Taste and SEE

"Taste and SEE that the Lord is good

blessed is the one who takes refuge in him."

Psalm 34:8

This week I couldn't put the book down called Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman.

When I first heard about the death of their precious daughter in May of 2008 I was heartbroken for them. Reading Mary Beth's honest and vulnerable story of her life and God's fingerprints on it every step of the way is so encouraging and hopeful.

I love how she shares her struggles.... in her marriage, her faith, her depression and even in accepting God's plan in her life and family.

She continues to trust God in the midst of her pain.

I also loved reading about their heart for adoption and helping others to be able to experience the joy of extending their arms of love to forsaken ones around the world.

Having adopted our two precious girls gives me a glimpse of all that God wants me to understand and experience that He has adopted ME into his family.

SEEING that God is good, that HE is in control, the HE is there.. no matter what...

Is our choice.

I want to CHOOSE to SEE too.

Yikes!!

"Why are you afraid.

O you of little faith?"

Matthew 8:26

The disciples were with Jesus in a boat when a huge storm arose. He was sleeping. They were scared to death. "Don't you care that we are about to die???"

He wakes up.

Calms the storm

and asks them What they are SOOOOOOOO afraid of??

Where is your faith????

Hello???

We are about to DIE!

Yet... HE calms the storm.

Then they are even more scared.

WHO IS THIS MAN THAT CALMS THE STORMS?

I have been thinking about that question.

WHAT am I so afraid of?

Why do I get so wound tight about so many things? (like Martha.. worried and bothered)

What is the worst that can happen?

Have I seen God calm my storms in the past?

Yes.

Where is MY faith??

What does it look like to trust HIM this time??? Today?

Lord, help me in my unbelief!

"I Knew her!!!"

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you..."

Jeremiah 1:5

Lauren Claire is turning 23!

"Victorious One"

"Crown of laurel leaves"

As we waited and hoped for a precious baby, we had no idea of God's handiwork in our sweet little girl's life.

Yes. God knew HER and knew the purposes He had for her

and was protecting her very life.

www.claireculwell.com

We were so thrilled that the Lord chose US to adopt HER!

Bows, dresses, baby dolls, bluebonnet pictures, games, recitals, programs, birthday parties, sister games, all have been a part of the blessing of God giving us HER!

Now, seeing more of her "story" and her desire to speak up for others in the womb... that God KNOWS too

has been amazing.

To see her boldness to stand out and stand up

her tenderness for the needy

her passion to care for others

is a blessing.

We are so grateful that

We KNOW HER!

We LOVE HER

but not nearly as much as the

God of the universe that

KNOWS HER

and LOVES HER!

"I have loved you with an everlasting love"

Jeremiah 31:3

Flowers Fade

The grass withers, the flower fades

but the word our God will stand forever

Isaiah 40: 8

Recently as I was walking by a the beautiful floral section at Central Market, I slowed down to soak in the beauty of the gorgeous flowers. I even took a picture on my phone of some pretty pink roses for my screen saver. I still am enjoying that every day as look at my phone.

Flowers can be a visual expression of love (Valentine's Day)

of happiness (wedding day)

of comfort (in the hospital)

of beauty in the midst of sorrow (funerals)

of thoughtfulness or kindness.

Flowers do show beauty, life, color, God's creation....

yet they still fade, they die, they are thrown in the trash.

I wonder why I don't soak in the beauty of God's word that will last FOREVER

like I do pretty flowers?

This last few months as I have been reading the Bible in 90 days, my intake of God's word has been way more than my normal dose of Scripture. Some days I have been more attentive than others,

but I have loved being reminded of God's faithfulness,

his tenderness, his purposes, his patience with his wayward people,

his holiness, his approachability.

Even though I still have so far to go to be like Jesus, I am so grateful for his words to me, to encourage me to live my life in light of what is TRUE. I am encouraged to trust Him more fully in my dark days, to pour out my heart to Him, to believe that HIS purposes are GOOD and HE is GOOD.

God's Word will stand Forever!

Princess or Troll?

"Julia! You are such a sweet little girl!"

"No, I am not. I am a troll under a bridge."

What in the world could she mean by that?

Dressed up in her princess dress

Darling as could be

God says we are precious in his sight

Fearfully and wonderfully made

He holds us in the palm of his hands

He rejoices over me

He has loved me with an everlasting love

Trolls:

Seem ugly and hidden and odd

I don't really know any trolls, but for some reason, I think identifying with a troll is saying that..

I am not loveable

I am odd

I am not precious

I have something to hide

For a sweet little four year old, I am sure that she doesn't actively think those things,, but at the core of all of us,

we feel unlovable,

not right in some way

needing to be cleaned up

I pray that this sweet little girl will

grasp God's redeeming love for her

Be overwhelmed with how precious she is before HIM

See her need to be forgiven and made right

Experience HIS love to her very core

I hope that for me too!

"Since we've compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we're in and

restored us to where he always wanted us to be.

And he did it by means of Jesus Christ."

Romans 3:23-4

The Message

One Brave Queen

Esther

Queen

Lovely

Beautiful

Adopted

Won favor

King's choice

Approved by the King

Respectful

Royal Crown placed on her head

Kept family secret

Distressed for her uncle

In Royal Position

Pleased the King

Willing

Brave

Wept

Asks boldly for her people

World Changer

Me

Daughter of the King

Doubtful

Fearful

Longing

Hopeful

Willing

Available

Asking

World Minded

Needy

Trusting Once Again

Wow Factor of God

I can not imagine what is was like when the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

(2 Chronicles 7:3)

The priests couldn't enter the tempe because the GLORY filled it.

Wow.

Chris Tomlin's song

Indescribable is one way to "start" to grasp the indescribable greatness of God.

One thing that the people did do:

They knelt down

Worshipped

Gave Thanks to God saying:

He IS GOOD

HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER

A quote by C.S Lewis talks about how the root of our sin

is questioning the goodness of God.

As I think of my own life I certainly see that when I am doubting God in some way I definitely am not believing that HE IS GOOD....

that his intentions for me are for my good or for my best.

I am praying today that as I am enamored with the glory of God,

that I will bow down, trusting HIS GOODNESS and LOVE for me

that is far beyond my comprehension.