GraceAnna

Tuesday Medley {1/31/12}

2012-01-31T11:09:00.001-05:00

Today's Medley post is short and it's on just one topic - J.C. Ryle.

I don't know that much about J.C. Ryle, except that he was the Bishop of Liverpool in the 1800s and a faithful man of God.

But this week I came across several things written by him and I'm looking forward to learning more about him!

First, I came across this article: 8 Profitable Way to Read the Bible by J.C. Ryle. I found it so helpful! "Resolve to believe implicitly whatever you find there, however much it may run counter to your own desires and prejudices. Resolve to receive heartily every statement of truth — whether you like it or not. Beware of that miserable habit into which some readers of the Bible fall — they receive some doctrines because they like them; and they reject others because they are condemning to themselves, or to some relation, or friend. At this rate, the Bible is useless!"

Then, my mother-in-law sent me this book in the mail: Children's Stories by J.C. Ryle. Each chapter is basically a short sermon geared for kids. And it's no joke either, the first story is called, "Two Bears" and is the story of Elisha and the children who mocked him.

Lastly, Grant called me this morning and told me that John Piper is going to be giving a biographical sketch on the life of J.C. Ryle at 2:30 this afternoon (at a Pastor's conference) and that I can watch it live here.

"The world is the great rock on which thousands of young people are continually making shipwreck."
- J.C. Ryle

Week 5 {52 Passage Challenge}

2012-01-30T22:14:00.000-05:00

"Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are Gods." - 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Notes from John MacArthur:

"The Spirit of God lives in us. We literally are a temple in which God lives. We're not our own. We were bought, and the price was the precious blood of Jesus Christ as a Lamb without blemish and without spot. Therefore, we have the obligation to use this Holy Spirit temple in such a way that brings honor to God.

I had a friend in who was visiting a great cathedral in New York City. When he came to a shrine to St. Joseph, there was a sign hanging around St. Joseph's neck that read: Do not worship here. This shrine is out of order. My friend said to himself, 'I wonder if there aren't many days when that sign should be hanging around my neck. Don't expect to see Christ here. This shrine is out of order.'

Your body is that shrine. It is that temple to the Holy Spirit because He lives there. Sometimes I'm afraid He is obscured. Make sure your shrine is in order. Glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God's."

Further Thoughts

I always think it's amazing how Scripture passages reflect other Scripture passages. It's incredible to me how the whole Bible was written over thousands of years by different men and yet it fits together so cohesively. It is such a testament to the fact that the Word of God is indeed - God's very words, and no man could have ever come up with what is written in the Bible.

I've been reading through the book of Matthew this past week. In Matthew chapter 13, Jesus talks to his disciples about how at the end of the age, those who don't believe in Jesus will be thrown into a furnace of fire. I was so taken aback by that image of fire. One that I don't like to think about.

It reminded me of Daniel chapter 3 where Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were told that they must bow down to the golden image of Nebuchadnezzar or they would be thrown into a furnace of fire. They refused to bow down and worship an idol, and they were thrown into the furnace by Nebuchadnezzar's men. But God miraculously protected them from the flames, and they were delivered, without even the slightest smell of smoke on their clothes.

When I read that passage, I was struck with two things: first, the way the two passages connect. In both instances, Jesus is the one who makes a way of escape from the fire. God didn't have to save Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego from the temporal fire (they would have been saved from the eternal fire). But God chose to save them from that fire on that day, as a testament to everyone there that He is God and that He alone is able to save.

I also thought about the fact that those three young men yielded their bodies in obedience to God. They yielded their bodies. I can't imagine anything more horrific or terrifying than being tied up and then cast into a furnace of fire, and yet they were willing to allow it to happen to them. Why? Because their relationship to God directly affected what they did with their bodies. Their outward actions correlated to the inward state of their hearts.

So, all this to say, when I came to today's weekly passage, I once again saw Scripture connecting. The way that I live my life on a daily basis directly reflects my relationship with God. Do I yield my body daily in service and obedience to the Lord? Do I do laundry, cook dinner, take care of a sick baby, dust, spend time with my husband, and go running, all the while yielding my heart and the things I do in my physical body to the Lord?

Lots to think about.

Tuesday Medley {1/24/12}

2012-01-24T18:15:00.000-05:00

The NEW Search The Scriptures (my dad's radio and teaching ministry) website is up! This has been a project that Grant has been working on for months. There are still changes and updates being made, but now you can listen and watch recent sermons, older sermon series, and you can order dvds and cds. It's a huge step forward from the old site and I think it will be a blessing to many.

This past Sunday was Sanctity of Life Sunday. Ever since I got pregnant with AudreyKate, abortion has become even more abhorrent to me than ever. Grant has often said that he thinks that one day abortion will be looked upon in the same way that slavery or the Holocaust now is - an unthinkable thing. I came across this article on Desiring God over the weekend: Racial Slavery and Abortion: How History Repeats Itself. I couldn't agree more with the author's points: "Defenders of slavery in America justified it by asserting that African-Americans were not fully persons, particularly in comparison to other races. Likewise, abortion advocates assert that the unborn baby — the fetus, as they call it — is not fully a person, particularly in comparison to those living outside of the womb."

I really liked this infographic on the attributes of God.

AudreyKate will be turning 1 in March! We are going to have a very simple, family party for her (and her cousin Luke!) I started looking around on Pinterest for some fun ideas. I was totally inspired and totally overwhelmed at the same time. I know I'll never be able to put together a party like some of the ideas I found. But if I did have the creativity and the resources and the time and the place to put together an amazing party, it would be just like this Shabby Chic party.

On a completely different note, I read the prayer of Lady Jane Grey this week. She wrote this in her prison cell before she was beheaded in 1554. She was 17 yrs old. May we all have this spirit - saying YES to His will, whatever it may be for our lives.

O merciful God, be thou unto me
A strong tower of defense,
I humbly entreat Thee.
Give me grace to await Thy leisure,
And patiently to bear
What Thou doest unto me;
Nothing doubting or mistrusting
Thy goodness towards me;
Better than I do.
Therefore do with me in all things
What Thou wilt;
Only arm me, I beseech Thee,
With Thine armor,
That I may stand fast;
Above all things taking to me
The shield of faith;
Praying always that I may
Refer myself wholly to Thy will,
Abiding Thy pleasure, and comforting myself
In those troubles which it shall please Thee
To send me, seeing such troubles are
Profitable for me; and I am
Assuredly persuaded that all Thou doest
Cannot but be well; and unto Thee
Be all honor and glory. Amen.

dear 10 month old

2012-01-23T21:05:00.001-05:00

dear 10 month old,

I love how you greet the morning with a big smile under your pink pacifier. You stand up in your crib and make noises until I come and get you. And when I come, you are so happy.

I love that I'm your favorite person, though you are loving daddy more and more every day.

I love how you point at everything and say "di." Everything is new and exciting.

You are such a people person. You stare at everyone and you aren't afraid to talk to strangers. Somehow you make even the most stoic of faces smile.

You can climb a whole flight of stairs, though you don't know how to come back down yet. It only confuses you when I try to show you how. Yesterday you tumbled down two steps. You didn't get hurt but you got scared. But you climbed back up today. You didn't even remember that you fell, or if you did, you weren't scared anymore.

You think daddy is so funny. You love when he plays with you, but after a minute or so you start reaching for me. Once I take you from daddy, you want to stare at him.

You love puppy dogs. You want to chase them, pull their fur and hold them. Puppy dogs don't like you that much yet.

You love cereal, but you don't like green beans or peas or applesauce.

You clap for yourself when you do something you know is smart. You also clap when daddy brings you to me. Daddy loves when you clap for him too.

You love waving "bye-bye" to everyone. The only problem is, you are waving to yourself, not them. But everybody knows what you mean.

When daddy builds a tower of blocks on the floor, you try to knock it down as fast as he can build it. It's a fun game that you love.

Sometimes you get whiny. You don't like when you have to miss out on the action or when you have to get belted in your car seat. And you do not like it when I tell you, "no."

I love that I have a little companion with me wherever I go. You are the best kind of company.

You don't know it, but almost every night daddy goes in your room and prays for you while you are sleeping.

You have changed my life a lot.

It seems like I think about housework more, but I do a lot less of it.

You have made life so much more interesting.

You help me not to think about myself.

You make me pray more too.

You've helped me understand things in a deeper way.

You are a joy, dear 10 month old. don't ever change.

Week 4 {52 Passage Challenge}

2012-01-23T11:22:00.000-05:00

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." - Hebrews 4:12

Notes from John MacArthur:

"Many think of the Bible as a comforting book, but the Scripture claims to be a sword - alive, powerful, sharp. It cuts and penetrates way down into the depth of soul and spirit. It becomes a discerner of the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Nothing cuts and penetrates like the truth of God. You could take all the psychology and philosophy in the world, and it cannot dismantle a man at the level of his soul as the Word of God can. And the reason is because nobody knows a man like God knows a man. The heart of every one of us is exposed to God, and the Bible reveals that penetrating insight into our souls. Yes, the Bible knows how to build us up, but it also knows how to convict and unmask our hypocrisy, how to cut into our pride and self-will, how to uncover our secret sins. But wherever God cuts, He heals, and whatever He reveals, He cleanses. And it's that kind of cleansing that makes me able to bear more fruit in my own joy and to the glory of God."

Verses for further study:

Jeremiah 23:29
1 Thessalonians 2:13
Ephesians 6:17
Revelation 1:16

Texas Heart {Epilogue - Part 1}

2012-01-19T21:38:00.002-05:00

Grant and I sat in the busy and crowded Los Angeles International Airport.

It was November, and we had been married two months.

The past two months had been wonderful, but also really different. Those seven weeks (after our honeymoon), we had been living in Yuma, Arizona while Grant attended a training exercise with the Marine Corps called WTI.

Most Marines do not bring their wives to WTI. First off, it isn't practical because the Marine Corps doesn't provide married housing, but secondly, most wives wouldn't want to go because their husbands work practically 24/7.

But. . . we were newly married and we wanted to be together, so Grant rented a small apartment off base for the short time we would be there.

I had never been to Arizona in my life. It was so different.

The town of Yuma felt rundown and old in some places, but in other places it looked brand new as restaurants and stores were opening up to support the growing military population.

I remember so vividly the night that Grant and I pulled into the apartment complex where we would be staying. Our car was jam-packed full of stuff. While Grant went inside the front office to pick up our key, I looked down at the temperature gauge in the car. It read 104 degrees, and it was 10pm.

We unloaded our car and entered the apartment that would be our temporary home. I tried to hide my shock from Grant as I gazed at its decrepit condition. The carpet and furniture were "worn" to say the least, there was a musty smell, the paint was peeling, and there were dead bugs in every corner.

It didn't exactly scream honeymoon, but at least we would be together.

When we awoke the next morning, Grant and I got in the car and drove to a church that we had looked up the night before. As we drove toward the outskirts of town, we could see desert for miles on end.

"Couldn't you just imagine cowboys and indians riding over that ridge at any moment?" Grant asked me as he pointed to a small mountain of jagged rocks in the distance.

"Yeah, I could," I said gazing out the window at all the dust and sand and cacti.

Those two months in Yuma were some of the sweetest and hardest times for me as a newly married woman. Grant was gone twelve hours almost every day, including Saturdays, while I was all alone in the middle of nowhere.

I tried to make the best use of my time. I figured out how to kill ants that were inside and I spent lots of time staring at the pigeons that lived on our front balcony. I wrote all our thank-you notes for our wedding gifts. I drove down almost every street in Yuma, even crossing over into California once by mistake. I read through a lot of the Old Testament, and spent lots of time in the laundromat washing camis and undershirts and socks. I sat by the pool sometimes, when there weren't creepy people around.

It was hard, especially on days when I knew Grant was miles away in the desert and completely unreachable.

Even though I was married, I felt isolated. Before Grant and I were married, I was in familiar surroundings, I was working and spending time with friends and family, but now all that was gone.

I found myself drawing close to the Lord once again and looking to Him for friendship.

Even though those couple months out in Yuma were lonely, they were also wonderful. Sunday was my absolute favorite day because Grant had the entire day off. We would go to the earliest service at church and then spend the entire day doing fun things.

We would often go running together, sometimes on base or sometimes on a dirt road on the outskirts of the desert. One day we even ran into a pack of jackrabbits. I remember saying out of surprise, "Grant look at all the bunnies!" I was promptly corrected.

We would go on long drives and Grant would turn on one of his favorite Texas country singers, Robert Earl Keen.

During the week, I would be washing dishes (we didn't have a dishwasher) and catch myself singing, "It's hotter than a furnace fan out in Arizona."

We also spent lot and lots of time talking about our future. How many kids would we have? What would their names be and what would they look like? Where would Grant go to seminary? Where would Grant end up pastoring one day? Where did we want to settle down?

It was a sweet time. A time I would never forget.

But now, we were sitting in Los Angeles, preparing for another chapter in our lives ~ Japan.

Japan was where Grant was stationed in the Marine Corps, and now I was joining him as his wife.

We didn't know how long we would be there. We could potentially be there longer than originally planned.

All along, I had been so excited about living in Japan with Grant. I really wasn't scared or nervous at all.

As Grant and I sat by our gate waiting for our plane to board, I called all of my family and said good-bye one last time. It would be a few days before we got our internet hooked up and it would be a long time before I would have an American cell phone again.

I powered off my phone and put it in my bag. I suddenly felt light-headed and faint.

"GraceAnna, are you okay?" Grant looked at me, concerned.

My eyes filled with tears. I was scared. For the first time in this whole process of getting married, and moving, and really my whole life changing, I was completely overcome by fear.

We boarded the plane and sat down. It felt dark and crowded. I tried to relax, but I couldn't.

"GraceAnna, can I pray for you?" Grant asked, sensing my continued distress.

Grant prayed, but I didn't feel any better.

I felt the plane begin to move down the runway. I wanted to stop it somehow. I wanted to jump off the plane before it took off. I knew being with Grant was everything that I wanted and I didn't want to spend one moment without him; but leaving everything I had ever known to go to a place that I had never been, this was harder than I had imagined.

{to be continued in Part 2 of Epilogue}

Tuesday Medley {1/17/12}

2012-01-17T16:37:00.000-05:00

An Open Letter to my Daughter is a beautiful letter that one father wrote to his teenage daughter. Warning: it will make you cry. "Don’t marry a boy… no matter how old he may be. Do not fall for the first young man who comes along and shows you attention. Rather, follow that man whom comes along and resembles the unconditional grace of your Lord Jesus."

Shepherding a Child's Heart. Grant and I are reading this book right now. We are enjoying it so much and learning so much! If you are a parent, it is an absolute must-read!

Tebow: How to Lose a Game without Losing Your Testimony. "Christianity is not about winning football games; it’s about honoring the Lord in every situation, even when you lose the football game."

Know a Christian Who Seems to Love Movies More Than Jesus? by John Piper. "Many professing Christians give little evidence of valuing Jesus more than the latest movie they have seen. Or the latest clothing they bought. Or the latest app they downloaded. Or the latest game they watched. Something is amiss."

Grant and I were watching the Broncos vs. Patriots game on Sunday night with my family when this commercial came on. We all sat there in stunned unbelief. . . wow.

Week 3 {of the 52 Passage Challenge}

2012-01-16T10:51:00.001-05:00

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." - Romans 8:28

Notes from John MacArthur:

The best manuscript evidence of the original Greek records this verse this way: "We know that God causes all things to work together for good." Now, we understand that there is evil, not only in the world, but in us. It isn't saying that all things are good. It says that God causes all things to work together for good. This leads us to the profound element of God's supreme authority and power over all the issues of life to produce out of them His own good purposes. God takes all the contingencies of life, all the choices, all the good, bad, and indifferent things, and weaves them together for ultimately a good purpose. That is the promise that God is giving to those who have been called to salvation. Every suffering, temptation, trial, even every sin, God works together into a tapestry that ultimately is for your good. You might not see it at the time. It's like looking at the back of a Persian rug. It's just a bunch of threads going into chaotic directions. But when you turn it over some day in eternity, you'll see how it all worked together for good.

Verses for further study:
Ezra 8:22
Ecclesiastes 8:12
Ephesians 1:4; 1:11; 5:27
Colossians 1:22
Jude 24
1 John 4:19

a winter beach day

2012-01-15T18:27:00.000-05:00

The Saturday before last, the weather was warm and Grant suggested we take a trip to the beach with AudreyKate and my nephews, Jack and Luke.

I love the beach, and I'm so glad that I married a man who loves the beach. And as it turns out, AudreyKate loves the beach too! Our trip wasn't the first time she had been to the beach, but the first time since she has really been aware of things. We set her on the sand and she just crawled and crawled and crawled. The only problem was that she would crawl from seashell to seashell and try to put them in her mouth! Grant and I had to switch "duty" with her because it was impossible to look away from her for even a moment. When it was time to go, and I scooped her up out of the sand, there were lots and lots of tears. And lots and lots of sand.

I'm looking forward to many more trips to the beach when the weather warms up.

Swinging

2012-01-11T11:03:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Medley {1/10/12}

2012-01-10T15:22:00.001-05:00

You Never Marry the Right Person is a short excerpt from Tim Keller's new book, The Meaning of Marriage. I loved this quote, "Love without truth is sentimentality; it supports and affirms us but keeps us in denial about our flaws. Truth without love is harshness; it gives us information but in such a way that we cannot really hear it. God’s saving love in Christ, however, is marked by both radical truthfulness about who we are and yet also radical, unconditional commitment to us."

Is There Anything Tim Tebow Can't Do? "Tim Tebow set a record for most sports-related tweets per second. Twitter reported that tweets about Tebow beat out the rate of Twitter reactions at the death of Steve Jobs, the mission that killed Osama bin Laden and the royal wedding ..."

Maybe This Year. I enjoyed this short article on keeping our hearts focused on Christ this new year. “Will the young woman find a mate? Will the couple have a child? Maybe this year will be the year of desire fulfilled. Perhaps, on the other hand, it will be the year of desire radically transformed, the year of finding, as we have perhaps not yet truly found, Christ to be the All-Sufficient One, Christ the ‘deep sweet well of Love’”

Stingy Out Gets Stingy In. I always seem to get both a laugh and a shot of conviction with Rachel's posts. "Let’s talk more about messy houses, because I can’t stop. Imagine you spent the day rearranging and cleaning up the living space in your home. You have flowers and clean curtains and fresh throw pillows and maybe a candle. You are pleased. The right lights are on. Things are good. And then, like the wolf on the fold, the people in your life descend upon your work."

New research agrees with timeless truth: Men and Women are different. "A science journal has uncovered a fact that God's Word has been telling the world since the creation account in Genesis 1:27: men and woman are different."

Week 2 {52 Key Passages Challenge}

2012-01-09T09:57:00.000-05:00

Last Monday, I wrote about how I am adding a weekly Bible verse to my times of devotion. All week, I reflected on Psalm 103:1-5. I wrote it on the chalkboard in my kitchen. Yesterday, I recited the verses to Grant from memory. I hadn't even tried to memorize them, but after looking at the verses all week, it had made its way into my head and heart.

I was so encouraged by this because it's such an easy way to stay in God's Word during the week (even if you are really busy).

I would love for you to join with me in reflecting on the verses I'll be posting every Monday! Feel free to share your thoughts from each week. You can just comment on the bottom of each new Monday post in response to the previous week.

I would have you "link up" if you want to join me from your blog, but I have no idea how to do that (yet).

Here is this week's verse:

Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the Lord. - Jeremiah 9:23-24

Notes on this passage from John MacArthur (taken from the MacArthur Daily Bible):

What a wonderful promise, that God delights in those who understand and know Him. We live in a world full of of people who glory in the big string of degrees after their names. They want people to be impressed by their achievements, insights, and wisdom. While some people glory in their physical strengths, others glory in the business they've built. We meet a lot of people who glory in their riches. "Glory" means "to boast." They proclaim it in the clothes they wear, the cars they drive, and the homes they own. That's just the way human, fallen, simple creatures are. But the Lord God says this: "If you're going to boast, boast in this, that you know and understand Me." Which is wonderful news! I know the God of the universe. Why would I glory in human wisdom and might and riches when I know the God of the universe? And, even more wonderfully, He knows me.

Here are some other verses I found as great cross-references for further study:
Exodus 34:6-7
Psalm 103:8
Joel 2:12-13
1 Corinthians 1:26 -31
2 Corinthian 10:7
Jeremiah 8:9

Daddy's Girl

2012-01-08T17:52:00.001-05:00

AudreyKate loves books. And she loves when daddy reads her books before bed.

Christmas in Texas

2012-01-07T21:32:00.002-05:00

These are just a few pictures from our trip to Texas.

Texas bound!

Learning how to climb a whole flight of stairs.

Christmas Eve Service.

AudreyKate with her Grandma.

Opening her stocking on Christmas morning.

Enjoying being the center of attention on Christmas afternoon.

Loving her new baby doll from her grandparents.

AudreyKate with her Grandpa Castleberry.

The tree that Grant's dad, Kelly, planted at his parents home.

Grant with his Grandma and Grandpa Castleberry.

Stephen F. Austin statue in Lake Jackson.

Dinner at Lupe Tortilla (one of Grant's favorite Mexican restaurants).

Saying good-bye.

Tuesday Medley {1/3/12}

2012-01-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

Today's "medley" isn't much of a medley as I'm only posting two things. Just like everyone I'm sure, the past few weeks have been really busy, so I honestly I didn't read very much.

I did listen to this sermon by Paul Tripp before Christmas. Grant listened to it first and told me that I just had to listen to it. I put in my ipod and listened to it on a run. All I can say is that I ended up running a whole extra mile just so I could listen to the end! The main thing I took away from his sermon was the importance of putting your hope solely in Christ. Tripp also talked about how "the road to hope is hopelessness." It really hit home for both Grant and me and we've had several conversations about it.

Here it is:

Awaiting an Advent

Also, I really agreed with this article, "Why Lie to Your Kids About Santa?" Here's an excerpt: "I never want my children to have this existential monologue in junior high: “Daddy told me about a six day creation, virgin birth, Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, angels, and fairies. Then he said he was only joking about half the stuff. I felt gullible for falling for it. Mmm. I wonder if my science teacher is right about Evolution? What other nonsense has been fed to me as fact?”"

"Fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, children, or the company of earthly friends, are but shadows. But the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams, but God is the sun. These are but streams, but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean." - Jonathan Edwards

Grace Catherine

2012-01-02T22:12:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to post these pictures of my niece, Grace Catherine, since before Christmas.

Grace means "an undeserved gift" and Catherine means "pure."

What a beautiful name for a beautiful little girl.

This picture is the "before" picture.

This is the "after" picture. See? Much better :)

This picture was Jordan's idea :)

Grace's big sister, Claire, who affectionately calls her sister, "Gace."

My brother Jordan is such a great dad.

Sweet sisters.

Train Your Soul

2012-01-02T12:00:00.001-05:00

Along with my Bible reading, this year I'm adding something a little different to my devotion routine. I am going to be meditating on a specific verse throughout the week. In the front of my John MacArthur Daily Bible, there are 52 key passages of the Bible listed for reflection each week along with a short summary. I am going to try and post each weekly verse on my fridge or the chalkboard in my kitchen so that I can reflect on it throughout the week (the majority of my time seems to be spent in the kitchen area).

So often, I can have a time of devotion with the Lord in the morning, and then not reflect on what I learned at all during the day.

I thought the verse for this week really went along with my last post and it was a huge encouragement to me this morning.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;" ~ Psalm 103:1-4

Notes from MacArthur:
King David learned the powerful habit of telling himself the truth. "Bless the Lord O my soul." That's a good thing to tell yourself, isn't it? "And all that is within me, bless His holy name." That's a habit worth practicing. Train your soul to bless God. And how do you do that? By not forgetting His benefits. Whatever might be going wrong in your life, whatever might be a disappointment, even a serious illness or death, does not affect God's eternal blessing on you as His child. He has redeemed your life from destruction, and He crowns you with lovingkindness, which means grace and mercy. He pours out His tenderness. He heals all your diseases, not necessarily in time, but in eternity. And He forgives all your iniquities. Don't ever forget His benefits: forgiveness, absolute perfection in heaven, freedom from all sickness and death, abundant mercy, and everything you ever need. May everything that is in you bless His holy name.

Remember. . .

2011-12-30T23:54:00.000-05:00

I read this post yesterday by Mark Altrogge (pastor and songwriter). On his blog, Pastor Mark encourages his readers to take some time to remember the past year.

I used to journal all the time, pages at a time. Now I write something down almost every day, but it usually amounts to about half a page or just a paragraph or two, or sometimes just a sentence in my Mom's One Line a Day.

But yesterday, I took some time and made a list of the major things that I remember from 2011. Most of the things I recorded were blessings (the biggest blessing being audreykate). Some were trials. Some things were about me, some about Grant, some about my family.

It was a neat time to just reflect on the things God has done this past year. I was able to think about the things that had happened that had been amazing. I was also able to think about the things that were really hard. As I made a list, I became overwhelmingly grateful for God's blessings in my life and for His hand of protection.

Throughout the Bible, believers in Christ are continually encouraged to remember the great things that God has done (1 Chronicles 16:12). We are also called to worship God for who He is and exhorted to place our trust and hope in Him as long as God has given us breath (Psalm 146).

I never want to lose sight of all that God has richly blessed me with. I want to be thankful for every year of life that He gives me and every single turn of the page.

So, if you get a chance, maybe find some alone time today and make a list of things you remember from 2011. Hopefully, it will cause you to love and trust God more.

I LOVE this little girl!

PS- I'm working on an "epilogue" to Texas Heart (it's 2 parts). I haven't decided whether or not I'm going to post it on the blog, I don't want to ruin the ending for y'all by extending it a little further. I would love for you to let me know if you want to read it!

I'm also looking forward to posting some pictures from our trip to Texas!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-28T18:29:00.003-05:00

We arrived home today after spending a week in Texas. We had a wonderful Christmas with Grant's side of the family.

Grant and I are abundantly thankful to the Lord for His blessings in our lives this past year (especially little AudreyKate, who came into our lives this past March).

We hope you enjoyed celebrating the birth of our Savior this week.

Merry Christmas!

Love,
The Castleberrys

Texas Heart Part 35 - {Full Circle}

2011-12-19T10:59:00.001-05:00

I grasped my husband's hand as we got into the antique car that was waiting for us outside the church to take us to the reception. Grant closed the heavy door and leaned in to kiss me. I still couldn't believe we were married.

I never imagined it would be him. I mean, I never knew that it was Grant that God had for me. If I had only known, it would have saved so much worry!

It was only two years before that I had spent the summer on a "Summer Project" with Cru in Santa Cruz, California. At the time, I had been clueless about my future.

I remember one particular morning that summer of 2007 when I was walking along the breathtaking California coastline with my Bible study leader, Hannah.

As we walked and talked, our conversation turned toward Clemson. Hannah had attended Clemson too and she started asking me why I wasn't dating anyone.

"What about so-and-so?" She asked. "Why don't you date him? He's an awesome guy."

"I know," I responded. "I don't think he likes me though."

"Okay, well what about so-and-so?" She continued as she named off another friend.

"I don't know," I went on. "It just doesn't seem right."

She continued on through a list of different godly guys that we both knew.

"I don't know, Hannah. I just feel like God is saying no. I don't know what He's trying to tell me, but I just feel like He wants me to wait."

I'll never forget how Hannah responded. "Well, God must have someone great in mind for you, GraceAnna."

I hope you're right, I remember saying.

Grant put his arm around me in the backseat of the car. Now it was all a reality. God had been calling me to wait for His perfect timing. All along, He had Grant in mind for me.

And now I was Mrs. Castleberry. I remembered the first time I had said Grant's last name aloud when I was vacationing with my family at Fripp Island. I had loved the way his name rolled off my tongue. It was different and it seemed both hard and yet soft to me. I liked it. Now it was my own.

As the old car pulled into Pinckney Retreat, I looked out the window. I couldn't believe how beautiful everything looked.

Grant and I mingled with our guests under the canopy of live oak trees. We tried to talk to everyone. We felt so overwhelmed with gratitude to our friends and family who had come to celebrate with us.

Grant's Grammie who was suffering from cancer had come all the way from Texas.

My entire Duke Bible study had driven down from North Carolina.

Grant's friends, the Leonards, had driven up from Florida.

Some of my Clemson friends had made the drive down from the upstate.

A group of Grant's Texas Aggie buddies had flown in for the weekend.

And then their were our friends who were there but they were serving. They had spent days planning just so that we could enjoy this special time - friends like the Gays who headed up the Lowcountry food, and my friend Kelly who put together the flowers, and Casey who played Josh Turner, George Strait, and old hymns on his guitar during the reception.

Everything was just perfect, and then I felt the drops of rain.

I had prayed so hard for God to give us beautiful weather on our wedding day. After all, it's what every bride wants.

When I first felt the raindrops, I was talking to someone. I tried to keep talking and ignore the wetness I was beginning to feel pattering on my arms. Perhaps if I ignored the raindrops then they wouldn't really be real?

I watched out of the corner of my eye as guests began to gather underneath the giant live oak trees and the white tents.

Oh no! How is this happening? I thought frantically. Everything will be ruined!

Then I saw my brother, Grant, walk toward me. He was holding a giant umbrella. He came and stood next to me as if nothing odd was happening. He didn't say a word.

As he stood next to me, I suddenly realized that everything was going to be okay.

I was married. The day had been wonderful and the rain couldn't change that. There was nothing to worry about.

As the rain fell, it brought something unexpected. It brought a cooling breeze that drove away the August heat and made everything feel more pleasant.

And just as soon as the rain had arrived, it was gone.

My dad's voice gathered everyone around the old porch of the Pinckney Retreat home. He thanked everyone for coming and then announced that there were some people who wanted to share a few words.

To my surprise, all four of my brothers gave speeches. They shared childhood stories of us growing up together. They made jokes about my new husband. They made me laugh hysterically and they made me cry. I felt like I was constantly switching between smiles and tears.

I was crying not just because it was so special that they were sharing, but also because I couldn't believe I married a guy that was like them in so many ways.

When the speeches were over, Grant took my hand and led me to the dance floor for our first dance.

Tis' So Sweet to Trust in Jesus began to play as Grant started dancing with me. He gently led me as we moved across the old cobblestone bricks.

I felt a little uncomfortable knowing that everyone was staring at us, but Grant didn't seem to mind. He held me gently, yet firmly. "Just follow my lead," he reminded me. Dancing came so naturally to him and soon I began to relax as I remembered to just follow him.

As we danced, I realized that this was the beginning of so many things. This day was not the "end" of me trusting the Lord. Grant was not my ultimate goal that I had spent my whole life waiting for or the one who I had placed my hope in.

Yes, God had been abundantly good in bringing Grant into my life. But this was just one of many lessons. Just as God had called me to trust Him in the area of a future husband, He would call me to trust Him every day for the rest of my life.

This day would be a day that I could look back on and remember God's faithfulness. It would be a monument in my life that I could call to mind when I needed to remind myself that the God who I follow is a God who takes notice of everything. He is a God who cares. He is a God who is concerned about His glory.

This day was just one day in the story that God had been weaving all along. I would have never known so long ago when I had first seen Grant's photograph in the radio station, that the little blonde headed boy in the picture would one day be my husband. I would have never known that I would marry a Texas Aggie and a Marine Officer. I would have never known that a plane crash that had happened when I was just a year old would affect me so greatly and that it would be the factor that brought Grant to visit Beaufort when he was in high school.

I didn't know the big picture. And while I was beginning to see things that I hadn't seen before, this was only the start.

"GraceAnna, look!" My mom came up to me sometime after we had cut the cake.

I turned in the direction that she was pointing, and there, arching over the salt marsh, was a rainbow.

Grant came up behind me and grabbed my hand.

"Come on! Let's go out on the dock."

We headed toward the water's edge where everyone was gathering to admire the giant bow in the sky.

I didn't notice at first, but then I realized it was a double rainbow.

Grant, I can't believe God gave us a rainbow! A double rainbow! My heart filled with joy.

I thought about the very first rainbow that we know of which is recorded in the book of Genesis. It appeared after God's worldwide judgment of sin.

The earth must have felt so barren and so different after the flood. But as Noah and his family stepped off the ark, they were greeted with a bow of colors in the sky. God was revealing to Noah and his family something about who He was. He was showing them that even in the cloud, He is there. That though the rains may come as a result of our sinful and broken world, He promises grace to those who belong to Him.

I hadn't wanted it to rain that day. But now I realized why God had brought the rain. He was demonstrating that the way He does things is often the opposite way that we think they should happen. That He so often allows the rain, so that He can show us His glory and His grace in a way that we would have never seen it before.

My eyes filled with tears. I felt like this rainbow was God's special wedding gift to us.

I felt like God was teaching me a lesson about who He is and who He will always be.

As I gazed at the beautiful array of colors that arched as far as I could see, I felt like He was near. And I knew, that no matter what the future held for us, He promised His grace to bring us through.

"GraceAnna," Grant said to me as we stood on the dock staring out at the rainbow, "Let's always follow hard after the Lord all the days of our lives."

I took Grant's hand in mine. "Yes, let's."

The End

A Little Bit of Christmas

2011-12-17T22:03:00.000-05:00

There are just a few things that Grant and I do to get in the "Christmas spirit." Mainly, we listen to Christmas sermons. Sometimes we listen to Christmas music together. Grant especially loves George Winston's album, December. Of course, we put up our tree and some colored lights. Grant reminded me this week that the reason we put up lights is to point us to the true light (this was a quote, but I can't remember who said it).

On Friday, a dear friend invited AudreyKate and me over to her house for a Christmas get-together to make Christmas arrangements. I had never done anything like this before, so I was unsure where to even begin. Thankfully, with lots of help and guidance, I was able to make a Christmas centerpiece for our kitchen table. I love how it turned out and it's amazing how just bringing a little bit of nature inside makes my whole house seem more Christmasy!

However, my brother Jameson saw my arrangement and said something like, "did you gather a bunch of branches from outside and put them on your table?"

Hmmm....

Yes.

And that's exactly why I love it.

Friday Medley {12/16/11}

2011-12-16T09:11:00.000-05:00

Surprise! I never got around to creating a Medley post on Tuesday, so here it is today!

Christopher Hithchens Has Died. Douglas Wilson gives his perspective on the life of this prominent atheist: "Christopher Hitchens was baptized in his infancy, and his name means "Christ-bearer." This created an enormous burden that he tried to shake off his entire life. No creature can ever succeed in doing this. But sometimes, in the kindness of God, such failures can have a gracious twist at the end. We therefore commend Christopher to the Judge of the whole earth, who will certainly do right. Christopher Eric Hitchens (1949-2011). R.I.P."

Epiphany. I found this article through my sister-in-law(thanks, Chesed). I thought this article about being a stay-at-home mom had some great points. I agreed with the author that there is no need to always qualify your calling to be a mother. "This isn’t a moms-who-work vs. moms-who-stay-at-home sort of thing; it’s simply an encouragement to stay-at-home moms to just state your job, same as the rest of the world does; no amending, defending and justifying, no apology. It’s what you do. It’s a great vocation and needs no justification."

This story is AMAZING! Grant sent it to me this week. "An Australian woman was told by doctors that one of the two twins she had just prematurely birthed at 27 weeks was dead after they tried for 20 minutes to help him breathe, to no avail. Instead of letting tiny Jamie go, the woman–Kate Ogg–took her son, placed him on her chest “skin-to-skin” (called “kangaroo care” by the Aussies) and hugged and talked to him for two hours. She didn’t really think he would live, but she wanted to hold him close. Incredibly, according to Ogg, he started gasping for air just five minutes after she started stroking him and giving him breast milk. "

The Early Beginnings of Desiring God. Grant and I watched this two-minute video last night about John Piper's beginnings at Bethlehem Baptist. We enjoyed the old photographs.

5 Ways Wives Can Encourage Their Husbands. I think as wives, we know these five things, but we can easily forget or let other things get in the way.

PS - There is still one last post to Texas Heart which I'll be posting sometime over the weekend. I just need to read over it one last time!

Grace Catherine

2011-12-16T08:34:00.002-05:00

I am so happy that I have a new little niece, Grace! Of course, I love her name, and I can't wait to meet her in person!
She is so adorable and so PERFECT!

Texas Heart Part 34 - {Make My Life a Prayer}

2011-12-12T15:55:00.001-05:00

Grant and I kneeled together at the prayer bench and Grant took both my hands in his. We had just made our vows to one another, and now we were starting the first few moments of our marriage in prayer.

I heard my dad ask everyone to bow their heads in the presence of God.

Grant and I closed our eyes as Keith Green's, Make My Life a Prayer to You began to be sung by a family friend.

I listened as he sang,

Make my life a prayer to you, I want to do what You want me to, no empty words and no white lies, no token prayers, no compromise.

I want to shine the light You gave, through Your Son You sent to save us, from our sin and our despair, it comforts me to know You're really there....

Never had the words seem to ring more true and sincere as they did at that moment. As we kneeled there, I was so thankful that we had chosen this particular song for our first prayer.

It was a song that God had used in both our lives. Grant had listened to this song over and over again in high school. The lyrics had meant a lot to him because they reminded him of his dad's life. The writer of the song, Keith Green, also died in a plane crash.

The interesting thing was that God had also used this song in my life during college. I can remember many times listening to it in my dorm room and it made such an impact on me that I wrote out the words in the front cover of my Bible as a prayer to the Lord.

We both felt like the song represented how God had been shaping and molding us separately. That's why we chose it.

But now it was our prayer. Because God had brought us together not simply for our own companionship and joy, but so that we could join together in sharing Him with others and bringing Him glory.

That is God's ultimate purpose of marriage ~ to bring God greater glory than one could bring alone. We wanted that to be true of our marriage.

As the song continued, Grant grasped my hands even tighter and I heard him say, "Yes, Lord."

I opened my eyes and looked up, and I found Grant staring at me.

Then the last line of the song was sung,

I want to die and let You give Your life to me so I might live, and share the hope you gave to me. I want to share the love that set me free.

Even though the congregation was still present in the sanctuary, it felt like it was just the two of us before the Lord.

As the song ended, my dad began to pray. He thanked God for the new family that had just begun. He also thanked God for answering Kelly, Susan, Preston, my mom, and his prayers. They had all prayed that God would bring us a godly spouse one day. And God had been faithful.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I thought about what was happening.

God had brought things amazingly full circle.

He had taken the tragic death of Grant's father years ago and brought yet another beautiful thing out of it.

I couldn't believe that the seventeen year old boy I had met in high school who was in town visiting his dad's memorial, was now my husband. My husband!

My dad's prayer broke my thoughts,

. . .And God, may You give GraceAnna and Grant a godly heritage that would love Christ and follow closely after Him. Help them to be examples to their children. And now Father, may you bless them and keep them. May you cause your face to shine upon them, be gracious to them, lift up their countenance and give them peace and may the grace of the Lord Jesus and the love of God and the fellowship of Jesus be with you all. Amen.

Grant and I stood and made our way back to the altar. I felt myself smiling as my excitement rose. This was it! We were married!

As we stood, my dad faced us once again.

"Now Grant," my dad began with a huge smile on his face.

Oh no! I thought to myself. What is he about to say?

"I told you that you could hold hands with GraceAnna when you got engaged and kiss her when you got married."

Grant started laughing.

"You may now kiss your bride!"

All the sudden, I got really nervous. All these people were watching us have our very first kiss! And not just our first kiss, but it was the first time I had ever been kissed.

When I was a little girl, my parents had told me that I should save my first kiss for my future husband. There were times when I had thought this was a ridiculous request. Couldn't I at least kiss when I got engaged?!

But I had honored their wishes. And now, here I was.

My mind began to race . . .what if something embarrassing happens? What if Grant misses? What if. . .

Before I could think another thought, Grant leaned in and kissed me gently.

It was short and sweet, and the most wonderful thing I had ever felt.

The audience erupted in applause.

It had been worth the wait.

"Ladies and Gentleman!" my dad announced, "I would now like to present to you, 1st Lt and Mrs. Grant Robert Castleberry!"

to be continued...

The End of Texas Heart

2011-12-11T21:54:00.001-05:00

Yes, you read the title correctly. No, I'm not quitting writing Texas Heart . . .

I actually FINISHED writing it!

After 10 months, I finally finished writing the story that I thought was going to take just a few blogposts to write.

I just want to say thank-you to those of you who encouraged me to keep writing and not give up!

There were so many times that I almost stopped writing because I just didn't know if it was interesting, or I felt like it was getting too long, or I didn't know if the story was actually encouraging or beneficial to anyone.

So, I really just want to thank those of you who encouraged me along the way to keep writing. I now have this story to share with AudreyKate and any future children Grant and I may have! And now I don't have to worry about forgetting all the details because everything is written down.

So, thanks y'all!

Check back for the final 2 posts of Texas Heart.