the lake of shining waters

it was a good day for a lake & an ice cream cone. 

it's late july and the start of the school year is quickly approaching. hubs started back to work just today. so, yesterday, it seemed like a good idea to take off for the beach. in this case, the little beach that borders lake alma just down the road from our house. 

these 90 degree days have made for perfect conditions to be submerged in cool waters. my parents & sisters came too. right out of the car, the kids find a stray dog, name it cocoa & ask to take it home. there was a smell of charcoal. hot dogs & homemade rice krispy treats. wafts of sunscreen. ice cold cola. sandy toes & rosy cheeks.  sherbet colored nets catching minnows. lessons from grandpa on swimming. playground sliding. then a quick stop for ice cream on the road home. 

notice the haircut my son gave himself. my husband now calls him lloyd christmas.

daddy/daughter handstands

On either side the river lie

Long fields of barley and of rye,

That clothe the wold and meet the sky;

And thro' the field the road runs by

           To many-tower'd Camelot;

And up and down the people go,

Gazing where the lilies blow

Round an island there below,

           The island of Shalott.

Willows whiten, aspens quiver,

Little breezes dusk and shiver

Thro' the wave that runs for ever

By the island in the river

           Flowing down to Camelot.

Four gray walls, and four gray towers,

Overlook a space of flowers,

And the silent isle imbowers

           The Lady of Shalott.

...

There she weaves by night and day

A magic web with colours gay.

She has heard a whisper say,

A curse is on her if she stay

           To look down to Camelot.

She knows not what the curse may be,

And so she weaveth steadily,

And little other care hath she,

           The Lady of Shalott.

And moving thro' a mirror clear

That hangs before her all the year,

Shadows of the world appear.

There she sees the highway near

           Winding down to Camelot:

There the river eddy whirls,

And there the surly village-churls,

And the red cloaks of market girls,

           Pass onward from Shalott.

-The Lady of Shalott, 1842 via anne of green gables

necessity + accessory

i've always been an accessory girl. actually in the 3rd grade i was known for it. known for my rings. one (maybe two) for each finger. then there was the sunglasses when we would go out. and i was never without a purse.

these days i still love my accessories. i mean, the right accessory can transform a plain tee to something chic & special. it can completely change the look of an outfit. one of the most versatile accessories? a scarf! check out my new favorite way to wear one here! i would totally wear a scarf every day. 

anyway, i wanna talk more about purses. or more specifically my river city leather bag. i got my first rcl bag last year for valentines day (here) and there's this later pic of it here. i gathered my evidence and made my case in the fall last year. finally, after some saving & further convincing, hubs said i should order one. i went with a medium caramel tote and have absolutely loved it. so much so that i recently sold most of my other purses (and i loved my purses). it just goes with everything. holds everything. and will essentially last forever. i now understand the importance of quality over quantity. 

with 3 kids and an active lifestyle, it's more & more important these days to find pieces that are 1. durable 2. functional 3. classic. and even though i have absolutely loved my tote, there were many instances where having a smaller, crossbody-style bag would have been more convenient. ya know, allowing my hands to be free to hold the hands of little ones. so with my birthday in july, i thought it would be a great opportunity for another bag purchase. soooo hubby & i made a deal. the deal? if i could sell enough at our rummage sale to split the cost...we would do it. um, deal! and i did. 

i emailed aaron from rcl. he worked with me on the design for a smaller crossbody-style bag & i was able to place my custom, handmade, made in the usa, order. a few weeks later, i went a few blocks down to his shop to pick up my satchel & was able to check out the variety of leathers he has in stock. gorgeous stuff. he genuinely loves what he does & it shows in his work. this crossbody satchel is incredibly light, has plenty of room inside (+ a bonus pocket sleeve) & an adjustable strap.

also, i am currently brainstorming what kind of wallet i "need." maybe emerald green leather?? 

bag shown is distressed brown with caramel straps

watch here to learn more about river city leather in gallipolis, ohio. 

am i good enough for heaven?

(disclaimer: no one has it all figured out. no one.)

how do i know if i'm good enough for heaven?
what do i believe?

why do i believe that?

because my parents believe that way?

because my church believes that way?

because I've always believed that way?

yes, i know it's been a little slow on the blog posting lately. i hear that's normal. can i blame my kids? i think i will. it's summer. they're all home (including hubs) and routine has went right out the window. regardless, some big thoughts have been stirring inside of me...questions, convictions, etc. i've spent a lot of time in the Bible. spent some time looking through old notes. spent time researching many (MANY) articles online. spent time talking with others on the matter. and now, the rest of the story...

i knew Jesus came to this earth to die for me and that he loved me unconditionally at the very young age of 5. the simple, profound truth of the gospel penetrated my heart & with childlike faith, i believed in Jesus & the Holy Spirit came into my heart forever. i never doubted my salvation & i never doubted it was forever.

faith has always come easy for me. i consider it a spiritual gift. i've never questioned God's sovereignty. but more & more in this season in my life I've found myself questioning...not questioning as in doubting the truth of God's word, but questioning to show myself approved...to accurately handle the word of truth. wanting to be able to more fully understand & love my God. to be able to defend, follow & share His word.

in 2 timothy 2:15 it says to study to show thyself approved, meaning i need to study the Word. "i" need to know what it says so when someone tells me differently...i will know if it comes from the truth of the Word or from the word of man.

in ephesians 4:14 it says we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming. we better know what we know & why we believe it! for me, my faith is rooted in the truth of God's word.  

all of it. not just one verse. all of it. 

and it's not just "what i believe" but more like "what i know" because, friend, i KNOW God has worked some crazy stuff out in my life-there's no other explanation! and i KNOW He speaks to me. in that quiet, still voice inside of me. i wish i could dismiss it sometimes! but i can't. I JUST KNOW.

what has started as faith has been proven fact.

the word of God stands on its own. it says in Isaiah 55:11 "...i send it out, and it always produces fruit. it will accomplish all that i want it to, and it will prosper everywhere i send it." his word will go out & will not return void.  

now, back to what i was saying...i never doubted my salvation & i never doubted it was forever. yet i often hear people ask,

"once i have salvation, can i lose it???"

the way i see it, you either 1) believe you are saved by Grace through Jesus Christ or 2) believe you are saved by your own works. can't be both. 

the scripture says in Isaiah 64:6, "we are all infected and impure with sin. when we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind."

our works can't save us. 

in ephesians 2:8 it says, "it is by grace that i am saved, through faith, not of myself"--not of anything i can do--it is a gift from God.

i can't save me. i can't work harder to save me. i can't be good enough to save me. [this may come as a shocker to my husband] i'm not perfect! BUT, thank you God, Jesus was. He came to be that perfect sacrifice. the ONLY thing that could justly & completely pay my price of sin. forever & always. eternally.

the clencher for me is in romans 11:6, "but if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace." i mean, right?! listen to this in acts 4:12, "And there is salvation in no one else: for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved." 

SALVATION IS NOT FOUND IN ME.

i do have a question, though. in john 3:36 it says, "he who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." soooo...

if i don't obey, i won't go to heaven, right?
if i mess up, i won't get to heaven, riiiight???

well, look at that verse next to another translation. it actually translates to "whoever rejects the Son will not see life."

the key to heaven is not obedience--although that is important!
the key to heaven is found in accepting Jesus. 

"truly, truly, i say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." it says it right there. i must hear. i must believe. through faith. through Christ Jesus. i have eternal life. i pass from death into life. there is no "but" there. there is no "only if" there.

AGAIN, "truly, truly, i say to you, he who believes has eternal life." through faith in Christ Jesus i have eternal life. period.

an amazing example of faith vs. works?? the thief on the cross. in verse 40 of John 23, the thief showed his faith in who jesus was & then in verse 43, Jesus says to him that "TODAY you will be with me in paradise." that thief didn't have time to do better works. he didn't even get a chance to be baptized. because of his FAITH he was saved. because of his FAITH he was going to be with Christ Jesus in heaven.

what about ephesians 2:10? in the king james version it says, "for we are his workmanship, created unto Jesus Christ unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them." since, i love the message version, let's look at it there. i'm going to start in verse 7:

"now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. saving is all his idea, and all his work. all we do is trust him enough to let him do it. it's God's gift from start to finish! we don't play the major role. if we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! no, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. he created each of us to join Jesus in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, the work we had better be doing." 

amen! anyone still with me here??

that's where the work comes in! if we are a child of God, we should be working...with him for his glory--not to save ourselves. if we are a child of God, we should want to work...with him for his glory because we love him...because he first loved us. not because my works will save me. 

when paul was writing to titus he says, "he saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life." (titus 3:5-7) again, i'm not saved by my works. it's by the perfect blood sacrifice of Christ Jesus. it's by His grace we are made heirs to heaven. it's not conditional. there are no strings attached. if He promises it to me in His Word, it's better than a 100% money back guarantee...it's a holy guarantee.

friends, i don't claim to know it all...by any stretch! but as long as i have breath on this earth, i have a mission. to learn more. to ask questions. to grow. to change. to share. 

no, i am not good enough for heaven, but through the blood sacrifice of my Jesus, I have been made anew & holy in the sight of God. my eternity is secure. no matter how many times i mess up.

HIS GRACE IS SUFFICIENT!

i hope you don't only listen to what i've found while searching the scriptures but i hope you heed what psalm 105:4 says, "search for the LORD and for his strength; continually seek HIM." and if you struggle with studying the word, then i encourage you to find a spiritual mentor that can help guide you. 

continue to seek him.
continue to study his word.

IT ALL POINTS TO HIM.