Sometimes autocorrect makes me laugh.
Me: (texting the Pilot on laundry day) Do you want me to wash the puke on the couch? (supposed to be “pile” on the couch)
(Texting the Pilot while we were in California Adventure) You heading over to Dubai? (Disneyland)
Or the time when I was telling the Pilot a friend was over but instead of saying “Mrs. (so and so)” I typed “Ma (so and so).”
Yeah. Autocorrect is fun. 😉
-Bonnie
Around this time of year, people are often looking for ways to give financially to those who need it. Over the years I have had a few favorites and recently I have found some amazing new (to me) ministries and programs. Just thought I would share some of them with you!
Emmazing Grace – This is a 12 year old girl who has a burden to help children in Haiti. Your donation will help provide kids with food, clothing, education, and the chance to hear the gospel. When you donate $25 or more, Emma will send you one of her paintings as a gift.
Cornerstone South LA – One of my college teachers recently moved to South Los Angeles with his family to start a church there. I subscribe to their email updates, and it is incredible to see the doors that God is opening. Matt Moore is being invited into his son’s public school to talk about God because the principal sees that they need help with the racial strife going on. There are incredible doors of opportunity to show God’s love and to tear down prejudice, hatred, and strife in the school and in the community. Matt is one of the most humble people I have ever met. He definitely has a servant’s heart. You can donate to their ministry here.
AIM – Agape International Ministries – This is a new one to me and I am not as familiar with it as some of these others. From what I can tell, though, it seems like a great ministry. Human trafficking is a huge problem today….around the world and even in the United States. Agape seeks to rescue girls and share Christ with them. In addition, they also reach out to the pedophiles, pimps, and traffickers to teach them about Christ.
New Tribes Mission – New Tribes’s goal is to reach the unreached people of the world with the gospel of Christ. Some of our good friends are preparing to be missionaries with New Tribes. It’s pretty amazing what they do! They have several specific projects they are raising money for…from translation projects to training pilots to building projects.
Wycliffe – Committed to translating the Bible into the languages around the world!
Compassion – Sponsor a child to help provide food, clean water, education, medical aid, and the gospel. You get the opportunity to correspond with the child you are sponsoring and really develop a relationship with them. Through Compassion.com, you can also donate to support mothers and babies. Your donation can provide prenatal care, infant survival training and more.
Whether or not you give financially to these or other ministries….it is important to remember that above the financial needs here, there are spiritual needs. Please take a minute and pray for people who are involved in ministry. Please pray for the recipients of their work. Please pray that God will bring many souls to Himself!
-Bonnie
Coming July 2013!!
Dear Bing commercials,
I am not going to stop using Google. I do not think Bing is better. They’re pretty much identical, so I’ll stick with what I’m used to and what I like. So can you please stop playing those annoying commercials on hulu? Thanks.
Dear enchiladas we made last week,
Thank you for entering our lives. You were amazing.
Dear Texas,
I have enjoyed our time here with you….but why do you have so many bugs? Seriously?
Dear Renae,
You’re the sweetest little niece. Just remember you have an aunt in Texas who loves you very much. I can’t wait to meet you, sweet girl!!!
Dear Makeup,
Why are you so fun to wear yet so time consuming and annoying? This is why you and I have an on/off relationship.
Dear Taylor Swift,
While in general I do still consider myself a fan of yours, I am disappointed by the direction your music is going. True love isn’t about serving self, going against your better judgment, dumping guys, or being angry over relationships. True love is selfless and beautiful!
Dear God,
Thank you so much for the gift of prayer!
-Bonnie
A new web site is being launched today! Novel Crossing. This site is dedicated to Christian fiction. You can find book reviews, new releases, information on authors….in short, you can always find book recommendations using this site! It’s a great way to find out about Christian fiction and perhaps add to your own library!
It can be hard to find good Christian fiction. I look forward to using this web site to read reviews and hear about new (or new to me) authors and books!
Some of the authors from the site talk about what they’re reading currently..
-Bonnie
On Tuesday, I watched the vote tallies online. I watched the electoral college numbers adding up. I watched as Obama’s count jumped when he won California…and then his numbers steadily increased until he won all 270 needed before the end of the election day.
I did not vote for Obama. I voted for Romney.
Someone shared a picture on Facebook that I believe originated with Ann Voskamp that said “There is unwavering peace today when an uncertain tomorrow is trusted to an unchanging God.” This really encouraged me, so I shared it on my wall as well.
Many of my friends, who also didn’t vote Obama, posted things saying how they were so glad to know that God is still in control and how He will be with each of us in the next 4 years.
Yesterday I started thinking about all of that. Did my disappointment in President Obama’s win indicate that I believed Romney would have been what America needed? That, in essence, he would have been the Savior of our country?
The conclusion I came to was that, no, I did not believe that Romney was the Savior. Better than Obama? Yes. What our country ultimately needs? No. Our country ultimately and, in reality, only needs God.
Am I apprehensive, even sometimes downright scared, about the next 4 years? Yes. Do I think that 4 years with Romney would have been perfect? No. But I think that it is perfectly acceptable and right to acknowledge God’s sovereignty in choosing President Obama. In knowing that God is the One in control of this country, regardless of who the president is.
Yesterday, the day after the election, my news feed was still full of comments on the results. Some comments saying that it is pretty much the end of the world…some comments saying that this means Jesus will return sooner…(neither points I think follow as results of this election)…and some people who were disappointed with the people who were disappointed with the win because they wanted Romney.
As was hinted at in this post last week, I struggled with the decision to vote for Romney. In the ’08 election I voted third-party. As stated, in this election I voted Republican. But each decision was not made without a lot a lot a lot of wrestling through the issues at stake.
I wish that Christians would simply lay down their “right” for everyone to believe the way they do on political issues. I wish that Christians would recognize that when Jesus said to love others as better than self, that still meant during election season. I wish that Christians would honor and respect President Obama because he is our president (chosen by God!!!). I wish that Christians would pray for President Obama, not bash him or hate him.
(Not to say that Christians shouldn’t actively support and promote their candidates. I made dozens of calls for Mike Huckabee in the ’08 primaries. Still hoping he decides to run again!)
This was floating around Facebook as well. Such good points.
So there is my little political rant for the election season. Hopefully it’s all coherent 😉
-Bonnie
More Than Able – Mary shares how, ultimately, it is not friends or activities that strengthen us in times of trial. It is God alone Who is more than able!
Lean Into Yet – So encouraging to my heart! “Life is filled with ‘even thoughs.’ The only way we can remain steadfast is to lean into ‘yet.'”
Emotions – Good, Bad, or Neutral – Three ways of dealing with emotions. Stuffing and storing….the two I am most apt to choose! So thankful that our emotions can be transformed by God so that they do not drive us!
Does God make us suffer? – My sister, Melinda, talks about God and the role He has in suffering.
Sticks and Stones May Break My Bones but Words Will Never Hurt Me – Much-needed reminder on how powerful our words can be.
10 Things to Enjoy Before Kids – Hmm….good points on here. 🙂
Making Your Home a Haven Week 1 – Enjoy the best with your family. Light a candle. Pray for peace in your home.
Why My Kids Might Go Trick-or-Treating & Why They Might Not – Not a purity issue or a liberty issue – it’s an issue of being a missionary.
Can Christians Vote for Mormons – I remember this issue being a big one in the ’08 election. Here are some good points to ponder…
-Bonnie
We have had many discussions with each other and with friends in trying to figure out not just who to vote for….but the way in which to approach evaluating candidates.
We have gone back and forth in thinking things through. We definitely want to be good stewards with the vote we’re allowed to have. We’re thankful for the fact that it is a system that is (at least supposed to be) government “of the people, by the people, for the people.” But do we vote only for the person who most agrees with our values? Do we vote for anyone who is better than our least favorite candidate? Do we write in someone if no one agrees with us? Is it wasting a vote to vote for someone other than the Democrat or Republican nominees?
If you have wrestled with any of these questions…..we can’t tell you how to vote. Or how to think. But here is an article that shed some good light on the subject. The author, Michael Farris, also doesn’t say who to vote for…but he tackles these issues from the viewpoint of an American Christian who really wants to be wise with their vote.
-The Pilot and Bonnie –
In an effort to broaden my fiction library, I requested A Wreath of Snow by Liz Curtis Higgs from the Blogging for Books program. I wasn’t disappointed!
A Wreath of Snow is a light, easy read (I read most of it in one sitting), but is a delightful story about forgiveness and doing the right thing. Set at Christmas time, this would be the perfect book to curl up with on a cold night with hot chocolate and a warm blanket.
The book takes place in Scotland in the late 1800s. You might be hard put to not hear the voices in your head with the great Scottish brogue, or to not melt with the etiquette and grace of that time period.
But with all of that, my favorite part of the book was how the two main characters are just full of Scripture. Their lives are saturated with God’s word such that at various times, their thoughts came to them in form of Scripture. They knew what they ought to do, even if the situation would be hard or awkward. And they follow through!
After reading this book, I was intrigued enough to look up some more books by Liz Curtis Higgs. You can read the first chapter of A Wreath of Snow here and watch the video trailer here.
-Bonnie
Note: I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.
Life with You 