Sweetest Moments

I'm looking back on the weekend. It wasn't a typical Friday through Sunday regular business.

No.
It was spent by traveling in cars for hours on end to our youth groups destination in Plymouth, MA., to then spend hours worshiping Jesus and listening to men teach about Him.

It was a weekend full of expectations to see the people grow. To see the church grow.
And it did.

But Friday evening during the first session, when my tired I've been traveling for 8 hours body stood there with exhaustion blinding my eyes and heart, I couldn't have told you that I would experience His Spirit and be renewed by Him again by the time I left for home.

But it happened.
He came through.

Saturday night after worshiping and listening, we all went down, every one of us to the front.

It was time.

Time to say, "Holy Spirit, come and find me. Guide me, for I am blind and cannot hear. I am lost and overwhelmed by my sin and shame... I need You."

It was, by far, one of the sweetest moments. Being in a crowd of people my age, shouting and singing to a God who reigns.
And He was there. Oh, how I knew He was there.

And as I stood there praising Him, only 20 feet over to my right, through the crowd of people, my dear friend gave her life to Jesus.
This was, such a good night.

But that, to me, was still not the sweetest moment yet.

It was an hour later after the conference ended, when we were on our way back to our Massachusetts weekend "home", that a worship CD was played at a deafening volume. But it was perfect.

All five of us teenage girls were shouting, screaming, and singing along to God --
We all loved Jesus. And we all loved loving Jesus together.

And that was the sweetest moment. When I was overwhelmed with joy because of where I was, singing with friends to Jesus, and overflowing with excitement because it was then that I realized, Heaven will be even better than all of my sweetest moments put together.

I cried as I read.

I was struck with joy and happiness.

He is coming. Heaven is coming.

I had forgotten how beautiful it will be when He comes again; when His glory comes upon us.

Why was I reading Revelation? Matt Redman references it many times in his book Facedown. After finishing one of the chapters of Facedown I pulled my Bible out and turned to Revelation, starting in chapter seven (where he referenced at one point) and continuing through the whole book.

I had intended to read just that one chapter, but I couldn't stop.

My soul was hungry and in need once again to hear that He is indeed coming.

And once again I was told...
He is coming.

Is there anything better?

[Location: Williamsburg, Virginia]


(Warning: This won't be much of a post. My bones are so tired and frankly, that's the only excuse I have. Sorry 'bout it.)

The guest bedroom I'm staying in for the first few nights is perfect. Want to know the first thing I noticed when I walked in?... The little desk/shelving unit on the wall near the king sized bed (note: king sized bed and I still saw the desk first).
When we arrived I quickly pulled my computer out and set it on the desk along with my journal, a book, my iPod, and of course, my chapstick (you can't forget that!).
There -- even though I'm just a guest for a few nights, the desk looks ready for me to come and sit. I love it.

I turn the little yellow lamp on and take a seat. It's perfect. I've got time, silence, and stillness.
Time to write, silence to think, and stillness to breathe... It's a real vacation, and it's just what I need.


My silly face (because I always make one):




My journal that needs to be filled:



The book I'm reading:



Loving my turtle necks and the time to rest my eyes:

I'm sitting at our kitchen table. There's only one light on, which is faded down to a lower level of light -- I'm not one for having every single light on -- and there are candles softly glowing from the center of the table... They're reflecting orange everywhere.





I made strong coffee. People say it's in the morning that you need the strong coffee so you can get your day rolling, but I like it in the evening as well. It somehow helps me remember that "*phew*, someday I'll be in heaven" because most days end with me thinking "I can't take much more of living on earth -- I just want heaven".

I'll confess, I'm bad about my desserts. I have a major sweet tooth. I love my sweets. Tonight is once again simple though... ice cream -- but let me tell ya, it's a delicious combo with the coffee.





I'm listening to Diana Krall's Live In Paris album. I absolutely love listening to it. Besides thinking about how amazing she is, it also makes me think about how I much prefer listening to someone perform than performing myself. I'm the person in the audience grinning ear to ear because I'm so happy just to be listening and watching someone perform. Weird? Maybe. But I guess it means I'll be a good soccer mom?... c'mon, where's my Swagger Wagon, yo?

Sometimes it's the little children in your life that are your best friends.

They give you the best smiles, hugs, smirks, and laughter that you've ever seen, felt, or heard.







They're precious. I love them to pieces. And sometimes, they're the best medicine you could ever receive.



(listening to--)

I'm a planner.

I like to know what's happening -- what, where, when, why, who.

I'm the person that plans times to relax.

It doesn't work.

If I could, I would have my whole life planned. Every year, month, and day. Ridiculous? Perhaps. But I'm not the only person in the world who's like this.

There are even movies about people who are planners. In the movies this "plan-happy" person tries to live life by their own schedule, but it doesn't work.

It's when they figure out how to live life not by a constant calendar in their head, enjoying life moment by moment that they find "happiness" -- whatever that is.

But that's how Hollywood likes to end their stories... When everyone is happy and finally "normal".

I know people who can just, do something that wasn't a part of their original plans, and I seriously don't understand those people.

I can't just jump off of a train trestle because "Oh! That sounds fun, scary, and exciting -- let's go!"

And if I'm spending the night somewhere I like to know in advance so that I can be ready. I'm definitely not the type that can go somewhere and then decide to stay the night. I need my pajamas, my own toothbrush, and my familiar sweatshirt.

I like having things set in stone, and I like having a backup plan.

I'm not that "The moment's here so let's run!" type of person. I like planning my "moments". But yesterday -- I think it hit me. I will never be able to plan everything... after realizing that, I went into shock mode.

"Wait. I don't have control over everything? I can't plan every little detail?"

All of the sudden, my boat was rocked. And that was when I decided...

I really don't like having my boat rocked.

One thing I'm definitely planning on: going to Heaven

*insert: sigh of relief

I have that one "written down" in my mental calendar for Every.Single.Day. What can I say -- It's a big plan.

(At least that one's taken care of.)

"For the times they are a-changin'." -- Bob Dylan


It's true. Times are changing. Everything is changing.
As people grow older, new life is being brought into this world.

Any day now my eldest sister will give birth to another life. Another person that will change our lives.

Tomorrow my age changes. I'm getting older. And to be honest, even I'm wondering where the time has gone. For some reason I anticipated staying young forever and always telling everyone that I meet that "I know. I look a lot older than I am." But soon my appearance will start matching my age. . .That's weird.

Randomly I will use Google for no specific use. But only to find something new - most of the time "it" being a new photograph that somehow grabs my attention.
A picture that can have just one word, just one person, or just one object. But something about it caught my eye.

I searched "happiness".
I found this photo.
It's simple, and I like it.


Do you know what makes me happy?

...Being able to sing the same two or three worship songs almost every day to Jesus over and over, and not getting tired of it because I'm singing to Him, and that will never be boring.

Most people grow tired of hearing the same songs repeatedly, but He's different. And thank goodness for that.
I'm okay with pouring my heart out through the same songs to Him every day, and He's okay with hearing the same ones every day. This, makes me very happy.

...My nephews and nieces. I love them to pieces and the sight of them makes me happy. I cannot count the times that while I am taking care of them and they are asleep in their beds I have stood over and watched them, and sometimes have teared up because the love I have for them is completely overwhelming. They are so precious, and so dear to me.

...Silence and the peace it brings. Need I say more?

...Knowing that one day, I will be in Heaven. *sigh* Someday. Someday I will be in Heaven, and I will be with Jesus. The End.