Whatever you are, be a good one.

RESOLUTION (n.): a decision to do something or to behave in a certain manner

I have never been a big fan of making a "New Years resolution." And what I mean by that is I always think of some, but keep them to myself so as to not be held accountable to them...I know...I'll spare you the rest of my pathetic excuses....Anyways, a dear friend of mine used to say this Abraham Lincoln quote quite often and it always, even if for just a moment, stopped me in my tracks:

(side note - If I could go back in history and meet someone, it would definitely be Abraham Lincoln; he left behind some powerful words and ideas)

"Whatever you are, be a good one."

Sweet and simple. What am I? OK not so simple when you get down to it. Perhaps it's simply answered if we're talking about what I do on a daily basis--my job title--but what about the things that make up who I am no matter where I am or what "job" I have?

What am I?

I am a lover and follower of Christ. I am a daughter, granddaughter, sister, cousin, niece and soon-to-be aunt. I am a traveler. I am a visitor in a foreign land. I am destined for eternity with the King of Kings. I am a dancer, follower and leader. I am a student and teacher. I am the person who organizes every item in her grocery cart. I am clearly a daughter of Eve as I am in constant struggle to forsake the prideful desires of my heart. I am a sinner but I am free. I am a selfish planner of a life that was already planned out for me. I am a listener and a talker. I am a reader and dreamer. I am a child.

Very well. But truth is, I am only because the one and only "I AM" loved me enough to send His one and only Son to a fallen and dark world, to be born in a lowly manger as the child of an unmarried virgin and carpenter. He sent his one and only Son to be crucified on a cross FOR us. But the story doesn't end there: as God promised, He resurrected His Son to sit at the right-hand of the throne of God as the propitiation for our sins. He bridges the gap between a perfect God and sinful man. His faithful promise makes me a co-heir with Christ; an adopted daughter of the Creator of the galaxies. Christ came so that we might be FREE in Him.

So really none of "what I am" matters unless I AM A CHILD OF GOD.

HE is worth all of my time, energy and money. HE is worth pursuing. I resolve to treat every day as if it were the day Christ comes to finally bring me home.

"Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation...if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.' The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

"What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?...Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?...I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:12-17; 31-39

Well said.

I love quotes. Therefore, I also love quoting things. (side note: I am not referring to movie quotes..though I love them too) I'm pretty sure this is a transparent part of my personality that everyone knows, being that I usually want to share the good quotes or verses I discover or recall. Lately I have been wondering why it is that I enjoy finding good quotes, hearing good quotes, and telling others good quotes. Why? Because others are better writers than I am? maybe. Because someone finally voiced what I've been thinking all along? sometimes. Because others are more clever than I am? no, that can't be it (just kidding). In all seriousness though, I've been thinking about my answer to why I enjoy good quotes...I thought of two things:

1. Personal Experience: You can tell when the author [of said quote] accurately transfers the original emotions tied to the words, because it becomes personal. Well-written literature has something that brings it to life - whether it's through the imagery, the language use, or just the content - and you can relate to whomever the author may be when the quote speaks to you heart.

2. Personal Encouragement: I was created to need encouragement on a daily basis. Let me just tell you how much relief I felt when I realized this.

"But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness." Hebrews 3:13

Matt Carter read this verse in his sermon this past Sunday at Austin Stone. Carter was talking about our need for biblical community, because from it we develop more in-depth relationships, we are pastored, we are encouraged, and we endure. For fear of becoming that "needy" friend, I tend to keep my challenges inside and resist help from others. I realized by my doing that, I keep others from living out their biblical community. God CREATED us to live in community, to live life together, to need and want relationships, to walk alongside of others and struggle together.

SO, with that said, thought I would include several favorites at the moment.

"Sing Me To Heaven"
(a song we sang in my High school choir):

"In my hearts sequestered chambers lie truths stripped of poet’s gloss. Words alone are vain and vacant and my heart is mute. In response to aching silence memories summon half-heard voices. And my heart finds primal eloquence and wraps me in song. Wraps me in song…If you would comfort me; sing me a lullaby. If you would win my heart; sing me a love song. If you would mourn me and bring me to God. Touch in me all love and passion; pain and pleasure. Touch in me, touch in me, grief and comfort; love and passion; pain and pleasure. Sing me a lullaby; a love song; a requiem. Love me; comfort me; bring me to God. Sing me a love song. Sing me to heaven."

"Christ's resurrection and our newness of life"
(from one of Charles Spurgeon's sermons -1891):

"There is a happiness to be enjoyed by truly whole-hearted believers which some even of God's own children would think to be impossible...I have seen boys bathing in a river in the morning. One of them has just dipped his toes in the water, and he cries out, as he shivers, "Oh, it's so cold!" Another has gone in up to his ankles, and he also declares that it is fearfully chilly. But see! another runs to the bank, and takes a header. He rises all in a glow. All his blood is circulating, and he cries "Delicious! What a beautiful morning! I am all in a glow. The water is splendid!" That is the boy for enjoying a bath! You Christian people who are paddling about in the shallows of religion, and just dipping your toes into it—you stand shivering in the cold air of the world which you are afraid to leave. Oh, that you would plunge into the river of life! How it would brace you! What tone it would give you! In for it, young man! In for it! Be a Christian, out and out. Serve the Lord with your whole being. Give yourself wholly to him who bought you with his blood. Plunge into the sacred flood by grace, and you will exclaim—'Oh, this is life! Oh, this is joy, My God, to find thee so! Thy face to see, thy voice to hear, And all thy love to know.' May we thus walk in newness of life! Amen."

How To Enjoy Life
(Audrey Hepburn):

"For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness, For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people, For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry, For Beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day, For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone. People, more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed. Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find one at the end of each of your arms. As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself and the other for helping others."

"A Return To Love"

(Marianne Williamson - 1992):

"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'who am I to be so brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are we not to be? You are a child of God: Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There is nothing enlightening about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."

"The Road Not Taken"
(Robert Frost -1920):

"TWO roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference."

What do people do without sisters?

This blog post is to brag a little about my sister....so if you don't know her...you're missing out. Click here to visit her blog and read a little about her and her hubby.

First off:
Sister's got skills. She completely re-vamped my blog and I love it! Anyone out there need some help with their blog? Let me know. I'll point you to the right woman to get yours started. Thanks sister - love you :)

Second:
I am a soon-to-be AUNT!!! (to be read "aw-nt", NOT "ant"...an "ant" is a bug thank you very much) OK so the news has been out for a while, but I've been thinking about it all day so I decided I'd throw in a few blurbs before I went to bed. My sister and her hubby recently found out it's going to be a sweet little girl (eeeek!) and I cannot wait for her arrival come January. So what is lil C's name going to be? Well funny you should ask...check out what mommy-to-be put together to announce her name:

Yep. It's official. My sister is a "crafty-Martha-Stewart-mom-in-the-making". And while I'm partially joking, I'm mostly serious. She's going to be a stellar mom. I can't wait to see her and Matt take on their new roles....Hadley Ann is going to be a lucky little girl.

"Only an Aunt...
Can give hugs like a mother...
Can keep secrets like a sister...
And share love like a friend!"
-Unknown

I am no fool...

Two posts in one week? On a roll..While my sister is graciously putting together some new blog designs for me - I decided to create a "favorite photos" page on my blog. You can check them out using the tab at the top.

Also the main reason for this post is to share one of my new favorite quotes:

"He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." -Jim Elliot

Austin Stone invited J.D. Greear-pastor from the Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina-to speak last Sunday. The Summit Church has a mission to plant churches all over the world and J.D. spoke about having a love for the world, like Christ does. His sermon encouraged me to evaluate where my focus is as I prepare for the Dominican Republic. Where would I be without Jesus? I would be one of the ~1.6 BILLION unreached lost people (my heart aches when I read that reality). I did nothing to deserve His love and grace, but by the grace of God, "He who promised is faithful" (Hebrews 10:23). My focus is so easily turned inward; selfishly fixating on how my own story will be told. I am not the main character - God is. His story is the one to be told. What a joy to be able to share it. Praise the Lord that He CHOSE to use me; that He CHOSE to cast me in His story at all.

So what does this quote mean to me? It means Jesus is so valuable that I would give anything to follow Him. It means I forfeit my story, for the sake of His. And what do I gain? I gain Him. I gain a heart that breaks when His breaks over a broken people. I gain love only because He loves me and shows me How to love others. I gain the freedom to laugh when He gives me joy. I gain the freedom to strengthen my faith when He allows me to experience struggles.
I gain life; meaningful, everlasting life.

A life worth living.

"For Attractive lips, speak words of kindness,
For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people,
For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry,
For Beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it once a day,
For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone.

People, more than things, have to be restored,
renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed.
Remember, if you ever need a helping hand,
you will find one at the end of each of your arms.
As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands,
one for helping yourself and the other for helping others." -Audrey Hepburn

Do You Think I'm Beautiful?

[1] Grab the nearest book.
[2] Open to page 56.
[3] Find the 5th sentence.
[4] Post the text of the next 2-5 sentences and these rules.
[5] Tag 5 peeps!


"Stuff is for necessity and stuff can be a gift to be enjoyed, but the love that makes us whole comes from God. My, how we've gotten things confused. The need for love can never be filled by the pursuit of stuff, and the God of love has promised to provide all the stuff that we need."
-Do You Think I'm Beautiful by Angela Thomas


*While I'm not going to tag 5 people in this, because I don't know 5 people with blogs, I still enjoy spontaneous things like this...it reminds me to stop, even if for just a few brief minutes. To stop thinking about everything I have to get done that day and everything I have going on, and just be in that moment. I guess this "stuff" Angela Thomas is referring to is easily entangling and easy to get caught up with.