A tribute to my lovely sister

The many faces of Lauriah Hollins taken by me at Mission Viejo Lake  

How do you love?

We have been going through The Five Love Languages with our small group. It's quite interesting. If you've never had a chance to take the test to determine what love lnguage you are, go here to take the test online: http://edified.org/myspace/lovelanguage. Your score will automatically be tabulated, and you will be able to see how many points you recieved for each of the five love languages.

1. The first love language is quality time. For me, this one is a tie for second place. If this is your highest, if your spouse or significant other wants to show you their love, they must show you through their time. Going to the movies, playing a game, or taking a walk on the beach with your significant other are the kinds of things you need.

2. The second love language is physical touch. If this is your highest love language (it's mine ;-), this means that to feel loved you need physical contact. Hugging, cuddling, kissing, these are the kinds of things you crave to feel connected to someone.

3. The third love language is acts of service. If you run highest on this love language (my husband Joe does), it means that your special someone needs to do things for you to show their love for you. A homemade meal, folded laundry, a clean car, these are kinds of things that fill your love tank.

4. The next love language is words of affirmation (the other one that I'm tied with for second place). This means you need others to express through their words how special you are to them. Words of praise for who you are, what you do, and what you bring to the table are the kinds of things you seek.

5. The final love language is recieving gifts. Thankfully, my husband is low on this love language because I'm weakest at giving this love language. If this is your strongest language, it means you need gifts to feel loved. Small trinkets, meals out, necklaces, a new watch, these are the kinds of things that fill your love tank.

Why should you and I care about all this?

Everyone has one or more love languages they are strongest in, meaning that they need these things to feel loved. Everyone also has one or more love language that are easiest for them to give.

Problems can result when, for example, the love language your husband needs is acts of service, but you are really good and continue to give him physical touch and words of affirmation. Even though you shouldn't stop doing these things, it would be wise to find ways you can serve him so that he will feel loved. Your husband and your relationship will thank you.

So take the test and make sure your significant other does as well. Talk about the things that make each of you feel loved. Take notes of the ways you can love your significant other and then start working to fill his or her love tank.

A stronger relationship will most likely result.

Wandering through an open field

We decided it would be a great idea to take our kitty on a walk yesterday. We fastened a rope onto his collar and opened wide the front door, allowing him to wander. 

After seeing how hesitant he was to walk along the paved road, we brought him to a large, grassy athletic field. We set him in the center, his long leash trailing behind him, and waited, wanting to see what he would do. 

He did the most curious thing. First, he would walk decidedly forward. Then he would pause and walk assuredly to the right. After traveling that way awhile, we would turn around and come back to the place he had left. He continued to walk in circles, seeming to be completely confused as to which direction to take. 

Joe and I sat in the grass as the sun majestically dropped below the trees and laughed at him. He would get so much farther if he picked one direction and stuck with it. If only he knew what he was doing. 

Finally, he crept back to our arms. We lifted him up, patted him on the head, and carried him home where he decidedly sprawled out on the soft carpet and went to sleep. 

I laughed at him, but I couldn't help thinking that I often do the same thing. Not able to see God's big picture, I often wander. 

How important it is that I seek wisdom, instruction, and direction from the source of all truth and wisdom, the map maker himself. Like Joe and I yesterday with little Fabio, he waits on the sidelines for us to come over to him and ask him for wisdom and direction, and he promises in his Word to provide. 

"I instruct you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths." Proverbs 4:11

Counting sand

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! 

How vast is the sum of them!

Were I to count them, 

they would outnumber the grains of sand. 

When I awake, 

I am still with you.

Joe and I went to the beach yesterday. Beautiful places restore me. I feel closer to God and have the oppourtunity to be still. Have you ever lifted a handful of sand and let it sift through your open fingers. Have you  tried to count the small particles that drop from the palm of your hand to the sand below? 

If you could count the grains of sand on all the beaches of the world, that number would not be enough to continue the sheer mass of thoughts that God has for you and for me. 

I am often overwhelmed with my thoughts. They move so quickly, spinning and twirling through the dark recesses of my mind. They can often be confusing or conflicting. But you and I can seek peace in the fact that God's thoughts towards us are many and that to him you are precious, a unique, special creation of his hand. Ask him for clariy through the confusion. Ask him for the wisdom to make the right decisions even when your thoughts on the issue are confusing. 

Yesterday, I let my mind wander through the events of the past few weeks. So many things have happened. Life is in a continual surge of change. Every day is different than the one before. 

I remember hearing advice from a marriage book that said how important it was to grow and change WITH your partner because a month, or a year, or five years down the road neither of you will be the same person you were before. I know that Joe and I aren't the same people we were when we met over four years ago. We've been changed through our experiences, God, each other, friends, family, and more. We must learn how to grow and flex and change with each other. If we don't, one of us will be broken or isolated through the change. 

I find that it is more difficult for me to adjust to the ways that I'm changing than the ways that Joe is. I find that I have more grace for others than I do for myself. I don't know if you've ever struggled with that. The bar that I set for myself is higher than the one I set for those I love. 

Learn to be gracious to yourself as you change. Learn to be gracious with others as they change. And continue to pray and seek God through times of change so that the change will be honoring to him at all times. 

Why Pray?

Eph. 6:18 from the Message was so timely for me that I wanted to share it with you. Parentheses are my additions. ;-)

“Be prepared. (through prayer, reading the Word, and fellowshiping wth other believers) You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. (God will never give us more than we can handle with his help). Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. (Put on the full armor of God). Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. (May our life be filled with this oh so essential things! I need help with peace!) Learn how to apply them. (Doing is harder than reading or thinking or learning). You'll need them throughout your life. (Every single day!) God's Word is an indispensable weapon. (The words not the Bible itself, although it worked in Tom & Huck ;-) In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. (Essential) Pray hard and long (And often). Pray for your brothers and sisters (and those who have yet to believe). Keep your eyes open (Be alert!). Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out (Don't give up!).”

Eph. 6:18 in the NIV.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

Son of Hasam

Hello friends,
We have had the opportunity to host two new friends from South Africa who are staying at Saddleback as part of a pastor's conference. The pastors have come from ALL over the world! What a testimony of God's faithfulness to bring all nations to himself.
We were speaking with our new friends last night, and they shared with us an interesting piece of news that we had never heard before. The son of the leader of an extremist Muslim group has become a Christian. He gave up everything in his country to turn to Christ. MANY want to kill him for forsaking Islam. He now lives in CA and is a powerful advocate of reaching Muslims for Christ. Please read the news story below and click on the link to watch an interview with him. It is very interesting. He is working on creating a website and a program that people can use when reaching Muslims. I will let you know what I find out!
Praise the Lord!

What better way to start the new year then to share with you a testimony of a son of a Hamas leader who has come to Christ and forsaken all to follow Him.
Today Fox News is reporting the story of Mosab Hassan Yousef, which also includes a video from August of 2008.
Yousef, 30, said he realized the true nature of Hamas and radical Islam during a stint in an Israeli prison. He renounced his Muslim faith, left his family behind in Ramallah and converted to Christianity.
"Islam is not the word of God," said Yousef. "If you want to be offended it's your problem. But you know something? Go study. Think for a second that I might be right. So wake up, look at your path, see where you're going. Are you really going to heaven with 72 virgins after you kill yourself and kill another 20 people?"
Yousef has sought asylum in the United States and now attends an evangelical Christian church on Barabbas Road in San Diego, Calif.

The Story of Fabio Gaston

Joe and I have a kitty. His name is Fabio Gaston. Some may think this is a strange name to choose for a cat. If you haven't heard the reasons behind this strange name choice, read on... ;-)

When Joe and I were dating, he proudly told me that while on a month long Mexico missions trip he had picked the name of his first son. I was thrilled until he told me what it was- Fabio Gaston.

He chose Fabio from the name of the male model who regularly poses on the front cover of trashy romance novels and also made his debut on "I can't believe it's not butter." Gaston for the prideful character from Beauty of the Beast.

Joe claimed that he couldn't think of a more manly name for his son. A hunky male model/town hero who eats three dozen eggs each morning.
Even though I wanted to marry Joe from the get-go, I brushed aside these comments as jokes, until they continued even after we had said, "I do."
He was still determined for our helpless newborn to bear this name with its many implications.

So I did what any helpless wife would do, I begged Joe to let us get a cat, and then I convinced him that the best thing we could do for his future was name him the heroic, strong name of Fabio Gaston.

Problem solved.

Now this sweet kitty is a heroic, egg eating, model, but our first son's reputation is still intact.

In the meantime, we continue to seek out good alternatives to our first son's name. We still can't find a name that we both like. Let us know if you have any suggestions. ;-)

One thing we did get right, Fabio Gaston LOVES to eat. ;-)

Me...a turtle

My husband and I received 2 free nights up in San Diego. It was a great trip even though it flew by. We went to a seminar hosted by Pam Farrel. Bill Farrel was our pastor awhile back and now they are internationally renowned authors and speakers, pretty awesome. We ate a free continental breakfast, hiked at Hollins Lake for a few hours, explored Balboa park and 2 free museums, toured a big mall and ate dinner, relaxed at home, went in the Jacuzzi while eating McDonald's ice cream, and watched a Chuck Norris movie before drifting off to sleep. A pretty wonderful trip especially the Chuck Norris movie.... Wow! ;-)

Anywho, while we were traveling through the canyons of San Diego looking for the lake that bears my family's name, we found a rather large turtle walking across the road. Joe decided that it would be fun to take a picture with a turtle, and after kicking Joe ferociously, the turtle decided he better hide and hide he did for the remainder of his time with us.

How many times am I like that turtle? Missing out on the things that God has for me, the adventures, the opportunities, the blessings that have been laid out for me because I am too afraid to try, too afraid to stick my head out and go for it.

Today, remember our turtle, whom we decided to name Herman Tortuga, and live confidently, taking intelligent risks to love God, love others, and live for the Kingdom.

Blessings!

Be quiet, there is a victory in progress...

I got the opportunity last night to go to my first Pentacostal church service (a friend invited us to hear his favorite pastor and we agreed). It was 2 hours and fifteen minutes and very different than any service I had ever experienced. The choir was swaying, the music was booming, the audience was responding verbally to the message, there was an altar call, laying on of hands during the service, and people weeping during the message.

1. I loved the diversity of the people who attended the church. As the pastor himself said, it reminded me of what it will look like in Heaven, with all types of people worshipping before the Lord.

2. I loved the freedom it provided. It was very evident that the people were not afraid of worshipping the Lord in whatever way they felt led to. There was dancing, kneeling, swaying, hands being raised. It definitely made me feel more comfortable to worship God without worrying about what everyone else was doing.

3. The third thing I liked about the service was the message. The preacher (he was from Georgia ;-) taught us: Be quiet, there is a victory in progress.

He used many examples from the Bible, such as the familiar story of the Israelites complaining about the giants in the land which resulted in their 40 years of wandering in the desert, to teach us that we need to do less talking/grumbling/complaining and more waiting on the Lord. He shared that with the grim headlines springing up everywhere you look, it is very easy to become negative! I know this is true in my own life. It is easier most of the time to see the things that are wrong and focus on them than the things that are right.

He used the verse, which I want to focus on this week, "Be still and know that I am God."

When I feel tempted to complain or grumble or for me the big one is worry about the things of this life, I need to stop, be quiet, and wait for God's deliverance and victory.

Give me a Revelation!

So Joe and I go the opportunity to go to a Third Day concert. We got free tickets from a friend and the amazing 3 hour concert was definitely worth the drive out to downtown Los Angeles.

I have been praying for the past few months for the very things that were found within one of the songs that Third Day sang. I have been praying for direction. That I would know what I should in my life in every area with jobs, with ministries, with China, with future decisions, and so much more.

I am continually hit with decisions, and my desire is to make the right choice. I desire to follow God even in the small things. I know to follow God's word but in some things such as when there are many seemingly good options, it can be difficult to know which one to choose. So this song has been my prayer. As I said before, you should listen to it on youtube because it it amazing!

Here is a link to listen: http://www.yoursonglyrics.com/revelation-third-day/

Revelation

My life has led me down the road that’s so uncertain

And now I am left alone and I am broken,

Tryin’ to find my way, tryin’ to find the faith that’s gone
This time, I know that you are holding all the answers

I’m tired of losing hope and taking chances,

On roads that never seem,

To be the ones that bring me home

Give me a revelation,

Show me what to do

Cause I’ve been tryin’ to find my way,

I haven’t got a clue

Tell me should I stay here,

Or do I need to move

Give me a revelation

I’ve got nothing without You (x2)

My life has led me down this path that’s ever winding

Through every twist and turn I’m always finding,

That I am lost again (I am lost again)

Tell me when this road will ever end

Give me a revelation,

Show me what to do

Cause I’ve been tryin’ to find my way,

I haven’t got a clue

Tell me should I stay here,

Or do I need to move

Give me a revelation

I’ve got nothing without You (x2)

I don’t know where I can turn

Tell me when will I learn

Won’t You show me where I need to go

Oh oh, Let me follow Your lead,

I know that it’s the only way that I can get back home

Give me a revelation,

Show me what to do

Cause I’ve been trying to find my way,

I haven’t got a clue

Tell me should I stay here,

Or do I need to move

Give me a revelation

I’ve got nothing without You (X2)

Oh, give me a revelation

I’ve got nothing without You (X2)

"Marriage is what brings us together today" -Princess Bride

I didn't write the poem below, but I liked it. I was thinking what I should write, and I kept thinking about how thankful I was that God had created this thing called marriage. Joe and I visited a newly married friend couple today, and it reminded me afresh just how amazing marriage is. He could have designed the intricate workings of society a hundred different ways, but he decided to pattern it after a family. This world is built on families, millions of them. Families joined, for the most part, by the institution of marriage.

Marriage: to join two lives, to learn to give, to sacrifice, and to seek God for your future-together.

God created marriage,for he knew we'd need a friend.

To share our hopes and dreams with, and love us 'till the end.

God created marriage, to teach us how to share.

All our earthly assets, and make us more aware;

That someone else's feelings, are more important than our own.

And not one of us is perfect, so we can't cast a stone.

God created marriage,to teach us to forgive.

His life was our example, He showed us how to give.

God created marriage, to teach us how to say.

"I love you" to another person, each and every day.

(Amen to that ;-).