#160. bible and tea

I recently read Psalm 63 with one of the girls I disciple (and an amazing friend).
"O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you,as in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (verses 1).
Here's the reality of my life in the past two weeks. I have thirsted for him and yet I have not sought him. I've shot up prayers here and there, half-heartedly (and half asleep) opened his word at 3am because I felt obligated to check "quiet time" off my daily to-do list, and fooled myself into thinking that listening to Christian music while getting ready in the morning can substitute for time spent with him. But  I know that what I'm thirsting for.. cannot be fulfilled with the way I've been living my faith. Today as I sat with my bible and tea for an extended period of time.. I was reminded of this. 
God I pray that you will continue to allow me to thirst for you and never let that thirst be quenched with anything but spending time with you in your word. 

#115. good news of great joy

A HAPPY CHRISTMAS to everyone! 
And the angel said to them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 
- Luke 2:10-11

Here's a few moments throughout my day..

Every Christmas (after opening presents) we head over to our family friend's home for breakfast with a few other families from our church! Even though I didn't take the photo below, I promised I would post it on my blog. The 4 of us (plus a few other ladies, not pictured) basically grew up in church together. It's nice to have a recent photo of all of us together!

Later on my sister and I headed to my grandma's house to have Christmas dinner. This is my grandma, talking to my cousin (not pictured). I love this picture & my grandma.

My sister & cousin.

Here is my cousin and uncle looking at pictures from over 20 years ago. This is about when I put my camera down for the rest of the night.. because soon enough there was tons of photo albums and stacks of pictures circulating between our hands. So many laughs, such a great time. 

And yup, that's my aunt.. fast asleep :)

 Back at home, I took a picture of some of our decorations (that we put out crazy late)

Then my mom & I watched A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

As I mentioned before, this is my FAVORITE Christmas movie ever. Not only is it hilarious (case in point- when Linus says "Out of all the Charlie Browns in the world, you're the Charlie Browniest") ... but it also one of the only mainstream movies that speaks of the true meaning of Christmas. Charlie Brown spends the entire day fretting over the commercialism our society has made Christmas. Linus in turn quotes Luke 2:8-14, and explains how this day is really about God coming down into this dark world, in order to shine his light.
Watch the clip, because my explanation just doesn't do it justice. 

Merry Christmas everyone!

#114. silent night, holy night

Christmas Eve Candlelight Service.

After several Christmas songs and a message, my church dims the lights and we sing Silent Night by candlelight. 

I have alot on my mind.. so be prepared..

Before I started this 365 day project, I used blog randomly about my life. In those blog posts I sometimes included "my prayer for today".. in which I would share what I would be praying for that day. I think I'm going to start doing that again.. starting with today.

My prayer for today- 

You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. - Psalm 16:11.

If you know me well.. you know that I tend to thrive off of the Christmas season "cheer." I begin to listen to Christmas music way too early, I constantly check ABC Family to see what they are playing within their 25 days of Christmas series, and I get a little over excited about holiday decorations.

Well this year finals sucked the life out of my Christmas cheer.  And after my hades weeks of finals were over,  I came home to the GRINCHIEST (yes I made "grinch" an adjective) household ever. This Christmas season has been unconventional & frustrating, but through all my disappointment I was reminded (by a friend and through my own personal conviction) that its not really okay to thrive off of all the materialistic things of Christmas. Instead, I ought to find joy in what Christmas is really about.. God loving us so much that he made the sacrifice of coming into this dark world, in order to shine His light into it.  

So thats my prayer for today (and for the next couple days, and really for the rest of my life), that I would find joy in light of Him, and not expect anything else to bring me the joy that God gives.  

my prayer for today (4.17.10)

"You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you"- Isaiah 26:3

I've check my phone and email about every half hour. I am anxious. I am worried. 
I want your perfect peace, God. Help my thoughts to be fixed on you, and nothing else.

...yet i will trust him

"You that are lowest on the scale of visible joy, you that are broken like a shipwreck, you that are a mass of pain, you that are in poverty, will you give your Lord a good word? Will you say, 'Though He slay me, yet I will trust him.'

At our worst, we are better off than the world at its best. Godly poverty is better than unhallowed riches. Our sickness is better than our sinner's health. Our depression is better than the earth's honors. We consider it better to suffer pain equal to the torture of death than bathe in sin's pleasures. We will take God at all the discount you can put on Him. You can have the world with all the compound interest that you are able to get from such a sham.......

Sorrowful yet always rejoicing. Do you know this paradox? Some of us have known it for many years."

- Charles H. Spurgeon

this is so incredibly challenging.

"with my God"

"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall"

2 Samuel 22:30

It's THAT week. --4 pg essay, an exam, two photo assignments, a ton of cover letters, and applications to do.
But instead of stressing, I'm going to remember that God is the same God that David wrote the above verse about, after he delivered David from his enemies.
My week seems a bit impossible to get through. As, I'm sure David's situation seemed pretty impossible as well. I'm choosing to believe and trust that with my God (..with the HELP of my God) I will successfully and amazingly complete all of my work.... and then relax my butt off on Sunday night!