Journaling again =)

Some verses, followed by some thoughts that may or may not relate to the verses.  =)

"For not by their own sword did they win the land, 

nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, 

and the light of your face, for you delighted in them." 

Psalm 44:3

"If we had forgotten the name of our God 

or spread out our hands to a foreign god, 

would not God discover this? 

For he knows the secrets of the heart."

Psalm 44:20-21

"The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry, 

but he thwarts the cravings of the wicked." 

Proverbs 10:3

What do the wicked crave?

What do the righteous hunger for?

"Doing wrong is like a joke to a fool, 

but wisdom is pleasure to a man of understanding" 

Proverbs 10:23

"What the wicked dreads will come up on him 

but the desire of the righteous will be granted" 

Proverbs 10:24

Thoughts

God is the light. He wins the victory... the "light of your face" only within his light am I shown for what I truly am. Any light besides Jesus Christ will not show what is true.

Art, without light, is no longer dynamic. 

Art appears differently under different lights! 

Any light besides Jesus Christ will not show what is true.

I've been thinking a lot about how much joy I get from creating... 

Madeline L'Engle talked about this some in the book Walking on Water (which I recommend =) ) She said something to the effect of... God is first and foremost an artist, because He is the Creator, we come to know him in a deeper way when we create. Each person has a desire to create, because each person is a reflection of God. 

We create different things, but we all desire to create whether you're "artistic" or not.

All artwork is a replication of something that already exists. 

Every line is inspired by a line I've seen somewhere in God's creation. 

Every color is a replication of a color that existed in God before He painted it into his creation. Nothing I create is original. Yes, it is an oozing of my soul, but my soul is a reflection of a part of God's soul, and therefore nothing I create is my own. 

Because of the nature of art... that it is an expressive replication.. I wonder why I get so much joy from creating it... 

I think of it as an expression of my soul... but I've been thinking more recently about how much I experience the Lord when I create, 

when I write, 

when I sing.

God has given me so many things that I enjoy... so many things that I love to do, things I am good at, things that other people see... but when it comes down to it, do I let that determine who I am? Do I let the things God has blessed me with define me? 

Or do I really belong to the Lord?

This is an old song that comes to mind, I absolutely love it.. 

It was my prayer last summer and will continue to be as my life continues...

All I once held dear built my life upon

All this world reveres and wars to own

All I once thought gain I have counted loss

spent and worthless now compared to this

Knowing you, Jesus

Knowing you

There is no greater thing

You're my all

You're the best

You're my joy, 

my righteousness

and I love you, Lord

Now my hearts desire is to know You more

to be found in You and known as Yours

to possess by faith what I could not earn

all surpassing gift of righteousness

Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You

there is no greater thing

You're my all

You're the best

You're my joy, my righteousness

And I love You, Lord.

Oh to know the power of your risen life

and to know You in Your sufferings

to become like You in Your death my Lord

so with you to live and never die

Knowing You

Jesus, knowing You

There is no greater thing

You're my all, You're the best

You're my joy, my Righteousness

and I love You

Lord

There are things I love, things that I see myself as... 

Daughter?

Singer?

Writer?

Artist?

Designer?

Cheerleader?

Other ways I wouldn't mind being defined... 

Beautiful?

Successful?

but at the end of the day...

I do not need to be anything other than His.