This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

~Joshua 1:8

-Kasie

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.

I love this verse.

-Kasie

There is much that could be said about Calvin – his life, his theology, and his enduring legacy (which we benefit from today). Calvin was arguably the most influential man of his millennium! And his doctrines of God’s sovereignty, human depravity, and Grace STILL edify and instruct Christians.

I recently bought Calvin’s definitive work, “Institutes of the Christian Religion”, and have found it very good! The pages are loaded with meat, and packed full of scripture.

Sola Scriptura! (By Scripture alone)
Sola Fide! (By Faith alone)
Sola Gratia! (By Grace alone)
Solo Christo! (Through Christ alone)
Soli Deo Gloria! (Glory to God alone)

I guess I better start at the beginning.

About 3-4 months ago, I became troubled in my spirit. I was restless to an extent that I’ve never been before, but didn’t know why. I kept thinking about it and getting more and more frustrated, pacing the nights away.

All I knew was that something needed to (or was going to) change. But what? How?

As I cried out to God, He helped me re-focus and prioritize. And He used my parents to infuse peace into my soul. No sooner had I received God’s peace, things started happening.

A job possibility that had previously been a “maybe” busted wide open into a “how soon can you work!” situation. So I began working as part of a web contracting team for an international company. This job has truly been a God-send! I have freedom of hours, good wage, and am learning lots of skills that will serve me well down the road.

This is the major reason I’ve been pretty absent from the blog, btw.

God then started confirming things that he had spoken to me before about (sometimes many years before), and putting them in motion. It made me realize once again that it is God who goes before me – I don’t have to worry about accomplishing that which he has promised. I just need to be ready to be used.

But God wasn’t done yet – he started throwing me more opportunities to grow and learn. A graduation speech (my first ever “speech”), another speaking engagement for an Independence Day rally, a band gig for a whole week of Christian summer camp, and so much more. A video of that graduation speech (and Angie’s diploma presentation) will be coming soon.

In short, the past few months have been full, busy, and wonderful for me. I’m still learning how to deal with how to prioritize and balance 2 different jobs, which although both part time, have a different set of requirements. This has been interesting!

What’s next? Well, I’m looking into CollegePlus, and will probably move forward with that pretty soon. My prayer is just that I would be a good steward of my time, and learn how to use it wisely.

Thanks for your love and support. I really enjoy reading all your comments, and hope to post more often in the future!

Just last week at Bible Study, our small group leader asked us to reflect on what the Lord has done in our lives during the past 2 years. Nate and I smiled at each other from across the room. We were both thinking of how much has changed and taken place in just two years.

I mean really! Think about our major happenings since 2007:

• we sold our house in NY and moved to Virginia for a time. That was a huge step in itself! Thanks, Jason and Karlyn, for giving shelter to us poor, homeless folk for all that time!
• over the course of a few months, we bought land, house, and moved to Tennessee. Not to mention that God providentially provided Dad with a great job!
• we started a family band, “The Willi”, and recorded our first ever album! That was amazing! Still is amazing. We’ve got quite a few local summer gigs to play at, and even one reserved for 2010! We’ll go wherever God takes us. It’s His ministry, and all the glory goes to Him.
• within only a year (actually about 6 months, if you want to get technical) we are settled into our community, our church family, and have been blessed with the dearest of friends! (just check out some of the great times we’ve had together!)

All I can say is “wow”! While I know that there’s great wisdom in being visionary and looking forward in life, I also think there’s a time for looking back and reflecting on what the Lord has done for us. Life certainly isn’t easy, but when I see these bullet points, I can think only of God’s goodness, His blessings, His forgiveness, His patience, His grace, and all of what He has taught me. It’s an incredible pondering!

So, in closing, HUZZAH for the first our first year in Tennessee!

And to our dear friends in New York, we love and miss you guys so much, and can’t wait for you to come see us! (c’mon, you can do it! ) Hopefully we’ll see you all soon.

To God be the glory!

-Kasie

I.define:boudoir
a. A lady’s bedroom or private sitting room (citing from the illustrious pen of Master Google Internet, Sr., and with regards to him deferentially and with good will to shoulder the responsibility of solving this, somewhat troubling to some, but elegant epithet for takes place in my boudoir )
b. Small, elegant, feminine sitting- room where the lady would retire to read, write, or entertain some intimate friends (Angie’s acquired notion, confirmed by experience and knowledge through real life, [heh heh, that would mean trials and testings for those of you who want to know] effectially alters every aspect of my normal existance! Which means…relating to the girls of the past and hopeful of our future, also lumps of lace, ribbons, bows, rich satins and taffeta sashes draped over every single stand-alone structure we own )

I’m continually ruminating as the culmination of this week at the grand ball is right thereover the horizon (Just matter of hours so to speak!),  this what it was like for life in the old days for girls, maidens, the joyous wonder of the design of the Lord for womanhood. I’m experiencing a taste of it and it is more than covering my quiet moments alone with awe. Spending the bulk of the day preparing for the ball…girlish dreams… hope for the present and future…love continually pouring out from on high and turning around and pouring around to those around me… this is the theme that has been rippling through my mind, as I busily hum away trimming the dresses this entire week. I’m feeling “splendifourous” and I can’t ever think enough on, or sing praises enough for all God’s blessings to me.
So I’m off to finish up! Things to do….places to sew…hmm…strike that!

~Angie
———
Oh she spins and she sways
To whatever song plays
Without a care in the world
And I’m sitting here wearing
The weight of the world on my shoulders

It’s been a long day
And there’s still work to do
She’s pulling at me
Saying “Dad, I need you

There’s a ball at the castle
And I’ve been invited
And I need to practice my dancing
Oh, please, Daddy, please?”

So I will dance with Cinderella
While she is here in my arms
‘Cause I know something the prince never knew
Oh, I will dance with Cinderella
I don’t want to miss even one song
‘Cause all too soon the clock will strike midnight
And she’ll be gone
-Steven Curtis Chapman
…………………………………

1. Revival begins with seeking the Lord, and personal reformation.

2Ch 34:3a For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father:

We pray for revival, but we rarely take time to truly seek the Lord, and reform our own hearts. Yet, this is where it all began – A young man with a heart for God.

And not just any old “God”. It appears from these passages that true understanding of Jehovah was virtually extinct! This is why the writer of II Chronicles points out that Josiah “began to seek after the God of David, his father”.

2. Take action – radical action!

2Ch 34:3b And in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

2Ch 34:7 And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

As king, Josiah had the unique opportunity to destroy all the pagan alters/groves in Israel. I might not be king but I do have areas under my influence – we all do. Family, work, friendships, etc.

Do not suffer or tolerate wickedness if you have the power to stop it. Fear not! Tear down those idols and alters.

3. Repair the house of God

2Ch 34:8 Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

Only after the first 2 steps are completed does Josiah move to point 3. It is here where he gathers faithful men together to repair the house of God, which had fallen into gross neglect.

There is so much I could say about this point. We see that this job is way bigger than one man, and requires many people from all walks of life and skills to get it done. We see that the workers were faithful in that precious work – which probably took a few years or more.

We see a return to the Word, and its ordinances and doctrines. We see a healthy fear of the Lord, and also his great mercy and kindness.

4. God worked revival and reformation in the hearts of His people.

Josiah was humble and obedient to the Lord. As a result, God worked a miracle in the hearts of the people of Israel. In one generation they went from “worse than the heathen” (2Chron 33:9) to “departing not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers” (2Chron 34:33).

Only God could do that!

They covenanted before the Lord to follow Him alone – and they kept it. They had the holiest, most joyful passover celebration that Israel had known since the days of Samuel!

Of course I was busy (and still am) with lovely heaps of sewing projects (*sighs in rapture*). Once our CD was recorded in December, I foolishly set out in my mind everything I was to do in the next months, what I was going to get done, completely skipping over James 4:13-14. Well, God had other plans, much to my dismay at times.

I suffered a bout of fatigue that lasted for three months. I needed a nap everyday to  function, and even then dragged on like a sloth on sedatives. The fact that I couldn’t do what I knew had to get done was tragic to my busy-bee nature.

But stripped of my natural pride in accomplishments (and in a whole lot of other things) God revealed to me true dependence on Him in such a powerful way. I am so grateful for what He has done! I am so glad for the prayer during my rest times, the dwelling on His Word, and yes even the “bleh” days and tears, for it caused me to cry out all the more for Him to be my strength. May He receive all the glory and praise!

A little over a week ago, my strength and energy returned, praise God! My family is constantly saying to me, “It sure is nice to see you back,”, “Wow, like last month you would been wiped out after that…” and “You look like the Angie that I remember!”

I thank God for healing, and the things He has taught me! And I want to say thank you to my family, who were so considerate of my health, and wouldn’t let me do too much, even against my will. I love all you guys so much.

I hope this has encouraged you, as it has encouraged me just writing it down! God bless you’all!

-A very thankful Angie

Amidst our casual conversation, the lady asked me about my plans after highschool (I graduate next year). Of course I couldn’t simply respond with “I don’t know for sure, but I’m not going to college and I want to be married.”  Yeah, that sounds a bit abrupt.

“I’m not completely sure at this point” I began slowly, “I’m just seeking God’s will for my life. I don’t want a degree, so I’m not going to college (“not going to college!”). I’ll probably work from home, be apart of a small business or something, and (Lord willing) get married and raise a family for God’s glory.”

I showed her my purity ring and told her how I don’t date and want to save my heart for my future husband. When I looked up, I saw a face full of surprise. I don’t think she’s ever heard such strong convictions before, especially coming from a 16-year-old girl.

I’ve known the fact before, but this morning it hit me again. Really hard. The truth is, compared to most, I’m really radical! I’m a Christian, I actually want God’s will in my life. I’m homeschooled, I want to get married and have lots of kids! I don’t date, and I don’t want to go to college (not that college in itself is ‘evil’; I just don’t believe you need a degree in order to get a job or make something of yourself). I love my parents (a teenager loves her parents?), my siblings, and being around my big family.

Yep. I’m just a weird person.

It used to bother me. Being weird. Being, you know, different. Especially after we moved and were constantly in unfamiliar environments, I wanted to be normal and fit in with the crowd wherever I went. I wanted to be liked. How could I be liked with these “radical” beliefs?

I did go through a time of confusion, of rejecting the principles I was brought up to live by. But then God got a hold of me. I don’t remember exactly how it happened or when, but after few trying months, I felt peace – the Lord spoke to my heart and changed my attitude. He never said it would be easy, He said to “follow Me” (Matt. 16:24), and that He would never leave or forsake me. I realized that Christ calls us to be set apart (2Cor. 6: 17a).

So really, I’m suppose to be different, and shouldn’t expect the world to view me as otherwise.

And you know what? I don’t care. I’ll be different for Christ!

-Kasie

This is what cool looks like

Yesterday at church I saw our friend Todd, diligently packing up chairs after the service, his daughter Madison watching and “helping” beside him.

“Hey Todd!” I greeted him

“Hi Kasie! Great to see you guys!”

I gave him a hug and asked him how his mouth was feeling after a recent surgery. He answered in the affirmative, praising God for His faithfulness, thanking us for all our prayers, then suddenly burst out,

“Man, you know what, your Dad is awesome!”

I nodded and smiled proudly.

“I mean he’s just a great guy – a great father and husband. And so funny too! Wow, he can so hilarious!”

We laughed together at the recollection of certain instances where Dad had us doubling over and our sides hurting.

“He’s awesome!” he said again

“We all think so,” I told him. “We truly are blessed, Todd.”

“You sure are!” he nodded his head vigorously, as if it was the only way he could express himself, then returned to his work stacking chairs.

I remember thinking afterwards that Dad probably said or did something in particular to be so impressed upon Todd’s heart, but then, Dad wasn’t even at church that morning! He had to work overtime.

Dad gains respect everywhere he goes. He provides selflessly for us, his family, and guards us with his life. He makes us laugh, he encourages us, instills wisdom into our hearts, and teaches us to love God.

I smiled as I watched Todd wheeling chairs away into a back room. Dad doesn’t even have to try to be Superman to make an impression like that: he only has to be himself.

Oh, how blessed I am! I don’t even know how much.

So Dad, it doesn’t have to be Father’s Day or your birthday for me to tell you I love you, and I’m so proud to be your girl!

Here’s to the coolest, greatest, most awesome Dad in the world! Hip, hip, HUZZAH!

~a loving daughter (Kasie)