Snowshoeing

I really like snowshoeing. It's something I just discovered a few weeks ago, when my friend Kelley offered to lend me her snowshoes. (Thank you, Kelley!) I trekked around in my parents' fields, got a great workout, and even found a recent deer kill (which has made me rather scared of wolves lately). Kelley also lent us her kids' snowshoes, and I had no idea it would be so much fun for them! Mostly for Kardelen, I should clarify--she's our "daring and intrepid explorer." She says, "Follow me! I'll adventure us all over!" and trudges away on her snowshoes, expecting us to follow. Sofia didn't have as much fun in the deep snow; she kept stepping on her feet. But kudos to her for giving it a try! Here are some cute pictures from last week, when I was aching to go snowshoeing again. We rented snowshoes for the whole family from our local university's rec center (only $5 a day! who can beat that?!).



Look how happy Kardelen is to be with Daddy. :)


I like how snowshoeing allows us to trek in places we normally wouldn't go in the winter--through a field with deep snow, finding animal tracks and scat, enjoying nature and learning at the same time. And we can all be together as a family. I love it!

On Grace

I'm reading a book suggested by my mentor and friend, Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. This work of fiction is a journal written by a young woman in the 1800's. I came across this portion today and wanted to comment about it. The main character, Katherine, writes:

I wish I loved [God] better. But oh, I am not sure I do love Him! I hate to own it to myself and to write it down here, but I will. I do not love to pray. I am always eager to get it over with and out of the way so as to have leisure to enjoy myself. . .I wish I knew whether anybody exactly as bad as I am ever got to heaven at last? I have read ever so many memoirs, and they were all about people who were too good to live, and so died, or else went on a mission; I am not at all like any of them.

I chuckled at the phrase "people who were too good to live, and so died, or else went on a mission." Yet it really made me think. If I could talk to Katherine (which would be quite a stretch, I'm sure, since she's fictional!) I would open the Bible to Ephesians and read with her,

For it is by grace you are saved, through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no man may boast. (Eph. 2:8-9)

One of the lessons I've learned in the past two years is how much that I thought was dependent on me is really dependent on God. I sometimes wondered if I was really good enough to make it to Heaven. Yes, I knew that Jesus' death on the Cross paid the price for my sins, and I accepted Him and tried to serve Him as best as I could. But then there was that confusing (at least then) passage in Matthew where people did mighty works in His name, yet never knew Him. So I wasn't sure where I really stood with God.

Partially because of the book The Ragamuffin Gospel (I wrote about it here) and also because of God's working in my life, I realize now that my salvation is a free--free!--gift from God which I only have to accept. I do not have to wonder any more if I'm "good enough." Because guess what? I will never be good enough! I'm human, and I fail, and I sin. Even when I don't want to. But God knew all that, and already provided for my salvation about two thousand years before I was born. (He's got all this planned out. He knows what He's doing.)

The part I'm still figuring out is just what role my actions play in all this. My salvation is completely dependent on Jesus, yes; but he still needs to be Lord of my life, in the daily realm of my living, breathing, working, playing. The very next verse in Ephesians reads,

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (vs. 10)

Though our salvation isn't dependent on our actions, our actions will certainly change once God gets ahold of us. Being around Jesus (reading His Word, loving Him, praying, worshipping) will make us more like Him. And we'll love others more, which will make us more loving in our behavior. A love relationship with God can't help but spill out into your actions. Plus, God says that we're created for good works; He requires that we take care of the poor (it's all over the Old and New Testaments); He wants us to be good stewards of the resources with which He's entrusted us. Even though our eternal salvation is not dependent on these things, He still tells us to do them.

That's where I'm at right now in my understanding of grace and our actions/our response. To be honest, I'm still working it out (actually, God's still working it out in me). I just wanted to share it today so that some of you may find the freedom I have--because it's SO freeing knowing you don't have to be continually judging whether or not you "measure up." You don't, and Jesus does, and He paid the price for you. Now go enjoy your relationship with God! He loves you and wants to know You.

One more verse, which comes later in the same chapter of Ephesians:

For through Him we. . .have access in one Spirit to the Father. (vs. 18)

What did Jesus accomplish? Giving us access to the Father. Our sins separated us from Father God, and now they don't have to anymore. And this is what it's all about, what we were created for: to have a real relationship with God. To love Him, and to know His love.

That's what it's all about. So, Katherine in your 1800s journal, don't despair. God doesn't need you to be perfect. He wants you to be His.


John 17:3: And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.



photo from stock.xchng, but unable to find the original photo to credit the photographer (Sorry!)

Skiing

I went cross-country skiing yesterday for the first time in probably 6 years!

I've got these cool skis, given to my Mom in the '70s by a Lutheran pastor she was dating. (The skis are now mine, and she's Charismatic.) The ski boots are starting to fall apart, but they still lace together fine; and together with my "nerd glasses" and boys' Columbia ski jacket, I'm sure I was quite a sight. As I skiied around our yard and our neighbors' yard, I secretly wondered if the neighbors were looking out at me thinking what I was thinking--nerdy!

But I had so much fun! First I broke trail through our little yard, skirted the edge of the forest, then around the edges of my neighbors' yard. The second time around was easier since the trail was packed down. I didn't want to stop, and wouldn't have, except I'd promised to make Jacob dinner before he left for work.

I went out again today during the girls' naptime. At that time of day, if I think I'm tired, then I feel like I need a nap. But if I have something to look forward to, like skiing, suddenly I don't need a nap but have plenty of energy for my little venture (which, since I'm exercising, gives me even more energy for the rest of the day).

So if you drive by my house (or my neighbors' house) and you see a woman in weird sunglasses skiing around the yard, don't be alarmed.

I'm just havin' fun.

Sappy Thoughts

It's Valentine's Day, and I am thinking sappy thoughts.

A few days ago I was cleaning out one of my dresser drawers and came upon a stack of old love letters from Jacob, ones he sent to me when we lived 100 miles apart one summer. (It seemed like half the earth away, most days.) I laughed and felt that crazy emotional love for him all over again. Isn't it interesting how love changes--okay, it doesn't really change, but we change. How we love each other changes. Although that highly emotional "falling in love" stage is over, I'm happy where we are now. I'm able to love him better now than I did before.

Okay, I also want to brag a bit about some of the sweet things Jacob has done for me. He's not a big Valentine's Day guy--it's way too consumeristic for him (I think I just made up a word there). He thinks we should show our love 365 days/year, and he does a pretty good job of it. (Not that he's perfect--although I frequently claim that--but I give him space to be human, too. :) )

The Christmas just after we had our first baby, Jacob wrote out and framed the virtuous wife portion of Proverbs 31, but he put my name in it, and all the things I do. For the verse An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels he wrote, A wife of Heather's character, who can find? She is the most precious treasure a man could hope to find. This remains one of the most amazing gifts I've ever received!

Also, when we were first getting engaged, he'd ordered my engagement ring (a solitaire with a diamond shaped like a heart!) and was told it would be resized and ready by Christmas, when he planned to propose. But then he learned that it wouldn't be ready till January. So Jacob bought a rose, pressed the petals, made them into a ring, and proposed to me with a rose petal ring on Christmas Day. Can you imagine?!

I'm thankful for my husband, and hope I'm as good at loving him as he is at loving me. :)

I Always Blog About Fun, Don't I?

Maybe that's because I love reliving my fun memories!

I've been a bit absent from the blogging world for a while, just soaking in some great times with my family. We've enjoyed visits from my sister's family from MT and my good friend from college, and also spent a week at my parents' home with my sis and her family. Here are some highlights. (I'm making the pictures small because it takes so long to upload on our internet connection.)

My friend Laura and I like to do something crafty together when she comes. This time, we made Valentine's cookies for the girls' play kitchen. Aren't they adorable?!

The middle cookie has little heart "sprinkles" on top, made from buttons.

My niece and I made each other "fashionable scarves" for Christmas. Great minds think alike!


Kardelen and Sofia had a blast with their cousins, and played with them till they were exhausted every night. What a life, huh?!


My sister and I dyed our hair for the first time! I had a gift certificate at the local salon school, so I thought I'd actually try making my hair more red, like it used to be when I was a kid. I really like it! And it ended up costing me a whole fifty cents.


Speaking of my sister. . .she always inspires me. She's so wonderful. (I could start a fan club. . .) She invited me along on her daily jogging runs. I hadn't really considered myself "the running type"--but I enjoyed it so much that now I'm jogging during my workouts. She taught me how to make sprouts, too, which were delicious! And I admire her for waking early to make her husband a hot breakfast every day. It's interesting that I find myself imitating her. . .well, maybe not so much imitating as learning from her. She inspires me to jog. She inspires me to make healthy, frugal foods like sprouts. She inspires me to bless my husband by giving him a good breakfast before he goes out to work hard all day. I suppose it's a good, thankful thing that God has surrounded me with such virtuous women to learn from!

I could tell you more tales from our vacation, of porcupine-quill jewelry, sledding, the best cookies in the world, endless games of Taboo and Apples to Apples, but I'll leave it at that for now. For all the fun I wanted to blog about, I find myself getting sad and teary-eyed that the vacation is over, that my sister's family is homeward bound, and that it may be another year before we see them again.

But again, I'm thankful. To God, for them, and for all of the blessings He gives us freely because of His grace (not because of anything we've done!). Thank you, Father.