Take Note: Paige Benton Brown

This past weekend The Gospel Coalition held a conference for women in Orlando!

Source.

My discipler got to go, so for a lot more and accurate notes and more reflective wisdom, check out her upcoming posts :)

The conference's main sessions were streamed LIVE--words cannot express how happy I was/am about this.  The way I worship, fear, and view God has been shifted.  This brings Him more glory, and for that, I am so so grateful.

I only got to watch about four (I say about because I was only half-listening to one) talks, but my favorite one that I got to hear was Paige Benton Brown's, In the Temple: The Glorious and Forgiving God.

Source.

She taught from 1 Kings 8:1-30, 52-63.  And she spoke for over an hour.  And none of it was boring.  Impressive.

A few great points/quotes:

- All other religions present a relationship between god and his people that is causative--If you do ____, god will give you ____. 

- Christianity presents a relationship between God and His people that is contradictory -- He says that we have done nothing to merit His love, favor, mercy, etc...yet He freely gives it as a gift despite our failure. 

- She referenced verses 27-28: "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house I have built? Yet have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O Lord my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays before You this day." 

- That "Yet" is huge -- it indicates that Solomon knows he does not deserve answered prayer, or anything good, from God, yet he asks for it, knowing that God keeps His promises: "'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who with His hand has fulfilled what He has promised with His mouth to David...'" (v. 15). 

- God keeps His promises; therefore we can trust Him. 

- The purpose of God's will is relationship, not forgiveness.  Forgiveness is required for relationship. 

- He gives up His rightful throne to take on my rightful Cross. 

- As the temples was the dwelling place of God, now because of Jesus, WE are the temples in which God dwells. 

- Does my hatred, jealousy, doubt square with the fact that I house the glory of God? 

- Work, reason, wrestle FROM the "templeness" that Jesus has given to us, not TO it--you can't.

- He tells us to "...be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18) -- therefore, if we are filled, "there ain't no room for anything else." 

- Being a temples of the living God changes the amount of time I spend investing in the way that I look, how I spend money, etc. 

- There is no room for the attitude that "the way I spend my money, time, and efforts is up to me, because He fills ALL of it.  

I have never before considered, to this degree, that I am a temple of God.  Not as some princess-like jewel that God doesn't want anyone to scratch, but I literally house the presence of God.  Therefore, fickle discipline and doubt of God's sovereignty is laughable; my prideful desire for control and fear at the thought of relinquishing control seems not just erroneous, but ugly.

I am always more wretched that I think I am; He is always more good, more holy, and more glorious than I think He is.

Five Friday Finds.

Seeking wisdom is the largest part of me recognizing the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

Daily scripture reading, sharing and listening to peers and particularly older, wiser women and men, listening to sermons/talks, and yes, even leisurely reading articles is part of me seeking wisdom.

Have the words of the Bible and other people draw me to the throne of justification and grace is beautiful, and makes me worship Him more.

This week, by the grace of God, has been no different.

1.  Children and Salvation
JD Greear, my pastor (Summit Church)

"As my kids grow older, they will certainly have moments of insight in which they understand better His grace, and defining moments in which they "own" that posture.  But it is a posture I can encourage them toward from the beginning."

2.  Are You Young, Restless, and Reformed?
Hugh Whelchel, via The Gospel Coalition

"...young men and women are still striving for more substantive and experiential Christianity."

3.  How Jesus Saved My Dad and Family
Tony Evans

"...she could not understand how the more she rejected him, was unkind to him and tried to prove that believing in God was wrong, he kinder he was to her and the more he invested in God's Word."

4.  Rebuilding a Healthy Schedule
Joe Thorn, via The Resurgence

"It wasn't just that I was working too hard, but that I had also started listening to the devil's lies."

5.  Why My Husband of Three Years and I Go To Marriage Counseling
Sharon Hodde Miller, via Hermenutics

"In a culture of instant gratification and entitlement, many couples feel duped and unprepared when they realize they must word hard to make marriage succeed."

What are some articles you've recently enjoyed?

Wednesday Wellness: Sleep Styles

Most of us don't put a lot of thought into the way we sleep.

You hop into bed and, if you're like me, count the number of hours of sleep you're going to get and hope you don't have a hard time dosing off.  

Now, I've heard a lot about what your preferred sleeping style says about you...

If you sleep on your stomach you're type-A; sleeping on your back means you're lethargic and unmotivated.

I used to sleep on my stomach and side, and then I forced myself to sleep on my back...so what does that make me?

But that's another post for never (because honestly, who cares?).

What I'm here to discuss is the pose in which you take before you start counting sheep.

It matters.

The googled pictures of slumbering babies are for your enjoyment.

Let's begin with the worst position:

Stomach.

Sleeping on your stomach ensures that your neck will be twisted for hours. 

And likely means that you will have a crick in your neck for the rest of the day. What fun.

The Not-So-Bad Position:

Side.

Side sleepers (as long as you aren't curled up in a fetal-like position) benefit from an elongated spine and virtually no pressure on their neck.

However, your face is being smushed into your pillow and things are sagging hanging.

Hello early wrinkles.

The best sleeping style:

Back.

Sleep on your back, people.

Your head, neck, and spine are easily maintained in a neutral position.

No skin scrunching and easy breathing.

If you're a snorer, it's not going to get any better.  Just purchase some snoring strips and flip on your back.

What is your sleeping style?

Tasty Tuesday: Culturally Confused/Healthy Burrito

Friday night I came home from a ten-hour work day to a Mexican dinner.  Score.

However...Mexican food is typically in conjunction with extreme overeating and a load of regret.

So I decided to be proactive and before I gazed too long at a giant white flour tortilla and regular sour cream (fortunately, I don't eat red meat), and tried to make it healthy!

I grabbed these tortillas that I knew were hiding in the fridge just waiting to be chosen instead of their nutritionally and financially cheaper counterparts. 

Not too shabby.

I grabbed two (it was Mexican night, give me a break):

Opened a can of black beans, and distributed 2/3 of a cup of the beans onto the tortillas.

Sprinkled some feta cheese on top...

Now I know what you're thinking.  It does indeed seem like a Greek dish thus far.  I promise I indulged in the deliciousness of Mexican night.

Zapped it in the microwave for about a minute, and loaded some mild (I'm a wimp and unashamed) salsa and lettuce on top.

Yummy, filling, and not too much.

What are some tricks that you use to make Mexican food a little less...suicidal to your health?

High Five for Friday!

It's Friday...PTL.

This week has been awesome, for realz.

For one, I'm now on blog lovin':

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I'm linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday!

Music, letters, muffins, and beach dates--all included!

Let's get started:

ONE.

Last night my parents, my Nana (mom's mom), Magran and Papa (dad's parents) and I attended a benefit concert that raised money for Special Olympics, at Thalian Hall in downtown Wilmington.  

Magran, me, Nana, and Mommie before the show.

A couple that are members of my family's church are former Broadway performers, who have four children, two of which have downs syndrome.

The concert was in support of a campaign called "Spread the Word to End the Word", referring to the word "retarded" which is derogatory and offensive to people with disabilities and people that are close to people with disabilities.

Daddy and I getting super pumped.

Mommie wanted to join in on the fun.

It was getting out of hand.

By the way...this was my view from the front row baby.

The music was gorgeous and timeless and I hugged a ton of people from my family's church in which I grew up.  It was awesome to see often ostracized members of the church supported.

Gratitude was wrought--for my Savior who rights all of our wrongs and makes perfect what I have broken.

TWO.

Sending snail mail :)

THREE.

These carbs. Mmmm.

FOUR.

Beach date with Mommie on Sunday afternoon. Delightful.

Yes, my mom is wearing DANGLY pearls to the beach. She's southern. 

And she got some interesting tan sunburn lines.  

For her sake, pictures not included.

FIVE.

Walking on the beach in the evening with my family is becoming an unscheduled tradition. And I kind of love it.

Sorry for the awful lighting.

From the lifeguard stand.  Rebels.

Afterwards we had a family game night. 

P.S. My sister and I tied for first :)

What's your favorite family game?

Five Favorite Finds.

Can I just say how much I love not having schoolwork having extra time to read, dwell, and meditate on scripture and life-giving, worshipful pieces of writing?

Well, I love it.

Enjoy these fantastic articles I found this week:

1.  Snuggling Is Holy Work, Too
via The Resurgence
Alex Early

"It is heart-wrenching news for a child to learn that Jesus takes Daddy away from the family to go do 'holier' things than play in the floor, telling bedtime stories, learning about their interests and snuggling."

2. Quantity Time, Quality Time, & a Clingy Son
Ben Reed, Small Groups Paster, Grace Community Church

"...you can tell what you value by what fills up your calendar."

2.  When Grace Goes Violent

via Desiring God

David Mathis, quoting Matt Chandler's book Explicit Gospel

"...he wants sin starved to death, and he will hunt and pursue the death of every sin in his heart until he has achieved success."

4.  J. Gresham Machen: "Liberalism Has Abandoned Christianity"

via The Resurgence

Justin Holcomb

"Machen writes, 'In trying to remove from Christianity everything that could possibly be objected to in the name of science...the apologist has really abandoned what he started out to defend.'"

5.  Is a Wife's Submission Culturally Outdated?

via Desiring God

Tony Reinke

"Husbands typify Christ by sacrificially loving their wives, and wives typify the church by following their husbands...the balance between leadership and trust...points to the unending submission that the church will experience under Christ's headship (Ephesians 5:24-25)."

What are some great articles you've read recently?

Tasty Tuesday: Cinnamon Walnut Oatmeal Muffins

...What a mouthful! (punny.)

Sunday late afternoon, after church and beach time with my momma, I decided to make a breakfast dish.

The idea made total sense at the time.

Pinterest is always great for recipes...but the recipes I had pinned I needed to go to the grocery store to get a few items. And it was just too great of a day to leave my house alone. 

There was baking and lounging to be done!

I wanted something oatmeal (duh) and I found THIS fantastic recipe!

I changed quite a few things, so here's my version:

Ingredients

Muffins:

1 cup sifted all purpose flour

1/4 cup of sugar

3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (could use raisins, blueberries...my pantry had walnuts)

3 tbsp canola oil

1 egg, beaten

1 cup milk

Topping:

2 tbsp honey (could use brown sugar)

1 tbsp cinnamon

2 tsp all purpose flour

1 tbsp butter

Directions for Muffins:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Sift 1 cup of all purpose flour into a mixing bowl.

Add the baking powder and salt, and sift the ingredient all together.

Then add the oatmeal and walnuts into the mix.

(I decided to chop mine)

Then, in a separate mixing bowl, beat one egg well.

Then add the oil and milk; whisk.

Pour the oil/milk/egg into the big mixing bowl and stir well.

I added a dash of cinnamon to the mix.

Stir together and fill muffin tins 2/3 - 1/2 full.

Bake for 15 minutes.

I obviously didn't fill my tins equally.  Oops.

Let cool while you whip up the topping.

Directions for Topping:

Combine the butter, flour, cinnamon, and honey in a microwavable bowl/cup.

Microwave the mixture for 30 seconds; stir.

You can drizzle the topping or let it cool for a bit and then coat the top of each individual muffin. 

Like so:

Enjoy!

My family sure did...as they were GONE before I ate breakfast the next morning.

So much for a breakfast dish.