a random hi

what up. i don't have anything brilliant to say (ha, hardly ever ;) ) but i just thought i'd put up something cause i just realized it's already been a month since i posted. and i wasn't even having withdrawals. lame. worst blogger ever.

just wanted to talk for a second about the love of Jesus. i have no notes or outline in a word document (not that i ever do, *laughs nervously) so i'm just gonna type. and go with whatever comes out. i have no idea how long or how short this will be, so you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like. ;)

what a sweet and wonderful and overwhelming and heart-wrenching thing it is that we get to experience the greatest love ever known to man. and if we choose, we get to do so every. single. day. are ya'll aware (preaching to myself) that we get God's best every day? there is never a day that He wakes up tired and says, "ugh i'm so over this-you are clearly not getting it". well, first of all he never sleeps. [self-diagnosed insomniac.] i love the way that "The Shack" (not trying to open a discussion on this book. *grin.) author ponders God's perspective of us "getting it right". that He doesn't necessarily sit up there and hang His head every time we screw up (although we certainly cause Him disappointment among a flood of other emotions), but the beauty of His angle is the all-knowing power that He possesses. so while He knows we're going to screw up, and probably even exactly how, maybe He also knows the exact "day" (though He doesn't measure time in the same way we do) that will be the day we beat that addiction. the day we choose to no longer be a child of the world. the day we hear the holy spirit convicting us of something and instead of blowing it off, we actually listen. actually FLEE temptation instead of seeing how close we can get without touching it. the day we choose to live in the power He has given us-the SAME power that raised Christ from the dead, instead of relying on our own strength which will always come up short. he is in our past of screw-ups. he is in our present moment of despair and frustrations at ourself and others. but He is also in the future. waiting. anticipating our arrival in a place of complete and utter perfection. life as it was intended to be. longing for the day that His inheritance will be received-and in case no one has told you, that's you. and that's me. we are the inheritance of the KING OF KINGS and LORD OF LORDS. of the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE. the MAKER OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. HE who brings the waves to a halt, and calls forth flowers from the ground in spring. The GOD who holds all the waters of the earth in the palm (that's just one) of His hand, yet goes out of His way to get in the details of your day to bless you. to bless me. THAT GUY wants you. HE wants me. so i guess the question is, do we want Him back?
after a weekend of being poured into, i am so aware of the poverty of my spirit that were it not for grace, i think we'd all dig our own graves. what a mess i am, and what a beautiful mess Jesus is and will make me if i let Him. i am just fascinated that God maintains His love for me right smack dab in the middle of my mistakes. the very moment i choose to be a screw-up, He still could not love me more. i love how He takes our faults, errors, inaccuracies, and conscious moments of stupidity--what would otherwise ruin us--and USES it. grows us in it. blesses others with it. and teaches us about Himself if we will stand to hear it. and when you are flat on your face with no where but "up" to look, you GLADLY stand to hear it. you humbly welcome it, and pray that something solidifies the mush of understanding we perceive life through, enough to be CHANGED by it.

Lord, have mercy. thank you for loving me. for loving me SO scandalously that there is not one thing on this earth to compare it to. for going out of your way to reshape my heart and mind to understand you. to want you. to be changed by you. Lord Jesus i pray you would make me want you more than anything. more than the touch or security of another human being-sister, mentor, friend, or romance-more than all the riches of the world. more than the life you have blessed me to live, i pray You would be my life. help me understand you better. help me take my every thought captive to you. teach me what it means to live in freedom that is not bound by any incompetence or inability on my part. may i rely on you for every bit of what i need. i know you love me. help me live like i know it. oh, to not be caged or restricted by my own insecurities and fears-but to walk humbly in the confidence of whose i am. i love you. i want to love you so much better.
i believe, Father. aware or unaware, help my unbelief.





kbye.

Cardboard Harbor

So I wrote this song. Well, I wrote the lyrics to a potential song. It is currently melody-less…and might remain so forever depending on the depth of my creativity in the days to come. (Which considering the date on my last blog post--we’re not even going there—might remain pretty shallow.) Regardless, I was thinking of this unfinished ‘thing’, if you will, recently and it sort of took on a new dimension for me in relation to my spiritual life.

Lets be honest, the words were actually written in response to my emotions concerning a certain “person” --another subject we will not be getting into. Ha. The basic gist of my infrequently and annoyingly unpredictable emotions is that no matter where the blame may lie, at the conclusion of my interaction with this person, I was awakened to a reality I thought would never exist, and when it in fact did, it temporarily suffocated my every hope and thought. I found I had allowed myself to be in a place that once (and for some time) seemed so completely stable, trustworthy, and safe, that to question it at the time would have been to deny the existence of one of the greatest blessings of fellowship my heart had ever known; yet in the end, the tangible absence of such was now slowly descending and deteriorating around me, within me, and as I was humbled I found-partially because of me. I had not the eyes to recognize any part of its harmful or destructive (not abusive in any way, but more of a suppressing of myself) nature until I found myself sitting in an empty space where human arms had once held me up. I was alone. And I was quite aware of it. I am literally shuddering at the memory of those moments of realization, of what I knew I had lost, and how I thought I couldn’t survive without it.

I remember thinking my tear ducts were hooked up to some imaginary water fountain and someone really mean had turned it on “high”. I remember thinking “oh THATs what all the lyrics to those songs I always thought were so cheesy actually meant” (“how am I supposed to breathe with no air” ….hahahaha KIDDING…I did feel that way sometimes, but I’m currently just being dramatic. ☺ Humor me.) I remember not wanting to get out of bed because I thought there was no way I could be happy, void of someone who held such significance in my heart and in my ability to believe in myself and the person I wanted to become. Being an introvert, I tend to thrive on quiet moments by myself-but not when they are (or seemingly so) my only option. And despite my love for those pockets of peaceful reflection, I found myself drowning in the silence of a million words and stanzas; only, I could find not one to fully describe the depth to which I felt my foundation was sinking. How did I become SO lost within what I had found, that when it was over, I found I had in fact lost myself? Never in my life had I had issues knowing who I was. (Now, insecurity and self esteem are another story, but for this particular moment I’m not talking about my actual identity in Christ.)

I never understood certain parts of the movie Runaway Bride until I realized that it now was I who didn’t know how I liked my “eggs” cooked. And I totally got it. I was in a complete frenzy of wordless speeches and halting dreams. I was humbled. Flattened. Stripped of every safety net within my reach. Left with so many questions I didn’t know how or where to begin. Sent into a desert place. AGAIN. And I was NOT happy about it. And so I began a sort of rebirth/reinventing/re-establishing of who I was, and what my purpose was. And I started taking mental notes: I DO like banana popsicles. I do NOT like Indian food. I am a jeans and a white t-shirt kind of girl. But I have cool boots and sometimes I like to wear those too. And so it began. Trivial at first, but at the heart of what was happening, I was being drawn back in to the source of my very existence. The quiet presence that gave me the strength to get up in the morning and promised me I’d have what I needed to get through THAT day. The One that promised me if I’d trust the handfuls of the broken pieces, even the secret ones I tried to put back together myself, that HE would create something, and birth something I wouldn’t believe even if HE told me (Hab. 1:5).

In the so called “chorus” of this melodically unfinished song, I talk about life as living in a harbor, and how we create (or think we are creating) a space of comfort. A place that feels homey, that we decorate with memories and pack tightly with the trust of those who have led us to such a haven of existence. But this harbor, this space that I allowed to be created in my heart and mind, and what I clung to so dearly as my security and well-being, I discovered was actually made of cardboard. A structure that appears completely capable of holding valuables and keeping them intact in their original form. But have you ever seen what happens to cardboard when it gets wet? (It stinks for one thing.) Immediately the very fibers of strength that hold together such a transportable mass become incapacitated, and depending on the weight of that which it holds, will weaken in structure—more than likely causing it’s contents to fall into a deranged mess. A cardboard harbor. (Oxymoron anyone?)

I actually looked up the word harbor before writing this post, and thanks to “dictionary.com” this is what I found:

HARBOR: “a part of a body of water along the shore deep enough for anchoring a ship….any place of SHELTER or REFUGE…(v) to conceal…hide…maintain”

Bingo. Red Flags everywhere. What exactly was I anchoring my trust, my love, my time, my energy, my thoughts, my efforts, my dreams and desires to? Something, someone who, at the end of the day, was no more secure than me. Whose character shined so bright for a time that it overshadowed a looming frailty and imperfections within that I had not the ability to heal.

I HID within the tangible feeling of someone holding me, instead of hiding in the shadow of the Almighty (Psalm 91:1).
My insecurity found HOPE in a vanishing opinion instead of resting in the knowledge that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14).
I sought SECURITY for my future in a shelter made of temporary things instead of remembering that I am completely HEMMED IN to a plan made just for me (Psalm 139:5).
I tested the waters of purity and gave my whole heart to something unsure instead of sinking in to a reality that I have access to EVERY PROMISE God offers me in Christ(Psalm 145:13, 2 Corinthians 1:20, 2 Corinthians 7:1).

Being humbled HURTS. It’s embarrassing, even if only between you and the Lord your God. Initially it makes you want to hang your head. But you know what? It can also be the biggest blessing of your life. And on top of that, we are called to be humble (Ephesians 4:2), to seek humility (Zeph 2:3), and walk humbly with our God (Micah 6:8). God esteems the humble and blesses them with grace (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5; Isaiah 66:2).

This has been a hard season of life for me—to accept that God has allowed a gift to be given to me, and then taken away. But I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I would much rather learn to stay humbled before Him, completely aware of, and dependent upon his grace and goodness in my life so that He gets every stinkin’ ounce of the GLORY, and EVERY accolade for the accomplishments in my life (Isaiah 26:12).

I don’t know what the future holds, but I know WHO holds my future. (Jer 29:11)
I don’t know what circumstances I will face tomorrow, but when they come HE will give me wisdom. (Psalm 51:6; Proverbs 2:6)
I am completely incapable of living in purity and doing everything in this life “correctly”, but I know where my help comes from and the heart from which grace flows. (Psalm 121:2)
I can choose bitterness or I can daily choose to delight in my Jesus and learn to savor knowledge and understanding from Him. (Proverbs 2:6)

I pray for us all that we will choose to rely on our good God to sustain, maintain, and protect our hearts, for HE is our only TRUE source of security, and the PUREST form of LOVE we could experience. He is the only one whose heart is completely FOR us and whose work in us doesn’t just keep us intact, but if we allow it, makes us better. He who is completely capable takes our mess, and turns our worth and significance into something eternal and everlasting.
I pray that we all love Him a little more with the arrival of every sunrise.

And just for the record, I like my eggs scrambled.

Something to Hold You Over

I promise I'm alive. I just haven't had the chance to breathe in the last couple of months. :) I love my job, but I think I've had a total of 2 days off since February (not counting a few Easter days). Not Cool. So of course I have a hundred million things to write about and only a hundred millionths of a second to write about them. But something new is coming. And in the meantime, you can ooo and ahhhh with me over my new nephew (first grandchild on both sides) that was born this past thursday. Precious. Haven't met him yet. Dying to. Get to in 16 days. :)

Luke Russell Hinton


No time for a bath...need pictures first. :)


Ahh, much better. :)


That's right...Carolina IS #1.


So tiny with my daddy.


So cuddly.


My favorite.


Me and mommy.


Sweet.


Happy Family :)

The Presence of Greatness

{“Greatness or pre-eminence is a concept heavily dependent on a person's perspective and biases. The term can be used to emphasize perceived superiority of a person or thing.” - www.wikipedia.com}

{"Most of the trouble in this world is caused by people who want to be important." T.S. Eliot}

I have been pondering the subject of greatness for a while now.
What does it mean to be great?
Why do people strive for greatness?
Assuming we have an answer to the first question, how do you know if you even possess the qualities necessary to attempt greatness?

Because greatness, much like beauty, often lies in the eyes of the beholder, this presents a whole new set of questions.
To whom do you wish to be perceived as great?
Are those who are the object of your desired proclamation of greatness, also deemed great in other’s eyes? Or just yours?
What are you hoping to achieve when you have successfully acquired the label of “greatness” to your societal resume?

I think everybody wants to be great in some way. Most people strive to be great in at least one area—to look great, feel great, be great at their job, or work at a certain characteristic until the word in question can be applied to it as well—great listener, great servant, great teacher, great artist, great musician, etc. We even apply the word to temporary items like “that piece of cake was so great”, or “they have great coffee—the best”.
What is so appealing about the word GREAT? At some point in history this word has been applied to people in the human race in such a way that gives us a longing to also be placed in a category with a similar form of recognition. What people come to mind when you think of the word great? Martin Luther King? Abraham Lincoln? Rosa Parks? Albert Einstein? George Washington? Alexander the GREAT? Brad Pitt? HAHA. Jk…he and I are going to have words one day. With the exclusion of the last one, these people (according to my yahoo search) are all considered great people in history in some way-Inventors, presidents, those who stood up for rights, and those who just seemed to encumber the word great for nearly it’s entire meaning. (And if you are a large Brad Pitt fan, I must clarify that I, myself, am not saying that he isn’t great by someone else’s standards--movie critics? Angelina?—lol I’m stopping. He just doesn’t fit for this post….but no hard feelings. ☺ )

So what would the definition of greatness be as it pertains to each individual and their ability to achieve the essence of it, without seeking to contort themselves into something or somebody that they weren’t created to be, just to win the label of such among a group of peers or those whose opinions they desire?
In my pondering this question over the last few weeks, I have come to several conclusions. In the presence of greatness, you can't help but be inspired to be great yourself. Because greatness is not condemning or belittling, it doesn't call you out on your mistakes or try to embarrass you in front of your peers. Greatness doesn't try to one-up his friends, or intentionally make anyone jealous, because greatness understands that the very qualities that make it "great" are not natural in their mortal self, but are in fact gifted and meant to be shared for the purpose of inspiring, for building up, for expanding happiness, starting a revolution of sorts inside each individual heart. Those who are able to possess the quality of greatness do so while, in my opinion, also fully encompassing humility. Without the combined product of greatness AND humility, I would have to ask if a person who only grasped the first of those, indeed was wholly that, or if everything in his/her life that pointed to the manufacture of such a quality was lost in the absence of the second. I guess this depends on your definition of both greatness and humility, but I seem to think that without the latter, one could be perceived as somewhat of a gloat, only seeking the attention that his greatness produced rather than seeking to be great for a higher purpose and one that benefitted others above, or at least in addition to, himself.
So based on my opinions, if greatness and humility are equal parts of a whole, then the simple equation can be made that greatness=humility. In which case, there is no longer a need to struggle through history to find the best example of one such case. His name is Jesus.
I was reading some articles on Wikipedia about “great” and “heroic” men, and stumbled across an article by Thomas Carlyle. In one part of his work he was discussing a Thibeten people group and their particular beliefs about the divine and it’s relation to great men on earth. Here is a short excerpt that sort of sums up their idea:

[“They have their belief, these poor Thibet people,
 that Providence sends down always an Incarnation of Himself 
into every generation. At bottom some belief in a kind of 
Pope! At bottom still better, belief that there is a Greatest
 Man; that he is discoverable; that, once discovered, we ought 
to treat him with an obedience which knows no bounds! …the ‘discoverability’ is 
the only error here.”]
Well they were right about one thing. There is a Greatest Man, and He is discoverable. Where they have sadly missed out is in the “once [he is] discovered” part. Oh the many ways that even those of us who know Him, miss Him on a daily basis. But that is another day’s topic. Jesus is arguably the most accessible man on the planet, yet in our complicated and distracted minds, we make it appear as if He’s the farthest thing from us. The other interesting point that the Thibet people seem to be spot-on about is that this great man they deem discoverable, yet undiscovered in their minds, should be treated “with an obedience which knows no bounds!” They are unaware that the object of their affections already exist, yet they have a better understanding on how he is to be treated when found than most of us are able to grasp, and keep, as faithful followers of Him.

I pulled another quote from this same article that is as equally resounding to me:
[“One comfort is, that Great Men, taken up in any way, are 
profitable company. We cannot look, however imperfectly, 
upon a great man, without gaining something by him. He
 is the living light-fountain, which it is good and pleasant to
 be near. The light which enlightens, which has enlightened
 the darkness of the world; and this not as a kindled lamp
 only, but rather as a natural luminary shining by the gift of
 Heaven; a flowing light-fountain, as I say, of native original
 insight, of manhood and heroic nobleness; -- in whose
 radiance all souls feel that it is well with them.”]

Though Carlyle is speaking of great men throughout history (not intending to represent Christ in his explanation), I think you can see there is quite an exact depiction of our Savior’s essence described in what was he is suggesting these “great” mortal beings somehow possess. For, if looked upon with understanding eyes (be they literal or of the heart) one cannot dismiss the qualities of Christ that we indeed gain from if we allow ourselves to be influenced by Him, simply by being the presence of our heavenly Father.
“…He is the living light-fountain….good and pleasant…light which enlightens, which has enlightened the darkness of the world…natural luminary…gift of heaven…in whose radiance all souls feel that it is well with them.”

Let’s look back to some of our original questions:
What does it mean to be great?
Why do people strive for greatness?
Assuming we have an answer to the first question, how do you know if you even possess the qualities necessary to attempt greatness?

By worldly standards, there are all manner of opinions about what greatness is and represents and how we are to go about obtaining those qualities to achieve such a status. But for those of us who know Christ personally, maybe the longing inside us to be great is that of our spirit wanting to know and be connected more deeply to the light of Christ. To grow, to learn, to be drawn in closer to Him and told the secrets of heaven. We are urged by Paul in 1 Peter 2:12 as aliens and strangers in the world to live our lives in a way that others “may see your good deeds and glorify God”. Most of us have a natural, normal desire to be successful in worldly terms-in our human bodies-because everybody likes an accolade or a good pat on the back. And we should support and encourage each other in our attempts to grow as people in the world. The trick is to not let our normal desire to find acceptance, love, and praise in others, overshadow our very purposeful desire to be closer, know more deeply, and point others toward God. To continue being, as you’ve probably heard 100 times over, IN the world but not OF it. We have been blessed with gifts far exceeding what any of us deserve--gifts meant to edify the body as a whole unit, so the unit can work with one purpose. The better we each are at our gifts, the better the body works, and the better we are at accomplishing the work of God’s kingdom together. [“There is one body and one spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” Ephesians 4:4-6]

Feeling like you don’t possess what it takes to be great? If you are a child of God, we are told in scripture that when we receive Christ and are adopted into the family of God, we receive the power and the marking of the Holy Spirit who then lives in us [1 Corinthians 6:19, Ephesians 1:13]. And furthermore, unlike biblical times, God no longer dwells behind the walls of a temple building, but takes up residence in your heart [1 John 4:12,15-16, Ephesians 2:22]. In other words, you have 2/3 of the trinity inside of you. 2/3 OF THE TRINITY!!!! We are great because of what—WHO-- is in us. The mere presence of God in us deems us HOLY, WORTHY, and VALUABLE. But it is up to us to allow God to do His thing in us. Aka: get out of the way. Decrease. Seek humility in all things. Seek the character of Christ, who both fully human and fully divine, pointed others to the Father above all else. [“Since then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Colossians 3:1-2]

If we wish to know Christ’s thoughts on greatness and being great, we need look no farther than the first gospel, Matthew.
[“At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?...whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” 18:1-4]

So here’s to humility. Putting others first. Learning how to be servants of the MOST HIGH God. [1 Peter 2:16] Embracing our greatness not because of who we are or what we’ve done, but because He who is in us is inherently great, and His very essence calls forth the same response of character out of us.
It is a blast loving Jesus with you.



{ok i can't leave without being honest and saying that this entire post about GREATNESS came to me while at a concert a few weeks ago. the artist would be CELINE DION. need i say more? :)}


web article: (Carlyle, Thomas. On Heroes, Hero-Worship and the Heroic in History, Fredrick A. Stokes & Brother, New York, 1888. p. 2.)

A Jesus Year

[(It's now officially Jan 2, but this post was started on the 1st. Honest. :)]

I am having one of those days (weeks). One of those days where you are fully aware of your brokenness. Fully aware of your stupidity. Your mistakes. Mess-ups. Your straight up JUNK. ever have one of those days?! And it doesn't help that I just saw the movie "Doubt" in the theater. Haha...virtually no correlation with the story line but I think there are some overarching themes that everyone could tap into in some way in their life. Anyways, that has nothing to do with the price of tea in China, but the movie was good so if you like good movies maybe you should go see it. :) Meryl Streep rocks. As usual. And Amy Adams was quite awesome as well I thought. Ah, sorry this is not a movie review blog.

Ok, back to my self-loathing (while I eat a brownie...always helpful in that department. Ha.) I don't know, maybe it's an attack of the enemy around this time of year when things are happy and we are to "be of good cheer". Maybe it's the attitude of everyone getting serious and pondering their goals for the new year, and which ones not to attempt again from years past that are sure to end promptly by the 12th day of the year or so...like trying to cut out CHOCOLATE or something. PUH-LEASE. Just eat the darker stuff. Taste awesome. Less Sugar. More Antioxidants. Don't make me go all former-Rocky-Mountain-Chocolate-Factory-shift-manager on you and whip out my excuses for my occasional tiny (HUGE) piece (BAG) of heaven. Stalling. Again.

Today I am 2 years old. ("No you're not you're 24 and in complete denial. You've been babysitting too much.") Ha. No, today is my spiritual birthday. :) (If you want to know more about this you can read my long winded commentary on it here ; or also on the first few posts i ever wrote "an internal battle", "breaking free or tightening the chains", and "and now I'm free")
What a great day for that to happen to land on, huh? January 1. Talk about a New Year's Resolution. I have decided that JESUS is my new year's resolution. I was reading a blog recently where the writer said "I want a Jesus year, don't you?" I remember answering her audibly, as if she sat in the same room with me sharing my cup of 1/2 vanilla nut, 1/2 Swiss almond chocolate coffee (yes, it is divine), but in a whisper saying, "yes, I do." To hear it I think would have sounded like I was pondering my response. Not like a questioned, doubted response, but like "how do i get one of those....a Jesus year." I don't mean He hasn't been around for the last 24 years of my life, the last 13 years since I got baptized, or the last 2 years since I feel like I first met Him face to face. But how do I find Him, no--let Him in to the mistake-prone, sin-driven, straight up ugly areas in me so that I can be changed.

Not changed like the first time you believe and begin to understand what it means to live with Christ as your Lord and Savior. But the step after that. Changed in such a way that I stop allowing my laundry list of wish-I-could-redo's to affect my present self which doesn't allow me to see God's best for me, and know how to perceive what that is, based on the truth of God's word--not what any 3rd-party source tries to convince me of or way it tries to hinder the passions of my heart that are the very thing that makes it tick. I hate feeling like some intangible force be it fear or doubt, worry or criticism, opinion or expectation is what speaks the loudest to the outcome of my decisions. [I don't mean ignoring those whispers of wisdom that I believe are meant to protect or warn us (be it your "still small voice" or your "conscience"); I think those little inklings are placed in us for a reason and should be acknowledged like that of a guiding hand of a mentor or otherwise noteworthy voice of reason in our lives.] But I fear that I have spent much of my time the last 2 years listening more to the song of the incapable, than learning how to write my own melody with the tools my Creator has given me.

So maybe this reassessment of self-perception that I began this post with, which previously would have birthed itself into indifference, irresponsibility, and driving myself to numbness of thought, will, and has, projected my heart's thoughts into the world, and so has lost it's power as in intangible force in the form of one or more of the above mentioned emotions. An ending to a season of question frustration, and uncertainty, and a promise of present and future beauty, grace, hope and security in something (someone) who at first glance appears intangible as well, but perhaps is the very definition of the opposite-quite tangible-the WORD MADE FLESH. An uncoiling, unraveling, and undoing of myself to find that I in fact am hand-crafted and hemmed in to God's master plan. (Thus, my new blog header :) )

I want a Jesus year. A year of asking HIM to be my provider in ALL areas, and then LETTING HIM. A year of asking to be humbled, and graciously receiving the opportunity when it happens. A year of chances--of letting God show me how powerful He can be through me, instead of estimating that factor in my head and reassessing my prayers based on what I think He might be able to handle. A year to ask the one who created me who I am, and then BELIEVE HIM when He tells me. A year of being pro-active about sharing my passions with other people, and telling them about the love that makes my heart beat with such purpose. (And for good measure, we'll throw in a year of more exercise and eating green. :) )

With my Jesus year I have also committed myself to memorizing scripture more intentionally. Partially a personal goal already in progress, and partially because of the accountability found here by a group of women who are also in the same life race, seeking to be wiser, and more in love with their Savior. So I wanted to leave you with the verse I chose for my first memorization task.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert, and streams in the wasteland." [Isaiah 43:18-19]

God is doing a new thing. In each of us. Let's not miss it. The Creator of the universe who creates streams of water out of dry ground--that's who I want to know and be loved by. Let's have a Jesus kind of year. And let's have a blast doing it.
Love you to pieces.