Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Just thought I'd share

Morning and Evening
by Charles Spurgeon

June 27
Evening ...

I Corinthians 7:20

Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.


Some persons have the foolish notion that the only way in which they can live for God is by becoming ministers, missionaries, or Bible women. Alas! how many would be shut out from any opportunity of magnifying the Most High if this were the case. Beloved, it is not office, it is earnestness; it is not position, it is grace which will enable us to glorify God. God is most surely glorified in that cobbler's stall, where the godly worker, as he plies the awl, sings of the Saviour's love, ay, glorified far more than in many a prebendal stall where official religiousness performs its scanty duties. The name of Jesus is glorified by the poor unlearned carter as he drives his horse, and blesses his God, or speaks to his fellow labourer by the roadside, as much as by the popular divine who, throughout the country, like Boanerges, is thundering out the gospel. God is glorified by our serving Him in our proper vocations. Take care, dear reader, that you do not forsake the path of duty by leaving your occupation, and take care you do not dishonour your profession while in it. Think little of yourselves, but do not think too little of your callings. Every lawful trade may be sanctified by the gospel to noblest ends. Turn to the Bible, and you will find the most menial forms of labour connected either with most daring deeds of faith, or with persons whose lives have been illustrious for holiness. Therefore be not discontented with your calling. Whatever God has made your position, or your work, abide in that, unless you are quite sure that he calls you to something else. Let your first care be to glorify God to the utmost of your power where you are. Fill your present sphere to His praise, and if He needs you in another He will show it you. This evening lay aside vexatious ambition, and embrace peaceful content.

One verse...well, half a verse really!

I thought that in the midst of all my hectic, moving craziness, I'd stop a moment and share a verse the Lord put on my heart from my reading last night before I fell into exhausted sleep!

Proverbs 10:3a ~

The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famine:

In all the business (read: busy-ness!) of packing, sorting, moving and storing, this verse encouraged me that even though I can only grab 15 minutes here or 5 minutes there to stop and read a chapter of Scripture, God will keep my soul! Thank you, Lord!!!

Friday, June 23, 2006

I'm sad!


Well, I no longer have a living room. I have boxes instead! No more pictures on my walls. No more pretty candles setting on tables. No more cookbooks in my kitchen. I'm a little sad...Ok, a lot sad. This house we're leaving is our very first house to buy and decorate and love! It's hard to leave so many memories behind, but I know we will keep them locked in our hearts no matter where we end up next! As I have cleaned out closets, taken pictures down, wrapped candles in towels to keep them safe in the move, I have reflected on all that we love about living in this house and all the wonderful things that happened here!

We prepared the extra room for our daughter. What love and excitement there was as my mom and I sewed the bed covers and the valances for the windows! We came home from the hospital that March day without her and grieved for her in this house! How I remember that room covered with condolence flowers rather than diapers and pink little girl stuff!

A year and three months later, we brought our son home to this house! What a wonderful, joyful day that was!!! I was exhausted, but so very happy to finally hold that little boy I had waited for those nine months. I've watched him accomplish all his "firsts" in this house. In that room that's now covered with his little boy toys- hammers, wrenches, tool table, bat, balls, gloves, cars, stuffed animals. The whole room shouts, " A little boy lives here!" It's been a memorable two years, watching Ryan change from a newborn baby to the active two year old he is today.

Steven and I have faced so many things together. We had this house to come home to, to be together here when the world was too much, when things weren't going the way we had envisioned them. We will miss our first house!!

But with all the changes, there is an anticipation of what the future holds. We know that things won't always be easy over the next few months without a home of our own, but we will treasure the time we have with my parents and use this time to prepare for our future and help our family.
The Lord has been good to us, and I know He will continue to guide our steps as we embark on this new journey in our lives!

Thursday, June 22, 2006

My brother

My younger brother will be leaving by the end of this month to fight for our country. As far as we know right now, he will not be home again until after Christmas. Please pray that the Lord would keep His hand of protection over Stephen, and in mercy, bring him home safely.

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Confessions from my heart

Do you ever struggle with fear of the future?
Do you ever struggle with not being in "control" of every detail of your life?

For the last few months, I have been struggling with these things. You would think that with all the Lord has brought me through to this point, I would have already learned to rest in Him and wait on Him for His perfect will to be worked out in my life!!! But, no, I seem to constantly have to be reminded of these things!

Only a few nights ago, the Lord showed me once again how I was in need of repentance and cleansing for the sins I had allowed in my life--pride, selfishness, disobedience. Even idolatry, for I had taken my eyes, my focus, off of Christ alone and had placed it instead on myself and my "needs." I was to the point where I was no longer making God's Word a priority in my life. This is an area where I struggle often--daily time with the Lord, reading and praying.

It amazes me how Christ refuses to let me go! Even with my inward refusals to try to read His Word, He used the novels I was engrossed in to bring my mind to His word anyway!!! Every book I picked up spoke about a Christian struggling to walk with the Lord and keep their mind on Christ. The verses and prayers that those fictional characters uttered spoke to my rebellious heart. I knew that the Spirit was speaking to me, even in my sinful willfulness, to draw me once again to the cross.

I am so thankful that though my falls may be great or may be often, Jesus will never leave me! He will never let me go back to the pit! He promises to hear my cries and pick me up again and bring me back into the fold.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I John 1

I can say today that though I'm surrounded by uncertainties, I am once again resting on Christ. Maybe this time, I will learn to daily ask for His grace and daily keep my eyes on my Saviour! Please pray for me that His will would be my focus, that His will would be my desire. May our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ be glorified in me and through me!

Praise You In This Storm

I want to dedicate this song to Abigail's memory and to my father-in-law, Casey Walker. May we all learn to praise our loving, sovereign God in the midst of the storms of life. "You are Who You are, no matter where I am!"


I'll Praise You In This Storm
Casting Crowns


I was sure by now,
God, You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away.

I'll praise You in this storm,
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn,
I will praise You in this storm!

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind.
You heard my cry;
You raised me up again.
My strength is almost gone.
How can I carry on
If I can't find You?

But as the thunder rolls,
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you."
And as Your mercy falls,
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away.

I'll praise You in this storm,
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am.
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand.
You never left my side,
And though my heart is torn,
I will praise You in this storm!


I lift my eyes unto the hills.
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
The Maker of Heaven and Earth!

Welcome!!!

I just wanted to send out a "Welcome!" to little Naomi Joy Risse who was born last night. Mike and Misty, may the Lord be with you and bless you as you love and raise your precious daughters. Misty, I'll be praying that God will give you much strength as you recover and care for your newborn!

To my dear Vivian-- Yippee! Another baby-grand!!!
My parents should be resting in Bangkok right about now. In twelve hours they will be on their way to Taipei. Then to LA, Houston, and finally, Friday morning, they will arrive in San Antonio, exhausted, but so happy to be home! If you think about it, please pray for their safety while traveling and for the rest they will need once they're home.

Monday, June 12, 2006

Busy!

Well, it's been a few days, so I thought I'd at least post something short to let everyone know I'm still alive!!!

We just had someone put a contract on our house that we've been trying to sale for almost 9 months now. I'm busy getting all those details worked out! Now, I get to start thinking about packing and storing and moving, etc, etc! Fun stuff!

We don't have another house we want to move into right now, so we're going to be able to spend a lot of time with my parents who are getting home from the mission field this week. We haven't seen them in five months, and they have to return overseas at the end of August. Staying with them for awhile will be a blessing!

This month is packed full of things to take care of, places to go, people to see, and bridal showers to plan and attend. This week alone, we'll be traveling to San Antonio to pick up my parents from the airport, celebrate Ryan's 2nd birthday, see family, and oh, yeah, try to steal some time for our 6th anniversary!

We'll also try to get to the hospital to spend some time with Steven's Dad. He's doing better but will have to be in the rehab hospital longer than the doctors thought because they're having to put him in a full leg brace since he can't move his leg the little bit he's supposed to move it--though, I'm not too sure how anyone can move their leg when they DON'T HAVE A HIP! (Wow, that's a long sentence! Is it a run-on?) Keep praying for him!

When we get back next week, I'll be getting my parents house ready for them to return and for us to move into. I'll be packing and getting our belongings into storage.

Of course, there's always the everyday, normal activities to keep up with! So, my family and I will be super busy this month. I'll try to post when I get the chance. I have some more edifying post topics floating around my head, but I have to be able to sit and think and type them out--Not sure that's going to happen for at least a few days!

Be patient, Blogworld, I'll join you truly as soon as I can think straight again!

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Update

Hello everyone.

I called many of you today letting you know that Casey came through the surgery and was on his way to recovery. Well, I received another call from Cindi saying that when she got back from getting lunch, she found out that Casey was still in surgery. There ended up being more complications with getting the hip out due to some scar tissue. The doctors had to break his femur bone in order to complete the operation. They packed his hip and wired the femur back together. Six hours after going into surgery, Casey is now in recovery.

This is only the beginning of a long road for Casey. Please continue to pray for him and for our family. Cindi is holding up well.

Thank you to all of you from Steven and I for your prayers and financial support during this time. It's been a blessing to see the Lord providing through His saints. I will continue to share updates as I am able.

Prayer Request

Hello to everyone out there!

I'll keep it brief this morning. At 6AM this morning, my father-in-law, Casey Walker, went into surgery to remove his hip and begin treatment for the infection that attacked the artificial hip. This is the beginning of the 6-9 months that he will be out of work due to this surgery and the next, the one to replace the hip. Please remember him and his wife, Cindi, and the rest of the family today and throughout the next several months. May our Lord be gracious and merciful in this situation. He truly is Jehovah-Rafah, God our Healer! May He receive the glory in all of this!

Thursday, June 01, 2006

To everyone out there who sent this to me over the last week...Here's your answers!

1. FIRST NAME? Rebekah

2. ARE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Not that I know of...My daddy chose my name, so you'll have to ask him. I think it's just the biblical name he wanted for me! I do share the same middle name as my mom. Does that count?

3. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Too many times in the last few days! What's wrong with me???

4. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes, unless I'm in a hurry and then, it comes out all scribble-y :)

5. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE Lunch meat? I'm not a lunch meat person, but if I have to eat it, I prefer roast beef

6. KIDS? Four in all: two miscarriages, one precious little girl that was stillborn and my beautiful, bouncy little boy!

7. IF YOU HAD NOTHING ELSE TO DO, WHAT WOULD YOU DO? READ!

8. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? I guess you could say I do...I keep a journal of my church notes.

9. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? Depends on my mood, so I probably use it way too much!

10. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes

11. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? No, I'm not into the whole "trying to kill yourself" sports

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Well, I'm not into cereal anymore than lunch meat, but if I have to eat it, I like the healthy kind--Yes, I know! Boring, boring, boring!!!!

13. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Yes, normally, if I even wear shoes that require laces. It is summer here in Tejas...Sandals, sandals, sandals!

14. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? Not really...At least not physically!

15. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Right now, it's Blue Bell's Strawberry Cheesecake--YUM, YUM!!!

16. SHOE SIZE? 7 1/2

17. RED OR PINK? Pink

18. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? The sin that doth so easily beset me....

19. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? Right now, my parents who I haven't seen in almost five months!!!

20. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Faded denim capris...No shoes 'cause that's how I like it best!

21. LAST THING YOU ATE? Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream--last night after dinner

22. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The wonderful quiet of my house and the birds chirping outside my window

23. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Lavender...cause it's so pretty!

24. FAVORITE SMELL? I don't know...I'll have to think about this one...Ok, so I've answered all the questions and still don't have an answer for this one. Y'all will just have to be kept hanging! :)


25. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Vivian

26. FAVORITE HYMN? "In Christ Alone"

27. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Definitely!!! She's like my second mom!!!

28. FAVORITE DRINK? Starbucks Vanilla Latte or Capucchino(sp?)--YUMMY!!!

29. FAVORITE SPORT? Don't think I have a favorite sport, but since my hubby likes baseball so much, I guess I'll choose that!

30. EYE COLOR? Brown

31. HAT SIZE? I have NO idea...I don't wear hats!

32. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes, though I wish I didn't have to since my eyes are constantly DRY!!!!!! Anybody want to spring for LASIKS????

33. FAVORITE FOOD? Can I say steak and still be a lady?? But I do love it!

34. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDING? Definitely happy ending!

35. FAVORITE MOVIE? I'm not sure...I really enjoyed the LOTR series, but that's not very "girl-like." I'm a fan of most chic flicks, as long as they're pretty clean! I guess I like anything that's real enough for me to get into it...it has to make me laugh, cry or something equaling emotional for me to REALLY like it!

36. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Pink

37. SUMMER OR WINTER? Neither...I don't enjoy the extremes...Spring is the time for me!!!

38. HUGS OR KISSES? Don't want to live without either, so do I have to choose?

39. FAVORITE DESSERT? My Oreo cheesecake...All these questions are making me hungry!!!

40. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? Bible:Mark and Psalms, other than that, Francine Rivers' Mark of the Lion Series and her books on the women in the Bible who played important roles in the genealogy of Christ. I read about Ruth last night...Yes, I read the whole book!

41. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? We're very patriotic...It's an American flag with an eagle behind it.

42. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Criminal Minds and part of CSI:NY--Let me just say, nothing beats the original!

43. FAVORITE SOUNDS? My son's voice, especially as a newborn baby and my husband saying he loves me.

44. FAVORITE KIND OF MUSIC? Any song that lifts my heart and mind to Christ.

45. THE FURTHEST YOU'VE BEEN FROM HOME? Canada, I think, but maybe it was the mountains of Mexico...I don't remember, and I slept through Canada, so does that even count? (Sorry, cc, I just couldn't get into it, but what do you expect from a teenager?)

46. WHAT'S YOUR SPECIAL TALENT? I don't know if I have any special talents, but everyone says I do a good job playing the piano. I would like to think that I'm a good friend as well...I don't' know...I don't like answering questions like this!

47. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? San Antonio, Texas- March 24, 1981

48. WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Four different people...All friends!

You're supposed to laugh when you read this, copy and paste, delete, and add your own answers, send it back to me, and send it to others, or post it on your own blog. If you don't (except for the "laugh" part), I understand and don't blame you, as I normally don't do these, either. But sometimes you gotta oblige some persistent people....

Do you have a son?

I have been reading Carolyn Mahaney's posts on GirlTalk on the subject of raising sons to be men. I would encourage any parents or future parents (that pretty much covers all of us!) to read her posts, along with the initial article she mentions. Mrs. Mahaney points us to the Scriptures to find our standard for teaching and raising our sons to become the men God would have them to be! Check it out!!!
Well, I'm finally able to sit and post again. It's been crazy around my house the last few days!

We had a good trip to San Antonio and lots of good visiting time with our family. Steven's dad is going in for his surgery on June 6, so if the Lord brings him to mind, please pray for him. It was hard for Steven and I to come home, knowing what his parents are about to go through. Our hearts were torn, wanting to be with them, but knowing we had responsibilities waiting for us here at home. But the Lord has been good. He is in control, and we know His hand is in this situation. What a blessing it was to us to see how the church in Elmendorf is reaching out to care for and love Casey and Cindi through these difficulties! God is truly faithful!

We have a busy, busy month ahead of us!!! My parents are returning from the mission field in about two weeks now. I'm excited about seeing them again!

This month also includes Ryan's second birthday!!! My little baby isn't so little anymore. How time has flown by these two years! It amazes me to look back and see how the Lord worked all together for our good over the last three years--good that led us to the birth of our first son!


On June 17, Steven and I will be married six years! Again, looking back, it's amazing to see the providence of God in both our lives to bring us together, to keep us together, to join our hearts so completely! Sometime when I have more time, I'll have to share some of the history of how our families came to meet and how Steven and I were brought together.

Well, my son is with a friend today, so I'm going to try to take advantage of the quiet time while I still have it! See you all around Blogworld!