With Love, From Bethel

A while ago, some students from Bethel (maybe Bethel, CA? maybe the church is called Bethel? I’m not 100% sure) were suppose to come in to Reno and help serve and minister to the city. A brutal storm came through the pass and delayed their trip. Before we knew about the storm, my husband and I volunteered to host these students. Hosting just means we pick them up when they come in to Reno late on a Friday evening, take them back to our home, let them sleep and then in the morning feed them breakfast and take them back so they can go forth and share the gospel.

They came into town a couple weeks ago, but my husband and I were so busy we couldn’t host them. But this weekend, they’re back again. This time, my husband and I aren’t busy. I’m so excited to be able to serve them by offering up space in our home to sleep and rest before they serve the city of Reno. I’m excited to be able to fellowship with fellow children of the Most High. I’m excited to see what God is going to do having them In the City, For the City.

And, I’m also really excited to cook a nice breakfast for more than just me. My husband is a night owl; he hates mornings and rarely eats breakfast. So when I wake up on the weekends, I usually quietly slip out of bed, tend to the fur babies, and then make a small breakfast for myself. I love him so very much; it’s just been a change of pace for me to not have someone who loves to see the sunrise. I end up usually making toast and coffee, sometimes eggs, sometimes a protein drink. So tomorrow morning, I’ve got plans for waffles, eggs, toast, coffee, fresh fruit and yogurt. So excited to be able to prepare and serve a meal in the morning.

I can't wait to post an update with what goes on in the short amount of time we get to spend with the Bethel students :)

Inaugural Insights

We officially have a new president. A new ruler. A new leader. A new set of eyes to lead our nation. Change will happen, change has already started to happen (with the senate and the Affordable Care Act). We don't know what the next 4 years hold, but according to President Trump, he wants to give the power back to the people, as it should have originally been, as it was originally designed. We don't know if he'll stick by his promises in his speech today. We don't know if America will be made great again. We don't know if other countries will act out and start a war with us due to Trump's election.




But.
 


It doesn't matter. We have this hope an anchor for our soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19).
 


Jesus is a permanent king. Jesus is a faithful father. Jesus loves his children and will provide if we ask. Ask Seek Knock. Pray for America, pray for great leadership from Trump.
 


Today starts a new chapter. Let’s not complain about Trump. Let’s not “Well if Hillary was president…” or “Well if –insert name here– was president” We have Trump. We can’t change it. So let’s accept, reflect and continue on. Just as we pray for our pastors lead the church well, pray for Trump to lead the country well. 
 


I believe that something good is coming. I don’t know if it will be right away, or after a trial, but something good is coming. I have hope.


Lifeway Women also addressed this issue on their blog today. They've got a lot more scripture to back up their claims. Go take a look, whether you are female or not, it's a good read.  :)

From paper to plastic: Why I got a Kindle

So for anyone who knows me, or has known me from birth to high school, they can tell you the countless books and bookstore gift cards I’ve asked for for birthdays and Christmas. My parents can tell you the hoards of books I’ve had growing up, from the one 10ft tall bookshelf sometimes double stacked with books, plus a smaller 4-5ft bookshelf full as well. I love books. I love the feel of them in my hands, turning the pages and that oh so satisfying (but awful for the book itself) crack of the spine as I bend paperbacks against themselves. I love the smell of new books, of old books, of ancient books.  I love going to the bookstore, and browsing books for a few hours or just a short trip in to get what I want and get out. I love leaving the bookstore with a fair amount of weight in my hand from the new books. I love highlighting important/relevant passages, making notes in the margins (more for informational books and textbooks, but some novels have some rad passages too!) [Also, I know some people will gasp at the molestation of the books, but to each their own. At least you can rest assured that I’m not one of those savages who dog-ears their pages! I will always use some sort of bookmark.]

But what I don’t love is those books I’ve bought and read once because I just wasn’t that into them. I don’t love all the space taken up by my books. If I could have a dedicated storage space for my books that also doubles as a library, I’d take it. But at my current stage in life, my house I share with my husband doesn’t quite allocate for a library.

Enter the E-Reader. When they first came out, I was so against them. I would pack 5-9 books with me on car trips, I would lug those books in carry ons and checked bags flying from point A to point B; once I finished them on the trip, cart them back home and add them to my shelf.  No one was going to have any business taking away my experience with books. I was set firm in my ways.

Until I wasn’t. At the end of last year, after talking with my husband about my plans to read a crapton this year, “Well I’m going to be bringing up my stuff from my childhood home to this one” “Stuff?” He looked at me with the chagrin of “What more do you have?” I had 18 years of my life in that house. 18 years of stuff, and yes, 18 years of books! (Plus a few summers between college and vacations and what not) “Ok, well not so much stuff, just books mostly” “Where are you going to put them?”

Therein lay the problem. I couldn’t bring my bookshelf with me. Our 1100 sq ft home had 7ft ceilings. And I certainly couldn’t saw 3ft off the bookshelf, it just couldn’t work. And then I realized, with this house that I’m in, I just couldn’t keep my library I had acquired. For the amount of upcoming books I want to read, there won’t be space for them to make a home.

So, for Christmas, I asked for a Kindle.  Christmas Day, (well we celebrated the day after Christmas) I opened a kindle from my parents.

Go ahead. Moan and groan, call me a traitor.

But let me tell you, I haven’t fully forsaken books. I will still buy the occasional book here and there. The majority will be bought on my kindle, for less than a physical book, which is actually a nice relief on my pocketbook (aka wallet, aka bank account).

Being about half a month (ok like a quarter) into using my kindle, I quite like it. I’ve already read 2 books. I didn’t have to wait for them to be restocked in the store, or wait for them to be shipped to my door. When I finished one outside of the house, I didn’t kick myself for not packing a second book in my purse, I wasn’t weighted down in my purse by 2 books. I had the next book already in my library and I just clicked over to it, and voila, I’m ready to read.

I’m thoroughly impressed and in love with my kindle. It came default with “Samantha’s Kindle” as the name. (It takes your name from your amazon account and just calls it “(Name)’s Kindle”. But you have the capacity to rename it.

Possibilities.

That’s what I’ve renamed it. So many possibilities of books. So many possibilities of just everything. And convenience, but possibilities sounds like a cooler name than convenience.

So that's my thoughts on it. That's why I made the switch, and I couldn't be happier :)