Gerbertus Mike ___________

Hahaha. Say hello to the name of my future son! Thanks for the suggestion Courtney; it's definitely a keeper ;)

Today was good. Kind of lazy, but good! I got lunch with my love, Nikki, which made me very happy :) Then I came home and watched the Brandy version of Cinderella! Seriously, I love that movie! I love it so much that I went on Youtube after the movie ended and watched it all the way up to the point where I turned started when it was on TV. (You see, when I started watching it on television, it was already at the ball scene.) But yes, it made me so happy. I love this song in particular:

I like to sing it sometimes when no one else is around :) But yes, after that it was time for me to travel over to Hungary Creek to watch my darling Juliana at her gymnastics meet. She did so good! I was definitely proud :) She placed 5th on beam, and her dismount left me with my mouth open. I didn't know she could do that! Haha. I really enjoyed watching her, and I just love her in general :)

From there, I had dinner with my padre. Well actually, I ate dinner while talking to my dad since him and Jenn had already eaten. We had some pretty legit conversation. I always love it when that happens, because sometimes my dad teaches me some new things. And I think that maybe there's more to him than I give him credit for. At any rate, that was a good time. I came back to my mom's house and proceeded to skype my lovely sister, Hannah :) Oh goodness, I do love her. After 2 hours of chatting, we decided to add our dear love Courtney to the conversation! The three of us talked for over an hour, and it was quite humorous. Oh my gosh I love them :) I didn't feel like I had been on skype for almost 3 1/2 hours. Shoot, I could talk to them all day! I love my sisters; they're so great! And now I'm about ready to go to sleep. I love you all! Goodnight :)

Cupcakes, bowling, and dougie-ing on sidewalks.

Hello loves! Today was beautiful and lovely. I turned in my Sweet Frog application (and this would be my top choice in regards to jobs right now, so please pray that it works out). Heather and I picked Kelly up for her birthday rendez-vous, which was splendid :) We went to Pearl's cupcakes first, and that was delicious! I got a King Cake cupcake; oh my gosh, so good! (Yay Mardis Gras!) Then, we ventured over to the Short Pump area for some bowling! Ahhh! Okay, so even though none of us were necessarily good at bowling, it was still lots of fun! Between Kelly trying to jinx Heather and I, and Heather "threatening" to smash a ball in my face, it was quite entertaining. Haha! Upon returning to my humble abode, I took a late afternoon siesta before going out to dinner with my mom, Jenn, and Candice. (And if you all wouldn't mind, could you please pray for Candice? She really needs peace and rest right now. Her anxiety from work is through the roof, and it's lead her to health problems in the past. Just pray that she will make it until the end of the school year.)

But yes, after dinner I went to 1822, which was really good. I love it when Jamal speaks. Not only does he hold your attention, but I just love the messages he presents and the scripture he bases it off of. Kudos Jamal! And his talk was actually kind of perfect, because the issue of poverty in our city was really weighing on my heart earlier in the evening. I just really wish I could help those in need, the homeless especially. I wish there was a way that I could find them a house, provide them with a job, make sure they had food and clothing. I just want to help! I know that I can't do that now, since I'm not financially independent myself. But as a small act, I do have a little project planned for this summer, and it involves a little something called National Cow Appreciation Day...

I've talked to some of you before about this plan, but I am determined to make it happen this year! More details to come later. (And by later I mean summer, when the date comes closer, so stay tuned!)

After 1822, a bunch of us went to Boyer's, and it was SO GOOD! Once they closed, Kathryn, Nathan, Elsbeth, Brad, Kelly Gumm, and I hung out outside just talking, dancing, laughing, chasing cars, and laughing as Nathan and Brad posed/danced on the medians and pretended they were going to jump into traffic. I love my friends; they're just so crazy and amazing! There's never a dull moment, I can tell you that :) Goodnight my loves! I hope your slumber is sound :)

I can't believe I'm awake right now...

Today was pretty good, and rather productive as well. I'm really tired right now, so this will just be a quick run-down:

• Delivered IJM Seek Justice cards to Sara from the RJI.
• Picked up necessities from Target.
• Grabbed some lunch and ate it while relaxing at home.
• Filled out a Target job application.
• Skyped Heather.
• Dinner at Padre's with Jenn.
• Finally caught up/finished Proverbs Project.
• Purchased tickets for The Master's Plan.
• The 6:30 Saturday show!
• Sweet Frog with Kathryn.
• We both picked up job applications.
• Went back to Kathryn's house to watch Eat Pray Love.
• We found a promo code and redboxed it for FREE!
• I love hanging out and just talking with Kathryn; it makes me happy :)

Goodnight loves! Pleasant dreams :)

Proverbs 31

Remain sober-minded; let not your knowledge elude you. Be a voice for the oppressed; strive to bring about justice in this world!

A good wife is of great value. She stimulates confidence. She is diligent and hard-working. She provides for her loved ones. She is careful and thoughtful in her decision making. She is strong; never does her flame extinguish. She shows love and compassion for those in need. Her family is always looked after. She is independent. She is a woman her husband can be proud of. She is dignified! She is seen as praiseworthy and a blessing by her family; she is a beloved and treasured individual. Her hard work will be noted, and it will bring her praise.

^"30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; 
   but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised."

(I hope that, one day, I can be that support system for my husband and children.)

Proverbs 30

We have brothers and sisters on this earth who have never even heard of Jesus Christ or the word of God. We are called to share His glory with them, without adding any of our own understanding. Doing so will have you deemed as a liar. We are to keep great distance from lies and false concepts. Do not value the "riches" of this earth, but rather seek all that you need from God. Do not be greedy. Repent; own up to your wrongdoings. We will never (on this earth) be able to fully understand the vast beauty, wisdom, love, and glory of our Father. His goodness will forever be overwhelming. Exalt Him, always. Do not strive to bring glory to yourself, you will only look foolish and attain a tainted heart.

Beautiful innocence.

^"2 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. ³ And he said:“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. ⁴ Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

    ⁶ “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." 

{Matthew 18:2-6}

^”15 Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 

{Mark 10:15}

As I was watching "Lost" (the kid's choir production) tonight, I couldn't help but smile at the beautiful faith of these children. Here they are singing, dancing, rapping, signing, and acting to share the gospel, and they are so full of joy! Every single one of them is a little light, burning brightly for our Father. Sometimes it's easy to listen to children's songs and simply say, "Awww. They're so cute." But if you take a moment to actually listen to what they're saying, the message is so important, no matter how simple it may be... "Everything's okay and everything's alright, 'cause I got Jesus in my life!" How often could we use that reminder? For me, it's often, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Probably one of the most impacting songs to hear them sing, though, was Amazing Grace. These kids are just so young and innocent, and to hear them sing "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me" really struck me. I could never look at a child and consider him or her a wretch. That's not the point of the song, I realize, but these kids have an understanding (or are learning) that we are born with sin, that Jesus died for us because of our sin, and that His grace is a precious gift. I can't think of another word to describe that other than beautiful. The show was beautiful, the kids were beautiful, and their worship was beautiful. Twas a lovely thing indeed :)

^"6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, 
   each of us has turned to our own way; 
and the LORD has laid on him 
   the iniquity of us all."

{Isaiah 53:6}

Goodnight my precious loves; sleep well :)

Proverbs 29

I'm going to try to pinpoint verses whose topics I haven't already discussed in previous posts...

^"10 The bloodthirsty hate a person of integrity 
   and seek to kill the upright."

Our life is one constant spiritual battle. The wicked are constantly and unceasingly striving to make us give in to sin, to surrender our lives. True life lies in God and God alone. Satan and those he has enticed wish for us to stray from that truth. They want us to venture down the path of darkness straight to our death! The wicked hate to see us thrive in the light of the Lord, so take up the armor of God, for this battle is raging continuously. Stand firm in our Father, and you shall win this war.

^"19 Servants cannot be corrected by mere words; 
   though they understand, they will not respond."

Though we may constantly read scripture, and although we may often hear God speaking into our hearts, that often is not enough to fix ourselves or our problems. We have this awful tendency of hearing things and just letting them go in one ear and out the other (sorry for the cliche). To understand a concept and to actively respond to it are two very different things. And although it can be hard to accept rebuke and actually want to implement change, it must be done in accordance with what God asks of us. Therefore, do not simply hear what He is saying to you and take it at face value. Act on it. Alter yourself as needed! If you need to, ask someone to hold you accountable, and seek guidance from a spiritual leader or wise friend. We are servants of our Father; we must heed His word.

^"26 Many seek an audience with a ruler, 
   but it is from the LORD that one gets justice."

No one on this earth can give you aid, guidance, or advice that measures up to that of God. He is our protector; He stands in our defense. The Lord knows our path and will not allow the faithful to stumble. God works for the good of those who love and praise Him {Romans 8:28}, and there is no greater provider or miracle-worker than our Father. Seek His wisdom and guidance! No earthly knowledge can begin to compare!