Thanks, Bro(s)

Dear guys,

My two best friends and I were talking about you last night. Don't take this the wrong way, we're not interested in dating any of you, but we did come to realize that we really appreciate some of the things that you do.

I'm pretty sure you know who you are.

You're the guys that tell us we look nice without hitting on us.

You're the guys that come talk to us and make us feel like we matter, without giving us the wrong idea.

You're the guys who go out of your way to give us a high five.

You're the guys who remember the things that are important to us.

You're the guys who watch out for us when other guys are acting like idiots.

You're the guys that encourage us to make decisions that reflect God's best.

Basically, we love it when you treat us like sisters. I'm really satisfied to say that I have a lot of great brothers right now. So keep up the good work!

We love you!

Amanda

Clarity isn't just a song by John Mayer

Mmmmm what a lovely day. I've felt so stirred up over the past few weeks over some pictures that the Lord has given me. Based on what God was showing me, I thought that He was possibly leading me into a relationship. The only thing was that I had no clue where to start, I just felt plagued by so much confusion and distraction. I know that every word from God is Life and Peace - the fact that I felt so crazed was total proof that I didn't fully understand what He was showing me. I began to process it in the context of my community, the people closest to me. While doing that, I realized that there there were parts of the picture that I couldn't interpret. I had been trying so hard to understand the big picture that I had neglected the details. INFP's like me tend to do things like that sometimes. :)

I desperately needed to process this dream with the One who had given it to me. I had the opportunity last night to go on a little date with God, and to seek His clarity in the details. He is the most faithful Love out there. Seriously, if you don't know, ask Him for anything and He'll provide. He so beautifully revealed the truth behind all those little things I couldn't understand about the picture - it was gentle and reassuring. Life and Peace. This next horizon of my life is near, and His Spirit has gone ahead to prepare a place for me there. He showed me that all I need to do is to see where the Holy Spirit is resting.

That part of me that was distracted and anxious before is so peaceful now. This is how it was meant to be. Sweet clarity.

Lovesick

I love this song because it captures how I feel after spending time with my Favorite this morning. Here are the lyrics:

love is serenading at my window

my faint heart cannot resist

i feel butterflies inside me

flying free just like the wind

your love drives me wild

makes me laugh just like a child

your love drives me wild

makes me laugh just like a child

my heart is feeling so alive

and all the stars are in my eyes

my breath is taken away

when i look at your sweet face

there's no sleep but lots of dreaming

busy mind thinks only of you

feeling hungry but not eating

what i crave is love from you

your love drives me wild

makes me laugh just like a child

your love drives me wild

makes me laugh just like a child

my heart is feeling so alive

and all the stars are in my eyes

my breath is taken away

when i look at your sweet face

to spend my life with you

i'd give anything, i'd give everything for you (2x)

my heart is feeling so alive

and all the stars are in my eyes

my breath is taken away

when i look at your sweet face

i only have eyes for you

The Song :]

A Daily Prayer for Freedom

I was rereading part of the book Captivating this morning, and feeling like a warrior princess, and I read this Prayer of Freedom, and just felt so victorious in my spirit. It goes like this:

My dear Lord Jesus, I come to you now to be restored in you--to renew my place in you, my allegiance to you, and to receive from you all the grace and mercy I so desperately need this day. I honor you as my sovereign Lord, and I surrender every aspect of my life totally and completely to you. I give you my body as a living sacrifice; I give you my heart, soul, mind, and strength; and I give you my spirit as well. I cover myself with your blood--my spirit, my soul, and my body. And I ask your Holy Spirit to restore my union with you, seal me in you, and guide me in this time of prayer.

Dear God, holy and victorious Trinity, you alone are worthy of all my worship, my heart's devotion, all my praise and all my trust and all the glory of my life. I worship you, bow to you, and give myself over to you in my heart's search for life. You alone are Life, and you have become my life. I renounce all other gods, all idols, and I give you the place in my heart and in my life that you truly deserve. I confess here and now that it is all about you, God, and not about me. You are the Hero of this story, and I belong to you. Forgive me for my every sin. Search me and know me and reveal to me any aspect of my life that is not pleasing to you, expose any agreements I have made with my Enemy, and grant me the grace of a deep and true repentance.

Heavenly Father, thank you for loving me and choosing me before you made the world. You are my true Father--my Creator, my Redeemer, my Sustainer and the true end of all things, including my life. I love you; I trust you; I worship you. Thank you for proving your love for me by sending your only son, Jesus, to be my sacrifice and my new life. I receive him and all his life and all his work, which you ordained for me. Thank you for including me in Christ, for forgiving my sins, for granting me his righteousness, for making me complete in him. Thank you for making me alive with Christ, raising me with him, seating me with him at your right hand, granting me his authority, and anointing me with your Holy Spirit. I receive it all with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, thank you for coming for me, for ransoming me with your own life. I honor you as my Lord; I love you, worship you, trust you. I sincerely receive you as my redemption, and I receive all the work and triumph of your crucifixion, whereby I am cleansed from all my sin through your shed blood, my old nature is removed, my heart is circumscised unto God, and every claim being made against me is disarmed. I take my place in your cross and death, whereby I have died with you to sin and to my flesh, to the world, and to the Evil one. I am crucified with Christ. I now take up my cross and crucify my flesh with all its pride, unbelief, and idolatry. I put off the old man (woman). I now bring the cross of Christ between me and all people, all spirits, all things. Holy Spirit, apply to me the fullness of the work of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my new life, my holiness and sanctification, and I receive all the work and triumph of yor resurrection, whereby I have been raised with you to a new life, to walk in newness of life, dead to sin and alive to God. I am crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me. I now take my place in your resurrection, whereby I have been made alive in you, I reign in life through you. I put on the new person in all holiness and humility, in all righteousness and purity and truth. Christ is now my life, the one who strengthens me. Holy Spirit, apply to me the fullness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Jesus, I also sincerely receive you as my authority and rule, my everlasting victory over Satan and his kingdom, and I receive all the work and triumph of your ascension, whereby Satan has been judged and cast down, his rulers and authorities disarmed, all authority in heaven and on earth given to you, Jesus, and I have been given fullness in you, the Head over all. I take my place in your ascension, whereby I have been raised with you to the right hand of the Father and established with you in all authority.

I bring your authority and your kingdom rule over my life, my family, my household, and my domain. And now I bring the fullness of your work--your cross, resurrection, and ascension--against Satan, against his kingdom, and against all his emissaries and all their work warring against me and my domain. Greater is he who is in me than he who is in the world. Christ has given me authority to overcome all the power of the Evil one, and I claim that authority now over and against every enemy, and I banish them in the name of Jesus Christ. Holy Spirit, apply to me the fullness of the work of the ascension of Jesus Christ for me. I receive it with thanks and give it total claim to my life.

Holy Spirit, I sincerely receive you as my Counselor, my Comforter, my Strength, and my Guide. Thank you for sealing me in Christ. I honor you as Lord, and I ask to you lead me into all truth, to anoint me for all of my life and walk and calling, and to lead me deeper into Jesus today. I fully open my life to you in every dimension and aspect--my body, my soul, and my spirit--choosing to be filled with you, to walk in step with you in all things. Apply to me, blessed Holy Spirit, all of the work and all of the gifts in pentecost. Fill me afresh, blessed Holy Spirit. I receive you with thanks and give you total claim to my life.

Heavenly Father, thank you for granting me to every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. I receive those blessings into my life today, and I ask the Holy Spirit to bring all those blessings into my life this day. Thank you for the blood of Jesus. Wash me once more with his blood from every sin and stain and evil device. I put on your armor--the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the readiness of the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation. I take the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. I choose to pray at all times in the Spirit, to be strong in you, Lord, and in your might.

Father, thank you for your angels. I summon them in my authority of Jesus Christ and release them to war for me and my household. May they guard me at all times this day. Thank you for those who pray for me; I confess I need their prayers, and I ask you to send forth your Spirit and rouse them, unite them, raising up the full canopy of prayer and intercession for me. I call forth the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ this day throughout my home, my family, my life, and my domain. I pray all of this in the name of Jesus Christ, with all glory and honor and thanks to him.

Current Music: Lovesick by Kim Walker :]

We're at the Top of the World

I am so happy right now. Nothing in my life has changed, except for the fact that I'm taking so much joy in surrendering my life over to Christ. The number of hours I work, the papers I have to write, and the people in my life are all the same, but I just feel so light after this weekend. God has been giving me pictures of hope, comfort, and passionate love lately. I just feel like He is so generous. I just want to be anywhere He is.

I first heard this song by The Juliana Theory when I thought life sucked. I never dreamed that it could describe the way I feel so well. It's not a worship song or anything, but I love the carefree attitude of being surrendered to anything. That's exactly how I feel about life right now. Surrender makes me happy-go-lucky :]

We're at the top of the world, you and I.
We've got alot of time and it sure feels right.
Cause you reached in your pocket
And pulled out a pass, says you can take me anywhere.

Sha la la la sha la la la sha la la la la la la (x3)
Sha la la la sha la la la la la la

We're on the top of the world, here tonight.
We've got alot of time and it sure feels right.
Cause I'm up here running behind you.
I'm up here running in repeat.

Sha la la la sha la la la sha la la la la la la (x4)

Were at the top of the world, you and I.
We've got a lot of time and it sure feels right. cause
you reached in your pocket and pulled out a pass...
You can take me AnywheEeEere

You can take me anywhere (x4)

Sha la la la sha la la la sha la la la la la la (x6)
yeah yeah yeah yeah you can take me anywhere (x4)
Sha la la la, sha la la la la la la