Standing Up

Day 18:


Today was a good but long day. I had a late night with cleaning my room, which took two hours, but at least I can say that my room is clean. I am pretty happy and stoked that I can sleep in my bed with nothing else but my sheets and pillows, and yes you can see my floor. I found so much stuff that I thought was lost, a watch my dad gave me for Christmas, and some CDs and tons of books. 


Today I took a stand. I had two good talks with two of my friends. I got things out in the open, hopefully now the healing process will start with one friend. The other was just really good to catch up, and get on the same page about how the ministry probably isn't the right place for me anymore. I have no regrets and I am glad that he understands where I am coming from. I feel good about my decision and I believe that God is helping me transition out of this ministry and get fed spiritually elsewhere. I am so excited that there are no hard feelings.


Today I also just couldn't study, after the two talks my mind set just wasn't in a good place and I waved the white flag early. However I did get a couple pages read and highlighted, so still some progress despite the delay.


Then I got dinner with a friend, started watching A Dolphin Tale, and then went to Meijer's to return pop cans. It was fun, we got done in record time to get home and watch the rest of A Dolphin Tale. Such a great movie, so inspiring. (You should watch it.) (NOW!) 


Now I am just sitting at my friend's house reflecting on my day and how great God has been today. 


Lord,
I praise you for this day. I praise for shining the sun outside. It was such a nice surprise as I tried to study today. Thank you again for blessing me with some really great friends. They really are amazing. Thank you for giving me the words to say today and always being there when I am nervous or scared. I love you Lord with all my heart, mind, and soul. I pray for the health of my friends and safe travels for those going on the women's retreat this weekend. I pray all these things in your name.


Amen.

Life is Good!

Day 17:


The title of today's post reminds me of one of my favorite songs by Stellar Kart. I tried to definitely be more positive today.


I didn't sleep well, but woke up and showered. Got ready for the day, and headed off to be the hands and feet of Jesus. I am always thankful for being wanted and needed at the church. Today I just did a lot of odds and ends. I made copies, hole-punched 25 packets of information, filed some cards, made some more CDs for the gift bags, and scanned some stuff into the computer.


I also visited a friend for a couple hours as Wednesday is our weekly chat and time to hang out. I always head over there after I help at the church. I love our weekly chats. We talk about what is going on during the week and what God is doing in our lives. It's always a fun time.


Then I went home and had dinner with my mom. We haven't had a lot of time to spend together. We went to Cheddar's in Lansing. We both had salads, and it tasted so good. I loved it and we both ate our entire meal. Then we just had a lovely chat. I miss talking with her and hanging out with her.


Today after I blog this I vow that my room will be somewhat clean before I go to my friend's house tomorrow. I am so excited for my weekly study date and movie time.


Today God showed me patience. It was a good opportunity and I love learning lessons from God. God is good. Also my mom and I talked about me being blessed with good friends. She told me that she thanks God everyday for them. I said I have just started to openly pray about thanking God for my many blessings of friends. 


Well this post didn't turn out as I had thought, just talked about my day and what God has blessed me.


Lord,
I praise you for this day. I thank you that I was able to go and be the hands and feet of Jesus and help out my church. Thank you for the opportunity to spend time with my friend and my mom today. I really appreciate the extra time that I was able to spend with them. Thank you for this beautiful weather today. I pray for the health of my friends and that they continue to be lights for Jesus. I pray that you keep them encouraged this week and continue to share your love and mercy with them. I love you so much. Thanks for all my friends. I pray all these things in your name.


Amen.

So-So

Day 16:


If there was a better way to describe the day. "So-so" would have to be it. I had a bad night, well not exactly bad, but I was awaken at 5am and 6am. I am so glad I am not working tonight.


Today, and yesterday I had late starts at studying. Boy, do I hate when my mornings are thrown off. Today I could tell I would be especially lazy, just because of my night last night. I fought it off, showered and headed out the door by a little after 1pm. Arrived at Arby's by 1:30pm and studied till 5pm. Even then I was so discouraged and didn't want to study.


I even described my study time today as going to the dentist and getting teeth pulled with no pain medications. If you know me I hate the dentist. It was a very hard day for studying. But I pressed on and was able to get all of Chapter 9 completed.


Here I am sitting on my bed as I type this, and am surrounded by a mess. Like my room and my studies today, I don't want to do anything. I hope I can overcome this funk so I can wake up tomorrow.


I don't know what is going on. I feel somewhat like the calm before the storm, let's hope that is false. I would hate to lose it the rest of this week. I usually can't control those types of emotions once they are unleashed. 


I apologize that this post is a little down-casted. I'm tired and just feeling not so positive tonight. I really hope this changes. I know God will be there to lift my spirits. He is stronger when we are weak. He loves us and gives us hope and encouragement. With just writing this statement, God sent me a smile. How I love God-filled surprises.


Even with despair and darkness, God always brings hope and the light to shine through any darkness. I will always lean on that truth, that God never gives up and wants to see his children happy.


Lord,
I praise you for this day. Thank you for showing me the light at the end of the tunnel. You are always so good to me, even when I am having a bad day. Thank you for giving me the strength to study today, and to fight the battles of discouragement. I am so happy that you are there for me, and stay beside me and want the best for me, including my happiness. I pray for my friends health and that they continue to stay encouraged the rest of the week in their jobs or at school. Thank you again for them. I pray all these things in your name.


Amen.

Let It Burn! (in a good way)

Day 15:


Over the past two weeks I have been learning a lot about myself and my relationship with God. God has even showed me a lot and I have even heard God speak to me. It is such a rare occurrence, but I want more of it. :) Even last night God showed me how blessed I was. My friend was baptized as I mentioned from yesterday's post. I have seen other baptisms, heard other testimonies, but none has moved me or meant more to me than this one did. I can't explain why I feel this, but God is so good and I can't imagine my life without this person. I know its all God. Through Him, she encourages me and makes me happy. I am so glad the enemy never won.


I asked this question on facebook today, what do you do when someone says you can't do something? Answer, prove them wrong. That's when I realize that God wants that fire to combat the evil one. How cool is that realization?


I believe my passion is coming back. It's so exciting. After praying yesterday, I could feel the presence of God grow stronger, now that's what I call the power of prayer. I love my brothers and sisters! I feel so empowered by yesterday.


Also with this new found (again) strength I have realized the difference between spiritual warfare and just plain laziness, either of which aren't good, but I am glad for the ability to distinguish when one is coming into play.


I am so glad God is taking hold of my life and setting it ablaze. Before I felt like a little flame, in the darkness, but now am feeling much bigger and brighter. 


Here is a song, that is an oldie, but a goody. It was always my favorite.

Anyways, God always surprises me, because this in not the direction I was going with this post. But I love it despite the change. He is so good all the time and all the time He is good. 


Lord,
I praise you for this day! IT was a great day. You helped me triumph over the darkness and beat the "Monday blues" today. Like in the song, God set our hearts on fire and shed your light into the darkness. Set my life ablaze, I want to be an example for others. You are an amazing teacher. Help remind me that you are here to reignite my passion. Thank you for giving me so many blessings. I pray that you continue to show me how to be a fire for you. I pray for my friends that you continue to show them how to set their hearts on fire too. You are an amazing God! I pray all these things in your name.


Amen.

Healing Waters

Day 14:


Today in church, the pastor discussed how God is the true healing water as evidenced by John chapter 5.There were three main points but for this post will only focus on one, today. The three points are Christ cures, Christ creates conspiracy and Christ's claim to be the Messiah. The one I am going to focus on is Christ cures, which is based off of verses 1-16 in chapter 5 of John. I'll post it below for reference.

After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.  Now that day was the Sabbath. So the Jews said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed.” But he answered them, “The man who healed me, that man said to me, ‘Take up your bed, and walk.’” They asked him, “Who is the man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” Now the man who had been healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.” The man went away and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had healed him. And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath.

John 5.1-16

Today the sermon hit home, and it was so good! The story explained how a man thought he could be healed by getting into the pool of water, yet he had the living water himself right in front of him. Amazing story! Anyways that isn't the point, at the end of the message, my pastor asked two questions, about if we had any sin that we haven't repented or any hurts that need to be healed. He asked us to stand up in front of the church family if we fell into one of the two categories. I wanted to stand up so bad, but I was scared. Do you know that feeling? I finally gathered the courage to stand up. The courage I know now, that came from God. I heard his voice so strongly in my head saying, stand up. Then my pastor said to those still sitting to pick someone who was standing to pray for them this week, then he had the surrounding people pray for us. I started crying, even as the last song played. I knew the song by heart, so even though I was crying, I could have my eyes closed and still sing the song. I can't even begin to explain how awesome that feeling was.


I had the courage to stand. Do you?


Tonight, one of my best friends was baptized! I was so excited and nervous for her. She did great giving her testimony. I cried, but they were happy tears. I love her so much. The celebration service was awesome, very uplifting and encouraging. I even had a few people pray over me. Its scary to talk about the struggles going on right now. Overall I was encouraged and my paths were made straight, because of the people who prayed for me. It was so great! They helped me separate the truth from the lies. I am so thankful for them.


Lord,
I praise you for this day. I praise you for the courage to stand in front of my family and obey your will. You know that I was afraid, but I still listened to what you said to me. I love you so much. I want to pray for those who are fasting and that they continue to stay encouraged on the last week stretch. Thank you for always being my comfort. I want to praise for the life that was lifted up to you tonight as she followed in obedience and took that step of faith. I pray for healing for all those that stood up in church today. I pray for revival in the coming weeks for the all church journey. I praise you for those that lifted me up tonight because they are your servants and some of my greatest friends, that you have blessed me with. Thank you again! I pray all these things in your name.


Amen.

Baptism Basics

Day 13:


God totally gave me this topic for today. I have been meaning to discuss it, but it kept getting pushed on the back burner. But God always brings things to the forefront.


I love God and how he brings people back to Him. One of those ways is through baptism. Baptism is a step of faith. You will never have the same relationship with Jesus after you take this step. Its amazing! It's like you are getting married to God, well sorta. There is more of a responsibility to act out in faith and strive to be more like Jesus. I take it as a commitment. I was baptized on October 9th, 2008. I didn't take the decision lightly. I believe God was moving me to be baptized, and even cooler he spoke to me through a song. The song was by Dierks Bentley called, "Soon as you can." Best song ever, and like I said in one of my earlier posts, some songs can be made into God songs. This definitely was a God song, because it brought me home.


I will talk more about this tomorrow, but one of my best friends is getting baptized tomorrow night. To say the least I am so excited! God foretold me this was going to happen months ago through a dream. I love when things happen for His glory.

Today was a good day. I hung out with my friends, and had an awesome conversation with one of them. I have a lot of things to think about now. But they are good Godly things to think about. To say the least, it left my heart very happy. 

Lord,

I praise you for today. You gave me a lot to think about today. I thank you for all the opportunities I had to have great conversations, which then lead to conversations about you. I thank you for bringing a smile on my face with that crazy funny dream last night. I praise you that you listen to me when I speak to you. I praise and will continue to praise you for fighting my battles and my friend's battles. I again thank you for blessing me with the friends that I have. I pray that you continue to be with my friends as they bring glory to your name tomorrow, as big decisions are being made for you. I pray all of these things in your name.

Amen.

Encouragement and Hope

Day 12:

Despite having an off the wall dream, my night was pretty good. I was excited about a friend coming into town the next morning (today). I had so much planned for day. Lots of surprises. After I picked my friend up from our mutual friend's house. We went to my dad's and started our baking fiasco. We started cooking the chili, which was a total surprise to my dad. We also made homemade ice cream sandwiches from Oreo cookie pop-tarts and Oreo cookie ice cream and peanut butter cup chocolate cookies. They were both a big hit at the women's night event tonight. It made me super happy, a total mood booster.

Tonight, the main devotion was about hope. We discussed Romans 5:1-11 (ESV).

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and werejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, andhope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For ifwhile we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

 These verses discuss how hope is a joyful and confident expectation of eternal salvation. Such a good topic since I have been discouraged this week and having not so great dreams.

She also included my all time favorite scripture, which is Isaiah 40:30-31(ESV).

Even youths shall faint and be weary, 

and young men shall fall exhausted;

but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; 

they shall mount up with wings like eagles; 

they shall run and not be weary; 

they shall walk and not faint.

I just love this promise and I also love eagles! God is so great. So in my other post I mentioned that I was thankful for Godly men in my life. I had texted them and they will be praying over me on Sunday night. I am so grateful. One of those men, gave me some scripture to review. I thought they were very encouraging, so I will add them in this post.

Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. 1 John 4.4 (ESV) 

 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. John 16.33 (ESV)

I found these encouraging because they are truths I have been needing to hear.God is so good! Sometimes He has to talk through people we look up to, to better encourage us.

Lord,

I praise you for this day. I am so thankful for my friends. You have given me a good bunch to hangout with. I want to thank you for giving my friend from Flint the opportunity to come over, bake and hangout with us. Thank you for giving me energy to completes today's tasks. I love you so much. Thank you for giving people the words to encourage me and give me hope. I pray that my friends continue to stay encouraged as big decisions are being made for you this weekend. I am so excited for the things you have planned. Please remind me to be patient and not get easily discouraged this coming weekend and week ahead. I pray all these things in your name.

Amen.