"To say that 'prayer changes things' is not as close to the truth as saying, 'Prayer changes me and then I change things'. God has established things so that prayer, on the basis of redemption, changes the way a person looks at things. Prayer is not a matter of changing things externally, but one of working miracles in a person's inner nature."
-Oswald Chambers
Thursday, August 02, 2007
a little excerpt from provocative faith...
"Ultimately, we experience lifestyle joy when we become content with who Jesus is. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me' (John 14:6 NLT). Making peace with this statement is a process. Some days I wake up and am completely fine with Jesus being the 'way' or the 'truth' for me. But then there are times when I'm not okay with his way or truth; I want it to be my way or I want to find my own truth. But my rules and my idols and my belief systems only get in the way of Jesus reigning supreme in my life. Joy comes not when we put Jesus first, but when we realize that he's always been first and demands nothing less. We must get ourselves out of the way in order for his purpose of making us like him to transpire.
We will never find our joy in circumstance. We will never find our joy in the 'quickies' culture so often offers. Joy comes to us when we faithfully pursue knowing Jesus more intimately. As you begin to know him more deeply and more passionately, you will see your life becoming more peaceful, more content. You won't be 'happy all the time', but your joy will be a lifestyle and not just a passing feeling."
good stuff, mr. turner, good stuff.
"Ultimately, we experience lifestyle joy when we become content with who Jesus is. Jesus said, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me' (John 14:6 NLT). Making peace with this statement is a process. Some days I wake up and am completely fine with Jesus being the 'way' or the 'truth' for me. But then there are times when I'm not okay with his way or truth; I want it to be my way or I want to find my own truth. But my rules and my idols and my belief systems only get in the way of Jesus reigning supreme in my life. Joy comes not when we put Jesus first, but when we realize that he's always been first and demands nothing less. We must get ourselves out of the way in order for his purpose of making us like him to transpire.
We will never find our joy in circumstance. We will never find our joy in the 'quickies' culture so often offers. Joy comes to us when we faithfully pursue knowing Jesus more intimately. As you begin to know him more deeply and more passionately, you will see your life becoming more peaceful, more content. You won't be 'happy all the time', but your joy will be a lifestyle and not just a passing feeling."
good stuff, mr. turner, good stuff.
Monday, July 16, 2007
T-R-U-S-T
this word has come up a lot lately. actually, it has come up a lot throughout my life, and yet i am no closer to mastering the concept now than i was years ago.
trust has never come naturally to me, as i'm sure it probably doesn't to many people, but in looking back on my life i can see that my ability to trust has diminished as time has passed. at first glance, this might seem like a natural chain of events... the more a person is disappointed by others, the less able he or she will be to trust. it is true that i've been disappointed and hurt by some people in my life, so perhaps it's logical for me to not trust those individuals anymore. however, it isn't logical for me to mistrust other people who have never given me a reason to believe that they're not trustworthy. what's even more illogical is for me to mistrust God. he has never given me a reason not to trust him, but has given me every reason to trust him. not only did he die on a cross so that i could spend eternity with him (pretty sure if someone does that, he's trustworthy), but he's protected me from a great deal of pain... even though i chose to get myself into painful situations. the thing is, no matter how stupid i am, no matter how incredibly poor the choices i make are, God wants to give me good things. this is a concept that i can't seem to grasp, probably because it seems totally illogical. why would God want to give someone like me--someone who is selfish, impatient, untrusting (etc, etc)-- good things?!? in wordly terms that doesn't make sense. but that's the beauty of who God is. he's not of this world, and therefore does things differently. in this world, we get rewarded when we perform well. but God desires to bless us even though we continually screw up. yes, you read that correctly... he desires to bless us. he wants us to experience all that he has for us (ie., what's best for us). so why is it so difficult to trust him? probably because sometimes what's best for us happens in a painful manner. sometimes in order to learn, God allows us to be hurt, and sometimes we get hurt just because this world isn't perfect. there's risk involved with trust. but another beautiful thing about God is that he knows what that risk is like. when Jesus was on this earth, he experienced that risk. he knows exactly how it feels.
the creator of the universe knows exactly how i feel at this very moment...
what an incredible thought.
love to all...
this word has come up a lot lately. actually, it has come up a lot throughout my life, and yet i am no closer to mastering the concept now than i was years ago.
trust has never come naturally to me, as i'm sure it probably doesn't to many people, but in looking back on my life i can see that my ability to trust has diminished as time has passed. at first glance, this might seem like a natural chain of events... the more a person is disappointed by others, the less able he or she will be to trust. it is true that i've been disappointed and hurt by some people in my life, so perhaps it's logical for me to not trust those individuals anymore. however, it isn't logical for me to mistrust other people who have never given me a reason to believe that they're not trustworthy. what's even more illogical is for me to mistrust God. he has never given me a reason not to trust him, but has given me every reason to trust him. not only did he die on a cross so that i could spend eternity with him (pretty sure if someone does that, he's trustworthy), but he's protected me from a great deal of pain... even though i chose to get myself into painful situations. the thing is, no matter how stupid i am, no matter how incredibly poor the choices i make are, God wants to give me good things. this is a concept that i can't seem to grasp, probably because it seems totally illogical. why would God want to give someone like me--someone who is selfish, impatient, untrusting (etc, etc)-- good things?!? in wordly terms that doesn't make sense. but that's the beauty of who God is. he's not of this world, and therefore does things differently. in this world, we get rewarded when we perform well. but God desires to bless us even though we continually screw up. yes, you read that correctly... he desires to bless us. he wants us to experience all that he has for us (ie., what's best for us). so why is it so difficult to trust him? probably because sometimes what's best for us happens in a painful manner. sometimes in order to learn, God allows us to be hurt, and sometimes we get hurt just because this world isn't perfect. there's risk involved with trust. but another beautiful thing about God is that he knows what that risk is like. when Jesus was on this earth, he experienced that risk. he knows exactly how it feels.
the creator of the universe knows exactly how i feel at this very moment...
what an incredible thought.
love to all...
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
katie's bridal shower was this weekend! it was such fun (and to be honest, i don't usually like girly things like that, so you know it was lovely)! this is probably my favorite picture... the HUGE bow on her butt cracked me up (as you can probably tell from the ridiculous look on my face)...
and now for a more normal picture of me and miss katie...
(thanks to miss laura for taking such fun pictures!)
love to all...
and now for a more normal picture of me and miss katie...
(thanks to miss laura for taking such fun pictures!)
love to all...
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
today i played some music and made a bowl out of plaster. i love that i'm getting 3 credits for this class!!!
in other news, i finally found out that i got the job at fulton! woo! but, i still don't know when i start! i'm getting rather frustrated, but i decided earlier that i was just going to be happy that i have a job. so this is me being happy i have a job...
i hope you're all having a wonderful week!
much love...
in other news, i finally found out that i got the job at fulton! woo! but, i still don't know when i start! i'm getting rather frustrated, but i decided earlier that i was just going to be happy that i have a job. so this is me being happy i have a job...
i hope you're all having a wonderful week!
much love...
Saturday, June 02, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
for some reason, i've stumbled upon these verses and others like them several times this week... so i thought i'd share...
"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
-1 John 5:14
"Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."
-1 John 3:22
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
-Hebrews 11:6
"This is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us."
-1 John 5:14
"Whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight."
-1 John 3:22
"Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
-Hebrews 11:6
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
"We look at this Son and see the God who cannot be seen. We look at this Son and see God's original purpose in everything created. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels—everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.
He was supreme in the beginning and—leading the resurrection parade—he is supreme in the end. From beginning to end he's there, towering far above everything, everyone. So spacious is he, so roomy, that everything of God finds its proper place in him without crowding. Not only that, but all the broken and dislocated pieces of the universe—people and things, animals and atoms—get properly fixed and fit together in vibrant harmonies, all because of his death, his blood that poured down from the cross."
-Colossians 1:15-20Saturday, May 26, 2007
well, i'm moved in... for the most part, anyway. i still have loads of stuff to put away and all that junk, but the big stuff is done.
i'm totally excited to be here, but i'm also sad. life is so weird and seemingly unfair sometimes. i know i'm supposed to be in lancaster right now, but the events of the past week have made it incredibly difficult to leave bloomsburg. it's all quite confusing and exciting and frustrating all at the same time.
*sigh* i think i need to go to bed...
much love...
i'm totally excited to be here, but i'm also sad. life is so weird and seemingly unfair sometimes. i know i'm supposed to be in lancaster right now, but the events of the past week have made it incredibly difficult to leave bloomsburg. it's all quite confusing and exciting and frustrating all at the same time.
*sigh* i think i need to go to bed...
much love...
Monday, May 21, 2007
3 days! that's right, 3!
i am really excited, but i'm also starting to get a little nervous. the job thing is still up in the air, which is rather frustrating, but i know it'll all work out somehow. i'm also feeling a little sad about leaving bloomsburg. it's home, ya know? however, it will be nice to be living in a bigger town, where i won't see people i know every day. best of all is that i'll be on my own. that's a good thought. what's comforting is knowing that while i may not live here, bloomsburg will always be home, and there will always be people here who care about me, and whom i care about very much.
love to all...
i am really excited, but i'm also starting to get a little nervous. the job thing is still up in the air, which is rather frustrating, but i know it'll all work out somehow. i'm also feeling a little sad about leaving bloomsburg. it's home, ya know? however, it will be nice to be living in a bigger town, where i won't see people i know every day. best of all is that i'll be on my own. that's a good thought. what's comforting is knowing that while i may not live here, bloomsburg will always be home, and there will always be people here who care about me, and whom i care about very much.
love to all...
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
did you ever have one of those days when you felt uncomfortable in your own skin?
that's me today. i'm nervous, anxious, confused, frustrated, and bored. oh, and we mustn't forget lonely. i have so many things to think about, and quite a bit to do in the next few weeks, but i can't do anything about any of it right now (and for some of it, there's nothing i can do ever). i hate feeling helpless and useless, and (here's the crux of it) out of control. i hate to admit it, but i like being in control of things. i like knowing exactly what's going to happen next, and how i'm going to do it. i hate waiting for things to happen. i hate not knowing what's going to happen. i especially hate not knowing what i even want to happen.
what i'd really like is to be settled. just... settled.
i don't think that's too much to ask.
i know some day i will be, and i'll look back at my life and laugh at myself for being so impatient. unfortunately, that doesn't exactly help me out right now. i wish i could be content. i think i was actually doing pretty well with that for a while, but now that i have nothing to do all day but think, i'm back to being discontented.
i know that someday i'll be settled, but today i just don't feel like it's ever going to happen...
forgive my whining...
love to all...
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" -Jeremiah 29:11
that's me today. i'm nervous, anxious, confused, frustrated, and bored. oh, and we mustn't forget lonely. i have so many things to think about, and quite a bit to do in the next few weeks, but i can't do anything about any of it right now (and for some of it, there's nothing i can do ever). i hate feeling helpless and useless, and (here's the crux of it) out of control. i hate to admit it, but i like being in control of things. i like knowing exactly what's going to happen next, and how i'm going to do it. i hate waiting for things to happen. i hate not knowing what's going to happen. i especially hate not knowing what i even want to happen.
what i'd really like is to be settled. just... settled.
i don't think that's too much to ask.
i know some day i will be, and i'll look back at my life and laugh at myself for being so impatient. unfortunately, that doesn't exactly help me out right now. i wish i could be content. i think i was actually doing pretty well with that for a while, but now that i have nothing to do all day but think, i'm back to being discontented.
i know that someday i'll be settled, but today i just don't feel like it's ever going to happen...
forgive my whining...
love to all...
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" -Jeremiah 29:11
Thursday, May 10, 2007
has it been GORGEOUS this week or what!?!
i've been home (in bloomsburg) since friday afternoon, and so far i've done a great deal of relaxing. it is so wonderful to have a couple weeks off just to relax after a long semester. my days thus far have consisted of getting up around 10, eating breakfast on the porch with mag, working out a little bit, laying around a bit more (haha), and making dinner. i could seriously get used to this (i always say that, but in about a week i'll be saying i'm bored, and i can't wait to get back to work)!
speaking of work... i still haven't heard a definite about going back to the bank. so keep your fingers crossed (and keep your ears peeled for other jobs i might be able to get)!
15 days! woo!
love to all...
i've been home (in bloomsburg) since friday afternoon, and so far i've done a great deal of relaxing. it is so wonderful to have a couple weeks off just to relax after a long semester. my days thus far have consisted of getting up around 10, eating breakfast on the porch with mag, working out a little bit, laying around a bit more (haha), and making dinner. i could seriously get used to this (i always say that, but in about a week i'll be saying i'm bored, and i can't wait to get back to work)!
speaking of work... i still haven't heard a definite about going back to the bank. so keep your fingers crossed (and keep your ears peeled for other jobs i might be able to get)!
15 days! woo!
love to all...
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
it is SUCH a beautiful day!!!
today is my last day at Catholic Social Services, and i've already finished all my schoolwork (i'm trying my hardest not to think about the research project anymore, cause there's nothing more i can do) so i've been sitting here looking out the window. it's amazing what a little sunshine will do for a dirty city.
speaking of cities and sunshine... i'm moving to lancaster in 23 days! haha... that's not getting old, is it? by the way, if anyone has a burning desire to help me move, i'll let ya.
hehe so i've been packing little by little over the past couple weeks, and i am still amazed by how much stuff i have! i think the bulk of it is books, which are not fun to move... they're very heavy, and i'm weak. thank goodness i have my pops to help me with that stuff. i'll have to make him a good dinner or something (see what you would be in for if you came to help... hehe).
well i'm off to do some reading... which may turn into gazing out the window... i hope you're all able to enjoy this BEAUTIFUL day!
much love...
today is my last day at Catholic Social Services, and i've already finished all my schoolwork (i'm trying my hardest not to think about the research project anymore, cause there's nothing more i can do) so i've been sitting here looking out the window. it's amazing what a little sunshine will do for a dirty city.
speaking of cities and sunshine... i'm moving to lancaster in 23 days! haha... that's not getting old, is it? by the way, if anyone has a burning desire to help me move, i'll let ya.
hehe so i've been packing little by little over the past couple weeks, and i am still amazed by how much stuff i have! i think the bulk of it is books, which are not fun to move... they're very heavy, and i'm weak. thank goodness i have my pops to help me with that stuff. i'll have to make him a good dinner or something (see what you would be in for if you came to help... hehe). well i'm off to do some reading... which may turn into gazing out the window... i hope you're all able to enjoy this BEAUTIFUL day!
much love...
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Monday, April 30, 2007
my goal for the day was to finish writing my research project. it's 1:00pm now, and so far i've written a paragraph. i decided to sit on the porch and do my work, cause it's absolutely beautiful out today, and mag really likes being outside. she and i have successfully watched the world go by for the past 3 hours. i probably should feel guilty, but i don't. tomorrow is mag's 15th birthday, and i'm not too sure how many more days like this she and i will get to enjoy together, so i'm gonna do it while i can. it's amazing how much i love the little pooch. if you knew her, you'd understand.
tomorrow also begins the first day of the month i move back to lancaster, as katie pointed out in an email this morning. i'm so excited! in 26 days, i will officially be a resident of lancaster county once again! woo!
but for now i must concentrate on my research project! prayers would be appreciated! hahaha (seriously.)
love to all...
tomorrow also begins the first day of the month i move back to lancaster, as katie pointed out in an email this morning. i'm so excited! in 26 days, i will officially be a resident of lancaster county once again! woo!
but for now i must concentrate on my research project! prayers would be appreciated! hahaha (seriously.)
love to all...
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