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

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

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.

Isaiah 48:9-17

"For my name's sake I defer my anger,

for the sake of my praise I restrain it

for you,

that I may not cut you off.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as

silver;

I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.

For my own sake, for my own sake,

I do it,

for how should my name be profaned?

My glory I will not give to another.

Listen to me, O Jacob,

and Israel, whom I called!

I am he, I am the first,

and I am the last.

My hand laid the foundation of the

earth,

and my right hand spread out the

heavens;

when I call to them,

they stand forth together...

Draw near to me, hear this:

from the beginning I have not spoken in secret,

from the time it came to be I have been there.

And now the Lord GOD has sent me,

and his Spirit.

Thus says the LORD,

your Redeemer, the Holy One of

Israel:

'I am the LORD your God,

who teaches you to profit,

who leads you in the way you

should go.

Oh that you had paid attention to my

commandments!

Then your peace would have been like

a river,

and your righteousness like the waves

of the sea...

They did not thirst when he led them

through the deserts;

he made water flow for them from the

rock;

he split the rock and the water gushed

out."

"If, believer, thou requirest still greater comfort, remember that you have the Son of Man with you in the furnace. In that silent chamber of yours, there sitteth by your side One whom thou hast not seen, but whom thou lovest; and ofttimes when thou knowest it not, he makes all thy bed in thy affliction, and smooths thy pillow for thee." - Spurgeon

thanks, friend.

yesterday, charles and sarah katheryn graciously hosted a benefit for scott and i. the lake house boys were kind enough to let people invade their house for the entire sunday evening. it was greatly encouraging to have friends come and support me and scott. i am truly thankful that God has allowed these people to come into my life.

sarah got to show off her artwork and people loved it! as well as a sweet friend marlena who gave several pieces of her beautiful artwork. there were baked goods galore! cakes, cookies, brownies, etc. the remainder will be sold at RUF tonight. the five dozen eggs performed some irish pub songs. (just another example of the quirkiness of RUF. this is a legit group of guys.) and, the ever popular quiet words, well, at least joseph and george, played a few songs.

thanks for coming to support, encourage, and remind me that God has called me here for a purpose. i love you all.

“Everything that a man leans upon but God—will be a dart which will certainly pierce his heart through and through. He who leans only upon Christ—lives the highest, choicest, safest and sweetest life.” - Thomas Brooks

i have sweet friends.

today was my birthday and i am thankful for...

- cabray for allowing me wake up to a decorated hallway and coffee cake

- no class and no meetings

- coffee with meghan

- walking with anna

- dinner at bonefish grill with rachel stark, rachel slay, meggie, sarah katheryn, hamilton, and cabray

- free dinner because of slow service... however, awesome job with service recovery so i recommend bonefish grill... don't put it down

- massive attack of giant chocolate cake by seven girls

- RUF falling on my birthday

- scott and hamilton for throwing me surprise party with my RUF friends!

- snow flurries as i drove home tonight

- only four days till winter conference!!

overall, i'm blessed.

(i copied these from my mom's blog just because they make me happy and if you do not read her's, i'd like for you to see them)

me and my sisters (i am the youngest), about 20-21 years ago...

and a picture of my grandmother, my mom's mother, at the age i am today, 22. fascinating...

finally, i love that this is the morning devotional by spurgeon for February 15. it is my prayer...

"To him be glory both now and forever.”

2 Peter 3:18

“Lord, help me to glorify thee; I am poor; help me to glorify thee by contentment; I am sick; help me to give thee honour by patience; I have talents; help me to extol thee by spending them for thee; I have time; Lord, help me to redeem it, that I may serve thee; I have a heart to feel; Lord, let that heart feel no love but thine, and glow with no flame but affection for thee; I have a head to think; Lord, help me to think of thee and for thee; thou hast put me in this world for something; Lord, show me what that is, and help me to work out my life-purpose: I cannot do much; but as the widow put in her two mites, which were all her living, so, Lord, I cast my time and eternity too into thy treasury; I am all thine; take me, and enable me to glorify theenow, in all that I say, in all that I do, and with all that I have.”

just one more thing...

...that seriously struck me in our james study, which is a compilation of commentators put together by RUF.

"We are so squeamish about troubles. Our secular society is defined by what is now. If now goes bad, you have nothing. We must change our perspective."

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance." - Hebrews 11:13

i'll take a moment to breathe.

at some point, this semester decided to pick up speed, very quickly. it kind of happened without me knowing it. today, i have been blessed with a very long break before my fabulous 4-7 finance class... yay! therefore, i will take a moment to post some wonderful findings.

oh hello friend had a fabulous post today that made me do some wandering. today what would be heavenly to me would be to grab my bible, journal, ipod, maybe a book, and a big thermos of coffee or chai... and sit in one of these absolutely dreamy looking places and spend some time talking to God...

and what has God been teaching me lately? He has been gracious to me. coming to the end of college makes me reflect on how God has worked and changed me and those around me throughout the past, oh 8 or so years of my life. it's quite overwhelming. He has proven Himself faithful to me... i definitely have not always thought He was being faithful and i still get angry at Him sometimes, but when i look at His Word and when He gets my mind in the correct perspective, it is incredible to see His abundant mercy and provision... i can't even come close to comprehending it.

oh, how i have been able to relate to job (although he was much more faithful than i)...

"I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge? Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me which I did not know." - Job 40

what an incredible treehouse. i always dreamed of having a treehouse... actually i think i imagined what it would be like to actually live inside a tree... how that would be possible, i don't know. but the thought seemed very cozy to me when i was a child.

beautiful, english countryside.

a sweet friend directed me to psalm 37 the other night... it spoke volumes to me.

"Commit your way to the Lord, trust in Him and He will act... Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him... those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant peace... Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace."

it's amazing how many times the word, wait, is used in the bible... i could learn from that.

an RUF internship update: my interview is February 16. please pray.

a beautiful poem from our james study...

"Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land;
I hear them hail thy bright, ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar?

Hast thou no wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers; spent,
Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned.
Hast thou no wound?

No wound? No scar?
Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,
And piercèd are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole; can he have followed far
Who hast no wound or scar?"

- Amy Carmichael

maybe here's an explanation...

...for why i love weddings so much.

"I think that's why we make such a big deal out of weddings, because a wedding means life, and because the bride and groom are old enough to write a thank you note for the serving spoons you gave them. And perhaps because you get to drink and dance, no matter how old you are... One of the things that gives me hope is that, even with all the tragedy that happens in the world, the Bible says that when we get to heaven, there will be a wedding and there will be drinking and there will be dancing...

Do I still think there will be a day when all wrongs are made right, when our souls find the completion they are looking for? I do. But when all things are made right, it won't be because of some preacher or snake-oil salesman or politician or writer making promises in his book. I think, instead, this will be done by Jesus. And it will be at a wedding. And there will be a feast."

- Donald Miller

"Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb '" And he said to me, "These are true words of God." - Revelation 19:9

a picture.

remember aron ralston? he was the guy who went to rock climbing and was pinned by a large boulder. he then cut his arm off to survive. well, we are studying james this semester in my sophomore girl's fellowship group. the study opens up with an illustration of his story and how that relates to...

james 1:1-5, "James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks

wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Aron Ralston prepared himself to die. He didn’t figure he’d make it through the fifth night. He was mentally and physically exhausted. He hand was rotting, and he couldn’t get out. That night, he had a dream and in the dream he saw a young boy. “I now the boy is my own. I bend to scoop him into my left arm, using my handless right arm to balance him, and we laugh together as I swing him up to my left shoulder. The boy happily perches on my left shoulder while I steady him with my left hand and right stump. Smiling, I prance about the room, tiptoeing in and out of the sun dapples on the oak floor, and he giggles gleefully. Then, with a shock, the vision blinks out. I’m back in the canyon, echoes of his joyful sounds resonating in my mind. Despite having already come to accept that I will die where I stand before help arrives, now I believe I will live. That belief, that boy, changes everything for me.”

That morning, his sixth day on the mountain, Aron does something that he didn’t think he could do. But, you see, he wanted to live for something else. Are you ready? Aron had never been able to figure out how he could saw through the bones in his arm. He only had two small pocket knife blades. They could get through flesh and even muscle, and by this point, he couldn’t even feel it much when he tried. But they would never make it through bone. Then he had the answer. And he put all his pressure against a focal point – and he broke his first his radius and then his ulna just above his wrist.

yes, we will face trials. it's not a question, it's a surety. often, we may not see how this could be worth it. however, Christ is creating a story much larger than ourselves. He wants us to be a part of that. by accepting the trials, even taking joy in them, we are able to participate in the story. aron saw a bigger picture than just himself. it made him live.

truth for tonight.

“Heartfelt confidence that, because of Christ, our all-controlling God is 100% for us, is the key to indomitable joy.”

- John Piper

"He (God) came back to me and asked me if I really believed he could write a better story - and if I did, why didn't I trust Him?" - Donald Miller

"John answered, 'A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven.'" - John 3:27

"What God initiates, He anoints. He provides. If He anoints something it will have His blessing. Whatever God initiates is anointed. It is not up to us to measure results. When God moves, He does things His way." - from the philosophy of ministry at Riverside Community Church

thank You, Lord for being in control.

what has impacted me.

o, i wrote a really long post about my love for RUF and how thankful i am for it. i realized it was all a lot of jumble and decided to simply express my thanksgiving and love for the ministry and share these beautiful quotes and verses, instead.

for those who know me personally, please pray as i will be interviewing for the RUF internship next month and hopefully pray for me as i begin raising support shortly after.

"It is always the simple things that change our lives. And these things never happen when you are looking for them to happen. Life will reveal answers at the pace life wishes to do so. You feel like running, but life is on a stroll. This is how God does things"

— Donald Miller

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." - Romans 5:1-6

"there are a lot of places i like, but i like new orleans better." - bob dylan

i'll try not to write a novel, but i'm not sure if i'll be able to stop myself. i am in new orleans and i love this place and these people. right now, the majority of the group is at a bar, cooter brown's, watching alabama and texas battle it out for the national championship. i could not handle to watch and i finally actually hit a wall and needed some quiet time. it took 5 whole days of living and working with 20 other people to get here! i'm pretty impressed with myself (i say with sarcasm... it's usually hard for me to make it without much quiet/alone time) . new orleans is such a beautiful, special place for many reasons. the greatest regret of the trip (next to losing my phone on the first day as we gutted the church) was not charging my camera enough at the beginning... therefore i have no pictures of my own. fortunately, we do have our very own photographer for the trip, charles, and he has posted pictures on facebook. i will post some of those later. but here are reasons this trip has been so amazing...

- the architecture here is stunning... definitely some of the most beautiful houses i have ever seen. it's a mix of french/spanish/caribbean architecture which equals beautiful! (i am very sad because i could not find any pictures that really represent what i am talking about)

- the community is so tight here. if you live in new orleans, you love new orleans and the people in it and anyone who wants to come help. everyone has been so appreciative of our help. i am so greatly inspired by the people here that long to see this city restored.

- something that people at the church, redeemer, say is that new orleans paints such a good picture of heaven and of hell. it's so true. you can see the incredible beginnings of what new orleans was. the stunning homes, the beautiful lakeside, the great music. however, it has been so distorted by the Fall. down one street, you find beautiful art galleries and antique shops with multimillion dollar homes. on the next street, you find strip clubs, voodoo shops, and drag queens. in fact, i met ashley, "the queen of bourbon street"... a drag queen. he/she (we have talked about ashley a lot this week and never know what to call this person) gave me a teddy bear. i was so thankful just to be able to say hey. i long to know these broken, broken people. at the core, they are just like us.

you see in the absolute destruction of this city by katrina, the destruction of hell. at the same time, you see great redemption in the community that has formed from disaster. truly, this place is such a beautiful picture of the fall and of redemption.

the church we gutted. this is one location of beacon hill baptist church... the church had 10,000 members throughout the city! now it has 600. ^

me in the red jacket... taking down sheetrock. new experience for me. ^

- finally, you get to hang with celebrities. so, we went to listen to this jazz band, rebirth, at a local bar. apparently they are a big deal in new orleans. all the sudden, my sweet friend, patrick whispers to me... hey, you know that actress, kate hudson. well, she's here. i freaked out a little bit and turned around to check every couple of minutes... just to make sure it was really her. yep, i saw kate hudson.

also, got to see angelina jolie and brad pitt's house. brad pitt is actually doing so much for this

city. his organization called make it right, is building houses in the most affected area of new orleans. these houses are apparently storm resistant... well however much a house can be storm resistant. there is a little conflict about the style of housing... it is very modern architecture. basically, it looks like LA has been transported to the 9th ward of new orleans. not very new orleans at all. but, nonetheless, a huge help!! there are still so many homeless people and so, so much poverty. thank you to brad pitt. (my campus minister really did pray for his work the other night... never done that before.)

^ angelina jolie and brad pitt's house.

^ one of the houses in the 9th ward, brad pitt has built.

overall, it has been a fabulous week. i have been a house with 20 other people, wearing filthy clothes, sleeping in a sleeping bag, and yet, i am not ready to go home. it must be God. there is just something so special about this place... in fact, i am going to try to talk my sister into moving here :)

“If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” - C.S. Lewis

mary.

"I am thanking God that unto us a Child was born. I am thanking Him also that there was a pure-hearted woman prepared to receive that Child with all that motherhood would mean of daily trust, daily dependence, daily obedience. I thank Him for her silence. That spirit is not in me at all, not naturally. I want to learn what she had learned so early: the deep guarding in her heart of each event, mulling over its meaning from God, waiting in silence for His word to her.

I want to learn, too, that it is not an extraordinary spirituality that makes one refuse to do ordinary work, but a wish to prove that one is not ordinary--which is a dead giveaway of spiritual conceit. I want to respond in unhesitating obedience as she did: Anything You say, Lord.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

- elisabeth elliot on mary, the mother of Jesus

r: 2.25 mi. 23 min.

Spurgeon.

"Thou shalt never find a bundle of affliction which has not bound up in the midst of it sufficient grace."

why?

the last couple of days have been tough. on the surface my situation does not look too bad compared to others' struggles. but, at the end of the day the weight of suffering is different for each person and a simple thing can hurt terribly for particular people. sometimes i think loneliness is the biggest struggle to face... but then again i do not know what i am going to have to face while i live here on earth so i might be biting my tongue.

sometimes, do you see that the Lord is trying to teach you through suffering? that He wants to use you through your suffering and that He wants the best for you but in order for His best you must struggle right now. and do sometimes do you feel like, Lord, i don't think i can take the sacrifice? i almost want to say that it's not worth it to me. but, if only i knew the full reward He has in store. then, i would laugh at the hardships i face now.

today, i am saying Lord, i'll take less than the best. but, fortunately, i really do not have a choice and He will give me His best in His time. He won't even give me the option of settling for less. i am praying He will give me the peace that passes understanding.

wow, that was pretty honest... but i want God to use me in my suffering. i want to be an empty vessel and sometimes that means being vulnerable.

i cried/laughed this morning as i read this devotional from elisabeth elliot... surely God sees my troubles right now...

"The terrible things in the world seem to make a mockery of the love of God, and the question always arises: Why!

There are important clues in the words of Jesus. The disciples' worst fears were about to be realized, yet He commanded (yes, commanded) them to be at peace. All would be well, all manner of things would be well--in the end. In a short time, however, the Prince of this world, Satan himself, was to be permitted to have his way. Not that Satan had any rights over Jesus. Far from it. Nor has he "rights" over any of God's children, including that dear mother. But Satan is permitted to approach. He challenges God, we know from the Book of Job, as to the validity of His children's faith.

God allows him to make a test case from time to time. It had to be proved to Satan, in Job's case, that there is such a thing as obedient faith which does not depend on receiving only benefits. Jesus had to show the world that He loved the Father and would, no matter what happened, do exactly what He said. The servant is not greater than his Lord. When we cry "Why, Lord?" we should ask instead, "Why not, Lord? Shall I not follow my Master in suffering as in everything else?"

Does our faith depend on having every prayer answered as we think it should be answered, or does it rest rather on the character of a sovereign Lord? We can't really tell, can we, until we're in real trouble."

For All the Saints

"And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia

The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia"

perspective.

i read this today on elisabeth elliot's daily devotional. it is very encouraging and gives us an eternal perspective. it is not written by elisabeth elliot, but a woman named Judy Squier, who was born with no legs.

also, it's family-focused... so for my family that reads this :)

"'What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the Creator calls a butterfly.' As humanity we see only the imperfect, underside of God's tapestry of our lives. What we judge to be 'tragic--the most dreaded thing that could happen,' I expect we'll one day see as the awesome reason for the beauty and uniqueness of our life and our family. I think that's why James 1:2 is a favorite verse of mine. Phillips' translation put it this way: 'When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don't resent them as intruders but welcome them as friends.'..."

"You as a family have been chosen in a special way to display His unique Masterwork. I pray that your roots of faith will grow deep down into the faithfulness of God's Loving Plan, that you will exchange your inadequacy for the Adequacy of Jesus' resurrection power, and that you will be awed as you witness the fruits of the Spirit manifested in your family."

pure encouragement.

so, here is some pretty incredible encouragement/convicting quotes. something i was in great need of tonight. sorority recruitment has begun. let the fun begin! i am back in auburn, in a new house which i do love. must endure through the next week and a half and then will begin my final year at auburn. so, to kick off the craziness, i found some words that i needed on this night... mostly from none other than, elisabeth elliot.

1. "When ours are interrupted, his are not. His plans are proceeding exactly as scheduled, moving us always (including those minutes or hours or years which seem most useless or wasted or unendurable) "toward the goal of true maturity" (Rom 12:2 JBP)." - Elisabeth Elliot

2. "God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to. " - Elisabeth Elliot

3. "I had feelings of fear about the future...The devil kept on whispering, "It's all right now, but what about afterward? You are going to be very lonely"....And I turned to my God in a kind of desperation and said "Lord, what can I do? How can I go on to the end?" And He said, "None of them that trust in Me shall be desolate." That word has been with me ever since." - Amy Carmichael

4. "If I belittle those whom I am called to serve, talk of their weak points in contrast perhaps with what I think of as my strong points; if I adopt a superior attitude, forgetting "Who made thee to differ? and what hast thou that thou hast not received?" then I know nothing of Calvary love." - Amy Carmichael

5. "To realize that you are safe and happy standing at God's side, with His love encompassing you because you are forgiven; too happy to take offense any more; too much in love with life to want to be made miserable with an unforgiving heart, and knowing that now every conflict is a chance to learn more of the exceeding beauty of Love: that is worth living for, and surely worth dying to this misery-making self for. And let us be grateful beyond words for this: that God will not let us alone until we have learnt it and stand by His side. He troubles us, He brings His disturbing light back and back to us, showing us how coarse and heavy the dying self, seeking her own, is; how horrible it is that any feeling of unforgiveness, accepted and held on to, towards our brother, drives God from our side; how quickly we must do all we can to heal the separation, because we are out in the cold and the dark indeed, if divorced from that Love." - Frances Allshorn

favorite hymns.

so, music favorites #2. here are my favorite hymns. i love beautiful, old hymns. there is no writing that expresses the depth of the Gospel and and allows believers to express gratitude and awe of how amazing God is, like the old hymns from writers such as william cowper, john newton, and isaac watts. today there are many modern renditions of these hymns thanks to indelible grace, red mountain church, and various Christian artists. here are just a few of my favorites...

"When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" - Isaac Watts

Were the whole realm of nature mine,

That were a present far too small:

Love so amazing, so divine,

Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Kathryn Scott version

"Be Still My Soul" - Katharina A. von Schlegal

Be still, my soul:

the waves and winds

still know His voice

Who ruled them

while He dwelt below.

Ginny Owens version

"For the Beauty of the Earth" - Folliott Pierpoint

For the beauty of the earth,

For the glory of the skies,

For the love which from our birth

Over and around us lies.

Lord of all to Thee we raise

This our hymn of grateful praise.

from Little Women

"I Asked the Lord" - John Newton

These inward trials I employ

From self and pride to set thee free

And break thy schemes of earthly joy

That thou mayest seek thy all in me,

That thou mayest seek thy all in me.

Indelible Grace version

"In the Hours" - Helen L. Parmlee

Thou the hated and forsaken,

Thou the bearer of the cross

Crowned of thorns and mocked and smitten,

Counting earthly gain but loss

When scorned are we,

We joy to be the more like Thee

Indelible Grace version

"Not What My Hands Have Done" - Horatius Bonar

I bless the Christ of God;

I rest on love divine;

And with unfaltering lip and heart,

I call this Savior mine.

Indelible Grace version

"Holy, Holy, Holy" - Reginald Heber

Only Thou art holy;

there is none beside Thee,

Perfect in power, in love, and purity.

Sufjan Stevens version