Monday, November 30, 2009

just a little FYI..

For your information:
i think for the month of december i am going to try to blog everyday. however, for me, this is easier said that done, so we will see.
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Sunday, November 29, 2009

AWAKE & WAIT

Today marks the first Sunday of Advent.



For those of you unfamiliar with the Advent season, here is a little information on what it is: (from the Latin word adventus, meaning "coming") is a season of the Christian church, the period of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Birth of Jesus; in other words, the period immediately before Christmas. Christians believe that the season of Advent serves a dual reminder of the original waiting that was done by the Hebrews for the birth of the Messiah as well as the waiting that Christians today endure for the second coming of Christ. During this season in the Church, we should look back and celebrate the birth of our Savior, while hopefully waiting for His return.



I feel as though the Lord has yet again proven Himself faithful in this season of my life. I feel as though on numerous occasions, He has time and time again made Himself and His will known to me. I believe there are times in one's life when there may be moments and/or seasons of silence. However, this season is not characterized by that at all, and for this season I am completely grateful.



However, I do feel as though I am taking advantage of this time. And not in the best way. I feel like I am sitting here watching what the Lord is doing, and am admiring it, and am being obedient, but then I go back to sitting back and waiting. It is as though I am saying, 'well that was great, but i'm ready for something else to impress me' or sometimes, its as though i am saying 'Lord, if we could just slow down a little bit, I am ready to just stop and sit and do nothing.' Thinking this way makes no sense to me at all. Why in the world would I want to have either one of these attitudes towards the working of the Lord? As a result, this is how the Lord is speaking to me now:



AWAKE


Proverbs 6:9 (New Living Translation)
But you, lazybones, how long will you sleep? When will you wake up?


WAIT


Psalm 27:13-14 (New Living Translation)
Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.



That is where I am now: I am awake, and will no longer lie asleep in complacency, and i will wait patiently and hopefully.

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

its the small things....

-coffee with a new friend
-frozen yogurt with an old one
-talking with a mother about the birth of her second child
-great grade on a paper you are passionate about
-dinner with a kindred spirit
-acoustic version of a song
-feeling your baby neice move for the first time
-finding something you really want on sale
-wanderlusting
-receiveing the most beautiful 8' x 10'' in the mail
-looking at pop-up books
-cuppies and joe with the brother
-taking extremely long naps
-heartwarming text messages


i am focusing on the great small things in life. for they are what make up the bigger things.

p.s. thank you weekend for being great.
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Thursday, November 19, 2009

love.

"i will love even when it is not easy..and even when it is not returned."


i want to live my life by this phrase, but i think alot of times, it's easier said than done. we like to love when we are being loved in return, and we like to love when it feels good and when it makes us happy. but somehow we are hesitant to love when it's hard, when we don't feel like it, when it's not returned, and when it may look a little scary. i encourage you (and myself) to be courageous. love courageously.

the Avett Brothers recently came out with an album called "You and I and Love" and this is how they explained the title of their album:

"The words "I" and "Love" and "You" are the watermark of humanity. Strung together, they convey our deepest sense of humility, of power, of truth. It is our most common sentiment, even as the feeling of it is so infinitely uncommon: each to proclaim these three words with his or her very own heart and mindset of reason (or lack thereof); a proclamation completely and perfectly new each time it is offered. Uttered daily and nightly by millions, the words are said in an unending array of circumstances : whispered to a newborn in a mothers arms; shared between best friends on the playground; in the form of sympathy - said by a girl to a boy, as the respect continues but the relationship does not. It is said too loudly by parents to embarassed children in the company of their friends, and by grown children - to their fading parents in hospital beds. The words are thought in the company of the photograph and said in the company of the gravestone. It is how we end our phone calls and our letters... the words at the bottom of the page that trump all those above it, a way to gracefully finish a message, however important or trivial, with the most meaningful gift of all : the communication of love. And yet the words themselves have been the victims of triviality, a ready replacement for lesser salutations among near strangers, burst forth casually as "love ya." Truly? To what degree? Why, how much, and for how long? These are questions befitting of the stature of love, though not the everyday banter of vague acquaintance. The words have also been twisted by the dark nature of deceit : To say "I love you" with a dramatic measure of synthetic emotion; a snare set by those who prey uponn fellow humanity, driven to whatever selfish end, to gain access to another's body, or their money, or their opportunity. In this realm, the proclamation is disgraced by one seeking to gain rather than to give. In any case, and by whatever inspiration, these words are woven deeply in to the fibers of our existence. Our longing to hear them from the right place is maddeningly and simultaneously our finest strength and our most gentle weakness.The album "I and Love and You" is inashamedly defined by such a dynamic of duality. As living people, we are bound by this unavoidable parallel. We are powerful yet weak, capable yet temporary. Inevitably, an attempt to place honesty within an artistic avenue will follow suit. This is a piece which shows us as we are : products of love surrounded by struggle. The music herein is, in many ways, readable as both a milestone and an arrival. A chapter in the story of young men, it bridges the space between the uncertainty of youth and the reality of it's release. The record is full with the quality of the question and response. As far as questions go, there are plenty-normally residing within the tone and delivery of the lyrics themselves, which, ironically, are sung with so much confidence. Among songs and thoughts so driven and purposeful, the most basic relatable doubt comes through with a resounding clarity. Outside of the eternal theme of romantic love, the album speaks thankfully upon a landscape of light-filled rooms, word-filled pages, time machines, forgiveness, singing birds, ocean waves, art, change, confessions of shortcomings, and reasons to continue on. Hope and a cause for smiling follow naturally. In the midst of all this, there are allusions to the less-than-ideal conditions of life : the loss of memory, the inability to control temper, insecurity, indecision, jaded indifference, and the general plague of former and current weakness. "I and Love and You" is an album of obvious human creation, characterized by it's best and it's worst. Emotional imperfection is a reality for those who recorded the piece, just as it is for those who will hear it. The conclusion of the song from which the title is taken admits that the words "I love you" have become "hard to say". And perhaps that difficulty is as common as it's counterpart. Perhaps the inability to say these heaviest of words is as much a part of life as the lighthearted candor of those who say them without any difficulty at all. And so it ends with the phrase whispered to and by those of us most defeated and most elated... I and love and you."
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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

11 things on the 11th!

1. i do, and think i always secretly will, want to be a fashion designer.


2. i am over-dramatic! but not in a bad way (my life does not revolve around drama) i just give dramatic reactions to everything..(id be a great person to suprise, hint hint)


3. so i have three older brothers and all of us have the same intials SDH: Stephen Duane, Scott Daniel, Seth Dalyn, and Shaila Danae.


4. white v-neck t-shirts are my comfort food.


5. GUM is the absolute most disgusting thing on earth!!! Everytime I think about it I want to throw up.


6. i am emotional to my core.


7. i am a firm believer in accomplishing things on my bucket list. as soon as possible.


8. i love to touch people. ( hugs, handshakes, my hand their shoulder, anything) it's my love language.


9. clowns, mascots, or people wearing masks are creepy.


10. thinking about graduating college, getting a "real" job, falling in love, and growing up all make me a bit nervous.


11. i have an healthy addiction to 7-11 icees.

*my friend Shannon challenged me to do this, check out her blog....
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Sunday, November 1, 2009

clarity and boldness.

as the Lord continues to work and chisel in my life, i am going to continue to seek His will for me. there for been a few opportunities and ideas placed in front of me this moment and time. and if it were up to me, i would say YES! to every single one of them. however, i do not want this to be just things shaila thought were a good idea. i want this to be the Lord's wants and desires for me, and if He chooses that they are not, then i dont want them either.



i have recently been praying for clarity in different areas of my life. and this past thursday, that is all i could pray. i couldnt even elaborate or add any additional words to my longing for clarity. so thats all i prayed- "Lord, that you would grant clarity in my life." i happened to be at the Union, our local weekly college service when i was praying this. not even a minute later, these are the words that began to be sung:



"sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity.

sweet Jesus Christ, my clarity."


two things:

one) if you have been around me much, especially as of lately then you know this- i am losing my mind and completely scatterbrained. one recent example: when i woke up in the morning and was looking for my car keys, i found them in the outside lock of the apt door from the night before. and had no idea. so to hear and to sing the words "sweet Jesus Christ, my sanity" take on a whole new meaning. in the chaos of my life and in my thoughts, the Lord remains faithful, and even if i cant be sure of anything else (even if its even where my car keys are) i can be sure of this: He is my sanity!


two) so i pray for clarity and am instantly reminded that you are my clarity. You make things make sense. and i took this as confirmation that the two new ministries in my life were His desire, and that i would seek them until He shut the door.


as the evening continued on and the Word began to be spoken, the exact topic that one of these ministries deals with, was the focus of the message that night, and the Lord continued to nudge my heart in this direction.

friday..while driving in my car, i began to cry out to the Lord with requests, with needs, with wants, with tears, with love, with worries, with scripture. and as i worshipped with a community of believers that night at Bridgeway the Lord continued to prove His faithfulness and His mighty love.

sunday morning as i sat at the urban celebration downtown, i continue praying to the Lord asking for clarity in different areas of my life and then the Lord responded, "Shaila, you no longer need to pray for clarity when i have made cleared to you what i want you to do. You now need to pray for boldness.."

So that is where i find myself today, praying for boldness. praying for courage. praying for obedience. praying for faithfulness. praying for surrender. and though i dont know exactly what any of those look like or exactly what the Lord's plan for my life looks like. it's okay, i trust Him.

also i encourage you to check out this link, it's the song Mystery by Charlie Hall; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_lQED2P7mU

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