I am absolutely obsessed with this version of "Blessed Assurance" by Enfield..

I love this song. Ever since we used it on Youth Sunday a few years ago with a  9/11 slideshow in the background.

Amazing Grace (My Chains are Gone) - Chris Tomlin
My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

I don't know how people survive in this world without having God to rely on.
Not "a god". Not "their god". Not "someone higher than them".
God.
My God. Your God. The only God.
I've seen people struggle and try to get through things on their own.
And I've seen them turn to their friends, to alcohol, to work, to sex.
And then I've seen people turn to God.
And I've seen the end results of both.
When you turn to alcohol, you just keep going back to it. Not solving your problems, just burrying them and creating new ones.
I don't get it.

I've been to funerals for people who have lived their life for God.
And I've been to the funerals for people who have lived their lives for themselves. For their passions. For their jobs.
A life lived for ANYTHING other than God is pointless.
Who cares how much money you have in the bank.
Who cares where you went on vacation last summer.
Who cares how many marathons you ran.
Who cares how many friends you have.
Who cares how many people's lives you've affected.
Did you keep that money for yourself? Saving it for when YOU can use it?
Did your friends know that your passion in life was to live for God?
Did you affect people's lives for your passions or for your passion for teaching them about Christ?

This life here is not about you. And it's not about the people in your life.
This life is about one thing, and for one purpose.
To bring glory to God.

Who cares what you get out of it. It's not about you.

I love reading.
I am a fast reader.
I am fast, and I comprehend it all.
I can talk about the things I read and not stop.
I dominated the Twilight books in under eight hours each.
And I can talk non-stop about them.

But this book.
It is taking me forever to read.
It's taken me almost a month.
I'm only 270 pages into the book, and there's 303 in the book.
This darn book has made me smile, laugh, and cry. Yes, cry. Full on bawl!
And I can't get through it!
Everybody who loved being in marching band should read this book.
Seriously.
It's just taking me forever to read, and it's driving me crazy.

I almost think it's because I don't want the story to end.

When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.

You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up: To more than I can be.

I'm not even emo or depressed or sad, and that song still gives me such hope. You could call it an "insta-grin".
It's one of those songs that I can never skip over when it plays on my iPod or CD.

"You raise me up. To more than I can be."
Not just to what I am, or what I might be. You raise me up to more, MORE, than I can be. Like, what my wildest expectations of what I want to do with my life, what my highest goals in school and work... I can totally picture God up there just "You think that's what you're capable of? Oh.. Just you wait." How exciting is that?

Even for silly things. Ignoring school and work.... If I think I'm an extremely fast texter... Oh, I can be faster and more accurate. Or if I think that I can't survive a week without Chipotle, I know that if He wants me to, I can never eat Chipotle again.

And I know, that if I say my car is the biggest piece of crap possible, and that it can't possibly be any less reliable... Oh, but it can. However, I also have the thought, that it can get better! I mean, I'm lucky. My best friend is a car wiz. So I'm able to get things fixed without having to pay an arm and a leg, just an arm. And my car's always gotten me to and from wherever I needed to go, even if it took a little longer than expected. And it's always kept me company.. In the seven times I've locked my keys in my car. I think my car thinks it has a sense of humor. My car thinks it's funny. "haha, she's gonna lock her keys in her car, and guess what! Her AAA card will be locked in the car too!" or how bout "She's already running late, so why not have her get pulled over for speeding." or "Let's have her get her brakes replaced, but, only the brake pads will be in stock, the rotors will be misboxed and will have to be reshipped from the manufacturer". Oh car, you have a cruel sense of humor. I promise I'll stop swearing at you, if you just give me peace for... 6 months. I'll get your oil changed on time, and I won't let you run out of gas (on my same street as my house... on the way to the gas station)...

Wow. I started with a hymn, and ended with cursing my car. Hah. Go figure.