A Summer of Change

As this summer goes on 

I'm realizing more and more just how drastically my life will have changed by the time summer ends and fall begins.

From starting college, to getting my wisdom teeth pulled, my hair cut, and selling my beloved horse, I am on the verge of a new turn in the road.

It's difficult, and I often sit and wish I could go back to my days as a young girl;

carefree and without any responsibility aside from my next class in school, and the next chores to be finished. Now I have to say farewell to those summer days of laying around, relaxing, reading books, playing outside, and being bored.

But no amount of wishing for those days will bring them back. And, on the other side of things, I would rather not give up these new adventures ahead of me. With my second novel drawing closer to completion and the prospect of film school ahead of me,

I get shivers of excitement up and down my spine at the thought.

The future holds a lot of new, mysterious things, but it also holds the promise of a grand adventure in store.

My King has an amazing plan in store for my life yet, and I can't give that up; my adventurous side won't let me.

And so I feel as though this summer is a packing up for the journey, a saying farewell to things of the old, and rushing ahead with a combination of thrill and fear, sorrow and pure glee into the unknown. I go, plunging into these new depths laid out before me by the Creator of the Universe.

Assr vísa ykkarr brand.

(May God guide your sword.)

ElizabethMarieKauffman

God is Good All the Time!!!

And today is a day to remember it. . . .

Happy Assr er Go∂r (God is Good) day everyone!!! :D What is one way that God has shown His goodness to you over this past year??

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

Beautiful. . .

This past Tuesday I went to the first meeting of a small group that I'm involved with this summer. And it went wonderfully. :) I think that it will be great! But anyways. . . we were talking about beauty, and what God sees as beautiful. We're working through a book called "Want More? Life" by Natalie Lloyd, and the title of the chapter was "You're not pretty; you're beautiful". . . or something to that extent. It talked about David when God chose him to be king, and that section there that talks about God not looking at outward appearances, but instead seeing the heart. And then it asked, if God looked at you, would He see someone beautiful?? Naturally. . . that was kind of an awkward question. I didn't think I could say yes, because I knew that I was by far not a perfect person, and the definition of beauty with God is someone perfect right??? So, I answered that I could only hope.

A few days later. . . I was busy reading a REALLY good book called "Bones of Makaidos", fourth book in the Oracles of Fire series by Bryan Davis, (if you haven't read these books–as well as the first series Dragons in Our Midst–you should go read them. . . . :) They're GOOD!) when I came across a section of the book where a character was asked almost the exact same question as I had had such trouble answering. "Are you truly beautiful in God's eyes?" But her answer wasn't "I can only hope", or some other indefinite answer. She was confident. . . Jesus had cleaned her, so she was wholly pure, and no one could make her believe that she was still buried in her sins.

It clicked.

And I realized how wrong I had been. We should never doubt the cleansing power of Jesus' blood, nor, how beautiful we are in God's sight when we truly rely on His saving grace. No one's perfect; so before I had been led to think that no one could truly be beautiful in God's sight. But sure. . . no one is perfect by their own power, but when we allow Jesus to wash our hearts with His love, we become pure, scrubbed clean of our past sins. That doesn't mean that we can never sin again. . . and we do make mistakes, we fall at times. But that is no reason not to run back to Jesus when we realize that we are wrong, and allow Him to pull us into His arms, and gently wipe away the dirt from our palms and set us back on the right path. And then. . . when God looks at us, we can have no doubt that He will smile and call us His beautiful daughters or handsome sons. :)

So yes. . . I am beautiful.

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

P.S. BOOK NEWS! I just finished the 3rd draft of TSOT today!!! WOOT! :D One more, then a few others edit, and on to publishing!!! . . . This is actually happening. . . . . .

Never Underestimate My Jesus

So God's been doing like a TON in my life these past few weeks; teaching me to listen, truly listen to Him (not just say "ok, if You want this to happen, let it happen" like I usually do when I'm "listening"), and showing just how amazingly awesome HE is!!!!! :) Today I heard this song on the radio, and I got to thinking just how perfectly it fits with what's been going on!! Here are the lyrics, and I tried to find a good link for the actual song, but couldn't find one. . . . But here are the lyrics anyways:

Am I at the point of no improvement?
What are the deaths I still dwell in?
I try to excel but I feel no movement
Can I be free of this unreleasable sin
oOoOoOoO

CHORUS:
Never underestimate my Jesus
your tellin me that there's no hope
Im tellin you your wrong
Never underestimate my Jesus
when the world around you crumbles
He will be strong he will be strong

I throw up my hands
oh the impossibilities
Frustrated and tired
Where do I go from here?
Now Im searchin' for
The confidence I lost so willingly
Overcoming these obstacles
Is overcoming my fears
oOoOoOoO

CHORUS

I think I can't
I think I can't
but I think you can
I think you can
gather my insufficiencies and
place them in your hands
place them in your hands
place them in your hands.

CHORUS (2x)

You will be strong (3x)

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

Easter!!!!! :D

Happy Easter all!!! :D I hope that you have a special day sharing this day with family and friends, or having a just you and Jesus day. :) Whatever your doing, remember who, and what you're celebrating:

Matthew 26-28

HE IS RISEN INDEED!!!!! :D

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂.

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

I just wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas!!!!! :D Blessings upon you all!

As you tear open your presents tomorrow morning, and scream with delight that you got what you wanted, or try to show gratitude when you didn't, I pray that you remember that this time of year isn't about getting the gift that you want, it's about being given the gift that you needed: God's son, Jesus Christ. :)

Have a wonderful holiday, and remember to when you wake up in the morning, thank Christ for coming down to earth and being born in a humble stable, all the while with the knowledge that He would die a most horrible death. Doing all of that, just for you, so that one day, He could call you son or daughter, and take you to live with Him in the Paradise, forever. :) Amen.

Assr vísa ykkarr or∂, and merry Christmas!!!!

~ElizabethMarieKauffman~

The Birth Of The King: The Hope Of God

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! :D I hope you all have a blessed time this next year and all the years to come.

God looked upon his son's face, he smiled with pride at the baby's innocent face. But grief also accompanied his feelings, for he knew all the pain he had sent his son into when he willingly took on human flesh. His tears fell like the golden light of the star which he brought forth to shine with such a brightness that would draw the attention of Magi from the east who would then follow its leading to find the child. The angels sang their praises, the melodic ring of their voices brought him joy.

    Unnoticed by the worshippers a shadow of an angel stood in the corner, a sneer lifted his lip as he watched the scene unfold before him. Shepherds began crowding around, knees touched the ground, tears lighted on cheeks, and their voices joined the angel's in praise. The silent watcher cringed at their praise, he reached toward Mary, the baby's mother. Fury bubbled inside God. "Leave, Satan!"

    Instantly the shadow snatched back his hand. Sulking in his rage he turned to leave, only glancing over his shoulder at God to growl and say. "It doesn't matter what you do, I'll get him, and when I do, I will be his finish."

    "I know you will." God whispered sadly, once again he looked on his son and saw his future. In the small innocent eyes he saw the tears of neglect; on the head covered with brown curls he saw a crown of thorns tipped with his own blood; instead of a swaddling cloth he saw a robe of mockery, striped with blood from flogging; in his tiny balled up fists he saw nails. He saw all the years of temptations and pain, the mockery, the conspiracy, the betrayal, but he also saw the victory, the final day when he'd fight the evil one and win.  He saw when he rose from the grave back to life, he saw all of the lives the Son of God would touch, the hearts he would heal, the yes he would open, physical and spiritual. And he was the wake of Christians he would leave, who would then go on and cause the ripple of love to spread until all people had heard the message of truth.

    The shepherds left and Mary and Joseph moved the child, Jesus into a house. The Lord watched with great affection as his son grew that year, he kept him in his arms at all times, and always the evil one cast his shadow of death just beyond, his anger grew each time God sent him away, but a plan was turning in his head. The Magi came and presented their gifts of gold, for the king, frankincense, for the priest, and myrrh, for the sacrifice. When they left God sent an angel to warn them of Satan's plan and to direct them to stay away from Herod on their way back.

    That night a shadow covered the sky, Herod stood at the window of his palace as he ordered the death of all baby boys in Bethlehem, in hopes of in the process killing the new king. Beside him stood a cloaked figure unseen to Herod, his eyes peered out from the shadow of his hood, and a malicious grin spread across his face as he watched his plan to be rid of the Son of God unfolding.

    God sighed. "Herod, oh Herod...." A tear glistened in his eye. "Do you know what you are doing?" Softly he awoke Joseph. "Joseph, get up and flee to Egypt with the child and his mother. Stay there until I tell you to return, because Herod is going to try to kill the child." Joseph followed his instructions and God watched them leave. Cries filled the air as the blood of young hearts splattered the blades belonging to Herod's soldiers. Mothers fought to protect their babies as tears poured down their cheeks. The Lord watched the distressed town and wept.

    "This is why I sent my son, to give hope to those with none."

The Birth Of The King: Through The Eyes Of Angels.

7 days till Christmas and here is the next birth of the King post. I almost skipped this one because of the difficulty it presented. "The angels," I thought, "all we ever hear about the angels  on that first Christmas are them giving messages and praising God.... How interesting could I make that?" I mentioned that to my mom and she gave me some ideas. So, I decided I'd give it a try, and trust God with the outcome. And here it is, the finished project of the angels perspective of Christ's birth:

The angelic being watched the travelers enter the city. "They have arrived!" She called to the others who quickly joined her white form. She pointed eagerly at the man leading the donkey on which rode a girl in labor. She felt an awe pass over her as she looked at the young girl's pain filled face. "The chosen one." She whispered, and the others nodded in agreement.

    "She is indeed pure of heart, and God fearing. It's no wonder the Lord chose her to bring forth his son." Came the murmurs of approval.

    The angels waited as the travelers searched for a place to stay in the over crowded little town, awaiting the Lord to work a miracle and open up a place for them to stay. An old man stepped outside his door and directed them to a stable where there was room. Horror washed over the angels' pale faces. "What is he doing?! Stop him Lord!" One cried. "Doesn't he know that this is God's son? The Messiah?"

    A voice rumbled gently over them, although they were used to it, their knees began to shake at the power from which he spoke. "He is not doing anything I have not planned."

    "But really?" The angel spoke up again, with less confidence this time. "A stable... a stable! This is your son, he should be born in a palace, with gold and silver, and the softest satin to be wrapped in. But here in a stable, what is he going to be wrapped in to keep away the chill?"

    "Swaddling cloth."

    "Swaddling cloth!"

    "Quiet!" The Lord roared and they hung their heads in shame. He gently reached out to them, soothing their fears, and gently turned their heads back to Bethlehem. "Watch as the shepherds come in answer to my invitation. I have picked them because of their humble spirit, their willingness, and to show the world that my son is for all mankind, not just the kings, or the mighty, but for the poor and lost. Those who, like sheep, wonder off the good path, but constantly seek to hear the voice of their shepherd."

    The shepherds bowed before the baby, praising God. An awe fell over the angels, unlike any they had ever experienced. A single young voice rose into the crisp night air, soon followed by many others as they sang praises for what the Lord had done.

The Birth Of The King: The Shepherd's Emmanuel

G'day! Here is the second post of my new series the birth of the King. This one is about the Shepherds. I will post another in a few days. Enjoy. :)

The dark night sky sprinkled with bright stars stretched across the hilly country which spread out around the shepherds and their flocks. The light of the moon glinted off creases of the steadily flowing stream nearby, and the sheep were but shadows grazing peacefully in the cool of night. The youngest of the three shepherds threw the twig he had been fiddling with into the camp fire, instantly it was engulfed in flame and began to twist as it burned. 

    He sighed deeply and turned his gaze to the starry heavens. This is what he loved about being a shepherd, it made up for all the lonely days spent guiding the sheep about the country. Content, he lay down to go to sleep until it was his turn to watch the sheep. He closed his weary eyes. Light streamed in through his eye lids, turning them a blazing red. Surprised, he opened his eyes, a light purer then any he had ever seen, and a thousands time brighter flooded his eyeballs. His heart raced and he shouted aloud, out of a mixture of pain and fear. Part of his young soul wanted to stand up and fight this intrusion which had certainly by now scattered the sheep to every corner of Judea. But all he could do was roll onto his stomach and bury his eyes in his hands to protect them. The light seeped through his fingers and his whole body shook, sure that this would be his death, but still, something drew his eyes up and what he was made him all the more certain that his death had come. A large being stood in the sky, the light seemed to emanate from him, he looked very much like a human and yet completely different. He wore armor which shone like the sun and a sword at his side.

    The young shepherd raised his arm to protect his face, sure that that sword would soon slice through his heart at any moment. He could hear his companions shouting in fear around him.

    "Do not be afraid!" The being raised a hand as if to sooth them as he spoke. Peace strengthened the shepherd and he looked on him without fear as he continued. "For I bring you tidings of great joy! The savior–yes, the Messiah, the Lord–has been born tonight in Bethlehem, the city of David! And this is how you will recognize him: You will find a baby lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling cloth!"

    The shepherds watched in wonder as the whole sky filled with the beings, angels. All of which wore armor similar to the first's and swords of fire at their sides. Their voices rose on wings of silk to join that of the other thousands around them as they sang: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace and goodwill to men!"

    Then, just as quickly as they had come they were gone and the night once more became peaceful, all except for the bleating of the scattered sheep. The shepherd took one look at his older companions and his decision was sealed by the mirrored looks of determination on their faces. As they set out toward Bethlehem he glanced back at the wondering sheep. What if a wolf attacks? They're all I have. He quickly brushed the thought aside, this, seeing the Messiah was of far greater importance then the sheep.

    As they neared the city, bustling with those looking for a place to spend the night on account of the census, they were joined by many other shepherds who had seen and believed what the angel had said. Still others could be seen gathering their sheep together again, or huddled close to a camp fire to keep warm. The young shepherd shook his head sadly. "How can they not see that this is the Messiah?" He asked an older man walking beside him.

    The old man's beard trembled as he spoke. "They are blinded by their human belief of what is important. You see, they do not see because they do not want to see." His old eyes looked grieved. "This is the most glorious day of all for shepherds, we have been given a gift usually bestowed to kings. And yet we, shepherds, the lowly, have been chosen to receive it. It is a shame that there are so many who refuse to take it."

    The group, which by now was extensive came to the town and quickly found the stable where a young girl and a man huddled over a manger where a baby lay wrapped in swaddling cloth. The man jumped to his feet as thy neared, his eyes watching them suspiciously. But the shepherds hardly noticed, they passed him to where the frightened girl sat, now holding the baby.

    The young shepherd worked his way to the front of the group, after taking one glance at the sleeping child he fell to his knees,, he gazed into his face and could hardly breathe as he whispered. "You are not as separated from us as I had once thought, a king who would hardly have enough time to pay attention to us lowly. Instead, you've been born in the humblest of places, a stable. And us shepherds, the humblest of men were chosen to be the first to hear of your birth. Now, I truly know that you are Emmanuel; God with us."

The Birth Of The King: Mary, Joseph and the New Baby King

Hi all! Here's the first of the series of posts I'm starting called; The Birth Of The King. This one is about Mary and Joseph when they got to Bethlehem, I will post another one in a few days. I hope you enjoy it. :)

On the outskirts of a small town in Judea a cry of anguish pierced the ascending darkness.  A young girl of about fourteen grabbed at the blanket between her and the donkey she rode as her body convulsed with pain. Joseph, her betrothed, glanced over his shoulder at her, worry creasing his large brow as he urged the donkey to quicken its steps. They left the rocky path behind them as they entered the city.

    The young girl, Mary, looked on at the streets through eyes glistening with tears. Families, and lone travelers hammered their fist against the doors of the clay houses, or shouted through the cracks in the wood, in hopes of finding some place to stay for the night.

    Mary cried out as pain seared through her back, she doubled over, wrapping her arms around her large, round belly. She could feel the baby inside moving around in preparation to enter the world. She lifted her face to the sky as a tear rolled down her young face. "Please Abba, help us." She gasped for air.

    Joseph looked back at her again, then dropped the donkey's lead, running the rest of the way to the first inn he could find. He beat his fist against the door until a servant girl opened it. She looked wide eyed at Mary as Joseph asked if they had any room. The girl shook her head as laughter roared up from the room behind her. Joseph hurried to the next house. A man opened the door this time, cutting off his request with a sharp no, then slammed the door in his face. Joseph stumbled back a step in surprise before quickly moving to the other houses. At all of them the same answer was given; "no room."

    Mary gasped for air, her whole abdomen felt on fire. "Joseph...." Her plea ended in  a scream as pain clutched her in its steely claw. Instantly he was at her side, holding her in his strong arms. She gripped his tunic, her face scrunched up in misery as she silently begged God's help. Her mind wandered back to her family a couple days journey away in Nazareth, she wondered what they were doing, and longed for her mother's soothing touch to calm her fears. Joseph slid her off the animal into his arms as he continued his search for a place to stay.

    Unnoticed by them, an old man watched from behind a tattered curtain as Joseph loyally sought out a place for the girl in labor. A tear escaped onto the old man's wrinkled cheek at their desperation. "If only..." he whispered to himself. "If only...." An idea began to form in his mind, and with a small grin of joy at the thought that he might be able to help, he let the curtain fall back into place and turned to hobble past those who he had welcomed into his house for the night as he made his way to the door. "You can stay there." He called out in his brittle voice as he pointed with his cane to a small cave which formed a stable.

    Relief passed over both the man and girl's face as Joseph voiced his thanks and hurried Mary into the shelter. He shooed a cow out of the way to lay her down on the hay. Perspiration poured off of Mary's face as she pushed with all her might, but still the baby didn't come. Her balled up fists turned white from her squeezing them so tightly, her creams unsettled the animals who skittered to the farthest corners they could find from the strangers. Mary squeezed her eyes shut, her lips trembled , then slowly the pain began to pass and she could relax.

    Joseph held up a small baby into the light of the moon, a grin played across his lips. The child squirmed his small naked legs and flailed his arms as if feeling the air of this world he had come into. Joseph could contain it no longer, and laughed aloud from pure joy.

    Mary gazed on the babe, the Messiah whom the angel had told her about, and she felt glad; she was glad she had trusted what the angel had said; she was glad God had chosen her to bring his son into the world; and she was glad the savior had come at last.

    As Joseph wrapped the baby in swaddling clothe and placed him in her arms the animals began to creep closer, as if knowing what had just happened. A lamb walked over, stretching out his little nose to sniff the bundle, then gave a little bleat and scurried back to his mother's side.

    Mary looked down on the babies now sleeping face, she ran her fingers lightly over his smooth skin, a smile lifted the corners of her lips. "God has done as he promised." She said in a voice filled with awe.

    Joseph placed a hand on her shoulder, his eyes also on the holy child. "He has indeed."