Sit and Soak

But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

Isaiah 43:1-3

It is so important for me to just sit and soak...in God's Word. I mean, I love being busy and I usually load my schedule with extra stuff added on to the daily routine, but so do most people in this world. That is why the quiet moments in the day should be so important. It is during those times that I can sit at the feet of my heavenly Father and listen for His voice. It is usually a time when He shares with me verses like Isaiah 43:1-3. 

 

These moments make me smile. Because through the busyness and uncertainty of life I know that I can rest in the knowledge that my God has redeemed me and called me by name. When you can have comfort and confidence in something like that, it makes your outlook on life dramatically different. I no longer have to worry about where I will be attending school next year, if I will find a girl to join me in a lifelong journey together, what my future holds in missions, or where my family will be. I don't have to worry, cause God is with me and will direct me in the right path. And do you know how amazing that is? It does not matter how busy your life gets or if your friend has hurt you or if you have let someone down or life just stinks right now. Run into the arms of Jesus, He loves you and will show you mercy and peace and healing. So if you are going through a lot in your life or difficulties, than I encourage you to just sit, and soak in the Word of the Lord. Taste and see that He is good!

I need to be reminded...

 some artwork I did in High School

I recently started my third year of college and when I walked into my first class (Astronomy) I realized that this semester was going to be a challenge. As my professor stood in front of me, it struck me that he was throwing around his opinions about "the Big Bang Theory" very freely. Not only was he stating that it was fact, but he was also saying that any other beliefs were foolish... Now, my first thoughts were to stand up, tell him that he was lost and going to hell and walk out. The HS is the only thing that stopped me from doing that. So, I went home and thought further about what had just taken place and decided that I needed God's help on this one. First of all, it is hard for me to sit in a classroom and listen to someone is openly opposing my faith and does not care. But once again, the HS who lives in me, guides me to be loving and gracious to the ones who oppose God. My job is to prepare myself for an instance if it comes up where I am able to stand up for my faith and share the TRUTH with the class, then I will boldly. Until then, God is teaching me to learn from listening to other's points of view and respect what other people have to say.


I just finished a book called "Radical" by David Platt and in it he challenges all Christians to do something that seems radical, but really is just biblical. His challenge in the next year: 1. Read the whole Word. 2. Pray for the entire world. (www.operationworld.org) 3. Use your money for a specific purpose to bring glory to God. 4. Spend time in another context (On mission). 5. Surround yourself with fellow believers who are a part of a strong body of Christ.
 These things have really helped me keep my eyes on the things that really matter in this world instead of the lesser important stuff that too many times we see as "more important" than God. In Philippians 3, Paul writes "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." Those words are so important to keep in mind when you start thinking about what you want to do in your future, your future spouse, the friends that you have, and the decisions you make. It affects all of that. If God is truely at the center of your heart, all of those other things will be like garbage to knowing Christ! I have been learning this again and again in my life and I hope you can learn something as well. The Lord has given me and you this life to do with what we want, but the only life that matters is the one who is seeking to honor the Lord. The one that is seeking to make their life NOT their own.

Passion Conference

Passion 2010

A gathering of over 21,000 college students!

 

A view from the upper level. Still really good and close!

 

The theme was a Global Awakening.

  

What an incredible sight! Praise God!

 

A picture from my phone looking down below.

I got to write my blog's name on the artwork! How cool! :)

 

Our great group!

 

With one one the volunteers.

 

Be a part of the Global Awakening. Live Link March 8th.

God is really doing something in this nation. We must all be on board to win souls for the kingdom of God. 

Let your hearts not grow weary or faint of the task that is ahead. But run into the arms of the one who gives restoration. The workers are few but the harvest is plentiful. So let's get to work!

Worship- It's what we do!

Who thought it would snow so much in Macon, Ga!

I love to worship!

I love every part about it. However, many people think worship can only be singing songs. Worship is more than a song. Worship is a lifestyle and a choice. So many times I feel as though Christians are ok with NOT standing up for the "one" thing they worship. You have a choice to worship whatever, and wherever you want. The one thing you do not have a choice in doing is worshiping whenever you want. You always worship something! Whatever may be the one thing that you are giving the majority of your time and effort to is the one thing you hold high above everything else and worship. One of my favorite books about worship is "The Air I Breathe" by Louie Giglio. He shares a story of a time when he was flipping the television channels and stopped on Oprah. What he saw was mind-boggling! On the TV in front of him, Oprah was interviewing a guy named Michael Jackson. Ever heard of him? They showed one clip to the audience and one image was engraved on Louie's mind: the sight of a young girl with her arms outstretched and eyes glued on this man. She was singing praises to his name! He said that was the most intense worship he had ever seen, and it was for a man. A human being! A sinner just like you and me! How then can the human capacity to worship be so great and yet the one who deserves that worship be left in the background? Since I read that story, the way I look at worship is different. If I can worship another person with intense passion, I should be able to worship the maker of the heavens and earth exponential times more! I thought I would share with you what worship looks like in Uganda. I got this video from Francis Chan who is another one of my favorite authors.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmvFVeEXjqE

Also, my spring semester started last month and one class I am taking is Physical Science. Now, although my teacher believes in evolution and the big bang theory, it is incredible to know what has to happen to make this universe run! Did you know that if the earth's moon would go even 1 mph faster, it would float away into space or 1 mph slower, it would crash into the earth? Did you know that even at the speed of light at 299,792,458 meters per second (186,000 miles per second!) it takes the light from the sun 8.5 minutes to reach the earth? That means we are seeing 8.5 minutes into the past if we look at the sun! How does someone look around and see all of this, and not believe that there IS a Divine Creator? That is the God we worship! And whether we choose to worship Him or not, He will still be that God.