August Days, Part 2 | 2016

Here's the conclusion to my previous 'August Days' post. I know this is only just in time to still be a legit August post. Oh well...the life of a procrastinator...
I have been...

+ struggling to keep my room tidy. Like, really. I can tidy it and make it perfect one day, and magically, on the next day, it looks like a bomb hit it. I wonder how it happens.

+ messing with oil paints and then taking a photo, because of course.

+ visiting a wildlife awareness centre with the cousins.

+ having a love/hate relationship with the rain that has been occurring quite often.

+ drinking pomegranate juice and finding I love it. (I don't exactly remember but this probably happened in June)

+ spending time with this girl.

+ reading Fourth Dawn by Bodie and Brock Thoene. Interesting but unimportant and weird fact: their surname is pronounced Tay-nee, which is what I'm often called. Except my name's version of the spelling is 'Taney'.

+ failing miserably in my plan to eat healthy for the whole of August, and relishing it. ;)

This post wasn't that long or too interesting, but I hope it was worth your while none the less. Let me know in a comment below, if you're up to it.

OH AND TOMORROW IS THE FIRST DAY OF SPRING, I'M SO HAPPY, PEOPLE.

Monday Musings [3] - Your Truth

ME:

I don’t know if You’d ever understand

there are dark places in my head and

there are blood stains on my hands.

JESUS:

I took your place to prove I understand

I’m full of only love for you My child and

to show it there are holes in My hands.

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. / 1 John 1:9 

ME:

my limbs are aching and my heart is tired

I’ve tried to break free but now I accept

that these ropes aren’t meant to be untied.

GOD:

I will give you rest and I will heal your mind

there is no way that I would ever let

you stay trapped and lonely in those binds.

For with God nothing will be impossible. / Luke 1:37

ME:

I could never be the one that you are seeking

I’m worthless and I am dirty

I have no doubt that I am one worth leaving.

JESUS:

you are Mine and you are worth loving

even if you wrestle and fight with Me

I am by your side and I am never leaving.

For the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. / Deuteronomy 31:6

ME:

I know with all of my being that I do not deserve this

your love for me is tremendous

and there isn’t any part of You I would want to miss.

GOD:

you are what I wanted all along

oh, how I want to have you here with Me

to have you here where you belong

My child, I love you so unconditionally.

But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved). / Ephesians 2:4-5

ME:

I'm running to You

You amaze me with everything that You do

I'm running to You

nothing can stop me from loving Your truth.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day. / Psalm 25:5

August Days, Part 1 | 2016

Not even going to say something about how awful I am for being so inconsistent in posting on my blog...

So. Hello.
It's already well into the month of August. It's almost springtime, which is exciting for me, because after spring comes summer.
This month has been full of ups and downs, as most months are, as life is. But some time periods are more extreme in the contrast of the good and the bad days. The thing is that life isn't supposed to be smooth and easy sailing when you're living for Jesus, even though it often feels like mine is. I think it's dangerous to just sail on in the smooth weather, because it can lead to becoming lukewarm. And I have no idea why I still get surprised when life gets bumpy after I've actually asked God to give me trials and challenges so that I might become more like Him. Jesus definitely didn't have an easy life, and He is my example. If you're experiencing something similar, I encourage you to sail on through the storm, it will bring you closer to Him in the end.

August has been...interesting. And full. Therefore, I'm going to split this post into two, because I have a lot of photos to share.
Lately, I have been...

+ braving a very windy day at the beach with (most) of my family. It was worth it. Even though the wind literally knocked me over and I found out that yes, my eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach, and I cannot finish that much ice cream. Luckily my dad was around to help me out.

 

+ and yes...if you haven't guessed by those photos- I'm REALLY ENJOYING having my sister back from Ireland. It's epic, but it's for a short while, since she leaves this Monday. So I'm savouring the time that I have left with her.

+ listening to music like almost all of the time. (A few favourites: 10,000 Reasons by Rend Collective, Write Your Story by Francesca Battistelli, Smoke and Fire by Sabrina Carpenter and Run by Matthew Mole.)

+ getting overly excited about been dubbed nineteen percent fluent by the app I have on my phone, Duolingo. Je parle français, donc je suis content. At least, I can speak a (very, very) little...

+ playing around with hand lettering as usual. I'm convinced it has a therapeutic effect on me.

+ eating frozen yogurt on a cold day in good company because we were all craving some froyo. Didn't manage to finish that either. But, when dad's not around, that's what brothers are for. (Actually, I think that was in June...oh well.)

+ looking back at photos taken when my younger sister and I flew to the Free State to visit friends in April.

+ looking forward to seeing this lovely person again soon.

What have you been up to?

Monday Musings [2] - Say Jesus

you don't know where they've been, 

no idea what they've seen

or the number of nights that 

they've cried themselves to sleep.

the words that have been spoken

into their ears and the images

that have been burned into their mind

are their constant reminders

so don't think you can bring them down

and I will just stay silent.

because I won't hide,

this that is bottled up inside of me

will spill over and I 

will do anything to make you see

past their clouded eyes into

souls that are broken and hungry

for something that is true.

it is up to us to tell them

that their wounds and their scars

don't ruin what is within

to tell them that all their fears

will not be able to win

to tell them that we know 

Someone stronger

Someone who is unlike any 

earthly father,

who longs for His children to 

take shelter

in His might that is 

so much bigger

than any danger

this world has to offer.

He can take away their shame,

He can give back their lost days

and when they ask His name,

we'll say

Jesus.

---

"Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' " / Matthew 25:34-36

"The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." / 2 Peter 3:9