The Boys of Summer

Nobody on the road

nobody on the beach

I feel it in the air

the summer's out of reach

Empty lake,

empty streets

the sun goes down alone

I'm drivin' by your house

Though I know you're not home

But I can see you

Your brown skin shinin' in the sun

You got your hair combed back and

your sunglasses on, baby

And I can tell you

my love for you will still be strong

after the boys of summer

have gone

SANCTIFICATION

Oswald Chambers

"Of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us . . . sanctification." 1 Corinthians 1:30

The Life Side. The mystery of sanctification is that the perfections of Jesus Christ are imparted to me, not gradually, but instantly when by faith I enter into the realization that Jesus Christ is made unto me sanctification. Sanctification does not mean anything less than the holiness of Jesus being made mine manifestly.
The one marvellous secret of a holy life lies not in imitating Jesus, but in letting the perfections of Jesus manifest themselves in my mortal flesh. Sanctification is "Christ in you." It is His wonderful life that is imparted to me in sanctification, and imparted by faith as a sovereign gift of God's grace. Am I willing for God to make sanctification as real in me as it is in His word?
Sanctification means the impartation of the Holy qualities of Jesus Christ. It is His patience, His love, His holiness, His faith, His purity, His godliness, that is manifested in and through every sanctified soul. Sanctification is not drawing from Jesus the power to be holy; it is drawing from Jesus the holiness that was manifested in Him, and He manifests it in me. Sanctification is an impartation, not an imitation. Imitation is on a different line. In Jesus Christ is the perfection of everything, and the mystery of sanctification is that all the perfections of Jesus are at my disposal, and slowly and surely I begin to live a life of ineffable order and sanity and holiness: "Kept by the power of God."

I am currently on a journey of discovering who I really am in Christ. Not who my neighbor thinks I should be, or my best friend, or the church, or anyone else. It is very difficult to let go of what others think this looks like. I have let others influence my journey with Jesus in too many ways, and the real tragedy in that, is that it is very difficult to hear HIS voice through all of the clamor. Don't get me wrong, it is clamor that I have allowed. It has not been forced upon me, because I have a choice in whether I will be forced. The fallout of listening to so many human voices, is that now I have trouble discerning God from all the others. I WANT to trust what He is saying to me, but it is clouded by the other influences.

But I will tell you, when I do trust, and I let myself hear Him, it is quite wonderful!

07-07-07

It's a boy!

Ten little fingers and toes,

Eyes locked on mine as he nurses.

Little cotton nightgowns made by Grammy.

1st Christmas, Daddy in Panama.

Learns to walk in the Philippines.

Mt. Pinatubo!

Preschool, Kindergarten, in Ft. Walton Bch.

Golf clubs cut down by Grandaddy, just his size.

Learns to fish and kneeboard.

A new sister!

Okinawa, snorkeling, soccer, and baseball...

Friends, Kevin and Jason.

4th grade, move to California.

More soccer, church, more friends, Brad & Michael.

Jr. High, Chris, High School, pilot!!!

You are 18 today, and my heart is full to bursting.

Daddy & I love you, Zack, and we are so very proud of the man you've become...

Happy Birthday, Zachary Tyler Helton!

So, you remember a few posts back when I mentioned my Grandma's chocolate cake? Well, Zack and Jessi came home from Florida this morning, and you'll never guess what they had, oh so carefully packaged, in their suitcase. That's right. My grandma REALLY loves me. Fluffy white cake, dark chocolate, crunchy, fudgy icing... Yummmmmm...

I LOVE my new iPod!

And I LOVE Alex Crockett's generosity, and I LOVE Alex's music, and I LOVE...well, I just love it! It's like when I finally got my new Chuck Taylors and entered the "cool" world. Now I have the oh so cool, white earphones hangin' from my ears. YEAH!

PS I just bought a new 48 count box of poptarts yesterday, Alex...:)

Flip Flops: Old Navy

Tattoo: Suisun Ink

:-)