Yay for books! I love reading real books, or books about real things, however they are labeled, because they always inspire me. And I love quotes, and I often get alot of them from books.
Well first off, I wanted to share something that was in the book simply because I think it's funny. The author of the books is Janet L. Folger; I'm not going to say the title of the book, because it's kind of cheesy, and well, slightly embarrassing. I know I know, that's not 'proper citation' without the title, but hey, I'll even throw in the page number! It's number nine.
Here's the line from the book:
"[My friend Andy] asked a girl to meet him at a bookstore for their first date, and while she was waiting she bought I Kissed Dating Goodbye. He never saw her again. ... Maybe next time he'll show up on time."
Now onto something completely different. I'm not sure how to get this all down and flow together and make sense (maybe because its two in the morning), but it makes sense in my head.
First off, I'll be honest, for awhile there since being home I didn't keep up my regular quiet time. And really, I quite rather forgot about it for awhile. I'm really bad with that, when I move places (i.e., back home), my habits don't go with me or something. I want to thank my friend Stewart for asking me about it when we were talking online, because I really had forgotten about it and he reminded me, and I was like, "Oh yeah, that's what I've been missing!" Life just seems to flow better when you have time with God.
Also, another honest moment. Coming back home is extremely hard! Now I can't remember where I was going with this....
Oh yeah! It's like, I was doing all of this stuff, and then I come back home and it seems like life just STOPPED. Even though I have some direction as to what I'm going to be doing here, I felt like I had none. I felt like I'm just wasting time here. And I'm not saying that those feelings have completely left yet. It's difficult! But spending that time with God really has helped to inspire and encourage me for the ministry I have felt called to be doing here. (Pregnancy Care Center) But there is one passage of scripture that I God keeps reminding me of. I seem to be reading it everywhere! And let me tell you, it is so encouraging. Even my sponsor child wrote this verse in a letter she sent me!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11
Every time I come across this verse lately, it's like a billboard sign to me. At this point in my life (and as you can read in my previous post), I'm not exactly sure of even what I will be doing a year from now. It's hard not knowing or having solidified plans! But I know that if I follow God's leading, everything will be alright. It will work itself out somehow. God knows the plans He has for me. Not only does he have PLANS for ME, but He KNOWS them! And they aren't just plans for my future, but plans to PROSPER me (Prosper; to flourish or thrive. to be successful), plans to not harm me, plans to give me HOPE and a future!. I don't know my future, but my future is in God's hands and His plans is to make it darn good!
And another verse. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that God causes everything to work out together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose." Another comfort, that if I know I'm following God's will, it'll all be OK! Even if in this world, people don't understand why I may not have set plans and I may seem irresponsible, truth is, I'm letting myself be open to God, and from what I know, I'm pretty sure that's gonna provide me with the best outcome!
And again, yet another verse. By the way, these verses (but not the commentary) were also compiled in the book I'm reading... I don't know if that really matters or not because they're originally from the Bible...
Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Do you not feel utterly loved from reading that?! I know I do!
Let's break it down.
Definitions of praise (n)
1. worship: worship and thanks to God or a deity
2. express admiration for somebody or something: to express approval or admiration for somebody or something
Definitions of soul (n)
1. the complex of human attributes that manifests as consciousness, thought, feeling, and will, regarded as distinct from the physical body
2. feelings: a person's emotional and moral nature, where the most private thoughts and feelings are hidden
3. spirit surviving death: in some systems of religious belief, the spiritual part of a human being that is believed to continue to exist after the body dies.
So did you get that part? We worship God, express admiration for Him with our soul, where the most private thoughts and feelings are hidden, which we will be able to continue to worship God with in Heaven.
His benefits:
To forgive..
1. pardon somebody: to excuse somebody for a mistake, misunderstanding, wrongdoing, or inappropriate behavior
ALL our sins
1. transgression of theological principles: an act, thought, or way of behaving that goes against the law or teachings of a religion, especially when the person who commits it is aware of this
2. shameful offense: something that offends a moral or ethical principle
To redeem us from HELL
Definitions of redeem (vt)
1. make something acceptable: to make something acceptable or pleasant in spite of its negative qualities or aspects
2. restore reputation: to do something that changes a negative opinion to a positive one
3. atone for human sin: to pay for the sins of humanity with death on the Cross
He pardons us from our inappropriate behavior, our shameful offenses that we knowingly commit, and then He makes something acceptable and pleasant out of us despite our negative qualities. By dying a painful death on the cross.
He crowns us as if we were royalty with Love and Compassion.
He gives us unconditional love.
1. Compassion: sympathy for the suffering of others, often including a desire to help; kindheartedness.
He loves us no matter what we've done, and He wants to help us in every way that He can.
He satisfies our desires,
Definitions of desire (vt)
1. wish for something: to want something very strongly
3. request something: to wish for and request something
With good things
1. Good: of high quality: of a high quality or standard, either on an absolute scale or in relation to another or others
Not only does he want to satisfy our desires, but with good things; things of high quality!
I hope you feel as loved as I did from that passage!
This post took longer than I thought it would...
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