Sneak Peek | Heidi


After a long span of snow, cold, and staying indoors, spring decided to give us an early glimpse of its splendor!  Thursday and Friday were gorgeous - 65º and sunny - and since we were all coming out of hibernation, I decided to have a mini shoot with Heidi in the great outdoors.  The boys decided to come along, so we made an adventure out of it.  It turned out to be a bit of muddy, but it was an adventure none the less :).


More pictures to follow!

May you bask in the Son and follow the Father today,
Christa Sue

Come, Lord Jesus



Death.  Struggle.   Blood.  Resist.

These words trail unpleasantly through my mind.  Pain, suffering, strenuous effort, hard times.   

Who would invite these in?


Yet as I am reading God's written words, His desires and instructions for my life, I come away with these thoughts.  How could I come to any different conclusion after reading this verse?  

"In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."  (Hebrews 12:4, NIV.)

How often do I look at life as a struggle, a walk of resistance to sin to the point of shedding blood?  Do I look at life through glasses that expect and seek suffering, wanting to "become like Him in His death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead"? 

Yet I need to see more of the picture.  Ok, I get it that life shouldn't be easy.  I've always 'known' that (although not always have I completely understood it or lived it).  But why should I live life as a struggle?

Because of Jesus.  

He is the reason we have hope for the future, hope that urges us on today to do our utmost for Him right now.  

"For the grace of God [Jesus - John 1:1,14-17] has appeared that offers salvation to all people.  It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good." (Titus 2:11-14) 

"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known.  But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as He is pure." (1 John 3:2-3)

"Behold, I am coming soon!  My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done." (Rev. 22:12) 

These passages (plus Jesus' letters to the seven churches) hit me like they never have before.  Oh how I long to stand before the Lord and hear Him tell me I that have overcome!  

I feel so far from that.  Yet I realize anew that this feeling of falling short makes me not only press on to live for Him in everything, but it forces me trust Jesus all the more.  

For I realize I have nothing of myself to trust in.
~ ~ ~
I come away from God's word encouraged and excited.  Encouraged because Jesus IS coming back - excited to see how my life will change as a result.

Life IS a struggle, a battle between good and evil.  Yet not only do we have eternity to look forward to and strive for, but we have the knowledge that Jesus will ultimately and completely have the victory over the evil one.

That is something we can praise Him for!


"He who testifies to these things [the book of Revelation] says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.'

Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus."
Revelation 22:20