And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace

Ephesians 6:15.

Oh God, I'm so amazed how you bring things to my remembrance!

Recently I had thought that I wanted to build my believing that God's Word's are totally true and that I can manifest His power in life. This week has been my first week after leaving my job and I must say it has been a total blessing. I have been incredibly productive in getting my things in order for the move - packing and what have you. But along with all this I have been determined to study more of the Word (since I suppose I finally feel like I have the time to spare...tsk)

Boy, has that been wonderful. I actually just started reading George Muller - Delighted in God, by Roger Steer, which I must confess is an incredibly inspiring story of his life. Only God could have known that after all my fascination with British novels lately, that this one book would fit right in - and actually be profitable! Haha! But man, was Muller a believer... I don't think there is any better book (other than the Bible) that would show me the loving, willingness and ability of our Heavenly Father to provide our every need - as seen through the victories in Muller's life.

This man did not ask anyone for ANYTHING. He only asked God - fully persuaded that God would meet his needs as he devoted his life in service to Him. We read of the believing of those individuals in the Gospels who believed the word of Christ and because of their believing they were delivered - made completely whole - because they were fully persuaded. I want to be like that...

Tadaaaaaaaa

So this is kind of a big deal. I've gotten my braces off!
It feels weird, but I am glad! Yeah.. that's all I really have to say about it!

slight obsessions

I've recently finished two of Jane Austen's novels and I must say they are definitely two of my favorite books next to the Bible. I'm so infatuated with her writing style.. her humor, her wit. I'm not even going to try and explain it - however, I will give you but a taste. From Northanger Abbey, Chapter 5, Austen inserts her own commentary within the story:

Yes, novels; for I will not adopt that ungenerous and impolitic custom so common with novel-writers, of degrading by their contemptuous censure the very performances, to the number of which they are themselves adding--joining with their greatest enemies in bestowing the harshest epithets on such works, and scarcely ever permitting them to be read by their own heroine, who, if she accidentally take up a novel, is sure to turn over its insipid pages with disgust.
[I will break here merely for your comfort]
...Although our productions have afforded more extensive and unaffected pleasure than those of any other literary corporation in the world, no species of composition has been so much decried. From pride, ignorance, or fashion, our foes are almost as many as our readers. And while the abilities of the nine-hundredth abridger of the History of England, or of the man who collects and publishes in a volume some dozen lines of Milton, Pope, and Prior, with a paper from the Spectator, and a chapter from Sterne, are eulogized by a thousand pens--there seems almost a general wish of decrying the capacity and undervaluing the labour of the novelist, and of slighting the performances which have only genius, wit, and taste to recommend them. "I am no novel-reader--I seldom look into novels--Do not imagine that I often read novels--It is really very well for a novel." Such is the common cant. "And what are you reading, Miss---?" "Oh! It is only a novel!" replies the young lady, while she lays down her book with affected indifference, or momentary shame. "It is only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda"; or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best-chosen language.

Love her sarcasm, hehe. Ugh. I wish she were still alive and wrote a million novels. I have more to say about this but I'll update later.

"I gets my bracelets off Mondy!"

So, I have this thing about grammar. I generally prefer to be as grammatically correct as possible. It's kind of like a desire to express myself intelligently and properly.

And yet, as much as the typical, ignorant misspellings and butcherings of the English language disturb and peeve me, I thoroughly enjoy one thing that totally contradicts my strong desires in this category: LOLCats.


Why is this so amusing and appealing to me? Only God knows.

But I thank God for one particular friend that allows me to speak this way with them. Hahaha... It's like a language that we use and there are no questions or indignations about it. We simply talk to our heart's content in the very ignorant manner that I so adamantly oppose.

Maybe you could help me understand this contradiction. Lol.

"Why do you have a chip on your shoulder?"

I love people. We are all so different, and yet, in a lot of ways we are all so similar. I find it to be the most exciting and enjoyable thing to discover someone else - get past the surface, the superficialities, and get to the heart of who someone is.

One thing I've been learning for a while now is that if you expect anyone to open their heart and life to you, you have to be willing to do the same. We want to build relationships on honesty, trust, communication, brotherly love, etc. That's something I'm trying to get better at. Sometimes it's really simple - you just get along really well with some people; it comes naturally. Other times we have to work through emotions, inadequacies and whatnot before we can truly enjoy all that someone has to offer the world. Well that's my goal - to make that effort to get outside of myself and get to know who you truly are.

One way I like to open up to others is through humor. I am not afraid to laugh with you and even laugh at myself. I am really laid back, but I do believe that life should be simple and enjoyable.

Last night was really sweet. I had many funny, light-hearted conversations that left me blessed and even now when I think about them I still laugh. I love moments like that. Moments like that should never be forgotten. So, that's what I want - to laugh with you and enjoy every moment that God gives. Let's live with a light heart, full of joy!

Just a Spoonful of Sugar

How funny - this just popped in my head and it's amazing how relevant it is to what I wanted to write:

In ev'ry job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game

And ev'ry task you undertake
Becomes a piece of cake
A lark! A spree! It's very clear to see that

A Spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down..!

What am I talking about? Let's see. Last weekend I moved home to my parent's house for the last month I am here in R-kansas. Not sure what to say about that! Friday I packed everything I could into every corner of my car and I set off. Saturday morning I got up bright and early to come back to get the remainder of my things. It was not difficult getting everything packed up and transported. The hard and long part was bringing everything in and unpacking - and in 90+ degree weather - climbing up stairs! Okay so it was a lot of work and yet it wasn't difficult at all! Wherever the motivation came from, it felt good to get everything done in one day and get settled in.

I'm still working, so now I have to drive an hour every morning to work. It seems like that would be a long time but it isn't bad at all! I've had a chance to spend some time with God, pray for different things, listen to some teachings, etc. Here I go again making situations that may seem difficult or consuming into something sweet and well worth it..

I've been thinking about something lately and I just really want to share it: joy. Joy is an inside job. It is a decision we make to be blessed and thankful in all things (not for all things). This isn't always easy. We are sometimes faced with situations that continue to be a nuisance and it can be challenging to always have to change our thinking and be "happy." Well, how about we take Mary Poppins' advice here... Let's "find the fun" - let's look for the positives in the situation, or let's look for something that we can do to turn the negative into a positive - positive solutions!

Recently we've been learning about the book of Ephesians and in chapter 4, verse 2 it says, "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;" Meekness, longsuffering, forbearance - these all have to do with patience. We want to build strength in patience, that way we can experience God's peace in situations.

Hebrews 6:14,15
Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.
And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.

When we patiently believe God to help us in situations, we will see that He will meet our every need! Verse 3 of Ephesians 4 goes on to say, "Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." There you have it. We strive for unity in the bond of peace. Patience toward ourselves and one another, when it is motivated by God's Word, yields peace. And with a peaceful heart we can decide to be joyful!

Colossians 3:15
And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.

Let's change our perspective and look for the positive solutions in situations, with patience and peace ruling in our hearts, believing God to meet our needs - then we can have a joy that nothing can take away!