For My Cuz

Let me tell you just a little bit about my cousin. His name is Aaron Wayne Skeen and he discovered America about 1 ½ years after I did. Although we have never even lived in the same state, we have always been close, which is why I’m writing this.

Aaron is getting married on Saturday. May 20th. He’s 31 ½ years old and he’s getting married. And I couldn’t be happier for him. He deserves this. But I can’t help feeling a little sentimental and nostalgic...and yes, a little sad. Because, you see, Aaron and I have been buds for a long time...

I cannot remember a time when Aaron was not part of my life. We grew up only seeing each other once or twice a year, yet that never affected our closeness. Some of my earliest memories include his sister (Debbie), my brother (Scott), Aaron and I playing together in my grandparents’ basement or yard, or at their farm. From the first, it seemed that Aaron and I were allies in fighting off the "obnoxious" younger siblings. The two of them stuck together, and so did Aaron and I. He was my protector and defender from a very young age.

Well, as most of you know and can probably guess, that hasn’t changed much. Yes, we’ve grown up and lots of things have changed, but Aaron and I have remained close. We've attended youth camp together for many years, graduating from being campers, to sponsoring teams together, and even served on the Youth Council together for awhile. Last summer, I was blessed to be able to go to Russia with him on a missions' trip.

Aaron has become a young man with a heart for God. I’ve watched him develop into someone who inspires me with his level of commitment and desire to serve God. He is deeply spiritual without having to talk much about it. He is deeply emotional and loves his family and friends with a passion that is sometimes frightening, especially to those who would challenge it. He is an amazing listener and can be trusted to keep everything from the smallest secret to the biggest confidence. When Aaron and I are together, nobody has to talk. We can sit for hours (doesn’t usually happen, especially with me) without ever needing to say anything. He understands me completely and always has, without ever needing an explanation.

My gratefulness to God for blessing my life with Aaron knows no bounds. I cannot express how deeply thankful I am for the many years we have had, and I am looking forward to many more years of happy times and fun memories!

Am I glad that Aaron has fallen in love and is marrying the person he wants to spend the rest of his life with? Yes, absolutely. Do I wish him and his new bride all the happiness in the world? Without reservation. Do I have mixed feelings, knowing that things are going to be different now? Yeah, I do. Somewhat selfishly, I am dreading the fact that this changes things. I know that Aaron and I will always be close. I know I’ll always be able to talk to him about anything. But this doesn’t change the fact that he will now have a wife. He will have an obligation and a commitment that he’s never had before. Does this change the fact that he loves me and is my cousin? No. Does it make me sad that I probably won’t see him as often, and that our time spent together will most likely be limited? Yep. It does. I’m happy for him, and kinda sad for me. I hope that doesn’t sound selfish.

I don’t think my feelings have anything to do with the fact that Aaron is leaving the ranks of the "singles" and joining up with the "marrieds." I really don’t. I have heard people say that they feel betrayed or rejected when a single friend or relative gets married, but I don’t feel that way. I just feel a little sad because of the changes that will take place.

I am a single person who believes in marriage and who supports my married friends in every way I can. I will support Aaron and Alyssa in their marriage and I will continue to be happy for them, knowing that they are following God and obeying Him with their lives. I am unreservedly happy for them both, and I welcome Alyssa to the family with open heart and arms.

I just hope you can understand the temporary sense of nostalgia and sadness that I feel, knowing that a new chapter in life is beginning. Definitely for them, but also for me. I gladly watch as my dear, sweet cousin begins a new life with his bride. I am happy to witness their wedding and their vows and to pledge my support to them as they begin their new life together. And I trust that the same Heavenly Father who fills all voids and who heals all hearts will lead them forever down the path of His perfect will.

Here’s to Aaron and Alyssa. Here’s to beautiful memories and bright futures. Here’s to a lifetime of happiness – past, present and future. Here’s to the knowledge that our Father leads us faithfully as we follow Him.

Wizard of Oz

To see pictures of the KCCBS drama department's production of The Wizard of Oz, please go to www.xanga.com/tawnyasmith.

Youth Retreat 2006

For a report on Harmony Hill Youth Retreat, complete with pictures, please visit my Xanga site.

Click here.

Lifesong Tour

If you get a chance to go to see the Lifesong Tour, do it!! We went last night and it was amazing! I wanted to take pictures, but the rules on the website for the venue stated "no cameras or recording devices" so we didn't take our cameras. Of course, EVERYONE else was taking pictures, so we were a little ticked. Oh well. Anyway, the concert was an incredibly worshipful and powerful experience. So many of the songs spoke to me but one especially that Nichole Nordeman did was especially meaningful. Here are the lyrics. Listen to it sometime if you can, because the music is also powerful. (You can read the story that this song is based on here.)

Lay It Down
To every son and daughter
Wayward and long gone
The love of a Father will leave the light on
I tried to throw you off track
A needle in the haystack
And I don't know how you found me
Or why you let me come back
Cuz it's a long way home when all you're left to carry
Is a heart of stone
And the weight of most the world
And I'd like to

Chorus:
Lay it down a little
Lay it down a lot
I don't want to hold it anymore
Lay it down in pieces or
Lay it down in whole
Everything I've carried on my own
Lay it down
Lay it down
Lay it down
Lay it down

I spent your money
Living on the fringes
But you threw a party for me
Invited all your big friends
And I have learned a little bit about a heavy load
All that gleams and glitters is not worth its weight in gold
And I know I should

Chorus
Lay it down a little
Lay it down a lot
I don't want to hold it anymore
Lay it down in pieces or
Lay it down in whole
Everything I've carried on my own
Lay it down
Lay it down
Lay it down
Lay it down
Lay it down a little
Lay it down a lot
I don't want to hold it anymore
Lay it down in pieces or
Lay it down in whole
Everything I've carried on my own
Lay it down
Lay it down
Lay it down
Lay it down
To every son and daughter, wayward and long gone...

So I know there are a lot of things that I need to lay down. God has been convicting me in a lot of areas, and trying to get me to the place that I can lay some stuff down. I don't want anything to clutter my life so that it becomes a hindrance in my relationship with Him. I'm sure we can all think of things that we need to give God control over. Why is it so hard? When we know that the safest place for all of those things is in God's hands. It must be human pride and stubborness, and perhaps a little stupidity -- at least in my case! As Nichole sang this song last night, I told God that all of the issues in my life are His. I am laying them down at His feet. I know that He will pick them up and use them. I trust Him that much. I just need to keep my hands off and let Him be God!

Check my Xanga

If you ever come here and notice that it's been awhile since I've updated, go to www.xanga.com/tawnyasmith. Sometimes I update there and forget to put it on here. I'll try to do better with that, cuz I know some of you only do blogspot. Anyway.

Hope everyone had a great weekend! Mine was extremely busy! On Friday night, I attended a really meaningful and special Good Friday service, then had a bunch of people over to my house for games and food. That was a lot of fun! Saturday, my mom, brother, nephew and I went down to Tulsa to spend Easter with the Smiths. My dad couldn't go becuz he had scheduled a revival prior to our planning the Tulsa trip. Anyway, we had a really good time with all the family there, and I will try to post pictures soon. If none show up here soon, again, check my Xanga. It's easier to post pictures there than here. Actually, it's easier to do most things there than here. Haha.

Today my family and I went to Ava, Missouri -- Mt. Zion to be more exact -- to celebrate the life of Ivan "Grandpa" Arnold who went home to Heaven on Good Friday. It was a really long trip for such a short visit, but it was worth it. It's important for people to know you care. And it's important to have the opportunity to say "goodbye for now" and to know the hope of meeting again someday. What a precious gift, to know that the "goodbye" is not forever.

Well, I'm very tired, and I'm not feeling the greatest, so I'm gonna go for now. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!

Love to all who read!

Quote for the Day from Cara: "I need to pay more attention to her because I would want people to pay attention to me, if I were me."

Oh my goodness. I just realized that Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is doing a special "After the Storm" show tonite. That is only my favorite show in the world. So I might be a little distracted as I type this. Or I might just wait till the show's over. And you'll never know...mwahahaa!!

So today was interesting. Usually I have my jr. high class for 1st, 2nd, and 4th hours on Thursdays, but today their 3rd hour teacher was sick, so I had them all morning! Which was fine with me, because I love them (and yes, I would say that even if some of them didn't read this) but I think being in the same classroom for so long got to be a little much for some of them. They ended up being a little mean to each other and fighting and stuff. But it was all good. We had a good time. It was also interesting because the entire grade school went on a field trip and took the principal and the secretary with them, so we were quite literally on our own. Plus nobody unlocked the doors before they left, so we were all upstairs and completely oblivious to the fact that some of the late-arriving students were effectively locked out. I got a pretty humorous description from one senior of her attempts to get in the school. She knew her class was in there, but she couldn't see anybody, and come to find out, her class had been sent up to the library after all because their teacher was sick. It was just crazy, I tell ya! But we did get stuff done, in spite of it all!

Okay. I just have to say some things here that I have been needing to say for quite some time. I know that some of you are going to think I am targeting certain people, but I'm not. I have been thinking about these things for a looong time. And even though some of you are still going to think to yourself when you read this, "I know exactly who she's talking about" you don't! Cuz I'm not talking about anyone in particular. This is just a rant, okay?

Anytime I say things like this, I feel like people are going to think that I am against marriage. I'm not. I believe very strongly in marriage. I believe God ordains marriage and when it's done right, it can be the most beautiful thing ever. Key phrase: "when it's done right."
I am extremely disturbed when I see people taking marriage lightly. I believe that when you commit to marry someone, it is serious, and it is for life. No turning back. There should not be any thoughts of, "well, if it doesn't work out, we'll just get a divorce." NO. God wants the relationship between a husband and wife to be a picture of His relationship with the church. Has he ever divorced the church or been unfaithful to the church? NO. I believe marriage should be taken very seriously.

That being said, I do of course know that there are times when abuse and unfaithfulness make it impossible for marriages to work out. But that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about going into the marriage without a sense of true commitment.

I am disturbed when I sense that people are rushing into marriage. What's the rush? I know that's going to sound funny to some of you because you're thinking, "well, that's easy to say, just cuz YOU haven't rushed into it." Please understand, I'm not saying people have to wait as long as I have. And I'm not saying people need to wait until I'm ready for them to get married. When it comes right down to it, it's really none of my business. But this is my blog, and I get to express my opinions here! I would just hope that people are waiting until they are ready! Ya know? People have their whole lives ahead of them to be married. Why put extra stress on a marriage by getting married so young? Are you going to go to college? Are you going to have good options for a career? What if you end up having a baby right away? It is my firm belief that people should not get married until they are ready to have kids, because it could happen. That doesn't mean they have to have kids right away, obviously, but be prepared for the possibility! Surprises (not accidents!) do happen!!

It is a proven fact that young people change tremendously between the ages of 18 and 25. You might not even be the same person when you are 25 that you were when you were 18. What if you don't like the person your spouse becomes after they grow up? Seriously!

I want to reiterate that I am not targeting the people you think I am. Yes, there have been four different couples I know who have announced their engagement within the last month. But I'm not targeting any of them. Or maybe I'm thinking of all them. You'll never know! The point is, these are the things that have been on my heart, and the things I would like for EVERY person who is considering marriage to consider. Marriage is serious. I have watched too many of my friends go through painful divorces. I have seen too many unhappy marriages and painful situations. I have witnessed too many regrets and hurts and "if onlys" to just let it all go by. God has a wonderful plan for each of us. He has only the best in store. I hope that we all truly seek out His will. My deepest desire is to have God's smile of approval on my life. I hope that's what you want too!

There is too much pressure in our society to get married. I feel it all the time. Sometimes you are made to feel as if you are not normal if you are not married. That's not okay. God has a different plan for every single (no pun intended) person He placed on this earth. There are many things that are much worse than being single! (I hesitate to say that, because by saying "worse" the implication is that being single it "bad" and it's not, but hopefully you know what I mean.) I guess I will have to resort to the motto that has been my quote for some time so in honor of Chris I will say: "It's better to be single than wish you were!"

Well,this hasn't been polished, and hasn't been said as well as I would have liked, but it has come from my heart. No apologies. This is how I feel.

I'd like to give a shout-out to all my single friends. I love all my married friends, but this is for you single guys and gals. God has a plan for you! You might meet the man/woman of your dreams tomorrow or next week or next year or when you get to Heaven and fall at Jesus' feet. The important thing is that we follow Christ and His will for our lives. I love you all and I know the struggles you face! Anytime you want to talk, I'm here!

Love, love, love to all who read!

I'm Lovin' It...

(And not McDonald's, neither!)

I love these verses I keep finding. Maybe they seem random to you, but they are meaning something to me, and this is my blog, so you're just gonna have to deal.

"Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings.... You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor." James 3:17-18 (MSG)

The past few weeks and months have been really convicting for me. Through God's mercy and grace, I have grown a lot in Him, and He has been teaching me so many things. One of the things He's been convicting me of is that there are some things in my past that I absolutely MUST let go of. No other option. I really feel that God has led me right to the brink of a breakthrough. I know that He wants to free me completely from the captivity of unforgiveness. Would you guys help me pray for complete deliverance? I know God has the answer for me, and I also know that I have surrendered absolutely everything to Him. I want everything -- everything -- that God has for me. And I am open to His working in my life.

Here are some lyrics that I know you've heard before. Have you ever really thought about them though, and let God speak through them to you? Today I did, and the result was a lot of conviction!

"Voice of Truth"
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
on to the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again.
"Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the Voice of Truth
tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says,
"Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says,
"This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
the Voice of Truth

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes
to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again.
"Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"

But the Voice of Truth
tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says,
"Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says,
"This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe
the Voice of Truth

But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
On top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
But the Voice of Truth
tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says,
"Do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of Truth says,
"This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices
calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe-
I will choose to listen and believe
the Voice of Truth
I will listen and believe
I will listen and believe
the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe
Cause Jesus you are the voice of truth
And I will listen to you, you are-

Thanks, guys, for listening -- or reading! -- and please keep me in your prayers!
Love to all who read!

Check it out!

Hey everyone! See what you think about this:

www.peachpunchjunkies.blogspot.com

Comment and tell me what you think!!

Thanks!!

Amazing Stuff

I just want you to know that

God is amazing!

I am in such awe of the things that God has been doing and teaching me lately! I had an amazing answer to prayer yesterday that I can't really talk about in detail (some of you know) but God totally led and directed in a situation with student and...well, it just pays to trust God! He is totally faithful!

Yesterday morning in my devotions I read the verse from Romans 8 that says,

"We are more than conquerors through Him that loved us."

And the emphasis was on the "through HIM" part -- that we just need to "let God do it!" Let Him fight the battle and trust Him to win! Pretty cool, and it was just what I needed!

And then yesterday, I listened to my new David Phelps CD, "Life is a Church" (really great CD by the way, and yes, I know, I'm behind because it's not really that new!) and heard the song "That's What Love Is" for the first time and that totally spoke to me! You have to hear it to appreciate it completely, but here are the lyrics, and for those of you that know yesterday's story, you know how well this fits. Again, just what I needed!

It’s the only thing worth life and death.

It’s the first moment and the final breath.

It’s a broken heart keeping a solemn vow

And a lost soul being found.

You pray for faith when it’s hard to believe.

You choose to stay when it’s easy to leave

And when hope is gone you’re the one who keeps holding on.

That’s what love is

When you give until there’s nothing left

And it makes you give the very best.

That’s what love is.

It can make you laugh and make you cry.

It can let you down and lift you up so high

When you find the only reason left to live.

That’s what love is.

It’s the dream you give up for someone else.

It’s being strong when you’re weak yourself.

Though it tears you up you trust again.

Hatred loses and forgiveness wins.

You turn your cheek when you want to fight.

Sell all you have and lay down your life

And when hope is gone

you’re the one who keeps holding on.

It’s reaching out and holding on so someone else will know.

Love is in the not letting go.

If you ever get a chance to hear the song, do it! The whole CD is actually worth listening to.
Anyway, my point in all this is to just let you know, if you were wondering or doubting, that God is entirely faithful. He does not just leave us to our own devices, but He always makes a way! It's so exciting to serve Him and to see Him work! I'm so excited about what He's done, and the work He's continuing to do, in my life and in the lives of those that I love!

God bless your weekend! Love to all who read!

Go There

Go to www.xanga.com/tawnyasmith to see pictures and descriptions of my spring break. I just don't feel like reposting it. So go there if you want to see! :)

Love to all who read!

Comments are welcome!! :)

Life to the full

Hey everyone. I don't even know if anyone still reads this, but I guess I'll keep posting. I get more comments on my Xanga, but oh well. I'm not really doing it for the comments anyway. Haha. (Altho comments are nice...so if you read this, you could comment to let me know...hint, hint! hehe) ANYWAY, I am still in Idaho -- it's about 1:30 AM here and I think we're gonna leave around 8 AM to go back to Colorado. But I just needed to share this before I hit the bed.

One of the great things about this vacation has been the extra time I've been able to spend with my best friend, Jesus. And it hasn't come naturally or easily -- being in a small house with four other adults and two babies doesn't leave much time for "extras" or a whole lot of privacy either. BUT I have been making an effort, and it has been paying off. I hope to be able to share some of the things God has shown me this week.

I received this in an e-mail today and it spoke to me so strongly that I wanted to post it. It's from a book by Bishop Jim Earl Swilley called A Year in the Now and it references the verse John 10:10.

1. Today I will live in the now because I have learned how to appreciate my life-to celebrate all of it-reveling in my victories, learning from my defeats and simply enjoying the journey. God is Good, Life is Good, It's all good!
2. I will be happy and thankful and positive and light. . . . . . with a good attitude. . . .
3. Today I will not waste my time for celebration by regarding regrets. . . . .
4. Today I will praise the Lord Who is great and greatly to be praised......
5. Today I will live in the moment...seize the day, rejoice and be glad in the day the Lord has made. I will embrace the world around me and love it unconditionally.
6. Today I will enjoy abundance and favor and prosperity and success......Joy flows out of my heart like a river, bringing life to the desert of depression where so many are dying.
7. Today is a day to thank Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals by making bitter experiences sweet. He has turned for me my mourning into dancing and has given me the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. I celebrate his life in me because he has girded me with gladness and caused my cup to run over. Today he anoints me with the oil of joy above those around me and today, I will LIVE IN THE NOW.

May God grant us all the grace and strength to truly LIVE IN THE NOW. To forget the past and all its hurts and regrets, and move on to all the wonderful things He has in store for us! I intend to live today and every day in the abundance of God's riches that are mine thru Christ.

God bless you all!! More Idaho updates will be coming soon...with pictures! :)

Idaho

It's beautiful! So beautiful here. I'm taking pictures, which I will hopefully be able to post when I get home! Here is a synopsis of what has happened so far:

Saturday my uncle and I left KC about 7 AM for Colorado. We went thru Iowa, a little corner of Wyoming (I think) and Nebraska, which I had never done before, and which proved to be quite interesting. I've always just gone straight west on I-70 which is completely boring. Anyway, we got to Berthoud, CO (where my cousin Aaron lives) about dinner time so decided to go eat Chinese. Cara finally got there (after getting lost--heehee!) and Aaron went to pick up Alyssa and we all met at the Chinese restaurant. It was really good food and we all ate too much, and we found out President Bush has eaten there before! It was snowing beautifully when we got done eating! We went back to Aaron's, and he put Cara and I on the hide-a-bed which was kinda hilarious. Especially since he only had one teeny-tiny blanket for us to share! But we survived and the next morning we went to the Loveland Church to see the KCCBS ensemble. They did a marvelous job!! It was so cool to see everybody!

My uncle and I left straight from church to head for Idaho. We drove for about 5 or 6 hours, up into the mountains, and discovered that due to the weather and weather-related accidents, they had closed the roads! So we ended up having to spend the night in a little town called Green River, Wyoming. It's a beautifully picturesque little town, and if you ever get a chance, you should go there. Of course, the only reason you'd really notice it is if you had to stay there, which would mean the roads were closed, so I wouldn't really wish that on you. Anyway, we got up and left at 5:00 the next morning (Monday morning) and made it to Caldwell, Idaho by about 3 PM. It was a brutal trip! The mountains were incredibly beautiful though!! I took pictures but they will probably not do them justice.

After we got here, we went over to Jeff and Deb's old house and finished moving them out (they just had a bunch of last minute stuff in the garage) and then we just sat around, I played with the kids, and we talked until like 1:00 in the morning.

This morning I slept till about 10 and then got up and we all just kinda messed around and then tonite after Jeff got off work we went into Boise and the guys shopped at Best Buy while us gals and the babies went to TJ Max. Other than Madison doing a nosedive out of the shopping cart, the shopping was uneventful. (She was okay -- mostly scared. Grandma was scared most of all.) Then we all went and ate at Texas Roadhouse, then came home and I read Madison stories before she went to bed. Then all the grownups went to bed. Except me, obviously, since I'm still up and typing like mad.....

I just gotta tell you, these kids of Debbie's and Jeff's are sooo cute! I know they're my cousins, but still. They are cute! I will post pictures of them and you will see! Madison is two (she'll be 3 in August) and she is pixie-cute! Chase is 9 months old today. He is precious! He has the biggest, bluest eyes ever, and the most adorable chuckle you've ever heard. He's very much like his Uncle Aaron.

Well, I am gonna quit for now. My brain is starting to shut down, and it's always dangerous to keep writing when that happens. I hope everyone is having a marvelous week and that you are warm, safe, and happy!! I miss all you KC people and Cara...I'll see you soon!! Love you all!

SPRING BREAK!!!

Okay, kids! I'm headed off -- out of town, for spring break! Tomorrow my uncle and I are leaving at 7 AM (actually, I guess that's this morning!) and driving to Denver and spending the night at my cousin Aaron's house. We will get up Sunday morning, go to church (I think we'll be at the KCCBS service at Loveland so I'll see some of you there!) then we're gonna head for Caldwell, Idaho, where my cousin Debbie and her family live! I'm very excited about seeing them and their new house and where they live and...just everything! It's going to be fun! I will not be back in Kansas City until the evening of March 20th. Yes, for those of you that are paying attention, that means I will miss that day of school! Never fear, you'll have a wonderful substitute and I'll be back on Tuesday!! I'll miss you all!! Hope everybody has a great week and I'll try to be in touch as much as possible. Hopefully I'll have some great pictures to post!! Love to all!!

God is faithful, God is good, and He definitely answers prayer! He has spoken to me in so many ways the past few weeks, and revealed Himself in such new and exciting ways that I can't even express it. It's much too late for me to be trying to express anything adequately anyway, but I just wanted to give a shout-out to God because He's awesome! I love Him with my entire being, and HE LOVES ME! AND YOU!

Thank you, Jesus, for rocking my world, and making me realize anew how amazing you are!

Hey Everyone! I heard this song today on my way to work. I have been rejoicing in recent weeks over the fact that God is always so willing to meet me exactly where I am. And this song says it so well! Not just in salvation or other "crisis" experiences -- as important as those are! -- but in the ups and downs, the ordinary and the extraordinary, my Heavenly Father goes the extra mile!


When God Ran
Almighty God
The Great I Am
Immoveable Rock
Omnipotent, Powerful
Awesome Lord
Victorious Warrior
Mighty Conquerer
Commanding King of Kings
And the only time
The only time I ever saw Him run

Was when He ran to me,
Took me in His arms, held my head to His chest
And said "My son's come home again".
Looked in my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice
He said "Son, do you know I still love you?"

It caught me by surprise when God ran

The day I left home,
I knew I'd broken His heart
I wondered if
Things would ever be the same
Then one night
I remembered His love for me
And down that dusty road
Ahead I could see
It was the only time
The only time I ever saw Him run

He ran to me
Took me in His arms, held my head to His chest
And said "My son's come home again"
Looked in my face, wiped the tears from my eyes
With forgiveness in His voice
He said "Son, do you know I still love you?"

It caught me by surprise
It dropped me to my knees
When God ran


Then, in our faculty meeting this morning, Mr. Blake started talking about the chapter of "Lost Things" in the Bible (Luke 15) and how it's notable that with each of those lost things, the owner went out and physically and literally looked for it until it was found. And the father of the lost son was no different because the original language implies that the fact that the father saw the son coming down the road was no coincidence -- he was watching for him, and had been since he left! What a beautiful picture of the God that I serve! I'm so glad that He looked for me till He found me; and that even now, when I mess up, stumble and fall, stray from His path -- He meets me right there, forgives, restores, and heals. Praise Him forever!

Johari Results

Thanks to the 8 of you who contributed!

Arena (known to self and others) cheerful, friendly, giving, loving, trustworthy	Blind Spot (known only to others) able, accepting, adaptable, calm, caring, confident, dependable, happy, helpful, intelligent, kind, knowledgeable, logical, mature, observant, reflective, relaxed, religious, self-assertive, silly, warm, wise
Façade (known only to self) searching	Unknown (known to nobody) bold, brave, clever, complex, dignified, energetic, extroverted, idealistic, independent, ingenious, introverted, modest, nervous, organised, patient, powerful, proud, quiet, responsive, self-conscious, sensible, sentimental, shy, spontaneous, sympathetic, tense, witty

All Percentages

able (12%) accepting (12%) adaptable (12%) bold (0%) brave (0%) calm (12%) caring (37%) cheerful (50%) clever (0%) complex (0%) confident (12%) dependable (25%) dignified (0%) energetic (0%) extroverted (0%) friendly (37%) giving (25%) happy (25%) helpful (12%) idealistic (0%) independent (0%) ingenious (0%) intelligent (12%) introverted (0%) kind (37%) knowledgeable (12%) logical (12%) loving (50%) mature (12%) modest (0%) nervous (0%) observant (12%) organised (0%) patient (0%) powerful (0%) proud (0%) quiet (0%) reflective (12%) relaxed (12%) religious (25%) responsive (0%) searching (0%) self-assertive (12%) self-conscious (0%) sensible (0%) sentimental (0%) shy (0%) silly (12%) spontaneous (0%) sympathetic (0%) tense (0%) trustworthy (37%) warm (12%) wise (12%) witty (0%)

Created by the Interactive Johari Window on 26.2.2006, using data from 8 respondents.
You can make your own Johari Window, or view Tawn418's full data.

Check this out. You might have to copy and paste cuz I can't figure out how to make it into a link...grrr! I'm so computer literate! Hah. Or go to my Xanga -- whatever...;)

http://kevan.org/johari?name=Tawn418

Take My Quiz!

Take My Quiz - on - QuizYourFriends.com!

New Stuff

Hey, I've posted some stuff recently at www.xanga.com/tawnyasmith, if you wanna check that out. ;)

I just want to go on record as being extremely grateful to God for His mercy and love to me and to those I love. He is ever-faithful and He proves Himself to me on a daily basis! I cannot say enough about how Good God Is!

I hope you all have a wonderfully Happy Valentine's Day, and that you are able to truly celebrate the best love ever known -- that of God for you! When He is the Lover of your soul, then and only then will you be truly loved! And then and only then will you be able to truly love!

Bored!

Okay, Aaron says my last post did not make sense...whatever, Aaron! Just kiddin, I love ya!


Today is Alex, my little nephew's, 10th birthday. I miss him and wish I could see him! That's my nephew right there. :)
<<<<<

I am tired and it's been a long week and I'm bored with the Super Bowl! Urgh! I'm ready to do something else, anything else. The only exciting part of this game was watching Tom Brady do the coin toss!! And some of the commercials have been kinda funny.

Well, I know this has not been very inspiring. I just posted on my xanga and used up all my inspiration, apparently. That's not saying much either. =P

Love to all!! Have a great week!