"The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters.Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and a pure heart, who do not put their trust in an idol or swear by a false god." - Psalm 24
Thank you Jesus for being so much bigger than I could ever imagine or dream. Thank you for creating this beautiful world in which we live. Thank you for the promise you give to those who seek to have clean hands and pure hearts. Thank you for giving me grace I do not deserve and a love that I cannot deny. You are so very, very good.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Livin the life.
Hello blogging world!! I'm sorry I've been M.I.A. these past few weeks...errrrrr maybe months. Life has been so....(surprising?) lately. And I've been LOVING it. So much. Every day.
Here's a quick catch up:
- I am now a Tate's Day Camp employee!!! I love everything about my job: the work (if you can call it that), the setting, the people, the children. God has been working in my heart a lot through this experience...but more on that later.
- Red Saile is still my home!! As of March, I was moving out. Thankfully, I realized before it was too late that I would miss it wayyyyy too much, and after a little persuasion to make my parents let me stay, it was a done deal.
- I am a University of Tennessee graduate and hopefully future ETSU doctorate student. Fingers crossed I get an interview for August 14th.
- I've started reading again. If you really knew me you'd know that I'm not a big reader. In the past, I've blamed it on not enough time, but the truth is I don't think I like the commitment. So here's to finishing every book I start to read this summer.
- Photography is my new thing. Mom and Dad got me a spiffy camera for graduation, and I'm in love. My roommates can verify that I'm obsessed with using it and have forced them to be my models multiple times. (Michelle Branch, I'm still after you, just so you know.)
- I'm learning a lot about grace. I feel like that's the theme in my life right now. Jesus is showing me daily this precious gift He offers me so that I can offer it to others, and I'm thankful He can love me so well.
- I'm a HUGE fan of the 4th. It's the best. Especially when it includes lake+sleepovers+friends+hot dogs+baked beans+watermelon+boats+tubes+slides+fireworks+guns+freedom+dancing+laughing+smiling a lot.
I'll leave you with a few of those things that make me smile:
"Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." -2 Timothy 2:1
Here's a quick catch up:
- I am now a Tate's Day Camp employee!!! I love everything about my job: the work (if you can call it that), the setting, the people, the children. God has been working in my heart a lot through this experience...but more on that later.
- Red Saile is still my home!! As of March, I was moving out. Thankfully, I realized before it was too late that I would miss it wayyyyy too much, and after a little persuasion to make my parents let me stay, it was a done deal.
- I am a University of Tennessee graduate and hopefully future ETSU doctorate student. Fingers crossed I get an interview for August 14th.
- I've started reading again. If you really knew me you'd know that I'm not a big reader. In the past, I've blamed it on not enough time, but the truth is I don't think I like the commitment. So here's to finishing every book I start to read this summer.
- Photography is my new thing. Mom and Dad got me a spiffy camera for graduation, and I'm in love. My roommates can verify that I'm obsessed with using it and have forced them to be my models multiple times. (Michelle Branch, I'm still after you, just so you know.)
- I'm learning a lot about grace. I feel like that's the theme in my life right now. Jesus is showing me daily this precious gift He offers me so that I can offer it to others, and I'm thankful He can love me so well.
- I'm a HUGE fan of the 4th. It's the best. Especially when it includes lake+sleepovers+friends+hot dogs+baked beans+watermelon+boats+tubes+slides+fireworks+guns+freedom+dancing+laughing+smiling a lot.
I'll leave you with a few of those things that make me smile:
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Running Scared.
"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." -Jeremiah 29:11
Lately I've been running scared. To everyone and everything but the One who wants me most....
I feel like so much of my life is uncertainty right now. Which is crazy since I believe planning things out to be one of my strengths. I almost always have a plan for how I think things are going to happen before they actually do. I envision the end result I'm expecting before I even make a single move.
So the fact that the Lord has given me this blank page in my life right now is so terrifying....
Or is it??
The devil tries to tell me that it is. He's seemed to know exactly which insecurities and temptations to throw at me these past few weeks so that I'm left feeling scared. Feeling inadequate. Feeling weak.
But the truth is, my life isn't a blank page. It isn't empty at all. It's completely planned out. Completely orchestrated. Completely finished. And what's even better is I don't have to worry about a thing, other than listening to Jesus' voice, as He whispers the plan to me. In His own time. In His own way.
"I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing - one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me - expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you - you just wait. That's all - don't be anxious - don't worry - don't look around at the things others have gotten or that I've given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. Just keep looking off up to Me or you'll miss what I want to show you."
Lately I've been running scared. To everyone and everything but the One who wants me most....
I feel like so much of my life is uncertainty right now. Which is crazy since I believe planning things out to be one of my strengths. I almost always have a plan for how I think things are going to happen before they actually do. I envision the end result I'm expecting before I even make a single move.
So the fact that the Lord has given me this blank page in my life right now is so terrifying....
Or is it??
The devil tries to tell me that it is. He's seemed to know exactly which insecurities and temptations to throw at me these past few weeks so that I'm left feeling scared. Feeling inadequate. Feeling weak.
But the truth is, my life isn't a blank page. It isn't empty at all. It's completely planned out. Completely orchestrated. Completely finished. And what's even better is I don't have to worry about a thing, other than listening to Jesus' voice, as He whispers the plan to me. In His own time. In His own way.
"I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing - one that you cannot imagine. I want you to have the best. Please allow Me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me - expecting the greatest things.
Keep experiencing the satisfaction that I am. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you - you just wait. That's all - don't be anxious - don't worry - don't look around at the things others have gotten or that I've given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. Just keep looking off up to Me or you'll miss what I want to show you."
Monday, March 26, 2012
"Let's Do It. Let's Go To The Beach."
Spring Break 2012... Man oh man was it fun! I can't believe it's already happened and instead of waking up every morning and heading out to the beach, we are all waking up and going to class. Thank goodness it was at least warm when we rolled back into town. I don't think I could have coped with coming back to the cold again after being in 80 degree weather for a solid week. Good riddance to you wintertime (hopefully)!!!
There were so many great things about Spring Break. Obviously, besides the fact that I got to spend a week in the sun and finally not look like Casper anymore, I got to hang out with 12 of the coolest people I know.
We laughed. A LOT. We learned how to perfect skim boarding and corn hole. We danced (who knew Molly Young had such sick dance moves??). We ate. SO much. We learned that Local Blue Crab does not equate by any means to Alaskan Snow Crab (really I'm the one who learned this...the hard way). We saw Dane in his infamous American/Patriotic/Tiny/Not OKAY speedo run down the beach and scare the visitors and locals. We had the beach patrol stop to tell the boys to get out of the water (not once, but twice). We (all the girls) shared a big room with seven beds in it that I wish more than anything we could just transport to Knoxville so we could all be together like that again. We listened to a lot of country. And a lot of Pandora Destiny's Child Radio (Thanks for making the car ride SO enjoyable for all of us Lil Nikki with this revelation). And we had a good time just being with one another.
I relived the week again tonight by editing picture and making a photobook (thanks Shutterfly for having great specials this week- you rock!) And I hope we really can relive this spring break again. I know we won't always have a spring break, in fact, this is my last one ever, but I hope that there is some week every year that I can take off of work and just live life with friends. My prayer is that in 20, even 30 years from now, we will all still know each other, all still be going on "spring break" together, and all still having so much fun doing it.
So until next "spring break," I'll leave you with these gems:
There were so many great things about Spring Break. Obviously, besides the fact that I got to spend a week in the sun and finally not look like Casper anymore, I got to hang out with 12 of the coolest people I know.
We laughed. A LOT. We learned how to perfect skim boarding and corn hole. We danced (who knew Molly Young had such sick dance moves??). We ate. SO much. We learned that Local Blue Crab does not equate by any means to Alaskan Snow Crab (really I'm the one who learned this...the hard way). We saw Dane in his infamous American/Patriotic/Tiny/Not OKAY speedo run down the beach and scare the visitors and locals. We had the beach patrol stop to tell the boys to get out of the water (not once, but twice). We (all the girls) shared a big room with seven beds in it that I wish more than anything we could just transport to Knoxville so we could all be together like that again. We listened to a lot of country. And a lot of Pandora Destiny's Child Radio (Thanks for making the car ride SO enjoyable for all of us Lil Nikki with this revelation). And we had a good time just being with one another.
I relived the week again tonight by editing picture and making a photobook (thanks Shutterfly for having great specials this week- you rock!) And I hope we really can relive this spring break again. I know we won't always have a spring break, in fact, this is my last one ever, but I hope that there is some week every year that I can take off of work and just live life with friends. My prayer is that in 20, even 30 years from now, we will all still know each other, all still be going on "spring break" together, and all still having so much fun doing it.
So until next "spring break," I'll leave you with these gems:
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Sunshine Happiness
Days like today, when the sun is shining and the weather is warm and gorgeous, make me happy. And thankful.
Thankful for Sundays spent at home with my family, eating meals together and being blessed with rich conversations.
Thankful for coming home to my other "home", Red Saile, and knowing that in the next couple hours, I'll get to spend time laughing, being silly, and talking about life with 4 of the best humans I know.
Thankful that this past weekend, two of my favorites surprised me by coming to Knoxville and taking time out of their busy schedules to hang out with me.
Thankful my Grandparents have set the best example for me of what it looks like to love one another as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it. When I'm around them, I see them die daily to themselves to serve the Lord and then serve one another, and it's beautiful. They are celebrating 65 years together this coming Sunday and I couldn't feel any happier about it.
Thankful that while school is stressful and hard right now, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I can feel that it's going to lead me to something exciting, new, and wonderful.
Thankful that Jesus is SO evident in my life right now. I feel Him fighting for me daily. I feel Him winning. I see Him all around me, doing big things, planting big dreams, changing lives, changing hearts.
I hope you can find a few things in your life today you're thankful for too.
"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts were conscious of our treasures." -Thornton Wilder
Thankful for Sundays spent at home with my family, eating meals together and being blessed with rich conversations.
Thankful for coming home to my other "home", Red Saile, and knowing that in the next couple hours, I'll get to spend time laughing, being silly, and talking about life with 4 of the best humans I know.
Thankful that this past weekend, two of my favorites surprised me by coming to Knoxville and taking time out of their busy schedules to hang out with me.
Thankful my Grandparents have set the best example for me of what it looks like to love one another as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it. When I'm around them, I see them die daily to themselves to serve the Lord and then serve one another, and it's beautiful. They are celebrating 65 years together this coming Sunday and I couldn't feel any happier about it.
Thankful that while school is stressful and hard right now, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I can feel that it's going to lead me to something exciting, new, and wonderful.
Thankful that Jesus is SO evident in my life right now. I feel Him fighting for me daily. I feel Him winning. I see Him all around me, doing big things, planting big dreams, changing lives, changing hearts.
I hope you can find a few things in your life today you're thankful for too.
"We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts were conscious of our treasures." -Thornton Wilder
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
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