march! spring is on its way.

If you haven't noticed, today is an absolutely beautiful day! Or at least, it is here, and I hope it is wherever yall are : ) I came upon Psalm 19 after reading an excerpt from a book I bought a few weeks ago, Reflection on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis. He says about it, "I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world". It seems to be so fitting for this day. So first, here is the familiar Psalm:

1 The heavens are telling of the glory of God;

And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands.

2 Day to day pours forth speech,

And night to night reveals knowledge.

3 There is no speech, nor are there words;

Their voice is not heard.

4 Their line has gone out through all the earth,

And their utterances to the end of the world.

In them He has placed a tent for the sun,

5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber;

It rejoices as a strong man to run his course.

6 Its rising is from one end of the heavens,

And its circuit to the other end of them;

And there is nothing hidden from its heat.

7 The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;

The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

8 The precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart;

The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

9 The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever;

The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

10 They are more desirable than gold, yes, than much fine gold;

Sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the honeycomb.

11 Moreover, by them Your servant is warned;

In keeping them there is great reward.

12 Who can discern his errors? Acquit me of hidden faults.

13 Also keep back Your servant from presumptuous sins;

Let them not rule over me;

Then I will be blameless,

And I shall be acquitted of great transgression.

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

And here is some commentary by C.S. (this is why I love this pilgrim):

"First he thinks of the sky; how, day after day, the pageantry we see there shows us the splendour of its Creator. Then he thinks of the sun, the bridal joyousness of its rising, the unimaginable speed of its daily voyage from east to west. Finally, of its heat; not of course the mild heats of our climate but the cloudless, blinding, tyrannous rays hammering the hills, searching every cranny. The key phrase on which the whole poem depends is "there is nothing hid from the heat thereof". It pierces everywhere with its strong, clean ardour. ...The Law is "undefiled", the Law gives light, it is clean and everlasting, it is "sweet"....One hardly needs to add that this poet is wholly free from self-righteousness and the last section is concerned with his "secret faults". As he has felt the sun, perhaps in the desert, searching him out in every nook of shade where he attempted to hide from it, so he feels the Law searching out all the hiding-places of his soul."

It's comforting to know that we can't hide from the Lord, that He knows it all, and He is revealing and repeating His truths to us daily.

Enjoy the beautiful day! I know I am...I have a much-needed half day off.

Spurgeon on Hebrews

I've got some wonderful words for ya'll!  I've just begun to study Hebrews, so I looked up some commentaries online.  I found this sermon from Charles Spurgeon, and it just left me feeling so refreshed.  Basically, he's preaching the Gospel. 

Here's the scripture:

His Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high."
- Hebrews 1:2

And here's Spurgeon's thoughts on it.

...But it matters not how many worlds there are; God made them all by Jesus Christ: "All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made."  I see him standing, as it were, at the anvil of each stroke of his majestic arm.  It was Christ who was there, - "the wisdom of God and the power of God," as Paul calls him, - creating all things.  I love to think that he who created all things is also our Savior, for then he can create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me; and if I need a complete new creation, - as I certainly do, - he is equal to the task.  Man cannot create the tiniest midge that ever danced in the summer evening's ray; man cannot create even a single grain of dust; but Christ created all worlds, so he can make us new creatures by the wondrous power of his grace.

This part refrences the temple from the Old Testament.  I find it so exciting to see how God so often refreneced that, how detailed He is, how thorough, and how far back His plan has gone. 

So let us pass on to the next clause: "and the express image of his person." I said a minute ago, "Shade your eyes;" but I might now say, "Shut them," as I think of the excessive brilliance described by these words: "the express image of his person."  Whatever God is, Christ is; the very likeness of God, the very image of his person."  Dr. John Owen, who loves to explain the spiritual meaning in the Epistle to the Hebrews by the types in the OldTestament, which is evidently what Paul himself was doing, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, - explains the brightness of the Father's glory by a reference to the Shekinah over the mercy-seat, which was the only visible token of the presence of God there.  An extraordinary brightness is said to have shone forth from between the cherubim.  Now, Christ is God manifesting himself in his brightness.  But, on his forehead, the high priest wore a golden plate, upon which was deeply engraven, in Hebrew letters, the inscription, "Holiness to (or of) Jehovah."  Dr. Owen thinks there is a reference, in this "express image of hs person," - this cut-out inscription of God, as it were, - to that which was on the forehead of the high priest, and which represented the glorious wholeness or holiness of Jehovah, whi is his great glory.  Well, whether the apostle referred to this or not, it is for you and me to take off our shoes from our feet in the presence of Christ, "the brightness of his Father's glory, and the express image of his person."  To me, these words are like the bush in which God dwelt, yet which was not consimed, they are all on fire; what more shall I say of them?

"upholding all things by the word of his power," Just think of it.  This great world of ours is upheld by Christ's word.  If he did not speak it into continued existence, it would go back into the nothingness from whence it sprang.  There exists not a being who is independent of the Mediator, save only the ever-blessed Father and the Spirit.  "By him all things consist," that is, continue to hold together.  Just as these pillars uphold these galleries, or as the foundations uphold a house, so does Jesus Christ "uphold all things by the word of his power."  Only think of it; those innumerable worlds of light that make illimitable space to look as though it were sprinkled over with golden dust, would all die out, like so many expiring sparks, and cease to be, if the Christ who died on Calvary did not will that they should continue to exist.  I cannot bring out of my text all the wondrous truths that it contains, I only wish I could; but, surely, if Christ upholds all things, he can uphold me.  If the word of his power upholds earth and heaven, surely that same word can uphold you, poor trembling heart if you will trust him.  There need be no fear about that matter; come and prove it for yourself.  May his blessed Spirit enable you to do so even now!

I know this is getting long, but its just all so good!

He who is all that I have tried to describe, did what? First, he effectually purged our sins: "when he had by himself purged our sins." ...The sweepers of the streets, the scullions of the kitchen, the cleansers of the sewers, have honorable work compared with this purging sin.  Yet the holy Christ, incapable of sin, stooped to purge our sins.  I want you to meditate upon that wondrous work; and to remember that he purged our sins even before we had committed them?  There they stood, before the sight of God, as already existent in all their hideousness; but Christ came, and purged them, this, surely, ought to make us sing the song of songs.  Before I sinned, he purged my sins away; singular and strange as it is, yet it is so.

For if the blood of  bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead workds to serve the living God?  He gave himself for us; not only his blood, but all that constituted himself, his Godhead, and his manhood.  All that he had, and all that he was, he gave as the ransom price of us; can any of you extimate the value of that price?

"In those days, and in that time, saith the Lord, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve."  Shall I tell you where your sings are? Christ purged them, and God said, "I will cast all their sins behind my back."  Where is that?  All things are before God.  I do not know where behind God's back can be.  It is nowhere, for God is everywhere present, seeing everything.  So that is where my sins have gone; I speak with the utmost reverence when I say that they have gone where Jehovah himself can never see them.  Christ so purged them that they have ceased to be.

It is indeed amazing love that made him stoop to this purgation, this expiation, this atonement for sin; but, because he was who and what he was, he did it thoroughly, perfectly.  He said, "It is finished," and I believe him.  I do not - I cannot - for a moment admit that there is anything to be done by us to complete that work, or anything required of us to make the annihilation of our sins complete.

"When he had by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high." ...Notice first, that this implies rest.  When the high priest went within the veil, he did not sit down...The high priest of old had not finished his work; the next year another atoning sacrifice would be needed; but our Lord has completed his atonement...There he sits, and I am sure he would not be sitting if he had not finished the salvation of his people...But Christ is resting now; my eye, by faith, can see him sitting there, so I know that -

Love's redeeming work is done; Fought the fight, the battle won. 

I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS DEVO FROM SPURG.

Morning Devotion
Thursday, February 04, 2010
"The love of the Lord." --Hosea 3:1
Believer, look back through all thine experience, and think of the way whereby the Lord thy God has led thee in the wilderness, and how he hath fed and clothed thee every day--how he hath borne with thine ill manners--how he hath put up with all thy murmurings, and all thy longings after the flesh pots of Egypt--how he has opened the rock to supply thee, and fed thee with manna that came down from heaven. Think of how his grace has been sufficient for thee in all thy troubles--how his blood has been a pardon to thee in all thy sins--how his rod and his staff have comforted thee. When thou hast thus looked back upon the love of the Lord, then let faith survey his love in the future, for remember that Christ's covenant and blood have something more in them than the past. He who has loved thee and pardoned thee, shall never cease to love and pardon. He is Alpha, and he shall be Omega also: he is first, and he shall be last. Therefore, bethink thee, when thou shalt pass through the valley of the shadow of death, thou needest fear no evil, for he is with thee. When thou shalt stand in the cold floods of Jordan, thou needest not fear, for death cannot separate thee from his love; and when thou shalt come into the mysteries of eternity thou needest not tremble, "For I am persuaded, that neither death; nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Now, soul, is not thy love refreshed? Does not this make thee love Jesus? Doth not a flight through illimitable plains of the ether of love inflame thy heart and compel thee to delight thyself in the Lord thy God? Surely as we meditate on "the love of the Lord", our hearts burn within us, and we long to love him more.

the experience must come alone.

i'm sorry that i have not posted in a while. i have to get ready for class but i read this this morning in "my utmost for his highest" and found it very truthful... about facing things alone. good for the time we are at in our lives.

Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha . . . saw him no more —2 Kings 2:11-12

It is not wrong for you to depend on your "Elijah" for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, "I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ " Yet God says you must continue.

Alone at Your "Jordan" ( Kings 2:14 ). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your "Elijah." You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go— the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your "Jordan" alone.

Alone at Your "Jericho" ( 2 Kings 2:15 ). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your "Elijah" do great things. Yet when you come alone to your "Jericho," you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your "Elijah," you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.

Alone at Your "Bethel" ( 2 Kings 2:23 ). At your "Bethel" you will find yourself at your wits’ end but at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you come to your wits’ end and feel inclined to panic— don’t! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your "Elijah"— use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14 ). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.

contentment

it seems like the theme that runs through our age and gender at the point in our lives now is contentment. i feel like in every Christian circle, if i talk to a girl my age it is about contentment either in finding a job, finishing school, being in a relationship, etc. it might just be my speculation, but it seems like this is the case. it's cool, though, how we can relate to each other about these things and how we can encourage one another and build one another up with things the Lord shares with us in our walk with Him. claire- i loved what you shared in your last post...that has been recirculating over and over in my head how much i am always thinking, "well i'm just going to move to nashville for something different and to branch out!" even though i pray for the Lord's Will and for Him to open doors wherever He sees fit for me, i also have things in mind (jobs, places i will end up) that i want...which there's nothing wrong in praying specifically for, but i tend to put on my blinders and only focus on where i see myself and the motives behind them are selfish. but i loved that you talked about being content where you are...what does contentment really look like when it is lived out? i feel like i have so much to learn and grasp before i really understand and know what true contentment is like. there are so many areas where i don't feel content. anyway, i think especially this semester the Lord is weighing on my heart already to lean on Him and seek Him for contentment and figuring out where He wants me down the road.
i think i told ya'll about a sermon given by emily ozier about a chapter in joshua. and how she hates change in her life...but how joshua accepted that change and trusted God and God brought about great things because of that. i highly recommend that you listen to that sermon...it is awesome. one of the things she talks about is how even in the midst of trials and difficult situations, Abraham's faith was built on nothing else but God. in hebrews 11:8-10 it says, "By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, NOT KNOWING WHERE HE WAS GOING. by faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with isaac and jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for HE WAS LOOKING FOR THE CITY WHICH HAS FOUNDATIONS, WHOSE ARCHITECT AND BUILDER IS GOD". when i was listening to this lesson again this morning, i was thinking to myself how i am always so concerned with life and the future and what i'll be doing in 5,10,15 years. and i get so consumed with school, stresses of life, and worrying about petty things that i so often forget this life should not revolve around me. my thoughts, actions, words, etc should not be centered on myself, because this is not all there is if i am holding on to the hope and assurance that the kingdom of God is coming. how i long to live kingdom-minded! "For yet in a very little while, He who is coming WILL COME, and will not delay" hebrews 10:37.
as i was unloading the dishwasher last night at my house, i was thinking about how love is a choice and it is something that comes from Christ filling us and we first must allow Him to fill. but as i was unloading it, i was thinking love is basically about little choices...i didn't want to unload the dishwasher or fold kitchen towels that had come out of the dryer. my mom has had a stomach bug for a few days and still didn't feel good last night. but i was just thinking, we shouldn't feel like we HAVE to do things for people or that we are obligated. if we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we long to serve people and our joy comes from the love of God that fills us and that can overflow into every second of our lives. our Christian life does not consist of one or two days in the week where we go to church and then spend a few minutes with Him...it is our lives. it is how we spend our time every minute of the day, how we spend money, what we fill our minds with etc. And why wouldn't we want to make our entire lives about Him? He has given us hope, eternal and abundant life, joy, salvation, redemption through the death that He chose of His own Son. we should want to share that with the world! and unloading the dishwasher or serving someone in line before ourselves or offering our things to someone are all tiny miniscule ways we can and should live out our Christ-mindedness.
ok last thing---download the sermon on The Carefulness Factor by Taylor Park from firstevan.org....go to resources...sermons on-line...and download or listen to the one entitled this. amazing. i think every believer needs to hear this and apply.
love.

Freedom

Good Morning! Claire I loved your last post. I'm so excited for you that you've found that class to be a part of. I know that must be wonderful and will really be encouraging during this stage of your life.

So I've been thinking about the freedom that Christ bought for us through His death and how much I cling to it and how much I don't even acknowledge it.

Galations 5:1 says "It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery."

Isaiah 61:1-3 says "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to grant those who mourn in Zion, giving them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a spirit of fainting. So they will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.

Yesterday, Steven was preaching from 1 Peter, and he was talking about the freedom that we push aside. He gave this example. He said its as if a husband saved his wife from a rapist with hiv, and in the process was killed. It would be as if the woman, after the funeral, called up the rapist and asked him to meet her at a hotel room. That's the picture of our clinging to our past life, to our sin. I am that woman. I'm so often that woman. Its in the small amount of time I spend in God's Word and prayer, its in my need to watch my certain television shows, my inability so often to be self-disciplined, the way I can spend my money, my insecurities, and my fear of the future, of how everything's going to come together. I cling to these things living as if I have no other option, no power to fight them. In reality, the power of Christ is in me to fight them; the power of Christ has defeated them. Obviously, I'm a sinner and I'm going to continue to fail, but I can certainly live with the knowledge that God has freed me from these things.

The Lord has prepared for us garlands instead of ashes, oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of the spirit of mourning. I pray that I would begin to cling to the things of God instead.

I have to report a major praise. Living at home for the past 5 months, I have not been able to find a community of believers like I had in Auburn. I haven't felt at home in my church, even thought about visiting another one. A few weeks ago, I ran into a girl I went to high school with who goes to my church and has just moved back home after graduating. Unbeknownst to me, she is involved in a "young professionals" Sunday School class that I didn't even know existed (at my own church!) and said I should definitely come along. I have only been twice, but it has been such a blessing already! It's a small group, which I kind of like, and we have a married couple who I already know that teaches it. They are going to be alternating teaching time with a woman in her mid-thirties, married with no children. She taught today and seems really cool and relatable. She'll be teaching us about the ways of God...really just who He is and His core characteristics.

Today we talked about the fact that He is love, and the realities of that love. A major point was that He is a God of discipline and I want to share the definition she gave us: discipline - what happens when our loving Father steps in to lift us away from our own destructive and unfruitful pursuits. The phrasing really hit me. I am way capable of pursuing things that aren't for His glory. In fact, I have come to admit to myself that one of the main reasons I want to move off to a big city is so everyone will think that I'm doing something really cool with my life. That doesn't mean moving is wrong, because I honestly think sometimes I'd be happier in a place with more people my age and more job opportunities, but if I'm doing it to please men and to feel better about myself, then it's a selfish move. God hasn't opened any door for me to move yet, and I believe He is working on me in the area of contentment, one I struggle with repeatedly. In other words, He is disciplining me - to simply love Him and follow Him, knowing there will be showers of blessings, but not following Him in order to get the blessings, but because of who He is. I'm coming to see more and more each day that living in this humble state (with my parents in my hometown, not knowing exactly what I'm good at or what kind of work I want to be doing) is not some sort of punishment from our Lord, but in fact, is His good and perfect discipline, which is completely out of His love for us.

"...but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness." - Hebrews 12:10-11

New Year!

so one of my resolutions is to try to write on the blog at least every other day...and if that dwindles, at least once every week.
alot of thoughts have been entering my head lately that i've been trying to be mindful of with prayer, but most of them i would rather try to take into my own hands and take control of. one of those is the future and what i will be doing after i graduate in may. when i tell people i'll be graduating, they automatically ask, "do you have a job lined up yet?" and i shyly answer, "well, i'm going to start sending my resume and applying to places this semester, but not job lined up yet." but even though i am trying to maintain calm on the outside, on the inside i am freaking out and panicing thinking, "what if i don't graduate at all?! what if i fail out? and if i do graduate, what if i don't get a job? what if the job i get is horrible?" and those questions and feelings just snowball into a million other anxious thoughts. but i have to somehow remember that the Lord is trustworthy and He has His plan already laid out for my life. and i have nothing to worry about but to trust Him.
i want ya'll to download a sermon (it's free) on iTunes. go to www.firstevan.org and go to resources. and click audio sermons (i think)...and under those there are several different categories. scroll down to women's ministries and there's an option or link where you can subscribe to the podcast there. and it will take you to iTunes where it will start downloading them. listen to the one by emily ozier, i think it's called more than conquerors. she goes through some verses in joshua that talk about how we need to trust Jesus even when we doubt Him and even when we are in the most difficult of times as Joshua and the Israelites were. it is a very encouraging word from the Lord.
another thought that's been entering my mind is how i feel so "comfortable" where i am in life with friendships, and i wonder if that's not all necessarily a good thing? should i branch out and widen my horizons or just stay in my little zone? and then i think what my motivations would be to widen my horizons and make new friends and they seem selfish...but in my heart, i want to widen them in order to love others and strangers with Christ's love. i've found it hard that when you have a really close group of people (sortof like what i had at auburn), you tend to get stuck, but then you end up knowing everything about everyone, and if you don't in that group of people then you are "left out" or you find your nutrition or growth stemming from if you know things...because if you don't then you should. i don't know, it's weird, but i have found myself thinking that alot lately. is it ok to widen horizons and go meet new people with surfacey motivations? or should we be in sincere prayer before we do, asking the Lord to fill our hearts with love so that we might branch out and extend our fellowship with others. i don't know if that made any sense, but those are things that have been running through my head lately too. i guess another reason i've thought alot about that is because i want to move to nashville when i graduate!
another thing i have been praying is that the Lord would ignite in me a deeper desire for His Word. i tend to just open my Bible and read some verses here or there, but this year i want to "study" the Word. i want to know why i believe it and why i believe it is truth to me personally.
well, this is all i can think of right now to share...i have missed blogging and i love this because it's almost like a diary that i can share with good friends :) and i know if we were all at taylor's getting chais or at cambridge coffee we would be talking about these things. what a blessing the fellowship of believers is and having a rich, deep community! love to you all!

Good Morning

I'm sorry I haven't posted in forever.

This morning I went to my car to go to church, and it wouldn't start. So, instead, I had some devotional time here at home. I began with a prayer from Valley of Vision. They are so beautiful and say words that I'm trying to say in such a clearer way.

THE DEEPS

Give me a deeper repentance,
a horror of sin, a dread of its approach;

Help me chastely to flee it,
and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,
the ground of my rest, the spring of my being.

Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself as Saviour, Master, Lord, and King.
Give me a deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in thy Word,
more steadfastness grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly Husbandman,
that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide,
until thou alone art seen in me, thy beauty golden like summer harvest,
thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no Master but thee, no law but thy will, no delight but thyself,
no wealth but that thou givest, no good but that thou blessest, no peace but that thou bestowest.

I am nothing but that thou makest me,
I have nothing but that I receive from thee,
I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

I also opened up Ruth and read through it. Here I am, right where you were a couple of months ago Claire, not sure what I'm doing. I'm trying to figure out how to become a working artist, how to support myself, what job to get so that I can support myself but also continue to make art the priority. Right now that means being in Scottsboro. I don't know where I'm going. I feel like things are slightly clearer than maybe a week ago, but I still have so so many questions. Ruth is such a comfort to me. Its like having an aerial view, seeing from the way God sees things; a reminder that God's view is so much larger than ours. First of all, Naomi has lost all hope; she says that she has come back empty. By the end of the book, Naomi is seen as extremely blessed. Then there is Ruth who begins to follow the Lord and gives up everything besides Him by choosing to obey and follow where He leads her. In the end she becomes a mother and wife. God completely takes care of and provide for both of these women. Finally, God is using them to bring about our Savior. Its such a bigger story. Its a wonderful reminder that God has a perfect plan for my life even if it seems to be going no where right now.

Last thing, I have recently discovered Dolly Parton's Travelin' Thru. While the theology isn't always exactly right, I like the theme and humility in it.

Questions I have many, answers but a few,
But we're here to learn, the spirit burns, to know the greater truth
We've all been crucified and they nailed Jesus to the tree
and when I'm born again you're going to see a change in me.

God made me for a reason and nothing is in vain
Redemption comes in many shapes with many kinds of pain
Oh sweet Jesus if you're listening, keep me ever close to You
As I'm stumblin, tumblin, wonderin, as I'm travelin thru

I'm just travelin, travelin, travelin, I'm just travelin
Drifting like a floating boat and roaming like the wind
oh give me some direction Lord, let me lean on You
As I'm travelin, travelin, travelin thru.

Hope you all enjoy your Sunday!

some good verses :)

ps 31:3-5
for you are my rock and my fortress; for your name's sake you will lead me and guid me. you will pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me. for you are my strength. into your hand i commit my spirit; you have ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.

and v 9-10, 14-15
be gracious to me, O Lord, for i am in distress; my eye is wasted away from grief, my soul and my body also. for my life is spent with sorrow and my years with sighing. my strength has failed because of my iniquity, and my body has wasted away. but as for me i trust in YOU, O Lord, i say, 'you are my God'. my times are in your hand; deliver me frmo the hand of my enemies and from those who persecute me...
and v 24- be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord.

quotes!

kate, i absolutely love that book by elisabeth elliott. although the title is depressing, that book holds so much truth and meaning in ALL seasons of life, not just in loneliness. i read that book and loved every single word.
so todays post is not really a journal type thing. nothing new is going on in life except for finals this wk and i am done on thurs! i am so looking forward to a break. it's funny to look back on how the Lord has used each circumstance no matter how painful and drawn out and He has come near in each and has shown me His faithfulness. when i thought i couldn't make it through something, He used it for His good and knew better than i did what was best. here are some quotes i came across this morning when i was looking back through my journal entries from the last couple of years (which are very numerous). i love looking back and seeing how the Lord used so much in my life, so much that was painful and brought something good and better out of it. as i was reading those old entries, i just remember the feeling of pain or loneliness or guilt i had and how i could literally feel my heart sink into my chest. that feeling came back and then i remembered where i am today and how i got through those times, only by His peace and love. so here they are! much love.
cs lewis- what God uses to awaken desire is not necessarily what we long for. the things in which we thought the beauty was located will betray us if we trust to them; it was not in them, it only came through them, and what came through them was longing. these things are good images of what we desire, but if they are mistaken for the thing itself, they turn into dumb idols, breaking the hearts of their worshippers, for they are not the thing itself.

john piper- God alone knows what is good for human beings and God alone knows what is not good for them. to enjoy the good we must trust God and obey Him. if we disobey, we will have to decide for ourselves what is good and what is not good. while to modern men and women such a prospect may seem desirable, to the author of Genesis, it is the worst fate that could have befallen humanity.

The acorn does what it was made to do, without pestering its Maker with questions about when and how and why. we who have been given an intelligence and a will and a whole range of wants that can be set against the divine pattern for good are asked to believe HIM.

we are always held in the love of God. we are never wholly at the mercy of other people- they are only 2nd causes, and no matter how many 2nd or 3rd or 50th causes seem to be in control of what happens to us, it is GOD who is in charge; He who holds the keys, He who casts the lot finally into the lap. trusting Him, then, requires that i leave some things to be decided by others. i must learn to relinquish the control i mighty wield over somebody else if the decision properly belongs to him. i must resist my urge to manipulate him, needle and prod and pester until he capitulates. i must trust God in him, trust God to do for BOTH of us better than i know. elisabeth elliott

clogged with wishes. i was wishing that my wishes were what God wished, and if my wishes were not what God wished, i wished that i could wish that my wishes would go away, but the wishes were still there.

when the will of God crosses the will of man, somebody has to die.

WORRY IS LIKE A ROCKING CHAIR. IT GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO DO, BUT IT WON'T GET YOU ANYWHERE....

quote for the day...

here's some elisabeth elliot for you...

"but safety, as the cross shows, does not exclude suffering. all that was of course beyond me when i was a child, but as i began to learn about suffering i learned that trust in those strong arms means that even our suffering is under control. we are not doomed to meaninglessness. a loving purpose is behind it all, a great tenderness even in the fierceness." - elisabeth elliot. the path of loneliness

God's strength made perfect in our weakness :)

So. this verse came up multiple times last week in my conversations with my roommate and with others. it also came up in my quiet times...last week was really difficult at times, but this verse is so powerful and hits me at what seems the worst of times...it is so encouraging. hope you find encouragement in this devotion by spurg!!!
much love---
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
"For my strength is made perfect in weakness." {#2Co 12:9}
A primary qualification for serving God with any amount of success, and for doing God’s work well and triumphantly, is a sense of our own weakness. When God’s warrior marches forth to battle, strong in his own might, when he boasts, "I know that I shall conquer, my own right arm and my conquering sword shall get unto me the victory", defeat is not far distant. God will not go forth with that man who marches in his own strength. He who reckoneth on victory thus has reckoned wrongly, for "it is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts." They who go forth to fight, boasting of their prowess, shall return with their bright banners trailed in the dust, and their armour stained with disgrace. Those who serve God must serve him in his own way, and in his strength, or he will never accept their service. That which man doth, unaided by divine strength, God can never own. The mere fruits of the earth he casteth away; he will only reap that corn, the seed of which was sown from heaven, watered by grace, and ripened by the sun of divine love. God will empty out all that thou hast before he will put his own into thee; he will first clean out thy granaries before he will fill them with the finest of the wheat. The river of God is full of water; but not one drop of it flows from earthly springs. God will have no strength used in his battles but the strength which he himself imparts. Are you mourning over your own weakness? Take courage, for there must be a consciousness of weakness before the Lord will give thee victory. Your emptiness is but the preparation for your being filled, and your casting down is but the making ready for your lifting up.
"When I am weak then am I strong,
Grace is my shield and Christ my song."

Weekend Renunion

This weekend Casey Payne and Tyler Wallace are getting married. For that reason, this weekend will be a bit of a training staff reunion. I began thinking about it, obviously Tyler and Casey are marrying each other, Allison won't be able to make it because she will be with her husband in their new home town in Kentucky, Michael got engaged this week, Breck will be staying at my house with her boyfriend(in seperate rooms :), and Morgan will be driving in from a visit to her boyfriend in Atlanta. I could dwell on this and get depressed, I could dwell on the moment last night where Breck asked, so what about you? are you talking with anyone? (becoming such a familiar question) Or I could dwell on truth. Truth that I heard recently in a message on The Lord's Prayer. It was a message that we've all heard, but that we need to hear, over and over and over. That this life isn't about our needs, give us this day our daily bread, its about Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be His name, His kingdom come, His will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven... for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. The teacher reminded us that the Lord's desire is for earth to be as it is in Heaven. That Heaven is completely and totally surrendered to His glory, and that is what He is working and constantly moving to make happen here. So to be focused on anything else, is to be focused on too little, is to except too little from this life God has given us. We are to expect God's glory, and while marriage certainly doesn't have to be seperate from that, to put all my desire in marriage rather than God's glory is to seperate it.

I am also reminded of King David, who was run out of His home, away from the people he loved because his father-in-law, the king, was trying to kill him. He literally ran for his life for 10 years, but relied solely on the presence of the Lord to carry Him through. God provided enough grace to carry him through that for ten years. Tonight I can dwell on the fact that I know that same God, and if He can provide enough grace to carry David through those ten years, He can certainly provide enough grace to strengthen me through however many years He has planned for me not being married. Tonight, that is quite a comfort.

hey guys... do you like the new layout? sorry... i'm just much too much in a blog craze these days! i spent to much time on this... haha. but, i hope that you like it. i wish that i had something good to say now... some kind of truth... but i have not even had quiet time yet. you know, the blog layout is much more important! haha. hope ya'll have a good day!

oh, and claire, i loved that devotional of elisabeth elliots!! mm mmm, i needed it that day!

can i make it pretty?

hey guys... no insight for the time being. however, my last post on my own blog is very appropriate for this blog, as well! so if you want to check it out. but, i just wanted to ask if it would be ok if i made a pretty design for this blog... like a header? i was introduced to a fun blog header creator thing and i'm excited! so... that's all!

some elisabeth...i can't get enough

Thanks to Kate! Really though, since you've been writing about her, I've been reading her daily devotional every day. And it's always so good, and somehow always relevant. So, if anyone's already read this, then I'll just be reiterating it by posting it here...but it's so good I want to share.

Title: Don't Forfeit Your Peace

Author: Elisabeth Elliot

It would not be possible to exaggerate the importance hymns and spiritual songs have played in my spiritual growth. One of the latter, familiar to most of you, has this line: "O what peace we often forfeit, O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer" (Joseph Scriven). Prayerlessness is one of many ways by which we can easily forfeit the peace God wants us to have. I've been thinking of some other ways. Here's a sampling:

1. Resent God's ways.
2. Worry as much as possible.
3. Pray only about things you can't manage by yourself.
4. Refuse to accept what God gives.
5. Look for peace elsewhere than in Him.
6. Try to rule your own life.
7. Doubt God's word.
8. Carry all your cares.

If you'd rather not forfeit your peace, here are eight ways to find it (antidotes to the above eight):

1. "Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them" (Psalm 119:165 KJV). "Circumstances are the expression of God's will," wrote Bishop Handley Moule.
2. "Don't worry about anything whatever" (Philippians 4:6, PHILLIPS).
3. "In everything make your requests known to God in prayer and petition with thanksgiving. Then the peace of God... will guard your hearts" (Philippians 4:6,7, NEB).
4. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me... and you will find rest" (Matthew 11:29, NIV).
5. "Peace is my parting gift to you, my own peace, such as the world cannot give" (John 14 27, NEB).
6. "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts" (Colossians 3:15, NIV).
7. "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing" (Romans 15:13, KJV).
8. "Cast all your cares on him for you are his charge" (1 Peter 5:7, NEB).

"Grant, O Lord my God, that I may never fall away in success or in failure; that I may not be prideful in prosperity nor dejected in adversity. Let me rejoice only in what unites us and sorrow only in what separates us. May I strive to please no one or fear to displease anyone except Yourself. May I seek always the things that are eternal and never those that are only temporal. May I shun any joy that is without You and never seek any that is beside You. O Lord, may I delight in any work I do for You and tire of any rest that is apart from You. My God, let me direct my heart towards You, and in my failings, always repent with a purpose of amendment."

--St. Thomas Aquinas

I bolded some of the things I most identify with now. I love how she just spells it out for us. Worry much? Here's what the Word says about that...cast all your cares. Turning to idols? They can't give you peace. Only He can. Encouraging stuff.

hello!

SARAH!!! i know exactly what you mean about the weather and the colors being so vivid and bright. i was describing the weather the other day to someone, i forgot who, but i remember saying that everything looked so clear and crisp. you know during the winter when days look like that? wow, i love fall and the changing of colors and weather! AH! our Father is so creative!
anyway, sorry i haven't written this week. school has been dragging me down this week, and unfortunately this week was pretty discouraging! but through the discouragement, i found joy in being reminded once again of the Lord's pure faithfulness in the midst of my doubt. ahhhh. i am amazed and humbled at His loving kindness and grace to me even though i doubt His power. this week was just tough with school and assignments we had, not to mention i did not do well grade-wise on wednesday. in my head i kept doubting myself wondering why i got myself into this major! and of course, the Lord used little, miniscule reminders to show me that He is there always and will never leave my side. i am doing a bible study with some dental hygiene girls (from my class and the class below us). this week was our first official meeting and it was AWESOME. i left there so encouraged. i was assigned to lead the devotion (this was tuesday...). and i was kindof nervous because i hadn't prepared well at all! in fact, i slightly skimmed over the morning and evening devotion for that day and thought "hey that sounds good! i will read that tonight and briefly talk about it! and hope that people contribute and talk about what i read"! well...i described the devotion a little and then read it out loud word for word at the bible study. i was almost brought to tears while i was reading it. it was EXACTLY what i needed to hear. it talked about even in the despair and discouragement and in our depravity, the Lord knows where we are and brings us through. all we need to do is cry out and lean on our Rock and Refuge. as i wrapped things up with reading and describing what it was talking about, EVERYONE chimed in and became transparent and shared things they have been through that the Lord has seen them through. it was awesome! SUCH a great picture of community and the church and just fellowship with other believers. it was definitely an uplifting time, and something i have been looking forward to for a while now (the community, fellowship, etc.). what made it even better is that these are girls in my class who i know share in our faith, but in class situations we never have the opportunity to talk about deeper things and about our relationship with Christ. so that was cool. ANYWAY, sorry to go on and on about that. but tuesday night's bible study just made my week and made me excited and refreshed about the body of Christ!! i hope all is well with you all :) i miss each of you and look forward to hearing the next post! much love.

Big Blue Sky

hey guys,

Sorry its been a while. What fonts are taken? I don't know if I can tell that big of a difference between all of them. Anyways, I don't have a lot to say, or a lot of time to say anything. However, its an amazing day. Beautiful, feels incredible. One of those days. I swear, on days like this when everything feels so wonderful, the colors are also more vivid and bright. Is that possible? I guess I'm a little bit on a high because the mid-semester review is done, and it went pretty well. After two weeks of stress, I now have two months until everything has to be done. On top of that, its an absolutely beautiful day, and all day its just made me want to listen to Big Blue Sky by Bebo Norman. This song just makes me so happy. Do you have those songs? So, I just got on to say, listen to Big Blue Sky by Bebo Norman and enjoy who our Father is.

I don't have a lot to give

This broken world can make it hard to live

I got nothing left to say

My empty words have simply gone away

But this big blue sky

Shows me all that I have got

And You're by my side

To Be everything I'm not

The angels sigh

I breathe deep the breath of God

I cannot find another sky

My thoughts are heavy and they cloud my eyes

But when I'm searching for the sun

You rise up quickly with your kingdom come

I'm coming alive

Nothing is good apart from You

I'm coming alive...with You

I may not have a lot to give

This broken world can make it hard to live

I may have nothing left to say

But I know that You will never go away.

Listen to it, its better that way.

elisabeth elliot, cont.

guys, i miss hearing from you! no pressure :) today's elisabeth elliot devotion shook me up. this is just a small portion of it...

"The worst pains we experience are not those of the suffering itself but of our stubborn resistance to it, our resolute insistence on our independence. To be "crucified with Christ" means what Oswald Chambers calls "breaking the husk" of that independence. "Has that break come?" he asks. "All the rest is pious fraud." And you and I know, in our heart of hearts, that that sword-thrust (so typical of Chambers!) is the straight truth.

If we reject this cross, we will not find it in this world again. Here is the opportunity offered. Be patient. Wait on the Lord for whatever He appoints, wait quietly, wait trustingly. He holds every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month of every year in His hands. Thank Him in advance for what the future holds, for He is already there. "Lord, you have assigned me my portion and my cup" (Psalm 16:5, NIV). Shall we not gladly say, "I'll take it, Lord! YES! I'll trust you for everything. Bless the Lord, O my soul!"