In Love with Spring

Spring is most definitely here. And this year more than any other year I have the desire to just stay outside (spring fever...dang school) and lay in grass.

If you bring me a bouquet of flowers...I'll love you forever.

Inspiration to MOVE

I've always had a little dream of being a complete yogi...maybe even an instructor one day. A lot of christians shy away from yoga because of the meditations and other spiritual aspects that have their origins in other gods, but I 100% believe you can practice yoga and even meditate (pray! meditate on scripture, or just simply concentrate on your breathing) and it can draw you closer to God.

I'm a novice. I've barely exercised this entire school year (EEK!), but today I did 15 minutes of yoga and feel refreshed. So...one day at a time.

If my week is insanely crazy, I usually try to do yoga at least once that week just to have some sort of stress relieving activity. I also love how focused yoga calls you to be. You can't be holding some sort of plank pose and thinking about your to do list (well. I can't...plank can be a struggle these days).

family + love

     The Saturday before Easter, I worked until 7:30 and then had design project problems until 10:30 or 11. But I was determined to wake up in my home and enjoy breakfast with my family.
So I drove home -- worth it.

Sometimes, (as I've said before) all you need is a trip home to catch a breath.

golly gee. everyone in my family is half of a couple.

are we old enough for this??

Grace

^{Matthew 27}

⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

⁴⁷ Some of them that stood there, when they heard that, said, This man calleth for Elias.

⁴⁸ And straightway one of them ran, and took a spunge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink.

⁴⁹ The rest said, Let be, let us see whether Elias will come to save him.

⁵⁰ Jesus, when he had cried again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

⁵¹ And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

⁵² And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose,

⁵³ And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.

⁵⁴ Now when the centurion, and they that were with him, watching Jesus, saw the earthquake, and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, Truly this was the Son of God.

And in these moments, we were freed from our sin. We were covered in the blood of Christ; we will never experience God's wrath. He looks at us and sees Christ's perfection. He sees Christ's purity and CANNOT see our sin.

That's what this weekend is about.

"All I know is grace."

I once was lost in darkest night
Yet thought I knew the way
The sin that promised joy and life
Had led me to the grave
I had no hope that You would own
A rebel to Your will
And if You had not loved me first
I would refuse You still 

But as I ran my hell-bound race
Indifferent to the cost
You looked upon my helpless state
And led me to the cross
And I beheld God’s love displayed
You suffered in my place
You bore the wrath reserved for me
Now all I know is grace 

Hallelujah! All I have is Christ
Hallelujah! Jesus is my life 

Now, Lord, I would be Yours alone
And live so all might see
The strength to follow Your commands
Could never come from me
O Father, use my ransomed life
In any way You choose
And let my song forever be
My only boast is You 

and a big round of applause for love!

The teepee? My homemade Christmas gift. I mean...c'mon. He's a good'n.

Well this here is my guy ^
He's basically my favorite. No worries I won't get sappy. I'll just leave you with a song:

Would you?

At my school, being a Christian is normal...being a Christian is expected. Sure, it's still a college campus and we have a vast amount of college students who believe different things but, for the majority, the Christian culture at college is overwhelmingly 'popular' and 'cool'.

Cool? I've heard many people talk about this subject. I've just been thinking about it recently. There are so many types of Christians...and so many ways to get caught up in the 'coolness' of Jesus or the world we like to call "Christian".

"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake." - Matthew 5:11 "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake."- Matthew 24:9 "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved ." - Matthew 10:22 From my standpoint, it's easy to see this Christian culture. The video about all the stuff that Christians say? Scary and accurate. But that's the thing. Christianity is easily viewed, not as a killing of yourself and your flesh day by day in order to serve the Lord...it becomes this cool kids group to which you subsribe. CAN you read your bible (or 'the Word') without a mug of coffee or hot tea or a moleskine/leather bound journal for notes and thoughts? (disclaimer: I say all of these things so I'm just as much questioning myself when I call these things out.) Have we gotten to the point where being a Christian is now a social networking scheme? As in, 'you don't need to join a sorority or fraternity, just get plugged in at a local church and start lovin' on people and they'll love back.' This is why the collegiate Christian culture scares me. It's so very enticing and fun. And to be REAL...there's nothing wrong with having a cup of coffee with your morning devotion. There's nothing wrong with journaling your thoughts or the thoughts the Lord has put on your heart. There's nothing wrong with 'getting plugged in' and 'loving on people', but what can be wrong is the heart that is used when doing these things. Is it because of Jesus? Or is it because of the people that follow Jesus? Questioning other people's sincerity in their love for God is very much so a stumbling block and a sin. We all do it. I know I do, and I struggle with it. I want to love and accept people for who God has created them to be! I love being able to meet up with a friend and have a conversation and dwell on what the Lord is teaching me and how the Lord is stretching me... But my main question is this:  If all of a sudden, being a Christian wasn't cool...would you still follow and pursue Jesus? If all of a sudden, the "Christian Culture" did not exist...would you still follow and pursue Jesus? Would I still follow and pursue Jesus?

stand and be amazed

Psalm 63

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: 

my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, 

where no water is;

To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee.

Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name.

My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips:

When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice.

My soul followeth hard after thee: thy right hand upholdeth me.

But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

They shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.

But the king shall rejoice in God;
 every one that sweareth by him shall glory:
 but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

Today, I want to try to stand and be amazed at the glory of the One who has saved us and continues to lavish us in His love and kindness.

My heart and my head are constantly attacking each other and my soul just becomes weary of the fight. But then I remember I have rest in Christ. And He can calm the storm of my head and heart. 

What a friend we have in Jesus.