Summer.

Sunny days with nothing to do but enjoy this life God has given me.
Mmmmmm could it get much better?
Sometimes I can hardly believe how blessed I am to have grown up in this beautiful place.
Since leaving and returning, I've realized how much I took it for granted, and I am so thankful that I get to spend the summer here at home!
These last few weeks have been amazing, and I can't wait to see what God has planned for the rest of this season!

In the words of Tom Sawyer, "Ain't life good!" <3

"Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." ~Matthew 11:28-30


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Perspective.

As I was flying into the San Jose airport last night, I had a perspective reminder as often I do when I fly.

I was looking down at the lights of the city and the specks of light--cars--on the freeway.

Those specks of light moving along the road each have in them at least one speck of a person on their way somewhere.

Each speck of light shining from each house represents a person and most often a family too.

Then I thought about the times I'm sitting in my house or driving somewhere and how I'm just one of those specks. 

The world consists of billions of us. 

There is no way anyone mind could keep track of anyone much less care about each and every one. 

Yet, that is exactly what God, our heavenly Father does! 

He created each of us, and is not only able to keep track of each individual person every second of every day, but He also keeps track of every other living thing as well!  Not only that, but He also loves each one of us more deeply than we can imagine! 

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." ~Matthew 10:29-31

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,  nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." ~Romans 8:38-39

Umm...can we say WOW?!



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Madre.

Patricia Sue Wallace Pickens: a selfless servant of Christ, her family, and countless others.
This is who she is.
I couldn't ask for a better mother.
She has taught me what it means to serve.
She has taught me what it means to listen.
She has taught me what it means to persevere.
She has taught me what it means to follow Christ.

There are far too many memories to list. She has done so much. She continues to do so much. But since I can't be at home today to spend the day with her, I wanted to write something for the mother I owe so much to yet can never repay.

Dear Madre,

Thank you for:

Washing the dishes for me when I was too tired or just plain lazy.
Cleaning my room (or "pig-sty") even though I should have cleaned it myself.
Doing my hair when I was too lazy to learn how to do it myself.
Changing the sheets when I wet the bed. (no, this was not recent)
Vacuuming/cleaning up my vomit off the floor when I woke up sick. (remember that one time I threw-up every other night for 2 weeks?)
Waking up with me in the night when I couldn't sleep.
Bringing me breakfast or lunch or dinner in bed when I was sick even if I could have gotten up and made it myself.
Giving me back rubs and "tucking me in."
Braiding my hair when I was sick and hadn't showered in a week.
Spanking me when I deserved it.
Showing mercy when I should have been spanked.
Making my bed more perfectly than is humanly possible.
Staying up late helping me pack the night before I move back to school because I procrastinated until the last moment even though you told me for weeks that I couldn't wait until the last minute.
Listening to my whining and complaining and counselling me through life.
Giving me "medicine" aka tickling me to make me laugh instead of cry which always somehow worked even though I would always deny it because I hate being tickled.
Sending me that surprise care-package that included home-made banana muffins.
Spending hours and hours sewing or knitting Christmas gifts.
Cooking dinner for the entire family day after day.
"Forcing" me to clean the bathroom because she wanted me to learn how even though I never cleaned it as well as she would have liked.
Giving birth to me and my six amazing siblings.
Faithfully taking care of each of the five of your seven children as we went through the wisdom-teeth extraction process. (My face loved those ice-pack contraptions you made.)
Teaching six of your seven children to drive even though you never let us forget that you "didn't sign up for this part of parenting!"
Homeschooling all seven of your children.
Baking homemade bread for years on end. (I used to think store-bought was a special treat...oh for those days...)
Supporting my crazy decision to move across the country for school.
Listening to me cry.
Listening to me cry.
And....Listening to me cry.

This list could go on for a long, long, LONG time, but I think my point is clear:
I could never ask for a different mother because I have the best one!
I am so blessed to have such a woman in my life.
I love you Mom.

Happy Mother's Day!

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Forgiven.

There are many lies that the devil loves to plant in our minds.

These lies sink deep in our hearts if we do not recognize that they are not truth.

We take a strong hold of them and as a result they eat away at us. 

These lies affect a lot more than most of us realize. 

I feel as though we often mistake our problems as being caused by external factors.

But the truth is that the biggest struggles we face come from within.

"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." (Ephesians 6:12)

One of the biggest lies that Satan uses is that of self-condemnation.
We make a mistake. We do things we know are wrong. We act out of bitterness or anger. We are selfish. We are impatient. The list goes on...
The devil usually does one of two things when we sin:
    He tries to help us justify our actions by twisting or stretching the truth.
OR
     If he knows we know something we did was wrong, he pours shame and condemnation over us telling us         that we messed up too bad this time. We are slaves to sin and there can be no forgiveness or freedom from that.

But either one is a trap. Satan lies. It's what he does best.

Now I'm writing most of this to myself, because I have seen the devil try to spin these tales time and time again, but I'm realizing that I DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN because the truth is this:

"If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

 The Bible tells us over and over again that God is full of grace and compassion. He is slow to anger and abounding in love. His mercies never end. They begin new every single day! We are forgiven from our past mistakes. There is no reason to dwell on what is no longer there. The present is all we have.

"Forget the former things. Do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." (Isaiah 43:18-19)

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Promise of Peace from the Prince of Peace.

Many wise people have said,

"Never let your circumstances define you. You must define your circumstances."

We can't control what happens. We can only control our reactions.

So,

"Rejoice in the Lord always! I will say it again: REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:4-7

I've always loved these verses, but it kind of just hit me today: the last part is a promise! 

The peace of God WILL guard our hearts and minds in Jesus if we hold up our end of the deal and rejoice, not being anxious, and presenting our concerns to God through prayer with thanksgiving. 

That's a guarantee. 

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Gossip.

It's so easy to see everyone else's faults. 
It's so easy to point out what he did wrong. 
It's so easy to recognize where she fell short of perfection. 
But look around you and remember that every person you see and every person about which you think, "How could they possibly be like that?" or "How dare they?" or "I've tried to find something nice to say about her/him, but there just isn't anything good there," is considered by Jesus as

someone worth dying for. 

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~John 3:16

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Where I belong.

People often ask me, "So are you going to move back to California to teach when you graduate..or stay in Michigan?" My response is usually, "I don't know...maybe neither." Which is true! I really DO NOT KNOW what God has for me down the road. And even though I can make plans and feel led a certain way, I don't even really know where I will be next year, or even next month! For all I know, God could bring something into my life to change everything because He has done that many times, even very recently.


Living in California, moving for school to Michigan, spending a month in Thailand, etc. makes it difficult to know exactly where (as in location) I belong. Right now I belong in Michigan, (except for the summer), but what is after that? I cannot tell you. The future is wide open, which is exciting, but also scary. I don't know where I'm headed, but I know the One leading me. I am tired of trying to figure out where I am "supposed" to be and what I'm "supposed" to do. I already know that where I belong is in the presence of God.  From there He is very good at making it clear where I am to go and what I am to do when He decides I need to know.
So I think the song "Where I belong" by Cory Asbury pretty much says it all:


"Your presence is all I’m longing for here in the secret place
Your nearness is all I’m waiting for here in the quiet place, here in the secret place

My soul waits for you alone
Like the watchmen wait for dawn.

Here I’ve finally found the place
Where we’ll meet, Lord, face to face.

I’ve finally found where I belong, I’ve finally found where I belong, In Your presence
I’ve finally found where I belong, to be with You, to be with You

I am my Beloved’s and He is mine, so come into Your garden and take delight in me
Take delight in me 

Delight in me, Delight in me
Delight in me, Delight in me

Here in Your presence, God, I find my rest
Here in Your presence, God."




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