"that's why I run..."

I find myself saying this as a default answer or excuse for a lot of things.

I don't do sports with balls... that's why I run

I love to race... that's why I run

For the gospel of grace... that's why I run

I'm often late... that's why I run

I analyze things to the extreme... that's why I run

I like to be alone... that's why I run

I think too much.. that's why I run

I don't think at all... that's why I run

I have far to much energy for my own good... that's why I run

I like to trespass... that's why I run

Life goes by so fast... that's why I run

I love long roads and fields... that's why I run

It takes no skill just perseverance... that's why I run

I'm a sweet tooth lover... that's why I run

It doesn't cost a thing... that's why I run

To get the job done... that's why I run

To be the first one to get dessert... that's why I run

Because I always think something is following me up the stairs... that's why I run

To feel God's presence and experience His power... that's why I run

You can wear whatever you want... that's why I run

You can do it anywhere... that's why I run

You can do it anytime... that's why I run

Laying down is just that much more satisfying... that's why I run

I live in the city of rain... that's why I run

Walking is boring... that's why I run

For time to pray... that's why I run

To get away... that's why I run

Because God set an awesome race before me... that's why I run

To the beat of my own drum... that's why I run

"Run by my side; live in my heartbeat; give strength to my steps. As the cold surrounds, as the wind pushes me, I know you surround me. As the sun warms me, as the rain cleanses me, I know you are touching me, challenging me, loving me. And so I give you this run. Thank you for matching my stride. Amen."

Yayayaya it's FAIR season!!

"I spent 48 dollars last night at the county fair

I throwed out my shoulder, but I won her that teddy bear

She's got me sayin' "Sugar Pie", "Honey", "Darlin'", and "Dear"

I ain't seen the Braves play a game all year

I'm gonna get fired if I don't get some sleep

My long lost buddies say I'm getting in too deep"

I like it, I love it, I want some more of it

The smell of animals and hay, the cows with ribbons on them, the baby piglets, the fuzzy sheep, walking by all the legit cowboys, kettle corn, elephant ears, funnel cakes, corn on the cob, free stuff, wasting money on games you can never win, the kids who walk around with giant stuffed animals that I'm super jealous of, ferris wheels, the swingsssss, country music, people screaming, flashing colorful lights, sticky fingers, random people you run into, warm nights, summer dresses, sunbright to starlight. Absolutely LOVE the fair.

Young Life Camp at Creekside!

There is just nothin like Young Life camp.

You can't put it into words, you just have to go.

Most amazing and exhausting week of my life at Creekside with 11 of the most beautiful freshman girls. I just love them too dang much my heart swells up even thinking about it.

"welcome to the herd"

we go all out...

And as an added bonus I got to see my best friend who is interning there all summer! It was soooo good to talk with her in between water slide rides and getting shaving creamed in the face. She's a stud.

PLUS I got to be there with 2 more of the most amazing and beloved people in my life. I'm so blessed by the conversations we have together. Such great fellowship:)

But the best part of all is that Heaven got a little bigger this week:)

Thank you God for growing your kingdom and letting it come alive here and now!

something beautiful

“God holds the key of all unknown, and I am glad. If other hands should hold the key, or if He trusted it to me, I might be sad. I cannot read His future plans, but this I know: I have the smiling of His face, and all the refuge of His grace, while here below."

In your ocean I'm ankle deep
I feel the waves crashin' on my feet
It's like I know where I need to be
But I can't figure out, yeah I can't figure out

Just how much air I will need to breathe
When your tide rushes over me
There's only one way to figure out
Will you let me drown, will you let me drown?

Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees.
I'm waiting for something beautiful
Oh, something beautiful

And the water is rising quick
And for years I was scared of it
We can't be sure when it will subside
So I won't leave your side, no I can't leave your side.

Hey now, this is my desire
Consume me like a fire, 'cause I just want something beautiful
To touch me, I know that I'm in reach
'Cause I am down on my knees.
I'm waiting for something beautiful

That brief moment of silence when you drive under a bridge on a rainy day

Mamma said there'd be days like this

"Listening to our music just a little too loud
We were hangin' in there with the outkast crowd
Headin' to the rapids with some discount beer
It was a long train trestle but we had no fear"

No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet

Went to lunch with my grandparents today. Goodness I love them, and I love their love. They have been such a significant blessing in my life. Their wisdom and good ol stories always stir my young lil heart.

Someday:)

Why wouldn't you pray?

Been trying to ask myself this question every minute of every day. "Why wouldn't I pray?" But really... what is it that keeps us from not praying ALWAYS, and ALL THE TIME, for EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE! Why wouldn't I pray before everything that I do? Why wouldn't I pray before my waking, before my sleeping, before my talking, before my eating, before my reading, before my writing, before sending a text message, before my driving, before my running, before everything! Then I could KNOW that the Lord has gone before me in all things, and trust that He is working in ways that I may never fully know or see. There really is no reason not to.

But then also, why wouldn't I pray after everything? Why wouldn't I thank God for every single blessing that he has given me, on top of His gift of grace? "What if you woke up today with only the things you thanked God for yesterday?" I taped to quote to my barn door headboard as a awesome and convicting reminder to send letters to Jesus of my thankfulness for everything he has so mercifully given me.

I pray that your spirit would intercede for me when I do not know what to pray for (Romans 8:26), but that I would simply be faithful to pray (Romans 12:12) I want to pray for the first person who comes to my mind in the morning, I want to pray for whoever is on my heart as I got to sleep, I want to pray for whoever I am talking to (even while I am talking to them!), I want to pray with whoever I share a meal with, I want to pray for the car in front of me on the road and the person at the cross walk, I want to pray for the people I always see on my runs and the ones who whistle at me when they drive by, I want to pray for the guy who fills my tank with gas and the lady at the Safeway checkout, I want to pray for my neighbor walking their dog by my house every evening, and the kids who have the lemonade stand down the street. I want my heart to be ALWAYS willing to pray MORE.

My pastor at my church in Corvallis once said, the true test of your love for someone is if you pray for them. Seems obvious that we would pray for the people that we love, but I think as the Lord has grown my love for Him, He has grown my love for His people, and so the people that I long to pray is rapidly multiplying. Sometimes my heart is overwhelmed by the amount of people that I desire to pray for, but I know that I am ALWAYS capable of loving MORE and praying faithfully, as long as I rely on His love which fills me and fuels me with "immeasurably MORE than I could ask or imagine." (Ephesians 3:20)

Bend and Bud

Pretty much spent the last week in Bend alone with Jesus. For as loud as I can sometimes be, I'm pretty darn good at embracing the quiet with open arms. It was the delightful to say the least. I love Bend. I think my heart will always have a sweet tooth for it.Then yesterday my bestest friend Ellen Lekas came to visit me for the night on her day off from interning at Creekside:) But it was too brief, of course. I'll see her in a week when I take my Young life girls to camp though!

http://www.thebudlife.blogspot.com/

Oops, too much sun for my kind...

Woof...

It's that time a the year again when the sun starts kissin' my face like crazy. Too much time spent on the back deck and not enough SPF...

Freeze the Aloe mmmm yes. must. do. now.

Sing out LOUD

I love being alone with Jesus. Lately, during my time with the Lord, I am suddenly reminded of a lyric to a worship song or an old hymn, and I feel compelled to belt it out! So in light of my solitude, I have been doing just that. No background music, no worship band, no church congregation, no nothin'. Just my humble voice shouting into the silence. The Bible tells us to sing (1 Chronicles 16:23, Psalm 95:2, Psalm 100:2, ), but I think it is rare that we take this command literally. Instead we fit it into our mold and place for it. We sing during "worship" in church, or we think of singing as a metaphor (like "singing a song with our lives", aka praising God in everything). But I think there is something so peace giving and soul stirring about singing songs of praise out loud to God when your alone. It allows me to truly tune into the lyrics that the Lord pressed upon my heart. It enables me to sing the words from my heart as my honest and sincere cry and prayer, rather than by memorization or reading words on a screen. As I prayed and spent time in the Word I would stop just to sing whatever psalm or lyric the Lord pressed on my heart. It gave me such a sense of peace and an overflowing JOY, which I know had to have been from the Lord, because I am a terrible singer.... I think that the Lord wishes that we would sing more, and I think (despite the sound of our voices..) He smiles when we do.

"The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving."
Psalm 28:7

I love this song even though it might not be deemed a "worship song," I think it can be a praise to Jesus. Thanks God for days like this:)

When it's not always raining
there'll be days like this
When there's noone complaining
there'll be days like this
Everything falls into phase
like the flick of a switch
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this

When you don't need to worry
there'll be days like this
When noone's in a hurry
there'll be days like this
When you don't get betrayed
by that old Judas kiss
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this

When you don't need an answer
there'll be days like this
When you don't meet a chancer
there'll be days like this
When all the parts of the puzzle
start to look like they fit
Then I must remember
there'll be days like this

When everyone is upfront
and they're not playing tricks
When you don't have no freeloaders
out to get their kicks in
When it's nobody's business
the way that you wanna live
I just have to remember
there'll be days like this

When noone steps on my dreams
there'll be days like this
When people understand what I mean
there'll be days like this
When you bring out the changes
of how everything is
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this

Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Well my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this
Oh my momma told me
there'll be days like this

In the morning when I rise, give me Jesus.

God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping

God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking

Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything

God in my hoping
There in my dreaming
God in my watching
God in my waiting

God in my laughing
There in my weeping
God in my hurting
God in my healing

Christ in me
Christ in me
Christ in me the hope of glory
You are everything