Christ is Risen!

Easter 1991

Christ is risen from the dead

Trampling over death by death

Come awake, come awake

Come and rise up from the grave

Christ is risen from the dead

We are one with Him again

Come awake, come awake

Come and rise up from the grave

O death, where is your sting?

Kevin apparently found all the good Easter eggs that year. 

O hell, where is your victory?

O church, come stand in the light

The glory of God has defeated the night

O death, where is your sting?

O hell, where is your victory?

O church, come stand in the light

Our God is not dead, He's alive, HE'S ALIVE!

(Christ is Risen -- Matt Maher)

401. Kind of accidentally "eavesdropping" on an incredibly amusing comment thread on a friend's facebook photo...hil.ar.i.ous!  Makes me want to be friends with these people that I don't really know.

402. An encouraging card from a friend.

403. Conversations with Sarah.

404. Conversations with Julie.

405. Discovering a new favorite Bluebell flavor: chocolate mud pie!  ohm'goodness, 'tis yum!

406. Kind friends who are so willing to give me rides when Paul and I have car conflicts (since we share a vehicle).

407. Getting off work several hours early on Saturday and thereby getting a longer weekend :)

408. A quick nap on the couch while dinner was in the oven.

409. Babysitting some super crazy fun kids.

410. Getting to help with Truth and Grace during one of the Good Friday services at church.

411. Good Friday.

412. Spending Easter with the Bacaks and Jessica and enjoying a wonderful meal together.

413. Being able to fit in a quick visit to Eyrie Park on Easter afternoon.

414. Making "mufflers" (Sir Green Shirt's name for my experimental raspberry cobbler muffins).

415. That I'm not normally sick..or such a medicine-head as I was last week (my apologies to anyone with whom I may have attempted conversation between Tuesday and Friday; coherency just wasn't happening).  And so thankful to be feeling better now!

416. Since I've managed to refrain from mentioning this for the past several weeks...my church :) So thankful for the Truth that is preached, the Gospel that is lived out, and the fellowship and unity we have as a body of believers.

417. Getting to work with Rachael for several hours today :)

418. Teeny tiny dogs with names like Attila (i.e. The Hun) and Tank.  This just makes me laugh.

419. A lovely phone conversation with Sabrina.

420. "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead!" (1 Corinthians 15:20) 

Living He loved me

Dying He saved me

Buried He carried my sins far away

Rising He justified

Freely forever

One day He's coming

Oh glorious Day!

(Glorious Day -- Jeff Johnson)

glory to our King

Hallelujah, glory to our King

Hallelujah, You are everything

Hallelujah, I have been redeemed

Hallelujah, glory to our King

Glory to Our King -- Lauren Chandler and Miriam Wilks

381. Visiting with Miss Barbara at Esperanza on Thursday and Friday.
382. Getting to hang out with my sweet friend Michelle and eat yummy pie and have a wonderful conversation.
383. Ice skating with Sarah!!!!!!  (originally this had a mere 3 exclamation points.  Then I reread it and got excited and decided it needed more.)   :)
384. A neck/shoulder massage from the brother :)
385. Cooler mornings and breezy afternoons.
386. Having such a wonderful group of friends that I can text and ask for prayers when I'm stressed.
387. We're getting coconut syrup back at Starbucks (after 5 long years without it!).  I might be excited about this...maybe :)
388. Taking a nap in my hammock on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
389. Not having to go to Houston for a class last Tuesday...which meant I got a [much needed and appreciated] day off!
390. And because I had the day off...I got to go hang out with Meg!  Love her!
391. Surviving and mostly enjoying one of the busiest work days I've had all year...because I have wonderful coworkers :)
392. Hearing a friend's exciting news.
393. Getting to an enjoy a quiet Saturday evening in the kitchen, trying out new recipes.
394. Speaking of recipes, if you're a chocolate lover, make these cupcakes.  Amaaaazing.
395. And while eating aforementioned cupcakes: "I don't like chocolate cake, but I like chocolate cupcakes."  Thank you, Jason, for that quote.  That was undoubtedly the hardest I'd laughed all day :)
396. A fun game night at Jason and Meg's (though I was regrettably quite tired).  Learned (sort of) how to play Settlers of Catan.
397. Advice from a friend that wasn't what I necessarily wanted to hear but was certainly what I needed to hear.
398. Friends who encourage me and who cheer me up when I'm struggling.
399. Running to some old-school Christian music...oh the childhood memories this brings back!
400. The incredible truth that Christ has set me free from the bondage of sin; I no longer have to live in it but instead, through His power and grace, I can live a life that pleases Him.

There on the cross He bore our sins

And then imparted righteousness

And now we stand here justified

Now we live because He died.

Made Us Alive -- Michael Bleeker

You are stronger
You are stronger
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written
Christ is risen
Jesus, You are Lord of all
Stronger -- Hillsong

Five Minute Friday

On distance...

At the moment, I'm thinking about the oh-so-little distance between now and when I need to get up for work (just over 6 hours)...

And there's the distance between where I live now and all the places I've lived in the past 6 years (at least 1000 miles to the closest).

The distance in time since I've seen my dear friends Sean and Jessica, whom God used so wonderfully to teach me about His Truth and about the joy of repentance and faith in Him.

The distance in time since I saw my mom for the last time on this earth.

____________________________________

So that was a rather pathetic amount of writing to accomplish in 5 minutes.  I'm gonna unashamedly blame it on the fact that I've been up since 4am and haven't had coffee since about 6am and am therefore exhausted.  Good excuses, right?  Or not.  And truthfully, if I weren't so determined to not let myself off the hook in keeping up with this Five Minute Friday no-editing-allowed thing, I wouldn't dare hit the publish button.  That and the fact that I'm nearly delirious with sleepiness right now (and have been for the past several hours; just ask any of my friends that I just spent the evening with)...and I'm now really writing without thinking.  Which could get dangerous fast.  Ok.  Done.  Off to bed I go...  Good night...and happy weekend!  :)

better than I deserve

not by my own words that I may boast or I may come

but simply through Your Son the sinless and exalted One

only through the cross am I made clean to draw near to You

saved so that You would receive all glory due Your name

everlasting God from age to age You never change

a true love story remains for all eternity

that all the world would see

the beauty of the cross is that there's One who has redeemed my soul

the beauty of the cross is that I'm finally free and letting go

the beauty of the cross is that Your grace has found me just as I am

- The Beauty of the Cross, Jeff Johnson

361. Getting to visit with my lovely friend Kim (and eat yummy frozen yogurt)

362. Serving in preschool Tuesday night and getting to play with super cute kids :)

363. Running into two friends from church at the ice skating rink and having a really good conversation right in the middle of the ice.

364. This video, and the reminder to wait on the Lord and hope in His Word, "for with the Lord there is steadfast love, and with Him is plentiful redemption" (Psalm 130:5-7).
365. Seeing so many church friends at Starbucks (y'all, I'm not kidding when I tell you it makes my day when y'all come in!)
366. That Run for Compassion was such a huge SUCCESS!  So excited about how much money was raised to support the Child Survival Programs in Haiti and Ethiopia!  (Want to be part of this?  You can still donate!)
367. Running and enjoying my first 5k :)  I especially loved seeing those of you who were holding signs along the way (thanks for the encouragement, Sarah, Rachel, Jessie, Rachael, Cody, Camaaron, and others!).
368. A Pride and Prejudice movie night with Jessica, Stephanie, and Julie...though I have to admit that despite my best efforts, I was only awake for a very small percentage of the last half (it'd been a long day!).
369. These.  Holymoly.  Yum.
370. A lovely Sunday afternoon visit with Sabrina and Everly.
371. That my head was no longer directly beneath the light fixture when it decided to fall and shatter on my table.
372. The sharing of ridiculous/hilarious youtube videos on our church's member site.  Can't say Baptists don't have a sense of humor!
373. Standing in the parking lot talking to Julie and Sarah for a long time after church; I really love these girls.
374. Freshly vacuumed carpets (and the fact that my vacuum is working again).
375. Encouragement from friends.
376. A Saturday afternoon nap in my hammock...soooo wonderful!
377. The expectant hope of what is to come.
378. Beginning to plan for a long-awaited trip back to Haiti (hoping for May/June).  If you want to come (or are in the least bit interested), let me know!
379. Playing "cone ball" with Justus and hearing him giggle every time he made the ball shoot out of the cone.
380. Deandre, one of the little boys at church.  I just really enjoy this kid.

We're always doing better than we deserve.

- C.J. Mahaney

Five Minute Friday

It's only my second week of doing these Five Minute Friday posts, and I have to say, I wasn't really a fan of this particular prompt.  But, I did it anyway (yay?), and here it is, for what it's worth.
___________________________________________________________________
If you met me...

Right now, at this very moment, you would probably laugh; I'm sitting here wrapped in my favorite blanket with a massive bag of ice (swiped from Starbucks, of course) on my knees.  Because I'm old* (duh) and my poor knees apparently can't handle all the running I've been doing recently to get ready for Run for Compassion (which is tomorrow morning!!!).

Hopefully if you were to meet me, I'd manage to avoid at least some of my typical social awkwardness (praise the Lord for my very social job that has helped alleviate some of this...sometimes...); hopefully you wouldn't get too clear of an example of how what's in my mind gets jumbled before it comes out of my mouth (though at times this can be amusing...I guess.)  :)

If I'm the one talking, we'll probably discuss Jesus...and my amazing church...and my crazy life...and Haiti.  Most definitely Haiti.

But hopefully I'll let you do most of the talking; I'd rather hear about you anyway :)  (Speaking of which, leave me a comment and introduce yourself!)  :)

And
___________________________________________________________________

And there ya have it.  Happy Friday!

* Yes, yes, I know I'm not really old (though I was nicknamed "Grandma Beth Beth" for awhile), but just humor me; I've been claiming to be old since I was 19.

Run for Compassion...

...is just THREE days away!!! We are, as I type this, a mere 65 hours away from the start of the race. Which means, it's time for YOU to donate to help Compassion International's Child Survival programs in Haiti and Ethiopia. Why is this important?

Your support will enable Compassion center staff to work directly with little ones through age 3 and their caregivers, as well as expectant mothers. Your support not only will provide them nourishment and medical assistance for physical health, but it also will help us equip and encourage guardians to maximize each child’s God-given potential — mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

(Courtesy of Compassion International)

According to Compassion's website, 24,000 children under the age of five die EVERY DAY from preventable diseases.

Twenty-four THOUSAND.

Children.

Every day.

Preventable.

Preventable.

They don't have to die. Mothers don't have to grieve; their empty arms don't have to ache to hold their child just one more time.

We can do something. We are called to do something:

Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 82:3-4

Those pictures above? I've known each and every one of those kids. They aren't just random, nameless faces. I know their stories*. . . and how much a Child Survival program could have benefited them and their families. Several of these kids were born with hydrocephalus, a neural tube defect that could have been prevented had their mothers had access to better nutrition (which is something that the CSP provides); it also could have been treated at birth, had proper medical care been available. Instead, they've suffered. Many of these beautiful babies are abandoned because their families don't have the resources to care for them and don't have anyone to turn to for help. Many die. This is so unnecessary.

Praise God for ministries like Compassion International who have seen this great need to reach out to children and their families....and are responding. And not only are they responding to the physical needs, but more importantly, they are doing this while sharing the gospel. Because truly, Christ is their greatest need (and ours, for that matter); He is their (and our) Healer and Protector and Provider...and Savior. How incredibly exciting to think that as we partner with Compassion and the Child Survival Programs, we helping to reach children...families...nations for Christ. Don't you want to be a part of that?

Oh good, because you can. Head on over to the left sidebar and click on the Run for Compassion link to donate :) And thanks in advance for your generosity!

* Photo #1: Alain. Abandoned due to severe disabilities. Growing up in an orphanage with great needs but limited resources.

Photo #2: Benson. Severely burned as a baby. Abandoned. Last I heard, living at the home of a missionary amongst several other boys whose families could not care for them.

Photo #3: Nayka. Hydrocephalic. Died at the age of 5. Beautiful girl who loved to sing with her mom.

Photo #4: Ashley. Hydrocephalic. Abandoned as a baby. Now living in an orphanage for handicapped teens and adults.

Photo #5: Jubilee. Her twin sister died of meningitis when they were only a few months old. Jubilee's adoptive sister, my cousin Everly, wrote, "They didn’t have any medications. The cure was in a bottle that is so common, my father [a doctor] carried it in his brief case. They hired someone to breathe for her all night, but she died within twenty-four hours."

Photo #6: Sonson. Hydrocephalic. His family was very close. His parents and older sister traveled across the country to find help for him, using transportation that Americans would only stand for about 30 seconds. Hoping to find medical care, they spent a few months in Port au Prince until their helplessness overwhelmed them, and they returned home without him. He was moved to an orphanage, where he died just a few months later.

praises resound

Crucified with Christ

No longer we live

But Christ lives within

You're crowned with many crowns

Our praises resound

To Jesus our King

We sing to the One who has made us alive

- Made us Alive (Michael Bleeker)

341. This.

342. Spending my lunch break on Thursday with a dear friend.

343. Allergies. Not because I like 'em, but because when they hit me hard like they did this week, it's a very good reminder of how blessed I am to normally have good health.

344. Getting to see two wonderful friends every single day this past week at Starbucks (and then yesterday at church).

345. Chasing a coworker around the store with a mop. Just trust me on this. It was great fun.

346. An impromptu middle-of-the-night baking session.

347. A way-super-long-overdue coffee date with the lovely Sabrina.

348. My doctor/lifegroup leader/church elder handing me a prescription at church so that I can maybe quit being "Beth the Mute" sometime in the near future (I lost my voice on Saturday and its return has been quite gradual).

349. A couple more good runs in preparation for Saturday's Run for Compassion (donate here to help me raise money for the Child Survival Programs in Haiti and in Ethiopia).

350. "Going blue" with friends :)

351. Birthdays! Birdie's 16th last Monday and Sabrina's 21st on Saturday! We had lots of fun celebrating both :)

352. Really good visits with several of the residents at Esperanza, including one whom I hadn't seen in months.

353. Ice skating amongst gabajillion kids/teens; it was crazy but still fun.

354. This fun movie.

355. FINALLY getting to see Donovan again, for the first time since he and Sabrina got engaged.

356. A late-night talk with the brother.

357. An encouraging text from a sweet friend.

358. Getting my raise AND retro-vacation pay on the same paycheck (both of which I'd forgotten were coming).

359. Paul FINALLY getting his raise (that he was supposed to get last summer).

360. 5 years with Starbucks (as of last Tuesday)! Here's my 4 1/2 year anniversary post.

Blue!

Shortly after moving to College Station, I was informed that one of the restaurants here in town, Blue Baker, gives away free food to customers who come in decked out in the color blue (as in, blue hair, blue skin, blue clothes, etc). While I thought that this was a fun idea and certainly like the idea of a free meal, I hadn't ever taken advantage of this deal over the past 16 months that I've lived here. Until last Friday, that is, when one of my friends suggested that a group of us get together and paint ourselves blue. And so we did :) We met up in the back of the parking lot, wearing whatever blue clothing we owned and armed with blue paint to decorate our faces, arms, and legs. Some of us (and by us, I don't mean me) were more creative than others with both our attire and our paint; I think I can speak for all of us, though, in saying that we had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our free food!

Getting blue

the only guy brave enough to hang out

with a bunch of girls and paint himself blue

best costume and best face paint

Thanks for putting this together, Kim!

Five Minute Friday

I have just inadvertently stumbled across a new blog community of sorts that I may try to be a part of (since I tend to need such prompting to get this blog updated; see blog archives--they're almost all "Monday" posts). Anyway, I just discovered Five Minute Fridays (via Gretchen at The Little Pink House). Basically, the idea is to spend five minutes just writing (no editing allowed) and see what you come up with; it's "not a perfect post, not a profound post, just an exercise in the discipline of writing" (The Gypsy Mama). The whole "no editing" thing will be the tricky part for me; being a recovering perfectionist/people pleaser and possessing the dreaded "analysis paralysis" gene (I come from a long line of engineers), I read and reread the heck out of whatever I write before I push the oh-so-scary "publish post" button. So maybe this will be good for me...write, write, write, write, POST. Done. Hmmm...maybe.

And with that said (and to keep myself from going back over the above paragraph), here I go... This week's prompt is "A few of my favorite things." Grabbing timer...ready...set...go!

My church. Absolutely, for sure, definitely, I love, love, love my church. I love the passion for preserving and proclaiming the gospel that is so evident in everything from the way the service is conducted to the fellowship among the body to the commitment to speaking the truth in love, even when it's hard to say and/or hear. I love the amazing friends I've been blessed to get to know over the past few months; they've both encouraged and challenged me so much.

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I think my timer's broken. That was the fastest five minutes of my life. And I was right; the no-editing thing is HARD. I am not good at just writing non-stop; definitely had to stop and come up with the right words a couple of times. Is that against the rules? (And if so, is being really tired a good excuse?) Whatever. I tried. Good night!