Steadfast Love

Hey, friends.  Happy Thursday!  I hope you're having a good week! ❤

Buckle up, this might be a long post! lol  I've been meaning to write all week, but I have six transcripts going, plus Picaboo is having a great sale this week, so I needed to finish my 2015-2018 scrapbook ASAP!! lol  (Mission almost accomplished now.)  Anyway, I have lots of writing energy right piled up, and I'm giving myself the rest of the morning (we finished in court around 10:45) to return emails and write a blog post, then I'll be back to scoping transcripts this afternoon!!

The seasons of life are an interesting thing... how quickly it can go from feeling like there's not much to do to feeling like there's way too much to do, that whole feast or famine thing.  Two weeks ago, I was worried I would be way too bored if I stayed in Tulsa for the 3-day weekend.  This weekend, I had plans (all fun plans, but still) on Friday night and then all day Saturday and Sunday, so I felt a little overwhelmed, like I needed more alone time to rest.

Summer was rough, and I found myself feeling disconnected and often missing the days when all my friends had more time to hang out.  Now that September is here, EVERYTHING seems to be coming back online at once... I've had a lot of quality time with good friends lately, which is something I will always love!  Evergreen has a Women's Self-Defense Class on Monday nights (fun and good so far), a Women's Bible Study on Tuesdays (Lauren Chandler's Steadfast Love), and a Discipleship class for newer members starting on Wednesdays.  I've also finally been assigned to a small group (they go on a 3-month break through the summer) that will begin next weekend (YAY!).  I am in the Lysa TerKeurst book study with Sarah, Amber, and Kelley (It's Not Supposed to be This Way) which also took a summer break, but we're back on now.  Elizabeth and I are about to start going through the Boundaries book and workbook together, which I'm really looking forward to!  It's all great content, but it's a lot trying to do the reading and homework for 3-4 different studies as well as keep up with my reading through the Bible in a year.  Work has gotten busier lately, as well, and I'm also practicing for an upcoming test.  

Also, I joined Weight Watchers and committed to 6 months on September 4th!  The freestyle program seems pretty fantastic, and I'm off to a great start... mostly, I'm in a really good place with it all mentally (believing in myself and feeling excited about this program and not beating myself up at all).  Finally, the Downton Abbey movie comes out next week (after a long drought of good movies) - get excited!!  And all my current TV shows (Greys, A Million Little Things, The Voice, Brooklyn 99, etc.) are all coming back in a couple weeks, as well!  (Not a stressful thing, but another thing that makes this season feel far busier than my summer season!)

What in the world!? lol  So life is back in full swing, and for the most part, I am very grateful for that.  I feel more deeply connected with God and with others lately, and I am entirely grateful for that!!

Switching subjects: Our Bible study at church is about Psalm 107, a chapter that focuses on God's steadfast love and His power to redeem!  The chapter talks about four scenarios of suffering: people who are stuck in bondage to something, those going through a dry desert season, those in the middle of a turbulent storm, and those who are suffering because of their own foolishness.  In every situation, when the people cry out of God, He hears them and saves them, and they praise Him for His steadfast love and goodness!  That's been really encouraging to me - knowing that God is always there, and that He can bring us back if we cry out when we are hurting or feeling far from Him. ❤

And now, a quick photo update on last weekend:  Friday night was a pool party at the Wilson's new home (which they are not fully moved into yet, but soon!).  We had pizza and fruit, then had a fun "judgement free night swim" in their newly resurfaced pool!  It was fun and good times, with lots of interesting discussions by Sarah and Chettles. lol

Saturday was our book study at Kelley's, where she had the most adorable Yorkie dog ever named Roxie (she has her own set of tiny dog stairs to get on the couch - see pic below), and I can barely handle the cuteness of all that!!  Sarah and I got lunch together, then swam and laid out at her apartment pool for four hours, then got Panda Express and watched the 4-hour BBC version of Jane Eyre (one of her favorites that I had never seen) - really good!  Sunday was Sunday school and church followed by Zoe's dinner and looking at houses with the Wilsons and the Fultons (Sarah and Steve will be moving out of their apartment soon).  We looked at one house that I encouraged them to buy just because the current owner's name was John Mclain (Die Hard is technically John McClane, but still, yippee-ki-yay). lol  We stopped by Teresa's house to pick up Tate, then had Braum's frozen yogurt on our way home after discussing whether I had enough points for it - yes, please!  (Everyone was super supportive and on board with helping me stay on track with Weight Watchers, and that was awesome!)

Switching topics again:  Yesterday was the 18th anniversary of the 9-11 attack.  I watched several videos and talked to a few people about memories from that day.  We also found out yesterday that my Mom's cousin, Steven, died from lung cancer. =(  And I learned about the suicide of a pastor who had openly struggled with depression and had even started a ministry to help people contemplating suicide.  Even though I didn't follow him, it really made me think about my own story and how fast and hard the darkness can hit you sometimes.  And I loved what was said in this post.  "One dark moment in a Christian's life cannot undo what Christ did for us on the cross."  Amen to that!  

All of those things together (along with reading John 15 this week) serve as a great reminder to pray for people and to be more loving, kind, and gentle!!  

Our "memory verse" for church this month is Psalm 121:1-3, which ends with the phrase, "Your Protector will not slumber."  And it hit me as incredibly comforting when I heard that phrase -- I'm such a fan of God's protective strength, of feeling safe and secure and loved and known and empowered because you are guarded by someone who is deeply good and powerful!  Similarly, this verse also brings me great comfort...

Finally, (I really am almost done!), this passage from 1 Chronicles really spoke to me yesterday.  David wanted to build God a temple, but God chose his son Solomon for that task.  God's Spirit spoke to David with ideas and blueprints and ways to prepare for the building, then toward the end of his life, David blesses Solomon and encourages him to follow God and to lead the people well.  

I LOVED what he said to his son here:

“So now I charge you in the sight of all Israel and of the assembly of the Lord, and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the Lord your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on as an inheritance to your descendants forever. And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you forever. Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a house as the sanctuary. Be strong and do the work.” ...David also said to Solomon his son, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.”  ~I Chronicles 28:8-20

Then there is David's last recorded prayer:  
"Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building You a temple for Your Holy Name comes from Your hand, and all of it belongs to You.  I know, my God, that You test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things I have given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly Your people who are here have given to You.  Lord, the God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep these desires and thoughts in the hearts of Your people forever, and keep their hearts loyal to You.  And give my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep Your commands, statutes and decrees and to do everything to build the palatial structure for which I have provided.”
~I Chronicles 29:16-19

SO GOOD, right!?  I hope that encourages and strengthens you today!
And I hope you have a lovely weekend if I don't 'see you' again before that! ❤