My Two Cents

Wow, the month of November has flown by!  I can't believe Thanksgiving will be here in just a couple days and Christmas just a few weeks later!!  2014 has been a huge growing year...I know we tend to say that about a lot of years in our life, but you know how certain ones are REALLY growing years and others are still growing years, but maybe not quite as life impacting??

I think the biggest thing that God has been showing me this year is to find my validation in Him alone.  To meet His expectations alone.  To live for His smile alone.  I will never be able to do what every one thinks I should be able to do or live in such a way that meets the expectations of everyone and that is ok...   I am here to live the life God wants me to live - no matter how countercultural it is :)

Ok, so onto the monthly "My Two Cents"...

Watch

 

I'm just going to come right out and admit that I have been addicted to the "When Calls the Heart" series that came out last spring on the Hallmark Channel...  I know, I know but sometimes I can become a hopeless romantic.  I have those moments of wanting to curl up on the couch and watch a movie that has nothing wrong with it, still has a good story line and has decent actors.  The series is not based off of Janette Oke's books (When Comes the Heart series) like the "Love Comes Softly" series was (which is probably why I can watch it without any pre-judgments).  I have to admit that I am not a big fan of the Love Comes Softly series past the first and second movie... I just loved the books too much and didn't really enjoy the actors and story lines... So I admit to being a bit apprehensive when "When Calls the Heart" came out, however I was captivated by the pilot and have been impatiently waiting for all the episodes to come out on DVD for the past few months!  Definitely check it out!

Read

A couple months ago I was visiting a beautiful and charming New England coastal town and came across one of those old, cherished bookstores... You know the ones I am talking about.  The upstairs is filled with hundreds of old classics on sale for just a couple dollars!!!

Well I had heard from lots of people how much they enjoyed Agatha Christie but had never picked up one of her books for myself.  Kind of surprising, because of how much I enjoy mystery novels... I grew up reading Encyclopedia Brown, Nancy Drew, The Box Car Children and many other books of a similar nature. 

As I was perusing the bookshelves at the bookshop I came across a hard bound copy of a "Four-In-One-Volume" set of Agatha Christie... I couldn't resist!

And the same goes for reading her books!  They are irresistible!  The volume has two stories focusing on Miss Marple and two stories focusing on the Private Detective, M. Poirot. So far I have read three out of the four and have loved all of them!  Can I vouch for all of Agatha Christie's books?  No, I haven't read them all...yet :)  but I've enjoyed three of them so far.

The two books I have pictured are two of the four in my volume.  The one on the right is a Miss Marple mystery and the one on the left is a Hercule Poirot Mystery.  Enjoy :)

Listen

Oh dear, what to choose?!  I think this month we'll go with a soundtrack...now to narrow it down to which one!!  Aren't we blessed to have so much music to choose from nowadays?

I think I'll go with "They Young Victoria."  The music from this movie is so beautiful and I enjoy so many of the tracks!  I think my favorites are "Go To England, Make Her Smile", "The First Waltz" and "Letters From Albert."

Uh-oh, I just got on Amazon to link the picture, so you could go listen to the music and realized that you can no longer buy the cd from Amazon except through another party and the cheapest cd is 99.99!!  I guess it was popular!

Click Here to listen to mp3 previews

So let me choose something else...don't worry I'll check Amazon first :)

Let's go with the 1995 Sense and Sensibility Soundtrack.   Yep, it's beautiful as well!!  Don't you love listening to soundtracks and being able to place exactly what is going on in the movie.  Sometimes I don't even realize I how influential the music is in the movies until I go and listen to a soundtrack and I'm like "OH WOW, that is beautiful...it captures the emotions so perfectly!!" :)

Ponder

 

What is left to say?...  One smile, one word, one look, one individual can change someone's life forever.  We are making an impact on other people's live whether we "mean" to or not.  Are we being purposeful with our impact or letting life float by without a thought?  Jesus changed the world with His smiles, His looks, HIS WORDS and He as an individual made an impact on the world like no one has or ever will!  Are we reflecting His character?

 

Pray

 

I know in my life, every relationship I've experienced, that has had any real meaning, has had its up's and it's downs.  I don't think that is news to anyone.  Satan wants to break relationships - no matter who they are with, friends or family.  The relationships we have, have been allowed into our life for a reason and we need to be in prayer for all of them!  It can be so easy to forget the good in someone when the bad is right in front of you, but we need to remember the example Christ set for us... We need to remember the forgiveness and love our Heavenly Father shows us every day, every time we sin or do something wrong.  Pray for the unity of your church & family.  Pray that the love of Christ in you, would spring forth in all your relationships.

 

 

Meditate

 

 

 

"In God Alone..."  Those words remind me of the song "In Christ Alone"

As you read the words below, listen to the accompaniment found in the video... 

• In Christ alone my hope is found
  He is my light, my strength, my song
  This Cornerstone, this solid ground
  Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
  What heights of love, what depths of peace
  When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
  My Comforter, my All in All
  Here in the love of Christ I stand
• In Christ alone, who took on flesh

  Fullness of God in helpless babe

  This gift of love and righteousness

  Scorned by the ones He came to save

  'Til on that cross as Jesus died

  The wrath of God was satisfied

  For every sin on Him was laid

  Here in the death of Christ I live
• There in the ground His body lay

  Light of the world by darkness slain

  Then bursting forth in glorious Day

  Up from the grave He rose again

  And as He stands in victory

  Sin's curse has lost its grip on me

  For I am His and He is mine

  Bought with the precious blood of Christ
• No guilt in life, no fear in death

  This is the power of Christ in me

  From life's first cry to final breath

  Jesus commands my destiny

  No power of hell, no scheme of man

  Can ever pluck me from His hand

  Till He returns or calls me home

  Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

• In Christ alone my hope is found

  He is my light, my strength, my song

  This Cornerstone, this solid ground

  Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

Songwriters: KOCH, DONALD A. / CRAIG, ANDREW SHAWN

Hope you enjoyed this months "My Two Cents" :)