presents.

just as an fyi, i had a great birthday with great friends and many blessings including:

multiple calls and texts
an entire blog post from an inspiring young woman ;)
sweet cards
beautiful notebook
(yes, miss livie, i have gotten a new one:) )
scrumptious cake...
(that had a mishap on it's way to my house, but was still beautiful)
dinner with the fam and friends
movies: despicable me (greatness)
bracelet
goldfingers and tie-dye party

so pretty much...

i am: blessed.

brilliance

"hey girl let's go down
wash our hands in the carolina tide
let's go down and die
and come back like babies
::
hey girl let's go down
wash our sins in the muddy brown wave
wash the world away
and come back again
::
all these scarlet stains
like the blood red clay
on the knees of our jeans
you can come out righteous if you want babe
you can come out clean
::
hey girl drive all night
down to the water
and live like were alive
let our sleeping die
and roll out of these graves
::
hey girl the water don't know
the shore don't care
who you were before
we're not them anymore
you know we're not the same
::
-john mark mcmillan

brilliant: distinguished; illustrious; strong and clear in tone; vivid; bright; splendid or magnificent

this guy's lyrics are brilliant.

always

ahallelujah: i’m caving in
hallelujah: i’m in love again
hallelujah: i’m a wretched man
hallelujah: every breath is a second chance
...i am always Yours...

wesley's knowledge

"all creation groans,
all creation yearns,
can i do anything less?"

i was reading john wesley's commentary on romans 8 and it's pretty intense:

"19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

8:19 For the earnest expectation - The word denotes a lively hope of something drawing near, and a vehement longing after it. Of the creation - Of all visible creatures, believers excepted, who are spoken of apart; each kind, according as it is capable. All these have been sufferers through sin; and to all these (the finally impenitent excepted) shall refreshment redound from the glory of the children of God. Upright heathens are by no means to be excluded from this earnest expectation: nay, perhaps something of it may at some times be found even in the vainest of men; who (although in the hurry of life they mistake vanity for liberty, and partly stifle. partly dissemble, their groans, yet) in their sober, quiet, sleepless, afflicted hours, pour forth many sighs in the ear of God."

i love that, knowingly or not, all creation groans and cries out to God; even those who say they don't believe, every living thing longs for God.

engulf

"you slowly lifted your head from your hands
you said "i just don't think that you'll understand
you'll never look at me that way again
if you knew what i did"

and so your tears fell and melted the snow
you told me secrets nobody had known
but i never loved you more, even though
now i knew what you did

oh, my dear, ill wait for you
grace tonight will pull us through
until the tears have left your eyes
until the fear can sleep at night
until the demons that you're scared of
disappear inside
until the scale begins to crack
and the weight falls from your back...
oh, my dear, ill keep you in my arms tonight."
-tenth avenue north: oh, my dear

i'm in love with this song.

engulf: to submerge, to plunge or immerse, envelop, bury, inundate, deluge, swamp, to swallow up or overwhelm by or as if by overflowing and enclosing, consume

i love the fact that i'm covered. i am drenched in an embrace...i exist under a waterfall of love...i'm enveloped in this hold...all the time...and when i question...i'm covered in the One who knows all the answers and all the mysteries...whether He decides to let me in on them or not...i can trust He's the one who engulfs me...grace will pull me through.