God, You reign.

reign (v) [reyn] - to possess or exercise sovereign power or authority -

You paint the night.
You count the stars and You know them by name.
The skies proclaim,
God, You reign.

Your glory shines.
You teach the sun when to bring a new day.
Creation sings,
God, You reign.

{chorus}
God, You reign.
God, You reign.
Forever and ever.
God, You reign.

You part the seas.
You move the mountains with the words that You say.
My song remains,
God, You reign.

You hold my life.
You know my heart and You call me by name.
I live to say,
God, You reign.

{chorus}

Hallelujah, Hallelu.
Hallelujah, Hallelu.

(repeat chorus}

{God, You Reign by Lincoln Brewster}

__________________________________________

I just love this song. It words make me cry sometimes. Like, for real. I cry when I sing about how God holds my life {John 10:28} , knows my heart {Jeremiah 17:9-10} and calls me by name {Isaiah 43:1}.

That's no small thing.

It's rather quite big.

Like...universe big.

Crazy.

In case you have forgotten {like I had}, Who's in charge.

{Hint - It's not Charles.}

my heart hurts.

There's a person so special to me that is hurt very deeply.
A hurt that I imagine goes back almost 15 years.

That's a deep deep hurt that's been carried for a long long time.
I wonder if this person will ever let go of that hurt and bitterness and live life the way it's meant to be lived.

Christ doesn't want them carrying around that hurt. That's not the reason He came. So that we'd drag our luggages full of hurt, day in and day out? The luggage so old the latch has broken. The dirty clothes are strewn about everywhere. The mess slowly becomes bigger. So big, it looks as if there's no hope for the traveler.

Then I remember that Christ is the best mess cleaner-upper. The best deep hurt healer. The best. Period. He is it.

And I pray that they let Him clean up the mess. That His love compels them to give that luggage to Him and say "Here. Fix it. You're the only one that can."

And I try to wait patiently for that day. Praying to that end. Remembering that no one is ever too far gone for God's love. No one. Not ever.

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say on the LORD!" - Psalm 27:13-14

a quick little snippety snippet

First off -

Happy New Year!!

I have no idea where 2010 went. I'm 99% sure that time goes by faster the older you get. I have no actual scientific evidence to back this up, but just roll with me on this one.

I plan on being back Tuesday with a really good post. Tuesday, January 4th is a very special day to me this year. It was a beginning last year. And now it's an anniversary. SO...come back Tuesday for that. :)

I just wanted to ring in the new year with some of my favorite pictures from Christmas and New Year's Eve. Enjoy!


It snowed. In Mississippi. On Christmas. What a gift!! :)


The ENTIRE family skyped with Sister on Christmas afternoon.
Although, it was already Sunday morning her time. It was still awesome and SO good to see her face! We sang her many songs including but not limited to, "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" because...she sings that funny.

And, "Star of Bethelehem" because...

Well, it's special to us sisters. :)

Nana (my mom) singing Jingle Bells with her 3 grandgirls.


MESS.


Add Hadley and it's even more MESS! :) I absolutely love my nieces. They are one of my favorite things about my life.

NYE -

It rained.
I had straight hair (mistake).
We didn't let the rain stop us from shooting fireworks.
We're cool.

Oldest sister and me. We dominate at trivia.


I just love this shirt! And the girl wearing it! :)


After midnight we thought to get a picture with all the girls.
Two had already left...
And Carli got cut out. But, you get the idea. :)
SO blessed to call these girls my friends! :)
Oh, and that was sparkling grape juice in those glasses. :)

See y'all Tuesday!!

i promise i'm alive (ep. 2)

Oh my goodness.

I just wanted to drop in and say a big hello to all the tens of you that read this blog.

{Grin}

:)

But really.

It's been kind of hard to blog because as some of you know, I don't have a computer at my house. That makes the whole blogging thing kind of hard.

{If any of you want to buy me a computer because you love me and my writing that much or simply because you're the most awesomest person ever and have a generous spirit. Let's talk.}

;)

I would say I'm kidding, but crazier things have happened. I assure you. And...I'm really not kidding. Well...only partly kidding. 98% of me is completely serious.

And I would blog at Mom and Dad's but their computer was shipped off somewhere to be fixed 2 1/2 weeks ago and it has yet to return. They're not expecting it back until the END OF DECEMBER.

How does one survive? Good thing my sister and mom can check Facebook on their phone or the world just. might. end. (And mine too, I ain't gonna lie).

Anyway, so that's why it's been the crickets around here lately.

I had the best of intentions to tell you all about the crazy awesome trip to Deeper Still {if you pause the video at the 45 second mark that's TOTALLY me in the bottom left hand corner of the screen. What's up with my hair? And my mouth? Oh well. Moving on.}

I also was going to tell you about the first Thanksgiving without the sister. A synopsis: having Thanksgiving on Saturday is BIZARRE. And I kind of liked it...but at the same time, I was completely thrown off Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Weird.

I was going to tell you how my Christmas tree is STILL not up. Neither is Mom and Dad's. I still have my wreath hanging on my front door. And there isn't a single bit of me that's freaking out over not having my Christmas decorations up .

Not a single bit.

I was going to tell you all about the most fabulous birthday I've ever had in my life. For real. The. most. fabulous. birthday. ever. The only actual gifts I received were 3 packs of sweet tarts {just because I'm curious, what side of your mouth do you chew sweet tarts on? Let's do a study. I'm serious. Stop laughing.} and a very special ornament with the letter 'R' on it that blinks. Oh, and a WHOLE LOTTA LOVE.

Like, a bajillion people wrote on my Facebook wall. I got just as many texts and phone calls and emails. Having caring friends and family and people that you barely know is SO hard. I mean really. So hard.

And...what else...ummm...I met a ton of cool and awesome people at Deeper Still.

Example 2 {example 1 is the link above} ;)
Melanie aka Big Mama. She was so so so sweet. And I told her how I'm awkward too. That in and of itself is awkward enough. But really. I can be so awkward.

P.S. That is one CRAZY eye on my behalf. For real.

Example 3


Kelly from Kelly's Korner was sitting with the Compassion Bloggers and due to some seating issues we got to sit with them on Saturday morning, but this was Friday night when I was like, "Yeah, I read your blog and Harper is so cute and you're just the cutest little pregnant lady."

More awkward.

And while not a cool and awesome person. How about these cool and awesome SEATS thanks to (in)courage and DaySpring??


And again, not cool or awesome people, but I GOT TO EAT CHIPOTLE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER 16 MONTHS AND IT WAS JUST AS FABULOUS AS I REMEMBERED.


Oh, Chicken Burrito Bowl. I'm quite sure you will be served in Heaven. And guacamole, you too.
Sigh.

Okay, so...that's all I have time for. And there were very serious and spiritual things that happened and yes this post is just fluff, but I had to share. I couldn't keep it in any longer!

OH and I got to meet Lisa-Jo and Ann (we are on a first name basis now...ha.)

And I'm being COMPLETELY serious when I say the first words I said to Ann Voskamp were,

"I LOVE YOUR WORDS."

Yes. For real.

I can't go on anymore. Because really. Those were my first words to someone that writes the most beautiful words that I don't even UNDERSTAND sometimes.

Sheer fabulousness.

And awkward.

But we've established I rule at that.

Y'all have a good weekend.

:)

{Sorry, I just don't have time for more words!}