Heaven

There's a place far from here

Near to love, far from fear

Close to life, close to death

Close to my final breath

Where my hope has been stored

Where I'll touch the nail pierced hands of my Lord

Where my joy will never end

Where I'll finally see what I could not comprehend

Heaven, heaven, heaven, I can't wait.

What a sight to behold

Where God's light shines on gold

It might take my breath away

But I'll still live, so that's okay.

Where death is no more

Where I'll see the face of the One whom I adore

Where there'll be no more pain

Where everyone is pure without a stain

Heaven, heaven, heaven, I can't wait.

Where I'll sing a new song

For my Jesus, for my God

Where my hope has been stored

Where I'll touch the nail-pierced hands of my Lord

Where my joy will never end

Where I'll finally see what I could not comprehend

Heaven, heaven, heaven, I can't wait!!

-charity st. clair

I stand amazed in the presence

Of Jesus the Nazarene,

And wonder how He could love me,

A sinner, condemned, unclean.

How marvelous! How wonderful!

And my song shall ever be:

How marvelous! How wonderful,

Is my Savior's love for me!

He took my sins and my sorrows,

He made them His very own;

He bore the burden to Calvary,

And suffered and died alone.

When with the ransomed in glory

His face I at last shall see,

'Twill be my joy through the ages

To sing of His love for me!

Four.

People I Would Like To Meet:

  1) Amy Carmichael

  2) Dietrich Bonhoeffer

  3) C.S. Lewis

  4) My future husband ;)

Books I Would Like To Read:

  1) Anna Korenina (Leo Tolstoy)

  2) The Beautiful Fight (Gary Thomas)

  3) Mere Christianity (C.S. Lewis)

  4) Set-Apart Femininity (Leslie Ludy)

Places I Have Lived:

   1) Orange Park, Florida

   2) Fishers, Indiana

   3) Hudson, Ohio

   4) Dimondale, Michigan

People Who Have Greatly Impacted My Life:

   1) My mom

   2) Charity St. Clair

   3) Life Action Revivalists and their Wives (Tim and Nancy St. Clair, Ryan and MaryAnn Loveing, Allen and Shawn Mazelin and Mark    and Amy Bearden) 

   4) Francine Rivers

Favorite Hymns:

   1) Just As I Am

   2) I Need Thee Every Hour

   3) Hallelujah!  What A Savior

   4) There Is A Fountain 

Books That Have Shaped My Life:

  1) The Bible

  2) Authentic Beauty (Leslie Ludy)

  3) A Chance To Die: The Life And Legacy of Amy Carmichael (Elisabeth Elliot)

  4) Lies Women Believe and the Truth that Sets Them Free (Nancy Leigh DeMoss)

Favorite Foods:

  1) Steak!!

  2) Cherry Cordial Ice Cream (UDF's Homemade Brand)

  3) Sugar Cookies fresh from the oven (Mom's recipe)

  4) Steamed Broccoli

Things I Would Like To Do Before I Die:

  1) Know that I had really and truly impacted someone's life for good

  2) Give a huge scholarship so that someone can attend the college of their choice with no worries about the cost

  3) Travel all over the world, stopping in little villages to just listen to the people who live there and learn about their lives.

  4) Learn to cook gourmet food and desserts

Things I Adore:

  1) fresh flowers

  2) beaches

  3) children

  4) good books

Allergies

A thought came to me today when (believe it or not) I was washing my face this evening.  Not a very exciting time of day, not a very exciting thought, but as I was sharing it with my sweet little sisters one of them said I should put it on my blog.  And so...I write this post for McKenna (who will probably be the only one to care that it's on here!!)  :) 

My family has many, many allergies.  Thankfully I have been spared of most of the severe ones.  However, I've recently discovered an allergy to a certain kind of body spray.  If I spray it on my clothes or just in the air, I am fine, but if I spray it directly on my skin...oh boy!  It's a different story!

So tonight as I was washing my face (and inspecting my allergy rash) I thought of a very simple spiritual lesson to learn from allergies.  Just like in my case, the allergen (the body spray) isn't harmful to most people.  In fact, most people can enjoy it!  It wasn't created to be dangerous.  And it wasn't deadly to me...it's just cause minor irritation, but it was still enough that I want to avoid it from now on.  Knowing that I am allergic, would you want to expose me to the body spray?  Would you keep spraying it, saying that I should just "get over it"?

 Similarly, in the Christian life some of us have "allergies" to certain things.  For instance, some Christians are not comfortable with drums in the music, perhaps because of their background before they became a Christian.  Most people, of course, love having drums in their music.  It is easy for me to look at other people and be "put off" by their convictions.  But it's just like allergies...fine for most people, not fine for them.  Just as I hope that people will keep me from being exposed to my allergen, I need to make sure to honor the people around me by respecting their convictions.

Okay, this is getting posted now, but I am almost positive that it will be edited later.  :sigh:  From now on I *really* need to blog BEFORE I take sleeping medicine.  My thoughts probably come out all jumbled!  : )

Exhausted

Spring break is finally here.  It marks the half-way point of the semester.  This semester has kept me so busy that I barely realized that spring break was here until I was actually on my way home on Friday.  It wasn't until I came home and started to "slow down" that I realized how utterly exhausted I am.  Since I got home I've been sleeping for about 10-12 hours a night and even took a nap today.  Ridiculous, I know.  Worse yet, I have so many things to get done over "break" that it can barely be called a break!

Before I left Cedarville I compiled an exhaustive list of what I needed to accomplish over break.  This includes lots of homework, shopping, planning a bridal shower, researching several things.  I could probably fill everyday of break with things to do.

In spite of all of that...I am committed to having a restful break.  Emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally, I need refreshment.  Even something as ordinary as reading a book "for fun" sounds simply delightful.  Just being able to pick out a book and R-E-A-D...take my time, not worrying about having an exam over the material.

In this life, I think that we have to be so intentional about making time for resting.  Carving out time in our busy schedules for "Sabbaths".  My challenge for you is to take ten or fifteen minutes today to just rest.  What would you do?  Sit near a window and soak in the beauty of the earth?  Take a bubble-bath?  Bask in a silent moment to just collect your thoughts?  Read a good book?  Go puddle jumping?  Dance to some funky music?

Take time...MAKE time.

Be refreshed!