I am on vacation in Alabama and it is absolutely beautiful here. The view is 1000% breathtaking. However, internet is limited so expect a blog tomorrow.

Laugh So You Don't Cry

My dad forwards me a devotional each morning and I have really enjoyed reading them. They are different then most, as they are written in God's point-of-view. One of my favorites was from the other day and it was about laughing.

If you know me, you know I laugh. Often. You also know I basically never cry. Let's face it... laughing is SO much better! The devotional said that just as parents enjoy hearing their children laugh, God enjoys His children's laughter. He invented it. It is music to his ears.

Usually, I gravitate toward happy people. People who are full of joy and zest for life are so much more fun to be around than sulky, mopey people. This could be such an excellent opportunity to spread God's word. If you are laughing and happy and optimistic all of the time, people are going to wonder what you secret is. Every one wants to be happy. It could give you the perfect opportunity to express how giving your life away has not only given you a promise for eternal life, but also earthly happiness.

... try to laugh a little and see who notices. You never know who's day you might make.

Soul Survivor

Socrates asked if he could guest blog for me today. Since he is one of the world's greatest philosophers and all I obliged... so, enjoy!

"Don't be concerned with your bodies or money, but first and foremost care about the improvement of your soul. Not until you have pursued wisdom and truth ought you think of money or fame or prestige or the body. Virtue does not come from money, but from virtue comes money and every other good thing for mankind, public and private."—Socrates

Love Song

I once started to read the book Captivating that is all about a woman's heart. I never did get through it (it's on my summer to-do list) but I got the gist. It is ingrained in the heart of women to want to be loved. To want to feel needed and wanted. To want to be romanced. But I think it's not just women. I think, deep down, most men want it too.

How lucky are we, that we have a God who provides? He can love us when we feel as if no one else does. He can and he does.

To be loved, to be loved
What more could you ask for?
To be loved, to be loved
Everyone wants to be loved
To be loved
What more could you ask for?
To be loved, to be loved
Everyone…

... isn't that such a beautiful thing? To be loved.

Crazy People

I learned the most interesting thing at church, something that I sort of knew but definitely never implement in my own life. Hopefully that will change, starting immediately.

I know I, along with most people, care too much about what others think. I try to not let it get to me, and usually it doesn't, but nevertheless I care. And often times I base my actions off of what is most socially acceptable.

That, however, is not God acceptable. He wants you to be foolish in His name. Check out the following verses which, I'll be honest, I took straight from this weekends sermon. Thank you Tierce and The Woodlands Church.

"God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And He chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful." —1 Corinthians 1:27

"...I celebrate before the Lord. Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes!" —2 Samuel 6:21-22

Do it. Get a little crazy. Act a little spacey. Anything, as long as it glorifies God. Chances are people will envy your carefree nature more than they think you look dumb, and you'll be able to tell them you're freed by your awesome Father.

Bigger Than My Body

Today, I was people watching and I saw a little boy walk up to a mannequin and lift her dress. I won't lie, I giggled a little... okay, a lot. But then I got to thinking. Why is our society so preoccupied with sex? It is SO obnoxious.

I'm trying really, really hard not to get on a soap box right now. I'm just going to say that I think it is utterly wrong how movies and television and books make it appear that everyone is having sex with everyone. The worst part is that not only is it considered to be okay, it is, in some circles, completely fact. That is just not okay. That is not how God intended it.

"Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." 1 Corinthians 6:18-20

... you are not your own; you were bought at a price. Chew on that for a while.

Time to Grow

I feel like I am standing on the threshold. I am between innocence and reality, childhood and adulthood, past and present. And I'm not sure how I feel about it. However, as always, God swooped in and soothed me with a song. Enjoy.

I'm two cups into my coffee break
I'm sitting alone in the cafe front way
Reading all by myself
I'm turning my cell off just to breathe
'Cause everyone I know just keeps calling me

And I just need a little time
'Cause I've over committed myself
I guess this is growing up
I'm sleeping so little these days
I guess this is growing up
I'm feeling things are about to change
I'm guessing this is growing up
Yeah, I'm guessing this is growing up...

I don't wanna change
I wanna stay
Lying were I lay
Eyes closed set down on the pillow
Better change, before it's too late
I'm guessing this is growing up

Now I'm done with my coffee break
I turn on my phone now that I've grown up

Secondary

We're about to get really personal, people. Only one or two of my other posts have come so close to the inner workings of my heart and nearly touched on my deepest desires, but you're about to get a little peek of the inside of Aimee.

I consider myself very lucky. I have yet to fall in love. Maybe I'm inexperienced, maybe I'm not. You be the judge. I personally am quite content. I have the privilege and honor to have God be my first true love. I fell for Him first and hardest, and continue to fall more and more in love with Him with each passing day. I feel confident that I will one day find my earthly love, but for now I am so blessed to have fallen for God first and foremost, which brings me to my next point.

Most people strive to be first at everything. First place is where it's at, after all. But I have different thoughts. I refuse to be first place when it comes to love. It is my biggest hope that when I finally meet my match in the love department, I will always be second place in his heart. I pray that he will love God so fully that he wonders if he can handle giving me even a fraction of that love and, when he does decide, I pray that I will, forever and always, be his number two.

... thanks for listening.

Where To Find Me

Today I learned the COOLEST and BEST new phrase... God wink (thanks, Casey)! Basically, when something happens that you know was totally God showing or telling you that He is, in fact, alive and living in us and that He loves you, that is a God wink. Much like when someone you are in like with or dating winks at you and, without saying a word, you know he is thinking about you and cares about you. God does it too, he just has to be a little more creative as, for now, he cannot physically wink at us.

Meet my shining example of a story. The other night I was sitting outside talking with some friends and one of them was telling us how he had a moment where God spoke to him during prayer and told him "Come follow Me." It gives me chills to even thinking about receiving that direct of a message from God. I hear from Him all of the time through songs and, especially, other people, but I have not yet experienced His own voice in my thoughts. The prospect excites me to no end. Anyway, back to my story. So my friend tells me this then, the next day, I was reading my devotional and God winked at me. It was a date specific devotional and, for that specific day, the day after hearing this story from my friend, the verse to start off the devotional was "...come, follow Me" (Luke 18:22).

I have chills.

...Thank you, God, for loving me enough to wink at me and know that you are alive and love me more than I will ever be able to understand. I love you, too.

Ready to Find Love

I know I've been talking a lot about God's love lately, but there's just so much of it I can't resist! I read a verse recently that really made me think. I know sometimes I have off days and I'm not overly friendly to people and, sometime, I don't talk to them at all. That is such a big mistake. We all have our off days, but you never know how one simple gesture can influence someone, how it can bring them joy, peace and a sense of belonging.

"But if we love one another, God lives in us and His love is made complete in us." —1 John 4:12

None of us have ever seen God. We will all have our day but, until then, we have to be His love. We have to work hard to try to show others even a fraction of the love that God has shown us because, if we don't, they may never know God.

I have a lot of friends who are afraid of telling people about God and their faith, who are afraid to witness and share the great news. That's fine, it takes practice and confidence which I think everyone gains as they walk along and let God take over their life. Whether that's you or not, it is so easy to be genuinely friendly to someone. Smile at someone. Say hi to a stranger. Introduce yourself to a new person in class. Talk to an old friend.

... you never know who is feeling lost and lonely, and who desperately needs a friend and a healthy dose of love. God's love.

This Kind of Love

It always amazes me how much God speaks to me through music. Not just christian music, either. Actually, especially not christian music. I think I learn the most when I get something from a song that, to my knowledge, was written with no thoughts of God. There are some songs that move my heart like nothing else, and I am always left full of awe and amazement at how God will use anything and everything to make me fall more and more in love with Him. He surprises me daily, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

My freshman year roommate was completely obsessed with Sister Hazel and she passed on all of their CDs to me. One song in particular spoke to me. One of the band members wrote it to his girlfriend to play just before he proposed but to me it is a perfect anthem of God's love for us. So, enjoy these beautiful words and take a minute of your time to stop and think about how much God has sacrificed for us and how very much he loves each and every one of us in a unique way that suits us.

This kind of love makes me feel ten feet tall
It makes all my problems fall
This kind of trust helps me to hold the line
I'll be there every time

(chorus)
This kind of love is what I dreamed about
Yeah, it fills me up
It leaves no doubt
This kind of love it's why I'm standing here
It's something that we can share
I can't get enough of this kind of love

This kind of hope is what I try to find
And now I can't deny I believe
This kind of faith is so unshakeable
It's unmistakeable
It's bigger than me

(chorus)

Your love can move a mountain
It makes my world go round
Its always there to guide me
I'm so lucky that I found

This kind of love it's what I dreamed about
Yeah it fills me up
Well baby it leaves no doubt
This kind of love it's why I'm standing here
It's something we can share
I can't get enough of this kind of love
This kind of love

... as Jim Carrey would say, B-E-A-UTIFUL.

Give It Up

I learned a big lesson in materialism recently. I used to always think that materialism was exactly what it seems: coveting materials. People who love clothes and shoes and other worldly things so much that they become front-runners in their lives, above other, more important, things. I never really considered myself to be overly materialistic. Sure, I enjoy clothes and shoes and movies and such, but I'm not excessive and I would give it up if it became a problem. 

The other day I had an awakening... God enlightened me to the true nature of materialism. News flash: it's not always a literal material. My struggle was with an organization. Something my family was paying to keep me in that I enjoyed, but I didn't love it and honestly, sometimes I dreaded aspects of it. But despite my father's opinions, I wouldn't quit because I didn't want to feel left out. I didn't want to be a quitter. I didn't want to lose friends. I didn't want to give up the superficial feeling that the organization made me better, gave me an extra edge. 

But I'm cleaning out my life and after much prayerful consideration, it had to go. 

... I think that I feel more fulfilled than ever before. What a God thing. 

Bigger Than Love

I'm not really even going to say anything about these lyrics, except I hope you read them and meditate on the words a little. Though this band is not christian (that I am aware of) God really speaks to me through this song, as He often does with music. I'm praying for all of you extra hard tonight.

We've all got scars as big as ours
A token for the pain we hide inside of us
Everyone's scared that somebody knows
You keep it inside, yeah, that's how it goes
If you've ever heard a beating heart
A rhythm for the songs we're too afraid to sing
Nobody here is perfectly fine
A delicate frame, a fragile design

If there's a hole in your heart
You gotta pull it together
It takes the courage to start
But now is better than never
It takes a push and a shove
Somehow it's never enough
And it's alarming how quick you could forget that

Nothing's bigger than love
Nothing's bigger than love
Nothing's bigger than love
All you need, all you need is love

Some people change and some just won't
You can't take back the words you wish you'd never said
Promises break and lovers will lie
You hold up your hands and let out a sigh
So smile right before you fall
And lay beside this mess and call it consequence
Somebody said that life isn't fair
When somebody else was saying a prayer

No one's taking me out
Nothing's pulling me down
I turn my head to the crowd
This love is big and it's loud

This is the car in the crash
This is the light in the flash
This is the answers you know
But you're just too scared ask

If there's a hole your heart
You gotta pull it together
It takes the courage to start
But now is better than never
It takes a push and a shove
Somehow it's never enough

... no matter what you're feeling, remember that nothing is bigger than love. And more than that, nothing can even compare to God's love for you.

Fearless

Being fearless is a novel thing. Taylor Swift considers being fearless has to do with love and possibly dancing in the rain in your best dress. My idea? Slightly different. Skydiving. Scuba diving. Motorcycle riding. Really, really big roller coasters. That's just a few examples.

I don't think that I was born this way. I have always loved the thrill of an adventure, but I used to be scared. Not as much as some people though. My little brother is a special kid... if you know him, you know exactly what I mean. I remember a phase of his life, when he was trying to decide what to be when he grew up, and he based it on whether he could get killed or not. Professional baseball player? Could get hit in the temple by a ball and die. Car salesman? Could get run over. My personal favorite: baseball card seller? A robber could come and break in and steal the baseball cards then shoot him in a fit of rage. I'm not saying it's logical but that's how the kid thought. He was also irrationally afraid that Timothy McVeigh (the Oklahoma City bomber) would come get him in the night. Baby Brother Belch was ruled by fear. 

Recently I've come to consider myself fearless. I have a huge desire to go skydiving. My mom thinks I'm crazy, that I have some sort of a death wish. My logic is considerably different. I figure that since before I was born God has known every detail of my life, birthday, number of hairs on my head, death day and cause of death. If I'm meant to die in a skydiving accident, it's going to happen. If I'm meant to die in a fiery crash, it's going to happen. I'm not one of those people who believes I have the ability to alter my "fate." I think God knows how it's going down and, regardless of what I do or do not do, his plan will prevail. I'll be honest, my fearlessness generally lapses right before it's go-time. Right before the roller coaster begins. Right before I go into the ocean to scuba dive. I get a little nervous, but then I feel such a sense of calm. 

... isn't it liberating? To live without fear?  After all, God did say "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Back to Your Heart

Everyone has a different style of worshipping and praising God and, much the same, everyone has a different style of loving God. I guess for me I like to literalize Him. It's hard to think about how God will be when we meet him, whether he will have a physical body or just an overwhelming presence. Will he have hands to literally hold us in? Will he have a heart that beats for us? As MercyMe would say, I can only imagine. So, I do. Often. 

At Emerge, our summer college bible study, two of my friends lead worship and sang the most beautiful song. It expresses my very feelings on how I long to be with God. 

I wanna sit at your feet,

drink from the cup in your hand.

Lay back against you and breathe, hear your heart beat.

This love is so deep, it's more than I can stand.

I melt in your peace, it's overwhelming.

You've read my thoughts on His eyes. You've read some of my thoughts on His hands. I haven't yet touched on His heartbeat, but that is not to say I haven't thought about it. Babies are comforted by heartbeats, especially that of their mother. It calms them and soothes them and let's them know that they are safe. They are with their mother, their maker. What a beautiful thing. I like to imagine that once I enter the gates to heaven God will wrap me up in his warm embrace and I will hear his heartbeat. 

... I will wait for the sound of his heartbeat to be calmed, to be soothed and, most of all, to know that I am safe in the arms of my maker. 

Looks Like Love

So, those of you who know me are privy to the fact that my brain works in mysterious ways. That being said, I may be one of the few people who can relate a bible verse to Harry Potter. So here I go, spreading the Word and solidifying my status as Harry Potter geek in one blog post. 

God loves me. This concept can, at times, be hard for me to grasp. I think that is largely due to the fact that our society throws the word "love" around far too often and it has lost some of it's value. But when I'm feeling down and lonely and utterly un-loved, God tends to break it down for me. Most recently, he used an interesting tactic, but I guess he knows I'm a visual learner. You guessed it... Isaiah + Harry Potter. I was surprised too. Let me explain.

Think Harry Potter: Order of the Pheonix. Harry goes to Professor Umbridge's office for detention and she tells him to write out "I must not tell lies" but gives him a quill she claims will not need ink. As Harry writes, the words he is writing are carved into the back of his hand. The writing on the paper comes out in his blood, hence the lack of ink required. It is clear that it is very painful for Harry to continue writing. God, however, did Harry one better. He didn't carve onto the back of His hand, but into the palm of it, and we all know from fire safety that the palm is more sensitive.

"But for those of us who are already His, He not only holds us in the palm of His hand, but had engraved our names there, and we are continually in His sight." —Isaiah 49:16

Can you even imagine how much that must hurt? But that is how much God loves me, and how much he loves you. He is willing to carve our names into the palm of His hand. What a beautiful testament to his unequivocal love for us. 

... so next time you're not feeling the love, think of your name on His palm. Because trust me, it's there.