Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

I am so blessed. I have a Savior, friends that love me, a roof over my head, an opportunity for a college education, it's a beautiful day, and I'm leaving for the beach in 4 days! I'm so excited to spend a week with my favorite people and learn more about Jesus together.

I'm also excited about leading Crafty Critters tonight, even though I'm sad that my lovely boss and friend Tonia will not be there. I was thinking of making little clouds with the kids tonight out of cotton balls and construction paper. We shall see how it goes!

This song has been in my head for days, it's my favorite hymn.

Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
tune my heart to sing thy grace;
streams of mercy, never ceasing,
call for songs of loudest praise.
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
mount of thy redeeming love.

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;
hither by thy help I'm come;
and I hope, by thy good pleasure,
safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
wandering from the fold of God;
he, to rescue me from danger,
interposed his precious blood.

O to grace how great a debtor
daily I'm constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
bind my wandering heart to thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
prone to leave the God I love;
here's my heart, O take and seal it,
seal it for thy courts above.

Why Worry? Jesus Has It Under Control

I am a worrier. I stress all the time about things that I have no control over. This week for example, Spring Break.

I'm sorta in charge of this trip...actually I'm just the "responsible" one who took charge. One friend isn't going anymore, yes I was very very bummed. I had to break it to the rest of the group and come up with a suggestion of a replacement. Unfortunately, most people had a problem with my suggestion. A big one.

Remember how I said Kyle was one of my sunshines? Well, he still is. He was adamant about not accepting my suggestion. That is until today. He text me and said he prayed about and really felt like I was doing the right thing. I of course had already felt God tugging on my heart. I love how He works things out to the way he knows they should be.

Why do I worry? That is a good question.

Matthew 6:34 (English Standard Version)

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Rainy Days and Mondays

A double whammy today. A rainy Monday. To most people this would be a recipe for a terrible day. Not for me. I love the rain. There's something about it that just cleanses the soul. It's beautiful, mysterious, and musical. The feeling of rain hitting your bare skin cannot be replaced by anything else. The smell, the taste, and the way it glistens when light hits it blows still blows my mind.

Rain makes things grow,and without it, we could not survive. We need rain to wash all the dirt of this world away, to make our hearts grow. This is a healing rain that only Jesus can send. He washes my soul clean. He takes away my pain. He loves me no matter what. Men will fail you, but Jesus never will. We see his promises in the rain, the sun, the wind, and of course rainbows. What is more beautiful that God fulfilling his promises to you daily? Nothing. This song is what comes to mind when I see or hear the rain.

Healing rain is coming down
It's coming nearer to this old town
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It's bringing mercy, it won't be long

Healing rain is coming down
It's coming closer to the lost and found
Tears of joy, and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus' name

Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain

Lift your heads, let us return
To the mercy seat where time began
And in your eyes, I see the pain
Come soak this dry heart with healing rain

And only You, the Son of man
Can take a leper and let him stand
So lift your hands, they can be held
By someone greater, the great I Am

Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain

To be washed in Heaven's rain...

Healing rain is falling down
Healing rain is falling down
I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid...

You Mean Life Gets More Confusing as We Get Older?

I always thought that life would simplify once I reached the age where I was able to make my own decisions, do my own thing, and choose my friends. Well. It didn't. I'm in this balancing act of relationships and trying to make people happy and it's confusing. I never thought I'd have to make choices that affected people so deeply or that other people's decisions would hurt me or make me so happy.

Two people I've really been able to count on lately have a special place in my heart. Kyle and Krystina. They keep me in check. They tell me it's going to be ok. They tell gently when I'm being ridiculous. They give me hugs when they know I need it. They can tell something is wrong by taking one look at me. They don't push. They love me. And I love them. I don't know what I would do without them. They are my sunshine lately. I'm ready to spend a whole week with them at the beach and get to know them even better.

Proverbs 17:17 (English Standard Version)

A friend loves at all times,and a brother is born for adversity.

The Complexities of Thinking Too Much

Have you ever just been minding your own business then a friend comes along and makes a suggestion to you that you hadn't really thought of? Then, this crazy thing happens. You can't stop thinking about it. It consumes your thoughts then more and more you start to wonder if they are right, or if that would be a good idea. Maybe they've noticed something that you have failed to, or maybe they are just getting their opinion out there? You never know.

I always think too much. I over-analyze ever little detail of life, especially when it comes to relationships, and I'm not just talking about romantic ones either. People are a mystery to me and every day I spend my time trying to figure them out, to figure life out and it never seems to work.

I've done a lot of thinking over the past twenty four ours. I have yet to come to a conclusion, but would it matter if I did? Because honestly can't do anything about what I'm thinking about. Confused? Yeah, me too.

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.
John Burroughs

Oh the feeling of Community

I love the feeling I have when I hang out with my friends.

It is such a feeling of community that cannot be matched with anything.

For example. Last night. Every Tuesday and Wednesday we all get together and watch American Idol. Fifteen people in one tiny living room crowded around a TV with the show playing off of a VHS tape.

Yes, we are so old school. But I love it. I love my friends, and I love the way we crowd on the couch and on the floor without issues of personal space and no awkwardness. It makes me think that this is what a huge part of life is all about.

Relationships that mean something, people you can trust, and good clean fun. I know that I could call any person in that room if I was in trouble and they would be there in a heartbeat. That is a wonderful feeling.

Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that give value to survival.
C. S. Lewis

Eight Days a Week

Yes, there are only seven days in a week, but sometimes I feel like I've been through enough in one week to add an extra day in there. Do you ever feel stretched out? Like you've done too much? And I'm going to quote one of my favorite movies here "like butter scraped over too much bread." (kudos if you know the movie) Well, I do. That's exactly what I feel like this week, and yes it is only Monday. I love school, but school doesn't always love me.

Honestly, the class I'm taking over The Beatles is taking over my life. It's a bit of an obsession now, it's even taking over the title of my blog post today and I'm listening to their music as I write. If you are every looking for an extremely interesting random topic to obsess over, try The Beatles and you will understand what I'm talking about.

One more thing this week, Midterms. and I'm not excited. Just to let you know. But after today I'm one more day closer to the beach!!! Spring Break can't get here fast enough.

I will leave you with a line from one of my favorite Beatles songs that always brightens my day!
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you

You are beautiful and each day is brand new so greet it with open arms!