Meet Laine.

My friend Laine just wrote a blog that is simply wonderful. Take a minute to enjoy her wise and witty words. Be sure to watch the video. 

http://lainelindsey.blogspot.com/

"It is in vain that you seek within yourselves for the cure for your miseries. All your intelligence can only bring you to realize that it is not within yourselves that you will find either truth or good." 

- Blaise Pascal

Boldly Proclaiming What Is True!

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea:
A great High Priest, whose name is Love, 
Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands, 
My name is written on His heart; 
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair, 
And tells me of the guilt within, 
Upward I look, and see Him there
Who made an end to all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died, 
My sinful soul is counted free; 
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me
To look on Him and pardon me

Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise the One, 
Risen Son of God!

Happy Birthday My Love

Two years ago today, my sneaky little husband proposed to me in the midst of a surprise birthday party that I could have sworn that I planned. He's so smart. Happy Birthday my dear, sorry I got engaged in jeggings :) You're the greatest.

Truth From My Text Book.

I ran across this quote in my text book. I love it and I pray to continue to think more and more like this. After all, He loved me and died for me although I was and still am a sinner. I want to love like that.

"Love every man in spite of his falling into sin. Never mind the sins, but remember that the foundation of man is the same- the image of God." - John of Kronstadt

A Little Nugget on Deaf Culture

Obviously I'm a sucker for Sign Language. I love everything about it and I adore the people who use it.  Deaf culture is such a wonderful thing to be educated on. SO many hearing people have never been exposed to deaf people, let alone deaf culture. I found this lovely video of a man willing to do a presentation on the deaf world. It's long but if you find yourself interested, it's worth educating yourself :)

In the process of processing...

For the past year I have been in graduate school for Counseling. I don't think I expected to experience so much change within myself during this process. These classes that I'm taking and papers that I'm writing force me to face my own demons and sin issues. This year has been a time of fighting for obedience in my relationship with the Lord. Many time I've felt apathetic and numb to His truth. Few times have I felt His presence in that rich deep way that I love so much. This is why I've had to battle my flesh in being obedient to my God. Many failures and few successes.

The more and more I'm counseling myself in a sense, the more I realize that all of my relationships, including my relationship with the Lord have such heavy conditions placed upon them. God, IF you do this, THEN I'll love you. Taylor IF you do this, THEN I'll love you back. Lacey, IF you do this, then I'll feel complete. I hate this realization but I'm so grateful for it because I'm now aware that I've been relying on my own love and grace to produce successful relationships. Needless to say, my love and grace are not sufficient. They grow tired and run dry. I've been constantly reminded that I am fallible and limited but my God is perfect and limitless. His love and grace are what produce relationships that bring Him glory, not mine. Although many days I fight for control in my own life and disobey my Father, the simple truth is that he still loves me and will never stop loving me. I thought I'd share my gratefulness for His faithfulness. 

I ran across this song  by Audrey Assad about two weeks ago and it has blessed my heart in so many ways. Just a wonderful reminder that He is persistent in his love for his children.