So only an English major would care enough about her typos to write a whole blog post about 'em! This is short .... I just have two things to say about my typos.
#1: They drive me crazy! ... and yet I am too lazy to go back and fix all of them. (I guess I'm not TOO crazy in my Englishness. Ha!)
#2: I "proofread" all of my posts, and I still miss some obvious errors. You'd never know I work in the IUPUI Writing Center! Ha ha! What a hoot!
Okay ... that's all. ... Continue reading my blog, please! More to come! - About God's faithfulness ... about amazing friends (mine!). :)
. . . about life lessons, parenting lessons, and faith lessons learned and LEARNING!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
An Afternoon with Barrett
Whew! What a long morning! Getting up at 5:30am to exercise has been good, but man! The mornings seems so much longer! I am wiped out already ... and falling asleep in my classes - eek! I think my body still needs time to get used to getting up so early! Whoa! ... But anyway! I'm taking a break from my busy morning to post about a little guy I've been thinking about a lot this week. :)
Yep, I'm talking about Barrett Nilsen - my favorite little guy in the world!!! I got to spend the afternoon with him on Sunday and had the time of my life! The Higher Ground/Grace folks went to Q'doba for lunch on Sunday afternoon, and the Nilsens came too. :) Yay Mike, Judy, Alec, and Barrett! ... Barrett was super fun at lunch - being the crazy-fun 6 year old that he is. :) He was jumping from lap to lap and talking non-stop! Way too much fun!!! ... He sat on my lap for awhile, and when Mike and Judy left, he told me he was going to the Children's Museum with Ben. He said, "You can come with us if you want to." And pretty much from that moment, I was determined to go! ;) When your favorite little guy invites you to come along, you go! ;) I've been wanting to get to know Barrett better for a long while, so I knew I was going with them! :D And a funny note - later, during lunch, Barrett and Ben were getting ready to leave, talking about the Children's Museum ... and Barrett looked at me and said, "I don't think you're coming." I laughed and told Ben that he must've changed his mind about me coming. Ha! It was pretty funny. ;) So Ben, Brittney, and Barrett left for the CM, and I finished chatting with some folks. After I dropped Tiff off at the church, I called Ben and asked if I could tag along on their adventure to the CM. :)
By the time I got there, they had seen much of the place, so we only stayed an hour or so longer. But during that time, I had Barrett nearly all to myself! I let Ben and Brittney talk, and I followed Barrett all over the building. We crawled under the train displays, ran through the black light maze, sat in a submarine, ran from a "bomb" on the main floor of the submarine (Barrett pushed a button; it started flashing ... we decided the submarine might blow up, so we ran away!), and my favorite event - we had a sword fight with the funky-shaped glass creations in the basement of the CM. All our adventures were the highlight of my week ... but my favorite part (hands down!) was when we were walking to the parking garage at the end of the day. We walked out the doors of the CM, and Barrett ran to me and grabbed my hand. He held my hand the whole way back to the parking garage, until he kissed me on the arm and Ben pulled him away saying "Girls are gross, Barrett!" *Another side note .... what exactly is Ben saying here? Is he really saying that GIRLS are gross or that MICAL is gross!? Ha ha! Either way ... I was bummed that he pulled my new little friend away! Barrett put up a fight though. He grabbed my hand again and wouldn't let go! ... It truly was the best part of my week - kisses from Barrett? What is better!? ;) *Yet another side note .... I think I lied to you, James Nilsen - whoops. ;) I DO love it when littlun's grab my hand as we walk ... and hugs from 'em ... and, in this case, kisses! .... Okay - back to the point! ;)
My time with Barrett on Sunday afternoon was one of the best times I've had in awhile. :) I keep telling Ben that I want to steal him, plop him down in my room, and just talk with him all day long! Some folks may not see the joy in hanging out with little kids ... maybe it's one of those simply joys in my life ... but really - try it sometime! Kids are incredibly fun and can teach you a lot!
An afternoon with Barrett ... the highlight of my week! And I'm still excited about it 3 days later! ;) .... My advice to all you fellow bloggers ... spend some time with Barrett - and soon! :)
Yep, I'm talking about Barrett Nilsen - my favorite little guy in the world!!! I got to spend the afternoon with him on Sunday and had the time of my life! The Higher Ground/Grace folks went to Q'doba for lunch on Sunday afternoon, and the Nilsens came too. :) Yay Mike, Judy, Alec, and Barrett! ... Barrett was super fun at lunch - being the crazy-fun 6 year old that he is. :) He was jumping from lap to lap and talking non-stop! Way too much fun!!! ... He sat on my lap for awhile, and when Mike and Judy left, he told me he was going to the Children's Museum with Ben. He said, "You can come with us if you want to." And pretty much from that moment, I was determined to go! ;) When your favorite little guy invites you to come along, you go! ;) I've been wanting to get to know Barrett better for a long while, so I knew I was going with them! :D And a funny note - later, during lunch, Barrett and Ben were getting ready to leave, talking about the Children's Museum ... and Barrett looked at me and said, "I don't think you're coming." I laughed and told Ben that he must've changed his mind about me coming. Ha! It was pretty funny. ;) So Ben, Brittney, and Barrett left for the CM, and I finished chatting with some folks. After I dropped Tiff off at the church, I called Ben and asked if I could tag along on their adventure to the CM. :)
By the time I got there, they had seen much of the place, so we only stayed an hour or so longer. But during that time, I had Barrett nearly all to myself! I let Ben and Brittney talk, and I followed Barrett all over the building. We crawled under the train displays, ran through the black light maze, sat in a submarine, ran from a "bomb" on the main floor of the submarine (Barrett pushed a button; it started flashing ... we decided the submarine might blow up, so we ran away!), and my favorite event - we had a sword fight with the funky-shaped glass creations in the basement of the CM. All our adventures were the highlight of my week ... but my favorite part (hands down!) was when we were walking to the parking garage at the end of the day. We walked out the doors of the CM, and Barrett ran to me and grabbed my hand. He held my hand the whole way back to the parking garage, until he kissed me on the arm and Ben pulled him away saying "Girls are gross, Barrett!" *Another side note .... what exactly is Ben saying here? Is he really saying that GIRLS are gross or that MICAL is gross!? Ha ha! Either way ... I was bummed that he pulled my new little friend away! Barrett put up a fight though. He grabbed my hand again and wouldn't let go! ... It truly was the best part of my week - kisses from Barrett? What is better!? ;) *Yet another side note .... I think I lied to you, James Nilsen - whoops. ;) I DO love it when littlun's grab my hand as we walk ... and hugs from 'em ... and, in this case, kisses! .... Okay - back to the point! ;)
My time with Barrett on Sunday afternoon was one of the best times I've had in awhile. :) I keep telling Ben that I want to steal him, plop him down in my room, and just talk with him all day long! Some folks may not see the joy in hanging out with little kids ... maybe it's one of those simply joys in my life ... but really - try it sometime! Kids are incredibly fun and can teach you a lot!
An afternoon with Barrett ... the highlight of my week! And I'm still excited about it 3 days later! ;) .... My advice to all you fellow bloggers ... spend some time with Barrett - and soon! :)
Monday, September 15, 2008
Gettin' some balance to this crazy life!!!! :D
Well, I'm at it again! ... Posting while I'm at school. .... I got here early, read my Bible for a bit and then studied for a bit ... I'm entitled to a post, don'tcha think? ;) Ha ha!
Well, just want to share something new I started today ... and plan to continue! It's kind of a new goal, I guess you could say. ... I've been trying to find some balance in my life since school started back on that crazy first day - August 20, 2008. Lots of crazy things hit just a couple weeks before school started, and I have been struggling to find purpose, motivation, balance, and SANITY! ;) Well, I've been crying out to God a lot lately ... trusting Him, growing in Him - good stuff. And this morning I began my road to BALANCE! I'm working on balancing my school work, commuting to and from school, exercise, relationships, ministries, "sane time" (some time to simply REST!), and of course - my walk with God. :) I've been really struggling ... but I'm on my way!!!!! This morning, I got up super early (yep, 5:30am - bluck!), packed my lunch, packed my bag, and headed to the Fitness Experts (our local workout arena!). I RAN and walked for a bit, took a shower, grabbed my granola bars and apple, and headed to school.
It is AMAZING the energy and clear mind and sense of hope and joy and strength that is surrounding me this morning!!! I may not be this "peppy" every morning (after getting up at 5:30am! Blaaahhh!), but today, I'm off to an amazing start! (It also helps that I prayed with my pastor about some things last night, and I'm closer to surrendering some things! But that's a side note!) ;) ... Exercising early in the morning will give me more time to rest and do homework and spend time with the Lord in the evenings. And then I'll get up and do it all over again!
My purpose is back! (Not that it ever really left!) God is faithful! I may have bummer moments, down days, and the like at times .... but God is standing at my side - pushing me, loving me through, and growing me up in Him AND in my abilities! Yay for having purpose in Jesus!!!
Have a great week, my blogger friends! Keep leaning on Jesus! Keep seeking after Him and loving Him more with each BREATH! He is ALL that we need! :D
Well, just want to share something new I started today ... and plan to continue! It's kind of a new goal, I guess you could say. ... I've been trying to find some balance in my life since school started back on that crazy first day - August 20, 2008. Lots of crazy things hit just a couple weeks before school started, and I have been struggling to find purpose, motivation, balance, and SANITY! ;) Well, I've been crying out to God a lot lately ... trusting Him, growing in Him - good stuff. And this morning I began my road to BALANCE! I'm working on balancing my school work, commuting to and from school, exercise, relationships, ministries, "sane time" (some time to simply REST!), and of course - my walk with God. :) I've been really struggling ... but I'm on my way!!!!! This morning, I got up super early (yep, 5:30am - bluck!), packed my lunch, packed my bag, and headed to the Fitness Experts (our local workout arena!). I RAN and walked for a bit, took a shower, grabbed my granola bars and apple, and headed to school.
It is AMAZING the energy and clear mind and sense of hope and joy and strength that is surrounding me this morning!!! I may not be this "peppy" every morning (after getting up at 5:30am! Blaaahhh!), but today, I'm off to an amazing start! (It also helps that I prayed with my pastor about some things last night, and I'm closer to surrendering some things! But that's a side note!) ;) ... Exercising early in the morning will give me more time to rest and do homework and spend time with the Lord in the evenings. And then I'll get up and do it all over again!
My purpose is back! (Not that it ever really left!) God is faithful! I may have bummer moments, down days, and the like at times .... but God is standing at my side - pushing me, loving me through, and growing me up in Him AND in my abilities! Yay for having purpose in Jesus!!!
Have a great week, my blogger friends! Keep leaning on Jesus! Keep seeking after Him and loving Him more with each BREATH! He is ALL that we need! :D
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Quick Thought!
Just a quick thought for this evening ....
Jesus loves me.
Jesus loves you.
We are good to go! :D
Jesus loves me.
Jesus loves you.
We are good to go! :D
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Just some thoughts from a broken yet healing heart ...
Hmm ....
So what do you do with pain? How do you cope with the hurts that come your way? What is the answer when you feel like you can do NOTHING else but cry? How do you deal with feelings of deep sadness? How do you glorify God in your pain? What is the answer when you have no answers? When you are getting no answers? What is the answer? ... Or should I say whom?
Yep, that's right! Jesus! Jesus!!!! JESUS IS THE ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you have no answers to your questions ... to your longings that are not fulfilled ... to the purpose you feel you lack ... to the feelings of bitterness, inadequacy, longing, and pain you feel so deep down in your soul .... JESUS! When you don't know what to do? JESUS! When you can't focus on anything but the bummers that are in your life - JESUS! No matter what happens - Jesus is the answer!!!
Huh. ........ I have been a Christian for almost 16 years ... and isn't it crazy and amazing and wow-fun when God teaches you new things that are so simple? Isn't it amazing that after years and years of being a follower of Christ, Jesus pours so much into your life that you can't help but grow in Him in new and amazing ways? Isn't it unfathomable how much God loves us in spite of our worry, our lack of trust, our wallowing in pain? Isn't it beyond amazing how God shows us more of Himself when we really and truly and wholly seek Him? When we genuinely cry out to Him for help and fulfillment and hope and rest and strength? He gives it! He gives it all so freely! He is so ready to take our burdens, to love us through them, to give us hope and purpose (or to remind us of the hope and purpose we already have in Him!).
The faithfulness of God ... there really is NOTHING like it! Even in the midst of some crazy things going on in my life, God is FAITHFUL. He is constantly reminding me of His PLAN for my life! That He is NOT done writing my sentence (God's Grammar Lessons - remember that post?). He is not done putting in all of the punctuation. He is not done crafting the important parts of my sentence - where the commas go, where the action verbs and linking verbs go (those things that I DO and those things that God is LINKING to the other parts of my life to make my life complete), where the nouns go (the people, places, and things that God is planning out for me to experience), where the adjectives go (the beautiful and pure and amazing events, people, situations, and fulfilled desires that God is planning out for my life!). He has EACH and EVERY part of my life's sentence planned out! He is faithful to complete it! One of my FAVORITE verses in scripture is Philippians 1:6 - "being confident of this, that He who began a GOOD work in YOU will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of Christ Jesus." What a promise! He's got everything planned out ... right down to the smallest details of my life! And He has promised to carry the GOOD on to COMPLETION! COMPLETE! That's what I want to be! Not lacking anything! Like it says in James 1:4 - "And perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and COMPLETE, not lacking anything." .... Man. Good stuff!
I am holding onto those promises today! Why don't you try to as well? :) God is faithful - He NEVER fails. Keep leaning on Him with all that you are!!!!!!!!!!!! And I will too! :D
So what do you do with pain? How do you cope with the hurts that come your way? What is the answer when you feel like you can do NOTHING else but cry? How do you deal with feelings of deep sadness? How do you glorify God in your pain? What is the answer when you have no answers? When you are getting no answers? What is the answer? ... Or should I say whom?
Yep, that's right! Jesus! Jesus!!!! JESUS IS THE ANSWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! When you have no answers to your questions ... to your longings that are not fulfilled ... to the purpose you feel you lack ... to the feelings of bitterness, inadequacy, longing, and pain you feel so deep down in your soul .... JESUS! When you don't know what to do? JESUS! When you can't focus on anything but the bummers that are in your life - JESUS! No matter what happens - Jesus is the answer!!!
Huh. ........ I have been a Christian for almost 16 years ... and isn't it crazy and amazing and wow-fun when God teaches you new things that are so simple? Isn't it amazing that after years and years of being a follower of Christ, Jesus pours so much into your life that you can't help but grow in Him in new and amazing ways? Isn't it unfathomable how much God loves us in spite of our worry, our lack of trust, our wallowing in pain? Isn't it beyond amazing how God shows us more of Himself when we really and truly and wholly seek Him? When we genuinely cry out to Him for help and fulfillment and hope and rest and strength? He gives it! He gives it all so freely! He is so ready to take our burdens, to love us through them, to give us hope and purpose (or to remind us of the hope and purpose we already have in Him!).
The faithfulness of God ... there really is NOTHING like it! Even in the midst of some crazy things going on in my life, God is FAITHFUL. He is constantly reminding me of His PLAN for my life! That He is NOT done writing my sentence (God's Grammar Lessons - remember that post?). He is not done putting in all of the punctuation. He is not done crafting the important parts of my sentence - where the commas go, where the action verbs and linking verbs go (those things that I DO and those things that God is LINKING to the other parts of my life to make my life complete), where the nouns go (the people, places, and things that God is planning out for me to experience), where the adjectives go (the beautiful and pure and amazing events, people, situations, and fulfilled desires that God is planning out for my life!). He has EACH and EVERY part of my life's sentence planned out! He is faithful to complete it! One of my FAVORITE verses in scripture is Philippians 1:6 - "being confident of this, that He who began a GOOD work in YOU will carry it on to COMPLETION until the day of Christ Jesus." What a promise! He's got everything planned out ... right down to the smallest details of my life! And He has promised to carry the GOOD on to COMPLETION! COMPLETE! That's what I want to be! Not lacking anything! Like it says in James 1:4 - "And perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and COMPLETE, not lacking anything." .... Man. Good stuff!
I am holding onto those promises today! Why don't you try to as well? :) God is faithful - He NEVER fails. Keep leaning on Him with all that you are!!!!!!!!!!!! And I will too! :D
Friday, September 12, 2008
Cookie Cutter Friend (Part 4)
So I've been thinking about one of my best friends tonight .... she is far away. Sadness. ;( Just been thinking about how much I love her and miss her and wish she were here. ........... Yep, I'm talking about my final Cookie Cutter Friend - Shelley Chambers! :) ....... MAN! The "enter" button on my laptop is not working again! Gosh, I hate posts that are all run together! Oh well. ........ So it is hard to know where to start with this CCF. She is simply great. She has been one of my best friends since the first month I met her - just about 8 years ago. (For those who don't know, Shelley is my youth pastor's wife, and they now live in Poplar Bluff, Missouri, serving as youth pastors at a church there.) ............. Shelley is not only one of my best friends, but she is one of my mentors/role-models, my comfort (next to Jesus, of course!), one of my strongest encouragers, my second mom (even though she isn't old enough to be!), the person I tell all of my deepest longings and greatest joys and most awful hurts ... she's just someone I can share with ... and she is one of the people I adore most in this life! She has been there to listen to my hurts, my girly emotional "trauma," my joys ... and to watch me grow in Christ, in convictions, in dreams, in who I am as a person. And she has contributed to all of those areas of growth in my life. :) ......... Some of my favorite moments with Shelley have been our e-mail conversations - even when she was still here in Danville - we had some great e-mail conversations .... about boys, about love, about Jesus, about God's plan and purpose for my life, about my future husband, about growing in the midst of pain, about healing from pain, about God's word ... and the list could go on! She is the one I talk to about everything. :) She is one of the first people I turn to in any and every circumstance. Shelley is one of those people whom God cut out at the beginning of time - to be apart of my life! God knew I needed Shelley. :) .................. It is hard to think about her not being a 10-minute drive away anymore. It's more like a 6-hour drive. *Sigh* But God keeps us together. :) It's one of those friendships that will never fade ... one of those friendships that lasts even when the relationship is strained and we're apart for so long ... it's one of those Cookie Cutter Friendships. :) ...... Man, do I miss this CCF! Love you, Shelley!
Thursday, September 11, 2008
God's Grammar Rules 101
Alright! Another homework break post! Swweeet! :D
Before I start .... I forgot to include the scripture reference for my last post (the one about Mary and Martha!). Check out Luke 10:38-42. And let's be Marys!!!! :)
Okay! So it's on to grammar! Yep, you know it!!!!! (It's true I'm an English major, and it's true I DO like grammar!) ... This is a different kind of grammar. I got the idea from the Mary/Martha book I told you about yesterday. In one chapter, the author discusses "God's Grammar Rules," and one rule in particular stuck out for me! So I thought I'd share it. As I thought more about the "grammar rules" from God, I thought of a few more ... but we'll talk about those another day! :)
Today (Yes!), I want to talk to you about commas and periods. And the rule for today is:
"Don't put a period where God puts a comma."
Yep, you got it! Don't stop when God brings "pauses" to your life. ... When I heard this grammar lesson while on my way to school yesterday, I wanted to jump out of the car and do a cartwheel or something! It was one of those moments when God just jumps out of the text (usually it's the Bible I'm talking about, but in this case, I'm talking about the Having a Mary Spirit in a Martha World book) and smacks you right in the head! And it was a good smack, as they always are - full of conviction and encouragement!
God has been bringing a lot of "pauses" to my life over the past 6 months. Boy, has He!!!! These pauses have taken the form of heartbreak. And they are heartbreaks that I HAVE BEEN seeing as PERIODS! Bummer, I know. But I've been thinking about these "periods" over the past few days ... and they really are NOT periods at all ... they are COMMAS!!! YESSSSS!!! We don't need to freak out when God delays things or when He "takes things away" or when He says "wait, my child." We don't have to take those actions that God performs as periods - as things that are done and over. ... Just because I couldn't pass a silly test doesn't mean I'm not gonna be a teacher (many options out there!) .... just because things didn't work out with a special someone doesn't mean God doesn't know what He's doing! God STILL has a plan for those things in my life! He may put me in a teaching position I didn't picture myself in - teaching English to kids in China, teaching/helping kids learn basic skills (how to take care of themselves) in a village in Africa, working with/discipling young kids in the inner city, substitute teaching in Hendricks County schools .... and the list could keep going! God knows what He's doing, and He HAS a plan!!!! These so called "periods" in my life are actually commas!
God has our entire lives planned out (think of our lives as an entire sentence). He places punctuation in our lives to spice up our lives (just as punctuation gives life to a sentence and keeps it from being boring, ineffective, and awkward). God puts commas and periods and exclamation points and question marks and all kinds of punctuation in our lives to make our lives BETTER!!! And more importantly! He puts them ALL in the RIGHT places! :) Working in the IUPUI Writing Center, I KNOW how IMPORTANT it is to put punctuation in the right spots!!! Ha ha!
Soooo ......... do you have some commas that God's put in your life that you've been treating like periods??? Granted, they COULD be periods. God DOES stop things in our lives and tell us "no" regarding some things, but sit and think about your "periods." Are they really periods? Or are they commas? Don't let "pauses" in your life get you down (I'm trying not to!). God has the entire sentence already written ... you have already come across some punctuation, and there is so much more to come! Keep reading the sentence of your life (living your life!)! Don't give up! Go to the Writing Center for help (GOD!)!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA! I am cracking myself up with this analogy! Isn't it amazing???!!! (I work in the writing center; I'm an English major .... this stuff is funny!)
Well, okay! I need to get back to homework and eat some lunch and get to class. .... Keep pressing through those commas (and whatever other punctuation you're enduring)! God has a plan! I will strive to do the same!!!! ...... And stay tuned for more "grammar lessons" from God (brought to you by me)! :)
Have a wonderful day, my blogger friends! :)
Before I start .... I forgot to include the scripture reference for my last post (the one about Mary and Martha!). Check out Luke 10:38-42. And let's be Marys!!!! :)
Okay! So it's on to grammar! Yep, you know it!!!!! (It's true I'm an English major, and it's true I DO like grammar!) ... This is a different kind of grammar. I got the idea from the Mary/Martha book I told you about yesterday. In one chapter, the author discusses "God's Grammar Rules," and one rule in particular stuck out for me! So I thought I'd share it. As I thought more about the "grammar rules" from God, I thought of a few more ... but we'll talk about those another day! :)
Today (Yes!), I want to talk to you about commas and periods. And the rule for today is:
"Don't put a period where God puts a comma."
Yep, you got it! Don't stop when God brings "pauses" to your life. ... When I heard this grammar lesson while on my way to school yesterday, I wanted to jump out of the car and do a cartwheel or something! It was one of those moments when God just jumps out of the text (usually it's the Bible I'm talking about, but in this case, I'm talking about the Having a Mary Spirit in a Martha World book) and smacks you right in the head! And it was a good smack, as they always are - full of conviction and encouragement!
God has been bringing a lot of "pauses" to my life over the past 6 months. Boy, has He!!!! These pauses have taken the form of heartbreak. And they are heartbreaks that I HAVE BEEN seeing as PERIODS! Bummer, I know. But I've been thinking about these "periods" over the past few days ... and they really are NOT periods at all ... they are COMMAS!!! YESSSSS!!! We don't need to freak out when God delays things or when He "takes things away" or when He says "wait, my child." We don't have to take those actions that God performs as periods - as things that are done and over. ... Just because I couldn't pass a silly test doesn't mean I'm not gonna be a teacher (many options out there!) .... just because things didn't work out with a special someone doesn't mean God doesn't know what He's doing! God STILL has a plan for those things in my life! He may put me in a teaching position I didn't picture myself in - teaching English to kids in China, teaching/helping kids learn basic skills (how to take care of themselves) in a village in Africa, working with/discipling young kids in the inner city, substitute teaching in Hendricks County schools .... and the list could keep going! God knows what He's doing, and He HAS a plan!!!! These so called "periods" in my life are actually commas!
God has our entire lives planned out (think of our lives as an entire sentence). He places punctuation in our lives to spice up our lives (just as punctuation gives life to a sentence and keeps it from being boring, ineffective, and awkward). God puts commas and periods and exclamation points and question marks and all kinds of punctuation in our lives to make our lives BETTER!!! And more importantly! He puts them ALL in the RIGHT places! :) Working in the IUPUI Writing Center, I KNOW how IMPORTANT it is to put punctuation in the right spots!!! Ha ha!
Soooo ......... do you have some commas that God's put in your life that you've been treating like periods??? Granted, they COULD be periods. God DOES stop things in our lives and tell us "no" regarding some things, but sit and think about your "periods." Are they really periods? Or are they commas? Don't let "pauses" in your life get you down (I'm trying not to!). God has the entire sentence already written ... you have already come across some punctuation, and there is so much more to come! Keep reading the sentence of your life (living your life!)! Don't give up! Go to the Writing Center for help (GOD!)!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHA! I am cracking myself up with this analogy! Isn't it amazing???!!! (I work in the writing center; I'm an English major .... this stuff is funny!)
Well, okay! I need to get back to homework and eat some lunch and get to class. .... Keep pressing through those commas (and whatever other punctuation you're enduring)! God has a plan! I will strive to do the same!!!! ...... And stay tuned for more "grammar lessons" from God (brought to you by me)! :)
Have a wonderful day, my blogger friends! :)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
A Martha striving to be a Mary! :D
Oh, man! I am listening to a great book on cd on my way to school in the mornings, and it is amazing!!!
EVERYONE (well, every woman!)!!!!!!! Find Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, and read it ... or listen to it ... or something!!!!!! It is a book about finding intimacy with God when you are crazy busy all the time! But it is about so much more!!! EVERY single day I listen to this book, I am smacked up side the head! ... Okay, so if you don't like to be smacked, then this book is not for you! But in reality ... you need to read it/listen to it anyway! It is FULL of godly conviction and encouragement! Convicting me to make myself COMPLETELY available to God - being a MARY, who sits at Jesus' feet NO MATTER how busy I get! I am most certainly a MARTHA - the kind of woman who wants to do it ALL - wants to serve, wants to encourage, wants to get involved with every ministry, every Bible study, every social event on the planet (and DOES!!!)! (Plus, I have school and friends and BLOGGING, of course!) ;) And I'm also like Martha concerning my "too busy 'serving' you, Lord, to spend time with you" attitude at times. ... I'm getting better - waking up earlier to spend the first few minutes of the day with my Lord and trying to start a habit of doing my evening devotions right when I get home from school instead of right before I go to bed when I am falling asleep BEFORE I even hit my pillow! But I still have a LONG way to go! So yeah. Whew!
I am most certainly a Martha ... but I am striving all the harder to be a Mary! What are YOU??? Are you a Martha woman who spends all your time doing the 'right' things? Trying to please God and love Him but finding you're too busy to be intimate with Him? Or are you a Mary ... a woman who drops everything (no matter how busy!) to sit at your Master's feet? Wow! What a question! It's pretty loaded, really. Sit and ponder on that for a while. "Am I a Mary or a Martha?" ....... I'M gonna strive to be more like Mary! :)
Gosh! I also have a cool thought from this Martha/Mary book that I want to share - it's about "God's Grammar Lessons" - but I will have to share about that later! I am off to Spanish class! Hasta luego, amigos! (Or "amigAs" in this case ... because I think only women read my blog.) ;)
Stay tuned for an IMPORTANT grammar lesson from God (brought to you by me). :D
EVERYONE (well, every woman!)!!!!!!! Find Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver, and read it ... or listen to it ... or something!!!!!! It is a book about finding intimacy with God when you are crazy busy all the time! But it is about so much more!!! EVERY single day I listen to this book, I am smacked up side the head! ... Okay, so if you don't like to be smacked, then this book is not for you! But in reality ... you need to read it/listen to it anyway! It is FULL of godly conviction and encouragement! Convicting me to make myself COMPLETELY available to God - being a MARY, who sits at Jesus' feet NO MATTER how busy I get! I am most certainly a MARTHA - the kind of woman who wants to do it ALL - wants to serve, wants to encourage, wants to get involved with every ministry, every Bible study, every social event on the planet (and DOES!!!)! (Plus, I have school and friends and BLOGGING, of course!) ;) And I'm also like Martha concerning my "too busy 'serving' you, Lord, to spend time with you" attitude at times. ... I'm getting better - waking up earlier to spend the first few minutes of the day with my Lord and trying to start a habit of doing my evening devotions right when I get home from school instead of right before I go to bed when I am falling asleep BEFORE I even hit my pillow! But I still have a LONG way to go! So yeah. Whew!
I am most certainly a Martha ... but I am striving all the harder to be a Mary! What are YOU??? Are you a Martha woman who spends all your time doing the 'right' things? Trying to please God and love Him but finding you're too busy to be intimate with Him? Or are you a Mary ... a woman who drops everything (no matter how busy!) to sit at your Master's feet? Wow! What a question! It's pretty loaded, really. Sit and ponder on that for a while. "Am I a Mary or a Martha?" ....... I'M gonna strive to be more like Mary! :)
Gosh! I also have a cool thought from this Martha/Mary book that I want to share - it's about "God's Grammar Lessons" - but I will have to share about that later! I am off to Spanish class! Hasta luego, amigos! (Or "amigAs" in this case ... because I think only women read my blog.) ;)
Stay tuned for an IMPORTANT grammar lesson from God (brought to you by me). :D
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
NO MORE COMPLAINING! ... And a quick "pick me up" friend story :)
Ha! So I just posted a few minutes ago, but I'm back at it again! I got off of "fun and faithful," got some homework done, and then started thinking. ... My bitterness has turned me into a complainer!!!! Sure, there is a fair amount of just sharing your hurt ... but I am on my way to Gripesville! Get me out of here!!!!! I've taken the highway on the side that says "WRONG WAY!" all over it for too long! I need to pull a U-ie! ... It'll be a hard U-ie to pull off, but I'm gonna try! And it is NOT illegal by any stretch! Actually, it is a COMMAND!!!!! So I'm gonna attempt it (even if it is a PROCESS)!
Thought I'd share some new goals that I have. It's a short list, but I thought if I share it, you all can give me a hard time when I start complaining again and keep me accountable! So ... the following are my goals ... goals that God has been pressing on my heart lately.
#1 - ENCOURAGE! - Work harder at using my spiritual gifting! "THIS is what I've called you to do NOW, Mical Masterson!" (from God)
#2 - LET GO! - Work on letting go of the JUNK going on in my life - REALLY let go! "I'm taking care of it ALL, my dear child." (from God)
#3 - GLORIFY GOD! - I looked up the word "glory" in the dictionary recently, and it talked about bringing satisfaction, pride, or pleasure to something/someone. So! I'm gonna work at bringing God pleasure ... and making Him proud of me! "This is ALL that I am asking of you right now ... to glorify Me - nothing else! Keep going, you crazy and loved girl!" (from God)
Okay! That's it! ..... Isn't it crazy and great how God convicts (and encourages) us to DO and to BE even in our times of pain? I bet it's to help us get OUT of that pain and to help us GROW! To help us LEAN ON HIM! Dependency ... we are completely and entirely in need of Jesus!!!!!!! Sometimes I forget that! I think God is a bringin' me back! SWWEEET!
And guess what! This JUST happened! So I'm soooooo sharing it!!!!!!!!!!
I'm sitting in the library at school right now ... TRYING to get some homework done! (When you are having a bad day, it is just so stinkin' hard to focus! So I'm blogging a little to help pick myself up!) But anyway! I'm sitting here blogging ... and all of a sudden I see Jeremy Wright heading my way! He was on campus for something and had seen me in the library a week or so ago, so he was back on campus again today and thought he'd stop by just to see if I was in the library again! WOW! What a GOD MOMENT!!!!!!!!!! Don't you LOVE those!!!!??? Oh, man!!!!!!!!! ... Jeremy is one of those "pick me up" people in my life. An incredible blessing EVERY time I see him! No matter what, he ALWAYS gives me the pick me up I need! .... He just came by to say hi, and he let me know that he's been praying for me. ENTIRELY what I needed today! .......... Wow! ........... WOW!!!! ............ WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm pretty much beaming, with tears in my eyes! How can I even think, for one second, that God is NOT in the healing process!? Little things like Jeremy being on campus and coming to find me is just ONE example of God's power and WILLINGNESS to bring healing! And to bring encouragement right when I need it!!!!!!!!!! Wow, God! Wow!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so I'm on a Jesus high at the moment! I will work on staying there! And even when I get down, remember that God is providing and sustaining and establishing in every moment of every day of my life! Wow! Our God is BEYOND amazing!!!!!
WOW!
Thought I'd share some new goals that I have. It's a short list, but I thought if I share it, you all can give me a hard time when I start complaining again and keep me accountable! So ... the following are my goals ... goals that God has been pressing on my heart lately.
#1 - ENCOURAGE! - Work harder at using my spiritual gifting! "THIS is what I've called you to do NOW, Mical Masterson!" (from God)
#2 - LET GO! - Work on letting go of the JUNK going on in my life - REALLY let go! "I'm taking care of it ALL, my dear child." (from God)
#3 - GLORIFY GOD! - I looked up the word "glory" in the dictionary recently, and it talked about bringing satisfaction, pride, or pleasure to something/someone. So! I'm gonna work at bringing God pleasure ... and making Him proud of me! "This is ALL that I am asking of you right now ... to glorify Me - nothing else! Keep going, you crazy and loved girl!" (from God)
Okay! That's it! ..... Isn't it crazy and great how God convicts (and encourages) us to DO and to BE even in our times of pain? I bet it's to help us get OUT of that pain and to help us GROW! To help us LEAN ON HIM! Dependency ... we are completely and entirely in need of Jesus!!!!!!! Sometimes I forget that! I think God is a bringin' me back! SWWEEET!
And guess what! This JUST happened! So I'm soooooo sharing it!!!!!!!!!!
I'm sitting in the library at school right now ... TRYING to get some homework done! (When you are having a bad day, it is just so stinkin' hard to focus! So I'm blogging a little to help pick myself up!) But anyway! I'm sitting here blogging ... and all of a sudden I see Jeremy Wright heading my way! He was on campus for something and had seen me in the library a week or so ago, so he was back on campus again today and thought he'd stop by just to see if I was in the library again! WOW! What a GOD MOMENT!!!!!!!!!! Don't you LOVE those!!!!??? Oh, man!!!!!!!!! ... Jeremy is one of those "pick me up" people in my life. An incredible blessing EVERY time I see him! No matter what, he ALWAYS gives me the pick me up I need! .... He just came by to say hi, and he let me know that he's been praying for me. ENTIRELY what I needed today! .......... Wow! ........... WOW!!!! ............ WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm pretty much beaming, with tears in my eyes! How can I even think, for one second, that God is NOT in the healing process!? Little things like Jeremy being on campus and coming to find me is just ONE example of God's power and WILLINGNESS to bring healing! And to bring encouragement right when I need it!!!!!!!!!! Wow, God! Wow!!!!!!!!!!
Okay, so I'm on a Jesus high at the moment! I will work on staying there! And even when I get down, remember that God is providing and sustaining and establishing in every moment of every day of my life! Wow! Our God is BEYOND amazing!!!!!
WOW!
Digging deep and getting no where ... or so it feels.
So I'm at school and really should be working on homework ... but I'm taking a short break.
I want to ask for all of you blogger friends to pray for me. God sure is faithful ... but He is delaying the healing process for some things in my life right now. I know He's teaching me things through it, but at the moment, I cannot see the lessons - even though I've been crying out to God "teach me what you want me to know!" "No matter what you let me go through, I love you! I trust you! I will follow you!" ... Could ya'll pray that I will let go and just glorify God? Will you pray that I will not harbor bitterness any longer and just live in the joy of God's promises?
One of the AMAZING things about this relationship with Jesus is that NO MATTER WHAT hits me in this messed up, fallen existence, I still have joy. That is one of the many things that proves Jesus' existence in our lives! It holds us apart from the world. We have JOY, which is totally different from happiness! Joy is always ... happiness is temporal. Anyway! I have joy, but right now the downers of this life are attacking me and burying my joy deep down. My joy IS still there, but it is waaaayy down, deep in my spirit right now. Know that I am fiercely digging deep ... EVERYday I grab my shovel - first thing - and dig! But I keep hitting huge rocks! Ya know? When you dig in your backyard ... maybe you're planting flowers or even a whole new tree! ... And you hit rocks and roots and such? I find myself digging consistently, but I get so exhausted because these huge rocks of bitterness or sadness or discouragement or inadequacy or loss or whatever ... just get in the way! I feel like I'm digging deep and getting no where!
But ya know? I am! If I really calm down and get honest with myself, I AM getting somewhere! Because God is growing me! I don't know in what ways yet, but He is growing me! (I'm trying to be realistic and not let the "depths of despair" overtake me! - And yep, I'm totally stealing one of my favorite phrases from Anne of Green Gables!)
Please keep me in prayer, if you would. God is sooooo faithful! He DOES have a plan! I am just caught in a hole of rocks and roots and such, exhausted from the dig. But I can't stop digging! Giving up is not an option!
GOTTA KEEP DIGGING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Too bad that's so much easier said than done).
I want to ask for all of you blogger friends to pray for me. God sure is faithful ... but He is delaying the healing process for some things in my life right now. I know He's teaching me things through it, but at the moment, I cannot see the lessons - even though I've been crying out to God "teach me what you want me to know!" "No matter what you let me go through, I love you! I trust you! I will follow you!" ... Could ya'll pray that I will let go and just glorify God? Will you pray that I will not harbor bitterness any longer and just live in the joy of God's promises?
One of the AMAZING things about this relationship with Jesus is that NO MATTER WHAT hits me in this messed up, fallen existence, I still have joy. That is one of the many things that proves Jesus' existence in our lives! It holds us apart from the world. We have JOY, which is totally different from happiness! Joy is always ... happiness is temporal. Anyway! I have joy, but right now the downers of this life are attacking me and burying my joy deep down. My joy IS still there, but it is waaaayy down, deep in my spirit right now. Know that I am fiercely digging deep ... EVERYday I grab my shovel - first thing - and dig! But I keep hitting huge rocks! Ya know? When you dig in your backyard ... maybe you're planting flowers or even a whole new tree! ... And you hit rocks and roots and such? I find myself digging consistently, but I get so exhausted because these huge rocks of bitterness or sadness or discouragement or inadequacy or loss or whatever ... just get in the way! I feel like I'm digging deep and getting no where!
But ya know? I am! If I really calm down and get honest with myself, I AM getting somewhere! Because God is growing me! I don't know in what ways yet, but He is growing me! (I'm trying to be realistic and not let the "depths of despair" overtake me! - And yep, I'm totally stealing one of my favorite phrases from Anne of Green Gables!)
Please keep me in prayer, if you would. God is sooooo faithful! He DOES have a plan! I am just caught in a hole of rocks and roots and such, exhausted from the dig. But I can't stop digging! Giving up is not an option!
GOTTA KEEP DIGGING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Too bad that's so much easier said than done).
Saturday, September 6, 2008
It'll Be (more than) Alright! (AGAIN!)
So I'm still kind of on the down side of the emo coaster today. Don't you hate that? When your spirit wants to get excited about the work God is doing in your life but your heart and mind are in the dumps? Has that ever happened to you? If not, I'm so glad! If so, I know exactly where you're at!
So today, I'm gonna throw out a few more things to remind myself (and maybe some of you all who are having a dumpy day) that it'll be (more than) alright ... as God continues to heal.
Here is a song that God has been putting on my heart lately. It is a GREAT song to sing when I am being dumpy and thinking only about myself and the pain I'm feeling. If you don't know it, catch me when I'm feeling bold, and I'll sing it to ya! :) Here are the lyrics.
I NEED YOU MORE
I need You more, more than yesterday. I need You more.
More than words can say, I need You more ... than ever before.
I need You more. I need You more.
More than the air I breathe, more than this song I sing, more than the next heartbeat.
More than anything, and Lord, as time goes by ... You will be by my side.
And I never want to go back to my old life.
Right here, in Your presence is where I belong.
I know my broken heart has finally found a home. And I'll never be alone.
I need You more.
And here's another song that I want to be the prayer of my life!
JESUS, BE THE CENTER
Jesus, be the Center.
Jesus, be the Center.
Be my Source; be my Light, Jesus.
Jesus, be the Center.
Jesus, be the Center.
Be my Hope; be my Song, Jesus.
Be the Fire in my heart; be the Wind in these sails.
Be the Reason that I live, Jesus. Jesus.
Jesus, be my Vision.
Jesus, be my Vision.
Be my Path; be my Guide, Jesus.
Jesus. Jesus.
I pray that all those who read this post are NOT feeling dumpy ... but for those who are, keep leaning on Jesus. That is what I'm striving to do! Let Jesus be your song today! That's what I'm gonna try to do for the rest of my day! ... Yay! It is amazing how striving to bless others fills me with joy (and will hopefully lift up your day!). :) Let's keep runnin' this race, guys! "Our light and momentary struggles are achieving for us an eternal glory!" I'm holding onto that promise! Wanna join me? :)
Hebrews 12:1-2 --- "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US. Let us FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT GROW WEARY AND LOSE HEART."
So today, I'm gonna throw out a few more things to remind myself (and maybe some of you all who are having a dumpy day) that it'll be (more than) alright ... as God continues to heal.
Here is a song that God has been putting on my heart lately. It is a GREAT song to sing when I am being dumpy and thinking only about myself and the pain I'm feeling. If you don't know it, catch me when I'm feeling bold, and I'll sing it to ya! :) Here are the lyrics.
I NEED YOU MORE
I need You more, more than yesterday. I need You more.
More than words can say, I need You more ... than ever before.
I need You more. I need You more.
More than the air I breathe, more than this song I sing, more than the next heartbeat.
More than anything, and Lord, as time goes by ... You will be by my side.
And I never want to go back to my old life.
Right here, in Your presence is where I belong.
I know my broken heart has finally found a home. And I'll never be alone.
I need You more.
And here's another song that I want to be the prayer of my life!
JESUS, BE THE CENTER
Jesus, be the Center.
Jesus, be the Center.
Be my Source; be my Light, Jesus.
Jesus, be the Center.
Jesus, be the Center.
Be my Hope; be my Song, Jesus.
Be the Fire in my heart; be the Wind in these sails.
Be the Reason that I live, Jesus. Jesus.
Jesus, be my Vision.
Jesus, be my Vision.
Be my Path; be my Guide, Jesus.
Jesus. Jesus.
I pray that all those who read this post are NOT feeling dumpy ... but for those who are, keep leaning on Jesus. That is what I'm striving to do! Let Jesus be your song today! That's what I'm gonna try to do for the rest of my day! ... Yay! It is amazing how striving to bless others fills me with joy (and will hopefully lift up your day!). :) Let's keep runnin' this race, guys! "Our light and momentary struggles are achieving for us an eternal glory!" I'm holding onto that promise! Wanna join me? :)
Hebrews 12:1-2 --- "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us THROW OFF EVERYTHING THAT HINDERS and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us RUN WITH PERSEVERANCE THE RACE MARKED OUT FOR US. Let us FIX OUR EYES ON JESUS, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT GROW WEARY AND LOSE HEART."
Thursday, September 4, 2008
It'll Be (more than) Alright!!!
Wow. I'm ready to give up.
Have you ever felt that way? Ever felt like life is just too much sometimes? Like you want to pull your hair out and burn all your school books and skip all your classes and ditch all your jobs and forget about all of your commitments and throw a temper tantrum and cry till your heart hurts worse than it already does and laugh at all of your "problems" and "pains" and dig yourself a hole and never come out? Yeah ... me neither. ................ Ha ha ha ha!
Well, my mind feels like ALL of these things at the moment, but my heart is telling me to chill out and rest in God's peace. Ya know, if God wasn't so incredibly and entirely faithful, I WOULD have given up by now! Life is hard sometimes, isn't? Whether you've had all of your heart's deepest longings put on hold (yep, I'm saying put on hold, instead of lost - aren't you proud of me?!) or you have lost a loved one or you're battling depression or you're feeling hopeless or any other countless things that seem to go wrong in this life. There is hope! Hope in God's MIGHTY faithfulness! ... God has been pouring on His faithfulness ... pouring it into my life for so long! And I find myself griping and complaining - like tonight - I got home from a super long day at school and work and just spilled it all out for my mom to hear. I'm sure she was tired of listening long before half way through, but thank God she just listened ... and then said "it'll be alright." .... "It'll be alright." ... Those are such simple words, but don't you want to hear that every now and then? ... I do!
Tonight, I want to shout out a message of God's faithfulness to you AND TO ME! IT'LL BE ALRIGHT! ... Actually, it'll be MORE than alright! God promises that He will take care of us. And His EVERYDAY, NEVER-ENDING faithfulness reveals that He DOES take care of us - each and every day - each and every moment - with each and every breath of our lives. Some verses that God's been using in my life lately to reveal and instill His faithfulness are the following. Read these now. Read these later. Soak 'em up! For they are LIFE to your whole self!!!!
Psalm 73:25-26 --- "Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the STRENGTH of my heart and my PORTION FOREVER!"
Psalm 62:7 --- "My salvation and my honor DEPEND on GOD; He is MY MIGHTY ROCK, MY REFUGE!"
Psalm 32:8 & 32:10b --- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. ... but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him."
Proverbs 19:21 --- "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
Proverbs 3:5-6 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Jeremiah 17:7-8 --- "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 29:11 --- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 --- "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being RENEWED day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an ETERNAL GLORY that far outweighs them all. So we FIX OUR EYES not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is TEMPORARY, but what is unseen is ETERNAL."
I am writing this MORE as a comfort to myself! But ya'll might need some of this stuff too! :)
Keep trusting Jesus, Mical! Keep seeking Him and loving Him, Mical! Keep your eyes FIXED on Him, Mical! Keep at it, Mical! It'll be (MORE than) alright, Mical!
Have you ever felt that way? Ever felt like life is just too much sometimes? Like you want to pull your hair out and burn all your school books and skip all your classes and ditch all your jobs and forget about all of your commitments and throw a temper tantrum and cry till your heart hurts worse than it already does and laugh at all of your "problems" and "pains" and dig yourself a hole and never come out? Yeah ... me neither. ................ Ha ha ha ha!
Well, my mind feels like ALL of these things at the moment, but my heart is telling me to chill out and rest in God's peace. Ya know, if God wasn't so incredibly and entirely faithful, I WOULD have given up by now! Life is hard sometimes, isn't? Whether you've had all of your heart's deepest longings put on hold (yep, I'm saying put on hold, instead of lost - aren't you proud of me?!) or you have lost a loved one or you're battling depression or you're feeling hopeless or any other countless things that seem to go wrong in this life. There is hope! Hope in God's MIGHTY faithfulness! ... God has been pouring on His faithfulness ... pouring it into my life for so long! And I find myself griping and complaining - like tonight - I got home from a super long day at school and work and just spilled it all out for my mom to hear. I'm sure she was tired of listening long before half way through, but thank God she just listened ... and then said "it'll be alright." .... "It'll be alright." ... Those are such simple words, but don't you want to hear that every now and then? ... I do!
Tonight, I want to shout out a message of God's faithfulness to you AND TO ME! IT'LL BE ALRIGHT! ... Actually, it'll be MORE than alright! God promises that He will take care of us. And His EVERYDAY, NEVER-ENDING faithfulness reveals that He DOES take care of us - each and every day - each and every moment - with each and every breath of our lives. Some verses that God's been using in my life lately to reveal and instill His faithfulness are the following. Read these now. Read these later. Soak 'em up! For they are LIFE to your whole self!!!!
Psalm 73:25-26 --- "Whom have I in heaven but You? And earth has nothing I desire besides You. My flesh and my heart may fail, but GOD is the STRENGTH of my heart and my PORTION FOREVER!"
Psalm 62:7 --- "My salvation and my honor DEPEND on GOD; He is MY MIGHTY ROCK, MY REFUGE!"
Psalm 32:8 & 32:10b --- "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. ... but the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in Him."
Proverbs 19:21 --- "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
Proverbs 3:5-6 --- "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Jeremiah 17:7-8 --- "But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 29:11 --- "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 --- "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being RENEWED day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an ETERNAL GLORY that far outweighs them all. So we FIX OUR EYES not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is TEMPORARY, but what is unseen is ETERNAL."
I am writing this MORE as a comfort to myself! But ya'll might need some of this stuff too! :)
Keep trusting Jesus, Mical! Keep seeking Him and loving Him, Mical! Keep your eyes FIXED on Him, Mical! Keep at it, Mical! It'll be (MORE than) alright, Mical!
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