Loneliness vs. More than Enough

“My children I will be with you only a little while longer. You will look for me and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’” John 13:33-34

How heartbroken must the disciples have been upon hearing this? How lonely must they have felt as they encountered the departure of their friend and teacher? These men had given up everything to follow him. Where in the world was he going that they wouldn’t be willing to follow? Peter responds, “Lord, why can’t I follow you? I will lay down my life for you.”

Peter has made it clear that he doesn’t want Jesus to go anywhere without him. Peter will not be left behind, and the thought of life without Jesus is unthinkable. Peter is the same disciple who, when asked if he would join others who were bailing out on Jesus, uttered the words, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You alone have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God” John 6:68

Peter doesn’t want to be alone.

I don’t think anybody wants to be alone, at least not for long. We’d like some alone time, but we don’t want to be lonely. I watched my mom deal with loneliness as a Navy wife. She, like thousands of others, endured months of being alone with the three of us while Dad was at sea. And all this before cell phones and the internet. I have watched friends experience the tragic loss of a spouse, a parent or a child. We have grieved together, but I can only imagine the loneliness that steals in behind closed doors. And I have spoken with others who, though surrounded by people and experience, have shared that they still feel very much alone .

I experience loneliness often as Brian travels. When he is away I feel like a part of me is missing. I feel incomplete. Most days I deal with our separation in an acceptable fashion, but other days are really depressing. On those days I don’t know if I want noise or silence. Sometimes I want noise to drown out the other noise in my head. Noise to drown out the ache I experience when he is gone and life is overwhelming.

And my heart aches as I hear Jesus say, “Where I am going you cannot come.” Like Peter I wonder Why? My heart longs to be where he is – for his peace and his presence. But Jesus is preparing us just as he did his disciples for our most difficult and rewarding challenge yet.

Jesus tells his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled...I am going to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (John 14:1-3),but meanwhile, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples.” John 13:34-35.

Jesus is leaving, and he knows that his friends will grieve. He understands they will be lonely and persecuted because of their belief in him. So he says:
Take care of each other.
Meet each other’s needs.
Cry with one another.
Laugh together.
Don’t ignore one another.
Love with intent.
Love with purpose.
Love without your own agenda.
This is how Jesus loved them.
They cannot be separate from him if they are acting and responding to one another in love.

In all this Jesus knows the love that they attempt to give one another will not be enough. Have you ever tried to love someone with everything that you have in the best way that you can? It’s hard – really hard! I, for one, always screw up! I know I’m not alone in this.

Peter, when confronted with his association with Jesus, denies him three times before the rooster crows on the very day of Jesus’ crucifixion. Each denial creates distance between he and Jesus causing him to feel more and more alone. Only days earlier Peter had claimed he would follow Jesus and die for him. Why did he deny him? Because he is human, and like me, he is weak, selfish and often afraid. Thank God for the grace that Jesus’ bought when he died for Peter on the cross.

This same Peter, weeks later, filled with the Holy Spirit of God, preached the Good news of Jesus' death and resurrection with boldness to a crowd of thousands in Jerusalem - inviting them to receive the same grace that he had been given. What changed? Peter did! He was no longer alone. He was now armed with supernatural power, radical conviction and sacrificial love.

Sacrificial love which really became a sacrifice, as Peter went on to lay down his life in the name of Jesus.

Have I encountered Jesus in such a way? Have I relied on his supernatural presence that I might love selflessly, enough to lay down my own life? Can I do that without surrendering all that I am?

Today, while singing at church, I wondered, "Do I really believe what I'm singing about?"
Is it true Jesus?
Is...........All of you
Really......More than enough for all of me?
For (my) every thirst and (my) every need?
Do you really......Satisfy me with your love?
Is...........All I have in you more than enough?

Have I allowed you to be more than enough? Have I slowed down enough to listen and understand your voice? Oh God, empty me of the substitutes that I've filled my life with both physical and emotional, and fill me with more than enough.

In the Stillness

The constancy of the message of Christ lives in action. Sometimes that action means sitting still, but it is a productive stillness. A still life submitted to God is very productive indeed. For it is in the quiet and in the stillness that we are able to develop the discipline of listening for his voice. It is in the calm that we learn to recognize that He is speaking, and we may discern when he is telling us to move and when he is telling us to stop moving.

Stillness seems impossible to achieve these days with the constant demands we place on ourselves, not to mention the ones others place on us. I for one don’t want to be seen as lazy or irresponsible, so I keep busy with tasks both important and frivolous. But what is my busyness accomplishing? Honestly, sometimes I just busy myself because it’s really too hard to sit still and be patient. After all there is always something that needs to be done – even if it’s just changing my Facebook status.

The truth is I haven’t cultivated stillness, and therefore it is something akin to cajoling a 3-year-old into eating his vegetables. And what is the big deal anyway? Does every moment of my life need to be laced with purpose? Well, I think every moment does have purpose, but the real question is what purposes or whose purposes am I fulfilling. Sadly, too often I am a self-fulfilling prophecy and my designs reach no further than my own selfishness, but I’d like for that to change.

So again I look to Jesus. Jesus really is amazing! He had the most successful ministry on the planet. People were literally tearing his roof apart to see him, and He says crazy things like let’s leave this place and go on to the next town. And I do only what I see my Father doing. He steers clear of popularity and fame. When a crowd plans to come and make him king (by force) he eludes them and seeks solitude.

Solitude – not to get those things done that he’d been meaning to do, but solitude focused on stillness, listening to God and waiting for direction. How many evenings do I end wondering where my day went? How many mornings do I give more than a simple checkmark to my time with God – God the creator of the universe, God the Lover of my Soul – God the one who holds each life in the balance? Surely he has perfect direction for my day. What am I waiting for?

War, Foreign Policy, Abortion, Cap and Trade, The Fairness Doctrine, stimulus after stimulus – there is a battle raging, and it’s not one fought across party lines. It can’t be. The parties are too similar, and I’m fed up. I don’t know where to turn my frustration – so I’m venting. The politically squeamish should beware.

On the way toward any proposal I have many questions and observations to share. I wonder. When did we sell our souls? How long have we believed that government, any government is our salvation or even has our best interests at heart? Is it because we’ve had it so good for so long? Is it because we really believe they are smarter than us or that they have examined the issues more deeply? If so, it is only because we have chosen our ignorance. We have incredible freedoms fought and paid for by countless Americans and drafted just outside a tyranny that our founding fathers experienced firsthand.

We appear to be freer than any country in the world, possibly freer than any people has ever been. Is that what makes it so easy to give our freedoms away? I wonder if we will recognize that we have no one to blame but ourselves when we finally realize those freedoms are gone.When will we wake up and think for ourselves instead of letting bureaucrats in Washington or our state capitols, Republican and Democrat alike, do it for us. Last time I checked we were a Republic where individuals matter not just the collective whole.

Shame on me for saying and doing nothing for so long. Shame on me for being afraid of what people will think if I speak up. Shame on me for thinking my voice doesn’t matter and that individuals can’t really make a difference. Shame on us for calling on government to do what it is our job to do – to feed the poor, clothe the homeless and take care of the orphan and the widow– to name a few. How long will we follow party lines and ignore our own responsibilities? Shame on us for feeling entitled to be served by the government – for it is in accepting that service that we sign away more and more of our personal freedoms.

What about freedom of speech and freedom of religion? How long before not just the cars we drive, or the businesses we run, or the light bulbs we use are a target of legislation. The truth is even those unalienable rights are already on the chopping block being carved up for limitation as I write, and it’s all done by “experts” for our own good.

The time to act is now. We have ignored the warning signs of a society that has turned its back on God. We have gone about business as usual and been lulled into apathy by our comfortable lives. But the battle is raging whether we join the fight or not. Many a nation has fallen into corruption because of the comfort and apathy of its citizens. Will we be footnotes in the pages of a tragic history?

I was hesitant to write on politics because I prefer to share my opinions one on one until I read these word by C.S. Lewis. They screamed out at me and begged to be shared.

“Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good, will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.” ~ C.S. Lewis

My call is for us to pray. I believe that God is calling us to repent as a nation for our sin against him. If you are reading this and you are not a Christian, then I would simply ask that you consider the claims of Christ. The revolution begins in our hearts, and we live out truth on a daily basis. We speak truth in our actions and by refusing to be silenced by those who would tell us not to speak.

For those who prefer to leave politics in a quiet corner, please understand that we are beings who cannot compartmentalize our spirituality from the rest of our lives. Jesus is either Lord of all or he is not Lord at all.

Invade album by JP

Invade album by JP

Shared via AddThis

Walking Through Wildflowers

Today we were walking waist-high through walls of weeds and wildflowers. My children wandering in wonderment pocketing worms and grasshoppers while I, warily, watched for the more nefarious snakes and spiders.
Wow! I love alliteration. Fifteen minutes into our adventure I loosened up and began to enjoy our jaunt into the wonderland that is our front yard. My five-year-old daughter took my hand and led me fearlessly through the grass that brushed against her face on the way into the unknown. What lie ahead? Need it matter if she held my hand? Every two minutes or so she paused, knelt down and chose a flower. She dutifully handed each to me as if it were what she was born to do. And could it be that she was born to do just that? The cup of water that I had brought along to quench my thirst quickly turned into a vase, filling with clover, dandelions, daisies and a wide assortment of weeds. C’est la vie, perhaps this glass was brought along for just this purpose.
As we continued to wander, I paused to consider why children pick flower after flower and run with smiles and excitement to their mothers and place them proudly in mom’s waiting arms. I’ve noticed that children rarely keep flowers for themselves. They seem compelled to share the beauty that they encounter. And with whom do they share this beauty? With the object of their affection of course! What do they receive for their efforts? A smile, maybe a hug and most often a look of love that penetrates their very being causing pure joy to pour out of them with more smiles, laughter and a race to find more flowers.
At every turn I see beautiful blooms, each gift more surprising than the next. I bask in the warmth of a brilliant sun and a generous God who is compelled to share beauty because it is his very nature. I laugh out loud at the simplicity of today and the measured task of unwinding to enjoy the treasures with which God is wooing me. Me...the object of His affection? Why, of course! My smile widens, and my sense of longing is rekindled as I accept the gifts that surround me some unopened and others in full view. My walk back has taken on a new sense of expectancy. What lie ahead? I’m not sure, but need it matter if He holds my hand?

Accountability, Hypocrisy & Fraud

I sat down, pen in hand, my paper a blank slate and was preparing to write something about Accountability, Hypocrisy and Fraud. My mind flew to the note I wrote a week ago, the fish dish and the challenge to let things go. I thought about the implications and the responsibility of continuing to let go...

No sooner had I placed my pen on the page there was a crash in my kitchen. The crash that only comes from a dish shattering as it comes in contact with the floor. The casualty? Another fish dish – this time it was a mug.

My initial reaction was Aggh – nobody move! My second thought was to catalogue the irony! My third called for integrity and accountability. In other words, “JP, what’s your next move? Who are you really when nobody’s looking?”

Now, I promise not to write a note every time a dish is broken at our home. But c’mon, what are the odds of this kind of timing? And just what are these little lessons we learn without testing and the accountability or our peers?

In my nice little semi-suburban home I am pleasantly isolated from the eyes of a watching world. You see only what I allow you to see. You trust me to be sincere and truthful about my life and experiences and I expect the same of you.

We have opened a door in our lives and have agreed to let one another in. We have allowed others to comment and critique our lives from a distance. We are reservedly letting down our guard and becoming vulnerable, looking for friendship and encouragement while hoping that our trust is well placed and well deserved. In some sense we are attempting to figure out life together.

So, I am compelled by our relationship though, tenuous, to act responsibly and with integrity. And, nothing puts our integrity to the test like the crashing elements of reality – whatever they may be. My response to the unfortunate fish mug and the offending child must line up with my lesson learned about letting go. But, who is to know, and I control, to some degree, what others know about me.

I have at times been a hypocrite, and I could very easily, though not in good conscience, live a fraudulent life without anyone’s immediate knowledge. But, hypocrisy always shows itself in the end. Jesus had strong words for hypocrites, particularly those in positions of power and influence. Read Matthew 23:13-33 for more details.

I believe it is because of our incredible tendency toward hypocrisy that Paul wrote in Hebrews 10:24-25

“Let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.”

All of us are potential frauds. But, we have the fantastic opportunity to live life alongside one another. Call it good peer pressure. Life is too difficult for anyone of us to do it alone. No one has the corner market on wisdom. And, no one is perfect. I, for one, need the community of friends, family and the Word of God to motivate me to be honest, accountable for my actions and true to my word. If you are reading this, I want you to know that I am thankful for you.

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:
If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!” - King Solomon / Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

One Split Second

As I was loading the dishwasher it occurred to me that I wasn’t being as careful in my handling of dishes as I normally am. In fact, I nearly lost hold of four glass bowls and sent them crashing to the floor.But, I realized, in the space of one split second, that I was okay with that.Haley, my youngest daughter, had aided in this process of letting go by being the first to break one of our “fish” dishes. These fish dishes are part of our everyday china collection that we received as a wedding gift 12 years ago. They are so cute!I know a four-year-old breaking a dish is oh-so-normal. In fact, it is altogether abnormal that we haven’t broken one up to now. After all, the dishes are 12 years old and our oldest child is eight. Anyone who has spent any time with us knows what a miracle this is.The significance of this moment is that it got to the heart of my issue with letting go. My things are precious to me. I don’t make a lot of new purchases. I just hold onto a lot of stuff for a long time.So, this epiphany that I would be okay with not just one dish breaking, but four, was a source of freedom for me. If I can let go of a fish dish, then I could let go of other things as well. Maybe, I could leave it all behind!?Was I unaware of how these things have held my heart and mind captive? Do I own these things or do they own me?The truth is, I have been indifferent and avoiding this very conversation. I don't want to be challenged to give up the comforts of my home. I don't want to be confronted with letting go of what is mine. But, I have been challenged, and I have been confronted with these questions, "Where does your treasure lay? Who or what holds your heart?" Wow. This all started with one silly dish. Must a dish be so demanding? Though this little thought began with a dish, the effects travel much further and penetrate much deeper. The things that I place value in and give attention to hold my heart. If I let go of everything with my heart, how can I be sure that I won't be asked to give it all away with my hands? What will I have left, and what else might be required of me? And, there it is. The root of this problem. Do I trust God?Yes. I do - though my actions don't always display it. Still, in that inadequacy, I am encouraged by the words of Jesus, who, in response to his disciples who had left everything to follow him, said: “I tell you the truth, no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields – and with them persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” Mark 10:29-31Funny how it takes a split second to receive these gems, an hour to write them down and a lifetime to work them out.

It’s been nearly two months since I was down in FL with the family. We had so much fun visiting with old friends and making new ones. I so enjoyed the opportunity to worship and share some of my music with you.

I want to thank you for inviting or coming out to hear us play in August! It was such a blessing to see so many familiar faces and hear such encouraging words.

Here is the update on the CD and future happenings. The CD is in the works, but the pace has slowed a bit. We are hoping to have five songs complete, and as they say radio ready, by the end of the year (likely, before Christmas). My producer tells me I was a bit optimistic about our October release date.

However, we do have something to offer you while you wait for the CD. My husband, Brian, being in the film business, is occasionally able to pull a few strings. What I’m trying to say is that we made a music video of a new song I wrote called, “Christmas Day.” We will be finished with this single in October, and it will be available to purchase as a song and video!

Current Happenings
We are busy preparing for two events. The first is Saturday November 1st. We were invited to play at InterVarsity’s “Nashville Urban Dip” this year! College students from across Tennessee will converge on Nashville for a short mission project/conference. We will be providing a time of worship and entertainment for the students on Saturday evening.

Please pray for these students – that they would have a good time and allow God to move through them and in their midst.

The second event is a Cystic Fibrosis Fundraiser on November 6th. We are simply the background music for this worthy cause. Please pray for their fundraising efforts and that our musical choices would be appropriate for this evening.

Lastly, I ask for your prayers as we continue to push forward with recording, editing (the video) and pursuing God as a family and as artists. I look forward to sharing more with you very soon.

Thank you. I welcome your emails.
In Christ’s Hands,
JP Murie
www.myspace.com/jpmurie

Expectation

The word Expectation has been arising a lot lately. I’ve heard numerous people say they are expectant, waiting in anticipation of what God is about to do. These people are not passively waiting, but passionately praying and listening for God’s voice. There is a sense that something big is around the corner.

Webster’s dictionary defines Expecting in this way: to anticipate or look forward to the coming or occurrence of. It says elsewhere that the word expect implies a high degree of certainty and usually involves the idea of preparing or envisioning.

A few months ago, God put this word in my heart too. I was drawn to the book of Acts, remembering how God told his disciples to wait in Jerusalem.

Acts 1:3-5, 8
“After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: ‘Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit’ …But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."”

Jesus had just died a painful and humiliating death on the cross and then had risen from the dead! Now, here he is with his disciples, and he gives them a command – Wait. He follows up that command with a promise. He promises the disciples that they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on them. He says they will testify to the things they have seen.

I’m sure the disciples had no idea what this Holy Spirit was, what it would look like or even when it would come. Yet, they wait. They wait because they know Jesus. They have touched him. They have eaten with him. They have witnessed this man’s power over death! They believe in Him.

They wait, with purpose. They wait with expectation – the kind of expectation defined by a high degree of certainty. They continue to pray and wait preparing for what God is about to do.

Likewise, we are here waiting in expectation, preparing for what God is about to do.
So, what is God about to do?

We can catch a glimpse if we examine what God did just days later on the day of Pentecost. God made good on his promise; he poured out his Spirit!

Acts 2:1-4
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

The disciples’ expectation was well-founded. God poured out his Spirit and as a result 3000 people became followers of Christ in one day? Not only did they confess with their mouths, but they began to make serious changes in their lifestyles, selling possessions, giving to others as they had need. I believe God is reminding us today of what he did in the early church because he desires to pour out his Spirit again.

The prophet Joel writes in chapter 2:

28 "And afterward,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.

29 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

God is getting ready to pour out His Spirit again – on all people. But, he says he will do it afterward – after what? The preceding verses answer that question,

12 "Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."

13 Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God
for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.

14 Who knows? He may turn and have pity and leave behind a blessing— grain offerings and drink offerings for the LORD your God.

15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly.

He says that he will do this after we have repented. God is calling us as individuals, as a church and as nations to repentance. Repent, because the kingdom of God is near.
If we stop right there, it’s easy to get hung up in the guilt associated with repentance because it involves us dealing with our sin.

But, the whole point of repentance is to get rid of our sin. We give it to Jesus, who already paid for it, and Jesus gives us freedom. “Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity.”

What good news!

In truth, God is calling the church to freedom, so that we might call those in the world to freedom! It’s time.

Bring IT!!!

It pains me to think of how bad I am at disciplining myself. The list of my inadequacies is long. Chiefly, I find it difficult to set boundaries. I’m so afraid of being pigeonholed or caged. I’d compare my fear to that of an animal being backed into a corner. The animal is scared and unsure - desperate to know where there is a route of escape, another possible option.

I like this escape clause; it states, “If I don’t like it here, I can make a run for it. If I feel threatened, there is a way out to safety.” But, a corner leaves no option. At this point, the animal must fight or back down.

The fight often means expending energy in futility which leads to frustration, confusion and sometimes injury. Backing down signifies defeat, giving up and admitting that there is nowhere else to go. This acceptance is a frightening reality, but one with which we must come to terms with.

I find it scary to be confined. Once I submit myself to specific boundaries, it means that I can’t do what I want, when I want. This frightens me.

I’m a big LOST fan, and this analogy will make sense if you follow the best TV show ever written. The hostiles on the island, or The Others, have been making their way back and forth between two islands by way of submarine. Their leader, Ben, insists that the submarine provides a type of “security blanket,” which creates within them a peace of mind concerning living on the island. These people have always exercised their free will to stay on the island with the knowledge that they could leave at anytime by way of submarine (so we’re told). Once the submarine is destroyed things change.

Likewise, once our security blankets are stripped away things change. It’s this change that will bring about something radical in me – something that has little to do with my own efforts, but everything to do with God’s power. I know that kind of change is exactly what I want and what God wants in me. He wants me to let him remove everything that I hold onto – so that I might know that He is enough. This is a daily process which involves discovering who God really is and learning how to trust Him and if He really is trustworthy. What I know right now is I want to know God more. I want him to move in my life and if that requires change then bring it!!!

JP sings @Casablanca

Join the groupies, and bring a friend!
(leave your crayons at home)

Come to Casablanca this Saturday night 6:30-8:30pm (White House, TN)


JP Murie and Jake Cooper will perform some of their originals LIVE!


Have some coffee, sit back and enjoy the music.

In Session

It was one of the best days of my life, and I spent it in a little control room. The monumental day - January 24th. I began recording my first album, "You Wrecked Me"

We recorded 9 songs. I've never been associated with such brilliance and humility in the context of music as I was on this day. It was amazing to see the words and tunes that I had labored over come to life. And they DID!


So, if you didn't know -- I'm recording a CD. Yea!!! All the songs are originals that I have written over the past year. If I had to pick a genre or style I would call it INDIE/ROCK/CHRISTIAN.


We laid all of the instrumental tracking this week, but we haven't started on vocals yet. We're hoping to be able to release it in the Spring and start limited touring after that.

I'm still praying the details through. God has brought us this far and we don't want to run ahead of him. I would appreciate your prayers and support. When I have singles that I'm ready to let you hear I'll post them on MySpaceMusic and PureVolume.com


In general the family is good. I'm a little foggy presently, but God is good and He has a plan.

Seasonal Anxiety?

Merry Christmas

from the Muries

The holidays are here. I haven't begun shopping, but I'm not worried about it. I told a friend that fact the other day and she began having an anxiety attack for me. It's fun to get things and to give things, but it's not the most important thing. We are trying to help our kids focus on Jesus and take care of each other - we'll shop eventually!

Joel Caleb is practicing piano and my other 3 children are taking turns sliding down the stairs. There is much laughter in our home right now. We have rooms filled with toys, but none are in sight. The stairs are taking their place tonight! Maybe I don't need to shop for Christmas...bah humbug. Just kidding.

Unfortunately, I will soon disrupt these joy-filled squeals announcing, "Bedtime!"

Today has been a quiet day - in that it hasn't involved us going anywhere. Inside we haven't had much quiet at all. But, we did accomplish one thing today. We took pictures. Well, I took pictures of the kids.

Merry Christmas!

Peer Pressure

I have succumb to the pressure from a "dear" friend to blog. So here goes...Since my ruminations are forced I'm not sure how pure they will be. I feel almost as if I am a studying for a midterm. Okay, maybe that's a little dramatic. Homework...yeah, that's it. Now I feel like Joel Caleb when I tell him, "it's time to write a 2-point paragraph." Ughh!

So, what is going on? The kids are doing great. Joel Caleb (2nd grade) is presently writing a 2-point paragraph on his "Favorite Games." Catherine is in Kindergarten. I'm amazed at how well she is doing at reading. She is picking up some concepts much more quickly than I anticipated. Haley, wants so badly to be involved, but her attention carries her between baby dolls and letter writing in 5-minute intervals. Thankfully, Brian has taken 22-month old Isaac with him to run errands this morning. Otherwise, I would have him in and out of my lap and most of these words misspelled.

Me? Glad you asked. It's not that I haven't been writing; I'm just not writing on the internet. In the past year God has been really growing me in the areas of Prayer and Worship. It's been incredible to see how God has used His word to awaken things in me I thought were dead or create things I never thought possible. I've been reading thorough the book of Isaiah. I love that book. The justice and holiness of God really becomes clear as Isaiah pronounces God's judgement on the people and then speaks God's mercy. Isaiah himself is overcome with his own unrighteousness (Chptr 6). Something I can relate to. I have so many favorite passages that I couldn't site them all, but one outstanding characteristic of Isaiah is "...that God will not share His glory." Everything that He does, every gift that He gives is so that He might be exalted and others might be drawn to Him. I've grown to know God like never and before, and I want to know him even better. I find myself really looking forward to spending time with God and even stealing it (which makes sense if you have kids)!

I suppose that's enough for my first time out in awhile. See you sometime.

JP

Snow Day

Catherine, Joel Caleb and Haley--decked out for their 1st snow day of the season. Later we went to our neighbors house and slid down their "tiny" hill (really their driveway). The girls only lasted 20 minutes and then went in for some hot chocolate. (Sounds kind of good right now!)


Mimi & Isaac

In January Mom came to help us celebrate Isaac's 1st birthday. We had such a great visit. We were sad to see her go. So was our kitchen.

We miss you Mimi! Come back soon.

This is the finished product!

We moved in September 5th and love our little taste of country.

We've already had quite a few guests in the Murie cabin. We welcome more!

We're all doing well. Brian's business is expanding and our family has stopped (expanding that is).

Here is a picture of Brian and our youngest Isaac
on Christmas day.

Isaac turns one tomorrow.

Happy Anniversary!

It's our everyday vacation
Come visit the Murie cabin
Pancake breakfast included.

JP's Family