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Monday, December 21, 2009

refreshing thought,


"...we have been wandering as spiritual exiles...living in a world that no longer fits our deepest longings."
- the prodigal god

:: then LOVE came; filling our deepest longings and desires...what {comfort}

"He who did not spare his own Son,
but gave him up for us all—

how will he not also, along with him,
graciously give us all things?" ROMANS 8:31

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

God moves in mysterious ways.

THREE mysterious ways of GOD in ONE day.

1. The roads were totally dry on the way home from Kairos tonight. After a gloomy day of snow falling with EVERYONE and EVERYTHING saying roads would be super slippery and slide-y.. they were dry, dry, dry!? I have really bad brakes and STILL haven't bothered taking them in and yet, the roads were perfectly fine tonight..

((physical p r o t e c t i o n))

2. Instead of finishing my homework I checked my Facebook and got a friend request and wall post. Friend request from my elementary school"BFF". Just the other day in my Communications class, my prof asked how many of us were still close with the people we grew up with and I thought of her. Then I got a wall post from on of my good camp friends whom I haven't seen in two years. Just the other day at work, I was thinking a lot about camp life, friends and memories working there. I haven't really communicated with either of them in quit some time and was pleasantly surprised..

((sudden r e c o n n e c t i o n))

3. I just saw that the My Utmost for His Highest for today (12/16) is titled Wrestling Before God ::: "Beware of lazily giving up. Instead, put up a glorious fight and you will find yourself empowered with His strength." God knows me too well..... this is exactly what I was thinking about today. Earlier today I was even reading about perfectionism being linked with procrastination, how it causes people (like myself) to give up with out trying. I SO need to start working on not giving up so easily! AND then tonight I was sharing with the girls at Kairos how I feel SO confused on where/what/when I am doing&going next in my life. Confused because I am hindered by fear of missing it all together (whatever IT is) -- from giving up too easily, then I read that line in the devotional about being EMPOWERED by HIS strength..

((self e x a m i n a t i o n))


All of this can only equate to God moving & stirring my life up.
God DOES move in mysterious ways.
When we open our eyes, heart, and mind--He mysteriously moves in.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

This Beautiful Exchange : Hillsong Live



You were near though I was distant
Disillusioned, I was lost and insecure
Still mercy fought for my attention
You were waiting at the door
Then I let you in.

Trading Your place, for my offenses
For my redemption, You carried all the blame
My burden erased, my life forgiven
Redemption took my place

When only love could make a way
You gave Your life
In a beautiful exchange

Breaking the curse of our condition
There is nothing that can take this love away
My only desire, and sole ambition
Is to love You just the same.

When only love could make a way
You gave Your life
In a beautiful exchange

When only love could break these chains
You gave Your life
In a beautiful exchange

Holy are You, God
Holy is Your Name
With everything I've got
My heart will sing
How I love You.

Cielo :: P H I L W I C K H A M

Allow the lyrics of this song
invade your s o u l + m i n d.

I'm walking through the bright white gates
Breathing in and out your grace
All around me melodies rise
That echo with the joy inside
So I start to sing
But I can't sing loud enough
I can't sing loud enough
When I'm singing for You my God
I can't sing loud enough
I can't sing loud enough
When I'm singing for You my God
With a thunder roll and a brilliant light
Your glory boasts and the heavens shine
The saints and angels stand in awe
Captured by the beauty of it all
So I fall to my knees
But I can't bow low enough
I can't bow low enough
At the vision of You my God
I can't bow low enough
I can't bow low enough
At the vision of You my God
I can't hold it all inside
I'm reaching for the One who brought me out of death and into life
Now I can't lift my hands high enough
Life my hands high enough
When I'm reaching for You my God
I can't lift my hands high enough
Life my hands high enough
When I'm reaching for You my God
Oh I'm reaching for You my God
I'm reaching for You
I'm reaching for You
I'm reaching for You my God

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Where did November go!?

I cannot believe it's already December.....November flew by too fast, but now it's officially Christmas time!! Here is a look back at November.

Dead car battery = good late night laugh
After a lovely dinner Linds, Steph and I were asked to leave Panera (because they were closed, we aren't trouble makers), we headed over to Denny's to finish out chit-chatting marathon. After chatting for 8 hours straight (we counted) 1:30a rolled around and we all agreed it was time to part ways seeing we all had to work that morning. It was the first weekend of November where it had gotten cooler than we were use to, Lindsay went to start our '95 Blazer and it would not start. We weren't that panicky at first because sometimes it starts after the 2nd try. When we got to the 4th or 5th try we something wasn't right....and the noise that the car was making made us think it was the battery more than the engine. There we were the three of us in the cold laughing really hard in unbelief. Luckily Steph hadn't left yet and mentioned having a jumper cable. Once we contained ourselves enough to function, we popped open both of our hoods and figured it couldn't be THAT hard to jump a car. (still laughing) To our relieve (after a few feeble attempts) we noticed two police cruisers in the parking lot...SO we went into Denny's to find the cops for help (mind you we had left the restaurant two hours prior because it had become too smoky, so the Denny's staff was probably really confused). We found the cops and they politely obliged to help us out. The cop came out and asked us some Q's about the cars and then hooked them up and boom done.! Finally, at around 2a we were on our way home! Thank God for jumper cables, laughter, friends, and cops.



S I D E J O B
It's official, I am actually starting to make money for clicking my camera. This fall I've gotten to do three shoots - senior portraits and two engagement [two of which were on the same day] ((exhausting))! I am pretty excited about where these potentially could lead....but as always, just trying to take it one step at a time. So we'll see what happen next. As for the coming up months, I am shooting a wedding after the first of the year and another in May! This makes me excited for possibly starting a side business to get through school and beyond.

Nashvegas: {long over due}
For Thanksgiving weekend the fam traveled down to the best city in the world, Nashville Tennessee! We hadn't been there in quit some time so we figured it was time to make another trek down there as a family (Dad, Mom, Brit, Linds, me, Chad, and AJ). The seven of us loaded the family mini-van at 4a Wednesday before Thanksgiving and arrived in Nash around 2p....thankfully I was able to sleep most of the way or else the drive would've seemed like an eternity I'm sure. WE...stayed at a weird hotel with our extended family but made the best of it...spent quality time at our grandpas house...over ate...explored the city...got family portraits done....ate some more...saw live music...drank coffee at a cute cafe my uncles friend owns in East Nashville called the Ugly Mug....enjoyed the fall sunshine....drank more coffee...went on a late night Sonic run...laughed and enjoyed time with the cousins, aunts, uncles...snapped pictures... It was a good time, annoying at times BUT it made timeless memories none the less.

Handmade Detroit :::
I usually work every Saturday morning, so I especially appreciate and LOVE having a spontaneous Saturday off...this one in particular happened to fall on the day of the Handmade Detroit Urban Craft fair downtown. This craft show is so sweet, everything is hand made and produced in Michigan! There is so much stuff you would never think of that people use to create crazy crafts and goods. So Brit, Linds, Stefanie, and I made a day out of it... we met at the cutest French cafe for brunch called Le Petit Zinc, where we ate crepes and conversed. Then we headed to the Majestic Theatre for the show a got a dent in our Christmas shopping, while finding some things for ourselves too.
Like any craft show you needed cash to purchase things so when we were finding ourselves low on the dough, we knew we needed to find an ATM machine. Of course the ATM machine in the theatre was shady and out of money so we asked around and found an ATM a block up. Stef and I walked up to the nearest bank where we met a woman that claimed she need money for a bus fare, when we offered her a warm sandwich from Starbucks instead, she agreed. The three of us walked over to Starbucks and listened to a little bit of her story and how she was just having a hard time. We gave her the sandwhich and told her that Jesus loved her and had hope in her....she smiled and her eyes got glazed over like she was going to cry. We parted ways and returned to the craft show....it's the little things that can make a BIG difference in someones life.



_I thoroughly enjoyed my November.