Psalm 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

Psalm 51:10-12 "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit."

Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Back to School

Today I'm going to do a combination of Strem's post and Liz's post.

As most of you know, school is back in session for those of us here in southern Illinois. Yesterday I began my junior year, diving head-first into the Special Education program. I am now taking all special ed. classes. Well, I do have one Speech Pathology class, but it's part of the special ed. program. The School of Education created a new special ed. program that is in it's first year. Part of this new program is an improved practicum curriculum that has us going into the classroom earlier. So, I get to start observing and helping in a primary class on Thursday. The exciting thing is that I have been placed in the elementary school where I went to school. I'm very excited!

Since Strem's post, "I'm Most Me When..." reminded me of something that might be done on the first day of school, I have decided to make my own list. I borrowed a few ideas from Strem. And, these are in no particular order.

I am most me when...
*I am reading a good book
*I am cooking or baking something for my friends or family
*I am sewing something new to wear
*I pray and read my Bible before I fall asleep
*I sleep in my own bed with new, crisp sheets
*I am playing with children
*I am holding a baby
*I drive with my windows down in the spring or fall
*I take a walk by myself
*I have a good heart-to-heart conversation with a friend
*I am alone in the quietness of my room
*I am worshipping in church
*I am helping someone in need
*I laugh so hard that I start crying
*I talk to my Grandpa about our ancestors
*I make up silly songs about anything and everything
*I write a note or send a card to someone I care about
*I visit with an older person about their past experiences
*I eat ice cream

Baking

Tonight I did one of my favorite things...I spent most of the evening baking. Although my feet are tired and the house is a little warmer than usual by the time I get through, it is all worth it. I decided to make some pancakes and muffins to have in the freezer for use at any time. So, I got some blueberries out of the freezer and set to work finding some good recipes.

Here are the results:

From left to right: Oatmeal Apple Raisin Muffins, Blueberry Pancakes (some got a little too done, oops), and Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

*All the recipes are from "Simply Centsible Breakfasts," an ebook by Crystal Paine.

Sweet Fellowship

This weekend, two of my very good friends and Sisters in Christ came to visit. The Lord was so gracious to us through the weekend. We enjoyed many hours of great fellowship together. On Sunday evening we had a wonderful time at our house in fellowship and celebrating Michelle's birthday. The evening was filled with laughing, singing, and talking about things of the Lord. It was such a wonderful way to end a great weekend and start a new week.

I'm so thankful that the Lord burdened Elizabeth and Karla to make the trip up here and that He provided the way. It was sad to have them leave Monday morning, but I spent the day (and still today) reminiscing about the great weekend. It also made me anxious for the time when we will all be together forever, bowing at the feet of Our Lord and singing "Worthy art Thou." Until that glorious time, I'm just so thankful for the bonds of love and that bind such hearts together, no matter the distance.

Here's a picture of the ladies from Sunday evening.

Cousins

Here is the picture that I promised a few weeks ago. This was from when we took Tasha down to Mississippi and we visited with our family in Tupelo.

From L to R: Alec, Me, Adam, and Hayden

What if His people prayed?

I was listening to a local Christian radio station the other day and I heard a song that has really been stuck on my mind. The song is Casting Crown's "What if His People Prayed."

"What If His People Prayed"

What if the armies of the Lord

Picked up and dusted off their swords

Vowed to set the captives free

And not let Satan have one more

What if the church for heaven's sake

Finally stepped up to the plate

Took and stand upon God's promise

And stormed hell's rusty gates

What if His people prayed

And those who bare His name

Would humbly seek His face

And turn from their own way

And what would happen if we prayed

For those raised up to lead the way

Then maybe kids in school could pray

And unborn children see light of day

What if the life that we pursue

Came from a hunger for the truth

What if the family turned to Jesus

Stopped asking Oprah what to do

What if His people prayed

And those who bare His name

Would humbly seek His face

And turn from their own way

He said that they would hear

His promise has been made

He’s answered loud and clear, Yeah

If only we would pray

If My people called by My name

If they'll humble themselves and pray

If My people called by My name

If they'll humble themselves and pray

What if His people prayed

And those who bare His name

Would humbly seek His face, Yeah

And turn from their own way

He said that they would hear

His promise has been made

He’s answered loud and clear, Yeah

If only we would pray

What if His people prayed

I had never heard this song before, but it really resonated within me. I didn't quite pick up on all the words the first time, but one verse in particular really stood out to me. The fourth verse says, "What if the life that we pursue came from a hunger for the truth; What if the family turned to Jesus, stopped asking Oprah what to do." I stopped to think about the truth in this statement. So many people turn to anyone and everyone for help before they will turn to the Lord. I wasn't too far into my thought process when I felt that guilty pang in my heart. I am just as guilty of this as the next person.

Job came to mind as I was thinking about this. Job had the three "miserable comforters" with him in the midst of his trials. When his friends caused him more grief rather than comfort, Job then turned to the Lord. What if Job had prayed to the Lord first?

Then I thought about Nehemiah. After hearing about the horrendous situation in Jerusalem, Nehemiah turned first to the Lord. He was quick to kneel before His throne and seek His counsel.

I'm afraid too many of us are guilty of following after the footsteps of Job rather than those of Nehemiah. What if His people prayed? Why do we fail to turn to Him in every situation? It certainly isn't easier to turn to others for help. Your friends and Oprah aren't always available when you need them. Jesus is. Your friends and Oprah might not understand the depth of your troubles. Jesus does. Your friends and Oprah can't calm the seas or command the waves to be still. Jesus can.

We know the Scriptures command us to "pray without ceasing." We know that the Lord answers the prayers of His children. The last verse of the song says, "He said that they would hear, His promise has been made, He’s answered loud and clear."

What if His people prayed?

Cedar Point Recap

Our road trip to Cedar Point ended around 7:00 this morning as we pulled into my house. After driving in the car for 20 of the past 45 hours, I was ready to be home. We had a wonderful trip, but my bed was definitely calling my name.

We spent 12 fun-filled hours at Cedar Point yesterday. In that 12 hours, we rode a total of 18 different rides. As I mentioned in the previous post, Cedar Point is known as "The Roller Coaster Capital of the World," with 17 roller coasters. We rode 14 of the 17 roller coasters.

The first roller coaster that we rode was the Top Thrill Dragster. The ride begins by launching from 0 to 120 mph in 3.8 seconds!!!! It then climbs up 420 feet in the air, rotating 90 degrees, crossing over the top, then dropping the 420 feet back down to the ground, at a 90 degree angle, all in 17 seconds. I can't even begin to describe the feeling of going 0 to 120 mph in 3.8 seconds, or falling 420 feet at a 90 degree angle, but it was incredible. It was definitely a great way to start the day.

The awesome part of the experience is that none of us had a clue as to what each ride was going to entail. We made the mistake of under-estimating a few of the rides. When we got off those, we kind of just looked at each other, surprised at how amazing the ride was. There were also a few that we got really excited about, only to be let down by their lack of thrill.

The Lord was so gracious to us on the trip. We were blessed with safety on the road, safety in the park, good conversation, and good health. One of the greatest blessings of the trip was the free ice water that the park provided for the visitors. At every concession stand, you were able to receive a free cup of ice water. We definitely took advantage of the water and we were so thankful each time. I can't even count the number of times that we commented on how wonderful it was that the park offered the ice water.

For those of you thinking about taking a family vacation any time soon, I would definitely recommend visiting Cedar Point. It is absolutely worth every single penny of what it costs to get in the park. (Which is actually not very many pennies. It is very reasonably priced.)

Road Trip

In about 1 hour I will be hitting the road with some friends from school. Our destination?

We're off to visit The Roller Coaster Capital of the World: Cedar Point!! We will be spending all of Friday at the amusement park. I'm very excited. Please be prayerful for a safe journey and God-honouring fellowship.Hopefully I will be able to give a full report when I arrive home on Saturday.