Time

My cousin decided to end her life on thursday, I am completely shocked by the news. I had no idea things had gotten so bad for her. I will miss her, I played with her when we were younger because our dads are close. It really made me sad to think that life could be so bad that you think the only way out is to take your own life. It also reminded me of just how important it is to share the Gospel with people I love. (and those I don't know as well). We never know when it will be our time to go or our loved ones. We need to seize every opportunity we have to tell others about Jesus! I know that I have always known this but circumstances like this just remind you all the more.

Here is a verse that a friend shared with me today that was comforting:

Isaiah 55: 8-9 " My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts" says the LORD, " And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."

I do not have all the answers nor do I claim to but I know who does, that person is God. I can not even begin to comprehend all that He does but I trust in Him. I know that He loves me and desires what is best for me and all His children.

I will miss you Anna Young.

Fall

Here are a few reasons why I love fall......


frolicking in the park!



Picnics in the park!

Jumping in the leaves!

And Carmel Apples!!

By The Power of Your Name By Lincoln Brewster

Surely children weren't made for the streets

And fathers were not made to leave

Surely this isn't how it should be

Let Your Kingdom come

Surely nations were not made for war

Or the broken meant to be ignored

Surely this just can't be what You saw

Let Your Kingdom come

Here in my heart

And I will live

To carry on compassion

To love a world that's broken

To be Your hands and feet

I will give

With the life that I've been given

And go beyond religion

To see your world be changed

By the power of Your name

Surely life wasn't made to regret

And the lost were not made to forget

Surely faith without action is dead

Let Your Kingdom come

Lord break this heart

Your name

Is a shelter for the hurting

Jesus Your name

Is a refuge for the weak

Only Your name

Can redeem the undeserving

Jesus Your name

Holds everything I need

Surely children weren't made for the streets

And fathers were not made to leave

Surely this isn't how it should be

Addison Road - What Do I Know Of Holy w/Lyrics

I heard a really great song tonight and just wanted to share it....take a listen to it for yourself! Just click below to listen

Addison Road - What Do I Know Of Holy w/Lyrics

Hope you enjoy the above song as much as I do!

Update on my life

Life has been crazy lately, my work schedule has been changing on a regular basis and I'm learning to just go with it.....I worked my first double shift (16hours!) a few weeks ago and that was totally crazy, I have added shifts here and there and lost them as well. I am really starting to enjoy my job, I think, It seems like every time I admit that I like my job something terrible at work happens and than the cycle starts over and I dread going to work! I am trying to gain a new attitude towards work and see every day as a new day and not let yesterdays troubles ruin my new day!

I am really enjoying being able to help out with the college ministry here and God is showing me so much through it all, for example...I need to let go of my plans, God's plans are not my plans, His are even better! (see Jeremiah 29:11) Sometimes its difficult to see this right away but I know that with everything that happens God is teaching me something new through the situation. A great example of this is Bible study, I have this picture perfect idea of what it looks like and how it will go...to put it simply, Bible study is going nothing how I think it should go. To me it's like a sinking ship and I don't know whether I should try to save it or just build a new ship. I have recently had an encouraging conversation with someone who knows a lot about Bible studies and ministry. He laughed when we told about what was going on and encouraged us that it was ok, that it was good that we were taking risks.

Sometimes I am just so focused on what I need to do to reach others, to bring others to God that I forget the most important part....letting GOD work! I am just a vessel for God to use and it is silly for me to try to reach people for God without God's help! I am thankful that God is so patient with me because I almost always have to learn things the hard, long, painful way.

I am very much looking forward to what God had for my future but for now I am going to try to slow down and enjoy what God has for me today, if we are always looking to the future, we are missing out on what He has for us today!

CRU

I don't know where to start with this post so I will start with the verse that I just read and go from there

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, thought there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." Habbakkuk 3:17-18

Lately I feel like this verse, I feel like nothing is being produced and I am empty handed but through all of this I will still praise God. I have been working with some others to get a christian group on campus called Campus Crusade for Christ (CRU), the mission of this group is to bring the gospel within arms reach of every student. Marian University desperately needs to hear the gospel! Spiritually speaking, the campus is dead, yes there are some believers here and there but the majority of the campus is living for the world.

Yes, I did graduate from Marian last summer but I still care about the campus and the spiritual well being of its students. I want to see Marian transformed into a place where everyone has a chance to have a personal relationship with Jesus! I want others to experience new life! I have been praying and working with others to make this dream a possibility. Yesterday, the possibility of having CRU at Marian was shot down for the time being anyways. The one person's approval we needed to go ahead with this said no. It can be so frustrating when you are working for something that will further the kingdom of God and it is shot down. I am not giving up, I know God wants His presence known on this campus, it just might not happen the way I envisioned it. God knows best so I just need to trust in Him and His perfect plan.

He costs everything.....He is worth the price

"The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." Matthew 13:45-46

I have been learning a lot these past few weeks and it is all good stuff! I just finished reading a really good book that I borrowed from a friend and it really inspired me and helped me to grow in my faith. The book is And the bride wore white by Dannah Gresh, one of my favorite chapters in the book was about the above verse. I want to share with you a little from the chapter:

          "We just don't 'get' the value of pearls since we live in a culture that creates them. Jesus lived in a    culture that knew their true value. Did you know that when He was on earth the only way to find a pearl was to dive into the ocean and find mollusks...not one but thousands. In fact, a man had to open up to 15,000 mollusks to find just one pearl, and it may or may not have been one of great value. How many did he have to pry open to find that precious pearl of great value? So rare was the valuable pearl that often a man did have to sell all that he had--his land, his livestock, his servants, his home--to have enough to buy just one pearl of great value. I wonder if we're willing to pursue Christ with such passion?"