Consequences...of poor choices

So, all last week I made a poor decision to not do any homework. This week, I'm repeaping the consequences. I had a big set of notes due today for a research paper and I not only waited till the last minute, but I stayed up until 3:30 last night doing them. Yeah, not smart. Another thing, there was more than just notes due today. I had several readin assignments due in Old Testament survery and I didn't finish them. I feel like I'm ruining my own chances of stretching myself. I'm fighting against myself to learn and grow. It's not something I want to fight against, but nonetheless, I am. It is the lazy, procrastinating, selfish, fallen nature that wants me to not do any homework. And then, to make matters worse, when I become swamped with assignments I haven't done, I just close down. I become apathetic toward any of it.
Christ would not have me doing that. He would encourage me to press forward and to persevere.

That's why I'm making some decisions. Every night, unless I'm working, or especially because I'm working, I will not check Facebook until after 8 pm and I will not agree to hang out with friends until after eight. There are some exceptions, such as someone really needing to talk, but otherwise...I need to lay down the rules for my unruly side. Fallen nature, you will not defeat me. I am a new creation and I am redeemed. I have Christ's strength to fight this battle. You fail!
Mr. Sanchez, I'm taking your advice. I'm doing something about the problems I'm dealing with. I'm taking action. So help me, God!

Can I have this dance?

I confess, I mess up the dance moves often. My dress gets torn frequently and I lose confidence in what You have already taught me. Lord, perfect my steps, because You're the perfect dance instructor. You created dance, so teach me how to dance. Lord, I feel sometimes that I step on people's toes with my wrong moves. I feel when I make my own dance steps, our rythm tends to fade. But You are the perfect dancer, why can't I just realize that?

Forgive me Lord, for stepping on Your toes and others' toes and for trying to make my own steps. I can learn so much about You from Your Word, but I choose to try to live my own way too often.

Jesus, tear off these filthy rags, clothe me in Your splendid light so that it radiates everywhere. Change my broken dance shoes in for ones of patience, peace, and obedience. Lord, wipe off my poorly-applied make-up and may Your glory illuminate my face. I want to be washed in Your blood so that I come out sparkling white like a bride should be. Replace my plastic pearls with pearls of wisdom. May my beauty and adornment be that of the change You have made inside of me. I will take You hand; I will lose myself. I will trust in You, hold You tight and let the music of life take us wherever You lead.

Promises, promises

I just learned something...mm, perhaps had more of a revelation. Okay, so I'm looking up righteousness and I'm finding all these passages and it's very helpful, but I remembered one passage that talked about righteousness that no concordance had mentioned. It was Hebrews 11. So, I'm reading through this passage and finding out what made them receive credit to righteousness and I see that it is their faith in God. Well, then I go do something else and as I'm "chewing the cud" I come to realize that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Noah and all the other people mentioned are having faith. Faith in what? Things hoped for not yet seen. Okay, but then I thought, well "how did they know that something "unseen" was coming? Of course, God told them.
And most of the time, God used promises to make sure that these patriarchs knew He meant business. Then, I thought, "oh wow, that makes sense. we're always told to lean on God's promises, to believe that He is faithful and will provide. We are always told to believe that God's promises are true.
Okay, so we've had the Bible for years (literally) but back then, Abraham (for example) only was given like three promises. All he had to do was lean on three promises. It was simpler, not easier, but simpler. So, now I say, well hey there are TONS of promises in God's word. Wow! Why didn't I think of that before? God wants us to trust in His promises, just as Abraham trusted in God's promises. Why are we so blind? Why do we miss that? I want to live trusting in God's promises. Because a promise is real, it's there, it's never-ending. I mean, espcially if it's with God...it's binding. Wow! We should trust in His promises so much more.

Dieser Weg (This Path)

Okay, I really should be doing homework or sleeping right now, but I don't care. I have had a horribly disorganized week. I don't understand what's up with me recently. It's crazy. I have had a scatter-brain for this entire week, and I hate it. My organized persona, or Beaver, is going insane wondering why I can't seem to get back into the swing of things. My party persona, or Otter, is having fun and enjoying herself so much and becoming really close to friends. But this is not helping me get anything done. I have missed so many homework assignments this week and part of me doesn't care at all.
So, this awesome German song has been stuck in my head ALL week as well, and it has been helpful in thinking about life.
Here are the German lyrics:

also ging ich diese strasse lang und die strasse führte zu mir. das lied das du am letzten abend sangst, spielte nun in mir. noch ein paar schritte und dann war ich da, mit dem schlüssel zu dieser tür.
Refrain: dieser weg wird kein leichter sein, dieser weg wird steinig und schwer. Weg nicht mit vielen wirst du dir einig sein, doch dieses leben bietet soviel mehr. es war nur ein kleiner augenblick, einen moment war ich nicht da, danach ging ich einen kleinen schritt, und dann wurde es mir klar.
Refrain: dieser weg wird kein leichter sein, dieser weg wird steinig und schwer. nicht mit vielen wirst du dir einig sein, doch dieses leben bietet soviel mehr.
Liedertexte: manche treten dich, manche lieben dich, manche geben sich für dich auf.
Liedertext: manche segnen dich, setz dein segel nicht, wenn der wind das meer aufbraust. Alle manche treten dich, manche lieben dich, manche geben sich für dich auf. manche segnen dich, setz dein segel nicht, wenn der wind das meer aufbraust.
Refrain: dieser weg wird kein leichter sein, dieser weg wird steinig und schwer. Dieser nicht mit vielen wirst du dir einig sein, doch dieses leben bietet soviel mehr. Weg
Refrain 2x dieser weg, - dieser weg, ist steinig und schwer. nicht mit vielen wirst du dir einig sein, doch dieses leben bietet soviel mehr.


Okay, you look at this and almost all of you are saying, "And this means what?"
So, that's how my life feels sometimes. I'm looking at it and I have no clue how it translates, but I know somewhere in Someone's hands is the translation. I may not have the answer, but I know Someone who does.

Here are the English words:

This path So I went along this road.And the road led to me... Read More.The song that you sung on the last evening,was now playing in meJust a few steps and then I was thereWith the key to this door.Chorus: This path won’t be easy.This path will be stony and difficult.You won’t find many agreeing with you.But this life offers so much more.It was just a small moment.For a moment, I was not there.Then I went a small step.And then it became clear to me.
ChorusSome people kick you.Some people love you.Some give themselves up for you.Some people bless you. Don’t set your sails,When the wind stirs the sea.

See, that's much better, but doesn't part of you want to try to translate the text above? Aren't you curious? Like a puzzle that will be extremely beautiful once it's finished you begin to see the big picture. But the only way that can happen is for you to TRY to translate the foreign text.
I'm still learning what that means, but "not that I have already obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on in order that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:12-14

Missions

"When you came to answer the heathen cry
And thought you would hear a piteous sigh,
You never expected this-
Men with a satisfied, comfortable air,
Women too busy with gossip to care
For truth they do not miss.
Did you dream of a host of upraised arms
Beseeching release from pagan alarms,
Only to wake with a start?
Now that you know they are passing your door,
Preferring an idol's parade much more,
What does it do to your heart?
You are so earnestly giving the Word,
But listening ears seem not to have heard,
No matter how much you repeat.
Strong in the grip of tradition, they sit,
Almost defying you ever to fit
Your shoes on their mental feet.
Patience, my brother, before you will learn
Where the silent ache and anguish turn
To an unknown God to pray.
Bringing the sheaves from the harvest will wait
On sowing the growing at God's own rate,
A thousand years or a day.
As sure as there's sin in old Adam's breed,
So certain it is that you'll find a lead
Into the devils domain.
Keep on believing that He who has begun
Seeking the lost who remain."
C. Gordan Olson (227-228)

2hrs and 32 mins till the next 1,440...

Okay, so this will be my first ever blog. I really feel like I'm falling behind in life. There are several things right now that I keep saying I'm going to do, but then I never do it. I don't know if it's procrastination, or I'm actually not prioritized currently. It's not very helpful to have no idea what's going on in your life. I need to be more organized. The Beaver in me is fighting to organize everything and get into a rountine, and the Otter in me is kicking back and chilling with friends, not really caring what gets done and what doesn't. So you can imagine that there is a war going on inside me. It's quite horrendous to try and overcome.
Well, all I can do is finish off this day...night productively and start my day right tomorrow. I can strive to accomplish much tomorrow and to be on task. Hmm, anyway...tomorrow I will go to classes, then I will go "job shopping" with Rosie and after that, probably work hard on lots of homework, books, and projects.
What will you do with your next 1,440??