It's out of my hands

This 'Jars of Clay' song keeps running through my head. Just found this interesting article about the background to the song.

I wasted a rescue
Abandoned the mission
I've failed by my own hand
And watched it all go wrong
You said You could save me
That I couldn't save myself
You said that You loved me
No matter what I've done

When the light is gone
And life is just a dare we take
Still the fight goes on
To give my heart away

And it's out of my hands
It was from the start
In light of what You've done for me
In light of what You've done for me
You lifted my head
Set me apart
In light of what You've done for me
This is what You've done for me
It's out of my hands

You grow where the light is
Like trees in the highlands
We're bent by our own plans
To keep us in the dark
And I act like an orphan
Forget that You found me
But You came like a whisper
And saved me with a spark

When the light is gone
And life is just a dare we take
Still the fight goes on and on
To give my heart away

And it's out of my hands
It was from the start
In light of what You've done for me
In light of what You've done for me
You lifted my head
Set me apart
In light of what You've done for me
This is what You've done for me
It's out of my hands
It's out of my hands

There's nothing in the world that I can offer
Nothing in the world that I can stand apart
Apart from You
Apart from You
There's nothing in my life
Nothing in my life that You Haven't given to me

It's out of my hands
It's out of my hands
Everything I have, Lord
Everything I have
It's out of my hands
It's out of my hands

Oh, It's out of my hands

Just keep trusting, trusting, trusting

It's one of those struggling along kind of days. Loved reading the verse of the day on Bible Gateway this afternoon. I can hear Dory singing these words, 'Just keep trusting, trusting, trusting'.

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” - Jeremiah 17:7-8

Friendships

I'm really enjoying studying Child Development & Learning this semester - thinking about the effects of nature and nurture (temperament, personality, family background...) on the way children develop, and all the interrelating social aspects.

I like to think of it as learning about what makes kids tick. It's very interesting!!

I read this today:

'Healthy friendships come in many forms. Some are brief liaisons, others last a lifetime. Some are relatively casual, others are deep and intimate.' Child Development & Education, McDevitt and Ormrod, p556

Reading about friendships has made me excited about the potential for future friendships, and it's made me reflect a bit on past friendships and how much I've appreciated the input of different friends at different points in my life.

I love that God created us to be relational beings - that He offers us the privilege of a relationship with Him, but also that He provides special people for us to share life with - some as 'brief liaisons' and others as friendships that 'last a lifetime'. He is an amazing God!!

Perspective

Matthew 22:36-38 (New International Version, ©2011)

³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.

Confused

We human beings are complicated creatures. Sometimes I really struggle to make sense of things. But then God reminds me to fix my eyes on Him.

Just read The Message version of Hebrews 12:1-3, good stuff!

'Do you see what this means—all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running—and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we're in. Study how he did it. Because he never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God—he could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now he's there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility he plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!'

Longings

Sometimes my heart is filled with longings.

Healing for the Broken-hearted

This weekend I'm going to my first wedding since being divorced. Though I'm very excited for my friend and her fiance, I'm struggling a bit emotionally. After having a good old cry tonight I remembered reading a verse about God healing the broken-hearted so did a search on Bible Gateway (such a fantastic tool!!).

Psalm 137:3-4, The Message

' He heals the heartbroken

and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
and assigns each a name.
Our Lord is great, with limitless strength;
we'll never comprehend what he knows and does.'

Our God is truly an awesome God.

Just wondering

Sometimes I wonder if people would treat me differently if they knew nothing about me, or at least if they didn't know I was divorced and have kids. It's so easy to judge people, we do it all the time. Oh to love people like Jesus did, to accept and love them just as they are.

Thanks God for Hope

I'm slowly learning that thanking God takes the focus off me and my worries, and reminds me of how awesome He is and how good He's been to me and how I should be sharing that with others. I don't thank God anywhere near as often as I should.

I love it when I ask the girls what they'd like to say thanks to God for and they come up with things like rainbows and butterflies, different people in our lives, and our cat.

Today I'm thanking God for hope. :) :)

Sometimes I wish

I said to Mum and Dad tonight that sometimes I wish I was a guy. A guy can ask a girl out if he's interested in her.

In my mind, it's not an issue that's clearly black in white in the Bible, but I like it when the guy is the initiator. If my feelings were removed, that's the way I think it should operate. Unfortunately though, God gave me emotions. I'm slowly learning to try not to listen them, but to listen to God and His Word.

The Assessment Bureau

I need a break from reading about 'research' for a bit - it's probably better known as procrastinating.

Last night I saw 'The Assessment Bureau' with some friends. We didn't realise till we were buying the tickets that it was an advanced screening 'Chicks at the Flicks' session. I wanted to see 'The Kings Speech' as so many people have raved about it, but we were too late to see that. It worked out well in the end, I enjoyed it. I liked Matt Damon's character and thought he played it well.

It was interesting observing the power of his emotions. It made me wonder how we can practically hand over our emotions to God, so we don't let them rule us. Very hard at times.