The Lord disciplines those He loves, gives grace to the humble and strength to...my soul.

Hello!  I hope you are doing well.  : )

Here's a poem I wrote the other day: 

God, please help me to be strong
and apoligize when I'm wrong.
I know if I hang onto bitterness
I won't last very long
before breaking into pieces. 
It's like a rotting disease--
like leprosy.

But, God, I know that you can heal me!
You heal the broken-hearted
and bind up their wounds. 

God, make me whole! 
I want to be made whole in you,
set free and fully redeemed.

Please drive out of me
all that isn't from you--
all my sin that is
keeping me captive within.

Free me to live for you God
and to love you.
Free me to speak truth
and cultivate peace.

Help me to live in
humility and harmony.

God, break down these walls
that I build up in my heart.
Break my cynicism,
anger toward others,
and hatred of myself. 

Lord, please help me to see
myself as you see me--
as righteous, loved, valuable,
beautiful, set-apart to you
and set free.

I know that it's going to be
worth it all,
for you are faithful, God. 
I am trusting in you! 
I love you God, Amen. 


"Don't forget that we are slaves of Christ and don't need anything fancy." -a chapel speaker here. 

"You can make it a great day or not the choice is yours.... Run!  There's an invisable dinosaur coming!" -me (first part our principal used to tell us everyday at school). 


           So, lately has been challenging, mostly because I'm not sure what to do next year and I hate decision- making.  I'm trying to learn to choose joy and not focus on my circumstances, but on God's truth and His promises.  Because even if the world passes away, His words won't pass away.  That is powerful and that really hit me today.  Strength, that's the word I feel.  I feel like the Lord is trying to teach me how to have strength and courage in the face of difficulties.  This verse really got to me today too.  It's so encouraging.


Isaiah 43:2 
When you pass through the waters,
   I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
   they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
   you will not be burned;
   the flames will not set you ablaze.

He will be with me and protect me.  That really encourages my heart.  I pray that you and I both would get a deeper revelation of this.  Also I have a tendency to not really tell people how I am doing.  I then let emotions and bitterness and whatever just build up inside because of the walls I put up.  It's a bad thing.  With that the verse came up Proverbs 10:12 "Love covers all offenses." and I need to just love people with God's love and be honest with them.
         During the past week or so the Lord's discipline has been something that's been highlighted lately for me to think on.  I'm now on Proverbs in the Bible reading plan (which we're actually reading out of order for), and it has a lot about wisdom.  Today, written on the back of my wrist was, "Proverbs 9:6 'Leave your foolish ways behind and begin to live; learn how to be wise.'"  The other day it was Proverbs 6:23, "The correction of discipline is the way to life,"  and God keeps having to remind me of that one when I don't feel like doing what I need to do.
        Yeah, so you can pray that I won't give up on myself and that instead I will choose joy and press into the Lord's presence.  Also for guidance and peace with the decision-making.

Thank you so much for "listening" and I hope that you are doing well! 
Love,
Jasmine Elizabeth...  child of God.