Ah, what a breath of fresh air this past week was (July 21-26)!! It was so amazing getting to spend time up in the Appalachian mountains. Just me and God, well sorta... my brothers and others were there, but most of the time it was just me with God. Having been at home playing "mom" and helping my family out non-stop for the last several weeks, it was so nice getting to have some alone time and time to have some awesome adventures. It was also amazing getting to see how awesome and loving and wonderful my creator and heavenly father is. Being up in the mountains, I think, catches just a glimpse into the majesty and hugeness of Him ... and it always leaves me breathless and wondering more about him. It was one of the best birthdays I can ever remember.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ~ And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness " Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. ><> SLR
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
I dare you to ask God to show you He's real
I want to see Him be real in my own life. I want my desire to serve and love other people to overflow on others so that they can see just HOW real Jesus is. I know He is real; He's the cringe I get or the uncomfortable moment when I'm in a place unsuitablefor me to bring Him, for He is always with me. He is the smile on a needy person's face when they've been helped. He's the heavy burden and tears of compassion I have for those who are hurting.
He's that feeling in my stomach, that stirring in my soul, that melting of my heart when I know I've seen a person or a circumstance through His eyes.
Although this God is REAL and ALIVE, I often chose to believe many lies that keep me from following and living for Him. I've believed that by missing time that should've been spent with Jesus and instead seeking after my own personal pleasures, that Jesus is angry with me. So why have that time the next day? My enemy likes me to believe that after I sin, there's no turning around or way out. I often believe after following my own ways instead of Jesus' that I am worthless and out of luck.
BUT...praise the God of the entire universe, who redeemed us from the curse of sin and wants us to realize that guilt is a glorious thing. Own it. Wear it. Be gutsy in it!
"Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Thought I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord's wrath, UNTIL he pleads my case and establishes my right. He WILL bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness." - Micah 7:8-9
He's that feeling in my stomach, that stirring in my soul, that melting of my heart when I know I've seen a person or a circumstance through His eyes.
Although this God is REAL and ALIVE, I often chose to believe many lies that keep me from following and living for Him. I've believed that by missing time that should've been spent with Jesus and instead seeking after my own personal pleasures, that Jesus is angry with me. So why have that time the next day? My enemy likes me to believe that after I sin, there's no turning around or way out. I often believe after following my own ways instead of Jesus' that I am worthless and out of luck.
BUT...praise the God of the entire universe, who redeemed us from the curse of sin and wants us to realize that guilt is a glorious thing. Own it. Wear it. Be gutsy in it!
"Do not gloat over me, my enemy! Though I have fallen, I will rise. Thought I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. Because I have sinned against him, I will bear the Lord's wrath, UNTIL he pleads my case and establishes my right. He WILL bring me out into the light; I will see his righteousness." - Micah 7:8-9
Amazing Poem =)
| You are the daughter of the King of Kings You too are special! Set your heart to live like a princess, a daughter of the King. You possess something to give the worlds that no one else has ever possessed before. God saw a need, and important need, that had to be filled. So he created you. He placed dreams within your heart which will be fulfilled when his plan for you is complete. |
Monday, May 26, 2008
Love (...a post made by and borrowed from JAH)
(This is a post written by JA, It is wonderful and I think I need to share it with others. It is very true and gets me thinking about what (she/he) says here...)
Love
~~~~~~~~~
"If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth
But didn't love others,
I would only be making meaningless noise
Like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophesy,
And if I knew all the mysteries of the future
And knew everything about everything,
But didn't love others,
What good would it be?
And if I had the gift of faith
So that I could speak to a mountain
And make it move,
Without love
I would be no good to anybody.
If I gave everything I have to the poor
And even sacrificed my body,
I could boast about it;
But if I didn't love others,
I would be of no value whatsoever.
Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jelous or boastful
Or proud or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable,
And it keeps no record
Of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice
But rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up,
Never loses faith,
Is always hopeful,
And endures through every circumstance.
Love will last forever..."
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Love...I was thinking about it the other day, and I came to the conclusion that there really isn't a single definition for Love. Some might define Love as the feelings husbands and wives have for each other. Yes, I suppose it is, but aren’t the feelings parents have for their children also Love? Aren’t the feelings that brothers and sisters have for each other also Love? And the feelings that friends, or relatives have for each other? Isn't it all Love? Do you see what I mean when I say there is no single definition of it? The love a Mother has for her child is not the same as the love she has for her husband. The love a child has for his parent is not the same as the love he has for his sister. The love a person has for his friend is not the same he has for his enemy. Ah, yes, I did say enemy. I was thinking mostly about the love we, as Christians, should have for our enemies. It's so hard to love your enemies, but, as I learned from an elderly lady in my church, you don't have to like someone to love them. In other words, you can still love someone even if you don't like them. I find this very true in my case. I guess loving your enemies (and by enemies I mean those that are morally and spiritually wrong according to the Bible. I am not speaking yet of those that have wronged us by offending us in their manners or speech, thus making us resent them or be extremely annoyed with them) means having compassion towards them and praying for them to "see the light," if I may say it like that. I think to hate someone for what they believe (or what they don't believe) is only going to make them believe that what we (by "we" I mean Christians) say we believe in and what we actually do are quite opposites. We say we believe in God and follow the Bible, yet if we hate our enemies, what kind of message is the going to send across to them? By loving them with the Love God has given us, we can draw a step closer to conquering Hate. Now, about the other kind of enemies...those that we choose to make our enemies because of our dislike of their way of communicating or acting or speaking etc. I think it is just as important to love them too. You don't have to like them, but Love is, nevertheless, essential. If we caress and nurture a dislike for someone, we plant a seed of Hate. And if we allow it to grow, it will one day turn into a full-grown Hate. Aside from the Hate of Sin, Hate is never going to help anyone strengthen their relationship with God. Without Love, we cannot love God, and without God we are nothing.
Love
~~~~~~~~~
"If I could speak in any language in heaven or on earth
But didn't love others,
I would only be making meaningless noise
Like a loud gong or a clanging cymbal.
If I had the gift of prophesy,
And if I knew all the mysteries of the future
And knew everything about everything,
But didn't love others,
What good would it be?
And if I had the gift of faith
So that I could speak to a mountain
And make it move,
Without love
I would be no good to anybody.
If I gave everything I have to the poor
And even sacrificed my body,
I could boast about it;
But if I didn't love others,
I would be of no value whatsoever.
Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jelous or boastful
Or proud or rude.
Love does not demand its own way.
Love is not irritable,
And it keeps no record
Of when it has been wronged.
It is never glad about injustice
But rejoices whenever the truth wins out.
Love never gives up,
Never loses faith,
Is always hopeful,
And endures through every circumstance.
Love will last forever..."
1 Corinthians 13:1-8
Love...I was thinking about it the other day, and I came to the conclusion that there really isn't a single definition for Love. Some might define Love as the feelings husbands and wives have for each other. Yes, I suppose it is, but aren’t the feelings parents have for their children also Love? Aren’t the feelings that brothers and sisters have for each other also Love? And the feelings that friends, or relatives have for each other? Isn't it all Love? Do you see what I mean when I say there is no single definition of it? The love a Mother has for her child is not the same as the love she has for her husband. The love a child has for his parent is not the same as the love he has for his sister. The love a person has for his friend is not the same he has for his enemy. Ah, yes, I did say enemy. I was thinking mostly about the love we, as Christians, should have for our enemies. It's so hard to love your enemies, but, as I learned from an elderly lady in my church, you don't have to like someone to love them. In other words, you can still love someone even if you don't like them. I find this very true in my case. I guess loving your enemies (and by enemies I mean those that are morally and spiritually wrong according to the Bible. I am not speaking yet of those that have wronged us by offending us in their manners or speech, thus making us resent them or be extremely annoyed with them) means having compassion towards them and praying for them to "see the light," if I may say it like that. I think to hate someone for what they believe (or what they don't believe) is only going to make them believe that what we (by "we" I mean Christians) say we believe in and what we actually do are quite opposites. We say we believe in God and follow the Bible, yet if we hate our enemies, what kind of message is the going to send across to them? By loving them with the Love God has given us, we can draw a step closer to conquering Hate. Now, about the other kind of enemies...those that we choose to make our enemies because of our dislike of their way of communicating or acting or speaking etc. I think it is just as important to love them too. You don't have to like them, but Love is, nevertheless, essential. If we caress and nurture a dislike for someone, we plant a seed of Hate. And if we allow it to grow, it will one day turn into a full-grown Hate. Aside from the Hate of Sin, Hate is never going to help anyone strengthen their relationship with God. Without Love, we cannot love God, and without God we are nothing.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Quotes by C.S.Lewis
A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell.Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.
Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say "infinitely" when you mean "very"; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.
The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of 60 minutes an hour, whatever he does, whoever he is.
You don't have a soul. You are a Soul. You have a body.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
When you think Tim McGraw ....
Well I can hardly believe that I've been back home for about a month and a half... :( so sad cause I miss Europe soooo much!! What a wonderful opportunity though. I am so grateful to have been able to go. Since getting back I've been swamped with school and piano mostly. I cannot wait till I graduate! And I look forward to (hopefully) going to college as well. So, here is the VERY FAST and VERY QUICK update on whats gone on with me and my life:
* My other older sister is getting married :) YAY for her! The wedding is in June. It's been weird to have another sister getting married ... seems like it was just a few months ago that my eldest sister got married - but it was actually a year and a half ago! ... So we're having fun planning another one right now :)* School-wise, here's what I'm doin:
English Lit. - I like it right now (lol i read Beowulf today!)
Advanced Math. - blah cause it takes so darn long, but i still dont mind it.
History - love it as always :)
Music - guitar is coming along, piano is A LOT of work right now (preparing for guild, festival, and senior recital!), and I'm also writing songs
Vocab. and spelling - haha its great
Gov. and Economics - fine, just fine
Writing - a lot but i like it
French - So so much better since I went to Europe and Mrs. Anne helped me!! :)
So I think thats my school right now. its actually a lot, believe it or not.
* Poor MK got her wisdom teeth pulled :( awww ... I miss her; "my best friend/sister" for 7 weeks!!Advanced Math. - blah cause it takes so darn long, but i still dont mind it.
History - love it as always :)
Music - guitar is coming along, piano is A LOT of work right now (preparing for guild, festival, and senior recital!), and I'm also writing songs
Vocab. and spelling - haha its great
Gov. and Economics - fine, just fine
Writing - a lot but i like it
French - So so much better since I went to Europe and Mrs. Anne helped me!! :)
So I think thats my school right now. its actually a lot, believe it or not.
* Like I said above, I am getting ready to graduate. It's been soo crazy for me trying to figure out what I am going to be going this fall. Because I am one who does not really say what I think, and I keep all my thoughts and feelings "locked-up-inside", I think my parents dont understand what I really want to do and what my future plans are. Which is definitely not good for me. :( But I am praying hard about whats going to happen and I think God will lead me in His steps/Plans as long as I am looking to him......
* My older sis and her husband are doing well :) :) :) :) smiles will be explained later :) :) :) they just moved again (He is in the Air Force)
* Have I told you that I dont really enjoy shopping?? :P Thats what I've done Saturday, Sunday, and today - and I am sick of it. blah, whatever. Easter comes only once a year so who cares.
* Enchanted and August Rush are now favorite movies of mine!!! :)
* baby, baby, baby, baby .... from walk the line
* Camping, "The Office" marathons, fires, playing in the rain, going to the park with my dog, going to the library with siblings, Soccer, and Music in my car with the windows down ..... And that wraps it up.... until later ~a bientot :-)
~Soccer~
~Photography~
~In the Swiss Alps~
~My Best Friend and I, during my senior photoshoot :)~
~In Paris!!!~
~The Eiffel Tower~Friday, February 22, 2008
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