Ahh...A.W. Tozer

"Many....constantly practice this habit of inwardly gazing upon God. They know that something inside their hearts sees God. Even when they are compelled to withdraw their conscious attention in order to engage in earthly affairs, there is within them a secret communion always going on. Let their attention but be released for a moment from necessary business and it flies at once to God again. This has been the testimony of many Christians..."

Time...

I am finding it harder and harder to either find the time or make the time, whichever it may be, to DO all the things I want or need to do. ahhh.... I don't really know if that made sense, but I understand it in my head.
My strategy is to, of course, take care of my responsibilities first, and THEN do what I find enjoyable...things called hobbies... you know, cooking, baking, playing the piano, dancing, reading, etc. (Oh how many hobbies I am wanting to add to my list of hobbies, it's crazy!! kayaking, floral arranging, painting, scrapbooking, cake decorating, paintballing, learning about an engine...I could go on forever!!)
What I often have a difficulty with, however, is ever breaking free from all my responsibility...there is ALWAYS something productive I could be doing... if it isn't working on the farm (which is my main priority right now) it is cleaning the kitchen, making dinner, or organizing another list of things to accomplish tomorrow. Is it possible to get a break?
Then I must add the factor of PEOPLE... Spending time with them is a priority, obviously... "oh oh, we need each other..." How do I possibly balance this time in? Oh sometimes it's just too overwhelming. Okay, I know it doesn't have to be... I just tend to over analyze.
In conclusion..... I pray to remember and live by Matthew 6:33............
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you as well." Ahhh.... peace.

God is good

It's been awhile since I have written anything on my blog. I highly doubt anyone ever reads this anyway... More recently I have been writing my daily thoughts in my paper journal. Just recently I filled up my latest journal, and had to go searching into my dresser drawer for another one. I discovered one I had started at the beginning of 2006, and oh how fun it was to go back and read my thoughts and stories from my life at seventeen! One day I will come back to this blog...perhaps another couple years from now, and read and reminisce on this very moment. I have concluded this is one of my favorite hobbies, whether or not it is really a hobby or not...
Another one of my favorite things to do when I am home is to sit on our back deck and have my "daily afternoon quiet time," as I now call it. As I sit at our new patio furniture, the sun warms my back and the wind gently cools my face. The sound of the wind chimes and the consistent swishing of the sprinklers are sweet reminders of life on the farm, of life at home. God is good to me, oh so good!
I wonder sometimes...if my life were not so great...would I still think God were good? Would I still praise Him? Would I continue to faithfully follow Him? Take the newest Rambo movie for example... the blood, death, terror, and evil that is so prevalent in that movie was not just "made up" in Hollywood. People actually live through that on a daily basis. Do they believe God is good? I wonder how they can when they are blinded by so many evil actions. Many people do not even know of God's goodness to us: His free gift of eternal life.
Oh how I desire to seek the Lord always, daily, moment by moment, regardless of what happens in my life. I pray that God would always supply me with the strength and endurance to daily seek and surrender to Him. To simply surrender. Afterall, Philippians 4:19 (my verse of the week) says that, "My God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Jesus is what I need. Others need Jesus as well. He is everything.

I am amazed by You

This amazes me:
http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/micro/gallery/endorphin/endorphins.html

Praise our Creator!!
That's pretty much all I have to say right now.

quotes and thoughts from a summer school student.

"What is the hardest task in the world? To think."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

"The difficult part in an argument is not to defend one's opinion but to know what it is"
~Andre Maurois

"No greater misfortune could happen to anyone than that of developing a dislike for argument" ~Plato

Each of these quotes has been making an impact on my perspective during the past few days. My research writing and critical thinking class has definitely been challenging me lately. I admit...I do not like to think about things that do not have to do with me. Yes, it is selfish, but it is wonderful that I now realize this. News. Current Events. Moral issues. Politics. All of it simply takes too much WORK and thinking, so I thought.
Now...My priorities are being changed. I need to critically think and discover what my opinions are. I had previously been justifying my lack of concern for any of these issues with "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you," but I have discovered that this was merely an excuse for my laziness. Yes, I WILL still seek the Kingdom first, but I will now strive to view these issues and form opinions through the Kingdom perspective as well as the filter of God's Word. It is exciting. Challenging. Deepening.
Yes...I am quite a noncontroversial person; however, I have realized that argument is healthy to an extent. It allows people to deepen and reason through their varying perspectives on life. My prayer is that I would develop a tolerance, if not a thankfulness, for argument in my life. It can not be avoided forever. People disagree. It's a fact. In order to be an effective disciple of Christ I should be capable of intelligent argument. Speaking the truth in love. It's okay to upset the right people, as long as I do not get offensive or proud.
Just a few thoughts from your local summer school student...

A rush of thoughts...

Sometimes I wish that someone would open up my brain and implant every thought and opinion that I need to have about every area of life. As I think about this more, however, I realize that there really are not "right" opinions about everything, and this is what makes each of us unique and wonderfully made. This bothers me just a little bit, honestly. I thrive on concrete subjects, subjects that are black and white, right and wrong, set in stone. Take chemistry for example... it is very methodical and concrete, not changing. Politics...not so much... Current events and news... how am I supposed to 1) ever stay updated on anything at all and 2) form an opinion about it? It boggles my mind. Oh how I wish I could care enough to do something about my lack of knowledge, but it just is not so. I need to learn how to think. engage. decide. choose. It is so difficult for me though...

Another setting sun...

Another day, another week, another year. The sun has set on yet another event in my life. Freshman year of college is over, and I do not think I am ready. I was just starting to feel comfortable and at home too... Why do seasons of life pass away so quickly? Memories will be treasured and the future will be full of excitement and hope; however, the present is different now, and it always takes me awhile to adjust to change. Oh how I need to learn how to live in the moment each and every day.