Praise and Worship

I'm reading through the Bible chronologically this year and I just read the song that the Israelites sang after God delivered them from the Egyptians at the Red Sea:

"I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;
the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.
² The LORD is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation;
this is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
³The LORD is a man of war;
the LORD is his name.

⁴ "Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea,
and his chosen officers were sunk in the Red Sea.
⁵The floods covered them;
they went down into the depths like a stone.
⁶ Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,
your right hand, O LORD, shatters the enemy.
⁷In the greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;
you send out your fury; it consumes them like stubble.
⁸At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;
the floods stood up in a heap;
the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.
⁹The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.
I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.'
¹⁰You blew with your wind; the sea covered them;
they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹ "Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in glorious deeds, doing wonders?
¹²You stretched out your right hand;
the earth swallowed them.

¹³"You have led in your steadfast love the people whom you have redeemed;
you have guided them by your strength to your holy abode.
¹⁴ The peoples have heard; they tremble;
pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.
¹⁵Now are the chiefs of Edom dismayed;
trembling seizes the leaders of Moab;
all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.
¹⁶Terror and dread fall upon them;
because of the greatness of your arm, they are still as a stone,
till your people, O LORD, pass by,
till the people pass by whom you have purchased.
¹⁷You will bring them in and plant them on your own mountain,
the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode,
the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.
¹⁸ The LORD will reign forever and ever."

Exodus 15:1-18

I had never noticed all the references to redemption that are in this song. They were a people purchased by God and delivered by Him. So are we! What a great song of praise!

Not What My Hands Have Done

This is one of my most favorite songs that we sing in church. The verses are an old hymn (written by Horatius Bonar). The chorus has been added (along with a new tune). I cannot sing this song without having tears well up in my eyes as I consider the wonder that God should save a sinner like me!

Not What My Hands Have Done

1. Not what my hands have done
Can save my guilty soul;
Not what my toiling flesh has borne
Can make my spirit whole.
Not what I feel or do
Can give me peace with God;
Not all my prayers,
And sighs and tears
Can bear my awful load.

Chorus:

These guilty hands are raised;
Filthy rags are all I bring
And I have come
To hide beneath your wings.
These holy hands are raised
Washed in the fountain of your grace;
And now I wear your righteousness.

2. Thy work alone, O Christ,
Can ease this weight of sin
Thy blood alone O Lamb of God,
Can give me peace within.
Thy love to me O God,
Not mine, O Lord, to Thee
Can rid me of
This dark unrest,
And set my spirit free!

Chorus:

These guilty hands are raised;
Filthy rags are all I bring
And I have come
To hide beneath your wings.
These holy hands are raised
Washed in the fountain of your grace;
And now I wear your righteousness.

3. Thy grace alone, O God,
To me can pardon speak;
Thy power alone O Lamb of God,
Can this sore bondage break.
No other work, save Thine,
No other blood will do,
No strength but that,
Which is divine,
Can bear me safely through.

Chorus:

These guilty hands are raised;
Filthy rags are all I bring
And I have come
To hide beneath your wings.
These holy hands are raised
Washed in the fountain of your grace;
And now I wear your righteousness.

4. I praise the God of grace,
I trust His truth and might
He calls me His, I call Him mine,
My God, my joy, my light
My Lord has saved my life,
And freely pardon gives
I love because
He first loved me,
I live because He lives!

Our Story

This is the story of how God brought Dan and me together and how we got engaged.

Our story really begins with the fact that Dan and Dustin Bragg were roommates in college during Dan's senior year in 2003-2004. After graduation, Dan moved back to Detroit and they kind of lost touch with each other. In August of 2007, I moved to South Carolina and moved in right next door to Dustin. (Actually, Dan moved to South Carolina three days after I did, but we didn't know each other at the time!) Dustin and I got to be pretty good friends, and he would often have people over to watch movies on his big screen TV with surround sound.

One Saturday night last July, I got a craving to watch a particular action/adventure movie, so I called Dustin and invited myself over to watch it on his TV, since action movies are more fun on a big screen with surround sound! He had something going on that night, but he said I could come over on Sunday night to watch it. He said that his old roommate from college was going to be there, but that they didn't have any particular plans and he didn't think his roommate would mind watching that movie.

Unbeknownst to me, Dan and Dustin had just reconnected with each other on Facebook. Dustin had no idea Dan was back in Greenville, but after he discovered that fact, he had been trying to get together with him.

That Sunday night, we ate pizza and ice cream and watched a movie and talked. We stayed kind of late. I had fun and Dan seemed like a nice guy to me, but I didn't really think anything of it because Dustin always had one or another of his friends over to watch movies, and Dan was just another guy I met at Dustin's.

However, the next morning before I left for work, I randomly checked my Facebook and Dan had friended me. I thought that was a little odd because he would have had to remember my name to do so (and I hadn't remembered his name!) and it had only been a few hours since we had met each other and he would have had to have gone straight home and friended me.

I accepted his friend request and he wrote on my wall several times that day. I checked at lunch and he had written something. I asked a couple of my friends that day if it meant something significant for him to have friended me that fast and they agreed that it was probably somewhat significant.

That night, we started chatting on Facebook, and every night that week we ended up chatting till the wee hours of the morning. On Thursday night he asked for my number and started texting me. I went to Charleston with friends from my community group that weekend, and he texted me the whole time I was there (until he broke his phone, but that's another story). Saturday night we met at Dustin's again, and by Sunday night we were ready for our first date.

So that's the story of how we met. Here is the story of our engagement.

First of all, I had no idea it was coming this Christmas. He told me that he would be asking me sometime before March, but other than that I didn't know when. He also said that Christmas was too obvious a time to propose. Plus, I didn't know he had bought the ring. (I usually know where he is at all times!)

Dan works for UPS answering the phones in customer service; so Christmas is a very busy time for him. Normally, he has to work both the day before and the day after. So, our plan for Christmas was for me to drive up on Christmas Eve to spend four days with my family and for Dan to stay in Greenville and work. Needless to say, I wasn't very excited about the idea.

Tuesday, the day before Christmas Eve, I started thinking about driving my car all the way back to Cleveland and how much traffic there might be and what kind of weather I might encounter. I love driving a stick shift, but in stop-and-go traffic or bad weather, it's not so fun. Several weeks before, Dan had mentioned that I could borrow his car if I wanted to. At the time I had said no, but the more I thought of it, the more I liked the idea. So, I texted him that afternoon and asked if I could drive his car. He had driven mine a little bit and was starting to get used to driving stick, so I figured he's be okay for just driving back and forth to work. He told me he'd think about it and let me know. Without knowing it, I had just thrown off all his plans!

He came over to see me that night after work, and he was acting kind of weird, like he was thinking about something that was bothering him. I kept asking him what was wrong and also kept asking him for a final decision about taking his car. Finally he told me that he just didn't feel like he was ready to drive my stick-shift while I was gone and asked if I could just take my car. I was a little disappointed until I remembered that my brother Jared, who was coming with me to Cleveland, had an automatic that he would be leaving in Greenville. It's an old car and can't be driven far, but I told Dan he'd be fine driving it around town. I called up Jared right away and got it set for Dan to borrow his car while we were gone.

However, Dan was still acting strange, and he wouldn't tell me what was wrong. He finally said he'd tell me later. So I went out to the kitchen to make us a snack. A few minutes later he came out to where I was and told me that the reason he wasn't comfortable driving my car was that he wasn't ready to drive it through the mountains or through bad weather. He had gotten the day after Christmas off! I was so excited that I was going to get to spend Christmas with him and started to give him a hug. Then he said that the reason he wanted to come to my parents' house for Christmas was that he had something important to ask me. That's when I saw him pulling the ring box out of his pocket and realized what was going on. He got down on one knee and proposed right there in the kitchen. I said yes, of course!

So, Dan had all these ideas of how he was going to surprise me at my parents' house and ask me to marry him on Christmas day, but without even knowing it, I foiled his surprise! In all reality, though, I think this worked out better because we got to drive up to Cleveland together and spend all of Christmas weekend.

That's the story, at least my side of it. Maybe I can persuade Dan to tell his side of the story later. The wedding is set for September 5 at Pretty Place chapel just north of Greenville, SC. We're so excited and thankful for how the Lord brought all this together! And we can't wait to start life together.

2008 in Review

I shamelessly stole this list from Robyn because I thought it was a pretty comprehensive review of last year. Feel free to steal it from me.

1. Where did you begin 2008?
with the singles group from Sovereign Grace church madly sprinting up and down Main Street finding items for a scavenger hunt. That was definitely the most exercise I had all year.

2. What was your status by Valentines Day?
single. (I won't be in 2009, though!)

3. Were you in school anytime this year?
No. I was planning on it, but God changed my direction.

4. Did you have to go to the hospital?
I haven't been in a hospital since I was born!

5. Did you have any encounters with the police?
Nope. Another year with a perfect driving record!

6. Where did you go on vacation?
Cleveland, Cleveland, Detroit, Cleveland

7. What did you purchase that was over $100?
New glasses.

8. Did you know anybody who got married?
Rachel and Anthony

9. Did you know anybody who passed away?
No

10. Did you move anywhere?
By the end of the year, I will have moved, but just around the corner (of the house) to the front apartment.

11. What sporting events did you attend?
Just watched them on TV.

12. What concerts/shows did you go to?
Wicked!, Third Day (sort of), Casting Crowns, Steven Curtis Chapman, Pirates of Penzance, and Trans-Siberian Orchestra

13. Describe your birthday.
My friends took me out to Moe's and then we went and saw Wall-e.

14. What is the ONE thing you thought you would not do, but did, in 2008?
Got a boyfriend!!

15. What have been your favorite moments?
The big things, obviously, such as Wicked!, Anthony and Rach's wedding, and Cedar Point, but also the little things like growing closer to those in my community group, getting to know Dan, and also every Sunday, when I get to go to church. And overall, learning to depend more on the Spirit as He works in my life. I think He's grown me a lot this year.

16. Any new additions to your family?
Not this year

17. What was your best month?
July, when I met Dan

18. Who has been your best drinking buddy?
Dan and I go out for coffee!

19. Made new friends?
My whole community group and Dan

20. Favorite Night out?
Both trips to Charleston.

21. Other than home, where did you spend most of your time?
Work, church.

22. Have you lost any friends this year?
Don't think so.

23. Change your hairstyle?
Sort of. I flip it under now instead of out.

24. Have any car accidents?
Nope. Still none.

25. How old did you turn this year?
29. Last year in the 20's!

26. Do you have a New Years resolution?
Um. Eat less, exercise more?

27. Do anything embarrassing?
Don't think so.

28. Buy anything new from eBay?
No.

29. Get married or divorced?
No.

30. Get hit on?
Only in the Berea Wal-Mart!

31. Been snowboarding?
No. I'd probably hurt myself.

32. Did you get sick this year?
I think I had a cold in the spring.

33. Are you happy to see 2008 go?
I like where I'm at in life, so no, I'm not relieved to see the year end, but neither am I wishing it weren't.

34. Been naughty or nice?
Probably a little of both, but hopefully more nice as the Holy Spirit works in me.

35. What are you looking forward to most in 2009?
Getting to know Dan better.

A Few of my Favorite Things (about Dan)

I was just thinking today about how blessed I am by God to have Dan Sims as a boyfriend. I thought I'd just list a few reasons why. Here's my top 20. This list is by no means comprehensive, and it is not arranged in order of importance, merely in the order of which I thought of them!

1. His heart belongs to God, and I can daily see the Holy Spirit's working in his life as He molds Dan into the image of Christ.

2. He loves me!

3. He cares about how I feel and listens when I talk.

4. He is compassionate toward the people around him and their needs. He stops in the grocery store to ask the check-out person how his or her day is going.

5. He's tall! Even when I wear heels, he's still taller than I am.

6. He doesn't get easily angry or upset at me (or anyone else) even when I (or others) am upset with him.

7. He helps me when I get upset by listening to me and then helping me to get my focus back on Christ and realize that what I'm upset about isn't so upsetting.

8. He's really cute!

9. He's earned the respect of my friends and family.

10. He is a servant, always ready to help anyone that needs it.

11. He's serious about life and the things of the Lord, but he knows how to have fun, too!

12. He doesn't demand his rights or refuse to let people push him around, realizing that people are more important than things.

13. He is good at math and keeping track of finances. He doesn't overspend.

14. He is willing to admit when he is wrong.

15. He asks for directions.

16. He knows a lot about computers.

17. He pays attention to politics and world events.

18. He constantly reminds me that God is in control of all things.

19. He drives a Honda!

20. And finally, he is trustworthy, and I know I am safe with him.

Fullness of Joy

I know I haven't written in a while, and I don't have time right now to catch everyone up on my life. If you're on Facebook, you can probably piece it all together for yourself anyway. Just look at the pictures!

Last night in Youth Group, Jami (youth pastor) said something that really caught my attention. He said, "We say we believe the Bible, but do we live like it? Do our lives reflect what we say we believe?" He was specifically talking about joy. We say joy is only found in Christ, but how often do we seek joy in other places. He used some examples the students could relate to, such as seeking joy in an X-Box or a new cell phone.

I thought about that for a while last night, and then this morning I was reading in Psalm 16:11 (which I've read a million times before) where it says: "You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever." It reinforced what I'd been thinking about last night.

My joy can only come from being in Christ's presence. In fact, joy is a fruit of the Spirit's work in my life! (Gal 5:22-23) I tend to find my joy in people. I have an incredible, loving family, great Christian friends, and the most awesome boyfriend in the world. However, none of those people can be where my joy is based. It has to be rooted in Christ. All these others are just blessings on the side which He has graciously given me.

Kind of a lot to think about, but a reminder I needed.

And, I'm kind of in a writing mood, so maybe (no promises) I'll write more later and bring y'all up to date on my life.

Red Like a Tomato!

So after months of limiting my sun exposure and using sunscreen in order to "tan" little by little, I slipped up on Saturday when we went to the Greek Festival. We were there for only a few hours, but that was enough to burn me bright red! My shoulders and chest are killing me, especially because the neckline of my scrubs rubs them! Hopefully, it won't all just peel and be white again!