tosaness

i sure have been a slacker on keeping this up. it's been nearly 4 months since my last entry and my dear friend tosan reminded me that she doesn't know what's going on in my life since my blog isn't updated.
wow! what a tall order to fill -- the last 4 months.... i really can't complain about anything. the Lord has been so kind in everything from my job, roommates, church and starbucks. i'm learning to trust God with my health which has not come easy - but i've been encouraged by 2 cor. 12:9 a lot recently. remembering that paul asked the Lord to remove the thorn in his side and God did not - BUT paul boasted in the Lord all the more. i pray that i would be more like paul.

i'm going to try and update this more often - but first i have to go watch some more hgtv:)

keep on

this next year

this next year -- i have no idea what the Lord will bring. Christmas was a blessing - having the opportunity to spend it with the Lyle's and the Douw's. Last night I hung out with the Gilbart-Smith's. They are hilarious. i love them!

as this year is wrapping up - i can't believe that 2007 is just about done. it has gone by so quickly. this past year the Lord has been so kind. there have been so many things the Lord has been challenging me in many areas of life, which is a good thing. thankfully, there have been some health progress on things that have been going wrong for years. we'll see how it goes next year.

i'm encouraged that no matter what the Lord brings - the one thing i learned this year is that i'm never alone. He will never leave me nor forsake me. that is all i need to know.

thankfulness

it was such a good visit. i am so happy that peggy got to come visit
for the weekend. the Lord is so kind. i hadn't seen peggy since after college in 2000. i can't believe 7 years have past since then. but, as the Lord always does, He surprises me.

this year is not over and has been filled with so many blessings and so many opportunities for growth and trusting in Christ to get me through things. with recent health issues again.... i've been reminded of paul and his thorn in his side. God's grace is sufficient and to Him be he glory, no matter what.

go navy! beat army!

it's been a while

wow.. it's been so long since my last post. today i began reading a book that was given to me at the Truth For Life weekend back home in Cleveland a few weeks ago. It's Jerry Bridges book "Respectable Sins" -- i'm only on page 23 and overwhelmed by the biblical truths that he is speaking about and how even Christians commit sins that we "accept" or don't acknowledge. bridges talks about all of us who believe in Christ are "saints" according to the bible. paul in his letters addresses the recipients as saints (romans 1:7, 16:15, ephesians 1:1). the greek word for saint is hagios, which refers to a state of being, not just someone's character. it is active and present. as saints that means that we should focus on getting rid of any and all sin in our lives as the Lord convicts us and molds us to be more like Christ. unfortunately, some sins are often overlooked and not taken as serious as others. this is not right. a sin is a sin, period.

here's an excerpt from the book that i've been thinking a lot about today.
"...on the whole, we appear to be more concerned about the sins of society than we are about the sins of the saints."
"the concept of sin among many conservative Christians has been essentially "refined" to cover only the obviously gross sins of our society." but sin has not disappeared from the sight of God."

think about the sins that you commit that you have grown to accept or believe aren't as bad as someone else's sin.

... and so it begins...

the Navy football season finally has begun - and i'm so thankful to have season tickets again (it's been 2 years without) -- what a great way to spend my saturday's!

the Mids started the season with a great win over Temple (30-19).

GO NAVY!

bourne

bourne ultimatum was fabulous -- i wish there was a real jason bourne :)

tomorrow at noon

tomorrow at noon is the anniversary of my favorite president, Richard M. Nixon. i found this clip on youtube
from billy joel's "we didn't start the fire" -- one of my favorites too!


august 9, 1974 our 37th president resigned from office.

lesson for the day

it's a blessing and a lot of work when the Lord has decided it's time to "do business." over the past week i've been really learning what the Lord expects us of us and how we are to work and serve to please Him - Him period.

IF I believe in Galatians 2:20 -- "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in this body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me."

How then shall I live? How should you live? What does this mean -- seek after His approval. Run after His will daily. As long as we cleave to our own personal agenda and continue to nurse my own will, the personalized daily will of God will be thwarted in us.

it's coming!

and for those of you who care -- and for those of you that should care ... NAVY football season is starting in less than a month! AMEN!

here's the schedule:

8/31 at Temple
9/7 at Rutgers
9/15 vs. Ball State
9/22 vs. Duke
9/29 vs. Air Force (Hopefully we can defeat them and Army to keep the Commander's Cup
AGAIN!)
10/10 at Pittsburgh
10/20 vs. Wake Forest
10/27 vs. Delaware
11/3 at Notre Dame
11/10 at North Texas
11/17 vs. Northern Illinois
12/1 vs. Army

just when you think it won't go any farther....

today on the floor of the United States Senate -- a Hindu prayer was given to start the day. this is completely --- i am so angry i don't even have words.

just because

i love our interns -- they are such a blessing and so fun to have around :) here are some of them with me at the WH for the President's speech on his recent ESCR veto. Thankfully, the bad haircut has been growing out fast.

thank you and goodnight.



59 days until NAVY football season starts !!!

thank you michael lawrence!

ok, so what girl hasn't struggled with feeling ugly, fat, not tall enough, too short, and the list goes on and on... i'm one of them... i know what i think.

in the culture that we live in it's really hard not to be influenced by such things. unfortunately a lot of Christian brothers fall in to the category of not pursuing girls that aren't a size 2 and ya know.....

michael lawrence - one of the pastor's at my church
wrote 2 articles on attraction and how we've both got it wrong (not just the guys) -- i hope that you'll read these and be challenged on what you think you deserve physically in your future or even current spouse or person you're dating.
I'm just not attracted to her (part 1)

i'm just not attracted to her (part 2)

... it's dead.....

YEAH!!!!! It's dead :) I never thought I would say such a thing - and on top of it all... want to shout it out the window.... but, that's what i want to do!

the "immigration bill" was blocked on procedural vote in the Senate - the debate is ova!
the article

when they let you down

over the past 2 days i've learned that one of my old friends has walked away from the Lord while another has not quite made it back to Him since college, but knows that in order to be living his life for Christ - he needs to stop living like he currently is.

this makes me so sad. two nice guys that i've known for over 10 years -- and they are the nicest, politest, funnest -- and yet - they have looked in the mirror and walked away forgetting WHOSE they are.

it was good to be able to encourage my friend tonight with the scripture in Luke 9:18-27. AND it was a reminder to me as well. who do i say that Christ is daily by the way i think, act, speak, treat others? peter confessed that Christ is the Son of God and yet he denied he ever knew Jesus just shortly before. we all do this! we all deny who Christ really is when there is something we want more -- and yet, tonight i sit here in amazement that the Creator of the Universe has called me to be His daughter. What a gift!

Jesus asked peter -- "Who do the crowds say that I am?" and then "Who do you say that I am?"
Answer the question! Who do you say Jesus is by your thoughts, actions, work, driving, affection toward others, speech, love for your family and friends?

let me leave this post with this question that hits me so hard every time i read it!!

What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose his life?

another reason to love the Navy

... and this has been quite a week. this afternoon i had the opportunity to attend the White House for the President's remarks on his veto of ESCR. it was so beautiful, what a blessing. as i walked around with our interns for the summer it was great to see how excited they were to be in W's house. there is so much tradition and history and awwwwwwww that i have every time i'm there. it NEVER gets old to me.
and there were a number of military personnel present that were helping to guide us all where we needed to go -- and we met the nicest Navy guy. polite and so kind to have his photo taken with Corinne and i. just another reason to love the Navy!

ONLY 72 days until NAVY football season starts :)

yelloooooooooo

yellow -- i'm not a fan of the color -- unless it goes with navy blue for the Navy colors to be complete... but, tomorrow i'm supposed to wear a yellow t-shirt because my roommates are doing something crazy for the fedorian birthday. what the heck do i need to wear a yellow t-shirt for?

i guess you'll all know after i do :)

have a great day!

philippians 1:27 "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ."