"God is so Good"
Have you ever heard the song
"God is so good.
God is so good.
God is so good.
He's so good to me."
My Grandma, Nonnie, died six and a half years ago. She got brain tumors and lived with us for two years. When she was sick she would have us hold hands and sing that song at family gatherings. My Grandma had a really hard life. Yet, it was clear to me, a little ten year old, that she loved God. He had estblished her, and nothing would shake her faith in Him. I want to be like her. She loved people, and she knew Jesus. When illness or heartache should have got her down, she fixed her eyes on Him. She was more than a conqueror. I want to be like her.
Sometimes I miss her. It's not that I'd wish her back, she's so happy in heaven. It's just that it was so encouraging to be with her. I thank God for giving me the oppertunity to watch Him call her home.
God is good. I know it more everyday. It's not that I don't get discouraged, or upset. I'm learning how to be a Christian. It's a pleasure to be His.
Life can be really hard sometimes. I don't know how hard, because God has spared me from a lot of pain, but no matter how tough this world can be we can rejoice. We can rejoice in the joy of our salvation. He loves us. The more I think of His love the more joyful I become. It's almost a giddy feeling to be overcome with delight in God.
It's easy to get bogged down in the daily tasks and shortcomings, but I shouldn't let such stupid things get my spirit. "Oh why my soul are you cast down? Why so discouraged be? Hope now in God. I'll praise Him still. My God, my Help is He."
and...
"By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song to be with me."
Psalm 42
friends
"We love those who know the worst of us and don't turn their faces away." John Buchan
"Kind words produce their own image in men's souls; and a beautiful image it is. They soothe and quiet aand comfort the hearer. They shame him out of his sour, morose, unkind feelings. We have not yet begun to use kind words in such abundance as they ought to be used." Blaise Pascal 1662
"What is the greatest of all the virtues?
Perhaps order, if we were but citizens,
Or knowledge if we were but students,
Or pleasure, if were but fools,
Or beauty if we were but lovers,
Or freedom, if were but insurgents,
Or fame, if we were but egotists,
But the greatest of all the virtues,
Surely is kindness, if we were but friends."
Robert Hunter 1897
"A man with a definite belief always appears bizarre, because he does not change with the world; he has climbed into a fixed star and the earth whizzes below him like a zoetrope. Millions of mild black-coated men call themselves sane and sensible merely because they always catch the fashionable insanity, because they are hurried into maddness after maddness by the maelstorm of the world. The man with a definite belief is sure to be the truer friend." Chesterton 1936
This is the Truth
- according to Jerusha Gracethis is the truthGod loves me
this is the truth
we can write letters, and then the mail man takes them away and gives to a friend’s family.
this is the truth
you can play computer if your mom says yes.
this is the truth
you press “X” when you want to get off the computer.
this is the truth
if you never get off the computer you don’t get any breakfast, and then you will die.
this is the truth
we can go to sleep and then God will protect us.
this is the truth
you can’t put your head out the window of a car.
this is the truth
*Holds up poker chip* we can pretend this is fake money.
this is the truth
if someone hurts you, don’t hurt them, just be mad and go tell Mommy.
this is the truth
if someone hurts us we can’t just run away and never be their friend again. We just can’t.
this is the truth
you can eat coffee if you’re old.
this is the truth
we can pick flowers for our Mom’s.
this is the truth
you can’t put a toy in the toilet and flush.
this is the truth
you can’t take people’s things.
this is the truth
you can’t touch poisonous caterpillars
this is the truth
boys kiss girls. Girls kiss boys. It's just the truth.
what the world needs now
Alright, so life as a home school student has been wonderful. I'm enjoying my last homeschooling year, and it's a bitter sweet thing really. I enjoy being here. I love my home. I love being homeschooled. I'm planning to move out in less than a year, and only God knows exactly where I will be. All the little concerns haven't hit me yet (e.g. getting myself a 12 oz. coffee maker for our dorm.) The bigger ones have hit me.
Love has hit me. The world needs love. At the moment I live in a world that is lovely. I am not talking perfect, most of you can affirm that the Long home can have moments of stress and disorder. I'm talking about being loved. I'm loved here. Love is a familiar thing. When I go to Purdue, a lot of the girls won't understand love. Sure, people all long for love. We all have an idea of what love should look like, but I John tells us that people can only truly love when they know God. There are lots of people who don't know God. There's lots of people who don't know love.
Love, what a hard concept? What does it mean anyway?
There are a million ways to love people. We pass them up, because we love ourselves more. I know, it's nasty to think about, but it's true.
What the world needs now is love, sweet love. Christ died, surely we must love.
thank you
I feel really good about my biology test. We shall see how I do, but I feel happy.
"All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the spirit.
Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:2-3
What do you think of the verses?
biology
Hey, please pray for me. I have a Biology test tomorrow that covers the last five chapters we have studied and I'm a bit nervous. I am don't want to stress about because God is bigger than any sort of school assignment, but I want to do everything in my power to get a good grade.
I am not feeling well, and I want to be feeling well, so you could pray about that as well.
Thank you so much! Have a wonderful day.
Psalm 42
"By day the LORD commands His steadfast love, by night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life."
something true
We all
need.
Every moment of every day I have needs.
Some of them are simple: I need to blink. *blink*
Some of them are hard: I need love.
Love has always been a part of my life.
Love comes at a high price.
The greatest demonstration of love the world has ever known is also the greatest sacrifice.
Christ's work meets needs.
It's nice be needed.
I often find fulfillment in being needed.
I need to be needed.
I fight pride in my being needed.
I fight the desire to meet the needs of those I love when I should not.
Sometimes I hinder people in their sactification because "I can do it."
The truth is, I can.
Just like I can blink. *blink*
The truth is, I forget.
I
cannot.
I
am not... apart for Christ's work.
My eyes would not blink had God not constructed, created and ordained them to do so.
I would not fulfill people's needs had God not created, redeemed, and ordained me to do so.
Glory being the goal in mind, for Him.
Holiness being the way I give Him glory.
He wants me to be humble.
He wants me to
remember.
He wants me to remember that He meets my every need.
He always has, and He always will.
The entire world
needs Him.
We just forget, because "we can do it."
*...blink*
Psalm 23
An Amazing Heritage
I lift my eyes from an unfinished prayer as the phone rings. I answer, “Hello, this Rebekah speaking.” A cheerful voice responds, “Well, how are things going?” My Grandma calls a lot, and she usually talk with Daddy, but he and Mom were out tonight, so I got to talk with her for a while. First she asked about a cake recipe that we had on Levi’s part last month. It was cool because she wanted to compare it to the ingredients to a recipe she found in A Taste of Home. She began to describe the mocha cake, and my ears perked. I’ve been looking for a mocha cake recipe. She caught on, and began to give me the measurements. As I jotted them down I mentioned that I am in the process of collecting the contents of my own recipe box. Of course this thrilled her, and she said boldly, “Well Becca, I’ve always found that the best way to a man’s heart is good food.” I blushed, “Grandma, yeah, that’s my goal,” she could practically hear my eyes roll. We have fun, but then she began to account her day’s activities, and how she is going to be sharing her testimony with a man at work next week the tone changed. ‘Wow, what a heritage?!’ I found myself thinking. I heard her get all excited about Ken, a new international student that she is praying for, and I couldn’t help but thank God for my Grandma. She has been such an incredible witness of His love and faithfulness. She is quick to share of His work in her life. It’s really awesome. I giggled as I hung up the phone. It had been more then an hour. We’re both going to be trying that mocha cake soon, and Lord willing, we’ll both be sharing our testimony next week. Too often I forget to thank God for the blessed heritage He has given me. “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” Psalm 16:6.
Our God is an Awesome God
Our God is an Awesome God.
Our God is a Beautiful God.
Our God is a Caring God.
Our God is a Determined God.
Our God is an Efficient God.
Our God is a Faithful God.
Our God is a Glorious God.
Our God is a Holy God.
Our God is an Incredible God.
Our God is a Just God.
Our God is a Knowledgeable God.
Our God is a Love God.
Our God is a Most High God.
Our God is a Near God.
Our God is an Omnipotent God.
Our God is a Present God.
Our God is a Quickening God.
Our God is a Righteous God.
Our God is a Saving God.
Our God is a True God.
Our God is a Unfailing God.
Our God is a Victorious God.
Our God is a Wonderful God.
Our God is an eXciting God.
Our God is a Yoking God.
Our God is a Zealous God
If you want to take one of these and give a personal example of how is *blank* to you that would be really cool, if not I hope the list makes you think about the kind of God we serve.
My Kingdom: by Louisa May Alcott
A little kingdom I possess
where thoughts and feelings dwell,
And very hard I find the task
of governing it well;
For passion tempts and troubles me,
A wayward will misleads,
And selfishness its shadow casts
On all my words and deeds.
How can I learn to rule myself,
to be the child I should,
Honest and brave, nor ever tire
Of trying to be good?
How can I keep a sunny soul
To shine along life's way?
How can I tune my little heart
To sweetly sing all day?
Dear Father, help me with the love
that casteth out my fear;
Teach me to lean on thee, and feel
That thou art very near,
That no temptation is unseen
No childish grief too small,
Since thou, with patience infinite,
Doth soothe and comfort all.
I do not ask for any crown
But that which all may win
Nor seek to conquer any world
Except the one within.
Be thou my guide until I find,
Led by a tender hand,
Thy happy kingdom in myself
And dare to take command.
determined
de·ter·mined 
adjectivewanting to do something very much and not letting anyone or any difficulties stop youAlright, this is my last year of high school. I have eight months (roughly) and then I will be done with this phase of my life. At the moment, my emotion level is leaning towards overwhelmless (I don't believe that is a word.) Yet, I am determined to do well. I am determined to excel for the sake of Christ. If it were just me I was working for there would be little or no determination, but I serve the King. He has commanded my full attention. He wants me to be determined.
Right, well I should get back to the books. This short reminder has helped me. I hope it has helped you too.
