“Lord, Give me an eye for treasures.”

08/09/2010

A repost from East Nashville Atomic

Originally posted September 20, 2008

That’s the simple prayer I said as we started our thrift store search this evening. About an hour later we walked out of Southern Thrift with this matching set of two end tables and a coffee table, each for only $4.99! We bought them because of their mid-century modern look and decent condition.(Our house begs us to replace our IKEA goods with real atomic jewels.) A gentle sanding and some lemon oil will go a long way. Once at home, Jason started cleaning them up while I googled the maker (stamped inside the drawers): American by Martinsville. Turns out each piece is worth anywhere from $100 to $500. Talk about an answer to prayer! Thank you Lord!! As tempting as it is to resell them, I think we just might keep them.

Tomorrow, once they’re all cleaned up and sitting in their new positions in the living room, I’ll take more pictures.

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Posted by mahlbrandt

Wise Words

05/12/2010

“But now, this is what the LORD says—
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the LORD, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior”

Isaiah 43:1-3a

I like how it says when not if.

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Restoration: Why He Did What He Did

04/02/2010

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A few notes from John Ragsdale‘s sermon on Restoration at Grace Church Nashville on 12-06-09. If you want to hear the whole message you can find it here.

“He [Jesus] did not go through what He went through so you and I could just go to heaven.”

The only thing the lamb had to do was have its blood drained out of it. All they had to do was cut the lamb’s throat. That’s all. They didn’t beat the lamb and kick the lamb. And spit on the lamb and put thorns in the lamb. They didn’t rip its wool out.

So why did Jesus go through all of that?!

So you and I could step back into our rightful relationship with the Father. He allowed the anger of the Father to be taken out on Him so that you and I wouldn’t just stand here and say “I’m going to heaven. Hallelujah.” or “I’m not going to hell, thank God.”

No – He did all that so you and I could be restored back to our rightful relationship with God. And then not only that we would be restored but that we would in turn begin to restore everything around us back to the way God made it in the first place.

…

“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. … But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:3a,5

Whole passage of Isaiah 53. Really good stuff.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10

Today is Good Friday. I’m celebrate what Jesus has done and continues to offer us as a free gift. We don’t do anything to deserve it but He offers us a clean slate and restoration. Thank you Lord!

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Advice for Fresh Graphic Designers

03/11/2010


(Me at work approx. 3 years ago)

We have a new graphic design intern at my office. She’s still in school but preparing for the job market. It got me thinking about ome valuable advice I got from my professors and some things I wish I had known 3 years ago. Maybe this advice will be worth something to someone out there:

• Learn the keyboard shortcuts. Over time this will make you much more efficient. Added benefit: someone looking over your shoulder will have no idea what you’re doing and be completely impressed.

• Stay organized. Files. Deadlines. Emails. Meetings. Don’t let things pile up.

• Seek out inspiration. When you have free time peruse websites, blogs, magazines, your competitors publications. Become familiar with the things your target market loves.

• Say yes. When someone asks if you have time for a side project say yes. It’s OK to say, “Can it wait until tomorrow?” or “When do you need this? I have a lot going on today.” Don’t roll your eyes, let out a stressed-out sigh, say “maybe” and for-crying-out-loud DO NOT say no!

• Do a good job and work effiiciently. Turn things around quickly, especially unexpected requests, like above. Before long you will the everyone’s favorite designer and the go-to problem solver. Welcome this. It’s job security.

• Volunteer and have a service attitude. When you’re not busy help someone else with their work load. (You may learn some new skills.) When your boss asks if anyone has time to help him move boxes from the storage unit to the new office building. Say yes. And then make the time. Your helpful attitude and hard-work will not go unnoticed.

• Say hi and smile at your co-workers when they walk past your desk. Be friendly. Say yes to lunch offers as often as you can afford. It’s important and useful to know—really know—your co-workers; they’re people with families and full lives, too.

• Look for tutorials for design techniques and new software. Know the free resources for stock art, textures, action sets, fonts. Valuable inspiration and also saves your company money. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Challenge yourself. Never stop learning.

• Pray for your company; without it’s success you have no job*. Pray for your co-workers. Pray for your bosses. Pray for yourself—for creativity, for inspiration, for efficiency, for a good attitude, for peace, for energy, for raises (doesn’t hurt!).
*By all means, DO NOT curse your company! Do not say “This job is going nowhere.” “This company is going down the tubes.” “I’m on a sinking ship.” I’ve been guilty of saying all these things in the past. Take authority and bless your company, do not speak negativity over it. Speak what you want to happen, not what you do not want to happen. Your words have power.

• The ideal graphic designer is a combination of creative, efficient, organized and cool (enthusiastic, pleasant, stylish, trendy, fun).

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A Weekend Recap

03/02/2010

“Some weekends are so busy, I can’t wait for the week to start.” – Jason

We kicked of the weekend by having some friends over for a late dinner. Jason grilled some chicken (I love being able to grill year-round!) and I made PW’s baked lemon pasta. It was a delicious hit. Late dinner led to late night chattin it up with good friends.

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Saturday morning I kissed Jason goodbye and headed off to a PJ breakfast baby shower. Brilliant! (Was that your idea, Jenna?) So fun to sit around with a bunch of my favorite ladies in our comfies eating waffles and quiches and watching our friend unwrap lots of adorable little girly outfits.

I spent Saturday afternoon preparing for baby shower #2. Making a bunting banner. Baking a guitar-shaped cake. Cleaning the house. Arranging the table and furniture.

Saturday I had a girls night with my sister-in-law and our good friend while our husbands were all out on the road.  It was fun to watch a chick flick – He’s Just Not That into You. I have to say, it’s kind of a depressing picture of marriage and dating these days, though. Definitely makes me appreciate my marriage!

Jason got home sometime in the middle of the night Saturday and was up and gone to set up at church before I woke up Sunday morning. I was a couple minutes late but the service was great. Something is about to explode. It’s so exciting! People are so hungry for more of God’s presence that no one wants to leave.

I did eventually scurry out so I could get back home to finished prepping for the Rockin’ Baby Party. Bake artichoke dip. Tie balloons to the mail box. Give directions over the phone. Set out chips, salsa, guacamole, hummus, crackers, pita, sushi, guitar cake, punch. The party was a hit and I hope our friends were blessed. I didn’t think to count but I’m pretty sure that’s the most people we’ve ever had in our house; definitely the most kids we’ve had running around at one time. Lucy was a great vacuum gobbling up all of the cake and crunched chips that the kiddos left behind.

Fun weekend but we were pooped! We were both asleep by 10pm on Sunday night which is extremely rare in this house. Phew!

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God is good! And why I don’t get away with anything.

02/25/2010

I did something to my shoulder two days ago. Not sure what but it was definitely nerve related and hurt intensely. It probably happened from swinging my backpack into the trunk before work …

Anyhow, I was really wanting to not make a big thing of it, not draw attention to it, not tell anyone, not let it distract me … but yet, in all my attempts to do that, it was distracting me bad. Real bad. All day.

I made it until 8:00 pm without saying a word. Then I reached across the table for my Sprite at the Listening Room and winced at the take-my-breath-away pain. I succombed to temptation and I opened my mouth.

Me to Jason: “I really jacked up my shoulder. It’s killing me! I don’t want to make a big deal of it, though.”

I don’t know if it’s our 10+ years together or his super observant nature or his prophetic gifting (probably a combination of all 3), but he can see right through me.

J: “Ya know, there is a difference between saying you’re not making a big deal about something, still worrying and obsessing about it in your mind, and actually not making a big deal of it.”

I couldn’t help but smile. I knew I was pegged. He knows me better than I know myself.

J: “I’m not saying you’re doing that. I’m just saying —”

M: “I love you.”

J: “Don’t you mean, I hate you?” It’s hard being the messenger. Can you tell I usually react defensively?

M: “No, I love you because you don’t let me get away with anything.”

Driving home, I was praying about it. I decided if I was going to stop thinking and obsessing about it, I needed to fully give it over to God. I trust Him to take care of all of my needs big and small, including stabbing shoulder pain, but sometimes I need to confess that I’ve been letting it burden me and release it to Him. I think I prayed something like this:

God, forgive me for letting this become such a distraction for me. I’m handing it over to You. I trust You with it.

Instantly, the pain went away. Hallelujah! I have faith but even I was pretty surprised!

Then I made a wide right turn and stabbing pain took my breath away again.

Ok, I need a reminder. Something I say every time it hurts to refocus and remember that I handed this over to God. … How about “God is good!” Because He is good. Even when I have pain. He is still good!

So that’s what I did and have been doing for the past day and a half. The pangs of pain have been getting progressively less frequent. But when they hit, I proclaim “God is good!”  And whether the pain stops or not, that is what I will keep doing. It’s amazing what a difference it makes for me to say-try-attempt to not do something and to actually resolve to hand it over to my God who is able to do immeasurably more than I ask or imagine.

You don’t have to believe me if you don’t want to. You may be carrying secret burdens and letting your thoughts be consumed by your situation, even while holding it together on the outside. I just wanted to let you know there is another option.

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Posted by mahlbrandt

Wise Words

02/08/2010

“Yet, in the maddening maze of things, And tossed by storm and flood, To one fixed trust my spirit clings; I know that God is good!” — John Greenleaf Whittier

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Thanksgiving Part 2

11/26/2009

This year I have been truly overwhelmed with gratitude when I think of all that Jason and I have been through and all that the Lord has done for us. I can’t get into details here but I can tell you with certainty that if it wasn’t for God’s grace and mercy and favor and blessing and influence in our lives I wouldn’t be happily married (I’d probably be gone, honestly), I wouldn’t still be at this job that I love, and Jason wouldn’t be successfully self-employed. Things could have been so so different. But, GOD IS SO GOOD! Everything that is going right and good in my life – it’s all because of Him. It makes me want to shout Hallelujah! Thank you Jesus!

I’m not generally a big Shane & Shane fan but I love this song and they do it justice and this video is pretty:

When I Think About the Lord
(Hillsong)

When I Think about the Lord,
How He saved me, how He raised me,
how He filled me, with the Holy Ghost.
How He healed me, to the uttermost.

When I Think about the Lord,
how He picked me up and turned me around,
how He placed my feet on solid ground

It makes me wanna shout,
Hallelujah,
Thank you JESUS,
LORD, you’re worthy, of all the glory, and all the honor,
and all the praise…

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“Worry makes you sound like an atheist and look like a coward.”

10/26/2009

worrylady

Worry is self-focused, self-centered; it’s about self-preservation. It’s an obvious lack of trust in God’s provision, his Word, his truth. As a follower of Christ, if you’ve accepted Christ into your life, worry is a sign that you are too full of self. Jesus requires us to die to self.

“He must become greater; I must become less.”  John 3:30
“To live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21

Worry opposes hope. Jesus is hope. It makes sense for those without Christ’s power to worry. Living with the fruit of the Spirit is often irrational, illogical and unnatural. To be filled with the Spirit of God is to be exude HIS love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control. It’s not something we can manufacture. We can’t just try harder. We need more of Him and less of us. To have peace and faith and joy in the midst of a storm or facing an unknown is only possible through the Spirit,

Christ in you is the hope of glory! Colossians 1:27
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

If we choose to worry and focus inward, we make the enemy’s job so easy. He doesn’t even have to do ANYTHING. We’re choosing our human nature, rejecting all of the hope, faith, and freedom that Christ died for. Jesus didn’t die just for us to be able to go to heaven when we die. He was beaten and crushed for us to have life ABUNDANT now, not just after we die. He died for us to have life and forgiveness and freedom from iniquities and emotional & physical healing NOW. Don’t cheapen what He did by only accepting part of His gift.

“The thief comes to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10
He was pierced for our transgressions [all Christians believe that], he was crushed for our iniquities [simply dying would have saved us from our sins], by his wounds we are healed [most Christians don’t believe this] Isaiah 53:5

Worry makes you look like a coward because you act as if you are powerless. If you know Christ, if you know his Word, you should know the power of the Living God and the authority we have through Jesus. Worry makes you look like an atheist. When you worry, you look just the rest of the world; like you believe there is no God, like there is no reason to have hope for things unseen. Christians, we should know better!

“Hope that is seen is no hope at all.” Romans 8:24
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” Hebrews 11:1

On August 9th I twittered the title of this post, a quote from Pastor Lindell from his sermon on “The Test of Trust” about Abraham. Someone I don’t know, @LilHappyHeathen, replied “How are atheists worried?” I never had a chance to respond because I always forget to check my twitter responses. I hope this clarifies. It’s not that atheists are worried, it’s that Christians who worry are denying God. It’s not circular.

key: direct quotes, paraphrase, [interjections]

If you want to find the Lindell Cooley’s podcast from 8/9/09 on trust and worry, try this link to subscribe through iTunes. If that doesn’t work, search for Lindell Cooley podcast in iTunes.

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Fall Family Night + Chili Recipe

10/15/2009

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…AKA Chili Night. Our church had our annual picnic on Sunday evening. This year it was a fall festival where everyone brought chili and fixin’s and dessert. It was a very laid-back afternoon of playing games on a blanket in the grass. Jason looks forward to any opportunity to hold baby Mikaelyn. (She’s the sweet little girl who just might ruin our planned baby timeframe.)

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friends

Then chili for dinner, of course. I ate my own recipe and Jason looked for something spicer. He found a New Orleans style Bouron chili that was perfect for him. I had a yummy peanut butter and chocolate rice krispy treat for dessert. Just before dark we went on a hayride. Then gathered around a bonfire to get warmed up afterward. Hayride pics (and above pictures) taken from friend’s facebook. (Thanks!)

hayride

In case you don’t have a good chili recipe, I thought I’d share. This is the recipe my mom has been using from a 35 year old Betty Crocker cookbook plus some modifications we’ve made. I turns out very colorful.

Chili con Carne with Tomatoes

1 lb (or so) of ground beef
1 big sweet onion, chopped
1-2 large green peppers, chopped (I used 4 small ones from the garden, some turning orange)
1 can (1 lb 12 oz) peeled whole tomatoes
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
1 tsp chili powder (original recipe calls for 2 tsp)
1/8 tsp salt (I always end up adding more)
1/8 tsp cayenne red pepper
1/8 tsp paprika
2 cans (15.5 oz) beans (I used 1 red kidney and 1 black bean)

Cook and stir ground beef, onions and green peppers in a large pot until meat is brown and onion is tender (15 minutes or so). Stir in remaining ingredients except for beans.

Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer 2 hours covered, stirring occasionally, or 45 minutes uncovered. Break up whole tomatoes with a spoon. Stir in beans and heat until warm.

Suggested fixins: finely shredded cheddar, sour cream, fresh chopped cilantro, crackers

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