Okay, so the past few days have been AWESOME! 5 words to sum it up...

1. Rest
2. Jesus
3. Community
4. Sunflowers :)
5. Sunny


Bah, there's so much I want to post on! The other day I made a little list of stuff I am going to post on at some point. Here's a little sneak peek...

1. 1 Chronicles 28:9 - "And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will cast you off forever."

2. 1 John 5:2-3 - "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome."

3. Matthew 12:33-36 - “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak."

4. Parallel between Romans 8:26-27 ("Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.") and 1 John 5:14 ("And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.")

5. The book The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley


Get excited! :)



Oh, and for an update: due to several factors, the Haiti trip our church was going to go on has been canceled, or at least postponed. Either way, it's not happening Aug. 3-14 :(. I'm a little disappointed. But there's still great things in store for the rest of the summer!! It's always difficult, especially for someone like me, whenever plans/expectations fall through. I've had to adjust from thinking that my summer is over by the end of July to it going all the way until just a few days before school stars (August 23).

But instead of focusing on the negative, I've tried my best to choose to thank Him for the blessings!

1. More time with my family!
2. More time with friends/CYS here
3. I can save up a little more money through work
4. I was thinking about this yesterday - this summer really is such a blessing! I mean, sure, it's not what I expected, especially considering the new developments in my life (meaning, I never thought that I'd be in a relationship at this point, much less while being a few hours away from him for several months!), but I am so thankful for this season. I'm trying my best to just drink it in every day. Because, really, when else will I get the chance to work from home, see my family every day, have the comfort of my own room and familiarity, and be able to spend lots of simple down time with Jesus? During the school year, things get so much more crazy and the days of resting and pajamas and hours journaling, reading and worshiping are fewer and farther between! And realistically I have no idea what my next summer is going to look like.

So for now, I'm thanking the Lord for this season of my life :). It's so sweet. I'm learning SO SO much, and growing closer and closer to Him! It's not always easy, and there are times when I wish that I was back in Belton already, but this is where He has me now. And no matter where I am, HE'S with me. He's my security and consistency. He's provided everything I could ever need here. I love my family, I love my friends old and new, and I really do love Cypress. I love the ways that He's provided community for me here in ways I didn't expect. I love the way He speaks to me. I love the way He encourages me through other people. I love the pruning process, though it hurts. I love this season that Joey and I are in; sweet days of getting to spend hours and hours together at a time, even if it means we have to drive a little to do it, and sending things to each other in the mail. I love the wise people I'm surrounded by. I love the things I'm learning that I am storing up in my heart! Jesus, help me to treasure these times and all these things You are speaking to me! These are sweet, sweet days. What a blessing!

Sorry it's been a while! I feel like I have a lot of material to post on. But that can come later.

For now, I'll just say that things are going pretty well. God is good and faithful and has given peace like never before.

Nothing much new going on, except, GASP, for the first time in two years I got a new phone :) .It's called the Samsung Smiley. Tell me that's not adorable!


This is a really neat song I want to share. Describes so well what I feel God has done in my life in the past year. It's called "More Like Falling in Love" by Jason Gray.

Give me rules, I will break them
Show me lines, I will cross them
I need more than a truth to believe
I need a Truth that lives, moves and breathes
To sweep me off my feet
It's gotta be

More like falling in love than something to believe in
More like losing my heart than giving my allegiance
Caught up, called out, come take a look at me now
It's like I'm falling in love

Give me words, I'll misuse them
Obligations, I'll misplace them
'Cause all religion ever made of me
Was just a sinner with a stone tied to my feet
It never set me free

It's like I'm falling in love, love, love
Deeper and deeper
It was Love that made me a believer
More than a name, faith or creed
Falling in love with Jesus brought the change in me

Later!

Been thinking about His Faithfulness today, and the fear of the Lord.

"The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear Him."
Ps 25:14

"Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
Jeremiah 9:23-24

When we fear Him, we become closer to Him and come to love Him more as we get to know His character; we must devote ourselves to learning more about Him and loving that which He delights in!

"The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate."
Proverbs 8:13

When we fear the Lord, we hate what He hates! And He hates pride. Pride goes against the way He has set up things to be. Within the Trinity, Pride is nowhere to be found. Pride divides. And God hates division! This grieves the Spirit.

"Whoever isolates himself seeks his own desire;
he breaks out against all sound judgment."
Proverbs 18:1

Pride is isolation. Staying disconnected from the body. Pride says, "I don't need you". By pride comes nothing but strife (Proverbs 13:10)! Prideful people are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 16:5).

Where pride is, there is no fear of the Lord!


Lots to chew on.


A good quote:

"It is devastating to see our hearts as God sees them - the root sins of pride or unbelief. At the same time it is wonderful, because it is so liberating."
-Joy Dawson, Intimate Friendship with God

So true! The truth sets us free.



So, in thinking more about the fear of the Lord, I've been trying to focus more on His character that I may fear Him more. Today I've been thinking about His Faithfulness.

Great is thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
there is no shadow of turning with thee;
thou changest not, thy compassions, they fail not;
as thou hast been thou forever will be.

Great is thy faithfulness! Great is thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
all I have needed thy hand hath provided;
great is thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
sun, moon and stars in their courses above
join with all nature in manifold witness
to thy great faithfulness, mercy and love. Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside! Refrain

I can trust in His character! He is faithful. Fearing the Lord means obeying when I hear Him speak because I know that He is faithful to give me what I need to do what He's asking me to do.

He is faithful, friends!

"The Lord is faithful in all His words
    and kind in all His works."
Ps 145:13

In Chronological order...

1. Having time to hang out with Sarah at her house while Lucy and Maggie were napping when I first got there :)

2. TAQUERIA with Joey finally after having "cleansed" for 4 days

3. Playing with Maggie and Lucy

4. Going to CVS, Home Depot, and Lowe's with Joey (all of our fave places to shop! Haha. Bet you can't guess which is my favorite place to shop and which are his ;) to get necessary items

5. Their toilet being broken so Sarah and I got more quality time while Joey fixed it and installed a new toilet tank :)

6. Signing up to be a part of the Texas Land and Cattle club at the restaurant ;). I really like filling out those information cards. Joey let me fill out one for me and one for him!

7. Putt-Putt in Killeen! Bet you can't guess who won...

8. Leading worship with Emory Cheek in church on Sunday!

9. Seeing all my wonderful friends and Belton church family on Sunday

10. Tad's message on Colossians 1

11. Tacos at Katie and Grant's apartment with Joey and K&G's Papua New Ginea friends

12. Baby shower shopping at Target!

13. Going to Lauren's baby shower with Katie and seeing the ladies from church again :)

14. Rest rest rest

15. Finally seeing Carly's super-cute apartment

16. Going to the church picnic at adorable Pace Park in Salado! So pretty and wonderful. I was not planning on getting wet in the creek, but all the kids were playing in it and I simply could not resist :)

17. Going to Bodega Bean (new adorable coffee shop in downtown Belton) with Carly; good conversation with a great friend!

18. Monday REST, and a little work

19. Hanging out with Sherry and her children at the Smith house!

20. Getting to the Wahlquist house and seeing Joey in a "cape" (he had been giving himself a hair trim :). Pretty funny

21. Sarah making me two cakes because she dropped the first one! So sweet :). Oh, and it was FUNFETTI cake! Of course. My fave

22. In general, my amazing birthday party put on by the wonderful Sarah Wahlquist! I felt so blessed :). They went ALL OUT; we had fajitas with all the trimmings! Dinner complete with Coke, A-juice, and MCC. It was all delicious and wonderful. Sarah, David and Joey all did a great job at getting everything prepared! I felt very special :)

23. Some friends that came to hang out at the party: Mark/Robyn/Baby Phoenix :), Carls, Meredith, Ray, and K&G :). They all sang to me and wrote me encouragement notes!

24. Having some bonding time with Luce at the party :). She got me a "present" - she was carrying around a purse full of random toys. She pulled all of them out and gave them to me. So sweet!!

25. Introducing/playing the NAME GAME!! I think everyone really liked it :). I had fun!

26. Joey trying to "act out" Sarah Palin... he kept just pointing to Sarah and then pointing to me as I was saying "Sarah"... I was so not getting it!

27. Cleaning up/hanging out with Jo afterward :)

28. Sleeping in Tuesday morning and working a little

29. Going SWIMMING with Sarah and the girls - So much fun! Swimming is much more fun with babies

30. NAP!

31. Lifegroup! Grilled hamburgers and hotdogs outside of Katie and Grant's apartment and interacted with/prayed for people in their complex

32. Double date with Sarah and David to Austin for the mewithoutYou concert! So glad Sarah was there with me... we did NOT fit in there! But it was very fun with them :)

33. Joey and I hanging out/talking with Grant about music for a while when he picked me up Wednesday morning

34. Going to Olive Garden with the Wahlquists and David and Joey's mom

35. Walking about 3/4 of a mile to Frosti Cone along the scenic 14th street with pretty old houses :)

36. Getting to Frosti Cone and seeing a huge sign that says "CASH ONLY". So we just sat and talked. But then the guy found out that we didn't have cash and so he just said that he'd get us something and we could pay him back later :). That's Belton charm for ya! Joey got vanilla ice cream with fudge on top and I got a Grape/Strawberry sno-cone. Yum!

37. Talking about baby boy names with Sarah :)

38. Joey suggesting "Lebron"

39. Porch swing time before I left :)

40. San Antonio to see the grandparents! Had lots of fun with them. Met them at La Hacienda, then came back to the house for cupcakes and ice cream for my birthday :). Talked with them, and then rested. Most of Thursday was spent setting up and explaining Facebook to my grandma ;).


Welp, that's all folks!

Sad story... my NBA Finals prediction was wrong. Shocking, I know.

HomeGroup tonight. Should be good!

Birthday is in TWO DAYS!!!!!!!!!!! 19, here I come :)

Being in Belton is wonderful so far! :) I'll post a "Highlights" blog post when I get back home.

Excited especially about Lifegroup tonight, and concert with David, Sarah and Joey to see David and Joey's fave band (mewithoutYou)!

Going to San Antonio tomorrow night to see Grandma and Grandpa :).

Hope you all are having great weeks!

"But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life."

So, farewell, "Cleanse".

You've made me feel like I wanted to throw up, made me crave Taqueria and Taco Bell, made me feel like I'm wasting away to nothing, made me go to the restroom a lot, and in general have made me feel weak.

Farewell, sick soup. Farewell, gross avocado in my salad. Farewell, "sprouts".

HELLO BELTON/REAL FOOD!!!!!!!

:)

Tomorrow I'm going to Belton. I'm going to be there until Wednesday, and then am going by San Antonio to see Grandma and Grandpa. I'll be home Thursday by HomeGroup time.

I'm super-excited!!!!!

And then when I get back.... it will soon be my birthday :). Oh, June, how I love thee...




In other news, I'm having to daily revisit the idea presented by the blog post title. I'm not running toward "perfection" or success or even a bunch of souls saved... I'm running toward Jesus. And when I'm with Him, everything else falls into place! He is the end. Nothing else I need but to be in His presence. From that place alone can I fulfill His commandment, to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and love my neighbor as myself. I serve Him out of that place, rather than serving to get to that place or earn His approval/love. May this Truth be rooted deep within my heart!

J is for Just
E is for Exciting
S is for Sweet Savior
U is for Unending Love
S is for Sovereign

C is for Compassionate
H is for Humble
R is for Righteous
I is for Irresistible
S is for Sacrificial Lamb
T is for Totally Good

Anyone want to join in the fun? :)



For another "Cleanse" update:

So, I survived Day 1. I had a huge moment of weakness this morning, though. Major stomach pains and discomforts. All I wanted was cereal to help me feel better :(. Thought I was going to cave. But I ate my oranges and sucked it up. Feeling much better now after taking some Excedrin. Drinking my water, going to the bathroom a lot. Just a few more days...

"For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. 13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:8-14

"12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." 1 Timothy 6:12

"His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue." 2 Peter 1:3

Food for thought: we can take take hold of the eternal life Jesus bought for us. We can make the resurrection of the dead our own. We have been granted ALL things that pertain to life and godliness through Jesus Christ. We have a new identity we can boldly wear and walk in!


Other things in our lives that we tend to live like we "own" - houses, friendships, family, relationships, money, possessions or blessings of any kind - are really simply blessings we are to steward. We have fooled ourselves into thinking that we somehow can take ownership of these things. Jesus paid a heavy price, and has something much better for us to own - eternal life with Him, that which will not go away! Why spend time "owning" these physical, fleeting things when we can make the resurrection from the dead our own? All these other things are not bad necessarily - as Lecrae puts it :), they were "loaned to us to show the world that Christ is divine".

Pretty sweet deal!




....In other news, I'm on this whacky cleanse that Mama somehow suckered mom, dad, Andrew and I to go on ;), and so I've been peeing, literally, at LEAST once an hour. Pretty fun stuff.

Just to read.

64:1 Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
2  as when fire kindles brushwood
and the fire causes water to boil—
to make your name known to your adversaries,
and that the nations might tremble at your presence!
3 When you did awesome things that we did not look for,
you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence.
4 From of old no one has heard
or perceived by the ear,
no eye has seen a God besides you,
who acts for those who wait for him.
5 You meet him who joyfully works righteousness,
those who remember you in your ways.
Behold, you were angry, and we sinned;
in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved?
6 We have all become like one who is unclean,
and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment.
We all fade like a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.
7 There is no one who calls upon your name,
who rouses himself to take hold of you;
for you have hidden your face from us,
and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.

8 But now, O Lord, you are our Father;
we are the clay, and you are our potter;
we are all the work of your hand.
9 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord,
and remember not iniquity forever.
Behold, please look, we are all your people.
10 Your holy cities have become a wilderness;
Zion has become a wilderness,
Jerusalem a desolation.
11 Our holy and beautiful house,
where our fathers praised you,
has been burned by fire,
and all our pleasant places have become ruins.
12 Will you restrain yourself at these things, O Lord?
Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?

Isaiah 64

Hello friends :)

I must say: today, I love Mondays! I got 12 hours of sleep last night. (Went to bed at 7:45 pm, woke up around 8 am). So wonderful. I can say with full confidence that that was some of the best sleep I've ever gotten. The only drawback was that when I woke up the left half of my body was asleep for some reason. Other than that, I woke up feeling wonderfully refreshed :).


Some random thoughts:

1. Why is it so hard sometimes to run to the things we know will give us life? It really is a discipline. But when you persevere through Discipline it becomes a Delight! "It is the Spirit that gives life; the flesh is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life." John 6:63

2. The thing about "tasting and seeing" that He is good (Ps 34:8) is that you never forget. Especially when you feel far gone from His presence. It's like having a taste of water and then being stuck in the desert. Maybe this is a sign of whether we truly have tasted and seen; do we think about it all the time? Do we fight for His presence when we can't feel it just like we fight for water when it is hot and we are thirsty? "Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His presence continually." Psalm 105:4

3. I'm really loving my job! It's not without its stresses and such, but it's been enjoyable so far.

4. In the moments of our weakness, when we hunger for things of the flesh (whether it be actual food when we are physically fasting or just for things we used to go to but abstain from now as to not gratify the desires of the flesh now that we are made new) it's important to realize that our stomach will still growl. But no temptation has seized you except that which is common to man (1 Cor 10:13) - we must just not give in to the "growl". He's teaching us to hunger for MORE!

5. Went to my first official baby shower yesterday! It was for Joey's sister-in-law, Heidi. Went with Sarah and Joey's mom, Tricia. It was a lot of fun. Got a little over-competitive at the games we played (I didn't realize there were PRIZES at these things!!). But you better believe I came home with a prize!


Hope your Monday is beautiful too!

A is for the Alphabet (and all the games you can play with it)
B is for the Bible
C is for CYS
D is for Daddy
E is for Embarrassing stories to laugh at
F is for Friends home for the summer!
G is for Grace
H is for Hands and feet
I is for Imagination
J is for Joey
K is for Kisses from babies
L is for Listening carefully
M is for traditional Mac Grill sister night with Amanda, Beth, and Joy
N is for Naps
O is for Old people
P is for the Presence of God (Ps 105:4...seek it continually)
Q is for "does anyone have any Questions...?" :)
R is for the Roberts family
S is for Simplicity
T is for Telephone conversations
U is for Understanding (seeking to understand more than to be understood)
V is for Victory in Christ
W is for Waking up early
X is for Xylophones (I mean, I guess...:)
Y is for Young children
Z is for Zoos

Hope you  have a great day!

Well, I guess it's time for a life update! And what better way to do a life update than with a list?

1. Since about a week ago I've started this awesome! I'm working for Mr. Dave as he oversees the construction of his new business, Sandlot Sports. It's a pretty fun job. I get to work from HOME, and pretty much get to choose my hours. Also, getting to work in my pajamas if I wish is a big bonus :). I'm making a lot of calls to contractors and businesses, doing research, keeping things organized, etc. It's definitely right up my alley. What a blessing!!

2. It officially feels like summer is underway, mostly because everyone is finally officially out of school. I'm having fun with CYS (Sunday morning, VOLLEYBALL, Homegroup, etc.) and really look forward to what God is going to do in this ministry this summer!!!

3. It's finally JUNE! What a great month. My birthday/Father's day is in 19 days. :)

4. In general things are going really well. The Lord is teaching me a lot and has been faithful to help me be faithful through the Spirit. It's already been a growing experience; I can't wait to see how much He's done in my life by the end of the summer!

5. Other than that, life is pretty normal. Things are all-around going really well :).

“I can only be happy when I am conscious that
He is doing what He wills to do within.”

-Jim Elliot

I know that I just highly recommended a sermon to listen to, like, an hour ago, but I just listened to another one, and I'm telling you: Do yourself a favor and listen to this one (same link, but it's the second one instead of the third, called Catalyst: "Holiness")! If nothing else, read what I quoted from it. It's about Holiness, through the lenses of talking about the world's system v. God's system. It's convicting, and it's heavy. But it's also being shared in light of the Gospel. He gives more grace - He gives grace to the humble! (James 4:6)

"If you can go watch The Office again, guys, and hear another 'That's What She Said' joke, and then stare right in the face what Jesus died for, and you not even be appalled, it's time to go back to the Cross. And if you can watch The Bachelor and watch him passionately kiss a bunch of girls whose breasts are hanging out for him to see which one he's gonna pick and then go off on fantasy weekends to see which one he gets to choose, and not think you just bit into the world's system and wonder why you are leading a life that cannot get free of comparison and sin, it's time for you to go back to the Cross. Say, 'God, appall me by what appalls you'. That's what the fear of the Lord is. It's not happy, church camp, make you feel better in worship - it's hating what He hates, and loving what He loves. And when you get to that place, you get to the end and you realize there really is life there. But there's a bunch of choices that you're going to have to make that's going to get you away from the world's system. And I'm talking about people that really love God. I know that; I'm not questioning your love for God. I'm questioning whether or not we are being phased at all by the things that break His heart. Just maybe we've bit into the world's system... and we're wondering why things aren't working. See, that's what Peter was trying to get at. ...He's talking to people who apparently have the potential to bite into the world's system. So he says, 'Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”' (1 Peter 1:13-16) This process I'm talking to you about of getting off the world's system and getting into this system which is God's, and jumping from one track to another, it's a Holiness jump. I find most young people hate the word Holiness; not because you don't want to be holy, but you fear the behavior bash you are about to get from the preacher. You fear that he's about to list every movie you can't watch, every TV show, every website we can't go to - and he's going to just nail people. He's been watching people through his spiritual antennae he's got out, and he's going to nail us all on what we've been doing. I think that's kind of the fear that we all live in, because holiness is heavy on one level. But the reason it's heavy is because Jesus paid a pretty heavy price so that we could be holy. So I don't think that God wants you to carry that heaviness. The message of Holiness is not about behavior modification; it's about a heart wholly given to Him. That's what it is."

"The pathway to being Holy goes through a roadway called Humility."

-Carl Gulley

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving."
Eph 5:1-4

Do the things of the world really seem out of place for us? Are we appalled by what appalls Him? Oh, Lord, purify Your Bride!

If you have ever struggled in the past with perfectionism/"performance-based religion", I recommend listening to this sermon (Caleb Gallifant from Antioch Community Church in Waco) from the Antioch Community Church - College podcast (go to this website; it's the third one, called "Catalyst: The Unrestrained Gospel").

I resonated from my past with pretty much everything he said. And I believe that a lot of believers struggle with this. The only cure for this mindset he describes is the Gospel - the love of Jesus Christ! By His grace I've been set free. I think that every believer, whether you think you struggle with this or not, needs to hear this message (well, not necessarily this specific sermon, but the message in general). Let us be captivated again by the power of the message of the love of Jesus.

"Religion says, 'I obey, therefore I am accepted'. Gospel says, 'because of Jesus I am accepted and therefore obey!'".

Here are some verses on how to treat others (all from either the Gospels or Paul's letters). I've been contemplating on these more lately because I think these commands/instructions are more radical than we perceive them to be. 

"be filled with the Spirit, 19 addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, 20 giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."
Ephesians 5:18-21

"10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Romans 12:10

"Freely you have received, freely give."
Matthew 10:8

"Whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave - just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many."
Matthew 20:27-28, Mark 10:44-45

"But he who is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Matthew 23:12, Luke 14:11, Luke 18:14

"inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." Matthew 25:40

"Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you. To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also, And from  him who takes away your cloak, do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise."
Luke 6:27-31

- "Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return ... For He is kind to the unthankful and evil [Ouch!]. Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful."
Luke 6:36

- "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ."
Galatians 6:2

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
Galatians 5:13

"bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other, as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."
Colossians 3:13

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in His steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly."
1 Peter 2:21-23

What if we truly did forgive and receive one another as Christ has forgiven and received us? What if we really did submit to one another in the fear of the Lord? What if we addressed one another always only in psalms and hymns and forms of edification? What if we always sought to show honor to those around to us (even, and maybe even especially, to the "un-honorable")?

Lakers v. Celtics in the finals.

You heard it here first!

If there's one thing I'm learning this summer, it's about Discipline. Pushing through and seeking Him with all my heart. Doing what I have resolved to do even when I don't feel like it.

It's so refreshing knowing that by the Spirit inside of me (in which there is FREEDOM) I can have the strength to do this! When I am running on my own steam (as we established two posts ago) I am sure to fail. But when I am motivated by the Spirit inside of me He will surely restore my soul. Doesn't mean it's not hard, though. There's always a mini-argument inside my head 5 minutes before I sit down and do my worship, readings, prayer, etc., usually revolving the issue of "I want more sleep" (especially this week when I've been getting up at 6:50 to take the chillens to school while mom and dad are in Orlando). It would be so easy to just NOT, but by the grace of God He always reminds me that it's worth it.

And He's ALWAYS right! It IS worth it. He restores my soul and fills me every time. Praise the Lord!

I read this the other day, concerning the kingdom of Judah under King Asa:

12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul, 13 but that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel, should be put to death, whether young or old, man or woman. 14 They swore an oath to the Lord with a loud voice and with shouting and with trumpets and with horns. 15 And all Judah rejoiced over the oath, for they had sworn with all their heart and had sought him with their whole desire, and he was found by them, and the Lord gave them rest all around.

2 Chronicles 15:12-15

When we seek Him with all our desire - when we spend all of ourselves for that one precious thing and fervently seek His presence - we find Him, and He gives us rest. Always true. Let it be, Lord!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while; I was in Belton Tuesday and Wednesday. It was nice to be back, even if for a short while! To be honest, I miss being in a small town.

Tuesday was Sarah's 25th BIRTHDAY! Woohoo! So we celebrated that Tuesday night with some other girls from our Lifegroup and then the other girl LG leaders (there was 9 of us total). At some point in the middle of the party I realized that there were more marrieds than non-marrieds (6 married out of 9). I guess this is what getting older feels like!

Wednesday, Joey and I had a Belton Day! It was fun. We walked around downtown Belton and went into all the Antique stores, got ice cream at The Dugout ice cream shop, and then, of course, went to the Bell County Museum (he had never been before. GASP! I have been 4 times now :). They had a new exhibit up, so that was fun! Then we went to Cracker Barrel (keeping with the theme of the day) for lunch. All in all a good day :).

Mom and dad are still in Orlando... paaaaar-tay! Just kidding. It's been pretty chill around here. I've actually had a lot of fun doing dishes, laundry, and in general keeping up with the house.

Oh, and I officially have a job for the summer! It's such a blessing. I'll blog more on it later.

I think that's it for now!