Palm Sunday

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!

I think I’m generally a happy person, but there are seasons of discouragement in my life. The economy has hit the school systems hard, and it is discouraging to know that Brad and I will both take home smaller paychecks next year. We feel discouraged in our search for strong friendships with other couples in our area. Some days I’m even discouraged by silly things like blog inferiority complex. There are so many little things that can cause me to skip a beat in a normally joyful life.

I was thinking this morning about finding hope in the midst of disappointment and discouragement. On the very first Palm Sunday, after watching and waiting for ancient prophesies to be fulfilled, a people in the midst of discouragement far greater than anything I will ever know, saw hope show up – riding on a donkey. Not a king on a white horse or a soldier in a chariot but an ordinary looking man on a donkey. And they sang and rejoiced and laid branches at his feet. They didn’t even know how the story would turn out, but still they praised.

Here I am, over 2000 years later. I know how that week plays out. I know the victory of the empty tomb. So today, I remember that even my gloomy days should be like Palm Sunday. Every day, I should pick up my palm branch and shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who was and is and is to come!” Because hope showed up and saved the day, and He has been saving it ever since.

<3

Hattie

the heart of things

I've had this song on my heart for awhile now, and today I heard it twice - once on my way to work and once on my way home. If you want to cut past the radio banter, start the song at 1:45


Sometimes I need a song like this to put things back into perspective. I want to be a good wife and a good steward of everything (time, talent, treasure) that God has blessed me with. And those are all good things and important things to focus on. But they aren't the best thing or the most important thing. Jesus loves me more than I can possibly imagine - and that is the best thing in this world. If I think about how much I love Brad, and multiply it by a trillion, it's still only a drop in the bucket of the love God has for me. That is the most important thing. I know God wants me to follow after Him, to be wise in the way I use the resources He has given me. I think He takes pleasure in families eating meals together, in women creating welcoming homes on thrifty budgets, on people taking care of the world He created. But - I think more than all of those things, God wants us to stand in awe of His love. To open our hearts and accept the fact that He loves us no matter what, and there is nothing we can do about it! I'll leave you with my favorite lyrics from this song - I'm trying to get these words to really sink into my heart.
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We are His portion and He is our prize,

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.

<3
Hattie

Prayer for a new school year

Millions of students are heading back to school, and as nearly two thousand enter my life today, my heart is full of high hopes and good wishes for each and every one of them. In a public school, I can't hug them and say, "I love you, God loves you, and you are so special!" As high schoolers, they probably wouldn't take that well even in a religous school! But, what I can do, is pray for them. I can keep them in my heart. I can be the person that has a smile for them, even when they're having the worst day. The band Sidewalk Prophets has a new song called The Words I Would Say. I think the message is so powerful, and I just wanted to share it with all of you at the start of a new school year. This is what I pray for every student to know deep in their heart!

Three in the morning,

And I'm still awake,

So I picked up a pen and a page,

And I started writing,

Just what I'd say,

If we were face to face,

I'd tell you just what you mean to me,

I'd tell you these simple truths,

Be strong in the LORD and,

Never give up hope,

You're going to do great things,

I already know,

God's got His hand on you so,

Don't live life in fear,

Forgive and forget,

But don't forget why you're here,

Take your time and pray,

These are the words I would say,

Last time we spoke,

You said you were hurting,

And I felt your pain in my heart,

I want to tell you,

That I keep on praying,

Love will find you where you are,

I know cause I've already been there,

So please hear these simple truths,

Be strong in the LORD and,

Never give up hope,

You're going to do great things,

I already know,

God's got His hand on you so,

Don't live life in fear,

Forgive and forget,

But don't forget why you're here,

Take your time and pray,

These are the words I would say,

From one simple life to another,

I will say,

Come find peace in the Father,

Be strong in the LORD and,

Never give up hope,

You're going to do great things,

I already know,

God's got His hand on you so,

Don't live life in fear,

Forgive and forget,

But don't forget why your here,

Take your time and pray,

Thank God for each day,

His love will find a way,

These are the words I would say

<3

Hattie

The ants go marching. . .

If you know me, you also know that I am one of those obnoxiously perfectionist type persons. I tend to get too caught up in having things, "just so."
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Brad and I are having some friends over for a cookout tonight, so I've spent the last couple of days cleaning the house, finishing up the bathroom project, planning the menu, and generally trying to ensure that everything will be nice for our friends.
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This morning, when I walked into the kitchen to make breakfast, I was greeted by a sight right out of a horror movie. Ants. Thousands of tiny, swarming, sugar ants. They were blazing a trail from the front door to the kitchen trash can, where they had discovered an empty sugar bag - apparently not as empty as I thought. I screamed, and fussed, and started attacking with cleaning spray and entire roll of paper towels. The whole time I'm thinking, "Our friends are coming over! They're going to think we never clean!"
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Sometimes, I can't believe how much I miss the point. I'm so grateful that God allows things like like this to happen, so my perspective can be zapped back into place. After I finished dealing with the ants, I realized how badly I handled the situation. Brad and I have been blessed with friends, even if we don't get to see them as often as we'd like, and our friends love us. Not a perfect house. Not a perfect meal. Our friends love us. And they aren't going to love us any less if they happen to spot a few wayward ants around a trash can. I'm the only one who cares (or even notices) if things are perfect or not.
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And so today, I'm thankful for the ants, and the overcast sky, and our imperfect house, because God uses these little inconveniences to remind me of how many great big blessing I have!

<3 ( your far from perfect blogging friend)
Hattie