happy valentine's day!

1 john 4:8

⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. ⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. ¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

¹³ And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. ¹⁴ Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ All who confess that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. ¹⁶ We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love.  God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. 

happy valentine's day

psalms 32:8

i was doing my devotions yesterday and read psalms 32:8

"the Lord says, "i will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  i will advise you and watch over you." -new living translation

i also liked the new international translation.

"i will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; i will counsel you with my loving eye on you."

i've been contemplating applying for a teaching position in my current town.  this would be no more daily 2 hour commutes, but it would also mean i would leave a school i adore.  i'm torn.  i know that i am meant to be a teacher and i can't live without teaching, but where does God want me?  i will be meditating on this verse this semester.  Lord Jesus, guide me on the best pathway you have ready for me.

love you swore, john mark mcmillan

i'm typically behind the times when it comes to music.  i have a few artists i follow and love and i mostly just stick to listening to them.  pandora also makes it easier for me to just listen to artists i like and similar artists without having to pay attention to when a new album comes out.  

i have a john mark mcmillan station on pandora, but last week a friend in our Bible study loaned us one of mcmillan's albums, economy.  it played in our car for the whole week.  i loved it.  this song, love you swore really spoke to me.

here are the lyrics:

Chase me down like a lion
Like a bird of prey
Lift me up from the ashes
Of my hearts own shallow grave

Cause I know that I love you
But sometimes I’m afraid
Whoa oh…

Spare my body from the wolves, God
That crouch down at my door
Lift me up above the waters
And the sharks that guard your shore

Cause I know that I need you
But sometimes I know it more
Whoa oh…

Harbor me in the eye of the storm
I’m holding on to love you swore

the lyrics cause i know that i need you, but sometimes i know it more are so true of my life.  it's almost convicting.  there are times in my life where i haven't had a close relationship with God because my life was going well and what i thought, according to plan.  and when troubles would arise i would be there begging to God.  what an awesome remember to always be in need of God.

here's the song if you're interested.

we're moving!

what a whirlwind!  on tuesday, i drove over to kearney to meet up with jake at the end of his work shift so we could head to our Bible study together.  he surprised me saying he found an apartment that would allow a small dog and had scheduled an appointment with them that was in 15 minutes.  i was a little skeptical.  we had already looked at 2 apartments that allowed a small dog and they were so disgusting i wouldn't even let dug live in them.  

when we arrived we were pleasantly surprised.  it was small.  but it was spotless.  we filled out an application, and the landlord offered it on the spot saying he could skip the credit check since i was a teacher and jake's job is managerial.  i love the "i'm trustworthy because i'm a teacher" card.  he gave us a couple hours to think about it.  after Bible study, i was still in love with the place as was jake, so we did it!  we took the place.

friday night and today has been spent packing, organizing, and unpacking.  we still have a lot to do, but the huge smile on my face is still there.  through all this, i feel as if God was really teaching me a lesson in patience.  i am so impatient, but several weeks ago i finally gave it up to Him knowing that He would work it all out for us and put us where he wanted us to be.  God is good.

i'm off to pack up a few last boxes so we can finish moving tomorrow!

welcome fall...

dear fall,

welcome!  summer has long overstayed her welcome (at least in my opinion).  i'm so glad you finally have arrived in nebraska!  the leaves are changing colors and they become more and more beautiful everyday.

fall, we took a walk this evening.  i enjoyed hearing the crunch of the leaves under my feet... almost as much as i enjoyed my company for the walk.

i love these two.  they are so adorable.

the glowing sunset was beautiful tonight.  this pile of pallets makes me want to create all the pallet art and furniture i've seen on pinterest.

the wood piles around town are slowly, but surely growing bigger and bigger preparing for the crisp mornings and chilly evenings.  fall, you have to promise me you won't let old man winter budge in before your time is up.  he likes to arrive early in nebraska - sometimes bringing snow as early as october!

i'm enjoying the first crisp breeze nipping at my cheeks and pulling the long sleeves and sweaters out of storage.  fall, i love you and all the beauty you bring.  please, stick around for awhile.

love, 

holly

bad attitude? read this.

jake and i have had some bad news lately.  i won't go into details, but it has placed me into a spiral of bad moods and an attitude so embarrassing i'm cringing as i type this.  don't feel bad for me.

when i get into these circumstances i throw my faith in the trash.  which you know is totally the wrong time to do this.  with my bad attitude i feel as if Christ wouldn't want me...i'm a jerk, why should He love me?  i become ashamed and push further and further away.

i was reading a devotional book, Jesus Calling by sarah young,  a lady from church gave me after hearing our news.  today's reading referenced a passage that changed me.  a light bulb went off.

"throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life...instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  put on your new nature, created to be like God-truly righteous and holy."

-ephesians 4:22-24 NLT

powerful stuff to swallow.