicated nurses are ;)---and we decided to keep going unless someone came to tell us to stop. Part of our reasoning behind this is that almost every time a fire alarm goes off, there isn't a fire...as was the case today. A few minutes later, it turned off and we continued our test-out in peace! ;)

Probably the funniest part of this little "adventure" was that the video was running the entire time that we stood there, stunned, wondering and discussing about what we should do! It should definitely make our teacher laugh when she watches it!

It sure made us laugh!!!

Isn't it great when things happen totally out of the blue and help to break up the day? ;)

(You all are probably thinking at this point that I am crazy to be thinking of this as an adventure...but when you spend hours studying, little things become much bigger!)

~Eliza

the Deepest love

How deep the Father's love for us

how vast beyond all measure

That He would give His only Son

to make a wretch His treasure

(How Deep the Father's Love for Us by Stuart Townend)

There is no greater love than this. We can know where to look for the perfect example of love...in HIM!

~Eliza

Whirlwind of a Week

Goodness gracious...this was a crazy busy week!

All the first tests of the semester seem to always fall together on the same week---and this often happens throughout the semester too. :) So, I had test after test with a few "nursing skills" test-outs thrown in there (where you perform a nursing skill in front of your instructor), and a lot of homework due. To top it off, we had our first day of clinicals working as student nurses with patients on Friday. It was a week of little sleep and lots of stress at our house! ;)

Yesterday, we went on a planned last-minute trip---you know...the kind that you know you are going to take but aren't sure when you'll actually be able to do it. We went to the cities to visit a really close family friend in the hospital who was diagnosed with a brain tumor a few weeks ago. (Thanks to all of you who have been praying...he is doing better and was able to talk to us for a while yesterday.) Psalm 105:4 has had even more meaning to me this week as I've relied on His strength and not my own! I've been learning so much more about that and dying to self and living for HIM!

We stayed at our aunt and uncle's house last night and were able to have our very belated Christmas together this morning before heading back home.

Now...I'm back at home with a list of things to do and not much time to do them...can anyone relate? ;)

~Eliza

Give Thanks

"Enter his gates with

thanksgiving

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and

praise his name."

~Psalm 100:4~

This Thanksgiving I've once again been reminded of just how important it is to thank and praise the Lord for all He has done! He has blessed us with so much! Many times I seem to find myself taking so much for granted and getting caught up in other things, when I should be spending much more time thanking the Lord and praising Him for His marvelous works!!! I know that having a day set aside for thanksgiving helps me to realize how very important it is to express our gratitude throughout the year---better yet throughout each and every day!

I am so thankful for my wonderful family! We had such a great time together celebrating Christmas/Thanksgiving before Grandpa and Grandma went South for the winter! (I already miss them!!!) And, goodness, did we ever eat...I think we figured that since we were combining 2 celebrations into one that we should eat for both of them too! ;)

(I put together this video of our fun time together this past summer celebrating Grandpa and Grandma's 50th wedding anniversary and gave it to them as part of their gift.)

"Let us come before him with thanksgiving..." (Psalm 95:2)

Praise the LORD and give thanks for all the things He has done!!!

~Eliza

(By the way...I do realize that everyone is moving on to Christmas by now and that this post is very late---actually I re-discovered it today, December 20th, and am finally posting it---but I figured that I might as well post it anyway! ;)

What I've been learning...

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

(Philippians 4: 4-9)

Need I say any more??? :)

~Eliza

Just Because...

...I feel like taking a break from homework and blogging! ;)

...I watched a cooking show while working-out today and was inspired to bake:

This is another good muffin recipe: Very Blueberry Muffin

It has half whole wheat flour and half all purpose flour as well as yogurt so they're really moist and healthy!!!

...we need Scripture in our hearts and in our homes!

...it has been freezing out and has snowed a few times since the beginning of October

we have been busy cutting down plants in our flower garden for the winter, stacking wood for winter fires, and playing Christmas music (well, only once because Mom wanted to hear the new CD she had bought!)

...my sister looks so beautiful with her straightened hair (she had the opposite of a "perm" at the hair salon as one of her birthday presents) and because my hair wasn't working I decided to straighten mine today. When I came home from class this afternoon, Dad said "WHAT DID YOU DO TO YOUR HAIR?!?!?!" He obviously likes it better curly...but then again he has already told me that before and loves to tease me! ;)

...I have 2 more tests this week and a ton of homework...I'd better get back to work! :)

~Eliza

Seasons

On Tuesday it was the first day of autumn...times sure flies when you're busy with homework---wait, isn't it supposed to be "when you're having fun"?

***

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven..."

(Ecclesiastes 3:1)

***

You know you're in the season of life of studying when:

1. You want to name this list "indications and side effects of homework" (if you are in nursing school ;)

2. You feel guilty the entire time you work on posting a blog---or doing anything other than school for that matter---because you should be working on your never-ending list of homework!

3. You consider class time and meals as your study breaks

4. You don't get to bed when you should for a good night's sleep (even though you learn all about the importance of sleep in nursing classes!) and you need to get up too early

5. You have nightmares about forgotten homework, wake up, and check your calendar to double check and remind yourself that you truly aren't forgetting any

This is just to name a few of the signs and symptoms leading to the diagnosis of a student. ;)

Thankfully this is just a season of life and hopefully I'll remember all I'm learning!

~Eliza

Thoughts...

So many times I find my thoughts on unimportant things, rather than focusing on what really matters...whether it is the long, never-ending list homework I have to do, or what clothes I should wear today. But as I was thinking about Colossians 3:12, I've been reminded of how trivial the "little" things in life are and how important our heart's "status", motives, and our actions are! "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Every morning when I get dressed, I want to also "clothe" myself in these virtues because without them, I can't truly be prepared for the day!

~Eliza