...my thoughts...

Life is so busy! I'm taking a break right now from writing a book review, (Boy Meets Girl, Say Hello to Courtship), for someone. I've been filling my journal with my thoughts and prayers and scripture. It's always good to re-focus on what God has been trying to teach me and how much He is growing me to be more like Him. It is a long and tedious process, one with good days and bad, ones of tears and ones of great joy. He is using those trials and failures in my life to refine me and draw me closer to Him. I am so thankful that I have a Savior who loves me even when I mess up and gives so much grace & forgiveness!

“Only the power of the Holy Spirit working in us can change us. Only by His grace can we learn to say no to ungodliness.” Titus 2:12

“Before we can begin to see the cross as something done for us (leading us to faith and worship), we have to see it as something done by us (leading us to repentance)….As we face the cross, then, we can say to ourselves both ‘I did it; my sins sent Him there,’ and ‘He did it; His love took Him there.’” John Scott

...quotes...

"Christianity without discipleship is always Christianity without Christ." -- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"If Christ does not reign over the mundane events in our lives, He does not reign at all." -- Paul Tripp

"The decision to grow always involves a choice between risk and comfort. This means that to be a follower of Jesus you must renounce comfort as the ultimate value of your life." --John Ortberg

"Until you have given up your self to Him you will not have a real self..." -- C.S. Lewis

"Our worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace." -- Jerry Bridges

Comments

Oh, I forgot to add...thank you to all you who leave me comments! I'm sorry it takes me a while to get back to you!
I always enjoy hearing from you!!
~Tori

Sharing My Thoughts

So now I've caught ya'll up a bit on what's been going on the pass two months.
Today was a quiet & restful day for me. I wanted to share a few quotes and verses that I've read over the past few days during my quiet time.

"Give me the fullness of godly grief that trembles and fears, yet ever trusts and loves, which is ever powerful, and ever confident; Grant that through the tears of repentance I may see more clearly the brightness and glories of the saving cross." ~Valley of Vision~

.....my desire is to walk in godliness and to be a woman who trusts, fears and obeys her Savior!....

"No poor creature stands in need of divine grace more than I do, and yet none abuses it more than I have done, and still do. How heartless and dull I am! Humble me in the dust for not loving thee more.....I cannot boast when I think how dependent I am upon thee for the being and every act of grace." ~Valley of Vision~

.....how can I be more humble? What steps will I take to live a life lived in humility and servant hood to my God?.....

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?.....We know that our old self was crucified with him in order
that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin." ~Romans 6:1-2 & 6-7~

.....may I put my sin to death daily. I have been set free by the one who was the bearer of all sins!.....

Live Life With Purpose!

I'm Alive!...and posting

I’m Alive!!! I promise!!!! I’ve had so many things going on since Christmas, (I’m sure ya’ll have as well). Where do I begin…

January
-Had some close friends come down and visit us for almost a week! It was a pleasant trip and we had so much fun catching up with them.
-My brother Sam, celebrated his 12th birthday on January 13th!!! I love him so much! Sam is now my height-he’s almost passing me up!!!
-My dad went on a trip to China for 10 days. First time he’s been there.
-We had snow!!!! Took advantage of it and went sledding as much as we could! I collided with a friend of mine while sledding and hurt my arm. I finally went to the doctors this week because my arm wasn’t getting better. Found out I tore some muscles in my right arm! (But it was all worth it in the end because we had fun!!!!!)

February
-Been working a lot. That has kept me busy!
-Went to dinner and a dance with some friends….it was so much fun getting all dressed up! What a fun evening that was!! J
-Celebrated Valentine’s Day on February 15th…..Mom made a yummy dinner and afterwards we danced. (This has been a tradition every year. We have a fancy dinner and then put Jazz music on and we all swing dance together! We do some silly dancing too-but most people don’t know that ;)
-My grandmother came for a visit last week. It was great to see her!! J
-Celebrated my dad’s birthday on February 19th! He is now 53 years old! Yup, that’s old!!
-Went to the doctors on Monday for my arm….I can’t lift anything more than 5lbs. (Do you know how hard it is not to pick things up!?)
……and now I’m caught up to today! (I’ll post more above!)

Fun with Friends

Me & the beautiful Hannah!

(I'm not sure why we were posing like this)

We look like those crazy barbie dolls!

Me, Maxwell Smart(aka: Daniel) & Hannah

Secret Agents

Me, Erica & Brett (My two very dear cousins! We have a picture that we framed of me and them when Erica & Brett were out on their prom 14 years ago. I was 4 years old and I thought that Brett & Erica were all dressed up because they were getting married. So in this old picture there is Erica and Brett all dressed up and then there’s me-in a mismatching outfit squeezing my fists with the biggest smile on my face! So I reenacted that photo here! Except now it's my turn to be all dressed up for a special occasion! .....What fun memories!! I love you both sooooo much!)

Mothers & their Daughters

Daniel, Mrs. Harriet, Hannah & Dr. Liederbach (ahh we're missing Kathrine in this picture!)

I am so thankful for all you Liederbachs!! Ya'll have been such a HUGE blessing to me! Love you guys so much!!

Yep.....15!!!!

HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY
Today my sweet brother turned 15 years old!!! He went to the
DMV and got his permit...can't believe he's old enough to get it!!......Time sure does fly!

My dear brother, I'm so proud of the wonderful young man that you have become in Christ!
May you always..."set your heart on the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Colossians 3:1-4)
I am so thankful for you!!
Love you always,
Tori

Thanksgiving Psalm

"Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth. Serve the LORD with gladness;Come before Him with joyful singing. Know that the LORD Himself is God;It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgivingAnd His courts with praise.Give thanks to Him, bless His name. For the LORD is good;His lovingkindness is everlastingAnd His faithfulness to all generations." Psalm 100:1-5

"God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him.”

~John Piper~

20th Anniversary

Today our church, (North Wake Baptist), had our 20th Anniversary Celebration at Joyner Park!!! We worshiped, prayed, and heard testimonies of how amazing God’s grace and mercy is towards His people. Pastor Larry recapped on God’s faithfulness to us through the years. And then we ate and fellowshipped.

As I listened to 2 testimonies, I was reminded again of what an amazing God we serve. He is holy, loving, compassionate, gracious and most of all, forgiving.
He wanted to save a sinner like me, imperfect, selfish, prideful. I was just so overwhelmed by the fact that He wanted to save me! “…that Christ has regarded my helpless estate, and hath shed his own blood for my soul. My sin, not in part but the whole, is nailed to the cross, and bear it no more, praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”-(It Is Well by: Horatio Gates Spafford). It brought me to tears as we sang, It Is Well, today.

As you spend your Sunday afternoon with your family or friends or maybe by yourself….I want to challenge you to reflect on what God has done for you. Pray, journal, tell someone of what the Lord has done in your life. He is worthy of our praise!!!

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4

“For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.” 1 Timothy 4:4-5

In Him,
Tori