He is Risen

As I have grown older and my walk with the Lord has grown deeper, I have found this Easter holiday to be much more impacting and meaningful to me. What Easter should mean to us is much more than picking out a dress and doing an Easter egg hunt.. Easter is the reason that I can still find joy in this world that is full of cancer, orphans, lost dreams, and death.

I have had the privilege of doing a fifteen-day devotional for Easter. I am on day 13 and can’t help but share my notes…

Jesus was a man of striking contrasts, reflecting both his authentic humanity and his full divinity. He chose a lowly donkey instead of a noble steed. Jesus came as a savior to die before he could reign as a King. The lowly carpenter of Nazareth was the mighty architect of the universe. He went from being the leader to many to being abandoned by all. Jesus went through suffering but then God elevated Him to the highest place.

This is such a sweet reminder. As I look at Jesus’s life. His life of humility, servant hood, and suffering. And then I look at my life.. which is not that. When God puts us in a position that we have to suffer, we immediately pray to Him, asking for the suffering to end. BUT Jesus WILLINGLY suffered. Why can’t we do that? And what was the end result for Him? He was elevated to the highest place; he was seated at the right hand of God.

I love to think about God creating this world. I think of him sculpting the rolling hills, growing the green grass, and placing each tree in its place. I can only imagine how he gazed upon his masterpiece and then spotted the places his son would walk. He saw the place Jesus would be born and the place that he would be crucified. The mighty God has a chance to destroy the earth so that His only son would not have to suffer. But he didn’t, because he so loves us. God’s love for us is so deep that we have a hard time comprehending it. Sometimes we get ourselves in to the deepest darkest holes. No one can get us out, none of our friends or family’s hands can reach us, and we are too deep to crawl out ourselves. I have come to realize that there is no medicine, therapy, or friend that gets us out of those holes. Just one simple thing: the cross. The cross is the only ladder we have to find hope again.

It is funny to walk around the store and to see the Easter decorations. Usually they consist of bunnies, eggs, pastel colors, and an occasional cross. However, I have noticed that there is never a tomb. I realize that a tomb doesn’t make the most beautiful decoration, but that is where this whole celebration started, isn’t it?

When the women came to the tomb, they were mourning. They had come to anoint a corpse with spices for the burial. Their sorrow was so great as their beloved Jesus had died. But to their surprise, the rock was removed, the tomb was empty! Such hope and joy came as they were told that Jesus had risen! Their sorrow was relieved. 

Our sorrows and dreams can seem so final. Christ’s empty tomb grantees our victory over death. Jesus’s resurrection proved that He is greater than the greatest obstacles. This is what the meaning of Easter is. There is hope. There is joy. There is reason to celebrate!

Why?

HE HAS RISEN!

HE HAS RISEN INDEED!

‘The bread of life began his life hungering. He who is the Water of Life ended his ministry by thirsting. Jesus hungered as a man yet fed the hungry as God. He was weary, yet he is our rest. He paid tribute, yet he is the King. He was called the devil, but he cast out demons. He prayed, yet he hears our prayers. He wept, yet he dries out tears. He was sold for 30 pieces of silver, yet he redeems sinners. He was lead as a lamb to slaughter, yet he is the good shepherd. He gave his life, and by dying he destroyed death.’

Father's Day!

In the total 22 years of my life, there has only been one man on this earth who has been consistently there for me: my dad. My dad, Tim Rule, is amazing. I have been privileged enough to be related to my number one role model.There are so many things, words, experiences, and pieces of advice I would love to share that he has shared with me that has so influence the way I have lived my life and perceived this journey God has set before me. However, there is not enough time nor enough room in cyber space to express my love for this man in my life.

All I know, is I have a LOT to thank him for. He has taught me how to trust, respect, be a servant, and unconditionally love. I think what one of my favorite qualities about my dad is that he has so many talents and such a large amount of people that he has made a significant difference in their life and yet he continues to have a humble attitude and continues to follow after God's plan for him. If there is anything I have learned from my dad, it is to seek God first, put others before yourself, and to find joy in all things.

Dad, you have been such an outstanding leader to our family. Words can't describe the numerous amount of things I have learned from you. But most of all I appreciate the model and example you have set for my brothers, myself and Savannah. Thank you for the dates that you have taken me on since I was a little girl... you will set a high bar for what to expect out of dates with other guys. Thank you for always being there to talk, thank you for always cheering us on, and thank you so much for making me feel like I was THE most important thing in the entire world.

Although you have handed me down to a pretty amazing guy, YOU will always be the first man in my life. I love you so much.

Happily Ever After Starts Here

Today marks the year anniversary of Brock and I's wedding. I woke up absolutely feeling overwhelmed with emotions and feelings. This morning we talked about exactly what we were doing at this time a year ago, how we were feeling, and all the events and people that were involved with that special day. I cooked Brock a special blueberry buttermilk pancake deluxe breakfast before he had to head out the door for work in honor of the special day (this is not routine of our typical days). However, once he left I found myself lost in wedding pictures, holding my dress and veil, wedding cards surrounding, and tears coming down my face. 

That wedding day had so much meaning behind it. Although, yes, an immense amount of planning was involved for the decor, food, and sequence of events but  the thing I still can't wrap my head around were the amount of people that were involved in making that day so special. As I looked through the pictures so many memories began replaying through my head. Our entire families' communities, family, and friends did so much to make that the most perfect day. I feel so overwhelmed thinking of the unspeakable hard work my parents did to make sure that the wedding was all that I dreamed it to be and how giving Brock's parents were. I  feel so blessed by the amount of items and services that our friends offered and provided out of their own kindness. I couldn't be more grateful for our wedding party who have been the most amazing friends before and after the wedding, we are overwhelmed by our growing friendships. Mostly, the faces that came to the wedding, those who traveled, those faces that I remember seeing as I walked down the aisle and that stayed and danced in the rain with us... all of these people I am overwhelmed with thankfulness for. Our wedding couldn't have been so special, couldn't have meant so much, and couldn't have been the wedding I always dreamed of with out them. God has so brilliantly placed these people in our lives, and we are so eternally grateful. 

 The best friends a girl could have!

 Brock's amazing groomsmen!

My second family!

 My mom... this picture says everything I want to.

 Our amazing family who have shaped and molded us into who we are

 I was privileged enough to have my Grandpa and Grandpa Spencer and my beautiful Grandma Rule at our wedding!

The 25 Kappas who came from Ireland to Seattle just to see me married off! 

As I now sit in my house, that I have now almost lived in for a year, I absolutely can not believe where I was then and where I am at now. God has been so faithful in providing for Brock and I as we learn to be husband and wife, own a home, and learn to be on our own. It has been a huge transition time in my life. I went from living with 60 girls to one man, I moved to a new city, and graduated from college. What to do now? As we put our first year of marriage behind us, I so look forward to seeing what God has intended for our future. 

 The most perfect and influential group of girls, friends, and sisters!

 Blake, Brock's brother and best friend!

Brock and I had the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary this weekend. We went out to a fancy-pants dinner and got to indulge ourselves in some amazing food. Over dinner, we talked a lot about the things we feel we have learned about each other and what we feel we have learned most about marriage. It is so sweet to see how God is working in and through out us and our marriage. Although we know there are many difficult times ahead I am so unafraid because I know that I have the best partner, team member, and team captain. 

My dad, the first man in my life!

 Savannah, my role model and encourager.

The most common piece of advice I always seemed to get before I got married was " Your first year is always the worst, it will so much better after that "...... WELL, if this was our worst year, I am really pleasantly surpirsed and thoroughly looking forward to the many, many years ahead.


Looks like my 'Happily Ever After' really did start exactly a year ago...I am one lucky gal thanks to Mr. Ingman and all of the people in our lives. 

Happy New Year

Happy New Year! I realize that it is already February, but I am excited to blog for the first time in 2012. I can not believe how fast time has flown. Brock and I had a wonderful Christmas with the Ingman family in Leavenworth. It was such a great reminder of how sweet it is to become part of another family and how blessed I am to have such wonderful in-laws. 

Brock and I Christmas Eve

The Ingman family in Leavenworth

For New Years, my wonderful siblings (minus little brother Brock) came and visited us for the weekend. It was so much fun to spend time together, as couples. After they have hosted us so many times in the past years, it was such a joy to be able to host them. 

I always find myself beaming whenever I think of my siblings. I am so proud of every single one. Although we haven't yet followed the footsteps of our parents who are involved in full-time ministry, we each have found our own ways of including the message of the true hope and freedom that comes from our heavenly Father in our professions. I am so convinced that Spencer, Savannah, and Brock do nothing but bless those around them. Anyone is lucky to know them, and I am lucky to be their sister. 

The three couples when they came to visit for New Years! (We missed you Brocky!)

My wonderful siblings

This past month has been a crazy one! I have just started an internship for a wonderful agency. It is a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides services, education, and support related to pregnancy, sexual integrity, and post-abortion recovery based on Biblical principles. The staff has been so inviting and such a pleasure to work with. I finally feel like I am part of the Tri -Cities community. This internship has opened my eyes to so many different things and has been such a wonderful learning experience. I feel so spoiled to get to use my degree with ministry. God is so good. 

It took me so long to write a blog this new year. I had started out with the idea that I wanted to begin the blog with my new year's resolution. However, it took me until now to think of one. I have never been big on new year's resolutions. I have always thought that you should be constantly setting forth goals for oneself, instead of one big one for the year. However, I have found a life-time goal for myself. 

Currently, I am reading the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. It is changing my life. I wish I could quote all of my favorite lines to you.. but I think I would find myself re-typing the whole book on here. However, one recent line of hers that I came across really struck me. A large part of the book is dedicated to emphasizing the importance of giving thanks. 

"The practice of giving thanks...eucharisteo..this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don't have to change what we see. Only the way we see."

Later on, she high lights the fact that we can only feel ONE emotion at a time. It is our choice which feeling we feel. So many times I find myself running wild with emotions. Often times they are negative emotions, such as anger, guilt, and fear. However, I love how she tells us the way God has provided us a way out of these emotions. 

"The only way to fight a feeling is with a feeling.... Feel thanks and it's absolutely impossible to feel angry. We can only experience one emotion at a time. And we get to choose - which emotion do we want to feel?"

So, there it is. That is my life-goal. To feel thanks. To give thanks. To live thanks. I am going to fight every emotion that I have with thanks. Wish me luck!

A Story of Hope

I can not believe how much earlier Christmas comes every year! However, it is here. It has arrived.  I am feeling the extra pop in my step, I am hearing the holiday tunes in my ears, and I randomly have spurted out the words 'Merry Christmas' a few times to random strangers through out the Tri-Cities. It is so funny what Christmas can do to you. I think that it definitely can bring out the best in us, but also the worse.

As it is the holiday season, Brock and I have found ourselves traveling more than usual. We got to spend Thanksgiving week in Bend, Oregon with my mom's side of the family. It was the first time since Labor Day weekend that my immediate family had all been together.

I wish I had words to describe how special it is to me when we are all together. The amount of laughter, love, and chaos that goes on, is so priceless. I found myself soaking in every little second and breathing in a little deeper in those minutes because I want them to last longer and longer. The older I have gotten, the more I have realized how blessed I am to have grown up with such solid parents to lead us and such wise siblings to follow after. I am so in love with my family. :)

For a present for our Grandparents, we took pictures on their beautiful property.  

This past weekend, Brock let me go have a 'Girls' weekend' in Pullman. On Sunday, my little brother and I went to the church that I went to all through college. The pastor had such an amazing message that made me immediately reflect back on the meaning of my blog's title 'Nothing but Clay'.

My whole life I have grown up with the story of  'Jesus being born in a manger' being ingrained in my head. With my wild imagination, I pictured this beautiful barn, the cattle and other animals surrounding Mary and Joseph, and it being this beautiful experience. However, my imagination bubble was popped when I went to church this Sunday. For some reason, I had never truly studied what really happened that night. For one thing, I think it may be because I wanted it to be beautiful. Jesus deserves only the best. As the pastor showed pictures and examples of what the actual night of his birth may have looked like, tears began to fill my eyes. I wish I could go in to details of how uncomfortable, cold, and un-magical this night was for Mary, Joseph, and Jesus. However, I will leave that up to you to research.

Especially during the Christmas season, I have found myself obsessing over things! Its sick. Or I find that I have higher expectations for things to go perfectly. It is something about Christmas, that we as Americans, assume that everything will be better. It is another time of the year where like to mend our cracks and holes (so no one will see them) in order not to ruin the holidays.

The real story of Christmas was a great reality check. There are too many times where we think that God is not here when things are not going the way we think things should go. However, if we look at the real Christmas story in its context, we will realize a few humbling facts.

Divine incarnation came next to cow pies, sheep manure, in a cold clammy dark dungeon.

 I now realize that God had to come this way. For example, if he would have been born as a king,  it would have made him inaccessible to anyone less than elite. BUT, since Jesus was born to us this way, it makes a world of a difference.

 In my translation, Jesus being born this way is him saying that:
'There is no one lower than me. There is no one so low that you can't find me.  There is no one so low that can't be redeemed, reconciled, or loved by me.'

This is the REAL beauty of the Christmas story. The way that it happens gives people like you and me access to God. It is so exciting to know that it doesn't matter what we have done, how damaging we have been to ourselves or others. Jesus came here for ME. That is good news. This is the real story of hope. A gift that is worth celebrating.

My Steering Wheel is Your Steering Wheel

Good morning! 


The weather is sure a lot different than the last time I blogged. I now am wearing flannel pajamas, wrapped in a blanket, and the ground is sparkling with frost. Winter is officially making its entrance in to the Tri Cities. I can not believe that it is already the end of October. Where does time go? Brock and I just realized that we have almost been married 5 months. What?! 


We have so been enjoying the married life. I guess the saying, "time flies when you are having fun", has a lot of truth to it! 


When Brock read my first post the one and only thing he had to say after reading it was, " You didn't say anything about Bentley!" SO, without further delay, I better introduce you to our kitty, son, baby, and terror Bentley Ingman (and yes he does have a couple extra fingers).

He could possibly be the most spoiled kitty I know. We have already had a night of staying up with him cause he was sick, put up posters from him running away for two days, and I even got the opportunity to participate in his neutering surgery with Grandpa Ingman. You could say we are a little attached. :) Yes. We are the couple that takes him on road trips with us.


I have been having such a blast with this new adventure I am on. It is so obvious that God's hand is at work in it because I have been doing so much growing. It has been so hard but so beautiful. It is so sweet to only  begin to understand what marriage means. I am so thankful for Brock, who has gone above and beyond my expectations of what I thought my husband would be like. We are having so much fun growing together in the good times and bad. 


With my free time (whenever that is), I have been enjoying learning to cook, organizing the house, and decorating! Do I sound like a housewife or what? Who knew it took so long to fill a house. Here are a couple pictures of my progress.

We still have a long ways to go, but we are having so much fun making it feel like a home. We ate our dinners on the floor the first three weeks, so we are feeling very thankful for furniture! :) I will keep the decorating status updated on here. 


Recently I was reading an article on a man who was driving down a highway and his steering wheel suddenly popped off. This left him completely as a victim to his car. As the article continued, he talked about how completely helpless he felt. Feeling so frustrated that there was literally nothing he could do, he had to  sit back and see where his ride was taking him. Although his car did end up crashing, he ended up with barely a scratch.


Lately, I can so relate to this man's feelings. God has made it so apparent in my life  that I MUST rely on him. 


At the end of Genesis, God chooses a small group of people to become his teaching nation and to be living examples. In order to shape them, God took these people to places that were beyond their control. Isolating Israel in the wilderness, they could only look to Him to be their source of life and to provide for their every need. 


Like Israel who had no control over their survival, I have had no control over my own life. The more I have tried to steer life in the direction I think it should go, the more God shows me that my steering wheel is meant to be His. However, I am so thankful that he does this. When I allow him to take control of my life, I am reminded of the sweet peace, satisfaction, and protection that he gives me. Unfortunately, there are things in my life that my hands like to cling on to. Little by little, God helps me pry open a finger one at a time until my hands are wide open, available for him to take and do whatever. 


Living in this new city and not knowing anyone has been so challenging in a lot of ways. I also am trying to learn  this new role of being a wife and owning a home. These last five months have been full of surprises, good and bad. I have seen how God has blessed my life in so many ways and also where he has forced me to learn and grow from hard times. 


It is completely obvious that God knows what he is doing. So, Jesus, my steering wheel is your steering wheel! Where are we going? :) 

First one.. here we go!

Hi Everyone!

I am completely new to this. I have never blogged before. However, I have completely fell in love with the idea of blogging. Let's hope that this idea is as beautiful in real life! I haven't quite decided what the purpose of this blog is. Mostly, to update and give insight on what is going on at the Ingman household. Due to the fact that I recently have gone through some serious life changes including: finishing college, getting married, owning my first home, and moving to a new city, I decided that some processing was also important. I am hopeful that this will also help me stay connected with all of my truly missed friends and family from Seattle to Boise, whom I feel so far away from.

READERS BEWARE: I may or may not edit my blogs. Please, in advance, forgive me of any grammatical and spelling errors you may see. :)

I can't believe how hard it was for me to decide on a name for this blog. I knew that I wanted it to be centered on God but also have to do with me and this life that I live. I once heard a talk on how people are like clay pots. We are meant to be molded, shaped, and sculpted in to who God intends us to be. However, so many times when we get a 'scratch' or 'crack' we try to paint over it or mend it before anyone sees it in fear that someone will judge us. We try to take our pots' shape in to our own hands. I began to think about how beautiful it would be if we didn't cover things up. If instead, we walked around exposed, REAL, and humbled by our errors and the mistakes we had made but had also learned from. What a different world that would be?


There is a verse that I always like to remind myself of: 
"O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand" Isaiah 64:8


When God gives us an analogy, I can't help but think that we should look at it more in depth. I wish that I knew more about pottery or had at least done it. However, during a quiet time while I was studying the book of Isaiah, I wrote a few words that came to mind about the relationship between the potter and the clay. In conclusion, I have found that God intends to hover over his creation, centering us, shaping us, restore us from collapse, and transform us in ways that we thought never possible. Thus, resulting in my title for this blog. I want to be 'nothing but clay' for the work of God's hands to have at me!


I am so excited to share this new adventure with whoever dares to read this.