Freedom Reigns in this place

About a week ago I was asked by my close friend and youth pastor to preach today. Over the past week I've really struggled with what to actually preach on. The thing about it is I knew that I was supposed to preach on desperation, but I was really fighting God about it. Here's the thing, it has really challenged me and it has definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone, just totally stepping out in faith. I could have preached on desperation, or I could have preached on something that came easy to me like for insistence walking by faith, or loving those who treat you badly. Then it hit me like getting hit upside the head with a pillow case full of bricks, that if I changed my topic then how am I supposed to teach them about walking by faith when I myself can't even walk fully by faith.
The best part about all of it is that when I was praying last night God spoke to me and told me that there is freedom that is coming right around the corner, not to give up to continue to press in. Keep pressing into Him and seeking His face. I don't know who it's for, nor do I have to. All I do have to know is that someone is needing to hear it. God is going to move in that place tonight and is finally going to get a hold of those students who are going to finally let go of themselves. Let me just leave you with this food for thought...when are we going to finally let go, when are we finally going to let God be our all in all? God bless!

Come Be the Fire Inside of Me

"Come be the fire inside of me, come be the flame upon my heart, come be the fire inside of me, until you and I are one..." This song by Misty Edwards describes exactly how I want God to be! I want Him to be that fire, that never stops ceasing, that fire that won't ever go out, no matter what you try to do. God is good and His mercy is never ceasing. We should burn with a fire deep down that won't ever extinguish. That fire that everyone sees and whats so badly! Recently I have been challenged time after time about my fire, and never letting it go out, not for anything or anyone. When I think about fire I think about this song by Misty Edwards. About how we as Christians so many times let our fire go out, but more importantly never letting the fire completely consume you and seeing the full force of what it can do! That should always be our prayer. We should just want and hunger for God in a new way. To be totally desperate is to be on our knees before God giving Him everything we have, allowing Him to fully consume us! To be that fire inside of us until we are one! I know it's hard to let it fully consume you, to give up everything for God, but let me tell you it's worth every pain, every hurt, every tear that you may cry. God is worth it! That's my prayer right now for everyone....Lord that you would consume us...You would be that fire inside of me, that flame upon our hearts! Lord move through us and refresh and renew! Lord you are so worthy and I know for one I don't deserve your love, but yet you reach down to me and wrap me in your arms. You hold my every moment and you call my raging seas! Lord be with us now...that we want to walk right behind you so get the dust because you are so holy! Lord may you just be glorified!! I thank you and love you!! God bless my brothers and sisters in Christ!

We Need to Get Back to the Basics of Life

Wouldn't it be nice to just go back to your very first day of school? Go back to kindergarten, spend half the day and be able to run back to Mom and Dad at the end of school. Classes started yesterday for most college kids, but to say the least I wish I was able to go back to kindergarten all over again. When life was so much easier, no worries, when I could just sit in my mom or dad's lap and know that everything was going to be ok, because I had them. While I can't exactly run home and sit in their lap anymore, I can sit in my Father's lap and trust in Him that everything is going to be ok! I have missed chapel so much this summer and the past couple of days of chapel have been amazing! God was in the mist and His Spirit is going to fall....This is our year at CBC when we are going to see revival and are going to see amazing this happen at CBC! The question is are you ready?! Are you ready for God to move? Are you willing to see Him move?! Like it or not, God is going to fall, but how far are you willing to go? Pastor Baker had it so right today in chapel when he asked several questions, but for me how far are you willing to go?! I know I have held back from God several times, because of fear or what have you, but not this year! God is going to have it all!

There is healing and restoration that God brings that nothing in this world could ever bring. There is nothing in this world that can take away the pain that you and I have gone through, except for God's love! It blows my mind how much pain Jesus went through just for me! It is mind boggaling and I could never have done it, but yet He did. Why you may ask me?! Because God knows that we are worth it, we are worth so much more than we can ever imagine. I think about what it's going to be like when I get to Heaven. I have to admit I'm scared. I haven't lived my life yet, but then I think of how I'm going to fall at His feet and worship Him. I want to hear Him say to me, good job my child. I think that when we get there, and we start worshipping Him, how God is going to cry and tell us that it was all worth it! To live with Him forever in paradise. How amazing that day is going to be! I pray though for now, that we would just be desperate for Him, to see Him move, to never hold back! To not be ashamed of who we are in Him! May you be blessed this day!

Now That's What I'm Talking About

It was such a nice four day weekend, and I wish it was more often that I could get away and head to the beach just to relax, think, and work everything out. This Thursday I was able to take a four day weekend and head to the beach and spend some time with my grandparents. Although it was a short visit it was much needed and much appreciated. I love spending time with them because you learn life lessons and not only that you can see the steps that they took in life and what got them where they are today.

Not only was I able to spend time with them, but I also got to spend time with the Lord. It's not as much as I would have liked, but there was a quite place where I could meet with Him and find somewhat of my center again. I've been running and running and I was able to chase my breath. Now I have less than a month until I have to return back to school and I have less than a month to spend with my family. It's always hard leaving because I really love my family. Yeah we're not perfect, but we're family and what family is?! It reminds me of Lilo and Stitch when Stitch is talking Lilo's sister and he says "Ohana means family, family means no one gets left behind. Or forgotten." It is such a great line from the movie. I know it's not easy, but it takes work from everyone, learn to appreciate, to love, and how to care for each other. God bless

"What Do You Do...?"

What do you do in times when you have to face fear, stay strong, and be a support system all at once? Lately I have found myself in this situation. It humbles you and you find that you really do have patience after all. It has been one thing after the other, I know that God is right here with me walking beside me holding my hand, but it's just hard to see! I know for one it's hard not to have doubts in times like these, and more importantly it's hard to trust because you think to yourself "if there is a God then why is he letting this bad stuff happen to me?" Let me tell you right now, God doesn't ever let bad things happen to people. God is the Creator of all good and wonderful things, He never created anything that was bad, the devil did. God doesn't let bad things happen to us, we do that all the time. He sends out warning signals and buzzers and has alarms that go off, but we ignore them all and just keep going. We commit sins and we do everything wrong, until we get to the point where it hits us that there is something wrong. When we commit sin there is judgement, but it's not when we get to Heaven when we finally receive it, it's here on Earth that we do. For every action there is a reaction.

It pains Him to see us struggle and fall and it hurts Him when we hurt. He can't stop it until we cry out to Him, to admit that we have sinned and have fallen short. His forgiveness is instant, and He casts it all into the sea of forgetfulness never to think of it again. To make us white as snow to His eye. Friends you are not alone in your struggles today, you are being cared for by someone greater and by the one who made you and crafted you while you were still in your mother's womb. The God who calls you each and everyday to lay down your nets and follow Him. The One who wants a relationship with you, the one who tells you everyday that He loves you and cares for you even when we turn our ears off! May God continue to bless you and pour out into your life. Receive all that he has for you! Be blessed and stay strong my brothers and sisters....God bless!

I Can See Clearly Now...

Have you ever had a weird dream? I'm sure you have, but have you had them for about a week or two straight?! Well lately I have had nothing but weird dreams and to say the least at first they don't make sense, but once I sit down and pray about it, it's like the veil has been lifted and I can see clearly now! I won't get into any specifics, but they have been off the wall. God has been revealing a lot to me the last couple of weeks, and I'm so thankful for that! At the same time God has challenged me to a lot as well. It amazes me every time that God truly speaks to me because it's never the same twice. Each time it gets louder and louder, but you also get attacked by the enemy because you know that you are close to God and you're about to do great things for God and the enemy is trying to get you off track and get you distracted. Stay focused on the prized that God has in store for you and know that you're not going through it alone for you and for two that it makes you stronger. I know it's hard to hear that when you're actually going through it because you feel all alone, but I would advise everyone to read Footprints in the Sand, that talks about how God is walking beside you and when you feel like there is no one there and you only see one set of footprints, it's because God is the one carrying you through it! Stay strong and encouraged! Have a blessed day!!

What Determines Your....

"Happiness is: Not a sale or a commission. Not an economy or a budget. Not a yes or a no. Not a game winning hit or a last second touchdown. Happiness is a way of life that is inside you at all times. It helps you get over the tough times, and helps you celebrate the special times." I got this in an email that my mom had sent me today. In it, it asks you several rhetorical questions about what is holding you back from being happy. One of the main things that people often say that is one of the biggest reasons for them not being happy is the word "after." We often say "well after a new job, or after a new house, a new car...." but that's not what's really holding us back. We are holding ourselves back. We long to be happy, to have peace and to fill a void that lies deep within us, but nothing can fill that gap or void except God. Once we are His there is an amazing joy and happiness that nothing on this earth can or could ever possibly fill or compare to.

Happiness can not be bought or sold, it's not something that you find on a grocery store shelf. Maybe you can find it at the grocery store in a smile or a helping hand. When a complete stranger is walking by and offers to bring your empty cart up for you. Happiness is something that we as humans long for, all of us. We want to feel that we belong somewhere. We want to feel include and we want to more importantly feel loved. Many of us feel that we only get happiness when we have a husband, or children, a nice house, the newest car, when we are equal to the Jones'. In God there is hope, peace, love and more importantly happiness. Trust and He will lead you and make your path known to you! Stay strong and God bless....

WOW!

Words cannot describe my feelings right now. I was reading my friend Jared's blog from the other day, and he was talking about how men don't really value a women or at least how he doesn't really show her who she is in Christ. Along with his blog came the video for a song called "A More Beautiful You." It made me stop and wonder...how many women out there feel the same way I do when it comes to being imperfect and flawed, not having that perfect body, or the perfect skin?! I know as Christians we are supposed to live above that standard that the world puts on us, but at times we do let it get to us, because it is rubbed in our faces on an everyday basis on how you have to be that size 2 and have the perfect skin and hair. In this moment it struck me, God has fearfully and wonderfully made us, we are perfect in His eyes, because of the price that He paid with His son.

In Jared's blog he also says that a women is perfect based on her heart, not her status, money or anything else that the world deems as important. I also think that many times we as women, when we talk to one another so often are the words "well did you see so and so gained some weight since the last time I saw her..." I know the words are exactly directed at us, but it gets our minds thinking that if they talk about another women like that, then what are they saying about me?! We as women should encourage one another, help build someone up instead of tearing them down. Just like what we should be doing to everyone else in the world. Jesus said in scripture that if a man should strike you on your right cheek turn your left one to him for him to strike that one too! It's not about the eye for eye, or tooth for tooth! It's about loving one another, and more importantly showing them the love of Jesus! Many God bless you..... 

My Bad

I know I haven't been very good at this blogging thing for like 2 months...let me recap everything that happened! I finished my freshman year of college and by George I did it!! This past semester has been great and I loved every minute, and every second of it!! Chapel was amazing and while at times you get dry, you have amazing friends that build you up, and you find your grove again! Or God just puts you in another grove and you get so much closer to Him.  My friends are just great and I totally believe they were sent from God! If you told me 5 years ago that my best friends were going to be from California, Texas, and Missouri, I would have laughed in your face and said that you were crazy! Never in a million years would I imagine that I would be were I am, and have such an awesome group of friends! 

For Valentine's Day Chelsea got me a white regular tattooed Molly, and I named him Bruce. Then for my birthday I got a peach colored Betta, and named him Carlos Ferdinand Campeaze and I also got a little goldfish named SunShine! They are my little family while away at college. Being 16 hours away from home, you have to have some kind of family and with the girls and then the fish they are my family away from home! Let's see.....I'm home now just for the summer and then I head back on the 15th of August, so it's about 3 months and 3 days away! I have to give myself something to look forward to! It's bittersweet, because I miss my family, but while I'm home I miss everyone at school!! Soon my friends, soon!! Well I think that's all for now! 

It amazes me how God really provides and reveals himself to me everyday! Take yesterday for example, I just wanted to call this place to get some information about the job, and I got an interview and the job all in one day! I really needed it and God provided! It's making $16 an hour, so I can save up and just pay the bills that I need to pay and also pay for college! God just blows my mind on an everyday basis! I think I already said that, but I'm still beside myself...I know I shouldn't be, because I shouldn't limit God....but He is amazing!! God bless and have a great day!!

OOO, Home

Oh how sweet 'tis to be home....It's been awhile since I lasted blogged, but there has been so many things that have come up along the way as usual! For two weeks I have stayed up until about 2 in the morning and then turn around and wake up at 5 so I could finish papers or study....it's been stressful to say the least. For the past two nights though I haven't had any homework or anything to do, so I got to pack and get some sleep! Yesterday I got to fly home and get to spend Easter with my family, well kind of. I have to fly back on Sunday morning so I don't get to totally spend Easter with them, but it gives me sometime with them! Both of my flights arrived early and so that meant I got home earlier, it was great! My grandparents are coming down tomorrow and my brother is coming up then too....I'm so excited to see everyone and just be able to spend time with them!!! 

What Do I Have To Offer?

How can something that felt so right, now feel so wrong? Coming to CBC has really messed with me. I had everything planned out and just everything was mapped out, and now I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing. I know I'm not here by mistake or accident, and that God has put me here for an exact reason, but right now it's just not coming in clear. The song Strength Will Rise As We Wait Upon the Lord just popped into my head and right now, I need to wait upon Him. I know He hears everything I say and He knows exactly what I'm going through and how I feel....But I just have to let be in His timing and not when I feel He should do it. It's not easy to say the least, but I am depending on His strength and His alone!!! I thank God for continuing to bless me and pour into my life, but mostly sending me people or bringing them into my life for support! God bless....

Home, Sweet Home

Well I made it home and in one piece! It was a long trip coming down to the end of the journey!! I never sleep when I travel for some odd reason, and so everyone was like "just sleep please!!," and I'm like "no really I can't!!" Ever since I was little I could never sleep on a road trip, and so I would stay up all night talking to mom while everyone else was sleeping! After we dropped Josiah off I took over driving and it was like an hour later I just couldn't stay awake!! I had to pee really bad and we needed gas, so Matt said that he would take over driving until we dropped Amy off and then I took over again because it was only like 30 minutes from home at that point. So we pull in to my house at 6 o'clock and I'm getting out of the car and it's freezing, so I turn to Matt and I'm like quick hand me my pants!!! He was laughing and he goes, so you know how awful that sounds?! But I was in shorts and a t-shirt!! So I put my sweatpants on and we make a run to the door where my dad is waiting to leave for work!!! Mom was in the kitchen making coffee and all we really wanted to do was crash!!! So I show Matt his room and I was planning on staying up, but I was sitting next to mom on the couch and she pushed me over and I was out!! Until she came and woke me up about an hour later to tell me Molly had been jumping on Matt and he was now up!! I felt so bad, but it was good timing considering we had to eat and get him to the train station!! So Saturday was a very eventful day to say the least!!! I have five more days until I have to go back and for now I'm spending as much time with the family as possible!! God bless!!

I'll Love You Tomorrow

Tomorrow is going to be filled with stress, excitement, and all the good things that come along with traveling for 16 hours with some of the best people ever. I have a New Testament test at 7:30 and then my two other classes we aren't doing anything but watching movies and playing games. Then I'm heading to chapel and sitting with my traveling buddies. We are then going to run to Zee's to get a to go lunch and head out on the road! We have already decided the gas situation, driving rotation, and all the little details that come along with it. We are dropping Josiah off first, then Amy and then Matt and I are going to my house to crash for a couple hours and then I'm taking him to the train station. 

Then on the way back here, I'm picking Matt up on Friday from the train station, he is spending the night. Then it's bright and early, we are heading out at like 3 am. We have to pick Amy up first and then we are heading to the turnpike. We will get to St. Louis at about 3 to pick Josiah up at the airport. But it's going to be nice to be home and just be able to spend time with my family. I can't wait to be able to talk to my mom and dad face to face. I love being able to sit down and have a conversation and just fellowshipping with them. It's the best thing ever. Don't get me wrong I can do it over the phone, but I love it more when it's face to face!!! I'm just excited in general. Please pray that we have a safe trip home and we have extremely great time!! God bless....

Friday Here I Come

Friday is only a couple days away! That's what I have to keep reminding myself. Friday is the start of my spring break and I'm so excited that I think I might burst soon. After chapel, me and 3 others are getting some lunch to go from our lunch room/dining hall. Then on the road again for the 16 hour drive home. We have our routine set up on how we are going to go about with the drivers. I will start and we will have a co-pilot and one in the back sleeping because she doesn't do long drives and the other sleeping to get rested up for his share. When I'm tired the sleeper in the back will go up front, I'll move to the co-pilot seat and the co-pilot will go to the sleeper in the back. We will do this the whole way home. I have about 3 more days until then and I'm getting packed and finishing up the little odds and ends that need done before I leave. This is the time when it seems a lot of people are upset and stressed, but not me!! I can't wait. I have everything in order down to the wire and now all I have to do is just be ready for that sweet drive home. I'm heading to bed extremely early on Thursday 1. because I have a 7:30 and 2. because I need some rest before the big day!!! May the Lord keep you safe and bless you!!

Use What Your Momma Gave You!!

A couple of days ago, I was talking to some of the girls that live on my floor, it was almost like a pow wow in my suite mate's room. We were talking about girlie things and the subject came up of when we all get married. I've never wanted to be one of those wives who sit in the back seat almost like a passenger to my husband. My thing is, that if I'm going to go to college and get loans then I want to actually use my degree. I want my own ministry because I know it's something that God has placed on my heart and He put it there for a reason! I don't want to be just some man's wife who "stays in kitchen!" God create us so that we were a help mate to man/our husbands, and He placed things on all our hearts for a reason. If you are a pastor's wife I don't mean to offend you and that's perfectly fine if you are content with the ministry you have, but for me I won't be content until I can do the will of God in my life and with my ministry. 

For me, not following God's will for my life, hasn't gotten me far. I know a lot of people feel the same way, and when you know the truth and the path you're supposed to be on and you're not, you hurt and I know for me, I feel so guilty. If we aren't going to be willing to do what God has placed on our hearts, we will affect the people around us and ultimately God could use someone else! I don't want to be the person who missed it, or the one that God told me something and I didn't do it!! I encourage you to just press into God with all your heart and just keep seeking after Him. Seek after that path that has been laid before you, and just seek what the next step in the plan is!! God will reveal it to you, but you have to become desperate for Him!!! 

Ain't No Mountain....!

It has been a whole month living here at college and I can honestly say that it has been the best month ever. There was two days where I was a little homesick, but it doesn't help that they were just really bad days. Other than that living here has been amazing. School is great and I've found some pretty "righteous" (see Finding Nemo to understand) friends who are just the best. We have decided that we are triplets though to say the least. Katy, my roommate, Chelsea, my suite mate and then finally came me. We are basically attached at the hip, except when Katy is with her boyfriend, but then again Chelsea and I don't mind because it gives us some bonding time and just be able to talk. 

I've met some really cool girls that play basketball, and I've been invited on several occasions to join them in pick up games. We have a game coming up on the 17th, aka my birthday. We are playing our rivals and I'm pretty sure that if we can get everyone to practice we are going to have an unstoppable team. We have practice tomorrow right before the boys game, so I have to practice and then quick get cleaned up to work/ record the boys basketball games! It's going to be such a long day, but I'm ready for it. 

I was actually planning on getting up to go to breakfast and get up a little earlier so I can spend more time with God. It's funny how writing a media paper for a composition class really opens your mind to the wonders anew of God. I'm writing mine about Iron Man and the struggles that he goes to in order to get justice, but we also have to relate it to the Christian walk. There was a statement in it where I made this remark "Isn't it funny how superheroes have the next step or the rest of the plan figured out, but as Christians we never know the next step and in order to find it we have to press into God?" But it's so true, the actors and actresses always have the next step, but the problem with that is, they never show the fall. As Christians or even just in general when we have a fall it's almost thrown in our faces and we are left standing alone to pick up the pieces and put it all back together, but that's not true. God is the one who is with us picking it up and putting it back, even when we feel alone, we have to be still and listen to that still small voice telling us the next step and the next part of the plan. I would just encourage you to keep pressing in and keep listening for that still small voice, because believe it or not, it's there, there's just to much going on in the background to hear it. God bless and goodnight! 

Writing Papers....haha that's funny right there

Spiritual Emphasis

This past week here at CBC was spiritual emphasis week. We have a guest speaker or two come in and they preach and it's supposed to be about deepening your walk with Christ. This week we had Mark Batterson, who is just awesome and he is from around the area where my family is, preach and to say the least I was in awe of God. Several times I fought with myself about all the other days in life or in chapel, when we should be giving our all and a lot of the times we just go through the motions. I was trying to put it on the back burner of my brain, but my heart was wrestling with it the whole time. Here is the thing, we get or we want to get so deep with God on certain weeks, or days, when really we should just give Him our all, all the time. Many times I find my self struggling with just giving Him my all, because of some distraction or something that I'm struggling with, but the sooner you give it to Him the better. As humans we let our minds wonder and often it goes the whole service to the point where we didn't know, but we let the time zoom by and it's at the end of service and it's the alter call. 

God challenged me this week to just give Him my all and hold nothing back. It doesn't matter what others say or think about me, because God knows my heart and that's all that really matters. For many of us we hold back because we are scared about our reputation, or what our friends might say, but if you start pressing in, majority of times everyone around is going to too. I would just encourage you to just continue to push in and press into Him even more. God bless and good night

let me put him to the test!!

This week is spiritual emphasis week, and it is a great week to be at CBC!! Our speaker today was Mark Batterson, and what a Godly man is he! When I was going to Trinidad two summers ago, our youth pastor, Tony Sebastian, wanted us to read "In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day" and let me tell you what a great book it was. When I was younger I hated to read, I would often cry myself to sleep because I had a hard time pronouncing my words. It wasn't until I got to middle school when I finally grew out of that stage and was able to find books that fit my imagination. When I first started reading this book, I have to admit, I thought it was another one of those feel good books that was going to be boring. To my surprise and judgmental thoughts, I was proven wrong. God began speaking to me while I was reading that book. One of the best lines he says in that book is "If you only have good days, how are you ever going to know when you have a great day?!" So many times we pray "oh God, please let this be a good day!" but Mark is right. How are we ever going to know when we have a really good day if we don't have anything to compare them with. 

That's also how it is a lot of times in our own spiritual walk with Christ! We want good days where we hear God and that's how we want it all the time, but that's not how He works. We have to wait upon the Lord and trust in Him and know that in the quite and stillness He satisfies and He is working. Just because you can't hear Him doesn't mean that He's not there. He is the one who is walking you through the difficult times and ultimately He is the footprints in the sand that we only see one set! He is good all the time, all the time He is good!! We just need to hold stead fast and totally rely on Him for all our needs, but just know that God provides. That doesn't mean that you get yourself into a slew of trouble, but you just learn to trust more and know that when everyone else has turned their back on you, He is right there holding out a hand, helping you up! God bless!! 

Isn't It Funny...?!

Isn't it funny that when you find yourself hurting about something or when you just are down in the dumps you just think about a time in your life and just wish you could go back there and just live those memories, back when you felt complete, or when you just felt like you were on top of the world?! I sometimes find myself thinking about it! Today wasn't an easy one, but I found myself thinking about Panama, when I felt at home and just loved everything about it. I then find myself just thinking about my walk with God at that period in my life. I was tired and just confused about life and what was the next step! I wanted answers and was so demanding. I then think about my life now, I can say that I feel so close to God right now and I'm loving everything so much. Today was just a bad day with just friends and yeah it hurts, I'm not going to lie. I remind myself that there is a greater plan on my life and the devil knows it, so he is going to do everything in his power to steer you away from that plan and that purpose and just attack you. You just have to stand firm on your walk with God and know that His spirit is with you and He is with you! 

It's not easy and I can't say that it is, but what I can tell you is that God has a purpose for every one's life. We have to stay focused on Him and just know that it is going to be worth it, if we stay true to Him and let Him take all the burdens of this world! He can handle it, I promise you that much!! God bless and have a great weekend!! 

WHAT?! FROSTBITE!!

Today was the coldest that it's been here! It was a good 6 degrees here, but it said that it felt like -3.  It was so bad that when you went inside the dorm and up the stairs your jeans we so cold that you had to walk like the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. It took seriously almost a half an hour to an hour for you to get heated back up to the proper temperature. I knew it was bad when I was listening to my i-Pod and the head phone wires were almost freezing. They would harden and the didn't go back to the normal flexibility until I got them heated up. I think back on Pennsylvania now and as I was looking at the temperatures, it is seriously hotter there then it is here. I mean I guess this is where they made the camping gear that is suitable for the Ozarks. 

I had this outfit picked out for tomorrow, but after taking further review at the weather, I ruling on the outfit is overturned! It is too cold and I'm not brave enough to wear it out in like -5 degrees. College life is just great and so amazing! It just amazes me how God is just continuing to pour out His spirit! I thought He was really moving back home, but when I came here and people are speaking in tongues and there are interpretations for all of them, I stand amazed by Him. I mean He is moving back home, but it just doesn't feel the same. I guess it's because it's a Bible college and that sort of thing happens all the time, but then I think of the story that my youth pastor told me. When he was a senior in college you had a new group of freshman that had just come in. The upper class man were so on fire for God, and it was like the freshman just weren't. I often think of that story, and it makes me want to press into Him that much more, so I don't end up like those freshman. I often think, well maybe it was because they were new and didn't really know how people would think, or speak about them...But then I think that what does it matter what people think because in the end words are just words and they really don't matter. The only thing that matters is what God thinks about you, but the best part is that He loves you for just you! God bless and may He continue to direct your path...

Out Of His Great Love, He Pickth Me Up...

What a beautiful day! The past couple of days here in Springfield have been awesome. It has been nice and sunny and not to cold. When the wind blows then its a little chilly, but other than that it's not bad at all! You can seriously walk outside with your sweatshirt on and be fine! It doesn't feel like winter here, which is extremely weird because it's supposed to be cold and snowy, but I'm happy with this weather. Talking to my family back home makes me laugh because since I left they have gotten an ice storm and they are supposed to get a snow storm tonight, and we haven't gotten anything here. Classes are going great as well and it just amazes me. I know that I had to stay home and I can tell you that it was definitely worth the wait, because I was waiting on the Lord. I think that if I were to come last semester I don't think I would have been too happy, and I think I would have been disobedient to the Lord. 

This semester is just going to be amazing because God is really moving here, but something always reminds me of revival. We shouldn't seek after revivals, but we should seek after God and just be desperate for Him, because if you aren't desperate for Him and just seek after a revival then it's not going to happen. You have to humble yourself before Him and just go after Him all the time and all throughout your day. Something that I learned was when something flashes across your mind and it just hits your heart, just send up a prayer for that, because most of the time it's God telling you something. I just want to encourage everyone to just always seek after Him, even when it's difficult and you don't even know who you are, because God knows who you are and is always there for you, when no one else is! God bless and have a safe weekend!

Classes

Classes started today and I think I'm going to like all of them, except my composition class. I've never been good at my writing and often times in high school, even if I worked really hard on a paper, I still just barely got a B. I have the best New Testament History and Literature teacher and everyone here seems to love him. He is a resident missionary to Belgium and is trying to get everyone to be some sort of ministers to Belgium. He is my 7:30 class and I don't think I'm going to mind getting up everyday at 7:30 for his class. Chapel today was awesome as well, Dr. Dunbow talked about the woman and the alabaster jar. Many times he referred to her as Mary Mag. but Mary Mag., was the women who had seven demons cast out of her. The woman in the story is a completely different woman. I know I'm not judging, but a lot of times people will say that it is Mary Mag. when really it was just some nameless woman in the bible, but not to Jesus. 

Everything here is just amazing and I love it so much. I can say that it was defiantly worth the wait and God knew that. I'm going to pick up another credit which is Spanish and so that leaves me with seventeen credit hours!! So I have to run and talk to my advisor...God bless and have a great day!! 

In The Beginning

Today is the start of the rest of my new life....Today is registration at college and I'm so excited and I can't wait. It's a little different, I have to say, but I'm totally ready....I'm excited to meet everyone and pick my classes. The drive out here was great, there wasn't any traffic and it was sunny, and just beautiful. Yesterday morning it was a little foggy, but it cleared up quickly. I'm so proud that I made the journey by myself and that I made great time!! I made it to both of my destinations about an hour before I was scheduled to. It was nice. 

I talked to my family and they are all excited for me and proud. I've never driven anywhere as far as I have the past two days. Well I have to finishing getting ready!! God bless and I'll keep everyone posted on my life!! Thanks