Joy

This weekend, Jordan said something to me right before we were going to sleep that shouldn't have bothered me...yet, it did. I was frustrated with myself for getting worked up over nothing, but at the same time, I felt genuinely offended. So, when I couldn't sleep, I grabbed my Bible, went out into our living room, and read this:

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie! You have multiplied, O Lord my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you! I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. In sacrifice and offering you have not delighted, but you have given me an open ear. Burnt offering and sin offering you have not required. Then I said, "Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart. I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation. As for you, O Lord, you will not restrain your mercy from me; your steadfast love and your faithfulness will ever preserve me! For evils have encompassed me beyond number; my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see; they are more than the hairs of my head; my heart fails me. Be pleased, O Lord, to deliver me! O Lord, make haste to help me! ...But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation say continually, "Great is the Lord!" As for me, I am poor and needy, but the Lord takes thought for me. You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God (Psalm 40).

This chapter in Psalms just broke my heart. I knew that my problem was not between myself and Jordan--not really. It was between me and God. "Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not turn to the proud, to those who go astray after a lie!" I felt like God was telling me that I need to stop turning to people first. It's a lesson I've learned before but apparently need to learn again--God should always be the One I run to first. He doesn't want my church attendance, my church ministry, volunteer service, good work ethic, gourmet meals, social calendar, or any other "good" thing. He wants my heart.

What do I make of Him or the cross when I run the other direction into the arms of people? As my Daddy, His desire is for me to cry out to Him, to seek His face, to be still and know that He is God. And because He is gracious, He has also placed people in my life that can help me do that and help me find the answers and the comfort that I need. People like Jordan. Like my friends. And my mentors. People who can tell me when I'm wrong even when I don't want to hear it.

Because of this--and because of His wondrous deeds which are incomparable--I should not restrain my lips. I should not cease to tell others about the glad news of His deliverance, faithfulness, and salvation. And even when "my iniquities have overtaken me, and I cannot see", I am held up by his faithful, steadfast love. 

Once again, I learn that I cannot find my joy in the people or the things around me. "But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in You...."

Spring Cleaning

So, here I am, doing a little spring cleaning--desperately trying to organize our second bedroom for once--when I come across one of the notes Jordan and I wrote to each other when we were dating. I'm glad that I held on to every little note and missive that passed between us because of my sappy sentimentality. I need to make them into a book for us...a crazy book that only he and I would ever understand. :)

Anywho, I discovered this little gem that I wrote to him when we were first dating:

My Top Ten List


Jordan,


Once upon a time, you made a list of reasons why I might be "the coolest kid ever", probably hoping that it would make me laugh and feel better (which it did), since I was having a rougher week. :) Well, I think it's my turn now--if you can make your small gestures, I can, too! So................


The Top 10 Reasons Why Jordan "Rocks My Face Off":

1. He bales hay...and enjoys it (what's up with that?).
2. He hangs out with Sabrina, even when she annoys herself [I really thought he would get sick of me at some point.].
3. He laughs at just about everything and has a great wicked cool sense of humor [Yes, I crossed out great and replaced it with "wicked cool". What can I say?].
4. He has a great smile that makes it so that you can't help but smile, too. :)
5. He has an amazing desire to serve the Lord and anyone else he can--and does it, too [He doesn't just talk about doing things, he actually sees them through.].
6. He is willing to take the chance of getting lost in the woods--IN THE DARK.
7. He has a heart that seeks after God and has compassion for those around him.
8. He works out like crazy sometimes but never lets it get to his head.
9. He is chivalrous and then some but lets others serve him, as well.
10. You are you--darkness, hilarity, and everything in between--and I wouldn't have it any other way [When I met him, he had a dark streak in his sense of humor which still pops up from time to time. I think he just likes to shock people. :)].

Cheesy? Perhaps. Funny? I hope so. True? Oh, sure. Thanks for just an amazing time of getting to know each other. God has been stretching me through you, and I praise him for every bit of it.

In His everlasting love,

Sabrina

I just had to laugh at myself during my walk down memory lane. I suppose it's good for you to look back on your own dorky-ness every now and then. And I am sure that I am the only one who ever feels that way....

Product Review: Butter Boats!

It's time for another product review!

This is one of those things which, once you have it, you cannot live without.

The first time I had ever seen anything like this was when my friend, Janelle, received something similar from her husband when he proposed to her. He gave her a ring, as well, but the ring was inside a "butter bell". When she told me about it, I had no idea what one was--but it's ingenious (and, apparently, leads to happy marriages)! Here's how it works:

Source

Butter bells, or crocks, are a little harder to find than your average butter dish, but they surprisingly come in quite a few varieties. When looking for one myself at a local kitchen store, I stumbled upon this little number:

"All aboard the Butter Express!"

Lo, and behold, there are butter boats, too! I read about how they work, and it's the same basic principle. You don't have to smush your butter into the lid; you just place the whole stick into the butter dish. You fill the outer dish with water to the fill line, then place one into the other, top with the lid, and "Voila!" you have softened butter whenever you like. "The porcelain keeps the water cool, and the water in turn keeps the butter cool. This results in soft, spreadable butter without allowing it to spoil. The butter boat can be kept on a kitchen table or countertop indefinitely. Changing the water in a butter boat every few weeks is recommended."

I have always been a margarine girl--mostly because that's what we grew up on--because I like having something that is spreadable. Now, my dilemma is solved and I can put something more natural in my body. The best news for those of you who do not frequent kitchen stores? They also sell them at local stores; although, you will not find as much variety.