Be Content

 Contentment: a state of happiness and satisfaction

   

 This photo is from the gift shop I volunteer for at the local hospital. I have my R.N. but because I could not commit over a year, I am volunteering. After some time it becomes discouraging. I sit, jealously watching R.N.s walk to and from various places while I sell items from the gift shop. 

Philippians 4: A chapter I will blog on more than once. 

"Not that to speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all things through him who gives me strength." 4:11-13

Paul was  in prison, his fate was unknown, he hungered and much more. However, he was content. Why? Because Christ gave him strength (vs 13)! 


Then, how much more should I be able to find contentment in my circumstances? I am well fed (probably overly so), well clothed, I have a home, a husband, a great family  and a cat. 


Lessons learned: my contentment comes from God and the fact that I have eternal life. I do this(volunteering) for Him Col 3:17. He gave me my license as an R.N. and it is His to have. Whenever I find myself wishing for that position or wondering why I am volunteering I remember that I am doing it for His glory. I also remember that He does know my frustrations but that with His strength I can learn to be content in this situation. 
Paul also says " I have learned" meaning this takes learning. I'm not perfect and definitely not content in every situation but with time and experience I can learn to be. I just have to press on and keep my eye on the goal, our finish line, which is being in heaven with God. 

What/Where do you find yourself lacking contentment?

Write down or just think about all the things God has blessed you with. Know that you can go to Him for strength everyday by reading His word and praying to Him. Don't forget to praise Him for all that He has given you. 

Just an extra photo of Milo today... 

Love/Works: A Cat Story

One hot west texas day, I found the litter of kittens hiding behind my neighbor's grill, they were all about 5 weeks old. I had someone help me get them out and I brought him (Milo) in along with two of his brothers. We were able to find the other two homes but without much success in giving Milo away we ended up keeping him and loving him.  

He is now 3 months old, super crazy and disobedient. He has a very spirited personality. A cat who isn't afraid of anything, who is strong and strong willed. But despite needing to pay for a hefty pet fee, despite ruining our window blinds, or despite the scratches left on our skin, we love him... 

Milo proudly standing next to the window blinds he chewed off.

I'm reading Philippians, slowly, trying to soak it all up. I'm now on chapter 3 and I've decided to start up the blog again. 


What is Paul talking to the Philippians about here? 

vs 2-4 "... beware of the mutilation! For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh, though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh I more so"

We need to be aware of those who preach false doctrines and who say physical works is the way righteousness is achieved. 

Instead, true circumcision comes from the heart "for we are the circumcision..." This is the circumcision we have from our sin!  Paul says above that there are three aspects of circumcision of the heart:

1. "worship God in the Spirit" (we worship God for who he is, through the Spirit within us)
2. "rejoice in Christ Jesus"  (we rejoice in our salvation that comes from Jesus through his death)
3. "and have no confidence in the flesh" (there is nothing we can accomplish in this life, no matter how good we are, that can bring us to God.)

vs 5-6 Paul talks about how he was perfect in everything considered to the Jews and accomplished a lot. BUT in vs 7-8 he talks about how all these accomplishments are worthless compared to Christ. (See his story in Acts chp 9)

• Everything we see as gain (wealth, success, health...) actually can pull us further from God. 
• Everything is worthless compared to Christ. There is no greater gift than our eternity, which was given to us. 

It's like, Milo. I bought him countless of toys. I'm offering him to live with me and my husband for the rest of his life. Do you think he had to earn his way here? Do you think he should have to go catch me birds or go make money to earn the toys I loved to give him? No, even when he acts all stubborn I still love him. I hate the scratching but I love him. It would give me joy if he acted good because he respected us... but thats not what got him here in our house. 
God is offering us the gift of eternal life because He loves us, hates our sin, but loves us. We do things to please Him but there is no way we can pay the debt of our sins by doing good works. And there is no works we can do to make Him love us more, He just loves us. 

So how do we have righteousness then if we can't work for it? 

vs 9, "and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith"

Through faith, which is believing that through Jesus' death, who was innocent and without sin, we have been forgiven of our sins. 


So why should we still do good if our works doesn't save us? 


Because like milo, when we really know God's character, how much He loves us, how much we need Him and etc., we want to please Him. We also know that being filled with the Spirit we will see things change within us that make us want to respect and please Him. As well as knowing that we're an example of His love for the world. Phil 1:9-11, Phil 2:12-16 *note vs 12 says work out (meaning producing) not work for (meaning earning).*


It's really hard to understand this sometimes because we feel the need to work for our earnings. Most parents understand this love. Of coarse I'm no parent but I have a cat and despite his crazy disobedient ways I love him a lot... and that helps with understanding what Christ did for us and what this chapter is trying to say. 

Love, 

Tamara 

Love is Patient 

I love this photo of the birds that live right outside our apartment. They sleep on two nails right above our entry door and in the morning they fly to these wires. I'm pretty sure, that in this photo, they're having a bit of a disagreement (of worms or some sort), and the bird to the left is giving the other bird the silent treatment. . . 

My neighbor had seen me taking photos of the birds and asked me to take some of her flowers. She's waited all year for them to bloom...now they're blooming in abundance! Her patience was paid off by the beauty these roses produced.

Now, I'm reading in Luke, (since my husband and I read Ezekiel together.) Chpt 4 is shortly after Jesus begins his ministry, he is tempted in the desert, and in vs 38-39 Jesus heals Simon's mother in law, but right after that...  "At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them." vs 40. Think about it, this is after sunset, it's late! Yet, Jesus had the patience to love, to heal, to give of himself. 

Today I lost my patience, forgetting 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Lets not be like the silly example of the two birds. It's always so easy to be patient with ourselves and not with others. So next time try to remember how patient you are with yourself before you lose it with others. And your patience will be paid off with something beautiful within. 

Fear

 How do I describe it? It is unsettling, unnerving and definitely unwanted.  It is a fear of failing and being told one more time that I'm not good enough, smart enough, or capable enough.  

I had recently turned an old wine bottle into a lamp. I enjoyed the beautiful color as the sun shined through and decided to use the subject for practicing the manual settings on my camera. Knowing the risks, I placed it on an edge and took a few photos when a huge gust of wind came and knocked it over! Glass and oil went everywhere! Turns out the broken glass was beautiful for photographing. 

I have a fear of failure. In my photography skills and nursing skills. It isn't motivating, it is hindering. The question always lingers... what if I fail? That is when the broken glass made me realize that, YES, we might fail when we try things! But even then, is it all that bad if we do? We can find beauty in our failures and like glass our brokenness can be made into something far beyond what we expected.

 We find a new strength in ourselves and try again. 

The name of the wine was "Relax"... well fitted to the situation/lesson.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. 

Psalms 34:4 

Out of Focus:

We went to the lake this past weekend to go fishing since long boarding isn't much of an option here. We also discussed where our focus was and realized that we become so easily distracted by unimportant situations or things in our lives. We take the bait of something less satisfying then what God would have for us. We are constantly having to recheck ourselves and refocus. 

Are you out of focus today?  

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. -Matt 6:33

Below:  

-The first photo is focused on a fishing bait

-The second is an out of focus sunset 

-And the last two photos are refocused shots. 

unexpected joy during unexpected times

morning cinnamon vanilla steamer 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. - James 1:2-4

Joy? Really? Joy here... joy now?  Where God and how? 

In this world we are prone to suffer. It's the pain from the loss of a loved one, disappointment, rejection, medical illness, failed trust, feeling like a failure, and whatever just came to your mind. 
These are the things that test us and show how we handle them.

So how do we count it all joy? 

Christians are called to count these trials in life as joy because that's just what they become ... trials. There is now a purpose to what is purposeless without Christ. Trials that break down the hardness of our flesh (pride, selfishness... etc). As one pastor said, with extreme heat, clay cracks. And there are trials that we go through that God will use for His glory presently or in the future- whether you know it or not (Rom 8:18). 

As James says it's because "you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance". Perseverance for what? More trials. 

Oh how good God is that He would use what all people must go through (which is suffering) as an opportunity to be used and molded by Him as christians!      

And don't give up! "Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  How many times have I given up on patience and kindness when I start thinking about how much I hate being "here" or "there" and I start acting negative towards others. What if I just persevered longer, what work could have been done in me and through me? 

Where do we find this joy? In Christ Jesus who bore the ultimate trial. When we seek Him, He will provide our strength to persevere. And we can find our support and encouragement through the trials in each other. 

So how do we count it all joy? I think Paul explains it pretty well in Romans. 

"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." - Romans 8:18

I encourage you to scroll to the top and click on the song "Your Hands" on the right hand side of the page and give it a listen. 

I hope today - whatever happens, good or bad - that you can praise God for doing a work in you. 

a fishing challenge

This weekend Patrick and I went fishing for the first time this year. Nothing seemed to go right throughout wrong trails, bad weather, forgetting important equipment, etc... 

By the time Sunday came around we realized the importance of placing our attitudes in the right direction, even when times got frustrating.

 Hmmm... I remember Peter and the disciples going fishing in John 21. They fished all night and didn't catch anything. Then Jesus standing from the shore told them to cast on the right side of the boat and there their nets were filled. Patrick and I may not have caught any fish this weekend, but when we put our attitudes and frustrations on the right side, where God would instruct us to (cast our cares on Him in Psalm 55:22), we were no longer drained of the frustrating week but filled with love and joy, given to us by our Father. We couldn't have done that on our own because of such a crazy filled weekend.

Friday fishing below:

Friday, Patrick's fishing below:

Our fishing spot on Saturday: 1hr hike.

Sunday evening fishing.

-Valentines-

Song of Solomon 8:6-8

Place me like a seal over your heart,
   like a seal on your arm;
for love is as strong as death,
   its jealousy unyielding as the grave.
It burns like blazing fire,
   like a mighty flame.
Many waters cannot quench love;
   rivers cannot sweep it away.
If one were to give
   all the wealth of one’s house for love,
   it would be utterly scorned

 Below: Photos from the surprise valentines date Patrick took me on. He took me out for private horse back riding lessons, but we also found a lot of friendly faces around the ranch like llamas, turkeys, miniature horses and donkeys, goats, etc. 

On Hold...

Well, my photos are on hold for a few days until I can get my camera charged up.

Airplanes, Snowy Days, Trust, Contentment and Responsibility

Today I made a completely horrendous mistake:

I bought a ticket for the wrong departure and return date! My phone was broken and I was a complete emotional wreck, trying to find another flight online, through tear filled eyes. I felt God give me peace, as He reminded me that He was in control. So, I pulled myself together and was able to change flights for a penalty fee (which are hefty but ok). As I was waiting for my flight to depart I overheard people who had their flights home canceled for the 6th day in a row! I knew that things could be a lot worse then my 3 hour delay and that I was blessed enough to be having a flight that day. The best part about this day was that my sister and the baby are doing well.

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble" -Psalm 59:16

(Below: San Antonio Airport)

I just thought this was a little dramatic but fitting to my situation. 

God's timing...

"Those who know your name trust in you,
   for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you." - Psalm 9:10

Today I found out my sister has been induced into labor at 32 weeks. That's a little frightening since I did a rotation on the NICU floor and it is the last thing I would want my sister and her baby to go through! God, though, has His perfect timing for absolutely everything... that is everything. There is nothing out of His control, without His knowledge, or without His hand on things. On anything and everything, He is! 

(Below: I finished making this quilt for my sister)

Dependence

I just realized how much I relied on my phone for communication, when it broke. Today, I went around downtown to take a few photos, but kept thinking that I needed to be home to receive updates via email. How I am so dependent on the little things for communication is beyond me! While driving, I knew that I needed to be more dependent on God and keep communicating with Him, instead of using things to make me feel "in control". I quote that because we are never really in control. How often I know that but forget to act on faith! 

   "Such is the destiny of all who forget God; 

so perishes the hope of the godless. 

What they trust in is fragile; 

   what they rely on is a spider’s web. 

They lean on the web, but it gives way; 

   they cling to it, but it does not hold." - 

Job 8:13-15

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Love the reflection: makes me think... what are we reflecting?

gumballs! 

two benches facing each other on a random street. 

old store

This is where we had dinner tonight. Yum!