The Author
So after a period of figuring out who is sleeping in who's room, the kids are now settled into their beds and although not asleep yet I am sure, they are quiet enough to not cause me to check! The days has come to a close. Ahhh...the sigh of relief from all the trappings of the day...and what a day it was.
I had the most amazing meeting with the Author of a book that I have been given the privilege of being the Co-editor and Illustrator for. The book is called "Unwrapping the Beatitudes of Matthew 5". I just brought back the manuscript and final paintings to her for the book and her approval. Much to my delight, she was thrilled. I have to say, it was only to the Lord's credit. He saw fit for me to do what I did and was totally led by His inspiration and encouragement. God has been so good to me. He allowed time for me in my crazy busy life to etch out a few windows here and there and work on the book. It was a delight. I really loved doing it. So it was with such Joy when I heard here confirmation as she approved of the editing and Illustrations that I presented to her. We sat there in her home, praying and thanking God for His guidance and perfect timing, planning and execution of every last detail. We both felt the presence of the REAL author. The Author and finisher of our faith and life!
Praise the Lord.
Father, we ask that this book will bless, lift up and honor you in every way and glorify you to everyone who lays a hand on it!
Thank you God...
Crystal
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
A safe place....
Sometimes I want to come and write something beautiful. Something that will reflect the Love and Joy in my life. But today as I sit here, calm and squeaky clean after a soothing hot shower and my favorite perfume lingering around me, I am forced into a contented honesty that bares all of how my day was. In fact it was not a bad day. It was a day of fellowship and friendship. A day of laughter and fun and sun. Ah but it is not what happens so much throughout the day as what happens in the fleeting moments of the day that seem to define it's swinging pendulum of emotions from one view point to another. It still amazes me how the smallest things can set me to anger. Good day and all it's descriptions aside, it is the volcanic anger that spewed from my heated lips that lingers like the burnt ash after a lava wash across a precious undeserving buried city that smolders in my mind with shame as I close out this evening. God knows that I am not a perfect woman and thank Him for that. I could not live up to that! However, it never feels good to look at the damage caused in the aftermath of the verbal disaster that I am not so sure is natural. There is so much for this heart to be cleansed from. I am so relieved that even though trying as I might for a clean start with the birth of a new day of a nap or a great shower, nothing is more cleansing than The Lords love for a little girl who needs to sit on her heavenly Fathers lap, cry out the shame and receive His forgiveness and give me a fresh start through Him! No promise to my self as I fall asleep. No false commitment to fight the fight alone, just curling up in his lap and letting Him sweep away the tears of shame that will be replaced with the soft kisses of a perfect God who tells me I am still loved in my brokenness.
Thank you Jesus
Your baby, Crystal
Sometimes I want to come and write something beautiful. Something that will reflect the Love and Joy in my life. But today as I sit here, calm and squeaky clean after a soothing hot shower and my favorite perfume lingering around me, I am forced into a contented honesty that bares all of how my day was. In fact it was not a bad day. It was a day of fellowship and friendship. A day of laughter and fun and sun. Ah but it is not what happens so much throughout the day as what happens in the fleeting moments of the day that seem to define it's swinging pendulum of emotions from one view point to another. It still amazes me how the smallest things can set me to anger. Good day and all it's descriptions aside, it is the volcanic anger that spewed from my heated lips that lingers like the burnt ash after a lava wash across a precious undeserving buried city that smolders in my mind with shame as I close out this evening. God knows that I am not a perfect woman and thank Him for that. I could not live up to that! However, it never feels good to look at the damage caused in the aftermath of the verbal disaster that I am not so sure is natural. There is so much for this heart to be cleansed from. I am so relieved that even though trying as I might for a clean start with the birth of a new day of a nap or a great shower, nothing is more cleansing than The Lords love for a little girl who needs to sit on her heavenly Fathers lap, cry out the shame and receive His forgiveness and give me a fresh start through Him! No promise to my self as I fall asleep. No false commitment to fight the fight alone, just curling up in his lap and letting Him sweep away the tears of shame that will be replaced with the soft kisses of a perfect God who tells me I am still loved in my brokenness.
Thank you Jesus
Your baby, Crystal
Saturday, May 16, 2009
He is.....
I once let out a desperate cry in prayer to the Lord to fill my life with friends. I was feeling alone in a dessert of life and duties without a life line of female friendship to encourage me and remind me to lift my head to the true barer of fuel for the weary. That prayer was honest and heartfelt and not to my surprise my heavenly father heard me. It was no more than three days after those tearful words left my heart that my life was transformed by the abundance of friends. I had five, yes five new women in my life call me or reach out to me in those three days all seeking friendship and encouragement through fellowship. It was amazing.
Five years have past since that miraculous week and the mighty work of God has never ceased. I still have an abundance of friends most of them are the same as that very week, with a good hand full of new ones as well. The Lord knew my heart and knew what I could handle and not handle.
HE is my best friend. My comforter and my strength. He is rock when I am shaky and breaking down, my guide when I am lost and wandering in the darkness of life. He is love when my heart sinks lower than my own ability to love others. He is joy and sun when the grey sky and rain stays for too long. He is peace when I am overwhelmed. He is my calm when the stormy sea of disgruntled children, dishes, laundry and tears are more than this woman can bare. He is inspiration in a dark world when I long to create for Him and honor Him. He is my warmth when the blankets are too thin and my toes are cold. He is the cool breeze that refreshes my body when I am too hot to think and too tired to move. He is the credit behind every good idea given to me. He is the deep breath when my temper is bigger than me and the moment I am in. He is doctor when I am week and my body is trapped in it's own humanity and it needs guidance to operate. He is the food the builds me up and allows me to be upright and confident. He is the water that fills me, that fuels me, that freshens me, that cools me, that floats me, that baths me, that saves me.
He is my God, my friend.
Thank you Lord for blessings me with amazing friends who are the physical body of your love for me.
I am blessed, I know I am loved
Crystal
I once let out a desperate cry in prayer to the Lord to fill my life with friends. I was feeling alone in a dessert of life and duties without a life line of female friendship to encourage me and remind me to lift my head to the true barer of fuel for the weary. That prayer was honest and heartfelt and not to my surprise my heavenly father heard me. It was no more than three days after those tearful words left my heart that my life was transformed by the abundance of friends. I had five, yes five new women in my life call me or reach out to me in those three days all seeking friendship and encouragement through fellowship. It was amazing.
Five years have past since that miraculous week and the mighty work of God has never ceased. I still have an abundance of friends most of them are the same as that very week, with a good hand full of new ones as well. The Lord knew my heart and knew what I could handle and not handle.
HE is my best friend. My comforter and my strength. He is rock when I am shaky and breaking down, my guide when I am lost and wandering in the darkness of life. He is love when my heart sinks lower than my own ability to love others. He is joy and sun when the grey sky and rain stays for too long. He is peace when I am overwhelmed. He is my calm when the stormy sea of disgruntled children, dishes, laundry and tears are more than this woman can bare. He is inspiration in a dark world when I long to create for Him and honor Him. He is my warmth when the blankets are too thin and my toes are cold. He is the cool breeze that refreshes my body when I am too hot to think and too tired to move. He is the credit behind every good idea given to me. He is the deep breath when my temper is bigger than me and the moment I am in. He is doctor when I am week and my body is trapped in it's own humanity and it needs guidance to operate. He is the food the builds me up and allows me to be upright and confident. He is the water that fills me, that fuels me, that freshens me, that cools me, that floats me, that baths me, that saves me.
He is my God, my friend.
Thank you Lord for blessings me with amazing friends who are the physical body of your love for me.
I am blessed, I know I am loved
Crystal
Friday, May 15, 2009
Ah the joyous day!
The Sun is shining, the birds are singing, the boys are playing outside, Olivia is blissfully baking her amazing Carrot Cake in the kitchen, David is working diligently at his job with a full day to fill and I am calmly sitting here reflecting on the day as I prepare for the rest of the days event.....Life is good!
I am sipping hot (micro re-heated) coffee, with a delicious Butter Pecan cream in it. Feeling the breeze of the gentle air from the back door that has been left open (again) and although a sweet breeze will soon be the cause of very cold feet as I rarely wear socks. I will enjoy the window in which I feel the benefit to the cool air at my toes. I know, I know, I could wear socks, but at least I have inside slipper shoes on. If that's what I can call a girly version of crocs. Oh I feel so cliche and silly just saying that. Oh well. Such is the day. A tall order of nothing new and yet totally content with the simplicities of the afternoon!
I love days like this. No one is crying, hurt or hungry. Now that right there is a mark of a successful afternoon or at the very least a mark of a successful moment!
Ah there it is broken....they are filtering back in the house likely to declare the need to fill their bottomless tummies and state their level of starvation as I have seemingly to them yet again left them deprived since the last meal only an hour an half ago!
Well off to tend to the needs of these fleeting little people. At least they say please when they ask for food every five minutes!
Crystal
The Sun is shining, the birds are singing, the boys are playing outside, Olivia is blissfully baking her amazing Carrot Cake in the kitchen, David is working diligently at his job with a full day to fill and I am calmly sitting here reflecting on the day as I prepare for the rest of the days event.....Life is good!
I am sipping hot (micro re-heated) coffee, with a delicious Butter Pecan cream in it. Feeling the breeze of the gentle air from the back door that has been left open (again) and although a sweet breeze will soon be the cause of very cold feet as I rarely wear socks. I will enjoy the window in which I feel the benefit to the cool air at my toes. I know, I know, I could wear socks, but at least I have inside slipper shoes on. If that's what I can call a girly version of crocs. Oh I feel so cliche and silly just saying that. Oh well. Such is the day. A tall order of nothing new and yet totally content with the simplicities of the afternoon!
I love days like this. No one is crying, hurt or hungry. Now that right there is a mark of a successful afternoon or at the very least a mark of a successful moment!
Ah there it is broken....they are filtering back in the house likely to declare the need to fill their bottomless tummies and state their level of starvation as I have seemingly to them yet again left them deprived since the last meal only an hour an half ago!
Well off to tend to the needs of these fleeting little people. At least they say please when they ask for food every five minutes!
Crystal
Friday, May 8, 2009
Deeper Faith..
Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide,
Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide,
do not hold back;
lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
For you will spread out to the right and to the left;
your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.
ISAIAH 54:2-3
ISAIAH 54:2-3
What more does the Father have for us his children now as he did when he spoke to his people in Isaiah with such assurance and promise. He desires to bless us and shower us in His love and allow us to bask in His glory. Letting out our tents is a call to a deeper faith. A faith that shows that we believe before we see. Being prepared to receive His blessings. Oh how blessed we are.
"Teach me oh God to release the ties that hold my faith down and let me open up my life to receive more of you and be filled with your abundant lavish blessings."
~ Crystal
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