"If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe." - Dr. Carl Sagan

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! I can't believe it's half-October already!

Last week my mother came to Korea ~ YAY! Both the hubby and I agreed we never thought this day would come. haha! But she's here! We actually asked her to come so that I could go work full time for a few weeks on an annual work project I didn't want to miss out on.

Having my mother in the country is exciting! I get to show her where I live, and the people I'm sharing my life with. I get to teach her about Korea and let her bond with her grandson. But at the same time, let's just say it's interesting living with my mother again. ^.^ Still I'm grateful for this time ~ not only my time with her, but the time for her and the Pumpkin Head to get to know each other!

She arrived last week, and we've yet to do anything touristy or Korean! The morning after she arrived, the husband got food poisoning and spent the day in the ER! I then hurried off to work and left her with the baby alone. On her first day. With no prep. >.< Then our weekend trip to the sea was canceled, but we did enjoy a nice Sunday morning at church and lunch with friends after ~ Western-style lunch at that! We did finally pause for a moment and got a family photo though, so all was not lost!


This week I'm reminded to give thanks. Daily I struggle with stress and worries, and I fear I spend more time on things that haven't happened than what I'm thankful for. So my October resolution (sure, that can be a thing!) is to dwell in thankfulness and not in worry.

Tonight as I sat around our living room with the husband, the Pumpkin Head (not to be confused with the pumpkin pie!), my mother and some good friends I couldn't help but feel fully blessed. I honestly feel like God knows the desires of my heart and provides what I need. And I'm reminded of a verse in Colossions, which says,

"¹⁵Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."

As I go back to work this week, with my mother here, and I'm away from my baby, and my body grows weak and tired it will be too easy for me to let the stress sink in, but instead I choose to be thankful this week! The husband has recovered from his sickness, my mother is here and helping and I surely could not ask for a more awesome little boy! And while I'm working, or sitting in a bathroom stall and pumping my milk, or rushing home to spend time with PH, or waking up early and staying up late just to get a few more chores done ~ I will remember I'm doing all this in the name of Jesus and I am thankful! ^.^

nourishment isn't just for the body

(Koh Samui, Thailand, 2007)

I read all the twilight books. There. I said it. I read them, and what's worse, I liked them!

I like a little "cheese" now and then. I often find myself defending the latest movie, book or TV episode by saying that it's just a bit of junk-food for the mind. No harm, right?

Until I end up feeling empty. My attitude changes. I start to crave the escape, and dread whats real. I can't be the only one who feels this way.

I feel like our culture today has an emotional and spiritual equivalent of the obesity epidemic. We're cramming crap into our bodies and minds then wondering why we're afflicted with so many physical and mental ills.

Diabetes, heart disease, low endurance, high cholesterol, malnutrition, cancers, attention disorders... mental illness, depression, loneliness, unfaithfulness, divorce, suicides, etc...

What we put in directly affects us. We know this. Yet why is it so easy for me to sit back and watch an episode of Gossip Girl and eat nutella off a spoon (um, not that I've done that before...>.<)??

I feel at times what Peter must have felt at Gethsemane. I hear Jesus calling me to sit with him a little while, but like he says in Matthew 26: 41, "The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

The good news is that God is not only forgiving, but He also sustaining. He gives strength to the weary and exhausted, increases the power and endurance of the weak (Isaiah 40:28~31). He gives peace and rest to those who go to him when they are tired and burnt out (Matthew 11:28, Hebrews 4:3, John 14:27).

A little junk food is fine now and then, we know that the key with food is moderation ~ and that's the same with our spiritual lives as well. If we're only taking in the junk that our culture has to offer, it will never be enough to fulfill us, we will always feel something is lacking.

Jesus warned us that the world would give us trouble, but he also reminds us that he has overcome the world to give us the peace and fulfillment that our souls crave. My challenge is to remember to draw near to him when I feel burnt out, and leave the Grey's Anatomy reruns for another day...

Jesus said in John 16:33, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

pondering miracles...

Today I'm left pondering miracles, healings and resurrections...

As a Christian we're taught of the many great things Jesus did while on Earth, as well as the glorious power of God. It is not at all uncommon that when someone becomes ill, people pray for them to recover quickly, or to be healed and restored to health. Even when faced with serious illnesses people pray in faith for miracles ~ and this is common.

Even people who are not grounded in faith and who may not know Christ will stop and pray for great miracles when faced with illness and death.

So why then do we not pray for resurrections? Why when this is mentioned do people doubt or question?

In John 11 we learn the story of Lazarus.
^"1Now a man named Lazarus was sick." When Jesus heard this he said, "⁴This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." Jesus told his disciples that they should go to him in Judea, but his disciples had fear as they had already faced persecution there. Jesus told them, ""Lazarus is dead, ⁵and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."

When they arrived they were greeted by Lazarus' sister. '²¹"Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. ²²But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." ²³Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." ²⁴Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." ²⁵Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; ²⁶and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" ²⁷"Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ,^b]">[b] the Son of God, who was to come into the world." '

Though at first she didn't understand, she never doubted Jesus.

When they took Jesus to see Lazarus' tomb, Jesus wept. Many people wondered why Christ hadn't come to heal Lazarus before death. Jesus asked to enter the tomb, despite the odor or death and the doubts of some of the mourners.

^"40Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" ⁴¹So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me. ⁴²I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me." ⁴³When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" ⁴⁴The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

We read of another resurrection in Mark 5.

Mark 5:35 "While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?” Their faith had expired when the girl died, they lost all hope of seeing a miracle. Then (Mark 5:36) Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

5:41 He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!” and (verse 42) Immediately the girl stood up and walked around.

We see here that people had faith Jesus could heal illness, but then doubted that he could resurrect the dead. But really, how can we distinguish what miracles are "rational," "believable," or "common" and which are not? Are any miracles described as "rational," "believable," or "common?" No, because then they wouldn't require faith.

In James 5 James writes, ^"13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. ¹⁴Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. ¹⁵And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. ¹⁶Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

We are called to pray continuously, to pray in faith and to bring everything to our Father... so why not bring our deepest requests, fears and sufferings to him? Why not pray for miracles?

If we can believe in the works on Christ and his disciples on Earth, and if we can believe in the power and glory of God, why can't we truly believe that all things are possible through our Father?

For more listen to John Piper talk about (briefly) about miracles on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgs38_x1XJg