God's blessed me Again

As some of you know, I have been longing for a cello for quite some time. 

A Beautiful cello with a flamed back.  That sings with a low, vibrating voice.  So I can play with Sarah on her violin.  So I can play with Mom on the piano.  So I can play with Sarah on her violin and Mom on the piano.  So I can “jam” with friends. (is it jamming when it is more of an orchestra? )  To just play for myself and learn a new instrument……..

Did I say for quite some time?  Let’s just say that my Sister bought some books for me.  Two books, in fact, on how to learn the cello.  Did I say when she bought them?  Back at Christmas.  Yup, so for 9 months I have been longing for a cello.  Well, that’s not true.  I mean, she did buy books at Christmas for me, but she bought books because I obviously wanted to find a cello then.  So for at LEAST a year I have been longing for a cello.

Over a year.

I have been watching Craigslist like a hawk. 

Searching, looking, listening, drooling, dreaming, asking questions of everyone I know….gaining all the information that I can about cellos.  I had even gone so far as to call a local cello teacher to see when she had openings for lessons. 

Are you getting the picture?  For over a year. 

As I looked, however, I just wasn’t finding it…..all the cellos on the internet didn’t have the flamed back that I desired so badly.  They just didn’t look nice at all.  That, or they weren’t in my price range.  Did I say that I had a price range?!?!  Did I say how much a good cello costs?!?!

Impossible hurdles.

Something would have to give.  I would need to drop my list of “wants”.  That flamed back?  Well, it didn’t have to be.  A better brand?  Well, how about one that just plays well and sounds nice.  Not beautiful, but nice. 

In other words, “Quit being picky, Rebecca.”

It’s not like I want to go play onstage.  I just want to enjoy it for myself.

Are you caught up now?  Do you understand how much I was longing for this, the battles of “should I, or shouldn’t I” that I was going through?

Due to life, I had stopped checking Craigslist every other day.  For some odd reason Mom had been on and found a couple of cellos listed.

Did I just say a couple?!?! When I couldn’t find one?!?!  :sigh:  Mother’s can ALWAYS find things…. :D

So I called and set up times to go look at them.

Option #1 was a cello that came from a good, well-known place in town.

Option #2 came with a hard case.  With Blue lining.  (Did you know I love the color blue!!??)

Being the wise woman that I am (yup, I’m tootin’ my own horn….) I begged my sister to come along…..at the price of Panda Express. (Which she loves. and I don’t. J)

We went and viewed option #1 first and although it was a lovely cello, it was just “eh”. 

After we walked out Sarah tells me, “It’s nice, but it has such-and-such which could be an easy fix or a more complicated one.”

Onto cello option #2.  Wait, did I mention that I was going to go look at this cello on Sunday?  But the lady called and said that it was gone?!?  You should have heard me Saturday night when I heard the news.  I was pretty torn up about it.  Very torn up.  Ask my siblings.  Or the friends we were with that night.  I couldn’t stop talking about how bummed I was!

Well, that deal fell through for the lady, and the cello was again on the market!  The lady called, and I scheduled to go look at it with Sarah after we had played the option #1 cello.

As we were getting directions to her house, she was so cute and said to come through her gate which was a “hobbit” gate to her little house which she called the “Shire”.  Cute, right?!?!  And I do like LOTR, so it was a little “plus” to the day.  Makes you smile.

We walked inside to view the cello. 

And it was gorgeous.

With flames

Beautiful flames on the back and sides.

Did I say FLAMES!!!!

:big grin:

The lady told us she had just tuned it, and I asked her to play it for us. 

It was love at first sound.  I didn’t want to admit it because I wanted to just really listen and use my discretion and not be fooled into buying something just because it was beautiful. 

But it was.

Beautiful AND sounded so well!

I told my family that I was NOT going to make a decision tonight, but that I would come home to sleep on it. 

That didn’t happen.

After the lady had played it, Sarah had played it, and I had played it, I looked at my sister and mouthed “what do you think” while the lady’s back was turned.  She nodded an emphatic “yes”.  But I couldn’t believe she had said that!!  So again when the lady turned her back I looked at her and asked “yes?!” and she nodded very hard and mouthed “yes”.

(Did I mention how wonderful my sister is??  She didn’t have to give up her valuable time to go trekking across town to look at cellos after a day at work.  She didn’t have to be there to support my decision and be that person to confirm what I knew.  Because if she hadn’t gone, I would still be at home wondering if I really should….but she did.  And I am so thankful and grateful for her!)

I now own a cello.

After over a year of waiting, dreaming, and praying, I own a cello.  With a hard case!  That is lined in blue…

God once again showed me how He loves to lavish us by giving me THE desire of my heart!!  He had no reason to, I was going to be happy without it, but He did!  He doesn’t do it all the time. There are times when He knows better than we do, and we don’t get it.  I just needed to hear it this week, needed to know once again how the God I serve is a God who loves me and DESIRES to show me His love.  I needed to watch Him orchestrate me finding a cello……

A beautiful cello with a flamed back.  That sings with a low, vibrating voice.  So I can play with Sarah on her violin.  So I can play with Mom on the piano.  So I can play with Sarah on her violin and Mom on the piano.  So I can “jam” with friends. To just play for myself and learn a new instrument……..

*pictures to follow.....

Mature Femininity- Mark Hamby

I received this in my inbox this morning and just loved it!  Of course, it also hit me over the head.....but we won't mention that part.

At the heart of mature femininity is a freeing disposition to affirm, receive and nurture strength and leadership from worthy men in ways appropriate to a woman's differing relationships.

-What’s The Difference? by John Piper

I have read this quote again and again and still have not been able to fully understand what Piper was trying to convey. What does he mean by 'mature femininity frees a woman to nurture strength from a worthy man'? I really hit a wall when I tried to unpack this so I asked one of the women on our staff if she could help. Here’s what she wrote: I think it means that it is freeing for a woman to support the strength and leadership of men rather than taking on the leadership role herself because it allows her to participate in the goal in an essential way, yet without the burden of final responsibility that I think God made only men to carry. This role is carried out in different ways, according to the relationship the woman is in: a wife, daughter, sister, or secretary all are different positions where a woman can serve and support the leadership of the man in that relationship, in the ways most appropriate to her position. I have experienced that in my own work: when I am in a position of too much leadership, it is a burden that hangs heavily on me because I'm a supporter, not a leader. But when I am in a supporting role, although it may be more limiting in some ways since I have to follow the leadership of whoever I’m working under, it is ultimately freeing because it takes away that burden of responsibility and enables me to focus on what I do best…nurturing the idea and bringing the details to life in a way that only I can do. When we as ladies want to usurp these areas which God has designed more particularly for men, it takes away from our ability to affirm and nurture… it takes strength and wisdom to recognize our calling as women and to delight in it; this is ‘mature femininity’. But if we can delight in it, we’ll complement the leadership of men in such a way as to enhance our own calling to the fullest.

Making ready a people prepared for the Lord, Mark Hamby  What are your thoughts on this?  Do you agree?  Have you read John Pipers book? If you haven't, I highly recomend it!  ~Rebecca *SO* excited!  Mark Hamby is coming to this years CAPE convention!

It's Here!

It's Here!  Remembering the Alamo  has finally made it!  My dear Friend's 4th published book (this one's a novella) will be entering the world today.  If you are looking for an enjoyable read that isn't heavy, yet isn't boring light fluff go check it out.

The Synopsis:

When Pastor Mark Siegler takes his youth group on a midsummer vacation to San Antonio, he anticipates teaching them about honor and sacrifice at the Alamo. But arrival at the historic landmark brings cutting disillusionment. A troubled teen is determined to make things difficult - and spread his embitterment to the rest of the group. 

Mark has two choices: give up or try again. Midst his own discouragement, he decides to give them the story behind the legendary Alamo. And his perseverance results in the unforgettable.

The sweeping events of the Alamo comes to life through the eyes of an 1800's wheelwright named Silas Edwards. As his tale unfolds, his decision becomes a difficult one. Is defending the Alamo so important? Or are the principles behind opposing General Santa Anna worth sacrificing everything for?

Join Private Silas Edwards, David Crockett, William Travis, and Mark's youth group to discover the gripping events behind America's battlecry: "Remember the Alamo!"

Alicia Willis is a homeschool graduate and avid historian. From an early age, she has had the desire to write family-friendly, accurate books about the past. When not writing or doing endless historical research, she enjoys singing, being a church pianist, and teaching music. She and her family live in New Mexico.





If you enjoy reading, if you enjoy history, if you enjoy historical fiction; then purchase your own copy- here.

The only thing missing?  That perfect cup of tea or coffee!!!  
~Rebecca

God's Love

As some of you who follow me on Google+ know, I was lucky enough to go with my dad to a trip to Portales.  He went to work a booth with his job at the NM Ag Festival, and I went along for the fun and to spend time with him.

I really like traveling, going places, seeing things, meeting people, and being with the ones I love.  That's why our bull sale season is always a fun time for me (travel!).  On top of the travel and time with Dad, I was really looking forward to the Ag Fest.  I mean, anything to do with cows has got to be good, right?!

Unfortunately, it was pretty slow there.   Maybe the beautiful weather had everyone home doing odds and ends before NM’s windy spring hit.  Who knows?  But it was very, very slow.

When you are in a situation like this (at least for me) you start thinking about ALL the things you could be doing at home!  Especially with the lovely weather!

BUT

(Yes, that was a huge conjunction with no sentence for my dear, English-loving friends!)

BUT

God had something in mind for me.  He blessed my socks off!

Josh and I have been working together on my horse Queenie.  We took her to a trainer for about a month, and now she is home for us to finish her training.  I must admit I am proud of her.  For all the bad things we did (unknowingly!) when she was younger, she has a lot going for her.  Still, she is a green horse (green meaning untrained) being trained by green trainers!  We had some GREAT help from a friend, and she gave us a lot of great exercises to be working on.

However, we were getting to a point that we had learned almost all those above-said exercises.  We were almost to a point that I didn't know how to move forward.  I know what kind of a horse I want by the time we are done- one that can work cattle easily, listens to what I want, and responds right away and enthusiastically.  However, getting that horse from point “A” to point “B” was something I didn't know how to do!!

So what does my Loving God do?

He opens the doors for me to go to Ag Fest with my daddy, in spite of battling a cold a few days before leaving.

He places me at a slow-paced Ag Fest where the sessions looked more interesting than just sitting there.

God gives me a session called- get this..........“Advancing the Green Horse”.

Yup.  That’s right. “Got a green horse?  Want to keep working it but don’t know how?”!!!! "

I was able to sit for about 4 hours watching and listening as this great horse trainer showed us several different exercises for getting your horse from point “A” to point “B”!   They all made so much sense- get your horse to do this in the pens, and he’ll then do this in the pasture.  So exciting to this Cowgirl!

God even blessed me with time to ask a question about an issue that Queenie was struggling with and getting it personally answered by him!

Really, this story isn't about horses, or horse training, or Ag Fest.  It is about God who is a loving Father and took the time to show me that He is watching me, taking care of me, and staying one-step ahead of me!

Are you there right now?  Are you in a situation where you have no idea what to do next?  Where to turn?  Keep your eyes open.  What may look like a boring, wasted ride somewhere may be your ticket of answers.  With God, who knows!

And if you are on that boring, wasted ride and nothing happens.  Look around you.  Maybe it was NOT what you needed but that you needed to go in order for someone else to be blessed.   My dad really had a pretty wasted trip when he could have been at the office working on some big things- but it is what I needed.

As God showed us in Christ’s Birth, God doesn’t mind moving a whole nation to get one person somewhere!  Keep your eyes open, you just might see something.

In Christ’s Love,

Rebecca

Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day.  

A day filled with roses, flowers, chocolates....and Love.  

Our family celebrates Valentine's Day differently then most folks.  We take turns pairing up to cook the family a special dinner!  We hang curtains all around the kitchen so no one knows what is being made.  We decorate the table and make beautiful menus/place cards.  Then we all dress up and enjoy an evening with our family (grandparent's included!).

A HUGE reason I love this is it really focuses on one of the true meanings of Valentine's Day- love.  Love is not about getting what I want, but showing others how much I love them.  I value this family tradition and plan to continue it for as long as I can! 

What is your Valentine's tradition?

Now, while I am not an overly romantic person, it is hard to see this day.  If it I let my mind linger, I feel stabs of pain that I don't have someone to share this day with...yet.  I mean, who (being single) doesn't?!?  Truly deep down we want to.  Here is a great blog post by a friend that I thought really hammered in some good points about the day.  Some I hadn't thought about but make so much sense.

If you are a courageous person, read it here.  And great job to Desarae!  It was a hard post to write, but truth was in every word!  Thank you for sharing it with us!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Rebecca

Why Hello 2014

Well, I laugh that I really have not spent as much time blogging as I thought I would.  Life I guess has just been beyond me! haha!  I am looking forward to a new year with me setting aside the time to blog more.  I have millions of blog posts floating around my head just waiting to be snatched up and written.  

I think part of my problem was the concern of hurting or wounding others with some of my thoughts.  While that is a burden every blogger should take into consideration, I am not going to be hindered by it this year.  Instead I will ask God for a special grace of words to put my thoughts in a loving way.  

So, that is what is going on in my life!  I am looking forward to January being my time to really sit down and decide what "things" are my top priorities of the year.  There are several activities that I want to do that thus decisions need to be made on them.  That is sometimes the hardest part- there are so many good things out in the world that you have to decide what is best for you.

What does your 2014 look like?

Rebecca