C. H. Spurgeon once said...

A vigorous temper is not altogether an evil. Men who are easy as an old shoe are generally of little worth.

By perseverance the snail reached the ark.

Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength.

Dearest Savior

You hem me in behind, before,
When I unravel at the seams;
You know my inmost secret thoughts,
My hidden fears and dreams.
You pray for me with words and groans
I cannot comprehend.
And when I fall flat on my face,
You pick me up… again.

Your kindness leads me to repent
From sin and be restored.
You promise to renew my strength
As I wait upon You, Lord.
You show Your mercy day by day,
Give grace for every hour.
Your judgments, they are true and sure.
Your name is my strong tower.

Your greatness is immeasurable,
O Glory beyond compare!
Yet You call me Your “beloved,
Daughter, sister, heir.”
You are my Shepherd, Savior, Shield,
My Righteousness and Truth.
My Joy, my Hope, my Great Reward,
My Prince of Peace, my Groom.

O Sovereign Lord, in whom I find
My deepest longings filled,
Grant to me a tender heart,
A steadfast mind, a broken will.
Turn my gaze toward the cross
And fix my eyes on Christ,
The Author and Perfecter of
Everlasting life.

Photo(s) of the Week

My best friend's darling little Claire Elaine... Living it up in her new home overseas!

Certain burning questions

"To ascertain where you really are with the Lord, recall what saddened you the past month. Was it the realization that you do not love Jesus enough? That you did not seek his face in prayer often enough? That you did not care for his people enough? Or did you get depressed over a lack of respect, criticism from an authority figure, your finances, a lack of friends, fears about the future, or your bulging waistline?

"Conversely, what gladdened you the past month? Reflection on your election to the Christian community? The joy of saying slowly, “Abba, Father”? The afternoon you stole away for two hours with only the gospel as your companion? A small victory over selfishness? Or were the sources of your joy a new car, a great date, great sex, a raise, or a loss of four inches from your hips?"

-Brennan Manning in The Importance of Being Foolish (which, by the way, is a phenomenal read!)

Beauty's Beckoning

Have I played the harlot, the whore?
Lavishing myself on passersby?
Flirting, beckoning, for fleeting affirmations,
Bowing down to images that lie?

How I long to be a beauty
First and foremost (only) for Your eyes.
And then to use that beauty, pure and sincere,
To point to You—the Way, the Truth, the Life.

Help me to become less as You become greater still…
Lord, change my heart.

Photo of the Week

My brother is a survivor

To my single friends...

“The thing has come from the Lord.” Genesis 24:50

“The thing” was a match made in heaven. Rebekah was chosen to be Isaac’s wife—by God Himself (“who has not forsaken His steadfast love and His faithfulness,” 24:27) and the help of a father and family servant.

Single friends, no matter how long it takes and how hard it may seem at times, let us not force a match that is not “from the Lord.” Let’s learn to faithfully serve the people around us, even watering their camels if need be, and wait for the man God brings our way if He so desires.

And if He withholds, it is only out of His great goodness and eternal purposes. “He does not willingly afflict the children of man,” so if He allows us to suffer long, we can be sure there are fabulous purposes at stake—that we will someday understand and love!

Waiting with you…
Colleen

Convicting.

A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he describes another's. --Jean Paul Richter