No Envy, No Fear

Loved, Loved, Loved Pastor Brian's message this morning in church.  Everyday we try and find something else that makes us more happy. We say to ourselves, "I would be more happy if only I had a little more of this," (I'm so guilty of doing it).

"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to acheive, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun." 

-Ecclesiastes 2:11

 Our homeboy Solomon over here had it all wrong. He wanted everything, and got everything, but he didn't really gain anything other than material things saddled with a lack of happiness.

"Do not be afraid little flock, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no theif comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will also be." Luke 12:32-34

When I read this shudder inducing scripture this morning it allowed me to finally open my eyes.

The happiest people in the world are those that give to the world.

Thanks God....I'll take this challenge

P.S.

This sweet little baby below, which happens to be my little cousin is sick with pneuemonia.

Please pray for him and his speedy recovery.

Let the waters rise

I really need to slow down. Despite the common belief, I am not infact superwoman (not even close). But for some reason I never have time to do anything much less breathe. I have a never ending list of things to do. Right when I think I can cross something off, I remember something else that needs to get done. I commit myself to way to much because I think that I can do everything. I drink an enormous amout of coffee because I think that it helps by keeping me responsive when really I don't even think it has an effect on me anymore (It's pathetic, I know) Yesterday, while I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off (I hate that saying so much), I realized that I need to stop living everyday like its a list of things to be crossed off in my head. Life is so fleeting and it's unlike me because I am very driven. I get a little obsessive and once I focus on something in my head there's absolutely no going back. I need to enjoy life more.  No I am not going to all of a sudden become a procrastinator. This is not a chance to say "I'm giving up." (I'm not about that life). Where I'm going with this is that I need to trust that God is in control of my life. I am God's beloved and he will take care of me. He will never forsake me. His love never ends.

Then Christ will make his home in your heart, as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. -Ephesians 3:17.

When did love become unmoving?

When did love become unconsuming?

Forgetting what the world has told me,

Father of love, you can have me.

You can have me.

Rain is a good thing

I firmly believe in the Luke Bryan song " Rain is a good thing."

I even like the cold.

What isn't a good thing though is wind (coming from the girl who wants to live in Chicago).

 Wind also isn't good when it makes your umbrella turn inside out while your walking to class (I so pray that no one saw that).

At least I can falll back on starbucks to make me feel better (Is that bad?)

Oh and Jesus too. (I know that one isn't bad).

I wish the sun would come out soon so I could drive this 'beaut

I also wish that when God does allow the sun does to show itself that I had this car in Tally to drive rather than it being in Orlando but I think my dad is too in love with it (I'm just going out of a limb here but he calls this car "his baby) Yeah...IN LOVE.

Pretty pretty please Daddy (we can trade)?!?

So excited for this weekend!

I don't even have plans (beside the uninvited and ever-so upcomming chem test and english paper that beckons my call)

But I don't have to work this weekend (besides tonight of course)

This girl's schedule is FREE!

Your Grace Is Enough

I have always grown up on the premise that a grateful heart is a thankful heart. I don't think I appreciate all of the benefience of God that is so unmerited even though we're a sinful humanity. We talked in church today about living a life without Christ in our lives. It just becomes this cycle of meaninglessness. However, when we have God with us, our lives and wildest dreams becomes reality.  Choosing what is comfortable for me is not what God asks. My failure to show up when he invites me to adventures that are deeper and wilder is infidelity and a dangerous lack of trust. 

Thank you Jesus for EVERYTHING that you have given me. Also thanks mom and dad too, y'all are kinda great too. (Just a little bit)

Growing up, I wouldn't say that I was given everything that I wanted but I was definitely handed many undeserving things. God granted me with two parents that show more love than I have ever seen shown. When I get married and have kids (fingers crossed), if I end up being half the parent that my mom and dad are then I think I will be well off.

Life is overtaking and Grace is overwhelming.

"In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, then speak out with as much faith as God has given us." - Romans 12:6

You go God!

Defining talks

To me, the altering talks in life are the ones where you don’t even need anyone to say anything. Sometimes you just need someone to listen.

Tonight I got my fro-yo on (aka frozen yogurt for all you newbies, specifically raspberry) with one of my future roomies for next year. We had one of those talks (if you’ve had one then you know exactly what I’m talking about) It’s the talk when you’re struggling with something and one hour can make all the difference in the world. Now, I’m not going to tell you what the talk was about (Hello?! I need to keep some type of concealment), but I will say THANK YOU JESUS for giving me this friend.

I was recently asking for God to send me a sign about something and I think he sent me something better, a sign in the sense of friend. Once again You have amazed me God.

Kahlil Gibran(look him up) once wrote: “Your reason and your passion are your rudder and sails of your seafaring soul. If either be broken, you could but toss and drift or else be held at a standstill amid seas. For reason, running alone is a force confining.  And passion, unattended, is a flame that burns to its own destruction."

I’ve finally come to the conclusion of which I should have realized long ago. I’m going to do what is going to make ME happy, not others, no matter what challenges I face.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Test me and know my anxious thoughts.” -Psalm 139:23

"Trust in your heart if the seas catch fire"

"LIVE by LOVE though the starts walk backwards."- EE. Cummings

Jeremiah 29:11 says that:

"For I know the plans I have for you. Plans for good and not disaster. They are plans to bring you a future and a hope."

Hey Jesus, if you know the plan for me, could ya help a girl out?!?

I have a really hard time accepting the fact that I'm supposed to know what I want to do with the rest of my life at the age of EIGHTEEN (besides living my life for Christ, I'm talkin career path here). I am such a history nerd, it's honestly not even funny. I would rather spend a day at a museum than go shopping, anyday, and my friends will make fun of me (you know who you are), but I just don't care! I love it. My dad shares this love.

Pops and I can honestly talk about history for HOURS and we don't even realize how long we have been talking about it. Thanksgiving we were just chatting up about the Civil war, we really like to go back and stratigize things (like I said, The Pike's, or at least my dad and I are a weird bunch) Any who, all of a sudden we heard my mom calling to tell us that Thanksgiving dinner was ready....my mom STARTED thanksgiving dinner BEFORE we starting having our little chitchat. So if you catch my drift...I like history.

I even love Washington DC, in fact it's one of my favorite cities. I could literally LIVE at the Smithsonians and I would be well off.

This is even my favorite movie!

You get the gist of it.

So why can't I make a profession out of history (I don't want to be a teacher). I'll tell ya why, because no one wants to hire a history buff like me. It haunts me every day that I'm going to graduate and end up adding to the substantial unemployment rate we have going on, that could possibly be worst by the time I graduate (Thank ya Obama!) So for now I remain an international affairs major (with a love of history). Feel free to throw some ideas out (ya know, help a sistah out).

I may not know what I want to do with my life, but Jesus does and until I find out I will just have to trust in him. He WILL show me my path sooner or later (Please let it be sooner and not later, Jesus)

"Show me the right path, O Lord;

Point out the road for me to follow.

Lead my by your thrust and teach me,

for you are the God who saves.

All day long I put my hope in you"

- Psalm 25:4-5

"Trust in the Lord and go good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper."

- Psalm 37:3

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take."

-Proverbs 3:5-6

Like best friends you can't get rid of

Siblings live outside the touch of time. These are MINE

To the outside world we all grow old.  But not to brothers and sisters. 

We know each other as we always were.  We know each other's hearts.  We share private family jokes.  We remember family feuds and secrets, family griefs and joys. 

 

For Christmas, Joshua, my 11 year old brother got a phone, a really nice one for that matter too (compared to my brick phone I got in the 6th grade). Also he got texting. I remember having to wait almost a year after I got my phone to get texting and it definitely wasn't unlimited (I actually had to call people, imagine that?!) You know how I know the little guy loves me? He can talk to me about GIRLS! The other day we were talking about this one that he has a "crush" on.  For practical purposed let's just call her G (NOT because her first name starts with a G). After the initial shock, when he answered NO to my question that "girls do not in fact have cooties," he asked me for pointers. How cute is that?! G is one lucky girl!! I'll let ya'll know when the wedding is.

So basically from that last little tid bit we learned that I give the best advice, 11 year old adolescent boys are past the cootie stage, and also that my parents love my brother more than they loved me when I was 11 (hence the whole phone ordeal). Sometimes he acts like he's too cool for school (or for P!nk too school for cool) but irregardless I'll always love my litle munchkin. Thanks Jesus, You gave me the best little brother.

Now we need to talk about his one...

Alex, my little sister, is undeniably my best friend in the entire world and my favorite part about my childhood. I can be whoever I want around her (I'm usually a fool), but she loves me regardless. Likewise she can drive me insane. LOVE her for it. If you have a sister, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Love ya sis, and love ya Jesus.

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when his is old he will not depart from it."

Humor me

Two days in a row?! I am on a roll! If I learned anything today, it was that Jesus definitely has a funny sense of humor. But I LOVE him for it. My day started at 7:15 when I woke up for my 8 o'clock class like I do. Every. Single. Day (Yes, I know what was I thinking taking a class at 8 am every day? I honestly couldn't tell ya). On my way to class, journeying my way through what seemed like the Artctic Tundra's weather that blew over to Tally, a lovely young fellow was apparently late for class and flew by my stomping through a huge puddle right as he past me and splashing water/mud/the coffee that was in my hand (What was I thinking carrying coffee and an umbrella while there was a hurricane outside? Again, couldn't tell ya). Point being, by the time I got to class, I was covered in more things than I had desired to be. Oh and the chap that ran past me? Never turned back or even uttered words remotely acceptable for an apology. I sure hope he made it ontime to his class!! I was so bitter and mad that I spent more time plotting what I would say to him if I saw him again, than paying attention to my oh so cute Lit teacher. After my class was over I had a little break to just sit and read my bible. I took a seat in the Strozier starbucks and opened my Bible up to a random page. (So proud of myself for having quiet time!! See last blog). Anywho,This is where God's humor comes into play. I just so happened to turn to Leviticus 19 and started to read. I came upon verse 18 which says " Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord." Thanks Jesus! And to my new friend if you see this, or even know who I am for that matter. I love you. Jesus loves you. And I'm sure the mud stain will come out of my jacket very nicely. :)

I had my first day of training today at FedEx office. I am now an independent working girl, not that I wasn't before (the indepedent part not the working part) So if you find yourself needing to learn how to use a copy machine. I'm your girl! (On a side note I will NOTmake fun of you for not know how to use a copy machine in 2011) If you also find yourself needing to ship a package (come to FedEx, not UPS, we're better), laminate something, pick up some sweet looking stationary, then I can also be your girl. (Promise I won't make fun of you for the latter either.)

Mom, don't read this next part: Thank you Jesus for keeping me safe as I was speeding down Thomasville road to get to my first day of training. You're the best for not stationing any cops on that road for the time being.

These are my cute parents who gave me an Olive Garden gift card in my Christmas stocking. They know me wayyyyy too well!

So with that said this girl below, my roomie and I have a hot date tonight, accompanied by some endless salad and breadsticks! Thanks Mom and Dad! Y'all are the BEST!

I would just like to leave this blog by again saying that I am SUPER proud of myself for doing this TWO days in a row (If that's not committment, then I don't know what it) Anywho, that's all for now y'all! 

Peace out cub scouts.

And here we go!

Well I guess I am a little late, but after being totally and competely inspired, I have created a blog. Yes, a blog. My girl Britt drew this inspiration because if you've ever seen her blog, she's basically a professional. Also I kinda miss my friend Caroline (also a new fellow blogger) who just so happens to be in ITALY right now and for the rest of the sememster. This blog just adds to our small list of means of communication. Hey Caroline, America called and they want you back, but not really because I know that you're going to have the time of your life. I also LOVE to talk, so this should be a blast! I basically just had one of the best weekends ever. I spent the whole weekend at SOUTHWIND, with my lovely tallahassee younglife team at COLLEGE WEEKEND. It was an amazing time of great friends (new and old), great food, great laughter, great fun and fellowship, and lastly great jesus. I didn't even want to leave! Also, it got me more excited to be a leader (I had no idea that was even marginally possible) It is so beautiful there, that I found myself sitting by the lake or in the rocking chairs on the porch, just talking to God. That's something I've been slackin' on (I know, not something that I'm proud of). I need to make more time for God in my day. Time for quiet time. While I was at Southwind, I remembered one of my favorite quotes, written on the walls at one my favorite starbucks back in good ol' O-town. "We all need some time to ourselves- just a few minutes to get reacquainted with the one who's been there since the beginning." We all know who that one is...Jesus. SO I have decided that I am making it a point from now on to do that. Anywho, for the four people that read this (hey mom), I recommend that you give yourself a little time to talk to Jesus too. Afterall, he totally deserves it. Hopefully, I will stay up to date on this whole blogging this as well as get better at it (that's my goal). However, I NEED to go finish this overwhelming pile of homework, so that's all for now. See y'all! :)