A Change of Plans

"The invitation has been on the fridge for over a month. You ironed a shirt to wear, found the recipe for the cookies you want to take, and wrote to two faraway penpals about this party you're looking forward to. Then you wake up with a sore throat and you have to stay home... don't you hate that?..."

~Bethany Notgrass

Well, just recently, my sister and I planned on going to some friends' house to help bake some goodies for the baby shower (being thrown for our mothers) the next day, and speding the night there so that we could get up early and set up for the shower. But the night before, my throat started hurting. I came down with a cold and couldn't go help bake. So my sister went without me. (Thank God I was well enought the next day to go to the baby shower!)

Another thing I had planned was a trip with my grandma to pick up my cousin. While we were there, we were going to go to a mall and spend the night at a fancy hotel. Then, as it turns out, the days got mixed up, and they were leaving a day earlier than we thought, the day of the baby shower. My sister and I were really disappointed. It may seem small when looking back on it, but at the time... how could that happen?! We really were excited about this. And we were hoping that we could meet our friend at the mall while we were up there (Cherise).

Have you ever felt like yelling,"God, what are yo-" You stop yourself. You remind yourself over and over that he really does know what he's doing.

Sometimes he might change even bigger things, too. All that time, you wanted something so badly, you can almost, almost tase it. Then - wham - "ouch!"

"It's so hard to avoid trying to fit God into your plans, rather than fitting our plan into God's"

~Bethany Notgrass

LEV 19:22 With the ram of the guilt offering the priest is to make atonement for him before the LORD for the sin he has committed, and his sin will be forgiven.

PS 32:1 Blessed is he
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.

PS 55:19 God, who is enthroned forever,
will hear them and afflict them--

men who never change their ways
and have no fear of God.

I can't believe that no one's posted about this yet. Maybe they have and I just haven't seen it.

But getting on point here.... I told you that I would put this on here, so I better do what I said.

No one's perfect (though it's fun to pretend). Sometimes we'll be doing one thing, and next thing you know.... "dang, I shouldn't have done that." Learning the hard way is...... hard. Take the last part of PS 55:19, "men who never change their ways and have no fear of God." It sounds like not fearing God and not changing go hand in hand. If a man doesn't fear God, he doesn't have a very good reason to change.

In the last year, I have changed so much. I've realized a lot about what is sin and what is not. When you get to a certain age, it's easier for you to see and understand that what you've been doing is wrong. It comes with maturity usually. Of course, God does the work, but it's easier for you to understand and except when you're older. God knows when you're ready for the changes.

The mistakes I've made
That caused pain
I could have done without
All my selfish thought
All my pride
The things I hide
You have forgot about
They're all behind you
They'll never find you
They're on the ocean floor
Your sins are forgotten
They're on the bottom
Of the ocean floor
My misdeeds
All my greed
All the things that haunt me now
They're not a pretty sight to see
But they're wiped away
By a mighty, mighty wave
A mighty, mighty wave
Your sins are erased
And they are no more
They're out on the ocean floor
Take them away
To return no more
Take them away
To the ocean floor
~Audio Adrenaline

Sorry, that other post is saved as draft. I will hopefully be putting it back soon, so we can continue our conversation.... OK?

Scripture anyone?

I need to read some more scripture. Got some good ones for me?

Very muchly meant to live...

Sometimes I wonder how people can be happy with their lives, not doing what they planned and dreamed. Most kids my age have no idea what they're going to be doing when they're older, but I most certainly do. Have you ever wanted something so bad, that it's all you think about, dream about, and are trying to reach out and grasp it? That's what music is for me. It's a God-given gift, and I want to use it. It drives me crazy when the people around me think that I'm your average, and that I'll change my mind about what I want to do. I've already had a glimpse of what pursuing the path of music is like. It's a lot of work, but it definitely pays off. What I want to do is bring people to God through music, and he is the only one who can help me with that. I want to show other people what music really is.

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed be your name
In the land that is plentiful
Where the streams of abundance flow
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

Blessed be your name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be your name

Every blessing you pour out,
I turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be your name

I have been listening to this song over and over and just wanted to share it with you...

Blessed... blessed... blessings!

I feel so blessed right now. I AM so blessed.