Water: My New Bestfriend

About a week or so ago I discovered that I was dehydrated. I was drinking about 2 cups of liquid a day, and hardly ever water. Once I realized the problem and why I was so fatigued, I started drinking a lot of water. I invested in a cute little water bottle that I now take everywhere with me. I've gone from drinking hardly anything to around 3 liters of water a day. I feel so much better and I have more energy. Only down side is that I'm going to the bathroom almost every hour!!!

Not your problem?

So the other day at work I asked this man if he would like to donate $1 to the Muscular Dystrophy Association. He replied, "I have enough problems of my own to worry about someone else's." I just proceeded to take his order, but couldn't help but thinking about what he said.

Last week I was at Dobbs Honda getting my oil changed. I overheard a woman in the waiting room commenting about the news on tv. She was complaining about the U.S. always helping out other countries. She said, "They have wars, tsunamis, earthquakes, and we always run to their rescue. It's not our problem!" I wanted to yell at her and say, "Do realize what you just said?!?!" "It's not our problem?"

Yesterday I was driving home through a 4-way stop and I saw that one part of the 4-way stop was backed up at least 15 cars, and the car at the front had died. Two men were trying to push it out of the way, but were having trouble. And out of however many cars, no one else could get out to help??? I guess it wasn't their problem.

I could start listing all of the things wrong with this attitude, but I won't even start. I might hit somebody.

Waiting for a Day

I can't wait for the day when I can get involved in a Bible study group, when I have time to invest in friendships, when I can spend a Saturday doing nothing and not feel guilty, when I can work my butt off for more than minimum wage, when I can spend time with all of the people that get my leftovers (or nothing), when I can sit and read a good book, when I can finish all of the writing projects I've had for years, when I can make a trip to visit family, when I am without stress...

I graduate in about 4 weeks. Maybe this day will be soon???

Fresh Wind

So... Spring break. Supposed to be fun, right? Completely bombing the GRE, getting my car destroyed by a crazy woman, going to a funeral... Sound fun? You wanna know the crazy part? I didn't cry about any of that. But yesterday I bent my fingernail back and started tearing up! Oh boy... It's always the little things that get to me.

Despite all the yuck, life is good. I've gotten a fresh wind lately. Maybe it's Spring, maybe it's God, maybe it's brokenness, or maybe a combination... Whatever it is, I'm relishing it.

Innocence?

Where is the point at which we lose our innocence? Where do we go from a world where everyone has good intentions, our minds are unpolluted, and "wrong" things offend? Is it at a certain age, an experience, a conversation? No. It's a gradual, creeping corruption. It's barely noticed until one day we look up and ask, "What happened to my innocence?" But, innocence? Were we ever truly innocent? Were we ever free of sin and death? No, we are born with it. But at one time certain things were unknown to us. There were sins unknown and thoughts inconceivable. And then, through time, we gradually open that door and watch our "innocence" slowly fall away. For a while we are glad to no longer be naive, but there is a cost. We cannot expect to experience without being changed. Some say the change is good... but some wish they could go back. If I could, I would go back and do things differently. I would hold onto truth and conviction, refusing to believe the lies that I was fed. I would choose difficult over easy, loneliness over false friends, conviction over comfort, light over dark, truth over lies, freedom over captivity, life over death, joy over pain... I would choose Christ over me.

I wonder why, just a little

I'm always wanting something more
Life is a riddle

I wish I had the answer for
Love breaks your heart

To teach you to be strong
I die, just a little

So I can live a little bit more

Leigh Nash

What a Beautiful God

"O taste and see that the LORD is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" Psalm 34:8

Oh the Lord is so good... He is always faithful to be all that I need. He is my strength, my comfort, my help, my joy, my provider, my protector, my savior, my hope. Yes, life is not easy, but only He can give me perpetual joy through it all! He is more than enough for me. He will always be with me and walk with me through each day. Oh that all would know His redeeming love...

God is teaching me so much right now. He's holding the mirror up to my face and showing me those things that need to change. One of the most important things I'm learning is just to know God. If I make Him my focus and seek to know Him, everything else will work out. If I seek Him daily and spend time with Him then He will pour into me and give me strength so that I am able to pour out from the overflow that comes from knowing Him. My purpose is to know Him, honor Him, and become like Him. I also must give Him complete control of my life. Every thought, attitude, action, and word. Every day I must die to myself and allow Him to reign in me. Complete surrender. It is impossible for me to do it in my own strength and that is why I depend on Him. He is showing me the blessing of obedience to Him. I can be so stubborn sometimes... "He must increase, but I must decrease." Mark 3:30 The key to everything is abiding in Him constantly. Oh how I am overcome by the Lord's love and grace. He is so patient with me. He even says that I am His delight! It is so hard to grasp that His love for me never changes. It doesn't matter what I do or don't do, He loves me the same. What a beautiful God.

As I look into the stars

Pondering how far away they are
How You hold them in Your hands
And still You know this man
You know my inner most being, oh
Even better than I know, than I know myself
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I, what am I
As I look off into the distance
Watching the sun roll on by
Beautiful colors all around me, oh
Painted all over the sky
The same hands that created all of this
They created you and I
What a beautiful God
What a beautiful God
And what am I, that I might be called Your child
What am I, what am I
That You might know me, my King
What am I, what am I
That You might die, that I might live
What am I, what am I, what am I, what am I

Beautiful - Shawn McDonald