JamminOnTheSpoons43's Xanga

Sunday, February 17, 2008

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 01:38:45 GMT

i brokeded my elbow :(

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 04:16:45 GMT

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!!!!

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 03:54:51 GMT

This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
- 1 Timothy 1:15

What an incredible opportunity we have this Christmas to remember and reflect on the reason Christ came as an infant to this earth—to be the wonderful, merciful Savior of sinners!! Praying that each and every one of you have a wonderful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our King and Savior!

Merry Christmas!!

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Sat, 08 Dec 2007 02:54:23 GMT

How Long O Lord - by Bob Kauflin

How long, O Lord, must I keep knocking at Your door?
How long must I be waiting?
I've prayed to you, but I don't hear You speak.
I'm waiting still, and I am getting weak.

My child, I know what you're going through.
I know your fears because I created you.
And each step you take, I gave to you.
And I prepared what you have been going through.

And you want to understand.
You want to know.
But I have engraved you on the palm of my hand.
You want to feel my nearness.
To hear Me speak.
But my power is perfected in the humble and the weak.

I've spoken words just for you.
And I gave my Son to deliver you.
And forever you'll hear the sound of My voice,
Saying "I brought you near so you can rejoice"

But for now, I'm calling you to trust
I'm calling you to believe
That I am a faithful God to you
For now, I'm calling you to believe
What you cannot see
But what you know is true.

I can hear you....

I am near you.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:30:07 GMT

"This Day" (words/lyrics by Steven Curtis Chapman)

Yesterday the sky was bright and clear
I could see the sun and I could hear the song
Faith flowed like a river free and deep
And grace was not so hard to be believed
But that was yesterday
And what was close enough to touch
Now seems a world away
So what about this day

This day all His mercies are new
This day every promise is true
Father, help me to believe
Give me faith I need to know You
And trust You this day
This day

Who knows what tomorrow’s light will bring
Tears to cry or maybe songs to sing out loud
But only God can see that far away
And He made us for living day by day
‘Cause He wants us to see
That the God that He’s been every day of history
Is who He is this day

This day all His mercies are new
This day every promise is true
Father, help me to believe
Give me faith I need to know You
And trust You this day
This day

‘Cause You are the same yesterday and today and forever
Through every season Your truth and Your grace never change
Oh, Lord, I do believe that the God that
You’ve been every day of history
Is who You are this day

This day…this day

This day Your mercies are new
This day Your promise is true
This day my hope is in You, Lord
This day

Monday, November 05, 2007

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:03:45 GMT

Great devotional from today's Morning Thoughts (by Octavius Winslow)... it served as a much-needed reminder to me of what an incredibly faithful Advocate we have in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ! I hope and pray that this encourages you as much as it did me!...

“For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.” Hebrews 9:24

Is it a privilege to be borne upon the affectionate and believing prayers of a Christian friend? Ah, yes! precious channels of heavenly blessing are the intercessions of the Lord’s people on our behalf. But there is a Friend still closer to the Fountain of mercy, still nearer and dearer to the Father, than your dearest earthly friend; it is Jesus, “who ever lives to make intercession for them who come unto God by Him.” Oh, how precious is that declaration upon which in any assault, or trial, or perplexity, you may calmly and confidently repose: “I have prayed for you”! Yes, when from confusion of thought, or pain of body, or burning fever, you can not pray for yourself, and no friend is near to be your mouth to God, then there is one, the Friend of friends, the ever-skillful Advocate and never-weary Intercessor—no invocating saint, nor interceding angel—but the Son of God himself, who appears in the presence of God moment by moment for you. Oh, keep, then, the eye of your faith immovably fixed upon Christ’s intercession; He intercedes for weak faith, for tried faith, for tempted faith—yes, for him who thinks he has no faith. There is not a believer who is not borne upon His heart, and whose prayers and needs are not presented in His ceaseless intercession. When you deem yourself neglected and forgotten, a praying Savior in heaven is thinking of you. When you are tried and cast down, tempted and stumble, the interceding High Priest at that moment enters within the holiest, to ask on your behalf strength, consolation, and upholding grace. And when sin has wounded, when guilt distresses, and unbelief beclouds, who is it that stands in the breach, that makes intercession, that removes the darkness, and brings back the smile of a forgiving Father?—the Lord Jesus, the interceding Savior. Oh, look up, tried and assaulted believer! you have a Friend at court, an Advocate in the chancery of heaven, an Intercessor curtained within the holiest of holies, transacting all your concerns, and through whom you may have access to God with boldness.

Monday, October 29, 2007

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:03:24 GMT

When I look all around me
And all I can see
Are my mountains of failure and sin
I will hope in the One
Crucified in my place
Jesus Christ the Redeemer of men

I look up to the Cross
Where I see my Sin-Bearer
Hanging there in deepest agony
I look up to the Cross
Where Your cleansing blood flows
And I feel a great weight lift from me

When I’m standing accused
And I’m guilty as charged
And I’ve nothing that I can defend
I will trust in the righteousness
Given to me
By Jesus my Savior and Friend

I look up to the Cross
Where I see my Sin-Bearer
Hanging there in deepest agony
I look up to the Cross
Where Your cleansing blood flows
And I feel a great weight lift from me

When I measure my heart
By Your holy decrees
All my motives and deeds I despise
I will claim all Your sacrifice
Purchased for me
By Your death I will stand justified

I look up to the Cross
Where I see my Sin-Bearer
Hanging there in deepest agony
I look up to the Cross
Where Your cleansing blood flows
And I feel a great weight lift from me

I Look Up (words and music by Mark Altrogge)

This song's been on my mind a lot these past few days. I have become freshly thankful for the fact that, when faced with my sin all around me, I can have hope in knowing that Jesus Christ is a great Savior of great sinners. He bore the wrath and punishment for my sin so that I may stand before God as one clothed in HIS perfect righteousness! Praise God for grace.... praise God for forgiveness!

Friday, October 19, 2007

Fri, 19 Oct 2007 03:46:13 GMT

(I saw this today, and wow.... yep, I could certainly relate with it! lol) :)

On a more serious note....

This afternoon I was hit with a rather hard, disappointing circumstance. I wish I could say that my first reaction was one of simple, complete trust in God to work all things (even this hard thing) out for my good and HIS glory, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. No, instead I did what I seem to do best and immediately focused my eyes on my self and my circumstances. I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity, discouragement, frustration, anger, hurt... (and the list could go on and on). After talking with my parents and being reminded of things that are true... that God is good (ALL the time), that He sees the big picture (when I can only see the immediate circumstance), that it's not about me (it's about my Lord and Savior receiving praise and glory!), that God's promises remain TRUE (even when it doesn't seem like it)... I was able to spend some time alone thinking, praying, evaluating, reading Scripture.... and wow... what started out as a "complaining session" ended up with me having all of my complaints silenced as God opened my eyes to see how much I have been blessed and hit me with the reality that I have absolutely NO reason whatsoever to bring any complaint against Him.

Here's just a few of the things that God made me freshly grateful for (things which recently I have completely been taking for granted)...

1.) The grace and forgiveness I have in Christ! - This is nothing I could ever earn, nothing I deserve in any way... and yet, it has been poured out on my so richly, so freely! Time and time again I grieve my Heavenly Father with my sinful failures and shortcomings, and yet... He is always ready and willing to extend His grace and forgiveness to me when I repent. This truly is AMAZING grace!!

2.) The incredible family I have been given - I can not possibly say enough about my family. They are always there for me, they constantly remind me of truth when so very often my perspective goes astray, they love me despite all of my many unloving, selfish, sinful actions/words, they support me, encourage me, and are ALWAYS there for me no matter what! Why God would choose to bless me with such an incredible family... I cannot say, but I praise and thank Him for them!

3.) The friends and church family God has given me - I am surrounded by the best friends a person could ever hope for! They pray for me, encourage me, put up with me, and are true friends to me even when I don't act as a true friend towards them. My church family is an incredibly example and testimony to me of what it means to live as a body of believers, brothers and sisters in Christ, here on this earth. There is no other church I would rather be in than the one God has so graciously allowed me to be a part of right now!

4.) The promises God has given in His Word - He will never leave me or forsake me, He is all things together for good to those who love Him and keep His commandments, He will strengthen me and uphold me in His righteous right hand, when I pass through the waters He will be with me, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?"... I am so thankful that God's promises always remain true even in the midst of difficult circumstances!! His promises will never fail! I don't have to dwell in "doubting castle" with Giant Despair looming over me because I have the Key of Promise with me at all times and it is able to unlock ANY door in doubting castle!

5.) Finally, I was made freshly thankful for the fact that my joy is not dependent on my circumstances... but on my Savior and what He has done for me! - I don't have to base my contentment or happiness in the various circumstances I face each and every day! why? because I serve a risen Savior who has redeemed me and saved me from the wrath to come! That fact in and of itself is enough to fill me with genuine joy even in the midst of life's hard, painful, disappointing circumstances!! Praise God!!!

I have felt so weak, and so ready to just "give up" and quit right now, but God's grace is sufficient and His strength is always perfect in my weakness! So this difficult circumstance, though it is still hard to deal with and rather disappointing, has already been used in amazing ways by God to teach me some valuable, much-needed lessons and to remind me of things which I had forgotten or pushed aside. I still have SO very much to learn and SO much to work on, but, by God's great grace and with His strength I am striving to press on!

May He be praised and receive all the glory in and through this!!

.... what a truly AWESOME God we serve!!

Soli Deo Gloria!!

Friday, October 12, 2007

Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:32:41 GMT

big midterm today at 3:30......
if God brings it to your mind, please be praying for me that I'll keep the right focus and perspective in and through this!

may God be glorified!

:edit: well, I survived the test... by God's great grace. Thanks so very much to all of you who were praying!! God really helped me to fight against my anxiety and to realize that this was just "one test, one day of my life" (as my parents are always reminding me!) I hope and pray that He was glorified through my efforts and that, whatever grade I end up getting, HE will receive all the praise and glory! .... And now, on to study pathophysiology! (haha oh yay!) :end edit:

Friday, September 28, 2007

Fri, 28 Sep 2007 04:50:05 GMT

“If we cannot believe God when circumstances seem to be against us, we do not believe Him at all.”

- Charles Spurgeon

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*fighting to believe what's true...*