One of those days...

I think we've all had "one of those days" at some point or another. I know I sure have. Actually, in the past 2 weeks I have had many of those days. Nothing seems to go right, you have a seemingly impossible amount to do, you are getting upset over the littlest things that usually don't bother you.

We went back to school 2 week ago and boy has it been stressful! This year, we have had SO much homework. In addition I've tried a number of things that I've never done before. I began my first AP class. I tried out for musical theatre. I got permit. I did cross country conditioning and considered trying out for the team. All in the first 2 weeks of school! 

On the first day of school I come home from boring class after class of syllabuses.  I absolutely loved my teachers, classes, and the people in my classes. What is so bad about that do you ask? Exactly. There wasn't anything terrible but I wanted my way to the dot. I didn't like that I was overwhelmed by 3rd period. I didn't like that I didn't get to sit with my best friends in majority of my classes. I didn't like that when I got home I was trying to fill in for my mom since she was still at work. I especially didn't like that I broke down crying (cause I guess that's what emotional teenage girls do) because I would much rather be the all-together one in my family than the one that needed the comforting. Some of those things like trying to be my mom when I just needed to be me I could help. But God reminded me that day that He has it all under control. He has a reason that I wasn't sitting by friends all the time. He doesn't want me to be overwhelmed or to try to be everything for everybody. He just wants me to trust Him. In showing me this, He brought up a Bible verse that I had seen a number of times but that I really noticed that night. 

"For I know the plans that I have for you," declares The Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

Being the worrisome person that I am, I certainly didn't learn my lesson the first time. I will still have more stumbles than I can count, but I am reminded that all I need to do is trust God, even with the details.

     

Under-Stand

I recently signed up for email devotions from Proverbs 31 Ministries and today's devotion, called "Under-Stand", really spoke to me. Here it is:

"... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word." Ephesians 5:25-26 (NIV)

"I just feel mean so much of the time," my friend whispers through the leak of tears. Downward, the salty droplets slip and so does her heart, her resolve, and her assurance of being a good mom.

"I understand," I whisper back.

And sometimes that's all that needs to be said.

I don't remind her of gentleness verses. I don't try to fix anything. I don't offer solutions or articles or statistical data.

I simply under-stand.

Under ... to dip low and find that same place that lies beneath my outside veneer.

We all have an under.

And I admit to her, "I've felt mean so many times too. I've set out to have a super day with my kids only to be red-faced and aggravated minutes later. Buckling under the weight of my imperfections, I've wondered if I'll ever get it right. It sometimes feels like all the other moms are doing it better. But that's not true. All moms struggle."

Stand ... to come alongside in a position of strength, closeness, and unwavering support.

We all need those friends we know will stand with us.

And I reassure, "Somehow, God shows us what to do and fills in the gaps if we ask Him. The fact that you're crying shows a heart tender enough for God's molding and shaping to occur. Don't listen to the world's answers. And don't fall into the trap of trying to be like other moms. Just saturate yourself in God's Truth and trust the gut instincts He gives you."

Thankfully we don't have to be perfect. God has made a way to free us from the mistakes we make so we can keep going forward without the chains of regret. Ephesians 5:25-26 tells us, "... Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word."

I love that picture of Christ washing us through the Word. Some versions of Ephesians 5:25-26 actually call this washing sanctifying.

The Greek meaning of this sanctifying is hagiazo. When we unwrap the package of this word, we find three simple treasures. Hagiazo means:
1. To cleanse externally.
2. To free from the guilt of sin.
3. To purify internally by the renewing of the soul.

Externally, I wash my tears away with the truth of Lamentations 3:22-23 that God's mercies make all things new. Past minutes are gone. But this minute brings with it a fresh start.

Relationally, Colossians 1:14 frees me from the guilt. God's Word reminds that I can live in the freedom of repentance and forgiveness.

Internally, I see my depravity but refuse to wallow in it. I recall the words of Micah 6:8 as a call to action. Another place to receive the Truth as a cleansing agent from fear, doubt, hopelessness.

Yes, I understand. My need to be sanctified is great. Just like your need is. We're all in that place. We all sometimes feel mean.

Unable.
Incapable.
Insecure.
Broken down.

So, let the Word of Christ wash afresh over you, in you, and all about you. And let the whispers of a friend assure you, I under-stand.

Dear Lord, I praise You today for being such an understanding, loving God. Thank You for carrying me through every storm that I face, and for placing special people in my life to encourage me along the way. Help me to be that voice of encouragement for someone else today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Only God

Have you ever realized that you need God? I'm not talking about just knowing that you always need Him, but really depending on Him and realizing that you can't get by without Him. I have realized that lately, especially when it comes to worrying. I have to remember that God has got it all in His hands. Please know that I am still a working progress and am working on it but remember, God has got every aspect of you and your life in His wonderful hands as well!

The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 27:1

Catchin' Up

Whew! We've up to A LOT lately so I've got lots of pictures and lots to talk about. I'll start with track-out. A couple of weeks ago my family and I visited Williamsburg, Virginia and then visited my grandma and great-grandma in New Jersey.

Here we are at the hotel pool!

at a tavern in Williamsburg

talking to Patrick Henry and learning a lot!

I wonder what they did now?!?

Oh Luis!

My sweet Oma Oma and I!

 The next week we celebrated Easter with our grandparents!

Easter egg time!

On a hunt for the eggs. . .

for those of you who watch Duck Dynasty ;)

 Here a couple pictures that I took of spring . . . my absolute favorite!!

And last but not least . . . this past weekend my mom and went to see Beth Moore, a motivational Christian speaker, with some other ladies from our church and 8,000 other women! It was absolutely amazing! It was all about secrets. The theme was "Secrets Manifest". She talked about the difference between good secrets, bad secrets, secrets in the Bible and the difference between being authentic, transparent, and intimate. "You don't have to be intimate with your entire social network" was one of her big points when talking about that. It was so cool seeing God move.

Jesus, midnight milkshakes, and more Jesus . . . I mean, what could be better?

 Well, that's all I have for now!

Disciple Now 2013

Hey guys! So we just finished Disciple Now! The theme was Exchange. Exchanging our old life, our sinful ways, for a new life in Christ! It was an amazing reminder of the greatness of our God and our complete surrender to Him!
And... we  also got to Skype Abby, my sisterchick in Africa! All of the girls in our group absolutely loved getting to talk to her! Thank-you so much Abby!

Here the lyrics to a song that we sang that is one of my new favorites:

Christ alone, Cornerstone

Weak made strong, in the Savior's love

Through the storm, He is Lord

Lord of all.

Here is a picture of all the youth dancing during the worship services:

It was a great weekend and we are sad it is over, but now, our job is to carry what we learned and the changes that were made into our day-to-day life!

"Go making disciples of all nations..." including your own!

"Go, making disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Often times when we think about telling others about the wonderful news of our sweet Savior, we think about mission trips and oversees. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this bad. It is amazing! I'm going on a mission trip this summer, one of my very best friends and her family are missionaries overseas, and I want to be a missionary! The problem is though, we don't usually associate our schools, our sports teams, our friends, etc. with the mission field. But this is the greatest and hardest mission field of our lives!

I definitely struggle with this. I get restless and wish I could be doing something greater. I want to go on another mission trip. I want to go overseas. I feel more comfortable sharing Jesus with somebody I don't know. But the greatest thing that I can do is right now, and that is reaching out to the people all around me. I have to remember that the mission field that God has given me right now is my high school, my dance studio, my neighborhood, my church, and even my own home. And it is a big mission field. Everyone has their very own mission field. This means that I am a missionary and so are you!

So don't forget, God tells us to make disciples of all nations... even your own!

My Cousin's Blog

Hey guys! My cousin started a blog where she puts devotions, Bible verses, and talks about her walk with Christ! It is really neat and encouraging! You should all check it out! Click here: dailydevotionstojesus.blogspot.com . I hope this will be an encouragement and a good reminder to you! Enjoy!

Quote

Here is a quote that I found today that I really like! :

"Everybody can be great. Because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve... You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."

- Martin Luther King Jr.

Kings and Queens- Audio Adrenaline

I just heard this song for the first time and it has an amazing message!!!

Devotion: God-Pleasers

Here is one of my devotions that I recently read and really spoke to me. It is very hard but EXTREMELY important:

"God wants us to please Him first. It's not our job to make everyone happy.

There will be a lot of times when God's Word goes against what all of your friends are doing. Sometimes grown-ups and other people you trust might be going against God's Word too. How will you know? Ask God to help you know right from wrong and keep His Word in your heart. If you study God's Word everyday, you will know when other people are going against what the Bible says.

 If all your friends decide to cheat on a test at school, they won't be very happy if you tell them that it's wrong and you aren't going to do it. But that's okay! It's not your job to make everyone happy. It's much more important to make God happy than all of your friends. All you have to do is trust in God and do what's right. That's all that matters in the end!"

"Obviously, I am not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant."
Galatians 1:10

Jesus Friend of Sinners by Casting Crowns

This is a really neat song that I heard while listening to KLOVE. I wanted to share it with y'all. Enjoy!

Britt Nicole: Gold

I recently got the new Britt Nicole album: "Gold" It is my favorite album by her so far! It has a lot of really neat songs!

Kisses from Katie and my beaded necklace!

 

    A few days after this book came out I had a friend tell me about a girl named Katie Davis who lived in Uganda. She also showed me her blog. I instantly fell in love with her story and wanted to know more about her. The first chance that I got, I ordered the book and started reading it. It tells many of her stories with the people that live around her, young and old, girls and boys, the healthy and the unhealthy. These stories will touch your heart and will change your perspective on how you view the "things" around you. I highly, highly, highly recommend this book! If you want to get it you can click the Amazima icon on the right that goes to her website. Amazing!
     Just like quite a lot of African based organizations, the non-profit that Katie started called Amazima sells beaded necklaces that a group of women she knows makes! They are beautiful! Here is a picture of one that I got on Easter : :)

book pic from: sarahhollinger.com

Dynamite Announcement

I saw this video on a friend's blog and was just in awe. It is the coolest thing! Adoption is truly WONDERFUL and life changing!!

The Lost Get Found by Britt Nicole

This is an AMAZING song by an AMAZING singer, Britt Nicole. It's about being bold and not being afraid to share you're faith! That's something that I know that I need to work on. Hope you enjoy!!! : )

Here in America many people pass away of obesity. In Africa, many people pass away because of hunger. There is hunger, poverty, AIDS, persecution, terrorism, and all of this to an extent that we cannot even possibly start to comprehend. All of what I just mentioned though is a blessing. Here in America we have things. Things that distract us from the real reason we are here. Things that, without meaning to, we put before GOD and His purpose for us: to love, worship and bring honor to Him. When you have nothing though, all you can do is trust in GOD and place your faith in Him. Many people there though don't know GOD. They don't know His love, and they don't know the hope that He gives. This is why we need to do something about that. Whether it is becoming a missionary to sponsoring a child to simply praying. There is an organization called Compassion where you can sponsor a child. Sponsoring children helps them learn about the LORD, gives them an education, keeps them healthy, and keeps them from being hungry. You can go to compassion.org to see more about it. There are many other ministries and organizations that help them also. One is Invisible Children. Another is Amazima Ministries that a young woman named Katie Davis started that helps children in Uganda. The ministry provides school, clothes, food, school supplies, and best of all, love for the children. In the sidebar there is an icon that says Amazima. If you click on it then it will take you to the website for Amazima. Katie also wrote a book called Kisses from Katie and has a blog: kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com. Right now though something that we all can do is pray and love!

Amazima

I added an icon to the side bar that says AMAZIMA. You can click on it and it will bring you to the website for Amazima ministries. It is a ministry that a 23 year old girl name Katie Davis started that helps children in Uganda. She also wrote a book call Kisses from Katie. I have started reading it and so far it is AMAZING!!!!!!! You all should check out the website. Thanks! :)