healing begins

http://tenthavenuenorth.com/journal/entry/healing-begins

I want to share this link to the journal of Tenth Avenue North, one of my new faves in music. I love this reminder that God wants our healing, and it happens as we submit ourselves to Him and others through painful vulnerability...

I pray he will use your confession and mine to heal our broken hearts and bring the wholeness only He can offer!

James 5:13-16 "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed."

free: how easily we forget

Photo Credit: Fully Alive Photography

I've been reading in Exodus (yes, I'm behind on my one-year reading plan!) about the Israelites and their time of slavery in Egypt, as well the miraculous way God freed them from this miserable existence.

Pain, suffering, hopelessness, confusion, bitterness, doubt
These were the very things they needed to be freed from, many of these being their sinful responses to the oppression they experienced for so many years. And we know that those sins of the heart were entrapping them because even after God freed them from the hand of Pharoah, the physical suffering and pain, they continued to resort to the same emotions whenever they encountered suffering of any kind. It is the attitude we so often have, one of forgetfulness and pride that says, "Well yeah God, you freed me from this (awful thing I was going through) but now I have a new struggle and how in the world are you going to come through this time!? Maybe I'd be better off back where I was (in that awful thing I was going through)"

How easily we forget.

"As Pharoah and his army approached, the people of Israel could see them in the distance, marching toward them. The people began to panic, and they cried out to the Lord for help. Then they turned against Moses and complained, 'Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren't there enough graves for us in Egypt!? Why did you make us leave? Didn't we tell you to leave us alone while we were still in Egypt? Our Egyptian slavery was far better than dying out here in the wilderness!"

But Moses told the people, 'Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch the Lord rescue you. The Egyptians that you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. You won't have to lift a finger in your defense!"

How easily we forget.

At first the Lord's instructions for the Passover seemed a little redundant, a little excessive. "Why do you care so much about this, God?" I asked. The details of when, how to kill the sacrifice, which lamb to choose, etc.
But God showed me the theme, the heart behind his instructions. The redundancy stemmed from God's heart for his people....

So you will not forget.

He knows the tendencies of our wayward hearts. He desires so much for us to remember his goodness, his power, his faithfulness. He wants us to trust him the next time we end up in a trial or struggle. Otherwise we turn our trust back to ourselves and are rendered powerless, hopeless, trapped. Remember! Remember that I'm the One who freed you last time, and I will do it again!

Lord, help us remember. Let us keep our eyes fixed on you!

"Since I am so sick,
Since I am in need,
Since I have no healing within me....
Oh my God, be mindful of me, you are my help and my Redeemer.
Oh my God, be mindful of me, you are my help and my Redeemer.
Surely those who wait on you will never be ashamed.
All of those who call on you will know the faithfulness of your name.
They'll know the faithfulness of your name!"
-100 Portraits and Water Deep-
Enter the Worship Circle
(I highly recommend these CD's, especially if you are prone to forget like I am)

new spring fave

I rekindled my love for spinach and strawberries on Easter with this yummy salad. The dressing really ties it all together, so don't skip it! I can't wait until our summer farmer's markets open up so I can get the most fresh, ripe, red, juicy strawberries (or I might just have to sneak into Elaine's garden since she's planting some this year!)

Strawberry Spinach Salad!

fresh diced strawberries
spinach leaves (I like to mix in some spring mix leaves, too)
sliced almonds
finely sliced red onion
optional: feta or goat cheese

for the dressing:
1/2 cup of sugar (I use organic sugar as a natural sweetener with no preservatives)
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tblsp poppy seed

In a blender, pour the sugar, salt, vinegar, oil and blend until smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds. It is SO delicious!

Happy Spring!

no more

No more floor plans, no more dreading the weekend because it means no news, no more stressing over paying the bills, no more rollercoaster ride, no more wondering, no more negotiating, no more waiting:)

Sam is taking an associate position at Chiropractic Arts here in ABQ....his first day is tomorrow!

I will reflect soon on more of the details of how this came to be, but for now, I want to give you all some of the peace and closure we're feeling and say PRAISE GOD! He is good. We might not understand it all right now, but He is good and these months of surrendering the outcome to the Lord while working hard on our end have led is here.

New Mexico is officially our new home:) Now it's time to change our cell phones and get NM plates on our cars.

Thanks for your constant support friends:)

Cheerfully His,
libby

still no word

This has to be the longest process I've ever gone through. I can tell you we got some wonderful news recently and it's the only thing allowing us to even move forward...we're soooo close (I know I've said that before but we've never been this close) but still, no final word on this clinic that we've dreamed about and planned for since mid-November. I'm finding the beauty and humor in it everyday though. It is truly a blessing to see my husband grow in humility, in trust and confidence in the ultimate Healer, not himself, no, Jesus the Perfect One. That is what makes this bitter process sweet. Oh, and God has been teaching me some much needed lessons, too. I'm reminded of two verses lately. I hang on to these admonitions when my spirit feels faint.

"We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing the suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" Romans 5:3-5

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" 1 Thess 5:16

crafting for his glory

Do you ever get excited about revisiting something you used to do in high school? Like coloring, or cutting things out of magazines? I was inspired to do a craft with my friend, Katie, the sixteen year old I am mentoring. We got out the Mod Podge and went to town, decoupaging an already cute journal. So fun! She liked the owl so much that our journals ended up matching. It was a great way to connect, craft, and create something that can be used to grow in our walks with Christ.

alive and well...

Just a quick update to let you all know we have submitted the bank loan application and our business plan as of yesterday. I've avoided blogging about it lately because it is such an up and down process, and I didn't want you guys to feel as worn out as we do by the ever-changing news! I guess you could say the fate of our practice is in the hands of the banks, but we know who really runs the show, and we're daily putting this in His hands as we have for the past year. Soli Deo Gloria!

I'll update when I have some worthy news:)