Draw Near to God

I was reading in Hebrews this morning and this passage just struck me. So then I went and looked up some more verses on the subject.

Hebrews 10:22-24

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

James 4:8

Come near to God and he will come near to you. 

Psalm 73:28

But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.

Goodbye Christmas

Merry Christmas! I know it is technically a day late, but I didn't really feel like writing on Christmas day. ;)

I had a pretty awesome Christmas, which we actually celebrated on Christmas eve. We opened our stockings, then played one of worlds longest games of Life. I actually won by a tiny margin. That night we went to a candle lit service, which was probably one of the most beautiful ones I've seen. On Christmas day, we had a nice meal and then... *cough* we took down all of our decorations. I had the bad timing to get a fever (I'm telling you, ether Ceder Fever or I am going to leave Texas, and I do not intend to leave my 85 degree Christmas. Yeah, so here's hoping Ceder Fever ends soon.)

So I spent most of yesterday on my window seat reading and trying to keep cool. That night I packed up my decorations. That was no small task because my two huge shelf's full of books had been packed up during the holiday and had to be unpacked and reorganized.

And then there was a tradition's my family has had for years now. On the day after Christmas, all the girls in our house go on a huge shopping day. That was today and the term shop till you drop actually seemed to apply. I am now fully convinced that Family Christian Store is the best place for buying music, Hobby Lobby best (I knew that before, but reaffirming never hurt), and I am glad these trips only come once a year or I would be perpetually bankrupt.

 Now I saying goodbye to the holiday season with cleaning, writing to-do lists, and trying to finish up a few last minute projects before next year.

How did your Christmas go?
Did you do any after Christmas shopping?

Hearts Longing

This is some poetry I wrote this month. 

My heart longs eternally for so many things

It longs for the things I've lost

They are gone forever

Never to return

They left a yearning whole inside of me.

They are lost, gone forever

Yet my heart wants them back oh so badly

It is desperate for a way for them to return

My hear longs eternally for so many things

It longs for things I have

They seem like they are with me

But they are so far away

I can’t help but long

For them even though they are here.

I want it back to its original condition

But its already damaged

My heart longs eternally for so many things

It longs for things that I do not yet have

They are coming

I can feel it

They are beautiful things

Things that have been coming for years

And I just can’t wait till they are here.

My heart longs for so many things

It makes me wish they would hurry up and get here.

My heart longs for things it has never seen 

It wants places I’ve never been 

An ache forms when I cannot be there

I tell myself I cannot possibly care 

But my heart tells me that is not true

That we most certainly can and do

Do you long for things you've never seen?

When You Fail Resalutions

Rosemary flowers. =)

This little guy was not afraid of me taking his photo. Well, just so long as I did not touch his food. ;D

Isn't this door awesome?!? =D

Alright, I'll be honest, I did horrible on my 2016 resolutions. I won't go through the long painful list of things I didn't accomplish, I'll just tell you there were a lot of them. I had goals for education, writing, physical, relationships, spiritual, and lots of random ones. And I'm telling you, one year ago, I was super excited to set down those resolutions. I was excited to promise that I would do better and that I would accomplish a lot. 

And here I am a year later with a pitiful amount of those done. I had no idea a year that so much would change in just twelve short months. I had no idea how hard this year would be, or how rewarding. Especially during the beginning of this year I went through one of the hardest times of my life so far. I was faced with some issues I had never dealt with before and a lot of things that made me rethink my motivations. Later this year I have gone through some very exciting times. Things are happening I had pretty much given up hope on. 

And you know what, all that stuff pretty much wrecked my resolutions. I failed at almost every single thing on my list, and right now, I'm okay with that. Because what I did this year were things I never would have put on my list. I learned stuff I didn't even know I needed to learn and I felt a depth of connection with God I never have felt before. Thats not something you can just do whenever you like. That was on God's list for me this year. 

So what if I did fail at my resolutions? God had something else for me in mind and I am very glad He led me, even if I did drag my feet. 

Did you fail at your resolutions?
What is the biggest thing you've learned this year?

Stand Firm

Hello! I found some really awesome verses on (You guessed it) standing firm, and I wanted to share them with y'all!

Isaiah 7:9 

If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.

1 Corinthians 16:13 

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love.

Psalm 20:6-8 

Now this I know:

The Lord gives victory to his anointed.

He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary

with the victorious power of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

They are brought to their knees and fall,

but we rise up and stand firm.

Proverbs 10:25 

When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever.

1 Corinthians 15:58 

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

What is your favorite verse on standing firm?