Loving God With All Your Mind...

...this is the title of the book that I am currently reading by Elizabeth George. I have been learning quite a bit since I started reading it:

• "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." ~Philippians 4:8
• God calls us to think about what is true and real about Him, His Word, others, the future, and the past and present. I notice that just making little changes in what I choose to think about during the day can make my day so much better.
• Winning Over Worry: "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." ~Matthew 6:34
• I worry a lot about things that I have no control over. This is definitely not my favorite part of my personality, but it is part of who I am at this point.
• I have found that simply focusing on today and what it has in store for me helps me to be some much more relaxed and less anxious about what is to come. And when I think about it, how does worrying help the situations? It doesn't help.
• I have also found that taking things on day at a time allow me to trust God so much more with what is to come in the future. Now don't get me wrong, I still worry about so many things, like how things will be when I get back to SLO, whether friendships and relationships will last, whether some creepy person will jump out and get me in the dark (you know we all have these worries), my friends' and family's health and safety, and the list goes on..
• Pressing for the Prize: "Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching for those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 3:13-14
• I have just started reading this section of the book and there is already so much of it that rings true in my life. I tend to dwell on pains of the past. Pains that are self inflicted by acts of sin that still bring shame, pains that are inflicted by others that are difficult to forgive, and pain that I have witnessed and I wonder how that can happen.
• I am working on "remembering to forget." Remembering and dwelling on pains of the past in no way enable me to grow and mature in my walk with Christ. Forgetting is not easy, but it is so freeing.

Some Scattered Thoughts:

• My sister had her baby girl, Kylee Kendall, on August 17th and she is beautiful!! I am now a proud aunt of 2 :]
• I am ready to back to SLO, but I am nervous about going back. I can't wait to see all of my Bible study girls again and be in fellowship again. SLO is going to be great, but different.
• I leave for Mississippi very early Thursday morning and I am so excited to see two of my friends from project!
• I have a bit of a cold right now and I am pretty sure that summertime is my least favorite time to have a cold.
• The song "Speechless" by Steven Curtis Chapman is amazing, you should listen to it.