name above all names...

I took the week off, as far as blogging goes.  And not exactly by choice either. You see, I try and write in this space most every day because i've found that time is so fleeting... and my memory even-more-so. Plus, this little blog here is a bit of an escape for me each day-- my own quiet time to reflect on the day's gifts, put a bit of a story to our photos, and mostly... to just sort myself out. 

this past week has been one beautiful day stringed after the next and weeks like this can be hard to come by-- where the weather is perfect and you spend a good chunk out of each day soaking up the sunshine, where you are given an excuse to have drinks with your girlfriends and not feel guilty about it (hello st. patrick's day), and where your social calendar seems the fullest its ever been and so does your heart.  who wouldn't want to share such things?  it's good to have nothing to complain about, to be in such a good place.

but the words just never came to me.

i'd sit down at my old desk, go through the days' pictures, and my mind would just draw a blank...
5 days went by where not a`one bit of my happiness was shared in this space.

for 5 days i felt defeated by something...

this something that took all the words out of my mouth.

this something that wouldn't let me write our story down.

this something that i kinda mistook for a pain in my butt.

so finally, we arrived at Saturday.  On the agenda: a trip to Claytor lake for picnicing, kite flying, and an engagement photo shoot with my old suitemate from college Alison and her fiance, Brian.  I had made up my mind that I was going to blog about this -one- day if it was the last thing I did. And not only was I going to blog about it, but the most stunning and beautiful pictures of me and my family on the lake were going to accompany it because that's what kinda entry was due after a whole week of silence.

Boy was I wrong.

You see, halfway up the mountain my entry was written for me...

When this song came on and all the words I was missing made their way to my lips:

The splendor of a King, clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice, all the earth rejoice
He wraps himself in light, and darkness tries to hide
it trembles at his voice, trembles at his voice

How great is our God,  sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, How great is our God

And age to age He stands, and time is in His Hands
Beginning and the End,  Beginning and the End
The Godhead, three in one
Father, Spirit, Son
the Lion and the Lamb, the Lion and the Lamb

How great is our God,  sing with me
How great is our God, and all will see
How great, How great is our God

Name above all names
Worthy of all praise
My heart will sing
how great is our God....

this song might not strike a chord with everyone, but for me... it brings me back to a time where my life was really full. and really full in a different way than it is now.  i wasn't a mother or a wife or a photographer or any of the things that i use to define myself now.  i was simply a little christian girl who found herself wrapped up in Christ's abounding love...  who felt all too much surrounded by her congregation pouring their hearts out to God with this song... who found all the peace and truth in the world at 5 simple words--- how great is our God.

as I said earlier, I get a little bit more frazzled than most and this is my space to sort myself out.
But this weekend, driving up that mountain, I remembered that this life really is not mine to sort out.
I stuck my heart, my mind, and my life back in His hands.
Not that they ever really left completely..
but I found myself wanting to be defined as a Christian above all else.

Yes, Saturday was a beautiful day...
and I was going to blog about it if it was the last thing I did...
and although I don't have any noteworthy pictures to accompany this entry,
I think God has his reasons for everything.

For taking the words away from me to remind me what a full life really consists of,
For putting that song on the radio when He did and having it trigger the memories it does,
For bringing you to this picture-less entry and giving you the will to read through it,
For giving us these 5 simple words to carry along every where we go...

How Great is Our God
<3