Then Nebuchadnezzar in rage and anger gave orders to bring Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; then these men were brought before the king.Nebuchadnezzar responded and said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image that I have set up? Now if you are ready, at the moment you hear the sound of the horn, flute, lyre, trigon, psaltery and bagpipe and all kinds of music, to fall down and worship the image that I have made, very well. But if you do not worship, you will immediately be cast into the midst of a furnace of blazing fire; and what god is there who can deliver you out of my hands?”Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this matter.“If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”– Daniel 3:13-18.
Fear of Water & Fire
When you pass through the water, I will be with you.
And the waves will not overcome you
Do not fear for I have redeemed you
I have called you by name
You are mine
I am the Lord your God,
I am the Lord your God
I am the Holy One of Israel, your Savior
Do not fear …
Though you pass through the fire, you’ll not be burned.
And the flames will not consume you
Do not fear for I have redeemed you
I have called you by name
You are mine
I am the Lord your God,
I am the Lord your God
I am the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Do not fear
I am the God of Moses, I am the God of Abraham
I am the God of Isaac, the Holy one of Israel.
So child of mine do not fear, no do not fear!
There is nothing left to fear; I have overcome every fear
You just cling to who you know I am.
I am Holy, you cannot even comprehend Holiness
I am I AM! I am.
I am the Lord your God!
I am the Lord your God!
I am the Holy One of Israel! Your Savior!
Do not fear! Do not fear, no. Do not fear…
“Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great.” -Luke 6:47-49
“For the mountains may be removed and the hills may shake, But My lovingkindness will not be removed from you, And My covenant of peace will not be shaken,” Says the LORD who has compassion on you. “O afflicted one, storm-tossed, and not comforted, Behold, I will set your stones in antimony, And your foundations I will lay in sapphires. Moreover, I will make your battlements of rubies, And your gates of crystal, And your entire wall of precious stones. All your sons will be taught of the LORD; And the well-being of your sons will be great. In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; And from terror, for it will not come near you.”
-Isaiah 54:10-14
Staying the Night
#1. Happy New Year!
May the Lord be glorified more and more this year. I can’t wait to watch what He’ll do this year. It’s gonna be great! Woot-woot! Go Jesus!
#2. “Staying the Night”
Welp, one of my roomies came back today because we’re starting school on Tuesday. I was crossing the parking lot, headed toward the apartment when I heard a voice holler from an approaching car, “Get out of the street!” As much as she picks on me (sorta sibling-like), I couldn’t help but smile. It is so good to have her back. In all honesty, some sarcastic remarks can sting sometimes (no matter how much I repeat the fact that I know that she is joking) but I am so blessed that in our apartment of girls she is the one who chooses to communicate with me. In our apartment, communication means an invitation into one’s life (even if it’s only for five seconds of words). Silence can be good, but it can also be very isolating and unencouraging.
“Hey! What a wreck!” Jackie commented as she stood in my doorway. I looked up from my computer screen and endless junk emails.
In all honesty, her commentary about my room is probably the most stinging of comments. I don’t know what it is about it. Maybe it’s that she chooses to burn me when others come visiting and she mentions how clean my room is. Yes, cleanliness has never been an inbred habit. Yes, sometimes my carpet is hard to find. Dude, but it’s so much better than last year. [Kelly can testify.] And in all honesty, when it comes right down to it, my room’s cleanliness falls so far down on my priority list in comparison to spending time with friends, family and God. So, as for the clean laundry pile, scraps of wrapping paper, and tennis shoes strewed about, I am trying my best.
“I know, I know.” I pretended like it didn’t hurt me.
We had a conversation about Christmas joys and pitfalls and further holiday break news. At one point the topic of Matthew (my boyfriend)came into the conversation. Now, I’m honestly not surprised at all that Matthew popped into the convo. I was quite happy to share my blessing with her. I mentioned him heading home from Michigan and hoping to pop on over here soon. That’s when the casual question came; “Is he spending the night with you?”
“No, absolutely not.” Came my learned morals. [Not to imply that your would ever even ask to stay, Matt. You are too God fearing for that sin. -makes me happy- ]
“Oh, well I just figured… you know, maybe he was.” She spoke in tollerance (sadly) of the worldly standard as she headed back into her room.
“Nope. There will be no boys what-so-ever sleeping in my room. No, no.” I said before beginning my room cleaning.
Thank you, God, for the opportunity.
I love You.
Ode To Cheap Earrings
Nickel, plastic, and all the cheap earring relatives and relati0ns, this one’s for you:
For every gold sprayed delight and hand painted copper, my sanity goes out to thee.
Such gifts of green puss and expanding, enkindled ears you give.
Such superior manufacture, unbreakable to all but the touch.
And how blissful those Pirate days of one- ear- earringed joy.
Cheap earrings, what would the world do without you?
Hide and Seek would never be the same.
Jewlry counters worldwide would vanish all due to content consumers’ discovery of preferable products.
Ah, yes… cheap earrings… your dispensible, nominal, glitzy, erroneous, adverse characteristics enervate all your admirers.
So, alas, I must find another… yes… I bid thee farewell. I must asset another who can better propitiate and palliate these universal desires of my two lobes.
Farewell. Farewell.
[throws them in the trash can.]
(I shall be saving for “real” earrings.)
Little Jack and Emily
I miss these little boogers!
I love you, Jack and Emily.
Faded Me Reflection
[an excerpt from my journal]
I was listening to this song today from Faded Me:
The Best Is Yet to Come
Wait a minute world… the thieves will steal your innocence
Now wait a second world… they’ll prey upon your ignorance
And we all become fatalities of this state we call humanity
And we’re going down in despair…
But don’t give up… Don’t give up…
We’re all victims, we’re all casualties…
We all want rescue from this tragedy…
So don’t give up…
Wait a minute world… we’re desperate in dissolution…
Now wait a second world… seems we’re blinded by illusion…
And temporary satisfactions lead us further into depression
And we’re lost within ourselves
But don’t give up… Don’t give up…
We’re all victims, we’re all casualties…
We all want rescue from this tragedy…
So don’t give up…
Don’t give up!!!
So hold on!!!
The best is yet to come!!!
It reminded me to keep fighting. Granted, this song is written for a soul who was contemplating suicide, but I think it finds relevance in my life currently. [No, I’m not contemplating suicide. Let me explain how it finds relavance in my life…] It’s so easy to give up fighting for what I know is right. It’s so easy to give in to the flesh. It’s so easy to stop fighting just for a second, just for a short breather. But then the chorus pierces my ears…
Don’t give up… Don’t give up!!!
– Just thought I’d share.