Praise You In This Storm

"Praise You In This Storm"
Casting Crowns

I was sure by now
God You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear Your whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

And I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
And every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry to you
And you raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

But as the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
And takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth

I think this song is so powerful. I just put it on repeat and never get tired of it. In the midst of everything, God is always there. "And as the thunder rolls, I barely hear your whisper through the rain..."I'm with you."
It is so hard to remember that sometimes. You get mixed up with the rest of the world. You get caught up in earthly matters, and it distracts you from the One who will always be there. The One that loves you and wants you no matter what, the One who created you and this world that you get so tangled up in. Sometimes we forget that He is in charge, not us, not our friends, not our family, not even our church or anybody else in the world. Instead it is Him, and only Him who knows each and every hair on our head and every thought inside that head. We worry about the future, and regret the past, not remembering that He is with us in the present. This song just reminds me that He is always there, and no matter what I am (or anybody else is) going through, he is right there beside me.

Quote For Today

"If you don't stand for something you will fall for anything."

-Malcolm X

A Quote For Today

"I do not want to pass the time. I want to grab hold of it and leave my mark upon the world."

-The Sweet Far Thing

This is one of my favorite quotes, just thought I'd share it. (:

Morphed Self Image?

Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30

It is ridiculous what we consider to be beautiful in today's world; tiny waists, button noses and perfect skin. The list could go on for years if I thought about all of the things I envy about beautiful women (according to today's standards). Magazines, movies and TV shows are filled with airbrushed models and actresses, full of unrealistic beauty, and it does nothing to make us feel better about ourselves.

Very few teenage girls (and women in general) look in the mirror and are always satisfied. We constantly think about how we could have a better body, a better smile, or how we could have less freckles or zits. If we keep focusing on the things that we don't like about ourselves instead of our good points though, we will never be satisfied.

Sometimes it's just so hard to remember that God loves us just the way we are, and that he made us to be beautiful beings, no matter how badly we think of ourselves. That mouth, those eyes, that nose, those ears...they were all designed by the Creator for a reason, and are all unique and beautiful.

I was feeling this way the other day, and then I remembered a video I had watched about a man who had no arms or legs. He talked to people all over the world, traveling to tell them that they are beautiful and they are worth it. He was happy and satisfied with his life when there were so many things he couldn't do. I thought, surely this man isn't serious? How can he possibly be happy the way he is when half the time I'm not even happy because I judge myself so harshly... and I actually have arms and legs and a world of possiblities laid out for me.

I realized after watching that video that there are so many things I worry about that I really don't need to fret over. Like the song we sing at church says, "this world is not my home". I wont live in this body forever, and my looks don't define who I am. Flawless, gorgeous people can be severly flawed on the inside. Beauty passes, and I think that I, and all the girls out there, fail to realize that most of the time.
That girl you envy in your class because she's so pretty and has all of the guys chasing after her won't be that way forever. Old age will reach her, along with all of the wrinkles and brown spots that come along with it. That long gorgeous hair will grey and thin, and she'll be like the rest of us at that age. (Sure, there's always botox, hair dye and all kinds of surgeries. But c'mon, how realistic does that really look in most cases- not very.)
Also, when you know somebody's heart, their looks start to not even matter and pretty soon all you'll be able to see is their character. This is why people who are ugly on the inside and pretty on the outside start to not look as desirable as they did when you didn't really know them, and I've noticed that people who aren't drop dead gorgeous (once again, according to today's standards) start to look beautiful in their own way if their character is admirable. Especially dedicated Christians, I have noticed, those who truly strive to be like Jesus, have a certain light about them.

It's easier said than done, but we shouldn't worry as much about our looks and instead work to becoming a better person and a better Christian, because in the end... that is truly all that matters.

Do not let your adorning be external—the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear— but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious.
1 Peter 3:3-4