The Story (of an apple)

I'm linking up with the oh-so-lovely Ashley of Pencilled Daydream today. Go read some stories people!

Once upon a time, months and months ago, a letter-key fell off of my MacBook. *tear*

 I hopped on over to my nearest Apple store and was pleasantly surprised when the response was "yes we'll fix it and how about you leave it here and we'll fix it up and remove all these scratches". YES please and thank-you.

The guy helping me pleasantly suggested I buy a external hard drive. He asked me if I'd rather spend a small amount now or a big amount someday when my computer would eventually crash.
 
The thought made sense.

I backed up my computer that day.

Then again a few months later.

And then all of a sudden last week I decided that I should back it up again.

So I did.

AND THAT night my computer crashed.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!

*tear*tear*tear*

I took it into an Apple store and the guy was sure it'd be a quick and easy fix at a lovely and low fee.

I agreed but started preparing myself for the option that my sweet Gordan (the name of that 'ol laptop) might not be coming home the same way I'd known him before.

So when I got a phone call from Apple telling me that it would cost a more than I had hoped to pay for a quick-fix, I had to bite the bullet and ask my (best-ever-most-incredible) parents for a loan in order to buy a new computer.


They are gracious and kind people. I'm very thankful for them.
 
And yesterday it arrived! 

Shiny and pretty and lovely and WOW!

 And I turned it on, plugged in my external hard drive and just over an hour later had a fully functioning MacBook Air - complete with everything I needed from my old laptop.

And the moral of the story is:

Go buy an external hard drive right now and then use it right away!


Because that is the only way your heart won't break when your computer dies.

 

The End



some more thoughts:

A week without a computer was hard.

 I stayed in Abby an extra night and day to make a scheduled video chat (and to spend more time with the fam).
 

I meandered over to visit my sister, her sweet baby, and her laptop.

I also got convicted like ten trizillion times . . . And yep, I think my computer is an idol in my life. Jesus and I are having some chats about that.
It was a week when I was thankful that blogger allows me to schedule posts (aka Thursday/Friday/Tuesday/Wednesday) And frustrated that I messed up a scheduled post to go out at 2pm instead of 2am.

It made me read more, scratch that, accomplish more Kakuru (my favourite go-to - I'm serious. I LOVE it), go for a photo-taking walk (photos to come), and be intentional and send out some mail.

Speaking of mail, I'm thinking about a very fun link-up that includes mail. Stick around these here parts to hear more!

Not Quite There Yet (meet-up)

Check this out alright? Okay!

BIBLE BASED LIVING: Joy and Suffering

A while ago, God brought to mind a passage that He wove deep into my heart a few years ago.

    He sent and had John beheaded in the prison, and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. And his disciples came and took the body and buried it, and they went and told Jesus.
    Now when Jesus heard this, he withdrew from there in a boat to a desolate place by himself. But when the crowds heard it, they followed him on foot from the towns. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.
(Matthew 14:10-14 ESV)

This is one of my most favourite passages of scripture. It helps me understand Jesus more than any other piece of scripture. Sometimes I can't wrap my mind around Jesus (and I'm pretty sure if I ever claim to have wrapped my mind all around Jesus and claim complete understanding that I will have completely failed at understanding Him at all) because Jesus live a perfect life. It's hard to me to understand His perfection because I am not perfect a all. I sin all the time; I forget to love people, I get angry without just reason, I get annoyed and react with impatience, and more than any other sin, I get selfish.

Jesus never did any of these things. Whoa.

But Jesus did mourn. In the scripture above it share that He withdrew to a desolate place. Desolate is defined as "devoid of warmth, comfort, or hope" and similar words in the dictionary paint it as "barren", "lonely", "dreary". It is the opposite of heart-warming. Jesus was going there. He made the choice to go there.

He had just heard of the death of John. John mattered to Jesus. Jesus was sad. He needed to get away. He needed to mourn, and so He went to do so. He left on a boat to a place that would be dreary. 


I've had moments in many seasons of life where I have desperately needed to go to a place that is dreary and just be sad. To be sorrowful and mourn in order to eventually be joyful and filled with hope.


As Jesus arrived at this place, where He was hoping to just get a minute to Himself, He was met by crowds. Crowds who needed Him, their Saviour.

And so He healed them. Because of His compassion.

Jesus loved people. He still does. Jesus loves people. He loves you.

As the Lord brought this passage to mind, I felt like Jesus told me that I am called to a higher purpose, which is to glorify Him. I need to fill my heart with compassion and lean on His strength which is indescribable. I am called to witness, to love, to forgive, and to make Jesus known everywhere.

My sister told me once that oftentimes we like to separate joy and suffering. We don't think that they can be together. But they can be together. Jesus shows us that. We can be in seasons of sorrow while still fully living out His joy.

So, I'm kneeling at the foot of the cross, casting my burdens down (repeatedly, admittedly), and I'm passionately pursuing Jesus.

Tune-y Tuesday (why)

Certain songs take me back. I remember when Bethany Dillon released her first album. I was in high school, trying to sort out life, and desperately in love with Jesus. He was the only thing I knew to be constant and true. When Bethany released her album, every word resonated with my little heart.

Whenever this song comes on these days, I remember sitting at my piano plunking this song out.

It is amazing to me that she was able to write such powerful and incredible lyrics as a teenager. There words still impact me now so I wanted to share them this Tune-y Tuesday.

It's easy for me to forget about God. It's easy for me to live a lot of days in a row without going to Him. It's super easy for me to sin.

Yet the grace and mercy of Jesus cover me each day. WOW! Talk about unmerited and undeserved.




This house is echoing
With the sound of You knocking at the door
But with three locks
And the shades down
You are easy to ignore
I've put You on like an old pair of shoes
I've put You off, but now I need You

Why, this love that never leaves me
Why are You holding me tonight
Can't deny this love that is given me
Why, this love never leaves

You're a good strategy when I need one
An angle when there is none
Like a doormat
That always says welcome
No matter how much dirt I rub on
But when I am tired and run through
Look over this hill, I'm running to You

Why, this love that never leaves me
Why are You holding me tonight
Can't deny this love that is given me
Why, this love never



Why, this love that never leaves me
Why are You holding me tonight
Can't deny this love that is given me
Why,

Oh why?

Why are You holding me, You're holding me tonight

Can't deny this love that is given me

Why, this love never leaves

Journals of Yesterday

I was reading recently through a journal from a few years ago, and was overwhelmed by some of the words that I'd written. 

Words like:

"I just can't seem to find hope or peace anymore." and "I know what I need to do to be happy, but I just feel so captive and unable to get there".

When I see where I was, and see where I've been brought to through the reconciliation of the cross in my life, I realize that God is so powerful. 

Jesus changed everything.

I'm not happier now.

Happy is the wrong word.

I have His peace.

I have His joy.

I have His hope.

It's all Jesus.

He saved me.

My joy is based on Him.

    Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:4-7 ESV)