God Gave Me You.

have you ever felt so in love, that you honestly felt that nothing else in the entire world  mattered? like seriously...think about it. in light of all your busy activities, schedules, commitments, hobbies etc. when you think about that one person, everything else in your life is just dim in comparison?

i had one of those moments five minutes ago. i was just laying on my back in my tiny bedroom, listening to one of my favorite songs, "God Gave Me You" by Dave Barnes...and seriously, I wanted to cry. In that moment, all I could think of  were the words, "God gave me you for the ups and downs, God gave me you for the days of doubt. For when I think I've lost my way, there are no words left to say--it's true...God gave me you!" Friends, God gave me Jesus. He is with me through the ups and downs, in my darkest moments of doubt and unbelief. And yes, when I feel that all hope is gone and that I have lost my way, I can hold to that truth that Jesus is mine! He loves me! He surrounds me. He is mine to love with all my heart. I can lavish all of my affection upon Him! He holds me, I trust in Him. He leads me, I follow Him. He strengthens and helps me...I believe in Him.

I had another moment of just deep thought as I was just reflecting on life, and even just how much I miss Libby Griswold. And it occurred to me, wow...what if I were to die today? What would I want to leave behind? What is the one thing that I would want people to remember me for? What would my legacy be? And I then I knew...

I'd want people to know that Jesus loves them.

I want my life to be a living testimony to the abundant grace of God. I want my trials and struggles to point to the fact that I have a faithful Father in heaven who is sovereignley allowing things to happen to me because He is making me stronger. I just want the world to know that they have hope. Hope in a real God. Not some fake, superficial idol. No--a real, tangible, active, living, and all-powerful God....who loves them no matter where the are in life. Who cherishes and adores them more than anyone else in the entire world. Who has great and unbelievable plans for their life. Who is leading them gently, caring and providing for  their every need, and helping them along the way.

This is the God that I am so hopelessly in love with.


And He can be your God too.

Seeking the Lord.

"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul."

Deuteronomy 4:29

What a promise this is... if we seek the Lord, we will find Him! I have been clinging to this promise lately. It's so easy to stray and drift from God. Anyone know what I'm talking about? How quickly I can lose sight of my Savior! But this remains true: If I seek Him with all of my heart, I will find Him!

Since claiming this over my day, I have come to know so much peace. There is so much freedom in trusting and leaning on our faithful Lord! He has it all figured out! The reality that no matter what I do, God's plan will always work out and it will be perfect...that brings me so much relief. I so often fear that I will somehow "mess up" God's plan by being in the "wrong" place, making the "wrong" decision, or not doing "what I should" be doing. This is so not true!

 

Listen to what I'm saying! It is impossible to "mess up" God's plan for your future, your life, your day. If you love God, you are walking in His plan! Set your heart to serve and honor Him only! For the truth is, He loves you so incredibly much, and He is leading you! Even in those times when you're like, "this is crazy, how can this be God's plan??" It is!

 

 

"...for the Lord will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard."

Isaiah 52:12

 

He is surrounding you right now. You are right where you should be: in the center of His will. He is going before you, and he is going behind you! Guiding you in His wonderful, all-perfect plan. So take heart! He is here for you and with you wherever you go...

 

Also, if you happen to think of it, llease pray for me! I am going up to Rockbridge this weekend for a Young Life leaders retreat! Its going to be an amazing time of prayer, fasting, fellowship, and just waiting upon the Lord. Pray that the Spirit would just meet us all there and that God would speak to each of us. I am so incredibly excited!

 

Have a wonderful day friends. I am praying for all of you and hope you feel the Lord's love surrounding you today. And even if you don't "feel" His love surrounding you...you better believe me, it IS! :)

 

Update!

1st semester....GONE! Woohoooo!

I am so happy. Halfway there. I seriously don't think anyone has ever been so excited to graduate high school as I am. I am beyond ecstatic! OH, I can't wait to get to the end and scream at the top of my lungs, "I have fought the good fight, I have FINISHED the race!!!!" So excited. Taking it day by day though. Trusting God with every morning. Exactly 100 more school days until graduation! Let's do this! :)

Nursing is going good. With the new semester comes new challenges. I really have to get serious now. All the girls who were not really serious are dropping this week. I'm kind of excited. It's really going to help having some breathing room. We had 26 girls crammed into a room for like 15! Elbow to elbow....every day. You feel like strangling people by the end. It's insane. But now that only the girls who mean business are left, I'm really going to have to step up my game. I've been doing good, but I know not putting in extra time and effort. Just enough to get by with a good grade. But I'm excited for the competition. I do really well when I am "fighting" against others.

 I'm actually getting more excited about being a nurse as time goes by. At first, I was in it just for the heck of it. But now I know, I actually want to be here. Today we were practicing newborn assessments. Oh, how my heart melted as I was reading and seeing all the pictures. I seriously love children so much, especially babies. I know that is exactly what I want to specialize in. Pedes. I feel such a calling to really fight for those sweet and helpless little ones... it reminds me of how Jesus fights for me and cares for me: when I am absolutely helpless and can do nothing for myself. Ahhh! I can't wait!!

On another note...
Libby is almost done with chemo!! So proud of her, and oh, I just admire her and Justin more than I can even express! They are such examples. Thank you all for your prayers and support. So thankful. Can't wait for her to finish this out...it's been a long, hard, and painful run. But she has remained so faithful to the Lord throughout it all. Keep praying!

Love you all so much. Thanks for reading my ramblings on here. Seriously. Writing is such a stress reliever for me, and I am so thankful that others actually read it =) It is always my hope and prayer that the words that I write on here would bring glory to God and that you would come to see how awesome and mighty He is through my simple words.
Praying for all of you! Really I do. I look at my Feedjit or whatever it is on the bottom of my blog and pray over my readers. Hope you feel it!

God bless! Go forward in the grace of our Savior...and lift your eyes to Him!!

"...but be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Hello my dear readers! Forgive me for not postin gin so long!

Ahh, what a week it has been! Crazy. The 1st semester is ending this week, and so of course, that means finals. Bleh. But thankfully, I only have to take my Trig final, and a Nutrition final on Wednesday. That is such a blessing. I can't believe I am half0way done! I will NEVER have to endure another first semester of high-school again....praise GOD! haha call me strange, but high-school is definitely not my thing.

So yeah, it was an intense week. Very stressful, and kinda sad, to be quite honest. It's been a season of real spiritual dryness for me, and that has made everything alot more difficult. School often keeps me away from friends and any kind of social life too, so it was rough to say the least.I was really depressed Monday and Tuesday... but Wednesday night, we had a prayer meeting at our church after 3 days of fasting and crying out to God as a community, and friends, He definitely broke in and answered our cries. The Spirit was present, and for our church, I can say it was one of the most refreshing times we have experienced in a long while.

So after thinking about it, I really felt the Lord calling me to a weekend fast ( i didn't participate in the one with our church). I have never done it before, so it's been difficult. But it has amazed me how JOYFUL i have felt all day!! Like I expected to be tired and grumpy because of not getting any energy from food etc, but it has been just the opposite! I have felt invigorated, happy, and just so hopeful the entire day! THAT is what it feels like to be filled (literally!) with the Spirit! It is amazing.
So i am praying that He will continue to speak to me and show me the way as I keep seeking Him. His word says to draw near to Him, and He will draw near to me. And it is the best place I can be in...desperate for my Savior. He alone is filling me up and sustaining me.

Look to Him to fill you up, dear friend. He truly is all sustaining. Your weakness is His strength! Trust Him. Through yourself into Him and to know Him better. He will never fail you.

Lift Your Eyes!

to live!

"Let Christ and His person be the sun of your system, and let the main desire of your heart be to live the life of faith in Him, and daily know Him better!!" -J.C. Ryle

 

"For to me, to live is Christ!"

Phillipians 1:21

enthralled.

Friends, I am truly at a loss for what to write.

I don't know how to explain this overwhelming love that God has for you, but I just feel that He wants me to just once again remind you of it. He is here for you. He knows you. Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus! Far surpassing all the rest! This love is yours and mine today...right now...this very moment.

will you believe it?  will you receive it? will you let the King come in and cherish you forever and ever? He isn't demanding your love from you. No...remember? He stands at the door and knocks. Yes, He is eagerly anticipating that you will open the door for Him to come in! Receive Him dear friends. Let the King of Glory in and transform your entire being!

There are truly no words to express the love of our Jesus for us.... We will never be able to comprehend it. I am literally frustrated as I type this because I cannot think of any description that even begins to compare.
But it is real.

Rest in that truth.

"Listen, daughter, and pay careful attention:

Forget your people and your father’s house.

Let the King be enthralled by your beauty;

honor him, for He is your Lord. "

you are...

But you are

a chosen people, 

a royal priesthood,

 a holy nation,

God’s special possession,

 that you may declare the praises of him who called you

OUT of darkness INTO his wonderful light!

1 Peter 2:9