the sky angel cowboy.

this child's testimony touches my heart so hard...

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

- Matthew 18:3

“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

- Mark 10:14

philippians 2:1-4

"if you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you, if you have a heart, if you care— then do me a favor: agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends. don't push your way to the front; don't sweet-talk your way to the top. put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. don't be obsessed with getting your own advantage. forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand."
- The Message.

-quote me.

the entirety of my life, i have collected quotes.
be it writing down inside jokes as a child and adolescent, literally keeping a "quote book" in high school, hoarding magazine & newspaper clippings, or accumulating book excerpts, song lyrics, movie lines, and inspiring thoughts...i love them. i remember them. i re-quote them.
it may have to do with my relational approach to living, as i feel it is the sole importance in life.
it may have to do with the subject of communication, of which i feel like is ever-present, never-ceasing.
it may have to do with my total obsession with words, in general, and the extensive vocabulary and beauty of the written/spoken language.

whatever the reason...quotes have the ability to impact me...to encourage me...to inspire me.
and i believe they are significantly important to share; the following is a chronological compilation of just a few of my notable favorites.
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"Life is a storm, my young friend. You will bask in the sunlight one moment, be shattered on the rocks the next. What makes you a man is what you do when that storm comes."
– Alexandre Dumas (The Count of Monte Cristo).
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"When it is dark enough, you can see the stars."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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"the earth can shake, the sky come down, the mountains all fall to the ground, but i will fear none of these things. shelter me Lord underneath your wings. dark waters rise and thunder pounds, the wheels of war are going round, and all the walls are crumbling. shelter me Lord underneath your wings. the wind can blow, the rain can pour, the deluge breaks, the tempest roars, but in the storm my spirit sings when you shelter me Lord underneath your wings."
- Selah (Shelter Me).
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"i've been climbing my whole life, and i'm only at the bottom of the mountain…my hands cannot reach it, and my mind can't comprehend it, but my soul is gonna get there one day…"
- Selah (On the Mountain).
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"Unless the Lord had given me help, I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death. When I said, "My foot is slipping," Your unfailing love, Oh Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, Your consolation brought joy to my soul. The Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge."
- Psalm 94:17-19 and 22.
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"out of the chaos came the promise. the universe rose and applauded, when you commanded the new born sun to rise…into my chaos comes your promise. the new is rising, the old is past on. you are reviving and making all things right…"
- Selah (Hope of the Broken World).
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"Those who believe they believe in God, but without passion in the heart, without anguish of mind, without uncertainty, without doubt, and even at times without despair, believe only in the idea of God, and not in God himself."
– Madeleine L’Engle.
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"Unless it's mad, passionate, extraordinary love...it is a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life. Love should not be one of them."
- anonymous...
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"It is nonsense to believe that you must compromise your beliefs, or water down your convictions in order to love someone, or even just treat them with dignity."
- Rick Warren.
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"Don't love to be loved in return; don't give to receive. Love because Jesus told you to. Love the way He loved.
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"He didn’t come so that others could serve him. He came to serve and give his life…”"
- anonymous...Mark 10:45.
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"love each other as God loves each one of you, with an intense and particular love...if your heart is full of love, you will speak of love."
- Mother Teresa.
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"the heart in my chest beats wildly as each step brings us closer to you…magnificent one, merciful judge. we rejoice and sing in the favor of our God. omnipotent love, almighty friend. you are always just, you are always good, and your kingdom has no end, magnificent one."
- Selah (Threshold of Glory).
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"tis so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take him at his word, just to rest upon his promise, just to know "Thus saith the Lord"…i'm so glad i learned to trust thee, precious Jesus, savior, friend, and i know that thou art with me--will be with me to the end."
- William J. Kirkpatrick (Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, hymn).

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"I want to be one of those rare Christians whose very presence incites others to also be better Christians."
- A.W. Tozer.

Thankful.

When I was choosing a college, MidAmerica was a natural choice. My parents met there, (I would be the 16th person in my family to go there,) I was able to receive multiple scholarships-including ones for softball & choir, I had attended the partnered church for the past nine years at the time, and it was a Christian college.
Going to public grade schools, I had never known the significant impact going to a Christian college would have on my years there.
Not only is there a chapel service 3/5 weekdays, but most professors will pray or do a devotional before each class, the professors genuinely care about you as a student AND as a child of God, the professors understand when you are going through trials and want to work with you, and there is always someone on campus who is willing to listen and/or pray with you.
This semester I have had to communicate with my professors about my struggles this past year-and specifically the past three months; although I was very hesitant since I am such a private person...it has been beneficial. Today, I received an e-mail from one of my professors::

"McKenzi,
I read this devotional below today and for some reason thought of you and felt I should forward it. Maybe God knows why. In any case, it's good advice for most of us. See you in class.
Prof. P.

'Thursday March 22, 2012
The Ways to Self-knowledge
"Know yourself" is good advice. But to know ourselves doesn't mean to analyse ourselves. Sometimes we want to know ourselves as if we were machines that could be taken apart and put back together at will. At certain critical times in our lives it might be helpful to explore in some detail the events that led us to our crises, but we make a mistake when we think that we can ever completely understand ourselves and explain the full meaning of our lives to others.
Solitude, silence, and prayer are often the best ways to self-knowledge. Not because they offer solutions for the complexity of our lives but because they bring us in touch with our sacred center, where God dwells. That sacred center may not be analysed. It is the place of adoration, thanksgiving, and praise.'"

It is amazing that I can be at a school like this, where this is a common occurrence...I am so exceedingly blessed-and so thankful.

"I look to You."

These past three and a half months have been the hardest of my life.
My life did a complete 180, and I was back to square one...and forced to make the most difficult decision of my life.
Because of everything-and how hard it was on me-I decided to give up listening to any secular music for lent. That way, I could spend that time in my jeep or in my room thinking about and praising God through music that glorified Him.
My family has listened to Selah since their first album in 2005, but their most recent has really struck a chord in me...I've listened to it non-stop for the past month. There are seven (!!) songs I cannot get over, but the one that makes me cry every time is "I Look to You".

You can listen to it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3Yl9j4EytE&feature=related

The phrase that sings "I don't know if I'm gonna make it; nothing to do but lift my head", I always like to think that instead of lifting my head, I lift my hands...and that just sends shivers up my spine to think that at my lowest points, when I feel like I cannot possibly do anything or continue on, I turn to God and am still able to praise Him. I just love that...
"when melodies are gone, in You I hear a song"...these past three months have been such a solid reminder that I really can only find true joy in Him, that I really can only find true peace in Him, that I need to TRUST Him...and REJOICE in Him--and PRAISE Him...no matter what, through it all.
-and although some moments felt like what must've been Hell, I have grown so much just within that time period, and I am only planning on continuing to do so; it has made me SO-THANKFUL and SO much wiser and brought me SO much closer to God. it's amazing how He works like that...
"and we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
- Romans 8:28, NIV.

joshua 1:9

"Have I not commanded you?? Be strong and courageous!! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
- NIV.

proverbs 3:5-6

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight."
- NIV.