Critty Joy

Caffeinated Randomness :: Cutie Pie Carter

My adorable 3 year old nephew, Carter, came to visit last weekend.  He loves to have his photo taken and he has discovered photobooth on my macbook....200 photos later and he was finally done :)  So I thought I would show you some of the fun we had!

I love that adorable smirk...and two Carter's?  Double the fun!

4 Carter's?  Even MORE fun!  And look at the smile :)

I have this labeled as Glee in my photo folder.  Look how joyful he is!

There is that smirk again...and he loved how the colors changed :)

And of course we must have a nose photo....He did this one all on his own!

His favorite pose of the night....and the explanation as to why I had to clean the slobber and fingerprints off of my macbook when he left :)  Cutie pie nephews make life sweet.

For more Caffeinated Randomness visit Andrea at Under Grace Over Coffee!

Have a terrific weekend!  I know I will...we will be attending the Women of Faith conference!

He Is...Love.

For 5 years I ran from anything having to do with God, and the Church.  Sadly for the first two years of college I attended several campus ministries with that bitter heart.  Not because I wanted to be there but because it is what people thought of me as.  They probably never knew I had not talked to God or opened my bible in 3-4 years.  I put on the same cloak of Christianity I had put on for the years before my Pappy died because it was what people thought I was.  Even in the darkest times I knew when I was sinning.  I was cognizant that my actions were wrong in His eyes.  Honestly I just did not care.

I still have a hard time thinking about those 5 years.  Probably not for the reason you are thinking of.

I struggle with those 5 years because I know how much I hurt our God.  If I had done that to a friend we would no longer be friends because at some point they would have given up on me.  

He never did.

It's also amazing to look back at that time because I can see now how He relentlessly pursued me.  During those 5 years I thought He had forsaken and abandoned me by taking away one of the most important people in my life. 

When I walked away, He followed.  He protected me.  He extended grace and mercy to me.  He loved me anyway.  He loved me right where I was at even if I did not acknowledge it, He was there.

I stumbled across a quote last week I had found several years ago.

There's nothing you can do, to make God love you more...and there's nothing you can do, to make God love you less. -- Rich Mullins

What an amazing reminder.  

His Love.  Constant.  Unchanging.  Unfathomable.  Real.

He Is LOVE.

And for the last 10 years it is what I have seen in action from Him every single day.  From the smallest details to the overwhelming details.  His Love lavished over us.  

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!  I John 3:1 (NIV)

My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love—so you can't know him if you don't love. This is how God showed his love for us: God sent his only Son into the world so we might live through him. This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they've done to our relationship with God. 1 John 3:7-10 (MSG)

I always took the cross for granted.  Now I see it as a beautiful symbol of His Love.  The tomb too is a symbol.  He has done great things for us.

All out of Love.

And I can think of nothing better to describe Him in my life, other than, Love.

He is.....Surprising

(sorry this is a little long if you read it all I shall love you forever!)  :)

Interestingly enough this is probably one of my most favorite things about God.  He is a God of surprises.  I love to see Him work.  I love to see how He constantly amazes us in how He works.

 After my Pappy passed away I had a disconnect with God.  I chose to walk away.  For 5 years.  During that time I finished high school and I moved away to college, did some things I should not have done, and at a really low point came back home.  I never once doubted God was God, but in my bitterness I wanted nothing to do with Him. 

When I think about surprises I think of three distinct moments in my life.

After I came home from college I had to find a job. I looked for months.  One day Mum and I were shopping and she wanted to go in to the Christian bookstore.  Well guess what was on the door?  A help wanted sign of course!  I was not about to inquire but my Mum did.  And Kelly, the girl working at the time said I should fill out an application, which I did, not enthusiastically mind you.  I was called in for an interview but knew I flubbed it...but still ended up with the job!  It was not until later that I found out Kelly fought for me to be there, she knew I was suppose to be there.  So for several months this bitter and angry girl worked at a Christian bookstore (and then God began the most amazing restortation)...but oh the people God brought into my life through the two years at the job.  It was also the turning point of my Christian life.

The second moment is after I began a renewed and intimate relationship with Christ.  My youth pastor had taken us to visit a small Bible college in the Fall of 2000.  Oh how I wanted to go.  I filled out the application and it just did not work out for me to enter the fall of 2001.  I was devastated for a time but then decided to move on.  I thought more about school but just did not do much about it.  In May of 2002 I got a phone call from my admissions counselor.  He asked me if he could come up with the money to come would I enter as a transfer student in the fall of 2002.  I was shocked but told him I would give him a week.  Guess what?  He called the next day and that fall I started at my alma mater.  Some of my best memories will always be there!

And without the second moment there would be no third moment.  I happened to get some information about some organizations doing missions trips while my college was doing a mission conference. I emailed one organization in particular about their trip to Romania (it is a dream of mine to go here) unfortunately I was too old.  A few weeks later I got an email asking if I would like to go on a two week trip to England.  I said YES!  Of course I had never been on a mission trip before and it was a lot of hard work raising the money and two weeks before the trip I really thought I was not going to be able to go....but once again He provided (as always!)  While on that trip God brought people into my life that would speak amazing words over me, challenge me, and love me.  And it was that trip that started my journey to seeing myself as whole and worthy in the eyes of our God.

Three distinct moments.  Three different and surprising outcomes that I never thought possible. Our God is the God of the impossible.  And while doing the impossible He LOVES to surprise us too!    

***I wrote this series of posts over the weekend and to my surprise on Tuesday I read such an encouraging post about every thing being possible with our God....so go visit Amy and her post about Mission Possible!  :)  It's good stuff!

He Is....Constant

To be honest I cannot remember when I have not been a Christian.  I cannot remember that defining moment when I believed, truly believed, He was who He said He was.   I grew up in church from the time I could go (a couple of weeks after I was born) until my disconnect with God and until now.  So I guess you could say I have been going to church for 25 out of my 30 years :)  I gave my heart to Christ when I was very young.  I know without a doubt I was saved then but I did not have a real, honest, and intimate relationship until I was in my 20's.

My Mum is a Christian, however, my Dad is not.  My Mum's family was always the influence in my life in that area.  My Pappy was and still is the most influential Christian man in my life...even though he passed away when I was 15.  

I know that sounds odd but He was a prayer warrior and had faith like I have never known in anyone else in my life.   He was my family's constant.  He was my constant.

I love that one of the words to describe constant in the dictionary is unceasing.  You do not meet many people who are unceasing in their faith, in their love, in their life.  

Now, my Pappy was not perfect but He adored God with all of his heart and soul.  

And He is the one who showed me how constant God is in our lives.

For some God is their go to God.  They only go to Him when they want or need something.  

For some God is there just not invested in us or this world.  He is God, a supreme being and is not to be bothered by us.

For some God is constant.  Our ever-present help, strength, and foundation.

For me, God is my constant.  He is unceasing in His Love, my ever-present help and strength.  I cannot help but know this is true.....by watching my Pappy and my Mum in their faith.  And now experiencing it in my own life.

My Pappy would go to God about everything.  And I do mean everything.  He treated God as a Father and a friend.  when I was younger I thought it was kinda odd :)  I was one of the go to God only when you need Him girls...

Now I am a constant girl.  I go to my God about everything.  Even the little stuff.  Because He is a God of little things just as He is a God of big things.

He cares.  Really care for all of the things in our lives.  And He does not change.  Ever.  You can completely depend on Him.  God in the details.

For Jesus doesn't change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he's always totally himself.  Hebrews 13:8 (MSG)

So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light. There is nothing deceitful in God, nothing two-faced, nothing fickle. He brought us to life using the true Word, showing us off as the crown of all his creatures.  James 1:16-18 (MSG)

He is Unceasing.

He is Steadfast.

He is Unswerving in Love.

He is Constant.

 

He Is....

I was chatting with a wonderful friend last week and we began talking about doubts.  I shared with her how I may doubt things at times....my worthy and significance, plans, if I am making a difference...and on and on.  But I have never ever doubted that He is God.  Even when I walked ran away from my faith for 5 years I never doubted that He existed.  She shared that she too had felt that way.

Even when I wanted nothing to do with Him I still believed there was a God.  He Is.

She went on to say that He had written so deeply in our hearts that we just cannot doubt it.

I think when we truly believe God is who He says He is there is something irrevocably changed within our heart from that moment on.

As I have thought about that over the last few days and as I have delved into some of my old journals and writings I was reminded of a song that I remember hearing at church.  After trying to remember a snippet of two of it and google phrases for over an hour I found it!  It is called He Is.  And while the music may be old fashioned to some of us today....the words of the song are still just as powerful.

So after thinking about the song I started thinking of times in my life where He has been different things to me...  And before I knew it I had several posts written!  So this is just the beginning of me sharing with you who I have found Him to be in my life.  The following post take you into some areas in my life I have not shared about before on this here bloggy but are all a part of my testimony.  So I guess you can say you will be getting to know me a little bit and I get to give Glory to our God for the great things He has done in my life :)  For there is no doubt that He Is so many things and He is constantly showing us who He Is.

Praying for the Maxey's

Many months ago I mentioned a project called the Maxey Letter Project....I started on my letter but never finished it because I just did not know what to write.  I am going to be finished that letter because this evening I read THIS on Rachel's blog.

Peaches, could you please pray for this family.  I cannot even begin to imagine the heartache.  My heart breaks for this Mom and Dad and little brother.  
If you do have some time and would like to write a letter you can still do that....you can find more information HERE.

Caffeinated Randomness :: From My Xanga Edition

I guess in many ways you could say I first started blogging May 19, 2004.  I used something called a Xanga.  I decided one night this week to sign back in and read some of my old entries....I was quite the random blogger in those days so it took me only about an hour to read the whole thing :)   I only had around 4 people reading my xanga in those  days....haha I think (hope!) I am a much better blogger these days!

So I thought for today I would share an old 10 things meme I did 2 years ago.  And then tell you if it was still true or not :)  Sounds fun right?  

   From my Xanga.... (original entry, my thoughts today)

 

Thursday, 08 March 2007

Sarah tagged me :o)

RULES: Once you've been tagged you have to write a blog with 10 weird, funny, random things about you.  THEN pick 10 people to tag, list them along with the reason you chose them, and don't forget to leave a comment telling them they've been tagged.

1. My brother was born when I was two...I would get in trouble because I would take him out of his bassinet and carry him around.  Yep!  It is still one of my Mum's favorite stories to tell about me.

2.  I dislike salt... I think it is gross...I will eat things with it but if I have a choice I choose no salt.  I still think it is pretty gross...

3.  I am constantly reading a book, you can ask me at anytime what I am currently reading and I will be able to tell you the title and the author.  Umm this may have actually gotten worse as now I am usually reading more than one book at a time!

4.  Sometimes I wonder if I am a little OCD, I have an order for everything from the time I get up to the time I go to bed and if things are not as I like I can get very frustrated.  This is actually not as bad as it once was....I still like a schedule and an order to things but I do not get as frustrated as I once did!

5.  I adore tulips and during the season you can buy them I will usually have some in a vase.  This is so true still!  Actually I adore just about any flower...they make me happy!

6.  In the last 6 months I have started a new hobby, photography.  In fact in my top 16 I took four of my friends profile photos :o)  Still loving photography!  I am considered the family photog.  I often take walks and bring my camera with me just in case....I don't want to miss a great shot you know!

7.  I have a fan in my room that runs all the time, I don't know why I just like the noise, and I have trouble sleeping with out it.  This is still so very true!  

8. I am becoming a concert addict, if I can go and have the money (and can find someone who goes with me, usually Laina!) then I am there!  I still love concerts but not as much as I did at the time I first too this survey.  

9.  I have changed so much in the last two years since I graduated from college, but it has been a good change.  I have confidence and joy.  And I have changed even more since then!  God has done great things in my life and even when things are hard I know I am in the palm of His Hand.

10.  I love flip-flops and unless I have to wear a different shoe, then I am usually in a pair of my flips (I have 10 pairs....and am always on the look out for more)  So very true still!  haha!  I probably have more than 10 at this point and I would wear flip flops all the time if I could....so comfy :)

So there you have it.... some things have changed...many haven't!  And you may see some more xanga entries in the future...it was a fun trip down memory lane for me!  

For more Caffeinated Randomness visit Andrea at Under Grace Over Coffee!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Prayer.

Early Tuesday evening I looked at the clock and realized it was 6:55.  I hurriedly gathered my things, shut my office door, and walked quickly to my car.  I immediately started my car and turned the radio to one of the local stations.  At 7 p.m. every week night the dj for that time slot has a prayer time.  If I can listen to a radio at that time I usually tune in.  There is something about the way this dj prays...you can tell he means every single word he is praying. 

As he prayed for specific request, a woman with cancer, a young man with an unknown illness, a man with heart problems, a woman who tried to commit suicide...

My heart broke and I started to weep.  Sometimes I forget how truly sweet prayer really is.  An intimate conversation with our Abba.  I love that time in prayer...praising Him and bringing those I love before His Throne.

I started to pray along with the dj....savoring the sweet time.  And then you, my dear peaches, popped into my mind.  And I prayed for you.  Each of you.  I may not know all of your names and I may not even know you read my blog but I prayed for you.

I consider it an honor that you come and read my musings and thoughts here.  And I wanted to honor you today.  By praying for you.  And I will continue to do this...sometimes you will just see the question pop up here...How can I pray for you today?

You can leave me a comment or if you would rather email me (crittyjoyblog at gmail dot com) I would love that too.

So my dear Peaches....

Word Filled Wednesday :: August 19

Welcome to Word Filled Wednesday....I am delighted to be your hostess once a month for the wonderful Amy Deanne! 

 The purpose of Word filled Wednesday is to share God’s word (no famous quotes or other literature — only the beautiful word of our Father) through photo’s & a Bible verse!

***MckLinky is below so you can join us in the WFW Fun :)

    I made this for a sweet friend as a gift several weeks ago. It is her favorite verse and as I made it I began to see why... the verse reminds me of the song You'll Come....and the fact that He will come...always. What a beautiful thought.

Rain.

Monday was quite the weather day.

I spent a little bit of the afternoon sitting outside soaking up the sun.  There is nothing like the feeling of the sun and it's warmth on your skin.

Later in the afternoon I saw that is was getting cloudy so I stepped outside to look....I love to watch the clouds roll in!

As I stood there it started to sprinkle...I just sighed and turned my face up to the sky.  Gradually the sprinkles gave way to a light rain.  I stood there with my arms outstretched...just being in the moment.

I began praising God for the sun and the rain.  For the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the rain.  I thanked Him for being able to feel the sun and rain on my skin and I thanked Him for being able to smell the rain...that light fragrance that lingers before and long after a rain shower.

I am not sure how long I stood there like that, in the moment praising Him.

Later as I sat at my computer checking email and facebook and the like I saw people complaining about the rain.

As I sat thinking of my reaction and their reaction....it reminded me a lot of life.

In good circumstances and when things are going our way and the day is sunny and bright it seems so easy to praise God.

In bad circumstances when things are not going as planned and the day is gloomy and rainy we seem to forget He is there.

We often complain it does not seem fair.  Like we deserve all sunny days and no cloudy ones.

As I look back over my sunny days and my rainy days I realize that most of what I have learned about our God has come from those rainy days.

Those days filled with fear, and with pain, and with confusion have brought me closer to a knowing and loving God.

We are all meant to have rainy days.  

It is what we do with those rain days that really counts....because we always have an umbrella that never lets us get to wet...God.