Musings on Provision!

It’s extremely amazing to see how God provides for his children. As the semester is drawing to an end and a new chapter of life is about to begin I’ve spent quite a bit of time reflecting over the last year and how God’s provision is so easily seen in hindsight. It’s funny how we sometimes forget how completely in control He is when we’re caught up in the moment, especially since we humans tend to be so darn emotionally charged and often fearful of all of the possible outcomes of the situations we face. Looking back over all of the difficulties and joys of my junior year, both personally and in my friends’ lives, I so clearly see how uncannily perfect God’s timing is. There have been many times that I’ve doubted and become impatient and confused about how God is moving in my life. Sometimes I feel like He’s moving soooooo slow and maybe doesn’t really know what’s best for me afterall….. it’s funny how our idea of time is so completely different than God’s. What seems like an eternity of waiting around ATTEMPTING to be patient is just a blink of an eye to Him it seems.

Just in the last month God has provided for and blessed me in so many ways! I have a house to live in next year, I have TWO jobs for the summer, I get to go home in 4 days to see my big sister graduate, I get to live OFF CAMPUS with my SISTER and two dear friends, I have a new appreciation of how incredibly blessed I am to have the family that I have, and I’ve been blessed to grow massively in old friendships as well as brand new friendships this semester. Oddly enough, only a few weeks ago I was feeling so fearful and impatient about the summer and next semester in general, but God met every single one of my needs. Funny how he ALWAYS does that J Even now as I’m typing this I’m beginning to worry about the electric bill for my house and how much money I’ll have to spend on furniture and whether the 4 of us girls will really get along as roommates and whether I’ll play my pieces well or not at my piano jury, etc. It’s crazy how quickly these fears and doubts creep into my mind! My prayer for myself, and all of us, as this busy end of the semester craziness begins/continues is that we will continually trust in God’s grace and provision in our lives. He works ALL things together for our good and we have NOTHING to worry about! Just keep confessing that over yourself because it is so incredibly TRUE and freeing! As we face fears and stress we must cling to and trust the Lord. His provision and love WILL sustain us in the present and also in our future.

For the Lord God is a Sun and Shield; the Lord bestows [present] grace and favor and [future] glory (honor, splendor, and heavenly bliss)! No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.  12O Lord of hosts, blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man who trusts in You [leaning and believing on You, committing all and confidently looking to You, without fear or misgiving]!                                                 Psalm 84:11-12

Also, here's a favorite bit of poetry for the week :)

Being to timelessness as it’s to time,

love did no more begin than love will end;

where nothing is to breathe to stroll to swim

love is the air the ocean and the land.

Musings on Spring!

 

As a rather naive kid from the gulf coast of Florida I sometimes forget about the beauty and wonder of the seasons. In my hometown everything stays green year round and a visible change of seasons basically doesn’t exist, it is also 85 degrees or more for probably 75% of the year… haha. Anyways, as spring is really kicking in I find myself super inspired by the beauty of the growth and rebirth displayed by nature. Flowers are sprouting everywhere you look and the trees are once again lush and green. There is something mystical, exciting, and indescribable about spring! I think spring is my favorite of the four seasons, largely because of the bright and lively colors and the general cheerful mood it inspires in people, but also because it is such an excellent reminder of God’s promises for provision and growth to us.


In my last post I talked about growth and how this last season of my life has been quite tumultuous and full of lessons. It is very interesting to me that the most seemingly crazy, stressful, and generally whirling season of my life was during the fall and winter. Oddly enough, the seasons seemed to match my feelings pretty perfectly. Last semester I felt a bit like I was losing everything like the autumn leaves falling from the trees, a bit like my heart was freezing over, like the chilly winter frosts, and a LOT like something was changing and beginning to grown in my heart, like the first hints of spring!


It’s pretty amazing that God creates seasons both in our lives and on this crazy planet we live on. Lately I think that God has been patiently reminding me (through wonderful friends, family, and by providing TWO new jobs!) that his grace and provision is sufficient for me, and he is growing a new sense of joy and patience in my heart, kind of like the beautiful flowers (especially Daffodils!!!!) that are sprouting around Nashville this spring. He is teaching me the true meaning of waiting on him. His plan is always a GAZILLION times better than anything I could ever imagine or attempt to plan out for myself, but I lose sight of that fact far too often. Sometimes it is quite difficult to be patient and wait upon the Lord, but he always comes through, just like winter always leads to spring. Currently God is creating a stronger sense of patience in me than I’ve ever had before, and the springtime is an excellent reminder that sticking it out through the most difficult times will truly lead to a renewed and rejuvenated spirit in Christ!


So there’s a little stream of consciousness about this season of my life, according to how I feel this week anyways! haha. I sincerely hope that we are all seeing new seeds being planted in our hearts this spring J

Also, in honor of spring you should read some e.e cummings because he is DELIGHTFUL and inspiring!!!


“I thank You God for most this amazing

day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky;and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(I who have died am alive again today,

and this is the sun's birthday;this is the birth

day of life and love and wings:and of the gay

great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing

breathing any--lifted from the no

of all nothing--human merely being

doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and

now the eyes of my eyes are opened)”

Musings on Growth!

It’s interesting to see growth in your own life. I feel that as I’m getting older I can so easily see the ways God is working in my life personally and through me in the lives of others. This last year or so of my life has been a season of learning.  I think that we should always be learning and growing in every season of life, but this last year has been quite different.

This year I’ve experienced many joys, changes, losses, hurts, and situations in general that I’d never before experienced. I feel like this last year has been a “coming of age” for me in a spiritual sense. As I’ve experienced new losses and heartache in friendships God has so clearly reminded me that his grace is sufficient and that he is indeed the only filler for the lonely voids in my heart. It is shocking and heartbreaking to come to terms with the fact that you’ve abandoned your first love, but my gracious and loving God continued to actively pursue my heart until I was in a state of utter brokenness. The scales finally came off of my eyes and I was suddenly aware of the fact that I had made relationships an idol in my life. I had bought into the lie that having a romantic relationship or a strong core group of friends could somehow create true happiness, peace, and contentment in my heart. Without fully realizing it that lie took root in my heart and slowly consumed me, and I lost sight of my first and only true love. Thankfully my God is much bigger than any lie could EVER be! I was brought to a state of confusion, frustration, and loneliness in which he made it utterly obvious that I had nowhere left to turn except back into his strong and capable arms. This season of life has been full of role reversals and confusion, doubt and hope, fear and peace, and thankfully a brand new awareness of God’s strong pursuit of my heart. I have become smitten with the love of Jesus Christ, I have been made a new creation once again, and I have grown up a whole LOT! So, this blog is my attempt to keep track of my growth and to hopefully encourage fellow wanderers along the way. I pray that each one of us will have a continual sense of momentum in our daily walks and that we would truly have hearts awhirl with the majesty and love of our Jesus! So stay tuned and thanks a million for reading :) Have the most delightful Thursday ever!!!!

“Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything [without weakening]. Love never fails [never fades out or becomes obsolete or comes to an end].”

1 Corinthians 13:7