some more of my favorite verses and quotes

i have a couple more favorite verses that i forgot about. really, how could i fit them all in one post? i think i'll just keep adding a few at a time as they come to me.

(click on picture for larger image) i made this card a few months after we had Faith. i remember i had gone back to work. we were leading a community group at the time and we were studying philippians. these verses have so much depth. i almost feel like i could write an entire book just about these four verses (philippians 4:4-8). during the months following Faith's birth and to this day these verses have brought me so much strength and hope. i have this card taped up to the mirror in my bathroom to remind me of these things every day:

• rejoice in the Lord always
• be gentle
• don't be anxious
• be thankful
• talk to God and ask for things with a grateful heart knowing that whether he answers my prayer or not he has only the best in mind for me
• he is capable of giving me peace that is unexplainable
• and when my thoughts start going to bad things i have the choice to switch off that switch and think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy

here's another card i made up when we were studying romans with our community group...

now this verse (and card) has a pretty crazy story. as we were preparing to move to austin i rediscovered this verse when i was flipping through my journal. it fell out and before slipping it back between the pages i read it. it stopped me in my tracks.

may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. -romans 15:13

this became my life verse for our move. i memorized it. i always carried it with me. i stuck it on the dash of my car to remind me as we drove down that i could trust God. if he wanted us in austin i had to remind myself (hourly sometimes) that if i would just trust in God he could and would fill me with his joy and peace. it was hard. i was grumpy a lot on our trip down here. now granted the drive was unbearably longer than we had anticipated. but still. internally i had accepted God's plan and was doing my best to be obedient, but sometimes i think i was just being obedient outwardly. inwardly i was struggling and still struggle with accepting in my heart God's plan. like ok God, i'll go there physically, but i'm not gonna be happy about it. like when you're a kid and your parent asks you to do something and you do it, but in a huff.

that reminds me of one of my favorite lines from will & grace. jack's all mad and he's standing by the door and he opens the door and says something like "oh, what's this? a huff? i think i'll leave in it." and he storms out. ha ha ha! so funny!

ok, so back to my story. so we arrive in austin the day before thanksgiving. we had already decided that we were going to go to gateway church when we got here since we had checked it out when we were here visiting in the past. so the sunday after we arrive we head off for church. i was very excited to go to church. i was really looking forward to getting plugged in and meeting some new people. we drop jonah off in kids quest and head into the service. the music was good. it had a homey feel. pastor rick gave the message. it was all going really well. and it turns out the message was one of those messages where you go "is he talking just to me? have you been spying on me?" and then the icing on the cake...

rick ended his message with romans 15:13. ok, God. i'm listening. i know we're supposed to be here. thanks for the reassurance. ;o)