Skat of the Brain

Skat man doo

Juxtaposition

Tweedly-she boo

Sing a little rendition

Scroodle she bow

Wish I weren’t studying Titian

She be doo pow

Crow’s feet

Bay wow wow

Enzymes secrete

Kalamazoo

I knew a guy named Pete.

Excellence

Thoughts on and notes from Becoming a Woman of Excellence by Cynthia Heald (First Study: "The Goal Worth Pursuing"):

"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to remain aincere and blameless until the day of Christ."

-Philippians 1:9,10

Motivation: to point to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31)

To be excellent, dwell on excellent things. (Philippians 4:8)

If there is one thing worthy of excellence (worthy of my best at the moment and my desire and pursuit to become better), it is loving God, and then loving others. (Matthew 22:36-39)

How do we receive power to become better? To fill our mind with excellent things? From God, asking Him through prayer. Pray this for ourselves and for others: that we may be filled with the knowledge of His will so that we can walk in a manner pleasing and worthy of the Lord, bear fruit, and increase in the knowledge of God Himself. (Colossians 1:9,10)

Also, Isaiah 43:10: He proclaims us as His witnesses so that we may know Him, believe Him, and understand that He is who He says He is.

Let us be diligent in these things: to come before the Lord, never being bound to shame, allowing ourselves to be approved to God as His workmen, pursuing accuracy in handling the truth. (2 Timothy 2:15)

Let us dwell on the word of truth so that we can handle it with accuracy and give opportunity through obedience for God to reveal His truth and power. With His Word we shall renew our minds to be strong in the Lord and for the Lord, emptying ourselves and presenting ourselves as clean vessels, ready and equipped to do the will of God.

"Exellence is not perfection, but essentially a desire to be strong in the Lord and for the Lord."

-Cynthia Heald

"Do we so appreciate the marvelous salvation of Jesus Christ that we are our utmost for His highest?"

-Oswald Chambers

Goal: to be diligent in pursuing the meaning of excellence and how to live it out as a woman.

"I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing Scripture. That's right. No other single discipline is more useful and rewarding than this. No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified."

-Charles R. Swindoll

25 Things I Love

In honor of my 25th post and because I saw other people do this...


25 things I love:

1. Sitting barefoot in very thick, very green grass
2. Laying on my back, looking at a clear sky full of stars
3. Amazing quiet times with my God
4. Driving with one hand out the window
5. Doing things even when I'm scared (adventures)
6. Long talks in coffee shops
7. The Office
8. Reading people's blogs
9. Babies
10. Photo albums (I buy them faster than I can fill them)
11. Flowers
12. Kittens and puppies (classic, I know)
13. Cute coffee mugs
14. Singing worship songs (and playing them on the piano)
15. Spending entire days with friends
16. Hugs
17. Random conversations
18. Traveling
19. Italian
20. Japanese
21. Sleepovers
22. Really good movies
23. Really good books
24. Jane Austen


*drum roll*


25. The feeling after finals are over...almost there!

Speaking of goats...

Okay, so I realize I hardly ever post blogs about actual events. This is not cool. I want to share my life with you guys! :)

Here we go.

This weekend I went to the Pima County Fair with some friends.

That's how I felt about the ferris wheel. Note: This is a dramatization of actual events.

Beautiful Sydney and I on the ferris wheel. :)

First, we saw a bunch of old tractors and a washing machine. Then we saw animals being auctioned off for food.

Me: Sydney...what happens to those cute little lambs?
Sydney: Um...
Me: Wait...the Disney version.
Sydney: They never die.

After that, we went and saw a ridiculously large amount of ridiculously cute animals. I love bunnies. I also adore baby pygmy goats.

I do not adore country music. However, I tolerate it. I went to my first country concert at the fair (It was free and Sydney and Kyle happen to fall all over themselves when Craig Morgan is around). So, naturally, I belted it out when he sang one of my least favorite songs and pretended to be the daughter of a third generation farmer.

Then we went on the ferris wheel and took a lot of pictures. It was a very serious time.

Um...

Kyle and Ross...cuuuute :P

View from the big wheel

We went to Triple T for a late night dinner afterward. We talked about Jane Austen, a guy named Chase, skydiving, and yogurt. It was probably one of the best conversations of the semester.

Distraction

"Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

-Hebrews 12:1, 2

Frustration, difficulty, desire, it's hard!....oh....endurance. Oh...lay it aside. Oh...Jesus. The author and perfecter of our faith. Oh.

It is difficult not to let yourself be distracted, but that's why we need endurance.

Thank You, Lord, for giving us examples. People who endure are inspiring.

Progress, not perfection. There's a reason we need Jesus as the perfecter of our faith (He is the most inspiring of all...by far....by farther than far).

Turn your eyes, O my soul, to Jesus, my great High Priest. He has been tempted in every way and understands and sympathizes with our weaknesses. Let me not be anywhere that You aren't, my Lord. For reasons not completely explainable He welcomes me back with open arms to stand before the throne of grace.

Optimism

Today I discovered that I am much too unflinchingly optimistic to study Philip Larkin.

My loss, I'm sure.

Beauty

"One thing I have asked from the LORD, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the LORD And to meditate in His temple."

-Psalm 27:4

How wonderful.