There are only two ways to live your life. one is as if nothing is a miracle. the other is as if everything is a miracle.- Albert Einstein

Yesterday evening I went with Young Life down to the Hundred Acre Farm in Madison, GA. I could not have asked for a more peaceful evening to remind me all that I have to be thankful for in my life. The weather was warm and beautiful. It was the senior appreciation dinner. It is always interesting to me to watch people be in positions that I will be in years from now. One girl wrote herself a letter as a freshman explaining her deep desire to not leave without making an impact. That is also my fondest desire. I just wish I knew exactly how to go around making that difference and making that impact.

This morning in English I discovered that my English professor is probably one of the most interesting individuals I have encountered all year. He shared a life story of how he refused to study out of a desire to protest against having to study. He said he received six credit hours in two years. He went into the military for the two years following and then finally came back to school and took 30 hours a semester to graduate on time. It made me think a lot about  unused potential. 

The lady working behind the counter at Jittery Joe's in the SLC complimented me on my shirt today. What if every time we thought something nice about another individual we told them? I think I'm going to make a point to compliment 5 different people every day. It makes such a different to have someone else take notice. 

I'm off to my part-time residence. The Milledge Hall Math Lab. I'm tempted to stay here in the SLC and continue to people watch. Everyone looks a little more stressed out than usual due to finals. 

It's 92 degrees outside. I absolutely love it. I'm about to go play tennis and I couldn't be more excited to be getting to spend time outside in this heat. I had a CMLT paper due this morning...and I only wrote half of it before going to sleep last night. I have no idea why I do things like that. 

This made me laugh....

Twitter-Sized SparkNotes 

Lord of the Flies:
Lack of female presence leads to cannibalism, tears.

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:
Before advent of email, runaways miss big news at home.

Catcher in the Rye:
Sexually frustrated hipster has meltdown, recovers.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream:
Unemployed misanthropes pool resources for double wedding.

Oedipus Rex:
Antigone’s Family Tree Project looks more like underbrush.

Animal Farm:
Tyrannical pig finds comfort in whiskey.

Frankenstein:
Young woman chooses suitor with too much baggage.

Catch-22:
Dude hates war.

The Great Gatsby:
Car accident kills trashy lover of married man, pool cleaner has big job.

Ethan Frome:
Elm tree just not big, hard enough.

"The glory of friendship is not the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile nor the joy of companionship; it is the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him."
Ralph Waldo Emerson  

Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to a new understanding with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.
 Flavia Weedn  

"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

 Walter Winchell  

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that gives value to survival."
C.S. Lewis 

"Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are, to some extent, a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece -- by thought, choice, courage and determination."
John Luther 

"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy." 

 Martin Luther King, Jr. 

It's pretty embarrassing the number of lists on sporcle that I can't complete.

Lately the Lord has been teaching me about learning to surrender to him. Unfortunately I feel that many believe that the word surrender has many negative connotations attached. It implies weakness or defeat. The Lord is teaching me that surrendering is beautiful and gives me a certain delightful freedom. 

"Give yourselves to God...Surrender your whole being to Him to be used for righteous purposes" (Romans 6:13).

"Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for Him" (Psalm 37:7).

Here are some of my favorite verses that I thought I'd share.

Never let faithfulness and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck; write them on the tablets of your heart.   Proverbs 3:30

My soul waits in silence for God alone; from Him is my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation; my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken. Psalm 62:1-2

Let your beauty be that of your inner self with the unfading loveliness of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of the Lord.  1 Peter 3:4  

The Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion, For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him!  Isaiah 30:18 

Eugene Peterson- " Joy is not a requirement of Christian discipleship, it is a consequence." 

A couple of months ago I purchased Life's Little Instruction Book in an antique store in Milledgeville. The store was one of my absolute favorite places, it happens to be from where a good deal of my favorite jewelry was purchased. I thought I'd share some of my favorites from the book.

43) Never give up on anybody. Miracles happen every day.
54) Surprise loved ones with little unexpected gifts.
83) In business and in family relationships, remember that the most important thing is trust.
104) Take a brisk 30- minute walk every day
113) Learn to identify local wildflowers, birds, and trees.
115) Give yourself a year and read the Bible cover-to-cover
139) Never deprive someone of hope; it might be all they have.
183) Be insatiably curious. Ask "why" a lot.
187) Measure people by the size of their hearts, not the size of their bank accounts.
188) Become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know.
322) Don't say you don't have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein.
332) Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
357) Let your representatives in Washington know how you feel. Call (202) 225-3121 for the House and (202) 224-3121 for the Senate. An operator will connect you to the right office.
425) Don't allow self pity. The moment this emotion strikes, do something nice for someone less fortunate than you.
456) Send your loved one flowers. Think of a reason later.
Over this past summer I received a copy of the lyrics of one of my favorite hymns, "Come Thou Fount" with scriptural references included. I've been blessed with numerous encounters with others sharing an affection for hymns and offered to make them copies but I've failed to do so I thought I'd post it below.

Come, thou Fount of every blessing, (James 1:17)

tune my heart to sing thy grace;

streams of mercy, never ceasing,

call for songs of loudest praise. (Psalm 28:6)

Teach me some melodious sonnet,

sung by flaming tongues above. (Revelations 5:11-12)

Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,

mount of thy redeeming love. (Exodus 15:13)

Here I raise mine Ebenezer;

hither by thy help I'm come; (1 Samuel 7:12)

and I hope, by thy good pleasure,

safely to arrive at home.

Jesus sought me when a stranger,

wandering from the fold of God; (Luke 15:1-7)

he, to rescue me from danger,

interposed his precious blood. (Romans 5:6-8)

O to grace how great a debtor

daily I'm constrained to be! (2 Corinthians 15:10)

Let thy goodness, like a fetter,

bind my wandering heart to thee.

Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,

prone to leave the God I love; ( 2 Peter 2:25)

here's my heart, O take and seal it,

seal it for thy courts above.

O that day when freed from sinning,

I shall see Thy lovely face; ( 1 John 3:2)

Clothed then in blood washed linen

How I’ll sing Thy sovereign grace; ( Revelation 7:15)

Come, my Lord, no longer tarry,

Take my ransomed soul away;

Send thine angels now to carry

Me to realms of endless day. ( Revelation 22:12-14)

Some of my favorites hymns....

- Be Thou my Vision

- Blest Be the Tie that Binds

- I Love to Tell the Story

- I Surrender All

- I'll Fly Away

- Leaning on the Everlasting Arms

- Rock of Ages

- Standing on the Promises