Love the Lord your God, with all your heart, soul and mind ♥

Lord teach me how to love you
To release my stubborn hands,
cause I want to live like you Jesus,
I want to give you all I am.

And I love you so, and I give all of my
heart to say
I need you now...
My everything.

I'm sorry Lord for the thing I've made it,
cause it's all about you,
It's all about you
Jesus

And how many times have you heard me
pray, "Lord draw near to me...?"
Everything I need is you,
My beginning my forever...

All of my ambitions, hopes and plans
I surrender these into your hands...

Jesus, you're my Savior, you are heaven
in my heart...


You say strength is found in weakness
Peace in incompleteness
So why do I hold on?

You look, For a heart that's open
For beauty in the broken
So why am I withdrawn?

My soul's screaming out
To be found in You

Spirit draw me to my knees
Captivate all of me, all of me
Here before You honestly
Captivate all of me, all of me

I'm so messy and distracted
Undisciplined and tactless
Here on the inside

I thought age would tell the secrets
But the secrets are still secret
And the years are passing by ---


...
Teach me to wait in the moments of my need
Teach me to hear the melodies of peace

- A few lyrics from some of my favorite worship songs
that just make me go..."Wow, God..."


Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans I have for you," delclares the Lord, "Plans for good and not for evil, plans to give you both a hope and a future."

Romans 12:21
"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil, with good."

SUPER STRONG GOD, YOU LOVE ME, SUPER STRONG GOD, YOU MADE EVERYTHING SOO BEAUTIFUL, NONE CAN COMPARE, I LOOK IN WONDER AT ALL YOU HAVE MADE, OCEANS AND MOUNTAINS SPEAK OF YOUR NAME, ALL CREATION SHOUTS OF YOU. GOD YOU TRULY ARE, A SUPER STRONG GOD.

♥.
♥.♥.
♥.♥.♥.

Pictures

It took a long time to make, but it was worth it!...Just a few random pictures of family and friends (:

Cass

Spinning Around

I confess, I like a couple of Jump 5's songs, but that's not the point to this blog. The song, which Andreas has subtly dedicated to me (a few times!), probably being as blonde as i am, reminds me of just how fun and exciting life can be. And with God right in the middle of it all, makes each and every day such an amaazing adventure.
It's weird to think how some people can go through life, not turning to God to even find something like happiness. Where must their joy come from? Material things? I don't know about you, but when I get excited about God and what He's doing, I feel most me, most happiest, and the joy that comes from God isn't something superficial, it's deep, it's genuine and it's doesn't easily fade. And then again, isn't it odd, how we can still return to the material things, no matter how short a time it may satisfy? It baffles me. When God said, "Don't be conformed this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind" How seriously do you take that? Or in Philipians 4:8, "...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." A friend recently threw out most of all the movies she owned to honer God, and the only ones she kept were movies like Princess Diaries and the Sound of Music. That stood out to me, and I began to think lots about it. About how much I conform, about how I went to see Talladega Nights with a few friends and was so utterly dissapointed in hollywood and actors I once almost admired? They made fun of God, about praying to him, I really should have walked out of that theatre. And I got to thinking...One of my favorite movies of all time is A walk to remember...I love every moment, and yet, along with the Godly stand that Jamie has in the movie, she still conforms and loves an un-believer, making me think that that isn't so bad, and they swear, i laugh, I drool over Shane West (the actor who plays Landon)...I really really love that movie, it gives me butterflies and makes me cry every single time I've even seen it...But does it honer God? Does drooling over Shane West - honer God? Not in the slightest. It may be a little bit extreme maybe to completly remove my self even from movies like the Lord of the Rings, because of the magic in it, but for me, I think it's something I could do to honer God more, and become more in His likeness...
Recently I went and deleted almost all of the secular music off my Mp3 player, I had everything from Matt Redman to Justin Timberlake and I didn't think that was right. All I have now for secular music is a few songs from the A Walk to Remember soundtrack, which I'll probably end up deleteing too evantually. I'm just so tired of doing the same stupid things, I want my lifesong to glorfy God to the fullest. And changing the things I listen to and watch is just a baby step, I need to start changing my attitude, the way I live my life, the things I say and do...Which is easier said then done, but Jesus gave his life for us, it's the least I can do to for the Lord of all creation, who loves me more then anything...
Lately God's just been really opening my eyes to simplicity, and working within my heart to not over analyse my faith and God and the things that go on around me and to just trust Him. Seems so simple, and it really is, but I couldn't be more happy right now, being within God's embrace...and I know this is where I'm suppose to be. That really excites me. I guess that's all I have to say for now...

I hope everyone has a really blessed Christmas, may God be present this holiday season in our hearts. God bless!

Cass

Presenting Baby Gabrielle Riegan!

So for my birthday...I got one of the very best presents I think I have ever gotten! A baby!...It's not a real baby, but pretty darn close to it! Isn't she beautiful? Tanya & Tom, Adriana, Erilyn, Amalie & Kellen gave her to me and I just love her to bits! Here's some pictures I took of ther the day of Mandy & Jorge's Wedding, which I'll defenitly be blogging about soon too, the most beautiful day ever...Anyway, for now, Brielle Riegan! <3

Hello!

Hmm...where to start...Work is going great! I just love it, I'm working at Elves, it's a school for disabled children and adults, and it's lots of fun=) We go on outings sometimes and cook and play games, everyday is a new adventure=) My role as a member of the staff there is to participate, get the clients involved, clean up after them and all sorts of other things...There's 8 Classrooms and each room has about 5-7 clients. Each definitely has their own personalities, different needs, etc. I'm still learning lots about each client, and it couldn't be more fun! They are such fun, special people and I really love my new job...People have already been asking me, "How can you do a job like that?" I think it's sooo much fun and I really love the people and I guess it just depends on the person, like Mandy told me, It's not the job for everyone, and that's true! Some people might think it's weird, or gross...but with that said, there's also such a real joy in working at Elves that some people may not see. Once you're there, you're involved in the lives of the client, they rely on you and it's such a nice feeling to be needed like that. I work there only two days a week and on the days I'm not there I focus on the schooling that I have left to do, until that's done, I'm relief staff. The last time I worked, on Tuesday, I got to work in a new classroom to me, room 8, and it was kinda different, some of the clients just liked to lay in bed and sleep and also in that room there's these two clients, I don't think I'm allowed to mention names, but they're both so much fun, the one guy likes to sing along to the radio and he and I would sing songs like, Holiday by Green Day or Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield=) He sings so high-pitch it's hilarious...and another girl, she's such a nut lol, we painted together and did a puzzle and just laughed and laughed, she's so funny she has her own little language that only she understands and it's so funny to hear her just go off on a tangent and you're like...Uh huh...hehehe. Yup, that's my job! It's hardly a job, it's weird that I get paid because, I just go in there and have fun and help out anyway I can, it's like one big family, one big home=)
Right now, the only time I'm ever at church is on Sunday morning and that is such a weird feeling...I'm technically graduated so I'm no longer a "youth" and Pastor Andreas thought it best that the Post-Grad's wait til next year to become leaders, which is okay I understand where's he's coming from, he said it would be better for the kids for us to become leaders later, then to go straight from peer to being a leader...Which is understandable. With that said, I absolutely miss it like crazy though! All the sudden not going to Insight on Wednesdays, Friday nights are completely free to go to Riegan's or whatever I wanna do but...(And not that that isn't fun!) But it's just feels weird and it's taking a while to get adjusted to...Sam comes home from youth and tells me all these stories and "ohhh and you missed this..." and awww I'm like ..."nooo i didn't miss it...I can't go" and she's says oh yeah...sorry. =( Haha, no I'll get used to it, eventually...=) Definitely looking forward to next year though!

My dad said he'd finally build my room! Soon, around January, after Christmas...There was talk about me maybe moving in with Riegan and I was all ready to do that, the only thing is that that is really far for me to go to work everyday considering that they live in Mill Woods, by bus it's like a 50 minute bus rude, which means getting up really early too...So yeah I'm really not quite sure what to do just yet but, the thought of having my own room finally does sound appealing, as much as I'd love to be roomies with my BFF Riegan...I just don't know how it would work out. I know you're probably thinking, "How many times has your dad said he'd build you a room and didn't..." Well, He said it was a money issue so if we could help finance a bit of it, that help make things go faster, and now that I have a job, I could even save up and get some Ikea furniture or something, how cool would that be?? I've wanted my own room ever since Sam was born! Cuz that's the last time I had my own room!! Haha...Yah, so...we'll see, you guys can come over and help me paint and decorate if you want!!! =D

Ohh....and Sam bought an Ipod, so I get her old MP3 player!! Yahoooo=) It's kinda a piece of crap lol but it's new, I think I'd still like to get my own Ipod someday, but it's cool for now, I just love having every single song I love right at my finger tips! =D What an age we live in really, it's so cool...I guess that's it for now...

Cass