9/11 First Responders.

Amazing.

Noteworthy.

"Our best duties are as so many splendid sins. Before you can speak peace to your heart you must not only be sick of your original and actual sin, but you must be made sick of your righteousness, of all your duties and performances. There must be a deep conviction before you can be brought out of your self-righteousness; it is the last idol taken out of our heart. The pride of the heart will not let us submit to the righteousness of Jesus Christ." - Whitefield

Grace Upon Grace

Week one of summer vacation is going by way too quickly! What a blessing even the smallest break is. 


A short list of fun things I've been up to so far! 


-Don't Waste Your Summer Girls' Book Club: Even though this started before my summer break officially kicked off, it has definitely been a highlight of the summer. We've been reading "Living the Cross Centered Life" by CJ Mahaney. What a good reminder of the cross and what and encouragement it has been to have front row seats to God's work in the hearts of young girls! Gah! Serious struggle to fight back the happy-tears each meeting.


-Speaking of fighting: I joined a fight club! Well, not a fight club. I'm taking Krav Maga lessons! Hahah. I am so sore after 2 classes and I know how to escape being choked from the front and back. Also learned how to knee and elbow the crap out of an attacker. Fun times!!!


-More feminine things (...sort of...): Babysat some kids from church the other weekend so that their parents could go out. I love those kids!!! Affirmation for myself that I do not in fact hate children. Honestly, when I made the offer to watch them I was a little worried because the mere thought of children was literally bringing on the gag reflex. Bratty, annoying, slimy, misbehaved kids really make me want to vomit. (I know, not really something a single christian girl should be spreading all over the internet) BUT! It was fun watching those kids even though they were a little wild. Love them.


-Made that: I made a duvet cover! Sew cool! My sewing skills are pretty crappy (especially compared to Allison...ugh. How does she do it??? I can barely sew in straight lines!) 

Heading Out.

"The same sun that melts the wax, hardens the clay."


Praying for a soft heart this weekend.

O2

He who forgets the humming of the bees among the heather, the cooing of the wood-pigeons in the forest, the song of birds in the woods, the rippling of rills among the rushes, and the sighing of the wind among the pines, needs not wonder if his heart forgets to sing and his soul grows heavy. A day's breathing of fresh air upon the hills, or a few hours, ramble in the beech woods’ umbrageous calm, would sweep the cobwebs out of the brain of scores of our toiling ministers who are now but half alive. A mouthful of sea air, or a stiff walk in the wind's face, would not give grace to the soul, but it would yield oxygen to the body, which is next best. -CHS

Watson.

"Thus let us endeavour to make the name of God glorious and renowned. If God seek our good, let us seek His glory. If He make all things tend to our edification, let us make all things tend to His exaltation."

Chicken Fried!

"I thank God for my life

And for the stars and stripes

May freedom forever fly

Let it ring.

Salute the ones who died

The ones who gave their lives

So we don't have to sacrifice

All the things we love...

Like our chicken fried

Cold beer on Friday night

A pair of jeans that fit just right

And the radio up"

He's Alive!

With the graduation quickly approaching and the uncertain future getting closer and closer, a lot of my prayers and thoughts are always efforts to remind myself that "God is sovereign", "God is good", and "God has a good plan for you". When those fail to bring comfort (because my faith is small and I suck...) as if those promises weren't enough, I remind myself that, "At least you have salvation". And sometimes even that fails to warm my heart and bring comfort to my anxious soul.


This morning, I started thinking about all the things I needed to do for the day, for the week, within the coming month, etc., and I started to freak out. Classes to study for. Small groups to plan for. Graduation to plan for. Sick people to pray for. People to email. So much junk to do! I found myself repeating the same mantra to myself I've been saying more and more and more as of late, "God is sovereign. God is good." Still anxious and worried and stressed, I checked my googlereader (I love googlereader! When I wake up in the morning, sometimes it's the first thing I do...even before going to the bathroom or brushing my teeth...)


Anyway, Sovereign Grace just released a new CD, Risen, and I've been waiting for it to go on sale for $5 since Rick Holland tweeted about it. Finally, Risen is on sale for $5! For some reason my paypal thing is being weird so I will have to wait to download the whole thing later, but you can download "Jesus Lives" (one of the tracks from the album) for free! Get it!

Downloaded the song and listened to it on the way to campus. Listening to the lyrics, I'm not going to lie, I got a little teary. The chorus goes like this:
Jesus lives and so shall I
I'll be raised from the dust with Christ on high
Jesus lives no more to die
And when He returns with Him I'll rise
Jesus lives


The reason why "God is sovereign. God is good" hasn't been relieving my worries is because I am looking for a temporal fix to my uncertain future. When I think "God is sovereign. God is good.", I am really thinking "God is going to get me a job or get me into some school." "God is going to find me friends once I leave Irvine." God is going to do all this junk for me because it's "His plan and He is good." Not only am I presuming on His grace, but I'm only looking like 50 yards ahead of me.


Easter is around the corner and there's a big push to look to the cross, to remember Christ's sacrifice for our sins. To which I would say, "Yes! We should!" The cross is super important! But more often than not, the resurrection gets little to no attention. It's like this little added thing that just gets appended to the cross. Even in my own brain, Jesus' being alive now is just a nice afterthought.


No wonder even when trying to look to God Himself, His sovereignty and goodness, I still freak out. I'm treating Him like some magical genie. I'm not looking to Eternity. I forget that God does not owe me a comfortable or good life here on earth. I forget and take lightly the fact that He has promised life after forever. Dude! There is so much hope and joy and comfort in that! Jesus is alive and so shall I! It's not, "At least I have salvation." It's, "I have salvation!!!"

Grace Upon Grace

-Sleep.
-Reregistering for classes and getting the ones I needed.
-Target gift card.
-Cat videos.
-Birthday pizza.
-Watson's writings.

Jumping on the bandwagon.

Everyone and their mom is talking about Rob Bell and his new book.


I have a question that no one is asking--is it just me or does he wear the same outfit all the time?


Interview with Lisa Miller