Highlights & Scripture?

2 Timothy 3:16 - "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness." (NIV)

Do you smile like this girl when getting your hair done? Do we smile like this girl after delving into God's Word?

To all you women out there....how many of you get excited about getting your hair done? Girlfriend, I'm talking; sitting in the relaxing, squishy chair that makes you feel 3x taller, layed back, sipping a lemonade, while getting 65 foils layered in your hair that may have a few grey strands and split-ends (yes, I had a strand of grey hair at 12 years old)? Getting my hair done EXCITES me. I always feel like a different person from the time I sit down, to when I get back up, with freshly cut hair and beautifully layered highlights and lowlights. While thinking about getting my hair done again and how much I thoroughly enjoy this day, I thought, "do I get this excited about reading Scripture and spending time alone with God?" Often times, we feel like as Christians, we HAVE to read our Bibles and spend quality time with God. Although we do need to be in God's Word and spend quality time with Him, we should develop an excitement and yearning to draw closer to the Lord, not just feel like we "have to." This is something I've always struggled with and want to encourage you to get excited about spending time with our Creatior, Maker and Heavenly Father. I want to get excited about reading Scripture like Beth Moore. If you've been to any of her retreats or participated in her Bible study dvd's, she's giddy about spending time with the Lord and soaking up Scripture. Let's strive for that kind of excitement ... the kind where you feel like a different person from the time you sit down to when you get up again.

God's mercy in disguise!

While riding along, jamming to Klove radio this morning, I heard this beautiful song again by Laura Story called "Blessings." I've heard it a million times while listening to her cd, but hadn't really listened to the true meaning of the lyrics.

Read these lyrics to her song "Blessings" - soak them up!
"We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

(Chorus)
'Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if the thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You're near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
As long as we have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can't satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise"

Isn't it encouraging that through our hardships and roller coaster up's and down's, they can also be "blessings in disguise?"  One of my favorite parts of the song is, "What if trials of this life, The rain, the storms, the hardest nights, Are your mercies in disguise?"

Your trials may be God's shield of protection over you. It could be a time to draw closer to Him and re-kindle that thirst and desire for Him and His word. Isn't that a beautiful thought? Wow. God is good. I will end on that note, "Isn't God good?"