Thursday, August 27, 2015

these are a few of my favorite things // 3

this child is absolutely one of my favorites!! ;)



1. feeling complete peace
2. bright red heels (somehow wearing red shoes makes everything 50% more exciting)
3. adorable little brothers
4. tart lemonade
5. amazing devo's in the morning
6. blackberry pie
7. baby goats that eat pears out of your hands and then lick the juice off your fingers
8. getting to spend time with both my big brothers at once
9. it's almost September, which means sweaters, hot drinks and beautiful leaves!
10. Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest)
11. cleaning all the junk off my desk so that I can actually use it again.
12. psalms 34
13. conquering fears!
14. watermelon and cantaloupe from my Grandpa's garden
15. quiet
16. fresh canned peaches lined up on the shelf.
17. long conversations
18. books that make you really think
19. christmas is in exactly 121 days, but we can "officially" start listening to Christmas music in only 66 days.
20. feeling comfortable around people
21. smiles and giggles from Lydia
22. vanilla ice cream
23. lighting candles (totally improves my mood!)
24.  Earl Grey Tea
25. burts bees lip balm
26. audrey hepburn (she's just so adorable!)
27. psalms 94:19
28. phantom of the opera (I just read the book, and it was wonderful!)
29. reading late into the night
30. looking forward to seeing good friends this weekend! (and climbing Mt. St. Helens on Tuesday!!)


source This drawing has been really striking my fancy lately. I think it's all kinds of adorable!!

What have been some of your favorite things lately.

Thursday, August 20, 2015

be still my soul

God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself because it is not there, there is no such thing. ~ CS Lewis  Look to God.  He provides our everything.

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul will make its boast in the Lord; The humble will hear it and rejoice.
O Magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His Name together.
I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant, and their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried , and the Lord heard him and saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and rescues them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good; how blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!
O fear the Lord, you His saints; For those who fear Him there is no want.
The young lions do lack and suffer hunger; but they who seek the Lord shall not be in want of any good thing.,
Come, you children, listen to me; I will; teach you the fear of the Lord.
Who is the man who desires life and loves length of days that he may see good?
Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry,
The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. 
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Many are the affliction of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones, not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and none of those who take refuge in Him will be condemned.
Psalms 34

Lately I've been dealing with some overwhelming fears, plagued by doubts and worry. Fears are something I've always dealt with, but this is so much more than usual.  I was letting them take over my thoughts, and affect my sleeping. Obviously focusing on the fears and doubts wasn't helping; it was making it much, much worse. So finally, I started doing what I should have been focusing on from the very beginning. I began surrendering my fears to God. Praying even more  than before for wisdom, direction and especially peace. I started clinging to verses from Philippians 4, reading them over and over throughout the day. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God,with surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." and verses from Psalms, "When my anxious thoughts multiply within me your consolations delight my soul." 


God keeps bring out the verses I need to read, in family devos at night, or a cross-reference from Pastor's sermon. Last week at church it was James 1:5-7 "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For the man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." 

And this morning I randomly opened the Psalms, and began reading Psalms 34, and it  felt like it was exactly what God wanted me to read. "I sought the Lord and He answered me, and delivered me from all my fears." He hears and he answers our prayers! And He can and will deliver me from all my fears! 


I've been listening to this song over and over too, and it's been really helping. Sometimes it is just really hard to remember to be still and wait on the Lord. "Leave to thy God to order and provide. In every change he faithful will remain. Be still my soul, thy Best, thy heavenly friend through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. 

So, this is a very "rambly" post, but I just was so excited this morning, because I felt complete peace. God is so faithful, and so loving! I am excited to see where He leads me, and in the meantime I will continue to cling to His promises! :)