Simply Sunday's Sweet Study Song & Scripture

         Okay I won't continue to make this post full of "S" words haha.  With the four finals I have in these next three days, this week is beyond anything that I can handle on my own(prayers please!). And while it is incredibly tempting to feel overwhelmed and stressed, I am consistently reminded of how our God is SO much bigger than what this week has in store. Two things that calm my heart when I feel overwhelmed are songs and scripture (as you might be able to tell with some of the previous posts).  So whether you are a student in the middle of finals, a mother in the middle of balancing children, or burdened by other things, cast your burdens on our Lord who comforts and never leaves us (Immanuel).

Matthew 1:22-23

  ^"All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). "

Hope you enjoy these :)

Chris Quilala - Your Love Never Fails

Eric Hutchinson - Breakdown More

Psalm 16

 ¹ Keep me safe, my God,
   for in you I take refuge.

 ² I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
   apart from you I have no good thing.”
³ I say of the holy people who are in the land,
   “They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.”
⁴ Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.
   I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
   or take up their names on my lips.

 ⁵ LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
   you make my lot secure.
⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
   surely I have a delightful inheritance.
⁷ I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
   even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the LORD.
   With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

 ⁹ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
   my body also will rest secure,
¹⁰ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
   nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
¹¹ You make known to me the path of life;
   you will fill me with joy in your presence,
   with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Joyfully His, 

Lex

Rich in Love

 

 Shane & Shane - Psalm 145

My prayer is that you listen to these lyrics and this scripture and realize how loved you are by a God who is rich in love for you. 

A psalm of praise from David. Psalm 145-

  Lord, I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.  Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.  Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.  One generation will commend your works to another; they will tell of your mighty acts.  They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.  They will tell of the power of your awesome works, and I will proclaim your great deeds.  They will celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.  The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.  All you have made will praise you, O LORD; your saints will extol you.  They will tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,  so that all men may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.  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.  The LORD upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.  The LORD is righteous in all his ways and loving toward all he has made.  The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.  The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.  My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Simply complex

 One of my favorite magazines to scramble through whenever I get the time is Real Simple.  Their slogan, "life made easier, every day", seems valid to what I have come to know. But then again, every time I look at it, I get inspired to do more and more things, and at the end, my thoughts become more complex about ideas I want to do because of how many choices there are to make. 

For example, they currently are showing different ways to set a table. (Aren't they all wonderful?!). In studying them I realize how similar this idea is to us as humans and the purpose that we serve...this may be a stretch, but walk with me...

Each of these settings are all uniquely and specifically made. All have different themes. Different colors. Different center-pieces. Different silverware. Different drinks.             



When considering myself compared to you, we are strikingly similar. We were uniquely and thoughtfully designed and created to be made in the image of God. We have different personalities. Maybe a different gender. Different families. Different interests. Different passions. Different friends. Different favorite movies. And even all the way down to having a different fingerprint.

Unlike any one else in the world.

And while growing up, we spend so much time to emphasize our differences to distinguish ourselves from the rest of our friends...and while, we may all choose to do different things, we were created to serve the same purpose. To bring glory to God.




Although some people may encourage you to "just pick one" when trying to decide between the endless choices and colors when setting "your table", we need to realize that it is really important for us to actively choose the things we incorporate into our lives, because they affect the way we live.

Every day we have choices to make in what we want to pour into ourselves. Good friends that spur us on or someone who brings you down.

Do you listen to rap music all day long, or do you choose to listen and sing songs that praise His name and don't affect your mind?

Do you treat your body as a temple...with what you eat, how you dress, and if you exercise and get enough sleep?

 I've realized that I forget how important it is to be honorable even in the little things, for they affect me just as much.

 I guess my encouragement to you is to not compare yourself to others, to realize how unique and intricately created you are from our heavenly Father, and to put thought into what you choose to incorporate into your life.

Joyfully His, 

Lex

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart."

Jeremiah 29:13

Song & Scripture

This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. 

 

"As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you.

No remain in my love."

 

If you obey my commands then you will remain in my love, as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in His love.

 

I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.

 

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one that this, that he would lay down his life for his friends. 

John 15:8-13

This song has blessed me so much recently, hope you enjoy!

 

The Garden - NeedtoBreathe

Also, they will be in Austin,TX on November 30th if you would like to see them in concert :)

Joyfully His,  Lex

Hand-written fingerprints

A camper of mine recently and I decided to start to hand write each other. There is just something so special about receiving something in the mail, and of all people who take advantage of the opportunity my mother is THE best about sending me mail. Even if it is something simple. This past week she just sent me a little post-it and a clipping from a newspaper article over a J.Crew skirt to show all of my roomies. She is so thoughtful, and I pray that I will be just a loving to my children as she has done to me. I think there is something so unique about receiving a hand written note in the mail.

Notes have more power and impact when they are hand written. Our script is a form of our fingerprints, each uniquely designed to convey our personalities and who we are. 

And not to mention, opening an envelope is like opening a present! Even if you know what is inside, tearing away the bound "sticky stuff"(excuse the loss of words) is such a simple joy! Please tell me who doesn't secretively love that?

It is also crazy to think about how over two decades, technology has literally changed the way we communicate with others. Think about the impact that men, like Steve Jobs, have had on our world. And with people like me, who value time so much and potentially are losing patience, our world is continuing to increase the speed at which we live life.  I understand the benefits and convenience of texting and emailing, however, I encourage you to take the time to write one hand-written note to someone this week. Journal and write to the Lord, write an encouragement letter to your roommate, write a thank you letter to the custodian you always see working... Today I am thankful for hand-written notes.

Rent the Runway

I have the privilege to be a "Sweetheart" for a Men's organization at my university.  There are so many opportunities to encourage in this position, and a little quirk to also is that the sweethearts get to go to all of the social events! That being said it is a little over a week until the formal and I still don't know who my date is, but all of my friends say that he is going to be such a fun date! I'm so excited, but date if you're out there please ask me soon...I can't let the suspense get any bigger!

Until then, I came across an ordeal on what to wear...

I don't quite want to purchase another long dress since I don't believe I will need that many in the future, so I came across this wonderful website that lets you rent designer dresses for so cheap compared to their retail price!(on the condition you mail it back after you use it!).

I looked into the website and they seem trustworthy. A friend of mine previously used the company for a semi-formal dress earlier this year and loved her experience with them. They let you choose from several different dresses, and they even send you two different sizes to choose from so you'll never have to worry about fit!

Ladies and...ladies, I present to you Rent the Runway

To speak kindly...

When asked how this  past week was, I have described it as busy, fun, convicting, and uplifting. Objectively it consisted of three tests, two date parties(although I chose to partake in only one so I could study-that's for you mom!), an intramural softball game, a roomie's bday, and organizational meetings...a bit overwhelming at times, can you tell? Did I mention the normal duties of school too? I guess we can throw that in the mix as well.

Now while these tasks can be accompanied by stress, tiredness, and memorizing, please know it has been ever delightful week due to the words that have been spoken to me.  Whether it was just one of those wonderful conversations I have with a roommate or my discipleship partner, a letter from a camper, the endless little notes my mother sends me, or the simple words of encouragement that I have received... thank you for blessing me with your words.

Looking back, I am humbled by how I often waste so many breathes in speaking meaningless words. If you really think about it, how crazy is it that a combination of a few letters can exude so much emotion from someone. Words like "love", "beautiful", "successful", and "worthy" can build up a person. Everyone is different, but what a concept that is. And when you think about how these words can impact a relationship, I can't help but to think about how impactful speaking/praying to my Father is.

It is also unfathomable how many opportunities we have each day to impact those around us with our words, and how easy it is to do so. Even if it is just a simple "hello" or a little compliment, words can bless someone's day.

Let's keep our eyes open for the endless opportunites we have to speak kindly...

"He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing."

1 Thessalonians 5:10-11

Joyfully His, 

 Lex

"If you build it.... [they] will come"

What a great line from "Field of Dreams"... and speaking of, apparently this blog thing is a little harder to do than expected.

Proposition: I'll work on the "building" part if you "come"...deal? deal :)


Geez, where to start? it's been a while and SO much has happened since my last post including an addition to our household('Levi" our puppy) and one of my best friends got engaged! I can't fill you in on everything now, but here's quick list of my Simple Joys :

1. My roomates: they'll definitely deserve more recognition than just a list of their names, but it'll come soon :)  Allie(bathroom buddy and so thoughtful of others!),  Lindsay (funniest and most genuine friend one can find), Kenzie (corky, fashionable, and is the sweetest encourager), and Julie ( newly engaged! The Lord blessed me so much through providing an incredible roomate in Jules, please keep her and her fiance in your prayers during this exciting stage of their lives!).

2. Playing sports with friends: My best friends formed a softball team called the  "Bunts-N-Burners"(get it?) and I have had so much fun playing with them. Also some of my close girl friends who played volleyball in high school formed a vball team. "High School Heroes"! It has been AMAZING to play on the court again!

3. Blogs: Sugar Plum is one of my FAVORITES! Maybe because I love food, but also because this blog is incredible! It provides so many recipes for baking or cooking needs, and the pictures make you want to eat everything right then and there...H.E.B. run pronto! Look for yourself-

 

 

Is your mouth watering now?

Keep your eyes open for simple things that brighten your day and give thanks :)

Joyfully His,
     Lex

"Be  joyful always, pray continually, and give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."-1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

"We are family...."

Dad and sis celebrating receiving my college ring(it's a big deal where I go)

There are many things that I am thankful for in life, but I can never give enough thanks to the Lord for blessing me with an incredible family that He has.

Family. When stated, that word can spur up a mix of emotions, thoughts, and attitudes. No family is perfect, and surely mine is far from it. Regardless, we are each divinely appointed into our families by God exactly where He desires us to be. Some of you may not be able to define any family members through proof of DNA, but my hope is that you realize that's not all there is to who He places in your family. My family not only includes my siblings, parents, and other relatives, but it includes my friends, my roommates, my campers, my mentors, and those that join with me in bringing glory to His name. One of my favorite verses is found in Ephesians 6:10-

"Therefore as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially those who belong to the family of believers."

While I'm still a college student, there are so many times I look back and think about how I could have better loved my parents and siblings. I was just reminded of how thankful I am for each individual I consider in my family. The Lord calls us to "provide for our relatives" (1 Timothy 5). So whether that is providing comfort or support in a time where family is all they have to lean on, more discipline in doing our chores(yes I know, I can't believe I mentioned that either), or simply providing more love through our actions and words, I challenge you to join with me in trying not to become numb to the people and things that God provides us on a daily basis. Nothing besides His love is guaranteed in this world. So who are we to act as if it is? Make a difference today. Show love to your family. Actively seek Him.

Till next time, I would like to introduce to you a few of my family members:

Mom, me, El, and Dad...Garen couldn't come till later that night

My coach and teacher

Papou(greek for Grandfather), he has taught me so much about faith and family

Some of my family celebrating ring day

My other sisters/roomies :)

 Joyfully His,
       Lex

Hello, my nickname is...

       Well this is officially my first blog post.  I fell in love with reading blogs since coming into college so I thought I would give it a shot, and I believe a proper introduction is necessary. My name is Alexis, but my friends call me Lex.
       There's something so friendly and comforting about having a nickname. Giving someone a nickname takes an acquaintance  straight to a friendship. I normally resort to shortening names of others. Some may not like it, but I don't know why. In case I do, know that it's a term of endearment from me!
(sorry if you're name just can't be shortened, know that I love you just as much.)

My hope for this blog is that over it's course you can take a walk with me through my life...my passions, my frustrations, my thoughts, my "jokes", and the simple joys that the Lord uses to brighten my days.

joyfully His,
 Lex