Refiner's Fire

I love art. Thats probably why I majored in it (well, that, and I'm too smart for rocket science...). My art classes in college were my favorite, and one semester I took a metals class. I liked that class because they let me play with a blow torch......ME!!! Yeah, they didn't know me very well at that point. Anyway, our first projects were in copper - copper is cheap. I learned to solder metal - used a blow torch to do that. An ACETELINE blow torch (that means its a really COOL one). something else I learned to do was lost wax casting. That was really cool. I made a ring. What you do is you make the ring out of wax just the way you want it, then you make a cast and heat it up. After its been heated the wax melts away and there is a void in the cast the shape of the ring. I was going to use silver to make my ring, and I was so excited because guess what I got to use?!? You'll never guess! Well, you might guess (torch), because I've slightly hinted (torch) to it a bit already. Yes, I got to use a torch to melt the silver and get it ready to pour into the mold. The silver we used came in little pellets, they looked like BB's and they were pretty expensive. So I got my little silver pellets into the mini cauldron and got the blow torch out and started it up. It was so cool to watch the pellets start to melt. First one melted, then a couple more until they were all melted. But the silver wasn't ready to be cast just yet. Even though it was all melted, the silver itself was dull it wasn't shiny like silver is supposed to be. My teacher told me to keep heating it until I could see myself in it. What? That sounded really weird at the time....but a few seconds later that dull layer burned off the top of the silver and it was like looking into a very strange mirror. It was awesome! It was finally ready to be cast.

I am so grateful that I had that class and was able to go through that process. Sometimes we feel like we are in a furnace thats being heated up. The bible says there are those that he will refine like silver and gold (Zec. 13:9) I might be going through something and He turns up the heat, and feel like I can't take any more, but just a few of my pellets have been melted. And then something else hits and its getting hotter and I know - this is it, I really can't take anymore, but I've still got the dull layer over me. And then something else comes along, and I say God, you have to help me in this - and thats when the dull layer burns away and He says, "Okay, I can see Myself in you - now you're ready."

My dog has tricks...

Yeah, so back in Colorado I taught Babe (my dog) this awesome trick. This trick has come in handy SO many times. Check it out - you'll see why....

I'll bet you wish YOUR dog would do this...

Scary Prayers

I need more faith. I just do. I don't want sway like the reeds when trials come, I want to be firm and grounded in what I believe and Who I believe in. So I thought to myself, I need to pray for faith. Now, praying for faith is a scary thing. Its like praying for patience. You pray for patience and God brings along a situation that requires you to be patient (like waiting 2 months for the Detroit Utility company to turn off the electricity at the house that you've not lived in for 8 weeks!! oh, but thats a different story...I digress). I'm pretty sure that its the same thing with faith. I ask God to strengthen my faith and the next thing I know I'm in some horrible situation that requires me to use my faith. I don't want all that - just the faith. I don't want to have to actually go through something just to get faith. Sometimes I wish God had a drive through where I could go and order up some faith minus the trials and tribulations, a side of blessings and living water to drink, and why not go ahead and super size that for me today. Ha ha ha. Thats like....spiritual steroids. We'd rather go the easy route and not have to work as hard for what we want. I know we've heard it said before, that faith is like a muscle- we have to use it to strengthen it. Use it or lose it. Nobody wants to go through trials. I don't hear people in church asking for God to bring trouble into their lives...and yet I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that its through these times that God exercises our faith and builds it and makes it stronger. I say all of that to get to my point...I'm going to be praying for faith. I'm telling you all this now so that when my 'faith building' trials come, we'll know why. Now, just pray in my behalf that the Big Guy goes easy on me....

Gainfully employed!

Hey! I just wanted to let everyone know that I got a job!! I'll be a case manager essentially helping people who are on public assistance (like food stamps) get jobs and stuff. I'm really excited. I start Monday the 19th!!! :)

WOO HOO!

Noelle and Taylor

I have to say that the best thing about being in Phoenix are my nieces. They are cool. The first video is of Taylor, being her cute smiling self. This is a change from how she was her first few weeks of life. My mom was calling her Lucy.....short for Lucifer. It was not a pretty picture. :) The second video is of Noelle because as soon as she realized that I could take a video of her, that was it, now thats all she wants to do. Ha ha ha!

Happy Birthday to.... ME!

I'll make this short...I've been a Christian 14 years today!!!

Prodigal Son

Do you ever wonder why its so easy for us to sin, sometimes? I mean, I've been a Christian for 14 years this month, and I've struggled with some real good ones, too. I became a Christian at 15, and didn't really get into the serious struggles that I've dealt with until after I became a Christian (drinking, smoking cigarettes... I know, I know: you had me pegged as being perfect...). Anyway, I've really been struggling with trying to get right with God. These sins that I myself insist on keeping in my life are not only affecting me, but are also deeply affecting my relationship with Him. I often wonder if a true "Christ follower" can be be called that, and still have these sins. (oh, and just a side note - I know that we will never be free from sinning until we are with him - the sins I'm talking about are the ones that are habitual and intentional) Anyway, these thoughts of how you can you call yourself a Christian and still turn to alcohol or smoking come up. In my mind, its different if you struggle with alcohol, and aren't a Christian, and THEN become a Christian, and then have to stop drinking. (oh, and ANOTHER side note - my issue is not with drinking - thats just an example...) In my case, the issues I deal with are ones that I began doing AFTER I became a Christian. I know the enemy comes in and tells me things like, "How can you be sure you're saved if you do this or that, and you do it after you've become a Christian..." Its hard to refute that argument. So, this idea has really troubled me for some time. Today, in the car, I was thinking about it, and thinking about the story of the prodigal son. How he went off, spent his inheritance, lost everything he had and came crawling back for mercy. We've all heard the story, but something hit me today. This son went off and did all these things, but even before he asked for the inheritance, even before he had sqandered it, even before he slept in the barn with the pigs, he was already his father's son. It wasn't like he went off and did these things and ceased to be his son, or when he came back to the father, THAT'S when he became his son. And not only that, but the whole time the son was away, the father would watch in the distance to see if his son was returning, just watching and waiting. I feel like God is watching and waiting for me to decide that I am going to live a Holy and righteous life. I cannot do it in my own strength, and I can't do it on someone elses strength, either. The only way its going to happen is for me to surrender it all - my whole entire life to him. He doesn't want just this issue or just that issue. He wants my whole life. And since he gave his life for me, I guess thats the least I can do for him...

Chunk Fest!

Okay, So Taylor is getting huge! I took some new pictures the other night. She is starting to smile now, and not just because she is passing gas! ha ha ha, well, it IS usually when she is looking at me...hey! We're still trying to get used to everyone living together in a fairly small house. I'm still looking for a job, I've had a couple interviews, and another tomorrow. I keep praying like, God, You know I need a job. I'm sure He's like, Yep, I know. Anyway, I'm still really enjoying my church. I know there is no such thing as a perfect church, but this place really seems to have it together! :) Grandma and Noelle are still coming with me, too!

Oh, I forgot...

This is a cute story from church last week. So, Noelle had just finished her first week at Sunday School, and I was showing her around the rest of the church (which meets in an elementary school right now). Anyway, I wanted her to know where I was in case she ever needed me during Sunday school. So I took her in to the gym, which is where the main church meets, and I told her that this is where the adults have church. Without missing a beat she sayd, "Oh, so its like the bar?" Uh, no, not quite..... ha ha ha ha

Not much new to report...

Well, there isn't a whole lot going on. I have an interview tomorrow that I hope goes well, I'm going crazy without a job, or at least SOMETHING to do! Taylor is getting bigger, she's probably 12 pounds by now, and is 6.5 weeks old (I'm sure you mom's out there will appreciate that) Noelle is doing well in her new school. She has been coming to church with me, and I think she likes it. Grandma came this week, too. She must like something about it to keep coming. Or maybe its just spending time with me, yeah, I'm sure thats it. Anyway, sorry for the boring post. Pray for the interview tomorrow, its at 11:00 Pacific Time. :) Talk to you soon!