hundred more years

so I'm stoked about the new Francesca Battistelli CD that is coming out in March. For some reason, I feel like she is writing songs about my life. I fell in love with her first CD, and many of the songs on there spoke EXACTLY to my life. God has definitely used her music as a ministry to me! Most recently I have gotten excited about her new album because she released a song off of it called "This is the Stuff". I just so dig the lyrics (not to mention the fun beat)! But the big thing is realizing that God will use anything for good...even the junk. Sometimes I can be frustrated with life, circumstances, stress...and I realize that this is what God is using to shape me. Some of her lyrics are:

"In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing
It might not be what I would choose
But this is the stuff You use"

I have felt this way so many times! Frustrated with "the stuff" in life...but really its not all that bad and God will do great things if I respond and grow through it...not just go through it. This year my challenge to myself is to embrace contentment. If we are content, we let God use our mess for great things.

As I think more about the music of Francesca Batistelli, I smile thinking about what songs she wrote and how she spoke to me. This may be cheesy, but really, her music impacted me so much in that season of life! (Mostly 2008-2009) Here are the tracks and what they meant to me:

Free to Be Me: I was going through the whole "identity" stage of thinking about life, where I fit in, what that season was supposed to be like. Free to be me is...well..reassurance that God created me how I am and has great plans to use me!

I'm Letting Go: I learned I needed to surrender my plans and dreams to God...all that I hoped for in life (marriage, children, white picket fence) trusting in Him to fulfill the desires in my heart.

Unpredictable: When I got into college, I had a picture of what things would be like and what God would do. I realized that I put God in my mind as being so predictable...like I was writing God's story, instead of He writing mine! I had to learn to let God be unpredictable :)

Blue Sky: This one was a "picker upper" for me on the album. I remember driving to work (only a 4 min drive) and I would blast this to put me in a good attitude and mindset so I could be ready to do what God was calling me to do that day.

Forever Love: It was a long song, written for God...and I realized that even a man will not be my "forever love" only God will be my forever love! I wanted to sing a love song about a guy and how we will be together forever...but I saw that God had this place in my heart.

Someday Soon: Quite possibly the song that gets me to smile the quickest and brings back so many memories. The song was about "someday soon" falling in love. She wrote this song before she was ever with anyone, but I found myself singing this song and thinking about my now husband-even though we werent even together yet. Sorry! I couldn't help it :) And now I looove singing this song and knowing this day has finally come!

It's Your Life: Pretty much the one phrase that sticks with me is " everyday the choices you make, say what you are and who your heart beats for". I realized that my life reflected what/who was first in it. You can't say God is #1, and make choices otherwise.

Time in Between: This blog is named after this song and it is because I thought it spoke deeply about this season of life I was in. I knew it was a season of transition and preparation for other great things God had for me. But I realized that every great thing has a "time in between" for the purpose of preparation.

So anyways...I think it is so awesome that God uses music to reach us, encourage us, and challenge us in our lives. He took me through that season, to be ready for this one. And now, God will teach me things in this season, to be ready for the next. How GREAT is our God!

new year, new blog!

a new blog is here! just need to fix up a few things.

...good thing I have a wonderful husband to help me out! :) to be continued!

Jan 5 2011

Thoughts from today:

IN OR OUT? My tendency with God is to either be in or out…its not that I’m going from wanting to be in or out…but rather, I feel like I am either “in or out” with Him. If I am making strides in life, being fulfilled in what I do, and seeing fruit=I’m in with Him. BUT, if I am lacking the emotional side of things, not enjoying where my life is, feeling blah=then I’m out with Him. I really struggle with this whole “in or out” thing with God. If I look at obedience, I see that no matter what I am trying to obey God. That isn’t really the issue because then I could say that I was in or “out” with God if I wasn’t obeying Him. But I am trying to. But right now, I feel like not much is going on with Him. Not much to talk about, not much to get excited about. (Bad right? I think so too..but I’m sharing some honest thoughts even though I know the right answer to say)

PROSPERITY GOSPEL: I don’t like the thought that believers have a right to the blessings of health and wealth and that we get it by confession of our faith in it. The whole “name it-claim it” thing bugs me. But there is a truth in prosperity with God. He WILL bless you if you follow Him and you CAN have the abundant life with Christ. He wants us to have the prosperous life…but it comes to us by our choice to have faith AND obey his commands. But there is undeniable interest in

GOOD ENOUGH?: I’ve had the attitude before of “I’m good enough for God.” Maybe I didn’t say it…but I thought it and I didn’t realize how I thought that way until a couple years into knowing God. Then I realized the depth of my sin and the shame that comes with it…then I fall into “I’m not good enough for God.” Once again…balance.

CHILDLIKE FAITH?: Have I lost this? Have I made things too complicated?

Leave your baggage at the door!

No one likes baggage...especially on planes.


The airlines charge extra and people go crazy trying to fit everything into their carry on so they can store in the overhead compartment...resulting in angry flight attendants who get conked in the head trying to fit it up there. Then you have the people walking in the airport with their baggage. They drag it along, bumping people, and running little children over. I don't like baggage. On my last flight, it was so awesome to just have a purse with me and that is it. Traveling with baggage is such a pain.

Baggage also stinks in relationships...but everyone has it. Ya know, the stuff that you wish you didnt do but you did and thus you were who you didn't want to be? It's that stuff that you have to share with someone that you wish you could never speak of again. No matter who you are or where you came from, you have baggage. Lots of junk that shouldn't be there. I wish I didn't have the baggage I have. It wasn't fun in courtship when I had to share that baggage...but I am grateful that by God's grace my baggage wasn't as big as what it could have been. We all have baggage.

But lately I have felt like when I meet with God in my quiet time, I am always bringing along this baggage. It is the stuff that I keep bringing up OVER and OVER again...and it is the stuff that I still a crappy Christian with. I come to God and ask Him to help me over and over again for the same things, even though a lot of the change is dependent on me. I don't like coming to God with baggage that I am still holding on to. I guess God doesn't mind the baggage as long as we are able to give it over to him...then we can be relieved we just get to carry the purse around :) Anyways, I just thought of this analogy while eating my lunch at work. I guess I'm tired of approaching God with the same baggage that He forgave me for a long time ago and is still waiting for me to give over to Him. I don't like feeling like I did this morning when I spent time with God and I felt like I had to "catch up" with Him. It was almost as if I was saying, "Where do I start?" I don't like this. I want to be constantly sharing my life with God so this whole baggage thing doesn't build up with Him.

These are some thoughts today...Eh, what a weird day it has been....

love.

Lately, it's been incredible to see what God has been doing in my life and the people around me. Sometimes I think I feel like God is in standstill mode...but when you really stop and look around, you see what great things He is doing. He is doing great things in my friend's lives and my family. He has also spoken to me alot lately, reminding me of the potential my life could reach and the things that He wants to do with me. Through praying, reading, and worship, I feel like God has been helping me see that I've been missing the big picture of life. It's like He saying, "You are missing the point." Life is not about the past and old, so get rid of it. Life is not about being comfortable, so step out and risk...have some faith. Life is not about perfection but willingness to obey God. All of these thoughts have come to my mind in the last week. I do believe that this time in my life is a time of preparation for something greater, but I'm not going to take advantage of the moment because He wants to do great something TODAY.

It has been so cool how God has lined up over and over again a message on loving others and living as Christ so that they can come to know Him. Between our weekly womens book study, our Friday night college Bible study, education hour, church service...this has been the reoccuring theme for me. (We even VISITED a church and heard a message revolved around the same theme!) It is like God is transforming my idea of love, evangelism, and impacting the world. It is a whole new perspective for me...so much more OUTWARD, less about me more about others. The more I live I see, this life is not about me.

My heart is set on Christ and it feels so good to be at work and thinking about Him more and more. I think that is what happens when you begin to read more of His word and begin to see things the way He does. That has been my prayer, "Help me God to see life the way you do and to see people the way you do." It is hard to not get caught in my life, the plans I have, and the worries I have. Gotta quit thinking about ME!

Anyways, it has all been super exciting. Being married rocks...especially for the fact that I can hash out some of these thoughts about life with Alex. It has been cool to have the ultimate teammate on my side pursuing Christ together. God is truly graceful and good to us. I've also enjoyed seeing God work in Tanner and Brooke's lives and seeing our leadership team grow. It all brings a smile to my face! Did I mention I love FALL?? Ah favorite season!

Back to work I shall go...just had a quick lunch break with some chicken noodle soup. I leave with these final words...

Isaiah 43:18 "Forget about what's happened; don't keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I'm about to do something brand-new. It's bursting out! Don't you see it?"

Mother Teresa: “Do not think that love in order to be genuine has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies.”

Mrs. Alex Moore

So it is exactly TWO months from July 10th, 2010....the date I was gushing about in my previous post. Yes, I have been married for two months and it has gone by FAST! Things have been great...very fun, entertaining, and lots of good laughs. I'm convinced that laughter is the best medicine for marriage. I may not be an expert...but I think a little (or BIG) giggle here and there smooths things over.

I would like to get back to blogging my thoughts again like the good ol' days. I realize that I don't tend to blog much anymore for two reasons: 1) We dont have internet a home (which is a good thing) 2) I have a husband I can blab to now...ha. Maybe it would be best for both of us for me to blog more!

Anywhoo, I am uploading some pics of our wedding onto my facebook page. Lots of smiles...what a splendid day that was.

June 30th, 2010

10 days away…well to be exact it is It is 10 days, 4 hours, 32 minutes until Saturday, July 10, 2010. That’s the big day, the wedding, the exciting time where life with Alex begins. I think sometimes I am still in shock about it all. I mean when I look around, it is all normal and right. No one is surprised we are getting married, everything is running smoothly and things are ready to happen. Everyone has embraced this and is very excited with no hesitancy. Sometimes I want to stop and just think that this is truly too good to be true. Something will go wrong and this will stink, right? WRONG.

I think when you allow God to be active in your life and the center of why you do what you do, things can seem too good to be true. We shouldn’t be discouraged about this but encouraged. We know that life will have its ups and downs, its valleys and the mountains. Right now, I’m in the mountains. Life is great, exciting, and there is so much to look forward to. I am looking forward to the last days before the wedding. I am looking forward to the preparation, decorating, and celebrating. I am looking forward to getting ready, walking down the aisle, and being carried away by my prince charming. I am looking to escape from the world for a week to be with the only person in the world who knows me in and out and who I love so much. These are all things that make this time of my life a mountain top experience.

I think that it can be hard right now because it is so busy and there are things that I wish I could make time to do…Like blogging, for instance. I also like to read, run, play soccer, and bike etc. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been happening either! I know that my plate will get to be more full as the days go on, but I also know that if I play my cards right I can have a life of responsibility and enjoyment. Marriage doesn’t mean the fun ends….rather, marriage means the fun multiplies. I am looking forward to the fun!

Probably the other thing that I am looking forward to after getting married, as lame as this is, is routine in life. I feel like my schedule has been out of whack since May with all the changes that happened. I can’t wait to get into a routine of things and get back to being able to relax more because things are in place and how they should be. But no worries, just because things are different than normal doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy it. I keep reminding myself that is a season of life like no other before and I want to enjoy it and know that it will be gone soon….