IfYouGiveAMindensenABlog

Dear Lord Jesus
I need Your Grace
and Your Strength.
Help me to be obedient
in the trials I face.
When I gave You my life
I gave You control.
Now it's time for me to
really live that role.

Letting You direct
wherever You choose.
Trusting I'll gain
more than I'll lose.
Actively submitting
myself to Your Will.
Obediently following
no matter the 'bill'.

You paid a price greater
than anything I could pay.
Proving Your LOVE,
paving The Way.
I now have access to
the ABUNDANT life.
Sometimes for now though
that means strife.
Living in a broken world
means making a choice.
Picking a shepherd,
and following his voice.

I chose You Jesus;
The Good Shepherd,
my Savoir, and Friend.
You’re the One to follow
till the very End.
Your Way is the Best,
but it can be hard to see.
Sometimes it can even
appear as terrible to me.

I believe Lord though
that You are Loving, and kind.
You do ALL things
with our BEST in mind.
Thank You God
for being good, and faithful.
For Your promises, Lord
I am grateful.

Thank You that
You’ll never leave me.
Thank You for
a yoke that’s easy,
Thank You God for
the strength to act,
even when I think I can’t.
Thank You for
Your Spirit that guides me,
gives me wisdom,
And lives inside me.

Thank You for
the power to carry on,
and grace through which
my weaknesses are made strong.
My eyes are on You.
Lead on where You Will.
No matter what happens,
I will trust You still.

God is GOOD!♥

"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, But when you are tempted he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13)

The Greek word peirazo which is translated here as 'temptation' can also be defined as 'to test'. A friend of my mine recently called me with a really encouraging thought about that, which is why it's on my mind. Though there are certainly times when we are specifically tempted, these aren't the only times at which this verse can be applied. Often, when going through a trial, we turn to the common though ever elusive concept of "consider it pure joy my brother's whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete..." (James 1:2-4a). However, why can we be confident, "that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ"(Philippians 1:6)? ...ANSWER? "God is faithful" :)

...isn't that nice to know? Whether you're being tempted, or tested, we have a God who will be standing by you no matter what, through whom "we can do all things" (Philippians 4:13), and who can "do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine" (Ephesians 3:20).

We may not know what's going on, but if we trust in the Lord with all our hearts,(Proverbs 3:5), not doubting (James 1:6) or leaning on own understanding, He will make our paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

God is GOOD!♥

Hi Everybody!
I'm sorry I've been bad at keeping up. It's been pretty crazy being a full-time student, a "Part-time" employee, an average human being who needs sleep/basic other things, girlfriend, sister, daughter, friend, peer, involved student...Anywho, my real big time eaters are/were classes/hw and my job.
As of last Friday, I am no longer employed, but I have to say that it was a learning lesson. Also, for the most part it wasn't a bad job, gas is just too expensive. Well, between commuting to school, and my job, that required me to drive all over the south-eastern suburbs (and slightly into IN), I have spent a LOT of time driving.
So, I was thinking of just starting a whole 'new' blog for random things I've thought of/learned from my driving experiences, but lets be serious, I have a hard enough time keeping this one up :) I plan to just write individual blogs and have a specific "Life Lessons of a Commuter Student" label. I will hopefully post my first one after I finish this post.
School has been going well, but the for the last couple of weeks I've felt very unmotivated, and a little lost. God, however, has been very good to me (SURPRISE!. I am currently scheduled to remain at Trinity at least for another semester, but please continue to pray for guidance for me. Right now, it's kind of a day-to-day thing. There have been plenty of learning opportunities both in and outside of the classroom. Pray that I am a good witness for JESUS to my classmates (Yes, I go to Christian school, but I don't take it for granted that all my peers are Christians too). It's a struggle sometimes to not get angry and to be judgmental. My prayer as of late has been "God help me to be compassionate as You have shown compassion to me, and to love as You have loved me". I know it's not going to happen over night, but people won't be drawn to cruelty/loathing, but to love.
Last night (early this morning), I finished a paper for my Theology class on Genesis 22, and I hope to post it once I get it back, but the main point I got from my research was that God cares about our HEARTS. He wants to be the One whom our hearts are fixed upon, and whom we trust wholeheartedly .
Jeremiah 29:11 is a favorite verse to quote, but often people stop there. It's unfortunate because I've come to find verse 13 to be the best part...
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart

I have a lot of questions about my future. I have hopes and I have dreams (fears too!), but I have a God who just wants to be in a relationship with me. He'll take care of the rest (Mat 6:33...I couldn't help referencing it), and it'll probably be better than I could ever imagine (Eph 3:20!). Truth is, I've been REALLY stressed out these last couple months. It hasn't been a constant thing, but it's certainly been 'hanging' over my head. I've started looking at the waves around me instead of focusing on my Savoir JESUS (Mat14:29-31). I've been trying to 'feel in control', and have just wound up feeling MORE lost, MORE confused, and just generally dissatisfied with life/demotivated. I wish I could say "I'm done" with all that, but I know it will still be a battle, but with Thanksgiving coming up in a few days, it's once again a GREAT reminder of God's GREAT provision in my life. It is much easier to feel better when my eyes are on God and what He's done, and NOT on myself. Because I have included all of my other typical verses, I can't finish this post without (yes, you guessed it) Philippians 4:6-7...
Dear God, you know my hopes and my dreams. You know what I'm going through, my current stresses, the little things that drag me down. I thank for the job opportunity and helping me through it. I thank you for how you've continued to provide for, and for the little 'gifts' you give me each day as a reminder of your presence. Help me Holy Spirit to continue to trust you with all my heart, and grant me a peace that surpasses all understanding. I'm sorry for how I've tried to take control, continue to pry my life from my hands. It's ours and I KNOW I will be much better off with YOU in control...Thank You for Your peace. -Amen

God is GOOD!♥

I will no longer be working at Camp Summit this summer. After much thinking and praying, I do not believe it is where I'm supposed to be this summer. Please continue to pray for me as I continue to seek God's wisdom for where He wants me to be this summer. I have some options open to me right now, but we're taking suggestions. So, if you have any ideas feel free to let me know. Thanks for all of your prayers and support! (Proverbs 3:5-6)

God is GOOD!♥

Sorry to all of you who have been disappointed with my low number of blogs. The last few months have certainly been VERY busy. Not to say that God hasn't been teaching me things (which would be FALSE!), but I just haven't had the time to thoughtfully process and express them in type.

Have you ever REALLY stopped to think about your priorities? What do your actions say is important to you? Do they match God's? Am I living with a heavenly perspective or an earthly one? On whom is my focus?

In the small time before major transitions it's often hard to not worry, getting caught up in future plans and their potential consequences; good or bad. Often we forget that we have a God who PROMISES in Proverbs 3:5-6 he will make our paths straight, and in Jeremiah 29:11 he promises a prosperous future, filled with hope. There is something we have to do though...trust HIM, seek HIM with all our hearts. If we aren't focused on what really matters, we aren't going to be living a life that really matters. Only God can ultimately bring meaning into our lives, just go read Ecclesiastes (which I recommend doing anyways!).

I have been given much to think about because of my reading "The Treasure Principle" last month and now "The Pursuit of God" this month. To quote Paul, I want to run the race "to get the prize". So, I was reading in 1 Timothy 6 the other day, and one of the last paragraphs sums up most of the ideas I've been thinking about over the last few months..."Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with EVERYTHING for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in GOOD DEEDS, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is TRULY life." (1T6:17-19 emphasis is mine =D)

God is GOOD!

Ecclesiastes 7:18 say, "It is good to grasp the one and not let go of the other. The man who fears God will avoid ALL extremes." Luke 11:11-12 says, "Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Now I know to some those two passages don't really go together, but to me right now they mean EVERYTHING. Please bear with me right now because I'm only just starting to get used to writing exactly what I'm thinking, which is generally pretty random, so here I go.

For some reason I struggle with letting myself be happy. If I'm happy I tend to think I'm doing something spiritually wrong, which is a COMPLETE misrepresentation of who God is...which is GOOD! Did you know that? God is GOOD! Sometimes I struggle with believing that, but time and time again God proves that He really is GOOD. That is why I try to end ALL of my blogs with "God is GOOD!♥" because it is something very important to remember. So, back to the passages...as those of you who have kept up with my blog/my life in general know, I recently started down the path of 'non-singleness', and well...it's been GREAT! God has really used the relationship in general to teach me LOTS of things (including this current topic), and has definitely been using my boyfriend to challenge, grow, and strengthen my faith in HIM. However, I started to feel like maybe I was holding on to my boyfriend too tight. I've had kind of a lot of people walk out of my life recently, and have had to say some pretty tough Goodbyes, but one Goodbye I don't think I could do would be saying goodbye to my boyfriend. Then I started to worry...which was my first problem, now that I'm looking back, that maybe since I couldn't POSSIBLY right now imagine giving up my relationship with Jeremy, that meant that I was holding onto him TOO TIGHTLY and needed to break-up with him in order to have a healthy relationship with God. Now here's where the Ecclesiastes verse comes in...I probably really have been holding too tightly to my relationship with Jeremy, but that does NOT mean I'm supposed to just let it go all together...that's just jumping to another extreme. Just because I enjoy a GOOD gift (one that I...my parents, and many others have been praying about in general for, for years) to a little bit of an extreme, doesn't mean I need to go to the other extreme and feel like I need to give it back...'sorry God, what you gave me was just too good and I'm enjoying it too much, so I need to give it back..." That doesn't make any sense. Now YES, I do need to place my relationship in God's hands, and let it be under his control, but my fear of losing people...which makes me hold on to people tightly...which makes it harder for me to let go of people...shouldn't be and isn't a good reason for throwing away a GOOD, ENCOURAGING, God-led relationship. Yes, if my boyfriend becomes an idol, and I start to place him in the way of my relationship with God, I need to ask God to help me switch that back around...dropping the relationship isn't the answer...Placing God back where He belongs in my life IS...

So God, I recognize You as Lord of my life, I thank You for being a giver of GOOD gifts, and even though at times I try to make myself believe that I don't deserve good gifts, You just keep reminding me that...no I don't deserve anything...that's why it's a GIFT :) So, I thank you for Jeremy, and just ask for continued guidance...You ARE GOOD! ♥

God is GOOD! ♥

I am a VERY forgetful person, and I am well known for writing myself little reminders on the backs of my hands. In fact, my friends laugh at me because in my Senior picture, if you look closely, you can see the word 'Copies' written on my hand :)
Well, recently I have been using the same method to remember spiritual truths that God has been trying to teach me.

Over the last year I have had multiple bible verses, the words Love, Forgive, and Peace written on the back of my left hand, and often many get put BACK on. Recently, I have had a new word written;'Down'. As in "This side DOWN". Often times I am tempted to want to grasp for control of my life, especially when things seem to be falling apart. However, those are the times God is calling me to TRUST HIM MORE! Also, whenever I start to hold onto something too tightly, or forget where the good gifts come from, that's when I start to worry. However, when I remember that ALL good and perfect gifts come from above (James 1:17),and hold 'my possessions, and relationships' with lose-hands, that's when I'm able to relax and let God lead. He knows what's going on, He has a plan, and He'll be there with me through it all. If I hold my hands open to Him, and keep nothing back, HE is MORE than capable of holding my ALL in HIS hands. Thank You God!

God is GOOD! ♥

I've read that in orienteering there are 3 important things a person needs to know: Where they are going, how they are going to get there, and where they are at. However, often times in the military, for safety measures very little information about a location is given. Often people are only told things on a 'need to know' basis. Many times in life, I find it hard to figure out where I'm at or to see where I'm going and how I'm going to get there. However, I know that I have an All-powerful,All-knowing, Ever-present Commander in Chief, and I trust HIM to let me know what I need to know and when I need to know it. I trust HIM to guide me to the places I need to be, and to provide the ways to get there. All I need to focus on is HIM, and the mission He has given me to accomplish. Sometimes I feel lost, and sometimes it IS because I'm in the wrong place, but sometimes I don't know where I'm at because I don't need to know, and that's OKAY because if I know that's where God wants me to be, then I'm not really lost.

So God, I don't really know where I'm at...I don't really know what's going to happen, or where I'm going...and I don't know how I'm going to get there...what I DO know is that God you called me to be HERE at BLBC last year for a reason, that you brought Jeremy and I together this summer for a reason, and that YOU are still just as in control and present in my life and the lives of the people around me as You were back then. Knowing that, I can be more confident as I go forward that You will be there for me, and will guide me along the path of life that is BEST. I will generally not understand what's going on or why...but You are the God who 'does not change like shifting shadows', You are the same Yesterday, Today, and Forever. So, even when the world seems a mess, and I start to get disoriented, all I need to do is fix my eyes on YOU. THANK YOU!

God is GOOD! ♥

“I have come that they may have life and have it to the full” (John 10:10b) Jesus is saying that through HIM there is life to be lived; a life that is FULL and good. In Jeremiah 29:11 God promises to have a plan for OUR lives; one that is not harmful but prosperous and hopeful. But how do we get this FULL life?

Well, first off, you HAVE to have Jesus. Jesus is the one who is speaking in John 10, but also later in John he says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”(J14.6) Jesus is saying He is the ONLY way to life, there is NO OTHER option. However, once you have accepted Jesus as Lord that is NOT the end. Christianity isn’t a just another ‘religion’ it is a LIFESTYLE. In Matthew, Jesus says, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (M16:24) However, this also, in and of itself, is not the key to having a FULL life. If one just focused on ‘living’ the ‘good Christian life’, they could easily become legalistic, and lose out on the JOY of living in the FREEDOM that comes from living with God. “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is FREEDOM” (2 Corinthians 3:17). That’s where I’m at…kind of.

I know I’m not perfect…in fact I lived in almost perpetual regret and fear of people finding out the faults I KNOW I have. So, I tried to set boundaries, make standards, live ‘inside the lines’ so to speak, in order to insure as few mistakes, failures, and embarrassments as possible. However, living that way, keeps me from really being able to live. A part of life is taking those RISKS, making MISTAKES, that’s how we learn and discover new things. God didn’t save us in order for us to live in a box for the rest of our ‘redeemed’ life. He came to FREE us, and give us an ABUNDANT life.

Also, as I’ve been thinking about it, I realized that my placing myself ‘in a box’ is actually rather arrogant of me, and ultimately shows a lack of trust in God, and His ability to guide and protect me. By limiting myself to some basic “dos and don’ts”, I miss out on the variety of opportunities God wants to open up to me. As I was telling someone the other day, life isn’t all Black and White. Good things don’t all come in singular packages. Some of you have already heard my ‘Garden of Eden’ Theory: Some things God specifically labels as bad, but God generally gives us choices and simply takes pleasure in us making good choices. For the most part, I have been working off that theory…for ‘bigger’ decisions. However, for the day-to-day living, I have not. I’ve been living like God is some big overlord just waiting for me to screw-up so He can punish me. Often times I feel ‘trapped’ into obedience and completely drained of energy and enthusiasm, facing two dismal options: displeasing God or misery. Well, I was miserable, but I was determined to be a ‘good little soldier’. So I’d put my smile on, and did what I thought needed to be done. Needless to say, that’s not the abundant life Jesus was talking about, and despite what I thought, my misery wasn’t really glorifying to God either. “…the Fruit of Spirit is…JOY” (Galatians5:22a). Going back to John, Jesus says in Chapter 15 “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (J15:8). Yes, He does also say a chapter earlier “if you love me, you will obey what I command” (J14:15), but Jesus isn’t looking for mindless following, He’s looking for people who LOVE; love God, love others, and LOVE THEMSELVES. Yes, there is the famous passage about the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:37-40), and the multiple passages about putting others first (“The first shall be last” Matthew 19:30) and dying to self (ex: Galatians 2:20). However, I think we as Christians lose sight of the fact that our ‘joy’ isn’t all about heaven. Yes, our hope is in what Jesus did for us and there being a perfect place to go when we die, but that’s not all there is…if so, KILL ME NOW!

Fortunately, that’s not how it’s supposed to be, I agree with the Psalmist when he says, “I am still confident in this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living” (P27:13). Yes, the world is corrupted, and has been since The Fall back in Genesis chapter 3. However, in the two preceding chapters, readers will find a whole description of the way life was supposed to be, and in a sense, can still be WITH CHRIST. When Christ comes into a person’s life, He doesn’t ‘just’ save them, He makes them NEW. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW creation. The old has gone, the NEW has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). We’re made NEW, and no longer have to live under the bondage of the law. For centuries the Jewish nation lived under a strict set of laws, and rules that are all found in the Old Testament. When Jesus came, He fulfilled the law, paid the penalty, and opened the door to us being able to live FREE; free from the power of sin, death, and the devil. Call me a radical, but free to follow our hearts because they’re no longer deceitful and wicked, free to dream bigger than we EVER thought possible and then STILL have God blow our minds because He is able to “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine”(Ephesians 3:20)…which is one of my FAVORITE verses by the way. We have a God for whom “nothing is impossible” (Luke 1:37), who’s fruits are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control”(Galatians 5:22-23), who made the universe and everything in it (Genesis 1&2). Why live a life that doesn’t reflect God’s great and AWESOMENESS (Nehemiah 4:14a.5ish ) ? We don’t need rules, we need JESUS!

To close, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy, the devil, is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (2Peter 5:8), and the devil likes to play us into the extremes; in this case: legalistic versus recklessness. Don’t let “freedom” be your excuse for doing something foolish, but don’t let legalism stop you from doing something GREAT! Ecclesiastes states, “The man who fears God will avoid all extremes” (E7:18b), so relax, trust God, and if you have any doubts ASK. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the PEACE of God which transcends ALL understand will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 6&7). I want to be a woman of PEACE, and who’s filled with JOY. I’d like my epitaph to read, ‘A woman filled with the Holy Spirit, and whose life was characterized by Its FRUIT’. What do you want yours to say? Does your life now reflect it?


God is GOOD! ♥

Yep, once again another month has flown by. My verse for the month/the summer Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
That verse and reference are taped rather conspicuously on the wall of my office. Camp is going great, and I haven't had anymore disasters like my first week. There are still it's down times, and stressful times, but overall I'm doing GREAT! However, it is so easy to start worrying about, or getting anxious about things that we have no control over. We need to do what we've been called to do, and let God handle the rest. We can't control other people, the weather, or technology. Only God is All-powerful, and that's a REALLY GOOD thing. He does things so much better than I ever could. He expands my dreams and hopes farther than my own imagination. I thank Him for daily providing, being ever trust-worthy, and for being there ALWAYS. Rest assured, no matter what happens, what's going on, how you feel, He IS THERE, and loves you, and wants the give you a life that is full and abundant.

God is GOOD!

Yep...it is now a new month. Time for me to talk about the events of May. Well, it's been kind of crazy (as slightly anticipated, probably a little more than originally expected, but...) First off, Camp's Men's Retreat was the last day in April-the first weekend in May. I did AV. It was definitely a learning experience AV-wise, but it was also really cool to witness such a powerful weekend, where I really believe Men's lives were changed. The next weekend, My brother graduated, and I got to go home for that, and I got to spend time with my mother(as it was conveniently Mothers' Day weekend as well!) . It was AWESOME. The next weekend I co-hosted, and then left with my fellow Outfitters and other Bair Lake staff (including all of our mentors) for a road-trip to the Creation Museum. It was a lot of fun. We stayed at a local Christian camp Sunday night (in tepees!), and then spent all of Monday at the Museum. It was really cool to walk through a museum that didn't date things to MILLIONS of years, and to hear(and see) the Gospel message preached at the end! Plus I touched a llama =D THREE llamas actually ^^ Anyways, continuing on, at the end of that week, I had two friends come in Thursday-Saturday to help me organize camp's AV (Audio-Visual) department. I'm SO grateful to both of them for all of their help. I could not have done what we did without them. Side-note: For the summer, my job is going to be AV Director, which has caused it's own stresses and lessons. All-in-all, I know it's going to be a GREAT summer. Lastly, this past weekend (Memorial Day weekend) I was able to go home again (and bring one of my fellow Outfitters with me) in order to go camping. For the last 3 years, my family has been going to Shades Park (near Turkey Run in IN) to camp with 3 other families that we don't get to see very much outside of Memorial weekend. It was a lot of fun. There is usually VERY little organization of activities and it's mostly one BIG chill weekend, with a bunch of God-fearing, fun-loving people. It's DEFINITELY one of the highlights of my YEAR!

So today is also my birthday. Yes, I'm 20 today. I have now been alive for 2 decades. With time, the months seem to get shorter and shorter, and May was no different. Today, as I reflect back on May, as I reflect back to my 19th birthday, as I reflect back through the last 2 decades, one thing stands out; clear evidence of God working in my life.

If you have been following my blog, you know that the last few months have not been 'easy', but neither has some other parts of my life, but that's life. We live in an imperfect world, with imperfect people. I'M NOT PERFECT. I'm going to make mistakes, so are the people around me. The only 'person' I can really trust to NEVER fail me is God. That's what I've been learning. That's really what God has been saying all these years.
Life is going to have it's trials and hardships, but in those times are we relying on ourselves, the people around us, or are we relying on the All-powerful, All-knowing, Ever-present God, who created ALL THINGS?

I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalms 16:8

The theme for May was humility, and God certainly started lessons on day one. In many different areas of my life, God has been showing me that I FIRST need to humble myself to HIM, and place whatever the thing is at HIS feet first, and trust HIM with it, but then to also humble myself to the people around me, and to trust what GOD is doing in their lives, and what HE is teaching them. My first priority is to listen to and follow what God is specifically directing me to do, the 2nd is to listen and follow the people who God puts over me.
May has been a month of laughter, a month of tears, a time of trials, a time of learning, a time of growth, a time of change and tradition, transitions, busyness, relaxation, RANDOMNESS! But what month hasn't? What month doesn't go by without a variety of emotions being felt, and random things experienced, obstacles faced, and lessons learned?
In the end, as I look back on life it ALL comes back to Ecclesiastes. "There is a time for everything..."(E3:1), but are you going to stop at "Everything is meaningless" (E1:2) or will you recognize that with GOD ALL things have meaning (Colossians 1:15-20)?

God is GOOD! ♥