"Whenever your hearts starts to be anxious about the future, preach to your heart and say, 'Heart, who do you think you are to be afraid of the future + nullify the promise of God? No, Heart, I will not exalt myself within anxiety. I will humble myself in peace + joy as I trust this precious + great promise of God- He cares for me."                                                           //john piper

I was just thinking... isn't it beautiful how submissiveness is actually a form of safety? When I was younger... I didn't quite understand the concept of my daddy looking me in the eye and telling me that he had to discipline me because he loved me.

Grace-Hope and her little girlfriends are currently reading The Hedge of Thorns, a shortish story from Lamplighter Publishing (one I treasured from her age as well). "It's interesting," she pointed out one day (out of the blue), "how the hedge was a protection to keep them from something worse. So even though the little girl got hurt, she was still protected in the process."  Something so simple in the way she put that clicked in my memory as I've been trying to make my own difficult school-based decision. If I'm "not okay" with letting something go.. or being disciplined.. am I really surrendering my all?
We get this now... because He loves me, He closes and opens doors as He chooses. As I say yes, and submit and surrender.. I am in actuality saving myself- whether it's from heartache, a mistake, or a step down the wrong path.

i submit all my inner worries, my desires, and my heart
knowing full well 
that You will keep them safe in the palm of Your hand
and treasuring the thought that
You know best.