The Miracle of Mornings

Wow. I slept for almost 10 hours last night.

I don't even know how I got tired enough to sleep for 10 hours!! Maybe it was the craziness of work or the warmth of my cozy bed restraining my will to get up, but man did it feel good!

"I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the Lord sustains me."
-Psalm 3:5

10 hours is a long time. 10 hours is a full day of school plus a track meet and dinner when I was in high school. 10 hours is a road trip to Virginia. 10 hours would make me enough money at work for almost two tanks of gas! A lot could happen in 10 hours.

When we sleep we lay down in utter vulnerability. Think of all that could happen in a night's rest, especially my mammoth one that lasted for 10 hours. In 10 hours a tree could fall on my house. In 10 hours my house could have been broken into and everything been stolen. In 10 hours I could have had a sudden health issue come to the surface in the form of a stroke or heart attack.

Now, I'm not trying to sound all doom and gloom here. Quite contrary, I'm rejoicing in the fact that I woke up. When you think about how the Lord guards us in the night, when we are completely vulnerable and helpless in our slumber, it could potentially blow your mind and change your day!

Even better than that concept of incredible protection is the waking up part: the morning. Upon opening our eyelids, we are subject to the lovely phenomenon of being reborn while still in the same body.

We are refreshed, made new, not only blinded by sweet sunlight (or darkness if you wake up at 5:45 like me!!), but our trials and tragedies from previous days are blinded by today's redeeming promises.

We begin our day with God's promise to lift us up, the chance to walk in His ways, the chance to know His joy and have the blessing of encouraging someone else with His presence about your being.

Each day is a gift, a blessing, a new opportunity for adventure!

We are saved every morning!

Friday Favorite Things

Thank God it's Friday!!

As I head into a pretty busy weekend full of family and fun, I hope you enjoy the little things that kept me smiling this week.

I love driving around this time of year admiring the glow of neighborhood Christmas lights!!

Love this quote!!

My new favorite blog: Ann Voskamp's "A Holy Experience" blog is full of beautiful writing and great messages.

There are few things tastier than some warm pumpkin oatmeal in the morning!

My new lip gloss C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Tint in Pink Mint tastes like candy canes and feels like butter!

My favorite verse from this week is Hosea 14:4-6a: "I will heal their apostasy, I will love them freely, For My anger has turned away from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; He will blossom like the lily, and he will take root like the cedars of Lebanon. His shoots will sprout, And his beauty will be like the olive tree."

I love my job!! My coworkers are some of the most charismatic and unique blessings I've ever met ( :

I now proudly own this whole outfit! Lauren Conrad's clothing line at Kohl's is very chic!

The Miracle of Prayer

Where the longings and secrets of the human heart may be consoled and kept

The searching will reach a point of discovery, every chained spirit will be set free of their bondage

How wondrous, how thrilling the mystery is that is found in seeking your perfect answers

Answers that exceed expectation, that work on us, that take root firmly and change our faith 

Answers that draw us higher, lifting our feet from the earth so that we might come closer to Your greatness which we could never fully know here on earth

How unbelievably gracious, how inconceivably loving is Your promise to always listen

How phenomenal that the King of Kings does not keep to himself, though it would be so easy and fitting 

No, you are constantly pouring Your knowledge into our upturned hearts, feeding us wisdom, nourishing us with the hope that You will do this again and forevermore. 

 

The Question

How do I want to leave this earth?
To leave it smiling would be a blessing indeed.
How far have I come since the day of my birth?
Has my living and breathing planted a seed?

Have I sown a change within those I meet?
A change for good, drawn others to God?
Do they feel inspired to accomplish great feats?
Do they see this spirit as intriguingly odd?

I wish to leave a gorgeous mark;
A blemish full of hope and joy.
Through fellowship with God alone 
Will this fantastic mission deploy.

Giving "Retail Therapy" a Whole New Meaning

 

Today marked a new beginning in the form of not-so-skinny jeans. 

Today, I found liberation in the form of laying to rest the clothing I had bought when I was at my skimpiest, at the peak of my disease, and at the all-time-lowest point in my health; my mother has dramatically dubbed the numbers on the tags of those jeans my "death size." That's almost what they were, chilling as that is.


As I tried to force my body into the mold that "death size" stubbornly enforced, an old, ruthless part of me, the part that still clings to the disordered ways of thinking, wanted to let me linger before the mirror, scrutinizing every piece of my body that was restricting me from filling into those pant legs more gracefully.

Today, I said no.

I said no to the jeans.

I said no to that number I absurdly idolized for too long.

 My healthy body was not doing the restricting. No, it was the skinny jeans. The health that has clung to my bones since gaining weight wanted to be free, to be welcomed by clothes that fit, and today was the day that would happen.



As I went shopping today, I feared the inevitable trip to the fitting room to confront yet again my old nemesis: the mirror. But today was different. Today was a celebration of an increase in number, not a condemnation.  That increase in number took on a new meaning: a blessing, a reminder that I was beating my disorder. The softness that has been incorporated into my frame represents the richness of God's grace, and a reminder of His perseverance. As I tried on clothes, I viewed these once undesirable body changes as battle scars, as treasures, as signs that God has worked on me.

Today, I walked from the fitting room with my head held high. Today, God won another battle for me in my war against this disease. Today, I was again assured that I can have a spirit of confidence that God will win it all!

A Writer's Way to "Rejoice Always"

During my the time I was supposed to be doing chemistry homework last night, I found myself occupied on the internet (which seems to happen every time I try to do homework!) However, this time rather than leaving my internet session with nothing but a Facebook status and a few good recipes on Pinterest, I came across a new way to worship that I just can't keep to myself!

It comes from this wonderful woman Ann Voskamp, a Canadian farmer's wife, blogger, and bestselling author of One Thousand Gifts, who takes rejoicing in the Lord to a whole new level by writing her way through each day by writing down all the ways God blesses her, even the most simple and seemingly mundane moments in her days.

Ann's Book: One Thousand Gifts

My inspiration today: Ann Voskamp

Being a writer who feels closest to God when I have the chance to express my prayers in writing, I have decided to adopt her methods for myself, and I can already see it making me a person more on fire with God's joy! Here's a sample of today's list so far:

I am grateful for the clouds in the sky that look like a painting.

I am grateful for the car ride to school because it is time I have to pray in perfect silence with my Savior.

I am grateful for maple syrup.

I am grateful for the snooze button and impromptu opportunities to rest.

I am grateful for my bright pink planner to keep me on track, but even more for my Bible to keep me together.

I am grateful for beautiful words available to me to praise You, like "Hallelujah!" and "Glory!" 

I am grateful for the natural glow of golden sunlight.

I am grateful for Brandi's [a girl who sits next to me in Psychology class] sweet and cheerful spirit.

I am grateful for painful memories to remind me of your saving grace, and how far removed you have made me from those times. 

If you find yourself most connected to God through writing, or are simply searching for a way to be drawn closer to him in rejoicing and praise, I urge you to try this! It's continuous and pressure-free-- it's just a habit for you to form by simply jotting down your thoughts of praise throughout the day.

Happy Writing!!

P.S.- Here is the video from "World Magazine" about Ann and her life story. It's quite inspirational.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcZqBgjSd6s&feature=plcp

Humbled in Praise

In my quiet time with God today I felt truly humbled at how great He is! It's a wonderful feeling, and this was the product:

 Humbled

There are no words,
There is no song,
There is no expression,
To capture You.

My heart longs to try,
My pen works to form words,
My thoughts try to wrap around,
Yet those efforts lay waste.

Do I give up?
Lift my hands to the sky,
Dance free in the wind,
Destroy my fortified struggle?

Overwhelmed by your ocean,
Drowning, sweetly sinking,
Tossed around by your whirlwind,
Sung to sleep by Your lullaby.