Where In the World Is NL White??

Alright, I know that I have been lacking in posts for quite a while and most won't see this for a while... if ever, but here it is :^)

Well, honestly Facebook has proven to be so easy that I end up spending more time there than in the blogosphere. I know it's just and excuse, but a decent one.

So what is up??
I am currently jobless and apart from the blessed grace and gifts of the Body of Christ, would be homeless. I know that there will always be a place for me among family and friends and am so very thankful to God for their many offerings to His glory on my behalf (insert little tear).

I am looking for a job as a NANNY but the well seems to be a bit dry right now. The ecomomy is really stretching families and their finances and most don't consider the whole cost of "Daycare" for their children.

I know that the Lord will provide exactly what is right at exactly the right time and He has been gracious to provide through substituting at a preschool and ocassional kid-sitting for families and music lessons. My car, fuel and phone are being covered by His grace and living expenses are small by His extended grace through His people :^)

In short I am continually blessed by the provision of my God.

See you all,
NL White

Do You Remember??

I had a pressing question for myself today and simply could not answer it myself. I know it sounds really bad but I could not remember when I graduated. Yeah I know it's lame and makes me sound quite a bit older than I actually am, senile really. But for the last week or so I have genuinely confused. I had quite a few friends who graduated the year before me and was mixing them with the ones I graduated with. It was all a very confusing for a little while. Until a good friend was gracious enough to tell me that I graduated with her and just what year that was.

Whew!!

Have a Blessed Holy-Day!!
Happy Resurrection Sunday!!

Where Have I Been??

It's crazy, just plain crazy!!!

Crazy because some days I haven't really been sure where I've been, in a cyber sense that is. I've recently began working for a new family with four, count them "1...2...3...4", children AND I've moved across town... CRAZY!!!

But all of this really is not very connected to lack of web-time. It really is more connected to a lack of connection. I know what you're thinking:

"'connected to a lack of connection.' What are you thinking random blogger whom I've never read before and most likely will never come across again. That doesn't even make sense. You're a rambling idiot who has no idea how to make a simple statement like 'I haven't felt like expressing myself to the equally random public.'"

Well, if you were thinking that then you are a genius or a mind reader because there is no way that I could have worded that so eloquently. Thank you for stating it so well!!!

Yeah, so the point is that I am a bit of an introvert. Okay, maybe a little more than "a bit." SO... I haven't felt like writing out that the things that have been rolling about in my head, for the world to see. The sad thing is that when the marbles are rolling around the property up there they really do make a little more sense than you might imagine from this post. But, ALAS, they don't seem to be rolling very far this evening AND the fact that I am experiencing "typing dyslexia" doesn't help them produce thoughts of extreme wisdom and influence on the masses of people dropping in on this blog, resulting in world wide societal change.

So... I'll have to call it a night on this one and stop in, hopefully, in the near future to impart deeper words of change and impact.

Until next time...

NL White

Click the photo for a little bit of an update.

I thought I may drop into CA (hopefully more like a controlled landing) in October but my time is better spent here for now.

What You Been Up To?

Well... let's see...

You know it's really hard to keep up with more than a couple of things. I've found that in order to do even half of what I want to do with my flickr photos and visit friendly blogs on a semi regular basis something has to go by the way-side. And it turns out that this is that thing.

Fortunately it's more like the gutter of a bowling lane rather than that of a rubbish filled ghetto street. Still useful and sometimes visited :>)

So... I'll try to post once or twice a month and keep sane in the process.

Here's hoping many of you have a great school year and others a great nine months.

Some pregnant, most not :>)

Here's something cute to look at while you eagerly wait for my next post:

YahooS

Click the Pic to see these YahooS Better

Back from camp and trying to get back in the swing of things.

Keep The Light On

This is a picture of a lighthouse originally constructed near Cape Cod (East Coast) in 1881. It was thought until last year that it was taken apart and discarded in 1925 but recently an historian based in it's original location discovered that the lighthouse was just relocated and is still in service today about 25 miles south of San Fransisco.

Last year we had a pastoral intern join our youth staff. He was accustomed to a large church atmosphere and spending the last year of his internship in a small church was to serve as a different experiance to help offer a more well rounded youth pastor to some unknown church. Recently he and his wife canidated in Colorado and he recieved a call of invitation this Sunday. It's and exciting time for them and our little youth group. Even though we are sad to see them move on we know that the light they have to offer is needed elsewhere.

We've learned a few things and have tried to offer a bit of knowledge of our own over the last year and pray that the transition to ministry in Colorado will be smooth for them and those they will be ministering to as well as with.


Jake and Candace,
We've been blessed and hope that you have been as well through this year of ministry at Hope. We know that God will be honored in this new endevor and pray that you will see His hand working in your ministry.

Matthew 5:14-16
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

Sepia Sense

I went even more upload crazy yesterday. I have this frame which at one time had a mirror or something in it but now it's just the frame and a backing. My project is to fill it with pictures, cool pictures, pictures of friends and family, kids I care for, really just stuff that makes me happy. I want most of the pictures to blend together, look like they should be there. So... I turned a lot of pictures sepia this weekend to accomplish some sense of continuity among them. So it's all part of a project, not just crazy uploading.


So... visit if you like.


If not... then don't.


Have a great day!!

Switch - A - Roo

Switched the colors around a bit today.



The picture at the top is composed of two cameraphone pictures I took while visiting the San Francisco Bay. I went with one of my favorite boys (his are the smaller feet) to the beach at the Presidio while his mom was teaching an engineering class. We then picked up lunch on one of the peirs.

A Good Day.

Does the Thought Count?

I was thinking this morning that a great act of love for someone to show me would be to scrape the frost from my windscreen some morning, preferebly one that requires my going to work. Then I thought I should do that for someone else. There is a van which is usually parked near my car that belongs to a single mom. I thought that would be a good one to start with.

I thought that...Is that enough?

Maybe tomorrow.

An Enemy Within

I think that I have explained the title of this blog before. I think that the first two posts told about the meaning of the Greek word "helos." The word simply means "nail" for those of you who have not read those posts. I am revisiting this topic because of an addition that has been made over the past few months, that is the phrase "changed daily" which is seen within the blades of grass at the top of this page.

In considering these two things together I was also contemplating what it was that held the perfect Sacrifice on the cross. It is said that it was not the nails but rather His willingness, His love and mercy that did so. I understand that to be the case, knowing that apart from His will to participate in the perfect plan of redemption laid forth before the foundation of the world, the Son of God could not be crucified. That is why the Lamb of God is now seated on the throne. He deserves it first for who He is and because of who He is, He has done that which only God/Man could do, give His life as a ransom for many.

The reason that I named this blog "helos" is so that I would not forget who Jesus is and His work on my behalf. The site is http://www.whenisurvey.blogspot.com/ to remind me that all is to be considered in light of God's grace and mercy shown to me upon the cross. Apart from Him life and all that it intails is vainity and should I try to keep this thing going apart from Him it will be that as well. I sometimes post "mindless raging rants" and just stuff that is going on. I pray that even these would not be done in vain but to show that I am still human and am living in the world, seeking to not be of the world.

I don't think that I can express just what God has done for me, what He has relieved me from in taking the shame and punishment for my sin. Partly because I don't have the words to express it and even more so because I don't fully understand just what has been done. I have been given a gift of eternal life in communion with God. Although I know and have experianced many benefits of this gift there is so much more that I have been promised and am sure of because I know that God is faithful to keep His promises.

I also have difficulty in knowing just what I have been saved from. I know what it is to recieve earthly consequinces for sin and I know what it is to wrestle with temptation from the outside and from within however I cannot empathize with complete divorce from God, His general grace and provision which I have always had as a creation of His. I cannot imagine the depths of Hell.

Salvation seems such a simple word but its complexities I know I will not understand upon earth. This truth, however does not excuse me from the study and meditation of His great and awesome work on behalf of those who would call out for the blood of Christ to wash away their sin and bring them into fellowship with God.

I was recently challenged by the Spirit to share something from my past with a dear friend. We were in the midst of a rather intense discussion concerning sins that were brought to mind during a sermon we had sat under that morning when a particular sin was made the forefront of our conversation. I stated that it was indeed sin and sighted scriptures which show it to be such. There was then a great pause in the conversed and contraversial topic as we watched the kids play in the hall of science we were visiting that afternoon. There wasn't much said between us for the next half hour as we made our way through the building and into an outside display which overlooked the bay. As we observed the scene and the children made their way back to the hands on learning of the displays the need to share my heart was too much and I told a secret that still remains such today.

I wanted my friend to know, as I pray all will, that I'm not a sin-o-phobic Bible thumper who blindly makes statements concerning the eternal effects of sin. I expressed to her that this sin we were previously speaking of was indeed a sin that I have wrestled with. God alone has victory over it in my case, this I know because when I am weak in my fellowship with Him it's ugly head resurfaces to show that it is not my efforts which keep it at bay but His own. After the kids were put to bed and sudoku was in progress I was asked to share more about my salvation from the effects of this sin in which I was blessed to say that the depression and internal anguish that it brought has been washed away. The grace of God cannot be measured just as God Himself cannot be measured.

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9) "He gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for Himself a people for His own posession, zealous for good deeds." (Titus 2:11)

We try to place degrees on individual sins so that we can say "It was just a little lie." or "I only did it once." We want to rationalize with human standards so that we don't have to face the reality of how much God hates sin but it doesn't line up with Scripture. Our measures and standards are just that "ours" and we cannot expect God, whose "ways are not our ways," to follow our rule.

I'm not sure what all of this is to say except that God is more than we can imagine in every part. He is more just, more gracious. He is more loving, more wrathful. He is more faithful, more forgiving than any one you've ever met because He is God. God is more by definition. He is perfect by definition. He is the Rule and the Ruler.

Storm Damage

So the flight home wasn't so uneventful. The first leg of the flight consisted of my waiting to see if I could even get on the plane because I had an unassigned seat on an over-sold flight to Dallas...Fun Stuff. But the guy at the gate was extremely patient and some people took direct flights to Austin, where they were going any way, so it wasn't too bad. but the final part of the flight was a scene straight out of "Twilight Zone" the movie, minus the creepy gremlin and the crazy passenger. The pilot flew through the beginnings of the storm which caused this damage at the home I work in. I've seen trees twisted and mangled like this before, in Lousiana, after Hurricane Katrina, when we went to help clean up the damage.

I took some pictures of the lightining in the clouds from the plane window but they'll have to wait until tomorrow.

Glad to be home in my bed, but miss the family I visited as always.

Uneventful

The trip was good, no missed flights or sneeky gate changes. The first flight had only 22 passangers so it was very laid back and we could just about sit where ever as long as someone wasn't actually in it. Unfortunately it was only the 45min leg of the journey. The second flight was completely full, over sold in fact and there were actually people with tickets who didn't get to take that particular flight. The family I'm visiting, their doing well and yes it is supposed to rain every day that I'm here. So, we'll be spending lots of time in museums, go to a movie or two and hang about the house. That's much more relaxing to me than theme parks so I'm happy but the kids will need entertaining today so I'd better get going. More posts about long legs on airplanes and morning devotions to follow.

Goin' On Holiday?

Yep!

I'm sure there will be tons of pictures and some stories to share.

Coffee Creations

Today I had coffee with a cousin and an aunt at a local dive. Kennedy Coffee, owned by a family member of a dear friend (hey Pasha). For the last few months they've had some modern-esc art on the walls both for display and for purchase. I was not personally impressed by the pieces. It wasn't my "thing." But today they had some art work more suiting to my eye.
It's basically watercolour with espresso as the medium. It's mostly some java takes on some classics. So take something I like, classic art work, and repaint it with something I like to drink, coffee. I'm liking this. So visit the painter's website and give a grin in response to the clever coffee creations. Then if you're in the area head to Kennedy Coffee and purchase a painting with your "Velvet Elvis" or "House Mocha."

Happy Holidays!!
NL White

A Constant Battle

He finally got a moment alone with the present and couldn't resist the early experiance of Christmas Magic.

Click on the Picture to see it bigger and get a better view of the culprit in the background.

Sharing the Wealth

A fellow blogger has posted a painting of hers that I love. When you click on the link and view the painting:
1. get over the nudity, it's art....David has been nude for hundreds of years but we usually only see his head in our sanitized society.
2. Take a good look at the brushstrokes. They show a motion almost like breathing. It's stunning!

Let It Snow

We finally have snow here in NW Arkansas. It has been flirting with us for some time now but here it is and not a moment too soon. It's been a while since we've had a good snow before Christmas. Maybe this one will linger on the lawns.

I was walking through the local promanade with a couple of friends when I took a moment to cross my eyes (something I like to do from time to time) and saw that a snowflake had decided to linger on my nose. I immediately thought of the song which says "snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes." Does anyone else think it funny that that song has amazingly become associated with Christmas over the years? I suppose it's the reference to snowflakes and "brown paper packages tied up with string." I think I might use that this year in honor of an unlikely Christmas song.

Happy Holidays...Happy Holidays

The Daily Grind

Okay, so what am I doing today?

#1 Dealing with the effects of yesterday's grape and raisin breakfast combo.

#2 Tickling a very cute 18 month old into submission and tiredness for his noon-ish snooze.

#3 Making Italian Stuffed Meatloaf during said snooze. (kudos to the Food Network - now I too can cook like my lovely and most dear friend on earth)
The Mom of the family I work for is out of the country so I thought I'd put something together for Daddy and one of the boys. (the other's a pretty picky eater, more on that another day.)

#4 Starting a SHORT story.
Now some of you know that I've been working on a "story." Well, that story is quickly becoming a novela. I don't know...maybe I'm afraid of commitment...but I've set it aside for the time being. I want to prove to myself that I am capable of writing a SHORT story. You know, one that you could read before bed...over...say...two nights instead of three weeks. So that is the big project challenge for this week and maybe next. I'll keep you posted. (ha...ha...get it? "posted")

#5 Blogging
This little exercise has proven a bit difficult as the connection here at work is a little stingy at times and therefore limits productivity in this area. I have made a slight commitment to post a little more often and as a result am very driven to finish this post.

#6 Preparing to be a Youth Leader this evening.
This one is quite tricky as well. It's not that I'm nervous or anything. I've been on the youth staff for something like nine years this coming January. It's just that I don't feel very in tune with God today and KNOW that I will mess up if I rely on myself for what needs to be provided to the kids tonight. I fall short and am pretty sure that they know it too but I don't want to disappoint. So today I'm relying on the faithfulness of God. Faithfulness to me and faithfulness to those kids. I am going take a few moments to read the Scripture that will be taught tonight and pray for strength to strive to be reliable and ready for whatever those teens throw my way and pray that He meets their needs regardless of my "self" and my flesh.

#6 Going to Bed
This will not come too soon as I rose early this morning, yes before the sun, and have a full day ahead of me. I also have to rise before the sun tomorrow. (So, I'd better go finish that meatloaf.)

Happy Day!
- NL White ;>}