Blessing.

Genesis 32:26. "And Jacob replied, I will not let you go unless you bless me."

I never really thought about how powerful that verse is. Jacob did not know he was wrestling with God Himself, but I doubt his response would have been any different. He spent the entire night wrestling with God for a blessing.

I know I don't have that kind of dedication--but I want it. I want to cling to God, pray to Him, seek His will, hold fast and say "I will not let go unless you bless me!"

After all, it's what He wants to do. He just wants us to ask.

Inspiration

Why is it that inspiration never comes when you most desire it? It is not to be had for the asking. Instead, it's bursts often seem few and far between. But when it does come, it is a glorious thing.

My inspiration (in the sense of writing that comes naturally and powerfully) tends to come from one of two places: reading God's Word or reading books inspired by God's Word. Hm... does that mean I'm inspired by inspiration? Perhaps so! I can only write powerful, moving things when God has used His inspired Word or the powerful writings of others to speak truth to me.

Well, I have not been greatly inspired in my writings lately. But here is something I wrote during Christmas 2008 that flowed from the truth of God's great plan for mankind and the writings of Bodie and Brock Thoene in the A.D. Chronicles. Enjoy

PENIEL.
The face of God.
Adonai. Elohim. Yahweh.

The great I AM over all creation.
Come to earth as a helpless babe.
God Most High as One most human.

Who more human than a baby?
Helpless... Tiny... Precious...

The face of God becomes the face of man.
Innocence... Beauty... Glory...

God Most High in human flesh.

Who better to save a helpless race
than One who became helpless?
A helpless Savior? Yes.
Yet only because He chose helplessness.
He chose.

Chose to leave it all.
Power... Strength... Might...
Helpless.

To save us all.
But in His helplessness--everything.
Mercy... Love... Grace...

ALL.

Peniel.

Most awesome face of God became
Most helpless face of man.
To save.

Real Men

In today's society, our culture so often downplays the important role of men. Men were designed to lead, to protect, to care and nurture. Unfortunately, many see those God given desires as chauvinistic or demeaning to women. (Honestly, I can't understand that, but anyway...)

All that to say, I was floored and excited to read Docker's new advertising strategy. In fact, I even joined their Facebook page (which is rather rare for me to do). Take a look and if you like what you see, let them know!

http://www.us.dockers.com/season/landing.aspx

Goodbye, Hello!

Well, it is 2010! While a New Year is exciting, I am generally not into New Year's resolutions and I think the last time I stayed up until midnight was 2000... but since this past year has been so amazing in many wonderful ways, I want a way to remember all that has happened. I found this list of questions from Doug Phillips blog and thought it would be good to answer some of them in review of this year.

1. Where did I/we travel?
That is a big question! I did a little traveling early in the year, but then I really started going places in June and just finished a couple weeks ago! Let's see, I visited...

-Mississippi early in the year to work at a conference with GenJ.
-The Southwest with my family, traveling from KS to CO to UT, spent one night in Las Vegas, visited my uncle and aunt in AZ, and drove through NM on the way back home!
-Virginia for a week of camp (and found out I was the head female counselor after I got there)!
-My grandparents in Nebraska
-Colorado Springs for another camp!
-Granby, Colorado, where my family moved the beginning of August.
-Kansas (which we now have to visit, since we moved) for three weeks to run a local Bible Bee contest.
-Pennsylvania to see my friend Jasmine
-PHC (with Jasmine) to see all our wonderful friends there!
-The Midwest for my grandparents 50th Anniversary.
-My grandparents again for three weeks shortly after visiting for their anniversary.
-D.C. to volunteer at the National Bible Bee.
-England!!! (An amazing experience).

All in all, a wonderfully busy, traveling year!

2. What were the most important sermons I heard this year?
Hmm... good question. I love our new church here in Colorado and every sermon is amazing. Perhaps the one that I remember the most is when our pastor quoted Philippians: "Do not be anxious about anything..." In modern language, that verse should be translated "Do not be stressed about anything." That hit home for me. And it's not just a suggestion either. I am commanded: Do NOT be stressed! That is a tall order, but one I am trying to obey.

3. What books/articles did I write?
Well, this is not something I do much of, but I do hope to write a book (on political campaigns) in the coming year!

4. What significant household projects did we accomplish in 2009?
-Well, we moved... that was a rather large project. :)
-My mom also sold her business (Livin' Right Women's Fitness) which allowed us to move to Colorado!
-I finished my degree in July and officially graduated in December!
-I also have a new job with CollegePlus! I am a coach for approximately 20 students as they work through their own degree via distance learning.
-Finally, we set up a blog for this next year that will help us, our extended family and our friends stay accountable to reading the Bible in a year. We'd love to have you visit at www.adailywalk.wordpress.com.

5. What were the most important meetings of the year?
Probably all the ones I had at the GenJ camps... getting to work with Godly men and women was such a blessing.

6. What special friendships were made this year?
Again, I have to go back to GenJ. There were some new friendships, some renewal of old friendships and some deepening of existing friendships: Sarah, Holly, Rachel, Stephanie, Lucas, Daniel, Joel, Michael, Emily, Kimberly, Kristi-Joy, Jeremiah, Willie, Will... you were all amazing. Thank you for such wonderful experiences!

And I also made some great new friends with the Bible Bee... our local committee, Carrie, Janice and Suzanne, as well as at the National Competition, especially Taylor!

7. What diet and physical exercise regimen did I maintain to honor “my temple”?
I do my best to regularly eat healthy. Unfortunately, my physical exercise has declined since I no longer work at a fitness center. That should certainly top the list of my New Year's Resolutions.

8. What books did I read?
This could be a long list! I'll have to start with just a few and add to the list as I think of them. (Ones with stars are ones I highly, highly recommend!)

*Pajama School ~Natalie Wickham
*Mere Christianity ~C.S. Lewis
Surprised by Joy ~C.S. Lewis
For the Temple: A Tale of the Fall of Jerusalem ~G.A. Henty
*The Spirit of Churchill ~Debbie Brezina
The Duggars: 20 and Counting ~Michelle Duggar
*A.D. Chronicles ~series by Bodie and Brock Thoene
*Zion Covenant ~series by Bodie and Brock Thoene
*Galway Chronicles ~series by Bodie and Brock Thoene

You may be able to tell, I enjoy reading anything written by the Thoene's. The Zion Covenant Series is especially powerful, though heartwrenching. I actually couldn't finish reading them because they were so heart breaking. I do still highly recommend them-just not in large doses.

Here is my list of partially read books:
How Shall We Then Live? ~Francis Schaeffer
*The Road to Reality ~K.P. Yohanan
Let Me Be a Woman ~Elisabeth Eliot
The Soul of Prince Caspian ~Gene Edward Veith

I am certain I have read more than this, but these are the ones that stick out. I hope to read many more books this year, as I no longer have tests to study for!

9. What Scriptures did my family memorize?
As a part of the Bible Bee, we memorized many more Scriptures than we normally do. It was exciting to see just how much we can memorize in a short period of time. And I am quite excited to have finally memorized the book of Philippians after a few years of trying!

10. What loved ones died this year?
I am blessed that no close personal friends or family have passed away this year. However, a good friend of my grandparents, a sweet lady I had the opportunity to know, passed away just one week before Christmas. I know my grandparents and her own family are still struggling with losing her so close to the holidays. They are in my prayers.

11. What were the great personal/ministry/national tragedies and losses of the year?
The greatest tragedy that comes to mind was the Fort Hood Massacre that took place only a couple months ago. We must continue to pray for the safety and protection of our troops and the comfort of their families.

12. What were the great personal/ministry/national blessings of the year?
Another thought that comes to mind is the pilot who saved the lives of those aboard his plane by landing it safely in the Hudson River.

There have been so many personal blessings in my life that it would be impossible to name them all. I am just so thankful for all that God has done!

13. What were my most significant failures/sins for the year 2009?
Yikes--difficult question. I often find it difficult to make the most of the time I have, serve others cheerfully and stay patient when people and circumstances become frustrating.

14. What commitments have I made to overcome sin in 2010?
First, I am determined to memorize 1 John (which is all about love--hopefully remembering what Christ's love has done for me will help me demonstrate that love more willingly to others).

I am also committed to becoming more involved in ministries and writing a book, which I hope will force me to use my time wisely.

15. What significant spiritual and practical victories did I experience?
Perhaps the biggest lesson God taught me was that my security lies with Him; not my situation nor my finances. After having absolutely no money to pay personal and school bills, I have learned two important lessons. It really is "more blessed to give than to receive" (even and especially when you have nothing)! And I have also learned, "in whatever [financial] situation I am to be content." I am so thankful God saw fit to teach me those lessons this year and I am excited to see what I can do for others financially this year!

16. In what tangible ways did I communicate gratitude to those who have blessed me and invested in my life?
I hope that I have told those around me how I truly appreciate them. I know I fall short, so that is another goal I have for this year--to let others know how important they are in my lives.

17. What are the top ten themes of 2009 for me or my family?
1. My God is faithful-always.
2. His ways are not our ways--they're better.
3. True friends are worth investing in.
4. Wait.
5. Learn.
6. Trust.
7. Heal.
8. Forgive.
9. Hope. (still anticipating and looking for that which is to come)!
10. Change.

God bless each of you in this coming year... I can't wait to see what God has in store for each of us as we follow Him!

It is my heart's deepest desire that I may truly understand the love my God has for me and communicate it to the world. May you also begin to understand who is this God of Love.

London

This will be my last post about our time in England. First, because London was the last place we visited! Second, because though I want to have a source of remembering the wonderful time we had there, I also want to direct my focus to more worthy subjects. Perhaps it's the time of year... perhaps my deep desire to do something worthwhile in life. I just want every moment of my life to count for something--and that includes this blog.

But for now, we'll finish remembering England...

We left Stevenage Friday morning for London. By the time we found our hotel, dropped off our luggage and decided a general direction to head, it was already after 11:00am. But we managed to fit quite a few things into that short time frame.

We first took a rather long train ride (like the metro in D.C.) to the Imperial War Museum. Most of the week was spent doing things I enjoyed... so I wanted Matthew to see something he would enjoy. Plus, it was free! ;) We spend quite some time there and it was amazing to see huge, ancient tanks, missiles and cannons, a replica of a WWI trench (it was dark and crowded; very realistic), the eagle that Hitler had placed above his headquarters (what a piece of history!), a display on spies throughout the years, and so much more. Of course, I think my dad and brother were much more interested than I was. But I still enjoyed seeing everything.

We really had no plans after that, so we started walking towards the Thames River, which was near many interesting sites. I was wanting to see the Churchill Museum and War Cabinets. I recently read a book called "The Spirit of Churchill" by Debbie Brezina that sparked my interest in the man who inspired a single nation to stand alone against Hitler and Nazi Germany. His strength, wisdom, insight and courage were astounding. The author emphasized many of the small events in his life... and how they eventually shaped him into the man he became. I hope that I allow the small events in my life to shape me into the person God wants me to be. Whether I become a player on the world stage or just in my own home, I want to be known as a person of strength and conviction--as Churchill was.

Anyway, all that to say, we did not see the Churchill Museum. :-) Though I wanted to, we did some other things instead. When we reached the Thames River, we saw the London Eye--the world's largest ferris wheel! I had heard of it from a friend and, of course, Matthew wanted to ride it from the moment he heard of it. I wasn't that interested (the height made me feel sick when I was still on the ground!) so while my dad and Matthew rode the Eye, I went to...

Westminster Abbey!

Of course, that was absolutely amazing. When I walked in, I literally took a step back. I had no idea where to even look first... a case of sensory overload, for sure. Many people think I am morbid because I enjoy walking through cemeteries and looking at graves. But the reason I like to do so is to see the history in such places and remember the significance of those men and women who shaped history.

Parts of the Abbey were built in the 13th century... that was amazing to see. I also was in awe of seeing where men such as John Newton, David Livingstone, George Friedrich Handel, Geoffrey Chaucer and others were buried. Unfortunately, the area where William Wilberforce is buried was closed by the time I reached that part of the church. But it was still a wonderful experience. I was especially moved by reading some of the engravings on various tombs. Some were merely monuments to power and prestige (mostly kings and queens). The ones that were most inspiring, though, were the epitaphs to unknown men or women who were honored for loving their Lord. There were a few that almost took my breathe away--things I want desperately to be said of me when my time comes. It was a wonderful reminder of how and why we should live our lives--for God and for others. Those are the lives that truly matter.

Once I was done with the Abbey, I met the guys in the gift shop (where they'd been waiting quite awhile). We bought a few gifts and souveneirs and then headed to Trafalger Square. I still do not quite understand the significance of that location... I'll have to look it up soon. We then saw the Royal Art Gallery was close by and... free! (We like free things). :-) So we went. That was an absolutely astounding experience. We saw original paintings by Rembrandt and da Vinci... paintings hundreds of years old that were still looked as bright as they must have looked when they were first painted. I couldn't fathom that they are truly that old; they have been wonderfully preserved. We also saw paintings by Monet, van Gogh, Picasso and so many more. I have a few new artists that I'm interested in as well. Next to Westminster Abbey, I think the Royal Gallery was the most excited part of London.

Well, by the time we finished touring the Gallery, we had been touring London for eight hours, with only PB&J to tide us over. Matthew was extremely bored looking at paintings, as well as hungry, so we headed out to find food.

We hopped back on the train and stopped at Piccadilly Circus (which seems to be London's equivalent to Times Square). It was very busy and high-end. We walked around for a little while, but didn't find much to eat in a reasonable price range. So we got back on the train to find something else.

We ended up eating cornish pasty's at a little restaurant in the train station. We had heard about them, but didn't eat one until our last night. I wish we had tried them earlier... I would have eaten one every day! I have been craving one ever since. :-) Cornish pasty's are basically like a hand held potpie. We learned the history of them--they originated in Cornwall, a mining town on the coast of England. The miners, who continually had dirty hands, ate them since they could hold the part where the pastry was folded over and eat the rest without getting it dirty. Anyway, I always love learning the history of things--though I feel certain Matthew only cared about the eating!

Well, there is the end of our trip to England! It was a fun and enjoyable trip... we learned a lot; it was certainly a new experience. But as much as I loved our trip, I was also glad to come home. The United States of America is a beautiful place to live and I'm so glad to be a citizen of this great country.

Windsor

Windsor. Wow. What an experience!

Living in the U.S. my whole life, I had never seen a castle before (they’re rather scarce in the Midwest) and I was not prepared for its immense size! I always assumed, in theory, that castles would be big. But this castle went on and on and on… covering several acres of land; and we did not even see the whole of it!

To gaze at walls built 600-700 years ago by ancient kings and queens that I’ve read and studied over the years—well, it was quite amazing. In so many ways, pictures can speak so much better than I can. But I will try to give you an idea of my feelings as I walked through this historic castle that is still home to the Queen of England.

Matthew and I walked for quite a ways outside the castle, listening to a self-guided audio tour that came with our admission. We learned that Windsor was originally built to be a fortress, which seems obvious when you look around! It is situated on the highest point of land and provides breath-taking views of the entire landscape. In the middle, there is a great, round tower that rises much higher than rest of the castle. When you look at it, you can imagine ancient soldiers defending King and country from any forces that may have come against it.

Of course, I took millions of pictures (or close to it!) outside of the castle. However, once we went inside, pictures were not allowed, so I purchased a guide book to help me remember all I had seen. But for any who may read this and for my own memory’s sake, I will try to describe what we saw.

We started with Queen Mary’s Doll House, a beautiful house that was never intended to be used by children, but was given to Queen Mary in 1924 by a relative. The house was about twice as tall as Matthew and I and I immediately thought how Tiffany would love to play with something like that. The details were exact, with linen closets, an ‘electric vacuum,’ (apparently the latest and greatest in the ‘20s), sewing machines, and of course, furniture, people, and much more. The house also has working electricity and plumbing! Wouldn’t you love a dollhouse where you could actually turn lights on and off and give your dolls a bath in?

My favorite part of the entire castle came shortly after we saw the Doll House and entered the Grand Staircase. You walk up a flight of red carpeted stairs, flanked on either side by statues of knights on glorious horses. The ceiling stretches at least 30 feet up and is covered by ornate carvings in the wood and stone as well as arrangements of swords and armor for decoration. It is magnificent to see and perhaps just as thrilling was the thought that the Queen herself climbs those stairs during State occasions to receive visitors… and many other monarchs before her have done the same.

After that came room after room of ornate furniture, beautiful old paintings and highly decorated ceilings. We saw the Guard Chamber, where the walls were adorned with old pistols, swords and other weapons in decorative fashions. There were several cases of ‘display’ swords, including one with a handle covered entirely by sapphires. The room also featured statues of several of Britain’s defenders, including Admiral Lord Nelson and Winston Churchill.

Then I entered St. George’s Hall. I had a hard time at first determining whether I preferred it or the Grand Staircase. Though I decided on the staircase in the end, it does not diminish the beauty of St. George’s Hall. The Hall seems to stretch forever and is where the Queen holds banquets, seating hundreds of people at one very long table. The Hall is covered in red and gold, which gives it a majestic appearance. Its walls and the ceiling are covered in small shields featuring the coat of arms for each Knight of the Order of the Garter. (I did not quite understand the Order, but it was certainly interesting to see how many knights must have belonged to it over the years)!

I could go on and on and on, about the room full of china sets used by the Royal Family over the years, one huge room dedicated to gifts given the Royal Families (including a solid gold tiger’s head with crystal eyes and teeth), the magnificent paintings of all the kings and queens, their families, important political figures and such, the room of intricate centerpieces and chandeliers covered in gold, the throne room (decorated completely in blue) and so much more. But the things I have mentioned were the highlights (at least for me!) and I want to ensure I have accurate descriptions with which to remember the experience by.

There are two other things that I want to describe in great detail; the Drawings Gallery and St. George’s Chapel, but they will have to wait for the next post!

(And pictures may be added to this post at a later time).