Iowans

Here are the girls shucking sweet corn with Grandpa. Aren't they cute?

Homemade Limeade

I LOVE when blue makes limeade. Someday I want to get one of those heavy duty juicers, but the one here is $150 and is just not in our budget.


Limeade (Just substitute lemons to make lemonade)
Juice from 3 medium-sized limes
1 cup sugar
2 quarts of water
mix until sugar dissolves

Don't steal my joy, and I won't steal yours

Kris has a great post here about those who steal our joy with their agendas for our life.

Scripture itself commands us to "Be joyful always," which I interpret to mean that joy cannot be tied to circumstance or opinion. Circumstances change, sometimes capriciously or randomly, sometimes not. Opinions waver as often as the moods of those who hold them. Joy must then be a transcendent thing, something that relies on more than that which I find in myself. Joy, then, can only reside with God... and my own joy correlates directly with my dependence upon God.

So the responsibility for joy does lie with me, but only so far as I am dying to my own desires to please other people, and instead making Godpleasing my sole aim.

Therefore, if something I do (or do not do) displeases you, whether I change depends completely upon whether it's something I actually do need to change or something you need to "get over."

No one's agenda for us is as good as God's. I agree that it is hard to stay on the narrow path and follow God when others are saying "Turn left!" or "Turn right!" Especially if God's narrow path for them is the left or right path and they are persuasive that that is where you should be, too. We all struggle to fit in, but life is amazing when we are exactly where and who God wants us to be.

This post is also a good reminder not to be a "joy stealer". We should all regularly reflect on 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres." Then we need to ask ourselves if our attitudes and actions toward others are a reflection of God's high standards for love. If we truly love others, we will not steal their joy.

When I became a Christian, I was seventeen. Seventeen-year-olds are very opinoinated and judgemental to begin with. Add to that the realization that God had revealed the truth to me, and you have an equation that equals obnoxious. My agenda was to cram my faith down anyone's throat who would listen. I learned over time that it is not my job to save people. That is between them and God. Unfortunately, many Christians, even as adults, never come to that realization. Consequently Christianity is not attractive to many non-Christians. Who wants to become judgemental and obnoxious?

I recently found out that an acquaintance of mine is not a Christian, and practices a very non-mainstream religion. She was very surprised that I still accepted her after learning of her beliefs. However, my job is to love her and pray for her. As one adult to another, it is not my job to save her, or condemn her, or be anything but loving toward her. It is none of my business who she worships or how. If God prompts me to share my faith with her, I will, and it will be in His perfect timing when she may be open to hearing the truth. How she chooses to practice her religion it is her decision.

It boils down to this: God's agenda (at least one of them) is that all join Him in heaven by trusting in Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:3-4)

Our agenda is to love God with all of our heart, mind, soul and strength and to love our neighbor as ourself. (Luke 10:27)

One of my favorite posts demonstrating this is Tracey's post at Worship Naked called "some straights and some homos". I just recently stumbled across her blog, but Tracey has become one of my favorite bloggers. Check her out.

Kitchen

Blue has been working on remodeling our kitchen. Kris helped us with the colors. We are going for a beach/tropical feel. We don't really know what it will look like when it's done. Hopefully cool. I love it so far!