One happy girl :)

I am so in love.

<3

... I really need to sleep, but don't you worry... we'll talk tomorrow ;)

~Radiant Ragamuffin

Remarkable Ramblings...

Ah, it is so nice to finally sit down at the end of a long day :)

This morning I woke up around noon (as usual) and got all dolled up for a day of errands. "Dolled up just to run errands?", you may ask yourself. YES. For the past two weeks I have been a complete bum and haven't gotten "ready" for the day like I normally would on any other day of the year. This has it's effects on me! I begin to forget what I look like when I actually get ready for the day. This is frightening because then I start thinking I am just the ugliest thing to hit planet earth because I look like a total and complete slob. So today was a great change :) Not to mention, I have some new clothes just waiting to be worn, so it was killing me to be all slobby and too lazy to put them on haha. Back to my day... I went and got a pedicure on my toes toes (get the reference?), then I stopped by to say hi to all my kids and former employees at the school I worked at last semester when I wasn't at CBU. It was wonderful to see everyone again and to be reminded of the abundant joy that those kids have in their hearts. They are so unashamed to just be themselves and tell the world that they love Jesus. It is such a wonderful thing to see! After my visit I ran a few more errands on my way home, then went to dinner with my family. It is always such a blessing when the Lord provides us with that bit of extra money to do something fun like that. We don't get to go out often because funds are a bit tight around the Rodgers household, so when we do get to go out it is a real treat. Now I'm just sitting in my room struggling to type this blog with my fatty brace on my right wrist. I have a pretty bad case of tendonitis, and it decides to bring me a little present and flare up randomly throughout the year. Oh! In other news...

JACOB GOT A  4.0 GPA!!!!!

WOOT WOOT!

GO JACOB!

<3

I'm so proud of him :) That's just one more thing I absolutely love about him... he is an excellent student who really strives to be the best he can possibly be. I'm so blessed to have him as my boyfriend, best friend, and spiritual leader. I learn so much from him, and he never ever fails to completely amaze me. What a wonderful life I have because he's in it <3

I always love to listen to Brooke Fraser when I blog because the words of her songs speak to my heart so much. When I listen to her music, I am so inspired to write. I think it only fitting to leave you with the current words that are piping through my ears.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*
When the world is falling out from under me,

I'll be found in You...

Still standing.

When the sky rolls up, and mountains fall on their knees,

When time and space are through,

I'll be found in You.

You make all things new.

<3

~Radiant Ragamuffin

You're beautiful, every little piece love.

Well, hello again from that one little Radiant Ragamuffin. :)

Just wanted to drop by and share something with all of you that really means a lot to me. I have an account with Formspring, which is a website where people can anonymously ask me questions. I received a question a few days ago, and I want to share my answer with you.

Here's the question:

What verse do you read when you feel like you are succumbing to the pressures of the world to look a certain way as a young woman?

Here's the answer: 

Wow, what an awesome question. Well, first of all... God created you to be YOU. The little imperfections you see are what make you a unique and beautiful gem to the Lord. You are a magnificent piece of artwork that God is masterfully creating to be one of the most prized possessions in His art gallery. But what we often fail to realize, is that He is the master potter. You are His work of art. He has formed you perfectly, to reflect His beauty. He is the only one who knows exactly what colors of clay make you who you are. He delights in his daughters who break free from the lies of the world, and instead, embrace what makes them uniquely His. As a young woman, there is so much temptation in the world to fit the mold of beauty. You have to remember that the definition of beauty has already been completely distorted, and it's true meaning has been lost in translation. Look into the Lord's heart for the definition of beauty, because He is the most radiant form of beauty that could ever be found.

A verse that really reflects where true beauty is found is Proverbs 31:30 which says, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting: but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." This is just a reminder that beauty begins with a fear of the Lord. That means that outward appearance does not define one's beauty. It is also important to remember that it doesn't matter what the world thinks about how you look because ultimately you should praise the Lord because you are fearfully and wonderfully made. His works are wonderful, you should know that full well. That is a direct reference from Psalm 139:14.
You are a beautiful blossom that the Lord is pruning to become even more radiant for Him.

... So be you, and remember.... your beauty lies in Christ 

and Him alone :)

~Radiant Ragamuffin

Oh, I wish...

So, I have come to discover that maybe being home alone every day is not the absolute worst thing in the world.
- yes, cheez-its get boring
- yes, I feel like a bum in my pj's with no makeup or anything
- yes, I miss my boyfriend and friends
- yes, I wish I had money to go shopping
... but ...
- being alone means lots of dates with my Jesus
- being home all day means lots of America's Next Top Model and Project Runway marathons
- being home all day also means that I get to watch a TON of wedding shows on TV (which could potentially be a very horrible thing ;) )
- it also means that I'm not spending money on gas, food or shopping

Hey, I'm just trying to find the good in everything ;)

So, about weddings. *cough* EVERYONE IS GETTING MARRIED.

The cute engagement pictures

How he popped the question

The rock

The wedding dress shopping

The venue hunt

..... and then THE BIGGEST DAY OF YOUR LIFE

<3

Oh, weddings... you do make me so very happy :) 

... Someday I will be the one in white, and what a wonderful day that will  be <3

~Radiant Ragamuffin

And She's Back! :)

HELLO!

Mmmmkay, so I got into blogging at the end of last year and I really enjoyed it, but then I got so busy that it seemed to be the last thing on my mind. But as you can tell via my facebook... ALOT has happened since I last blogged. Alot, being an understatement! Gee, what an amazing journey this last semester has been! Although God took me through quite a bit of muckity muck along the way, He held my hand the whole time. It really is amazing how the most difficult things in your life somehow seem less awful when you are surrounded with people who are praying for you, love you and care for you. God definitely placed so many people in my life during that time for me to fall on. It's very true that behind every dark cloud there's a silver lining, because in the end I came out a stronger person in the Lord. One of my favorite things that I learned is that the extent of God's grace far extends the extent of mine :) What a beautiful thing that is <3 His mighty hand held me back from the judgement that my selfish heart desired to bestow on those who had hurt me. I am so thankful he did this, though. I love Him so much because He never fails to teach me marvelous things when I am in the midst of a hardship.

Lately I have been doing something that I think everyone should try to do because it really challenges you to see through the eyes of the Lord. I decided a while ago that face-value relationships need to die. Brutal, yes... true... VERY. I believe that God places people into our lives to teach us something about Him. Recently, He has charged me to discover which of His attributes are being displayed through the different people I meet. It really is a beautiful thing when you can directly pinpoint what characteristic of the Lord you are supposed to be learning from a specific person in your life. It seems as though God is always teaching me something extraordinary and wild. It's amazing what I see when I take a step back from my world and turn my thoughts away from myself. It is in those times that I am able to focus on other people and discover what makes them truly valuable to the Lord and to me.

Eliminate face-value relationships.

I dare you :)

In other news... I survived my last semester as a sophomore at CBU! I finished with all high A's and one icky grade from Mooney's Old Testament Survey class. Honestly, I am just happy I even passed that class! haha :) It is always a difficult journey to the end of classes before summer because time seems to halt and slow down to a turtle pace. But here's where my biggest encouragement comes in to the story....

[Enter Jacob David Brainard]

*triumphant music resounds*

A boy, you say?? Why, yes. A boy. One who happens to be my wonderful and amazing boyfriend :) God really knew what He was doing with this one (he he). As of ten days ago, we have been together for a woppin' 4 months! We all make our silly little wishes on 11-11, but guess what??

I got mine <3

And lastly, choir tour 2010 :) WHAT A BLAST! Something really special about this tour was that within a few days of tour starting, I could pinpoint exactly what God wanted to teach me during those two weeks. I could feel Him tugging at my heart to have a servant's heart just like Him. I felt like a totally new person once I submitted my heart to His plan for me on tour. I made an effort all of tour to practice the attitude of a selfless servant. 

Selfless servanthood.

Try it?

... and now, here I am. May 25, 2010. It's crazy how time flies so fast. In just a matter of about two weeks I will be packing up my stuff again and moving up to Angeles Crest Christian Camp for 11 weeks :) I am so stoked to see what God is going to do up there! 

Welp... looks like I'm all finished :)

That's it for now!

"Your people are yearning, desperate for truth. Take over this nation and reclaim Your youth!"

~ Radiant Ragamuffin