Be still

Smile, happy looks good on you.

Fact 1: God gave me awesome eyeballs.

Fact 2: The only thing worse than being blind, is being able to see but having no vision. 

(Source: totally-relatable)

If I am not consumed by You, what is the point of this life?
If You’re not all I want, why am I living?
If I speak a bunch of pretty words and live a life of condemnation and pride - destroy me God.
If I don’t stand for the truth and I allow Your Word to be tramped upon, don’t allow me to sleep at night. 
If I’m not real and admit my failures and faults, remove me from places of leadership. 

You are all that is worth living for. You are the only Love I desire. You are all that I want to live for. My relationship with You is all that I want to be concerned with in the end.
I want to be more than words. I want a passion. A boldness. I don’t want everyone to like me or agree with me. I will thank you for the times of disagreement and persecution. I will not ask for the love of mankind, but the approval of You, Father.
You are all I want. Take all this world. I just want You.

(Source: mystandards)

Are we going to die with prayers in our journals or living out the will and voice of the Sovereign One?

I have a fascination with hands. Maybe that sounded a little creepy… allow me to rephrase. [please] One of the first things I notice about a person is their hands.

This is what I know from a human standpoint:

• hands are beautiful. no matter how young or old, your hands are beautiful.
• hands tell a lot about a person. if your a man, rugged hands [if you live on a farm, I suppose, like I do back home] mean you work hard. my dad’s hands are beautiful to me. if your a woman, you are labeled “graceful” if you move in fluid movements with your hands [I guess that’s why playing the piano is so beautiful]. many men do not have rugged hands because office work has replaced field work. many women do not have the appearance of gracefulness because we have been taught that is old-fashioned and not accepted anymore… we can be JUST like men! [ohboy. so thrilling.]
• hands testify to your character. most people won’t touch a dirty toilet. they would rather be prayer-walking on a mission trip. most people won’t touch an “unclean person.” they would rather hold the child with no disease and no runny nose. 

Then I began to think about God’s hands. The Scripture constantly uses the phrase, “His right hand…His righteous right hand.” I plan to study this more, but for right now… Scripture.

• “My times are in Your HAND…” -Psalm 31:15
• “The LORD said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right HAND…” -Psalm 110:1
• “The king’s heart is in the HAND of the LORD…” -Proverbs 21:1
• “Whatever your HAND finds to do, do it with your might…” -Ecclesiastes 9:10
• “A wise man’s heart is at his right HAND…” -Ecclesiastes 10:2
• “Indeed My HAND has laid the foundation of the earth, and My right HAND has stretched out the heavens…” -Isaiah 48:13
• “Behold, the LORD’s HAND is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear…” -Isaiah 59:1
• “But now, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our potter; and all we are the work of Your HAND.” -Isaiah 64:8
• “‘Am I a God near at HAND,’ says the LORD, ‘And not a God afar off?’” -Jeremiah 23:23
• “…and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at HAND.” -Matthew 3:2
• “And if your right HAND causes you to sin, cut it off and cast if from you…” -Matthew 5:30
• “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left HAND know what your right HAND is doing.” -Matthew 6:3
• “Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at HAND.” -Philippians 4:5
• “But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right HAND of God.” -Hebrews 10:12 

It seems to me that hands are a big deal to God… and the symbolism of hands is equally as important. Someday, I want to have children—how I display that motherly touch will effect them forever.

Think about your hands. What you do with your hands and what you do not do. You could take this a step further and make this point: if you are not married, your girlfriend/boyfriend is not yours. Therefore, you could technically be touching another persons wife/husband. That is a higher standard right there! whoooa!

What about hugging? That involves your arms, of course… but extending a hand to hurting people—you will never know the impact that might have on them. Physical touch is one of the greatest displays of connection with another. 

Be careful how you use your hands. 

Oh be careful little hands what you do
Oh be careful little hands what you do
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love
So be careful little hands what you do.  

(Source: wthrbug, via mystandards)

Can I say something to all the single ladies? Your husband, whoever he is, will have an unbelieveable amount of influence over your sons and daughters. If you want your children to love Jesus deeply, hold out for a man that is Godly. And let me tell you this: I am well aware that Godly men are rare. There are lots of neat and cute Christian boys, but not a lot of Godly men. Don’t settle. It’s better than you be lonely now than you be married and lonely later. Are you tracking with me? It is better that you be lonely now than for you to get married to a man that will teach your kids everything but the way of Jesus.

I am completely fed up with the ONE question that people ask more than anything else. It can be asked in several different forms. Allow me to give some examples. 

Are you talking to anyone?
Do you have a boyfriend?
When are you going to make the first move?
Gah, you still don’t have someone?
Who do stay up late at night talking to?
Who do you like?
What’s it like being single?
How do you cope being single? 

If this is seriously all the information you care about, don’t waste your breath. please. Whatever happened to asking the hard questions? 

Man, how’s your quiet time been lately?
When was the last time you prayed on your knees?
What sin have you been convicted over the past few days?
Have you shared the gospel with anyone lately?
How’s your prayer life?
What about that attitude of yours?
Are you positive your talk is matching up with your walk?
 
I’ll be the first one to admit that I do not jump into these questions right off in a conversation, but why don’t we? No, you don’t have to share details [especially with the opposite sex]—it would just be nice if people were real… about things that matter. 

Relationship stuff is something that I love talking about with others. I find joy in hearing about other people’s crushes, likes, fancies, and loves. What a JOY! But don’t ask me. If I were fancying anyone or in love—you would be able to tell without asking. 

More than anything, I pray it’s obvious WHO I am truly in LOVE with!