labor day weekend is always when balloons from all over come to fly….and glow at night!

i’ve been meaning to go each morning for the Mass Ascent but the morning usually calls too early so last night i made it a point to go for the glow! it actually was pretty awe-inspiring; i had forgotten how big the balloons were and they are so colorful! one was shaped like a pig with wings, the engergizer bunny also made a showing, and many more!

i brought a camera and it died…so i have a bunch of pictures on my phone but i don’t know how to get them on here…so i’ll steal a few in the meantime!

“I don’t know if this is a season of sweetness or one of sadness. But I am learning that neither last forever. There will, I’m sure, be something, that invades this current loveliness. That’s how life is. It won’t be sweet forever. But it won’t be bitter forever either. If everywhere you look these days, it’s wintery, desolate, lonely, practice believing in springtime. It always, always comes, even though as days like today it’s nearly impossible to imagine, ground frozen, trees bare and spiky. New life will spring from this same ground. This season will end, and something entirely new will follow it.” (s. niequist)

i stole this because it’s the truth of this life we walk with Christ. seasons of challenge and frustration. seasons of delight and celebration. sometimes they are mixed too…but neither one lasts forever…it’s all about losening our grip so that when it hurts we can move through it and when it’s great, we remember that He blessed us with it. i sometimes get caught up in the blessing instead of the One who so graciously bestowed it. this was a good reminder for me today.

a 3-day weekend lies ahead! (i’m so lucky to have it off work!) it’s supposed to be HOT which means i’ll be by the pool there’s also lots of other fun things to do like a day trip to Denver to see friends, maybe mountain biking for maybe the first time in a LONG time…not sure. i just want adventure and to be outside. stay tuned!

2. my favorite magazine came today-Outside. i’ll begin pouring over it tonight…and when the pages are curled, i’ll try to be nice and share

hope your week is off to a great start!

ch 49 is jacob’s blessing to his sons on his deathbed. i’ve never been beside someone on their deathbed but i can only imagine the emotions that you feel and even more so, the honesty expressed in their utterings. these are the last breaths they take before leaving this earth.

jacob goes through his sons one by one…each one receiving either a blessing or a statement of downfall. what an amazing picture of how the decisions we make affect our lives and the lives of those who come after us. the ones that stuck out to me were stories of grace and redemption. simeon and levi committed genocide in response to their sister dinah’s rape. jacob mentions their anger and how it will be their downfall but looking further in history, the tribe of levi becomes the priesthood. they stand up for truth when idols permeate the ranks of the israelites and their story changes. their legacy changes because of God’s truth having hold in their hearts and His tremendous grace.

even more so than levi, judah’s story is one of complete reversal. judah was the one who originally thought up to sell joseph to the egyptians. later, after being reunited with him in egypt, he offers himself as a substitute for his little brother benjamin when joseph speaks of keeping him behind as a guarantee for the return of jacob, his father, to joseph later. his heart was transformed in the reconciliation with joseph and the rest of his life follows another course. it is through the line of judah that Christ comes. wow! verse 10 speaks of specifically of Christ, “until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of nations is his.” philippians 2:10-11 confirms this: “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” even in jacob’s heart and mind, the knowledge of the Savior was present and as i flip from the very beginning of the Bible to the end in revelation, i see this truth reiterated. revelation 5:5 says, “then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.” it’s just amazing to see the consistency of God’s Word; the detailed plan He had for the redemption of His creation with His tremendous grace laced throughout the story.

looking from the outside, i would have picked joseph (of all of jacob’s sons) to be the line of Christ because he was so faithful to God… but 1 Corinithians 1:27-31 expresses the heart of our Savior and His grace, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us the wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” so judah became God’s choice.

what a humbling reminder of God’s tremendous grace when He continues to use us despite our downfalls. what a challenge to move forward in truth and the legacy of Christ.  

happy sunday!

absolutely adorable…

it’s a big deal, people. it continues to press on my heart. it matters. it matters. it matters.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/08/23/10.simple.things/index.html?hpt=C2

i woke up to a sky shrouded in clouds. LOVE IT. a nice cool day after a delightfully hot day by the pool yesterday. i ended up downtown after some errands and stumbled onto the Acacia Park Farmers Market! small but lovely and a reminder of my own beloved one in seattle. here’s some pics!

…and quite honestly its not so good for me sometimes. i reached a frustration point a bit ago (itching to make a change and not able to do so at the time). as i was searching the Word for some guidance the Lord so faithfully reminded me of these truths:

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according ot his purpose.” Rom 8:28-all that’s happening in my life right now is for my good. for my good as His child to teach me more of Him. for my good as His child that He created with unique desires and passions.

i think that sometimes this intense wrestling between my heart’s desires and what God has for me really just challenges me to die to self…..again, and again. i probably end up with an epic headache each time because that battle between our sin nature and that of the Spirit literally is a battle for our souls. it’s scary how strong of a hold Satan tries to have on us. yikes.

it’s my decision in these scenarios, when i feel dissatisfaction, whether i adjust and make it the best i can and learn from it…or i just get lost in frustration. easier to fall into the frustration but it’s the worst thing you could do to yourself and it doesn’t honor God. i love growth and i want to be teachable. turns out, i am being repeatedly presented with opportunities to learn…

Ps 38:9,15 “All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you….I wait for you, O Lord; you will answer, O Lord my God.” this was reassuring to know that He knows all these desires that fill my heart. He knows my desire for change. He knows my heart for Africa. He knows….the countless other desires….and He cares how i am shaped through all these. He also promises to answer and as i look back on my life, i’ve seen it. i’ve seen proof of His involvement and His hand. even these scriptures are proof that He knows about the bad days and meets us there with His living Word to comfort us and challenge us to grow. He’s SO INTERACTIVE. He really is.
 
i skipped ahead from my daily reading in Psalms and read Chapter 40 too…verse 3a lept out at me: “He put a new song in my mouth…” i felt so clearly that this was God’s answer to my questions and struggles…i need to pray for a new song…for His song….and be willing to adjust to that…pray for wisdom to see His song and to rest in that. if I am in tune with His song, then i will be content….so that’s my new prayer…for God to put a new song in my mouth.
 
praising God for His faithfulness, for His tremendous love and grace, and for Christ’s sacrifice that makes relationship possible. i hope a new song fills your mouth this coming week!

i started downtown at Terra Verde, an eclectic mix of kitchen items, homescents, clothing, jewelry, books, kids and shoes.

here are some fabulous things i found:

Frye Boots 

-hands down, one of the most fantastic boot companies around. tons of people in the northwest wear their boots; stylish if that’s all you want them for but they are legit cowboy boots that can withstand ranch work too! (i think i need to go work on a ranch….soon…..)

these gorgeous boots would fit perfectly into this space…

SWOON.

 oh my….i could not envision a more perfect space for ANYTHING!!! a fun dinner, a wedding reception, anything….please tell me you have a barn i could use to make a space like this????!!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE IT.

(my friend Robyn tipped me off to a great new site called You Are My Fave-that’s where this photo came from-check it out!)

seeing as we’re on the brink of fall-or at least it feels that way in all the retail stores…i came across these delightful coats!

Tulleis one of my favorite coat companies…Damsalfly in Seattle always carried them and i fell in love.

as i drove downtown to get to Terre Verde, i noticed again how charming and textural brick walls are. whether it’s faded painted advertisements, or just the combination of brick and city, it always strikes me as vintage and charming. i loved this basement makeover with a brick wall facade!

{shoot…..can’t find the link….i will post as soon as i can because it’s amazing what they did with the space…}

in the meantime, here’s a few design inspiring brick shots…

 next, jewlery-of course!

stumbled onto Blue Hour Designs through Coco+Kelley. i love her style!

….and last….i’m not a bar soap kind of a girl but i LOVE these soaps…mostly their scents and appearance!

Thymes Soaps 

what’s inspiring you lately??

here’s to hoping we have an Indian Summer before Fall settles in! 

what’s mesmerizing is that it’s just constant flashes and you don’t know where in the sky they will happen! one of those awe-inspiring natural phenomenons.

* i’m heading into another floorset week at PB. excited….a bit overwhelmed because we have a regional visit next week…NO PRESSURE….lots of training sessions this week with various “teams” at the store…BUSY!*

happy week!