We Fall Down!

"We fall down

We lay our crown

At the feet of Jesus

The greatness of Your mercy and love

At the feet of Jesus

We cry Holy, Holy, Holy

We cry Holy, Holy, Holy

We cry Holy, Holy, Holy

Is the Lamb"

"But You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy..." 1 Peter 2:9-10

Pursuit!

"WE DON'T ACHIEVE VICTORY ONCE, THEN NEVER HAVE TO BOTHER WITH IT AGAIN. DESIRING TO BE GODLY IS THE WORK OF A LIFETIME." -BETH MOORE

LORD JESUS, HELP ME TO FLEE THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT OF YOU. YOU ARE THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE. HELP ME TO PURSUE RIGHTEOUSNESS, FAITH, LOVE, AND PEACE. MAY MY AIM BE FOR ALL THAT IS VIRTUOUS AND GOOD, RIGHT LIVING, CONFORMING TO YOUR WILL IN THOUGHT, WORD, AND DEED. SHUT MY MIND AND MY HEART TO ALL OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT OF YOU. OH JESUS, HELP ME TO FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT, HOLDING ON TO FAITH AND A GOOD CONSCIENCE. MAY I NOT BE ONE WHO SHIPWRECKS THEIR FAITH. 

THE WORD PURSUE IS A VERB. TO PURSUE MEANS TO CONTINUE, TO CARRY ON, TO FOLLOW, TO GO ON WITH ONE'S COURSE OR JOURNEY. PURSUIT IS THE ACT OF PURSUING. IT IS AN EFFORT TO SECURE OR ATTAIN. IT IS A QUEST. IT IS ANY OCCUPATION, PASTIME, OR THE LIKE, IN WHICH A PERSON IS ENGAGED REGULARLY. IT IS CHASING. IT IS SEEKING A GOAL. LATELY, I HAVE REALLY BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS CONCEPT IN MY LIFE. OF COURSE, THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MY MIND IS CHRIST. HE IS THE LOVER OF MY SOUL. I FAIL HIM TIME AND TIME AGAIN, BUT STILL HE WOOS ME AND PURSUES ME. I CAN RUN ALL DAY LONG, BUT STILL HE REACHES FOR ME. STILL, HE CHOOSES ME EACH AND EVERY DAY. HE BLOCKS MY WAY AND TURNS ME BACK AROUND. TRULY, IT IS HIS KINDNESS THAT LEADS ME TO REPENTANCE. IT'S HIS PURSUIT WITHOUT BEING PUSHY THAT PULLS ME TO HIM. I THINK ABOUT THAT WHICH I HAVE PURSUED AND CONTINUE TO PURSUE. I THINK ABOUT THE ETERNAL, AND I THINK ABOUT THE TEMPORARY. I THINK ABOUT WHAT IS WORTH MY LIFE. TO PURSUE SOMETHING OR SOMEONE, IT MUST BE OF VALUE. IT MUST BE WORTH PURSUING. MY FIRST LOVE, ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS OBVIOUS, IS CHRIST. I AM WORKING ON MY PURSUIT OF HIM. AT TIMES, I FIND MYSELF CHOOSING OTHER THINGS. THEN, I FEEL THIS TUG IN MY HEART. I FEEL HIS PURSUIT OF ME. SUDDENLY, I AM REMINDED THAT WHATEVER I AM CHOOSING AT THAT MOMENT IS FLEETING. I DESIRE TO BE LIKE PAUL WHEN HE SAYS, "WHAT IS MORE, I CONSIDER EVERYTHING A LOSS COMPARED TO THE SURPASSING GREATNESS OF KNOWING CHRIST JESUS MY LORD, FOR WHOSE SAKE I HAVE LOST ALL THINGS." I LOVE THE OLD WORSHIP SONG THAT SAYS, "KNOWING YOU, JESUS, KNOWING YOU, THERE IS NO GREATER THING. YOU'RE MY ALL, YOU'RE THE BEST, YOU'RE MY JOY, MY RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND I LOVE YOU LORD." I LONG TO POSSESS A FAITH THAT I KNOW I COULD NEVER EARN. IT'S MOST DEFINITELY A JOURNEY, BUT I AM LEARNING. EVEN IN THE MIDST OF FAILURE AND SET BACKS, I AM CONTINUING ON IN MY JOURNEY WITH JESUS. SOMETIMES, I GET DISCOURAGED. SOMETIMES, I FEEL AS THOUGH I SHOULD BE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE, FRUSTRATED WITH MY MATURITY OR LACK THEREOF. YET, I AM COMFORTED WHEN I REMEMBER THAT MY GOD IS WITH ME, ALWAYS PURSUING ME. HE IS MIGHTY TO SAVE. HE CONTINUALLY TAKES GREAT DELIGHT IN ME. HE QUIETS ME WITH HIS LOVE. HE REJOICES OVER ME WITH SINGING. THERE IS NOT ONE THAT KNOWS NOR DEMONSTRATES WHAT IT MEANS TO PURSUE BETTER THAN CHRIST HIMSELF. EVERY HEART DESIRES TO BE PURSUED. SINCE THE LORD BROUGHT CHRISTOPHER IN MY LIFE, I HAVE SEEN MORE OF CHRIST'S HEART FOR ME THAN EVER BEFORE. HIS CHARACTER AND RELENTLESS LOVE HAS OVERTAKEN MY SOUL. I AM OVERWHELMED. THANK YOU LORD FOR THE PRECIOUS WAYS YOU CHOOSE TO LOVE YOUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING CHRIS AND I TO CONTINUE TO CHOOSE YOU FIRST AND ONE ANOTHER SECOND. IT KEEPS ME PURSUING YOU AS YOU PURSUE ME. MAY IT ALWAYS BE THIS WAY. UNTO YOU BE ALL THE GLORY. 

I Have Nothing Without You!

Well, Mom and Dad keep asking me to post pictures. However, my computer is not wanting to let me post them at the moment. I can't say I have pictures of anything too exciting, but I do have a few cute ones that I could post whenever it chooses to let me do so. Agh! Technology. I have a love/hate relationship with it. Today was a great day. God continues to be so good to me. I had a few rough days last week, but He pulled me through. A friend of mine sent me a text message in the middle of a hard day that said, "Not even a sparrow worth only half a penny can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are more valuable to Him than a whole flock of sparrows" (Matthew 10:29-31). It's exactly what I needed in that moment. I love how He uses people in our lives to speak His truth so clearly. Here are a few Scriptures on truth that I have been thinking about...

"Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me Your paths; guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are God my Savior, and my hope is in You all day long." Psalm 25:4-5

"Do not withhold Your mercy from me, O Lord; may Your love and Your truth always protect me." Psalm 40:11

"Send forth Your light and Your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to Your holy mountain, to the place where You dwell." Psalm 43:3

"Surely You desire truth in the inner parts; You teach me wisdom in the inmost place." 

Psalm 51:6

"Teach me Your way, O Lord, and I will walk in Your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart; I will glorify Your name forever. For great is Your love toward me; You have delivered me from the depths of the grave." Psalm 86:11-13

"The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." 

Psalm 145:18

"I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right." 

Isaiah 45:19

Truly, You are good to all. You have compassion on all that You have made. Thank You for always being slow to anger and rich in love. I will exalt You my God. You are most worthy of my praise! No one can fathom Your greatness. Thank You that You are near to all who call on You, to all who call on You in truth. Thank You for the places You have led me so far. Each place has expressed Your heart for me. I am comforted when I meditate on Your promises, for You are faithful. Thank You for always going before me and preparing a place for me. I am so excited to be where You have me. You are home. Thank You for Wedgwood Baptist Church. Thank You for the opportunity to be an intern at Baylor All Saints Hospital. Thank You for providing a roof over my head and family within the walls. Thank You for each friendship You have led me to and the relationship You have so perfectly created for me. My first calling is to be an Ambassador for You. I know that, apart from You, I can do nothing! Thank You for that! Keep me forever abiding in You. It's going to be worth it all! 

"In humble adoration, I kneel before Your throne

In brokenness, I seek Your face alone

Above You, there's no other who's able to restore my soul

Come and make me whole...

Breathe on me, power of God

Come in and change me

Change me, Lord

You are all that I need

Holy Spirit, Breathe on me"

- "Breathe on Me" Lyrics

Labor Day!

So, right now I am watching "Jon & Kate Plus Eight." I love it! They are such a sweet family, and they crack me up. There has been a marathon running of all their episodes in honor of "Labor Day." Don't worry. I haven't been sitting here all day. Chris and I were able to spend time with our friends Tim and Brittany. They invited us to join them at their family's country club. It was a lot of fun. Here are a few pictures from our day! Thank You Lord for a day off!