That is about all I want to say. I am just tired, and I just want to pursue Christ and whatever God has for me to do so that I can go home...For I know when He is finished with me hear I can go and be with Him. I just want that for I am homesick.
Stellar Kart - Me And Jesus
From the album We Can't Stand Sitting Down
When there’s nowhere else to turn
All your bridges have been burned
Feels like you’ve hit rock bottom
Don’t give up it’s not the end
Open up your heart again
When you feel like no one understands
Where you are
Chorus:
Someone loves you
Even when you don’t think so
Don’t you know
You got me and Jesus
By your side
Through the fight
You will never be alone
On your own
You got me and Jesus
After all that we’ve been through
By now, you know I’ve doubted too
But every time my head was in my hands
You said to me
Chorus:
Hold onto what we got
This is worth any cost
So make the most of life that’s borrowed
Love like there’s no tomorrow
Chorus:
Even when you don’t think so
Don’t you know
You got me and Jesus
By your side
Through the fight
You will never be alone
On your own
You got me and Jesus
Someone loves you
Even when you don’t think so
Don’t you know
You got me and Jesus
You will never be alone
You got me and Jesus
Saturday, July 29, 2006
Funny moments.
1. There is an actual way your supposed to squeeze toothpaste from a tube. I really need to read directions more often rather then suppose I know the answer.
2. There seems to be a spiritual truth found in eating strawberries. You never know what the inside will be though the outside looks great. One of my friends owns a produce place and he once told me they gas the strawberries to make them look ripe on the outside though the inside is still not ready. Think you can be reminded of things through this.
3. "Bugs can smell fear" or so someone in Caborca said.
4. When screaming "roach" in the night you find out who is really afraid of bugs and who just pretends to be or who is pretending not to be. You also find out you can not scare a roach by screaming but seem to attract them.
5. When a woman is pregnant it seems it is politically OK for strangers to walk up to her and suddenly touch her stomach. (a girl a work is having twins) Make sure she really is pregnant when you walk up to her and decide to touch her stomach and ask her how far along she is. (a woman who went on a cruise with my step-mom)
6. This whole pregnant joke reminds me of something funny one of my favorite comedians said. Bob Smiley in one of his comedic shows said that when his wife was pregnant she used to wake him up in the middle of the night to touch her stomach to feel the baby kicking. He said he got her to stop by waking her up in the middle of the night to touch his stomach every time he had gas. Ummm. NO comment but he is a very funny Christian comedian.
7. I found out labeling of kids works really well. If I ever become a mom or even just a teacher I have the best system ever. At Sea World I labled our 18 junior high girls. It worked so well. I wrote in pink sharpie a number on their hand (so they could not forget) and everytime we stopped I shouted out numbers. They counted off and I decided if I ever have kids I will not name them just label them (JK-it would be much more fun to try and call out names)
16. I really like ending titles with three dots...
17. God has a sense of humor and of this I am convinced. Just look at your life and all the funny things that happen including the stupid things you do. You know when something that comes out of your mouth is totally inappropriate at the time. Or when He creates the ironic situations you get in. Even when He watches you respond in the midst of embarassing or uncomfortable situations or the way you watch guys responding with girls and visa-versa. It is all very funny stuff that only a creater of the universe could orchestrate just right. I wonder if God laughs at us or with us?
18. A movie we watched last night had two very funny lines in it.
"Just go to the bathroom." (other person walks up to these two) " I haave to go to the bathroom!"
(guy locked in bomb shelter for 35 years) "I've been thinking about finding a girl for the last fifteen years or so." (something like that)
19. When smooshing your reclying under the teller station make sure your foot comes out with the shoe still on it.
20. Oh, and speaking of shoes they have caused me plenty of other moments this week.
Don't play with the mat that sits on the floor with your shoe while helping customers...you might just trip backwards wich seems very odd from someone who is not moving.
21. When walking quickly be careful not to step out of your shoe and thus fly forward at a rapid speed into who knows what or who.
22. Oh yes, a buisness with the initials P.C. in it may have nothing to do with computers...Doctors usually do not like being asked about their computer buisness.
23. When you leave out a charcoal drawing you may find random pawprints. To find who they belong to inspect favorit cat Tomi, favorite ferret Bear to find culprit. Second, even though your art desk is black your shirt may not be....well, it may be now but not everywhere. Just in places you were leaning against said black art desk.
24. When your expecting company do not think for sure they will be late. This means be aware of what your wearing and if it is not appropriate to answer the door in get it that way. This resulted in a mad dash across the living room at the chiming of the doorbell leading to an army style crawl through the dining room on hands and knees. I now have rug burn.
25. Don't ever order a large ice cream from McDonalds. (Hannah and Amy can attest to the problems it creates) First off your jaw drops as you see a tower coming toward you expecting the normal ice cream cone. Second it is difficult to talk and drive as it is summer and the kid behind the counter swirled the icecream to about three times the cones size. Let us think through this for a moment. It is summer and so very hot. We are now fighting weather and air conditioning as it blows directly onto the towers that are melting at increadible speeds.
I guess that is it. I just see things that crack me up all the time but few can I remember to put here.
2. There seems to be a spiritual truth found in eating strawberries. You never know what the inside will be though the outside looks great. One of my friends owns a produce place and he once told me they gas the strawberries to make them look ripe on the outside though the inside is still not ready. Think you can be reminded of things through this.
3. "Bugs can smell fear" or so someone in Caborca said.
4. When screaming "roach" in the night you find out who is really afraid of bugs and who just pretends to be or who is pretending not to be. You also find out you can not scare a roach by screaming but seem to attract them.
5. When a woman is pregnant it seems it is politically OK for strangers to walk up to her and suddenly touch her stomach. (a girl a work is having twins) Make sure she really is pregnant when you walk up to her and decide to touch her stomach and ask her how far along she is. (a woman who went on a cruise with my step-mom)
6. This whole pregnant joke reminds me of something funny one of my favorite comedians said. Bob Smiley in one of his comedic shows said that when his wife was pregnant she used to wake him up in the middle of the night to touch her stomach to feel the baby kicking. He said he got her to stop by waking her up in the middle of the night to touch his stomach every time he had gas. Ummm. NO comment but he is a very funny Christian comedian.
7. I found out labeling of kids works really well. If I ever become a mom or even just a teacher I have the best system ever. At Sea World I labled our 18 junior high girls. It worked so well. I wrote in pink sharpie a number on their hand (so they could not forget) and everytime we stopped I shouted out numbers. They counted off and I decided if I ever have kids I will not name them just label them (JK-it would be much more fun to try and call out names)
16. I really like ending titles with three dots...
17. God has a sense of humor and of this I am convinced. Just look at your life and all the funny things that happen including the stupid things you do. You know when something that comes out of your mouth is totally inappropriate at the time. Or when He creates the ironic situations you get in. Even when He watches you respond in the midst of embarassing or uncomfortable situations or the way you watch guys responding with girls and visa-versa. It is all very funny stuff that only a creater of the universe could orchestrate just right. I wonder if God laughs at us or with us?
18. A movie we watched last night had two very funny lines in it.
"Just go to the bathroom." (other person walks up to these two) " I haave to go to the bathroom!"
(guy locked in bomb shelter for 35 years) "I've been thinking about finding a girl for the last fifteen years or so." (something like that)
19. When smooshing your reclying under the teller station make sure your foot comes out with the shoe still on it.
20. Oh, and speaking of shoes they have caused me plenty of other moments this week.
Don't play with the mat that sits on the floor with your shoe while helping customers...you might just trip backwards wich seems very odd from someone who is not moving.
21. When walking quickly be careful not to step out of your shoe and thus fly forward at a rapid speed into who knows what or who.
22. Oh yes, a buisness with the initials P.C. in it may have nothing to do with computers...Doctors usually do not like being asked about their computer buisness.
23. When you leave out a charcoal drawing you may find random pawprints. To find who they belong to inspect favorit cat Tomi, favorite ferret Bear to find culprit. Second, even though your art desk is black your shirt may not be....well, it may be now but not everywhere. Just in places you were leaning against said black art desk.
24. When your expecting company do not think for sure they will be late. This means be aware of what your wearing and if it is not appropriate to answer the door in get it that way. This resulted in a mad dash across the living room at the chiming of the doorbell leading to an army style crawl through the dining room on hands and knees. I now have rug burn.
25. Don't ever order a large ice cream from McDonalds. (Hannah and Amy can attest to the problems it creates) First off your jaw drops as you see a tower coming toward you expecting the normal ice cream cone. Second it is difficult to talk and drive as it is summer and the kid behind the counter swirled the icecream to about three times the cones size. Let us think through this for a moment. It is summer and so very hot. We are now fighting weather and air conditioning as it blows directly onto the towers that are melting at increadible speeds.
I guess that is it. I just see things that crack me up all the time but few can I remember to put here.
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Being girl.
Kristie, your bullet point summary will have to be added at a later date though give me a couple days : )
Odd yet certainly true there are things we all think about, write about and generally are. Mine, is girl. My blog gives you bits of insights into what I choose to place before you and are often just the over abundance of thoughts left over from the day and things that have yet to flee my head. Therefore do not be surprised if they are about emotions, guys, and God. Those are three of the most prevalent topics in my life as I am in fact female and have no desire to write of shopping or celebrities or things along that nature. I wish I knew more on politics or science or subjects that might fascinate and intrigue the population but those things rarely cross my mind and though I am sure have much value outside of my head hold little within it. That is why I am just filling the words of this blog with what being a girl is to me or at least one day of it. Some of you have taken on the opposite sex and writing of it as of late but I choose my own.
Yesterday morning I awoke remembering the storm. The sun now shining through my window was beginning to heat up my room very quickly. I thought about hitting the snooze but realized I had to shower. This may seem like an odd yet suprisingly obvious concept to you but I strategically plan my hair by activity, time, and weather. For you math people think of it as a word problem or multiplication factor. If I don't want to shower in the morning I usually have to plan it out the night before. This could lead to a hair straightening process which can last anywhere from about 15 to 35 minutes depending on the level of difficulty that evening. This is why I think through it before taking the time to attempt a straighten of my curls. If it is rainy or humid why bother? Usually I will not unless I know that I am seeing a guy at that time. If I know he likes straight hair I will put in the effort regardless of outside conditions but if he likes it better curly well that saves me a bit of sleep. If I go to sleep with my hair curly it is really left to fate whether or not a shower will be necessary by sunrise. So at this point when the alarm goes off if I hit snooze it is taking a gamble with my appearance for the day.
I will not spend time explaining the getting ready process though for everyone I am sure there is a system. I get up wander down the stairs with little thoughts other then take my medicine and begin going through the motions of getting ready. Small thoughts might begin to process once there is an outfit in question. My favorite is the whole how do I look and feel in this outfit which can at times create a bit of a changing furry. If you are female your conscouse of what you like like, how fat you feel that day, and of course what you put in your mouth. Therefore dressing can be quit time consuming. I am not as bad as I used to be and sometimes forget to do a mirror check to make sure everything is in tact. But after hair, make-up, and costume it is out the door to Starbucks. Yes, coffee people are often creatures of habit and though I am a tea person usually I fall under this category. It's often the same every day. I see the usually crew that I am beginning to know better and the couple regulars. I get my chaw and sit down to begin a quiet time. This is when my mind begins for the day.
I have been going through Luke though I will often wander to the Psalms or to do a subject search. I begin to try and apply something I have read and to learn. I think about who I need to seek a relationship with and who I need to encourage. Lots of things go through my head and usually they lead to another topic I want to look at. I want to know God more but feel I even know the Bible so little. This usually gets me focused for the day and excited about something. I don't always have good days but usually and I am so thankful for a focus point to begin with. Putting God and things of Him on and in my mind that early usually encourages it throughout the day.
After study I may have some thoughts I have been chewing on from the night before, the week before, or just generally thoughts that begin to come into focus.
Often these thoughts are encouraged by emotion though they can be stirred by a situation, a conversation, or something around me. Let's put it this way I have never been accused of not thinking enough in fact quit the opposite. This is great when my mind is focused on good things but when it is focused on others it can be very difficult. I am one of those people who at times would love to escape her own head. Music, can help with this and so can writing or speaking because they let the thoughts come out. Besides though you may not like everything I am thinking I am usually overly honest. I really don't mind this and though I don't tell everyone everything if you ask I will give you exactly what the truth is.
So on one of these great mornings I was beginning to focus on the previous weekend. Friday night I just hit a very frustrating spot. Some things had come up that reminded me of a guy I liked once for about 6 months and the thoughts were fine but somehow turned me in a sour mood. I then spent some time reflected on guys. Yes, we think about them daily and sometimes we see certain ones often. I usually don't hide the fact that there seems to always be someone I am interested in. However, that Friday I felt just done. No, more of this I thought I just feel weak. The feeling was brought up and continued as I searched for more specifics as to the why I hit this point. The answer was my heart was weary. You often come to points of pain when involving the opposite sex but I had never felt this weary before. We have all felt the stinging pain of rejection, and love, and the pain your heart feels through the trials and waiting. I was just entirely weary of all dealings with the opposite sex and decided to throw out any interest I may have had in anyone.(At least for that moment though it is getting increasingly easier the less contact and conversation I have with him).
This all stemmed from a past of doing my best and asking God out of weariness and desperation for God to protect my heart. Yet, it still gets hurt and it still gets tired. It's not tired specifically from the waiting though that increasingly gets more and more painful if you have any specifics in mind. You get tired of waiting as liking guys is a weary process. Yes, I seem to find guys who really go out of their way to do everything except let me know what is going on. Seriously, I dislike all of that and have decided once again if it is not clear what we are doing and his intentions he will just have to go elsewhere. Ask even the most godly girl what a tiring process it is. Trying to maintain focus, hold your heart, not think about them, be able to talk to them even when you feel as though you can not, waiting for them to talk to you or give you any sign they like you, keeping your focus on God, worrying about how you look, worrying about being to obvious....the list goes on and on. Even if you spend little time on these topics it is too difficult, to distracting, to exhausting to like anyone.
So all of this can actually go through my head not to mention many other followed by a range of emotions. I finally go into the bank with the rest of my co-workers and the day begins 2.5 hours after my alarm went off. Then there is the job to do and conversations to have. I want to remember God in conversation in thought and in my job and so I spend most of the day forgetting the thoughts and feeling of the morning and am wound up and in my spot. I love the people that I work with and my job and try to make it evident that I live for God amidst all of this. Then on lunch, I chat with co-workers and call my sister (aka the Paasch girls). While a work there are more girls conversations of boys, and family, work, and whatever. The first question they asked me and continue to is often that about guys but I have little to tell them. They have heard about who I like but more specifically about what I am waiting for. My boss actually asked me in a very random conversation what specifically I wanted in a guy. They all think I am a dreamer and I agree but I remind them God allows us to dream and has the power to fulfill them. Finishing the day it is time for the night activities.
On to church I go. Tues, Wed., Thurs., and Sunday you can find me at church and on ocation for other witnessing activities, or world missions stuff other nights as well. This are all awesome and I am working on growing closer to God and to the people in my life. I love my junior high girls and there is still so much learning to do. I am having such an amazing time figuring that whole thing out. Everything else is not done to just keep busy, but to keep busy with good stuff. I am just a person with lots of energy for things and so I been someone who seems to enjoy a full schedule. Praise God for a world full of things to do and things that should point us back to Him.
After a few catch up conversations it will then be time to run off to bed, or to the Paasch's. Now that school is finished it will more often then not be off to their house and I am so excited about that. So then it is time for fellowship with the girls. Yes, we talk about guys though we are not allowed to for the next two weeks...a funny rule we made to see how long we can last and what else we can talk about. Girls are excellent springboarders when it comes to thinking so I am sure the conversation will not lack much for long. My thoughts should be wrapping up soon but they really do the final wind-down before bed. Thank God for sleep.
Thoughts can keep me up late at times and so I will write or pray though I do not pray hardly enough. Any things not completed or thoughts concluded will pick up again later. They like to arrive at down moments which can really stink as the boy situation may come back later. But this is caused by the lack of conclusion and the constant reminder of them. We as females do so much better in generally when either in a relationship or when there is a lack of someone we like. I have never complained when I did not have anyone I liked let me tell you that.
So, there are reasons for why we are the way we are. Each thought we think, each word we say, who we are is stemmed from what God created us to be and a mix of the earthly nature which is at war. I wish I knew what it was like in the garden before that bite was taken from the fruit. I can imagine ever understanding the opposite sex thought wouldn't it be great? So for now I have no conclusion as I am not sure what to say. It's just being a girl.
Odd yet certainly true there are things we all think about, write about and generally are. Mine, is girl. My blog gives you bits of insights into what I choose to place before you and are often just the over abundance of thoughts left over from the day and things that have yet to flee my head. Therefore do not be surprised if they are about emotions, guys, and God. Those are three of the most prevalent topics in my life as I am in fact female and have no desire to write of shopping or celebrities or things along that nature. I wish I knew more on politics or science or subjects that might fascinate and intrigue the population but those things rarely cross my mind and though I am sure have much value outside of my head hold little within it. That is why I am just filling the words of this blog with what being a girl is to me or at least one day of it. Some of you have taken on the opposite sex and writing of it as of late but I choose my own.
Yesterday morning I awoke remembering the storm. The sun now shining through my window was beginning to heat up my room very quickly. I thought about hitting the snooze but realized I had to shower. This may seem like an odd yet suprisingly obvious concept to you but I strategically plan my hair by activity, time, and weather. For you math people think of it as a word problem or multiplication factor. If I don't want to shower in the morning I usually have to plan it out the night before. This could lead to a hair straightening process which can last anywhere from about 15 to 35 minutes depending on the level of difficulty that evening. This is why I think through it before taking the time to attempt a straighten of my curls. If it is rainy or humid why bother? Usually I will not unless I know that I am seeing a guy at that time. If I know he likes straight hair I will put in the effort regardless of outside conditions but if he likes it better curly well that saves me a bit of sleep. If I go to sleep with my hair curly it is really left to fate whether or not a shower will be necessary by sunrise. So at this point when the alarm goes off if I hit snooze it is taking a gamble with my appearance for the day.
I will not spend time explaining the getting ready process though for everyone I am sure there is a system. I get up wander down the stairs with little thoughts other then take my medicine and begin going through the motions of getting ready. Small thoughts might begin to process once there is an outfit in question. My favorite is the whole how do I look and feel in this outfit which can at times create a bit of a changing furry. If you are female your conscouse of what you like like, how fat you feel that day, and of course what you put in your mouth. Therefore dressing can be quit time consuming. I am not as bad as I used to be and sometimes forget to do a mirror check to make sure everything is in tact. But after hair, make-up, and costume it is out the door to Starbucks. Yes, coffee people are often creatures of habit and though I am a tea person usually I fall under this category. It's often the same every day. I see the usually crew that I am beginning to know better and the couple regulars. I get my chaw and sit down to begin a quiet time. This is when my mind begins for the day.
I have been going through Luke though I will often wander to the Psalms or to do a subject search. I begin to try and apply something I have read and to learn. I think about who I need to seek a relationship with and who I need to encourage. Lots of things go through my head and usually they lead to another topic I want to look at. I want to know God more but feel I even know the Bible so little. This usually gets me focused for the day and excited about something. I don't always have good days but usually and I am so thankful for a focus point to begin with. Putting God and things of Him on and in my mind that early usually encourages it throughout the day.
After study I may have some thoughts I have been chewing on from the night before, the week before, or just generally thoughts that begin to come into focus.
Often these thoughts are encouraged by emotion though they can be stirred by a situation, a conversation, or something around me. Let's put it this way I have never been accused of not thinking enough in fact quit the opposite. This is great when my mind is focused on good things but when it is focused on others it can be very difficult. I am one of those people who at times would love to escape her own head. Music, can help with this and so can writing or speaking because they let the thoughts come out. Besides though you may not like everything I am thinking I am usually overly honest. I really don't mind this and though I don't tell everyone everything if you ask I will give you exactly what the truth is.
So on one of these great mornings I was beginning to focus on the previous weekend. Friday night I just hit a very frustrating spot. Some things had come up that reminded me of a guy I liked once for about 6 months and the thoughts were fine but somehow turned me in a sour mood. I then spent some time reflected on guys. Yes, we think about them daily and sometimes we see certain ones often. I usually don't hide the fact that there seems to always be someone I am interested in. However, that Friday I felt just done. No, more of this I thought I just feel weak. The feeling was brought up and continued as I searched for more specifics as to the why I hit this point. The answer was my heart was weary. You often come to points of pain when involving the opposite sex but I had never felt this weary before. We have all felt the stinging pain of rejection, and love, and the pain your heart feels through the trials and waiting. I was just entirely weary of all dealings with the opposite sex and decided to throw out any interest I may have had in anyone.(At least for that moment though it is getting increasingly easier the less contact and conversation I have with him).
This all stemmed from a past of doing my best and asking God out of weariness and desperation for God to protect my heart. Yet, it still gets hurt and it still gets tired. It's not tired specifically from the waiting though that increasingly gets more and more painful if you have any specifics in mind. You get tired of waiting as liking guys is a weary process. Yes, I seem to find guys who really go out of their way to do everything except let me know what is going on. Seriously, I dislike all of that and have decided once again if it is not clear what we are doing and his intentions he will just have to go elsewhere. Ask even the most godly girl what a tiring process it is. Trying to maintain focus, hold your heart, not think about them, be able to talk to them even when you feel as though you can not, waiting for them to talk to you or give you any sign they like you, keeping your focus on God, worrying about how you look, worrying about being to obvious....the list goes on and on. Even if you spend little time on these topics it is too difficult, to distracting, to exhausting to like anyone.
So all of this can actually go through my head not to mention many other followed by a range of emotions. I finally go into the bank with the rest of my co-workers and the day begins 2.5 hours after my alarm went off. Then there is the job to do and conversations to have. I want to remember God in conversation in thought and in my job and so I spend most of the day forgetting the thoughts and feeling of the morning and am wound up and in my spot. I love the people that I work with and my job and try to make it evident that I live for God amidst all of this. Then on lunch, I chat with co-workers and call my sister (aka the Paasch girls). While a work there are more girls conversations of boys, and family, work, and whatever. The first question they asked me and continue to is often that about guys but I have little to tell them. They have heard about who I like but more specifically about what I am waiting for. My boss actually asked me in a very random conversation what specifically I wanted in a guy. They all think I am a dreamer and I agree but I remind them God allows us to dream and has the power to fulfill them. Finishing the day it is time for the night activities.
On to church I go. Tues, Wed., Thurs., and Sunday you can find me at church and on ocation for other witnessing activities, or world missions stuff other nights as well. This are all awesome and I am working on growing closer to God and to the people in my life. I love my junior high girls and there is still so much learning to do. I am having such an amazing time figuring that whole thing out. Everything else is not done to just keep busy, but to keep busy with good stuff. I am just a person with lots of energy for things and so I been someone who seems to enjoy a full schedule. Praise God for a world full of things to do and things that should point us back to Him.
After a few catch up conversations it will then be time to run off to bed, or to the Paasch's. Now that school is finished it will more often then not be off to their house and I am so excited about that. So then it is time for fellowship with the girls. Yes, we talk about guys though we are not allowed to for the next two weeks...a funny rule we made to see how long we can last and what else we can talk about. Girls are excellent springboarders when it comes to thinking so I am sure the conversation will not lack much for long. My thoughts should be wrapping up soon but they really do the final wind-down before bed. Thank God for sleep.
Thoughts can keep me up late at times and so I will write or pray though I do not pray hardly enough. Any things not completed or thoughts concluded will pick up again later. They like to arrive at down moments which can really stink as the boy situation may come back later. But this is caused by the lack of conclusion and the constant reminder of them. We as females do so much better in generally when either in a relationship or when there is a lack of someone we like. I have never complained when I did not have anyone I liked let me tell you that.
So, there are reasons for why we are the way we are. Each thought we think, each word we say, who we are is stemmed from what God created us to be and a mix of the earthly nature which is at war. I wish I knew what it was like in the garden before that bite was taken from the fruit. I can imagine ever understanding the opposite sex thought wouldn't it be great? So for now I have no conclusion as I am not sure what to say. It's just being a girl.
Saturday, July 22, 2006
I might graduate : )
Basically, I should be studying for my final but tend to have the attention span of a nat...a baby nat. I guess I should care because I am taking it tom. but I am not the slightest bit concerned. If I fail, then I will take the art class I want to take anyways on the internet and just have to postpone graduation again.
I am a master of waisting time. I don't necessarily waiste it but I seem to loose it and I don't really know where it goes. Today I got off work about 2:30 and I accomplished very little before I began studying at 8. With the final only hours away you might think that is where my focus would be. Nope, I am a girl, an art major, and a highly energetic person (at times). Therefore the whole sit and study thing does not work well for me. I do it in spurts. I can draw for hours and you won't pull me away (at least when in art classes), but when it comes to sit and learn not sit and do....very painstaking.
Since work ended my thoughts have been on everything but Spanish and the final exam tom. I went home and decided to roll my change because I am going to finally be on a spending budget (as of my next paycheck)(I think). I then packed to crash at my dad's and watch the dog. I then remembered my boss lives down the street from my dad but decided even though there was an invite it would be best to park my car in the garage and stay MIA. Following that I went to the bank (yes I work at a bank but that does't mean I actually go). I ended up at my dad's and finally got on the computer to check email. Hmmm....Then I decided to start laundry and then that led to a mini nap (1 hour). After that my best friend called. Back to the computer to try and start studying. Then came a nice long phone conversation with Hannah. Then I finally sat down to study and realized my CD was broken. Oh well I will do what I can. Then I decided after an hour or so it was time for a swim. Now, I am on this blog.
I think I will go for another swim or two, let my mind wander a bit more and hopefully at some point get a couple more hours of studying in. Worst comes to worse I will just be in school longer. This however can be a very good distraction. This, dancing, my junior high girls, my sisters, my job, my mind, my God, what else could anyone possibly need?
I am a master of waisting time. I don't necessarily waiste it but I seem to loose it and I don't really know where it goes. Today I got off work about 2:30 and I accomplished very little before I began studying at 8. With the final only hours away you might think that is where my focus would be. Nope, I am a girl, an art major, and a highly energetic person (at times). Therefore the whole sit and study thing does not work well for me. I do it in spurts. I can draw for hours and you won't pull me away (at least when in art classes), but when it comes to sit and learn not sit and do....very painstaking.
Since work ended my thoughts have been on everything but Spanish and the final exam tom. I went home and decided to roll my change because I am going to finally be on a spending budget (as of my next paycheck)(I think). I then packed to crash at my dad's and watch the dog. I then remembered my boss lives down the street from my dad but decided even though there was an invite it would be best to park my car in the garage and stay MIA. Following that I went to the bank (yes I work at a bank but that does't mean I actually go). I ended up at my dad's and finally got on the computer to check email. Hmmm....Then I decided to start laundry and then that led to a mini nap (1 hour). After that my best friend called. Back to the computer to try and start studying. Then came a nice long phone conversation with Hannah. Then I finally sat down to study and realized my CD was broken. Oh well I will do what I can. Then I decided after an hour or so it was time for a swim. Now, I am on this blog.
I think I will go for another swim or two, let my mind wander a bit more and hopefully at some point get a couple more hours of studying in. Worst comes to worse I will just be in school longer. This however can be a very good distraction. This, dancing, my junior high girls, my sisters, my job, my mind, my God, what else could anyone possibly need?
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
To live by...
So I know this will be a switch for me but I have some bullet points for you. Kristie, you will love this because I don't even have to summarize. ( I promise to add the summary at the end for you, or at least to try on my other blogs from now on....well, I will try. I like details in case you have not noticed : )
I was going through an old journal of mine this morning during my quiet time and ran across a few bullet points. I can't remember the speaker so they do not get credit unfortunately but what they had to say was very rich in advice. I believe the title at the time was how to find a mate....I am actually going to change it to principles we should live by. The part in parenthesis will be the entire point in it's original form though I think they are things we should live by regardless not only to pursue a mate, but rather to pursue Christ. So here is the edited version with actual in parenthesis.
1. Develop a spiritual attraction in your life
2. Be radical about purity
3. If your involved with a non-potential God honoring relationship-GET OUT
4. Make edification your goal (in dating)
5. Pray daily for your future (spouse)
6. Find respected councilors to validate (your choice)
7. Set up a standard (for your spouse) that is high enough to protect your future.
So I know that was really short but I thought those were great points and encouraged me to live through all relationships and life like this.
I was going through an old journal of mine this morning during my quiet time and ran across a few bullet points. I can't remember the speaker so they do not get credit unfortunately but what they had to say was very rich in advice. I believe the title at the time was how to find a mate....I am actually going to change it to principles we should live by. The part in parenthesis will be the entire point in it's original form though I think they are things we should live by regardless not only to pursue a mate, but rather to pursue Christ. So here is the edited version with actual in parenthesis.
1. Develop a spiritual attraction in your life
2. Be radical about purity
3. If your involved with a non-potential God honoring relationship-GET OUT
4. Make edification your goal (in dating)
5. Pray daily for your future (spouse)
6. Find respected councilors to validate (your choice)
7. Set up a standard (for your spouse) that is high enough to protect your future.
So I know that was really short but I thought those were great points and encouraged me to live through all relationships and life like this.
Monday, July 10, 2006
The love of the Dance
I have been back out in the dancing world a bit more lately and I partake I realize how much I have missed it. I sat there tonight as my friend is about to depart to New Mexico, she has played quit the role in my dancing career the last two years and will be missed. So now what is next? My class is about to end and finally things are begining to calm. What to do? Dance!
For anyone who has never found the love for dancing I cannot even fathom. It is one of my favorite things to do. I watched tonight and caught up with some old friends. Yep, there is little that compares to the movement and the way we feel and express music. God has taught me so much about chasing after Him even when there are good things out there. Dancing is one of these things and I have had to learn many a lesson.
I may never stop dancing for I so dearly love it but there have as of late been other priorities. When I first began to learn swing it became an idol. I wanted so badly to do it all the time it engulfed me. I litterally thought of dance, talked about dance and tried to dance all the time. It was becoming a five or six night of the week thing and beyond that my social life evolved around it. I was staying up all night to hang out after dancing and my alarm would go off. I had to run home and change and get my butt to work. Basically though I did not fall to far I began to slip away from God and my walk was feeling the change.
There were also other problems with the scene besides the obsession with it. I am very picky with my physical boudries with guys and somehow when you dance you loose much of that. This is not always a negative thing and can be innocent but is not always. Most often it is not and that is when the situation becomes uncomfortable. Think of it this way; dancing is a lead and follow activity. I don't want this to sound extremly bad but someone is leading your body and the way that it moves. This does not bother most girls and I am not going to judge them for it. However, being where my standards are it has always bothered me. I will many a times stop literally in the middle of the dance and say no or just refuse to follow the move. This may seem really silly but I don't care who you are some of those moves are not void of wrong intentions. The difference is in most cases both parties claim innocence with their mouths and deny it by the way they move, the level of closeness they get and the attitude behind it. There are few guys I literally trust especially when I am that close and at supposed to let them lead me. Um besides that I am human to and want do nothing that will cause me to stumble or allow wrong thinking in any way. That means emotionally, and physically as well. So this can cause many problems when I am out and trying to social dance. So between loving it so much and trying to find a partner I could trust I spent my life becoming a "swing-kid".
Then, God reminded me through some sin where my life was at. I was getting better at dancing and begining to compete. I was in search of a dance partner though I sort of had one but really wanted someone I felt I could really follow and trust entirely. It was after months of this God woke me up and I am so thankful. He made me realize where my life was and how empty that lifestyle was when He was left out of it. I then stepped back and took a closer look at where my life was headed. Sometimes the things that are good need to give way for things that are better. I don't think we should ever give up our hopes and dreams, but be willing to allow God to fill our passions.
For I now willingly spend my time to love and pursue the Lord rather then to try and build my own glory. Will I still do all these things...Yes! But they are not to consume my first love or my time. God has taught me what role dance can take and though I still get out as much as possible it will never take the place of Him again. That my friend I am so thankful for.
For anyone who has never found the love for dancing I cannot even fathom. It is one of my favorite things to do. I watched tonight and caught up with some old friends. Yep, there is little that compares to the movement and the way we feel and express music. God has taught me so much about chasing after Him even when there are good things out there. Dancing is one of these things and I have had to learn many a lesson.
I may never stop dancing for I so dearly love it but there have as of late been other priorities. When I first began to learn swing it became an idol. I wanted so badly to do it all the time it engulfed me. I litterally thought of dance, talked about dance and tried to dance all the time. It was becoming a five or six night of the week thing and beyond that my social life evolved around it. I was staying up all night to hang out after dancing and my alarm would go off. I had to run home and change and get my butt to work. Basically though I did not fall to far I began to slip away from God and my walk was feeling the change.
There were also other problems with the scene besides the obsession with it. I am very picky with my physical boudries with guys and somehow when you dance you loose much of that. This is not always a negative thing and can be innocent but is not always. Most often it is not and that is when the situation becomes uncomfortable. Think of it this way; dancing is a lead and follow activity. I don't want this to sound extremly bad but someone is leading your body and the way that it moves. This does not bother most girls and I am not going to judge them for it. However, being where my standards are it has always bothered me. I will many a times stop literally in the middle of the dance and say no or just refuse to follow the move. This may seem really silly but I don't care who you are some of those moves are not void of wrong intentions. The difference is in most cases both parties claim innocence with their mouths and deny it by the way they move, the level of closeness they get and the attitude behind it. There are few guys I literally trust especially when I am that close and at supposed to let them lead me. Um besides that I am human to and want do nothing that will cause me to stumble or allow wrong thinking in any way. That means emotionally, and physically as well. So this can cause many problems when I am out and trying to social dance. So between loving it so much and trying to find a partner I could trust I spent my life becoming a "swing-kid".
Then, God reminded me through some sin where my life was at. I was getting better at dancing and begining to compete. I was in search of a dance partner though I sort of had one but really wanted someone I felt I could really follow and trust entirely. It was after months of this God woke me up and I am so thankful. He made me realize where my life was and how empty that lifestyle was when He was left out of it. I then stepped back and took a closer look at where my life was headed. Sometimes the things that are good need to give way for things that are better. I don't think we should ever give up our hopes and dreams, but be willing to allow God to fill our passions.
For I now willingly spend my time to love and pursue the Lord rather then to try and build my own glory. Will I still do all these things...Yes! But they are not to consume my first love or my time. God has taught me what role dance can take and though I still get out as much as possible it will never take the place of Him again. That my friend I am so thankful for.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
I want to know you
Do you ever have those specific songs that you will never forget? Maybe even ones that have had an effect or changed your life? Well, I have one specific song that I still remember how much it affected me and I will never forget it.
One night sitting in the coffee shop at Solid Ground I sat and listened. I had already attended one high school meeting and was already trying to digest truth. Something the pastor had said that first visit there had made me for once in my life think. I really began to question things and began to seek. Growing up in a Catholic family I now found myself sitting and pondering. At the time I was rather caught up with the guy sitting behind the guitar. Something about the guitar....the music it makes....the person that was playing it.
My thoughts were not on the Lord at this time but rather my new friend. Nick was so neat and after that first night in the group I had soon became a regular at the Christian coffee shop. They had begun an open mike night and so this is where I was now sitting. The first open mike night and it was me, Nick, and the guy running the equitment. By this time I had formed a slight friendship and a tiny bit of a crush on Nick. He had blue eyes, black hair, almost always wore khaki shorts with black shirts, addidas flipflops and 8 guage earrings. Oh, and did I already mention the guitar?
So, as the night began and no one showed up the three of us began to play around. He asked me if I could sing and I told him I had never sung in public but I absolutely loved it. I was a bit nervous and did not know a single Christian song. That however is what he knew. I sat and listened. It was at this point he began to play a song that would change my life. (Well, that and God opening my eyes) The song...."In the Secret." The words of this song described love in such a beautiful manner. It described the feelings you get when you desire someone and up till this point my desires like that had only been toward guys. I listened to the words in awe. I could not believe that someone could sing these type of words to a god.
I sat while he played it and then it was my turn to sing it. I got behind him to where the words were and just looked and listened once more. Then, I got to sing with him. I was shocked and confused and more then anything I was curious. This was the beginning of my life. The beginning of something amazing. I love the words of that song till this day and will never forget the way I felt when I heard them the first time. That desperate, longing feeling that would be turned to my savior, forever.
In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there
In the secret, in the quiet hour
I wait only for You
Cause, I want to know You more
Chorus:
I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more
I am reaching for the highest goal
That I might receive the prize
Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside
Out of my way
Cause, I want to know You more
Chorus
One night sitting in the coffee shop at Solid Ground I sat and listened. I had already attended one high school meeting and was already trying to digest truth. Something the pastor had said that first visit there had made me for once in my life think. I really began to question things and began to seek. Growing up in a Catholic family I now found myself sitting and pondering. At the time I was rather caught up with the guy sitting behind the guitar. Something about the guitar....the music it makes....the person that was playing it.
My thoughts were not on the Lord at this time but rather my new friend. Nick was so neat and after that first night in the group I had soon became a regular at the Christian coffee shop. They had begun an open mike night and so this is where I was now sitting. The first open mike night and it was me, Nick, and the guy running the equitment. By this time I had formed a slight friendship and a tiny bit of a crush on Nick. He had blue eyes, black hair, almost always wore khaki shorts with black shirts, addidas flipflops and 8 guage earrings. Oh, and did I already mention the guitar?
So, as the night began and no one showed up the three of us began to play around. He asked me if I could sing and I told him I had never sung in public but I absolutely loved it. I was a bit nervous and did not know a single Christian song. That however is what he knew. I sat and listened. It was at this point he began to play a song that would change my life. (Well, that and God opening my eyes) The song...."In the Secret." The words of this song described love in such a beautiful manner. It described the feelings you get when you desire someone and up till this point my desires like that had only been toward guys. I listened to the words in awe. I could not believe that someone could sing these type of words to a god.
I sat while he played it and then it was my turn to sing it. I got behind him to where the words were and just looked and listened once more. Then, I got to sing with him. I was shocked and confused and more then anything I was curious. This was the beginning of my life. The beginning of something amazing. I love the words of that song till this day and will never forget the way I felt when I heard them the first time. That desperate, longing feeling that would be turned to my savior, forever.
In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there
In the secret, in the quiet hour
I wait only for You
Cause, I want to know You more
Chorus:
I want to know You
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more
I want to touch You
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more
I am reaching for the highest goal
That I might receive the prize
Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside
Out of my way
Cause, I want to know You more
Chorus
Thursday, July 06, 2006
God Focused
So for anyone who is not Amy or Hannah, this blog really is specifically for the three of us. I wanted a place we could post things specifically to each other and so you can really disregard this. It is really only for the three of us so that we may use it to spur each other on and encourage each other to see Christ before other things.
Ames, I know what your thinking and I am right their with you sis. Let's us draw our encouragement and eyes and allow them not to focus on the dust arround Him but on HIM.
Hannley, (I have not called you this in awhile : ) Let us look to others for how we may encourage them in the faith. Let us set ourselves and those around us in a passionatly burning flame.
So here are some things I have looked up the last few days...You know why and let us not think to the why but to the who and what the truth of the word will do. Let us look to God for our foundation and our cornerstone!
II Cor 4:16-18
So we do not loose heart. Though our outer nature is waisting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
~How much I love this vs. I think of all the ways I try and continue to fail and for some reason stumbled upon this durring my quiet time at Starbucks. It was SO encouraging to me. Talk about the fight and reminder we are growing and changing.
II Peter 3:8
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promises as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
~No explaination needed just that all is in God's timing
Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and sheild; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
I am also going to post the ones from my last blog so you can actually read them Amy : ). ( " I read your blog but skipped the vs." - your silly and thanks for reading the blog!)
James 1:13-15
Let no one say when he is tempted, " I am being tempted by God,"for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and when it is full grown brings forth death.
~Funny but really it is our own sin that draws us away. Let us encourage each other in word and deed and thought and speech.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord , and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
~When will we learn to trust. Hannah you are getting wiser everyday and Amy your starting to sound more like me every day. Too much girl in us ; ) or sin :( Oh, well God made us all unique and I am so thankful for the both of you. Can't wait to see what God will use to encourage you two.
I love you sisters so very much and want to be a good example. So let it begin with helping you and myself to focus on that which is eternal. (You two always encourage me and live such an example) Thank you so much for it all.
Ames, I know what your thinking and I am right their with you sis. Let's us draw our encouragement and eyes and allow them not to focus on the dust arround Him but on HIM.
Hannley, (I have not called you this in awhile : ) Let us look to others for how we may encourage them in the faith. Let us set ourselves and those around us in a passionatly burning flame.
So here are some things I have looked up the last few days...You know why and let us not think to the why but to the who and what the truth of the word will do. Let us look to God for our foundation and our cornerstone!
II Cor 4:16-18
So we do not loose heart. Though our outer nature is waisting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
~How much I love this vs. I think of all the ways I try and continue to fail and for some reason stumbled upon this durring my quiet time at Starbucks. It was SO encouraging to me. Talk about the fight and reminder we are growing and changing.
II Peter 3:8
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promises as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
~No explaination needed just that all is in God's timing
Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and sheild; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
I am also going to post the ones from my last blog so you can actually read them Amy : ). ( " I read your blog but skipped the vs." - your silly and thanks for reading the blog!)
James 1:13-15
Let no one say when he is tempted, " I am being tempted by God,"for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and when it is full grown brings forth death.
~Funny but really it is our own sin that draws us away. Let us encourage each other in word and deed and thought and speech.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord , and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
~When will we learn to trust. Hannah you are getting wiser everyday and Amy your starting to sound more like me every day. Too much girl in us ; ) or sin :( Oh, well God made us all unique and I am so thankful for the both of you. Can't wait to see what God will use to encourage you two.
I love you sisters so very much and want to be a good example. So let it begin with helping you and myself to focus on that which is eternal. (You two always encourage me and live such an example) Thank you so much for it all.
Tuesday, July 04, 2006
What is reality?
Tomorrow I am supposed to be "teaching" my Junior High girls. I thought awhile about what it was that I wanted to address and decided I would discuss something that is very real to girls. Reality? The online definition is the quality or state of being actual or true. Ummmm. So to a girl what exactly does this mean?
I am twenty five and still struggle to gain a grasp of what this is. I do not believe it to be strictly a female issue though can attest to the fact that it can be a regular problem. Without saying to terribly much girls hormones react and affect things much different then guys. So I can tell you personally my struggle with sin and reality is very much attached to my emotions. If you are a guy and have grown up with sisters you probably have seen this often (or at least once a month : ) (That may help you out later in dating or when your married ;) I can relate to this as a problem in me.
It is very difficult to see through what you feel. Think about how strong emotions are. Oh, and did I add that mine can be slightly more extreme when I forget to take my medicine? (I am on a thyroid pill but forget it as often as I take it and since your thyroid regulates your hormones I can experience the rollercoaster affect slightly more extreme) So how do you deal and how do you answer questions? (Don't for a minute think I do not think this is a serious sin. I promise I do and I don't use it as an excuse I just spend lots and lots of time apologizing for being a dumb girl)
1. What is reality?
Reality would have to be what is factual. Even that is difficult to decipher. The world is round. That is a fact and that is reality. God created truth. Truth is also fact. What about the lies that we see as reality?
2. What defines it?
Is it our emotions, our minds, our world? What should define it? The world defines reality as something real but what determines what we believe to be real?
3. What determines reality?
I too often let the world have a say in what determines my personal reality. Think of what voices fill your head and which ones you listen to. I can think of issues with how I look, situations involving my standards with guys being attacked, the things I live for, the things I love and would die for. When I am overcome with an emotion I often need to be told the reality of the situation by someone a bit more stable then myself. It can be simple things that shake my world and fed by my own emotion they shake my world...at least for a second. I need the reminders scripture offers until I can see clearly again.
James 1:13-15
Let no one say when he is tempted, " I am being tempted by God,"for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and when it is full grown brings forth death.
Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. NO good thing does he withold form those who walk uprightly.
II Peter 3:8-
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord , and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
This is all something that really needs to be answered by scripture. My second parents and a guy from church discussed looking to scripture for truth. They were not talking to me but it has stuck with me. I know truth lies there in the promises, in what reality is. It is a way to have a solid foundation and this I am so thankful for. So really these are just things I am thinking about and trying to seek answers about. I love the calming truth of the gospel.
4. What shakes my reality?
Circumstances. Things people say. Things I do not do or things that I do. Fear. Not trusting God but rather fearing something can be outside of His plan. We are all in the refining process and so I admit I fall very short. I am so far from where I was yet still so far away. I guess no one is perfect. We are all in processing. So I need to not fear but rather live fearlessly.
So what is my reality?
I am 25, a girl. I love Jesus and fail him every day. I am 5'1"(until I get old and shrink " ). I love laughter, love, the sky. I love art and music and dancing though who knows what God will bring. I have a cat, a parrot, two ferrets and am back at home. I am somewhat social and busy. I have tattoos that are going to be there for awhile. I am single and may stay that way for awhile since I usually make it difficult for a guy to know that I really like him by often acting quit contrary. I work at a bank and am still in school. I write a lot, can talk a lot and play a lot. Let's let God continue to define my reality by trying to trust HOW HE WILL WRITE THE FINAL DRAFT.
I am twenty five and still struggle to gain a grasp of what this is. I do not believe it to be strictly a female issue though can attest to the fact that it can be a regular problem. Without saying to terribly much girls hormones react and affect things much different then guys. So I can tell you personally my struggle with sin and reality is very much attached to my emotions. If you are a guy and have grown up with sisters you probably have seen this often (or at least once a month : ) (That may help you out later in dating or when your married ;) I can relate to this as a problem in me.
It is very difficult to see through what you feel. Think about how strong emotions are. Oh, and did I add that mine can be slightly more extreme when I forget to take my medicine? (I am on a thyroid pill but forget it as often as I take it and since your thyroid regulates your hormones I can experience the rollercoaster affect slightly more extreme) So how do you deal and how do you answer questions? (Don't for a minute think I do not think this is a serious sin. I promise I do and I don't use it as an excuse I just spend lots and lots of time apologizing for being a dumb girl)
1. What is reality?
Reality would have to be what is factual. Even that is difficult to decipher. The world is round. That is a fact and that is reality. God created truth. Truth is also fact. What about the lies that we see as reality?
2. What defines it?
Is it our emotions, our minds, our world? What should define it? The world defines reality as something real but what determines what we believe to be real?
3. What determines reality?
I too often let the world have a say in what determines my personal reality. Think of what voices fill your head and which ones you listen to. I can think of issues with how I look, situations involving my standards with guys being attacked, the things I live for, the things I love and would die for. When I am overcome with an emotion I often need to be told the reality of the situation by someone a bit more stable then myself. It can be simple things that shake my world and fed by my own emotion they shake my world...at least for a second. I need the reminders scripture offers until I can see clearly again.
James 1:13-15
Let no one say when he is tempted, " I am being tempted by God,"for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and when it is full grown brings forth death.
Psalm 84:11
For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. NO good thing does he withold form those who walk uprightly.
II Peter 3:8-
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord , and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
This is all something that really needs to be answered by scripture. My second parents and a guy from church discussed looking to scripture for truth. They were not talking to me but it has stuck with me. I know truth lies there in the promises, in what reality is. It is a way to have a solid foundation and this I am so thankful for. So really these are just things I am thinking about and trying to seek answers about. I love the calming truth of the gospel.
4. What shakes my reality?
Circumstances. Things people say. Things I do not do or things that I do. Fear. Not trusting God but rather fearing something can be outside of His plan. We are all in the refining process and so I admit I fall very short. I am so far from where I was yet still so far away. I guess no one is perfect. We are all in processing. So I need to not fear but rather live fearlessly.
So what is my reality?
I am 25, a girl. I love Jesus and fail him every day. I am 5'1"(until I get old and shrink " ). I love laughter, love, the sky. I love art and music and dancing though who knows what God will bring. I have a cat, a parrot, two ferrets and am back at home. I am somewhat social and busy. I have tattoos that are going to be there for awhile. I am single and may stay that way for awhile since I usually make it difficult for a guy to know that I really like him by often acting quit contrary. I work at a bank and am still in school. I write a lot, can talk a lot and play a lot. Let's let God continue to define my reality by trying to trust HOW HE WILL WRITE THE FINAL DRAFT.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Never Let Go
Matt Redman - You Never Let Go
From the album Passion 06: Everything Glorious
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth
Chorus:
Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You
Chorus: (2x’s)
I know if you have never heard a song it is very difficult to read. Think of it as a psalm, or poem, or something to read. I love this song especially as it is such a remider that God is always there through everything. There are so many times I need the reality of that. It is very easy to forget that He holds on tightly and is the author of your story.
Last Sunday night we got onto a discussion about something terrible that happened to some friends of a friend. Then we discussed what can happen in the lives of believers and how we need to cling to Christ. I just was reminded that it is He who clings to us though that was not specifically brought up. The thing that was brought to my attention was the need to read scripture for a bit of reality. One of the guys had brought up this point and I know it is true though as a girl I have only a certain grasp of reality.
So, now I am trying to memorize certain parts of scripture beginging with Ephesians 5. We shall see how this goes but I would really love to cling to God rather then ever think that chance, or fate, or one wrong word or month can redirect His plans. I need to be reminded of reality rather then emotions and need to always keep both that and my motives in check.
From the album Passion 06: Everything Glorious
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near
And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?
Chorus:
Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me
And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth
Chorus:
Yes, I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
Still I will praise You, still I will praise You
Chorus: (2x’s)
I know if you have never heard a song it is very difficult to read. Think of it as a psalm, or poem, or something to read. I love this song especially as it is such a remider that God is always there through everything. There are so many times I need the reality of that. It is very easy to forget that He holds on tightly and is the author of your story.
Last Sunday night we got onto a discussion about something terrible that happened to some friends of a friend. Then we discussed what can happen in the lives of believers and how we need to cling to Christ. I just was reminded that it is He who clings to us though that was not specifically brought up. The thing that was brought to my attention was the need to read scripture for a bit of reality. One of the guys had brought up this point and I know it is true though as a girl I have only a certain grasp of reality.
So, now I am trying to memorize certain parts of scripture beginging with Ephesians 5. We shall see how this goes but I would really love to cling to God rather then ever think that chance, or fate, or one wrong word or month can redirect His plans. I need to be reminded of reality rather then emotions and need to always keep both that and my motives in check.
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