By the Hand of Grace

If you want to talk about a God's grace, let me show you something. This story is unforgettable...







Those three pictures were taken Tuesday after a huge storm with tornadoes swept through Georgia. The house in the pictures was being rented by my friend Andy. Needless to say he won't be staying there any longer.

That tree fell directly through the middle of the house and landed in Andy's bedroom where he was sleeping...yes, he was sleeping when the tree fell. I definitely can't do the story justice so check out Andy's blog to read more!

All I have to say is God was watching over Andy that day!

Blessing them!

Sometimes we get so caught up in the world and the things we are trying to achieve that we forget to just stop and thank God for the little things that He has blessed us with. The things He continually blesses us with! We forget how blessed we really are.

I mean think about it...we are able to get up in the morning and take a warm shower, pick out an outfit from an array of clothing found in our closets, go to the kitchen and make some toast or spaghetti, invite friends over to our home for gatherings, sleep in a warm bed with warm blankets and sheets and for most of us, watch television or surf the Internet from the comfort of our own couch. Those are just a few of the many things we are provided each day.

Some people don't have those options. Some people wake up on a floor made of dirt with no blanklet and no pajamas. Their children have to drink water out of the local creek or for some, out of a ditch that looks like our sewers. Some people are dying from starvation and would give anything for that piece of toast that we have every morning. Their homes are the size of our walk in closets and for some families they have no homes.

It saddens me to think that our society, myself included, take so much for granted. We indulge in large portions at dinner and spend hundreds of dollars on material things just so we can have the latest fashion of jeans and that perfect shirt in every color. We complain about not having the right color scheme in our bedrooms and therefore forget we should be thankful just to be able to afford that comforter or pillow. Some people don't have that option.

I know that we often look at pictures and hear stories on the news about the poverty in the world and most of the time we just say a little prayer and go on with our day. I think it's time to stop giving 5 minutes of our day to think about these people and start doing something about their situation! That is why I believe strongly in organizations such as Compassion and World Vision. You can make a donation, sponsor a child and make a difference in someone's life! Why not give to the people who really need a warm bed and a hot meal.

Thank God repeatedly for what he has given you and then take some of that treasure and share it with those need to be blessed!

Engaged in Prayer

Jesus said, "Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences" ~Luke 9:23

Here's something to think about...

People who play golf, I suppose, are people who happen to like golf, who have time for golf, who can afford to play golf, and who are good at golf. Recently I found that I often treat prayer as though it were a sport like golf ~ something you do if you like it, something you do in your spare time, something you do if you can afford the trouble, something you do if you're good at it. Otherwise you do without it most of the time.

But prayer isn't a sport or a game. It's work! You are not cheered on by spectators or coached by any experts. You won't get any trophies ~ not on this side of the Jordan, anyway. It's not likely you'll get any credit at all. For some people prayer might fall into the category of "fun," but that's not usually the reason we pray. It's a matter of need and responsibility.

Prayer is work because a Christian simply can't "make a living" without it. He can't live a Christian life if he doesn't pray.

Prayer is the opposite of leisure. It's something to be engaged in, not indulged in. It's a job you give first priority to. If we pray only "at our leisure"~ that is, at our own convenience ~ can we be true disciples? Jesus said, "Anyone who wants to follow me must put aside his own desires and conveniences" (Luke 9:23)

So that is what we must do! Spend more time in prayer. Have conversations with God, one-on-one with no distractions. As we all know He loves to talk to His children. In prayer you are saying, in effect, "my time, my energy, my thought, my concern, my concentration, my faith ~ here they are, for you." Let's work at being true disciples!!!

"Pray when you feel like praying, Pray when you don't feel like praying. Pray until you do feel like praying." ~Anonymous

tired

6:15 wake up call
A few hours of training
A full day of learning how to work at the North American Mission Board!
2 hour workout that made my legs feel like spaghetti
A little work before bed for Vertical

I'm tired!

Taking no credit

“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” ~Acts 4:13

This verse is a great one. (Actually this whole chapter in Acts is really good)!
Peter and John just finished healing a lame man that was over 40 years old. And they did this in front of thousands of people. They were doing this act in the name of Jesus. As you could guess they were put in jail for the night. I would guess they may have beat them a little, but the crowd that had witnessed the act this wanted to know why these men are put in jail, they just did a great thing for this man. So, the next day when they asked Peter, "By what power and what name have you done this?” (this is what is great) he does not take any credit for himself at all. Instead, he begins to tell people about God and who he is. In verse 12 he says, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”

If it were me, I think I would have bragged a little. I probably would have been like, bring on the blind and I will make them see. But not Peter and John, they gave all the credit to God and his power. After some time the chief priest and the elders didn’t know what to do with them. They knew that they were followers of Jesus by the way they talked and presented themselves. They were kind and just waited to help people. I would love to sit back and think that if people saw me they would say, “Wow, that Shannon girl, she's a sweetheart, she must have a relationship with Jesus.” But I think sometimes my actions probably don't say that. You can go to people and tell them all you know about the Lord and how great he is. You can give that person 500 bible verses that say how God will change your life, but until you show them in your life how great he is, they may not believe! It’s like the little kid's song "This Little Light of Mine." In that song, you sing how you want that little light to shine and shine, and you will let nothing blow it out. Well, that is something that I want to do. I want people to see my light through kindness and generosity. I want to strike a curiosity in them that will make them ask about my relationship with God, allowing me to witness and share.

Well the end of this story goes something like this.... the people didn’t know what to do with Peter and John, so they released them and told them return home. They were told not mention what had happened but, do you really think they did that? NO WAY!

“…when they were released, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priest and elders had said to them. When they heard this they raised their voices together in prayer for God.”~Acts 4:23-24

How cool is that? I think for me I really want to walk a better life and stop telling people I have a relationship with God, and prove it, through my walk. So I challenge each of you to do the same. Let's be that mirror image of Christ through all we do and say. Let's raise our voices and praise the name of God. Let's let our light shine. Let's give all the credit to our Father.

Eleventyseven style!

Today has been amazing because Mallori and I got to hang out with some very dear friends to my heart, Jonathan, Caleb and Matt(Eleventyseven). They were in town today to perform in Buford, GA and we were lucky enough to hang out with them all day!

All I have to say is party like a rock star in your Apple Bottom jeans! Oh and it smells like death wings up here, haha! Makes my heart happy...


I absolutely adore these fine gentlemen!

Path of love...

What would it look like for you and I
to walk down a path of love?
What would it take to open that door
that we've been so impatient of?

Could we paint the perfect canvas
or sketch a flawless depiction?
Would it look and sound magnificent
with not a solitary restriction.

Where the stars align in a perfect rhythm
and the walls come crumbling down?
Could we dive in to a sea love
where we could fall and surely drown?

I can hear the star ensemble
and I can see the moon lite symphony.
They're playing a song of deep devotion
with the most perfect soothing melody.

The vision is so overwhelming
yet so vibrant and alive.
It's like standing in a Van Gogh painting
instead of staring from the outside.

In reality it's off in the distance
but the silhouette is bold and clear.
I can see you standing beside me
without an off set brush stroke or smear.

If our path of love was just a painting
we could paint it without the uncertainty of grey.
It would hold the colors of jollity and bliss
and only fervor affection would portray.

If our path was written as a song
it would echo with the rhythm of the moon.
The wind would write the chours
as the rain and sun would keep everything in tune.

But the painting is still unfinished
and the music is still faint and under review.
So our path of love is being orchestrated
and it gives something miraculous to look forward to.

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Me

Due to rain...

Here's my funny story for the day...

So, I went to the Georgia Tech/Virginia basketball game tonight with my friend Andy! We battled bumper to bumper traffic and pouring down rain to make it to the game on time only to find out 15 minutes after we arrived that the game would be postponed due to rain. Now I know what your thinking...postponing a basketball game due to rain is ridiculous, but so true! There was a leak that caused a puddle in the middle of the lane on the court. Therefore it was a hazard to the players, causing no sporting event for the evening!

Good news though...I got to sit in the Alexander Memorial Coliseum at Georgia Tech and I got a free hot dog on the way out! And it was a Boar's Head hot dog, ha.

Do you see the trash bag on the floor?? haha

Some Days Suck...

Some days truely suck (excuse the term used). They are those days when nothing feels right or good. The days where staying in bed all day seems like a perfect plan. These are the days when the same ole’ stuff happens. The stuff that makes you question everything. I am in one of those places now. I don’t question God, him I trust, but me, I have giant issues with. I mean really all I have to show for my adult life is the ability to hang in at being a poor, dreamer…but with great friends!!!

These are the days where I feel lonely and isolated and not exactly sure what God was thinking when he called me. I mean if God calls you to be something or to go somewhere, shouldn't He show you how or why? Thats the way my little brains thinks! What if my dreams aren't meant to happen?

Parish the thought…Soon I will dream again: until then I take heart from Chris Tomlin’s new song God of this City:

You’re the God of this city
You’re the King of these people
You’re the Lord of this nation
You Are

You’re the light in this darkness
You’re the hope to the hopeless
You’re the peace to the restless

You are

Bridge:
For there is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Chorus 1:
Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Verse 2:
You’re the Lord of Creation
The Creator of all things
You’re the King above all Kings
You Are

You’re the strength in our weakness
You’re the love to the broken
You’re the joy in the sadness
You Are

Chorus 2:
Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Where glory shines from hearts alive
With praise for you and love for you
In this city

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here
There is no one like our God

Chorus 1:
Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Verse 2:
You’re the Lord of Creation
The Creator of all things
You’re the King above all Kings
You Are

You’re the strength in our weakness
You’re the love to the broken
You’re the joy in the sadness
You Are

Chorus 2:
Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Where glory shines from hearts alive
With praise for you and love for you
In this city

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

My new house

I've had several people ask about my new place in Atlanta! Here are a few pictures of where I live...

Here is the cute place

Here is the Den


The Kitchen and Dining room


And my room


from all angles!

Hope you enjoyed the little tour! Now come visit me!

Have you ever had Gelato?

So what is Gelato you ask...well here is a definition for you:

Gelato is typically made with fresh fruit or other ingredients such as chocolate (pure chocolate, flakes, chips, etc.), nuts, small confections or cookies, or biscuits. Gelato made with water and without dairy ingredients is also known as sorbetto (also known as sorbet). Traditionally, milk-based gelato originated in northern Italy, while the fruit-and-water based sorbetto came from the warmer parts of southern Italy.

My definition would read:

Gelato is an absolutely amazing and indescribable dessert. Definitely not your average Ben and Jerry's!

Mal took us to have the best Gelato in town the other night and I must say we'll go back again and again. It's called Paolo's Gelato and it was so incredible. If you haven't tried it, you need to visit and we'll take you! You need to get GELATIZED as Paolo would say!

Go check out Paolo's website...Paolo's Gelato

Hiding behind sad eyes...

Last night I was sitting with my puppy watching a movie when I looked over and saw her sad eyes. You see, my puppy, Cambi misses home and she misses my other dog Arley, who she used to play with everyday before we moved to Atlanta. I can see it in her eyes... and it got me to thinking, what do people see in my eyes.

I know that lately I have been a little sad! I've been missing home, friends, old moments and just the past in general. My past holds lots of fun and unforgettable memories and people. But, I almost feel like I've been hiding behind sad eyes. See, I do miss things but I am more excited about my future than sad about my past.

Sometimes when we are working towards a new season or chapter in our life it's easy to get discouraged and to feel a little more down than up. Even when we are thrilled about new surroundings and new people, we hold on so tightly to the "comfort" that we are used to. We are scared that the new things will replace the old. This can cause sad moments or hiding moments, where we detach ourselves from all the exciting new things around. But why would we want to do that?

I took Cambi outside today and walked her around a trail near my house. She had a totally different look on her cute little face. She was happy. She was experiencing something new and her eyes were not sad. This is what I need to do...Hold on to my past and treasure it everyday but, look with a smile toward my future. No more hiding behind sad eyes, instead I need to be glowing with eager eyes.

Look out Atlanta, I'm ready to dive in to what the future holds! And I couldn't be more thrilled!

A little golf anyone?

Today my dad would have been proud! Mal and I went to the driving range to practice our golfing skills. I must say that for two girls, we pretty much rock at hitting golf balls 100-200 yards! I have this feeling that everyone is going to want us on their team. I think maybe we should go pro or at least play super ball with Tiger Woods...or maybe we should just stick to the driving range for a while, haha.

Anywho, we looked cute out there!

Why does God wait?

Why does God wait? We ask this often...I mean, I hate waiting. I find that most people would agree with me. Waiting just seems to cause frustration, aggravation and just this feeling of being uncomfortable. Take traffic for example...How many people actually enjoy waiting on the interstate for hours just to get home? Now I can't see the hands but, I'm pretty sure none of you are raising them. It just seems like in life we are always waiting. We wait to turn 16 so we can drive. We wait to graduate college so we can get a "real" job and never study again. We wait for that special someone to sweep us off our feet(this one takes forever by the way, ha). We wait for friendships, careers, babies, etc., etc., etc. It's always something.

Sometimes we even feel like we're the only ones waiting but, we're not. We are in perpetual movement at all times for the "next thing", for the next season, for that "thing" that we can see just around the corner. We forget that God loves waiting, in fact He is infatuated with waiting. This is where I recommend you open your Bible. This book is full of people waiting...Let's open and look. Well there was Noah who waited on God to send the flood. Jacob who waited for Rebecca. Jonah who waited in the belly of a whale. Sarah and Abraham who waited for a child. Mary who waited for the birth of baby Jesus. Then there was David and Joseph...even Jesus waited in the garden. When we learn to wait, we learn that we are right where God wants us to be. When God waits, He always has a purpose and He always gives us a promise.

What is crucial is that God promises us the desires of our heart but, we want God to do it in our time line. We get these amazing ideas and visions of how things should be done, how it should look. We want the quick and easy and the "microwave" spirituality when it comes to our life life. This is unfortunate because God has something so much bigger than we can process and in the waiting period He is making whatever it is extra special.

God is never is never early and he is never late. When He waits it is always with good reason. He invites us to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). We may not always understand or see the purpose. More often than not, we even think that God is not present or has stepped away during the time of wait. When in reality, the very opposite is true. He is ever so close and is He is working during your "transformational" time. God sees it as an opportunity to take a little extra time to make whatever it is extra special.

So sometimes when we are in a season of waiting and think that job, that friendship, that spouse or "whatever" will never come… keep in mind that God may choose to take us 8 blocks to get there instead of 4 blocks. And keep your eyes and hearts open to the transformation that is taking place.. the goodness that is being displayed.

God will never have us wait without a promise and a purpose. Enjoy the wait, enjoy the time and watch His purpose continue to unfold. That is the magnificent mystery about God. There is something great just around the corner..you just may have to take those extra blocks to get there…

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord…(Jeremiah 29:11)

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the end

Let me catch up...

So my computer has been in the shop for the past two days and I just got it back, so I can finally write again. And believe me, a lot has happened in the past few days!!!

Let's begin with Monday...Mallori, Andy and I went on a little adventure to try something new, well new for me. We went and had wheat grass shots. Now I'm sure most of you don't know what that is or maybe I'm just the only one that didn't know what that was but, it was great. We had what is known as a grand slam which consists of a wheat grass shot, ginger shot, cranberry juice shot and a lemon juice shot with a pineapple chaser (and no this was not alcoholic, ha). It was such a fun experience that we documented it for all to see...

OK now Tuesday was amazing. I went to 722(post college singles worship) and listened to an incredible message which I will go in to more detail about tomorrow for each of you. After 722, Mallori and I went to Buford to meet my friend Ben and a few others to see U2-3D! It was absolutely amazing. I mean Bono was like right there, in front of my face. It was the best concert ever, haha! Ben and I held up our phones so that we would fit into the scene, ha! I wish all of you could have been there! If you haven't heard of this movie/concert go look it up, NOW...

OK, I could go on and on but I'll save some for tomorrow!

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the end

Hay Ride Fun

Now, I know that you have all seen the amazing chocolate party pictures and that was only a small glimpse into my weekend in Nashville. Let me tell you more about what we did...

On Thursday when I arrived in Franklin, we all decided go get some Mexican food for dinner...oh and Lucas gave me a real hug, haha! There were nine of us that went out to eat and it was great to share stories and talk about what had been happening in each of our weeks. We even had time to take a picture with the waiter...

After a fun dinner, Brock pulled the truck around to pick us up and attached to the truck was a trailer filled with hay. We all looked a little stunned but Brock proceeded to tell us that we were going on a hay ride around downtown Franklin. Keep in mind it was 30 degrees outside and it's definitely not the season for a hay ride but we went on one anyway. It was so much fun. We waved at the passing cars like we were in a parade and we sang some songs as well. Ahhh, good times in Franklin!

Next time it's fireworks for Easter, haha!

Chocolate Love

Well I told you that this blog would be worth the wait, and I would never lie to you!

Friday night Brock and Auny threw a Chocolate bash! We had everything from a chocolate fountain to chocolate from different countries to the best photo shoot ever. It was amazing!

We all got dressed up, real fancy and took some cheesy prom-like pictures for Valentine's day. Here are just a few for your viewing pleasure...

How cute are we?

How amazing are these photos? We had a blast just posing and laughing and just being ourselves, which you can tell!

Now the fun didn't stop here! Did I mention we had chocolate? Lots of chocolate?




Oh and you want to know that best part of this whole night??
...I thought you would!!!

We raised over $390.00 in donations to put towards a family in Ecuador. You see there is this family that Brock and Auny met while being overseas. They learned that this family was paying about $13.00 a month for their mortgage and the total cost to pay it off was somewhere around $420.00. Can you imagine paying $13.00 a month on your mortgage? That's lunch for us. It just shows how rich we really are and how our money can bless so many!

Brock and Auny decided that paying off that mortgage was nothing for our community. And with the money raised at the party plus the pledges that are still coming in, we have raised enough money to truly bless this family. How amazing is that?

If you want to help us help families, let me know and I'll give more details!!

God is good!

boots, movies and more!

OK first off, I apologize for no posting yesterday! I know that it made a few people anxious and a little sad that there was nothing good to read on Friday, February 8th (Daniel I am deeply sorry). And second, I wanted to wait and write about yesterday when I had pictures to show you all how much fun we had. So with all that said, I will wait to tell you all about our hay ride around downtown Franklin, Chocolate tasting at Brock's, funny Valentine prom pictures and raising money for Compassion...trust me it's worth the wait!

We will move on to today... what a gorgeous day in Franklin, TN! Today I spent time with my friend Kim. We had a so much fun mixed with a little adventure. We met Daniel and Evan for lunch at Logan's(by far the best rolls ever) then we went to some shops in Cool Springs for a little money spending! I bought boots and yes I know, I shouldn't have but, they are super cute. It took an adventure to find them but we did! Chocolate suede boots in size 7 1/2...perfect.

Tonight, my lovely roomie Emily(yes I still call her that) and I went over to our friend Shane's house to watch "Across the Universe" and indulge in some Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream. It's alway a pleasure to hang out with Shane and laugh about nothing at all.

What a great day!

today...

today i made the drive from atlanta to nashville for the weekend!

i am happy

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end of blog :)

What's a doodle

OK, so what I have learned is that some of the things that I grew up loving in North Carolina, some people have never heard of in other states and countries.

Let me tell you this funny story...

A few months back, a few friends and I were sitting up a Starbucks when I brought up the fact that I loved cheese doodles. I thought nothing of the conversation...I mean who doesn't love little puffy cheese snacks? I mean come on...they are amazing but, everyone looked confused. No one had heard of cheese doodles before, especially my friend Morgan. You see, Morgan is from New Zealand and I guess some of their words are different from ours. After a few moments of the confusing look, Morgan asked "You like what?" I responded with the words "Cheese Doodles."

I could see the embarrassed look on his face, so I asked what was he thinking about. Well, Morgan informed me that doodle in New Zealand is a term used for the male reproductive organ. WOW, I definitely was embarrassed, haha!! This whole time, Morgan thought I was saying that I liked Cheese "male" parts. How funny yet mortifying is that??





So I dedicate this blog to Morgan with this picture to prove that cheese doodles in North Carolina are definitely puffy cheese snacks!!!

Poetry

It's amazing how poetry captures not only your heart but your mind, your soul and sometimes your every thought. I've grown up loving poetry. Everything about it, from the way it's written to the way people use it to express feelings. I just simply love it!
Sometimes I write when I'm feeling sad or excited. I write when I'm in love or when my heart has been broken. I write because it helps me to express my emotions!

Here are two of my favorite poems....

I carry your heart with me

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

EE Cummings

This is a perfect example of expressed emotion! You can see the love and if you read it and pay close attention, you can feel what he feels!

OK here's the other...

Spontaneous Me

Spontaneous me, Nature,
The loving day, the mounting sun, the friend I am happy with,
The arm of my friend hanging idly over my shoulder,
The hillside whiten'd with blossoms of the mountain ash,
The same late in autumn, the hues of red, yellow, drab, purple, and light and dark green,
The rich coverlet of the grass, animals and birds, the private untrimm'd bank, the primitive apples, the pebble-stones,
Beautiful dripping fragments, the negligent list of one after another as I happen to call them to me or think of them,
The real poems, (what we call poems being merely pictures,)
The poems of the privacy of the night, and of men like me,
This poem drooping shy and unseen that I always carry, and that all men carry,
(Know once for all, avow'd on purpose, wherever are men like me, are our lusty lurking masculine poems,)
Love-thoughts, love-juice, love-odor, love-yielding, love-climbers, and the climbing sap,
Arms and hands of love, lips of love, phallic thumb of love, breasts of love, bellies press'd and glued together with love,
Earth of chaste love, life that is only life after love,
The body of my love, the body of the woman I love, the body of the man, the body of the earth,
Soft forenoon airs that blow from the south-west,
The hairy wild-bee that murmurs and hankers up and down, that gripes the full-grown lady-flower, curves upon her with amorous firm legs, takes his will of her, and holds himself tremulous and tight till he is satisfied;
The wet of woods through the early hours,
Two sleepers at night lying close together as they sleep, one with an arm slanting down across and below the waist of the other,
The smell of apples, aromas from crush'd sage-plant, mint, birch-bark,
The boy's longings, the glow and pressure as he confides to me what he was dreaming,
The dead leaf whirling its spiral whirl and falling still and content to the ground,
The no-form'd stings that sights, people, objects, sting me with,
The hubb'd sting of myself, stinging me as much as it ever can any one,
The sensitive, orbic, underlapp'd brothers, that only privileged feelers may be intimate where they are,
The curious roamer the hand roaming all over the body, the bashful withdrawing of flesh where the fingers soothingly pause and edge themselves,
The limpid liquid within the young man,
The vex'd corrosion so pensive and so painful,
The torment, the irritable tide that will not be at rest,
The like of the same I feel, the like of the same in others,
The young man that flushes and flushes, and the young woman that flushes and flushes,
The young man that wakes deep at night, the hot hand seeking to repress what would master him,
The mystic amorous night, the strange half-welcome pangs, visions, sweats,
The pulse pounding through palms and trembling encircling fingers, the young man all color'd, red, ashamed, angry;
The souse upon me of my lover the sea, as I lie willing and naked,
The merriment of the twin babes that crawl over the grass in the sun, the mother never turning her vigilant eyes from them,
The walnut-trunk, the walnut-husks, and the ripening or ripen'd long-round walnuts,
The continence of vegetables, birds, animals,
The consequent meanness of me should I skulk or find myself indecent, while birds and animals never once skulk or find themselves indecent,
The great chastity of paternity, to match the great chastity of maternity,
The oath of procreation I have sworn, my Adamic and fresh daughters,
The greed that eats me day and night with hungry gnaw, till I saturate what shall produce boys to fill my place when I am through,
The wholesome relief, repose, content,
And this bunch pluck'd at random from myself,
It has done its work--I toss it carelessly to fall where it may.
Walt Whitman

Oh I love it!!!

What do you think?

2 Peter 1:3-11

OK so I lied! I also want everyone to read this verse because it is amazing!!!

Growing in Faith

By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.

In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.

So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

OK so I had three cents instead of two=)

:: two cents ::

here are my two cents for the day! these are the only words I feel like I need to write, so take these few words and think about what they may say to you...


NEVER PUT A BOX ON WHAT GOD CAN DO IN YOUR LIFE!


the end

Words from my friend Daniel!

My friend Daniel wrote a great blog that I wanted to share with you all...

where's the water moses?

so i wonder, how many times have you stepped out on faith only to feel like you are sinking? how many times have you stepped into an unfamiliar place and find yourself everyday straining to see any signs of God's blessings in your obedience? i cannot even begin to imagine how moses felt carrying around all these people thru the desert, but in some ways i feel like i can relate to some of his grievances thru this season in my life.

i can't begin to imagine the ultra high and ultra low within such a short amount of time when moses first took his people across the red sea. they get to the other side and i can see them high-fiving, hugging, screaming, congratulating each other, and some cheesy act like putting moses on their shoulders throwing him around. the bible tells what the women did. they followed miriam around with tambourines and they all danced and sang praises to God. sounds like a party to me. but the very next 3 days were one of the biggest lows ever. they realize there is no drinkable water. how fast things can turn around. "so the people grumbled against moses, saying, 'what are we to drink?" poor moses.

can you relate? i know i can. i just recently felt like i took a huge step of faith with direction from God. i move to a new place with new people, new opportunities, new struggles. at first it was great. i felt like i had just crossed the red sea into being independent, travelling to my own "promised land". what a great feeling. how quickly we can go to the lowest of lows! the money disappears, the commitments people made to give you work are suddenly "not coming thru", and you are all alone. bills to pay, work to find, and it feels like everyone around you is asking why you can't find water. the ones that supported you so much in the dreams of the promise land, in the planning, the talk, but then when push comes to shove and there is no water to be found, the blame falls. where is this grand plan? why would you put me here to die God?

but thank goodness the story doesn't end with the israelites all withering away within a few weeks. moses doesn't lose faith. he doesn't lose the vision. he understands God's will is supreme and despite what seems impossible to him and the people all around him God will not relent. so he cries out to God. "then moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet."

i don't know about you, but i've never thought about putting a piece of wood into water to make it drinkable. i doubt moses truly had either. so maybe when you step out on faith, you try to envision what this promised land is going to look like. it helps me to calm fears and doubts when i picture the end product. so i start to rely on the people around me ... on their promises, their commitments, their words. and i realize that is not what God wanted for me. i looked for water for 3 days all around this desert to no avail. and why? because God wanted me to put a stick into the water first. He wanted to show me that His ways are not my own. His ways are not by relying on the promises of people around me, but rather throwing things in my direction beyond my imagination, beyond my vision, beyond my dreams. the bitter water is turned sweet. the visions of my mind are far outshined by the plans of His spirit in my heart.

i pray that God will allow you to search for water in your desert for a while. you will appreciate much more the stick in the water that makes it sweet.

do you think that "sweet water" could have been southern sweet tea?

He made me beautiful!

Sometimes I feel like I get down way more than I seem happy. I go through days where I wake up crying and I go to bed on top of the world. Some days I lay in bed feeling like I have no reason to get out. Other days I am so excited to walk outside and feel the sun hit my face. What causes the drastic change in emotions?

I get on the phone with friends and I bring up questions like "why was I put here? Why does he think like that? When am I going to fit in and find purpose? Will I ever find someone to be with?" I ask these plus about 100 more! I receive all this encouragement from my friends and family and for a few moments I feel like I'm OK, then I go down hill once again. Basically I have a self pity party and I'm the VIP guest.

Did you know that a self pity is all about you? All the attention is on you! All focus on you! And all words spoken have to do with you! So if it's all about you, where is God in all this? Good questions huh? This is something I asked myself tonight.

You see, what's happening is Satan has been allowed in and he is speaking all these lies in to my head. Telling me, you're not good enough! You can't do that? Those thoughts are dumb and it will never happen to you! I can't believe I've been allowing the devil to trick me into believing all these lies.

The truth is, I am good enough because God made me perfect in his eyes. He mastered me into this amazing person and He paved a way for me in this world. He hand crafted me just the way he wanted and made me beautiful not only on the inside but on the outside.

So here's what I, and maybe you need to do; we need to speak out loud whenever the devil whispers nonsense in our ears. Speak it, out loud! Now don't go shout it down the aisles of Wal-Mart and cause this awkward moment, unless you really just prefer to do that, but speak it! Whenever you speak the name of the Lord, the demons will go running. Let's stop the pity parties and start believing what God has been saying to us all long!

So here let's practice saying some things out loud. And don't cheat, REALLY say these out loud!

I am beautiful...
I am talented...
I can do whatever I set my mind to...
Because God made me perfect in His eyes! And those are really the only eyes that matter!!!

New Baptist Convenant

Today I joined my friends Jenni, Craig and Deborah at the World Congress Center for the New Baptist Covenant Convention. This convention has caused a bit of controversy on the news, in the papers and even on the net. I don't really understand why there is much talk about this event but I guess if I had attended the whole week I would understand more.

Anyway, I attended a seminar today where I heard two amazing pastors speak. One spoke on Jesus healing and the other, who touched my heart, spoke on helping the children of this world. It's funny because I can't remember her name but I can remember every word she said. God definitely spoke through her.

Here is a paraphrase of something that made tear up...

We pray for the children
who have no blanket to drag to sleep.
who look at photographers through barbed fencing.
who have no shoes and the ones who don't get dessert.

We pray for the children
who cry when they don't get that toy in the store.
who give you peanut butter and jelly smooches.
who's cry makes us laugh and their smile can make us cry.

We pray for the children
who have never heard a bed time story.
who are born in to poverty.
who watch their parents cry as they watch them die.

We pray for the children
who bring home an A on their favorite coloring at school.
who can't go to sleep without that favorite teddy bear.
who looks adorable when they fall asleep in your arms.

We pray for the children
who walk barefoot on the streets because the have no shoes.
who have never had a warm bath.
who give you sticky kisses and hugs that never let go.

We pray for the children...all of them!

It's hard to imagine the lives that children across the world experience. It's hard to think kids who have nothing and still have smiles on their faces! We should pray for the amazing kids for the world. The ones who cry because they are in pain from sickness. The children who cry because they have no Daddy to turn to. Just the children, plain and simple!