Heartfelt Gratitude

God has really blessed me with some amazing, caring friends.  I can't even imagine why He would bless me with such lovely people in my life, but I am so so very grateful!!  You know who you are.... thank you for your wonderful friendship.  :)

"I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart... I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation."

-Psalm 40: 8,10

On possible agenda for this morning:

1. Going to Lowe's/Home Depot to look at paint samples.  I would love to start painting and reorganizing my bedroom and the living room down here next week!  It's very laughable how I've been using a storage box as my night stand for the last few months... sad!  hahaha

2. Bike ride/ trip to the gym

3. Stocking a couple supply closets at the church... should take maybe half an hour or less?  :)

4. Letter writing

5. Creating a book list/library

6. Other stuff that's unknowable.... 

..... I better get started!  I leave you with this scary photo of myself that Rachel Mills captured at one of our Kalos picnics.

So because of how Tanner got out through the fence being down yesterday, my dad thinks that people were walking through our yard at NIGHT, not seeing the fence and tripping over it.  And I was home alone this week, not even thinking that a possibility.  Scary!!

If it weren't midnight, and I weren't home alone, I would so just lay down on my driveway for hours looking at the stars and listening to music blasting in my ear.

Addictions this week:

1.  Flaming Lips

2. biking

3. Diet Coke (this addiction is increasing, I think...)

4. sun

Keeping busier than I thought I would be this summer, but I like it!

Currently listening to:  Not the Same, Ben Folds acapella style 

Well, I am no longer jobless!  (I'm not even sure why I'm writing about this, since most of the people reading this probably already know... oh well)... I started working back at church last week, and will start at the museum again possibly this weekend.  I feel so blessed to be getting some hours this summer, after I thought it to be impossible!  God is so faithful.  

I had a pretty relaxing weekend... lots of bike riding around town (even started riding my bike to work), celebrating B. Bills' birth with some good people, editing wedding photos, Bible study, working at the church, etc.  

I'm in the mood for an adventure, but have no new adventure spots.  Anyone up for a little scouting with me?

My class is half over, just two more weeks!  I can hardly believe how fast it's going by... I'm so ready to be done with math classes forever and ever.  Now that will be a CELEBRATION!  ;)  (check my facebook statuses if you don't understand...)

Love.

It seems like such a relatively simple idea, but when you seek to attain Jesus' standard of love, it's quite the task!  At Bible study this morning I was reminded of just what love means... to hold no record of wrongs, to forgive over and over and over no matter what another person has done to you, being patient and kind, and not seeking self in this whole thing called love.  I seem to forget how to do the most foundational thing Jesus gives us a direct command for... to LOVE!  I feel like I just need to repeat it over and over in my head throughout the day that I might not forget, "Love, love, love, love, love, love, love!"

I want to keep asking Jesus to give me an overwhelming love for other people and daily give Him the glory for it.  If love covers over a multitude of sins, why do I not seek to give it wholeheartedly?

I agree with Summer, and it agrees with me.

Rachel Kathleen

I love this girl.

What would the world look like if we all loved like Jesus???

Man, that kind of vision blows me away!

Early morning ramblings

Bad dreams and troubling thoughts make for a sleepless night.  

My battery is about to die, and the charger is upstairs, so this will be yet another short entry.  

Why do I constantly wear my heart on my sleeve?  I'm too vulnerable, but I feel like it's betraying how I really feel to do otherwise.  What is a good way to balance this?  

Why do I cling so tightly to the things and people God has blessed me with, and fear them being taken away so much if I really trust in Him?  I've been reading a lot in Proverbs lately about what it means to have a reverence for the Lord and what that looks like.  And also, if I really trust that He is a God who doesn't break His promises, then I do have nothing to fear.  My hope should fully be in Him, all of my expectations placed on a God who will fulfill all of them.  I need to acknowledge Him in all areas of my life, seeing Him work in everything.

Lord, show me what it means to trust!

I'm a summer student.  So weird.

I surrender.