Sisters

I grew up surrounded by boys. My two brothers, Tyson and Taylor, are the best brothers in the world, but I didn’t always think so. Well, maybe I did about Tyson. He used to read me bedtime stories, but Taylor, oh what stress we caused my mother. When we were younger, Taylor learned a new move from the WWF called the “Power Bomb.” He would make me curl up in a ball while on my feet, grab under my legs, roll me up with his immense physical strength, and slam me onto the couch. My little body was the perfect dummy for him and his friend Seth.
Another time, I thought it was pretty special that Taylor let me hang out with his friends one early evening when he had a sleepover at our house. I got tired, fell asleep, and woke up with my mom’s lipstick all over my face.
Don’t think, though, that Taylor was a mean brother. I did my share of abuse. Calling him names and tattling were specialities of mine. Taylor accidentally broke one of my mom’s dishes, and like any frightened child, he went out to the backyard and buried it. Like any tattling sister, I grabbed my mom’s hand when she got home, and led her right to the burial spot by the tree.

Don’t feel sorry for me for growing up with dirty, stinky, video-game-playing boys. It toughened me, and it got me interested in sports.

But thank the Lord for sisters. I don’t have any biological sisters, but my life is full of wonderful women in my life:

My brothers’ wives…

Boy am I grateful for Mindy and Erika. My brothers picked two of the best women in the world to marry. These two were my first sisters. They love Jesus, they are an encouragement to me, and they balance the craziness that comes naturally to my family.

My husband’s sisters and sister-in-law…

I think we need to take a picture of just us girls. Four of my sisters (and also four beautiful nieces) are here. Alayna, Emilia, Emly, and Annie. I’ve been so blessed by Dayton’s family. Their love for Jesus is what makes them so awesome. God has given me good things through this family.

Sisters in the Lord…

(Photo by Ryan Towe)
God has richly blessed me with such wonderful women in my life. I wish I had a photo of all these women in one, but alas, I don’t think that will happen. For now, here is a picture of my bridesmaids. Jackie, Danae, and Danielle have been my sisters for a long time. They may not be blood related to me, but the relationships I have with these girls are similar to what biological sisters share.

Thank the Lord for sisters.

Don’t worry. I didn’t forget about you two.

My soul felt its worth

That’s embarrassing. My last post was in September. I’m such an avid blogger that sometimes I even amaze myself. I hope you picked up on the sarcasm. I’ve been thinking about a new post, but just like many other things in my life, thinking doesn’t make it happen. I often think about the dishes being done, the clothes laundered, Dayton feeding me the chocolate cow tracks ice cream from our freezer while I sit on the couch reading Anne of Green Gables. I’m really good at thinking about things.

Well Christmas is almost here, and that’s makes me pretty darn excited. I love Christmas. I’d say it’s my 2nd favorite holiday. (I do like Easter a little bit more.) It sure doesn’t feel like Christmas in Minnesota, and that is weird. It was in the low 40s, upper 30s this week. It felt like spring outside. It is the complete opposite of our 23 inches in 24 hours snowfall at this time last year. The problem with the Minnesota winter is that I anxiously await the snow to fall. I have a hard time letting myself enjoy the warm moments, because I dwell on the cold ones to come.

Back to Christmas…

It’s such a beautiful time of the year, with all the lights, the contrast between the deep green of the evergreens and the white snow. What I love most about Christmas is what so many people are trying to get rid of – the fact that Christ came down to earth. God came to earth. It’s so hard for me to even fully comprehend how wonderful that is.

When you came to the earth, oh Lord, my soul felt its worth.

May His love be known deep in our souls. May we find joy in His great love for us that He came to this world to save us from our sins. Oh Lord, I am in such a need of my Savior, of You. My soul, my sinful soul, absolutely feels its worth because God came down and saved a wretched (and I mean wretched) sinner like me.

When you came to the earth, oh Lord, my soul felt its worth.

Name Significance

You know what I find incredible? (I’ll let you ponder on this question a bit) . . . That names are significant to God. I guess you could have guessed from the title. I didn’t do a good job of creating suspense.

We see name significance all throughout the Bible:  God changed Abram’s name to Abraham, which means “father of many.” Jacob was grabbing at Esau’s heel at his birth and was named Jacob for that reason. However, his name changed to Israel meaning “God contended.” Isaac means “he laughs,” and his mother, Sarah, laughed when she heard God was going to give her a baby in her old age. (If you want to view more name meanings, here’s the website I used: http://www.behindthename.com/nmc/bibl2.php. Maybe this isn’t the best website to use, but I’ll be honest, I didn’t do a large amount of research and double-checking.)

At work today I saw a book about the biblical meanings of names. I glanced through it to see what my name meant. I always knew it meant “From the White Island.” If I remember correctly, I read in another place that that phrase has to do with peace. The next line in the book was a spiritual connotation to my name. My spiritual connotation: “Protected.” That blew me away. I have such a fearful heart and a verse I often find comfort in in my fearful moments is Psalm 91: 11. It states: “For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.” I am named Whitney and in my fear the only comfort is to know that God protects and loves me. I know God protects and loves all His people, absolutely does He protect and love all His people with a love we can’t fully understand until we see Him and He gives us an understanding. But I love that God uses a name to describe us and that He understands our hearts, our struggles.

I do not think that if you find your name meaning and you’re like, “Um, I don’t really think that’s me,” that you’re parents gave you the wrong name. Or that it’s the most important thing to discover what your name means, but I would like to encourage you to find your name meaning and spiritual connotation. It’s a fun reminder of how God is constantly working in each of our lives.

So, from the White Island, peace.

A Few Photos…

Dayton & I went on another tropical adventure to Sioux City, Iowa, last week for Dayton’s work. On our way home we were able to make a couple little stops for some photo-ops. These little trips are so much fun.

  
We spotted this little barn and made a quick turn off the highway. I’m so happy we did. I love this photo because the pictures were okay, but then God opened the clouds & shined the sun right on the barn! It was a beautiful moment. 🙂

We spotted these little islands on our way to Sioux City. I made a mental note of where they were & we were able to see them on a beautiful day. The clouds were just perfect, as you can see from the next photo.

Dayton thought this was hilarious.

We both thought this was hilarious. Thanks Minnesota for kindly closing so many parks and offices around the state.

And finally, our…well my favorite store was back open for business. This little gem along Hwy 169 is a kid’s favorite place. Endless Root Beer, licorice, pies, candy apples, beef jerky, sugary goodness, and of course, bacon. Who wouldn’t love this place?! It was a must stop. We got some cream soda, cherry mint soda (it was fantastic), and licorice. Dayton told me to look at the building. We thought it looked best if I was thinking about conquering it & taking the plunder. Sadly, I don’t look vicious enough to be a conquerer. I’ll stick with purchasing my items like a good citizen.

Safety, Acceptance & Surrender

Recently I have been re-listening to some wonderful talks titled Holy Harmony by author & speaker Elisabeth Elliot. They have been refreshing to listen to again. In her talks she spoke about a three things that have been pressing on my mind: safety, acceptance and surrender. In a story she shared, a friend’s husband wanted to return to a his home country, a rather dangerous country. Her friend told her husband she would not go & wanted Ms. Elliot’s advice. Elisabeth wisely told her that it is outside of God’s will not to submit to her husband, and amid laughter, Elisabeth commented that her friend said no matter if he is wrong, less spiritual or making utterly stupid decisions. Her friend took her advice & then submitted to her husband. After the friend told her husband, he was so disarmed by it that he considered not going.

The part of her story that caught me was something Ms. Elliot said: “There is no safe place in the universe except the will of God.” She said that safety to a Christian is a different definition than the world’s. When we disobey God because of fear, what good is that? We could die tomorrow.

As she continued to talk about acceptance she quoted a poem by an author & missionary she found influential (as I also do), Amy Carmichael. Here is the poem she referenced by Ms. Carmichael:

In Acceptance Lieth Peace

He said, “I will forget the dying faces;
The empty places,
They shall be filled again.
O voices moaning deep within me, cease.”
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in forgetting lieth peace.

He said, “I will crowd action upon action
The strife of faction
Shall stir me and sustain;
O tears that drown the fire of Manhood cease.”
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in endeavor lieth peace.

He said, “I will withdraw me and be quiet,
Why meddle in life’s riot?
Shut be my door to pain.
Desire, thou dost befool me, thou shalt cease.”
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in aloofness lieth peace.

He said, “I will submit;
I am defeated.
God hath depleted
My life of its rich gain.
O futile murmuring, why will ye not cease?”
But vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in submission lieth peace.

He said, “I will accept the breaking sorrow
Which God to-morrow
Will to His son explain.”
Then did the turmoil deep within him cease.
Not vain the word, not vain.
For in Acceptance lieth peace.”

What God has willed is good. Whatever comes our way I pray we receive God’s gifts with acceptance. My heart is working on it, yet on my own I have failed to accept often.

Soften our hearts, Lord, to accept whatever comes our way, and that we may continue in your Word and receive Your truth that is so freeing. Ms. Elliot quoted John 8:31-32: “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed in Him, ‘If you abide in my word, your are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'” (Emphasis mine)

Lastly, she talked about surrendering. This is something I daily struggle with because I like control & to know what is going to happen next. Surrender is something that isn’t done once & then you’re good; surrender is done daily. That is why Jesus said for us to deny ourselves & to daily take up our crosses. Jesus, who had the power to call down angels from heaven, surrendered to His Father’s will & followed a brutal path from betrayal to a cross.

I heard a pastor say once that “I did it my way,” that famous song by Frank Sinatra, is what they sing in hell. (He’s a very straightforward pastor if you can gather that from my paraphrase.) But “I did it God’s way” is surrendering to His will.

Convict us, Lord, when we say in our hearts, “I did it my way.” Forgive us for our selfishness. Then, “Show me Your ways, LORD, teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long.” -Psalm 25:4-5

Thy Mercy, My God

Lately I have been on a music kick. Here is another one for you. 🙂

I have found this old hymn so encouraging today. I love poetry, and when it is sent to music that enhances the words I know with my whole heart that God gave me a beautiful gift for that moment.

When researching the author of this hymn, John Stocker, I discovered he only composed one: “Thy Mercy, My God.” Here are the words:

1. Thy mercy, my God, is the theme of my song,
The joy of my heart. and the boast of my tongue;
Thy free grace alone, from the first to the last,
Hath won my affections, and bound my soul fast.

2. Without Thy sweet mercy I could not live here;
Sin would reduce me to utter despair;
But, through Thy free goodness, my spirits revive,
And He that first made me still keeps me alive.

3. Thy mercy is more than a match for my heart,
Which wonders to feel its own hardness depart;
Dissolved by Thy goodness, I fall to the ground,
And weep to the praise of the mercy I’ve found.

4. Great Father of mercies, Thy goodness I own,
And the covenant love of Thy crucified Son;
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine.
All praise to the Spirit, Whose whisper divine
Seals mercy, and pardon, and righteousness mine

Set to music by one of my favorite musicians:

I Asked the Lord

I love this song “I Asked the Lord” by John Newton (he is the same author who wrote “Amazing Grace”). Today it just really resonated with me. I ask the Lord for so many things, and lately I have been asking Him to take away many struggles in my life. In my mind I say it’s right because if these struggles go away I can serve Him more. Oh but the Lord knows my heart. I believe He is telling me, “Whitney, if I completely take these struggles away, you will forget your need for Me.” He has used them for His good. In the moments the struggles come He hears me pray. In the moments He brings me through the struggles He hears this sinner praise Him, thank Him.

By God’s grace did I come across this John Newton song today. Newton felt the same way I was feeling earlier today! What a beautiful way God works through His people.

I have attached the youtube video so you can hear the song. Of course it’s not John Newton singing. I don’t think they had youtube back in his day…let alone internet…or computers…or even any electronic devises :). Oh, and click the red bubble at the bottom right of the video if you get ads blocking the lyrics.

Enjoy.

He cares more for us

It seems like worry is somewhat of a theme for my life. Dayton calls it “idle hands.” I tend to worry more when I don’t have much to do. I finished an internship and am now still searching for a job, but always teetering this line of do I go all in in the job search or do I continue with the small (and I do mean small) photography business I’ve taken on. Ideally, I would love to have something part-time to fill the “idle moments.” Yet God has blessed Dayton and me in our first year of marriage. This lack of finding something full-time has allowed me to occasionally travel with Dayton. Even right now I type this post from a hotel room in Sioux City…I said “travel with Dayton,” not go on luxurious vacations with Dayton. There is nothing exotic about Sioux City, Iowa.

In these idle moments, God has taken me into deeper intimacy with Himself. In the moments I begin to fret and become anxious, I am often like the persistent widow in Luke 18: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear out her coming!'” And then we read what Jesus tells His disciples: “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

God is not the unjust judge, but God will not restrain His help. My footnotes say that God will not “delay His support of the chosen ones when they are right.” I recently heard a message by Pastor Matt Chandler and he talked about God wanting us to be persistent in prayer. He wants us to come to Him. He is never annoyed by us coming to Him continually in prayer.

In all this I desire peace in my inmost being, but I know that through the battle with anxiety God is somehow refining me. It’s not an enjoyable time, but God disciplines those He loves, and in the root of this struggle is fear. I’m encouraged by the words in Luke 12:4-7: “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” What a beautiful thought to dwell on! The things I fear are way beyond my control. I have a God who is in control, a God who has a plan, a God who has kept every promise. In those difficult moments all I know to do is to think “logically” about it all. Sometimes I get such ridiculous thoughts that are actually pretty comical later on. But God’s word brings encouragement and truth in those times. He will not fail us.

I know I have been pretty honest in this post. I just wanted to share with you all the depth of God’s love and a knowledge that in all things He has a purpose. Most of all, I pray that He increases our understanding of His grace beyond measure through the sacrifice Christ made.

One thing I like to do in Minnesota is drive outside the city and look at the nature scenes and wildlife. In these following photos, Dayton and I had a great time driving after most of the snow had melted. We saw a few strange ducks (my dad and uncle later told me they were merganser ducks), Canadian geese, and also three bald eagles and a beaver I wasn’t able to catch with my camera. God knows each of these animals and cares for them by giving them the things they need, but more than the animals does He care for us.

    

I’ll finish this post off with this little robin. I caught him looking at me. Or do birds look from the front like that? Maybe the side? I have no idea; I just thought this bird was funny.

The Word Brings Forth

I don’t have much to offer today of my own words, but I have some words from Isaiah for us to mull over. These verses were shared a couple weeks ago at the church I attend.

A section (10-11) of Isaiah 55:

“‘For as the rain and snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed for the thing in which I sent it.'”

We see God’s compassion in Isaiah 55, and I love what my Bible titles the section: “Invitation to the Thirsty.”

Lord, I am thirsty; calm my spirit, my restless spirit to come to you with a fervent desire. For Your word is faithful and You will not leave us thirsty.

Some of these tulip photos were taken after a refreshing Minnesotan rainfall. The other tulips opened up to the sun’s warm rays.

     

Childlike Wonder

“When it’s over, I want to say: all my life I was a bride married to amazement.”
Mary Oliver in her poem, “When Death Comes”

I like this quote, but I think it could be modified some. (Is that a bold thing to say about a famous poet’s quote?) I love this metaphor of being a “bride married to amazement,” but I like to think of this amazement as stemming from who Jesus is. We could add amazement of God’s power, sovereignty, love, mercy, grace, peace . . . oh we could keep going. Often when I go on walks I am amazed at God’s creativity through His creation. Everything is so intricate and designed so specifically. How could anyone think that this all just happened out of nothing?!

But this Holy Week I want to be a bride married to amazement of Jesus’ obedience to death on a cross. I love Easter time. Christmas is great because Jesus came to earth, but Easter is his fulfillment of what was promised. It is the “He did it! He is risen!” (And all you good Lutherans out there would respond, “He is risen, indeed.)

Sometimes this doesn’t seem like a big deal to me. My little brain cannot understand just how precious this is, how the whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is about Jesus. This is it, but my brain still has a hard time understanding how beautiful this is, and my heart struggles to worship Him sincerely.

What I pray for this week is that God reveals Himself to us even more. I don’t want to just listen to messages, sing songs, eat great food, and study Jesus, but I want to know Him! I am like the disciples so often; it takes “straight talking” for me to understand it all, and it takes multiple times for me to get it. I pray that the Holy Spirit works in all our hearts this week to strengthen our faith in and knowledge of Jesus. I ask that this Easter impacts us in a new way. That we have a childlike wonder when we approach the cross. We stand amazed at God’s power, love, forgiveness, and ability to save us from death.

A childlike wonder, I like that. I want us to stand in awe of how awesome God is and how beautiful is His grace.

I love how God’s creation sings praises to Him. That is all they can do. In Luke as Jesus makes His final entrance into Jerusalem, the Pharisees tell Jesus to rebuke His disciples for singing praises to Him. This is Jesus’ response: “‘I tell you,’ He replied, ‘if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.'” -Luke 19:40

This little daffodil is singing a beautiful praise song this week. He looks like a little trumpet trying to play as loud as he can 🙂