Moving....Again

Guess which one I am...Just kidding ;-)

Good morning. ;-) I can't sleep so I figured I would write. Life has been okay lately. We decided after much goings back and forth that it would be best for us to move from our spacious three bedroom condo and rent it out to a family and move to an apartment. I'm not opposed to leaving to save money and such. It's the moving that I'm not in love with. ;-( There are quite a lot of things to do, and I'm nervous because since we own the house, it has to be shown whenever people are interested which means that coming Monday it needs to be in a state of perpetual cleanliness so that anyone could come by. That is not as easy as it may sound for me. ;-) We made a lot of progress with sorting and boxing and such today, which is lovely.

It's sad though because I desperately want to be someone who's a champion of change. I want to be able to go through things and change things in my life without blinking an eye, but it's not that easy for me. It's difficult for me to adjust to change especially things that I'm not looking forward to. I think secretly I think that if I don't fully accept a change, maybe it won't happen. I fear that if I embrace the change with both hands than it will definitely take place. We are going back and forth regarding where we should move to, and I think that's my biggest struggle. I can't get myself to want to move somewhere solely based on its price tag, but I hope that my thriftiness will win out in the end and it will be fine. But moving from a 1200 square foot place to a 400 square foot place is an adjustment for anyone, and I'm sure I'll get over it soon enough. Hopefully, we find renters before I start working full time.

Anywho, we studied why evil exists in small group tonight, and it was very interesting. The key point is that: There is no love without choice. God wanted us to choose to love him, obey him, and follow him instead of being forced into it. Therefore, he had to give us free will. People choose to walk away from God and wa-la evil abounds.

How to Read the Bible

Reading the Bible is essential to our life as a believer. It is oxygen to our lungs and water to our cells, but that doesn't mean its easy. Making sure to fit Bible reading into a busy life is not always a piece of cake. It requires a lot of hard work and intentional effort, but it is so worth it.

Here are some thoughts about Bible reading from Saddleback church.

Reading the Bible is like going on a road trip.

1. Fill up your tank!

-You can't read the Bible with a closed heart and mind. ;-)

2. Choose your path.

-Just like random wanderings aren't going to help you reach your destination, random reading of verses isn't going to give you adequate depth in your Bible reading.

3. Slow down and enjoy the scenery

-This isn't the Indy 500. Think about what you're reading. ;-)

4. Pull off at a scenic viewpoint.

-If you find an intriguing verse, spend time exploring it. How is your life today going to be different as a result of that verse?

5. Take a picture of yourself.

-The Bible is a useful self examination tool. How are you looking in regards to the things you are reading about?

6. Send postcards.

-A great way to get more out of Bible reading is by journaling/taking notes. ;-)

Sunrise

Ironically, I wrote this as the sun set. ;-)

Frozen, stiff

Skeleton Feel

Chattering Teeth

Darkness all Around

Can barely move

Speack of Light

Turn my head

Heart trying to beat

Light expands

Reaches up

Stretching into space

Broken Dark

Goodbye stars

Gentle warmth

Hands tingle

Breath a cloud

Rising, higher

Fireball climbs

I try to move my feet

Stand upon them

Walk around

Oh, how I love the daylight!

"Oh, return to me, for I have paid the price to set you free."

I have been reading through Isaiah and was really hit by these verses so I wanted to share them with you. ;-) Take a few minutes to read them. You may like them as much as me. ;-)

Portions from Isaiah 43 & 44:

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.

O Israel, the one who formed you says,

“Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.

I have called you by name; you are mine.

² When you go through deep waters,

I will be with you.

When you go through rivers of difficulty,

you will not drown.

When you walk through the fire of oppression,

you will not be burned up;

the flames will not consume you.

³ For I am the Lord, your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;

I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

⁴ Others were given in exchange for you.

I traded their lives for yours

because you are precious to me.

You are honored, and I love you.

¹⁰ “But you are my witnesses, O Israel!” says the Lord.

“You are my servant.

You have been chosen to know me, believe in me,

and understand that I alone am God.

There is no other God—

there never has been, and there never will be.

¹¹ I, yes I, am the Lord,

and there is no other Savior.

¹² First I predicted your rescue,

then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world.

No foreign god has ever done this.

You are witnesses that I am the only God,”

says the Lord.

¹³ “From eternity to eternity I am God.

No one can snatch anyone out of my hand.

No one can undo what I have done.”

⁶ This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies:

“I am the First and the Last;

there is no other God.

⁷ Who is like me?

Let him step forward and prove to you his power.

Let him do as I have done since ancient times

when I established a people and explained its future.

⁸ Do not tremble; do not be afraid.

Did I not proclaim my purposes for you long ago?

You are my witnesses—is there any other God?

No! There is no other Rock—not one!”

Letting Go of Anxiety

Have you ever felt anxious, worried, stressed? I know I have, and it bothers me that sometimes I can't seem to let go of my stress and move on. So I decided to learn more about this and how to get over it.

One of the techniques I learned was to take deep breathes for about 30 seconds, focusing solely on breathing in and out. Everytime a thought enters your mind, make it leave. Next picture a scene in your mind, while you continue your deep breathing, that makes you very happy. Focus intently how you felt while you were there.

Maybe it was the day your husband asked you to marry him. Maybe it was the day you got your first puppy dog. Maybe it was the day you brought home your first child. Maybe it's a favorite place, the ocean, the mountains, the desert.

Picture the scene and how you felt for at least 30 seconds.

I haven't tried it enough to know if how well it works, but I say it's worth a try. ;-) Why not try it right now? ;-)

Stress is incredibly bad for you. Let it go. I know I'm trying.

Verse of the Week

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

Committment, Gratitude, Dependence

So I've been reading a book by Elisabeth Elliot called "Let Me Be a Woman." I look up to her after what she survived. Her husband was Jim Elliot, on the pilots killed trying to ministry to the Indians of Ecuador.

She wrote this book to her daughter as a gift to her right before she got married. On one of the chapters she talked about the kind of commitment necessary for a married couple to stay together, forever.

"There is a whole world of difference between those who look only for their own happiness in this world and those who know that their true happiness lies in the will of God.

"When they encounter trouble they know where to turn, for they know that they are still under the command of God, they are not forsaken. They know that they are insufficient in themselves,. that human love breaks down, and that there is never a point at which they can say, "We've arrived," and are no longer in need of grace.

"You know, I am sure that your love is a gift. and if it is a gift you are grateful to the Giver. To acknowledge your gratitude to Him is also to acknowledge your dependence on Him, to acknowledge above all the authority of Christ. THAT IS A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN A MARRIAGE."

I understand why so many people who don't believe in God, have no moral foundation, and have nothing to lean on outside of themselves get divorced. Marriage is to big a thing for us to be able to accomplish it effictively completely on our own.
What I don't understand is the huge number of believers who decide to get divorced. This number frightens me, and I want to make sure that I am constantly, always, continually leaning on my Rock so that I can be the partner that He desires me to be. One that is forgiving, selfless, and thankful, each and every day.

Finding Lost Gold

I recently came back from a week long trip to Oregon. We started the big drive up to Oregon on Tuesday night and arrived in Roseburg at 10:30 AM. After breakfast, the entire household went to sleep. I didn't want to sleep so Joe and I decided to go on an adventure.

We brought a plastic pond bucket and used it to travel down the river. We took turns sitting in the small circular bucket and pulling each other through the cold water. It was tons of fun! There were rapids to go over, fish to see, and refreshing water to wade in. We traveled quite far.

It was my turn to be in the bucket. I was tired of swimming so Joe was taking his turn pulling me down the river. We came to a spot of rapids. Joe had flipped over once so we were more cautious this time. Joe tried to navigate me over and through the rapids without my falling over. He did it! I soared through the rapids right side up.

All of a sudden, Joe started yelling from behind me, "I lost my ring!" I turned around in my raft and yelled back to him, "Are you serious?" No answer. I continued to yell. "What did you say?" He didn't respond. His head was down and he was grabbing into the rapids. Finally, he lifted his head and yelled to me, "Come and help me!" So like an obedient wife I flung myself from the black bucket and began to swim into the rapids, giving up on the bucket after I couldn't pull it out of the water, too heavy. My arms burned after 10 minutes of swimming against the current. I couldn't touch and was beginning to get scared. It didn't seem like I'd moved at all. Joe looked up from his searching and told me to hurry. Out of breath, I yelled, "I am trying! Help!" So like the sweet husband he is, he jumped in the deep water and pulled me to safety.

We then proceeded to search for the wedding ring that Joe had accidentally lost in the surging rapids that had pulled it off his finger. We searched and sifted and tossed out rocks, but the water was white from going too fast and we couldn't see anything. We decided to head back to the house for more supplies. After my bout with the rapids, Joe thought it best to walk back instead of swimming. We started walking through someone's property but were forced to go up to the road due to shrubbery. The ground was hot! I thought the skin of my feet was going to melt off! We yelped and moaned and continued to run across the steaming hot asphalt. After a lot of pain, we made it home, wet and clad only in our bathing suits. Everyone was up by now since it was three and a half hours later so we told them what had happened. We collected buckets and ran to the store for some goggles. We drove back to the spot on the river with Joe's dad and sister. After struggling to the spot where the ring had been lost, we started throwing out the river rocks and looking among the crayfish to where the ring might be. We searched for an hour with no luck when finally Joe shot his hand triumphantly into the air, his ring between his fingers. He grabbed me in his arms, and we cheered. The ring that was lost had been found! ;-) We didn't think it was possible but were so thankful. We even found the black bucket we'd used as a boat. It turned out to be a wonderful day!

Upbeat playlist by Hayley

Upbeat playlist by Hayley

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The Scent of Rain

I didn't write this, but it was passed on by a member of my writing critique group. A true story about a little preemie. Very good story. Please read it. ;-) Can you describe how the rain smells?

A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas as the doctor walked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She was still groggy from surgery.

Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves for the latest news. That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forced Diana, only 24-weeks pregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver the couple's new daughter, Dana Lu Blessing.

At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, they already knew she was perilously premature.

Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs. 'I don't think she's going to make it,' he said, as kindly as he could.

'There's only a 10-percent chance she will live through the night, and even then, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future could be a very cruel one'.

Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctor described the devastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.

>She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probably be blind, and she would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditions from cerebral palsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on.

'No! No!' was all Diana could say. She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had long dreamed of the day they would have a daughter to become a family of four.

Now, within a matter of hours, that dream was slipping away.

But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David and Diana. Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially 'raw', the lightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so they couldn't even cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offer the strength of their love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneath the ultraviolet light in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that God would stay close to their precious little girl. There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.

But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce of weight here and an ounce of strength there.

At last, when Dana turned two months old. her parents were able to hold her in their arms for the very first time.

And two months later, though doctors continued to gently but grimly warn that her chances of surviving, much less living any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went home from the hospital, just as her mother had predicted.

Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girl with glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life.

She showed no signs whatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she was everything a little girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far from the end of her story.

One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home in Irving, Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers of a local ball park where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing. As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother and several other adults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent Hugging her arms across her chest, little Dana asked, 'Do you smell that?'

Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm, Diana replied, 'Yes, it smells like rain.' Dana closed her eyes and again asked, 'Do you smell that?'

Once again, her mother replied, 'Yes, I think we're about to get wet. It smells like rain.' Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thin shoulders with her small hands and loudly announced, 'No, it smells like Him.

It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest.' Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to play with the other children. Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed what Diana and all the members of the extended Blessing family had known, at least in their hearts, all along.

During those long days and nights of her first two months of her life, when her nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God was holding Dana on His chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.

Fear Not

I am committed to memorizing a different verse every week. One of the things I struggle with is fear so that will be one of the themes. I will try my best to remember to share each verse with you each week. You can memorize them too if you want. ;-) This week's verse:

Luke 12:32

“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the Kingdom.”

Hayleys Art

Hello Friends,

So I couldn't get enough of having a website... So I decided to have another! I have set up a website on etsy, a place where handmade art is made and sold.

I LOVE to paint and take pictures, and I was thinking that if I was able to sell some of my work, then I will be able to paint and photograph even more. And the best part is that at least 11% of each purchase goes directly to help international missions and the more I sell, the higher the percentage can go! ;-) So check it out and buy something for a friend. I would be the happiest girl EVER. ;-)

The site address is www.hayleysart.etsy.com

I will continually be adding more art so check back.

Thanks,

Hayley

Colorado Chronicles pt 4

Tuesday-

Today was our big rafting day! We woke up very early and drove to a legendary fish hatchery. We were excited to discover that there was a full bucket of food with the top off! We ran over, grabbed handfuls, and started tossing it in! The fish loved it until the keepers came and told us to shooo. ;-(

We headed to the rafting place an hour early and got suited up. Then we got to drive to our drop in point and put our sturdy raft into the rushing river! Our guide, Gabe, had quite a lot of trouble getting my dad to listen to his instructions. ;-) He claimed he couldn't hear and kept doing the opposite of the instructions. We rafted for about an hour and then stopped for a fresh fajita lunch. Yum-yum! After lunch we got to raft for over two hours. There were several very exciting rapids, and we got better at working together. ;-) It was so much fun! We finished about 4 but didn't get home until 6 or so. We ate dinner, packed, and enjoyed our nice home.

Wednesday-

Today was our last day. ;-( So sad because we all loved Colorado! We went on a hike in the morning, then packed up the house, and then went to town for some awesome lunch at a Chinese restaurant. We saw the Budweiser Clydesdales and then started driving. We made it to an old, small town where there was a cool gold mine. The owner gave us a tour, and he reminded us so much of Leonard. ;-) There was a little girl on the tour named Fiona who was so cute and responded to everything the guide told us. She was only 5. After the tour, we went gold panning and fed the tame, adorable chipmunks! We went to dinner at a place in town but left because it was too expensive. We rushed to the airport to make our flight and discovered that it had been delayed 3 hours! We ate dinner and chilled, working on things until our plane left at 12:30. Joe and I didn't make it home until 4 in the morning. What an adventure!

One of our favorite places. ;-)

Colorado Chronicles pt 3

This was our second pad. It was huge! ;-)

Saturday-

Today was a day of relaxing. We slept in, we walked, we explored the cute ski town, found cool $3 shirts, went out to eat, went on another walk, ate Italian food, went wine tasting, and played games at home. Then we had a legendary pool game, and we were able to beat my parents! We came up from the bottom, turned the game around, and won! ;-)

We found this house that looked more like a castle. It was 3 stories high, built almost entirely of stone, and fitted with old-fashioned, top of the line appliances and decorations. Like the castle in Beauty and the Beast.

Sunday-

Today we went on an exciting, 2 hour speed boat road, whipping around the expansive lake in a neighboring town. Everyone got to drive! ;-) I love going fast.

After that we drove to the famous ski town of Vail. It reminded me of the town of Switzerland and was very clean, bright, and beautiful. It reminded me of something from a storybook, and the houses were massive.

We went to Walmart for some top of the line fishing equipment ;-). After some relaxing we took the breathtaking journey into town through the forest at dusk. I kept thinking a bear was going to leap out of the bushes and get me!!! We explored the town till late and then had the final pool competition. My dad lost when he hit in the last, black ball and it hung back from the edge an inch! Quite exciting!

Monday-

Today was the day for fishing. After climbing through the forest, we found a suitable location. We set out our stuff and then proceeded to set up our lines. My dad proclaimed that he was going to become a fisherman, was going to buy some nice supplies, and go fishing often. So we started fishing. Casting and pulling in, casting and pulling in. We didn't catch more than a few reeds so we packed up and headed to spot #2. We picked it because 2 guys and a little boy had already caught 5 fish and had only been there for 30 min. We were pumped. We matched their lines and waited. While we waited, they proceeded to catch 3 additional fish. They said, "I just can't drop down my line without it falling into a fish's mouth!" That didn't make us feel so good, especially when we discovered that they were using a 12 inch. toddlers fishing pool to do half of their catching. We felt pretty pitiful, and my dad took back what he said about wanting to be a fisherman.

After a big day of fishing, we ate some dollar tacos, went in the jacuzzi, and watched Dance your Ass off and laughed a lot! Once it was dark, we set off 37 stellar fireworks! We made quite a light show, especially the strobe fireworks, woo-hoo. We tried to catch a bear but didn't have any luck. ;-(

The Colorado Chronicles- part 2

Wednesday continued-

The hunt of the Elk. Driving back we found 2 marmots, a magpie with a snake, and three GIANT elk. Joe, David, and my dad decided it was a great idea to get out and flank the Elk. It was pretty scary watching them creep around the forest trying to move the Elk to the desired location. People came out and cut short their operations. Whew! ;-)

Thursday-

We woke up early and started on a 3 mile hike up to a lake on the top of a mountain. The day was perfect, and we climbed quickly, taking breaks for pictures, water, and air. It is funny how much more difficult it is to breathe on a hike at 12,000 feet. ;-)

We made it to the top and Joe decided that we should make a raft. He was not be discouraged, and after a lot of hard work, we had constructed a suitable raft of logs and shoelace string. He took off and soared across the ice-cold lake. By this time, he had quite an audience. Several people told him that he was sure to make it on YouTube. ;-)

The tragic thing is that David rolled his ankle jumping from a hill. It was quite an adventure getting him down the three mile trail without putting pressure on it. My dad and Joe carried him, and even though they were adamant about getting David a horse to climb with, they carried him all the way down, rain storm and all.

Friday-

Today we drove from Estes to Breckenridge, our second vacation destination. It was a wonderful drive. We got to see the continental divide, the point where the rivers in the US go either west or east depending on what side of the divide they are on. We also got to see several of the huge over 14,000 feet mountains. Joe was a little scared. ;-)

We ate a BBQ joint and had fun throwing peanuts in each other's glasses. ;-) The home we got to stay at in Breckenridge was more than breathtaking. 4,000 square feet, 5 bedrooms, game room, jacuzzi, and designer everything. We had a lot of room to say the least. ;-) We explored the famous skiing town and got some Mi Casa mexican and groceries.

On the way home, we found a bear walking through an apartment complex. My dad and Joe leapt out of our car, much to my dismay, and went after the bear. I was thankful when I discovered they hadn't been eaten.

When we got home, we went in the jacuzzi after 10. It was against city rules so we were VERY quiet. Quite scary watching the people in the home next door mill about and hope that they don't see us.

The Colorado Chronicles- part 1

Joe and I were able to embark on a legendary adventure to Colorado. We got back last night, and we were gone for 10 nights. It was such a memorable trip. I'd like to share with you a highlight from each day. ;-)

Monday-

Our first stay was in the lovely, small town of Estes Park. My dad chose this spot because it was minutes away from an amazingly beautiful National Park that we wanted to explore. The night of our arrival, after checking out our spacious condo, we went into town. Estes Park is similar to Hawaii in that it rains every afternoon. This evening was special though because it didn't just rain, it stormed. There was lightning and thunder exploding in the sky. I've never seen such a light show. We walked around the town with our eyes up and then walked home backwards so we could study it. What an wonderful example of the power of our God. We sang How Great Thou Art which accurately describes our experience.

Verse 1:
O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made,
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder,
Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Refrain:
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!
Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee,
How great thou art, how great Thou art!

Tuesday-

We woke up early, went out to breakfast, and then hiked up a beautiful trail to Emerald Lake. The sky was a rick blue, the trees were a vivid green, and the crisp breeze kept us going. Here is a photo of Emerald Lake.

On the trip we were constantly in search of wildlife. Bears, deer, squirrels, and Magpie. No animal was ignored. After the hike, we found a very large group of Elk chillaxing on government land. We figure they knew that no one was supposed to follow them. We met a little boy who contrary to his parents' instructions, strutted over to the Elk, stood a few feet in front of them, and bellowed, "Take a picture of me! I'm not going to scare them away!" Let's just say, they didn't stay long.

Wednesday-

This morning we got to embark on a three-hour horseback ride! It was exciting. I got a horse named Medicine Hat who would have been revered by the Native Americans because of his special white mane and black tuft of hair in the front. Our guide, Kylee, had a very hard time keeping the three men of our group in line. My dad especially wanted to constantly let his horse creep through the forest instead of walk and eat everything in sight, two things that Kylee felt were unforgivable. It was quite entertaining to see her frustrated face. The scenery was the bomb, but our bums were thankful we didn't go for the 5 hour ride. ;-)

After the ride and some great lunch, we explored the park some more. Hiking, taking pictures, basking in the beauty that was there. No matter how much I love California weather, there is nothing more awe inspiring to me than the mountains.