Spring Break ends

It seems as though blogging has become much more of a random thought catch-up system, than a means of expressing deep, sincere, thought provoking messages. But it is all done with good intentions. Therefore, my attempt at sharing my life with you. Today, tonight is my last day of spring break. I took off, not only school, but work as well. Many things have happened in the past 11 days:

• i read an entire book (Serve God, Save the Planet)


• went hiking and trail ran


• raked and dethatched yard(s)


• spent good time with friends by watching movies, having meals, driving places, cooking...


• spent a day with Trenton and Tristen


• saw Horton Hears a Who and Tyler Perry's Meet Mrs. Brown (both recommended)


• spent Easter away from family, but with some other friends lackin' close relatives here in the springs. I know i missed a bangin' fish fry, but can say that this time was irreplaceable as well.

also in these past days there are some thoughts that i have...well thought, and would like to share:

• i don't know if i like vacationing in my own home and would seriously consider never doing it again.


• "I all of a sudden feel joyful. it must be my new sense of purpose." -Horton. This line just struck me. How being given a purpose all of a sudden dictates our mood, contentedness, happiness.


• my hands are changing colors that are not considered normal...like purple and red.


• athleticism is almost non-existent in me anymore, however i was told that i ran and threw like a boy this week. hmmm. that comment took me back to the bowl-cut days.


• it is possible that i will never have a job like the one that i have a Pike's Perk ever again. Patty Jo, Noelle, Ellen, I, and Jamie all went hiking. Ellen was/and will ever be our favorite Pike's Perk boss. here is a blurred pic from out after hike time at the Donut Mill.

a la carte of thoughts.

We should have Easter Music season. I remember back in The North Carolina (emphasized for March Madness) K 104.7 played Christmas music 2 months or so before Christmas. So hear ye, hear ye...Easter Music...donde estas (where are you)?

I don't know if you have ever been to a Seder (the Jewish Passover Dinner), but this past Friday I was able to attend one at church. The meal is a time to recognize God's deliverance of the Israel people from their slavery and bondage in Egypt. Every part of the meal symbolized something. The food, scripture, of course the Matzo bread and wine (juice), and even the songs of worship. I think that it is so neat to be apart of history. And God is still in the deliverance business.

Easter having been celebrated this past weekend means that Spring is full force. I encourage you to call my mother in the next, oh hundred or so days. Lately the reaction that she has given after asking her about her day is..."It's spring. It's sunny. And the greenhouse is full of flowers." Makes me laugh.

Spring feeva is such a struggle this year. Makes me contemplate tanning bed.

Will any southern baptist admit doing lent this year? Growing up thinking that it was only a practice of catholicism, I put my roots aside and took part. i tried to give up cussing, but it lasted 3 days. so then i tried to give up smoking, but hell. No i really did decide to give up stepping on the scale. Old habits die hard they say.

Encouragement

"oh waaaooww, you look like the 4th of July. Makes me wanna hotdog reeaaeal bad."

-LB2

Good Tidings, Good Tidings

I feel as though there has been some powerful truths that have been spoken into my life lately. I also feel encouraged to share them. 1 Chronicles 16:23 says to "sing to the Lord" and "proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day."

By His grace, He has saved me. Is saving me, still. God never hid the fact that it takes a daily choice to follow Him (Luke 9:23.) This is not easy. Not only, because of the fact it is self-denying, but it also is nothing of this world...which we live in and are often confronted by. Brother Lawrence, in his book The Practice of the Presence of God, writes "that in order to form a habit of conversing with God, and referring to Him all that we do, we must first apply to Him with some diligence, but that after a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to do it without any difficulty." I find that statement very true. It takes effort.

A good analogy that Raleigh gave last night about this (that also hit home), is that if we say (in spoken word, thought or prayer, possibly etc.) that we want to do better in school, then it takes more studying or going to class, etc...effort to do better in school. For me words are easily said, and actions left to be taken.

So if I love the Lord. Say that I want to live my life for Him. Then what action that I take actually represent that? Oswald Chambers wrote that "if you are in love, you do not sit around dreaming about the one you love; you go and do something for him." Practical.

I know that knowing these words and His truth matters to my Savior.

Lastly, in good tidings, the lord gave me the opportunity to make a public profession of what He has done and is still doing in my life.

BAPTISM!! woop woop!

and no...Raleigh and I did not plan the color coordination.