Hoehne Family Space

Ok, I have had a re-newed fire lit under me to be a little more intentional in memorizing God's Word.  One of my sweet friends suggested our small group do it together and so I am excited about it.  I also have been reading Beth Moore's blog and she started doing it through the blog at the beginning of this year and she has a little video that I watched yesterday and it had some great ideas to help.  By the time I finished watching I was really excited.
SO, the verse I am going to be tackling this month is Hebrews 10:22-24 ESV.  I know this is more than one verse, but I love this whole piece of scripture and couldn't decide what not to memorize.

"let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir-up one another to love and good works...."

My plan is to add in verses 19-21 also, so this may take me through December.  Otherwise, I will plan on 2 verses a month.
Being Transformed,
C

I found myself face to face at the cross again in my quiet time this morning.  I am using the book 90 with John to guide my bible reading and up until this morning, haven't really been understanding or hearing anything in particular.  Today I read John 19:38-42.  I have read this many times before, this morning it was different.  The last few mornings I have read about the crucification and really pondered the thought that Jesus was beaten so badly that his appearance was disfigured.  Normally, I don't ponder there to long, because honestly, I don't like to think about it, it makes me to sad.  So in reading John 19:38-42, this was fresh in my mind.
"After these things Joesph of Arimathea, who was a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus, and Pilate gave him permission.  So he came and took away his body.  Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight.  So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews.  Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.  So because of the Jewish day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, the laid Jesus there."
I never gave much thought much about Joesph or Nicodemus being the 2 chosen to take care of the body.  Before they were fearful of what people would think and now had to dig deep to be the ones to take care of Jesus' body.  I wonder if Joesph was nervous when he had to approach Pilate.  Did his voice crack when he asked?  Then they had to take Jesus from the cross to the nearby garden, not forgetting that his body was a bloody mess.  Was it just the 2 of them in the tomb?  As difficult as it all must of been, how intimate of a time with Jesus in the face of death.  I wonder if as they tenderly wrapped his broken body if the cloth and spices were intermingled with their tears.  I wonder if they understood that it was for their sins and mine that Jesus had died for.  My heart breaks as I imagine the scene in the tomb.  It causes me to become very serious about the choices I make, at least for now.  I pray that I won't soon forget this precious time with Christ.  I wonder if they knew that in 3 days the cloths they wrapped Jesus in would lay empty.  Scripture leads us to believe they didn't.  As I read I couldn't resist going to John 11:43:44~"Lazarus, come out."....."Unbind him, and let him go."
It is taken care of.  Death does not rule any longer and I am so grateful.  How precious is the blood of Christ.  Though my sins are as black as the shirt I wear as I type, I have been washed as white as snow.  Praise God for His wonderful mercy. 
Humbled,
Connie

  Summer is officially half over and for me it is time to get serious about making sure I have all the subjects and books my kids need for this year.  Plus, spreadsheets with somewhat of our High School plan for Trevor.  High School, I can't believe it. 

This summer has been filled with softball, softball, little baseball, little swimming, and food.  It has been non-stop and just this week I had one day that wasn't full and honestly, I wasn't sure what I should do with myself.  My motivation level is low to do the things that need to be done, so I'm hoping somehow I will be refreshed.  Our big vacation to MI is in a few weeks and though I am excited to be away 7 whole days, I know that on our return it will be time to say "farewell" to our summer days and back to the school year schedule.  So needless to say, I'm praying for a new attitude and motivation.  Oh, I almost forgot, we are considering purchasing a R.V.!!!  HA!  We have done the research and now we will take one more look at it and see if they will take our offer. If they do, we will be rolling our way all over the U.S.  Can't you just picture it!  Friends who live far away, beware we just might show up on your door step to celebrate Christmas with you like in National Lampoons Vacation.  I love that part when the brother-in-law shows up.  I think I'm going to rent that.  Maybe R.V. too, with Robin Williams.  HA
I will keep you all posted on the R.V. status because I know you will be waiting by your computers to find out what we decide.
Thats where were at,
Connie
P.S. This photo is not of the one we are looking at just for the record.  This is just to help you get a visual of what I'm talking about.

About 18 years ago, I was a working college student.  It was a Thursday and I had school most of the day and then I was off to work until about 6ish.  After work, the plan was to meet over at my moms home and go for dinner and my cousins graduation ceremony.  It was a beautiful day out all day until I was finished with work, then it looked as if a storm was brewing.  It was gray and it looked like the sky would open up at any moment the rain would poor down.  I remember being dressed in a black and white check suit-like coat with puffy shoulders and a black skirt.  Though the storm was coming, it was very warm and I was looking forward to beating the storm home, and cooling off some before we had to leave for the graduation.  My job was a floater at a day-care and this was in the days before everyone had a cell phone, so I kept getting phone messages from people.  I wondered why they wouldn't wait until I got home to let me know what the "plan" was for later.  Little did I know what would all transpire in the next hour.
I drove over to my moms and my step-dad had meet me in the driveway as I approached the house and asked how I was doing.  I said I was fine, but really hot.  As we got closer to the house he said he had to tell me something, so I stopped and face him.  The next thing he said is that my friend Jennie, had killed herself.  I replied, "What?" He then told me again and this time it sunk in enough to get me to repeatedly say, "No, no, not Jennie.  Why?  What happened?  Not Jennie, not Jennie!  At this point I was hysterical and my mom had opened the door to let me in and heard what I was saying, and she asked, "What?  Jennie?  She then said, "It wasn't Jennie, it was Stephanie."  Now, my mine is trying to process the information and figure out what is going on here.  Then I see Troy come from the other room and I'm wondering what he is doing there, because he wasn't suppose to be.  Turned out he was in a car accident prior to the news and when he called his parents they told him what had happened, so they brought him over to be there for me.  Both my mom and Troy hugged me and from then on things get pretty blurred.  It was a whole week until the funeral and I'm not sure what all transpired in between time.  I remember hearing this version of what had happened.  She had been under the influence and made some phone calls to her ex-boyfriend who was at the bar, then talked with him and then he hung up on her and she called back and talked to his good friend who was with him.  Some said that she was threating to take her life on the phone and he didn't do anything.  (Whether this is true or not, I don't know, it's just what I remember about what was said)  She was in the living space in the basement across from her old bedroom that her sister was asleep in when she did it.  Her sister is the one who found her.  I think she left a note, but I thought I heard that they didn't know if it was written specific to this time.  These are the things that have played over and over in my mind for 18 years.  Along with things like.....we had plans, why didn't she call me?, she was getting her GED, she just got a new job, she was going to be getting a car of her own. Oh how I hate it even still today.  I remember piling into a friends car to head to the airport to pick-up my friend Jennie.  Turns out in my grief I took us to the wrong airport!  Dah!  We did pick her up but I don't remember much about the ride, besides staring out the window and the tears rolling down my cheeks every so many miles.  Next thing I remember, is it was time for the funeral.  I wore a black velvet dress, with some white lace on the neck line and puffy sleeves of course.  I can't remember if their was a Friday evening showing, or if everything happened on Saturday morning.  All I remember is Saturday, we went to the funeral home and looking at a silverish, shiny blue, casket with a picture of my best friend sitting on top.  I was numb with sadness and remember sitting in the middle of the room surrounded by friends.  I was holding a yellow rose that I was given and instructed to, at the appropriate time, walk by the casket and put it in a green vase.  I wonder if I talked to anyone?  Her aunt sang along with a tape, the song "Friends".  And then it was over, but not really.  Not for me.  I still wrestle and it's been 18 years.