Resting

Recently, my husband rearranged this hymn, same lyrics, different melody, and I absolutely love it! Rest is something I struggle with aLL. tHE. tIME. Even if I am sleeping, my brain doesn't shut off, and it somehow wakes up with the same worries of this life. Something God is showing me lately is how I don't know how to really rest in Him.

I am talking about a spiritual rest that might and might not give way to even physical, emotional, or mental rest. At least the kind of rest God supplies brings eternal peace, not necessarily a relief from circumstances, but a rest that brings a strong, unbreakable trust in who God is. Jesus has said, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

These are the questions I started asking myself when thinking through rest:

- Vacation away from home is nice and definitely needed but what does rest look like the other 51 weeks of the year?

- Is my hope resting in who God IS or just on what I think He is DOING? (big difference)

- Do I believe that He is my complete satisfaction or do I just say it in an 'auto-pilot-kind-of-way?'

- Where do my thoughts go when I am by myself (worry, my to-do list, myself, stuff OR am I trusting, hoping in Him, investing in others, serving)

The words to this song capture my thoughts as of lately.........

Jesus I am resting, resting in the Joy of what Thou art;
I am finding out the greatness of Thy loving heart.
Thou hast bid me gaze upon Thee, and Thy beauty fills my soul,
For by Thy transforming power, Thou hast made me whole.

Simply trusting Thee, Lord Jesus, I behold Thee as Thou art,
And Thy love, so pure, so changeless, satisfies my heart;
Satisfies its deepest longings, meets supplies its every need,
Compasseth me round with blessings; Thine is love indeed!

Ever lift Thy face upon me, as I work and wait for Thee;
Resting 'neath Thy smile, Lord Jesus, earth's dark shadows flee.
Brightness of my Father's glory, sunshine of my Father's face,
Keep me ever trusting, resting; fill me with Thy grace.

The Year of July

Can't every month for an entire year just be July????

What I love about July:

picnics fresh fruit cheap produce lazy weekends

vacations family hot weather more sightings of the sun

thunder & lightning swimming flip-flops smells of suntan lotion

freckles baseball shorts happier people road-trips

sundresses ice cream (but if I were honest, I eat that year-round)

I love summer.

Can we just sit in the month of July for about 5 months of this year?

I would be grateful every. single. day.

Summerness

I think it is true..... the older you get the faster time goes. And I hate that. Seriously, I am trying to think of ways to get time to slow down. Maybe if I pitch all my responsibilities, like my job, and sit in a canoe all day on a lake, time would slow down. But that won't be happening soon or maybe ever.

It is already June 24th!!! the 24th!!! And I look at June and ask myself, "What have you done?" I am such a scheduler of my time but have tried to throw the schedule out the door..... and I get nothing accomplished and actually waste a TON of time. So, for me, I need a schedule, it just works for me.

I would like to:

- read The Pleasures of God

- organize all my curriculum for school and start in on it.

- go to a park and be able to read there for a day instead of at my home where I always find something better to do

- get back into writing letters (i used to do this all the time!)

- look for homes to maybe buy at the end of this summer

- play tennis more

- go to a Half-Price Books and look around

- just sit and soak in God's Word

I want to look back at this summer and be able to say I haven't just wasted time, relationships, money, or my mind. This verse comes to my mind- Acts 20:24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

I want everything I do this summer to bring more glory and honor to God. Laziness is an awful disease and it hinders me from doing just that. Not being able to enjoy what God has given me is something I struggle with, too. So I want to can laziness and embrace contentment this summer so the Lord would be known better.

Date nights

Drew and I are looking at our summer and we want to really take advantage of the amazing weather, more time with each other, and realizing we want to be more creative for date times. So here are our ideas, feel free to steal for your own!

- Ice cream dates

- Cleveland Indians' games (I will always bring a book along; just in case the game is going... slow hee-hee)

- Go on a day trip to cities around you to explore (Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati)

- picnic/hike

- bike ride on the towpath

- play tennis weekly

- mini-golf/ or real-golf

- rent a canoe or kayak and go on Portage Lakes

- make dinner based on what was at the local Farmer's Market that morning

- go to the State Fair

Have fun! And if you have any ideas I would gladly welcome them!

He ONLY

This psalm has left me thinking a lot:

Psalm 62

"for God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.....for my hope is from him.....Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us...."

Aren't there so many distractions in everyday life? I know it is easy for me to get bogged down in the daily distractions whether that is in word, thought, or action. Or if I am discouraged or needing advice, how easy it is for me to go call someone who will comfort me, or agree with me, or at least let me vent. Even the most spiritual looking activities can become distractions if doing them for the praise of men or to "earn my salvation" for the day.

The Lord is so gracious to work through these hurdles throughout the day. He allows me to still learn who he is and how he loves me even through the times I get distracted. I am learning how much I can rely on myself and disguise it even to myself, as if it is actually God. Or I will pray harder and even have other people pray for me in the areas that I think I should have. (As if God is a genie....)

I am comforted by the psalmist's words and I am challenged. Is God my ONLY ROCK I lean upon? Is my hope from Him? Do I trust Him? Do I pour out my heart before Him before turning to my people? Do I believe that He is a refuge unto me?

God is stronger, better, most -satisfying........ but do I really believe that? I am striving to place God back on the throne in these areas of my life that I have almost unknowingly tried to climb into his place. Or I have placed people on his throne thinking that they are my rock or they give me the satisfying hope that only He can give.

So what does that look like everyday for me?

- Asking God for help in the areas that I worry about the most and praying, "Lord, I am handing you this worry, and I give you this worry, and I give this area."

- Praying "Your will be done, Lord"

- Running to Him at all times of the day and "hiding" in Him

- Picturing Him on the throne and how I would never want myself to take His place in ANY way!

- Thinking more upon His character- sovereign, good, loving, just, merciful, gracious, and knows me better than anyone.

- thinking how to honor His name despite hard news or discouraging times

God With Us

Since it is getting closer to Christmas, I wanted to read the Christmas passages. These passages are so rich in meaning and the fulfillment of the Christ coming as a man, but still very God. As I read, I really want to think upon one of these verses a day because who Christ is and what He did for me is incredible. The birth of Christ shows me 5 things:
1. God really does care about me and about me having a relationship with Him.
2. God hates sin so much that He sent His only Son.
3. God is true to His promises because He has prophesied about the coming of Jesus since Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden.
4. Immanuel means "God with us." Jesus coming to Bethlehem was a very physical manifestation and then he sent His Holy Spirit to be with his believers forever. God is with us even today.
5. I want to be like Anna, who waited eagerly for the coming of the Christ. And in the meantime, I want to be like John the Baptist, who pointed people to Christ for salvation and the forgiveness of their sins.

Here are the passages in case you are interested in reading them throughout this month:
Matthew 1:18-25
Matthew 2
Luke 1
Luke 2

Merry Christmas! Jesus is truly why we celebrate Christmas.

Sooooo much to be thankful for this year:

- being able to live and breathe without any hindrances
- being able to still run after a hard marathon this year.
- getting to run the marathon with my incredible husband beside me
- both Drew and I love our jobs
- we have never gone hungry one day of our lives
- we have a home to call home
- for the family who very graciously loaned us their extra home for the year.
- being redeemed by Christ and being able to call God, Abba
- my marriage to the most wonderful & godly man ever. He has shown me most clearly what human love should look like
- God's Word, that it is living and active and God still teaches me through it
- the ministry of John Piper, and the committed preaching of God's Word through Him
- both Drew and I's families
- having 2 cars to drive, ...... that work.... :)
- friendships with people from Moody still, who challenge us, encourage us, and lead us back to the cross (Robyn, Suttons, Jonny, Haskins, Rachel, Halbleib, Huffs, LT, and I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple) We LOVED our time with you guys!
- friendships with people here in Akron area (too many to name)
- our church
- my school debt paid off by a gracious and generous person
- my students who teach me everyday about patience, and a simple child-like faith in Christ
- remaining healthy this fall thus far
- Bible study with my ladies, Leader's and non-leaders, love them both so much!

There have got to be so many more, but these are just to name a few specific ones.
I want to always continue this attitude of thanks to God. He is good by taking things away but also giving things to me that I don't deserve. I love the idea that God has taken things away from me for my good and for His glory. He really is good and loving if He cares that much.

Something I want to challenge myself to do today is praise God for who He is using the alphabet- A to Z. (I learned this from a lady that I am very thankful for)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!