Clean Up Day

Today was the day to start packing up and organizing my life/room/clothes for going back to school.

I leave to move back to my life in Corvallis this coming Sunday, and after an entire summer of living in my room and accumulating junk, it was clean up time.

After collecting some new clothing items, and making some new decisions about my attitude toward this thing we call life (more to come on that subject), I started geeking out about it.

When I say geeking out, I mean Geeking out....

I'm talking about organizing my clothing into categories (based on what type of item they were--pants, skirts, shirts, blouses, etc.) and of course making them color coordinated (yes, based on the colors of the rainbow)

 --Examples below--

 I think I may have some sort of illness....
but I will say I enjoyed it :)

Anyway, while I was packing up and re-organizing all of my things, I realized that this will be the last time I do this. I will never again be packing up my necessities and going to school in the Fall...
This is quite a surreal thought for me, but alas, tis a true fact.

Well, as you can imagine, this put me in a rather sentimental mood, and so I decided to display just a couple of my memories from the last three college years.

Please enjoy these treasures.

I'm certainly looking forward to whatever this next year has in store. I'm sure there will be many, many more memorable moments to come :)

A Glorious Adventure

Today, as I met with the Lord during my morning devotions, I was blown away by today's Jesus Calling. Here's what I read:

"Living in Dependence on Me is a glorious adventure. 

Most people scurry around busily, trying to accomplish things through their own strength and ability. Some succeed enormously; others fail miserably. But both groups miss what life is meant to be: 

Living and working in collaboration with Me.

When you depend on Me continually, your whole perspective changes. You see miracles happening all around, while others see only natural occurrences and "coincidences."

You begin each day with joyful expectation, watching to see what I will do. 

You accept weakness as a gift from Me, knowing that My Power plugs in most readily to consecrated weakness.
You keep your plans tentative, knowing that My plans are far superior. 

You consciously live, move, and have your being in Me, desiring that I live in you.
I in you, and you in Me.

This is the intimate adventure I offer you."

After reading this, I felt convicted and comforted at the same time.

I am a person who likes to plan my life. I greatly enjoy looking forward to what's ahead, and laying my plans out to be the way I want them.

Are you seeing why I felt convicted?

So, as I read through these thought provoking words for a second and third time, I realized something pretty cool. This message wasn't to make me feel bad about making plans and hoping for what's ahead in the future, but more, it was to encourage me to lay those plans at the feet of Jesus.

As I admit to my weaknesses and my hypothetical near-sightedness, and as I invite the Lord into my plans more and more, He is going to use my weaknesses for His glory.
In the world we live in today, we are taught to hide our weaknesses and focus on displaying our strengths. In the plans of Jesus, we are to "neon-sign' display our weaknesses to the world so that He can miraculously display His glory through us.

That's the part that's comforting. We don't have to hide our weaknesses. We don't have to rely only on our strength (never a good plan).
As I learn to rely on the Lord more and more, I realize that He wants to come through for me, and as I trust and expect him to come through---He does.

Here's what the apostle Paul has to say on the subject:
"But the Lord said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Comforted?
I know I am.

Today was a Good Day

Two posts in the same week! Look at me go :)

Today was a good day.

Let me tell you why.

1. I got to sleep in

(Always a blessing for me)

2. I made french press this morning

(Rocked my world.)

3. I had the house to myself for my devotions

(Nice and quiet, not to mention I got to use my new Bible)

4. I went to the Farmer's Market with my Dad

(Fresh Peaches. Need I say more? yummmm....)

5. I got to be a hair model for my wonderful friend's portfolio

(So Fun.)

For that last part of my day, I not only got to get all dolled up, but I got to spend many hours with some of my best friends. While spending all that time with my beautiful friends (yes, they are all actually quite beautiful), I realized how blessed I am to have them in my life.

I know they're always there for me, and that I can truly be myself when I'm with them. They love me for who I am, and despite my many faults they are still my friends (what patient and loyal friends I have).

Anyway, all I can say is that the Lord has truly provided for me through my friends. They encourage me, get excited for me, pray for me (all that jazz).

And guys, let me tell ya, He desires that for you too.

And so do I.

I encourage all of you not to settle for friendships where you can't be yourself, where you aren't encouraged, where you feel undervalued.

It's not worth it....trust me.

Instead, bring it to the Lord. He is faithful to provide for those who love Him. He will send friends to encourage you and point you back to the Ultimate Friend found only in Jesus.

Friend, you are worthy of more than just conditional acquaintances.

Don't settle for less.

I hope your day was as good as mine!

Happy Weekend! :)