Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Things I know for sure...

1. There is absolutely no way in this world that I could function without Jesus. I try, sinfully, and fail, miserably.
2. I am really glad to have my sister home.
3. Having new friends is fun!
4. Chelan is more amazing then I remember, especially with old friends.
5. Marriage is hard. But worth it.
6. The more open handed I am to God the more I can be used by Him. "So just be open handed Shelby" Easier said then done sometimes.
7. I really, really, REALLY like be healthy (for the most part) again.
8. Running is WAY easier without PE. Duh.
9. Psalm 63 is just what I needed tonight.
10. I still have love handles. They say "what up."
11. My fav new Ben and Jerry's is Chubby Hubby. Hmmm....this might have a strange correlation to #10?
12. Disneyland Half is getting closer and closer and I am getting more and more excited.
13. God gives us blessings, that we don't deserve, to enjoy and to make His name more glorified. That is what we are hoping to do on Aug 26 with our new blessing.
14. I am really excited for Pioneer Woman's new show!
15. Go back to #1. :)

Monday, August 15, 2011

A Kingdom Heart

“when a woman has a kingdom heart, she has an active understanding of what matters most to the heart of God. she lives in the balance of passion and contentment. she learns to love well, give without regard to self, and forgive without hesitation. the woman with a kingdom heart may have a duffel bag full of possessions or enough treasures to fill a mansion, but she has learned to hold them with an open hand. hold everything with open hands. i don’t think we are ever allowed to grab hold of anything or anyone as though they matter more than the kingdom of heaven. when you hold relationships with open hands, then people come in and out of your life as gifts of grace to be cherished and enjoyed, not objects to be owned and manipulated. and then when you hold your dreams with open hands, you get to watch God resurrect what seemed dead and multiply what seemed small.” -uknown

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Minimal Words from Me

Click Here! It is a great post and reminds us to say thanks!

See I told you...minimal words from me today on "Wordless Wednesday!"

Monday, August 8, 2011

Back next Monday

No worries. Matthew Monday will be back next Monday.

Today, I wanted to take a break and share with you guys something that I was overwhlemed by this weekend.

If you live in the great Pacific Northwest you knew that this weekend was Seafair. As all us Seattleites prayed for sun this weekend, the Blue Angels, boaters, hydro planes and sailors got ready for yet again, another amazing Seafair. This year I officially became a Seattleite! I have never been to Seafair....EVER! But this Saturday AA and I went to tour the battleships that were in town and raced over the Lake Washington to see the air show and Blue Angels....which were amazing! AA and I laughed and gawked at the planes as they flew over at death defying speeds. It was such a sweet blessing to be by the water, with my hubby and experiencing something so "Seattle."

And although our times on Saturday was great, I couldn't get over a feeling of sadness and at times failure. Let me explain...

We started the day wanting to see these battle ships that had sailed in over the last week and stared at us everyday as we went to work. So we made our way over there, got in line and were assigned "tour guide" aka members of the Navy to take us throughout the boat. As I started to look around at all of the sailors and members of the armed forces that were everywhere I started to really look AT them, not past them, like I embarrassingly do most times. And when I really started looking I started noticing how young these men and women are. I kept saying to AA, "they are just babies, just young young people!" He called me old and that yes, some of these men and women were 7 years younger then us. I started to think about who these men and women were. What's your name, where do you call home, do you have a husband/wife/kids, do you know Jesus, why did you join the Navy, ect? I wanted to just take one of them by the hand and start asking questions, but I didn't want to come off creepy. So I kept to myself, listening to all the facts they had about the boat.

This boat was huge. I MEAN HUGE! 3000 sailors can be housed on it at any given time. 3000? These people don't even know each other. What if you were the new kid? Who are your friends? Who helps show you around?

We went up on the main deck where they had helicopters and air crafts. And while everyone climbed in to take a picture, I was fighting back tears, thinking about how people's children and husbands and wives climb into these air crafts to go to war. War, where people die. These were not make believe things, these have been used to fight for our freedom.

We then went back down to underneath where they had military vehicles, tractors and other moving things. There was a young man who was sitting on top of one of the vehicles and was talking with a vet from Vietnam. I stood close enough to hear what they were talking about. As the vet asked this young man question after question, I couldn't help but be astonished by the answers he was giving. "Yes I have been to Afghanistan and Iraq, yes we just lost a vehicle last time we were there to an IED, yes I am proud I get to serve a country I believe in, yes I miss my family, no I have no plans of getting out of the service anytime soon." As I bit my tongue really hard to stop from crying the vet shook the young man's hand to thank him for his service and if I had any guts what-so-ever I would have done the same thing. But I didn't. And I wish I would have.

As we left the ship, the captain was there to thank US for coming. Are you kidding me? Why are you thanking me? I should be on my knees thanking you! As I looked down to his left hand, there was a medal band, just like my husbands. He was the same age as my dad and I couldn't help but think, "who are you away from your uniform?"

And as I left, I felt like a failure. I have never prayed for the military and their families. Oh sure, when we hear something bad on the news or radio, I will lift those families up to God to protect them and help them know they are loved and I pray those soldiers knew Jesus. But never have I constantly prayed for them. Well that all changed Saturday. I am making a commitment to add "military" to my quiet time. These men and women fight for this country so that I can worship Jesus, in the open, I can pray at restaurants, I can go to church and not be afraid. I can run, work, be a wife, friend, sister and anything else God calls me to do, because of the freedom I so often forget I have.

And although freedom in the American sense of the word is amazing and I take it for granted way too much, real freedom is in Jesus. Having Him write the story of my life has freed me from sin, anxiety and oppression. So that is what I will start praying for. That these men and women who serve our country come to know the freedom that is found in Jesus, that they have community within each other, that they find time to worship Christ, and that they are inhaling and exhaling the love of God.

Thank you troops, I am so sorry I have forgotten about you.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Matthew Monday (aka Tuesday)

Hi everyone! Sorry this is a day late. Last night was cut short due to a long, long day at work for both AA and I. We both got home about 30 minutes apart from each other and pretty much collapsed on the couch. We both tried to read, but that was just too much for our brains. We hit the hay pretty early last night.

Side note: AA got up WAY TO EARLY this morning to get to work. He has a special meeting today at 2pm (I will chat about this later, in the coming weeks), so he needed to get there super early so he could leave early. And as most of you know I am pretty much dead to the world until about 6:45-7:00ish when my alarm blares and the daily struggle of "go to the gym" "no don't go to the gym" "no GET OUT OF BED AND GO TO THE GYM!" "but ohhh I feel so fabulous wrapped up in here." ANYWAY, he always comes over says goodbye and gives me a kiss. This morning was not pretty. I woke up to him giving me a kiss goodbye and my mouth was WIDE OPEN AND I WAS DROOLING! OH MY GOSH! How that man loves me I have no idea, but I am sure thankful he does. :)

Here we go....MATTHEW MONDAY (TUESDAY...whatever)

Matthew 9: 18-26

What:
-A synagogue leader told Jesus that his daughter had just died, but if He came and touched her, she would be alive.
-Jesus went with the leaders and the disciples followed.
-On the way, a woman who had been bleeding for 12 years came up and touched Jesus' cloak and said to herself, "if only I can touch a part of Him, I will be healed."
-Jesus saw her and told her that her faith had healed her and the woman was healed at that very moment.
-When Jesus entered the house of the leader he saw all the commotion.
-He told them to go away, that the girl was not dead, but asleep.
-Jesus put his hand on her and she got up.
-News spread throughout the region.

So what:
-Jesus comforted the bleeding woman. She was a faithful woman and it took courage for her to even touch Jesus and have the faith that He would heal her. Jesus acknowledged this and healed her.
-When Jesus arrived at the house, there was gossiping and people there just to get the news, about what was happening in their "neighborhood."
-Miracles are real and only through Jesus.
-Jesus has ultimate authority over death. We can see this here with the girl and with Hi conquering death on the cross.
-Jesus has the authority to restore life in all of us.
-By touching the woman who was bleeding, was a clear illustration that Jesus cleans the uncleanness and messiness of this world.
-She was made whole by His touch.

Now what:

Jesus,

I need you. Lord Jesus I am a broken, an unclean person who can only be filled by You. I can only be made clean and whole by Your touch in my life. Lord Jesus, the only person that can make me whole is YOU! Lord I pray that as I struggle with wanting to feel worth from people, that you are reminding me and comforting me that it is only You who can fill that space in my heart. Lord that I am reminded that it is not people who saved me from eternal death, but it was You upon that cross. It is You who makes me clean and mends my heart. It is You Lord who I serve and that You have given me the opportunity to live in Your story that You are writing for my life.

I love you Jesus. Amen.