Just Live and Love

Well, the topic of the will of God is a heavy one.

I wanted to share some thoughts about it.

I believe the way you view the will of God, significantly changes and affects how you live out your life, and communicate with God.

Here's a silly question, that I've spent way too much of my life worrying about...

"What if I miss God's will, or I am not in it?"

Have you ever asked those questions?

I've spent lots of time wondering if I'm making the right choices, living in the right place, or pursuing the right things.

Here's what I'm discovering is silly about those questions....

1) It makes you live in constant fear of making a mistake- like walking on eggshells at every turn and every decision. As if every single decision is about right and wrong, or that important.

2) It makes God look so uncreative. Like he's not smart or big enough to adapt and meet us where we're at.

3) It minimizes the amazing free will that we've been given. Maybe we've been given these brilliant minds, so we can write the story WITH God- not walk around with our heads hung, like little wussies, who can't make a decision on our own.

All of that to me oozes guilt, and bondage- isn't the point to be set free?

 Imagine a marriage where every single decision you make is weighed because you think your spouse will be mad, disappointed, or angry with you if you don't choose the exact right thing all the time. Or if you had to ask permission for every little thing? Geez, that would be awful, wouldn't it? And we view God like this?!! 

A marriage like that is considered controlling, stifling, not life giving, and abusive, in cases. If all of those negative things would be true in marriage like that, then why do we put the will of God in perspective like that?

And better yet, why would I possibly want a relationship with God like that!

The Punch Line

See, I don't think God knows the future in the sense that everything is settled.

I think he knows the future in possibilities- like he knows all potential outcomes of any situation, because He's just that smart.

I believe a million, billion percent in our free will, and that there is a lot of room for our choices to be a part of what shapes the future. 

That means our lives are important, influential, and potentially able to be used for 

massive good, or evil. 

I think he designed us that way, because he loves us, and love equals freedom and choice. 

You take away that, you take away love- the essence of who God is. 

SO, I believe that we help him write our story through our choices. 

I think He gives us most of the say in our lives. 

Ultimately the more you commune with Christ, the more whole and healthy you are, which brings healthy and whole decisions, which brings a healthy a whole life. 

What if the will of God comes down to this simple idea of loving God and loving people? 

What if in everything you do, or every decision you make, you ask the question, "Is this loving?" Would that not radically change the way we carry on?

You're never going to go wrong with love. You're never going to regret love. 

How can anything loving ever be out of the will of God?
Then maybe with the big decisions in your life- jobs, moves, etc- you pray, seek wisdom, then GO. Jump with both feet, and trust that God is walking with you.

So few decisions are about right and wrong. The ones that are, are usually obvious. Then, why do we treat every decision like it's about right and wrong, life and death? So much pressure, so much guilt, so much fear! 

If you just live and love, I'd venture to say that you are in the will of God. 

Maybe that's the bottom line.

Thursday Latelies- ALOHA!

THIS has been a fabulous week for me, so linking up with Bex...A Style Diary was a blast!

My beautiful daughter turned 4 and, hello, we're in Hawaii... nuf' said.

No products this week- just fun Hawaiian experiences. Holy moly, it's fantastic here!

THURSDAY LATELIE VIDEO HERE

This is our backyard, and some of the animals we've seen. No words can justly describe how gorgeous
it is, so here are some pictures. 
 

Wanna see all the cows grazing?! Watch the video below :).

 

Happy Birthday Layla! We love you! 

Below are a few pictures of her on her special day. 

   

  

 SNORKELING

You know how I told you that I went snorkeling, but would NEVER go under one of the tunnels?! Well, I lied :). 

Yesterday, after I recorded this video, we went to the beach and snorkeled again, and we found a tunnel that was easy to go in and out of, so I tried it! It was so much fun! It was about 10 feet down and through a bridge-like structure of rocks. It was light the whole way, so you're never fully in a tunnel. I had to scope it out a few times to make sure I could hold my breath, and then I went for it. Mission Accomplished! I wish I had an underwater to camera to show you what the "tunnel" looked like, but instead, as promised, here are the goofy pictures of me in my snorkeling gear. It's ok to laugh- I did :).

It's fun not to take yourself seriously, haha.

This is Tunnels Beach, where all the snorkeling fun has been had... Beautiful huh?

Rachel's CHARITY:WATER Campaign

When I did this video yesterday, Rachel's campaign was at $420,000, which is amazing. But, 24 hours later, it has grown $150,00 and is $570,000. Over half million dollars! It's absolutely overwhelming. 

If you are interested in learning more about the charity:water organization click HERE. They are one of the best organizations out there.

Rachel's story is featured on their homepage right now. 

 .

HERE is the direct link to Rachel's page if you just want to head straight over there. You can donate if you'd like, keep track of the campaign growth, or just read about the amazing generosity of this girl, and others.

Lastly, HERE is a link to a fund set up to help Rachel's family with the expenses of burying their child. Just writing that gives me a pit in my stomach. You can donate there if you feel compelled. 

There is such power in the life coming from death. Death is so unnatural, and that why it hurts so bad. Rachel's story is reminiscent to me, of Christ. Not that she had to die, but rather that through her death, many will live. There is hope and grace in that. 

But, there is also deep, unrelenting pain for Rachel's family and loved ones, as they try figure out what everyday life is going to look like without her. 

I'm grateful for a God who can hold both sides of the spectrum, and love as each of need. 

Please keep her family is your prayers.

Until next week!

Thursday Latelie- I'm a Cheap-O and Can't Stop Pinning!

 Linkin' up with Bex...A Style Diary on Thursday's is quickly becoming 

one of my favorite parts of the week!

Life is so much better when you share it with others. 

Thanks for letting me share my life with YOU!

THURSDAY LATELIE VIDEO HERE 
Please excuse the hilariously awkward look on my face, where the video decided to pause! 

 Tillamook's Udderly Chocolate ice cream is directly from heaven. No joke. Try it if you get the chance. Info HERE

This is what Jergen's Natural Glow lotion looks like. There are a few different shades to compliment your skin. RIGHT HERE are some tips about how to get the best results, info on the product, and a display of their other "Natural Glow" products. This stuff is fan-tas-tic!

You want some hot pink lips? Check out my new lip stain HERE! It's sold at Target, but maybe other places too- you can look through the website to see. I like their other products as well, and like I said, the price is great!

Ok friends, Pinterest is my new obsession! You can check out my page HERE. If you'd like to start your own Pinterest page, send me an email with your email address at 

jmcadriel@gmail.com

and I'll be happy to send you an invite, so can get started! 

A few other peoples' Pinterest pages I like, and "repin" from often, are...

 Jenny's- From "The Imagination of Jenny Lynne"

and

Rachael's- From "The Joy of Hosting"

So, check them out as well! They're my good buds ;)

Now, let's share ideas together!!

Keep your eyes on the good, beautiful, and lovely this week! 

See you in Kauai next Thursday!







 

Yummy Fruit!

I've been thinking a lot about the fruits of the spirit. 

How do you reconcile the verses....

"By grace you have been saved, and not of yourself" 

and

"Faith without works is dead?"

For quite some time I've tried to reconcile the idea that grace by faith has freed me, but then I have to do things to prove it, or earn that gift? That's not a gift if there's major strings attached.

I have had a bit of a paradigm shift these last few months, and it has radically changed the way that I view and experience scripture- Geez, and everything else in my life. We'll stick to the point of scripture, though...

I've been listening to sermons by Greg Boyd, during these last few months, and let me tell you, this guy is right on. Right. On. I couldn't articulate the contradiction I felt in those verses until I heard a sermon he gave about it. Brilliance.

Wanna hear about it? I'm gonna tell you. Bear with me; it will all come full circle...I promise.

There are two kinds of ways we experience rewards and consequences.

Extrinsically and Intrinsically

Those are big words for Outward and Inward. No worries, I had to learn what the words meant as well.

Allow me to explain...

An outward, or extrinsic, consequence is this: You steal something, you go to jail.

An inward, or intrinsic, consequence is this: You smoke for 50 years, you'll probably get emphysema.

Can you see the difference? 

 -One is an outwardly consequence because of something you've done.

 -The other is a natural consequence of certain kind of behavior. No one has to inflict a certain punishment over you, some things just bring about certain outcomes by nature of what they are.

The same goes for rewards....

An outward, or extrinsic reward is this: If a child has had good behavior, you give them a cookie.

An inward, or intrinsic, reward is this: If you eat healthy, you'll feel better. 

Can you see the difference in the rewards? 

-One is reward because of something you've done.

-The other is a natural manifestation of eating healthy.

Western thinking in the last 500 years, is very "cause and effect," very legal system, thought based. Very extrinsic. Therefore, we've been taught that in order to display the fruits of the spirit, you must do certain things. As if there is a checklist for each attribute named, that if you follow, then you will have "patience," or insert any other one of the fruits. Like the "cause," your checklist, will yield a certain "affect," the fruit.

BUT...

The fruits of the spirit are intrinsic! 

And that changes everything.

They are a natural manifestation of the transformation, grace, and love you experience in your soul, through the amazing gift of Christ. They are not about deeds and rewards.

So, back to the beginning. 

Here is how, then, those two verses that started this post, are reconciled....

We are saved by grace, through our faith, which will always be a gift without any strings attached. Our faith is not dead if don't do certain things, rather, it means that a faith which isn't being watered and nurtured, won't begin to produce certain things; it's dead- not growing. Not dead, as in you're not doing enough. As we understand and walk in the "good news," we are internally changed, we become more healthy, and more whole. See, what I'm getting at? It's natural- it's a certain way of life, bringing about its natural outcomes. We all know an unhealthy tree can't grow and produce healthy fruit. Therefore, a healthy faith-one that is being nurtured, is going to bring about the fruits of the spirit more naturally, because growth is a sign of health. 

Christ always works from the inside out. It's never from the outside in. That's why those verses can be reconciled. He gives us the gift of life, then as we water our "tree" of faith, if you will, fruit will appear. Faith isn't dead because you didn't follow a checklist- checklists breed legalism. A faith is dead, not bearing fruit, because it's not getting taken care of. That's heart issue, not a behavior one. That's intrinsic, not extrinsic.

This is how you know that you're bearing fruit- or at least my gauge, for myself on it. Our first reaction to things, can usually be one that is impulsive, driven my emotions, and not always the most kind. When I notice that my first reaction to something is different than usual, I know I am being transformed. When someone at the grocery store ahead of me in line is taking forever, and instead of reacting with annoyance and frustration towards the cashier about it when my turn comes up, I greet them with a smile and graciousness. That's not me. That's my spirit. When I feel so anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed, but am somehow able to find peace, that's not me. That's my spirit. When someone hurts me, and I don't try to hurt them back out of spite. I know that's not me. That's my spirit. And when I want to yell at my kids for fighting, breaking things, and making ridiculous messes, but instead I say, "It's ok, we'll figure it out," with gentleness and patience, that's not me. That's my spirit.

There are many days where I fail miserably at every attribute in the fruits of the spirit. I'm mean, impatient, selfish, easily annoyed, and quick to anger- yesterday was one of those days. But, that's when I'm grateful for the new mercy that is offered every morning. God whispers, "It's ok, we'll figure it out," and not only gives me another chance, but helps me clean up the mess. That God knows how to bear fruit, I tell ya!

This has also given me great freedom, knowing that I don't have to do anything. Everything will come naturally out of the nurturing of my communion with Christ. My insides are completely different. It's really quite remarkable how it all comes together.

Here is an art print that I am going to buy for our home, to remind to keep pursuing the true, good, and beautiful.

Go have yourself a wonderful Monday

Thursday Latelie!

Happy Thursday, friends! 

It's so fun to link up with Bex A Style Diary, and do "Thursday Latelies!" Are you all having a good week? I hope so.

I'm just throwing this out there...apparently, I had lots to say this week, so it's a long video. Whatevs, I just love talking with you! :)

I play a song and a voice clip that is significantly louder when played, so feel free to turn down your volume, so you don't go deaf or fall out of your seat, terrified, with how loud it is. You've been warned!

THURSDAY LATELIE VIDEO HERE

Want more info about anything I talked about? Check it out below...

Go play in the water! Do some paddle boarding, guys- it's a blast-y blast. Since I didn't document my paddle boarding experience, which would have been both hilarious and blackmail material all in one, below shows a few pictures of what it is.

 

Did you like "Somewhere Only We Know," by Keane? I'm lo-ving it! Watch the video HERE and buy their album or just the song on itunes. Ignore the stupid "xfinity" ad before the video. I hate it when ads come on first. Ugh. Hang in there, it's worth it!

And if you're like me and get into a good love story, HERE is the link to the scene from "He's Just Not That Into You," that I mentioned the song was in. What can I say, I'm a cheesy romantic at heart :)

If you want to listen to Cullen's sweet little voice again, I play the voice clip at 9 minutes 45 seconds, so you can jump right to that spot! I've played it over and over :)

Have a great rest of your week!

I DO Care What People Think

Here's something I've been thinking about recently...

I don't buy when people say that they don't care what others think, because I don't buy that in myself. 

I feel pretty secure in who I am. I don't have everything about myself figured out because who really ever does? We're always changing, and our world doesn't stay the same. Self-discovery is a never ending process. But, I like me. I'm not perfect, I am on a pretty extensive journey right now to figure more of myself out, and there are always parts of myself that I want to improve and evolve, but at the end of the day, I'm really ok-more than ok, actually, with who I am.

I really believe that the more you enjoy, know, and discover the uniqueness in yourself, the less energy you'll put into being consumed with what someone else will be thinking about you. But, I also believe that even the most secure person, still cares what others think at times. 

The truth is I DO care what people think, I DO want approval, I DO want to be liked. Let's be honest though, who doesn't? I just want to be real with the fact that it feels good to have others approve, compliment, think well of you, etc. 

Maybe I'm wrong about this, but I'm only speaking of it out of my own experience. Whenever I hear someone say, "I don't care what anyone thinks about me," I immediately think of the insecurity oozing out of that statement. Like it's some defense or front, for really caring a lot about what people think. From a psychological point of view, the more you have to emphasize something, the less true it actually is inside of you. It's over compensation, it's a facade to mask what's really going on, or how you really feel. 

So, here's a few things about me that usually I would like to say I don't care about, but secretly, and no not so secretly now, I actually care about. 

ROOTS

I love being blonde, but hate those roots. I'd like to say that it doesn't bother when they show, but it does. I know people are looking at the fantastic contrast in my hair, haha. I'll get around to touch ups when I can, but until then, those roots will haunt me! Here's the proof...

PARENTING

I'd like to say that I don't give a rip about what people think of mine and Bobby's parenting. But, I care. I want people to say and think that we're good parents.

BLOGGING

Writing this blog is pretty vulnerable. It's liberating as well, but I take a deep breath when I'm writing an honest post, like this one for example. My heart is out there for the world to see, and that's both a lovely and frightening thing. Of course, I want people who read it to like, and identify with me!

AUDIENCE

I have an audience in my head that I cater to. I'd like to say that I only do things for myself, and that  I do everything because I want to, but I don't. Some days the audience blares loudly and I do things to please that audience, and other days it's quiet, and I can hear myself better. I'd like a more quiet audience in my head more often. I'm working on it.

The goal then seems to me, to grow internally stronger, so the times where you begin to wonder what others will think, or what they are going to say, will sting less, and will grasp you for a shorter amount of time, because you are secure enough to handle to stares, the comments, or the assumed thoughts of others.

I guess the other goal, then, is to care about the right things. There are just some thing that don't matter- like roots, but there are things in life that do matter- like where to live, what do about your kids' schooling, what's the next career move, what purpose do I have right now... Those are all important questions that we need people to weigh in on for us.  

When we put out the front that we don't care what people think, we also miss out on the wonderful wisdom that can be offered by caring a little about what the right people think. 

So, really it's about the right audience, with the right thing. 

To Summarize...

1) Continue to discover who you are, and be excited about your uniqueness. It's so freeing.

2) Admit that you care what people think, and be ok with that. I promise it doesn't make you weak.

3) Have the right people weigh in on your life. Seek the wisdom of others who you love, respect, and trust. As you learn and grow, the thoughts of those whose opinions you hold in less regard, will start to matter less.

Thursday Latelie- Are you a Mystic?

It's time to link up with Bex A Style Diary, and do another edition of "Thursday Latelies." Today's is brought to you by the word ...

M Y S T I C 

Definition: A person who seeks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or who believe in the spiritual apprehension of truths that are beyond the intellect.

Watch this week's video to find out more about why I love the word "Mystic."

Glitter Nailpolish: Sally Hansen 

Get any color you wish! Here's a glimpse of my fave right now...

Here is a link to the white watch I bought from Target. Apparently it's out of stock online. Sorry about that! You can at least get info about it, and know what to look for at your local Target. See, I'm really doing you a favor after all! ;). 

                                            

If you are interested in reading "The Magician's Nephew," the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, Here is the link to it on Amazon. It's a fantastic story, setting you up for the rest of the series. It's been a treat to read this book and let my imagination run wild a little, and feel connected to a different world.

My absolute favorite quote from "The Magician's Nephew":

"For what you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are." 

-Pretty powerful, huh? I paused when I read that because it moved me so much.-

I end with this thought: There are two realities that co-exist. There is the world of realities we see, and there is a world of realities that we do not see. The world that we do not see is just as present, and just as real, but has to be searched for a little harder. There is good and evil, and there is the pursuit for meaning in both of these worlds. The two worlds are deeply intertwined. There is much that can't be explained. But, there is a story unfolding. I feel that if you are looking, waiting, contemplating, and living in awareness, you see where these two worlds integrate. You start to see bits and pieces of a bigger picture. I want to be the sort of person that sees. I want to be on the look out. I want to sit in the beautiful mystery. So, where are you standing, and what sort of person are you?

Happy Thursday, friends!

"NATURE!!! That's Why I Come Up Here"

Anyone get my SNL, Will Ferrell as Robert Goulet, reference? :)

This is how I started my day, today...A cool morning, taking a walk by myself, listening to my ipod, being surrounded by the beauty of my world.

Per-fec-tion.

I know I have talked about creation before and how it is such a reminder to me of the consistency, care, and intelligence behind everything in existence.Well, I still feel that way, so I'm writing about it again :).

I truly believe that creation is one of the most tangible ways that we are spoken to by our maker. More than any other time in my life, I feel connected to that truth and am deeply aware of who I am when I am in wonder of the things in front of me. How can you look at a picture like this...

 and not be stop to stare.

Or a picture like this...

and not feel power.

Or a picture like this....

And not be at peace. 

Or a picture like this...

and not feel joyful with the sun and lush colors. 

Or a picture like this...

and not feel invited to live.

Or a picture like this...

and not appreciate order and design.

Or a picture like this...

and not think of what a miracle life is.

I love feeling a light breeze on my face, experiencing the sudden fragrance a flower has when you walk by, seeing the amazing contrast in the color that is all around me, or staring at my children. Those are beautiful moments to me. They set me free over and over again. My day was filled with a handful of those kind of moments. Complete fullness. Deep gratitude. Pure awe.

John Mayer has an awesome song called "3x5." It's about how a picture can't do justice to what his eyes have seen. Though pictures are all I have to express to you what my eyes and heart have experienced, I hope you can get the jist. The best line in the song is,

"You should have seen that sunrise, with your own eyes. It brought me back to life." 

I don't think there is a better phrase that captures exactly how I feel when I am in creation or appreciating it, as that phrase does. It brings me back to life. It reminds of the good, pure, beautiful, and lasting. It frees my mind from itself. 

For the first time in my entire life, I feel like I get "it," like I understand why I believe what I do. I feel most aware of that truth when I am basking in magnificence that is, existence. I wanted to give you a glimpse of my heart, my joy, my peace, and the places where I feel whole.