too blessed
huge sigh...what a great week it has been. my sweet mother came this weekend for mom's weekend and we just got to enjoy each other. i know that adpi is responsible for the actual planning of the weekend, but mom and i really just got to hang out together. and ya know, that is so special because we are so different. i love how times of sitting and talking are not merely chat time, but time to appreciate our differences.
i have to say that the Lord just continues to blow me away. i see this weird sort of game in which i am chasing after my God. i want to gain on Him with my every word, step, prayer, or just the mere act of opening my mouth to declare how good He is. but when i really get wrapped up in this game, i figure out that i am not so much chasing Him...He is hard after ME! He is much better at this game than i will ever be...and that is okay. it is designed that way. He breaks through any and every barrier to get to me. it is a never-ending cycle. but though never-ending, it is never redundant. He never gets tired, and i never want Him to stop.
new thought: i am constantly being reminded of the power of the body of Christ. i met the sweetest, most genuine kindred spirit this weekend--and i think we spent a total of maybe 2 hours in each other's presence and i already have so much i would love to say about this person. encouragement can impact on many different levels. but it is so cool to be spoken to for the first time and truly feel like you have known this person for as long as you can remember (sorry for the cliche, but...it is late and the crafty juices left me a long time ago). these are the words that take root. when someone does not know your character, but only knows what she has been told. bits and pieces of little stories, snippets of things that you have said that have been relayed to someone--when Christ is involved, they have the power to give that person the ability to speak volumes to the depths of another. and it happened. and it happened to me. and i am all the more reminded of God's hand in my life. i have to look past single events that take place that produce the "i know God is in control of my life" sentiment. these single events function from a chain of events...and the Lord ordained every single one of the them and placed them in their exact order. wow...kinda conjures the ear-to-ear smile...or for me it does. He is so good to me! these happenings are all pointing their fingers at God, saying, "He is responsible for such a tangible way to experience His love and affirmation...to Him be the glory!" and this was not some explosive, total mind-blowing situation. it was just an introduction, some small talk, and some encouragement. that is what the Lord had to work with, and with it, He just wrapped another layer of security around my being. ..and how cool is that?! yeah, i like it...good stuff. and what's even better is that the Lord does this ALL OF THE TIME in our lives!
ok yes, that was a dramatic, verbose way of saying that this person that i met was really cool. but gosh, have i EVER been anything but dramatic and verbose? i do not really know anything about her, but she affirmed me and i couldn't help but think about it all weekend. the Lord has entrusted something of hers to me...and i love that!
and with that, i am excited about the oh so great sleep i am going to have tonight. encouragment, what a great thing! women and how the Lord uses us to encourage...what a great thing! ..or to be quite honest, the 5 mile hike jess and i went on today would probably attribute to the grand sleep that awaits me. again...what a great thing! like i said, what a great week it has been...
renewed...jamie
i have to say that the Lord just continues to blow me away. i see this weird sort of game in which i am chasing after my God. i want to gain on Him with my every word, step, prayer, or just the mere act of opening my mouth to declare how good He is. but when i really get wrapped up in this game, i figure out that i am not so much chasing Him...He is hard after ME! He is much better at this game than i will ever be...and that is okay. it is designed that way. He breaks through any and every barrier to get to me. it is a never-ending cycle. but though never-ending, it is never redundant. He never gets tired, and i never want Him to stop.
new thought: i am constantly being reminded of the power of the body of Christ. i met the sweetest, most genuine kindred spirit this weekend--and i think we spent a total of maybe 2 hours in each other's presence and i already have so much i would love to say about this person. encouragement can impact on many different levels. but it is so cool to be spoken to for the first time and truly feel like you have known this person for as long as you can remember (sorry for the cliche, but...it is late and the crafty juices left me a long time ago). these are the words that take root. when someone does not know your character, but only knows what she has been told. bits and pieces of little stories, snippets of things that you have said that have been relayed to someone--when Christ is involved, they have the power to give that person the ability to speak volumes to the depths of another. and it happened. and it happened to me. and i am all the more reminded of God's hand in my life. i have to look past single events that take place that produce the "i know God is in control of my life" sentiment. these single events function from a chain of events...and the Lord ordained every single one of the them and placed them in their exact order. wow...kinda conjures the ear-to-ear smile...or for me it does. He is so good to me! these happenings are all pointing their fingers at God, saying, "He is responsible for such a tangible way to experience His love and affirmation...to Him be the glory!" and this was not some explosive, total mind-blowing situation. it was just an introduction, some small talk, and some encouragement. that is what the Lord had to work with, and with it, He just wrapped another layer of security around my being. ..and how cool is that?! yeah, i like it...good stuff. and what's even better is that the Lord does this ALL OF THE TIME in our lives!
ok yes, that was a dramatic, verbose way of saying that this person that i met was really cool. but gosh, have i EVER been anything but dramatic and verbose? i do not really know anything about her, but she affirmed me and i couldn't help but think about it all weekend. the Lord has entrusted something of hers to me...and i love that!
and with that, i am excited about the oh so great sleep i am going to have tonight. encouragment, what a great thing! women and how the Lord uses us to encourage...what a great thing! ..or to be quite honest, the 5 mile hike jess and i went on today would probably attribute to the grand sleep that awaits me. again...what a great thing! like i said, what a great week it has been...
renewed...jamie