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RayRay4Him
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Name: Rachel
Birthday: 12/21/1990
Gender: Female
Interests: Jesus Christ, family, friends, reading, singing, acting, babysitting, journaling.
Message: message me
Member Since:
8/8/2005
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| Happy Valentine's Day, friends! : ) <3
For as long as I can remember, I have always LOVED Valentine's Day. My mama has always decorated and made special treats to celebrate...and we write Jesus a love letter...thanking Him for the love He poured out on the cross, for drawing us to Himself, for loving us with an unchanging, everlasting love, for working in our hearts to change and conform us to His own image...Today, we celebrate the One who shows us what love is..."This is how we know what love is, Jesus Christ laid down His life for us." - For us..."while we were yet sinners" and at enmity with Him, He LOVED us. This is a love that is not portrayed in Hollywood, but instead, distorted. This is not a love about "butterflies in your stomach" or the "chemistry" you feel for someone. It's not about flowers or chocoates or diamonds or pearls...but about the "Pearl of Great Price." So, if you're still waiting for that perfect romance...that soul mate...that one, don't be discouraged (or if you're in a thriving, happy romantic relationship or marriage right now)... If you have been disillusioned because the "one" you thought was the "one," is no longer there, don't be. If you're in a painful marriage, or have gone through or are going through divorce, rest in the pure knowledge of THE ONE who, with just a word, spoke the whole universe into existence...He...HE LOVES Y-O-U! It is He who is the author of romance...the perfector of love...and you can rest in the embrace of His love today...and forever. See it, feel it, taste it, know it...
I hope you enjoy and are encouraged by this that my mama wrote:
I dreamed I needed to define a word
so I went to the dictionary - only to see
on each page were words - thousands of words
yet beside each there was nothing
no meaning
no explanation
nothing
I was convinced I had picked up the wrong book
pulling book after book off the shelf, I frantically searched between their covers -
Could it be that somehow the coverings were mistakenly put on the wrong books?
What happened?
How could I define that which I did not know?
The meaning of this word was so very crucial - the most important of any word I’d ever heard
I had to know it’s definition
Spoken so often, heard by my ears, but not understood by my heart
But in that book were just...
words
nothing but
words
and there it was
that one word
the one I longed to hear more than any
yet more than hear
to see
to feel
to taste
to know
but beside it, nothing
meaningless
void
just
a word
exasperated, I closed the cover
closed my eyes
only to wake
not from a dream
but a nightmare
In front of me lay a book
a book I had failed to look at
Where had it been as I frantically searched
searched to find
the meaning
the meaning of just one word?
Afraid
I opened it’s cover
It was different
Somehow it felt
Alive
There were no lists
only
Truth
Between its covers I found the meaning
the meaning of that one word
I heard it
I saw it
I felt it
I tasted it
I knew it
Taste and see that the Lord is good
His love endures forever
This is how we know what love is
Between its covers I found it
what my heart needed to know
love
not just a word
not just an explanation
but love lived out
love shown
love more than a word
love truly defined
Relieved
I closed the cover of that book
put all other books in their proper order
and I rested
rested in the knowledge
that I am loved
He has loved me with an everlasting love
drawn me with cords of lovingkindness
Now the word
was full
full of meaning
rich with definition
not just a word
never again just a word
but a meaning
right there living
on paper
in black and white
but stained with crimson red
I now knew
the meaning
for He showed me. | | |
| With so many longings for things like marriage and "a host of children" one day, and fears of possibly not having these longings met, God used this diary entry from Jim Elliot to pierce my heart...
From Jim Elliot's Diary:
"I walked out to the hill just now. It is exalting, delicious, to stand embraced by the shadows of a friendly tree with the wind tugging at your coattail and the heavens hailing your heart, to gaze and glory and give oneself again to God- what more could a man ask? Oh, the fullness, the pleasure, the sheer excitement of knowing God on earth! I care not if I never raise my voice again for Him, if only I may love Him, please Him. Mayhap in mercy He shall give me a host of children that I may lead them through the vast star fields to explore His delicacies whose finger ends set them to burning. But if not, if only I may see Him, touch His garments, and smile into His eyes - ah then, not stars nor children shall matter, only Himself." | | |
| A real woman . . .
…is glad she’s a woman and rejoices in her femininity, expressing it through her attitude, appearance and bearing. (1 Timothy 2:9-10)…does not compete for equality with men or chafe at God’s design for male and female, but delights in and understands the importance of her calling to complement man’s role. (1 Timothy 2:11-12, Ephesians 5:22-24) …values the cultivation of her mind and diligently seeks after wisdom and knowledge. (Proverbs 22:17-21, 2:2-6) …realizes her imperative need to allow the Holy Spirit to control her emotions and expressions of them. (James 1:19-20) …does not wallow in self-pity or make a habit of voicing complaints, but radiates cheerfulness and joy. (Proverbs 15:15, Proverbs 17:22)
…appreciates her father’s protection, and respects and submits to his authority. In so doing, she is preparing herself to exercise the Biblical role in her relationship with a possible future husband. (Ephesians 5:33-6:3, 1 Peter 3:1-2) …is trustworthy and gains the respect of those around her. (Proverbs 31:11) …restrains herself from listening to, or participating in gossip, but instead speaks with wisdom and discretion. (Proverbs 11:12-13, 22, 20:19, 3:11) …encourages and builds up those around her instead of criticizing and tearing them down. (1 Thessalonians 5:11, Ephesians 4:29) …does not have a nagging, contentious or manipulative manner in which she deals with others. (Judges 16:16, Proverbs 21:9, 19, 26:21) …is not boisterous or loud in her speech or actions but is characterized by a gentle and quiet spirit. (Proverbs 9:13, 1 Peter 3:4)
…portrays chastity, modesty and reverence in her manner, and wears the ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is her true beauty. (1 Peter 3:3-4, Titus 2:4-5) …is not offended by respect shown her through gentlemanly courtesies (opening doors, etc.) but cultivates the differences between the sexes that make her worthy of this deference. (1 Peter 3:7, Mark 10:6) …seeks to make God her number one desire and the Lover of her soul, knowing that only He can fully satisfy. (Psalm 73:25, Psalm 63:1) …uses her years of singleness to seek and serve God without distraction, and is content to leave the details of her future to Him. (Psalm 73:25, Philippians 4:11)
…does not relate to members of the opposite sex in a flirtatious or forward manner, but instead saves all her passion for her future husband. (Thessalonians 4:3-8, Proverbs 6:25, 1 Corinthians 7:1) …holds her virginity before marriage sacred and will not compromise it for anything. (This one goes for guys too)
(1 Timothy 5:22)
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| Hey, everyone, Wow! It's been a very long time since I updated this site. In October my family and I went on vacation to the Smoky Mountains. It was lots of fun and so very beautiful! I was in awe of God's beautiful handiwork while I was there. Some of the views were literally breathtaking. It made me think of Psalms 8:3-5 where it says, "When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which Thou hast ordained; what is man, that Thou dost take thought of him? And the son of man that Thou dost care for him? Yet Thou hast made him a little lower than God, and dost crown him with glory and majesty!" I think God really used the time I was there to draw me closer to Him. : ) I've been practicing a lot for my homeschool Christmas choir concert. It's this Thursday night. I have a solo ("Breath of Heaven") this year so I'm very excited and very nervous. I've been praying about it a whole lot this week. It's just another one of those times that I'm reminded of my favorite verse (Proverbs 3:5-6). God wants me to trust Him even with such a little thing as a solo. : ) Let's see, what else is up. I had a Chess Club Christmas party last Friday. I can hardly believe it's almost Christmas! I'm a little sad about it being only a week away. I don't want to take down all our Christmas decorations. LOL. : )
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