Drawing inspiration from one of my favorite songs, my friend Britt wrote this beautiful post…
Not even your unanswered questions, not even your doubts, not even the charred candlewick that once burned brightly with your dreams and hopes. Nothing constrains God. He will make you more than you can be, because He is God. He will not be deterred by your helpless inability to understand the torrents of life.
Read all of You Raise Me Up
Go here, read this:
The Character of Homeschooling’s Early Days
It’s brief and inspiring. We have such a legacy not only to cherish, but to uphold and further. What a blessing!
"Very often we are not looking for God; far from it, we are in full flight from Him, in high rebellion against Him. And He knows that and has taken that into account. He has followed us into our own darkness; there where we thought finally to escape Him, we run straight into His arms."
Simon Tugwell
Being home for two weeks
Old friends…and new friends
Being spontaneous
Changing your ideas about the way things ought to be
Waving sparklers in the rain
Unexpected e-cards
Flip-flops
Ever so many hugs
Hampton Inns
Unsolicited phone calls
Famous people who don't act famous
Hearing your name
Feeling God right there
Laughing and laughing…and laughing
Pictures and video
Late nights at Steak 'n Shake
Plans on the calendar
Sitting in your own beautiful backyard
Crunchy green salads
And finally, guys who are gentlemen in every sense of the word from the inside out. Who are simply friends and always brothers. Guys who make you feel safe and protected; who care about everyone, who make you want to be more by their example. They may be young, they may be past young, they may wear suits or jeans. They are rare and they are few. But you'll know when you meet one. And you'll never be the same. They do exist. Hallelujah.
I was out on one of my early morning walk-jogs some time ago and to be honest, I was feeling down and a little sorry for myself. A certain desire of mine hadn't been fulfilled, and I felt alone and forgotten. I knew it was foolish to have placed my hopes there, and as small of a thing as it may have been, I found myself in a disappointed state of my own doing.
Somewhere between the soft nature calls, the thump of my tennis shoes on the pavement, and the soothing sounds of Gods & Generals soundtrack in my ear, the Lord and I had a heart-to-heart. There was more behind that "one wish" of mine than might first meet the eye, and I knew what it was. I had put my source of joy in the wrong place, believing that this one thing was going to make me fulfilled.
The truth is, I don't need anything else in life to give me joy. What I do have is all I need. God. His love is enough.
"Do I believe that?" I had to ask myself. Do you believe that? We always say we do, but we don't act like we do. There are so many things I tend to put in the place of God when it comes to joy and fulfillment. You know, my family should always talk nicely to me, friends should call me and include me, plans should go as planned, etc. What does it matter? These things are really of little importance.
It's so easy to lose focus in life. We put the immediate before the important. We forget that His love is enough. I don't need to be appreciated or loved by certain people to have joy in my life. I don't need to be at the fun event where everyone else is. But I do need to be loved by God. And I need to love Him.
When we let Him strip away all the empty, shallow longings of our hearts, it all comes back to Him. And I see with fresh eyes His amazing, incredible love for me. As these thoughts came to my mind that morning, I blinked back the tears. If only I could fully grasp what it means…that He is enough. That everything else in life is just a bonus. Sunshine, family, laughter, friends, health…it's all just a bonus when all you really need is living inside your heart… for all of eternity.
Which is why my blog theme is what it is. "It's a miracle to me, why He loves me so…" This is my heartbeat. Every morning I wake up, when I think about how God loves me, I wonder how and why. His love surrounds me and holds me every moment of every day. The feeling that gives my heart it is beyond words, beyond all the tears of joy I cry when I think about it, beyond priceless. Because it's a miracle. An amazing miracle of love. And that's ALL I need. Today, tomorrow, forever.