June Gloom

When you climb into bed around 9:30pm and look over at your night-stand to see THIS... it gives the phrase June gloom a new meaning.

It's a sight for sore eyes (and throats)....

God is gracious though, because I don't have to work until next week so I can rest rest rest as I cough cough cough. And maybe I'll get better at this inhaler thing... somehow I've found a way to mess it up every time I try. Haha. Time to go through the movie library and watch some oldies :)

Soul Mates

If there’s one thing in life that you can’t go wrong with… it’s a best friend. Like a really solid friend. The kind that finishes your sentences and makes you pee your pants from laughter. I have been blessed with some pretty wonderful friends in my 21 years of life, but I have found a true soul mate in my dear friend Jessica.

Like any two humans in a relationship of some sort, we have had our tough times. But even in times of deep high school drama, we knew that the friendship was worth fighting for. Six years later I can assure you that any effort that I’ve put into this friendship, has blessed me tenfold as Jess returns the love.

I lived with J for two of our three years at California Baptist University and I can honestly say that we grew closer on a daily basis. We can sense each other’s moods without even being in the same room. We can talk for hours. We can be silent for hours. A simple glance and I know the thousands of things that she’s dying to say.

Soul mate isn’t commonly used among friends, but this woman is truly my soul sister. She reveals the deepest parts of me in a way that is both convicting and rejuvenating. She reminds me that it’s okay to laugh even when things are honestly crappy. But she also provides a safe place to cry for no reason at all.

I like the way that the author of Eat Pray & Love puts it:

“…A true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that’s holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life. A true soul mate is probably the most important person you’ll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake”

Lets just say I’ve been awakened. I am thankful for every moment we share, whether it’s spending time in prayer before our Lord or singing our hearts out in the car on the way to Del Taco at midnight J

She’s the Skeeter to my Doug

The Gerald to my Arnold

The Daggett to my Norbert Beaver

The Miranda to my Lizzy

The Pokey to my Gumby

You get it……

She’s my bestie.

I have never been truly consistent in reading my Bible. It is something that bums me out. It is a discipline that I should work on much more diligently. Sometimes I find myself thinking, “I have to do my devotion this morning”.

Have to do my devotion. How about, get to do my devotion?

We are a blessed people that the Lord has provided us with His Word, to grow in our understanding him.

I have been pondering the word devotion and decided to look it up in the dictionary. My prayer is that my time in the Word would reflect love, loyalty, ENTHUSIASM, faithfulness, dedication, admiration, affection, etc. to the Lord of Hosts. I want to learn how to meditate on His Word day and night.

Dictionary

devotion |diˈvō sh ən|noun

love, loyalty, or enthusiasm for a person, activity, or cause

Thesaurus

devotion noun

loyalty, faithfulness, fidelity, constancy, commitment, adherence, allegiance, dedication; fondness, love, admiration, affection, care.

Joshua 1:8

Psalm 1:2 "But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he mediates day and night

Psalm 77:12 "I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds"

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He sets the pace.

The Lord has been teaching me a lot lately. He sent me all the way to Africa to remind me of the simplistic beauty of loving others, loving Him, and loving life. I’ve been home almost a month and I am left striving for purpose. It has been hard to go from 22 days of living with complete intentionality and purpose (surrounded by passionate and wonderful worshipers of God) to being home without a job or much to do each day. I was overly confident that I would get certain jobs (that I obviously didn’t get) and I have been extremely discouraged. This season of my life is confusing me and leaving me frustrated. I am trying to see the opportunities that I’m sure I’m missing on a daily basis but I just don’t feel purpose.

Then today I read the devotional from “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young and was stopped in my tracks by my loving Savior again:

“I chose you before the foundation of the world, to walk with Me along paths designed uniquely for you. Concentrate on keeping in step with Me, instead of trying to anticipate My plans for you. If you trust that My plans are to prosper you and not to harm you, you can relax and enjoy this present moment. Your hope and future are rooted in Heaven, where eternal ecstasy awaits you. Nothing can rob you of your inheritance of unimaginable riches and well-being. Sometimes I grant you glimpses of your glorious future, to encourage you and spur you on. But your main focus should be staying close to Me. I set the pace in keeping with your needs and My purposes.”

Relax and enjoy this present moment. This present moment. Summer. 2010. Unemployed. I have more than enough time to relax and enjoy this path that God has uniquely designed for me.

Today I am resolved to have a serious attitude transplant and be the kind of God-fearing woman that I want to be- one filled with joy and purpose, even in the most simple of circumstances. He sets the pace. He will take care of my needs and HIS purposes.

Keep me accountable people. The most wasted of summers is one where my attitude overshadows the wonder and awe of Christ in me.

From the fields of Uganda to the sands of San Clemente...

The name of the LORD be praised.

Mellow Yellow

Lately I have been drawn to the color yellow.

I have never been a huge fan of yellow, but lately I just cant get enough of it. Since my return from Africa, I have been bored. I mean really really bored. My recent love for yellow mixed with my recent extreme boredom brings the phrase "mellow yellow" to mind :)

Yellow has conflicting symbolism... it is known as a symbol of happiness and joy and yet it is also the color of deceit and being a coward... Yellow is cheerful, but it is often used for hazard signs and emergencies (because of its bright, high visibility)... Yellow is a sign of hope and is used to welcome home loved ones.... Yellow is for mourning in Egypt.... Courage in Japan... and sometimes even a symbol of peace. Yellow symbolizes many things; for me, this summer is Mellow Yellow.