Nothing Important

Things have been so busy this week that posting has taken a backseat to everything else. But in the midst of business I still see God's grace and mercy poured out on my life. It is so good to be loved by God! I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Openness
Lord of immortality, before whom angels bow and archangels veil their faces, enable me to serve Thee with reverence and godly fear. Thou who art Spirit and requirest truth in the inward parts, help me to worship Thee in spirit and in truth. Thou who art righteous, let me not harbour sin in my heart, or indulge a worldly temper, or seek satisfaction in things that perish.
I hasten towards an hour when earthly pursuits and possessions will appear vain, when it will be indifferent whether I have been rich or poor, successful or disappointed, admired or despised. But it will be of eternal moment that I have mourned for sin, hungered and thirsted after righteousness, loved the Lord Jesus in sincerity, gloried in His cross. May these objects engross my chief solicitude! Produce in me those principles and dispositions that make Thy service perfect freedom.
Expel from my mind all sinful fear and shame, so that with firmness and courage I may confess the Redeemer before men, go forth with Him hearing His reproach, be zealous with His knowledge, be filled with His wisdom, walk with His circumspection, ask counsel of Him in all things, repair to the Scriptures for His orders, stay my mind on His peace, knowing that nothing can befall me without His permission, appointment and administration.
~Valley of Vision~

Morning Reflections: "To Live Is Christ"

"Yes, and I will rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel, and not frightened in anything by your opponents. This is a clear sign to them of their destruction, but of your salvation, and that from God. For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have." - Philippians 1:18-30

The pursuit of holiness has been on my mind and heart a lot recently. I mean, it always should be, but it has been more than usual. This passage in Philippians is a great reminder of why to strive toward holiness. Sometimes when life gets hard and the pursuing gets tiresome, we may wish to "depart and be with Christ", but as long as He keeps us here on earth, there is a reason and I pray that I can bring Him glory in living in that reason to the best of my ability. ~O God, help me to live for Your glory in all that I do. May I live a life worthy of the gospel and not grow weary. Thank you for knowing the plans You have for me and for sovereignly ruling over my life. May I praise You as long as I have breath. Amen~

Morning Reflections: "Spiritual Helps"

Eternal Father, it is amazing love, that Thou hast sent Thy Son to suffer in my stead, that Thou hast added the Spirit to teach, comfort, guide, that Thou hast allowed the ministry of angels to wall me round; all heaven subserves the welfare of a poor worm. Permit Thy unseen servants to be ever active on my behalf, and to rejoice when grace expands in me. Suffer them never to rest until my conflict is over, and I stand victorious on salvation's shore. Grant that my proneness to evil, deadness to good, resistance to Thy Spirit's motions, may never provoke Thee to abandon me. May my hard heart awake Thy pity, not Thy wrath, And if the enemy gets an advantage through my corruption, let it be seen that heaven is mightier than hell, that those for me are greater than those against me. Arise to my help in richness of covenant blessings, keep me feeding in the pastures of Thy strengthening Word, searching Scripture to find Thee there.
If my waywardness is visited with a scourge, enable me to receive correction meekly, to bless the reproving hand, to discern the motive of rebuke, to respond promptly, and do the first work. Let all Thy fatherly dealings make me a partaker of Thy holiness. Grant that in every fall I may sink lower on my knees, and that when I rise it may be to loftier heights of devotion. May my every cross be sanctified, every loss be gain, every denial a spiritual advantage, every dark day a light of the Holy Spirit, every night of trial a song.

~Valley of Vision~

Amazing Mercy

This song never fails to bring tears to my eyes and an overwhelming sense of the truth the God is amazing in His love and mercy. I know that my days would be dark and hopeless without the new mercies of God every morning. ~O Lord, how great are Your ways and Your faithfulness. Thank you, thank you, thank you for Your mercy when I've fallen and strayed. For Pursuing my heart. And for never withdrawing from me, even in the face of my sin. May I love You more and follow You better. Amen~

Mercies Anew

Every morning that breaks

There are mercies anew

Every breath that I take

Is Your faithfulness proved

And at the end of each day

When my labors are through

I will sing of Your mercies anew

When I've fallen and strayed

There were mercies anew

For you sought me in love

And my heart you pursued

In the face of my sin

Lord, You never withdrew

So I sing of Your mercies anew

And when the storms swirl and rage

There are mercies anew

In affliction and pain

You will carry me through

And at the end of my days

When Your throne fills my view

I will sing of Your mercies anew

And Your mercies, they will never end

For ten thousand years they'll remain

And when this world's beauty has passed away

Your mercies will be unchanged

Morning Reflections: "His Promises"

The following Psalm has been on my mind almost every day this week. I believe the Lord is wanting me to meditate on His truths and promises and hold fast to them. How can I read this psalm and not give God glory?! He calls forth my ardent praise with every verse. How great is our God!

Psalm 103
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul,and all that is within me,bless his holy name!

2 Bless the Lord, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits,

3 who forgives all your iniquity,who heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit,who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,

5 who satisfies you with goodso that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The Lord works righteousnessand justice for all who are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,his acts to the people of Israel.

8 The Lord is merciful and gracious,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

9 He will not always chide,nor will he keep his anger forever.

10 He does not deal with us according to our sins,nor repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

13 As a father shows compassion to his children,so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.

14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are like grass;he flourishes like a flower of the field;

16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,and its place knows it no more.

17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,and his righteousness to children's children,

18 to those who keep his covenantand remember to do his commandments.

19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens,and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels,you mighty ones who do his word,obeying the voice of his word!

21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts,his ministers, who do his will!

22 Bless the Lord, all his works,in all places of his dominion.Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Morning Reflections: "Our Christian Walk"

"But we all with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord." 2 Corinthians 3:18

Is your knowledge of God a transforming knowledge? Have you so become acquainted with God as to receive the impress (as it were) of what God is?—for a true knowledge of God is a transforming knowledge. As I look upon the glory of God I am changed into that glory; and as my acquaintance with God deepens, I become more like God. There is a transfer of God's moral image to my soul. Is your knowledge then transforming? Does your acquaintance with God make you more like God—more holy, more divine, more heavenly, more spiritual? Does it prompt you to pant after conformity to God's mind, desiring in all things to walk so as to please God, and to have, as it were, a transfer of the nature of God to your soul? Examine, therefore, your professed acquaintance with God, and see whether it is that acquaintance which will bring you to heaven, and will go on increasing through the countless ages of eternity.And I would say to God's saints—trace the cause of much of our uneven walking, of our little holiness, and, consequently, of our little happiness, to our imperfect acquaintance with what God is. Did I know more of what God is to me in Christ—how He loves me, what a deep interest He takes in all my concerns—did I know that He never withdraws His eye from me for one moment, that His heart of love never grows cold—oh! did I but know this, would I not walk more as one acquainted with God? Would I not desire to consult Him in all that interests me, to acknowledge Him in all my ways, to look up to Him in all things, and to deal with Him in all matters? Would I not desire to be more like Him, more holy, more divine, more Christ-like? Yes, beloved; it is because we know Him so little, that we walk so much in uneven ways. We consult man rather than God; we flee to the asylum of a creature-bosom, rather than to the bosom of the Father; we go to the sympathy of man, rather than to the sympathy of God in Christ, because we are so imperfectly acquainted with God. But did I know more clearly what God is to me in the Son of His love, I should say—I have not a trial but I may take that trial to my Father; I am not in a perplexity but I may go to God for counsel; I am in no difficulty, I have no want, but it is my privilege to spread it before my Father—to unveil my heart of sin, my heart of wretchedness, my heart of poverty, to Him who has unveiled His heart of love, His heart of grace, His heart of tenderness to me in Christ. As I become more acquainted with God, my character and my Christian walk will be more even, more circumspect, more holy, and consequently more happy.

~Octavius Winslow~

Fun Times This Weekend

Friday: My dad got back into town on Friday, so we had a family night at home, which was great! Dinner together and fellowship followed by a movie. The Astronaut Farmer. Very quirky, but it was good. =) I'm so thankful for my family and the blessing they are in my life!

Saturday: Helping my mom at the house. Having lunch and shopping with my mom. (One of our O so fun traditions!) Hanging out with the family. And then Capture the Flag at the Watt's.
A few favorite moments from that night:
* Eleven people all dressed in black running around.
* Knowing I was going to end up in the river or in someone else's yard because of how dark it was. (Thankfully, neither accord.)
* Crawling on the ground in covert operation
* Hearing hurried footsteps right before someone would burst through the bushes. ( It was just a funny noise?)
* Justin and Kevin running into each other. (Sorry, I know that must have hurt!)
* Hearing about Landon biffing it...bad.
* Annsley running back to base when she wasn't suppose to...and hiding the flag when she wasn't suppose to =) (I think I started jogging back too before I remembered!)

Least favorite moments:
* Running around in the hot and sticky weather.
* Crawling through a bush right into a huge spider web. (I was quietly flailing around trying to make sure a large spider hadn't fallen on me. Gross!)
* Not being able to outrun any of the guys. So annoying! But I guess God had His reasons in making guys faster than girls.

Anyway, it was fun and I hadn't played Capture the Flag in years!

Sunday: A wonderful church service, complete with fellowship, being able to worship God and a great message about God working in the life of Abraham. Lunch with all the girls at Mimi's and then a game. Hanging out with friends and playing volleyball.

"The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance." - Psalm 16: 5-6