Dearly Loved

I feel compelled today to write the obligatory blog on love for Valentine's Day, so here goes...

If you know anything about me, you know that I love music. I am moved by it, passionate about it, captivated by the way that lyrics, rhythms and chords can change a person’s mood, bring tears to a person’s eyes, and so accurately capture a thought or picture or experience from one’s mind.

One of my favorite songs is Jimmy Needham's song "Dearly Loved". If you have never heard this song, I highly encourage you to stop reading this blog post right now and go download the song. It's good stuff.

Several phrases in this song captivate me and remind me that love – TRUE LOVE – is so misunderstood in our world today. It's interesting to me all of the different ways that our world might define love. I was in the Harris Teeter early this morning and found a sea of red and pink - flowers, balloons, chocolate and candles - flowing all throughout the store. And yet standing in line to check out, I read magazine cover after magazine cover recapping the sad details of America's latest breakup or listing out the top 10 ways to make sure your man knows that you love him. Seriously? Our world's view of love is so very skewed and distorted.

“Dearly Loved” tells of a different kind of love - a love that is WORTH it - a love that never fails, never breaks up, and never needs a top 10 list of ways to know that it is really love.

The song begins…
Please lay down your arrows
‘Cause they're sure to pierce the skin
And water from a broken well
Will make you thirst again
When all things you've acquired
Are tested by the flames
And you can see them melting
Then will you call his name

Often we drink water from broken wells that only lead us to thirst again. Jeremiah 2:13 speaks of this as well, “My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cistern that cannot hold water.” Why do we do this? Time after time, we run to things that were never intended to satisfy us. We run to relationships, possessions, accomplishments, and pleasures of this world – but in the end, the satisfaction is achingly temporary and we are left wanting, even needing more. Our hearts were shaped with a need for satisfaction – a hole that longs and desires to be filled – but we continually run to the wrong things to fill that hole. When we finally see all the things we’ve acquired for what they are – just things – then will we call His name? When will we finally get it?

The song continues…
To the slaughter you are being led
Being told that it's a party
That this God is in your head
And every single lie
Sounds just like the greatest truth
But the one truth you're not hearing
Is that he died for you

Again so true…this world lies to us! There are so many people out there who believe the lie that everything other than God can satisfy you. Some days (more than I am probably willing to admit), I too fall prey to believing that lie. It’s so believable! But oh the truth is that we are not hearing the truth - the truth that Christ died for us so that we wouldn’t have to live a life eternally separated from Him – the truth that Christ died for us so that we would have access to the throne of grace – the truth that Christ died for us so that HE (and HE alone) could be the One to satisfy our deepest longings for intimacy and love and acceptance!

The chorus ends with…
It's worth it, brothers
It's worth it, friends
To know your Maker
To lose your sin
Did you know that you are dearly loved?

It’s worth it!! In a world where rarely things are worth what we pay for them and rarely things turn out the way we thought they might, what GREAT NEWS that there is something that is truly WORTH IT!! Costly, but WORTH IT! Our response to this True Love should be to leave our sin and our desire to rule our own worlds (that’s the costly part), and experience fully how dearly loved we truly are by the One who is worth it!

For those who know Christ, He loves us enough that while we were still His enemies, He died for us (Rom 5:8). He loves us enough to call us His children (1John 3:1). He loves us enough to make us His heirs (Rom 8:17). He loves us enough to promise never to leave us and never to allow us to be separated from that love (Rom 8:37-39). I could go on and on. If you know Him, relish in His love today! If you don’t know Him, what better day to start that personal relationship with the One who is worth it!

So, today on Valentine’s Day, I am reminded that the God of the Universe loves me more deeply than I can even fathom or imagine. He created the very definition of love – selfless, unconditional, gracious, merciful, and patient love. His love for me and for you led Him to a cross. What will my love for Him or your love for Him lead us to do?

New Recipes

I've tried a couple of new recipes recently. Here are two that were really good and will definitely be showing up again in my kitchen sometime soon!

Korean-Style Beef Bowl



Ingredients:
2 green onions
steak (I used beef tips)
2 garlic cloves
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vegetable oil
Brown Rice
carrot
bean sprouts

Cut up onions and put half in bottom of bowl with steak, pressed garlic cloves, soy sauce, sesame oil, black pepper, and sugar. Mix well and put in refrigerator to marinate.

Cook Rice according to the box.

Peel carrots to make long thin carrot pieces.

In skillet, add vegetable oil and heat for a couple of minutes. Add beef mixture and cook for about 5-10 more minutes until meat is cooked through. Remove from heat.

Serve beef on top of rice with carrots and bean sprouts and remaining onions on top.

Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta



Ingredients:
box of pasta (your choice)
2oz. Parmesan Cheese
1/2 cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes (packed in oil, drained)
Parsley Flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
chicken (I just buy a rotisserie one and tear it into strips)

Cook pasta according to pasta.
Put Sun-Dried Tomatoes (sliced) on Paper Towel to dry.

In skillet, press garlic cloves, add oil and pepper flakes - cook on Medium heat for a couple of minutes until garlic turns slightly brown. Add chicken and tomatoes. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add pasta and parsley and half of cheese. Toss gently.

Serve pasta mixture with sprinkled remaining parsley and cheese on top.

Under Construction

So I decided that I would turn this blog into more than just a place to display my latest jewelry creations. I changed the name to "Under Construction" because I am learning more and more that I am very much a person who is daily under construction - striving to grow more and more into the woman I was created to be. Sometimes that construction is painful - but I believe that the end result will be absolutely worth it.

I read an A.W. Tozer quote recently that says, "There are three marks of one who is crucified. One, he is facing in only one direction. Two, he can never turn back. And three, he no longer has any plans of his own." I have pondered this quote much over the last couple of weeks. As I reflect on this quote coupled with Galatians 2:20 - "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me...", I am reminded that I too am a crucified one.

My life as Christ follower should reflect me facing in only one direction, never turning back and no longer having any plans of my own. Ouch. I am a planner by nature, so I have lots of plans - from the littlest detail of my day to the larger details of life. Most days I think MY plans are really, REALLY good plans!! I don't want to give those up. If I am truly honest with myself, I don't always believe that God's plans are really, REALLY good plans. If I did, I would be much more open handed with letting go of my own plans.

As I have thought through this recently, God has gently reminded me of some of my plans from years ago - 10 years, even 15 years ago. It makes me laugh out loud now to think about the dreams and plans I had for myself in high school or even through most of my college years. Hindsight is 20/20 and had the Lord allowed ME to choose the path or plans for my life, I am fairly certain that I would be miserable today!

MY plans got replaced by HIS PERFECT PLANS for my life. My broken dreams have become beautiful beginnings of what God had always had planned. I am grateful for the experiences and opportunities that the Lord has given me in place of my cheap dreams for myself.

There are still days when I hold tightly to my plans, but I am slowly learning to let go and give up my plans (the smallest details and the huge life decisions) to the ONE who knows me far better than I know myself. I trust that His plans are really, REALLY great plans!! They always have been and always will be - and there is so much comfort in that!

Merry Christmas Mom.

Homemade Christmas Gift

So I'm pretty excited about one of the gifts I get to give my sweet niece this Christmas. And it just so happens to be a homemade gift! Here it is - I can't wait to see her put this on and dance around in it!!



There is a gold glittery skirt underneath and then I took an elastic band, sewed it together to make a waistband. Next I cut strips of tulle (light pink and hot pink) and tied them onto the elastic waistband. Then I cut strips of ribbons and tied them on. Lastly, I got a big gerber daisy and cut the stem off and safety pinned it on.

I'll add a picture of Anna modeling this after Christmas.

New Designs

Here are a couple of new earring designs that I made:

My Labor Day Weekend Project

This one is actually a gift for someone and I am really pleased with how it turned out...