This is new.

Blogging.

Something that a friend has mentioned several times before but something that I always seemed to push into the back of my mind because when I write I often do so with a peace in knowing that my words will stay between the Lord and myself. My time spent within the pages of my spiral notebooks are intimate and filled with countless thoughts, questions, and prayers that are weighing on my heart at the end of each day. I often close my notebook each night with many things still rumbling around in my mind that I never seem to have the time to fully write out.

The bottom line is that there is no rhyme or reason to most of my "entries." There are so many days when I have paragraphs upon paragraphs of even the smallest topics that the Lord made so huge on my heart. Even now, I can think of my past few weeks of writing and how they have varied from my explanation of digging into a specific place in the word or trying to figure out where in the world my life is going...(that entry was left with a question mark at the end, along with many others.)

I am no scholar. Most of those who will read this already know that good and well. My thoughts are simple but my desire to know God in a more intimate and powerful way are more intense with each passing day. Writing just happens to be by form of talking with, pleading with, praising, and often battling with the Lord.

So here I go I guess- Who knows where in the world this will lead-
I apologize in advance- my mind jumps around ALOT. Embrace it :)

I will end this first "post"- if I can call it a post- with a brief description of what has been on my heart over the past several weeks...

I am in the middle of Beth Moore's study on Daniel. It has caused me to look at our culture in a completely different way. It is INCREDIBLE to see the similarities between this culture that we find ourselves in and the Babylon of Daniel's time. It has made me ask how this culture has had an effect of me. I have allowed so many days go by when I have walked with raised chin, a stuck up attitude, and overflowed with a selfish spirit, not unlike the babylonians when they proclaimed " I am , and there is none beside me."

We are called to be in the world--but not of IT...but IT just looks so good sometimes.
Oh!- How easy it is to get caught up in looking good, knowing the right people, being invited to the right places, and being successful in a worldy mind-set.Especially as women living in this time- where value seems to be put more on the condition of our six-pack than the condition of our hearts. Our flesh cries out for more, more, more!
But we are called to live not for ourselves. We are called to lay down our pride, desires, and selfish motives at the feet of the Lord everyday- and seek his face in all that we do.

Many, many, & probably most of the posts to follow will have this theme...

Where and How can I fit in here in this culture without being consumed by it?
All I know now is that I cannot fight that tempatation alone-
Spiritual warfare is so so real & happening all around us everyday-
but I often do not even acknowledge the battles that are being fought within my own heart.


During a recent student wednesday night service Job was the topic.
The speaker made a statement that grabbed my heart-and maybe it will do the same for you.

How often I find myself being aware that there is a spiritual battle going on around me-
but I allow myself to slip into the mind-set that the Lord and Satan are equally powerful and have an even playing field? That perhaps Satan will come out on top this time and that I will somehow slip out of the grasp of my Heavenly Father.

This is not the case at all. Satan knows where we are weak-and do not doubt that he will not attack with all his might to bring us to the brink of what we can bare-

But- Fear Not! We will not be consumed or defeated!
The battle has already been won for us.

I desperately needed to be reminded of the protection and constant provision I recieve from the Lord- who somehow can look at me- the wretch that I am- and call me "the apple of his eye."

Wow. What a mighty God we serve, indeed.


I think this wraps up my first entry. I am a little nervous about sending all of these thoughts out into the vast world. wide. web. But chances are that very few people will see this---which is making it alot easier for me to consider clicking "Publish Post."

I am praying for you- whoever "you" might be.

Hopefully I will get the guts to get back onto this and write again-
Until then-

Be blessed.

-Ames