What Easter is All About- He Loves Us Anyway!

This is one of my all-time favorite songs- I love the message.

"I am the thorn in His brow, but He loves me anyway. I am Judas' kiss, but He loves me anyway."

I cannot fathom why or how He loves me, but I am so thankful that He came, died, and rose again to show us all His love- a love that no one else has ever been able to duplicate.

I hope wherever you are, you have a wonderful Easter, but most of all I hope you see His love in Your life, and that you experience Christ in a way you have never known before.

With much love & Happy Easter,

Beka :)

My Catch-up List

I have been so far behind on home, grad school, sleep, and just barely keeping up on work these days. I have a huge list of things to do over this three days off, and I usually plan way more than I can do- both in the classroom and at home, but I am working on getting some things done. So far, so good. One grad school project started (out of the three last big projects left), the capstone exam is done (now just one final exam to go), working on mopping & the bedroom closet tonight.

Thank you Heavenly Father for some time to get a little caught up. Only You know how truly overwhelmed and behind and frazzled I was starting to feel on the inside. It truly was approaching a panic level, and if I hadn't gotten this time off, I'm not sure what I would have done.

Back to my work I go. Making a breakfast casserole for the fam for tomorrow morning and next up, dinner & mopping. :)

You will have to smile!

Saw this today on Facebook and had to laugh. How could you not when you see this cute baby laughing hysterically?

I made it to spring break!

Today began my three day reprieve from all things insane :). I had to work like a crazy woman, but I was able to leave Tuesday afternoon with EVERYTHING planned and prepared for both myself and my tutor- all copies done, spelling words loaded online, lessons prepared, copies done and stapled and filed... kind of scary being that with it. :)

I was beyond thrilled when my body and mind mostly cooperated and let me sleep in- something I can rarely ever do. After Rob and the kids all left for work, college, and high school, I drifted off to sleep and dozed until mid-morning. I felt guilty because I am Rebekah, it is what I do. But it felt sooooo wonderful, and I felt more rested than I have in ages and ages! I stayed in my pj's until I left this afternoon to pick up my kids. :) The rough draft for one of my grad school projects is now done. Tomorrow I hope to start polishing it up. I have that and the summative 2 year program capstone exam to do this week. Then two or three more projects/assignments, the course final exam and the capstone portfolio and I will be done in one month.

This afternoon, I picked up Barbara, ran her to High Point to trade uniform pants, went to Winston/K'ville/Walktertown-wherever East is actually at???? to get Matthew and take Rob supper. We came home and ate the YUMMO chicken/bean tacos I had started in the crockpot, took Barbara to work, and then Matthew and I took Samson along for my walk. Matthew was my DI and did cadences for us to walk to and set a pretty brisk pace for me. I shaved a few minutes off my time today. :) I sure wish it would get a smidge easier so I could go further or that I could walk faster, but I'll get there eventually. I keep telling myself to be patient, that in a year I will see a big difference.

As Matthew and I were dropping Barbara off a song came on the radio, can't remember the name of the song, but it's about wishing for one more day - "One more day, one more time, I'll be satisfied.... but it'd leave me wishing still for one more day with you..." Couldn't help thinking of how my "baby" is soon to graduate from high school. Soon this stage of our lives as parents will be over. We're still waiting to hear from the Army as to the disposition of Matthew's enlistment. He has an appointment next week to see his ENT to schedule a surgery/procedure that the Army is requesting. Matthew is hoping that this will remove the final block to let him in. If you'd be in prayer for this, I would appreciate it as would Matthew.

I am so thankful for God's help in making it to this small break, for time spent with my children and husband, for still working on living healthier and getting smaller eventually, and for a little rest- I am soooo in need of that!

Hope you are having a great week wherever you are!

Beka :)

God so loved the world...

Yesterday there were severe storms here in NC (and throughout the Southeast). According to the news, this is the worst outbreak of storms and tornadoes here in 30+ years. At least 20 people died from the tornadoes in NC yesterday.

Today, as I was looking on a weather website, I saw a few comments about God's judgement on people as they talked about those storms and the people who died from them. One person even said, "God didn't like the people who died."

May I just say that makes me just really, really sad and mad all at the same time? Because it does. I am not God. I won't even pretend to know how His mind works or why He does what He does or allows what He allows. But seriously???? I'm pretty sure the Bible says "For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son..."

Unless I'm mistaken, those people that died, or the people who died in Japan's earthquake/tsunami, or the people who died in the tsunami a few years ago, or the people who died or are still suffering in Haiti or the people who have died in any other number of natural disasters or tragedies, or the people who just die because they get cancer or are in the wrong place at the wrong time....

ALL those people were part of the "world" God so loved. So maybe God is sending judgement, I don't know. But to say that He didn't love those people is just biblically wrong. At least in my opinion. I'm so tired of Christians and those "well-meaning" people who say those stupid things out in public or, even worse, to the hurting who are left behind after these things.

Maybe God did it, maybe God allowed it, maybe it had nothing to do with God at all, but was instead just part of the world/nature. Either way, I'm pretty sure God loves the people (all the people in the world) and it pains Him to have hard things happen to the ones He loves.

Perhaps if we all stopped trying to make bad things some one's fault, and just tried to comfort those who are hurting, help those who are injured, house those who are homeless, love those who are lonely, maybe the world would be a better place. Maybe we'd hurt people less and do more for the God we are trying to live for.

Just my thoughts tonight on the day after a rainy, stormy day.