||Jem's

amigas!

gemmaleighb — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 00:24:34 +0000

sabby and jem

for good reason joy is in our hearts!

gemmaleighb — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 23:20:15 +0000

for good reason joy is in our hearts | sara groves

I was listening to Sara Groves Fireflies and Songs album the other day (yes, it has become an all time favorite) and was so struck by the song Joy is in our Hearts. God has been kind in teaching me so much this year. I’ve learned that the hard things are for my benefit and good. The good things have become even sweeter as I realize that all I need I have in Christ. The past couple of months have really been a sweet gift. I’ve learned that I really do have good reason to be joyful. No matter what my current circumstances may be I have hope and joy because Christ has redeemed my life and I am His. I am learning, slowly, sometimes too slowly I fear, but still I am learning to love because He loved me first. I am learning to give because everything I have has been given to me and it’s not mine anyway. My heart is full of joy and hope this Christmas season.

People of God

gemmaleighb — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:06:02 +0000

People of God | Gungor

we could have tongues of angels
we could move mountains with our faith
we could give everything away
but if we don’t have love
we’re left with nothing

we could see blind eyes opened
know all the mysteries of our faith
we could sing all the highest praise
but if we don’t have love
we’re left with nothing

people of God rise up
rise up and shine God’s love
we are the light of the world
of the world oh
we are the light of the world
of the world oh

love is the what holds it all together
love never fails, it never dies
there is no deeper truth
we know that God is love, our God is love
tear down the walls that divide us
let love rebuild and unite us
all we need is
all we need is love

Faint Hearts Never Won Fair Lady

gemmaleighb — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:05:09 +0000

Robin Hood said it well, “Faint hearts never won fair lady.” That’s one of my favorite quotes from the whole movie, but there are just so many good ones. I’ve also been humming, “Robin Hood and Little John walkin’ through the forest…” I had forgotten how much I LOVE Robin Hood until last night. I was riding home from Atlanta with a friend and he said he had it on his laptop, so we plugged it in and I watched and he listened and we had so much fun!

I think I’m going to have to go back and watch all of my favorite Disney movies now. They are just way too much fun to sing-a-long to and to quote. I must be a kid at heart. What are you favorites?

xoxo,

Let’s Give Thanks

gemmaleighb — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 21:12:51 +0000

An enlightened man is grateful to God for temporal blessings; but he is much more grateful to God for spiritual blessings, for temporal blessings do not last long; they are soon gone. Temporal blessings are not definite marks of divine favour, since God gives them to the unworthy, and to the wicked, as well as to the righteous. – CH Spurgeon

Happy Thanksgiving! I hope you all enjoy a lovely day giving thanks to the One who has given us all that we need in Christ Jesus. I will be spending the holiday with my family and am so excited about eating way too much good food. I missed the holiday last year and am glad that I’ll be here to over eat this year.

The Keurig

gemmaleighb — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 00:24:52 +0000

I went in to work today just like I do every week day. I dropped my things off at my desk and logged into my computer and turned on my little space heater so that my hands could thaw out and type at their normal speed. After that I grabbed my mug and went to the break area for round 3 of coffee. Yep, round 3 at 8:15am. Here’s how it goes; my alarm goes off at 5:30am and I get up and start moving and jump in the shower and get ready and then around 6:30am I head down to the kitchen for my first cup of coffee, then I usually read and catch up on the news while eating breakfast and then grab another mug to take with me to work. I drink that last cup during my short drive to work and during devotions. So, as you can see by the time I am sitting at my desk ready to work I am ready for my third and last cup of the morning. This morning I walked over to the break area knowing that my third cup would be a sad, flavorless mug of folgers that would have to be helped by a bit of sugar and maybe even some cream. I normally drink my coffee black, but when it’s as nasty as that pre-ground Folgers stuff that tastes like it’s been sitting around for years, you just have to enlist the help of some sugar and cream. Well there I was making my way to the coffee maker when I heard quite the commotion. Everyone was huddled around the counter looking at something. That something happened to be the end of me. I think I might overdose on coffee. Ladies and gentlemen, we bought a Keurig machine. Yep, I can now bring my own delicious, fresh blend of coffee and pop it into the Keurig and have a steaming hot cup of coffee in seconds. Not good. I can’t even bring myself to say how many cups I had today…S, would not be happy….

10:06:10

gemmaleighb — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 22:53:16 +0000

My birthday is in 10 days 6 hours and 10 minutes. Yes, I suppose I am getting a little bit excited. I love celebrations – I love my birthday, I love other people’s birthdays, I guess I just love a good excuse to party Last year I was in Brazil and spent my birthday running around Rio de Janeiro with Josefina. It was simply lovely and a day that I will never forget. Looks like I’ll be home for this birthday…I wonder where I’ll spend next year’s birthday. Maybe somewhere exciting and exotic!

What’s your favorite birthday memory?

xoxo,

Fireflies and Songs

gemmaleighb — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 14:54:59 +0000

fireflies and songs | sara groves

thirty years ago i was a little girl // riding in the back seat of the car // a woman sang you don’t bring me flowers anymore // i felt a sadness in my little heart

we’re looking for the music // in the music box // tearing it to pieces // trying to find a song

i was drawn to you in ways i can’t explain // we fought like crazy but i couldn’t stay away // piled on expectations and lots of blame // like we couldn’t do it any other way

we’re looking for a firefly // moving through the night // staring at the one place // swear it never lights

were you surprised our hearts were not like ticking clocks // with faces and hands easy to read // we both wished if only in the land of oz // longed for things we’d never really need

now we’re standing in the kitchen // all pretense is gone // you kiss me on the shoulder // fireflies and song

today was the day

gemmaleighb — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:12:13 +0000

Today. 17 November 2011. Today was the day that I was supposed to arrive in Atlanta early in the morning and then catch a flight to Charlotte. Today was the day that was to mark the end of my 5 month internship in Liberia. Today was the day that I was supposed to…

arrive back in the USA after 5 months away – I always love coming back into the US after being away for any amount of time
have a happy reunion with family and friends after a couple of months away
be looking back at 5 months of work and lessons learned in Liberia
thinking of the friends that I had to say goodbye to in Liberia
be tired from jet lag, but so excited to see everyone that I get kind of punchy
know whether or not I want to stay on the field or stay in the states
come home and have lots of pictures and stories to tell over the Thanksgiving Holiday

Instead, today I am sitting here writing this post with a steaming hot cup of coffee in my kitchen before I head off to work. Today I will go to work and come home and really, it’s just a regular old day, nothing special. Except, for me it still is a marker of what the last 5 months have meant to me. I might not have been able to finish my internship, but that doesn’t mean that these last couple of months have not been significant. Today is the day that I…

look back at all that God has done in the last 5 months and see his faithfulness and his kind hand that upheld me through trials, confusion, and lots of waiting
celebrate and praise God for all of his provision and grace
thank God for sustaining me and giving me a job for the months that I have been healthy and here in Boone
remember to “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” – Psalm 27:14
will go to work and come home and try to remember to be faithful in the small tasks that are set before me
watch my little brother’s basketball game

“All your circumstances are ordered in wisdom by a living, thoughtful, and loving God. Our heavenly Father knows what he is doing, even when his way appears to be involved and complicated and we cannot untangle the threads, the Lord sees all things clearly. His breadth exceeds the range of our vision; his depth baffles our profoundest thought.” – CH Spurgeon

I continue to learn and re-learn and remind myself of these truths. I just wrote a dear friend and described these past couple of months like this, “I’ve struggled with the waiting, but the Lord has called me to trust and rest and has increased my faith; I’ve been confused and felt directionless, but my good God has reminded me of his sovereign care for me and has provided at every turn and has made my path clear. It has been one step at a time and that’s been frustrating at times, but he’s been there to light my path. It’s really interesting to look back over the last year or so and see how he has worked everything out in his timing and how it’s been better than anything I ever could have planned.” I think that one thing I have learned for sure over the past couple of years is that I can plan and plan all I want, but I am not in control. I am looking forward to this next adventure.

xoxo,

JayJay

living, learning, loving

gemmaleighb — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 15:48:57 +0000

Not knowing is something that I am not very good at. I like to know the plan – I’m not super uptight or anything, if the plan is to have a free day and be spontaneous, GREAT! Sounds like fun, but I need to know that. Focus, effective, productive, etc are some of my favorite words. I struggle to be focused, effective and productive without a plan though. I love organization – in my spaces and in my life.

Part of feeling organized, for me at least, is to know the long term plan. But who really knows what the rest of their life is going to look like? No one, really. I don’t and that’s ok, I just need to figure out the next step. I was so blessed by a lunch that I had with a friend this week. She reminded me that I don’t need to know what the plan for the rest of my life is going to look like, besides I can’t know that and to try to figure it out will only lead to confusion and frustration! I just need to do the next step and trust. I worry so much about making the wrong move and having that mess up the next thing…silly, silly me! How arrogant for me to think that I can mess up my Sovereign God’s plan. Another great reminder was that God’s plan and will for my life is to be molded and conformed to the likeness of Christ. That’s it, that’s what he has said in his word. It’s not some secret mystery! He has told us, yes, the how might look very different in my life from yours, but I know the what!

Questions: What are my spiritual gifts? What is my personality type? What do I see as the greatest need in the world? The place where these things come together is where I want to serve. Aren’t these great questions? My friend really encouraged me just by asking really good questions. I have lots to think about now.