All I Need

Oh, my DEAR Father, You are SO good to me.
You always know what's best, You hold me in Your hands,
protected, for Your glory... and all is good, when it looks
towards You. When my plans look towards Your face
they are full of life,
but when I seek my own good, I walk the way of destruction.
I praise Your perfect wisdom and peace, You are glorious,
too glorious for words!
I am so inadequate when trying to praise You!
Oh, dear Father,
thank You for Your hand appearing in my life,
holding back a cup from pouring,
for when I see Your Hand in my life,
I do not notice the cup You are keeping from being poured,
rather, I notice YOur glorious hand and REJOICE
that I would be so blessed that it would be near me!
Though You are always near, I cherish when my eyes are
open enough to see Your glory in my everyday plans!

Oh, could I be a homeless woman, with nothing more
than the shade of a tree or the cleft of a rock to dwell in
so that my eyes would only be towards You?
Would it be so that I have nothing to beckon my attention
but You?

A portion of Bedouin Song by Bayard Taylor

"My steps are nightly driven,
By the fever in my breast,
To hear from Thy lattice breathed
The word that shall give me rest.
Open the door of my heart,
And open the chamber door
And my kisses shall teach Thy lips
The love that shall fade no more
Till the sun grows cold,
And the stars are old,
And the leaves of the Judgement Book unfold! "

Lord, it is Your kiss of life that teaches me The Love that shall never fade.

Oh, how content would I be if 'soon' was this very minute

These are the lyrics to Soon by Hillsong United, Brooke Fraser never fails to bring tears to my eyes..

Soon and very soon
My King is coming
Robed in righteousness and crowned with love
When I see Him
I shall be made like Him
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
I’ll be going
To the place He has prepared for me
There my sin erased
My shame forgotten
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Soon and very soon
See the procession
The angels and the elders 'round the throne
At His feet I’ll lay my crowns My worship
Soon and very soon

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon

Though I have not seen Him
My heart knows Him well
Jesus Christ the Lamb
The Lord of heaven

I will be with the One I love
With unveiled face I’ll see Him
There my soul will be satisfied
Soon and very soon
Soon and very soon

and even more!

From John Piper's blog, Desiring God;

A cosmos, one day being rebuked by a pessimist replied, "How can you who revile me consent to speak by my machinery? Permit me to reduce you to nothingness and then we will discuss the matter." Moral. You should not look a gift universe n the mouth.
-G. K. Chesterton (Quoted from Gilbert Keith Chesterton, Volume 1, 71)

Shall we assume to complain to an infinitely powerful and magnificent God?

complaining, a virus

I stomp my feet because I'm not getting
the exact results
I expected.

I throw up my emotional hands in dismay because
I thought something else
would happen.

I may not literally be doing
these childlike
actions
but my Spirit is imitating
the same behavior that a
3 year old who got told
"no"
would have.

Why would I complain?
How could I protest?
I have SO MUCH!
I have been SO blessed!

Psalm 31:19 Oh, how abundant is your goodness,
which you have stored up for those who fear you
and worked for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of the children of mankind!

and even more, v. 21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am cut off from fyour sight.”
But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy
when I cried to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his saints!
The Lord preserves the faithful
but abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!

I want to be one who waits for the Lord. I want to be one who seeks His face rejoicing in the blessings I have been given and patiently anticipating the next blessings He will send my way. Because being blessed, just like being forgiven, is not based on our goodness, but it is based on His perfect love.

In Psalm 51 David asks for forgiveness from the Lord knowing that God's steadfast love is what allows that forgiveness! He doesn't give Him a resume and say, "Well, I did commit adultery, and I did kill someone because of my ignorance... but I've done all these other great things for You, Lord and I've really been a righteous man! So, because I've really tried, will you let me off?" NO! He knows that grace is only given because of how GOOD God is! Not because of any righteousness he could uphold! "Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions."

So, today, kneel before the Father knowing with your full heart that He has blessed you, He has blessed you indeed. Not only because you are alive and have food to eat and a place to sleep and a Bible to read in your own language without fear of imprisonment, not because you have a sweetheart who thinks you're cute or you have a nice body, not because you're healthy... but because the Almighty God is NEAR to you in every season of your behavior, He sees EVERY facet, and He still anticipates you waking up in the morning so He can tell you He loves you.. soo much. Not because He thinks you're great (even though He does) but because He is so great. And not that He thinks you're great because of who you are, but because of who He is! A loving Father who sees all His children as magnificent and beautiful and unique and astonishingly loved by Him, but at the same time, very, very blind to His overwhelming love.

Isn't it crazy that we complain, while God sits on the sidelines patiently gazing at us... waiting for us to turn and see the glorious blessing He is to us?

things to which angels long to look... sorry for the weird text links and stuff, no one reads this anyway so whateva :)

1 Peter 1: 3-12

Born Again to a Living Hope

3 2 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:3

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">gBlessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Titus 3:5

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">hAccording to his great mercy,ver. 23

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">ihe has caused us to be born again to a living hope ch. 3:21; [1 Cor. 15:20]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">jthrough the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to Rom. 8:17

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">kan inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and [ch. 5:4]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">lunfading, [Col. 1:5; 2 Tim. 4:8]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">mkept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded Eph. 2:8

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">nthrough faith for a salvation[ch. 5:10; Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17; Heb. 12:11]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">oready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by James 1:2; [ch. 4:12]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">pvarious trials, 7 so that James 1:3

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">qthe tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes Job 23:10; Ps. 66:10; Prov. 17:3; Isa. 48:10

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">rthough it is tested by 1 Cor. 3:13

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">sfire—may be found to result in Rom. 2:7, 10; 1 Cor. 4:5; [2 Thess. 1:7–12]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">tpraise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 [1 John 4:20]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">uThough you have not seen him, you love him. [Heb. 11:27]; See John 20:29

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">vThough you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining Rom. 6:22

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">wthe outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, 2 Pet. 1:19; [Dan. 8:15; Matt. 13:17; Luke 10:24]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">xthe prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring Dan. 9:24–26

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">ywhat person or time Rom. 8:9; [2 Pet. 1:21]; See Acts 16:7

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">zthe Spirit of Christ in them was indicating See Matt. 26:24

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">awhen he predicted Isa. 52:13–53:12; Luke 24:26; Acts 3:18

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">bthe sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 Dan. 12:4, 9, 13

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">cIt was revealed to them that [Matt. 13:17; Heb. 11:39, 40]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">dthey were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you Acts 2:2–4

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">eby the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, [Dan. 8:13; 12:5–7; Eph. 3:10]

" style="cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">fthings into which angels long to look.

How have I obtained such love? How have I been given such hope? Why would the God of heaven look down upon me and desire to rescue me? To reach His hand down to my pit and wipe the mud off my face and delight in me? To wash me clean and forgive me for spitting in His face? To cradle me as I cry and allow my spirit to rest in His, knowing that I'd turn away again? Knowing that I would seek happiness in other things and seek contentment in people in things that are themselves just as broken as I?

He is no more near to His true self than when He is holding a broken child. And He is always holding a broken child. His being, His I AMness requires that He love, at all times, in all things, forever and ever... He would not be if He did not love. It is who He is, what He is is love, love is of Him.

1 John 3:1-3 1 See ch. 4:10; John 3:16

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">ywhat kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called John 1:12

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">zchildren of God; and so we are. The reason why [ch. 4:17]

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">athe world does not know us is that John 16:3; 17:25

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">bit did not know him. 2 Beloved, we are [See ver. 1 above]

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">zGod’s children Rom. 8:15; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 1:5

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">cnow, and what we will be [Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17]

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">dhas not yet appeared; but we know that ch. 2:28

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">ewhen he appearsOr when it appears

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">1 Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; 4:11; Phil. 3:21; 2 Pet. 1:4

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">fwe shall be like him, because John 17:24; 1 Cor. 13:12; Rev. 22:4

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">gwe shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who Rom. 15:12

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">hthus hopes in him 2 Cor. 7:1

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">ipurifies himself as he is pure.

I can't believe the love that the Father has lavished upon me. But I will spend the rest of my life trying to make a dent in glorifying His name and reciprocating His love to others. He is good, He alone. I pray our eyes are opened to Him and turned away from the lies...

"And this is the promise that he made to usSome manuscripts you

" style="color: rgb(52, 68, 139); cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; outline-color: initial; text-decoration: none; ">4—John 17:2

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jon foreman and tears

Do you ever just feel like crying,

like all of the stuff inside you is anxious and wants to visit

another atmosphere.

No longer your soul and spirit, but your person

and the people around you..

I think we should let it out. Because maybe it won't always

come out in tears.

Maybe it will and

that's okay, that's actually great! We need to cry. I admire

so many people who have the freedom to do it when and where they feel it,

and the ones they love appreciate and support that corner of their soul,

instead of push it down

it can sometimes come

out

in

LOVE.

"7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (1 John, chapter 4 NKJV)...visit the orphan and widow in their oppression..keep oneself unstained from the world...your body is a sanctuary...do you not know that you are His holy temple?...And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability...Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth...Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person...Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving... (Jms 1:27, Rmns 12, 1 Cor 6:19-20, Acts 2:4, Prv 16, Col 4)

These are just a few ways to love people, and there are hundreds more.

So what does letting it out have to do with

loving others

have to do with God being love?

We were made in His image

we were made to reflect His love,

HE is love,

so we reflect

LOve.

What is love? (baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more!!) haha sorry..

• Love is putting other first, Philippians 2:7 ays that HE made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant. He is love, we were made in His image, this is what He did, so we do it.


• Don't be a people pleaser, "but speaking the truth in love, may [we] grow up into HIM in all things, which is the head, even Christ" (Eph. 4: 15).


• Pray for others, God is not your personal vending machine! "that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone.." 1 Tim 2:1

Don't put your lamp under a basket...don't hide it under the crown you've made for yourself by what people think of you..Luke 8:16

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it." John 1:5, no one can open a box of darkness and let it out...darkness cannot overtake light. Open your closet, the darkness is now changed because of the light. The only way darkness prevails is if the light hides itself, just as "evil can only prevail if good men do nothing." -Edmund Burke.

Let us not be good men who do nothing.

foolish and stupid

"- We died.
- What was the cause of death?


Not enough of all of this,
of this, of this.


And not enough,
you know? Do you--


Do you remember
the philosopher Epictetus?
You remember what he said?


He said, 'If you want to
improve, be content to be
thought foolish and stupid.'


That's what you've done.


- I work hard at it.
- Now I want to be a jackass."

from Serendipity, between John Cusack and Jeremy Piven...Lord, thank you for showing me that I am foolish and stupid, and for still loving me

K.

summerrrr skin

Summers gone

Sun don't shine

But I'll keep the sunshine in my heart

Summers gone

California is a memory

I'd rather be in winter time

or anytime with the sunshine in my heart

than in the summertime

with the sunshine breakin beams in me...

Thank you for the summertime

and thank you for the winter time

thank you for the in betweens

because I know that the Son shines

no matter what month it is.

responsible

I am responsible for me.

I am responsible for my tongue.

Which assigns me to be responsible for my WoRds.

My wOrDS.

Words.

What am I saying?

What is it?

What's being said?

It needs to be said that there is more.

More than money.

More than pearls and powder on my face.

More than the cars we drive.

More than the tears we cry for others to please.

Words don't need to come of anger and selfish deeds.

Words don't need to come of lies and pitfalls.

Words need to come of truth.

Words need to come of selfLessness and comPassion.

Here I am not, here You Are.

I speak words not of saints, not of priests, not of scholars or Presidents or Tzars or Kings, nor do I speak as a Teacher or a Leader, but help me Lord to speak as a widow, a child, a friend, and a sinner. Help me to speak more like a thirsty and poverty stricken man, more like a homeless daughter whose home is washed away by the water that rains from the sky, cardboard and plastic burned in the beauty of earthly treasures... because these things, Oh Lord, are what I am and what I deserve. You alone come and redeem the broken pieces that make up my days. You come and allow this I Am Not to join in the story of I Am. So let me speak as one to whom grace has been given, and live like one who knows what it is to be forgiven.

the identity of Grace

"I'm just like everyone else
We are all hiding
Acting like I have a wealth
Of knowledge and peace

But all I've ever wanted
And what men have given their lives for
Is a God who understands my weaknesses
A God that I can love

I believe you are good and righteous
You've given me your reckless love
So be near, be near..."    

-Bethany Dillon, part of Be Near Me

I have to do something hard. I have to do something I don't want to do. 

But it's not as hard as what He had to do.

It's not as hard as what You had to do, Father. 

I don't want to do it because... because I'm comfortable. 

I feel safe, yet at the same time, very unstable. I know it's time to leave when I'm wondering why I haven't learned anything new... why I haven't hurdled over new struggles. 

I know it's time to leave, Father, when I keep thanking You for the same attributes. 

I know it's time to leave when I ask for new discoveries within the heart of God, and I'm not seeing them. If I don't see new things, it's because I have wool over my eyes. If I ask God to show me His glory, He IS faithful and just to be glorified. 

God, You are not glorified when I do not move forward with the hand You put out to hold mine. 

You are glorified when I do things that seem hard, and then thank You for walking with me through the storm. You are glorified when I move forward.

He is glorified when I sing His praise for His sovereignty, His love that is forever steadfast, and His unwavering grace that wipes away every stain on my existence. 

You are glorified when all the angels lift up their voices to sing Your name! You are glorified when I join with those angels even when I don't feel like it! And You are glorified when I rest in Your truth. 

He gives great peace, children. Do not be deceived by this world. Do not be a pawn of the passions of this day, the glimmer and gold chip off and wear away. But the Lord is illuminated through the burning fire! We are refined through the righteous fire, made stronger in the light of His might; His beauty and glory shine through, they break through the clouds, they break through us and magnify His presence!

The rain clouds are gone, Father! Your light shines! Your gift is lifted up and seen, Your forgiveness and grace is praised! Your holiness is heralded to the heights of heaven and to the depths of the deep, blue sea that You breathed. Your love song rings out through my soul and Your peace rests perfectly upon the mountaintops. 

The Son rises and breaks through the dawn, carrying with Him my sin and my sorrow. With Him my heavy load is taken, and through Him my burden is carried away. I fly on wings like eagles and dance on the mountaintops like a deer, carrying with me gentle and good news! Gentle, but earth-shattering news that will provide the earth with a riddle, a story, a hero and a purpose.

Break through my forest of trees, my piles of rubbish that block my view to You. Take away this plantation, this territory of idols that have made their home within me. You alone are King, and You alone are Counselor. You have my hands, I am not in control, You will lead me away from the small provisions and into the abundance of Your presence, Your truth and Your reality. 

Take my hand, I said, take my hand and lead me There. He took my hand and led me to the heart, to the identity of Grace. 

K

again...another great article from relevant. Someday I'll actually write something good for you to read

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/features-reviews/god/1375-rethinking-love

Kate

Relevant Magazinnnne

I just read this article on relevantmagazine.com in the reject apathy section, here's the link or I've posted it below. I've also highlighted my two favorite parts. By favorite, I mean the things I read over and over again until it made just enough sense to me to capture that sentence, that thought, and maybe try and act it out.

Cambodian Coffee

Chris Foster

 So, my wife and I are two weeks into our new life in Cambodia. We’ve joined a strong and growing church and community development organization in New Life Foundation, Phnom Penh, and slowly our long held desires to follow our passions and dreams are taking form. In the midst of all this, we are also learning new things everyday, all the important things–like that you should always give way to the vehicles traveling and swerving in front because you never know where they will go, or what to do when a Cambodian can’t understand what you’re trying to say in their language because your accent is too broad (smile, and try not to look awkward), and most important of all, how to order coffee (which is a long request…. To do a rough literal translation, Cambodian Coffee is called “Fruit of the Coffee water, with the milk of a cow’s breast, and frozen water”). 

The way they serve coffee here is cold and black over ice cubes and condensed milk. It is truly the stuff that dreams are made of. You can buy a glass of this ‘fruit of the Coffee Tree (as a local friend calls it)’ at almost any street stall or open street restaurant.  Honestly in the heat, there in nothing more refreshing, or odd. You see, my life back in Australia was built upon Café Lattes–strong and lots of it! I’d average maybe four to six cups over a normal shift at my old workplace, the golden arches fast food chain could brew a mean coffee. I almost felt like I hadn’t worked hard unless I was buzzed out and ready for the next cup.

I know that I am not unquie in my coffee cravings. I know that a lot of people would say that they couldn’t live without their morning coffee, or their two to 10 cups a day. I know that we can now get every conceivable type of coffee there is–Irish Cream, Double or Triple shot whatevers, caramel out of our noses and all the rest that follow. But there has to be something liberating about having coffee in styles and manners that are not our own. To enjoy something that is so alien to what we consider normal can help lift the lid on what it means to really step out and begin to see things differently, and possibly even encourage the fleshing out of dreams.

I’m slowly learning to appreciate the differences, to enjoying the sight of crazed moto drivers dodging each other and pot holes on the haphazard Cambodian roads, to the random power blackouts because the systems are overloaded, to the different foods that can include deep fried crickets, all over a refreshing glass of Cambodian Coffee. I think I’m learning what it means to slow down and take it all in, to see that there is more to life than trying to survive in wilderness places on constant caffeine highs.

I would never say that everyone should pack up their lives and move to a developing nation so as to really experience life. I strongly believe that dreams can and should be lived out any and everywhere in every setting and every locale. But I would say that sometimes–perhaps often–it might be healthy to shake our habits or lifestyles up a bit.

It can’t be as easy as having a different type of coffee, although it could be as easy as sitting in a different setting, or stepping out in new directions, or even being honest with those to whom we are closest and really laying down the things that burn on the heart. Being willing to see things differently. In the end the challenges will always be approaching or circling, but seeing and enjoying differences maybe a prerequisite to seeing what dreams may come true.  

Thanks, Chris Foster :)

words, thoughts, bubbles

Faith is a bubble that carries the broken

Thoughts are like bubbles, coming in and out of me in a constant relationship. I hate when I have a good thought and it leaves me, floating away too fast for me to remember it in words. All that's left is the soapy residue, I know it was there, I know it was good and it etified that moment. 

More bubbles will come.

What goes in your heart, soul and mind comes out on your face, in your words, in your eyes...and those things will go into someone else's heart, soul and mind 

Decide what you're going to let in. 

He really does matter more than anything else

He loves more than anyone else

He is more than anyone or anything 

He holds on tighter but gives more freedom than anyone or anything else

He is. 

And He is mine. 

And I am His!

I love that. 

I miss out on beautiful things when I focus on myself. Lots of beautiful things and people and sounds and bubbles of thoughts around me are not taken captive in my eyes, heart, soul, mind, ears, skin and tongue when I complain and try with all my might to decide whether or not the glass is half full or half empty. I miss out on the all around me when I look at all that's in me, which isn't much. Mostly sin, and lots of God and His grace. So, I suppose there is a lot in me, but anything worth while in there is really God.

Peace in ones own heart, soul and mind creates peace without.

This computer is dying.

Coffee, or tea?

I wanna live somewhere cold

somewhere chilly where the air touches my coat

Somewhere the sun shines and makes a surprise

Where a warm day is a special treat, not a dead heat

I wanna live somewhere where the clouds always make shapes

I see ice cream cones and puppy dogs and dragons and umbrellas!

I wanna live somewhere with green grass everywhere

and spring is the only season

some days I make coffee some days I make iced tea

Some days we go outside and fly kites

then some days we stay inside and curl up with a book

Reading to the surround sound of rain drops clicking their heels on my windows

I wanna live somewhere... somewhere with You

Somewhere where the clouds don't harm and dollar signs mean nothing

Where music is almost always playing

and painters only paint beautiful things

where iced cream isn't bad for you and the word 'self-defense' doesn't exist

Because the only thing in this place to defend would be my love for You

and Your love for me, which I would have no trouble knowing in this place

This place would have no doubts, no second thoughts 

or lack of trust, no stubborn pride or dangerous lies

No bribes or sneaks or dietribes

This place would hold the weight of joy in it's sky

and no one would ever question 'why?'

Now I realize this seems suspicious

and I wouldn't want a Stepford Life

someday this time will come when Your time is right 

I'll live among the angels and always sing Your praise

For now I will appreciate the freedom I have to choose You every morning

and know You every night

Help me love without fear, walk without falling and trust without doubting

But when I fear and doubt and fall, these things I know I'll do

bless me with Your mercy and meet me with Your grace

And I will accept this gift, and regive it to the world

Mexican Train

I'm playing Mexican Train with some of my family here in Texas. It's quite a variety, there are beautiful things about us being together, and there are...oh, how shall I say this? Horrific things about us all being together.

Aunt Patsy; middle child of 6 kids, my mom was the youngest. Aunt Patsy was a math teacher, and a principle, and drives a hybrid, and loves to be uniquely "democratic" in the midst of all the Texan Bush supporters. Also, I didn't mention a very important part of my Aunt, she never got married or had kids, soooo all of us lovely nieces and nephews get to be loved by her :) and sometimes followed by her thumb, but hey, we all follow something.

Aunt Ginny; at one point in my life, when I was a small, naive child, I told my mom I didn't even think Aunt Ginny was really part of our family. She sure was a sour lady, I thought, and her face looked like she had just eaten sour skittles or a jar of pickles. But things have changed very much, and my Aunt Ginny is the dearest to my heart of all the aunts. She came to the know the Lord in the past few years through some difficult events in her life and I am so excited to party in heaven with her someday! But I don't have to wait, we can party together here for the time being. She is married to the next family member,

Unlce Jim. Uncle Jim is my favorite Uncle (Sorry Donald, Randy and Jack!). He played a major role in the events that shattered he and Aunt Ginny's life, but has always been the kindest man I know. I would say he ties with my dad but my dad's driving habits bump him to second ;). Anyway, he and Ginny both found Jesus on their hard road through the last few years. God has found him and used him so mighily! I'm so happy to know him ;).

Mom; uuuuhh, you all know my mom, right? Big heart, but lots of empty space, too. Lots of love, but lots of pain from her life. So much love and trust in the Lord, but such a huge thirst for control. I love her and she changes my life every day, sometimes for the worse but always for the better. I mean that, even when the things she does effect me in a negative way or produce a bad habit within me, God's glory shines by coming in and changing that in me. He becomes the goodness even in the bad. And I know Him more for it. Anyway, shes the youngest, which is a place in life that we share :) and we have so much fun. Shes one of my best friends, a habitual throat-clearer (that's how I used to find her in the store when I was lost, even now in the other room I can hear her clearing her throat! =O), an amzingly talented and obssessive beader (jewelry), habitual drinker (not alcoholic, she goes through stages of drinking certain things ALL the time, vanilla frappuchinos, dr. pepper, Passion tea, lemon water, iced single vente skinny vanilla latte, coke, iced tea, just to name a few of her stages), and dedicated Bible Study Fellowship attendee and secretary! She also always has to be accomplishing something, always. She prays while she falls asleep so she can even be accomplishing something while shes relaxing.

Dad; oh snap. My dad is awesome. Happiest, most positive guy ever. Financial planner, genuine friend and really good salesman. Haha one thing about my dad that I love is sometimes he'll walk into a room to say hi and say, "Just thought I'd come in and bring my happy gene!" He teaches me what love is every day. He also has some personality traits that are sort of harmful to my heart, and sometimes I don't treat him like I love him because of those things. But I try and turn those personality traits into prayers to God, He takes all my little 'gifts' and shows me how they are perfect in Him, because He is The Perfect Father. But a lot of the time I don't bring it to God and screw it up myself. My daddy knows Jesus and Jesus will mold him when the time is right.

Jonothon; uuuh, too much and not enough to say all at once. He is the brother closest to me in age out of the five of us kids. He just turned 21 and I'm going to be 18 in July. We've always had issues, but have also loved each other more than words could say. I think the enemy wanted to take our relationships with Christ (we were the only two around for a while that knew the Lord) and turn them into harm for Christ's kingdom. The enemy didn't want us doin' any good for the King and His Kingdom so he had us quarrel and disrespect each other and bury pain and bitterness for each other in our hearts...pretty much throughout life. So instead of showing God's love to our family in unity, we fought and bickered (but God is good and turns mourning into dancing and the night into day!) But, he is my brother, not only in blood, but in Christ, and I love him dearly. He is like my dad, joyful, passive, childish and loving...and painful.

Lauren; oh my only sister :). She brings a smile to my face whenever I think of her or say her name. Often times, though, the smile fades quickly after because I desperately want my sister to know my Perfect Father Who loves her so much! And she does not know His beauty and truth right now, but the Lord is good :). Lauren is a hard-working, independent and foxy 24 year old young woman whom I am proud to call my sister. She helps me learn how to stand my ground and not be a people pleaser, to defend myself and speak my voice, she shows me what it means to grow up because none of my other siblings know how to do it. Again, I love her and always enjoy our eye rolls accross the table at family gatherings (that's what the front of her birthday card says this year, shhh, she hasn't read it yet).

Aaaaaand, oh, me :). I am 17, the youngest of 5 kids, my family is originally from Texas even though I do not live there now. I am on vacation there now, though, with my mother, father and brother. Lauren still lives here in Texas and my other two brothers are at 'home' in Arizona. Um, anyway, yes, I am 17, I love my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ with all my heart, soul, and mind and pray every day to live recklessly for Him because I am completely lost without Him. He carries me through fires that would have long ago burned me away if I didn't know Him. I like iced tea, iced cream (blue bell!!), puppies, and reading. And folk music, and all forms of artistic expression. I love my family that the Lord has blessed me with through sisters and brothers from other mothers ;), aka my family in Christ! You know who you are; Kim, Megan, Jason, Amanda, Amanda, Kristina, Christine, Monique, Jill, Brooke, Jane, Jared, Jordan, Jason, Julie, Louise, Brittany, Steve, Dom, Jenny, Jenni, Sarah, Taylor, Jordan, Jay, Mikey, Kiki, Karen, Emily, Kat, Divina, Megan, Simone, Madi, Jordan, Jordan, Emily, Julie, Andrew, Apryl ooooh way too many to think of. Oh, Jason, James, Shannon, Tami, Chelsea, Brianna, Annika, Brianna, Tori, Alyssa, Dan, Katie, Brittany, Creg oooohkay I need to stop I love too many people the internet can't hold all your names.

So, I've been getting to know some other things about myself through playing Mexican Train with my crazy family. I am afraid to become like them. Okay, so these are some things I realized before playing Mexican Train, but whatever. They became even more illuminated and evident under the light of dominoes and barbecue. I am afraid to be rude, judgemental, controlling...disrespectful. I'm afraid to have lazy kids and not raise them right, I'm afraid to displease (okay, so some of these are just things I already suck at), I'm afraid to be angry. I'm afraid of Menopause. I'm afraid of unhappiness and displeasure. I'm afraid of all of these things, but, can I control them? To some extent, yes, but I'm always going to have flaws and be imperfect, (another thing I'm afraid of).

I'm afraid to fail because I am a failure, and I guess I'm afraid of who I am? Maybe, but I think I'm mostly afraid of failing because I'm afraid I won't be forgiven. HA. That's the farthest thing from the truth. That is the most ridiculous thing, I think God may have just laughed. But I think I'm afraid of not being forgiven because of the fleshly responses I am familiar with. I mean that all we know as far as grace goes is either actual responses in our own lives or stories in other peoples lives. So, who in your life loves unconditionally and eternally? Who do you know that would love and forgive you if you murdered their entire family? Who do you know that would kill someone in their family for YOU? And speaking in less extreme terms, who would take a day out of their busy life to hold you when you cry? Who do you know that would not hold a grudge against you for stealin' their significant other? Who do you know that is not jealous of anybody, never speaks negatively of someone, or says anything less than "I love them...so much." of anyone they know? Maybe some people you know are like this, I've known a few, but I can say confidently that I now many more selfish, jealous, and prickly people than I do pure souls. I know one when I look in the mirror. I know those people when I walk into my kitchen, and go to my best friends house, and sit with my small group, and go to the place where I feel the happiest. They are on every corner and in every conversation, even the pure souls have cracks of imperfection in their hearts. We all have caverns, we all have broken cisterns needing to be filled (Jon Foreman song) and we all hurt other people. We all express our wrath in some form or another that harms another person.

But my point is not to prove our broken nature, I'm sure you can all see that. My point is to say that for those of us that make it hard to take Christ's free gift of grace, feel that way because of some experience in our life. Because of every breath we breath and every day we live and every person we encounter, no one is the Lord and none of us can be the Lord for someone else. He alone is good and pure and just and He alone can hold our iniquities and mold them into beauty. We can only know that through the truth of Christ's Word, there alone can we find Christ's truth, we see it in the people that know His truth, but they know it by living in His Word! All truth of grace and mercy comes from that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). He is truth, He is the Word, the Word is truth.

Let us stand on this and breath it in. He alone is my grace and peace when my family falls. When anger intrudes my brothers heart and hatred responds in the other brother. When ignorance steals my fathers soul, and despair floods my mothers eyes, when emptiness wipes accross my sisters face and pride captures my brothers heart, my Lord, my Perfect Father is my cup. He is my portion when I turn to other lovers and follow the lies, He is my heart when my strength fails, and He is my hand when I reach for the plow. I do not look back, I finish the race, I fight the good fight and I pray in faith knowing He will meet me with grace at my disgrace.

Make me into Yours so I will not be theirs.

Lord, You are good!

The lyrics from that song I haven't heard in forever come to mind

"You are my hope, Your promise never fails me, And my desire Is to follow You forever"

"Lord, You are good, Lord You are good, Lord You are good to me!"

I love you, You are my hope, Your promise never fails me, and my desire is to follow You forever :)

I Repent in Dust and Ashes

Forgive me, Lord, for I have sinned. And I will sin. And You will be faithful and just to forgive me.

You say to come as I am, to bring my burdens and give You my shame. You ask for the goodness in me to come from the same hands as the bad stuff. You ask me to fall. To neal at Your feet and worship You with an honest heart, of repentance and joy. 

So this I will do, repent in dust and ashes and know, without doubting, that You will clean my slate. You will wipe my dirty face. You will vacuum the dark, hidden corners of my soul. And I will meet You at Your grace, as You meet me at my disgrace. 

I repent in dust and ashes, in the form that I have come and the form that I will go. Forgive me, Holy, Just and Merciful God, clean me in and out, behind and before, just as You knew my frame before the proof of my creation was known, Lord clean every curve and blemish and corner and surface. I will rejoice in You! Your mercy is like a spring! Your Waters wash over me and lay me in the arms of Your grace. Make me pure, Tohara, Mukdeshet, Mekudeshet, Hekdesh... I will see You, Lord, my heart is pure. Save me once again, I will fall.

Oh How He Loves Us So

Listen to this :) Kim Walker with Jesus Culture sings of His GREAT LOVE FOR US!!!! OH HOW HE LOVES US!

My heart is hard and I am hurt by many things right now, including myself! And in the midst of that I find that one of the only things than can soften my heart is hearing this young woman scream of HOW MUCH OUR GOD LOVES US!!! She sings it so loud and proud and I know it is true, even in my weakness and bitterness and pride and insecurity and ignorance; He loves me. Yes I should repent, I need to lay down my sin before Him and mourn over it and open my heart up for His grace! The fact that He still loves me in the midst of my sin does not mean I don't need to repent. But even while He hurts that my heart doesn't know how to get past my childish immaturity and ask for forgiveness for my stupidity or even to accept His beautiful grace once I do ask Him to forgive me, even then, my Lord loves me! He watches me return to my vomit like a dog and pursue my sin and feed my selfishness and please the other lovers in my life, and He still loves me. He looks down on this earth, not even that, He watches me and walks beside me and sees the selfish things I do, and He just can't wait until I turn around and fall on my knees saying, "Father, forgive me! I do the things I don't want to do and I don't do the things I want to do! Please forgive me and walk with me!" and He will wrap me in mercy! Like the prodigal Son, I return from spoiling my inheritance and eating with the swine, asking my Father to take me as a servant and forgive me for what I have done but He won't allow me to be a servant, I am His daughter! He won't settle for me cleaning toilets and raking leaves, He wants to prepare a party for me and wrap me in His arms and invite back into His home and His heart and His trust and LOVE ME! How beautiful is that love? 

growth makes me smile today :)

I have a daisy :) want to hear the story?

setting: Tucson, fall 2008.   purpose: adventure to find something we didn't even know we needed until we found it!   

fellow adventurer: Michelle Condon

 

The morning started with meteor-sized pancakes; one blueberry and one apple with candied pecans, drinking deep of endless coffee refills and drinking even deeper one of the others soul. Imagine IHOP, but smaller, like the size of a convenience store and worn, wooden tables with picturesque hand-painted walls. After leaving our name with an older, fire-engine red headed woman we see a bulletin board of the local sports achievements, budding gymnasts and smiley cheerleaders of the local high school. It is stuffed with pictures and is ready to entertain our waiting, hungry Sunday morning tummy's. We sat down and un-perched our menus from the little metal frame with jam and sugar packets and soon after the Promised Land might as well have fallen through the ceiling because the man with the coffee mug stopped at our table. Michelle convincingly (although its not hard to do with me) spoke of the huge, hearty pancakes she had delighted herself in on a previous visit to this fantastic, bustling, breakfast heaven, so I ordered them. And boy, were they delightful! Thank you Bobo's for making that happen. Note: if you are planning on visiting this wonderful Bobo's anytime soon and order pancakes, you best get your self the candied pecans (or was it walnuts?) along with whichever flavor you choose. If you do not you will be bitterly tasting your neighbors pancakes with the delicious candied crunchies and glance back at the cook to see if he might telepathically send some your way. Nevertheless, this breakfast was fantastic! Even if I couldn't finish it...

Okay, so the next stop; a bench on University Dr. being encouraged by Michelle's incredible faith in an incredibly stubborn circumstance. Lord, thank you for her joy! The world around her needs a breath of her peace in the midst of stormy waters. Details will stay recorded in time as they happened, unflawed and only in our memories :). Comfy benches and beautiful day though! 

So...here we are. Ready for the real treat, the climax, the silver lining on a cloud thats already incredibly bright! Wilco. This store is a more spacial, and possibly more sophisticated version of la Grande Orange; the gift shop section (but who needs sophistication, honestly). If I was a recording artist, oozing with talent, sang my songs, travelled on tours and received oodles of money, I'd by a pair of earrings...or all the jewelry in the case... at this store. Fantastic, gold with jewels, deep, rich and romantic colored jewels, of tasteful size I might add! Very dainty and elegant with a hint of Bohemia. Anywho, thats what I thought I wanted, until I saw the daisy in a box. Michelle eyed the basil in a box and proceeded to imagine cooking uses and a good-smelling house. But I was ecstatic at the sight of having my very own daisy baby's! So I bought them, possibly out of impulse, sure. But That impulse has paid back! I now have a bright, yellow bud! As soon as I arrived home from the drive back from Tucson with my sweet companion Brianna, I jumped on those 'flower in a box' instructions and proceeded to imagine my dainty daisy growing. I cleaned all the seeds, as instructed, and whatta ya know, only one sprout! Well, there were three, but two were too fragile to survive very long. But, I loved my little sprout. I watered it, let the sunrise woo it to youth and eventually maturity. And now what do I see? Yellow! A bud! A yellow daisy will grow! It's not just a weed! Those twelve dollars weren't teasing me! I really see yellow! Yellow has never been such a wonderful color as it was when I stooped to water my suspecting weed and saw a tiny circle of bright, canary life. It is not a weed, weeds are not daisies, and daisies are not weeds. My flower will grow! And whether it lives 8 months or 1 day I will love it and smile about it every time I see it or think about it. 

I think Jesus might feel a little bit like I did, nurturing the plant and seeing only pointy, weedy leaves. He loves us without end and waits for us without a second thought. But we provide no bud. No bright spring of life! Not even a tiny circle of golden sun. He waters us with His eternal spring (John 4:14) and shines His unfailing grace and steadfast love (Psalm 103:4 & 8) on our adolescent, immature and growing souls, but do we notice? Do we peak out of our stubborn lives to bask in His mighty, life-giving power?! I don't! I think I can push through myself and grow up all by myself, who needs living streams? Who needs the saving Son? I do. But I still try and live as a putrid weed on my own strength, just to be trampled under-foot and pulled up (Jer. 42:10, Ps. 52:5) from the gardener's hand. So much of the time I am no different than the plants in the other garden, the East field. The field that my Father does not tend. Someone could pass by me and not see the light that I should bring, people pass by and are not changed. They trample underfoot the creation that should tower over them with love; me. A daisy, a weed? A child of God, a servant of the world? Do I speak with love on my lips, or lies on my tongue? Does my heart beat for the poor (Jam. 1:27) or do I seek my own agenda? Do I seek to please my Father in heaven, or the world (Gal. 1:10)? I point no fingers, I walk the way of the wild donkey too often. Lord, walk through me the Opposite Way! 

There were other glorifying parts of our day together, but for fear of recreating them for your mind as less captivating than when we experienced them that day, I will not tell them! Just know, it was great. And for all the little daisies in your life, the tiny but meteor sized blessings in your days, be thankful for them. Nurture them and be nurtured by them. And ask yourself, "am I stubborn weed? Or am I a willing, bright, yellow bud that shines?"

Read this!

Awesome article! Don't stop readin' the Word though. :)

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

You said something that meant something to me, all because you live in a way that gives me hope.
I told you what you mean to me and how you change my life, you said that you were proud of me and asked if there was light.
[To tell you the truth, it's nothing in me. To tell you the truth, even if there was no light, He'd still be the light inside of me.]
I hope you don't guess or wander in your thoughts, what I could've meant or what the problem is. He's holdin' on to us and I know, I'm a lot more blessed than most.
There is a light, and it's already here. It'll be here when the storm subsides and will stay long after the last drop dries. It was here before the first storm came, when the sky was unaware of rain.
So just to let you know again, you mean so much to me, the way you live your life and love. I hope that you can see, it's done something in me. I see what he can be and I see what God can see, in all the other men who walk and live their lives quite differently.

"...not my will, but Yours be done."

My life has changed
more than I thought it could
My life has changed
would I have left if I knew?
If I watched a TV screen
of what it is
would I have known my name?
Would I recognize the pain?
Would I identify the silent rooms
and empty words
and anger beaten, hungry souls?
I would've cried for us
and wished my heart to die for us
I would have reached
my hand up to my mouth
in disbelief that
the love had ceased
I'd try to understand the words
and want to reach my hand
into their world
and fix the broken pieces
lift up the hollow eyes
and hug the empty creases.

"My God, my God
why hast thou forsaken me?"
I cry in the moment of my
all too often weakness.
But in the same breath
of my distress
I know You haven't left.
I know You never leave
Your place, Your home
inside my heart.
I know that You belong inside
and You often clean in me
whats locked up, concealed.
My doubt, my pride
my envy and my tongue.
In my moment of forgotten truth
You come and send a whisper
of Your gift of grace and peace
that I can rest in
and hold with me.
You send a whisper of the faith
that You so freely give to me.
"Ask for wisdom
and you will receive,
just ask without doubting
and in faith you shall see."
So I ask You, Father
who will never leave
or turn a blind eye
to an aching cheek
to give me wisdom
where i am weak
to give me patience
where control I seek.
Lord, give me breath
when my lungs are choked
and give me hope
in the stars You throw.
Please give me strength
for my broken bones
and give me love
like the love You hold.

"...not my will, but Yours be done."