Human Star

looking up at the midnight sky
i wish i was that really
BRIGHT star to the eastern sky
it looks down on earth every night
shining so bright to Bring God
all praise and glory
it reflects a tiny portion of
God's glory for the world to see.
Yet only god knows the name
of that star.
Only God knows when the star
was formed and how long
it will continue to shine.
Only God has the reasons why
He placed that star in a certain
location in His night sky.

although, physically, I am not a star,
I shine bright on earth
as a believer, i reflect God to others.
Only God knows when He made me
and how long I will shine for Him.
He alone knows why I am here-
America- Land of the Free
And he knows my full potential-
not just what I am at this moment in time.

i am a human star
declaring the praise of
my Creator.

whatever you're doing (ssomething heavenly)

It's time for healing time to move on
It's time to fix what's been broken too long
Time to make right what has been wrong
It's time to find my way to where I belong
There's a wave that's crashing over me
And all I can do is surrender

(Chorus)
Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something Heavenly

Time for a milestone
Time to begin again
Reevaluate who I really am
Am I doing everything to follow Your will
Or just climbing aimlessly over these hills
So show me what it is You want from me
I give everything I surrender...
To...

(Chorus)

Time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out
That I've wanted to say for so many years
Time to release all my held back tears

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but I believe
You're up to something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly

Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but now I can see
This is something bigger than me
Larger than life something Heavenly
Something Heavenly

It's time to face up
Clean this old house
Time to breathe in and let everything out

~sanctus real~

Cast Down Idols

idols come in all shapes and sizes
special events, sports, church ministry
reading, fishing, money, dreams
although no one or nothing can or will
ever take the place of God
idolatry occurs when a person
devalues or de-prioritizes God
and up-grades something else
to the number one spot of life
results in idol worship.

Sure, we don't worship stone idols today
but no one likes to miss their
favorite tv show or favorite ball game
when a heart desires something else
in place of God
that "something else" is an idol
no matter what it is
and must be dealt with.
be

God is God.
No one or no thing can take God's place
but when we allow something to be
before God in life,
then we follow the path of idols.
the path of the children of Israel.
Idolatry.

Allow God to reign.
Worship Him as Lord.
He is the King of Kings
and deserves all honor and praise.
Idols can not compare to who God is.

This I Ask

Heavenly Father,
I am asking You to:

"Turn my eyes away from worthless things,
preserve my life according to your Word"
Psalm 119:37


"Let your compassion come to me that I may live,

for Your law is my delight".
Psalm 119:77


"Direct my footsteps according to Your word;
let no sin rule over me"
Psalm 119:133

~Like My Father~

Like a young child who is afraid
of the dark
And monsters under the bed.
You have come and quiet my fears
and give me peace.

Like an elementary kid
when he falls off his bike
and gets cuts and bruises
You lay Your healing hand
on my wounds
and I am healed.

Like a child learning to pick
up their toys
You come and pick up
the broken pieces of my life
And I am restored.

Not only do You:
Quiet my fears
Heal my wounds
Restore my life
But You are also my Father.

You guide, teach, and mold me.
You are influencing me to be
more like You each day.
As the saying goes,
"Like father, like daughter"

Sean's Graduation :)

The graduates admire their cake before we cut it.

mom and dad get special seating...

all of us :)

playing around with my camera timer

Sean graduated from DHS today.

Reasons To Praise You

Lately, I realized that praise is one part of my life that I could improve on...so I made a short list of reasons that I have to praise my King.

I praise You because:
~You taught the stars to shine
~for who You are-God-Creator-Holy One-Redeemer-Friend-
~You are King of Kings
You sent Jesus to die for the sins of all mankind
~I am free from my past sins and way of life
~for today- another day to glorify You
~for forgiving me-all the time
~You are above everything
~there is no one like You
~You deserve my praise and adoration
~I was made to praise You.
~I will be praising you forever in heaven...so I should get a
jump start now..and begin to praise You NOW.

I praise the Lord for who He is and what He has done in my life.
It is only through the power of the cross that I am alive.
I am alive because Jesus died.

Praise the Lord for He alone is good!

Standing Firm in a Sand Castle World

Lately, I've been learning to trust God a whole lot more. My hall theme for the fall is extreme makeover-dorm 13-1 edition...what I thought would make a good hall theme, I am now learning the lessons that I will teach to my girls.

My hall theme is mainly about making God your foundation for life. So often, we build our lives around people or dreams and when a storm comes crashing in, worlds fall apart. However, when we decide to build our life upon God, storms of life will come, but we won't be shaken because we have a firm foundation.

Psalm 18:2 ~ The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Since summer break began, God has been tearing down faulty foundations in my life. He is preparing me for my hall by taking my life off of the sand and forming my life around Him and His Word. I was trapped in sin for a while, until I read bondage breaker. It is a good book, and I am living in freedom from my chains to sin. I let go of bitterness that i was cherishing in my heart and finally forgave people who wounded me. God moved me from sand to rock. Also, I've been learning to trust God a whole lot more. I had my dreams and plans all made for my hall before summer break. Not even a month into break, and my dreams shattered. Now my dreams no longer remain. I am trusting God to provide for my future. Dreams a good to have, but when I built my plans and thoughts around them, my dreams for my hall became a foundation of plans and ideas. Now, I am not laying a foundation of plans or creativity for my hall. Instead, I want God to be the foundation for my hall and for my life.

Not only have I moved from sand to rock in different areas of my life, but I've noticed that I run to my heavenly Father more often when something comes my way. After all, He is my stronghold and my deliverer. I can trust Him even though I am unsure of the circumstances or events going on around me. I can trust and will trust my Rock to remain solid when I face the uncertainties around me. Even during a bad day (or last week-it was a bad week) I can praise God during those moments of stress and hardship...and when I praise God during those hard times, the bad times seem a little better because I know that God is in control. He is on His throne. He reigns.

I don't know what else this summer will bring or what the upcoming school year will have in store. And, I don't need to know the future but I know the One who does. God is in control. He is my only sure and firm foundation in this sand castle world we live in.

I stand, not on my hopes, dreams, money, friends, tv, books, movies...

But I stand firm on my foundation- the Rock, my Savior.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is an old hymn that has been coming to my mind recently:

my hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus' blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly trust in Jesus' name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
my anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
support me in the whelming flood.
when all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

~walk with me~

God
draw me close to You
i don't want to run on someone
else's spiritual fumes.
i desire to be near to You.
set me on fire for You.
never let me go lukewarm.
give me a passion for you
and for the things that glorify You
keep me free from sin.
guard my mind
may my every thought bring You glory.

God
draw me closer to You.
Enoch walked with You.
Father, please come and walk with me.
God this is my desire
come walk with me through
this journey called life.

be my Companion and my faithful Guide

come for a walk with me.
~your daughter~

d`i`s`c`o`n`n`e`c`t` `m`e`

Disconnect me from
who I am
So I can pour-freely
My life into others.

Disconnect me from
what I want.
So I won't stray-aimlessly
from The Way.

Disconnect me from
the world.
SO I can shine-so bright
for You.

Disconnect me from
anything and everything that
fails to bring You honor
but don't disconnect me
from You.


~written May 13,2008~

Regret leads to New [and BETTER] Perspective

I've wasted so much time
when i should of been
in Your Word
in prayer
or serving others.
my high school years, for example,
were wasted on me, not on You;
because i was going through a desert...
but i'll take responsibility
that I haven't been completely
about my Father's work-
I've been wasting my time on things
that really don't matter
like movies, tv, and books.
Personally, I've neglected spending
a lot of time in my Word.
I've slacked in my relationship
with God for meaningless pleasures
of the world-meaningless pleasures.

Oh, God, give me a new perspective
on time-how short life really is.
May i use ALL my time
to bring You ALL the glory.
Keep me focused on You
so that I'm not distracted
by the tv shows, or whatever else
this world has to offer me.
May You consume ALL my freetime.
I don't care if i don't watch
another tv show this summer
as long as I get to know You more.
Twenty years from now,
I don't want to have any
regrets about summer of 2008.
God, teach me to us all of my time
for Your glory
-only for Your glory-
I need Your help to resist falling
into the distractions of the world.
Give me opportunities this summer to serve You
To witness- Lord speak through me
To love others-unconditionally
Consume my planner, Lord,
but may i never tire or get bored
honoring You with all my time.

I

My Declaration of Dependence

No longer will I live my life on my own
strength, dreams, motivation or goals-
because I can't get anywhere on my own.
I declare to be fully dependent on God
from now on.
Fully dependent on my Savior,
on the One who gave me life through His Son.

He is my rock of refuge and always is there for me (Ps. 71:3)
Marry said that "Nothing is impossible with God" (Luke 1:52)
God's power is perfect during my weakest times (2 Cor. 12:9)
God's righteousness reaches the skies (Ps. 71:9)
Your love reaches the heavens (Ps. 57:10)
God sustains His children (Ps 55:22)
My God is a help when trouble hits me (Ps 46:1)
You are great and praiseworthy (Ps 48:1)
You heal me when I'm broken (Ps 41:4)
You are my Savior and the living God (Ps 42:11)
You Deliver the righteous (Ps 37:40)
Giver of heart's desire (Ps 37:4)
Hiding place from the world around me (Ps 32:7)
You are merciful to me (Ps. 31:9)
My horn of salvation (Ps 18:2)
Constant Counselor (Ps 167)

Truly Lord, Psalm 16:2 says it best:
I said to the Lord," You are my Lord,
apart from You I have no good thing.

May I live every moment on dependence on You.
You give me everything that I need for life.
All I have is Yours.
May i trust You more as I become fully dependent on You.

Questions of JD

i keep asking You
when will You answer me?
i know that You hear
me when i call
am i asking You for the wrong thing?
is it not in your will for me?
or is this just not the right time?
oh God, please give me an answer
yes, no, maybe or wait
are simple answers that i would accept.
God, please show me what to do.
help me not to take matters
into my own hands
because i could make a mess of things
but through it all,
all of my questions and thoughts
i trust You.
Only Your way is perfect, not mine.
Lord, lead me and teach me.

I will follow You
because of Your love for me.

Backyard Joy

life from my backporch
i spend time out here avoiding people and the world
its nice to sit outside, get in my Word and enjoy the sunshine.

Times in Psalm 119

Lately, I've been reading the longest chapter of the Bible. I find it so fascinating. It demonstrates a heart so close to God, a person who longs to obey the Word. I want to be a believer so in love with my Savior that I can say "I see you with all my heart; do not let me stray from you commands" (119:10). All my heart should be seeking my Savior. So often I fail to seek Him wholeheartedly. I am distracted by things of this world..things that won't matter in eternity. Also, often I stray from His commands. I am foolish because I know what God's word commands, yet sometimes I fail to obey what I know to be true.

Later in the chapter, it shows the heart of one after God's own heart. "You are my portion, O Lord; I have promised to obey your words. I have sought your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to your promise" (119: 57-58). God is all that I need for life. No matter what the world or media or friends try to tell me, my God is all that I need for life, for happiness for a bright future. I don't need money or fame, ALL I need is Jesus. My portion forever. However, often I neglect my Portion and turn to the things of the world. The useless worldly things temporarily appease my wants, but only God can completely satisfy my needs.

Verse 97 states, " Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long." This verse really got me thinking. How much do I love the Word of God? Do I think about His words all day long? The answer: is no. I do not mediate on the Word of God as much as I should (which is all day long). I need to memorize more verses so that I can meditate on the Bible all day long-in order to transform my heart to be more like God's heart.

I want to be able to say this and mean it, "I open my mouth and pant, longing for your commands" (119:131). Am I really that hungry, that thirsty to hear the Word of God? Am i dependant on God to sustain me throughout my day? I desire to hear and learn more from God and His word, but I am not to the level where the author of this psalm was at. I fail to pant for God's word. My spiritual stomach may growl, but i am not at the state of panting for God like the psalmist was.

I desire to have a heart for God. To love His Word and obey it because of my love for Him and His law. To meditate on His Word and who He is all day long. To truly love the Lord my God, with ALL my heart, with ALL my soul, with ALL my mind, and with ALL my strength. He wants my all, because He has given me His All when Jesus died on the cross for me.

I am hungry
I am hungry
I am hungry for more of You.
I am thirsty
Oh Jesus,
I am thirsty for more of You.

We lift our holy hands up
We want to touch you
We lift our voices
Higher and higher and Higher to You.

God, make me thirsty for You. Change my heart. Make my heart more like Yours. Break my heart for those things that break Yours. Show me how to love others as You loved them. May I love you with ALL of me, not just some of me. Be King of my life.

Lead Me

I have nowhere else to turn
I don't know the answers
But You are my Hope.
I choose to trust You.

It is hard to trust when
The road ahead is dark with uncertainty
It is hard to trust when
People give their advice or opinions
and expect me to obey them.
But You are my Hope.
I choose to trust You.

~written May 14, 2008~

~ReFiNe Me~

Father,
I've been so selfish.
I put others first
In order to put me in a better light.
I've made me, my biggest idol.
Somedays, I fail to serve You,
but serve me instead.
I'm so prideful too.
I think I'm all that...
since sliced bread,
When instead I need to be humble
and only boast about You,
My Savior and my God.
Remove me from my pedestal.
Make me nothing
In order for You to take up
Residence in my life,
In my heart as
My Everything.
Make me more like You.
Mold me,
Refine me,
Until only You remain in me.
I am tired of living my life.
I want to live totally for You.
From now on.
Transform me
And I will bring You all
the praise and glory for Your work in my life.
I need You to change me.
God, this is my request:
refine me.


~written May 26, 2008~

A Stream of Change

I am like one of the ponds in my backyard.
Stagnate.
No incoming water.
No outflow of water.
A green slim scum layer on top.
Somedays my relationship with Jesus is stagnate.
I'm trapped in sin.
No one is pouring into me.
I'm not pouring into others.
I know the Word but don't proclaim it.
I have a mouth yet fail to continually praise the Lord.
God, take the pond of my life
and turn it into a stream.
May my life be a stream of You
Into the lives of those around me.
May I cease to be stagnate and begin a journey-
An overflow of You in me.
And as a result,
I'll invest myself in others.
Let me be a stream, not a stagnate pond.
May You constantly change me
to be more like You.

~written on May 22,2008~