Easter-what does it mean to me? What does it mean to you? I had to take a step back and remember what Easter even was this year. Sad but true. It seems as the years go by and my life gets busier and busier the time of preparation for/remembrance of these "holidays" gets shorter and shorter, and consequently at times less meaningful. Christmas and all that it brings... the birth of Christ, and now Easter where we Christians celebrate His death and the saving grace it brings us. I know that my relationship with Christ Jesus has made all the difference in my life. I wouldn't be who I am today if not for him.
This year, I worry. I get a day off. I am thankful for that day off cuz I get more rest. However, its so much more than just another day. This is the part I so want to remember, the part I want to celebrate. But will I take the time? If i choose not to go to church tomorrow, will I take the time to spend time with God and thank him? to pause and reflect what Good Friday means to me? I don't know. that's the part that worries me. that it will become just another day off- when it is such a day worth remembering and reminiscing.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Lessons and Randomness
Yes, I managed to sign on and start writing a post all by myself...I am a little new with this-Adam usually does the blogging but I decided to give it a try.
Well, my usual day to day life is pretty drab so I was trying to think of something special to write about. I came up with lessons.
Lessons God has taught/ been teaching me about his faithfullness and about trust. Well, just over a year and a half a go, God decided to answer a prayer I had asked him. One that went something like this. " God, I want to learn to trust you completly"...and i might have added.."whatever it takes".
Little did I know what God had in mind. He took me away from comfort and decided to toss me over a cliff. Meanwhile asking me if I trusted him. My answer...no and where are you? Why did you desert me? This last year has been a time of painful stretching and growing. One where I look back and realize that it was necessary for me to learn. I learned that God is faithful. You can bring to him your needs, even the smallest things like clothes or gas money. I have learned that God will keep me fed, clothed and housed. Oh and he will let me keep his car. Plus spoil me every once in awhile.
I can't say that I trust God perfectly, it is still a work in progress, but I hope to say that I trust him better than I did. He took away something I had always taken for granted and trusted in to provide my needs-my way. And he gave me a husband to go through it with- so we might both learn the lessons he had for us.
I am also learning another thing...realizing it more and more, and that is this. God gave me an amazing man to be my husband. I don't know what I would do without him. He is truly my best friend. I love how he is always there when I need a cuddle, hug or a kiss. And how such a simple act such as listening or one of the previously mentioned actions can mean so much. I really appreciate it when he prays-especially when I don't have the words. I love who he is now and the person he is becoming.
Well, I should be taking myself to bed, so I have energy for tomorrow-thankfully I have a day off. Anyone want to come for coffee?
~Mrs ( I love this part) Melissa Lever
Well, my usual day to day life is pretty drab so I was trying to think of something special to write about. I came up with lessons.
Lessons God has taught/ been teaching me about his faithfullness and about trust. Well, just over a year and a half a go, God decided to answer a prayer I had asked him. One that went something like this. " God, I want to learn to trust you completly"...and i might have added.."whatever it takes".
Little did I know what God had in mind. He took me away from comfort and decided to toss me over a cliff. Meanwhile asking me if I trusted him. My answer...no and where are you? Why did you desert me? This last year has been a time of painful stretching and growing. One where I look back and realize that it was necessary for me to learn. I learned that God is faithful. You can bring to him your needs, even the smallest things like clothes or gas money. I have learned that God will keep me fed, clothed and housed. Oh and he will let me keep his car. Plus spoil me every once in awhile.
I can't say that I trust God perfectly, it is still a work in progress, but I hope to say that I trust him better than I did. He took away something I had always taken for granted and trusted in to provide my needs-my way. And he gave me a husband to go through it with- so we might both learn the lessons he had for us.
I am also learning another thing...realizing it more and more, and that is this. God gave me an amazing man to be my husband. I don't know what I would do without him. He is truly my best friend. I love how he is always there when I need a cuddle, hug or a kiss. And how such a simple act such as listening or one of the previously mentioned actions can mean so much. I really appreciate it when he prays-especially when I don't have the words. I love who he is now and the person he is becoming.
Well, I should be taking myself to bed, so I have energy for tomorrow-thankfully I have a day off. Anyone want to come for coffee?
~Mrs ( I love this part) Melissa Lever
Friday, January 18, 2008
I don't know how many of you will actually read this, as it has been awhile since we wrote anything. I have a question for any of you who do. What is your worst money experiences? I have been doing some reflecting, and the more I do, the more I hate money. God provides for us, and yet we still feel the pressure to chase that dollar at the cost of many other, more important things, such as family and friends. I am not sure if there is a major point to this, other then what I have typed. Take care everyone.
adam
adam
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Beauty
I have been reading some blogs of Melissa's friends, and there has been a common theme lately. Beauty. I only will say look at Dayna and Lint C (Lindsey)'s blogs. The entries and comments brought tears to my eyes. God is amazing, and to think His beauty on earth which can put our hearts to rest, and calm our souls, is nothing compared to our Heavenly home in His presence. I feel like a halmark card, but please take the meaning, not the wording, from what I have typed. And find your ideas of beauty, and tell me what God has shown you. God Bless. -adam
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Makes You Think
Hi there.
First off, I want to say Happy Easter. Celebrate, Sing Praises, Glorify the Risen Lord. I was reading through some other blogs last night, and came across something that made me really think, and I know it will do the same for you. I was on Mark Koops' blog and read about his take on the "Big Idea" (Veggie Tales) falling apart. This promted me to read the account for myself. You can read it here. If you go, make sure you have a bit of time, because you won't want to stop till you are done. The account of what happened is something that isn't reserved to business and corporations. So often we start off in life with a dream, and a green light from God. Things are going great, and we are happy. Then we slowly (at first) and systematicly, ignore the little promtings that something isn't right. We have many ways of justifying it from "the devil is putting doubts in my head" to just pretending we didn't hear the voice at all. We think the setbacks that are mounting up on us, in whatever form that are, are challenges for us to trust God and push ahead even more, because God gave us this idea, and surely He wants the same things we do out of this. So we plunge deeper into it, and risk even more, under the umbrella of "God will use me to affect the rest of the world." Please don't get me wrong, this is a noble, and very plauseable idea. The problem lies in the fact that we haven't actually asked God if what He started, and what we are attempting, are following the same path. God dosen't NEED us to do His will, in fact, it is the opposite. We NEED to do His will. Towards the end of his account, Vischer says that when it was done, and the company sold,
" I felt about 100 pounds lighter. I felt released. Not like someone who has been unexpect-edly let out of prison, but more like someone who, having attempted to pull a very heavy weight up a very steep hill for a very long time, has suddenly been told they can stop."
Then came the reflection. When all was said and done, and people were ready to hear who's fault it was, it is here that Vischer brings it all back home, back to the man who started out with a dream to share God's love in an entertaining way. He reflected and layed blame for it all on himself. He layed no blame on the in-experience of some of his staff, or the continual increase in budget, or even the lawsuit from Lyrick Studios. They had all played a part, but the responsibility was his. He admits to having ignored his uneasy feelings, and what he started out to do in the first place. God does have plans for us, and "big ideas" and we are destined for greatness. I will not pretend that I know more then Vischer, or that I would even have made it as far as to start a successful company. But I think that he would want us to take something from his experience, and what I take is this. The very moment we take anything, be it a business, a relationship, ect., and make it our own, even a tiny bit, we are telling God we know better. Thanks for the help, but I think that I can do this little thing on my own. Sounds innocent at first, surely we can make tiny decisions without going to Him for everything. But one of the biggest tools the devil uses is self-reliance. It starts off small, but it can grow, as in the case of "Big Idea" for example, and affect so many of the lives it started out to help. I know that the lessons that can be learnt from this experience are infinate, but even if we take away one thing, then we owe God our thanks. Most of us can learn this lesson without the heartache of experiencing it on such a dramatic and public level. Reliance on God does not have a restriction to the "hard decisions". If God trusts us with the little and big things, do we not owe Him so much more? My challenge to you is to start with one day, and honestly ask, (and listen) for God's response to as many things as you can, even the "simple, no brainers" of everyday life. See how your day goes, and reply back to me. I am curious to see what you have to say.
Once again, Happy Easter. Take care.
-adam
First off, I want to say Happy Easter. Celebrate, Sing Praises, Glorify the Risen Lord. I was reading through some other blogs last night, and came across something that made me really think, and I know it will do the same for you. I was on Mark Koops' blog and read about his take on the "Big Idea" (Veggie Tales) falling apart. This promted me to read the account for myself. You can read it here. If you go, make sure you have a bit of time, because you won't want to stop till you are done. The account of what happened is something that isn't reserved to business and corporations. So often we start off in life with a dream, and a green light from God. Things are going great, and we are happy. Then we slowly (at first) and systematicly, ignore the little promtings that something isn't right. We have many ways of justifying it from "the devil is putting doubts in my head" to just pretending we didn't hear the voice at all. We think the setbacks that are mounting up on us, in whatever form that are, are challenges for us to trust God and push ahead even more, because God gave us this idea, and surely He wants the same things we do out of this. So we plunge deeper into it, and risk even more, under the umbrella of "God will use me to affect the rest of the world." Please don't get me wrong, this is a noble, and very plauseable idea. The problem lies in the fact that we haven't actually asked God if what He started, and what we are attempting, are following the same path. God dosen't NEED us to do His will, in fact, it is the opposite. We NEED to do His will. Towards the end of his account, Vischer says that when it was done, and the company sold,
" I felt about 100 pounds lighter. I felt released. Not like someone who has been unexpect-edly let out of prison, but more like someone who, having attempted to pull a very heavy weight up a very steep hill for a very long time, has suddenly been told they can stop."
Then came the reflection. When all was said and done, and people were ready to hear who's fault it was, it is here that Vischer brings it all back home, back to the man who started out with a dream to share God's love in an entertaining way. He reflected and layed blame for it all on himself. He layed no blame on the in-experience of some of his staff, or the continual increase in budget, or even the lawsuit from Lyrick Studios. They had all played a part, but the responsibility was his. He admits to having ignored his uneasy feelings, and what he started out to do in the first place. God does have plans for us, and "big ideas" and we are destined for greatness. I will not pretend that I know more then Vischer, or that I would even have made it as far as to start a successful company. But I think that he would want us to take something from his experience, and what I take is this. The very moment we take anything, be it a business, a relationship, ect., and make it our own, even a tiny bit, we are telling God we know better. Thanks for the help, but I think that I can do this little thing on my own. Sounds innocent at first, surely we can make tiny decisions without going to Him for everything. But one of the biggest tools the devil uses is self-reliance. It starts off small, but it can grow, as in the case of "Big Idea" for example, and affect so many of the lives it started out to help. I know that the lessons that can be learnt from this experience are infinate, but even if we take away one thing, then we owe God our thanks. Most of us can learn this lesson without the heartache of experiencing it on such a dramatic and public level. Reliance on God does not have a restriction to the "hard decisions". If God trusts us with the little and big things, do we not owe Him so much more? My challenge to you is to start with one day, and honestly ask, (and listen) for God's response to as many things as you can, even the "simple, no brainers" of everyday life. See how your day goes, and reply back to me. I am curious to see what you have to say.
Once again, Happy Easter. Take care.
-adam
Friday, April 6, 2007
Farming and Graditude
Hey Everyone,
Well I have some news for those of you who are going to read this. We are getting a bunch more pigs. Basically what that comes down to is that we will be pig farmers. Not big enough to have the title of a "pig barn", but by August we should have about 20 pigs. We are hoping to make a bit of money with them. What else is there? My Sweetheart is sick, so I am thinking about her right now too. Well Easter is coming and the Sacrifice Jesus made for us is brought to the front of our minds at this time of year, and maybe not often enough. I think back to the time I spent at N.B.I. and how much I learned about what I believe. In the end what really stands out is how much He did for us, and how we cannot even come close to a understanding just how much it was. The little sacrifices we make for the ones we love can sometimes seem like such a big thing for us. I am so very thankful that God isn't like that with us. So today I thank My God for the ultimate Sacrifice of His Son. Please forgive us for taking You and often the ones we love, for granted. May we strive to give You the glory and honour You deserve. Happy Easter......
The Levers
Well I have some news for those of you who are going to read this. We are getting a bunch more pigs. Basically what that comes down to is that we will be pig farmers. Not big enough to have the title of a "pig barn", but by August we should have about 20 pigs. We are hoping to make a bit of money with them. What else is there? My Sweetheart is sick, so I am thinking about her right now too. Well Easter is coming and the Sacrifice Jesus made for us is brought to the front of our minds at this time of year, and maybe not often enough. I think back to the time I spent at N.B.I. and how much I learned about what I believe. In the end what really stands out is how much He did for us, and how we cannot even come close to a understanding just how much it was. The little sacrifices we make for the ones we love can sometimes seem like such a big thing for us. I am so very thankful that God isn't like that with us. So today I thank My God for the ultimate Sacrifice of His Son. Please forgive us for taking You and often the ones we love, for granted. May we strive to give You the glory and honour You deserve. Happy Easter......
The Levers
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Our First Blog
Hi. This is our first time one this thing. We are trying to keep up with so many of our friends who seem to be getting these. There isn't a lot to talk about right now, but for those who check back every once in awhile, we may eventually have more. Today my friend Lynden and I (Adam) are doing some renovations to the house my beautiful bride Melissa and I live in. Nothing much, just some paneling in the kitchen for now, but yeah. We are trying to get ready for spring as well. I may as well tell you about our home. We have a 4 bedroom house on a farm yard with two barns. We have fenced in pasture land and corrals. Our pets include a 6 month old lab/collie cross and 3 cats. We are also raising 8 pigs to butcher in the fall meat for us as well as to sell. We may include some pictures on here of the pets yet. Melissa started a house cleaning business last October, and I have since started working with her part time, as she has been getting a number of clients. We also hope to put in a big garden this year and maybe get some chickens to eat and sell. Guess we will see what God has planned. That is all I have for now. Take care and God Bless.
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