Speechless

At 2:30 pm yesterday I was sitting on a rock atop an 11,499 foot peak in Southern California. My dad and I had hiked uphill for 7.5 hours to get there. Then we hiked down, encouraging each other with each step, though mostly him to me.

Today, at about 2:30, I was offered a teaching job. The job that God had been planning for me. And I got to hug my dad in person and weep with relief in his arms. Amazing.

There is now way to express the range of emotions in the last 24 hours!! My legs are sore and my heart is full!! And I have the best earthly and heavenly fathers any girl could ever ask for!!

Late Night Ponderings

The things we think about when we can't sleep...

In my readings tonight (the novel i'm pretty sure), it referred to the verses when Jesus says something like, "Love others like I first loved you". the book pointed out that we are to love others but we are also to be loved. deep.

my first thought is of a mother or friend who is so busy helping everyone else that she forgets to let others help her and then she collapses. or she doesn't but still.

the other thought is that we have to allow ourselves to be loved by GOD! we so often go through life loving others in the name of God, and doing amazing work for God and God's people, but we can miss those moments when God is loving us! by not listening and feeling God's presence in all we do, we can easily push away blessings that we don't realize are God loving us. I have learned that sometimes, I need to just sit in God's presence and feel Him hugging me. At those moments when I feel God's love, I am better able to understand His plans for my life, and how I can best serve Him.

Freedom

I've been contemplating "what is freedom" for the last few hours. Everyone in America is celebrating their freedom today but I wonder, "everyone"? What about the immigrants who are lawfully not supposed to be here? What about the couple who's not allowed to get married? What about the classroom where we're not allowed to talk about Jesus? What about the African American (or Asian or Italian or Mexican) who is a US citizen but does not feel comfortable eating at certain restaurants or shopping at certain stores? What about the cancer or Alzheimer's patient who can't leave the hospital or house?

How free are we really?

Well, here in America, most of us are a lot freer than our counterparts in other countries. Women can show their face. Christians can sing their hymns. Protesters can hold their signs.

Yes, we do have a lot to be grateful for on this Independence Day. But think about what freedom YOU have and enjoy that someone, here in America, might not be so lucky to have...

Does it matter that I am free when my neighbor is not?

Ah...summer reading!

It has been a long time since I've been able to say this and it made me so happy I almost posted in the middle of the night... I read a book last night :) Well, actually it was night before last. It was a simple Christian romance with a great plot and moral. Made me think. How many Harlequin's make you think about your relationship with God?! Fabulousness!!

I love to read!!!

(the book was #1 in Debra Clopton's Mule Hollow Matchmaker series)