I love lists! 3 Reasons I love IHOP

If you didn't know this about me, I love lists. I like to organize schedules, and put my brain on paper.

Here are 3 reasons I love IHOP:
1. They are SO in love with Jesus. So snockered! exponentially, going hard after the heart of God.
2. IHOP is teaching me so much about the 3 persons in the trinity, and causing me to fall in love with Jesus because they tell me about Him, and also they direct me to spend time with Him...which causes me to fall in love with Him.
3. The leaders wait on the Holy Spirit, and are obedient to His voice.

Roommate interview-Nikolena & Heidi & Me

Ok, Honestly, I got these questions off the internet. But I thought it would be fun to interview my housemates... well only two of them. Here you are:

Short interview of Myself and a couple of my roomates.  N is for Nikolena, H is for Heidi, and M is for me.

 What do you do for fun when you’re not studying, doing research, or performing community service?
N: Anything where I can use my hands- painting, old-to new stuff, cooking, and dreaming (Dreaming is my favorite thing in the world!) etc.
H: I like to read, paint, or write. And I am developing a new passion for cooking. I like to rest in HIS presence.
M: I am either relaxing, resting, being leisurely, or eating. Also I make a time for me to do the Most important things for that day, and to chip away on big projects.
In what areas do you think you can improve?
N: I really, really need meekness. I need to learn to not revile in return.
H: I need to study the word more. I need to be a better steward of my time, and I need to speak more truth over myself rather than agreeing with lies.
M: I need to improve in many areas... humility, servant heart, but really I just need to spend time with Jesus. I think that's the biggest thing right now. Get to know Jesus.

?  What kind of music do you listen to?
N: Laura Hackett and Misty Edwards make me really tender and sensitive to the Lord.
H: Worship music, anything that worships God.
M: Mostly worship music, and a little culture music also.
?  What is a novel or book that you’ve read for pleasure recently and liked, and why did you like it?
N: Heavenly Man. I may not even be able to give a description why, because I am so dumbfounded... It showed me a clear example of a spirit-lead life.
H: Secrets of the Secret place by Bob Sorge.  I liked it because it helped me grow in intimacy with my beloved, and gave me practical ways to live the life I desire to live. Next book is A.W. Tozer's knowledge of the Holy
M: The most recent would be a book called Micah. I forgot who wrote it but I liked it because it put me in the story of David personally. I feel that after reading that book I can recall David's life and things in it.
?  How would you define life? And what is your position on abortion? What is more important–someone agreeing with you on these issues or someone figuring out their own stance on these issues?
N: Its about agreeing with Jesus.
H: Life prayer- Jesus I plead your blood over my sins and the sins of my nation. God end abortion and send revival to America.
M: Life is meant to glorify God. Jesus end abortion, definetly agree with Nikki, its about agreeing with Jesus
?  What is your “Top 5 ” list for favorite movies,
N: Pride and Prejudice, Little Woman, Pure Luck, Nacho Libre, and A walk to Remember
H: While you were Sleeping, Ever After,  Musicals
M: Furious Love, Finger of God, LOTR series, Chronicles of Narnia series, ...

Fasting

WOW.... well today particularly fasting is really difficult. I find when I'm fasting a lot of my monsters come out. Lord deliver me! Today started out pretty good, but towards the evening particularly around 4:30, my body physically got tired and boy is my mind crazy! We had a evening service tonight and I found that I couldn't focus, I thought about cooking meals and eating something, and I wanted to see my friends. Needless to say I couldn't focus on the sermon which seemed really good-based on crowd response. I found my heart was really offended also. The Lord's manifest presence was near the side of the wall I was by and people were manifesting, getting hit with joy, and good stuff happening. But man, I wanted nothing to do with it. I really wanted to go home. I really hope the Lord is doing something in me, because I am seeing all the gross stuff come out of me as I am being purified.  Deliver me LORD from EVERYTHING that hinders love! I don't want to be offended when you come! I don't want to be good with you only on my good days! I want to love you with everything I have in all my seasons (Even if they change in one day!)
The Lord has always met me in my fasts though. I fast for multiple reasons this time, but fasting always seems to speed things up with Jesus. Perhaps the Lord is taking care of the offense-removal-process now, so that later I will be solid and standing with Jesus.
I look forward to what the Lord will do. My Spirit is willing, but my flesh is very very weak.  You are my strength, I fast for you anyways.
But fasting is good! You should do it! Its SUPER rewarding, this is just a long comment of how I am feeling RIGHT NOW.
ENCOUNTER, ENCOUNTER, ENCOUNTER!
Reveal Jesus to us, Holy Spirit!
Father God, you are my Father, I love you, I need you.

Looking back to last year

Looking back at my journal from a year ago I was interested in what I was writing about this time last year. Apparently I didn't journal very much. I was definetly a note-taker, writing little notes here and there. But I did write about Luke 10:25-28. Particularly focused on v. 27, about loving the Lord with all my strength, soul, heart, and mind. What does that look like? I was wondering, what does it look like to love Him with all my strength? What does it look like to love Him with my whole mind? etc. Now I would also add, What does it look like to love Him with all my TIME? What does it look like to even love God? Its more than how it appears, its about my heart-connect. Learning to love. I need to let God love me in all those areas, to make space in those. To depend on His strength, to hear His heartbeat against His chest. To think upon Him. To be so  captivated by the beauty of Jesus. To be fascinated with His character. I mean God -Yahweh- became a man!.... do we even realize the magnitude of this! I know I am only beginning to see it. I still don't fully grasp that! Lord teach us who you are! Give us the right paradigm of you!

In my journal from a year ago I was putting worship song under categories of heart, soul, mind. (I think I wanted to do this on my worship team @ ICS. But really it doesn't matter in regard to sub-categorizes. The best worship songs are about God, to God. I worship Jesus, not my heart, soul, mind or strength. But I wanted to sing songs that expressed me loving God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. Which is awesome. Jesus has captivated my heart, my mind, my soul is with Him and Jesus is my strength. He has my attention, my emotions, my thoughts. They are all for Him. Because I am a garden enclosed for Jesus. Once again I declare that I am giving my mind, my soul, my strength, and my heart to Jesus.
I'll end this post with these beautiful lyrics about Jesus

The Beauty of This Man:
My heart is stirred by a noble theme
Bringing blessed words unto my King
Giving up my love as a sweet offering
Oh the beauty of this Man

For the sake of love, He left His Father's throne
Searching for a bride, bone of His bone
Such a humble kiss to make her dust His own
Oh the beauty of this Man

Jesus, I love You, I give You all my worship
Jesus, I love You, Your name is Wonderful

See His hands, His head, His feet and His side
They bear the marks of wrath, a pure sacrifice
To secure her love by giving up His life
Oh the beauty of this Man

She now faint with love, beckons Him to come
Establish righteousness as God's risen Song
On that glorious day, she'll marry her Fair One
Oh the beauty of this Man

20 questions for Mary

In my Excellencies of Christ class, one of our assignments was to write out 20 questions for Mary based on reading the 4 gospels. Thought I'd share what my 20 questions were:

1. What was Jesus like growing up?
2. How did you mother God? Was it difficult?
3. When did you worship Jesus?
4. Did you ever gorget Jesus was the Son of God?
5. Was it hard being the mother of Jesus?
6. Did people ever talk about you?
7. When did you become a Christian?
8. When did you recieve the baptism of Holy Spirit?
9. Did you sing often?
10. What were your other children like?
11. What was your family like that you came from before meeting Joseph?
12. What do you think of people praying to you?
13. What do you enjoy the most?
14. What does your laugh sound like?
15. What does Jesus' laugh sound like?
16. What is your favorite thing about Jesus?
17. What did you and Jesus talk about?
18. Did Jesus sing?
19. What did you do after Jesus went up to heaven?
20. Did you ever tell Jesus any stories,- Any bed-time stories?