Serving an Amazing God

Wow! It has been quite some time since I last blogged! So much has been going on in my life. My best friend that came to live with me last semester has moved back to Alabama. She needs much prayer! She is an amazingly blessed girl who is loved by so many. She wasn't planning on going back to Alabama for quite sometime, but she was blessed with the opportunity to raise a child of her own. Now, most people wouldn't exactly call this a blessing; being 19 and single isn't the best situation to be in when pregnant for the first time. However, she serves an amazing God and He is in control of all things. As most people who have been reading my blog know, I look at every situation "good" or "bad" as a blessing because they all teach us and force us to grow. At about four and a half months, she lost the baby. Not only was her life turned upside down once, it was flipped back around only four and half months later. Though it is so hard to say, this too happened for a reason and is a blessing. She is such a strong woman, but still needs prayers daily. Not only has the Lord been working in her life, but mine as well.
I took last semester off of school because of an elbow surgery and since then I have decided to take this semester off of school as well. I have been working at a couple of places and one of them is a physical therapy place. Last time that I wrote anything on here, I was passionate about physical therapy and I was Pre- Physical Therapy. Towards the beginning of the semester, my hours were cut back quite a bit at the PT place. Initially, I was infuriated because there really was no reason for my boss to do so. We had just hired somebody else that wasn't needed at the time, and then they started cutting everybody's hours. I know I know, people only get there hours cut for a reason-like them doing something wrong. But after talking to everybody else that works there, they all agreed that I was not the one that should have gotten so many hours cut. It wasn't until a month or so later wen I began to realize that this was happening for a reason. I was so mad before that I couldn't see that the Lord was working in this situation. I slowly began to lose more and more interest in Physical Therapy and I began to grow a stronger and stronger passion for my other job, childcare. I work at my church three days a week with kids that are under the age of three and then the rest of my free time I babysit. All of the kids that I watch are mainly around the age of one and just turning two. I have always said that I never want to be a teacher or do anything except for Physical Therapy. Ha, it is never a good idea to let God know what your plans in life are! He most certainly changed my heart and what I am passionate about. I still don't really want to teach, but to work with kids that are young and are very impressionable is an amazing experience. I have watched kids grow inside and out and have been with them throughout several weeks when they start talking more and more. There is something amazing about when two kids learn the important but hard task of sharing. When they develop into little people that care for others and understand when they do something that is either good or bad. So, after all that the Lord has been showing me, I have decided to go into Early Childhood Development. Kids are an amazing blessing and I am I am forever grateful that I am able to work with them daily.
Not only has the Lord been showing me knew things as far as what I am going to do in my life, but He has also been showing me things about myself that aren't necessarily good. It isn't fun to be shown your sin and see how it effects every aspect of your life. It isn't fun at all, in fact it hurts, a lot. However, it is so good that I am able to see it. If I weren't able to see my sin, how then would I be able to change it? How then would I be able to see that I serve such a forgiving and amazing God? I am reading this book with some other girls that I know called "Perfecting Ourselves to Death". It is such a good book, but wow is it hard to read! I never really thought of myself as that much of a perfectionist, but I sure am. I recommend this book to anybody. There is most probably a little bit of perfectionist inside all of us. I have been able to see how much it effects relationships and so much more. I have also realized how much I want to be God. I know it sounds so stupid to say, but it's the truth. That is so sinful of me! How could I possibly want to be God? Easy, all of us want to. We want to control everything and have things the way that we want it whether we realize it or not. Sin is a daily struggle that I have to face, but thankfully I serve a forgiving, merciful, just, gracious, and unchanging God that calls me His own. I am so glad that I am serving such and amazing God!

They will know we are Christians by our love...

We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord
And we pray that our unity will one day be restored
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah they'll know we are Christians by our love

We will work with each other, we will work side by side
We will work with each other, we will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride
And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love
Yeah, they'll know we are Christians by our love.

This song is on the Jars of Clay CD Redemption Songs. I love this song because it is so true. Often times people will notice how we treat each other and they want to be a part of it. One thing that I have come to realize recently is that it truly is much harder to love fellow believers and forgive them. I know for me if a non-believer does something, I am quicker to forgive them because they may not know better. When a fellow believer does something, it is much harder for me to forgive. I heard this sermon recently that really shook me up and made me realize that I do this. Yes, they may know better, but they still make mistakes. I know when I am sinning, and I still mess up and do it. If I were to look at them the same way that God looks at them, then I would see perfection through Christ. If God can look at them and see this even though they have sinned, I ought to be able to look at them in the same way. Recently I was put in a situation where I dealt with this same thing. I was very upset with this person and I should have been able to forgive him, but simply because they never said that they were sorry, I held it against them and I was holding onto this hurt. I realized that I am now in the wrong. I can't justify my actions just because he hurt me. I still have to be able to forgive him or I am in turn hurting him. I am not only hurting him, but I am not showing my love for a believer in the way that I should and I know that doesn't look good to non-believers watching. We all are supposed to be working towards the same goal; glorifying the Lord. If I am not able to forgive and work with them in this same goal, how do I expect to accomplish it? It is so important to love our sisters and brothers in Christ and treat them the way that God sees them. We too mess up and still want people to treat us with love.

Amazing Grace!

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.

Yet another amazing song! I listened to a three year old sing the first verse of this song and I couldn't help but tear up for a couple of reasons. The words are so true and so strong! If we really thought about this song on a daily basis, we would probably struggle with insecurities a lot less. Another thing that I thought was really cool was when I heard a three year old sing it. We are to train up children in Christ and it is so sweet to hear a child of God at such a young age worship the God of everything. Instilling these values at such a young age is not a waste of time for even when she is old, she will not depart from them.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found;
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.

In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

There in the ground His body lay,
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

No guilt in life, no fear in death—
This is the pow'r of Christ in me;
From life's first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow'r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow'r of Christ I'll stand.


I am pretty sure that I have already posted this song on my blog somewhere, but the lyrics are so good that I had to do it again! I encourage you to really meditate ont hese words and what they really mean.

Finally Satisfied!

All my life long, I had thirsted
For a drink from some cool spring,
That I hoped would quench the burning
Of the thirst I felt within.

Hallelujah! He has found me
The One my soul so long has craved!
Jesus satisfies all my long - ings
Through His blood I now am saved.

Feeding on the filth around me,
Till my strength was almost gone,
Longed my soul for something better,
Only still to hunger on.
(Chorus)
Poor I was, and sought for riches,
Something that would satisfy,
But the dust I gathered round me
Only mocked my soul's sad cry.
(chorus)
Well of water, ever springing,
Bread of life so rich and free,
Untold wealth that never faileth,
My Redeemer is to me.
(chorus)

*I love this song because it goes along with one of the songs in a previous post "All I Need". It is so true, all that I really need is Christ. Apart from Him, I am nothing and I have nothing. I know this seems drastic, but it's true; this is what I strongly believe. I still continue to search daily for things of this world that bring me no true satisfaction. I wish I could say that I base my life fully on words such as these, but, unfortunately, I am sinful and I mess up day after day. You'd think that I would have learned a long time ago that people and things of this world will always fail me at one time or another, but I haven't. Thankfully He gives me more time each day to try to take my eyes off of wordly things and focus on Him and bringing Him glory.

Being Single is a Blessing

In RUF Brad has been talking about sex, love, and relationships. This semester has been absolutely amazing. Last night he talked about how our ultimate goal in life is to glorify God. Yes, we all may "know" this already, but do we really apply it to everything? I know that I don't.For me it is easy to say that I want to get married so that I can glorify the Lord to the best of my ability. Ha, that's not the point of marriage. We are more than capable of glorifying the Lord while single. In fact, I tend to think that I must not be doing things right and I should be more content if I am still single because obviously the Lord isn't blessing me with a boyfriend and future spouse. The Lord used Brad in an awesome way to turn my whole perspective of being single around. First of all, marriage is not something that can be earned. It's a gift that we cannot earn. I find myself trying to be content in hopes that if I am content with being single, then the Lord will bless me with some amazing husband. If I can't earn it, then why am I so dumb to keep trying to earn it?? I ought to focus on the Lord and be content in the fact that He loves me. Secondly, being single is a blessing. I would have thought that you were crazy if you had told me that just yesterday morning, but now I see that it really is a blessing. I shouldn't be looking at who can I find that will love me, but instead, who can I be loving? after all, that is the whole story of the Gospel. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son to die for our sins. For God so loved the world. Take a minute to take that in. He has loved us first. The whole Bible is a love story. This love story talks about how He has loved others. He didn't sacrifice His one and only Son so that we would look at Him and praise Him. We praise Him because He sacrificed His one and only Son. I need to be looking at me being single as an enormous blessing! Because I am single I have more time to go forth and love others that need to see Christ's love for them. To me that is pretty exciting; I hope that it is exciting to you too.

He loves us well...

"When God blesses our hearts with boredom, discontent, anxiety, emptiness, or restlessness, He loves us well. For His goal is to wean our wayward hearts away from things that hold no ultimate satisfaction."

Objects of His Affection by: Scotty Smith

This is just one of many short passages that have hit me hard from a book that I have been reading. I encourage you to meditate on it; when is a time that this applies to your life?