Ahhhh

Yea, I know. Blog post titles are pretty much not easy to think of.
Anyway, I just wanted to take a quick couple of minutes and spill out a few things. Just ramblings, so bear with me :)
I'm just going to be nice and up front about it.
The fear of man and the cares of this world are very ensnaring. I am so prone to being tossed about by so many dumb, foolish things that won't matter in 10 years, much less for the rest of eternity. Who cares if you are the trendiest dresser? Who cares if you always have something smart and intelligent to say? Who cares if you offend people for the sake of Christ? Isn't He worth it?
And yet the struggle is real. I will be again honest and tell you that I want people to like me. I want to be thought of as smart and fun, strong and personable. And guess what? It makes me prideful. I let what I want other to see in me get in the way of how Christ is shone through my life.
My life is not my own anymore anyway, right?
Having a close relationship with the God who created me and saved me from eternal punishment is more important than anything this world could offer me. Because it is a relationship, and relationships take work. Not just 10 sleepy minutes in the morning and a few thoughts during the day, but a passionate pursuing! Maybe instead of worrying if my outfit is cute, I should worry about the hidden beauties of the heart. Outside charm is nothing, absolutely nothing, if my attitude is selfish, vain and prideful rather than others centered, humble and gentle.Maybe instead of trying to be funny and always having something to say, I should work and strive for a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious before God.
And then stand thankful before His throne because He is not a God who shakes His fist at us every time one of His children has blown it. I'm His child. He's paid for all my shortcomings at the cross. He is a faithful, loving, trustworthy God. How amazing is that?!
~Bugg

He's got a plan

One thing that I so admire and am in awe of about God is His sovereignty. Since the beginning of time, to the sending of Jesus, God has been in control. His being in control isn't some kind of band-aid solution for every time we mess up either. God doesn't nervously wait up in heaven trying to think of ways to fix what we mess up. He knows us better than we know ourselves and our failures and sins are woven into his eternal plan.
1 Timothy 1:16-17
"But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen"

He knew that man was arrogant and so confused their languages at the Tower of Babel. (Genesis 11) But getting to listen to all the languages of the world sing praises to Christ is wonderful and makes me look forward to heaven all the more. He used the weak to humble the strong and Christ, God in the Flesh was born in a smelly barn and laid in a manger that animals ate out of. 
God uses our weaknesses and imperfections to glorify Him. As a Christian, I want people to see me and know that anything I do that is "good" is ALL God's grace in me. I could never, ever, ever on my own strength obey him or even desire to strengthen our relationship by getting to know Him. And even then, I stumble. Sometimes it's like 2 steps forward and 3 steps backward. I dishonor Him by dishonor others and not shining his light.
Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.
We can trust God with our futures and know that even when we stumble, He can use it to glorify Himself and teach and discipline us.
~Bugg


Continuing on with being thankful...
21.) God's sovereignty
22.) Grandparents
23.) Cousins
24.) Chai Tea
25.) Bible verses put to music
26.) The freedom we have to worship God
27.) Fresh snow
28.) Playing with my sisters
29.) Being able to run
30.) The opportunity God gives us to pray, and that we know He hears us :)
   

Learning

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
        and do not lean on your own understanding.
    In all your ways acknowledge him,
        and he will make straight your paths.
    Be not wise in your own eyes;
        fear the LORD, and turn away from evil.
    It will be healing to your flesh
        and refreshment to your bones.
(Proverbs 3:5-8 ESV)

My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline
        or be weary of his reproof,
    for the LORD reproves him whom he loves,
        as a father the son in whom he delights.
(Proverbs 3:11-12 ESV)


So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.
(Romans 7:21-25 ESV)


Oh how true these verses have proved in my life! God is so good and yesterday I read Proverbs 3 and Romans 12 in my quiet time. Little did I know he gave those verses to me so that all day I could remind myself not to be wise in my eyes, put others before myself, and to remember God corrects those whom he loves! And trust me, yesterday was not one of my better days, but I look back and see God teaching and revealing to me that prideful thoughts sneak into our minds often without our realization. That's where that strenuous battle of sin comes in! Unfortunately, it seems much easier to give into sin than it does to fight for righteousness and the glory of God. But how badly I want to glorify Him! Jesus, who died for us, is so worthy of every bit of obedience and praise I can give. But, let it be known that every bit of "good" in me is from God, because without him I am a weak vessel capable of nothing. Absolutely nothing.
   
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
        no one does good,
        not even one.”
(Romans 3:12 ESV)

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
    Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.
(1 Corinthians 15:56-58 ESV)

I am so thankful that God loves me despite the fact I sin, stumble and a lot of the time just mess things up. He is a merciful, wonderful savior.
~Bugg

Oh my Stars!

Who thinks God is amazing! ME!!! My younger siblings have been studying astronomy and I have been able to listen in once in awhile. A couple startling facts slammed into my brain and put a whole new sense of WHOA! into Christmas for me. Did you know... If the sun was the size of a basketball, the earth is the size of a peppercorn? Okay. So if the sun is about a thousand times bigger than the earth, and the sun is still just a star in the universe, and the universe is like a kajillion-billion-trillion-million light years long. (Don't laugh, I'm obviously not scientifically or mathematically minded) And God created the universe, that makes us really really small. And I for one, didn't really realize how truly small I really am. (I still don't) But just think. The creator of all that hugeness, came down to earth. (really really small!!!!) And I mean didn't just become the size of the universe, not just the size of the galaxy, not just the size of the sun, not just the size of the earth but the size of MAN. I can't even begin to wrap my mind around the amazing things God can do. And then think, He didn't come here to be a ruler arrayed in splendor and glory with gold and silver and all that jazzy stuff. He was born in a stable, the son of a carpenter, to grow up and be persecuted and eventually killed. WHAT?!?! He did that for me? He loves me that much? I sin against him everyday, and disobey, and lie, and cheat, and think awful things and HE STILL LOVES ME?! I am in shock. I love my brothers and sisters or friends or mom and dad, but if they do something 'wrong' to me, I want to hurt them, or do bad things to them! But, We have been doing that to Jesus ever since the fall, and this was his plan all along. Why? Oh, Jesus! Why can't I have your selfless attitude,your servants heart, and your willingness to die to self daily? You drank the cup given to you, please make me more like yourself! I don't want to be ashamed of the gospel, not sharing what you did for me, just so I don't feel embarrassed. Please help me to remember how big you are, and how small I am. I can't wait to come and see you someday. Please help me to share your name throughout the nations! Amen.
~Bugg 

 Yep, That's the sun!!

This is called the sombrero galaxy. IT IS HUGE. And very beautiful.

A supernova called the Crab Nebula....

This is the photo of the day on NASA.gov. 

And here we are, teeny tiny us.....

Standing in Awe

I am forever in awe of my Savior. He is so big, vast, and loving, but yet I tend to forget about his wrath. I asked him this morning to show me something in his word. Nothing specific, just something that I could meditate on, that would give me yet another perspective of his pure amazingness. Well, believe it or not, He answered my prayer to the fullest. My bible fell open to Lamentations 3. I read it, and I realized how much I need this reminder. His wrath is indescribable, I can't think of a word to even describe it. But, His love for his children is so endless and powerful, I can't think of a word for that either! Even when God is giving you hardship,grief, and bitterness, have hope! His love for you is endless, he causes pain, but he will have compassion! I want to laugh and cry at the same time, because He is showing me how powerful his wrath is and how gentle his LOVE is! Isn't he wonderful? One thing I love about God is how confusing he is. I know it sounds weird, but think about it. If we had a God we could understand, one that we could comprehend how big his wrath and love is, one we could figure out without our brains wanting to fall out, it would make him that much less awesome! I am glad there are things about him that I don't know, that I can trust him with my life, because he has a perfect plan, and because he loves me.

I am the man who has seen affliction

under the rod of his wrath;

2 he has driven and brought me

into darkness without any light;

3 surely against me he turns his hand

again and again the whole day long.

4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;

he has broken my bones;

5 he has besieged and enveloped me

with bitterness and tribulation;

6 he has made me dwell in darkness

like the dead of long ago.

7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;

he has made my chains heavy;

8 though I call and cry for help,

he shuts out my prayer;

9 he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones;

he has made my paths crooked.

10 He is a bear lying in wait for me,

a lion in hiding;

11 he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces;

he has made me desolate;

12 he bent his bow yand set me

as a target for his arrow.

13 He drove into my kidneys

the arrows of his quiver;

14 I have become the laughingstock of all peoples,

the object of their taunts all day long.

15 He has filled me with bitterness;

he has sated me with wormwood.

16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel,

and made me cower in ashes;

17 my soul is bereft of peace;

I have forgotten what happiness is;

18 so I say, “My endurance has perished;

so has my hope from the Lord.”

19 Remember my affliction and my wanderings,

the wormwood and the gall!

20 My soul continually remembers it

and is bowed down within me.

21 But this I call to mind,

and therefore I have hope:

22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;

his mercies never come to an end;

23 they are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness.

24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,

“therefore I will hope in him.”

25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,

to the soul who seeks him.

26 It is good that one should wait quietly

for the salvation of the Lord.

27 It is good for a man that he bear

the yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone in silence

when it is laid on him;

29 let him put his mouth in the dust—

there may yet be hope;

30 let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,

and let him be filled with insults.

31 For the Lord will not

cast off forever,

32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion

according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

33 for he does not afflict from his heart

or grieve the children of men.

34 To crush underfoot

all the prisoners of the earth,

35 to deny a man justice

in the presence of the Most High,

36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit,

the Lord does not approve.

37 Who has spoken and it came to pass,

unless the Lord has commanded it?

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

that good and bad come?

Ahhh...... this verse is so comforting to me.  I love my Savior! And I am also in awe of the wonderful things he has created. Here are some that are my personal favs....

Stars, Music, Shoes, Flowers, oceans, animals, laughter, weeping,

And my brothers and sisters. I love sitting on the couch and watching Winnie the Pooh with them, playing outside with them, cooking for them, watching them grow up, and a whole lot of other things.... Thank God for family. I praise him that we could adopt Dash and Bear, and give them a family with siblings to do those special family things with. I thank him for adoption, and for all the people who have opened up their hearts to God and to the orphaned and widowed. And I am thankful to my heavenly father for adopting me and letting me join the body of Christ!

~Bugg~

PS.... That video is amazing and HE IS MY KING!