Never. Forget.

I arrived home from a long long road-trip to Tennessee just a few hours ago. I have to say, I miss you all very much, but even so, I remembered to take notes to bring back to you all from what I learned on my trip. The following words were written while on my adventure. Enjoy!

        "Here I am. Sitting out on a wooden porch in a rocking chair listening to crickets chirp. The sun has just set and its that beautiful golden hour right before the sky turns velvety black. Its peaceful and wonderful. Its one of the last moments I have before things begin to get complicated. Before summer reading essays and AP art studying. Before driver tests and tight knit social circles. Before college applications and potentially boy trouble. So I'm taking it all in. The calm before the storm.
         God, I need strength. Strength to deal with summer homework and school and friends and college applications and SAT prep and maybe even boys. Please Father help me to balance my work load. I need a huge overdose of diligence, better work ethic, state-of-the-art time planning skills, and especially discipline. Lots of that. All of it, I can't do it without you. Guide me. And hold me in the hard times. Help me to remember all I've learned this summer. That I can't do anything without You and that WE WERE MADE to thirst for You and long for Your love (not mere human attention although that may be desired as well). That nothing satisfies but You. That I am made in your perfect and beautiful image but sin has made me weak. But in that weakness You forever will make me strong. That any demeaning words against myself are lies of the enemy. That things can always get worse than my blessed situation now. That You are God and I am surely not. And in all this I pray I shall always remember that You will shelter me through ANY storm in the pavilion of Your love.
          Still Discouraged? Read Psalm 27. Now."