Shiloh Rae..

Shiloh. One of the sweetest babies I have ever known. Her mama is one of my best friends. It has been such a joy to see how being a mom has changed her. I know that she and her husband are amazing parents to this little one. She will be raised knowing her Savior. I am so blessed to be a part of their lives. And I hope I can always show little Shiloh the one who loves her the most. Jesus. It is such an honor that her parents allow me to love on her. How could you not just squeeze her??

Old Window Frame

Here is the latest project I did today. I have always wanted to find an old window and put some of my photos in them. Well I have finally done it! I have been contemplating putting two hooks at the bottom. Have not made up my mind yet. I am going to be keeping my eyes open for more windows to do this to. I have also been working on two tables. When they are finished I will be sure to post them as well.

"And so we keep on praying for you that our God will make you the kind of children he wants to have- will make you as good as you wish you could be- rewarding your faith with His power. Then everyone will be praising the name of our Lord Jesus Christ because of the results they see in you; and YOUR GREATEST GLORY will be that YOU BELONG TO HIM. The tender mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ has made all of this possible for you."

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Your greatest glory will be that you belong to Him. That is our glory. Not our gifts or blessings. He is our great reward. This is nothing new. It is something we say quite often. But when I really started thinking about it, I questioned my true motives. Do I do the right things because I want to be blessed by Him or because I know it brings Him pleasure and it doesn't matter if He blesses me? God is all excellence. He is better than any of the gifts He gives. He is better. Him. The being. Because there is nothing as perfect as Him. He is all goodness. Do I want the person of Christ or the gifts of Christ? I will best glorify Him when I am enjoying Him. Him alone. It is as if I have lost focus on truth. The reason I do things seems to have a selfish motive to it. This is not the person I want to be! How I want enjoy Him. Only Him. Because He is my glory. Not the things I do. Not the things I withhold from doing. Every good thing is from Him and He asks us to seek Him out with all our hearts and souls. He wants us to discover just how majestic He is. That He, himself, is the gift. He is the love, the hope, the forgiveness, the light. Everything. I want to know my glory is because I belong to Him. He is the answer to all my questions. He is the one who satisfies all my longings. The blessings He showers on us is because His nature is goodness and kindness. And those are the things I shouldn't be living for. Instead I want the giver of the gifts. The gifts don't sustain us. The giver does. And He longs for us to find Him and enjoy Him. It is the journey that brings real life. Lasting life. Nothing can taste as good as Him. Nothing is as good as Him. He asks that we die to self so that we might follow after Him. Follow Him into green pastures to see the King in His splendor and to behold the highlands of the heavens.

Zuck Kids..

Here are some pictures I took of my adorable nieces and nephew. It has been such a blessing to be able to spend these last couple of months with them... can't believe it is almost over! Times goes by so fast.

Do you ever get the sense that the thing you really desire isn't really what you want? The past couple of days I have come to the conclusion that I just want to encounter the Lord. I want to witness Him. I want my own story. I think about all the things I think I desire and I realize that they mean nothing next to Him. How can I continually abide in Him? How can I hear the things He is speaking to me? I hate how I become overwhelmed with my worries. This is not the Lord I serve. He brings peace. My worries deal with my control. It isn't about Him. It is about me. And my control. My fear to really let go and see what He does. He promises He supplies everything I need. Yet I don't believe it. I want my life to reflect the goodness and power of the Lord. And so maybe the things I think I desire are still about control? I want to live a life where He has to show up and yet it is the very thing I fear. I want it and I don't. Is my need to encounter the Lord greater than my dependence on self and comfort? I pray it is.

Love never fails. I have felt failed a lot by love, but then so has Jesus. And he didn't let that dictate his own love towards others. It seemed to make him love them only more. If only my heart would beat with such love that I care not what happens to me any longer but rather dare to love as he does. With no expectations of it in return. Only the need to lavish it on any breathing human being.

Godly Men don't like...

This past weekend I got to talk to my sister Ashlea. She was telling me about the things she has been learning over the past two weeks. They had a relationships session. And there was one thing she said that really made me laugh.

"Godly men don't like cleavage."

Now they were discussing how to be pure and holy. And also how to honor one another. So ladies put away that cleavage! How it made me chuckle but how true it is. Recently the Lord and I have been having lots of discussions about marriage. It seems it is something I am always handing over to him. Because by now if I were in charge I would have had me married and perhaps a couple of babies. But alas I am on God's schedule. It is sad to think so many girls just throw away their purity in hopes of catching a man. When I think about the kind of man I hope to marry; it is true... I hope he doesn't like cleavage. That is not the kind of guy I am looking for. So why would I ever sell myself in order to get something I don't even want or maybe isn't for me? It can be hard to be patient. Sometimes it even makes me angry the way he makes me wait! But I want nothing less than His best for me. And so I wait. And I will wait honoring myself and the Lord with my body and actions. Besides I think the person God has for me will probably be far better than someone I "catch" on my own. He will make it happen. So stop worrying ladies and start living lives that are pleasing to our Father. Lets behave as His daughters! Setting our focus on Him is the best thing we can do for ourselves and for our future mate.