One Bright Corner

This is a great post! 

http://onebrightcorner.blogspot.com/2013/06/hackles-up.html

Music Poll

Just for fun I'm doing a "music poll" to see what the "favorite" genre of music is of the readers of my blog. :)

Vote on the top left! Poll ends on the evening of July 25th.

Father's Day

Happy Dad's Day! :)
Here are some pics of my Daddy and me! Sorry, they're all kind of "old". :P I don't have a huge store of pics on my computer, but with graduation, I had at least these.

"The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him."
- Proverbs 20:7 (NKJV)

A Father's Love

A father is respected because
He gives his children leadership...
Appreciated because
He gives his children care...
Valued because
He gives his children time...
Loved because
He gives his children the one thing
They treasure most - himself.

One night I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Many scenes from my life flashed across the sky. In each scene I noticed footprints on the sand. Sometimes there were two sets of footprints, other times there were one set of footprints.

This bothered me because I noticed that during the low periods of my life, when I was suffering from anguish, sorrow or defeat, I could see only one set of footprints.

So I said to the Lord, "You promised me Lord, that if I followed you, you would walk with me always. But I have noticed that during the most trying periods of my life there have only been one set of footprints in the sand. Why, when I needed you most, you have not been there for me?"

The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, is when I carried you."

-Mary Stevenson

Thank You, Jesus, for giving me the daddy You did! Thank You for making him so wise and so caring. Thank You for causing him to stand firm in his belief of what is right, even when I don't understand. Thank You for giving me a protector and provider in my daddy. Thank You for putting in him the drive to work hard to provide for his family and thank You for giving him the strength he needs to do it! Thank You for bringing him to a saving knowledge of You. Thank You for giving him the desire to share that knowledge with his family. Thank You for making him such a good example of Your love for me.





I am so grateful to my earthly father for all he has taught me in the last few years! For the love and patience he has shown me and his desire to teach me new things so I'll be better equipped to be a wife and mother. But most importantly I'm grateful that he pointed me to my heavenly Father! Luke 11:13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (NKJV)

One of my favorite passages of Scripture that reminds me of God's love and care for me is Matthew 6:25-34
"Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not worry, saying, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "What shall we wear?" For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (NKJV)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! :D

Purified

Love these lyrics! 


PURIFIED 
by Michael W. Smith 

Where the angels see  
You are praised as You should be  
But how can I express  
My yearning for Your Holiness?  
May it be...
 
That I will open up my heart  
Search me in the deepest part  
And I will stand in cleansing fire  
By You, purified  
By You I'm purified
 
Savior of my soul  
To your strength I yield control  
Purge me from my stain  
Sin will lose it's mortal reign  
Make me free
 
And I will open up my heart  
Search me in the deepest part  
And I will stand in cleansing fire   
By You, purified  
By You I'm purified
 
You are Holy  
You are Holy  
Yes You are Holy  
You are Holy  
You are Holy
 
And I will open up my heart  
Search me in the deepest part  
And I will stand in cleansing fire  
By You, purified  
By You I'm purified I'm purified 
 
For You are Holy  
Oh You are Holy  
Yes You are Holy  
You are Holy

Contentment & Trust

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6

"Honor your father and mother" - which is the first commandment with a promise. Ephesians 6:2

Over the past few years I've had to learn trust (or faith) and contentment. There were certain things that I really wanted that my parents didn't want me to have or just didn't think necessary. I always knew and trusted that they were doing what was best for me, but it was still hard to be content sometimes. "Why couldn't I have a cell-phone when practically everyone I knew had one." "Why couldn't I be on Facebook or some other such social network...it's just what people do!" "Why can't I get my driver's license when I'm 16 like my brother instead of having to wait till I'm 18?" (3 more months to go! ;) These thoughts would continue for short periods of time before I would nip them in the bud. I would tell myself that my parents knew best and I shouldn't question them. It's usually about a year after I've wanted these material things "that everyone else has" that I start to see the good in not having them and quit wanting them and start being soooo thankful that I don't have them.
In my case, Facebook would take up way too much time! I like to talk and I like it when people talk to me, and I would be constantly checking in to see if anyone had said anything to me lately. It would begin many "false" relationships that aren't healthy (because you never really know what the person is like) and take time away from growing "real" relationships with my family.
A cell-phone would be helpful for some things, but in most cases that I need one I can just take Mom's. This teaches simple living and learning to work with what you have. Also, with all the technology ready at people's fingertips (no pun intended :P) I think most the world is missing out on some really cool art! Last night as we were driving home at 10:00 pm from a late night event, the sky was so beautiful. The moon was a tiny sliver of light and there were small clouds brushing the sky right under the moon. As I was gazing at this lovely scene painted by my Master, a car sped by in the "fast lane" and there was a person in it staring at some mobile device. I have no idea what they were doing. They could have been taking care of some important information, but it did cause me to think. So many people miss out on God's little blessings because they are "busy" on their mobile devices. For a fleeting moment I thought how glad I was that I didn't have to worry about a phone or an iPod. I could just enjoy the moon, 'cause it was all there was to do.
More recently I've had to have faith that God knows what He's doing in taking away my ability to play the piano comfortably. I haven't been able to play for several months due to pain in both arms. I don't know what's going on with them and I had to put off doing my Senior Recital when I was so close to being done. It's been a very hard but definitely a strengthening time for me! God has been near me through it, and I know that He is teaching me something beyond my wildest dreams.

Don't ever doubt that God knows what He's doing. Trust Him and tell Him your cares. He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall!