faith

Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord,and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.

---Psalms 37:3-6

"the heart of life" - 2

listening to John Mayer...

"The Heart Of Life"

I hate to see you cry
Lying there in that position
There's things you need to hear
So turn off your tears
And listen

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good

You know, it's nothing new
Bad news never had good timing
But, then your circle of friends
Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
No it won't all go the way it should
But I know the heart of life is good

Pain throws your heart to the ground
Love turns the whole thing around
Fear is a friend who's misunderstood
But I know the heart of life is good
I know it's good

I'm thinking about applying for a job at Montgomery Mall over the summer.... or maybe Rio. Anyone have any opinions?

I would just like to say something... things that I've gone through over the past few months have made me SO grateful for all the wise people that God has put in my life. I don't know where I would have gotten without them! Namely my parents, my sister, and Josh and Kelley. There are definitely others but those people have been through a lot with me and I'm so grateful. Thank you guys for all your counsel! =-)

significance of life

Today is Bible... its 9:30 and I'm already done! It was a short chapter but still good. Today I read chapter 11 : The Creation of Man. Here's a passage that stuck out to me:

"Why was man created?
1. God did not need to create man, yet he created us for his own glory. In the discussion of God's independence in chapter 5, we noted several Scripture passages that teach that God does not need us or the rest of creation for anything, yet we and the rest of creation glorify him and bring him joy. Since there was perfect love and fellowship among members of the Trinity for all eternity (John 17:5,24), God did not create us because he was lonely or because he needed fellowship with another persons - God did not need us for any reason.
Nevertheless, God created us for his own glory. In our treatment of God's independence, we noted that he speaks of his sons and daughters from the of the earth as those 'whom I created for my glory' (Isa. 43:7; cf. Eph. 1:11-12). Therefore we are to 'do all to the glory of God' (1 Cor. 10:31).
This fact guarantees that our lives are significant. When we first realize that God did not need to create us and does not need us for anything, we could conclude that our lives have no importance at all. But Scripture tells us that we were created to glorify God, indicating that we are important to God himself. This is the final definition of genuine importance or significance to our lives: If we are truly important to God for all eternity, then what greater measure of importance or significance could we want?"
-Bible Doctrine (Wayne Grudem)

This is such an encouraging passage! To think that God did not need us but created us anyway and that he loves us like sons and daughters!

Well, since I'm kinda done school for today I think I will try to do some sort of photo shoot with my little sister. I've been wanting to do it for a while I just haven't had the time.

not much

in the air
tiny sparkle
much hope
needs renewal
simple little thing
not so simple
waiting
but not wanting to
living
dying
thinking
in the air

ok... friday was so much fun! i went to the boys varsity baskeball game and then i went to watch the Godspell rehearsal with Taylor and Caitlin. Took a ton of pictures! It was so awesome. Then Caitlin left and I stayed until the end of rehearsal. fun fun fun. I got some tips from Mr. Alonso on how to take pictures so I'm hopefully gonna go again this friday and take some more! =)

last night i went over to the nelsons and talked with irina, we watched this movie, (i forget the name) but it was a movie like "love comes softly". pretty cool.
today was pretty nice too, the service was great! i loved the message. then we went shopping (always great!) and then we went over to the hoovers and hung out with cat and the little maresco boys! they are so awesome! MUCH FUN... tomorrow is another basketball game and uhhh yeah. thats it lovely updates... ok i'm done.

pictures: www.flickr.com/ontelaunee/

Today... So far =)

me with hannah...

josh...

and jonathan!

SO COLD TODAY!

oh i love my little brothers and sisters, they are so cute! =)

<3 <3 <3

oh my

the heart of life

From my devotions this morning:

Romans 2:7-8

To those who by patience in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury.

Psalm 25:8-10

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.

And about today, I have nothing to say... nothing new. =)

::the snow is still melting::

realization

Gods timing is the perfect timing. Thanks heavens for that... no one is more grateful than I.

The snow is leaving... supposedly we're going to get a blizzard in February, oh boy (said sarcastically)! Haha, I just hope that if it snows we get at least a foot. :)

Random Song-Random Picture

"A Thousand Miles"

Making my way downtown

Walking fast

Faces pass

And I'm home bound

Staring blankly ahead

Just making my way

Making a way

Through the crowd

And I need you

And I miss you

And now I wonder....

If I could fall

Into the sky

Do you think time

Would pass me by

'Cause you know

I'd walk

A thousand miles

If I could

Just see you

Tonight

It's always times like these

When I think of you

And I wonder

If you ever

Think of me

'Cause everything's so wrong

And I don't belong

Living in your

Precious memories

'Cause I still need you

And I miss you

And now I wonder....

If I could fall

Into the sky

Do you think time

Would pass me by

'Cause you know I'd walk

A thousand miles

If I could

Just see you

Tonight

It's actually a really pretty song...

Not much happened today, I've been so busy this week with school it was almost weird having a day off. Two of my sisters and I actually spent a good part of the afternoon at Starbucks discussing weird and random things. Right now I'm babysitting my siblings AND my cousins, crazyness!!!! My parents should be home by 8 though... =)

Psalm 13:5 and 6

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

Psalm 33:18-22

Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine. Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him,because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.

Self Portraits

Ok, usually I don't put self portraits on here but I was experimenting tonight and I figuered I would put a few of them on here...

Experimenting with light

The fake "engagement ring"

"endures ALL things"

Ecclesiastes 7:8 - Better is the end of a thing than its beginning,and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Today I was reading about being patient, patience is so important, without patience you aren't waiting or trusting God. If you aren't trusting God you are trusting yourself and you can't lean on your own understanding because it is distorted by sin.

Romans 12:12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

1 Corinthians 13:14 - Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

That verse ^ is one of my favorites of all time =)
Lit class starts again today!! It feels like forever since we had class, I'm glad we're starting up again. I really need to get pictures from that class, I forgot to bring my camera to the Christmas party. I think we have a end-of-the-year party though so I'll try then. Well, nothing else really exciting is happening right now. Oh, we went to a basketball game at the church two nights ago and the cougars won by like 30 points! It was crazy...
=) God's grace and mercy are amazing! =)

Where you lead me

I will follow

Where you lead me

I'll give my life away

Where you lead me

I will follow

Forever and a day

Snowflakes? No, not really...

This is my dad's car, and about as close to snow as I've seen all year. (haha, all 18 days of it)

Ok, here's some more thoughts... this is the verse I had yesterday I think but I want to highlight a different part this time:

Wisdom calls aloud in the street, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech: "How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour our my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you."

---Proverbs 1:20-23

God says he will pour out his spirit on the person who asks and seeks Him with all their heart. That is a promise! No one is ever too far gone that they can't be saved. We need to seek wisdom at all times.

My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.

---Proverbs 2:1-5

One thing that is important to remember though is that we cannot do any of this on our own, If you lean our your own strength you will fail. We cannot do anything or accomplish anything without God, without leaning on Him and having absolute faith in his plan.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

---Proverbs 3:5

What an amazing God we serve! To know that we can have total faith in Him and his plan and to know that all we have to do is ask for wisdom and he provides.

"leave the world in wonder"

“It would be crazy to choose this world over eternity…” Think about it, what is the end result in choosing the world? Everyone is faced with this choice but I was just thinking, this choice can be especially hard for graduating seniors. Most of us are about to turn 18, (or in my case 17) and we are about to released into the world. But there’s something we have to realize, being 18 and done with school doesn’t automatically make you mature or wise. It also doesn’t give you the right to make stupid decisions and mistakes, when you become an adult it’s a chance to grow in maturity. We still need our parents and teachers for help; they are still wiser than us. A lot of people can make the mistake of thinking that they can plant one foot in the kingdom of God and one foot in the world. They try to find the middle and compromise when they can. This does not and cannot work! We have to plant both feet firmly in God’s kingdom, this is the only way to experience real joy and growth in wisdom.

Proverbs 1:20-23 says:
Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks: “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words kown to you.”


We should start off adulthood believing in God and with a fresh desire to seek him and to learn from the people he has placed around us. We don’t have to go searching for something to fulfill us and give us joy, its right in front of us and all we have to do is ask for it. Wisdom comes from God, true joy comes from God and only from God.

Now I have a peace
I've never known before
I find myself complete
My heart is spoken for
Take this world from me
I don't need it anymore
I'm finally free
I'm spoken for

---mercyme

"the righteous be glad..."

http://hs.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2000240&l=435b1&id=1230540077 - album from banquet!!!! Enjoy :)

Happy 18th B-day Bryce!!! And Congrats on winning the 10:31 award!

God is so good isn't he? I'm amazed each day with the new blessings that he brings into life. How undeserving I am... and how wonderful He is! What joy it brings me to simply think that he saved me, that he even considered me, that he made me his child. All creatures praise him! Oh praise him who unconditionally LOVES us.

"All mankind will fear; they will proclaim the works of God and ponder what he has done. Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord and take refuge in him; let all the upright in heart praise him! ----Psalms 64:9-10

"But may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds-- his name is the Lord-- and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land." ----Psalms 68:3-6

In the treehouse

(i would post pictures from the banquet and the babyshower this way but it only lets me post 4 at a time)

I can't think of a title

The Senior High Banquet was so amazing! It was wonderful to reflect on the past year and to see all the ways that God has blessed us as a youth ministry.I'm also so grateful for my parents and their faithful encouragement and correction in my life. They truly are the best parents ever! I'm so happy for Bryce and Emily too! They are definitely two of the most godly people in our youth ministry and they so deserved to be honored for their trust in God. After the banquet my sister, some of our friends, and I went to see Night at the Museum, it was so funny! We didn't change into normal clothes so we got weird looks from people but it was worth it!
I do have a slide show for the banquet and Kelley's baby shower but my computer isn't letting me post them, hopefully I'll have them up soon!
Speaking of Josh and Kelley, please pray for them :) They are still readjusting to having Keara home although Kelley told me God is giving them so much grace to handle it. Isn't God great?

From my devotions:

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you."
---Titus 2:11-15

Today in Bible Doctrine I started chapter 9 which is the doctrine of prayer. What an encouraging chapter! To know that we can approach God in faith that he will do whats best for us, that we can approach him as children and as the people he loves.

-"God wants us to pray because prayer expresses our trust in God and is a means whereby our trust in him can increase." (p158)

"Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." (Matt. 21:22, Mark 11:24, James 1:6-8, 5:14-15)

-"...Assured faith will often come when we ask God for something and then quietly wait before him for an answer." (p164)

Isn't it a beautiful day today?!?! I love being able to sit in our tree house and work on school, although the dogs decided it would be fun to join me and then proceeded to get mud everywhere!

Update

Keara is home!!! And we also found out something... its pronounced "KEE-ruh".

Happy?

:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)

(praise Jeus for the banquet, I know its about glorifying God)

Blessed is the one who finds wisdom...

Today requires prayer, LOTS of prayer and God's good grace. Please pray for me as I am going through an extremely hard trial and I need wisdom to be able to cope so that I am glorifying God with all my actions.

Please also pray for the Davis family, their son Micah Davis is fighting and rare type of cancer and right now the doctors aren't giving him too much time. They are enlisting him in a special treatments so pray that God will extend his life and if not that he will give the Davis/Miller family grace and joy.
(for more info go here: http://lukecinda.blogspot.com/)

Micah with his sis Cianne

Micah and Brandon

The Davis Family

On a happier note we are hoping to be joined tomorrow by Keara Murphy! Kelley told us they are hoping to bring her home and we are so excited to have another baby in our house, I love babies!!! And she is such a cute little thing....

(picture from Kel's blog - www.murphfam.blogspot.com)

New Pictures

When I was over at the Mays' for Kelley's baby shower I took some pictures of random things at their house... here's what I got:

This one is actually from the church:

I WILL have pictures from Kelley's shower shortly.... I have to put together a slideshow.

Music is Free

Today is "coming of age" day in Japan.

-144 more days 'til graduation-

And that is the most random title for a post ever, I got it from a song that I'm listening too.

Rainy Day

And the moon and a sunset :)

My Mom's Tattoo

This is my mom's wrist... this is a real tattoo... this is not a joke.

So is my mom not the coolest???

Here's the explanation: my mom's grandmother recently passed away and she wanted something to remember her by. Here's what she came up with ^, my great grandmother's favorite flower was the african violet. She's had it for about a week I guess and I've been waiting to publish this!!! AHH!

Thoughts? Comments?

My Little Sis-She's the Best

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARA!!! You are my best friend and I don't know what I'd do without you :) You are such a blessing... thanks for being there for me cuz I know i'm stupid sometimes but you always have encouragemant and advice. You've matured so much and everyone who is around you benefits from your Godly example. Love you so much!

Today is weird, I was supposed to go back to math class but this morning I started having asthma problems. Please pray for me, right now it's not too serious but it could be that way.