Patience

Patience is something I know I should work on. Patience and control. I get stressed out in situations when I don't know exactly what is going on, exactly why it is going on, and what the timetable is. I know it is an issue of trust. I think many people in general are so used to being "in control" of their lives that they forget a sense of peace should not come from being in control, but in knowing GOD is the only one who IS in control. My devotion from DEVOG explains this really well, I think:

TODAY’S VERSE
“Being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience.”
Colossians 1:11 (NIV)

“But the fruit of the Spirit is - patience!”
Galatians 5:22 (NIV)

TODAY’S THOUGHT
Patience can be a very difficult to come by and yet what a powerful attribute to have. Think of all that could be done if we acted with patience instead of haste and pressure. Think of all the aggravation that could have been avoided had we waited just a little longer. Think of all the headache and tension that could have been obsolete had we just had patience. Patience is a sign of God’s presence in our life. It is the result of His Spirit living in us, strengthening us with His might! Today, when difficulties come, when plans get foiled or someone else’s urgency becomes our emergency, let us ask for patience. Let us cry out to God for strength and endurance and by His grace, patience will be a fruit of the Spirit that is alive in us.

TODAY’S PRAYER
Father, thank You for Your presence in my life. Thank You for the strength and endurance that You give me. I pray that it will produce the patience that I need for today.
AMEN

I Can Only Imagine.

This song just gets me all the time! It's like the lyrics echo inside of me, love the feeling:

I Can Only Imagine lyrics

I can only imagine
What it will be like
When I walk
By your side

I can only imagine
What my eyes will see
When your face
Is before me
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

[Chorus:]
Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

I can only imagine
When that day comes
And I find myself
Standing in the Son

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine

I can only imagine

[Chorus]

I can only imagine [x2]

I can only imagine
When all I will do
Is forever, forever worship you

I can only imagine.

I especially love the line "surrounded by Your glory," because think about it, we always are. ALWAYS. No matter what is going on in our life, we are surrounded by Him. I was walking home from a coffee house today thinking about how today, as opposed to the past few weeks, I felt content. But the thing was, I was content because I felt like I was in control. Which first of all, is totally wrong--I am NEVER in control. And my peace should come from knowing that GOD is in control. Just some food for thought. :-)

2:25am

So, it's half past two. I still have about half a paper to work on. But I am STILL so freaking happy. Three reasons:

1) Good music: Matt Wertz, Matt Nathanson, John Mayer, Paste Sampler...

2) I got two midterm grades back. The verdict--98 and 95. WOO!

2) My God. My Jesus. My Savior: "They will be called mighty oaks, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations." (Isaiah 61)

How can I not be full to the brim of joy? I am up alone with God, who is giving me peace and uncontainable happiness. And I'm looking at a picture of South Korea, which I miss dearly but was so blessed to visit.

What did you do for Spring Break?

Flew for 30 hours, stayed in 5 star hotels, chilled with nuns, got food poisoning, lost 10 pounds, bonded with nerds.

AKA: time of my life.

existence, yo.

I absolutely, positively love my bed. It really is just like my nest, which is perfect, considering I sleep cocooned next to my bright green wall, with quilts and pillows surrounding me, creating a small, dark space where I can curl up to escape until morning. The egg crate cushion between my mattress and sheets has conformed to my egg-shaped sleeping style after 196 nights in the house. Add in the softest, best heating blanket ever, and you have a me-sized envelop of cushiony, heated goodness.

I also rediscovered my love for the library today. I had only wanted to save some money by checking out Rousseau's treatise instead of buying a copy of it, and I not only found the book quickly thanks to good ole Dewey and his Decimals, but I also relished in the smell of VERY old books and the sound of perfect quiet that only the fourth floor of the library can provide.

(Sigh.)

Perfection.

You know what else I love? I love the early afternoon. When I can slant my shutters just the right way so that my room is lit, but that grey-early-afternoon-lit, where you could sleep if you wanted to but it's just light enough. Not bright, like a light is on. But seeable. In between squity and WHOA turn the lights off. Natural, beautiful, peaceful, SOFT. SOFT is the perfect way to describe it. It's almost the same soft as a really REALLY dark night. When you can see the stars and that's about it.

So interestingly, we're studying identity and the self in both my philosophy and my social psychology classes. If I didn't have to wake up for these classes in 6 and a half hours, I would blog forever about them. Instead, you'll have to settle for a brief description of what I love (see above) and the cliff notes version of EXISTENCE and IDENTITY.

In my social psych class, the interactionists believe that society greatly affects your definition of your identity and therefore your actions. So your actions reflect certain societal structures. One of the questiosn this brought to my mind was: what do your actions say about society? what do they say about how society affects you? Another question I'd like to blog more about is the question of the three measures of identiy--which I can't remember right now. Oops.

Anyways, I also want to talk about my unexpected reconnection with a friend. A friend who actually lives about three feet from me. Gotta love it.

Also, best thing of my day: falafel.