Volunteer One

Hilarium

After discovering that tomorrow is National Boss's Day, a girl decided to do something nice, and include her co-workers in the plan too. Since their boss was in Singapore, she emailed the department and encouraged people to send him an e-card or an encouraging email.

After pressing the send button she gasped in astonishment. She had emailed the whole, the WHOLE, department...

...including the boss.

She cooly walked to the IT managers office and asked if an email could be unsent. The IT manager appologetically replied no. Knowing he had access to everyone's inbox she pressed, "Well, tomorrow is National Boss's Day and I just sent an email to everyone encouraging them to send a kind note to Wendell. And I included Wendell."

He laughed, amused, "I think I can take care of that."

After a few information technology backdoors and one click...

....DELETE....

...my heart went back to a normal, healthy pace.

A Moment of Ranting

I'm frustrated. I am more frustrated right now than I have been in a long, long, long time.

Sin makes me mad.

After all that I know, believe and love about Christ, I still decide to sin. I decide to be arrogant, selfish, angry, jealous and prideful. I have the forgiveness of the Creator of the universe and I am willing to throw it back in His face and go my own way.

The last few weeks have been hard for me on the inside. Time is up. I've had enough.

I know what it will take to be the amazing woman of God that I desire to be. Wait, let me say that again- only God can take this lump of clay and transform it into something beautiful. I cannot do anything but walk in obedience.

I'm tired of being the same. I am tired of struggling with the same things. I am tired of living every day the same. I am tired of only scratching the edge of the infinate love God has for me- and I can have for Him.

Watch out world... something is being unleashed in me. I am excited and scared to death.

Wrinkled Hands-Blazing Heart

Hands, wrinkled and weathered by age, tenderly touched the faded pictures as she recounted details of the story behind each portrait. Our eyes soaked in the beauty of her once young face while we eagerly listened. Page after page brought forth more accounts of God's faithfulness to John and Helen Cox as they served Him in Thailand.

Now she is old and frail, her hearing and eyesight are failing, yet she continues to live with persistence. Every day she retreats to her single room at the Lammermuir House so she can talk with God and fellowship with Him. The most important thing in life, she tells us, is to spend time alone with God. And she does, faithfully.
Helen is just one of the dear people we had the honor of living with last week in Lancater, Pennsylvania. The other "reassigned" missionaries have similar stories and spend their days in like fashion- prayer and Bible study. One couple decided they must get up earlier, 4:30am, if they were to cover all of the prayer needs each day.

I will be formatting more of my thoughts into intelligable language soon, but for now I wanted to leave you with a picture:
(Helen is on the far left in the bright blue dress... what a precious woman of God!)

Life- One Sentence Style

I leave for Pennsylvania tomorrow at 10:21 AM.

The Lammermuir House is my end destination.

Ann Marie, Ben and I will be socializing with 85 year olds for a whole week.

I haven't started packing yet which is highly unusual for me.

I am buying a new camera today.

It is hot in my office.

Speaking of office, it will be my own in a month and I am getting excited to decorate it.

Evangeline's CD (from my friend Jonathan Barrick) is being released on Tuesday (http://www.evangelinegroup.com/).

I have a lot of work to do so I am going to go do it.

Bye. :-)

Timelessness

Last week I was talking to a friend about God. A good topic, huh? Yes, the only topic worthy of discussing! We briefly mentioned the mind-blowing idea of God's timelessness and I thought, "I should write a post about that!"

So, here it is.

I love thinking about the deep things of God. It is fascinating, faith building and just good to think! There are times when I get frustrated when I realize how finite my thoughts truly are. There is NO way, ever, never, EVER that anyone simple or scholar, will be able to comprehend or explain God. It is beautifully impossible.

As Ben exhorts, though, "We should always be thinking lofty thoughts and purusing a deeper humanly understanding of the majesty of God." Ok, that may not be exactly what he says, but it is pretty close!

God is outside of time. He is outside of time because He created it. Notice in Genesis 1 that light, the sky, water, and plants were all created BEFORE time:

And God said, "Let there be light,"

and there was light.

God saw that the light was good,

and He separated the light from the darkness.

God called the light "day,"

and the darkness he called "night."

And there was evening,

and there was morning—the first day.

Genesis 1:3-5

And God said,

"Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky

to separate the day from the night,

and let them serve as signs to mark seasons

and days and years,

and let them be lights in the expanse

of the sky to give light on the earth."

And it was so.

God made two great lights—

the greater light to govern the day

and the lesser light to govern the night.

He also made the stars.

God set them in the expanse of the sky

to give light on the earth,

to govern the day and the night,

and to separate light from darkness.

And God saw that it was good.

And there was evening,

and there was morning—the fourth day.

Genesis 1:14-19

The creator cannot be apart of the creation. The creator only puts characteristics of His being into what he creates (eg, children- they are not their parents but have part of their parents in them). Since He is outside of time He controls it. Time does not have any affect on God. Time was given to humans to govern seasons, mark years, etc.

God sees everything in an ever present now. He was there before time began and He will draw time to a close at the end of the world. I love Revelation 22:13 -

I am the Alpha and the Omega,
the First and the Last,
the Beginning and the End.

If you put those two together, just in themselves, without the other thousand ideas I can draw from God being outside of time, you will have a headache. Let's try for one, ok? :-)

Since God is outside of time and sees everything in an ever present now, He knows all things we have done, will do and could do. And He can see them all at once. From God's presepective He can see the creation as if it is happening and the end of the world as if it is done already. This is called God's foreknowledge and comprehensive knowledge.

Knowledge, as well as thought, have to do with time because as FINITE beings we need time to learn. We do not know all things all at once. God, on the other hand, because He is INFINATE, knows all things all at once. He does not have to ponder, think or recall information, all three of which are linked to time.

He knows what I will think, do and say every day for the rest of my life. He knows those same things for everyone I know and everyone that has breathed and will breathe until the world comes to an end. He knows all information, from how many hairs are ON your head to the number of molecules it takes to make up each of those hairs. And He know the same for all people who have ever lived and will ever live. He knows how many trees the world has held at one time, how many molecules were in each tree, how many tress will be planted, their molecules, etc. He knows how many books there have been, will be, number of pages, letters, cost of producing, molecules to make the book, how the book will be destroyed, how many good books have been thrown away, etc. He knows all things about all things- Past, present and future, which He sees all at once in His "now" existence.

Get the point?

God's timelessness means I can trust Him. He knows. He sees the future, He sees the past and it is a beautiful orchestra of praise and glory for Himself. He is never shocked or surprised by anything. He is never late. He never delays.

He is, also, gracious to give us time. Time allows us to have order and a pattern to life. Time shows us how we have grown and matured. Time gives us food in harvest, a break in the winter, a cool evening after a hot day, light to see and darkness so we can rest.

Time will end. Everything CREATED has a beginning has an ending. God is the only everlasting being. He lasts forever. Humans and angels are only eternal beings, with a created being that will last for eternity.

There is a lot more I could say on this topic because it is one I love to discuss. It causes my heart to swell with love and awe for God. It makes me want to scream along with the Psalmist, "Who am I that the Son of Man would care for me???"

51 Weeks

There are only 51 weeks left until my birthday!

I act like such a little kid when it comes to celebrating birthdays. When I was younger it was the presents that were the object of my anticipation. As I grew a little older it was the level of privilege that excited me, like shaving my legs, driving, getting a job and voting. The year I turned 21 people were anxious to know if I was beating down the bars for my first legal drink. My answer to that question was, "No...now I can adopt children!"

There is, in my mind, only one more "big" age mile marker before getting senior citizen discounts... (Scott, this might shock you :-)

TEST DRIVING A CAR!

In the state of Colorado you must be 25 to test drive a car. And that is what I want to do next year, Lord willing, on my birthday. What car, you ask? Two, if I could... a Hummer and Corvette.

24

On this birthday I completed 24 years of walking, living, breathing, working, crying and laughing. The number 24 seems so old and still very young. I cannot believe how quickly this year has passed. It is no wonder that people in their 80's say that the years are like days to them.

Every year around my birthday I take time to reflect and do some serious introspecting. What has happened this year? What trials did I experience? What happiness did I enjoy? Who did I meet? Did I fulfill any dreams? Where did I go? What books did I read? What were my greatest strruggles? How did I come to love Christ more? Has my faith in Him grown? How am I serving Him? What am I going to do this next year to serve, love and believe Him more?

What has happened this year?
Oh my, a ton! My dad was jobless for most of 2oo6 and that proved to be a monumental family challenge! On top of the financial pressure, we all experienced deep hurt from the church situation we came out of and 2006 was spent healing. We watched God do God-things by providing for our every physical need and restoring our hearts emotionally.

My dad asked me to get a better paying/full-time job to help with family finances. This caused me a great amount of stuggle because I loved my job and the flexibility working part-time gave me. Yet, I knew that God was calling me to surrender my comfort and join Him in an adventure. In September I was offered a job with OMF International and Initiative360. To make a VERY long story short, I accepted.

My faith grew in amazing ways as I watched God provide for our financial needs by giving me a job that perfectly fits my passion for world missions. It was difficult to leave American Family after working there for 7 years, but I knew it was what was best for me. The longer I work at OMF, the more I believe that!

Holidays came and went, the winter in Colorado was VERY snowy (10 weeks straight with at least 6-8" a week!) In February Initiative360 closed down and OMF hired me full-time. It was sad to see a place shut down, but even in it I knew I was here for a reason. I was able to be apart of key meetings and offer my perspective and experience from the church situations I have faced.

The last thing I will share about has affected the second half of my 24th year the most. For the first time in many years I felt severe pain in two friendships. I will leave details aside, for they do not matter, but I will say that I have not cried and hurt this bad in a long time. For several months I severly struggled with the one friendship and pleaded with God to do a miracle.

He did- inside me. When the problem first hit at the beginning of the summer I knew, without a doubt, what God WAS doing and was going TO do inside of me. He was making me more like Jesus. And that is what I always pray He would do. I can honestly say I did not question Him or ask Him to take away the pain like I have done before.

I sought Him with all that was in me. And He gave me more of Himself. He opened my eyes to see sin inside of me and He also gave me confidence that I was obeying Him. He showed me that the life of true discipleship can be very lonely. When I stand stong on who He is and what the Word says people are going to get upset, call me judgemental, etc. And that's ok.

Later I may post more on the two situations and the Biblical issues that were the focus of the relational controvery, but for now I will say that it caused me to dig into my Bible! I know more now why I believe what I believe, Biblically, and am confident in what the Word says.

Lastly- DAWN AND MATT were here!!! Their flight home from MD was delated 2 DAYS and they were able to spend time with me and my family. It was SO much fun. It was fun to have Judah and Samuel together. It was a delight to see them with my family. It was precious to see Dawn BIG pregnant! I cannot wait until I see them again!

Where did I go?
Two places stand out to me the most:
1- California. January 18th I shocked Dawn by showing up on her door step for her 25th birthday! It was a wonderful trip and I continue to love her more and more.

2- Manitou Spring, Colorado. Ann Marie and I went down to Summit Ministries to relax and be with friends. It was very refreshing to be with like-minded girls after having just felt some great pain in the friendships mentioned above.

What books did I read?
Don't Waste Your Life by John Piper (read it 3 times)
The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer
The Bible :-)
Ephesians (did an indepth study)
Hebrews (did an indepth study)
I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Athiest by Norm Geisler
(There are more but I cannot remember them....)

What were my greatest struggles?
* My dad being jobless
* Changing jobs
* Financial pressures
* Friendships
* Singleness

Has my faith in Him grown?
YES, oh, YES!!! I cannot begin to describe the transformation that has taken place inside of me the last year. My love for God has grown and deepened. I do know Him better. I am realizing how much farther I have to go and am glad that He is not done with me yet! 100 years would not be long enough to discover the depths of who He is.

A Look Back- 5 Years
2002- I would have been 19. I had just come home from my second trip to Romania. I was engaged and planning my wedding. I was also planning my third trip to Romania.

2003- I was 20. I was engaged for half of my 20th year and then I broke off our engagement. It was a rough year, to say the very least! It was wonderful too, for God healed my heart like only He can!

2004- The wonderful age of 21. God continued to do a beautiful transformation in me. I learned so much about who I was in Him and what He was calling me to do. My convictions and passions began to take a deep root.

2005- Glorious 22! The family struggles began this year as we faced a horrible situation at our church of 7 years. My dad was asked to leave because the new pastor did not think my dad had a calling to ministry. We began the unemployment journey. I fought desperately against bitterness. God taught me to love instead and gave me a jealous heart for His church.

2006- 23, here I come. I began working at OMF, dad got a job and life began to return to normal. My love for God through world missions grew and matured. I faced friendship struggles. The Ben Zornes Band blossoms and keeps all of us busy!

2007- Finally 24. I am looking forward to what God has planned for me this year. Many people, including myself, hope that God's plan for me this year would include a Prince Charming. We shall see. God is my treasure and in the next year it is my goal to know Him and believe Him more.

My life verse remains my aim:

"'You are My witnesses,' declares the Lord, 'and My servant whom I have chosen, that you may know Me and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me no god was formed nor will there be one after Me.'"

Isaiah 43:10

The Next 5 Years- God
Only God knows what He has arranged for my journey the next 5 years. Marriage? Children? Traveling to Asia, India or Europe? Death? Life? Joys. Pain. Laughter. Tears.

The only thing I know for sure is that my quest to know and believe God will be the focus of whatever happens between now and the time I am 29. I want to look back and say that I lived it well, people saw Christ in me and that He was glorified.

Worldwide Tragedy and God's Mercy

This is a call to prayer and to praise. It is a call to prayer because there are many things happening in our world that cause us to rely on God more and more. It is a call to praise because our God is relyable, all knowing and merciful.

Each morning at OMF we open our day with prayer. There always seems to be enough to pray about that we could continue for hours on end. Three things were the main focus this morning, though, and they are:

1- Minneapolis and the collapse of the bridge. (Read about it HERE)
2- North Korean missionaries being held hostage. (Read about it HERE)
3- Taiwanese village (where animal sacrifices are still being done.)

These three things are happening all at once. There are a million other stories that could be added to this list as well, including our own needs.

Pray. Pray that God would draw all men to Himself. Pray that your own faith would grow.

Read. Read the news. Pray as you read.

As I was praying and reading this morning, I read an article by John Piper about the collapse of the bridge, which is one mile from the church where he is pastor. We wonder why these things happen and he proclaims:

"The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world. "

We have the most precious message in the world in our hearts, heads and hands. May it be precious to us as we know Him and praise Him!

Reflection

I am entereing into a very reflective time of the year for me because in less than two weeks I will gain another year to my life. There may be time between now and then to write a painfully long post about what has happened this last year, how I have grown and who I want to become.

For now I will leave you with a picture that reminds me of how I feel when I think of completing my 24th year on this earth.

Mountains and valleys, climbing and surviving, beauty and rain, majesty and mystery, joy and sorrow... but God always at my side, comforting, protecting, guiding, disciplining, reforming, shaping, molding and changing me.

What an incredible year it has been.

Here In

Hello.

I did not fall off the face of the blogging world. I just got busy and slightly overwhelmed both physically and emotionally.

And I am getting better.

It has been another one of those times when God is doing amazing things in my heart, yet these times of growth only come through trials. The last three months I have faced some emotions that, in all honesty, have been quite foreign to me. Truly, in relationships with other believers, how do we mix admonishment, love, judgement and grace?

I may post more on what I have been learning in regards to friendships, but I do not have time for that now! All I will say is that I am VERY thankful for like-minded friends! They remind me that I am not alone in my determination to be Christ-like!

Jonathan gave me a quote several months ago:

"Oh to Behold the glory of Christ!

Here in would I live,

here in would I die,

here in would I dwell in my thoughts and affections

until all thing here below become as dead and deformed things

and in no longer, any way, calling out for my affections."

John Owen

This is my prayer for myself and for my friends. Oh, to abandon all for Christ and to see Him fully. Oh, to have the eyes of our heart enlightened so that we might SEE Jesus and SAVOR only Him.

Something Lighter

POP QUIZ

Q: What happens when a branch that is 4" in diameter and 10" long breaks off its tree and free falls for 10' before hitting you on the shoulder?

Answer:

It hurts really bad.

If God Says

Does God ever "call" His children to not obey one of His commands, like missions, bearing children, telling the truth, etc? Can we say with a straight face that, "I am not called to missions" or "God does not want me to have children" or "If I am protecting my family I can lie"?

Every day I disobey, many times willingly, commands I know God has clearly given to those who follow Christ. I decide to be grumpy. I decide to be impatient. I am proud, selfish and unforgiving. Then there are times when we, I, disobey God's commands because I am not fully mature yet, not knowing it is sin.

Yet, once I am confronted with my sin, then I am responsible to obey or not. None of use are perfect, meaning without sin, but we press on and on and on for the prize:

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

All of us who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you. Only let us live up to what we have already attained."
Philippians 3:12-16

There are things in Scripture that are so clear and still many of us ponder, "What is God's will?" He has laid most of it out clearly: believe in His Son, do not lie, do not commit adultery, go make disciples, look after orphans and widows, do not be conformed to this world, do not get drunk with wine, be fruitful, do not divorce, etc. etc.

So what is our problem with just obeying? Are we ignorant to what God has said? Are we purposefully disobeying? Are we immature in our faith?

I think, depending on the person, the answer can be yes to all of the above questions. Still, disobedience is disobedience. Praise God for mercy and grace. He knows our weaknesses, excuses, stubborness and humanity. If there is any good in us it is Him.

These verses convict and comfort me at the same time:

Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him.
John 14:21

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
I John 2:3

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome...
I John 5:3

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:3

Awesome Creator

About 1,500 galaxies are visible in this deep view of the universe, taken by allowing the Hubble Space Telescope to stare at the same tiny patch of sky for 10 consecutive days in 1995. The image covers an area of sky only about width of a dime viewed from 75 feet away. (See this and more here.)

Did you just read what I read?

About 1,500 galaxies are visible in this deep view of the universe, taken by allowing the Hubble Space Telescope to stare at the same tiny patch of sky for 10 consecutive days in 1995. The image covers an area of sky only about width of a dime viewed from 75 feet away.

The image covers an area of sky only about width of a dime viewed from 75 feet away.

How great is our God!

And I let my minute, puny, tiny problems distract me from HIM? The Creator of the 1,500 galaxies I see here?!?!

How human can I be???

A Glimpse Inside

There are times in my life when I wonder what God is doing with me. It seems that the tests and trials come in waves, crashing in on me all at once. I have come to realize, though, that blessings always follow close behind!

There is so much going on right now in my life, heart, mind and soul. I am building relationships with new friends, having struggles with old ones and seeing that Jesus is the only Friend who will never let me down.

As I face new areas of growth, trusting God has once again been taken to a new level for me. His ways are not mine and I have no control over anything. He calls me to follow after Him and obey. I cannot look to the right or the left to see if others are obeying Him. My concentration needs to be on the battle that is in front of me.

Last night I had a wonderful, yet painful, breakdown. And, yes, it did include crying. I recognized that I have been more stressed about a couple of things than I realized. The burdens I have been carrying during the day, along with sleepless nights has resulted in a girl who is tired, distracted, unhappy and sad.

I know this is not the last time I will feel grief, pain and heartache, but I feel a freedom today that I have not had in several months. The truth of these verses and the call to obey them is what gave me such peace:

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 5:7-11

Cast my anxieties on Him and leave them there. I am free to be self-controlled and alert when I am not lugging around my burdens. The enemy is ready to destroy me and if I am overwhellmed with concerns then I leave myself weak and vulnerable to his attack. My brothers and sisters around the world are suffering from anxieties of all kinds too, so if I stand firm then maybe others will have the courage to do so as well! I will suffer because Christ suffered, it is apart of life, and yet it is only for a little while. He will restore me and make me strong, firm and steadfast. All of this is for His glory because He alone has the power to transform my anxieties and make them something useful for His name sake!

For Real Now

Several weeks ago I wrote a pathetic post about what is happening in my life. I really wanted to write more, but I lacked creativity and time. There are many things to tell you, my readers (Whoever that would be), about what is happening in my life and family.

Vocal
Friday, April 13, 2007 my brother, Ben, won the vocal competition at the Northeast Artists Guild Expressive Arts Conference. See more info at his blog site: Ben Zornes' Band or here.

Bones
Two broken bones in 12 hours is not a family record I would recommend trying to beat. Three Wednesdays ago my brother Timothy, 11, crashed on his scooter. Take your hand and bend it back like you are trying to grab your elbow. The curve from arm to hand is where Timothy landed. He has a buckle break just above the wrist where the bones, both of them in his arm, broke from the pressure that was felt on both sides- wrist hitting ground and body falling on top. OUCH. The doctors thought that there was possibly a need to put him to sleep and rebreak it. Thank God this was not the case! He is casted and on his way to healing!

Guess what we learned through this? God designed, in His infinate wisdom, for the body to compensate the break by replacing the gap in the bone and disolving the excess bone. Let me explain. When you break a bone there can be a number of degrees that the break angles. Timothy's was 15% and angled down. The arm will heal with this curve. Then the body grows more bone on the side where the angle is acute and then disolves the excess bone on the obtuse angle. Make sense?

So, the Thursday morning after Timothy's accident, my grandma fell down the stairs and broke her shoulder. My mom has been a great daughter and has made numerous trips to Cheyenne to help my grandparents over the last four months. She has become a doctors' office visit specialist this year with three surgeries, stiches in my sister and Timothy's broken arm! Thanks, mom, for all you do! :-)

Of Bikes and Mattresses
Tax return. I do not know what that phrase stirs in your heart, but I know it creates excitement in mine. For some reason I think that tax returns are to be spent. The whole year I am dilligent to save. I make sure I have reserve for large purchases or emergencies. So, if the government has taken more money than need be and in my mind that money is already gone, why save it when they finally give it back?

This year I decided to use my return for several "large" purchases, which are: a mountain bike, helmet, nice tennis shoes, a wave enhancer (like a perm) and a mattress.

The last 6 months I have been convicted in regards to several areas of my physical life: health and money. God has constantly been showing me that great men and women of the faith kept these two areas of their lives under tight control. They ate healthy, excersised, gave away money, prayed over money, etc. So, with my tax return I decided it was a perfect time to get resources that would encourage me to get into shape.

Jogging is out of the question for me, but I absolutley love to ride. A while ago I told my dad that I wanted to get new tires, new breaks and a new seat on my Huffy (Walmart) bike that I have had since I was 13. He smiled, "Jaclyn, you might as well get a new bike!" So, I did a fair amount of research on the type of bicycle I wanted.

I discovered that I wanted: a mountain frame (thicker, sturdy, wide tires), 10-24 speeds (for a variety of terrain), hand breaks and shocks. On top of THAT I wanted it to be, obviously, in good condition and of a reputable sporting brand. AND under $100. Sure, go ahead and laugh. It is funny if you know anything about bicycles.

I mentioned to a friend of mine at work that I was looking for a new bike. She said that she had been wanting one too! So, we began the hunting togther. The day she asks me if I want to go to Play It Again Sports, a used sporting goods store, I was in a dress. We arrive and I see it. The bicycle of my dreams right there in front of my eyes. We gawk, admire and inspect. And gawk again when we see the price: $59.99. Since I am in a skirt she test rides it around the parking lot. We decided that one of us will definately use it and if not we will resell it for $100. Ah, I love capitalism! I took it home that night for a test-ride. I fell in love. I told her so the next day at work and she said that it was mine!!!

It has all of the specs that were on my wish list. The picture above is from the Giant Bicycle website and looks almost like my bike except mine has shocks! The price tag on this machine brand new is $500-700!

The idea for a new mattress comes from the desire to rest better. My back and neck have been killing me lately. I am not sleeping well because I have a spring sticking into my hip. Yet, is this complaining? Hudson Taylor and great other number of missionaries GOT RID of their mattresses in order to prepare for the field. Am I wanting the new mattress for selfish reasons or Christ-exalting desires?

Anyway... there are several over due update bits. There is a ton more to tell, but for fear of loosing your interest I will stop there. :-)

Unusual Me

I chose pink for the background of my blog? Could it be? Was it me? Who kidnapped Jaclyn and switched brains with her? Hahaha... We'll see how long it lasts.

Me who? What?

I think it is high time for a casual, update post about my life.

What is there to say, though???

*** ADDITION: ***
Ann Marie wants me to mention that I am hilariously funny.

I work.

I eat.

I sleep (barely).

I ponder deep things.

I am reading the Cost of Discipleship (still).

I finished Looking Back by Husdon Taylor.

I am studying what God has to say about divorce and remarriage.

I long to travel overseas.

And people are wondering when I will get married.

My mom wants grandchildren.

The End.

The Cost

"When Christ calls a man,

He bids him come and die."
~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer~

I am slowly making my way through Dietrich Bonhoeffer's The Cost of Discipleship. When I have more time to think and write I shall give you a more inside view into my thoughts. For now, though, I will just give you highlights from chapter one.

~Cheap grace is the deadly enemy of our church. We are fighting to-day for costly grace.

~Cheap grace means grace as a doctrine, a principle, a system.

~Cheap grace mean the justification of sin without the justification of the sinner.

~Costly grace is the treasure hidden in the field; for the sake of it a man will gladly go and sell all that he has.

~Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life of His Son: "you were bought at a price" and what has cost God so much cannot be cheap for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon His Son too dear a price to pay for our life, but delivered Him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.

~As Christianity spread, and the Church became more secularized, this realization of the costliness of grace gradually faded. The world was Christianized, and grace became its common property.

~I need no longer try to follow Christ, for cheap grace, the bitterest foe of discipleship, which true discipleship must loathe and detest, has freed me from that.

~The price we are having to pay to-day in the shape of the collapse of the organized Church is only the inevitable consequence of our policy of making grace available to all at too low a cost.

~The word of cheap grace has been the ruin of more Christians than any commandment of works.

Soak that in. More to come...

I'll Cry Glory

Three of the four members of the Ben Zornes Band, Ben Zornes, Caleb Lane and Greta Dittmann, as well as two moms(not pictured above), Momma Zornes and Momma Lane, are in New Jersey!

They are attending a singer/songwriter competion and conference. This morning Ben performed three of his songs in competitions and will do another two this afternoon. He will also compete in a vocal session as well.

Pray that he does well and that the judges will have favor on these three, that people would be drawn closer to the glory of God by their songs and that Jesus would be magnified!

For more information and updates from the band visit:

BZB Band

Dear Katie!