Ally Marie in Concert!

Ally Marie, one of my good friends, opened for the band Happy Go Lovely last Friday night. She did an awesome job! If you live here in Iowa and have never heard her sing you need to!

It gave me the opportunity to try taking pic at a concert. Let's just say that I'm not very good at low light situation and I think I'll stick with portraits for the most part :)

finally back

Hi Everyone,

Sorry that I've neglected my blog for so long. I have no excuse so I will offer none :)

I'm so looking forward to the very end of this horrible blustery weather. It's really really getting old. It also makes it hard to set up times to go take pic outside. Speaking of pics, if you haven't seen my new blog "Christine Nicole Photography" then do take a look. There's not much on there right now but I hope to be adding more soon.

I was messing around with my camera last night and I ended up with some pics I liked. Here's my two favorites.

Heaven

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that my Grandma went to be with Jesus this afternoon at around 1:42. She struggled to breath and got kind of congested the last part but besides for that she seemed pretty peaceful. She was surrounded by her family for her last moment on earth.

We're already missing her but we know that she's in heaven and is able to see perfectly now! Praise God!!!

Thanks again for all your prayers.

Thank You

First, I want to thank everyone for their prayers and support! It's hard yet it's comforting to know that she was ready to go and see Jesus! Praise God! Sometimes we're okay, and other times we cry but I'm so glad God's in control.

Right now my Grandma, because of having such a large stroke is brain dead on the left side. The left side is swollen and continuing to swell. It's become clear that it's God's timing and she's will be walking with Jesus hand in hand and she'll be able to see once again. So right now, we are just staying with her and the hospital is making sure that she is comfortable. We don't really know when she'll go but probably soon. The doctor said probably this weekend but it could be longer.

Thank you so much for all your prayers once again! It's such a relief to know that she won't have to suffer. Also, a big answer to prayer for me, is that no tough decisions had to be made about stuff like pulling the plug or not; you know what I mean.

The Neurologist was really really good and kind and very down to earth in his explaining about what is going on. I guess this is one of the worst if not the worst strokes he has seen.

The new doctor that she now has, has been a my parent's doctor and my Aunt and Uncle's doctor in the past and he's a Christian! This is another wonderful blessing.

Grandma appears pretty restful and she's on her way to glory! I can't wait to see her when I get to go as well. Love you soooo very much Grandma! I couldn't have asked for a better grandma than you!

Urgent need of prayer

Hey everyone,

my 93 yr old Grandmother just had a serious stroke late this afternoon. Things aren't looking good at all. Please pray! Thank you!

Wordless Wed...

Quotable

"God isn't looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow Him"

-- Hudson Taylor

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." -- C.T. Studd

"God uses men who are weak and feeble enough to lean on him."

-- Hudson Taylor, missionary to China


"God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply"

-- Hudson Taylor


"People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives ... and when the bubble has burst, they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted."

-- Nate Saint, missionary martyr


"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed"

-- Hudson Taylor


“God had only one Son and he made that Son a missionary.”

-- David Livingston

“You will never cease to be the most amazed person on earth at what God has done for you on the inside.” --Oswald Chambers

"To every toiling, heavy-laden sinner, Jesus says, 'Come to me and rest'.
But there are many toiling, heavy-laden believers, too.
For them this same invitation is meant.
Note well the words of Jesus, if you are heavy-laden with your service, and do not mistake it.
It is not, 'Go, labor on,' as perhaps you imagine.
On the contrary, it is stop, turn back, 'Come to me and rest.'
Never, never did Christ send a heavy laden one to work; never, never did He send a hungry one, a weary one, a sick or sorrowing one, away on any service.
For such the Bible only says, 'Come, come, come.'

--Hudson Taylor

CR shooting

Okay, so these photos are from last week but I just finally got my photo program to work so I could convert my RAW photos to Jpegs. (Sorry I help but show off a little of my new found knowledge.)

Last week, a group of us went downtown Cedar Rapids to take pics. The weather was beautiful which made a perfect day for doing that sort of thing. It was fun too because I've never really just walk around downtown CR except during parades when there's lots and lots of people.

I took quite a few pic. but here are three that I didn't take. Thanks to Shelby H., we, the three amigas, or whatever got some shots of all of us together.

Let me know if any of you would like to go shooting with me, because I need all the practice I can get.

The Cross

This is a song by Brooke Frasher, "Lead Me to the Cross".

" Jesus, help me to keep becoming more and more able to understand all you did and went through for me. I have yet to come close to fully comprehending all that you have done. Please open my eyes that I may see."

Go

Tonight I went to Perspectives. The speaker's name was Bob Blincoe. He was a very good speaker and I wish you could have heard him. It wasn't just a feel good message, not that he wasn't funny at times, he was, but he's someone who'll give it to you straight.

I think that the Lord maybe using his talk and then last weeks speaker, Floyd Schneider, to challenge my thinking about missions and "if I should go".

You see they were challenging the thinking that God has to "call" you to missions. That you have to have a green light from God before you go. One thing that they both had in common was they both didn't know for sure that the people they ended up serving were really the ones God wanted them to serve among. They saw an open door, a need, so they went knowing full well that if that wasn't God's will He could close the door very easily.

I came across this quote by Hudson Taylor:

"It will not do to say that you have no special call to go to China. With these facts before you and with the command of the Lord Jesus to go and preach the gospel to every creature, you need rather to ascertain whether you have a special call to stay at home."

So, is our thinking messed up these days? Instead of me praying, "God do you want me to go" maybe I should plan on reaching those unreached people groups (physically and if I can't supporting others who can) and if God doesn't want me there won't He close every door in my face?

So now, I either face the question, "what about me", or I push it under the rug and continue to live my American life. Will I go? Am I willing to give up everything for the sake of the cross? Security, comfort, family, friends, everything that is familiar, a spouse, a home to decorate, a safe and healthy place to raise children, the feeling that I'm a good daughter, sister, and granddaughter for the feeling of betrayal to those closest to me?

You know, I think that we have this idea that we should only go into missions if the Lord has laid the lost and missions on our hearts. But really to go for the people is totally the wrong reason. We can't love a people who are so different than everything we're used to. We can't even love our families and friends at times, the people who love us the most. Who are we kidding? Sooner or later we are going to get fed up with them and want to quit. We need to be going out of obedience and love and the glory of our Lord. He's the only one who loves dirty, diseased ridden, filthy, stinky, jungle cannibals. Because He loves them, then if we love Him, He'll give us a love for them that's beyond us.

One of the last things that Bob reminded us of is that this life is just a blip on the screen. He said yeah he would like to live near his grand kids and children but that's what heavens for. Do we have this life all backwards as well? Is it not to serve ourselves by getting the most money possible. the most toys, more and more degrees but rather to arrive in heaven totally spent?

One last thing that he said that was a wonderful reminder to throw out our time oriented ways. Do we realize that Jesus prepared for 30 year for 3 year of ministry? Why do we lay such great importance on time and measure ours and others success by it?

I really haven't thought about this enough yet but I guess I felt like rambling. Thanks for letting me.