Romans.

Sarah and Davis Ann's verses for the day:

But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness.
[6:18&19]

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit
[8:1-4]

I am no longer a slave to sin.

Songs for the day:
More Than a Man by Dave Barnes
Stay Humble by Tyler James

"We all want something, I'm missing something
It Just explains the lack in me
Where I need you And how I need you"
-Dave Barnes

design.

http://www.willoughbydesign.com/work/

this is the kinda of place i wanna work at some day.. that is if i stick with design...

Its in Kansas City, super cool, and does packaging design for different companies..

or more specifically id wanna work for this company because they specialize in fashion and beauty product packaging design which is the type of thing that got me interested in it in the first place.. sadly its all the way in Santa Monica California.. but awesome.

http://threadgroup.com/

Mmm. pretty things.

Dream.

ok im gonna try and explain this the best i can..

Last night i had a dream that i was driving down this road with not much on it.. kinda looked like Jack Warner Parkway in Tuscaloosa..I was sitting in the backseat though.. driving?.. no one else was in the car with me.. i didn't have hold of the steering wheel, the gas, or brake.. I drove down the road a little while and it was about sunset.. as i was going i came to a red light.. but didn't completely stop kinda yielded to it instead.. where i was turning left and these guys in a gang walked by my car and cussed at me asking why i was in the back of my car and told me how stupid i was for being there. I was really confused and before i knew it i was driving again and up a hill at this point (still a road).. it was getting darker and darker and the hill was kinda like a ramp because i realized i was pulling on to the interstate. I began to freak out because i started going extremely fast and didn't want or need to be on the interstate.. cars were coming at me and i began to pray and as i did i got turned around to face backwards to not even be able to see the direction i was going.. i remember seeing Davis Ann in my view but it was more like in my mind in the dream... but dunno where or how or why? anyways i kept praying telling the Lord that i cant see at all and that i was scared. As i was was praying this loudly He spoke back to me saying " If you need eyes I will be your eyes and if you need ears i willl be your ears" and right after He said that audibly.. I crashed into something and literally felt it in my body. I usually feel things like in my dream but i literally in real life felt this in my body and woke up from it. I felt like i had crashed into water and i was sinking.. i felt water fill up my ears and everything.. like physically felt it... weird huh.. i felt this way for only a few seconds after i woke up but then snapped out of it and fell back to sleep.. it was interesting...

Im pressing on.

Constantly the phrase "do not lose heart" runs through my mind lately

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
[galations 6:9]

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you.
And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
[2 corinthians 4:7-18]

I lean into the intercession He makes for my life. Hes always living to intercede for me cause He knows i need it.
Thank God for that.. literally..

s&j

Entry #2 today
Question: if you could relive one day or point in your life over again for a day what would it be?

S&J beach trip for sure. The entire week.

Jessica is my best friend.
Has been since 10th grade the day Jessica helped me write a paper on best friends during PE.
I have the most fun with her. Its always an adventure when we get together no matter what we may be doing.
In High school we were basically one person. s&j. We went to tutor at elementary schools senior year during 5th period. We sometimes skipped and went home to watch shows that Jess tevoed and would occasionally go to sonic and bring back drinks for the girls in our art class we had 6th period. This was the extent of our rebelliousness at the time..
When we got back to school early from tutoring we would pull in the parking lot and see how many times we could drive around it without pressing the break or the gas. It was a fun game.. worked better in my car than it did in Jessica's forerunner. Definitely one of my favorite memories with her from high school.
We always have the best time when we're together

For our senior trip, i guess you can call it that, we went on a road trip to the beach by ourselves and stayed at her grandparents place at the Beach Club resort in Ft. Morgan.
I call it a road trip because we made detour stops on the way there and took pictures in random artsy towns.
This trip means a lot to me.
To us it was a retreat with the Lord.
We worshiped, took our time, painted even, danced around our condo every night, bought dresses one night at boutique and put them on in the car just so we could eat at a nice restaurant, and took so much stuff you would have thought a family was going on the trip.
Jessica gets me better than anyone. Keeps me sane. Shes totally opposite from me yet just alike.
I adore her. She'll always be my best friend. Even when i have to share her with Adam the rest of our lives.
This is the time of my life that id live over and over again if i could. I know I'm not romanticizing the past either. Senior year was rough at times but this was defiantly a good time in my life.
I didn't have her on my list earlier today. But shed be #11 on my thankful for list for sure.

Lets be positive.

Davis Ann told me today that she enjoys how Erica writes down 3 things shes thankful for everyday and how she was gonna do it too. I decided today I needed to do the same thing because its too easy for me to think of negative things today.. like how Matt lives so far.. ha i know.. a real tragedy huh but a huge bummer many days... i should be really thankful that's the biggest thing i could complain about right? and that the Lords put him in my life at all...

TEN Things: Looking at the glass half full.

1. I'm thankful for my roommates for making my life fun by bring laughter into it. For beach trips with them.. and that they actually care about me sincerely. After hearing girls this summer talk about friends and roommates it made me realize how blessed i really am in the friend area.. even when i feel like i don't have any.. i always have someone i could call here i know..

2. I'm thankful for my mom who loves to send me things and surprise me just to show she cares.. I thinks gifts might be her love language that she gives out.. and i decided i think its one of the main ones i like to receive.. i mean who doesn't like gifts?.. but they always mean a lot to me..

3.I'm thankful i only have minor health issues... seriously.. allergies are way better than having a disease that could like kill me right?

4. I'm thankful for Matthew.. awww i know..

5. I'm thankful for my awesome sheets... the best ever even though i spilt a little candle wax on them last night.. oops..

6. I'm thankful that the Lord is really patient and quick to show mercy and forgiveness

7. I'm thankful for parents who pay for me to do so much like go see Matt and to have them support our relationship although the whole 8 hour thing is not practical at all... (but worth it of course)

8. I'm thankful for the 70 degree weather we are gonna have the next few days!

9. I'm thankful for comfortable things like sweatshirts and sundresses.. and for summer

10. I'm thankful I'm not color blind and can see colors.
haha

Song for the day: I Need You by Dave Barnes

The Breakfast Club

A few random things..

1st off... My drawing 210 class is like a modern day Breakfast Club. No joke. Its the most entertaining class. I mean usually, lets be honest, art classes have a strange few people here and there but my class is the funniest, weirdest, most diverse class I've been in. Ever.
While we draw my teacher tells stories from his crazy 70's adventures in college, life in Mississippi, and tells us the most random facts i would have never gotten knowledge of had i been elsewhere. (example today i learned about pirates) I swear I've learned about life in every area past and present already this semester. He has covered it all. He has these huge (which could now be indie cool now) glasses he wears, a mustache, and hair longer than mine. Hes great and quite a character.
The rest of the class is composed of a 2 sorority girls, one which i love and have had class with before. She is the most spacey person I've ever met and tells me something new shes lost every class. Then theres the quiet teachers pet girl who's kinda plain, sweet and really good at everything she does, and my friend Kristen from Dallas who's really cool, loves fashion, and appreciates music like i do. Then there are all the boys: one frat guy hippie who is so chill and can draw ridiculously well, a 27 yea old professional baseball player who comes to school in the off season, and about 5 other characters who are hard to even explain... oh man. Seriously.... one of them seems like he wants to be European with the way he dresses, talks about wine, and wears his slicked back ponytail.. he came in class with an old man cane today and said he had it because he something on his foot... i dunno. One guy who you can tell is the master of all video games who also has long blond hair and should have lived in the 90's. And then theres Eric.. he likes to sit crouched on the floor to do his work, he sometimes wears old army gear and is really tall and skinny, sweet, but different, and is ALWAYS covered in either paint or charcoal head to toe face included.
We have a lot of laughing go on in that class.. for many reasons.
Its one of those classes i wish someone could sit and watch because i know it would have to be somewhat entertaining to watch, or at least listen to.

2ndly.. I remembered earlier that i had a dream about a terrorist attack on America last night, like war almost breaking out on our front. Hm. All i remember is being freaked out and watching the news to see what Obama had to say...

3rdly.. We are talking about tongues tonight at bible study. oh goodie. haha fun times. Makes me miss Bill

4thly.. I decided today Tracy Reece in my favorite fashion designer at the moment and it makes miss Jessica because looking through her designs makes me think of the times we would look up Kenzie and other designers in high school

5thly.. Im so tired i could fall asleep anywhere right now.

Song for the Day: God is Good by ETWC

avoiding design homework.

entry #2 today.

since all of my friends have been making lists on their blogs i thought of one i should make..

It seems like everything is changing all the time and nothing does stays the same so i thought id make a list of constant things in my life.

Here they are....

"Sarah's List of 7 Constant Things"

1. God of course... everything about him
2. Me missing Matthew.. all the time.. i mean.. all the time...no exaggeration..
3. My love for music
4. Me always being or finding a way to be distracted from doing what i need or have to do (example: writing this entry while i should be doing school work)
5. My ability to be content with not having anything to do at all.. ever (good and bad thing all at once)
6. My inability to say what i mean without using a few hundred words before i actually make it to the point to what i actually am trying to say.. if you understand what i am saying.. (ha)
7. And last.. my inability to play any kinda of sport. I'm athletically challenged. Always been that way and always will be i think.

the end.

sweet memories.

Its a very dreary day outside and sadly it fits my mood at the moment.
Nothings really wrong. Im just tired and sick.

One thing Ive found comfort in is music.
I'm listening to Derek Loux's song Dance With Me. Its the sweetest song. It just reminds me of how gentle the Lord is towards me and how he loves to comfort his children.

I could write a whole blog about music and different artists because i think it speaks to me more than anything. The Lord uses it to speak to me sometimes and i realized that my Freshman year. If i ever feel like writing down a testimony of my Freshman year (which i should) it would tell how the Lord used it in a huge way in my life to draw me closer to himself to to prepare me for bigger things he had for me without me realizing it at the time. He likes to use the things we love the most to bring us closer to him i think. He speaks to us all in different ways.
Music moves me. In good ways and bad... But mostly good i think :)

This song by Derek Loux in particular puts this calm over me. Its almost like the spirit of the Lord is in the song and it washes over me every time its coming out of my speakers.
I guess its possible because he is in everything isn't he? or He is everything.

I like to relate music to huge points in my life. As im sure you'll found out as my blog carries on..

Last spring semester was kinda bland. Not much went on. I honestly cant remember too many memories from it which i think is extremely sad.. One thing i do remember is 24 hour prayer. I remember feeling extremely worn out/drained in every possible way. It was the last day of prayer and Davis Ann and i had been praying together and drawing at the front of the stage at The Vineyard. There were not very many people there so it was very quiet and peaceful feeling in the room. Mark Perkins brought his ipod and this song came on. Erica was at the back of the room worshiping and Davis Ann looked at me and said "look at Erica" she was at the back of room facing backwards with her little arms high in the air swaying side to side. Something about it was so innocent and sweet it brought tears to both of our eyes. On our knees and with both of our heads poked over the chairs, trying to to give it away that we were staring at her, Davis Ann and i looked at each other and both started to really cry. In that moment i saw the love that Lord had for his little girl. He loves us like his own and loves for us to come to him like innocent children. And through her dance and worship i felt the Lords sweet love for me. Erica is one person who i think of when i think of a child like faith. I admire her for that. Shes so wise and strong in what she thinks and yet so childlike.
I think its interesting out of a whole sophomore year this is the one main memory i think of. hmmm
Its a good reminder for me i think. To be reminded that i am daughter of the Living God and to be reminded that i need to come to him with a childlike faith always.

sweet memories.

when i find out how (which im going to) im gonna post songs to listen to on here so you can see what i mean.

"And i am falling into grace again and i am running where mercy never ends
Lord im learning that your love can cover me
You are teaching me what a child is meant to be
What do i do here in the waiting what do i do with my unsatisfied heart?
What do i do here in the waiting? Here in the tension in believing again?
Cause there's a lack there's a gap in my soul
between the things that i believe & i know
But Holy Spirit you who fill, all in all Come & fill me, come hold me together
Cause i know your love never fails
I fall in to grace again like a child i am"

from a song Sandra sent me by Laura Hackett from IHOP

Finally posted after attempted 4 times.

Happy Presidents day.
I should be studying for the test i have tomorrow that i have not really studied for yet but instead here i am trying to finish one blog entry for the 4th time..

Valentines weekend overview..

I got to see Matthew for the first time since January 8th. Best weekend ever. i really like him :) A few things i learned.. 1. the flu sucks majorly. And when people say you feel like you want to die when you have it its true. 2. Matt has really cool friends who make me want to be cooler. 3. i have the best boyfriend in whole world. (seriously) i already knew this but just gets confirmed more and more every time i am with him, especially after this weekend when he took care of me on valentines day by not sleeping so he could make sure i had medicine in my body every 4 hours and to make sure i didn't still have a fever... he did a great job at playing mom.


This next part of the blog i started a week or so ago.. might change if i wrote it again today but here it is saved from last week.

(February 9th)
i went home this weekend to go to Nashville for my sisters dance competition. She danced beautifully and watching her made me miss dancing and as always made me a little sad it was no longer a part of my life at all. We sat in the auditorium from about 8:30 till 11 o clock at night with only one break in there for lunch. so with all this time i had a ton of time to think.. think about a lot. The long car ride home and there also gave room in my mind to wonder to many different places. I thought about where i am spiritually and where i want to be. I thought about my life why i feel like Ive been running from the lord. just to be honest.
I told davis ann the other day that i think there are treadmills built into this "narrow path" that as believers we take. I say this because for i while i felt like i was going someplace, i was running this race with my eyes fixed ahead, my heart engaged, and my mind focused. Lately feel like i must have jumped on the treadmill somewhere along the way because i feel like I'm running but am not moving.. or really that Ive started walking and am not moving. In reality i know this isn't true, we go through different times where we are strong and focused and other times its hard and we get lost. i don't want to be here, but still don't have much drive and desire to change. Today my pastor back home talked about our personal life vision. Vision being where we have our eyes fixed, what we have our faith in, and what attitude we have about life. He used the story of the Israelites waiting for the promise land. The Lord provided the with so much, and was so faithful to everything he told them he would do. Yet when they saw trouble or an obstacle in the way the doubted the Lord. He talked about our faith and our reactions to when we see obstacles in our own lives. He said that you can tell a lot about a persons heart by the way the react to obstacles in their lives. They do 1 of 2 things. They either draw closer to the Lord or move farther away from him. One main reason being fear. And fear is something Ive always dealt with. In my case it makes me wonder about my my heart and why i want to run away. what do i not get? I know He is good and i know he loves me but why do we not live like we believe it sometimes. Its not even like i feel like i am doing something wrong and want to run away from him its just to the point when persevering is hard when desire isn't strong and the easiest thing to do is go the other way. Its weird its not like i feel like i have tangible obstacles in my way like situations that are taking place but more things going on, on the inside. My heart longs for more of God but at the same time the same places in my that longs for him resist letting itself have more of him. In one way being in community. Ive have a problem for a while not wanting to be around people, i don't have very many close friends anymore, or really at all. No one i talk to about stuff that is here and i don't have a group that just enjoys being with each other as the body. At crusade our director Jeff has been talking about how our lives are not our own and how we were made to be in community. We have to have each other to grow and to move. And i know this is an area i need to work at myself. I haven't ever had to really be intentional with my friendships. Usually they have just fallen into place and have worked but over the past year they have fallen out of place. I want to work in being intentional and giving of myself to people. To love and let myself be loved. I know this is one of the obstacles in my hearts way. Who knows what this next week will bring. Hopefully good things. Because everything he does is for my good :) thank goodness

Song of the day: "Meet Me by the River" by Enter the Worship Circle.