wild melody

I am ready for cooler weather. wind. changing leaves, falling leaves. open windows. sweaters. brighter stars. baking. Fall is my favorite season. Living in non-season florida, I'm tempted to whine and wish I could go to Virginia every september/october. This year, I'm trying to practice gratefulness. So I'm finding subtle signs that summer is breaking: the sky is a deeper blue, the air is nearly crisp, it smells like fall... The past two days, I've driven home with my windows down and the wind wasn't hot or sticky. It is glorious. (( why is it that fall + older coldplay is swell? coldplay goes well with lots of things. but when i am driving around in the fall i find myself listening to thier old stuff. it just fits perfect.)) I am grateful that God created seasons.

I've been re-reading random sections of Trusting God {by Jerry Bridges} lately. A paragraph from the section on physical affliction greatly affected me: "Trusting God in the midst of our pain and heartache means that we accept it from Him. There is a vast difference between acceptance and either resignation or submission. We can resign ourselves to a difficult situation, simply because we see no other alternative. Many people do that all the time. Or we can submit to the sovereignty of God in our circumstances with a certain amount of reluctance. But to truly accept our pain and heartache has the connotation of willingness. An attitude of acceptance says that we trust God, that He loves us, and knows what is best for us..." While I wouldn't consider myself to be dealing with intense physical trial or heartache, I was still provoked by this passage. I was convicted to apply it to my everyday situations. What is my response when I dislike my circumstance? Is it hum...

Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD! O Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my pleas for mercy! If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness, that you may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning. O Israel, hope in the LORD! For with the LORD there is steadfast love, and with him is plentiful redemption. And he will redeem Israel from all his iniquities. psalm 130 this psalm has been on my heart often recently. it is so good for addressing my current season of life. {that oxymoron called "actively waiting"}. whether I find myself in a time of joy or a time of fighting to choose joy; there is one thing I ought to be ALWAYS grateful for: my iniquity is not counted against me. all other gifts from God pale in comparison. no storm can destroy the power of this truth. my h...