Pieces

Beneficial things I've listened to, read, and thought about in the past few months.

• living by faith doesn't have to be as hard as I've made it seem. I've already experienced the impossible made possible in my life... more than once. "The man with the experience isn't at the mercy of the man with the argument." - David Wooten
• Love this one... "My effort will influence the outcome of my situation, but not determine it. I'm not responsible for the outcome, just the effort." - Tommy Covington My effort should be in doing good, right before God... just to please Him... not in trying to make the things happen the way I plan. I expect to sin, but my effort is to not practice it. Turn from it. I'm not going to reach (any level of) perfection. Looks pretty simple now that I've written it out... I will leave it though it seems more profound to me unwritten - left echoing in my head.
• I won't be happy with anyone, or any situation until I'm happy with myself. Another statement that meant more to me in thought than in black & white on the blog.
• How is God supposed to be all I need if I still feel places of need/want/incompleteness in my life? Perhaps I haven't dug into all that He can be for me... again it points me to my effort.
• Life without my mother & father is different but not doomed. Easier for me to understand now at 29 than at 16. My aches for them are different now, not less, but different. In some ways deeper, with more understanding, with more insight, but no less hope.
• What a GIFT it is to be a woman. I grew up around many strong Christian women who have influence me by their actions in positive ways, but something was missing... maybe just basic instruction. Maybe I didn't know the questions to ask until wife-ing & mothering were already part of my day to day. I never gave thought to married life until the day I became Mrs. Bittinger. Somehow now, 7 1/2 years in, I think this is a CRIME. I read an article recently by J.R. Miller (1840) that gave clarity to how I will help train my girls whether they become wives or mothers themselves or not. I quickly printed out the 9 pages and even had Dan read it for some lively feedback... love that about him. Here is the link if you like to read. The first page or so is a bit dry, but I still recommend the article. http://www.gracegems.org/Miller/christian_wife.htm