The past few days have been very stressful and hectic (hence, no blogging!). My “mantra”, as I scurry around from one task to the next, has been, “Oh, there’s so much to do and so much to be done!” [grin]

And that’s exactly what it’s been like! :) Between preparing for and teaching piano lessons, trying to practice for my own music lessons, general up-keep and cleaning of the house (my mom and sister are both out of town), cooking, studying, and organizing the basement (I’m trying to suprise my mom when she gets back!), the days are full! I did manage to finish a few sewing projects that have been sitting around for way too long. Among them, sewing a new skirt, putting fabric in the side slits of one, and adjusting another. Oh, and I am going to a musical tonight, and looking forward to going out immensely!

Well…I guess I’d better just end this exceedingly boring post ( my deepest apologies ), since it’s really not going anywhere very important. :)

This verse from John 14 really “stuck” for me when I read it during devotions on Wednesday:

v. 23 If anyone loves Me, he will obey My commands. My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our home with him.

What an amazing thought this is! That They would make Their home with us!

I hope everyone is having a lovely weekend! Hugs for all my huggable friends and a hearty handshake for everyone else!

PS Drop a note and tell me what you’ve been up to recently!

~*Bryant*~

It’s so weird to be able run around without even a coat in early November, but I’m enjoying it immensely. I don’t think it will last very long, but I’m loving it while it does!

I took my traditional Sunday afternoon walk today, and I got to wear flip-flops! I had packed them away for next summer a month or two ago, but dug them out for one last fling this year. At first, I couldn’t find them, and I had to dig around for a while before I found even one. It’s pretty frustrating to not be able to find the pair of shoes you want to wear, but it’s even more frustrating to only be able to find one. You’re so close … and yet still so far away! [grin] But I found both of them eventually, and had a lovely walk.

I was just praying while I was out walking that the Lord would teach me to let Him use me to bring glory to Him, and that I would not be afraid to take the opportunities to serve Him when He gives them to me. Just then, the lady who lives next door to us rounded the corner, and we were able to walk the whole “circle” in our development together and just talk. It was so nice, and I felt like the Lord had answered my prayer right then, by giving me the opportunity to walk and talk with her. It was neat, and I walked home rejoicing and thanking the Lord for that time with her.

As I was writing this post, I was listening to Meredith Andrews singing You’re Not Alone. It is one of my favorite songs, as the words are so meaningful.

You’re not alone, for I am here, let Me wipe away your every fear.

My love, I’ve never left your side, I have seen you through the darkest night.

And I’m the One Who’s loved you all your life.

Faithful and true, forever. My love will carry you.

 I can trust and believe that the deep, deep love of Jesus is all I truly need, for today, for tomorrow…and the years ahead. Oh, the rich and unfathomable depths of His love, that have stretched from everlasting to everlasting! My flesh cries, “Lord, but what if…?” But, He is all I need right now, and I can take one day, one step at a time, believing and rejoicing that He will be all I need then, too. Could I dare even consider that this deepness which I cannot even comprehend could be exhausted in any amount of time?

Oh, the deep, deep love; All I need and trust is the deep, deep love of Jesus.

Oh, The Deep, Deep Love

Oh, the deep, deep love; All I need and trust is the deep, deep love of Jesus.

 I love this time of year! Spring is nice, and I love it, too, but Fall has a beauty all its own. It’s a very calming beauty, for me. The sun reflecting off all the golden hues on the leaves and plants gives a “warm-ness” to the air that you can almost feel! I love it!

I went for a walk last evening, up to my favorite spot to think and pray nearby our home. I walked along the edge of one of the soybean fields and up through it, on a path made in the soybean plants by water draining off the field.  I stood there in the middle of the field for a long, long time, watching the sun set behind it and looking up into the clear, blue sky that seemed to go on and on. It was one of those moments that I wish could last forever! The wind was very cold as it rushed and rustled through the trees, played with my hair, and made all the little plants dance for joy, and it made me appreciate my nice warm coat even more! (yes, *ahem* for “that” person [you know who you are], I do wear coats [even bulky ones] in extreme circumstances :) ) 

I’m going to go out and take another little walk to my “spot” tonight, too. I love to go out running, as well, but when everything around me is so beautiful, I feel like I’m missing out on it if I run by it instead of just walking! :)

I was reading in Lamentations last week, and have been mulling over these verses from chapter three a lot in the past few days.

Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
       for His compassions never fail.

 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him.”

 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him;

 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

Lam. 3:22-26

I often tend to think of my little struggles as “exempt” from having to be surrendered to the Lord, because they are just that: little. (compared to others who are struggling with things a lot more serious than me). However, the Lord has been showing me that He is allowing these “little” struggles to teach me how to trust Him; how to wait for Him. I asked Him over and over to take it away. But, He has taught me that if I practice giving these things to Him now, then when more serious struggles and temptations come, I will  be able to stand up under them better.

So, :) this is what the Lord has been teaching me! What about you? What has He been teaching you recently???

 I run in the path of Your commands,

for You have set my heart free.

For the past few weeks, I have been reading a Psalm, or a section of a Psalm right before I got to bed. Just for fun, I started at the end of Psalms, instead of the beginning. :) I am in Psalm 119 right now, and last night, I read verses 25-32.   

In the Psalms, and in the whole Bible, there is so much said of “walking” the narrow path, or “walking” in God’s ways, etc. But the Lord reminded me through this verse that I am not just to simply walk in His ways.

I am to run wholeheartedly, devotedly after Him.

In v. 28, David (I assume he was the writer of this Psalm) said,

My soul is weary with sorrow;       

strengthen me according to Your Word.

And yet, despite this weariness and heaviness of heart, four verses later He wrote the verse I printed above:

I run in the path of Your commands,

for You have set my heart free.

It is amazing for me to see how even though David was feeling weary and tired, he still put his hope and trust in the Lord, and he still chose to follow the Lord, even in the rough times.

I was reminded that I am not to wait for “this” or “that” to happen, or for my weariness and struggle to “go away” before I follow the Lord. I am to follow Him humbly, enthusiastically, wholeheartedly…right now. I am to do what He has for me to do…right now.

I am to “run in the path of His commands”…right now.

Even though it feels like we just got home, early Thursday morning, my sister and I will be leaving again on the 30th - this time for Iowa. From there we’ll be heading out to Virginia with a group of young ladies to put on some Bright lights conferences (www.radiantpurity.com).

I’m excited about going and seeing the Lord work.

I know the Lord wants me to go. I asked the Lord to show me if He wanted me to go on this trip, and I believe He did.

So I am going. I’m choosing to step out in faith that this is the Lord’s will for me right now. I know He will be with me.

I sought the Lord, and He answered me; 
       He delivered me from all my fears.

Taste and see that the Lord is good;
       blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him.

  Psalm 34:4,8

…is busy! [grin]

I am now an official high school graduate. It’s a great feeling, let me tell you.  :) My graduation ceremony and reception are over, and summer is on its way with unbelievable speed!

I’m enjoying the lovely weather (I love this time of year!), and preparing to be a counselor for two weeks at NeKaMo Camp, a girls camp in Warsaw, MO, as well as continuing to practice piano and harp. I’ve had a number of cleaning and baby-sitting  jobs recently, which came as amazing answers to my prayers to the Lord. He is so good! He’s been teaching me so much lately, and it seems like the more He works and changes me, the more I realize how much I need Him — and how much I need to be to be changed!

The Lord has been reminding me recently of my true purpose in life — no matter what exactly I do, this is what He saved me and called me to do:

“He Himself bore our sins…that we might die to sins, and live for righteousness.” 1 Peter 2:24

“that you may live in a right way, in undivided devotion to the Lord.” 1 Cor. 7:35

“Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”  1 Cor. 5:58

Here are a few random pictures from my senior photo shoot. Enjoy!

What a glorious day it is today! It seems like the sun is God smiling down on the world, and His very breath is warming up the air for spring.

I can almost hear Him saying to me:

Because of the [My] great love [you] are not consumed,
       for [My] compassions never fail.

 They are new every morning; great is [My] faithfulness.

[I] am good to those whose hope is in [Me], to the one who seeks [Me];  it is good to wait quietly
       for [My] salvation.

Lam. 3: 22-23, 25-26

A candle is a lovely thing;
It makes no noise at all,
But softly gives itself away.

modified from a quote by Eva Logue

I’ve been thinking a lot about how the Lord has called me to complete abandonment to Him and to other people. I must truly “give myself away” to others. I must invest in those dear souls around me, especially in my family; I must be vulnerable to them. I must be an asset. I must give and give, with no thought of getting in return. My family must be able to say of me: “If she was not here, we would not be the same.”

At church yesterday, a man recited John 3:16 in Palaka, and language used in a certain portion of West Africa. The literal, word-for-word English translation of the Palaka translation went like this:

“World, it came, and God really pleased. For this reason, He has one Son sent, so that the one who believed on him, he would not be lost, but would gain life, the one that does not end.”

We can get “life” from many different things.  Talents, possesions, and abilities can give us temporal pleasure, but the one, true life comes from the Son of God.

This kind is the kind that lasts.

As I open up arms of trust and surrender,

there is peace,

there is joy, and

there is freedom.

Father,

 Thy way was right.

Thy way is right.

Thy way will always be right.