Psalm 142

Psalm 142

Loudly, I cry to the Lord.
Loudly, I plead with the Lord for mercy.
I pour out my complaints in His presence and tell Him my troubles.
When I begin to lose hope, You already know what I am experiecing.

My enemies have hidden a trap for me on the path where I walk.
Look to my right and see that no one notices me.
Escape is impossible for me.
No one cares about me.

I call out to you, O Lord,
I say "You are my refuge, my own inheritance in this world of the living."
Pay attention to my cry for help because I am very weak.
Rescue me from those who pursue because they are too strong for me.
Release my soul from prison so that I may give thanks to Your Name,
Righteous people will surround me because You are good to me.

Proud to call him Brother

I'm the youngest child in my family, with two older brothers. Although brothers will be brothers, I really was their favorite shadow and we got along pretty great, at least from my point of view.
My oldest brother is in Thailand right now. He left in January for an 11 month Mission trip, to go to a different place every month, for the sole purpose of bringing glory to God, leading people to the Lord, and to run the race to win. "We drove in on a rocky road, being beaten left and right as the farm truck's shocks attempted to absorb the pounding. I had never felt quite as tired as I had this morning, but I knew that by faithfully trusting in God to give me strength that He would provide." -Hugh Roberts. He has an amazing blog - http://hughroberts.theworldrace.org/ I miss him very much now, and I am ready to give him a hug and hear all his stories in person, but I'm very, very proud to call him my brother :)

My other brother is tall, handsome, and funny. When he talks, I must say, it is usually pure brilliance. His laugh makes me smile :) My favorite thing is that, no matter what - no matter where/when or anything - if I need him, he is there. I call and I can trust that he is on his way. He moved out a couple of weeks ago, and even though I thoroughly enjoy the lack of cloths on the bathroom floor, I miss him too. I miss him especially when it's super quiet at night because he isn't making noise, or when there's a roach I need him to kill, or when we're out of snacks or milk, or when I need advise on my outfit. I'm proud to call Aaron my brother.

My brothers set the example to me (along with my awesome Dad) because they're striving to be men of God, and I'm proud of them both.

Filled to be Emptied

I know I'm filled to be emptied again. No one said it would be easy, actually most everyone said it would be hard, but I knew it would be worth it. I wouldn't say that the last three weeks have been easy, but they surely weren't a hardship either.
I thought July was going to be a month filled with lots of revalation about my own self, and lots of tears, and too many goodbyes, and confrontations of all kinds, and also worry. But it was not like that. The explination of why these past few weeks were not hard, is God. In the past few months I began to get prepared to go on these mission trips. I started to read my Bible better and to pray more and to worship wholly. I let God fill me up, because I knew that I'm filled to be emptied again.
I am sure now that I could have let God move even more in my life, but in the month of June, I started to listen and do what He asked me to do and let Him move me into action.
I realize now that everywhere I went in June, had a reason -to grow me up spiritually and get me closer to God. I was on the look-out, waiting for a chance to hear from God, and God always came through. Also, sharpening my Sword helped a ton. Letting go and letting God handle things was hard all the time, but practice makes it easier and I got lots of that.

So this is my challenge to you. (And to me!) Study Up. I knew that I couldn't go into the battle unprepared, so I trained harder, but the truth is -We are in a battle every day. We have got to be studied and know our Word. We need to pray powerful prayers to our powerful God. I need to let God move me into action more, because I am a lazy girl. I have to let God have control and not worry or be anxious. I need to remember that I am filled. And I need to get out there and empty out into other lives. Pour into other people.

I heard this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ub9ntcIvD0s while in the Dominican, and it totally lifted me up and pushed me forward. I hope it does the same for you.

"I will bring praise. I will bring praise! No weapon formed against me shall remain.
God is my victory and He is here.

All of my life, in every season, You are still God.
I have a reason to sing. I have a reason to worship."

Servants of God

When I was in the Dominican Republic this last week, the ladies over there taught me quite a few things. On my trip to minister to them, they ministered to me.

They are so welcoming, they greet you with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. They are your sisters and friends already. They are so grateful that we are there to help them and they thanked us a lot. Their gratefulness at anything big or small made me feel glad to be there -needed and wanted.

Most of the Christian ladies don't speak English and don't know what we say when we pray but they bow their heads in reverence and respect to God. Their love for God shines from their eyes and smiles. The love of the Lord radiates from their entire being. They are committed to the Lord and the jobs that He has given them and they do it all with a smile.

The ladies loved to feed us there, I guess because that's all they can give back to us. It's so sweet of them. And it also challenged me to be very giving of everything and anything I have. They give more than they can, yet I have so much and I keep what I need and want. They give their all in everything they do and every way they can.

At our first location, the pastors house was right beside his church and also right beside where our house was. The pastors wife had people coming in and out of her house every minute of every day and she greeted them all and was glad they were there, ready to give them what they needed as best as she could. She had projects all around, a sewing machine here to make things for the women, and a rocking chair and blanket in case a baby needed to be rocked, and an office and phone for the missionaries to call home, and someone cooking in the kitchen, and extra cloths over there as need for everyone, and a quiet room in case someone needed to talk -so many ways that she ministered!! Her home was not perfect but to me it was absolutely beautiful! Anyone and everyone was welcome in her home at any time. She was a true servant and showed me how it needs to be.

At our second location we were painting a school room. The first thing one of the ladies does is cook us some food and bring us drinks and jello. She was so happy to have us there and kept thanking us over and over again. She didn't speak English but that did not stop her from coming out to greet us. She didn't hide in the kitchen like I might have, and she didn't stand in the doorway to the school room like I might have, but she came in and welcomed us and brought us food. I wouldn't have had courage to do that unless I was told to, but she did it on her own and she showed me that that's how it needs to be.

All of these ladies are truly servants of God. They give their all, even when it might seem they have nothing to give, because they do have God's love to give. They don't hold back. And through this, they showed me how my life needs to change.

God's Word

7-28-12

In group Devotional this morning Zephaniah 3:17 was the scripture. Last Wednesday it was also the scripture. In the 'Trip Guide' book, for Day Two it is there again!
Surely this is God speaking!
Zephaniah 3:17 "For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a might Savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will exhult over you by singing a happy song."
This is everything I needed to hear. Thank you God.


8-3-12

The Bible is a living book that applies to us still today. God spoke this verse into my life last year and I memorized it, and now as He whispers it to me again and again it reaches to the core of my being. He has arrived to live among me and with me, no matter where I live for however long. He is mighty! His Words of rejoicing and delighting in me bring me peace -the power of His love brings me a peace that passes all understanding. As He sings a happy song over me, it calls to me to sing back to Him. I'm filled with His word to be emptied again then He fills me and I give and over and over.
Are you listening for His words of love? Are you letting His love calm all your fears? He is rejoicing over you. Listen. He is loving you. Listen. He is singing to you. Listen to His singing.

Beauty

I didn't know. I should have known. I didn't know you could fall in love with a child so easily -so quickly without even speaking a word.
We had just arrived in the Dominican Republic and were driving down the paved, two-lane road. I sat in the passenger seat of the fifteen passenger bus. A mini-van with a little brown face smiling out the window pulled up beside us at a red light. She looks straight at me and I grin at her. At my smile, she lights up, waving back to me and showing off her white teeth with a big smile.
She's beautiful.
We play peek-a-boo for a little, with her coming in view and disappearing behind the window. She giggles the entire time and I can't help but feel joy at her delight.
The light turns green and we pull away and she's gone.
I don't know her name, or how old she is, or where she was going, or if she knew Jesus. But she was beautiful.

7-26-12 DAY ONE

I did not want to go overseas on a mission trip, with just me and God and a team of strangers. I wanted to say "no" and stay home where I am comfortable, and know what my job is, and have easy access to everything.
All (Thursday) morning I was nervous. My parents getting to go through security and waiting with me helped, but ultimately it was when I left them, got into the plane and sat down that the peace of God washed over my heart. No longer am I shaky. No longer am I worried. God is with me -I said "Yes" when He asked me to go and I claim His promises that He will lead and guide me and give me courage.
I might not have easy access to phone or Internet. I might not have my best friends beside me. But I know God is with me. And I do know my job. My job is to spread the love and hope of Jesus. God has never failed to take care of me in every way, and He will not forget me now. All this time He has been whispering words of love and peace.
"Just trust me, daughter."
So I look down from the sky and literally say goodbye to everyone and everything I love and tell God that I will trust Him.
If this brings one person to know the power of God, then it is worth it. And if this brings me just a inch closer to God, then it is worth it.
God is worth it. Saying "Yes" is worth it.

Matthew 10:38-39 "Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."

Prayer

May today be all you need it to be. May the peace of God and the freshness f the Holy Spirit rest in your thoughts, rule in your dreams tonight, and conquer all your fears.

May God manifest Himself today in ways you have never experienced. May your joys be fulfilled, your dreams be closer, and your prayers be answered.

I pray that faith enters a new height for you; I pray that your territory is enlarged.
I pray for peace, healing, health, happiness, prosperity, joy, true and undying love for God.

My feet are glued... when I should be running

July 20th  

I’m disappointed in myself. July was a month I’d looked forward to with anticipation and expectation - and if I’m honest a little of anxiety. I was coming to find adventure and revival, yet here I sit, on a comfortable recliner, lounging in front of the TV. Music jamming in the back ground. Even though a week ago, I arrived a little bit out of my comfort zone, it isn’t that way anymore –this could be home. Looking back on my week, I realize I’ve missed opportunities for adventure, and I’ve chosen to settle and chill instead of getting out and reviving myself. All week I’ve put off anything too intense. I’ve expected God to meet me where I am, instead of getting out and meeting Him.

At home, it didn’t seem like I’d had opportunities for anything extremely radical, but now I’m away and it hits me that I have a huge habit to chill.

It’s my fault. It’s my fault that I don’t sacrifice my Saturday morning sleep to get up before the sun rises and get into the Word. Until now I didn’t realize that I’ve missed the unusual occasion to let God move not because He isn’t ready to move, but because I’m still standing still. I always wait for God to initiate our interaction, when I should be providing and offering my time and worship. God stands at my door and knocks, but my music is much too loud to hear Him, and on certain days where I’m buried in a good book, I have that door locked up tighter than a bank. My feet are glued to the ground, when I should be running the race.

All through Jesus’ life the things He did challenged us. He fasted for forty days! He healed people. He brought people back from the dead! He got up before the sun rose. He prayed so hard that His sweat was blood. He died the worst death possible. It seems to me that Jesus lived one day even better than the last.

So I ask myself one hard question: Is today going to be even better than yesterday? (Will it be hard to make it better? Ha.) Today will be better, because I’m rising to the challenge! Now that I’ve realized what I am (lazy), I’m going to fight this, because I don’t want to be content. I don’t want to be content, or disappointed in myself, or anxious. I want to be radical and Christ-like and running.

Will you rise to the challenge that Jesus set before you?

Heavenly companion

Last week, for nine days I went to the South Texas Children's Home in Beevill

July 20^th

I met a girl today at the pool. She was the newest girl to come to the home –just arrived this afternoon. She seemed lost. That was a good way to explain the look in her eyes. Overwhelmed –there’s another good word. Her eyes were curious, as if she didn’t understand why I was being so friendly. While we were swimming, slowly she opened up to me. Through a series of events, she told a few of the other STCH Kids and me why she had come to live at the children’s home. “I had a lot of trouble with school,” she told us with a shrug. “So my parents just sent me here.” Now, I’m not sure if she had trouble academically or socially, but as she spoke the words “my parents just sent me here” you could hear the hurt and confusion. I wanted to wrap my arms around her and tell her “God wants you. He won’t send you away and He will never leave you or forsake you. You’ll always have God.” I will pray that someone does tell her that.

I slowly got to know this girl for the next few days. On Sunday as I was saying goodbye, it was her I went to last. I didn’t want to say goodbye to her. I was ready to come home, but if I could have brought this girl with me, I would have. I had only known this girl a total of three days, and had only spent a few hours with her, but I already loved her as my sister. When I told her I had to go home, that I was leaving, she felt the same as I did –regretful that there wasn’t more time. She would have been a great friend. Pray with me that she will get in a relationship with Jesus, because then she will not only be my sister, and friend, but also a Heavenly companion for eternity.

This is a hard one for me to write, that’s why it’s taken so long and why it’s so short. The words did not come easy for me, but it was a story worth telling.

He can handle that.

               I’m not sure why God’s divine involvement in my life always surprises me, but it’s true –He never ceases to amaze me. This particular story had been long in coming. It started July 2011, at Piney Woods Camp. My dream to open a girls home in my area was blossoming uncontrollably, and also I was feeling convicted about not taking my knowledge about Christ over-seas. The speaker at camp showed a video of kids overseas in Kenya, at a Children’s Home, that took me straight to tears. After he preached, my group and I walked out the doors and I was still in tears. Looking to my dad, I said, “I have to go.” He nodded and I rushed back inside, looking for the speaker. Crying, I told him my story, how I’d wanted to build a girls home in my area for a long time, and how I now wanted to go overseas to a children’s home. This man, with so much compassion in his eyes, looked at me and said “Have you ever met a woman named Becky Moore? She lives in Texas, at a Children’s Home as the director of student ministry.” He paused then said, “She’s here, at piney woods, this week.” No way! Praise the Lord! Both of us at camp in the same week!? That’s gotta be God, for sure!

               So the speaker set up a time for me to meet Ms. Becky Moore, and she heard my story, and invited me to come and visit her children’s home. So I did. September of 2011, my mom and I went to South Texas Children’s Home (STCH) for a weekend. She invited me to come back anytime. Thus, I planned a trip for July 2012. Seventeen days at STCH –a place that modeled my dreams.

               And the waiting game began. I had at least six months to wait. In the mean time, my oldest brother, Hugh, left for a yearlong mission trip to travel the world. In March he told me that I needed to plan to come overseas with him sometime in 2013 and I said ‘sure’. I was yearning to go overseas with a conviction that everyone is called to take the gospel, everywhere. (I was called overseas and so was everyone else who was a disciple: Matt. 28:19.) But still, I had to wait. God was surely doing marvelous things while I was waiting.

Meanwhile, I got a job at a day care. I had already warned them about my trip to STCH, but I was filling out papers to ask off officially, and I felt God telling me to ask off for more days than I was; a total of twenty days. Long story short; I didn’t, until some interesting news came up. Surely it was no mistake that while I would be at STCH, schedules conflicted and Ms. Becky, whom I would be living with there, realized that while I would be there, she wouldn’t! She was going to be leading a mission trip overseas to the Dominican Republic, on July 28^th – August 2^nd, staying at a Children’s Home there and doing some light construction. Bless Ms. Becky –she invited me to go! Hardly did she know that I had felt God calling me overseas. Yet God knew it all. I told her that I would be absolutely delighted to go to the D.R. with her. Seeing as God had already told me to ask off for those dates I felt like that was my answer from Him that I needed to go. That would mean eleven days at STCHM, and seven days at a children’s home in the D.R. and that is a total of how many days (plus travel)? Oh, twenty. Go figure.

And my mind is blown. Yet, the devil tried to crawl in, telling me ‘twenty days. That’s a long time. Won’t you get homesick? How will you handle it? You’ll be missing lots of exciting things here. You will miss your family and friends and church family. What about your horse? Three weeks is a long time. Maybe you shouldn’t go.’ The devil invaded my thoughts, making me insecure, scared, terrified, nervous, and timid. The butterflies of excitement slowly turned into a bolder to drown me. My brain was pulled in every direction of worry. Finally I had a day with Micayla and let it all out (a big job for me) and she looked at me and shook her head. “Candice, God told you to go on this trip, right?” “Uhuh.” “So why are you freaking out? He knows you’ll get homesick, and He can handle that. Give it over to Him and He’ll take care of you.” He can handle that. Sha-bam! Instantly, my boulder transformed back into butterflies. My crazy best friend had just defeated the devil with just simple truth.

               So amid my small bit of fear, large amount of anxiousness, and extreme excitement, I am going to leave home, following the One that can handle it. AHH! Deep breaths, Candice. Please, please, pray for me as I spiritually get prepared to go. Also, pray that God will provide everything from money to peace.

Shootin' The Breeze

If you sing the pink panther theme while doing something sneaky, it increases your stealth abilities by 50%

"My love of napping is borderline inspirational."

“Perhaps we should just eat jello, not be jello.” -Chad Eastham

"I saw a butterfly on the ground with no wings, so I poured some red bull on it and BAM!!.. it drowned." -some kid

Facebook is like a fridge, you know nothing new is inside it but you check every ten minutes.

[Michael Scott]:
If I were joking you would be laughing. Do you look like you're laughing?
[Dwight Schrute]:
Impossible to say, I can't see myself.
[Michael Scott]:
You're not.

"My biological father has a Facebook album dedicated to his planking. I don’t think I’ve ever been this ashamed." (Megan)

“I had a dream about you last night. I wanted to dream about Jason Bateman, so I’m kind of annoyed with you at the moment.” Jenny Jones

"Ask to be my prom date within the next five minutes and you get a free egg slicer! Plus shipping and handling."  @KaylaThePope

God, grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway; the good fortune to run into the ones I do; and the eyesight to tell the difference.

A best friend will talk with you about a boy you’re thinking about, but a crazy best friend will blurt out "she likes you & wants to be yours!" right to his face.

Genie: All right, sparky, here's the deal. If you wanna court the little lady, ya gotta be a straight shooter. Do ya got it? TELL HER THE TRUTH!!!!!!!!! -Aladin

Light travels faster than sound; this is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
 

Smiling is infectious: you catch it like the flu. When someone smiled at me today it made me smile too, I passed around the corner and someone saw my grin and when he smiled I realized I’d passed it on to him. I thought about that smile and realized what its worth- a single smile, just like mine, could travel 'round the earth. So if you feel a smile begin don’t leave it undetected, let's start an epidemic quick, and get the world infected. (Author Unknown)

Wasting My Time

So I don't watch a lot of TV, but when I do it had better be worth the waste of my time.

I rather like Nikita, which comes on at (I think) 8pm, on Fridays. It's got the suspense, romance, action, and everything all in one. Plus, the acting is really really good and that always makes anything better. I haven't been keeping up with it very well, but the good thing about it is that you don't have to watch regularly to know what's going on.

Also, the Big Bang Theory comes on every week night, and although sometimes it can get a little risky, on a good day it is totally hilarious! I'm pretty much cracking up the whole time, it's so funny. Just gotta be careful when you watch that one.

When I'm up too late, I watch Criminal Minds. It educates me on crazy people and how to deal with them. Yet sometimes I get a little freaked out about how crazy people those people really are, but by that time I'm so caught up, I can't help but finish watching.

My dad likes to watch American Idol, which I am just not into anymore. I don't like the singers, and I don't like their songs, and I don't really like the judging. So most of the time I just groan my way through it and waste my time.
I rather like The Voice though. I like the new sounds for the singers. I like that the auditions are so different and that the leader people can't see the singers. And I also like the leaders. It's pretty entertaining. Along with the X-Factor. I kept up with that pretty well and I enjoyed it.

Tonight I wasted my time flipping back and forth between American Idol and The Big Bang. I will not be drug in my Criminal Minds! I refuse! I have books to read and reality to escape from. Speaking of reading...

All That Jazz

                               An exerpt from a book I'm writing;

                       All That Jazz:

I decided it was either time to begin my story again or to finish it for good. The only problem was I didn’t know how to say good-bye.

Stepping over the fence I started to climb up the cliffs, pulse racing and hands shaking. I took a path that I knew too well –a path that I will never be able to forget. As I reached the very top I went to the edge, tears streaming down my face, seeing the scene from oh-so long ago right in front of me, as if I were sixteen again. It had all happened so fast, just a few seconds, but by three-Mississippi my life had already changed. Because the next thing I knew, my dad was falling and I called out to him but what could I do? He was already gone. I wanted to go to the edge and look, you know. But I was afraid. 
Then, there I was, staring off in the distance, letting the cold ocean breeze flow over my face and dry my tears. I closed my eyes, realizing the regret. I was sorry. Sorry that I hadn’t let myself forget. Sorry that I felt such jealousy to how happy my dad was when he was alive. And I was disappointed. In myself and in the way things turned out.

I realized I missed my chance a long time ago. I wouldn't ever be able to say goodbye.

Artsy

Artsy = Adjective: Making a strong, affected, or pretentious display of being artistic or interested in the arts.

I'm taking an Art class this semester and last Wednesday we looked at Figure Ground.

These are the pictures we looked at

This one weirds my eyes out because I can never decide what to focus on, the white or black. The white is two faces, the black is a vase, and I can never decide which to focus on.

A guy playing a tuba, and then a woman's face.

A cat eating a cat.

Apparently this one is a young lady turned away, which I can see. But then again there's supposedly another old lady in there. Can you see her? I still can't see the old lady and it's really, really bothering me.

I would like to include that no copy write is intended in the stealing borrowing of these photos.

It's purely educational, you see.

Could you find all the diffrent images?

All's Fair in Love of Books

I'm an avid reader, and very interested in writing, so I've taken lots of classes. There's plenty of things I love to do in life and reading fiction novels is definitely one of the tops (:

Whatever Jenny B. Jones has written is totally amazing! She's funny and keeps the story going perfectly. It never ceases to amaze me how great of a writer she is too.
And then The Hunger Games. I read all the books before I even knew about the movies, and I just have gotta say that I am very very excited about the movie. The book is amazing though, I'm not sure how they could ever best it. I suppose we shall see on March 23!
Heist Society by Ally Carter was pure brilliance, but then again, anything by Ally Carter is purely brilliant. I hear that this book will become a movie as well, yet that's sort of still in the pending process.

So even though I have not been reading as much as usual, while reading the fiction I have decided to read one non-fiction book each month. I am very excited about my selection.

Redefining Beautiful was my book for February and it was so well written that it kept me interested and I finished it in two days. It was an absolutely wonderful book. Usually the devotional books for teen girls that I read are all about boys and dating, but not this one and for that I am very refreshed! This book was, go figure, all about God! I would suggest it to anyone and everyone.

I've already started reading Radical, but haven't quite finished it yet.
I'm very excited about reading Sister Freaks, knowing that the stories of my sister Christians will be really encouraging, and also challenging.
Praying for my Future Husband - I have to admit, I am a little wary about reading this, but I'll give it a shot.


What do you guys think? What's your favorite type of book??

A Lonely Existence

Being an only child can be a lonely existence at times. When you’re young and your parents are busy and you have no one to play with, or no older siblings to drive you any place. Then you get older and you have absolutely no one to tease you about your person-of-interest (or lack thereof of one) or chaperone your dates. If you have no sister, then you can’t share her cloths. If you have no brother, you have no one to ignore you. No sister and no brother = pretty much a boring life. Therefore, being an only child can be a lonely existence at times.

Chasing the Wind(:

So today seems like a day for funny quotes :) So here we go:

“Sometimes I hug my pillow and imagine it’s you but without a skeletal system and that freaks me out so I stop.” Jenny B. Jones (my favorite writer!)

“Christian: more than just the name of the cute boy from study hall.” Jenny Jones

“I had a dream about you last night. I wanted to dream about Jason Bateman, so I’m kind of annoyed with you at the moment.”

"I feel really loved when my mom has to ask me what year I was born. I feel like that’s something she should know."

"Did you know there are 1000 bacteria in a bowl of salsa after three to six dips of your chip? According to SHAPE magazine, it’s the germ equivalent of kissing everyone at a party. For the sake of salsa? This doesn’t bother me at all." I don't even like salsa but I think this is halarious! haha

“I don’t know if this is gonna work!!” “Is this legal?” “Oops.” -Conversation on the 4th of July

“Went to Zumba. Flailed like a tazered ostrich.”

I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. Some come from ahead and some come from behind. But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me! –Dr Seuss

Regular romance movie. "Oh that  O.K. movie."

Disney Romance. "That was so GOOD!" haha!

                              

"Okay, let me 'splain it you again. I'm the cat...that makes me the boss. Got it??"

Valentines Day!

I asked a young girl yesterday (valentine’s day) if she had a special valentine and she looked at me with dark brown eyes, all big and innocent and said, "Psh, no!" I laughed and went onto a different line of questioning asking "What’s your favorite part of valentines?" thinking she would say 'the colors' or 'the hearts' or something like that and she said, "The candy is my favorite."

Happy Valentines!!

Seventeen years ago I was born

“Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
      you formed me in my mother's womb.
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
      I worship in adoration—what a creation!
   You know me inside and out,
      you know every bone in my body;
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something….

All the stages of my life were spread out before you,
   The days of my life all prepared
      before I'd even lived one day.” Psalm 139:13-16

Before I’d even lived one day, the Lord did something breathtaking and marvelous…He thought of me. He planned my story. He knit me together in my mother’s womb, shaping me from nothing into something, beautiful inside and out in Him.

The days of my life were prepared before I’d even lived one day. And that to me is purely amazing. He knows the plans He has for me, and through it all I will follow Him. Because He loves me more than enough, and because He gave me inner-beauty.

Seventeen years ago I was born (:  

How He Loves

"Loves like a hurricane, and I am a tree bending beneath the weight of His winds and mercy."
When I look around, catching glimpses of everything glorious, it makes me realize that Jesus Christ really does love me.

In the stillness of the waters I hear His voice.

With the cold of the snow, I feel His presense

With the glory of movement, I can see Him.

When the sun rises, it reaches out and touches me and I feel Him.

In the colors of His creation, I see His love.

Everywhere I go, every breath I take, it makes me realize how He loves. As if the cross Jesus died on wasn't enough, God still gives me reminders that He loves us.

Objects In Motion

 Because when you’re a twin, that’s typically what you are. Objects in motion. One of you always wants to find something to do which usually gets both into trouble. Always stepping in for and standing up for each other. But of course, it's never your own fault, it's either your twins or whoever seems handy to blame at the time.

There are those days when you want to dress totally alike, from your shoes to how you do your hair. On the other hand, other days you don't even claim the other as your sibling.

Then when every single person you know gets your names mixed up -even your mom. I feel like thats something she should know. Of all people. Love really flows around when that happens. (Sarcasim, of course)

Somewhere between the little fights, the inside jokes, and the late nights... you find out you really do like each other? You just might...enjoy hanging out?

Because you're a twin. And thats just cool.