Do not fear, for I have redeemed you
I have called you by name, you are mine
When you pass through the waters
I will be with you
And the waves shall not over come you
When you will through the fired
you will not be burned
And the flames shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God
The Holy One of Israel
Your Savior.
Isaiah 43:1-3
May 31, 2009
May 24, 2009
Temporary Downtowner
So, this week I'm a temporary downtowner! My friend Nellie is in England for 10 days and I'm staying at her place downtown for the next week! I'm hanging out with her dog Finn who's cute and sweet! I'm already enjoying being close to downtown and being able to hang out without driving 4o minutes! :D It was a great 8 minute drive to church this morning!
This is Fi
nn
nnMay 19, 2009
Thoughts on Staying Positive
So, as most of you know I'm not exactly a real positive thinker. And I've realized this more and more as my situation has been no-so-much-changing over the past several months. And, so, on that note, recently a friend of mine told me that I should be more positive and assertive in my language. Not only would this help me feel more positive and optimistic, it would really help my mindset.
For example, I tend to say things like "I probably should do....."; or "I probably won't...."; or "it might not work out but...." For me, these phrases are a healthy dose of reality. But, reality can be a little overrated (Thanks Nellie!). Although, I think it's good not to be the eternal optimist. Only because you're going to be disappointed at some point - but then if you're eternally optimistic - can you be disappointed? Hmm....Any-who, these old thoughts tend to make me a more negative thinker. My friend told me to turn those phrases into things like "I am going to..."; and "I will..."; and "It's going to work out..."
So, not that it's going to be every day all day thing for me, but I AM working on it but I'm going to need your help! And we can all use a little less negativity in our lives!
For example, I tend to say things like "I probably should do....."; or "I probably won't...."; or "it might not work out but...." For me, these phrases are a healthy dose of reality. But, reality can be a little overrated (Thanks Nellie!). Although, I think it's good not to be the eternal optimist. Only because you're going to be disappointed at some point - but then if you're eternally optimistic - can you be disappointed? Hmm....Any-who, these old thoughts tend to make me a more negative thinker. My friend told me to turn those phrases into things like "I am going to..."; and "I will..."; and "It's going to work out..."
So, not that it's going to be every day all day thing for me, but I AM working on it but I'm going to need your help! And we can all use a little less negativity in our lives!
May 13, 2009
Amazing Grace
Many times in the past week I have been reminded of God's Grace. I have heard some reference to John Newton at least 4 times (in two different books and by a few friends) in the past week. I don't think that I had ever heard his story until this past Sunday. John Newton wrote several famous hymns, but the hymn that he wrote that everyone knows is Amazing Grace. Newton was involved in the slave trader before, and for a little while after he became a Christian. He has a great testimony about God's grace in his life. Sometimes the more familiar the words are, the easier it is to just sing them and not think about the meaning. More to come on grace, but for now...
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
May 6, 2009
May
Wow! So, it's May. Does that seem kind of crazy to anyone else? When did this happen? It seems that life and time go so much more quickly now that I'm a real adult (although that's up for debate since I dont have a job and live with my parents!) I've now been unemployed for 7, yes 7, months....
I've been pretty frustrated with God lately over this whole situation because I felt like I was doing the right thing moving here to Greenville and taking this job, which I no longer have. And then not being able to find something new for so long. I've had more than one person tell me that there is some purpose in this, and maybe I'll never know what it is. This morning I was reminded what a mighty and awesome God I serve, we as Christians serve. I was reading Stuff Christians Like and the post today is about fame. No accounting career is going to make me famous (unless I cheat a lot of people out of millions of dollars and go to jail), but it doesn't matter because the Creater of the Universe knows my name! He is the Creater, Maker, Redeemer, God...He knows what He's doing.
I've been pretty frustrated with God lately over this whole situation because I felt like I was doing the right thing moving here to Greenville and taking this job, which I no longer have. And then not being able to find something new for so long. I've had more than one person tell me that there is some purpose in this, and maybe I'll never know what it is. This morning I was reminded what a mighty and awesome God I serve, we as Christians serve. I was reading Stuff Christians Like and the post today is about fame. No accounting career is going to make me famous (unless I cheat a lot of people out of millions of dollars and go to jail), but it doesn't matter because the Creater of the Universe knows my name! He is the Creater, Maker, Redeemer, God...He knows what He's doing.
Apr 29, 2009
Summer Wedding Circuit
Let me first say that I am so honored to have so many wonderful friends that want me to be apart of their special day! Seriously...I dont know what I would do without these wonderful friends.
Yesterday I had lunch with a friend and we were talking about our summer plans. I would like to reflect on my life this time last year....last summer, I was participating in the "Wedding Circuit", from here on out, referred to as "the WC". I was in 3 and went to 10 and was invited to a couple more and couldn't go because they were on the same day as others or were too far away! The WC, especially in the south, usually gets started around this time of year, maybe a little earlier and carries on into the Fall. Easter/Spring is usually a pretty good kick off time, with the WC ending before football season. If a wedding is on the same day as "the big game", the big game always wins out so some people schedule their weddings around football, sadly enough.
The WC involves showers, teas, weekend get-a-ways for bachlorette parties, interesting cake shapes, beautiful summer dresses, and TOO much fun and food! Usually these weekends were traveling as well - Cincinnati, Baltimore, Nashville, Knoxville....When it was all over I had to think back to what "normal" was supposed to be! What was I going to do with all of these free weekends? And who was I going to hang out with? What about all my new wedding related friends? We all packed up and said our "goodbyes" and "we'll have to stay in touches" after the bride and groom left. Now what? I was sad that it was all over!
This summer is an entirely different story. I only have two weddindgs coming up and only two that I've been to already this year. It seems kind of unbelievable that I'd have around 15 friends get married in a little more than a year's time. But other than weddings, I dont have any plans. What am I going to do with myself, you might ask. Well, I'm going to read (suggestions definitely welcome, I LOVE to read), go to the gym, and hang out with friends and maybe a beach trip or two thrown in there!
All of that reflection to say that I'm really looking forward to the summer months and am already enjoying the beautiful weather that we've been having here in SC. I'm also looking forward to downtown events in Greenville. It seems like there's something going on all the time and I just LOVE being downtown with all the people out. There's just something about this place that has captured my heart.
What are your summer plans?
Yesterday I had lunch with a friend and we were talking about our summer plans. I would like to reflect on my life this time last year....last summer, I was participating in the "Wedding Circuit", from here on out, referred to as "the WC". I was in 3 and went to 10 and was invited to a couple more and couldn't go because they were on the same day as others or were too far away! The WC, especially in the south, usually gets started around this time of year, maybe a little earlier and carries on into the Fall. Easter/Spring is usually a pretty good kick off time, with the WC ending before football season. If a wedding is on the same day as "the big game", the big game always wins out so some people schedule their weddings around football, sadly enough.
The WC involves showers, teas, weekend get-a-ways for bachlorette parties, interesting cake shapes, beautiful summer dresses, and TOO much fun and food! Usually these weekends were traveling as well - Cincinnati, Baltimore, Nashville, Knoxville....When it was all over I had to think back to what "normal" was supposed to be! What was I going to do with all of these free weekends? And who was I going to hang out with? What about all my new wedding related friends? We all packed up and said our "goodbyes" and "we'll have to stay in touches" after the bride and groom left. Now what? I was sad that it was all over!
This summer is an entirely different story. I only have two weddindgs coming up and only two that I've been to already this year. It seems kind of unbelievable that I'd have around 15 friends get married in a little more than a year's time. But other than weddings, I dont have any plans. What am I going to do with myself, you might ask. Well, I'm going to read (suggestions definitely welcome, I LOVE to read), go to the gym, and hang out with friends and maybe a beach trip or two thrown in there!
All of that reflection to say that I'm really looking forward to the summer months and am already enjoying the beautiful weather that we've been having here in SC. I'm also looking forward to downtown events in Greenville. It seems like there's something going on all the time and I just LOVE being downtown with all the people out. There's just something about this place that has captured my heart.
What are your summer plans?
Apr 21, 2009
Waiting...
Like my dear friend Ashley, I am in a period of waiting in my life. Waiting is so hard to do when you don't know what's going to happen next. I have decided that I'm doing the following kinds of waiting .
Function:
verb
1: to stay in place in expectation of :
2 a: to look forward expectantly b: to hold back expectantly
3 a: to be ready and available b: to remain temporarily neglected or unrealized
Waiting for: a job, to move out of my parents house, to move into my condo, to know some kind of plan for my life.... It would be different if I knew when any of these things would happen. The temporary plan for the condo is to move in May of 2010, which seems so extremely far away. As for the rest of it: only He knows.
In prayer and hope for the future.
"God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to." - Elisabeth Elliot
Function:
verb
1: to stay in place in expectation of :
2 a: to look forward expectantly b: to hold back expectantly
3 a: to be ready and available b: to remain temporarily neglected or unrealized
Waiting for: a job, to move out of my parents house, to move into my condo, to know some kind of plan for my life.... It would be different if I knew when any of these things would happen. The temporary plan for the condo is to move in May of 2010, which seems so extremely far away. As for the rest of it: only He knows.
In prayer and hope for the future.
"God is God. Because He is God, He is worthy of my trust and obedience. I will find rest nowhere but in His holy will, a will that is unspeakably beyond my largest notions of what He is up to." - Elisabeth Elliot
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