Broken and spilled out for love of you Jesus. My most precious treasure lavished on Thee. Broken and spilled out and poured at Your feet. In sweet abandon let me be spilled out and used up for Thee.
--Steve Green
That is my prayer, this is my challenge:
Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Titus 2:3-5
In 2008 my desire is to live out and strive to have the 7 virtues of a biblical woman. Carolyn Mahaney, author of Feminine Appeal puts it this way.
Friday, January 18, 2008
A Challenge...
"Consider the loveliness of a woman who passionately adores her husband, who tenderly cherishes her children, who creates a warm and peaceful home, who exemplifies purity, self-control, and kindness in her character and who gladly submits to her husband's leadership - for all the days God grants her life."
That is what I want. And I do passionately adore my husband! Of course we have not been blessed with children yet but we have family and friends who have and it is our joy to be with them (and proudly return them several hours later!!!). I long to have a warm and peaceful home - which just happens to be my next project. I am closing the painting studio for several weeks to do some inventory, de-junk and organize our home. All this so that at a moments notice we can invite you over without frantically cleaning for the 20 or so minutes it takes you to get there! And who couldn't use a little more self-control, purity and kindness... those are all areas which are in constant need of improvement.
So, there you have it. Once again I invite you to join me in this challenge. If not the specific challenges of Titus 2 then maybe a challenge of your own that you have been avoiding. Whatever the test, put God in charge and He will see to the rest. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
Posted by Jon and Ashley Bradberry at 10:55 AM 0 comments
Thursday, January 17, 2008
So much for tomorrow...
Another promise unkept. Please do forgive my lack of posting since Monday. Work to say the least has been crazy and I have been trying to fulfill all of my painting orders before taking a little hiatus from the studio.
You're probably thinking that since I haven't posted since Monday that things are not going as well as I anticipated... Well, you are indeed wrong! Things are still going wonderfully. My quiet times each morning have been refreshing, my "diet" or as we like to say "eating healthy" is strangely good and things in general are just the same... good! Work and painting are the only reason I haven't posted again this week. So, today I'll share just a few things from the "healthy eating world".
When it comes to diet and exercise I have always been a bit out of place. Being a naturally large framed girl with big bones and big features diet has not come easy. I have always been very active in sports and colorguard and life in general and was in pretty good shape - it was just a big shape! Well, it's been almost 2 summers since I left the softball field and that shape has only grown and muscle tone diminished. Therefore with all of my other priorities for the year I decided it was time to really get serious about my (and Jon's) health.
Now, my family will tell you that there are a lot of foods I love and they will also tell you there are a lot of foods that I don't love, namely the stuff that's good for me :) But, I decided that if I could just eat it enough I would begin to like it and it's working! I have fallen in love with my broiler and with steamed vegetables... as long as they have plenty of Tony Cachere's on them. I eat Quaker Weight Control Oatmeal every morning, have an apple a day, soup or a turkey wrap for lunch and a sensible dinner. I even broiled Catfish the other night! And the best part is - it's all good! When I get the munchies during the day I have my trusty 100 calorie snack packs on hand and with plenty of water I stay pretty full. yes, I said water Granny... it's still not my favorite but I'm drinking it!
So, the meals are going well. I am also walking at the track several times a week and doing step aerobics every other morning. At the end of my first full week I had lost a total of 4 lbs. Now I know that doesn't sound like much... but it is! And it's certainly better than nothing. So come on and jump on the "health wagon". If I can ride and not fall off anyone can!
See you tomorrow for sure where I want to tell you about my Titus 2 challenge! Love you!
Posted by Jon and Ashley Bradberry at 10:06 AM 0 comments
Monday, January 14, 2008
A New Year.... A New Me!
Alright, by now you are asking yourself why you keep checking this blog because the author is not posting with any sort of regularity. So for that, let me apologize. With the new year I am truly trying to change a few things about my life and a few of those are taking quite an effort. Thus I decided not to post anew until I had my game plan nailed down.
Well, here I am, plan in hand and with a sense of joy that has long been missing. For the first time I feel that my "resolutions" are in the right order, right perspective and are coming at the right time! I begin with my list of priorities for 2008.
1. To develop and grow in godliness, beginning with the strengthening of my daily quiet time.
2. To love my family more deeply, beginning with a challenge from Titus 2 to uphold the seven virtues of a biblical woman.
3. To serve in the ministry, beginning with a clearer vision for my position in the mission office.
4. To fellowship with believers.
5. To wear Jesus Christ "on my sleeve" and share Him with non-believers.
6. To attend to my studio with more dilligence and planning.
7. To care for my health, beginning with eating healthy at home and exercising daily.
8. To share this journey with those who wish to join me, beginning by posting to this blog as a personal journal of sorts.
And there you have it. I began my journey on January 2nd and it has been an amazing one so far, to say the least. I want to take just a moment to tell you about my quiet time which had a direct effect on all of my priorities. In addition to my scripture reading and prayer, I am reading Carolyn Mahaney's book Feminine Appeal and I just want to share a passage that jumped off of the page this morning as I read...
"Our conduct has a direct influence on how people think
about the gospel. The world doesn't judge us by our theology;
the world judges us by our behavior. People don't necessarily
want to know what we believe about the Bible. They want to see
if what we believe makes a difference in our lives. Our actions
either bring honor to God or misrepresent His truth."
How true those words are! I cannot wait to read and see all of the morsels of truth that God has to show me through these renewed quiet times and reading. It is my earnest prayer that each of you would jump on board and evaluate your own list of priorities for 2008. I guarantee that if you seek Him for the order that He will greatly bless each item on the list!
See you tomorrow! Hopefully ;)
Posted by Jon and Ashley Bradberry at 11:31 AM 0 comments
Friday, January 4, 2008
New Years in Jacksonville!
Lucy's first trip to the beach! Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen??? She was a bit shy of the waves at first... but it didn't take long until she frolicked unreserved :)
Jon takes Lucy for her first stroll on the beach. (Fernandina Beach)
Sunset on Fernandina Beach, Amelia Island, Florida
For a special treat Uncle Vic invited us out on his new Yacht! So, on Saturday, me, Jon, Pop, Uncle Vic and Jon's cousin Mike and daughter Tiffany headed out to the Amelia Island Yacht Club to board the "Branch Office". All I can say is - I could definitely live like that!!! It was a beautiful day once the fog cleared out. We headed up the Intercoastal Waterway and made our way all the way down the St. Johns River through downtown Jacksonville. We saw Dolphins and Pelicans and wildlife of all kinds.... such a great day!!!
Pop taking over for a bit... doesn't he look at home behind the wheel :)
The most wonderful husband in the world! He really misses his boat, so it was a special treat for us to go out on Uncle Vic's boat for the day Saturday!
This is the Coast Guard boat complete with machine gun man on the bow that kindly told us to steer clear of the loding docks with the big ships in them. Apparently they were loading Military equipment or something else really valuable! Jon's cousin Tiffany got a big kick out of this incident :) Seeing as how her Daddy was driving the boat!
Posted by Jon and Ashley Bradberry at 11:26 AM 0 comments
Thursday, January 3, 2008
The Holidays in Review...
It was a very Merry Christmas for the Bradberrys and our extended families! We had such a wonderful Christmas and were blessed to spend it surrounded by the families we love. Here are just a few of the fun pictures we have to remember this, our 5th Christmas together! Enjoy...
Our little Lucy in all her Christmas gear! She had just ripped into her first Christmas present :) (by the way, her shirt says I ate Santa's Cookies)
Yes, she is eating what you think she's eating.... one of Lucy's Christmas Treats! Can you believe this is the same woman who wouldn't let me eat dirt as a kid???
Can you believe that Pop ate one of Lucy's treats too!
Jon was jealous of Lucy's antlers... so he borrowed them for a quick pic!
The traditional reading of the Cajun Night Before Christmas by the best Momma ever! I believe she done 'sat hersef down on dem red hot coals :)
Don't I look pretty? Miss Hannah decided that she was the only present we needed this Christmas!
Posted by Jon and Ashley Bradberry at 2:52 PM 1 comments
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