happy v-day

"it started out as a feeling, which then grew into a hope,

which then turned into a quiet thought, which

then turned into a quiet word..."

(whispering) ...i love you.

"happy valentines day!"

"the heavens declare..."

psalm 19 (NIV, ©2010)
"1 the heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 they have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world."

this photo was taken a few days ago when i stepped out of work at the end of the day. when the conditions are right, like that evening, i get to see the most beautiful display of nature in the sky. it's incredible. after a LONG hard day at work, looking up at THIS reminds me of Who is truly in control and i can't help but smile. =)

who are you?

everyone bases their identity in SOMETHING. the question is, is that "something" worth placing your identity IN. below are statements from two different types of people: those whose identity is based as a child of God and those who base their identity in ANYTHING else.

"i worry constantly because i believe my needs will be met only through my own performance and effort."

"i never worry because my Father knows what i need and has promised to give it to me." (matthew 6:32)

"i am filled with envy and greed because my self-worth is based on the quantity and quality of my possessions."

"i am content in all my circumstances (phillippians 4:11) because the thing i value most is my Father's love, which He freely gives to me." (romans 5:5)

"i constantly try to impress people because i need their approval to feel good about myself."

"i am not controlled by other people's opinions because my value and worth come from knowing that Christ loves me so much that He died for me." (john 3:16)

"i have unhealthy relationships because i use people to try to meet my need for love and value."

"i have healthy relationships because my Father has already met my need for love and value." (1 john 4:19)

"i have trouble forgiving people because my pride tells me they don't deserve it."

"i forgive other people because my Father forgives me even though i don't deserve it." (romans 5:8)

"i am filled wit guilt and shame because of the things i have done and continue to do."

"i am filled with joy and peace because Christ's redeeming sacrifice has made me righteous and holy in my Father's eyes." (1 corinthians 1:30)

everyone needs reminded of what it means to be a son or daughter of Christ. i hope you will be able to read this and have HOPE. may the two people who actually read my B List Of Goodies have a wonderfully blessed day. =)

you are mine forever

"i was so foolish and ignorant - i must have seemed like a senseless animal to you; yet i still belong to you. You hold my right hand. You guide me with Your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. whom have i in heaven but You? i desire You more than anything on earth. my health my fail, and my spirit grow weak, but You, my God, remain the strength of my heart. You are mine forever!"

psalm 73:22-26

patience

"these things i plan won’t happen right away. slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. if it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. just be patient. they will not be overdue a single day!" habakkuk 2:3

are you ready?

unreturned love

“...but if God's love is as immeasurable and unending as the hebrews describe Him, how deep and profound must be His sense of sorrow and rejection. if anyone knows the pain of love unreturned, it must be God.”

--erwin mcmanus: soul cravings

dreams

"i have dreamed in my life. dreams that have stayed with me even after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind."

--emily bronte

the heart vs the mind

sometimes the HEART

...should FOLLOW the MIND.

sometimes the HEART

...should tell the MIND to STAY AT HOME
and STOP INTERFERING.

tea time

i’m not known to go around spouting bible verses or updating my facebook by sending “hallelujah tweets” because i feel that too many people who call themselves christians do it only to make themselves look righteous. so many times, their lives contradict the words they “preach”. i’m not ashamed nor embarrassed of my faith by any means, but i feel that most of the time, my faith can be better seen through my example and my actions rather than my words (not that words can’t be powerful).

so with that in mind, i share this with the most sincerest of hearts.

a year ago this month, i sat down and wrote out some encouraging verses, not really thinking too much about them, just knowing that they were good ones to remember. last night, i stumbled across them in my bible and as i read over them, i realized that they speak to the very things i’ve been struggling with today. and the cool thing is, every single one i wrote down, i needed to hear.

i love how God works [most of the time… =) (shrugging) what? i don’t always have a handle over my flesh.] and His timing, whether i want to admit it or not, is impeccable. these verses are such a great reminder of what i need to be doing right now.

philippians 4:6-7 (nlt) “don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. tell God what you need and thank Him for all He has done. then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your heart and mind as you live in Christ Jesus.”

james 1:5-8 (nlt) “if you need wisdom, ask our generous Father and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. but when you ask Him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. do not waiver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave in the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. such people should not expect to receive from God. their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”

psalm 34:4-5 (nlt) “i prayed to the Lord and He answered me. He freed me from all my fears. those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces. in my desperation, i prayed and the Lord listened. He saved me from all my troubles.”

james 5:16 (nlt) “…the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.” prayer is a christian’s most powerful resource. the results are often greater than we thought possible. sadly, some people see prayer as a last resort – when all else fails. because God’s power is greater than our own, it only makes sense to rely on it.

i share these with you not to say, “hey, look at me. i’ve got it all together.” i don’t. and i’m far from it. but perhaps you’ll come across this and these verses will encourage you just as they have encouraged me. (shrugging) who knows. God has been known to work in mysterious ways. =)

quote

"if you want to receive mercy in your life, sew mercy every chance you get. if you want to receive grace in your life, sew grace every chance you get. God will remain faithful, even when we are unfaithful." --joyce meyer

life's a little weird

quote

"you may not be her first, her last, or her only. she loved before, she may love again. but if she loves you now, what else matters? she’s not perfect - you aren’t either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if she can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold onto her and give her the most you can. she may not be thinking about you every second of the day, but she will give you a part of her that she knows you can break - her heart. so don’t hurt her, don’t change her, don’t analyze and don’t expect more than she can give. smile when she makes you happy, let her know when she makes you mad, and miss her when she’s not there. "

--bob marley

girls are like apples on trees

girls are like

apples on trees. the best

ones are at the top of the tree.

the boys don't want to reach for

the good ones because they are afraid

of falling and getting hurt. instead, they

just get the rotten apples from the ground

that aren't as good, but easy. so the apples

at the top think something is wrong with

them, when in reality, they're amazing.

they just have to wait for the right

boy to come along, the one

who's brave enough

to climb

all the way

to the top

of the tree.

to love someone...

"to love someone

is to learn the song

that is in their heart

and sing it to them

when they have

forgotten the words..."

-anonymous