Jesus' Sacrifice

About a week ago, before bed, I was thinking about Jesus. I was wondering about how much I actually loved Him. For some reason, I couldn't get myself to feel very strongly. I know, pathetic. But I started to think of His sacrifice in terms that were easier for me to understand. I applied His gift to today and thought about how I would feel if a friend made a much smaller sacrifice for me. I started thinking, and then I started writing. I hope this might help you grasp Jesus' love a little better today.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Long ago, there was a Man. I didn’t know Him; I wasn’t in existence yet. But He knew me. He knew who I would be. He knew my strengths, my weaknesses, which of His words would speak the most to me. He knew my favorite songs, the number of times I’m get frustrated with people, and the day I would die. He knew me better than my mother, better than my dearest friend. He knew who I would be. He knew I would be a horrid, ever-failing, flawed human being.

He knew I was destined for hell. He knew I would suffer and burn in excruciating agony for eternity, and He knew I would not even understand this horrific place before I got there. And He cared for me. He took compassion on me. He never sinned. He never snapped unrighteous at His brother, never fancied lustful thoughts, never held anyone or anything in higher regard than His Father.

His Father decided that, with the same love this Man felt for me, he would change my eternal ending place. He loved me so much that He decided to rescue me from my impending suffering in hell. He not only removed that horrendous fate, but He decided to prepare a place for me in His glorious kingdom, where goodness is far more unfathomable than the torture in hell is terrible.

But the Father was also just. He couldn’t simply remove the punishment from such a despicable failure as I.

The man who loved me far more than I could ever love Him or any other raised His hand. He said, “Father, punish me instead of her. We love her so much. We want her to be with Us – and this is the only way. I will not fail Your test of living a perfect life. Let me live and be killed instead of her. Let Us give her the Spirit to bring her to Us after she is born. Then she will begin to understand this sacrifice I will make for her.”

And so the time came when this Man, who I could not yet know, carried His own wooden cross to the place He was to be hammered to it. Men and women who refused to believe hit him and sneered at Him. But He thought of me and all my brothers and sisters who had and were going to trust Him to pay the impossible cost for their sins. He let them tear all His clothes off. He did not fight when they drove nails through his hands and feet, attaching him to the cross He had carried. Many people hated Him and showed their loathing openly as He hung there for all to see, dying a slow and horrid death.

This Man who I did not know did this for me. I’d be shocked and touched if my friend gave up a ticket to a big show for me. He gave up His perfect account so I could go to heaven. I love Him so much. Thank you, Jesus.

Sunlight

Today was an absolutely glorious day. It was truly beautiful.

Today the sun traveled through the sky. As it did so, its beams illuminated bits of nature.

Leaves were glowing and beaming their color as the sun radiated behind them. Spiderweb silk twinkled as the light gleamed over it. Trees seemed a thousand times more majestic because of the absolutely lovely sunlight. I can hardly even find all the words, but it was amazing. Throughout the day new things kept showing themselves in ways they rarely seem to; the big tree across the street, the changing leaves, and the especially blue sky were so full of color and wonder. A picture's worth a thousand words; I just really need to show you :). I don't think the colors don't come out as bright on my blog as they are in actuality, but ah well!

Today reminded me of a quote by C.S. Lewis. I'd seen it at least twice before. When I recalled the general idea of the quote, it helped me to realize more how amazing God is.

"I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because I see everything by it."

Senior Thesis

Hello again!

Clarification of my last post - I realized sometime after writing that I might've sounded like I was bashing my Omnibus class or something. However, though I struggle with the reading sometimes, I do enjoy a lot of things about that class; I like discussions we have. I also enjoy writing (as you may have guessed!). And in that class, I get to write!

Speaking of which, I'm excited for my senior thesis paper. The dreaded thesis paper that Granite seniors have to write. Wow, those last two sentences were basically equivalent. Anyways, that mass assignment always seems to loom over everyone as thy approach their senior year. But we actually have a lot of freedom in it, and I'm looking forward to it!

We must to pick a controversial topic of our age and write an approximately 15-25 page paper, in which we decide a stance on some aspect of that topic and argue it. That instruction alone gives us lots of choices. It's not too hard to find an issue that means something to you. AN issue meaning enough that you might... actually... make it PAST the required page number? Perhaps! Besides that freedom, we can also do this paper in nearly limitless ways.

Personally, I am (right now, at least) planning to write a story about the foster care system. I'm hoping to incorporate photography into my story.

But that wasn't what I was actually planning to write about. I was going to write about the little kids that I love. But you know what? There are just too many of them for one post. So perhaps I'll begin that tomorrow!

Time

Lately my mind has been swirling with thoughts. They often tend to come at very bad times, such as when I'm trying to read my Omnibus material. As soon as I try to focus on those readings that I'd honestly rather not be focusing on, a million things seem to pop up in my head.

Memories from random times throughout my life come to mind, experiences I wish to experience again (not because I want to change them, but because I miss them), and sometimes ideas that I wish had happened during the time I've had. I've had SO many amazing experiences, though, in my life. I've had hundreds of opportunities to go places, experience events, be in plays, go to Mexico, camp, and many other smaller places. The zoo, the aquarium, visiting a college, being in a ballet class, seeing a movie in 3D. I'm blessed to live where I do; we sure get to do a lot of things around here. There are tons of opportunities for homeschoolers, along with nearly any subject you can imagine.

Anyways, sometimes I think about how I don't want this year to end. I suppose it did just start, but since it's my last year of high school, the end seems all too near. I felt that way when we were at the beach for a week; I waited so long to get there, but when we got there, the days started slipping away. They were full of amazing friends and everything that comes with them, but a week can only last so long. Time flies when you're having fun. And so, by the second or third day, I was fearing the end.

One of my teachers told us multiple times in the beginning of school that the end of the year is tomorrow. And hey... it's already been more than a month of school. Didn't we just start? At the same time, a good bit has happened and changed since then, and I'm glad of that. But now there's just November, December, January... February, March. April. Our last day is May 5. Wait a second, isn't that only six months???

The point of this post wasn't to get all sad about the end! Not yet.

So. This is... the beginning of the end, I guess :). Okay.

There are so many things I'm excited for in these next six months. Maybe I'll tell you all about them sometime...

In the meantime, I should get off the computer. I reeeeeally don't want to waste the time I have this year on Facebook. Ha. So that's something to work on. I do think that blogging and my photography are worthy uses of computer time. though! Hopefully they shall continue boldly on. Especially photography - I love it. I don't have to remind myself to do it, I just really really enjoy taking and editing pictures.

:) Lindsay Anne

P.S. The title of this post is called "Time" because of a song titled as such. It's by Chantal Kreviazuk, and it makes me especially wishy-washy about all this growing up stuff.

P.P.S. I am sooooo gonna sob at my graduation...

And So It Begins!

Hi there!

I officially started my senior year of high school on Monday. Kind of weird. I'm hoping this year won't go by too fast; I'm not really ready yet. But then again, it's only September!

If you read my entry about Field Day at my homeschool group that I wrote in the spring, you may not be surprised at what I want to say next; that day was definitely one of the first times I got excited about the younger kids at Granite (at least consciously excited). I have to say that the younger half of my homeschool group is a big incentive to be there. And I must say... the third graders REALLY do get tinier every year! No kidding. At least it always feels that way...

Something new I'm doing this school year is helping out with Pioneer Girls at my church. I used to go to Pioneer Girls when I was young enough, and I've helped with skits and etc. a bit after that, but this is my first time to be helping throughout the whole school year. I'm soooo excited! I'm helping with the third and fourth graders :). It's neat because I already know most of them, but hardly. They're all so sweet. One is my friend's little sister, one is the younger sister of a girl who was on my basketball team in the winter, and one is even a third grader in my homeschool group! Very exciting :D. I'll probably not be able to resist sharing some of the sweet things they do and say throughout this year.

On a school-related note, one of my classes is Omnibus. It's sort of like History, English, Civics, Government...etc... all combined! In Omnibus we have to keep a hand-written journal filled with basically everything we read for the class. So far I've found it very helpful in keeping me focused; it'll also be something special to have in 20 years or so.

Speaking of journals... I've been very bad about doing personal journaling for quite some time now. For a few years I was pretty consistent, but my junior year I rarely wrote. Perhaps this would be a good time to start again :) the beginning of the end of high school... (plus I just bought yet another journal; I do love them so).

Something, though, that I realized about my own journaling: I usually figure out things when I write about them. I start writing thing I've never really thought out before. But that also happens when I pray, but usually only when I do so out loud. That way I don't get distracted as easily. So at least for me, I think it would be beneficial if I direct my journal writings toward our Heavenly Father :). Do you journal? If so, what are the benefits you find in doing such? Or do you wish you journaled? If not, do you have a belief about why not?

Thanks for reading :)

As Long As You Are Glorified

I'm really glad someone else has written about this song, because usually I can't find Sovereign Grace lyrics online. But another blogger posted and commented on this song. It came to my mind a few minutes ago.

Shall I take from Your hand Your blessings
Yet not welcome any pain
Shall I thank You for days of sunshine
Yet grumble in days of rain
Shall I love You in times of plenty
Then leave You in days of drought
Shall I trust when I reap a harvest
But when winter winds blow, then doubt

Oh let Your will be done in me
In Your love I will abide
Oh I long for nothing else as long
As You are glorified

Are You good only when I prosper
And true only when I’m filled
Are You King only when I’m carefree
And God only when I’m well
You are good when I’m poor and needy
You are true when I’m parched and dry
You still reign in the deepest valley
You’re still God in the darkest night

Bridge: So quiet my restless heart, quiet my restless heart
Quiet my restless heart in You

This is such a comforting song when it comes down to, well, anything. If you're sad or discouraged, feeling like you've failed or haven't anything to show for your faith or service, it is so good to remember that one basic thing we can and should focus on is just bringing glory to God. This song reminds us to abide in Him (more specifically, the song says in His love). That's something I've been trying to learn recently. The song takes us through good and bad situations and asks the rhetorical questions of "Are You good only when...?" "Are You true only when...?" "Are You King only when...?" etc. To sum it up, the verses ask whether God is still everything He says He is in joyful, glad times, terrible, heat-breaking times, and even empty, numb times. And He is. "Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made." Psalm 145:13. I love that verse (I say that sentence with every word emphasized!). It's so reassuring. *Sigh* of happiness :). Thank You Lord for being completely constant even when we're so up and down.

Peach Pie

This week I made a peach pie. It was fun! Although, it seems I thought about how yummy it would be too much beforehand, so when I actually tasted it it wasn't quite as good as expected. I took pictures of the crust, peaches, and pie, so I decided to write about it!

Even if you don't particularly like cooking, making something simple can be fun every once in a while. Try making chocolate chip, sugar, or peanut butter cookies, a pie (it's simpler to buy the crust though, or use a canned filling... like cherry filling... YUM), or brownies!

Another thing that you could try if you're looking for something to do is start a blog. You don't have to post in any certain pattern (though I wouldn't recommend deserting your blog for multiple months if you still want people to check it). If you've read different blogs and toyed with this idea, try it out! For a test run, write a post in a note on Facebook. That way, if you change your mind, there's not a random blog that's left floating in cyberspace for ever and eternity.

5:03!!! Speaking of which, I had an in-car driving session with a driver's education instructor yesterday when my 5:03 alarm went off. It was pretty funny. I gave him a short version of the story of 5:03... if you want to hear it, do ask!

Anyways, I put a new POLL up. Please vote in it, it's basically a yes-or-no one and it won't take long at all. :)