God is GOOD

First week of fall semester is OVER!! Woohoo! It's been pretty good. I napped more than I care to admit, I visited Bekah in her office every day (sometimes multiple times per day), I finished I Corinthians and started II Corinthians (both amazing), I've met new people, loved my classes, and topped the week off with (of course) a trip to Santa Monica.

Let me tell you something: God's grace is amazing. He is so good. When we totally don't deserve it, He gives blessings- over and over. Things that I wanted to happen, happened. Even though I wasn't faithfully asking for them like I should've been. Like the song says, "If His grace is an ocean, we're all sinking." It's so true. He is so good. And so kind to His people. Last night ended on a bit of a rough note, and I got back to school to find my roommate sleeping. I knew what I needed though, comfort from His word, so I brought my Bible out and sat in the hall. Just reading through Psalms I was reminded that He alone is where I find salvation and rest for my soul (chapter 62). His lovingkindness is better than life (63). He is the strength of my heart and my portion when my heart and flesh fail (73). His nearness is my good and He is my refuge (73). Even when Israel repeatedly fell into the same sins, despite His goodness to them, He: forgave their iniquity, did not destroy them, often restrained His anger, and did not arouse all His wrath (78). His lovingkindness holds me up when my foot slips, and He consoles me when anxious thoughts multiply (94). He gives us immense benefits, pardons our iniquities, heals our diseases, redeems our lives from the pit, crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion, satisfies our years with good things. He is also compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounds in lovingkindness. He doesn't deal with us according to our sins (so thankful for this). He removes our sins from us, as far as the east is from the west (103).

The Love of God

The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell.
It goes beyond the highest star
And reaches to the lowest hell.
The guilty pair, bowed down with care
God gave His Son to win.
His erring child, He reconciled
And pardoned from his sin.

Oh love of God, how rich and pure
How measureless and strong.
It shall forevermore endure-
The saints' and angels' song.


When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men who hear refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call.
God's love so sure, shall still endure
The saints' and angels' song.


Oh love of God, how rich and pure
How measureless and strong.
It shall forevermore endure-
The saints' and angels' song.


Could we with ink the oceans fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole
Though stretched from sky to sky.


Oh love of God, how rich and pure
How measureless and strong.
It shall forevermore endure-
The saints' and angels' song.

Why does summer have to end? Suddenly I lost all desire to go back to school. I just want to stay home with my family and have good homecooked meals and desserts every night and free laundry and a pool I actually feel comfortable swimming in...Plus...I just love summer...so please....let these next few days DRAG by, because I'm not ready, like I thought I was.

Random Thoughts

Hello bloggy friends. I don't have much new stuff going on, but I have some random thoughts I decided to share, luckily for you.

-I'm listening to Glee's version of "I Can't Fight This Feeling". And I am reminded of how cool it was to be able to hear this song, live, by REO Speedwagon (the original artist)(if it's a band, is it still referred to as "artist", or "artists" since it's multiple people...there are some questions your MLA book just don't answer) at the fair. Yes, ladies and gents, I was paid to stand and listen to this song with my friend Lila. Of course, there was still work to do. But it was still fun obviously.

-The word "literally" is used, reused, misused, and abused. Poor little guy. You know what I'm talking about-we all do it. These days, everyone and their brother uses the word "literally" erroneously. "I have to go so bad I'm literally about to explode." "You literally make me want to shoot myself in the foot." "I literally can't go a day without chocolate." "She literally never stops talking" ...hello? That's impossible. It's completely common for people to use the word "literally" for an impossible occurrence. I wonder what the world would be like if all the things that "literally" would happen, would actually happen. Like, if people literally exploded if they couldn't relieve their bladder soon enough, or if people literally shot things in the foot when they became annoyed.

-Disney has had a blonde princess, a brunette princess, a red-headed princess, an Arabian princess, a Native American princess, an Asian princess, and a black princess. Maybe more. It's very diverse, which is pretty cool. Also, would you like to know what Disney taught me? Every princess has an amazing singing voice.

-If I marry a man who likes peas, it's going to be awkward. Because I hate them. They literally (used correctly!) make me gag. Or at least they used to. I never eat them. When I was little, my parents were always the "eat all your vegetables before you leave the table" type. Except when it came to me and peas. They eventually stopped trying, because I could not force those pesky guys down my throat. Now, if I'm in a situation where I'm served peas and it would be rude to not eat them (which surprisingly is kind of often), I swallow them. So if my husband likes them, I guess we'll be eating different vegetables. Or, just maybe, I'll learn that eating peas is part of being a well-adjusted human being, and suck it up and eat them.

-Two weeks ago I went to Santa Cruz/Monterey with the Stoevers. Long story short, I got a pretty bad sunburn. Last week, my back peeled, and then later my shoulders started to peel. Well this week, my legs started peeling. And I'm not just talking about my thighs. My shins/ankles peeled too. Nasty, right? You're welcome for that information.

-Also, funny story about Santa Cruz. During our beach day, towards the end, some people started to get restless so about half of the group (Lindsay, both of her parents, her brother Tyler, and her cousins Natalie and Abby) went for a walk. Some of us stayed though (I for one was much too lazy to get up and go for a walk). Well, I was enjoying some light beach reading (Think by John Piper...ok, so it was pretty heavy, but good stuff) and minding my own business. The others who stayed (Zach and Jordan, their aunt Laura, and their grandparents) all minded their own business for a while. As no beach day is complete without sea gulls bothering you, we weren't surprised when some came and went throughout the day. But this time when they came, Zach and Jordan decided to start throwing them food (bad idea). Then, because they're boys and think they're funny (ok, it was pretty funny), they decided to throw food all around me-in front of me, to my left, to my right, near my towel, on my back, etc. So of course, more kept coming and surrounding me. I tried to ignore the birds while yelling at Zach and Jordan to stop it right now. Of course, that only egged them on, so they kept doing it. Once there were 30 birds (not even exaggerating) all around me, I finally started to shoo them. Eventually the boys had mercy on me and stopped. It was pretty funny though, especially because they thought I'd totally freak out and I was pretty non responsive to the annoying "rats with wings".

-Favorite Bath & Body scents: Summer Vanillas in Lemon (which I think is discontinued), Forever Sunshine, Country Chic, Midnight Pomegranate, and Brown Sugar and Fig. Also, my favorite growing up was Sun-Ripened Raspberry but now that's pretty hard to find, though sometimes it still comes out.

-Having to use quarters for laundry is quite depressing. It also recommences next week.

-I'm going to laser tag tonight!! YAY!! Favorite thing to do! Well one of them. I'm extra excited because some of my friends from high school are going but so is Lindsay, so they all get to meet each other. Which is fortunate, because when I'm with Linds, I talk about the guys, and when I'm with the guys, I talk about Linds. So now they'll all have names with faces.

Encouraged

Well I know my last few posts have seemed a little downtrodden. Sorry about that, but I did want to be real with my emotions. And though I'm usually a really happy person and things can't get me down for too long, sometimes it all catches up with me and I get down, a little. Here is (one reason) why the Lord is so good: He picks you up out of the pit and sets your feet on a rock (Ps 40:2). He takes sinners and makes them new. And, He encourages us. Though I still face many of the same heartaches, He "put a new song in my mouth" (Ps 40:3) and I will continue to sing it!! This new song refers to the song of gratitude we have for our salvation. Though this new song is actually one I've been blessed to sing for the majority of my life, sometimes it helps to just reflect on who God is, who I am, and what He's done for me. It's hard to be forlorn when I have been saved from eternal separation from my Creator. "How has He encouraged you lately?" you ask. Well let me tell you:

1. Time spent with my brother. Sometimes it's the little things, like swimming in the afternoons and watching a movie at night with my eleven year old brother, that bring healing.

2. Hymns. Most people who know me know my love for hymns. Their rich doctrine and beautiful words are the perfect combination for helping anyone, through anything. Want to know why hymns are so helpful? Because they are about God, and about Christ, and about our sinful state and how He ransomed our souls by the blood of Christ to make us righteous and able to live with Him eternally, and about the victory He gives us over sin. Hymns are about Him, and what He's done. The focus is taken off of self, except to remind us of how wretched we are.

3. Time spent with true friends that are genuine, godly people. Several of my friends have helped immensely in the past week or so, some without even knowing that I've been so down. One friend, Lindsay (of course) has helped in particular. She's known I've been upset a bit lately but may not have realized the extent of it. But she posted a song called "To the Cross I Cling" by The Village Church on her blog. This song is also familiar from my trip to Santa Cruz with her family. At any rate, this song has been such an encouragement. I cling to the cross, not to my circumstances (which really are pretty great). It's all because of Christ that I am who I am, and I will forever be grateful to Him. Again, I'm reminded that it's about Him, not Laurie. This leads me to number 4.

4. The other night we were in the car, and "To the Cross I Cling" came on, and Linds said, "This is actually based off of one of the prayers from The Valley of Vision, 'The Broken Heart', almost word for word." So of course, yesterday morning I had to read this prayer for myself. Zach gave me a leather bound copy of The Valley of Vision for my birthday last year because he knew I didn't have one. (Let me interrupt my story to say that this is seriously one of the best gifts I've ever received.) Now, I'm sure he knew that this would be an incredible book for me to have, and he probably knew that it would bring immense blessing, but he may not have known that it would bring needed healing as well. Because, I don't know if you've ever read The Valley of Vision, but for me, when I start it, I can't stop. Anytime I pick up that book, I lose track of time and am humbled again and again by the rich truths found within. Unfortunately with the busyness of school and the laziness of summer, I'd never taken advantage of it, until yesterday. But ever since I picked it up and have read portions of it, I've been blessed again and again. God is so amazing in so many ways, and this book is such a precious reminder of that.

5.  God Himself. "Jehovah-Rapha" means that He's the God who heals. "El Roi" means He's the God who sees-sees our suffering and will help us, if we humble ourselves and ask for it. "El Shaddai" means God All Sufficient-He is all we need. "Jehovah-Shammah" means The Lord Who is Present- He's here with us, and has promised to never leave us or forsake us. When reflecting on God and who He is and what He's done, it's hard to be discouraged for very long.