Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Gods love

I dont even know where to begin. First of all, i feel so lucky and so blessed to be loved by the God of the nations. the God who put earth in to place, who created the beautiful sunsets and the wonderous snow storms. the God who put the power into the waves of the oceans, and the calm into the cool spring breezes. the God who alligned the stars and knows exactly how many are in the vastness of space. the God who commands the storms and the God who orchestrates the very lives that we live. the God who presents us with the greatest gift of all. salvation. and the forgivness of sins through the blood shed on the cross by his One and only son. the Son who experienced the weight of all human depravity and sin in that moment on Calvary and took the punsishment of our filthy hearts. the God who knows us each by name and knows us better than we know ourselves.
i love how Psalm 139 says it"
1 O LORD, you have searched me and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
5 You hem me in—behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, [a] you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,"
12 even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
15 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,
16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!"

God knows each and everyone of us and loves each of us the same. He has time for all of our petty worries, our cries, our petitions. We are important to him, not because He needs us, for He is God and He is Holy, He is Glory, He is I AM, yet he takes time to love us and know us. What an amazing love that is!!! I want to know it more and more everyday. i want to take time and cultivate my love with my Savior. I want to forget about my own desires, my own wants, i want to forget about mine mine mine. and give it all to Him. I want HIM to be first and foremost in my life. to be my one desire. I want my heart to be a place that is welcoming to Him, not a place full of the filth of this world. but a place that is pure and worthy of our King. I will never attain any of that to its fullest, because i am fallen. we are all fallen. but with his help we can grow each day. we can become more and more like Him. We are called to be imitators of Christ. Ephesians 5:1,2 "Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ...what a high calling. I want to live a life of love. I want people to see Jesus in me. I want to live in the power He has sent us out with. The power that raised Jesus from the dead on the 3rd day. The power that healed the blind, the paralyzed, the broken hearts...the power that walked on water, that fed the 5000. I dont want to be lazy and live a wasted life.

I long for the day when i will be made complete in Him. the day when i meet him face to face. my Jesus. who holds my heart.

I love the song by Mercy Me ~ Finally Home
" I'm gonna wrap my arms around my daddy's neck and tell him that I've missed him.
and tell him all about the man that i became and hope that it pleased him. there's so much i want to say. there's so much i want you to know
When i finally make it home. when i finally make it home.
Then I'll gaze upon the throne of the King frozen in my steps
and all the questions that i swore i would ask, words just won't come yet.
so amazed at what I've seen, so much more than this old mind can hold.
And the sweetest sound my ears have yet to hear voices on angels."

When we have finished the fight here. when we have told all we know of His undying, forever faithful love, when He sees fit to bring us home. that is when we will truly know God's love. when we are with Him. complete. made whole. until then I want to learn more of this love. and in this unperfect world i want other to know Gods perfect love. I pray He would use me in this.

Monday, March 23, 2009

sunshine and suntans.

well lets just say welcome to spring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love it
and welcome to allergies!!!!!!!!!! boo, i do NOT love it.
got to figure something out bc with this nice weather i am planning on being outside ALL the time. at least anytime i am not at work.

the sun is out, there is a refreshing breeze, flowers are starting to bloom.

its time for reading at the pool, biking at umstead, pick up soccer, laying out, etc, etc.
oh and i will be at the beach majority of my open weekends. (thats my goal anyway)

im so thankful that we have seasons here in NC. however i wouldnt mind less freezing cold days and less humidity:) humidity and i are NOT friends. i think i would be an angry person without air conditioners. G, you saw me the 1st day in St John(i got over it, that place is AMAZING, i would go back tomorrow). BUt if bathing suits and tank tops were appropriate attire, then i would be at complete peace with humidity:)

this spring/summer i have goals:
1. get my bike fixed up so i can start cycling outside. cycling is my new hobby, but ive only taken classes indoors. i think umdstead would be great to check out
2. spend time at parks (umstead, fletcher park) playing soccer, throwing the football, biking, hiking, playing ultimate frisbee, etc. i love the outdoors and i love being active.
3. get to the beach A LOT!
4. eat delicious seafood each time i make it to the beach. love me some scallops or shrimp and grits:)
5. drink sweet tea with some great music on and windows down in my car.
6. GET A TAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love tans, they make me happy. i really want a flip flop tan, those are the best.
7. play on the playground at topsail, for tradition (G remember the cactus.AH)
8. PRACTICE SURFING . i can get up on a short board, but not a long board. i think its too heavy for me to get going and catch the wave.
9. get over my fear of jellyfish. thanks to that one back in highschool, i am terribly afraid.
10. walk to the pier and back at topsail.
11. spend a couple days in downtown wilmington shopping and eating, what a great combo
12. IGA. i will be there a lot.
13. hit up the dairy queen at topsail. thank goodness for blizzards. delish. chocolate with resees cups
14.i really want to go to the dockside in calabash again and get the amazing grouper special.
15. why do so many of these involve food?! :)
16. make an awesome mix cd for the summer, ya know some chill acoustic stuff...
17. go to all the amazing country concerts: Kenny Chesney, Lady Antebellum, Keith Urban, Sugarland
18. myrtle beach road trip with alicia.while there go to a good concert at house of blues.
19. wear my quicksilver surf shirt, yes that is where my nickname Blue Crush came from, man i have a long ways to go to live up to that standard!
20. wear sunscreen. sorry folks, this is a new concept to me. i just started some last year. but i want to take care of my skin...prevent cancer for as long as possible. yikes!
21. i would really like to find a fun new beach towel. preferably the HUGE kind. like for two people, no, there is no one to lay on it. dont worry you would know about it. :) haha. but i like to spread out. ya know, gotta have room for the ipod, my huge water bottle, my book, tanning oil, i mean sunscreen;)
22. go to charelston, again. love it!
23.tubing on the lake
24. or just get to ride around in a boat. that could be my home.
25. learn how to shag. maybe even salsa dance:)
26. this is a good place to stop.
27. im open to suggestions

love yall and love sunny warm weather
happy monday:)