Character to Hope

I have had a great couple of weeks and will write a blog about all my fun happenings, but first I wanted to share a little nugget that the Lord challenged and encouraged me with yesterday. Lately, I have been aware of the battle I face with my daily sin tendencies-like impatience, selfishness, pride...to name a few! I find my heart continually suffering within me, about all sorts of things that aren't Jesus in me and what is supposed to overflow from my heart, and I fail daily.

As I was reading through Romans 5 (1-11) yesterday this is what the Lord reminded me of and put a fresh hope inside of me...

Through faith we gain access to God's grace and we rejoice in the hope of His glory, but even more we rejoice in our "sufferings", whatever that looks like- for me right now, it is battling my mind and emotions, my struggle against the wickedness inside of me, and desire to be like Christ. For some it may be physical suffering- sickness, pain, disease, poverty, death, emotional turmoil, but through our suffering comes endurance. I'm persevering toward the Lord, toward the truth of His word, and running to His presence in repentance, which slowly produces character, as the Lord's truth reveals wrong thinking, ideas, and heart motives. His grace covers me and He is working those things out, making me like Him. And as I see God's constant faithfulness to change and make new, the renewed character gives way to hope, a expectation that will not fail...why? Because my expectation is found in His love, His love that died for me while I was a sinner, not when I was perfect. My hope is in a grace that I do not deserve, but that I have.

So, I press on, knowing and trusting that the Lord is changing me, I'm growing to know Him more, and my prayer is that He is getting ALL the glory.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Addiction to Blueberries

I have an addiction to blueberries. which i guess if I have to be addicted to something blueberries are not a bad thing! I love living somewhere where fruit like blueberries and raspberries grow just down the road and can be picked right off the tree. I may start a garden. I don't like to garden but maybe the passion will grow on me. This morning I went blueberry picking for the 2nd time and took Patrick with me. I'm trying to fuel his love for fruit trees, so maybe when were old we can be farmers. First time, I brought home 3.5lbs of blueberries this time. 6.6lbs...yes, I 've got blueberries out my ears but I'm so excited about making blueberry cobler, muffins, granola bars, dried blueberries...and just eating them by the handfuls.

Another thing I've been doing lately is canvas painting. I'm not much of an artist but I like to do it and just see what comes out. Here are a few that I have done.










Not a whole lot really going on in my life that someone might label "adventurous or thrilling" but I am learning to just enjoy my time and the little things that make my heart smile.

Sunrise

I am in a Botany class this summer. We are learning a lot about plants, soils, ecosystems, and stuff that, frankly I am not at all too interested in. But if I have taken one thing away from this class- its the reminder that I serve a magnificent, sovereign, and gracious God. Did you know that if the sun ceased to rise, anything that has life would be no more? Something about photosynthesis...energy...carbon dioxide, food chain...GONE- all of it! According to my understanding of the science world...this earth and all that is in it depends on the sun to survive.

Psalm 50:1- The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.
Psalm 74:16-The day is yours, and yours also the night; you established the sun and moon.

God could decide to put a stop the glorious sunrise and before long, nothing would have life...yet in His love for the world, the sun rises. For God so loved the world...a wicked, unrighteous world...and each day the sun rises and He gives life to those that don't deserve it. This seems like a pretty basic and simple truth, but it draws me to His feet.

AND BOTANY IS OVER TOMORROW! PRAISE JESUS!