Vacation, Finally!

Well, today is my last day of work before we are taking a week off for vacation. I am so freaking excited! Originally we had taken next week off to go on a trip with my family, but that didn't work out, what with my parents buying a new house and all. However, Isaac and I decided we really need a vacation, so we kept the week open.

So here's the plan:
Tomorrow Isaac's brothers are coming to stay the night with us since his parent's anniversary is this weekend. I'm pretty excited cuz I love having them over and that doesn't happen nearly often enough. Also tomorrow my parents are coming to pull a little furniture switcheroo with us... it's a little complicated to explain, but basically I am losing the piano (only for a year, more on that later), futon frame, and our little table and chairs, and getting the table and chairs from my parents' house that I grew up with (yay!). Also they will be taking my brother, who has been living with us all summer, and some of his stuff back with them. I think a brother for a table is a pretty good trade. ;)

Then Saturday we are getting up and heading down to OKC to help deliver the piano to the family who is borrowing it - that really deserves a whole post all to itself. Then we are thinking maybe taking the boys to the zoo or something fun in the City.

Tuesday is our 2nd wedding anniversary (AH!), so we have fun plans for that including dinner and book shopping, AKA the perfect date for a couple of english majors.

And then Thursday my aunt, uncle, and cousins are coming to my parents' house for the weekend. I cannot wait because I love my cousins so much! They are like my little sisters, only I see them maybe 4 times a year. We always have so much fun together. :)

So yeah, those are the vacation plans, with a few random days of nothing interspersed. I just have to say that we have been working our butts off between school and work for the past two years, so this has been a long time coming. :)

Yay VACATION!

Writing

"Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life." Galatians 6:4-5

A few years ago I read these verses in the Message, and they have been challenging me ever since. They just kind of took my breath away the first time I read them. I loved what they say, and I wanted to live them! I believe that our talents, passions, and desires are from God and that he wants us to pursue them and use them for his glory. I love it when I get to watch somebody use their talents to do their "creative best" for God.

Lately a common theme I have been seeing/reading/hearing is just that - I need to be using my talents to glorify God and to serve others. While this is absolutely the desire of my heart, I really REALLY struggle with defining just exactly what my talents are. And even though I have a good idea of what they are, I have a lot of trouble BELIEVING in myself enough to admit them.

So here's me being really, deeply honest: Ever since I was about seven-years-old, I have considered myself to be a writer. Or at least I have wanted to consider myself a writer. I wrote all the time in elementary and middle school - stories, songs, poems, plays, everything - but somewhere in high school I decided that I'm not really good enough at writing to call myself a writer. Since then I have really struggled with my identity as a writer and artist.

But I had a realization the other day. The only true reason that I do not deserve to consider myself a writer is simply that I don't write. And the real, deep reason that I don't write is that I am afraid if I do, it will be obvious that I am not a real writer. What kind of messed-up, flawed, circular logic is that?!

So the only way to break out of that is to simply write. And I'm scared, because I don't know what to write. And I don't want to mess up. But I do want to serve God in my writing, and the only way I can do that is to JUST START WRITING! Because I do have a passion for writing as a way to communicate his truths with others, and I do believe (*gulp*) that he has gifted me with an ability for language and writing. So if you want, you can be praying for me as I step out in obedience and START WRITING!

I'll let you know how it goes. ;)

Exodus

So remember how I am reading through the Bible, starting at Genesis and just going from there? Well, now I am mostly through Exodus, and it is pretty awesome. On my previous attempts to read straight through, this is about where I kind of lost interest. Genesis is all exciting, you know, with lots of heroes and adventures. And the beginning of Exodus is great too. It just doesn't get better than God faithfully and miraculously rescuing his people from slavery. But once you're out in the wilderness with those fickle, faithless Israelites, well... they really start to wear on your patience! And then you get chapter after chapter of laws and instructions and it can kind of be overwhelming and confusing. But like I said, this time I am loving it.

Here's the difference: this time I have asked God to teach me something from every reading. I pray before I read that he will speak to me through his Word, that I won't find it boring or dull, but exciting and fresh and applicable to my life and relationship with him. And God, being the faithful one that he is, is definitely showing up. It's amazing what coming to his Word with open eyes and heart can do.

So what have I been learning from chapter after chapter of laws, regulations, and religious instruction? Let me tell you! :)
- God cares about his people and gives laws to protect us and help us lead better lives
- God calls his people to be holy and set apart from the world.
- God cares about how we worship him and won't accept anything other than our best, because he deserves nothing less!
- God is a jealous God and will not tolerate his people worshiping anyone or anything but him.
- God is both just and compassionate, and is faithful to forgive us when we call upon him.

I think what I am really reminded of as I read Exodus is who God is and what his character is like. In these chapters I can see so much of who God is and what is important to him. I can see how he loves and rescues his people, how he is both just and merciful without contradicting his character. While his chosen people and how they interact with him may have changed over time from Moses to now, God hasn't. And that is just beautiful.