Saturday, August 10, 2013

East to West

Ok, I wanted to apologize for being so out of it recently but the end of summer is almost as bad as the end of school for me.

So, today I learned the song "east to west" by Casting Crowns. I love the whole chorus. If you haven't heard it, it says
"Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west 'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again In the arms of Your mercy I find rest 'cause You know just how far the east is from the west From one scarred hand to the other"
It applies to me so personally, especially the "I can't bear to see the man I've been rising up in me again" because 7th-9th grade I honestly hated myself. I thought I was a monster I thought I didn't deserve to live and that I was just a burden to other people. But, something I didn't know until early this year is that one of my best friends had been praying for me to see myself as God sees me. Now I sort of do. I don't LOVE myself, there are always things to improve on but I see how I am made in Gods image and how much my friends care about me and how I encourage them. So, all of that to say, I'm always afraid that that person, the self-loathing, Self-centered, monster of a person will rise up in me again.
I read through Proverbs 18 today. My favorite verse in this chapter was verse 29
"A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a close friend whop sticks closer than a brother"
I worshiped to Give Me Faith, What Faith Can Do, and I Will Rise.
An extra added note for tonight. Earlier today I was looking through a book of photographs of national parks and most of them I was just like "Oh, that's pretty" or "That looks cool" But there was one picture in particular that almost brought me to tears because of its beauty. It's really just a simple picture but it's Amazing, this is a link to the picture  http://hopanseladams15.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/ansel-adams-07.jpg
All I could think while looking at it was that God created the Oceans and rocks and the moon to control waves and the Photographer (Ansel Adams) with an amazing eye for beauty in simple things. I just think we have the most amazing, creative, beautiful God.
I prayed tonight as always.

With Love,
                  Grace.
                             Proverbs 18:16

Friday, August 9, 2013

Lead Me To The Cross

Het guys! So tonight I learned "Lead Me To The Cross" By Hillsong  United.
I love this song because I can just lay myself down before Christ whenever I sing it.
I read through Proverbs 17.
I worship to There is No one like you and I will rise.
And I prayed tonight.

With Love,
                  Grace
                            Galatians 2:20

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Amazing Grace

So, I have put off learning this song for a while because it sounds fairly conceded coming from someone named Grace but honestly, It is one of my favorite hymns so I learned Amazing Grace today.
I worshiped to  Trading My Sorrow, You Deserve, and Every Move I make.
I read through Proverbs 16. I really liked verse 4 which says
 "The Lords works out everything for His own ends. Even the wicked for a day of disaster"
I really liked that verse because it's just a reminder that God does have a plan even when Things are hard and we don't understand.
I prayed today as always.
It's kind of awesome how much God has changed me in the past month. I'm starting to see things with a new pair of eyes and even when I feel my human nature creeping up I know exactly what it is (Most of the time)m and can shut it down with prayer.

My prayer for all of you is that you can trust that God will work in your life even when you can't see how things will turn out ok.

With Love,
                   Grace.
                              Ecclesiastes 3:11 

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

He Reigns

Ok! So, today has been a really cool day.
I'm actually not going to start where I usually do i'm going to start with this afternoon when I met with my youth pastor for coffee. We Talked about the direction youth group is going and it was really encouraging to me because I haven't been able to be there on sundays because my family changed churches so I kind of felt like I wan't as much a part of the youth group as I used to be but I got to see how I can be involved in the youth group more than most even though I can't be ther sunday mornings. I really love that about the church (How it should be at least). the church body is like a family and even if you can't be there you are still loved and cared for by your fellow Christians. A biblical example of this is every church that Paul started. In His letters he writes a lot about coming to visit them so that he can encourage them and they can encourage him. never once in His letters is there resentment about not being at the church he is writing to.
Today I learned the song "He Reigns" by The Newsboys. It's a fantastic worship song and if you haven't heard it you need to listen to it.
I worshiped to Lord I Lift Your Name On High, Always Forever, and It Is Finished.
I read through Proverbs 15 tonight and the first verse is one that I'm just going to touch on real quick. 15:1 says "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger"
If you think back to arguments you've had in your life you will find this so accurate. If someone said "Hey, you did this wrong and I think you should fix it" if you reply with "Oh! ok you're right let me get on that!" even if you think you did it right  already there is no way that person will get/stay mad at you unless they are struggling with something personally, but if you responded by saying "Well you did this, this, this, and this wrong! how do you have any right to tell me what to do?" 90/100 times the other person will get angrier and that is just one example of how harsh words stir up anger.
I need to take that proverb to heart a lot of times because my first response to almost anything is to snap at someone and that just makes it harder on me and them.
I prayed today about the same as yesterday.

One extra thing today! I finished reading The Magicians Nephew by C.S. Lewis. I've read the whole Chronicles of Narnia before but not for a while so I'm re-reading  them. As I was reading through the part where Aslan is singing the world into existence I am just reminded of Gods beauty and creativity. I mean, God created every single detail of the universe. he created you, every little detail of you. And he didn't do any of this "By accident" He didn't create you and say "Hey, I like those freckles on her nose! I didn't even mean to do that!" God is so creative and beautiful that you see it in every aspect of His creation.

Well, that's all for tonight. My prayer for all of you is that you can see Gods beauty in everything you look at. Whether it's in the mountains on a hike in perfect weather or if its you coffee as you're sitting here at your computer. Like, seriously coffee was inspired by God. it had to be! like, who in their right mind said "Hey! we should roast this bean and then grind it and then pour hot water through it!" God, loves us enough to give us coffee. just saying haha.

With Love,
                Grace.
                            Proverbs 15:1

Monday, August 5, 2013

There Will Be A Day/Lead Me

Hey everyone! my internet stopped working last night again and that's why I didn't post .
Last night I Learned Lead Me by Sanctus Real, I don't remember what I worshiped to but I did worship, I read through proverbs 13 and I prayed.
Tonight I Learned there will Be A Day by Jeremy Camp. I really love that song for the same reasons I love I will rise.
I Worshiped to How He Loves and It Is Finished.
I read through Proverbs 14
And I prayed tonight. Especially for Patrick Chin who's going through chemo and specifically asked for more prayer today and I also Prayed for this kid Wesley Baker. I've never met him in my life but he got in a car accident a week or 2 ago and he lives only 2 towns over from me so I've been praying for him but I just decided to Focus on those 2 people the most tonight.

I actually would like to request for you to pray for me and my family right now. For me to be more enthusiastic about doing my Blog. I Love the worship and the prayer but reading my bible and writing are just hard for me right now and I would like prayer for me family as we're in the process of adopting a 7 year old boy out of the foster system and that exciting but frightening as well.
Thankyou all for reading this and keeping up with me and holding me accountable when I don't feel like spending time on this.

With Love,
                  Grace.
                             Proverbs 13:7

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Lord I Lift your name on high

Hey guys! it's late and I have to get to bed because I spent to much time with worship.
I learned the song "Lord, I Lift Your Name On High" and it's just a really cool song that I've been singing as long as I can remember so i'm glad I can play it now!
I worshiped to Always Forever, It Is Finished, Set A Fire, No One Like You, I Will Rise, and Forgiven.
I read through Proverbs 12 tonight then prayed!
Sorry it had to be short tonight but I honestly would rather take a while and worship and have fellowship with God than make a long post and have to cut out some worship.

My prayer for all of you is that you will put God first in your lives.

With Love,
                    Grace.
                               Proverbs 12:1

Friday, August 2, 2013

Lord, I Need You

Hey guys! So tonight I learned "Lord I Need You" by Chris Tomlin. I  like that song because I do need God and it reminds me to ask for Him not just assume He'll be there.
I worshiped to Revelation Song and You Never Let Go.
I read through Proverbs 11 and I actually liked it a lot. It was talking again about holding your tongue which I needed to be reminded of today so I think it's just really cool that God shows you exactly what you need when you need it.
and I prayed tonight as always.

My prayer for all of you is that The Lord would make clear his plans for you and when he tells them to you that you would have an open mind to his plan for you because God always knows best.

With Love,
                  Grace.
                            Psalm 91:1