Panera

panera has a rewards card, so i got a free smoothie this morning as i study for my midterm.  i have been sitting here for two hours, reviewing chapters on how to be a good counselor... all the skills it takes.  :)  it's been good and humbling...  just thinking of how much i still need to grow in a lot of the areas, encouraged that this is God's calling in my life, and hopeful that He is going to slowly show me what He has already laid out for me.

as i study, i have pandora on and a song caught my attention, which i want to share.

Hellelujah - Bethany Dillon

Who can hold the stars and my weary heart?
Who can see everything?
I’ve fallen so hard, sometimes I feel so far
But not beyond Your reach
I could climb a mountain, swim the ocean, or do anything
But it’s when You hold me that I start unfolding
And all that I can say is

Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever’s in front of me
Help me to sing hallelujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Whatever’s in front of me
I’ll choose to sing hallelujah

The same sun that rises over castles and welcomes the day
Spills over buildings into the streets where orphans play
And only You can see the good in broken things
You took my heart of stone, and You made it home
And set this prisoner free

the chorus is what especially caught my attention.  this morning i was struggling with some lies that Satan likes to bring me down with.  as i prayed and read the word, i found truth to reject all those lies that he threw at me...  but when i heard this song it really did it for me.  you see i, like the israelites, tend to forget...  i forgot how good and faithful my God has been and is to me.  His mercies are new every morning and every morning i wake to the heavens declaring His glories, so majestic...  and whatever's in front of me, i want to choose to sing HALLELUJAH, praise Yahweh, because He deserves it.  He has done nothing but shown me that He is trustworthy - no matter how big or how small circumstances may seem.  He has already set this prisoner free... i need to stop going back there... believing the lies that Satan wants to keep me in bondage with.  The Name of my Jesus is so powerful.  I cannot forget that!!!  

The other day during my quiet time I read 2 Corinthians 3:17...

"Now the LORD is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the LORD is, there is freedom."

One of the reasons I went into counseling was to be an agent to freedom and I need to claim that as my own.  Stop living in bondage, lies... Reject it and throw it far away from me!!  

2 Corinthians 10:3-6

"For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh,  For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete."

we have power to destroy the strongholds in our life.  i hold onto this promise daily as Satan throws things at me to keep me from deep wonderful intimacy with my Father.  

**now i need to go back to studying.  i have to say... almost a week now of lent... since i am doing a lot of the other entertainment in my life, i find myself on my blog more often writing down my thoughts.  it's a good exercise!!  enjoying it!! 2 more hours and need to get A.**