A Glimpse...

a glimpse of beauty...contrasting the ugliness of stomach bug sicknessa glimpse of peace...against the turmoil of sleepless nightsa glimpse of joy...shining through the discouragement of failurea glimpse of love...displayed for all who would stop and seea glimpse of forgiveness...despite my hard heart
a glimpse of the glory of God...shown in the heavens for me tonight

My Jesus Fair

My Jesus Fair
My Jesus fair, was pierced by thorns
By thorns grown from the fall
Thus He who gave the curse was torn
To end that curse for all

O love divine, O matchless grace
That God should die for men!
With joyful grief I lift my praise,
Abhorring all my sin, adoring only Him

My Jesus meek, was scorned by men,
By men in blasphemy
"Father, forgive their senseless sin!"
He prayed, for them, for me

My Jesus kind, was torn by nails,
By nails of cruel men
And to His cross, as grace prevailed
God pinned my wretched sin

My Jesus pure, was crushed by God
By God, in judgement just
The Father grieved, yet turned His rod
On Christ, made sin for us

My Jesus strong, shall come to reign,
To reign in majesty
The Lamb arose, and death is slain
Lord, come in victory!

This song has been playing through my head throughout this past week. =) My Jesus...

an accent seasoned with salt

I recently had the chance to meet someone from Brazil. Her native language is Portuguese, of course, but she spoke English very well. Naturally, she had a very distinct accent. When told, "Say that again, I love your accent!" she responded with, "Oh? I hate it." That thought struck me as strange.

Accent / ac·cent /ˈækˌsɛnt, / noun
1: a way of pronouncing words that occurs among the people in a particular region or country

Everyone has an accent. When we speak, our accent tells people where we're from.

When I speak, I'm sure that people can tell where in the country I'm from. Those from the south usually have a southern drawl. Those from New Jersey have a distinct New Jersey accent. Those from large cities even have an accent. Those from other countries have different accents when they speak English--even those who speak English as their native language such as the British and Australian. I'm sure I have an American accent when I speak German. It would be strange if I didn't and had, say, a French accent!

Our accent can define us. What do I want my accent to say about me? That I live in the US, that I'm smart, that I'm...what?
What is my lifelong goal? to live a life worthy of the Lord - Colossians 1:10
My accent needs to reflect that.
My accent is to be evidence of the love of God in me. My accent is to be seasoned with salt.

My accent tells people I'm from the body of Christ.

Matthew 5
1 Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them, saying: [...] 13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men.

Day by Day - a thankful thursday

I have so enjoyed recording these graces day by day...

(three things blue)
394: time spent with a dear friend working on a design of blue
395: a homecooked meal still steaming on dishes of blue & white
396: the empty pages of a blue notebook waiting to be filled with grace

(one grace borrowed, found, inherited)
397: a camera that I use every day
398: encouragement in the simple things
399: love of cooking






(a gift before 9am, before noon, after dark)
400: sleeping in only to wake up to a room brightened by the sun
401: encouraging notes from friends
402: a clear night with stars shining bright

see the rainbow? =D

p.s. My daddy had surgery on his foot last week, he is healing and doing well. You can keep him in your prayers. =) It has been nice to have him home from work this past week!


Have a wonderful evening!

to encourage

"to encourage someone is to give them a new perspective on life"

Encouragement comes from actions, words, and simply the way we live our lives.
Our actions matter--they have a bigger impact than we would ever imagine...

*it says that "these two people have never met and never will." well, I'd change that to "these two people have never met, but one day will" because they will both one day be in heaven. *

I am Weak.

I am so weak. I struggle with even the daily things in life. Getting out of bed on time, completing my chores with a good attitude, respecting those in authority, and the list goes on. This past week I've been especially struggling. Yet,


He has proven to me over and over that when I am at my weakest, He is at His strongest.

Last summer while working at camp He showed Himself to me. It was towards the end of the summer and I was tired. It seemed like I could do nothing right. I struggled waking up for chores and was nearly late once because I didn't wake up to my alarm. I wasn't working fast enough cleaning stalls--"you're too much of a perfectionist! just get the big spots, everything else can wait until later when we have more time..." I wasn't able to get one of the kids in my lessons to understand anything I was trying to teach her. Then to top it off, a kid fell of the horse on a trail ride I assisted because I failed to double check the cinch. (he was not hurt other than a slight bruise where he fell on his hand) Oh I was feeling so discouraged. Why couldn't I do anything right? Yet, even then, when I was at my weakest, He used me to encourage others. He gave me a smile while I worked and His light shone through me. "I know you haven't had the easiest week, but your cheerful attitude to do whatever was asked of you encouraged me." Oh how that conversation encouraged me too! His grace is enough for me.

Last month He showed Himself to me. Last month before finals I was very stressed out. It was my own fault that I procrastinated so much. That knowledge didn't help anything. I had until Friday at 4pm to finish everything. That Friday was also the day that the youth group left for snow camp. My parents said that I was going.  I didn't want to go to snow camp. Staying up until 3am and getting up at 7am doesn't appeal to me. Negative five degree weather doesn't either. I also didn't want to go with the youth group. We had just switched churches and I didn't like the new youth group. They seem to me very shallow and worldly compared to my other circle of friends from the other church. I would rather have stayed home and prepped for the new semester with good sleep and a clean desk. I begged, I cried, but still I went. I had an awful attitude about it too. Yet even then, when I was so weak, God still worked through me to encourage others. I don't know what it was Actually, I do know. It was God working in me. I could not have encouraged others on my own at that time--I was so weak and full of self-pity, self-want...I was consumed by self. He had to step in. By His grace my weakness is made perfect in His strength. I wrote this post during that time--although I didn't type it up and hit publish until much later.

Right now He will show Himself faithful to me. I feel so weak. I can't overcome the bad habits of procrastination I slipped into last semester...I can't have a good attitude when I have a headache...I can't love my siblings as Christ loves them...I can't...
I can't wait for Him to show Himself faithful to me now. It is coming...His grace has made my weakness perfect in His strength...He has shown Himself faithful to me before...

Hebrews 13:8
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.


1 Corinthians 1:9
God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.


Psalm 33:4
For the word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.


Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands.

He's Always Been Faithful
Sara Groves

when I am weak...

Tired. So tired. Exhausted. Can't go on. I can't do this. There's no possible way.

Yes, Lord. But I'm tired, and I've tried. I can't do this. 

Yes, Lord. But I can't do this. I need You. I need Your strength, Your power to do this. Because I can't do this on my own, I need You. 

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Thought I had learned this last summer at camp. Nope. I'm still learning it. I fight, I fail, I am forgiven, and I keep learning. Learn that I have so much yet to learn. Perhaps it takes a lifetime to learn this. Yes, that's it. A lifetime of living for Christ to learn just how to live a life worthy of the Lord.
But by His grace, I am strong in Christ.

"For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Reflecting the Light - a (belated) thankful thursday

388: laugh lines (one grace wrinkled)


389: clothes washed, folded, placed away in drawers as an act of love (one grace smoothed)


390: a new semester, new beginnings unfolding (one grace unfolded)


391: the encouragement found in being told "You are different from all the other girls...the light of Christ shines in your spirit...you are beautiful!" Matthew 5:16 

entering here