Saturday, March 26, 2011

Hearts are yearning for You



I have not written in SO long! There has been so much going on in my life. God has really been moving in my life. He has shown me so many different things about myself and those around me.

For SB 2011, I went to Nicaragua with 35 peers from Auburn. What a blessing of a trip that was! It was truly life-changing for me. I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to go and serve for the Lord's name. I wish I was still there, the stillness and love of Nicaragua is indescribable. It is so simple. I had no cell phone or computer for a week, and although that was extremely difficult at first, it ended up being wonderful. There was nothing to worry about, no one to keep in touch with, just me and God. The Lord spoke to me in many ways that week, doing a quiet time with no distractions is key to walking with the Lord daily. I had no phone or computer to constantly check. It was a blessing.

One of the biggest things that changed for me while I was there was learning what the Lord wanted to do with my life. I have been struggling with direction for a whole semester. I love being in Fashion, for it is my passion. But sometimes studying your passion ends up being worse than studying something you hate. I cannot describe the feeling, it was just that I was not enjoying it. Fashion is something I LOVE, but I just feel as if I am not going to enjoy it as a living. I was praying before that the Lord would show me His plan and help me to seek Him. He definitely showed His power during the week. I am now in Human Development and Family Studies, with a concentration in Adolescence. I am excited to see what I am going to do in the future and have such a Godly peace about it. I would love to work in a high school as a counselor, for I love the high school age, it is a great time to start finding out about who you are, so I am wanting to be such an encouragement through that!

I will update again sooner than later :)

Blessings.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Brave

This is so good! :)

Monday, March 7, 2011

Psalm 119:9-16

How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

I seek you with all my heart, do not let me stray from your commands.

I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.

With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.

I rejoice in following your statues as one rejoices in great riches.

I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.

I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.

Psalm 199:9-16


This passage is amazing. I love it and the fact that it speaks especailly to young people.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Psalm 119:1-8

"Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the Lord.

Blessed are they who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart.

They do nothing wrong; they walk in his ways.

You have laid down precepts that are to be fully obeyed.

Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!

Then I would not be put to shame when I consider all your commands.

I will praise you with an upright heart as I learn your righteous laws.

I will obey your decrees; do not utterly forsake me."

Psalm 119:1-8


I have been reading through the book of Psalm and I love it. I do not want it to end, its one of my favorite books. David has so much insight on his failures and how God lifted him fro those. I have been trying to rad at least ten chapters of Psalm a day. I got to the book of Psalm 119 and really had to survey it. IT IS AMAZING. I wrote in my bible when I was in high school that "this is my life chapter" in the margin. How great is that? It really is such a great group of verses that can be applyed to mine and your life.

These first eight verses show us that if we are blameless through the Lord, we will walk in the law of the Lord forever. We are not born blameless though, we are made into His image when we ask to be forgiven and then saved. What a realization. We are His, the Lord's, we are blameless through Him.



Please be in prayer for my best friend Lauren's mom! She is on the left in this picture. We found out last week that she has breaast cancer. I hate to even type that, its so unreal. But we are ready to fight with her. She will have surgery on Wednesday, so please remember her and the whole Calvert family in your prayers. Mrs. Tammy is one of the strongest people I know, the Lord will use her through this.

"My soul is weary with sorrow; strengthen me according to your word." Psalm 119:28

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

tumbling towards approval

For my small group, we are studying a book called The Perfect Mess by Lisa Harper. It has been such an amazing study thus far, she is writing about different chapters in the book of Psalm and applying it to our lives.

Psalm 139 is the about the chapter we just completed a week ago and it was something I learned so much from: approval from other people. I think I am such a people pleaser, I want to always make others happy before myself. I always long to just in general make people happy. I RUN from conflict.

Oh Lord, you have searched me and you know me. Psalm 139:1

The Creator of the universe is familiar with every single nook and cranny in my heart and soul, and He knows that we all sometimes starve for approval.

You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from a far. You discern my going and my coming, you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word id on my tongue you know it completely, Oh Lord. Psalm 139:2-4

As humans, we will never be perfect. We can never measure up to any sort of perfect standard. Thankfully, the Lord doesn't merely deliever us but He wholeheartedly delights in us.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. Psalm 139:5-8

Lisa Harper quotes in the book, "On our worst days, when we're trying to hide our misery or conceal our failures, our perfect God doesn't look at us from a distance, waiting for us to pull together before we ask Him to help us. He crawls right in beside us, amid the dust bunnies and clutter of our lives, to show that we're never alone in our messes."

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because i am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm139:13-14

God fashioned every single cell, sculpted each bone, and painted the color of your eyes and skin. Then He stepped back and said, "Isn't she just lovely?". -Lisa Harper

How precious to me your thoughts, Oh God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I am awake, I am still with you. Psalm 139:17-18

Have you ever tried to count sand? I mean, really? That is crazy! The Lord thinks and cares for us so much.

Search me, Oh God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way of everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24

That is one of my favorite passages ever! It is so comforting to ask the Lord to test my thoughts and actions, test my intentions. How freeing is it to know that you are asking such an awesome God for help on becoming more like Him. His perfect love has caused us to want to be selfless, but we must ask Him to test us and try our hearts.

God's love frees us from performing so we can relax and rejoice with the assurance that He knows us completely and adores us just as we are. -Lisa Harper