while i was busy studying hard for my summer class on the 2nd floor of the library today, the electricity flickered on and off. before long, we were ushered into a windowless room and told a tornado had been sighted a few miles away. i was nervous, but really at peace trusting God with my safety. ha i honestly thought, hey if i die, at least i don’t have to do anymore school. not the best thought i know. but anyways these verses were brought to mind…
he made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. psalm 107:29
for you have been a stronghold to the poor, a stronghold to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. isaiah 25: 4
while there was an actual storm complete with howling wind gusts, deep rolls of thunder, and even swirling funnels, there was a more figurative storm occurring in my life. the 2 summer courses i am taking are hard. much memorization needs to occur and great comprehension take place. and all in a very short summer session. i am aware of my inabilities and weakness more than ever. these verses and the storm reminded me to find a stronghold in the almighty creator who created the bodies i am learning about. he knows even more than what i am trying to learn and he is able to see me through this difficult time of school. where i am weak he is strong.
now to rely on his strength instead of mine and apply myself diligently out of a love for obeying god’s word. back to the books
something i was thinking about earlier this week.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
these little guys are coming in the mail any day now : )
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikewomen/en_US/shoes?hf=10001^12001^4294967132&p=PWP&t=Women%27s%20Running%20Shoes#?ll=en_US&ct=US&pid=384412&cid=1&pgid=385613&p=PDP
http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nikewomen/en_US/shoes?hf=10001^12001^4294967132&p=PWP&t=Women%27s%20Running%20Shoes#?ll=en_US&ct=US&pid=384412&cid=1&pgid=385613&p=PDP
26. I’m grateful for this sparkly clean sink. I hate hate hate dirty or dish filled sinks, thus this gleaming, empty, white one hits just the spot.
27. passion tea, iced, on a warm afternoon as I made some travel plans. It tasted heavenly
28. Garrett playing music ALL THE TIME! He plays piano and guitar, by ear of course, and sings pretty much nonstop. He even just began playing this new song he wrote for us. Its too cute to listen to him trying to figure it out
29. these colorful pens made starting back to school a little easier and less drab.
30. a summer day spent getting plants with chels and reaghan
31. said plants riding beside me in the backseat
32. ended planting day with half price frapps. say yum!
33. whimsical clouds
34. a Friday night out at jimmy john’s with rach. Mary, and bell. A bunch of boys crashed our house later for some fun times
35. unexpected trips to the peninsula to gaze at the sunset, which was glorious by the way, with garrett. We had fun talking, taking pics, savoring honeysickles and bravely trying some random, yet beautiful wild berries.
I have so much to be grateful for!
Before long, I’ll write about my 4 day, end of 2 week summer trip to Georgia with my dad. We had a great time!
27. passion tea, iced, on a warm afternoon as I made some travel plans. It tasted heavenly
28. Garrett playing music ALL THE TIME! He plays piano and guitar, by ear of course, and sings pretty much nonstop. He even just began playing this new song he wrote for us. Its too cute to listen to him trying to figure it out
29. these colorful pens made starting back to school a little easier and less drab.
30. a summer day spent getting plants with chels and reaghan
31. said plants riding beside me in the backseat
32. ended planting day with half price frapps. say yum!
33. whimsical clouds
34. a Friday night out at jimmy john’s with rach. Mary, and bell. A bunch of boys crashed our house later for some fun times
35. unexpected trips to the peninsula to gaze at the sunset, which was glorious by the way, with garrett. We had fun talking, taking pics, savoring honeysickles and bravely trying some random, yet beautiful wild berries.
I have so much to be grateful for!
Before long, I’ll write about my 4 day, end of 2 week summer trip to Georgia with my dad. We had a great time!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
a late mother's day post
i forgot to post this back on may 9th, but still wanted to remember this
mother’s day always reminds me of what a sweet mom i have. she serves me in so many ways, but recently i’ve been encouraged by her serving through working. she teaches fifth and sixth grade, a full time job. throughout her past six years of teaching, things have constantly changed around. more recently, she would have preferred to be home, but that was not yet a practical option. so she continued working without complaining. her example of constant serving is so Christ like. now she’s almost completed her hardest year and we are unsure of what the future holds. her example of serving her family through teaching, and then coming home to take the ‘second shift’ and take care of her fam and home, is an example i will not quickly forget. mom, i love you and could never thank God enough for you!
mother’s day always reminds me of what a sweet mom i have. she serves me in so many ways, but recently i’ve been encouraged by her serving through working. she teaches fifth and sixth grade, a full time job. throughout her past six years of teaching, things have constantly changed around. more recently, she would have preferred to be home, but that was not yet a practical option. so she continued working without complaining. her example of constant serving is so Christ like. now she’s almost completed her hardest year and we are unsure of what the future holds. her example of serving her family through teaching, and then coming home to take the ‘second shift’ and take care of her fam and home, is an example i will not quickly forget. mom, i love you and could never thank God enough for you!
williamsburg tradish
last year marked the first year of a new tradition for the girls in our family. on a pleasant spring friday we drive up to williamsburg. spend a relaxing friday night doing whatever we fee like, then wake up and shop the whole live long day on saturday.
we haven't yet learned how to pack light : )
we love the pretty view from the bridge
this year, mom picked out the best hotel. it was so pretty with large columns in the front. and we were on the first floor, with a lovely view of the outside greenery.
i love the american flag. this was the one in front of our hotel
this little guy was waiting for us inside the hotel room
chels and mar were excited to be there : )
ready to go out for the night
first stop: candy shop
chels is a cute, candy-loving chick
we continued walking around and i snapped so many pics. these are my top ten
that's probably more than ten but whatever
this weekend couldn't have been better. we enjoyed a peaceful, pleasant time together. i was so grateful for this time, and yet very aware of how times like these will grow fewer and fewer. i loved getting to laugh with my sisters and enjoy fellowship. it was a sweet time of listening to each other, hearing about future dreams and hopes, growing in selflessness as we coordinated shops to visit and places to eat, beds to sleep in and in general working with one another as we made decisions. i love that we were able to talk seriously at times and also have many memorable laughs. as i sais before, it was a great time to be together and one i will not soon forget. i love you all and hope that we are able to share many more trips like this in the future.
and i just realized this post should've been posted a while ago, but somehow i never posted it. so here it is and better late than never
we haven't yet learned how to pack light : )
we love the pretty view from the bridge
this year, mom picked out the best hotel. it was so pretty with large columns in the front. and we were on the first floor, with a lovely view of the outside greenery.
i love the american flag. this was the one in front of our hotel
this little guy was waiting for us inside the hotel room
chels and mar were excited to be there : )
ready to go out for the night
first stop: candy shop
chels is a cute, candy-loving chick
we continued walking around and i snapped so many pics. these are my top ten
that's probably more than ten but whatever
this weekend couldn't have been better. we enjoyed a peaceful, pleasant time together. i was so grateful for this time, and yet very aware of how times like these will grow fewer and fewer. i loved getting to laugh with my sisters and enjoy fellowship. it was a sweet time of listening to each other, hearing about future dreams and hopes, growing in selflessness as we coordinated shops to visit and places to eat, beds to sleep in and in general working with one another as we made decisions. i love that we were able to talk seriously at times and also have many memorable laughs. as i sais before, it was a great time to be together and one i will not soon forget. i love you all and hope that we are able to share many more trips like this in the future.
and i just realized this post should've been posted a while ago, but somehow i never posted it. so here it is and better late than never
25 & 50
25. a new haircut
and this is my 50th post!
leaving for georgia tomorrow with dad to visit mema. excited and scared all at the same time. i've never flown anywhere before, and i'm not sure exactly what to expect with mema. but i'm excited for the trip and the opportunity to get to spend time with dad and his mom.
one of mema and mary. i need to get one of her and me this trip
then i come back on sunday night and start school monday! yikes! not exactly excited for that, but i know i need to do this and am excited to get this done. i think having classes that are necessary specifically for my degree heightens my anticipation for getting into nursing classes and getting my feet in the door. so i'm excited to get going, cause i feel like this is the first step to learning what i will hopefully love doing one day!
and this is my 50th post!
leaving for georgia tomorrow with dad to visit mema. excited and scared all at the same time. i've never flown anywhere before, and i'm not sure exactly what to expect with mema. but i'm excited for the trip and the opportunity to get to spend time with dad and his mom.
one of mema and mary. i need to get one of her and me this trip
then i come back on sunday night and start school monday! yikes! not exactly excited for that, but i know i need to do this and am excited to get this done. i think having classes that are necessary specifically for my degree heightens my anticipation for getting into nursing classes and getting my feet in the door. so i'm excited to get going, cause i feel like this is the first step to learning what i will hopefully love doing one day!
Sunday, May 15, 2011
a new work
Today in church, Eric felt pressed to encourage a certain group of people. A group that felt that they were not completely blameless. And oh how that was me.
This past week I’ve felt sad at the thought of starting up school again. I just finished a tough semester and after a 2 week break I’m beginning summer classes, and anatomy at that. I know its going to be full, difficult, and not fun. I hadn’t thought about it much until this week. And then I started to feel heavy and sad.
However on Friday morning, after waking up to take Mary to school, I ran by Michael’s. I got there before it opened and had nothing to do. So I prayed. I rolled down the car windows leaned my seat back and prayed. And God met me. I was quickly convicted of a number of things, but especially my self-centered nature. Instead of being grateful for all Christ has given me, I was complaining. I was focused on my “sad situation” (something most people would probably love to be able to do) and not focused on others or even Christ. I was finding myself sad because I had invested too much of my hope and joy into my situation instead of Christ, my only hope. Through tears, I asked for help. I knew I needed help to be able to lift my eyes off myself, and to focus on what lavish kindness Christ has poured out on me.
Needless to say, by Sunday morning I was more aware of my sins than of Christ’s work on the cross. However, God had not yet finished what he was getting at in my heart. Eric encouraged us to remember that no matter what sort of week we had had, God’s love for us was based on Christ’s death on the cross, and our daily performance cannot affect that love.
God’s love for us is unconditional and unlike any feeling we can ever muster up for others. His love is perfect and not based on our “good” or bad deeds. And as all these thoughts were racing through my head, we began to sing the chorus
“How wonderful the Father’s love the Father’s love for us.
That He would send His only Son to come and rescue us.
He has saved us called us blameless, guides us now and will sustain us.
Oh how wonderful the Father’s love”
God has been more than kind to me this week. Through his gentle probing, I was made aware of my sin and felt the sweet sting of conviction. Then, as I felt guilt set in, He reminded me through someone else that it wasn’t my record that had gained His love in the first place, but Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. And I was overwhelmed at how kind God is to me, and how great and unfathomable His love for me is.
My prayer now is that these truths continue to remain fresh in my mind and that God continues to soften my heart to Him this week.
This past week I’ve felt sad at the thought of starting up school again. I just finished a tough semester and after a 2 week break I’m beginning summer classes, and anatomy at that. I know its going to be full, difficult, and not fun. I hadn’t thought about it much until this week. And then I started to feel heavy and sad.
However on Friday morning, after waking up to take Mary to school, I ran by Michael’s. I got there before it opened and had nothing to do. So I prayed. I rolled down the car windows leaned my seat back and prayed. And God met me. I was quickly convicted of a number of things, but especially my self-centered nature. Instead of being grateful for all Christ has given me, I was complaining. I was focused on my “sad situation” (something most people would probably love to be able to do) and not focused on others or even Christ. I was finding myself sad because I had invested too much of my hope and joy into my situation instead of Christ, my only hope. Through tears, I asked for help. I knew I needed help to be able to lift my eyes off myself, and to focus on what lavish kindness Christ has poured out on me.
Needless to say, by Sunday morning I was more aware of my sins than of Christ’s work on the cross. However, God had not yet finished what he was getting at in my heart. Eric encouraged us to remember that no matter what sort of week we had had, God’s love for us was based on Christ’s death on the cross, and our daily performance cannot affect that love.
God’s love for us is unconditional and unlike any feeling we can ever muster up for others. His love is perfect and not based on our “good” or bad deeds. And as all these thoughts were racing through my head, we began to sing the chorus
“How wonderful the Father’s love the Father’s love for us.
That He would send His only Son to come and rescue us.
He has saved us called us blameless, guides us now and will sustain us.
Oh how wonderful the Father’s love”
God has been more than kind to me this week. Through his gentle probing, I was made aware of my sin and felt the sweet sting of conviction. Then, as I felt guilt set in, He reminded me through someone else that it wasn’t my record that had gained His love in the first place, but Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. And I was overwhelmed at how kind God is to me, and how great and unfathomable His love for me is.
My prayer now is that these truths continue to remain fresh in my mind and that God continues to soften my heart to Him this week.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)