a Stirring Within

I'm linking up with my Sister in law Stephanie over at

1. 

There are those things_people, places, that stir an emotion within us and so many times it comes without warning. We're left with that feeling whether it be happy, sad, disappointed, or maybe that emotion causes us to even take action. It makes us "move/react" in some way. 

Two things that have the ability to move me or impact me are 1.books & 2.music. 

When I purchased this book written by Ann Voskamp I wasn't sure what I was getting exactly. I absolutely love to read. I can devour a good book in a day. Hubs says I waste them when I read them that fast but I say how could you put it down & wait to find out everything? 

That's like torture...

One of my besties had told me about Ann V's blog and it is always so so good. Like she makes me want to live on a farm_ crop_ and raise animals.. but when I say this book is wonderful, it is. When I read Ann's blog or her book so many emotions stir, so is the way her writings go.

"Really, when you bury a child or when you just simply get up every day and live life raw you murmur the question soundlessly. No one hears. Can there be a good God? A God who graces with good gifts when a crib lies empty through long nights, and bugs burrow through coffins? Where is God, really? How can He be good when babies die, and marriages implode and dreams blow away, dust in the wind? Where is grace bestowed when cancer gnaws and loneliness aches and nameless places in us soundlessly die, break off without reason, erode away. Where hides this joy of the Lord, this God who fills the earth with good things, and how do I fully live when life is full of hurt?"

I love how she asks the questions and in the end finds the answers. 

It helped me to remember it's a good thing to ask questions because so many times we just go through the motions or believe something because it's been told to us. But when we question...seek out to know_we can find, and then we can begin to truly know...more of Jesus and more of ourselves.

She also, as the title states "one thousand gifts" helped me to see details_moments_that I have to be thankful for. It was amazing to me how before, in the normal day to day of life, or the smallest of happening, I wouldn't have thought twice..but now stop and receive that smallest of gift _with a heart of thankfulness.

2.  

                 

Gungor..this song has been out awhile and I have loved it from the first. This band is like uber talented and some of their other songs are great, too. But no matter how many times I've heard "Beautiful Things" it still has the ability to stir me. Probably because it's so true_He makes beautiful things and how could He ever do anything different_He makes beautiful things out of dust...out of us.

Sometimes the last thing we want to hear or believe about ourselves is that we're beautiful but...we are..and not because of us...but all because of Him. 

For that I'm so thankful...

Heather :)