Sheep.

This past Tuesday night I began a new Bible study.  It's one of Anne Graham Lotz's called Pursuing More of Jesus.  I don't know about you, but I totally want me some more Jesus!  Anne points out that it's not necessarily the most important thing to "get through" tons of scripture when spending time in the word, but really understanding what God is saying through His word.  Therefore, she has us break things down verse by verse, write down quite plainly what the verse is saying, ask what sort of lesson God is trying to convey through that verse, and then ask ourselves what lesson we can take away from it.  My verses for tonight came from John 10, where Jesus talks about the shepherd and his flock. I love that he compares us to sheep.  Unfortunately sheep are sometimes thought of as extremely unintelligent, however this is untrue. Studies have shown they are closer to pigs on the I.Q. scale.  So I do not believe Jesus thinks we are dumb.  He does know we need Him to lead us.  One remarkable fact about sheep is their ability to remember and recall human voices.  They know the voice of their shepherd. John 10:4 says that He calls us by name (love it!), leads us out, and goes ahead of us.  For me, God going ahead of me is reassuring.  He has a plan and a specific path for my life, if I only follow His voice. For me this means spending more time in His word and in prayer with Him. Jesus later says that He is the gate for the sheep and that if we enter through Him we will be saved.  I love that He cares for us, wants to save us, wants good things for us.  In a previous Bible study I did that involved the Old and New Testaments, God said that He writes our names on His palms. He has so many sheep but knows each of us, better than we could ever know ourselves; and He loves us despite so many things, wants to bless us and give us hope and a future.  This just warms my heart.  And it's only the beginning of the study.  I am loving learning more about my savior and am proud to be one of His "sheep."


What sorts of experiences have you had when listening for and following His voice?  How do you feel knowing you have a shepherd who cares for you?  


Have a gorgeous, blessed weekend!

Robyn

  

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Love Story, First Edition!

Happy Sunday evening!

I'm very appreciative and excited to have a break this week - Spring Break!  A very much needed pause, breather, chance to go searching for and find my sanity!  I hope you all had a relaxing weekend and enjoyed the gorgeous blue skies and fresh spring breezes today.  If you get a chance, hop over to the "Love Story" tab and take a gander at my first post.

Have a blessed week!
Love,

Robyn

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Escapades in Germany

So I have recently caught a bug...the travel bug...for which there is but one cure.  Alas, we cannot afford the cure at this time, so I will just suffer in silence.  But that doesn't mean I can't reminisce.  So I thought I'd tell you a few reasons why I absolutely adore Germany, among many other countries and cities (Ireland and Paris, France being up there in my top 3).  Sit back, relax, and imagine you are on zee train to Deutschland...

Reason #1: Aged Like a Fine Wine

I'm just gonna put this out there. It's old. As a united country, not so much. As a land, people, and history...old!  Which I absolutely love!  Don't get me wrong, I'm a proud American.  But I love that Germany has more than two hundred years of history and culture to offer me.   I also find their "old stuff" to be incredibly intriguing, elegant, and wondrous!  Exhibit A: 

Der Kölner Dom ~ The Cologne Cathedral

The original cathedral (in Roman times) was first errected in 1170.  The building of the gothic cathedral  (pictured above) began in 1248 after taking the first one down piece by piece.  See...old.  The scaffolding is there to clean it but I still find it breathtaking.  {source}

Reason #2:  The Food is Scrumptious!  

I love food, especially German food.  When I'm not there, I miss it.  When I see pictures of it, I crave it.  Now perhaps some people immediately think sausage and pretzels.  Yes, there is an abundance of this there, but there is so much more!  The German breakfast is my favorite!  Complete with fresh Brötchen (yummy, one-of-a-kind rolls - hard on the outside, soft on the inside), cheeses, meats, marmalade, butter, fish, and fresh-brewed tea or coffee.  Perhaps a piece of fruit to go. Now that's a breakfast!  

Deutsches Frühstück ~ German Breakfast (delish rolls to the left)

Reason #3: It's Breathtakingly Beautiful!
Germany's landscape alone is worth the trip.  You can find anything from the urban jungle in Berlin to the low lying mountains of Cochem, to the snowy peaks of the alps in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.  There are lush green vineyards, cozy cobblestone villages, lively cities, and plenty of gorgeous castles and churches.

Zugspitze! ~ tallest mountain in Germany {source}

So there are a few reasons why Germany is close to my heart.  One of my best friends is German, which is another reason, and she has been a true blessing in my life.  I've learned so much about this beautiful country, thanks to her.  I hope you enjoyed our little trip!  I'm sure I will be unable to resist the pull to write more about Deutschland later.

Have a blessed week!
~Robyn

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Gratitude.

Our daffodils have bloomed!

I recently got to celebrate that I have been given 20+ years on this earth.  I got to laugh and smile with friends and family, recall embarrassingly hilarious stories, and eat sugary, creamy desserts that leave you wishing every day were your birthday (until bikini season rolls around, of course).  But mostly I got to thank God for my health.  There are so many things we tend to take for granted on a daily basis until our lives are turned upside down by something and we are forced to reckon with the daunting fact that things are not as we’d like them to be and we never thought we would be the ones going through this particular struggle.  Being new to the blog world, I have read some wonderful, encouraging blogs lately.  I have laughed til I cried and literally wept over some stories I have read.  Real, beautiful, kind, courageous people everywhere are fighting the scariest battles of their lives – of their worst nightmares and fears, yet they are encouraging others.  They bravely share the ghastly details and their private thoughts and feelings.  And from this comes so many blessings.  Others are encouraged, hope spreads, spirits are lifted, prayers are lifted up, stories are shared, kindness surfaces, hearts grow just a bit bigger as we feel for our fellow human beings and reach out to them; they are not alone.  Then suddenly we realize just how blessed we really are.  This, of course, does not mean we are not blessed when God takes us through a valley in life.  It does, however, help us to appreciate the many blessings staring us in the face that we were too caught up in ourselves and our own lives to see.  Suddenly it doesn’t matter so much any more that someone cut you off in traffic, that your cell phone is on the fritz, that the cable’s out, or that the laundry is piling up.  Suddenly you feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the healthy life you lead.  For the health of your spouse, children, parents, friends.  For a God who loves you and wants to bless you with good things!  Suddenly you start to think of how you can reach out to someone, encourage them, pray for them, give a piece of yourself to them.  There is so much beauty and selflessness in serving others.  Jesus is our perfect example and without Him we’d be lost.  He brings joy, healing, and salvation to so many.  

So today I’m grateful for my healthy, earthly life and my eventual eternal life in heaven…whenever that may begin.   I’m grateful for my healthy husband, family, and friends.  I hope to show God my gratitude by allowing Him to use me for His purpose, His plan. 

Take care,

Robyn

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