The trek across the country.

I am currently sitting in the car with my grandparents and sister in West Texas.  We are making the long trek across the country to our destination, my favorite place of all time: Tennessee

It is amazing to me that I can be sitting in a car and on the internet, but I am definitely not complaining! :)

We left yesterday morning and drove to Amarillo, Texas. It was about a 12 hour drive. We have another 12 hours today, but we will be sleeping at grandma and papas house tonight!  yay! 

I have been going to Tennessee every summer for a few years, but have never driven there, so this is definitely a different experience. 

Yesterday I watched Avatar. It was surprisingly good! I thought for sure that I would not like it. but I was glued to that small television for three hours straight! 

I also listened to a number of podcasts yesterday. To be honest, I usually leave the podcast listening to daddy and Trey, and I always listen to music. But this was a good change. 

It is so wonderful how the Lord works sometimes. I was going through lists of all of these pastors and all of these talks, trying to figure out what I thought I should listen to. I ended up just picking a bunch of random ones, and going from there. Well, I thought they were random, but the Lord knew what He was doing. Out of all of the podcasts that I listened to yesterday, 4 of them were in John 20. 

It is the telling of the empty tomb, Mary Magdalene weeping, and Jesus with his disciples. 

This is a story that I have grown up hearing and learning about, but I think that is why the Lord placed it into my hands yesterday. I think when we have a relationship with the Lord  for a long period of time, we start to take common stories like the story of the empty tomb, and keep it under the rug. We have it in our minds and we know the stories, but do we really cherish them? 

Jesus not only rose spiritually from the tomb, but he rose bodily. His physical body was not there. 

Yet He revealed Himself to a small number of people, so they could bear witness of the Risen Lord.

Can you imagine if no one ever bore witness? The Lord works in our lives, and we are called to share our testimony of His work, to all of those around us, so that they might come to know Him. 

I also came to realize how beautiful the book of Psalms is. My dad challenged the college group the other day about memorizing some of the Psalms. We sing a lot of them, and may not even realize it. 

I came across this chapter this morning and cannot get over how beautiful it is.

I am challenging myself to memorize this. Wish me luck!

Psalm 145 

I will exalt you, my God the King;
       I will praise your name for ever and ever.

 ² Every day I will praise you

       and extol your name for ever and ever.

 ³ Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;

       his greatness no one can fathom.

 ⁴ One generation will commend your works to another;

       they will tell of your mighty acts.

 ⁵ They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,

       and I will meditate on your wonderful works. ^[b]

 ⁶ They will tell of the power of your awesome works,

       and I will proclaim your great deeds.

 ⁷ They will celebrate your abundant goodness

       and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

 ⁸ The LORD is gracious and compassionate,

       slow to anger and rich in love.

 ⁹ The LORD is good to all;

       he has compassion on all he has made.

 ¹⁰ All you have made will praise you, O LORD;

       your saints will extol you.

 ¹¹ They will tell of the glory of your kingdom

       and speak of your might,

 ¹² so that all men may know of your mighty acts

       and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

 ¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

       and your dominion endures through all generations.

       The LORD is faithful to all his promises

       and loving toward all he has made. ^[c]

 ¹⁴ The LORD upholds all those who fall

       and lifts up all who are bowed down.

 ¹⁵ The eyes of all look to you,

       and you give them their food at the proper time.

 ¹⁶ You open your hand

       and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

 ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all his ways

       and loving toward all he has made.

 ¹⁸ The LORD is near to all who call on him,

       to all who call on him in truth.

 ¹⁹ He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;

       he hears their cry and saves them.

 ²⁰ The LORD watches over all who love him,

       but all the wicked he will destroy.

 ²¹ My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.

       Let every creature praise his holy name

       for ever and ever.