set-apart heart: ~Summer Blessings~

It's amazing how fast 4 months can fly by. My mind rolls back to the beginning of May when classes at Virginia Western let out. Oh what a relief and joy it was kiss school goodbye for a while and greet the adventures of Summer 2010! It was an extremely busy spring semester where the idea of 'free time' or 'entertainment' were just distant memories of yester-year.. There were many overwhelmingly stressful days and weeks when God taught me to rely on Him all over again. Relying on God is not one of those lessons that you learn once in life and then you've got it down pat. Daily, I have to choose to rely on Him and not myself. Jesus not only offers His strength to our feeble hearts, but He says it is "made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Hmm....God's strength or my own strength... God's strength or my own strength..? Hmm... It's a no-brainer! I have learned from personal experience that when we lay ourselves at His feet because we can't go on any further in our own strength, He is faithful. His promise is true! An important thing to remember though, is that even when I feel 'strong,' I need Him desperately. There is never a moment when I should rely on my own strength. Never. There were two verses that God spoke to me with, and carried me through. Both are two-part verses in the sense that, God tells us to do something, and then tells us what HE will do when we obey. The first was Psalm 55:22...

"Cast your burden on the LORD, and He shall sustain you..."

This verse was (and is) such an encouragement to me! When things were too much for me to handle, I would literally eat this verse for breakfast. Okay, not literally. But that's how much I knew I needed Him, and I needed that promise. I wrote it out on an index card and put it on the dashboard of my car, where I read and meditated on it multiple times throughout the day. So often I catch myself carrying burdens that He is waiting to bear for me if I will only give them to Him. The casting of my burdens (whatever they may be throughout my lifetime) needs to become an automatic action of my heart. The promise is: He WILL sustain me! The second passage that's become engraved on my heart is Philippians 4:6-7...

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

As summer rolled in, life's pace sure wasn't convinced of any need to slow down at all. My summer minutes have proven to be just as packed as my spring minutes were, however with a much lower stress level. :) *whew* The Myrtle Beach trip with the Dixons was a lot of fun! I've gone with them for the past 3 years now, and it was exciting to see how much little Hampton (the youngest) was able to enjoy it this time around! He is such a big boy now! Megan, William and Hampton all have a very special place in my heart. I love those kids! Being at the ocean was really refreshing and relaxing. One morning, I took a long walk on the beach and watched the sun rise over the ocean. *sigh* Moments like that make me long for heaven all the more, because I realize that this amazing joy on earth is nothing compared to that which is to come! :)