Even when I don't understand...

Oh Lord...Your Word is so incredibly powerful.  It says, "Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them.  Full of splendor and majesty is His work, and His righteousness endures forever"  (Psalm 111:2, 3).  Period.  There is no specification, no rules...it doesn't say "Great are Your works that bless me"...or, "great are the works that are good for me"...no, all Your works fall under this category of greatness...even those that I do not understand, like, or want to deal with; truly, "GREAT are the works of the Lord."
It goes on to say that these works are "studied by all who delight in them..."  Studied...I haven't thought much about that since graduating...what does it mean that I study Your works??  I set my heart adn mind upon them, I look at them over and over, I think about them, meditate upon them...Oh Lord, can I honestly say that I do this...that all Your works are my delight, that I consider them, think deeply upon them?  Teach me what it means to have my heart and mind so fully consumed with You.
And teach me what it means to find my delight in Your works...even those that I don't understand, those I don't like.  To be delighted is a choice  It is not something that just happens, but instead is deeply intentional.  The person in these verses chooses to make You and Your works their delight, even when it is not easy.  Oh God, grant me such passion and intensity for You and Your ways!  There is no doubt You are worthy of it. 
Father, there are times when I don't like what You do.  I don't think things that happen are fair or right.  Yet, You have called me, not to be sovreign judge (for that is a role only You can fill), but to find my delight solely in You.  Teach me what it means, in every single situation, to cling to the fact that You are supreme, You are holy, You are righteous, and You are good...let my heart rejoice and find praise in all Your ways, and may that very act bring You the glory and awe due Your name.  Oh God, may You be deeply, earnestly praised...

To live loved...

So...yesterday did not have the best start for me. First thing in the morning, I found myself in a situation where someone was not happy with me. Details aren’t important or necessary, but suffice it to say I found myself with my head on my desk crying during my 9:00 conference., and for the rest of the day continued to doubt my abilities as a teacher.

The point of the story, however, is not to earn extra sympathy for Mrs. Wilcox, or to make it seem like someone had done wrong to me, or anything like that. In fact, none of those are even close to truth or purpose. Rather, the point of it all hit me just this morning. I pray that in sharing my own lesson learned, I might be able to provide some encouragement and direction for someone else.

I was driving to school this morning, thinking about a lot of things at once: plans for the day, everything that happened yesterday (praying it wouldn’t happen again), the lesson I get to share with some awesome college girls this weekend, when the Lord broke in with a word for my heart and mind.

Do I truly believe the words of Colossians 1:15-18…that He alone is FULLNESS, He alone is above all, He alone is preeminence? If I do, then my perspective must change. I mist take myself outside of every situation, and instead of looking at the way it effects me, look at how He is in control of it, and how it can bring Him glory and praise.

That, in every single way, is what it means to live loved…to live in the purpose for which He has created us. Everything must point back to Him. Everything must be for Him…for His glory, and His praise. All of a sudden, situations with unhappy people aren’t about me…all of a sudden I don’t have to lay my head on my desk in tears, cry to my husband, or ask my Mom and Dad for long distance hugs. Instead, I can rest in the fact that He is in complete sovereignty over all, HE has control over everything, and I can focus upon how I can respond to the situation to most bring Him glory and praise.

I pray today that you might see every situation as a new opportunity...an opportunity to make Him your Treasure above all else, to find Him in everything, to adore Him, to love Him...to live to the praise of the glory of who He is...I pray today, you might truly live loved.

I took a walk today...

I took a walk today...partly to escape the load of laundry waiting for me, and partly to just escape.  All around home there are roads and paths that can lead you anywhere and nowhere all at the same time.  It didn't take long to just get caught up in walking...in seeing, enjoying, breathing it in.  The air smelled like fall, cool and crisp, with the promise of red leaves, candy apples, and evenings in front of fire places.  With every step, I found my heart growing more and more full with the beauty that surrounded me. 
Beauty.  It's there, alive with every step, every glance...staring you right in the face.  For me today, it was in fall trees; glassy ponds like a mirror, reflecting glory back upon glory; deer moving with sheer grace, thoughts of my husband, family, and friends...oh without a doubt...there is beauty all before us, around us.  It surrounds and overwhelms us...pointing our eyes to the One who is capable of creating it all, designing it all, allowing our eyes to take it all in...
I pray today you might find yourself aware of the glory before you...and as you behold it, may you find yourself even more aware of the One who is glory and glorious above it all.

I took a walk today, amongst the leaves and trees of fall...
strolled down wayward paths,
my eyes rejoicing at all I saw.

I took a walk today, no purpose at all in mind
yet in my drifting,
purpose I did find.

Beauty so full and so bright,
overwhelming, overflowing, spilling out
blessing the world with its light.

Beauty so perfect, so real, beyond the capabilities of man...
beauty that could only from a Source
with a greater purpose and plan.

Teach me, Oh Lord, to find You all around...
teach me to lift my eyes up to Your heights,
beyond the things of the world that surround.

Let our hearts be full of who You are...
made know to us more and more
byt the depths of beauty in our hearts.

Blessings...:)

Birthdays...:)

It's official...I'm now 25...:/  I'm not gonna lie...there's part of me that is not really looking forward to being a quarter of a century old...there's part of me that looks back on the past 25 years and wonders, "what on earth have I really done with myself?"...there's part of me that is excited about the possibility of a new 25, the chance to take the few lessons I've learned, learn even more, and use them to find an increasing greater depth to life, a depth that is far beyond me.
Mostly though, I am overwhelmed.  I'm overwhelmed and completely humbled.  Think about what happens on a birthday:  people, whether they be family, friends, or random aquaintences (which happens more and mroe thanks to facebook :), pause--even if for just a few seconds--and take the time to tell you Happy Birthday...to come to your house for a birthday dinner, to think of you, to get you a present, to make you cake or ice cream (or if you're really lucky, both).  It's incredibly humbling.
The truth is, I deserve none of that...not even close.  I can't earn it, I can't be good enough for it...it's not something you even can earn.  The point is that it's given so freely...so perfectly...yes it comes from family, from friends, from those around us...but that's not the real source...
These gifts of grace, these moments that just overwhelm you, that make you feel so fully you don't know if you could take any more in...they're the Lord.  It's our Father.  He doesn't give them to us for any other reason than He wants us to know His goodness.  He wants us to recognize that He is the Source of all things, and He grants them to us in order that we might fully delight ourselves in Him.
Oh, Lord...it is with such a humble heart that I praise You, that I thank You.  You alone are the Source of everything, and all things are for You, and to You.  Open up my eyes that I might allow every single thing to cause my heart to realize You more...to burn more for You.  I am overwhelmed at Your goodness, at Your grace, at Your love...and it is with sheer DELIGHT in You that my heart rejoices with Your praise.  To YOU be honor, glory, and adoration forever...