Everybody's Doing It

Ok...I know that practically every blog, magazine, tabloid, and home is talking about the Royal Wedding...but why not? Weddings are great, and I love love, so I'm gonna talk about it too! Or rather show you a few pics that I found so precious. Enjoy!

Photos 1-3 & 5; Photo 4

And the Bishop of London preached a great sermon, beginning with these words, "'Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.' So said St Catherine of Siena whose festival day it is today. Marriage is intended to be a way in which man and woman help each other to become what God meant each one to be, their deepest and truest selves."

Did you follow the Royal Wedding at all? Or did you not even know it was happening?

Hope

"Even bad weeks have good days.

Even bad days have good moments.

Even bad moments have great hope.

There is always a reason to hope."

Hope sometimes means we have to look for what we don't see at first glance.

(Wow that's a quote I just came up with myself!!)

Hebrews 11:1

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see."

I try to find reason for hope, aka: looking for heaven here on earth, each day by writing down things I'm thankful for, or "good things" that happened. I can often find myself in the middle of one of those "bad moments" looking for a shred of good (hope).

How do you find reason to hope?

How Can I Remain Silent?

This morning I went to an Easter sunrise service at Willamette's stadium! And right now I'm standing in my friend Mel's kitchen, waiting for the resurrection rolls to get out of the oven!

The service was great! This sweet lady named Doris, who reminded me (in looks and actions) of my Grandmommy, sat next to me during the service. It was chilly and I had only a sweater, so she pressed close against my shoulder to keep my left side warmer. I let her borrow my Bible when she asked, which thought was the sweetest thing. I took sermon notes (like always) and she thought that was very cool. She was so excited about the sermon and the resurrection that she kept whispering to me and she wanted to stand up and shout and dance! She was so precious and sweet!

The sermon was great. Rev. David Thommen preached about our response to the resurrection from Mark's account (chapter 16). He said the account was not just to inform us, but to compel us as well. The resurrection of Christ is the greatest news imaginable! The resurrection is significant because of several reasons, these just being some:

- 1 Peter 1:3 ensures new birth

- Rom 4 ensures justification

- Rom 6 ensures our sanctification (being made holy)

- 1 Cor 15 ensures our future bodily resurrection

- Rom 8 ensures a new creation (new earth)

Our response should be two-fold:

1) the resurrection account demands belief (it's a historical fact, recorded with eye-witnesses and time and place markers!)

2) action: go and tell!

How can we be silent about this? What will you do?

I also never got to post anything on Good Friday. I thought I'd just post little bits of songs and verses that stood out to me from the two services (one chapel and one church) I attended.

"For it is in our sin that God encounters us. God is God of the broken."

"Your cross has placed in me my worth"

"Unlimited mercy"

"Because of grace, because of Your mercy, I stand here unashamed"

"As a result He brought you into His own presence and you are holy and blameless as you stand before Him - without single fault." Colossians 1:22

"Forever my love, forever my heart, forever my life is Yours"

"I was carried to the table, seated where I don't belong. And I was swept away by His love. I don't see my brokenness anymore, when I'm seated at the table of the Lord!"

He is risen!!

What is your response?

1 Peter 1:18-19

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

99

So, I meant to post this YESTERDAY! But time got away from me!! Anyway. Pretend this is yesterday. Friday, April 22, 2011, is 99 days until our wedding!!! Finally in double digits!! So I had a mini celebration with some of my girl friends last night! We had dinner together, went to a great Good Friday service, then got frozen yogurt and watched Life as We Know It (good movie!) It was fun! To honor Jason, the soon-to-be best husband ever, I wanted to write 99 things I love about him!! (In no particular order, except the first one.) Ok here goes:

1. Definitely first and foremost, I love his relationship with God. He always seeks to know God more and more and to live for God, in everything He does. His relationship with God dictates everything he does. God is first in His life!

2. The way he tells stories.

3. His competitive-ness.

4. When he plays guitar.

5. When he leads worship.

6. The way he sings.

7. His pure, natural athleticism. He's one of those studs that is good at everything he doe

8. The two little scars on his face (above eyebrow and above lip). And especially the story behind the eyebrow one...lol.

9. His hands. Especially when they are holding mine! They are big and strong!

10. That he is left handed...but shoots and golfs right handed!

11. His boldness to evangelize.

12. His ability to remember things, especially scripture and theological things. (He's gonna be a great pastor!)

13. His heart for youth ministry and missions.

14. His laid-back way of planning (it compliments me well!)

15. That he finds joy in his ranch work!

16. His hair color...the perfect shade of brown.

17. His clothing style!

18. His tenderness towards me.

19. They way he relates to my family.

20. His ability to admit to mistakes and even ask for guidance.

21. His complete honesty.

22. His protection of me.

23. His leadership in our relationship.

24. When he wants to pray with me.

25. His support of my gifts and dreams.

26. The way he cares for others.

27. The way he makes friends so easy, and often with the kids who wouldn't normally make lots of friends.

28. His laugh

29. His smile.

30. His silly smiles

31. That look.

32. His desire to learn.

33. The way he treats me.

34. The way he talks to me.

35. The way he talks about me.

36. The silly things he says.

37. His ability to make people laugh.

38. That he is a hard, committed worker.

39. That he is involved in planning our wedding and planning our whole honeymoon!

40. That he is extremely faithful!

41. That he is getting to know me very well.

42. That he makes note of my needs and tries to meet them.

43. That he spoils me!

44. His ability to not let small things become big things.

45. That at the end of a long, kinda "blah" day, he can be super loving to me.

46. That he is patient and understanding of my stress.

47. When he texts me "little" things just so I know he's thinking about me and loves me.

48. His servant heart.

49. His relationship with his mom and dad.

50. His love for his birth dad.

51. The emphasis he puts on his schoolwork and learning.

52. That he builds relationships with his professors.

53. That he wants me to finish school.

54. That he is saving his first kiss for me!

55. His integrity.

56. His testimony.

57. His passion for doing God's will.

58. His enjoyment of outdoors and activities!

59. The way he enjoys life!

60. His desire to go to Poland.

61. That he thinks I'm the most beautiful girl in the world, just the way I am! And he tells me this at least once every day!

62. That he thinks I'm amazing!

63. When he hugs me!

64. When he calls me "Els". (It's because my initials are LC, like the name Elsie, so he calls me that sometimes too, but sometimes shortens it just to "Els")

65. That he first called me "Babe" was on accident. But it was perfect timing!

66. That he gets way more tan than me!!

67. That he values me.

68. That he looks for my opinion, guidance, and advice.

69. That I can encourage him.

70. That he prays for twin girls!

71. That he respects me.

72. That he likes to be clean and organized.

73. That the first time he told me I was beautiful, was on one of those days when I wasn't even trying...

74. That he worked hard and saved all summer just to buy me a gorgeous diamond engagement ring, which is just what I wanted!

75. That he likes to surprise me!

76. That he'll do anything for me!

77. That I told him "I love you" first!

78. The silly things he does with the boys.

79. His promise to eat whatever I cook! (I'll try not to take advantage of that!! *Wink)

80. That he's my best friend.

81. That he's beyond my wildest dreams!

82. His last name, Koemans. It'll soon be mine!!!

83. That he's a teeny bit more emotional and tender-hearted than most guys.

84. His grace and forgiveness.

85. That he's not perfect.

86. That he loves me so much that I can be imperfect.

87. That he will go running with me even though running is not his favorite thing to do.

88. That he is learning how to be a good listener.

89. That he wants our marriage to honor and glorify God and be the absolute best it can be.

90. That in everything he does he seeks to honor God.

91. His integrity with music and movie choices.

92. Our memories!

93. The way he proposed!!

94. When he takes me on dates!

95. How he loves to bless me!

96. His heart for the homeless and broken.

97. That he encourages me.

98. That he is going to be an incredible husband and father.

99. That he is always growing.

I love Jason Paul Koemans so much. He is absolutely perfect for me, and I can't picture spending the rest of my life with anyone else! God is so good, to give me such a treasure!

Now I challenge you to "Join the 99 club" and see if you can write 99 things (or as many as you can!) you love about your significant other, mom/dad, friend, sibling, etc. Then give it to them! Comment here and tell me how it goes!

More Etsy Favorites!

Great gift for my future husband. You can even personalize the back with a small message!

A key chain I'd love to get from my future husband (hint hint)

I love quotes. I just love them!

Personalized note-cards. Jason & Lauren. So lovely!!

Have you discovered Etsy? What are some of your favorites?

Everyone Who Calls on the Name of the Lord

(This is a long time overdue)

[Intro Story: Almost every Sunday after church, Josie goes down to Pastor Jeff and gives him a hug and maybe a note she wrote him during the sermon]

At church on Sunday, March 13, Pastor Jeff gave altar call after his message. Mom was explaining to Josie about salvation and what Jesus did for us. After church, Josie went down to Pastor Jeff as usual, and she told him that she raised her hand (during the altar call) because she "loves the Lord so much and she loves God and that God made everyone so beautiful and Jesus died on the cross for her sins."

God is doing some great things in her heart!

"I Go to College with Lauren"

At the beginning of March I got an email from my mom with this picture:

Josie had packed up her toys and clothes in these bags and went at sat in the suburban, because she was going to college with Lauren! My mom wrote in the email, "She's waiting out in the car now. I'm not sure what to do with her! But it's cute!" Fortunately, I got to go home a few weeks later for spring break!

And just this weekend, Josie, Heidi, and my dad made a visit out to see me (and for Heidi to look at Corban). So Josie did get to go to college with Lauren. But she was disappointed she didn't get to take me home! It was so good to see them! 3 1/2 more weeks!

I have found the one my soul loves.

"When I found him whom my soul loves,

I held him and would not let him go."

Song of Solomon 3:4

Good Things.

Even when there's stressful things and tough things... I can still confidently say this:

"Let all that I am praise the Lord; with my whole heart, I will praise His holy name. Let all that I am praise the Lord, may I never forget the good things He does for me. He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases. He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagles..." Psalm 103:1-5

This whole Psalm is soooo good! I think it just might be my favorite =)

Lord, help me to always remember the good things You've done for me. Open my eyes to see "good things" in each and every day. They're always there, because You ONLY give good things. I just need help seeing them sometimes, especially on really "bad" days. I'm so thankful for the good things You've given me. You've spoiled me, given me way more than I deserve! Thank you for my great running buddies and friends here at Corban, Mel, Courtney, Christi, and Amy. Thank you for my family. Thank you for Jason. Thank you for the really pretty cherry blossom trees! Thank you for this successful track season! Thank you for life. You are so good. Help me to say that regardless of the day or season of my life.

Choosing Joy

This was from my Girlfriends in God devotional by Mary Southerland, and I thought it was a great reminder for myself:

"So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:18

God promises that if you know Him you will know true joy. Joy is not merely happiness but rather an unshakable confidence that God is in control. Therefore, He is our one and only source of joy and stands ready, waiting to saturate every circumstance with His presence. As His children, joy is ours to claim. If so, then where is it and why do we not experience a sense of confident celebration as we go through each day?

Maybe it is because of the “joy stealers” who lurk in the shadows, waiting to crush joy wherever they find it.
Choosing joy requires us to identify and eliminate the “joy stealers” in life. You may be allowing a person to take your joy. Maybe some painful experience from a shadowed yesterday is an obstacle of joy in your life today. Perhaps a fearful circumstance or a broken dream is the culprit.

I know life can be painful. I know life is often hard and unfair. I also know that God is in control. Therefore, if God really is God (and He definitely is) then we can and should be people of joy. I have read the final chapter of the Book and we win! Nothing and no one can take your joy without your permission. So, don’t give it! Choose joy!

Let’s Pray
Father, forgive me for my shallow attitude about joy. I confess that my version of joy is often nothing more than an emotion or feeling based on current circumstances. Help me fix my eyes on You, the Author and Finisher of my faith. I want to live my life against the backdrop of eternity, exchanging temporary happiness for eternal joy. I pray that I will learn to choose joy in whatever lies ahead.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen.

Answered Prayers

"In the 3,000 meter steeplechase, Cross finished fifth with a school-record time of 12:13.51 bettering her previously set Cascade Collegiate Conference qualifying time. The second-year Warrior ran the second fastest time in the conference this season, as she broke Corban's school-record by more than six seconds." To read the full article, click here. The race, the Willamette Invitational, took place on Friday, April 1.

I'm very thankful for how my track season has been going, especially after a not so great cross-country season! And I'm definitely giving God the credit! This is a career best steeple time for me! I also finally broke 20 in the 5k, on the TRACK no less! Just before spring break I ran a 19:52 at the Willamette Dual Meet. (Maybe I need to run on Willamette's track more often?). I never expected to break 20 on the track. I can't handle running in circles! But I did. It's all God. And it totally goes back to the idea of surrendering my timeline. I expected to break 20 in cross this season, and even hoped to break it last year. It didn't make sense that I wouldn't! I was a bit confused that I didn't. But God know what He was doing. And He still answered my prayers, but in HIS timing.