Child of weakness watch and pray...

Some of my favorite songs of worship are old hymns. This one has been on my heart this week as I have had quite a lot on my mind and have been feeling a bit overwhelmed.

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Boy am I ever a child of weakness.

Sure I workout, but I have never been super strong physically.

I am a girl, so of course I have my many emotional moments of weakness.

Mentally, well let's just say I can't focus sometimes if my life depended on it and like I said earlier in the post, I tend to get a bit overwhelmed every now and then.

Spiritually is where I see my greatest weaknesses! Maybe it's because it is where I desire to be the strongest.

We are all children of weakness. No matter how big your muscles are and how much you can dead lift. No matter how much you think you have it all together. No matter how great of a genius you are. No matter how great a leader you are in the Christian community. We are all quite weak!!

Well, I find this verse in the song so encouraging! "Watch and Pray."

So here's the picture I have in my head:

My cute little kiddos (I often times say they are cute to remind myself after a LONG day with them that they are indeed still cute:)) watching a science experiment.

Before we even begin they are asking all questions, guessing at what is about to happen, anxiously anticipating what will happen, and getting a little ahead of themselves. Which, for the most part, are things a teacher wants to hear from their students. An eagerness and excitement to learn! But I love to surprise them! I would say a little something like this: OOHH I don't know...y'all get quiet ...sit down...let's watch and see what happens! And then as the experiment unfolds and the exciting thing happens, their faces light up and they are amazed at what takes place (think about a fun experiment like the volcanoes and things that explode:)). Ok so a long analogy that maybe only a few can relate to but like I said, it's what I pictured.

Anywho! I feel like that is what God is like with us. We often times get ahead of ourselves. We get too anxious, and God is saying: Woah sister (yes I have told students that) Zip those lips, sit down, and watch! Be amazed at what I am working out for you! And then, as we slow down, and re-focus ourselves, we clearly see the beauty that God has in store!

This week I have been a bit overwhelmed with so many things. Ministry, relationships, work, etc. And the Lord has played this beautiful song over and over in my heart! I am so grateful for a God who knows exactly what I need to hear!

I am also thankful for a restful weekend ahead:)

The most encouraging verse for a weak and weary soul...

But he said to me," My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

2 Corinthians 12:9

Happy Valentine's!

Dear God, I went to this wedding, and they kissed right in the church. Is that OK?

- some sweet child somewhere.

Valentine's Day. Maybe it did all begin as a cheesy retail gimmick to boost sales, but I really have come to enjoy this holiday. I enjoy it because no matter what its origins are, it is a holiday that celebrates love, that is, if you so choose to embrace it in such a way. People all over the country over the past week or so have been scheming and planning and anxiously anticipating how they will show a few special people in their lives how much they love them. I think its sweet that so many people are celebrating love at the same moments. I really enjoy many holidays for this very reason! It brings a sort of unity to a normally divided world.

And yes, I am quite aware that many sweet single people around the nation are bummed for the upcoming "singles awareness day." But as someone who has been single all my life, I love it! No not singleness, but I love that as I look out on those who have had a different Valentine every year or who feel that they just must have a Valentine (or just in everyday life those that just must have a significant other), that I am reminded that one day, one precious day when the Lord so provides I will have the most wonderful Valentine one could ever imagine! (I am well aware of how cheesy that sounds! We'll just leave it in honor of how cheesy Valentine's can be.)

No he will not be perfect, in fact his imperfections I will be quite thankful for because I am quite flawed myself! No our relationship will not be perfect in that there is no disagreements and struggles, and I am sure I will not make things easy as I tend to make simple things more difficult than they need to be.... oh man!

But I will know that after much waiting and prayer and fighting to keep my heart pure for this precious man that it was all worth it! Worth it because it is of the Lord! There is nothing greater than seeing God's hand in your life and knowing that it is bringing Him glory!

And though sometimes this area of life can seem a bit silly with all the butterflies and cheesy datey things we do and the many awkward conversations that must happen and the even more awkward middle school and high school dances we must go through as a rite of passage, I believe it is an area of our life that the Lord truly cares deeply about and like all things in our lives has a huge hand in if we surrender it to Him!!

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This has been a post in progress over a few days. So after a weekend of trying to convince my sweet friends that it is not a horrible "holiday", I think I am making progress! Maybe..just a little...ok I haven't...AT ALL! But after about a month of post focused on love, my point is simply this: It is what you make it, as anything in life is. If you choose to give in to the cheesy side of V-Day then well you are going to have a cheesy day once a year. If you choose to be suckered into buying heart shaped candy and big stuffed animals, well then you are indeed silly for giving into the retailers. OR you can choose to use it as a time to reflect and celebrate love and those people that you love.

Some say but you should always be showing those people love. Absolutely you should always be loving on those people in fun and special ways, but isn't it the same with Christmas and Easter and Thanksgiving, etc. Shouldn't we always be celebrating the birth and death and resurrection of Christ. Shouldn't we always be giving thanks for the many blessings in our lives.

I just hope you'll give V-Day a chance...don't hate. Just have fun with it. Join in with those across the nation and love on those who you love! Spend time with those special to you! Use it as an opportunity to reflect on God's great love and the great love He has given you or one day will give you! Celebrate the people He has divinely placed in your life through sweet gestures and words of love!

Ok I am done with my V-Day soapbox lol One more post to come to wrap up this sweet holiday. I know you are on the edge of your seats already! :)