spring quarter has started and reality has set in. in 365 days i will be a college graduate. whoa. in honor of growing up my sleep cycle has gone from insomniac to sleep like a baby. this is fantastic because i can concentrate in class now and nap time isn't so frustrating because i actually fall asleep. however, i have lost a lot of quiet time spent with God. there is something slightly eerie about the hours of 1, 2, and 3 am. laying wide awake in the dark and utter silence led me to prayer. lots and lots of prayer.
Like the psalmist says,
"You're my place of quiet retreat; I wait for your Word to renew me." -Psalm 119:114
it was so convenient. i could just lay in bed for hours, awake and communing with my Lord of Lords. now i must take initiative in spending quiet time with God. this has posed a challenge because i find it so hard to step out of the noise of this world and enjoy a moment of silence. why wouldn't i rather watch american pie (the latest netflix to arrive!) with my boyfriend and eat ice cream than sit in silence and read my bible? well, because Jesus instructs us, as his people, to pursue him in silence.
"Here's what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won't be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace." -Matthew 6:6
if this doesn't give us every reason to seek a quiet place to study His word, to commune with Him, then nothing will. participating in a quiet time with God strips us of any pride or attitude we may feel in the presence of others. entering alone into the presence of God with no one else watching, knowing, enjoying we are afforded the opportunity to feel His grace fall upon us. what a blessing. we take the focus off of ourselves, off of our feeble little lives, and place it on the King of Kings who made all that preceded us and all that is to come.
be encouraged as you seek a place and time where you can experience Him in quietness. and remember what it says in Lamentations 3:26: "It's a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God." have hope as you are working to establish this in your routine. it will take time and practice. and i can promise (as i am learning!) it will be a time management challenge. but well worth it as you will receive help from him.
song of the day: just listen to the song of the earth that He has created. experience quiet.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
what happens in vegas doesn't disappear forever.
i know it's been a long time. much too long. but guess what? finals are over, i'm enjoying spring break... and i am officially 21! my parents took my boyfriend and i to las vegas for a couple of days and we enjoyed a more than memorable weekend away!
yet, being in "sin city" made me think even more about the God that i am so blessed to worship. there is something about las vegas that seems like you are in another country, that a place like vegas couldn't possibly be a part of america. from the little "nudey" baseball cards to the exorbitant amount of dollars pumped into slot machines, there is so much room for trouble and temptation.
visitors to las vegas seem to flock there just to be a part of the mischief in order to escape the cares of their reality. do we, as christians, have a "sin city" where we go to find trouble and escape the cares of the spiritual world that rules over our lives?
Jesus, too, has been led to places of temptation where the devil has had Him in a position where the opportunity to sin is abounding.
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." -Matthew 4:1
the problem with this "sin city" is that someone is always watching. just like in las vegas someone -whether it be the pit boss, passersby, or a friend- is always watching. for christians, we have accountability to our brothers and sisters in Christ, to our family and friends, and most importantly, to Him.
we need to turn to God and ask Him to remind us that the spirit is dwelling within us, and that He is watching over every move, every decision that we make whether in times of temptation or not. the psalmist makes this clear in asking God to watch over the stream of his mind and the beatings of his heart.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." -Psalms 139:23-24
find refuge in Him. find your hideaway from the cares of the world and the ways of religiousness in Him. He is full of freedom and grace, but we need to break free from the controlling thoughts and rituals of religion.
song of the day:
"signature of the divine (yahweh)" - needtobreathe
we need to remember His mark that is upon us and be sure to bring honor to His name. why? because people are watching and there is no pass home free card.
yet, being in "sin city" made me think even more about the God that i am so blessed to worship. there is something about las vegas that seems like you are in another country, that a place like vegas couldn't possibly be a part of america. from the little "nudey" baseball cards to the exorbitant amount of dollars pumped into slot machines, there is so much room for trouble and temptation.
visitors to las vegas seem to flock there just to be a part of the mischief in order to escape the cares of their reality. do we, as christians, have a "sin city" where we go to find trouble and escape the cares of the spiritual world that rules over our lives?
Jesus, too, has been led to places of temptation where the devil has had Him in a position where the opportunity to sin is abounding.
"Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil." -Matthew 4:1
the problem with this "sin city" is that someone is always watching. just like in las vegas someone -whether it be the pit boss, passersby, or a friend- is always watching. for christians, we have accountability to our brothers and sisters in Christ, to our family and friends, and most importantly, to Him.
we need to turn to God and ask Him to remind us that the spirit is dwelling within us, and that He is watching over every move, every decision that we make whether in times of temptation or not. the psalmist makes this clear in asking God to watch over the stream of his mind and the beatings of his heart.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." -Psalms 139:23-24
find refuge in Him. find your hideaway from the cares of the world and the ways of religiousness in Him. He is full of freedom and grace, but we need to break free from the controlling thoughts and rituals of religion.
song of the day:
"signature of the divine (yahweh)" - needtobreathe
we need to remember His mark that is upon us and be sure to bring honor to His name. why? because people are watching and there is no pass home free card.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
the tale of the american coot
i run often and i run by the bay that i live near. oftentimes, (and i realize this is not exclusive to my running route along the beach) there are big flocks of american coot along the beach - as pictured below.
much like the little group pictured above. this particular day, it was not something special about the coots that caught my attention, but instead what happened to them. as i ran by a grown man on a beach cruiser was riding ahead of me, he swerved off of the baywalk path and straight into the middle of the coots. of course, this scared the flock of about 100 coots and they began to take flight. after landing safely in the water the birds gathered in peace and the rider turned back to the sidewalk.
why would this be something to blog about? the question actually is, who are you influencing? just a flock of coots that are scared of people anyway? jesus was not influencing the birds. he was influencing people, children, beings of importance and influence.
“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them.” . . . And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. -Mark 10:14-16
scaring birds does not make them any more influential on other birds. it just makes them all fly away and all land together, just as they did prior to knowing your effect on their lives. are you wasting your time influencing birds? or are you investing yourself in a longer lasting being of importance? it doesn't have to be children... i just happen to have a heart for their sweet little selves. but jesus did not just train children in Him, he also invested much in the disciples, in women, in the poor and meek, in people.
matthew goes on the talk about how the children not only realize the influence of jesus on their lives, but the children also proclaim it for all to hear.
The chief priests and the scribes saw . . . the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” -Matthew 21:15
who would proclaim your praises? and just as importantly, whose praises do you spend your time proclaiming? just like all of His angels singing praise of their heavenly host.
Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. -Psalm 148:2
or like the people of jerusalem praising jesus as he rode into their small town atop his donkey.
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! -Matthew 21:9
remember throughout the course of your day that you are influencing people and they will one day sing your praises, so be sure to give them a praise to sing. don't look for the flock of birds that are naturally wired to be fearful of your big bad self. also, remember there are people in your life who are working to be worthy of your praise. make sure it is something earned and you aren't just being a part of the flock of coots flying quickly from a straggling bike rider.
song of the day:
"hosanna" - hillsong united.
it only seems fitting.
"hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest."
much like the little group pictured above. this particular day, it was not something special about the coots that caught my attention, but instead what happened to them. as i ran by a grown man on a beach cruiser was riding ahead of me, he swerved off of the baywalk path and straight into the middle of the coots. of course, this scared the flock of about 100 coots and they began to take flight. after landing safely in the water the birds gathered in peace and the rider turned back to the sidewalk.why would this be something to blog about? the question actually is, who are you influencing? just a flock of coots that are scared of people anyway? jesus was not influencing the birds. he was influencing people, children, beings of importance and influence.
“Let the children come to me; do not hinder them.” . . . And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. -Mark 10:14-16
scaring birds does not make them any more influential on other birds. it just makes them all fly away and all land together, just as they did prior to knowing your effect on their lives. are you wasting your time influencing birds? or are you investing yourself in a longer lasting being of importance? it doesn't have to be children... i just happen to have a heart for their sweet little selves. but jesus did not just train children in Him, he also invested much in the disciples, in women, in the poor and meek, in people.
matthew goes on the talk about how the children not only realize the influence of jesus on their lives, but the children also proclaim it for all to hear.
The chief priests and the scribes saw . . . the children crying out in the temple, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” -Matthew 21:15
who would proclaim your praises? and just as importantly, whose praises do you spend your time proclaiming? just like all of His angels singing praise of their heavenly host.
Praise him, all his angels, praise him, all his heavenly hosts. -Psalm 148:2
or like the people of jerusalem praising jesus as he rode into their small town atop his donkey.
Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest! -Matthew 21:9
remember throughout the course of your day that you are influencing people and they will one day sing your praises, so be sure to give them a praise to sing. don't look for the flock of birds that are naturally wired to be fearful of your big bad self. also, remember there are people in your life who are working to be worthy of your praise. make sure it is something earned and you aren't just being a part of the flock of coots flying quickly from a straggling bike rider.
song of the day:
"hosanna" - hillsong united.
it only seems fitting.
"hosanna, hosanna, hosanna in the highest."
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
the tide
there is this song that i have known since high school and probably have listened to it a thousand and one times, but today when i was listening to it something struck a chord in my head. i realized this song, although it’s not created by a religious band and is about a very sad life, it makes a point.
“the tide” by the spill canvas sings of three siblings whose mother is an alcoholic and neglects them to the point of their death; thus rendering her useless as a mother and advisor. However, something that the mother says throughout the song is, “heaven is not just a place you go when you die, it’s a moment in life when you actually feel alive.” although she is by no means a fit or wonderful mother, she has a point. heaven is not just a place you go when you die, God gives us an inkling of that wonderful place by blessing us with moments when we actually feel alive.
now, did i say that alive meant like you feel like you are on top of the world? nope. often i feel the most alive during times of pain, doubt, sadness. it seems like these things remind me that i am just a human, i’m some sort of special, and that i, too, bleed. just like Jesus, the son of God, was a human and he bled.
while Jesus kneeled in the garden of gethsemane, he prayed for God to remove the cup he was soon going to be asked to drink from, but only if by His almighty will.
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but Yours be done. … In his anguish he prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood." –Luke 22:42, 44
the intensity of his prayer and emotional state led Jesus to sweat blood. Jesus was pleading with God, he was begging. he was so intense in his appeals he began to sweat not salty water, but blood. in other words, he was suffering from a very rare condition called hematidrosis, where a person is suffering from extreme levels of stress and the net of blood vessels near the sweat glands rupture. boy, did Jesus feel alive. think how aware of your body, your life, yourself you would be when blood began to trickle down your face unexpectedly?
now, i feel stressed and anxious, about school, about money, about making my parents’ proud, about decisions, about work, about life in general, but not once have the blood vessels in my forehead sprung a leak. so, i must feel alive in the terms God has granted to me. when i fall and scrape my knee, i am being reminded i am not invincible. when my feelings are hurt, i am reminded that i care what others think. when I question my ability to perform up to the level of others, i am reminded of my insecurities.
but through all of these minor reminders, God is ultimately showing me that i am still alive. and how wonderful it feels to be alive.
i pray today you feel alive in the place that you are in. i pray that you and i remember every morning when we wake that God gifted us with another day here to serve as reminders to others of the glory of Him the Almighty. i pray that you see the reminders God is leaving for you, be they positive, negative, or the in between.
song of the day:
“live like you were dying” – tim mcgraw.
it’s simply: why not?
“the tide” by the spill canvas sings of three siblings whose mother is an alcoholic and neglects them to the point of their death; thus rendering her useless as a mother and advisor. However, something that the mother says throughout the song is, “heaven is not just a place you go when you die, it’s a moment in life when you actually feel alive.” although she is by no means a fit or wonderful mother, she has a point. heaven is not just a place you go when you die, God gives us an inkling of that wonderful place by blessing us with moments when we actually feel alive.
now, did i say that alive meant like you feel like you are on top of the world? nope. often i feel the most alive during times of pain, doubt, sadness. it seems like these things remind me that i am just a human, i’m some sort of special, and that i, too, bleed. just like Jesus, the son of God, was a human and he bled.
while Jesus kneeled in the garden of gethsemane, he prayed for God to remove the cup he was soon going to be asked to drink from, but only if by His almighty will.
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but Yours be done. … In his anguish he prayed even more earnestly, and his sweat fell to the ground like great drops of blood." –Luke 22:42, 44
the intensity of his prayer and emotional state led Jesus to sweat blood. Jesus was pleading with God, he was begging. he was so intense in his appeals he began to sweat not salty water, but blood. in other words, he was suffering from a very rare condition called hematidrosis, where a person is suffering from extreme levels of stress and the net of blood vessels near the sweat glands rupture. boy, did Jesus feel alive. think how aware of your body, your life, yourself you would be when blood began to trickle down your face unexpectedly?
now, i feel stressed and anxious, about school, about money, about making my parents’ proud, about decisions, about work, about life in general, but not once have the blood vessels in my forehead sprung a leak. so, i must feel alive in the terms God has granted to me. when i fall and scrape my knee, i am being reminded i am not invincible. when my feelings are hurt, i am reminded that i care what others think. when I question my ability to perform up to the level of others, i am reminded of my insecurities.
but through all of these minor reminders, God is ultimately showing me that i am still alive. and how wonderful it feels to be alive.
i pray today you feel alive in the place that you are in. i pray that you and i remember every morning when we wake that God gifted us with another day here to serve as reminders to others of the glory of Him the Almighty. i pray that you see the reminders God is leaving for you, be they positive, negative, or the in between.
song of the day:
“live like you were dying” – tim mcgraw.
it’s simply: why not?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
goosebumps, goosepimples, whatever you want to call them.
woo hoo! it’s been less than a week and i am back to post once again. the last time that i posted i listed four ways that i have grown exponentially lately and i planned on taking a couple of posts to discuss these things… but then i realized i am just growing as a woman of faith and i would be doing God a major disservice trying to flesh out His work in me in a few facets of my life.
i remember in high school (and even into college) going to the church i grew up attending with my parents and watching some of the girls that i grew up with still be so involved and so Christian. boy, did that make me question the route i took. it was great to see them all looking so happy, getting married really young, and so very happy. some days i wondered if i just misunderstood the message by going to college and maybe God did just want me to stay at home and work until i met the man that was going to provide for me and my 48 children. but i was knee deep in my schooling at UC San Diego at this point and there was no turning back… plus i always liked school.
well, who knew that living out of the house and receiving a top of the line education at a public research university would teach me more than all of the girls getting married early young at home combined? not me. but today, i realize that i believe in the birth, death, and life of Jesus Christ because there is evidence biblically, historically, archeologically that He lived and breathed and performed all that the Bible says of Him. now, so far from what my church peers are doing, i feel more educated in my faith than i would ever have experienced living at home, getting married young. God’s path for me was different than my friends. He needed me to learn about Him in a way that varies so much from the way that they are learning. but what’s important is He got to me.
much like He got to Paul and to Jeremiah and to Malachi and to Jesus. God got to us. He wouldn’t let go and He crept under our skin and gave us the chills just to show us He exists.
just like it was written in 1 John 5:20:
"And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."
not only do we know that Christ came and lived and died and rose again, but we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us... to get under our skin and stay there. to give us chills on the days that we think we finally have it all figured out.
my challenge (mostly to myself, but if you spend moments reading this then to you too!) is to find the things that give me the chills. when i read a wikipedia article about the intricacies of the human body or technology, boy does that give me the chills. or when i think about the perfect timing of the things in my life, wow brrrrr. let Him get under your skin and give you a nice case of goosebumps. they are momentary and harmless, but the effect on your heart isn't.
song of the day:
getting into you - relient k
relient k: "do you know what you are getting yourself into?"
me: well of course not. but who doesn't love an adventure!
relient k: "i'm getting into You because you got to me in a way i can't describe"
me: i want that. i need that. can He get into me?
i know, it's simple. i must get into Him. show Him i want Him. then He can come in and invade my heart and give me goosebumps.
i remember in high school (and even into college) going to the church i grew up attending with my parents and watching some of the girls that i grew up with still be so involved and so Christian. boy, did that make me question the route i took. it was great to see them all looking so happy, getting married really young, and so very happy. some days i wondered if i just misunderstood the message by going to college and maybe God did just want me to stay at home and work until i met the man that was going to provide for me and my 48 children. but i was knee deep in my schooling at UC San Diego at this point and there was no turning back… plus i always liked school.
well, who knew that living out of the house and receiving a top of the line education at a public research university would teach me more than all of the girls getting married early young at home combined? not me. but today, i realize that i believe in the birth, death, and life of Jesus Christ because there is evidence biblically, historically, archeologically that He lived and breathed and performed all that the Bible says of Him. now, so far from what my church peers are doing, i feel more educated in my faith than i would ever have experienced living at home, getting married young. God’s path for me was different than my friends. He needed me to learn about Him in a way that varies so much from the way that they are learning. but what’s important is He got to me.
much like He got to Paul and to Jeremiah and to Malachi and to Jesus. God got to us. He wouldn’t let go and He crept under our skin and gave us the chills just to show us He exists.
just like it was written in 1 John 5:20:
"And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding, in order that we might know Him who is true, and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."
not only do we know that Christ came and lived and died and rose again, but we have the gift of the Holy Spirit to dwell within us... to get under our skin and stay there. to give us chills on the days that we think we finally have it all figured out.
my challenge (mostly to myself, but if you spend moments reading this then to you too!) is to find the things that give me the chills. when i read a wikipedia article about the intricacies of the human body or technology, boy does that give me the chills. or when i think about the perfect timing of the things in my life, wow brrrrr. let Him get under your skin and give you a nice case of goosebumps. they are momentary and harmless, but the effect on your heart isn't.
song of the day:
getting into you - relient k
relient k: "do you know what you are getting yourself into?"
me: well of course not. but who doesn't love an adventure!
relient k: "i'm getting into You because you got to me in a way i can't describe"
me: i want that. i need that. can He get into me?
i know, it's simple. i must get into Him. show Him i want Him. then He can come in and invade my heart and give me goosebumps.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
fortune cookies and my future... whoa.
wow, it has been much too long. i told myself that i would never let an entire week go by without posting... and here i am being the slacking blogger who let's things go for far too long. so, not again for a long time. (though we all know i am a human and will let a week pass without posting, good thing i'm not in charge of the world!)
it is term paper turn in season at school. i love the communications program at UC San Diego, but come the end of the quarter it is painful to think about how many hours i dedicate to working on the paper that often determines half of my grade. oh boy. and with the thought of graduating early tasting sooo very sweet on my lips i realize only three more quarters of this and i will have my bachelors degree and be pursuing my passion for inspiring young children to learn. yesss!
this is what i want my little class to look like one day... but with bigger smiles... and me in the picture with them of course!
i just can't believe that at 20 (almost 21, just a few weeks!) years old i am suddenly making my way out of schooling and into the real world. i pray daily (and would appreciate you to pray too!) for God to guide me and help me because it is so obvious to me that i have so much to learn in the next few quarters plus all that comes in the real world.
life is pulling together and He is showing me that i truly can do it. not on my own, but with Him. just like Paul says in Phillipians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." don't you just want to yell this when you are saying it? i just feel so much power well up inside of me when God whispers this into my heart. i can only imagine the power that would overcome me should he decide to speak or yell it. holy cow. maybe that's where heart attacks come from?
on sunday after a wonderful message at church, my boyfriend, jason, took a very emotional me (who knows why!?!) out to lunch at one of my favorite quick bites (but NOT fast food) restaurants, pick up stix. it was delicious as always and he is always amazing company. plus it gives us the chance to talk about the message. church was amazing, but my heart remained heavy, something very unlike me. as we finished up the meal i was dreading coming home to work on a paper.
as we began to leave the restaurant i realized i had left my fortune cookie sitting on the table. a fortune cookie usually doesn't matter much to me, but this day it was. i popped open my little morsel and inside was a wonderful little message from God remind me that despite my long week, i was doing His will. it said:
you take joy in having others acknowledge your presence and appreciate your efforts.
you would have though i won the lottery. oh boy, do i love to know that all of the effort i put into things in being noticed and appreciated! God reminded me that He knows where my heart is at every moment of every day. He reminded me that He appreciates my presence and efforts though they are not perfect (despite my frustration and struggling with this fact!)
david's writing in psalm 139 acknowledges the way that God acknowledges us, something we must do with our hearts. he writes:
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord." -Psalm 139:1-4
notice, david writes you know ALL MY WAYS. not some, not most, but all. God knows the number of hairs on your head... that is more than you know about yourself! i'm thankful for this. why? because i am still learning so much about myself these days and it's calming to know that He has me figured out and sitting in the palm of His righteous right hand.
in light of this fortune cookie blessing, God has been revealing to me that He is noticing my effort... not just in my faith, but in all of the busyness that is my life. i have always been good at family, work, and at friends, but lately i have grown so much in my faith, in my abilities as a student, in my leadership position in my sorority, and in my relationship with my boyfriend. needless to say, this is going to be a long one... or possibly broken up into a couple of chunks over the next four days. because i can't summarize months of learning in just a couple sentences... or i could, but then you would miss out on God's gloriousness (yes, i made that up!) in it.
more to come, i just don't need to be writing a novel. no one wants to read THAT much...
in closing, song of the day:
church music (dance!) by: David Crowder Band
it's funky and just makes you want to dance! what better thing to do than dance and sing to celebrate the awesomeness of Him!
it is term paper turn in season at school. i love the communications program at UC San Diego, but come the end of the quarter it is painful to think about how many hours i dedicate to working on the paper that often determines half of my grade. oh boy. and with the thought of graduating early tasting sooo very sweet on my lips i realize only three more quarters of this and i will have my bachelors degree and be pursuing my passion for inspiring young children to learn. yesss!
this is what i want my little class to look like one day... but with bigger smiles... and me in the picture with them of course!i just can't believe that at 20 (almost 21, just a few weeks!) years old i am suddenly making my way out of schooling and into the real world. i pray daily (and would appreciate you to pray too!) for God to guide me and help me because it is so obvious to me that i have so much to learn in the next few quarters plus all that comes in the real world.
life is pulling together and He is showing me that i truly can do it. not on my own, but with Him. just like Paul says in Phillipians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." don't you just want to yell this when you are saying it? i just feel so much power well up inside of me when God whispers this into my heart. i can only imagine the power that would overcome me should he decide to speak or yell it. holy cow. maybe that's where heart attacks come from?
on sunday after a wonderful message at church, my boyfriend, jason, took a very emotional me (who knows why!?!) out to lunch at one of my favorite quick bites (but NOT fast food) restaurants, pick up stix. it was delicious as always and he is always amazing company. plus it gives us the chance to talk about the message. church was amazing, but my heart remained heavy, something very unlike me. as we finished up the meal i was dreading coming home to work on a paper.
as we began to leave the restaurant i realized i had left my fortune cookie sitting on the table. a fortune cookie usually doesn't matter much to me, but this day it was. i popped open my little morsel and inside was a wonderful little message from God remind me that despite my long week, i was doing His will. it said:
you take joy in having others acknowledge your presence and appreciate your efforts.
you would have though i won the lottery. oh boy, do i love to know that all of the effort i put into things in being noticed and appreciated! God reminded me that He knows where my heart is at every moment of every day. He reminded me that He appreciates my presence and efforts though they are not perfect (despite my frustration and struggling with this fact!)
david's writing in psalm 139 acknowledges the way that God acknowledges us, something we must do with our hearts. he writes:
"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord." -Psalm 139:1-4
notice, david writes you know ALL MY WAYS. not some, not most, but all. God knows the number of hairs on your head... that is more than you know about yourself! i'm thankful for this. why? because i am still learning so much about myself these days and it's calming to know that He has me figured out and sitting in the palm of His righteous right hand.
in light of this fortune cookie blessing, God has been revealing to me that He is noticing my effort... not just in my faith, but in all of the busyness that is my life. i have always been good at family, work, and at friends, but lately i have grown so much in my faith, in my abilities as a student, in my leadership position in my sorority, and in my relationship with my boyfriend. needless to say, this is going to be a long one... or possibly broken up into a couple of chunks over the next four days. because i can't summarize months of learning in just a couple sentences... or i could, but then you would miss out on God's gloriousness (yes, i made that up!) in it.
more to come, i just don't need to be writing a novel. no one wants to read THAT much...
in closing, song of the day:
church music (dance!) by: David Crowder Band
it's funky and just makes you want to dance! what better thing to do than dance and sing to celebrate the awesomeness of Him!
Monday, February 15, 2010
home sweet home
a three day weekend does amazing things for the mind and soul. but, a three day weekend with a surprise trip home (just a meager 54 miles from my place) to visit the ones i love most with the love of my life on a day to commemorate love does amazing things for everything!
somehow my mom makes home... a four bedroom house with LOTS of space so much more homey than my little studio apartment that i try so hard to fill with the love and warmth that i feel in the house from my childhood. i have finally come to the conclusion that its not just the love that fills the house (because that is soooo filling and heart warming) but it is the memories that i associate with the blessings that i get to call my family. that house, despite all its beauty, is just a building. it is the people of the house that make it so special to me.
watching my little brother roll himself down the stairs like a professional stunt man, listening to my father sing up and down the hallway between my parents' room and mine, knowing i can run my mom and i's favorite route with my eyes closed, laying in my bed late at night with my mom giggling about everything, falling asleep on the couch watching tv with my brother late at night... gosh, home holds so many special moments for me... moments that would not be the same without these people.
much like that, i realize there is a house that we as christians inhabit. a house that we can continue to return home to when we seem to have lost our way... or as my mom and i so eloquently put it, when our love tanks are empty. and this home is a place that we dwell forever, as He has promised.
"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." -Psalms 23:6
sometimes, much like the prodigal son, we forget where it is that we are privileged to stay and the memories we share with our company. how many cool things do we all get to read about in the bible? and why is it that we don't spend time sharing in those cool things with other christians? every time i return home i feel more encouraged. in the same way, when we are in the presence of our christian family, we must work to fill each others' cups!
but, it is greater than the "house" that we find within our christian family here on earth. but as Jesus prepared himself to pay penance for our sins upon the cross, he encouraged the disciples by talking of the house that God has for us to look forward to and inhabit once we are with Him in heaven.
"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am." -John 14:2-3
there is already a shabby chic room with angel wings painted on the walls and a HUGEEEE walk in closet for me? gosh, jesus sure does know my heart's deepest desires! ok, so that's probably not what is in store for me, but i definitely know that my closest family members and friends are waiting to share their moments in heaven with me, and preparing to create some of our own together. plus, the King of Kings is there to be a friend of mine and make memories of our own for me to enjoy and be encouraged by.
Song of the Day: Oh Glorious - Paul Baloche
ooooh ooooh glorious. it's just one of those old favorites that is so easy to sing along to. who doesn't love something familiar and easy to relate to?
somehow my mom makes home... a four bedroom house with LOTS of space so much more homey than my little studio apartment that i try so hard to fill with the love and warmth that i feel in the house from my childhood. i have finally come to the conclusion that its not just the love that fills the house (because that is soooo filling and heart warming) but it is the memories that i associate with the blessings that i get to call my family. that house, despite all its beauty, is just a building. it is the people of the house that make it so special to me.
watching my little brother roll himself down the stairs like a professional stunt man, listening to my father sing up and down the hallway between my parents' room and mine, knowing i can run my mom and i's favorite route with my eyes closed, laying in my bed late at night with my mom giggling about everything, falling asleep on the couch watching tv with my brother late at night... gosh, home holds so many special moments for me... moments that would not be the same without these people.
much like that, i realize there is a house that we as christians inhabit. a house that we can continue to return home to when we seem to have lost our way... or as my mom and i so eloquently put it, when our love tanks are empty. and this home is a place that we dwell forever, as He has promised.
"Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." -Psalms 23:6
sometimes, much like the prodigal son, we forget where it is that we are privileged to stay and the memories we share with our company. how many cool things do we all get to read about in the bible? and why is it that we don't spend time sharing in those cool things with other christians? every time i return home i feel more encouraged. in the same way, when we are in the presence of our christian family, we must work to fill each others' cups!
but, it is greater than the "house" that we find within our christian family here on earth. but as Jesus prepared himself to pay penance for our sins upon the cross, he encouraged the disciples by talking of the house that God has for us to look forward to and inhabit once we are with Him in heaven.
"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am." -John 14:2-3
there is already a shabby chic room with angel wings painted on the walls and a HUGEEEE walk in closet for me? gosh, jesus sure does know my heart's deepest desires! ok, so that's probably not what is in store for me, but i definitely know that my closest family members and friends are waiting to share their moments in heaven with me, and preparing to create some of our own together. plus, the King of Kings is there to be a friend of mine and make memories of our own for me to enjoy and be encouraged by.
Song of the Day: Oh Glorious - Paul Baloche
ooooh ooooh glorious. it's just one of those old favorites that is so easy to sing along to. who doesn't love something familiar and easy to relate to?
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