Weddings, weddings, weddings!

There comes a time in every young woman's life when she starts to feel like every Saturday is spent at either a bridal shower, a wedding, or both... ok, well, maybe that doesn't happen to everyone, but it's how I felt from about April-October of last year and how I'm starting to feel again this year!
In the past couple of weeks, four of my friends have announced their engagements (four different weddings), and today I went to both a bridal shower and a wedding later in the day. Over the next month, I will attend at least two weddings.

These recent events have lead me to the following conclusion: my friends are growing up (notice how I won't admit that I might be part of the supposed-to-be-adultish people)!

It's a strange feeling when the kids that you've grown up with start getting married. I hear it's worse when they start having kids, but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it.

"Let marriage be held in honor among all" (Hebrews 13:4a, ESV).

This The Power of The Cross

"This the power of the cross
Christ became sin for us
Took the blame, bore the wrath
We stand forgiven at the cross."
-Keith & Kristyn Getty

I am weak, but He is strong

It's been a challenging past few weeks, just in my daily life. I am tired mentally, physically, and emotionally. I am completely drained from school, commitments, and relationships. I'm ready for a weekend of rest, and it's Monday.

"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28, ESV).

I am so thankful that through all the chaos of my every day life, I have my God to turn to and that He is my comfort and my fortress. It is in Him that I take refuge from evil and in Him that my soul finds rest.

I love the mental picture of this next verse. His love and gentleness is so evident!

"He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young" (Isaiah 40:11, ESV).

Father, hold me in your everlasting arms and help me to rely on you alone for strength and not on myself. I am weary, but in my weakness, You are made strong, because it is in my weakness that I clearly see that I am sustained only by Your power and grace, because apart from You I cannot do anything. To You be all glory through everything I think, say, and do.

My Desperately Wicked Heart

"The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?"
(Jeremiah 17:9, ESV)

This past weekend was the "spring retreat" for my youth group. From the sessions to the food to the games, I had a wonderful time! However, I frequently found my heart wandering from where it was supposed to be. I might zone out here or there in a session, or think of myself before I thought of others, or do something with the wrong motive. The above verse came to mind more than once over the weekend as I battled with my flesh.

"Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin." (Romans 7:24, 25, ESV)

This is how I feel about 95% of the time. I just can't do anything right, but Jesus Christ has graciously paid the penalty for my sin.

"All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all."
(Isaiah 53:6, ESV)

How true of my own life just in the past few hours! I constantly go astray from what the Word says and turn to my own sinful way, and yet my God sees fit to punish His own Son for my sin.

This post is kind of "jumblely" and hard to understand, but I guess my point is that I am so very thankful for the love that God bestows on me every second of every hour of every day! I cannot sing His praises enough, nor can I do anything to remotely repay Him for what He has done for me and my wretched, wicked heart.

Lord, help my life, my thoughts, my words, and my actions be pleasing to you! May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, oh Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer! Help me show your love in everything that I do, and do everything for Your glory, and Yours alone. In Your Son's holy name, Amen.

The Best of Friends

Have I ever mentioned just how much I adore these two little girls? Well, I do. God has blessed me with the most beautiful, kind, and loving little sisters! I prayed for a little sister for several years and God blessed me with a brother and then another brother. On September 27th, 1997 (three days after I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior), I was finally given my very own little sister to love and care for. Then something unexpected happened... on November 21st, 2001, I was given ANOTHER little sister! God is so good. He "overblesses."

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Philippians 4:6, ESV)

A Much Needed Rest

I am on spring break this week, and enjoying a much needed rest. Ironically, I have spent more time being physically active outdoors than I have in a long time.
On both Friday & Monday I went with my family to the zoo. I had a lot of fun spending time with my parents and siblings, while also enjoying God's beautiful creation. We definitely saw some interesting little critters!
On Tuesday Paul came over and we went biking all over my neighborhood and town. It was great to get on a bike again. I don't think I had pulled out my bike in years!
Today I climbed Pinnacle with Paul and some friends. I went up the mountain faster than I ever have before and it felt so good. I have to say that the best part is sitting at the top, admiring the view and being reminded of how big God is and how small I am.
This week has been a great reminder that I am just a little piece of the puzzle in God's extraordinary plan. It is humbling to think of how small I am, and then to think that even though I am completely hopeless and worthless without Him, He still chose me. Wow. What an amazing God I serve!

"O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?

Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!"
(Psalm 8, ESV)

The Free Flowing Fountain.

Do you think about the words you sing on Sunday morning? I mean, do you really meditate on what is coming out of your mouth? If you're not fully convinced of what you're saying and believing with everything you have that it is the truth, then you are guilty of being a liar just by singing words off of a screen.

" What is desired in a man is steadfast love,and a poor man is better than a liar" (Proverbs 19:22, ESV).
"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer" (Psalm 19:14, ESV).

Here is a song that most of us have sung time and time again throughout our lives. Do you believe it? If so, do you live like you believe it?

There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from Immanuel's veins;
And sinners, plunged beneath that flood,
Lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see
That fountain in his day;
And there may I, though vile as he,
Wash all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
Till all the ransomed ones of God
Be saved, to sin no more.

E'er since by faith I saw the stream
Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme,
And shall be till I die.

When this poor lisping, stammering tongue
Lies silent in the grave,
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I'll sing Thy power to save.

I'll sing Thy power to save,
I'll sing Thy power to save;
Then in a nobler, sweeter song,
I'll sing Thy power to save.

Do you sing His power to save? Is it ever on your heart? Are you rejoicing in the fullness of salvation through Jesus Christ? Is redeeming love your life's theme?

Dear friends and Christian family, I pray that throughout this passion week you will remember and not lose sight of why we have hope in this life. I pray that you will weep over your sin that caused your Savior to be crucified. The fountain that gives us hope is drawn from the veins of Jesus Christ. Every last drop of his blood was spilt for your sin.

Would you die for an unbeliever? Would you poor out your own blood (the actually red, gooey stuff, not just the pretty word "blood" that you read on paper) for someone who was plotting to kill you and hated you with all of their being? This is what Christ did for us.

He knew before time that we would hate Him. He knew that we would beat, marr, spit on, spear, mock, and crucify Him. He had plenty of time to change His mind, but He never did.

THIS was the life of my Jesus:

Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
As many were astonished at you—
his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,
and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—
so shall he sprinkle many nations;
kings shall shut their mouths because of him;
for that which has not been told them they see,
and that which they have not heard they understand.
Who has believed what he has heard from us?
And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?
For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men;
a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

He was oppressed, and he was afflicted,
yet he opened not his mouth;
like a lamb that is led to the slaughter,
and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent,
so he opened not his mouth.
By oppression and judgment he was taken away;
and as for his generation, who considered
that he was cut off out of the land of the living,
stricken for the transgression of my people?
And they made his grave with the wicked
and with a rich man in his death,
although he had done no violence,
and there was no deceit in his mouth.

Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
(Isaiah 52:13-53:12, ESV).

Hallelujah, WHAT A SAVIOR!