Seventy-five...

Saturday the 17th... I was so cool... I slept in, did laundry and cleaned my apartment, hardcore like dusted and mopped and swept and did dishes!!! I have absolutely no food to my name, but at least my apartment is clean.. Later that evening I went with my friend JH to frozen yogurt and a movie at Alamo draft house, it was my first time there and we saw the Help... I thought it was a pretty good movie, pretty emotional, but overall a good movie. JH and I had fun, she told me I can no longer pick the movie now, haha but overall, it was so much fun hanging out and getting to know each other on a more personal level other than the hey I work with you. She is a really awesome person and I enjoyed spending time with her.

What I read Exodus 25...

The Lord tells them how they are to worship him, and they are to make an ark and a tabernacle and lamp stands and a table... He gets pretty intricate and detailed and there is a lot of images and symbolism to be spoken of in this, however, yet again I am reading it from my point of view and though I could tell you how awesome it is that the Lord explains the symbolism later in the Bible... but I am instead going to be me and look at it from a very humble viewpoint and just admire Moses and the Israelites and their faith. In v. 17-22

"Make an atonement cover of pure gold -two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. And make two cherubim out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubm of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowing the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. Place the cover on top of the ark and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law that I will give you. There, above the cover between the two cherubim that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meet with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites."

I just think it is so awesome how amazing the Lord is that as he is giving all these commandments, he already saw the beautiful ark. He knew who would make it. He knew the hands that would be able to work with the gold and he knew who would make the cherubs. He knew that the people would be able to do this amazing work, because he had already allowed some of the Israelite men the ability to study under a goldsmith, that would teach them how to perform such work. I just love that, because when I originally read this my simple mind always thinks... Really? How on earth is this going to happen, not only that, but who the heck knows what a cherub looks like... I had to relook it up on google, because I couldn't remember. I always just think a flying baby right? haha I know so not at all what it is... more like a toddler. But seriously how crazy a request I keep thinking. However, this thing had to be amazing... I mean it was the ark of the covenant. A man could die just by touching it, later on. Obviously, not while they were building it. I just love how awesome the Lord is and how he provides and knows and allows man the creative and workmanship to be able to produce exactly what he had desired. The Lord is good.

Good Night and God Bless!

Seventy-four....

Friday the 16th... I worked yay... It was a good day I said hi to friends, it was busy but overall the Lord had it all under control it was my first full day as working as charge nurse and though I was a little nervous I think the Lord really covered it. I am thankful that he is in control even when it feels like everything is spiraling out of control.

What I read Exodus 24...

The Lord makes his covenant with Moses and the Israelites. He tells Moses his plan and the people say okay.... This is my favorite part... v. 15-18

"When Moses went up the mountain, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud. To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on top of the mountain. Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights. "

I love that Moses waited. Why don't we wait on the Lord anymore. I need to be a better waiter. Haha not in the sense of serving others, but I guess I need to work on that too, but more so in the sense of just being calm and still and waiting on the LORD to talk to me... So often I fall subject to our societies growing problem of wanting instant results, how quick can you make this happen, in a second, in a minute, an hour, a day, a week, a month, it is all so ridiculous how we want everything to happen in an instant. I know I am the guiltiest of all in this area. I want God to solve my problems the second they happen. I don't want to struggle in turmoil over them for days, weeks, months, or years on end. I know that the Lord has his perfect timing, but that rarely matches up with what I consider perfect timing. Ugh... like losing weight, haha all the experts say weight loss comes with exercise and eating right... and I know that it works, yet healthy weight loss takes time, weeks, months, years... haha who wants to wait that long, when you want instant results right... Or how about acne, no one actually wakes up and thinks Awesome I have mount Vesuvius on my face. They are all thinking, I wonder who is going to be looking at the mountain on my face and not my actual features on my face. I know I do.... haha well, I guess maybe not all people fixate on it, but still I think it is pretty much a concern for most people who are self-conscious. Well, I know that was an extended tangent, but I just wanted to say I love that Moses waits 6 days before the Lord came and appeared, because he knew he would come. He promised he would come and he came, I love that Moses showed faith in waiting. You don't read, Moses went up the mountain and prayed LORD, would you please hurry up and make an appearance already. I need to get to my sandal fitting latter this afternoon. Maybe, if we invoked the same patience we should have for the Lord towards other people, we would be happier people. The Lord can come in an instant.... RAPTU

haha ok so the Rapture didn't happen but He could do it... why don't we give people more time, I mean they are only human... they are actually going to need to 20 years to get it right, because we are imperfect sinful people. That is why God sent his son to save man, right.... Well, in short I guess Lord give me patience.

Good Night and God Bless!

Seventy-three...

Thursday the 15th... Off today, it was TF's birthdays so I went and hung out with her and cleaned my apartment in the morning, then we watched a movie and her place and I chatted with her and told her of my first night helping with the youth group, which was awesome!! Then after hanging out I went home and cleaned some more. I had an awesome chat with my friend DF who is heading to Italy for an amazing time studying Gods word at Calvary Chapel. I am so excited for her. I was sad I missed seeing her when she was in Houston, but I think the Lord had his hand in it, because he knew I had to work early the next day and the drive would be ridiculously long for me. It was so great chatting with her. I know the Lord is going to do awesome things in her life and really cover the time that she has while she is over there. I am also super stoked about the coming year with the youth group! My girls are awesome and I cannot wait to get to know them all better and see what the Lord is doing in their lives as well as what he is going to teach me.

What I read Exodus 23...

Basically, do not be unjust, keep the Sabbath and follow the path that he has laid out for you... as he is sending his angel ahead of them to take care of them... What an awesome God we serve! Here is what I love in the chapter... v.10-12

"For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused . Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild beasts may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove. Six days do your work, but on seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.

The Lord really takes care of us... He not only is looking out for the poor and for the wild animals, but he also knows that if you let the ground alone, the nutrients will replenish and thus their crops will be better in the year to come... I also love that he has a hand in taking care of the people. We were born with a circadian rhythm that is built on a 24 hr system and we have more energy when the sun is out getting it from the Vitamin D, but when during the winter we are more tired and stay in side during the cold winter months, the Lord has us work 6 days and rest on the 7th because that is the rest are bodies need. We need to recover from a hard 6 days of work.... yet in the chaos of a world we live in now, we jam stuff into every hour of the day that we don't leave time to sleep and even recover from a day let alone a week. It is no wonder that we are exhausted and need to drink coffee just to make it through the day. Not to mention, I don't think they ever worried about light when the sun wasn't out. You get up with the sun rises and you go to sleep when it goes down. Therefore, their work days were shorter than ours, we get up before the sun rises and we get home long after the sun has set. Somedays, I think if I just moved into a cabin the woods and became a lil hermit I would be so much happier, but I do love people even though they drive me crazy sometimes. I don't think I would last long out there by myself. Why don't we go back to work days like the biblical times or to the meals that they ate back then, I doubt they struggle with obesity. Our bodies were designed for hard labor and yet we work in jobs where you don't have to leave a desk for 12 hours if you don't want to. How sad, maybe we should make all our secretaries stand... haha just kidding. Or typing on a computer, that doesn't seem like what are fingers or wrists were made to do for 8-10 hours a day, no wonder people get carpal tunnel or hand cramps. So crazy the world we live in. But then again. I do love my computer, it connects me to people that are thousand of miles away. I could see them live with a camera that shoots live footage of what they are doing. I guess there are ups and downs to anything. These are just the thoughts that float around in my head. Well, I just love how the Lord takes care us making us take a rest, knowing already that we want to be little worker bees constantly trying to get ahead in life. But how often do we hear the story of the 2 men that were cutting trees, one cut the whole time, the other took several breaks, however, it was the one who took breaks that finished first. Because during those breaks he sharpened his axe. I think that speaks directly to our times. You will not get ahead no matter how much you try without sharpening your axe, because in taking the time to rest you sharpen yourself and can be ready for whatever the Lord is going to throw at you next.

Good Night and God Bless!