tidbits

*recently read Psalm 119 all the way through and really meditated on it. it's so full of the psalmist being devoted and commited to the ways of God, even if they don't make sense. i want that. also, an interesting thing i noticed was that almost every verse (of the 176) says something about God's law, principles, promises, commands... so they must be important if a whole psalm talks about them and staying true to them.

*Psalm 117 is quite intriguing too, but for the opposite reason. instead of being the longest psalm (and maybe chapeter of the bible), it's the shortest one. and it's about praising God.

praise the Lord, all you nations. praise Him, all you people of the earth. for he loves us with unfailing love; the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. praise the Lord!

its short, sweet and to the point.

*been watching the Nooma series videos by Rob Bell on Youtube every morning. it might be illegal that they're up there, but i found a user that has almost all of them full length, though they're subtitled in italian (which means even more knowledge for my brain to soak in!). they're good. some hit home more than others, but they all have one specific point and it helps me get focused and have something on my mind to think/pray about. you should check them out.

*last night, i was looking through my journal from last year's Encounter (the cru winter conference). its crazy, especially looking at where i journaled, how much i continue to struggle with the same things. it's like i become aware of something, then work hard to rely on God and work towards fixing it, somewhere along the way it gets better enough that i don't notice it and kinda forget about it, then randomly it comes up again and the cycle starts over. i hate it, but i feel like this is just the way things are with the human brain. there are so many things that i struggle with/need/want to grow in, but my poor human brain can't keep track of them all all at once. i guess i could write them down, but when i do that i become overwhelmed by how crappy i am and sometimes get to the point where i feel unfixable even by God. anyways, so it's funny to see that what i was learning then, i'm still learning now but in a different more tangible way. i also found some great quotes/tidbits from my journal.

-its not a matter of whether you're worshipping, but whether you're worshipping well.

-He doesn't just forgive us. He restores us.

-be continually aware and available to be used by God even if it's weird and uncomfortable and awkward and insignificant and audacious.

-if you can't look back and see peace, you can't look forward in hope.

-spend your life loving the arms big enough to crush galaxies but gentle enough to comfort and hold you.

-don't take it personally when the universe inflicts pain on you, it's a global problem.

-you are not just a sinner saved by grace. you are a saint who has the life of Christ at the center of your being.

-the Christian life is not about Christ. it is Christ.

reading over this stuff and remembering last year's Encounter gets me sooooooo excited for this year. i loved last year, but i feel like this year is going to be even better. i know alot more people, more school people, i have project peeps, i know some of the staff. i'm just excited for the social aspect but more importantly, the spiritual aspect. they're having the same great band they did last year and i'm sure the speaker(s) will be awesome. but before i can go to Encounter, we have Christmas! :)