July 2010
2 posts
Honeymoon-
Joel and I are pretty convinced that everyone should come here…Joel seems convinced that we should move here. We love the island life, it’s slow, no one seems to be in a hurry and the locals are laid back and friendly. The speed limits are slow which takes some getting use to but once you make the adjustment it seems as though vacation really begins. We’ve seen mountains that...
By thomas g. Pettepiece
Lord I already know the best way to alter my lifestyle to the best advantage for all -live like Jesus. The Christian existence ideally is to imitate what you do. You send the sun and rain on everyone, you want me to get back to the basic facts of life, to love without reservation, to distinguish between life’s needs and life itself, and seek first your kingdom knowing you will meet all my...
May 2010
2 posts
Memorial day
Today beautiful weather!!! Good sleep, good breakfast and relaxing morning!!! Oh and looking forward to the
Drive the people and the company in Santa barbara!!! Yippee
April 2010
3 posts
family and Vacation
family and vacation the two don’t seem like they go hand in hand at my age. When I was a child I of course loved going on vacation… I couldn’t imagine going on vacation with any other group of people… being the youngest I loved hanging out with all my older siblings. I didn’t see my eldest sister that much her being 10 years older than me, but in many ways I looked up...
Psalm 89
Psalm 89 (Contemporary English Version)
Psalm 89
(A special psalm by Ethan the Ezrahite.)
The LORD’s Agreement with David
1Our LORD, I will sing
of your love forever.
Everyone yet to be born
will hear me praise
your faithfulness.
2I will tell them,
”God’s love
can always be trusted,
and his faithfulness lasts
as long as the heavens.”
...
Life!
It has its ups and it has its downs. It has moments that you realize what you were created to do and become, and then moments who you don’t even recognize who you are. And then sometimes you get so twisted around that you’re not quite sure what you think, why you think it.. but you can’t deny the feeling that you get!!! Feelings they can be so deceptive. They can allow you to...
March 2010
4 posts
Health bill passed
I am not a very political person… I trust God in everything. He is in control of the small and big and yet I know that often God is waiting for people to stand in the gap and be that advocate for a person a situation a thing… Yes, the holy spirit leads but often God calls us to push through in prayer… I am saddened that Obamas health bill passed. It is a sad day for America....
Relaxation
music:) Bon fire:) clear starry night:) wonderful smells:) all alone:/ normally I would be happy about this one and currently I would like to enjoy the silence with my best friend… But still relaxing nontheless
“Ministry is service in the name of the Lord. It is bringing the good news to the...”
– from The Living Reminder by Henri J.M. Nouwen
Shaped by the word- by Robert mulholland jr.
Pg25
Spiritual formation is the primal reality of human existence. Every event of life is an experience of spiritual formation. Every action taken, every response made, every dynamic of relationship, every thought held, every emotion allowed: these are the minuscule arenas where, bit by bit, infinitestimal piece by infinitestimal piece, we are shaped into some kind of being. We are being shaped...
February 2010
9 posts
Boundless
Todd Agnew sings this song called “Funny” it actually has some pretty funny lyrics, but there is a lot of truth in it. How is it that all creation obeys God, and yet we have a difficult obeying God in the smallest things that he asks of us? Especially when we know that following God and obeying Him is really what we want. IN that obedience one begins to step into the courts of the...
VACATION!
So much needs to get done before you go on vacation. You have work extra hard just to go!! So inevitably I always am exhausted on the first day. Everyone wants to hang out and talk, and I just want to sleep. took a walk on the beach a couple of hours ago and it was beautiful but man i feel sick again. So i went to the store took some medicine, and before you know it I’m in bed now!!! haha...
Costco
I hate shopping I really do… I get over stimulated and then crash, but there is something about costco that is comforting. Maybe it’s because it’s a childhood routine every other Saturday with the parents… I don’t know but I love it. Same person at the door checking ID… The wall of tvs and cameras as you walk in that invite you to watch… Then you walk a...
To be in love
I am ridiculously absolutely in love! He makes my world feel completely alive!!! I love Joel
I stand in Awe of thee!!!
We all know the hymn, “Lord i stand in awe of thee, holy God to Him all praises due, I stand In awe of thee. ” It goes something like that, I may have missed a couple of words but you get the point right? What does it mean to stand in awe of God? To be speechless, to not have adequate words that describe our God? Do we spend enough time with Him, listening, learning, and hearing, that...
Faith and Obedience
These two go hand in hand. You cannot say “I have faith” and then lack the obedience to act upon it. You cannot say I am obedient, and not walk out in faith, or the chances are you really are not allowing God to use you, and probably not being obedient.
If you’re not growing your dying! It is really that simple. It’s not a matter of staying stagnant, but more of a matter...
Rise and shine
I don’t know how long this is goin to last, but I’m not goin to resist it… When the rest of the world is sleeping I am awake… And not just lying in bed frustrated that I can’t sleep but wide awake… Like “good morning america” awake.
At first I didn’t know what I thought about being up so early… But after today I’m hoping this...
Craziness of life
I find myself more often than not getting so wrapped up in life that I forget to take a moment And enjoy that which rejuvinates me… One way i enjoy this is through times of solitude…life is so busy, between work, family, and relationships life gets pretty dang filled up, so after a long day at work or out and about running errands I love to come home, put on some pjs pour a glass of...
I'm in Love
Love sounds so simple!!! But I am, for the first time ever…completely and utterly in love. God is good! All the Time
January 2010
19 posts
I'm so excited I just can't hide it!
How do you stay poised, under control, level headed, when everything in you wants to just enjoy the moment? I don’t know. Do you allow yourself the freedom to get lost, to throw back your hair, and play in the moment? I’m not sure. I’m just discovering what that looks like… The adventurous side says… go for it. Let loose. But the wise part, my life experiences say to...
Family
I am abundantly blessed. Today at church I was blessed by seeing most of my family invade two rows..
15 family members all together … It was hillarious…
Now I’m eating costco pizza and my 4 year niece is taking orders and eating off ppls plates..”I’ve never had a waitress quite like this.” watching jets vs colts, enjoying a glass of merlo paired with goat cheese...
Words
Words carry power, they ignite feelings and responses out of us… They bring us back to our past and remind us of our present. Words carry weight.
EVANGELISM
What emotions does that evoke? Who do you think of? What do you think of? Does it include you?
I gotta be honest that word frightens me… Something in me wants to crawl into a corner. It brings up pictures of men screaming on a...
Release brings freedom!!
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”- Matthew 11:28-30
When we begin to release what we hold onto, God is so faithful in rest. The idea of letting go, can be scary, partly because you...
Congrats Leslie and aaron
I am so incredibly proud of my brother. He biked 138 miles today in the pouring rain. When I say bike I don’t mean harley I literally mean bicycle. :) he’s a machine and I’m so stoked that tri season is coming up. So much fun watching him. He is so incredibly discipline it’s something to be attained… I keep
going back to that thought can’t really escape it....
Family
John Leslie mike Sydney Bailey…. The joy of family and friends:)
today was a wonderful day and gorgeous I don’t know if you got out in Santa barbara today but it was amazing. Met at the pier, ate at longboards, went to the mission, shopped at nordstroms and dinner at the browns in Valencia. Wasn’t planning on staying over but it is what it is an it’s nice:). I am blessed...
Quietness of the Soul.
It’s late afternoon, and like most people, it’s time for a pick me up. Whether its a snack, a jog, or coffee, whatever your help may be…it’s time. On this afternoon I’ve decided to welcome the sleepiness. I feels like it’s God’s way of quieting down my soul. Maybe it’s the sun coming into the office, or maybe it’s the constant sound of cars...
Acts-the first church
I was reading this morning in Acts how Peter’s shadow would pass by the sick and they would be healed!!! That’s crazy. I know that the Holy Spirit is powerful, and the Holy Spirit as our guide can do really crazy cool things through us. But for the Holy Spirit to use someone so mightily that their shadow heals people, what does that take?
Well if you continue to read on in chapter 5...
Running the Race!
Letting it all go. No turning back. My body is a temple. Do it for Jesus. Bought by the blood of Jesus. Living a disciplined life. Absolute Surrender
I grew up playing sports. I remember when I would get home from school I couldn’t wait to work on my game. Basketball- dribbling drills, shooting drills, balance drills. Softball- hitting drills, grounding drills, technique drills… I...
True Fellowship
How do we obtain true fellowship with one another? How can we put all of the crap aside that would cause us to close up, and just be open with another enough so that true fellowship could exist? I know I struggle with this. I want to be known, but the truth is I’m scared of it. I want someone to know me without having to put the effort in. I want someone to be interested in my day, my...
The Mornings with my love
Another wonderful morning!!! Woke up, coffee was made, and the bible came upon right at 6:45am. God’s been beckoning me home, and its glorious. I find that I have more time in the day when I wake up early, and it doesnt’ hurt that it is my day off. I’m begining to take full advantage of my days off. I went on a 15 mile bike ride at 9am and it took just about an hour. There are a...
I missed you.
I’ve been struggling lately with good sleep… what does that mean? I’m glad you asked. I wake up 6-8 times a night, toss around, and don’t seem to get comfortable. Last night however I slept amazing. Which is great considering I had a cute little friend stay over…(I love entertaining, but the introvert side of me beckons me to be away) I woke up so...
Having a Hard Time with Words
Tonight i have the pleasure to re-train all the volunteers in children’s Ministy. I say pleasure, because it truly is that. I have such a wonderful group of men and women volunteers who support me, who encourage the kids, and most importantly love Jesus. Children’s Ministry can not sustain itself without these volunteers.
So tonight I meet with them, I have so much that I want to say...
1 tag
Sore from Basketball
I can’t stop laughing. My brother in law is telling everyone how he is so sore. His biceps, his triceps, everything in him is sore from basketball. This sounds normal right? Sore from playing a hard game of basketball over two days, with a combined time of 6 hours total… I would be sore too. So why is this hilarious? He played against his two sons; 6 and 3 yrs old.
Holy Spirit Lived Out
I read Acts 2… the entire section of the coming of the Holy Spirit. A couple things stood out to me that I either hadn’t seen or didn’t take the time to think about. vs.38 ‘Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
You will receive the gift of the Holy...
Extraordinary things
What does it mean to do extraordinary things for God? Well my first thought is to look at those men and women in the bible whom God used in these ways… Measure up their character and see where I line up
David=murderer, adulteror, shepherd, warrior, king… He lived a crazy life… He went through the valleys and at times found himself on the hilltops but one thing...
First post
I’m not sure what to write exactly. But I will share my struggle. Waiting on God. Allowing Him to lead. Wanting to tug right when he pulls left. Wanting to “know” when Hes just wants my gaze. Anxious for tomorrow without fully enjoying my day. I want him to complete the puzzle of my life and yet there is something holding Him back, there is something that He waits for… My...