i find solace in Chambers these days.

but he is simply explaining the truth of the gospel and God's word.

"We walk by faith, not by sight." - 2 Corinthians

"God is trying to make us do our work as hidden people who are not in the spotlight. None of us would be hidden spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our work when it seems that God has sealed up heaven? Some of us always want to be brightly illuminated saints with golden halos and with the continual glow of inspiration, and to have other saints of God dealing with us all the time. A self-assured saint is of no value to God. He is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and completely unlike God. We are here, not as immature angels, but as men and women, to do the work of this world. And we are to do it with an infinitely greater power to withstand the struggle because we have been born from above.

If we continually try to bring back those exceptional moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want... God will give us His touches of inspiration only when He sees that we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never consider our moments of inspiration as the standard way of life— our work is our standard."

- Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

"Amongst flowers the rose is deemed the sweetest, but Jesus is infinitely more beautiful in the garden of the soul than the rose can be in the gardens of earth. He takes the first place as the fairest among ten thousand. He is the sun, and all others are the stars; the heavens and the day are dark in comparison with him, for the King in his beauty transcends all."

- Spurgeon

first commandment: let's take a deeper look.

"You shall have no other gods before me." - Exodus 20:3

What are sins forbidden in the first commandment?

self-love

self-seeking

all other inordinate and immoderate setting of our

mind,

will,

or affection upon other things

and taking them off from Him in whole or in part

What are the duties required in the first commandment?

to worship and glorify God accordingly by

thinking

meditating

remembering

highly esteeming

adoring

choosing

loving

desiring

fearing Him

believing Him

trusting

hoping

delighting

rejoicing in Him

being zealous for Him

walking humbly with Him

- Westminster Larger Catechism

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." - Ephesians 2:8-9

ecclesiastes 9:7,9-10

"Go, eat your bread in joy, and drink your wine with a merry heart, for God has already approved what you do... Enjoy life with the wife whom you love, all the days of your vain life that he has given you under the sun, because that is your portion in life and in your toil at which you toil under the sun. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might."

"But be careful to remember that you have been freed for only one thing–to be absolutely devoted to your co-Worker. We have no right to decide where we should be placed, or to have preconceived ideas as to what God is preparing us to do. God engineers everything; and wherever He places us, our one supreme goal should be to pour out our lives in wholehearted devotion to Him in that particular work." - Oswald Chambers

let His love win.

so, i'm gonna pull something my mom likes to do...

from of first importance this morning.

richard paraphrased this once in a sermon, and i feel like i have then quoted him several times before. so, i'm glad to have the unabridged quote. but, oh my goodness, i needed to hear this this morning.

“When we go to the cross, we see our God dying for us. If you let any other god down, it will beat you up. If you live for people’s approval or your career or possessions or control or anything else and you don’t make it or you mess up, then you’ll be left feeling afraid, downcast, or bitter. But when you let Christ down, he still loves you. He doesn’t beat you up; he died for you.

Let his love win your love, and let that love replace all other affections. The secret of change is to renew your love for Christ as you see him crucified in your place.”

- Tim Chester

these days, God is really teaching me a lot about His love relationship with me. ok, so that sounds basic, like the fundamentals. but, i get so caught up in what i have done/what i am doing/comparing myself, etc... i forget that He simply wants to have an intimate love relationship with me and then the "doings" will come from that. if i am not enjoying my relationship with Him first and foremost, then all the "stuff" is nil and void. and it is not so much that i am constantly doing for others, it is more the fear that i am not doing enough. God did not call us to live in fear. He freed us. like the quote says, i am enslaved by living for approval when, the thing is, i've already been accepted.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." - Ephesians 2:8-10

"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you." -James 4:4

lover's lullaby.

thank you, thank you, matthew perryman jones.

Oh and dream, Lover dream

The dreams that are lost in you

Don’t be afraid to let yourself go

Oh and see, Lover see

The wonder that lives in you

Open your eyes, it is there to behold

And know that your whispers for love have been heard

By a heart that is gentle and kind

You are the one He is seeking to find

Oh and live, Lover live

In the freedom His love gives you

Don’t bare the marks of the slave-driver’s hands

Oh and give, Lover give

The gifts He has given you

Recklessly throw all your cares to the wind

And know that your whispers for love have been heard

By a heart that is gentle and kind

You are the one He is seeking to find

Oh and hear, Lover hear

The lyric He’s written you

As freely you dance to the rhythms of grace

Oh and rest, Lover rest

The price has been paid for you

Rejoice! Let the dancing begin

"You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you." - James 3:4-8

"James is saying that if you understand the lover and friend you have, you won’t want any other lover or friend. If you remember the lover and dancer who has called to you to the floor, you won’t want to dance with anyone else.

But if you look to Jesus, and you see all he’s done for you, if you look and see him as a ravishing lover, then you will stop giving your affection to other lovers. Solomon 6:3 says, “I am my beloved’s and he is mine.”

I think James is tapping into this metaphor when he says, “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

all i need to say.

"I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I swore to give to your forefathers. I said, 'I will never break my covenant with you, and you shall not make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall break down their altars.' Yet you have disobeyed me. Why have you done this? Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive them out before you; they will be thorns in your sides and their gods will be a snare to you." - Judges 2:1-3

"But you are to hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have until now.

The LORD has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the LORD your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the LORD your God."

- Joshua 23:8-9

"Telling a slave to be free is to add insult to injury. But telling a liberated slave to be free is an invitation to enjoy his new freedom and privileges." - Tim Chester

and... good night.

chamomile tea and the old testament.

...have been my friends as of late. i hope to continue to make each of them a habitual treat. this might have been the strangest sickness i've had. they said i had a terrible cold virus, but i've just had a terribly sore throat the whole time with few other symptoms. the first couple of days a headache and chills. but, i've downed that chamomile tea for sure... and have grown to really like it. apparently, it helps relax your body and mind, which is good for me these days. better than all that coffee and diet coke i am usually downing.

and my mom suggested i read some of the stories from the old testament, about God fulfilling His promises to the israelites. i decided to read about elijah, because he has come up a couple of times this semester. the Lord has been teaching me a lot through his life. in fact i have a small, wooden cross sitting in my dashboard directly from the mountain that the following story took place...

"And they took the bull that was given them, and they prepared it and called upon the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying, 'O Baal answer us!' But there was no voice and no one answered... And as midday passed, they raved on until the time of the offering of the oblation, but there was no voice. No one answered, no one paid attention.

'O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it e known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, that this people may know that you, O LORD, are God and that you have turned their hearts back.' Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and said, 'The LORD he is God, the LORD, he is God." - 1 Kings 18:26,29,36-39

God will be God. we do not have to do anything for Him to be God. nothing and no one else can take His place.

the funny thing is, after this incident, elijah runs away in fear for his life. he hides in the wilderness and wishes to die. he had great fear and wanted to end his life even after seeing the great power of the Lord distributed. there are no heros in the bible. God is the only hero and works through weak people. we will have highs, we will have lows, but God will stay the same.

these verses in ezekial that pastor rick stark read tonight, helped put things in perspective for me.

"Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord GOD: It is not for your sake, o house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came. And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name which has been profaned among the nations and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord God, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes... I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart and a new spirit will be put within you. And I will remove your heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." - Ezekial 36:22-23, 25-26

what the Lord does is for His sake and not my own. therefore, i have no need to worry about what my life looks like, all i need to worry about is bringing Him glory. He is God, He will do the work and will bring glory to Himself. i simply need to be an empty vessel.

on another note... my friend, rachel, told me about this amazing website... http://www.sadsteve.com. it is great! every 20 minutes, the website provides 20 free song downloads! so fun.

only the power of Christ.

truly, it seems like when paul wrote this around 2000 years ago, he had this day in mind. exactly what i needed to hear. or maybe it was God...

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God."

- 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

"Don’t cry, child I can see ya
You’re too scared to come home
Just leave all of your worries
Out there where they belong
What dream keeps you running
From New York to LA?
You must be oh so hungry
For some place you can stay

Oh I can see ya
You’re almost there
Oh I can see ya
You’re almost there

And I hope that you know I love you
Even when you are gone
And I hope someday you’ll see that
All these roads lead to one

I live in the valleys
I live under your bed
I dwell in the silence

that you keep from your head"

- katie herzig

because He has suffered for us.

"When you’re weary

And haunted

And your life is not what you wanted

When you’re trying so hard to find it

When the lies speak the loudest

When your friends are starting to leave

When you’re broken by people like me

I hurt too, I hurt too

When an ocean sits right between us

There is no sign that we’ll ever cross

You should know now that I feel the loss

I hurt too, I hurt too

Even though you are drowning in valley’s of echoes

I believe there is peace in those hills up ahead

You will climb ‘til you find places you’ll never let go

And I will also be here praying just like I said

I hurt too, I hurt too"

- katie herzig

"Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him."

- hebrews 5:8-10

"for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

- hebrews 12:2

"Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty." A jar of wine vinegar was there, so they soaked a sponge in it, put the sponge on a stalk of the hyssop plant, and lifted it to Jesus' lips. When he had received the drink, Jesus said, "It is finished." With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."

- john 19:28-30

today is a better day.

thank you, thank you, thank you, Jesus.

for...

• an easy rotation this morning at the hotel with a really chill, relaxed supervisor who lets us out an hour early.
• meaning... 2.5 hr. break before my dreaded finance class.
• not having to go to my 4-7 PM hospitality finance class.
• getting to go to tea time, instead.
• lots of time to do school work!
• going home this weekend for the first time all semester.
• sweet encouraging e-mail from a wake forestian... putting things in perspective for me.
• Easter.

"Then God said, "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"

"Here I am," he replied.

"Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."

(from Genesis 22)

so, this story has been a great challenge to me this week. Abraham gave everything. he really loved God and God was above absolutely everything in his life. also, the fact that Abraham was giving up the one thing that would begin the whole nation of Israel, God's people. do you not think Abraham was confused? but He trusted God. wow.

"Give me motivation
Give me all my heart's desires
Show me something gorgeous
Show me 'til my eyes get tired
Give me all the drums and
Show me how to play them loud
Show me how to move
When I can't feel that you're around

It's clear enough to me
The ugliness I see
Is evidence of who I need

Give me the answer
Give me the way out
Give me the faith
To believe in these hard times"

-Needtobreathe

a different kind of weekend.

this weekend was nice... it really was. i can not say i really wanted to go. last week was busy, and i had already committed to work at camp marannook for the weekend at what they call "family camp". i left immediately after class on friday and came back this afternoon around 3. funny, i did not really want to go to marannook because i wanted rest this weekend. free time to catch up on things. yet, this weekend brought so much more rest than i would have received in auburn. i worked with a precious family. they had a 3 yr. old little boy with big blue eyes and curly blonde hair... precious!! they had a 4 month old little girl. so, needless to say she was

stuck to my hip all weekend and i loved it. well... mostly. it's going to be hard to come to the day i commit to having a baby. one that is full time, never leaves my side.

i think i am having withdrawals from little marriemma. oh my goodness, she was adorable. i officially felt like a mom when i had this crazy contraption wrapped around me with marriemma tagging along on a hayride. then, this morning i had one baby on the hip, the other hand taking pictures with a canon of the rest of the family. yep, i think i know what it feels like. i had nap duty, which gave me some time to sit on the front porch of the cabin in the middle of the woods and read my bible and journal. it was not super consistent, because someone was usually crying. however, the weekend was just great to get things in perspective.

however, tonight i came back to a crazy shenanigans chase that took me all over auburn, only for me to be killed in the end. blah. great way to begin the week.

oh well. hopefully one of my allies will go far and i can help that particular person and maybe that particular person will win due to some of my inside skills. just saying.

but, these days i have many things to worry about. so while i was at marannook and was able to think and not be so distracted my "auburn stuff", i begged God that He would reveal some truth to me... which He did. let me give you some.

"Cast your burden on the Lord and He will sustain you. He will never permit the righteous to be moved." - Psalm 55:22

"Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." - Matthew 11:28-30

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 4:6-7

"For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." - Philippians 4:11-13

"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." - Proverbs 19:21

"And God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father, be glory forever and ever. Amen." - Philippians 4:19

do you think God has things under control? i think so.

"But ah! Too soon the pleasing scene
Is clouded o’er with pain
My gloomy fears rise dark between
And I again complain,
Oh and I again complain

Jesus, my Lord, my life, my light
Oh come with blissful ray
Break radiant through the shades of night
And chase my fears away,
Won’t You chase my fears away"

- Thou Lovely Source of True Delight

"Be still, my soul:
thy God doth undertake
To guide the future,
as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence
let nothing shake;
All now mysterious
shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul:
the waves and winds
still know His voice
Who ruled them
while He dwelt below."

- Be Still My Soul

you can tell when i need to be studying...

...by how often i blog. see, i pretty much have to be on the computer any time i study. so many notes, readings, study guides, practice quizzes, etc. are on the computer. well, i don't like to study. it's very hard for me to stay focused, and therefore, i spend a lot of time on blogs, on facebook, etc. so, here i am posting a blog. but, i have memorized all my flashcards so i feel like it is a good time for a break before i begin my practice quizzes.

i read some rich stuff this morning in my quiet time. i want to share.

"For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me." - Galatians 2:18-20

"My individuality remains, but my primary motivation for living and the nature that rules me are radically changed. I have the same human body, but the old satanic right to myself has been destroyed... This faith was not Paul's own faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith the son of God had given to him. It is no longer a faith in faith, but a faith that transcends all imaginable limits- a faith that only comes from the Son of God." - Oswald Chambers

and, i could practically name this the Jon Foreman blog. here is the song i am currently adoring. he is just so honest. i love it. honesty - one of my favorite things in life. however, i'm pretty hypocritical saying that, because i lack honesty a lot of the time.

"I hate all your show and pretense

the hypocrisy of your praise

the hypocrisy of your festivals

I hate all your show

Instead let there be a flood

of justice

An endless procession of righteous

living, living

Instead let there be a flood

of justice

Instead of a show

Your eyes are closed when you're praying

You sing right along with the band

You shine up your shoes for service

But there's blood on your hands

You turned your back on the homeless

And the ones that don't fit in your plans

Quit playing religion games

There's blood on your hands

Ah! Let's argue this out

If your sins are blood red

Let's argue this out

You'll be white as the clouds

Let's argue this out

Quit fooling around

Give love to the ones who can't

love at all

Give hope to the ones who got no

hope at all

Stand up for the ones who can't stand

up at all

Instead of a show

I hate all your show"

- Jon Foreman

"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith as to move mountains, but do not have love, I have nothing." - 1 Corinthians 13:1-2

"We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for our bretheren." - 1 John 3:16

i just want you to know, that i write all of this because it so much of what i struggle with and have to preach to myself day in and day out.

half way between home and new york.

i am still giddy over the news about wake forest. i want to make pilgrim days my main blog for the internship. since i want to keep clear updates on the internship, i would rather that be on an individual blog. it's actually been waiting in hiding until i found out my location :) i take any chance i can to design a new blog. hence, we made one for my friend sarah katheryn, at the beach! please check it out!

also, i want to be able to continue to have an outlet for weddings/lyrics/etc. i do not want that mixed with the internship info. but, obviously, i'm sure not everyone is waiting on every last word from me. so, if you want to follow either of my blogs at all, any inkling in you to check up on me, which i feel arrogant saying... but, i guess somebody is reading... please follow pilgrim days. but then again, it will be a little more boring considering i won't be posting any creative stuff.

ok, enough with logistic stuff... Lord willing, i am going to Wake Forest!!

funny story. scott and i started to get word from friends at other schools that they were finding out where they were going. i was in florida, scott was in hawaii. so, its not as if we could talk to richard. he will not tell if he can not tell you in person! scott called richard (my campus minister) to find out if he knew our placement and he in fact did. i was on my way home from the beach, so i texted richard and told him i knew he knew and wanted to know. so, as quickly as i possibly could, i got to richard's house. i think he was probably a little taken aback by my eagerness. i walk in to the whole family (wife, 3 precious kids) and he is playing the fight song from wake forest. of course i have no idea and i am completely terrified at this point. i turn to amy, and ask her if i should be scared... she says no. she would be so excited! i ask for more hints. i want him to break it to me easy because i am so nervous. he tells me their colors. he tells me their mascot. he tells me the region. he tells me what the school is known for. everything he can! and i still have no idea. so, then he turns the computer screen towards me, and it's wake forest's website, and i scream.

this morning i received my first text message from the campus minister, kevin teasely. as meggie said, and so it begins.

ok, i am going to get back to normal life. i am going to study all day. and i will leave this blog from now on to fun wedding/music/whatever stuff. to keep up with wake forest internship info, go to pilgrim days.

interesting stuff... distances from Winston-Salem, NC to (according to map quest, which usually estimated longer)...

Scottsboro: 7 hrs; 442 mi.

Auburn: 7 hrs; 427 mi.

Nashville: 7 hrs; 451 mi.

New Orleans (in case this is where Sarah will be, and this is a killer): 12.5 hrs; 788 mi.

New York City: 9.5 hrs; 568.52 mi.

Wilmington, NC (where Dawson's Creek was filmed): 3 hrs, 50 min; 237 mi.

"My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." - Psalm 139: 15-16

"I sought the LORD, and he answered me;

he delivered me from all my fears.

Those who look to him are radiant;

their faces are never covered with shame.

This poor man called, and the LORD heard him;

he saved him out of all his troubles.

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him,

and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good;

blessed is the man who takes refuge in him."

- Psalm 34

for my 200th post...

a very, very lovely bouquet! can i please have you now...

my friends are currently at the vero beach outlet malls. what am i doing? yes, i found a starbucks, even in florida. i have a very big test that happens to land on the wednesday i get back so i need to begin studying to give myself a peace of mind. also, i am having quiet time. in order to have a successful spring break, i must have some quiet time.

and here are some lyrics my friends and i were gushing over last night. bebo norman truly is a gifted writer...

"The hammer pounds again, but flames I do not feel
This force that drives me, helplessly, through flesh, and wood reveals
A burn that burns much deeper, it's more than I can stand
The reason for my life was to take the life of a guiltless man

So dream a little, dream for me in hopes that I'll remain
And cry a little, cry for me so I can bear the pain
And hurt a little, hurt for me, my future is so bold
But my dreams are not the issue here, for they, the hammer holds

This task before me may seem unclear
But it, my maker holds"

- bebo norman

and here is some truth that i will repeat... seeing that is the subtitle of my blog. but, i have been reminded and greatly encouraged by it right now.

"But seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." - Matthew 6:33-34

i hope you are having a lovely monday, wherever you are at.

back to studying. yipee.

this is bliss.

i am in vero beach, florida pretending that i live a luxurious, rich lifestyle. right now i am with three girlfriends. we have two more arriving tomorrow. i am staying with one girl, lauren, and her family. her dad is the general manager of a private club here in vero beach. the club is AMAZING. we have a private beach, get lunch and drinks at our service, and it's beautiful... beautiful. not to mention, a hotel/restaurant management major's dream. i think her dad may give me a tour of the whole place at some point. also, we get manicures and pedicures later this week, compliments of her mom. thank you, thank you, thank you lauren and your family!! i could not ask for a better spring break.

i spent some time reading the Bible this morning and journaling. here is some rich truth that i read today...

"In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs." - Hebrews 1:1-3

the cure for pain.

"So I'm not sure why it always flows downhill

Why broken cisterns never could stay filled

I've spent ten years singing gravity away

But the water keeps on falling from the sky

And here tonight while the stars are blacking out

With every hope and dream I've ever had in doubt

I've spent ten years trying to sing these doubts away

But the water keeps on falling from my eyes

And heaven knows, heaven knows

I tried to find a cure for the pain

Oh my Lord! To suffer like you do

It would be a lie to run away

So blood is fire pulsing through our veins

We're either writers or fools behind the reigns

I've spent ten years trying to sing it all way

But the water keeps on falling from my tries

And heaven knows, heaven knows

I tried to find a cure for the pain

Oh my Lord! To suffer like you do

It would be a lie to run away

A lie to run

It would be a lie

It would be a lie to run away

It keeps on falling

Water keeps on falling from my eyes"

- Jon Foreman

"My people have committed two sins:

They have forsaken me,
the spring of living water,
and have dug their own cisterns,
broken cisterns that cannot hold water."

- Jeremiah 2:13

"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body."

- 2 Corinthians 4:6-10

"He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'" - John 7:38

i just want to share: glorification.

glo·ry

very great praise, honor, or distinction bestowed by common consent; renown

adoring praise or worshipful thanksgiving

resplendent beauty or magnificence

a state of great splendor, magnificence, or prosperity.

a state of absolute happiness, gratification, contentment, etc.

the splendor and bliss of heaven; heaven.

glorification

In the Scripture the idea of glorification deals with the ultimate perfection of believers;

glorification brings participation in the kingdom of God;

in some sense a partaking of God's own glory.

do you ever think about how one day we will realize that all the things we worry about are absolutely silly and minute in light of what God has done and is going to do? i just saw a snippet of something about this universe and realized, wow, God made that. it reminded me of my high school biology classes that i actually really enjoyed because i was amazed by all the different ecosystems and animals that are on this earth that live and breathe in there in special ways and feed off of one another and God made that happen. He knows those animals and He knows me and you. why do i worry?

a few verses on glory...

"Let every valley be lifted up,

And every mountain and hill be made low;

And let the rough ground become a plain,

And the rugged terrain a broad valley;

Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed,

And all flesh will see it together;

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken." - Isaiah 40:4-5

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God." - Romans 8:18-19

"but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation." - 1 Peter 4:13

just what i needed.

i went to bed with heaviness of heart and awoke with that same idol wearing at me. nothing that completely tore me apart, but just enough to fog my day and to keep me from joy. thankfully, i was reminded of some truth this morning. i just pray that i will keep telling myself this truth today.

(one of my favorite passages in the Bible)

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." - 2 Corinthians 9:8-10

"If none of God’s saints were poor and tried, we should not know half so well the consolations of divine grace. When we find the wanderer who has not where to lay his head, who yet can say, “Still will I trust in the Lord;” when we see the pauper starving on bread and water, who still glories in Jesus; when we see the bereaved widow overwhelmed in affliction, and yet having faith in Christ, oh! what honour it reflects on the gospel. God’s grace is illustrated and magnified in the poverty and trials of believers. Saints bear up under every discouragement, believing that all things work together for their good, and that out of apparent evils a real blessing shall ultimately spring—that their God will either work a deliverance for them speedily, or most assuredly support them in the trouble, as long as he is pleased to keep them in it. This patience of the saints proves the power of divine grace...

No man can be illustrious before the Lord unless his conflicts be many. If then, yours be a much-tried path, rejoice in it, because you will the better show forth the all-sufficient grace of God. As for his failing you, never dream of it—hate the thought. The God who has been sufficient until now, should be trusted to the end."

- C.H. Spurgeon

"On Jordan’s stormy banks I stand,
And cast a wishful eye
To Canaan’s fair and happy land,
Where my possessions lie.

All o’er those wide extended plains,
Shines one eternal day;
There God the Son forever reigns,
And scatters night away.

No chilling winds nor poisonous breath
Can reach that healthful shore;
Sickness, sorrow, pain and death,
Are felt and feared no more.

When shall I reach that happy place,
And be forever blessed?
When shall I see my Father’s face,
And in His bosom rest?

I am bound for the promised land."

- Samuel Stennent, "On Jordan's Stormy Banks"

look to the cross.

Jesus loves me this i know, for the Bible tells me so.

thank you, Jesus, for speaking truth to me today. i am not going to be able to attend Plains Presbyterian tonight where i usually go to church, so this morning i attended First Presbyterian Church in Opelika. i said to sarah and our friend, ann, its as though God said... i am going to ordain this man to do something... speak the Gospel plainly and loudly. Rev. Scott Bowen is truly a gifted teacher of the Word. its as though he preaches the Gospel and i am hearing it for the first time.

"Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." - Romans 6:12-13

so, Jesus Christ has saved us once and for all. nothing that i do can effect what He has done for me. nothing that i say, think, or feel can make Him love me less. wow. so, if i am secure in my salvation, why do i even need to obey? it is finished. it is complete. yet, we have something in us that makes us want to obey out of fear, or to receive a blessing. God did not sacrifice His only Son for us to follow a set of rules and to work for our own righteousness. He gave His Son because He cares deeply for us. therefore, i look to Him, my glorious Father, and say, Jesus, i want to obey You. not to receive a blessing. not out of fear of punishment. because that's not how the Gospel works. i look to you and i say, Lord, thank You, now i want to serve You by the way i live. living rightly isn't about me... it's not about kate rhodes needs. it's all about Jesus's glory and His incomprehensible love.

i wish and i pray that i would actually believe this in my life... because, so very, very often i do not.

"Then they flung at Him a bold and insolent challenge. 'If you're the Son of God, come down! Then, we'll believe.' Did He come down? No. He stayed there. Why? Because He loved us with a love that gives everything... Faith is not merely feeling good about God but a conscious choice, even in the utter absence of feelings or external encouragements, to obey His Word when He says, 'trust Me.'" - Elisabeth Elliot

(corporate confession from church today)

"Almighty God, to know you is the fulfillment of our deepest longings and the satisfaction of our most ardent desires. Yet foolishly we have sought our pleasure elsewhere. We have put the seeking of idols, which are bound to leave us empty above seeking You."

"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.

In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

- Hebrews 12:1-4