Beyond Comprehension.

"Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, 'What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?' He replied, 'Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.' "

Judges 13: 17-18

I read this passage a while ago, like maybe last week, and when I read it I just had to stop. It was one of those moments when you need to take a second to let it soak in and really think about it. Anyway, yesterday Eva and I were driving home from Eugene and in the car we were listening to some Matt Chandler sermons and it just brought me back to that verse. In the message Matt was talking about the characteristics of who God is. He said that we will often be breathless at the view of the Grand Canyon, but we don't revere the one who created it. He went on to talk about God's glory and beauty. He called God "stunning" and that everything we see here on earth that takes our breath away or brings us to our knees in awe is just one glimpse of one aspect of the original beauty that is God.
Wow. We serve an amazing God.
He also talked about how our language can't extend as far as to describe who God is or how awesome he is.
I love that in this verse we can also translate "beyond understanding" as "It is too wonderful". God is just so beyond anything that we can wrap our minds around. It amazes me.
Just some thoughts I had to share! Heres the link to the sermons if anyone wants to listen! I can't remember the title though!

Also to end here's a song I'm loving lately! (Also thanks to Eva! She is just so influential in my life haha)
"Shadowfeet" By Brooke Fraser

The Best.

I am so happy to have an amazing, fun friend like this.
My roomie Karissa Holmes and I have been BEST friends since the 7th grade.
I absolutely love her!
We met in Mr. Nakashima's science class and have some pretty hilarious memories together.

Apparently we haven't changed much over the years...

Senior Year

My Finals Week Wisdom.

I've been having trouble thinking of things to blog about lately, but I don't want to disappoint my faithful two followers so I think I'll give it a shot now.

The last couple of weeks I've been having a kind of 'mid-college crisis' which is not good, mostly because I am pretty far past that halfway point and it's time to get serious and just get done. I think I have been feeling a little overwhelmed by papers and normal stresses of college life and that has resulted in me feeling kind of uncertain about what I'm majoring in and what my future might look like. I think I have a bad attitude about it all too, I feel like what I'm studying isn't necessarily what I'm passionate about. Then again, I think no matter what I study and what I do I won't feel passionate about it because a career isn't my end all. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to work in my industry someday and hopefully I will enjoy what I do, but I don't think the result of that will be my fulfillment.

Well, you are probably thinking that is obvious.... we don't get fulfillment from careers, but only from the Lord. Still, I think that God is wanting us to, in everything we do, have diligence. In Colossians 3:23 God tells us that "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not men."

I think I have trouble with that idea. But also, I think that God honors the efforts we put into those things. My friend Anna helped me see that; diligence in one area of our lives can result in diligence in other areas. It's one tool that God can use to grow us. My problem is that I want God to give me the desires of my heart, like a husband someday and a family, but I don't want to first be diligent and steadfast with the things he has trusted me with. I don't feel passionate right now about my career path, but I do feel passionate about my future family. It's not that I need a degree to be a blessing to my future family, but the tools that pour out of that, like discipline, really will be a blessing. Sometimes I'm so focused on the things God isn't giving me, that I ignore and neglect the things he's blessed me with. Going to school is such a blessing, one that a ton of people don't get the chance to experience. I need to be thanking the Lord for that blessing and really giving it my all.

The past couple of days I've been wanting God to show me things in myself he wants to change, to discipline me. I think he has shown me this one, so now I just need to be faithful with that and get some studying done! :)

My Girls.

"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."
Proverbs 27:17

God has blessed me so much. Sometimes I take for granted some of the amazing ways he has answered my prayers in the past. One clear answer to prayer happened last year and it came in such a beautiful form!

Friendship. It is so vital! I started going to one of the church college groups at OSU last year, and for some time I was going by myself! I prayed and prayed about finding a way to plug myself into the group because I knew it was where I was supposed to be. Where God wanted me.

God didn't have me wait on this one. Sometimes you can pray and pray and it isn't the time to see your prayer fulfilled. This time God was faithful almost instantly. By such a random chance I got plugged into the most amazing small group and I have been seeing fruit from that answered prayer ever since. God was absolutely faithful and I can praise him everytime I see my beautiful friends.

Today I was at work and Eva came in to see me. It's just so funny to me that we've gotten so close that we can talk for two hours and not even notice the time go by (even though I'm at work... :) haha). I love that God has blessed me with such a strong group of girls to grow with. We talk about everything! God, boys, school, friends, money, the future... you name it. We have SO much fun too! We're always laughing.

After about 3 days if I haven't seen one of these girls, something is wrong! We're always together! We love each other and I am so blessed by our friendship. They're my girls! Tera, Julia, Alisha, Anna, and Eva.

-- In what beautiful ways has God answered your prayers? --

~ Sunny Days~

Tera: " This one is too scandelous for facebook... "

Come to the Table.

"No eye has seen,

no ear has heard,

no mind has conceived

what God has prepared for those who love him."

1 Corinthians 2:9

At church on Sunday we talked about wisdom in Proverbs 9. I've been really loving this series on Proverbs, especially hearing about wisdom and understanding more what that really means and what an amazing gift it is. One thing that stood out to me was how wisdom is inviting us to come to her table and how that table is a parallel to the communion table. God has invited us to come recieve what he has prepared for us and that is just so beautiful! I love to think that at this beautiful table God has something special prepared for each of his dinner guests. We don't even realize before we know him that he has anything prepared for us, but he has something designed uniquely for you. I also think that God is longing for us to fill his table. When someone comes to Christ and takes their seat, the one that God took care into creating, he is filled with overwhelming joy! The thought that God has a seat at his table with my name on it makes me feel so honored, loved, and so excited to know him more and to walk in his wonderful wisdom!

This past week I've been feeling so content to abide in Christ. Sometimes I feel like I want to try and pursue gifts with my flesh, but God is continually showing me that what he has prepared for me is so rich and such a blessing. I enjoy these times with God so much because sometimes they can feel few and far between. I can feel inclined to serve God with a self-centered mindset. Like: "God I will serve you so that you will see that I am deserving of this gift from you." I just needed God to remind me that he already has prepared for me everything I need, I don't need to convince him to take care of me. He loves me. Before all of creation he had a seat at his table for me, what else do I need?

"His divine power has given us everything needed for life and
godliness,

through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and
goodness."

2 Peter 1:3

Fearlessly Fearing God

So this year I have made it my resolution to read through the bible in a year. It's kind of a daunting challenge and at times I feel afraid that I may be defeated by it, but overall it has been good and I think in the end it will be a huge blessing to have read the book cover to cover. At this point in my reading plan I am in the book of Numbers. Last night I read the coolest thing, so I just had to share!

In Numbers 22- 24 I read all about a king who was afraid of the Isrealites because he saw how great they were in number and how God was on their side. Since he was afraid he asked Balaam, a man he knew to be close to God, to curse the people so they wouldn't harm him or his city. Balaam told him that he would ask God, but that whatever God said was what he would do. I thought this was soooo bold, trusting, and just downright cool of him to do. A king asked him to do something and offered him a great reward and he said

"Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could not
do anything great or small to go beyond the command of the Lord my God."
22:18

The king asked him three times to curse these people. Each time Balaam asked God, he was told to bless the people, and was obedient! Balaam was a man who knew God. This is so apparent in this story. He knew God wasn't someone he could command to do his will. God is sovereign. One of the coolest things about this is that Balaam was totally unapologetic and unafraid of Balak. God is on the throne, he wasn't intimidated by an earthly king! This is an awesome picture of being completely sold out to Christ. Balaam feared God, not man, and this resulted in a totally free fearless way of life!

I think a lot of the time we can forget what it feels like to totally trust God. We expect to come before the king of kings and lay down the law. This is how it is, this is what I want... Ok God, fulfill it! We should, instead, come humbly, asking what God would have us do... then, even if God asks us to do the most unexpected thing, the exact opposite even of what we ask of Him, we should be willing to be obedient. Now that is true love! Besides, we can trust God, he is wise... and so good.

"God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son or man, that he
should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and
not fulfill? I have recieved a command to bless; he has blessed, and I cannot change it."

Newbie.

So I'm pretty new to this whole blog thing, but I thought since I enjoy reading a few here and there I might also enjoy writing some! So maybe in this first post I will just tell you a little about myself! :)

• I am a student at Oregon State University and I am studying Merchandising Management!


• I'm from St.Helens... no not the mountain! But it's almost as exciting....



• I love to learn but I absolutely hate studying (hence why although I have a midterm tomorrow I am doing this... )



• I LOVE the color purple :)



• I was born in North Dakota and have lived in Washington, Idaho, and now have made my home in beautiful Oregon!



• I love to serve the Lord and pursue a deeper relationship with Him!


• I recently (like this last week) took up jogging even though I am SO not athletic! Wish me luck! ;)


• I may seem reserved when you first meet me, but don't let that fool you... I have an adventurous side too!


• In the past I've enjoyed playing violin and tennis.. now I'm blogging and jogging :) I guess you could say I'm always looking for my niche... I'll let you know when I find it.


• My friends and family mean everything to me, and I love to keep myself busy spending time with them!

Well... I think that's me in a nutshell. I'm sure this blog will often consist of my thoughts on what God is doing in my life, and what he is teaching me. I will try to think of some fun, creative things to blog about in the future... if you have any fun suggestions, please let me know!!