"you're a daughter of the King, my love" -emily hollis

hey, hey, now.
that makes me a princess.
(:

don't take the purest thing and taint it.
don't take your dirty hands and touch it.
don't take your willing heart and crush it.

how do you wash your hands of what's grey?

U2- beautiful day.

"It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day

Touch me
Take me to that other place
Teach me
I know I'm not a hopeless case"

psalm 55.22 [the.message]

pile your troubles on God's shoulders-- He'll carry your load, He'll help you out.  He'll never let good people topple to ruin.

it was Your grace.

It was Your grace that drew me to the cross
It was Your grace that gave me faith
It was Your grace that reconciled me to Yourself
Though I had sinned in every way
You disarmed me of everything that I would lean on
So I would lean on You
And You stripped me of everything I would depend on
So I’d depend on You
In You alone my strength is found
In You alone my hope abounds
In You alone my strength is found
My life is bound up in You
And in my weakness give me still more grace
Grace to cast myself on You
In every trial let me find Your peace and joy
And grace to humbly walk with You
O disarm me of everything that I would lean on
So I will lean on You
Jesus, strip me of everything I would depend on
So I’ll depend on You
Give me more grace
Give me more grace
And new mercies every morning
Give me new mercies -SGM

The Lord has repeatedly stripped me of the things that I tend to lean on, simply so that I will lean on Him. He has stripped me of everything I have depended on outside of Him, so that I depend on only Him.
I hope these words are as much of an encouragement to you as they were to me.

praise//worship.

saturday night a few things hit me. the most imposing, i have to share.

i adore singing praise to my Lord. there is NOTHING that compares to it in my eyes. practicing my eternity, here on earth. because my God is God. and i'm learning what that means.

on saturday night, we had a "worship night" at church for the youth. i took a break from singing. . .so i felt more like a participant than a leader. it was -so- refreshing. without having to hold a mic. . .i could just let loose. sometimes i really just feel i should be in a way charismatic church. . .because when i worship, the Spirit takes hold. . .and i go wack. (: its not quite the same always for the people around me. . .but hey, everyone's worship is different, just as everyone's relationship is different. but it hit me saturday. worshiping through praise and song with the people i love most is a joy to which nothing besides the Lord Himself compares.

having a couple of the people i love most in the room with me as the Spirit was obviously present was -such- a blessing. my brother. my jack. it's something that the Lord calls us to do, together, for His glory, and i just. . .now understand how it glorifies Him. the joy He brings through it is -so- significant it's kept a smile on my face all weekend.

i made a lot of realizations this weekend. my Lord is a King of blessings. it's so humbling to me. because He continues to give. i'm so broken. i'm so lost. i'm so weak. i'm such a sinner. yet His grace is enough. and as i pray that He will glorify Himself in me...through all i do, all i say, every person i interact with...He does it!

what a mighty God we serve.
angels bow before Him.
heaven and earth adore Him.
what a MIGHTY GOD we serve.



psalm47:6: Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.

Thanks Shane! And...Shane.

"And I have found the answer is to love You and be loved by You alone." -Shane & Shane

Love is key.
God is Love.
God's love is unfailing.

Simple truths.

I love you. (:

lent.

"The purpose of lent is the preparation of the believer-- through prayer, patience, almsgiving and self-denial-- for the annual commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus, as celebrated during the Holy Week, which recalls the events linked to the passion of the Christ and culminates in Easter, the celebration of the resurrection of Christ." -Wikipedia.

Lent- As told by Dictionary.com
"An annual season of fasting and penitence in preparation for Easter, beginning on Ash Wednesday and lasting 40 weekdays to Easter."

It was very difficult to decide what to give up for lent this year. Basically because I'm already living on essentials alone. I've settled on a couple of different things. My first thoughts were selfish. What would be good for me to give up? But through prayer and simple realization, it hit me that lent isn't about me. Sure, it may be to prepare me, but for what? His glory.

My church doesn't talk about lent, or encourage it or anything. It's been a personal thing for me through high school and continuing through...now. But prayer and fasting isn't only meant for this 40-day period beginning today and continuing through Easter, my life should be a constant sacrifice, and that is something which the Lord has demanded of me. But you can never give too much to the Lord.

I'm living in pure thankfulness at the moment. Most obvious reason of the moment is I am at work, with this beautifully huge window in front of me, and there is a glorious downpour of my favorite thing coming from Heaven. I wanna say there is nothing better. But there is- and I have it. God's blessings in my life are beyond compare, the greatest things anyone could ask for. I don't deserve it, but I am -so- thankful for the love He is molding in my life.

It's hard to stay thankful. It's hard to keep a thankful heart. Because I'm under attack. This job. This sickness. This pain. But a thankful heart is good medicine, says the Word, and it's so true.

There is a song I used to sing with my family growing up, many of you probably know it. But quite recently it's made a huge impact on my perspective on life. I can't remember all the words, but the line which has impacted me is the following [and it's not the hymn...]

"Count your blessings name them one by one."

But seriously, if you're not in a place of cheer, if you're not living with a thankful heart, it's so simple to begin naming all the things you're thankful for, there should be so many. We're all so blessed.

cherry pie.

WARNING: this has absolutely nothing to do with cherry pie.

but i did just eat a strawberry cereal bar.  they're fab.

Psalm 37:23-24 . . . If the LORD delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firsm; though he stumle, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand.

though i stumble...i will not fall.

same to you.

peace to you.