This is one amazing and impressive book. I've had the book for many months and every time I picked it up to read, I felt so energized afterwards. It really speaks truth in such a more necessary way.
Here are some quotes:
"My point is that ardent love leads to ardent loyalty. I love Jesus. And in step with my ardent love for my King, I give up my mind, my heart, and my body for Him to define according to the pattern of His kingdom. I am exclusively His. And therefore, it is His thoughts, His ideas, and His manner that shapes me--nothing else..I made the choice long ago that if anything--no matter how true it may sound--violates the words of my King as revealed in Scripture, I will treat it as the most dangerous lie."
"To yield our minds, hearts, and bodies to anything but the truth as revealed in Scripture is to sleep with the enemy."
"Why is it that quite often the only person who gets rebuked, confronted, or called out in metrotheistic Christianity is not the sinner, but the one taking a stand against the sin?"
"If the church were half as afraid of sin as it is of legalism then she would be a perfect and holy bride without spot or wrinkle."
"The bravehearted life is a life lived where Jesus lived--a life spent on the same things Jesus spent His life on."
"He came for the destitute, the enslaved, the prostituted, the addicted, and the diseased. He came for the naked, the lonely, the suicidal, the broken, and the battered. He came for you. He came for me. He took on flesh and He dwelt among us. He was not untouched by our infirmities."
"Isaiah said that in the day of judgment God will sweep away the refuge of lies so that all who have made lies their refuge will stand naked before the One who is the Truth and who is the Light."
"Do we not realize that God's problems are by their very nature, our problems? Do we not realize that we are His body? We are His hands to serve the least, we are His might to swing His sword, we are His army to crush the jaws of the wicked and to rescue the dying from their fangs. We are His feet to leap the high wall, rush into the fray, engage the oppressor, and dart for safety with His treasure in our grip. We are His mouth to command the forces of Hell to fall back in obeisance, to preach the words of hope to the masses, and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
"And when we yield our bodies to Him, He moves us to action. He loves through us, He prays through us, He become a father to the orphan through us, He rescues the oppressed through us, and He demonstrates His holiness through us. It is not us that pull off this miracle, but Christ working in us."
"When you feel the sting of God upon your conscience, that is conviction, not condemnation. When a Spirit-born message makes you squirm and your soul is sweating under the intense warmth of God's white hot searchlight, that is conviction, not condemnation. Conviction is always present when the Spirit of God comes. There is always discomfort, always a squirm within the soul, and always an uncomfortable heat that is laboring to expose an inner rebellion. But such discomfort is given, ironically, in order to save us from condemnation not bring condemnation. This comfortable heat is brought in order to rescue us, bring us hope, and give us life abundant."
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Family.
This Christmas, even though I did not get to travel to see specific family members, it was great to see the family that was able to come to us. We got snowed in and enjoyed our White Christmas. We had lots of fun, playing games, taking lots of pictures, playing with the little ones and catching up with each other. And just spending more quality time together.
I don't know if it was as special and important to them as it was me.
But I caught myself appreciating it, them more.
I may not have shown it but I definitely was taking it all in.
I mean I probably won't see my family for a year.
That is a big deal.
Because even going to college, I always had at least one family member nearby.
Now I am going into a place with people who I consider family, but are not the family that I have been around for the past 23 years. I will experience all of the different holiday's differently for the first time ever, without my blood family.
So many changes are coming and they are coming so rapidly.
I am so excited, don't get me wrong.
Just noticing things differently nowadays.
Forgetting a lot of the shortcomings and focusing mainly on the fact that they are my family and I love them dearly. That and I have learned so much from them each individually. I would not be who I am today without them.
I am forever thankful for my family.
And my friends.
God has truly blessed me.
I don't know if it was as special and important to them as it was me.
But I caught myself appreciating it, them more.
I may not have shown it but I definitely was taking it all in.
I mean I probably won't see my family for a year.
That is a big deal.
Because even going to college, I always had at least one family member nearby.
Now I am going into a place with people who I consider family, but are not the family that I have been around for the past 23 years. I will experience all of the different holiday's differently for the first time ever, without my blood family.
So many changes are coming and they are coming so rapidly.
I am so excited, don't get me wrong.
Just noticing things differently nowadays.
Forgetting a lot of the shortcomings and focusing mainly on the fact that they are my family and I love them dearly. That and I have learned so much from them each individually. I would not be who I am today without them.
I am forever thankful for my family.
And my friends.
God has truly blessed me.
Friday, December 25, 2009
500 Days of Summer
Man, I wish someone had told me the ending to this movie because I seriously would not have seen it.
Depressing. Real. But I escape reality through movies.
I mean, Braveheart is my favorite movie. It is so sad.
But there is so much hope and so much life to it that I accept all the bad with the good.
It is just different.
But with this movie it builds up to him winning her back.
Not having a reality check and her getting married to another guy.
And then him on day 500 meeting someone else.
I mean it is true that life is not a coincidence.
And that things in life can totally change us or set us up for something else.
But I was just rooting for the two of them to be together and then BAM
She marries someone else and they never even show him.
He doesn't even get an introduction.
I don't know what bothered me so much about it.
Probably how real it was. I'm not sure.
But I really did not like it.
It was well-made and great actors.
But I don't want to ever watch it again.
I cried. Which is not really abnormal.
But it was hurting cry. A cry that I don't want to cry again.
I know I am weird. But I'm just speaking the truth.
Depressing. Real. But I escape reality through movies.
I mean, Braveheart is my favorite movie. It is so sad.
But there is so much hope and so much life to it that I accept all the bad with the good.
It is just different.
But with this movie it builds up to him winning her back.
Not having a reality check and her getting married to another guy.
And then him on day 500 meeting someone else.
I mean it is true that life is not a coincidence.
And that things in life can totally change us or set us up for something else.
But I was just rooting for the two of them to be together and then BAM
She marries someone else and they never even show him.
He doesn't even get an introduction.
I don't know what bothered me so much about it.
Probably how real it was. I'm not sure.
But I really did not like it.
It was well-made and great actors.
But I don't want to ever watch it again.
I cried. Which is not really abnormal.
But it was hurting cry. A cry that I don't want to cry again.
I know I am weird. But I'm just speaking the truth.
Christmas 2009
Christmas has been absolutely amazing.
Time with family has been perfect.
I mean not everyone was here that I would have liked.
But it was great to not be sick this year.
And to see my nieces open presents.
And to share these moments with the family that was present.
And to be silly with Caleb and see his adorable smile.
And to drink hot chocolate, eat sweets, and play a game.
We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and Christmas should be about family.
And remembering that Jesus came to earth to save us.
He loved us enough to die for us.
And if He had not been born, we would not have a chance to live in eternity with Christ.
Today was a beautiful day.
And I loved hearing that the kids in Peru had an amazing Christmas. Kevin said it was the best ever.
Whether that is literally true, I do not know, but it made me happy to know they had a memorable one.
And it was my first White Christmas EVER! So that was a big deal.
We got lots of pictures and had fun playing in the snow.
Today was a lovely day.
And tomorrow we get to see more family.
So I am excited for that.
Time with family has been perfect.
I mean not everyone was here that I would have liked.
But it was great to not be sick this year.
And to see my nieces open presents.
And to share these moments with the family that was present.
And to be silly with Caleb and see his adorable smile.
And to drink hot chocolate, eat sweets, and play a game.
We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and Christmas should be about family.
And remembering that Jesus came to earth to save us.
He loved us enough to die for us.
And if He had not been born, we would not have a chance to live in eternity with Christ.
Today was a beautiful day.
And I loved hearing that the kids in Peru had an amazing Christmas. Kevin said it was the best ever.
Whether that is literally true, I do not know, but it made me happy to know they had a memorable one.
And it was my first White Christmas EVER! So that was a big deal.
We got lots of pictures and had fun playing in the snow.
Today was a lovely day.
And tomorrow we get to see more family.
So I am excited for that.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
God really knows how to put the pieces of the puzzle together...in His own timing.
Sometimes impatience likes to kick in when I think it is time to know the answers to things I wish I already knew.
But then I am reminded that it does not work that way and no matter how impatient I get, the answer doesn't come any quicker than if I were being patient.
So why not be patient all the way through? And enjoy how it unfolds. The mystery of it all.
Trying to convince myself here.
Some things are easy to not be impatient about.
Other things that are more life changing tend to make a girl want to know. ha ha.
I officially will be in Peru for a year. Maybe longer. Who knows. Not I.
But that's not really what I am concerned about.
I know that God will take care of me in that area.
I know He will take care of me in every area of my life actually.
So why am I getting all worked up about something.
Goodness, calm down girl.
=]
Sometimes impatience likes to kick in when I think it is time to know the answers to things I wish I already knew.
But then I am reminded that it does not work that way and no matter how impatient I get, the answer doesn't come any quicker than if I were being patient.
So why not be patient all the way through? And enjoy how it unfolds. The mystery of it all.
Trying to convince myself here.
Some things are easy to not be impatient about.
Other things that are more life changing tend to make a girl want to know. ha ha.
I officially will be in Peru for a year. Maybe longer. Who knows. Not I.
But that's not really what I am concerned about.
I know that God will take care of me in that area.
I know He will take care of me in every area of my life actually.
So why am I getting all worked up about something.
Goodness, calm down girl.
=]
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Journey of Life
In the past I hated moving.
The idea of new people, new surroundings, freaked me out.
I mean I grew up in the same city for 17 years. And there was still constant change, with my parents divorce and going back and forth between them. I just wanted some sense of stability.
Then I moved to Arkansas in high school.
And for the first time I thought, maybe this could be a chance for me to start all over. To be who I want to be.
I was tired of being made fun of and disliked just because I did not fit in with everyone. I was determined to live a set apart life for Christ, whatever that meant.
When I moved to Arkansas, even though I definitely did not fit in with the norm, I felt like for the first time I was accepted for who I was.
They did not judge me for living differently than them and I did not judge them for living differently than me.
That year in Arkansas, I feel like I learned so much. One day can change a person's life, let alone an entire year. It was the beginning of something new.
That was the year that I decided I no longer wanted to be a Pediatrician, but a counselor to the hurting and broken children of the world. That was when I decided to go into Social Work once I was in college.
Then I moved back to Louisiana my senior year and that was rough. I loved it in Arkansas but I just could not remain there.
God had a different path for me to live on.
That year began a journey of self-discovery in the art of self-esteem.
I had to learn to have confidence in who I was in Christ and not look at all my short comings. I could no longer allow what other people said to define me.
It was a long journey, well into college.
My college years were some of the best years of my life and some of the absolute worst. College is more than just getting educated academically. It is figuring out what you believe and why you believe it. It is living what you believe despite what others believe. It is learning and growing, maturing into a person you want to become. Every year I felt like I was learning something different.
And yet I still struggled with similar things each year. It seemed I could not kick certain things but now looking back it is because I did not learn them the first time, or the second time, etc. And I needed to learn them so they weren't going away until I did. Thank God I believe I Finally have learned those specific things. ha ha!
You win some and you lose some in college. In life really.
It is about getting back up when you lose and not letting the defeat get you down. It is about taking all the things you have learned your entire life and learning from them, allowing Christ to mold you, rather than trying to do it on your own. College is a journey and it is only one chapter of life.
It is a foundation, a preparation ground for all that is to come.
As the door is closing on college and a new door is opening, I am not afraid of the change. I am nervous for the unknown, but I am thankful that God has called me to something that I know I cannot do without Him. I am nothing and He is everything. I just hope that I can bring glory to His name in all that I do in Peru.
The idea of new people, new surroundings, freaked me out.
I mean I grew up in the same city for 17 years. And there was still constant change, with my parents divorce and going back and forth between them. I just wanted some sense of stability.
Then I moved to Arkansas in high school.
And for the first time I thought, maybe this could be a chance for me to start all over. To be who I want to be.
I was tired of being made fun of and disliked just because I did not fit in with everyone. I was determined to live a set apart life for Christ, whatever that meant.
When I moved to Arkansas, even though I definitely did not fit in with the norm, I felt like for the first time I was accepted for who I was.
They did not judge me for living differently than them and I did not judge them for living differently than me.
That year in Arkansas, I feel like I learned so much. One day can change a person's life, let alone an entire year. It was the beginning of something new.
That was the year that I decided I no longer wanted to be a Pediatrician, but a counselor to the hurting and broken children of the world. That was when I decided to go into Social Work once I was in college.
Then I moved back to Louisiana my senior year and that was rough. I loved it in Arkansas but I just could not remain there.
God had a different path for me to live on.
That year began a journey of self-discovery in the art of self-esteem.
I had to learn to have confidence in who I was in Christ and not look at all my short comings. I could no longer allow what other people said to define me.
It was a long journey, well into college.
My college years were some of the best years of my life and some of the absolute worst. College is more than just getting educated academically. It is figuring out what you believe and why you believe it. It is living what you believe despite what others believe. It is learning and growing, maturing into a person you want to become. Every year I felt like I was learning something different.
And yet I still struggled with similar things each year. It seemed I could not kick certain things but now looking back it is because I did not learn them the first time, or the second time, etc. And I needed to learn them so they weren't going away until I did. Thank God I believe I Finally have learned those specific things. ha ha!
You win some and you lose some in college. In life really.
It is about getting back up when you lose and not letting the defeat get you down. It is about taking all the things you have learned your entire life and learning from them, allowing Christ to mold you, rather than trying to do it on your own. College is a journey and it is only one chapter of life.
It is a foundation, a preparation ground for all that is to come.
As the door is closing on college and a new door is opening, I am not afraid of the change. I am nervous for the unknown, but I am thankful that God has called me to something that I know I cannot do without Him. I am nothing and He is everything. I just hope that I can bring glory to His name in all that I do in Peru.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
One Tree Hill
It is odd to believe in something so much when it is fake.
But maybe it is a representation of something you hope for someday.
And in that it becomes so real to you that you cry with it, get angry with it, and go through all the emotions in the book. ha ha. That is how I am with One Tree Hill these days. I know it has a lot of drama and bull in it. And frankly, it has a lot of things in it that are no bueno. But it also has a lot of good things.
There are some really awesome quotes and stories that unfold. There are some deep messages and ways of life that can be learned. And there are things that can be learned so that one does not make the same dumb mistakes in real life.
You can learn something from anything. If you just open your eyes.
But maybe it is a representation of something you hope for someday.
And in that it becomes so real to you that you cry with it, get angry with it, and go through all the emotions in the book. ha ha. That is how I am with One Tree Hill these days. I know it has a lot of drama and bull in it. And frankly, it has a lot of things in it that are no bueno. But it also has a lot of good things.
There are some really awesome quotes and stories that unfold. There are some deep messages and ways of life that can be learned. And there are things that can be learned so that one does not make the same dumb mistakes in real life.
You can learn something from anything. If you just open your eyes.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Nothing much to say.
I am finished with college forever.
It is a bittersweet ending. I am thankful for it.
I am ready to be gone already. ha ha.
But I have to take care of things before I just head out.
It still seems unreal that I am going to venture to Peru for who knows how long.
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.
I really have nothing to say but I wanted to update for Aimee =]
My beautiful friend visited me from Thursday-Saturday and we had the time of our lives! We watched movies, tv series, spent time with my family, and some of my friends. I hope she loved it just as much as I did. It sort of felt unreal that she came to visit me.
My friend Heather may come to Peru with me. She would not come until March but I hope and pray it works out because I would love to have her by my side. She hasn't lived near me since 2006 so it would be awesome to see her on a regular basis. Maybe a bit selfish but we always talked about how someday we may be on the missionfield together. I would love for this to be it!
I hope and pray I get to see Emily over break but I do not have a car so the likelihood of that is slim. It all depends on how long my mom stays to visit. So we shall see. Otherwise we shall meet again in Peru shortly!
I am going to really miss people when I leave but I am excited for my new journey.
I wouldn't have it any other way!
It is a bittersweet ending. I am thankful for it.
I am ready to be gone already. ha ha.
But I have to take care of things before I just head out.
It still seems unreal that I am going to venture to Peru for who knows how long.
I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.
I really have nothing to say but I wanted to update for Aimee =]
My beautiful friend visited me from Thursday-Saturday and we had the time of our lives! We watched movies, tv series, spent time with my family, and some of my friends. I hope she loved it just as much as I did. It sort of felt unreal that she came to visit me.
My friend Heather may come to Peru with me. She would not come until March but I hope and pray it works out because I would love to have her by my side. She hasn't lived near me since 2006 so it would be awesome to see her on a regular basis. Maybe a bit selfish but we always talked about how someday we may be on the missionfield together. I would love for this to be it!
I hope and pray I get to see Emily over break but I do not have a car so the likelihood of that is slim. It all depends on how long my mom stays to visit. So we shall see. Otherwise we shall meet again in Peru shortly!
I am going to really miss people when I leave but I am excited for my new journey.
I wouldn't have it any other way!
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