Ahh, Serenity

This is the calm after the storm.
Rachelle left this morning to go back home, leaving the house with no guests. I went down to work (Monday's are crazy for me) and came up halfway through the orders because there were so many. Then I started cleaning my room, did laundry, dug up an old (but brand new) comforter that we were going to use for Grandma's room when we were moving--alas, she never got to use it because she now has a twin instead of a full--washed it, dried it, and worked out.
I can now take a deep breath and move on with my projects. I love having company but it's always nice to have things go back to the way they were after a while. Now I can focus on getting the house back in order.

I'll fold my laundry, make up my bed, write some scenes and then--then!! I will start on my painting project. Boy will I have a treat for you. I'll be recording it and make it into a fast-forward movie to post on here. I'm so psyched but I'm still not sure what I will paint. Hmm, ideas? Mom says my pink sunsets are the best, others say that the black silhouettes are good. Of course, if you haven't seen my paintings you won't know what I'm talking about because I've only posted a few from a million years ago. But you will, in time. I'm excited about focusing more on our book, too. You've heard this a ton in the past, but it's give and take. Sometimes I get time to focus, and other times I have to sit around and not get much done. October is my time of writing and painting and being awesome.

In other news, Bible studying has taken on a whole new meaning. I feel I'm about to enter a new stage with my walk with God. I really love Faith Tech studies, and I will continue to do that once a week for an hour. But I don't want to just read the Bible anymore - as I usually do every night - I want to dig into it, form my own studies, search everything out. Timothy says that we study to show ourselves approved. I want to be approved. I don't want to have to rely on somebody else's word, I want to rely on THE Word. I love calling BFF up and asking her questions but I think now's the time for me to grow up a little bit more. Of course I won't be going at it alone, I'll be including Buddy BFF in on some of my studies. Now that I have my dad's concordance, and the internet at my fingertips, I feel unstoppable!

So betwixt cleaning, painting, writing and studying I'm super pumped and don't expect to be bored any time soon. I love my life and I praise God for helping me be content. As we all know, Godliness WITH contentment is GREAT gain.
Sometimes I feel discontent and am dying to get married. Everyone's experienced a moment of loneliness before. But my good friend Carah and Buddy BFF both help put things into perspective. God is more than enough. You have to put yourself in that position where you're getting your energy, your life, your happiness and joy--your portion from God. Do not fill any empty space with a counterfeit. God is it. He is everything and anything you need. The goal isn't to put yourself in a false place of contentment just to get what you want. The true goal is to make God your desire, to make pleasing and living for Him your life and place of contentment. Don't be looking for the prize. We are supposed to die to ourselves every day. Wishing and hoping for a relationship is far from dying to yourself.

Have you died to yourself today? Hmm. That's a good question to ask every day.