Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Freaking Out

We're getting a little honest here, today, at crynfiction: a little "nonfiction-y" if you will...



I've been battling, lately, in my mind between what I know about God's faithfulness--from both His Word and from personal experience--and looking at the seemingly impossible circumstances around me.  Actually, now that I think about it, I feel a little bit like the apostle Peter, who trusting in Jesus stepped outside of the safety of the boat and walked on the water toward Him, but then taking His eyes off of Jesus, he saw the wind and the waves around him and became afraid and started to sink.  There is no point in asking "why do we keep doing this?" because, we will always have a choice to either trust in the Lord or to lean upon what we understand.  Doubts will always arrive.  It is inevitable, both because we are imperfect people and as I Peter 5:8 says, "[...]because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom be may devour."  The more profitable question then to ask is, "What does God's word say?"  This is the word that I have been meditating on during this time of uncertainty and transition.  This time of blind obedience when I don't know how the thing being asked of me can be accomplished.  I have posted this Scripture before, but it can never grow old or ineffective.

"Oh LORD, You have searched me
and known me,
You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You understand my thought afar off.
You comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O LORD, You know it altogether.
You have hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.
If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall fall on me,"
Even the night shall be light about me;
Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

For you formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
If I should count them,
They would e more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You."
{Psalm 139:1-18}


This is truth.  He is truth.  I rest in Him.  Over and over again, I put my trust in Him and rest. (Then I get up and freak out, so I have to go back and rest in Him again.  Over and over.) And that, my friends, is life.  Eh?

Thank you for reading and reminding me of the things I have written already of God's faithfulness in seemingly impossible situations in my life before!  You encourage me!  Thanks for stopping by.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Happy Birthday to Elliott



Elliott, you turned six. I don't know why time keeps going on and on with out stopping: you are so grown up, now.  You're six years old with the world on your shoulders.  You're kind, compassionate, sensitive, nurturing, crazy, funny, and wild.  You think about life and death, God and love, right and wrong. You are conscientious and no new piece of information is taken lightly.  You learned about the greenhouse effect and want to stop buying gasoline.  You learned that the earth's resources are being depleted and you are deeply concerned.  You like your way, but hate to disappoint others when it differs from theirs.  You love people and relationships and spending time together.  You love to wear pajamas. You love to fight and wrestle.  You love to cuddle.  You love to make people laugh.  You love to be loved and surprise me with kisses.  You love that your Daddy loves your Mommy and you love it when people get married.  You cannot wait to be a husband and a dad and you tell me that you will probably let me watch your children sometimes.  You and little sister, Caiden, talk about your future children and what you might name them.  You want others to know Jesus and you wish to please Him.  You are excited to move to Berkeley and help plant a church there so others might know Jesus. 

You, Elliott, are a giver.  I took you to Target today and you prepared by getting all your change together so that you could "buy Caiden a treat or something if she wants one." You bought her a DVD, a coloring book, and some Tic Tacs.  You would have bought her a lot more, too, if I had allowed it. You used the giftcard you got for your birthday, sweet boy.

You love to make people cards and books and give them presents and you have stopped asking for spelling help and just spell it how it sounds.  Its so cute because you spell it the way you wrongly pronounce it; like today when you wrote, "Dear Heder, haf a grat tim. we luf yi." ("Dear Heather, have a great time. We love you.")

Elliott, you are the best!  You are my cuddly wuggly little Elliott man.  I am so thankful for you.  Happy 6th birthday, dude!  I am one lucky mama to have a son like you... I adore you.

Love,
Your crazy mama.


Monday, January 31, 2011

Changes!

Well, peeps, I feel as though I may as well let you in on a big change that's coming for my family and me.  It will, in some ways (and has started to already) affect my blog, I'm sure.

My family and I are making a move.  Its only about forty-five minutes from where we live now, but none-the-less, it will be life changing.  New city, new house, new people... new church.  My husband and I will be "planting" a new church in Berkeley. We've been on our knees in prayer for almost a year and the time has finally come to begin preparations for actually moving to the city.  We're hoping to move in two short months, but these plans have been submitted to the Lord and we still need a lot of direction and provision.

Currently, we have been in Orange County for two weeks, speaking at various churches and meeting with various individuals--spreading the word!  We will be away from home for at least another week, tying up loose ends.  This accounts for my absence in this space. 

There have not been many creative projects or endeavors as of late.  All of our energy and time has been thrown into this business of church planting (on hubby's side) and holding our family together.  Its a big job!

Be expecting some changes in scenery in my photos and such as Berkeley will be quite different from beautiful Santa Rosa!

Much love to you all.  We covet your prayers and love that you come here to share in our lives and moments. 

Xoxoxo,
Cryn and fam.

{Berkeley, CA} Photo credit: David Escalante

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Coffee + Tea Set = Party





There are not a lot of toys that I really appreciate, but this little plastic tea set has wiggled onto my "approved" list.  For one, Caiden actually plays with it.  But also, it all packs up into a giant teapot so I don't have to stress out about finding all the parts everywhere (because I totally would, otherwise).  I love to watch Caiden pretending and the tea set is a great catalyst for that.  Sometimes we even make the imaginery tea parties come to life, but with coffee instead.  Yesterday we shared a little cup of Joe together.  It was so nice.

Cheap plastic tea set: APPROVED.

"A joyful heart is good medicine,
but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."
Proverbs 17:22

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Times Are 'A Changin'



{Some black and whites by David in Sausalito}

Things are in upheaval right now and times can be tough.  Sometimes I feel discouraged, sometimes I am dismayed.  But the Lord is faithful still.  My friend, Bethany, offered to sit on my children (like she so graciously does periodically) and her offer couldn't have come at a more opportune moment in time.  She gave us three options and Dave and I weren't free until Saturday, but as it turned out, Bethany and our family were both invited to the same little girl's birthday party at the Discovery Museum on the Sausalito side of the Golden Gate Bridge (tucked just underneath it).  So after the party, she took the kids and we hopped the bridge over into San Francisco for a much needed date night.  We hunted down the Creme Brulee Cart and got some yummy dessert and a couple of cups of coffee.  The Lord provided time and rest for us.  The Lord has also provided his Word and its promises and comforts, some of which are...

"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You. Trust in the Lord forever,
For in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength."
Isaiah 26:3,4
{A discipline of the heart and mind to put into practice.}


"The preparations of the heart belong to man,
But the answer is from the LORD.
All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes,
But the LORD weighs the spirits.
Commit your works to the LORD,
And your thoughts will be established."
Proverbs 16:1-3

The Lord loves you dearly.  He humbled himself to come and save you while you were still a sinner and an enemy of God.  He loves you, not because of how great you are, but because of how great He is.  He teaches us what love is all about.  Be encouraged.