Baby Cohen

My precious, precious friend Jessica had her sweet baby boy on Monday, and I am so excited! It has been a while since one of my good friends had a baby!! We got to go see Cohen at the hospital the day he was born, and I thought I'd share a few pics of this tiny little man! (He was 5lb 13oz!)

I am so proud of Jess- she is such a great mom already!! I can't wait to watch sweet little Cohen grow up!!

Joy

Last week in community group, we discussed JOY... We looked at several scriptures that talk specifically about how God is joyful. One of those verses is Zephaniah 3:17-- "the Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you with his love; he will exult over you with loud singing." I have always really liked this verse, but then we took it a step further. Basically, the summary of our discussion was this..

We, as Christians, are designed to reflect that joy back to Him and to the world. That joy isn't something we can create on our own, it is something that requires our dependence on Him! He commands us to be joyful ("rejoice in the Lord always; I say it again, rejoice!"). So if we are commanded to be joyful, it is a sin NOT to be joyful???? God has joy in ME! how could I possibly NOT have joy in HIM??!

So, this is tough. Basically, joy exceeds my circumstances. It surpasses just surface happiness. So my motto for now is "Today, I will choose joy!"

Where I've Been.... And Where I WANT to Be...

So I've obviously been the biggest blog slacker EVER lately, both here and on Parker's blog. I've been... well.. working! Ha. And letting life take over and staying too "busy" with things that don't really matter. (As well as things that DO matter, don't get me wrong!) Tonight's Community Group really challenged me, which I will blog about SOON (I promise!), but then I got in my car, plugged in my iPhone, and opened Pandora. And THIS hit me...

Shane and Shane- "In You"

I sing for joy
In my remorse
A well within prosperity’s curse
That drowns the mighty oak of pride
But feeds the root of God inside.

In You
I find my rest
In You
I find my death
In You
I find my all and my emptiness
Somehow it all makes sense

In You I’m rich
When I’ve been made poor
Comfort found when I mourn
The prideful one You see from afar
Drawing near to low, broken hearts.

In You
I find my rest
In You
I find my death
In You
I find my all and my emptiness
But it all makes sense

Obviously God works in many ways, including the Pandora app on the iPhone. More later... but in summary.

Where I've Been: Busy-ness

Where I WANT to Be: In HIM

Music Monday-The Power of Your Name

We recently started singing this song at church, and I LOVE it. If you have time, watch the video behind the song too.... it makes the song way cooler! : )

Surely children weren't made for the streets
And fathers were not made to leave
Surely this isn't how it should be
Let Your Kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war
Or the broken meant to be ignored
Surely this just can't be what You saw
Let Your Kingdom come
Here in my heart

I will live
To carry Your compassion
To love a world that's broken
To be Your hands and feet
I will give
With the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion

To see the world be changed
By the power of Your name

Surely life wasn't made to regret
And the lost were not made to forget
Surely faith without action is dead
Let Your Kingdom come
Lord break this heart

Your name
Is a shelter for the hurting
Jesus Your name
Is a refuge for the weak
Only Your name
Can redeem the undeserving
Jesus Your name
Holds everything I need

Wordless Wednesday- Wildcat Fan Edition

(Will Briscoe is the Wildcat quarterback and my former student!)

A Most Special Lady

My senior year of high school, I had the joy and privilege of getting to know one of the most amazing people I would probably ever meet. To me, a 17-year-old high school student, Whitney Taylor was simply one of the most joyful people I had ever met. She did pretty much everything with a smile on her face and the joy of the Lord in her heart. As I got to know her better over the years to follow, I saw that her life and everything about her pointed others to the joy of Christ. Whitney, even with the struggles she faced living with cerebral palsy, knew the meaning of trusting in the Lord far better than I did; probably far better than I do even now. It is with great sadness that I learned that her battle with an aggressive brain tumor is now complete, but it is with overwhelming joy that I rejoice in the fact that she is now dancing in the streets of Heaven. Whitney's life reflected Christ in so many ways, and she and her family have been such a blessing to so many people. Her favorite hymn, "It Is Well With My Soul," is both a challenge and an encouragement....

(Two of my favorite verses)
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.


Whatever my lot.... Whitney knew how to embrace that line. WHATEVER life gave her, it was well with her soul because of the precious Savior she loved so dearly. Thank you, Taylor family, for giving us the honor of knowing and loving Whitney.

It is well with my soul.