Cardboard Testimonies

My friend sent me this link in an email right before I was to log off and actually get to bed early. I know, shocker. I thought, well I'll just watch this quickly and then get to bed. Well, wow, I wasn't expecting the tears to fall so quickly. I dare you not to cry when watching THIS.

What would your cardboard say?

God’s fingerprints

It’s neat to see God’s fingerprints cover the unexpected. It’s like looking through the window pane. Everything looks normal until the light shines on it just right, and you see all the fingerprint smudges everywhere. I think the same is true in our lives. Until we have perspective on something, we aren’t able to see how He was with us the whole way; how He ordained every aspect. It’s quite humbling to think about.

Just a Theory

I just woke up from a reoccurring dream. I have many different ones, don’t know why, but this one I don’t have very often. Strangely enough, I’m able to make it all the way through this one. Usually, I’m on a covert mission to rescue someone, dressed completely in camouflage gear --- the whole nine yards. But this one is different. I feel really silly even talking about it. I’m a part of a group of kids, trying to outrun a group of bad men and women who are trying to kill us. Though, I don’t think they have the power to actually kill us, I think it’s more pretend. Like an exercise Harry Potter might have to face. Somehow, I always enter this last phase of testing, with no experiences at all. I have no idea how to fight off these people. Luckily, only one is assigned to me, but I don’t know whom that is. I don’t really remember all the details now, but I’m able to fight this person in the end and come out victorious.

Why am I even talking about this? Well, I honestly think it’s spiritual warfare. God has spoken to people through dreams for as long as there have been humans. Why would it be any different, now that we’re in the “modern age”? I’m sure He tries to talk to us in other ways, but we’re so bombarded with the world, our ears become to full to listen. So, perhaps, when we are still, quiet, and have no choice but take a journey through our dreams, it’s then that He’s able to speak to us. Just a theory though.

Capture the Moment

“The path of right-living people is level. The Leveler evens the road for the right-living. We're in no hurry, God. We're content to linger in the path sign-posted with your decisions. Who you are and what you've done are all we'll ever want. Through the night my soul longs for you. Deep from within me my spirit reaches out to you. When your decisions are on public display, everyone learns how to live right. If the wicked are shown grace, they don't seem to get it. In the land of right living, they persist in wrong living, blind to the splendor of God.” Isaiah 26:7-9 [The Message]

I went to a worship concert the other night, featuring Daniel Bashta and Jason Morant, two very talents musicians. I was expecting God to show up and create an amazing atmosphere of people who are in love with and on fire for Him; I wasn’t disappointed! It took me a little bit to let go of everything, get in the right frame of mind, and worship Him with open abandon… and adoration. But once I did, whew, it was like a rock concert in Heaven! Everyone was jumping up and down, singing at the top of our lungs! I would have been completely content to continue like that for hours more. How awesome would be to capture a moment like that and sell it in a bottle? Well, guess what my friends, you ARE that “bottle”, that is, if you think of yourself as a light instead.

Matthew 5:14-16 says, "Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven. [Message translation]”

Friday Funk

I'm in a super weird funk. There's really no reason why. I have ever reason to be completely normal as nothing is wrong... but here I sit, in this strange stupor, not sure how to pull myself out. What's a girl to do? I even had plans tonight to go to WorkPlay and see my friends, White Oaks play. But I'm not feeling it. PJs and a movie sound about right. What's wrong with me?

Anyway, I don't update here enough. I need to work on that. *note to self* I got in touch with an old friend from college this week. It was really good to see her! Though, we didn't have the chance to do a real catch up, merely the cliff note version. I also found some more friends from high school on Facebook. Why am I talking about this? If I have any readers left, you don't care about that.

So, work has been super slow this week and I've been able to do a lot of editing on my book! Yeah! I've worked on 11 of 12 chapters. The end is near. Well, at least, the first round of edits. That counts for something, right? My good friend has become my editor as well, which is quite fun, I must say. I also asked another friend to help me on the "final" edit. I want everything "just so". I have a vision of what I want this book to look like. It's slowly coming to fuition.

I'm more excited about what God's going to do with it. I know He's got big plans... dontcha, God? I really want this to be all about Him. I'm just the vessel here, people. Though, it's been such a blessing to see how FAITHFUL He's been in my life over the years. Sure stuff has happened all along, but He's always got me in the palm of his hands. (My imagination immediately thought of GI-NOR-MIS hands.)

I hope you are enjoying this Friday. What's God up to in your life? Comments are welcome.

Be encouraged, friends.

It's Not About Me

Have you ever listened to Toby Keith’s, "I Wanna Talk About Me"? It’s a great sing-along-in-the-car song. I got to thinking about the lyrics today. While they are funny, I couldn’t help but notice the correlation between them and my relationship with God. We like to talk about ourselves, human nature I suppose. But, how often do we vent to God, then not wait and listen for His side of the conversation? Sure, we can come to Him with anything, that’ll never change. But like my mom says, "God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason." Next time you’re in His presence, try listening before you speak.

O my soul, bless God!

My brain didn't wake up with me today. One thing after the other happened. Blessedly, five o'clock came pretty quickly. What will tomorrow bring, I don't know. I'm not sure whether it's better to be so crazy busy that I can't think straight? To have just enough to make the day go by? Or to not have anything to do at all? Not that last. That's how Friday was and I thought I was literally going to be carried away by the men in little, white coats. Oh well, tomorrow we get our lunch catered, which is exciting.

I've been listening to a book from iTunes called, "Sisterchicks Do the Hula" by Robin Jones Gunn. I own this book and LOVE anything this author has written so when I found her on iTunes, I just had to get it. It's so great and encouraging and it's funny how I find myself driving slower and I really don't mind traffic jams at all. (I even took the long way home tonight, which I shouldn't have done considering gas prices are outrageous, but anyway.) In the story, one of the main characters quoted Psalm 104 and I just found it so encouraging. I hope you do as well.


Psalm 104 (The Message)

1-14 O my soul, bless God! God, my God, how great you are!
beautifully, gloriously robed,
Dressed up in sunshine,
and all heaven stretched out for your tent.
You built your palace on the ocean deeps,
made a chariot out of clouds and took off on wind-wings.
You commandeered winds as messengers,
appointed fire and flame as ambassadors.
You set earth on a firm foundation
so that nothing can shake it, ever.
You blanketed earth with ocean,
covered the mountains with deep waters;
Then you roared and the water ran away—
your thunder crash put it to flight.
Mountains pushed up, valleys spread out
in the places you assigned them.
You set boundaries between earth and sea;
never again will earth be flooded.
You started the springs and rivers,
sent them flowing among the hills.
All the wild animals now drink their fill,
wild donkeys quench their thirst.
Along the riverbanks the birds build nests,
ravens make their voices heard.
You water the mountains from your heavenly cisterns;
earth is supplied with plenty of water.
You make grass grow for the livestock,
hay for the animals that plow the ground.

31-32 The glory of God—let it last forever!
Let God enjoy his creation!
He takes one look at earth and triggers an earthquake,
points a finger at the mountains, and volcanoes erupt.

33-35 Oh, let me sing to God all my life long,
sing hymns to my God as long as I live!
Oh, let my song please him;
I'm so pleased to be singing to God.
But clear the ground of sinners—
no more godless men and women!

O my soul, bless God!

I Delight

Surrounded by Your shadow every need I have is met
When I'm waiting in Your presence every fear
Is put to rest
You belong to me and I belong to You
Nothing will ever come my way
That You won't see me through
I delight in the beauty of Your holiness
Because I won't find a love like Yours
In all the earthIn the quiet of Your chambers the love
I feel is made complete
In the mercy You have granted
I will rest for all eternity
You belong to me and I belong to You
Nothing will ever come my way
That You won't see me through
I delight in the beauty of Your holiness
Because I won't find a love like Yours
In all the earth
(Because I won't find a face like Yours
In all the earth)

There's a place in my heart, that is only for You
Where the warmth of your touch is what sees me through
The joy and the pain this life always brings
In the darkness I still find myself just wanting to sing about You
About You

You are my reason to breathe
A reason to keep on believing
And no one can come in between you and me
Well I will never look away
You will always be all that I see

There's a hole in my heart, where only you belong
And where I am most weak, you will always be strong
Your whispering voice will be all that I need
Through the valley and over the mountains,
I'll run anywhere that you lead me
That you lead me

You are my reason to breathe
A reason to keep on believing
And no one can come in between you and me
Well I will never look away
You will always be all that I see

By: Jason Morant

A Stitch in Time Saves Nine

Six little words... My mom used to say them all the time when I was little. It's funny, those things which I thought I'd never say, I find myself saying all the time. I find that interesting.

So much to say, where to start? Ok, first, recently I saw THE best movie I've seen in quite some time! Rent it. Buy it. Make sure you watch it. It gets the Meredith Seal of Approval! Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium I really wasn't expecting much, but boy was I surprised. It has a simplistic charm, which will have you laughing out loud moment, very thoughtful the next, then crying soon there after. There's a part in the beginning where Molly (played by Natalie Portman) realizes her life has become stagnent. She's basically going through the motions of life, but she's missing her "sparkle". Which she later discovers how to find.

But, this is me. I feel as though I've lost my sparkle. My zeal for life, if you will. I'm not depressed, per se. I just feel blah. I want things to change, yet don't know how to get over that 'hump'. I don't know how to incorporate those things which I'm most passionate about into everyday life. Work is just so exhausting. Surely there's a job out there that fits me? If that changed, would I be sparkly? Or is it a matter of getting out of myself. I'm obviously entirely too analytical and I overthink everything.

I need my sparkle back. How do I get it?

Second, money. You remember me telling you about my wreck last month. Well fast forward to present day and without rehashing any of the details (because I'm frankly sick of talking/thinking about it, even though you might not know what I'm talking about). Blessedly, I got a good tax refund back (at least for my poor self standards). I had plans for that money. I wanted to buy a few things, like new tennis shoes, which I desperately need. But, random things have come up and I've had to be an adult and take care of them. I shouldn't stress about money, I know. God has ALWAYS taken care of my needs! I've never once gone hungry, nor have my bills not been paid. But still I worry....

Third, my mom told me recently, "You have to discipline yourself to be disciplined." Wise words. I'm not disciplined in many or very few areas of my life. So, I'm starting out in little ways, such as filing. Oy! You see, last year, I put off filing all our post-closing stuff, because, let's face it, I'm lazy. I just didn't feel like it. Well, we got word last week that an Auditor was coming to our office this week and everything had to be filed away. Which of course, freaked and stressed me out. A few days and MANY hours later, I got mostly everything filed away. Miracle!

So today, when I received a stack, no lie, a foot deep. My first thought was, I'll do it tomorrow. Then I said to myself, self, you've got to discipline yourself to be disciplined. So, I organized it and got everything filed away. You just don't know how huge that was. I'm very proud of myself.

Fourth, life is interesting. I heard my Pastor say something recently, (paraphrase) 'if you're always wanting what is on the other side of the fence, be careful, the reason that grass is greener probably means a higher water bill.' I'm jealous of all my married friends. I yearn to be in that type of relationship, but then I hear how they too are struggling with many of the same things I struggle with, as a single girl. It makes me think.

I am lonely and long to have a best friend, who will one day be a husband. I just want someone to share my life with. Is that too much to ask? I'm a great girl. I feel as though I've got so much to offer, but I'm invisible. At least, it often feels that way. Always one of the guys, never anything more. It makes me think somethings wrong with me... but that's just Satan getting at me. Go away, Satan. Your comments aren't welcome! God created me to be exactly whom He wanted me to be. And I know He's got the perfect plan all set up for me. Patience is the name of the game.

Well, that's a pretty decent update. I need to get to bed. Would love to hear how my blog friends are doing. Drop by and leave me a comment.

6 Words

I'm attempting to get to bed early tonight, so as much as I want to write about my life right now, I'm going to limit it to the "Six Word Memior Challenge" I read about on my friend Stacey's blog (Keep Going).....

My first thought was, "I Am Woman, Hear Me Roar", but then I decided on: "A Stitch in Time Saves Nine"

I'll have to expound on that later. I promise to update soon.