Learning to be Pruned

I read an excellent chapter from the book Biblical Womanhood in the Home titled "Pruned to Bloom," by P. Bunny Wilson. The chapter as well as the rest of the book can be read for free on the website http://www.cbmw.org/. The link to this specific chapter is

http://www.cbmw.org/images/onlinebooks/biblical_womanhood/pruned_to_bloom.pdf

Here is an excerpt from the chapter:

"Since you have given your heart to Jesus,

are you sweeter? Do you make a sincere

attempt to do what is right? Hopefully the

answer to these questions is yes. However,

even with all your efforts and growth, have

you arrived? Are you where He wants you

to be? The answer to that question is no.

The fact that you have not reached perfection
means you will be pruned—regularly. Like

that old grape branch, we need to come to

the place where we willingly surrender

ourselves to be pruned, as uncomfortable as

that may be. As the old grape branch would

say to the young grape branch, 'Remember,

you’re just being pruned to bloom!'"

Claire's Recent Birthday

My little Claire-Bear just turned two a few weeks ago, and here are some pictures of her birthday.

From Mourning to Dancing

"You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!" - Psalm 30: 11-12

As I read these verses this morning, I was reminded of just how much he has changed my life. My sin has been my biggest problem, and Christ took the punishment for my sin on the cross. Therefore, my biggest problem has been solved, my greatest need has been met by the sacrifice of one. Because of this, no matter what I face in life, whether I am in drought or in plenty, whether life on this earth is happy or sad for me, I can rejoice in the God of my salvation. He has indeed turned for me my mourning into dancing.

My First Post

Well, after being asked a few times, "Have you decided to start a blog yet?," I finally decided to go ahead with it. I've titled it "The Many Adventures of Allie-Cat and Claire-Bear" because my name is Allie and my adorable (no, I'm not biased) daughter's name is Claire. Together, we do have a lot of adventures. After all, she is a two-year old, and that in itself is an adventure. Although Claire will provide much entertainment to my readers, I hope to also include some content on what is MOST interesting in our lives - the person and work of Jesus Christ. Seven years ago my life was forever changed when God gave me the gift of faith in his Son, and since then it has been the most exciting relationship I have ever been a part of - including my precious daughter. So, I pray that this blog not only provides some laughs, but that it will also be a place to find comfort, refreshment, and encouragement in the midst of this crazy world we live in.