Hopeless Romantic

Those who know me will attest that I'm a hopeless romantic.

Here are a Few of my Favorite Things:

-Pride & Prejudice

-Song of Solomon

-Nicholas Sparks

-Disney Princess Movies

I simply love love. I read a quote recently, and I've heard it at weddings, and grow to love it more and more.

‎"Eve was not taken out of Adam's head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him." - Matthew Henry

I love it because God created every good and perfect thing, and He had an immaculate design in mind; and this quote explicitly describes it.

Trusting

"The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." Lamentations 3:25

Lent for Life.

Today, as every year. People have been walking around with crosses of ash on their foreheads. And people talking about lent.

I get it, I understand it in theory, but why should I give something up once a year? So many people I know address it with such redundance and ritual.

I turned on Air1 and the deejay was talking about how Christ gave it all, so we should give something up for him.

Yes. Appreciate what Christ did for your life. And give Him your life in return. What's the point if you give up facebook but spend no time with Him? When Christ fasted in the desert for 40 days, He spent all His time with the father. It wasn't some schnazzy thing to do. There is a time to fast, but personally it feels like a ritual to do it an established time of the year.

A friend put it in the best way Ive heard; Brandon posted

"Everyone is giving up certain things for lent, a 40 day period, why don't we all just give everything that is ourselves up to God for the rest of eternity?"

This picture is the attitude to take. Everday we should be washing our minds, "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." Romans 12:2

My Refuge

As a kid, like most kids, I built a fort. My fort was my hideaway to read, to dream, to create, and imagine. It kept me hidden from all my hidden nemesis. I never understood the concept of a fort until I started learning about history, and realized that if war broke out, all a soldier had to protect them was their fort. Realizing that in a war, a fort was a refuge. A place of arms, of nourishment, of rest.

Lately I've shared about uncertainties in my future. There are certain things about life I can go with the flow with, but having a general plan for my life is not one of them. After a mini-Chernobyl breakdown (hyperbole), I read this; and realized God is my fort. No matter what happens, I will always have Him.

Whether I live in a hut, or a mansion.

Am living from meal to meal, or serving meals to others.

Wherever I am.

"God is our refuge and strength

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling.

Selah"

Psalm 46:1-3

Just Keep Walking

One of my favorite quotes is from Finding Nemo, "Just keep swimming." Dori was happy when she made any progress, and just kept swimming.

Recently, I was talking to some friends, and we were swapping prayer requests we had written out. There was a group of a few of us, and someone went, "Switch with Amanda, she has an amazing devotion life, you can see it."

Truth: I read my Bible everyday, but sometimes it seems like a chore. Sometimes I lose prayer requests, so I may sure to pray for them at least once right when I get them. Sometimes I forget to pray.

I'm far from perfect. I'm working on praying without ceasing, but I'm a work in progress. "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." Romans 7:15

I know I will never attain perfection here on this earth, but everyday I strive to be a little bit more like Jesus. Although my friend who made the comment doesn't know it, even though it convicted me that I need to be more like Jesus, it also encouraged me, and exorted me to do so. I'm trying to take steps everyday towards eternity.

Is there anything in your life God is telling you to do more?

Writing What I Know

Right now I'm kinda stuck in a rut. I'm stuck on what to paint for an art project, stuck on what college to go to, stuck on what to write about in a blog...

The general rule of thumb for writing well is write what you know.

Well, since I'm taking a break from studying anatomy, and now I know about it, I'll write about muscle contractions.

Our muscles are made up of tiny fibers that are super thin. In order to contract and relax, different chemicals must be released from different parts of the muscle in order to allow contraction and relaxation to occur. My teacher wrote it out in a 7 step process.

I won't bore you with the different chemical reactions, but my point is that the 7 step process it takes me a minute to comprehend, my body has already gone through it several times, probably mostly by sratching my head. ;)

If you realy want to know about God's craftmanship, study anatomy. Because David wasn't kidding when he said, "I am feafully and wonderfully made." Psalm 139:14

The First Breath

Seeing biblical prophechy line up before my eyes, I am beginning to wonder more and more what Heaven will be like, and also more about the rapture. God gives us clues, but I still wonder.

This is for sure,

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be bo nore, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Revelation 21:4

The Bible also mentions no darkness, transluscent gold, and new bodies.

The best explanation as to how the rapture may feel was this Sunday from the Jr High pastor at my church, he thinks it will like emerging from the ocean after getting wiped out by a wave. Jesus said the end is drawing near.

If our car were representative of our lives, it does not mean to pull over and stop the car and wait. It means to keep driving, but to keep the eyes continually on the horizion, waiting for that first breath into eternity.