I was listening to my ipod on the bus on my way home today and a song came on that I hadn't heard in a long time. Its called Empty Me by Christ Sligh. The chorus really hit home to a topic I have been thinking about this week. It says:
Empty me
Of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition
And the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me
So i can be
Filled with you
Too often we hold on to things that we need to let go of. If we hold on to too many of these worthless things we can use up all our space, leaving no room for God in our lives.
Luke 12:22-28 is just one passage that explains why we should give up everything and let God be in charge of every part of our lives. In this selection Jesus is speaking to His disciples about how humans always worry about things that they shouldn't worry about, like what they will eat or what they will wear. As humans today we worry all the time about financial problems or sickness, but what Jesus describes next is that He has the power to take care of everything in the whole world so why do we not trust Him with our small problems. In verse 24, Jesus considers the ravens and how they do not grow their own food nor buy it from the store, yet they survive because he fully provides for them, and in verses 27-28 He describes how he provides everything that the plants need to grow. Then He ends with "O you of little faith?" When we worry about these things and do not trust God fully in our lives we are denying His power. He is powerful enough to take care of every living thing in the world and yet we think that He isn't powerful enough to take care of our problems.
So how do we fix this? Well first we must make God the center of our lives. Luke 12:34 says "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." If we make God the most important thing in our lives, or our treasure, then our heart will be with Him.
However, making God the center of your life can be a constant battle because afterall we are human. But one of the best steps to take when working to make this step can be found in Proverbs 3:5-6. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."
So today I encourage myself and you to keep trying to make God the center of your life and to keep trying to let go of unnecessary worries so we can make more room for God.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Midweek Thoughts
For some reason this has been such a busy week. I have been stressed with assignments due right and left, but I wanted to share a little about what I have been studying this week.
I am going through the book "Becoming A Woman of Excellence" by Cynthia Heald. I am only on chapter 2 but I would certainly recommend this book to any women readers looking for a good study book. The second chapter talks about the attributes of God. It first talks about his amazing love, and then continues to talk about his sovereignty. Together these topics dicuss how awesome and powerful and righteous and just God really is! It is hard for a human to wrap their heads around the fact that someone can be completely right in EVERYTHING that they do, and I am certain that no human can, but God can! He is all-powerful, I mean He created the whole world and everything in it. In Psalm 33:8-9 it says "Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitant of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." And in Colossians 1:15-17 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him, And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." These are very poetic ways that the Bible describes God's amazing power over His creations, but how about a scientific example about just how amazing God is. A friend recently shared an interesting fact with me that goes along with this topic.
Have you ever wondered how we as humans stay put together? Louie Giglio, a famous preacher, shares a mind blowing story about a meeting he once had with a molecular biologist who discovered LAMININ. Laminin is a protein molecule that all organisms must have to survive. It is basically the protein that holds all of our cells together. The interesting part comes in when you see a picture of what Laminin actually looks like.
It resembles a cross! How amazing is it that the thing that holds us all together resembles a cross! This is a perfect example to prove that God created us and God is who holds us together.
We serve an amazing God. He is amazing and righteous in everything that He does. So how can we not trust Him?
In Jeremiah 29:11 He explains that He has a plan for us. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope." And Romans 8:31-32 explains How God is always on our side. "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely gibe us all things?" There is no arguing with this verse. God has clearly shown that He will do anything for us in order to provide us with all of our needs.
God constantly holds us together with the cross shaped protein He created, He provides us with a future, and he sent His son to die for our sins. He has done everything we could ever ask from Him yet we still have trouble trusting in Him. We want to hold on to our lives and try to control everything. I pray that this week I will begin to trust Him more, because I know that He will take care of me.
I am going through the book "Becoming A Woman of Excellence" by Cynthia Heald. I am only on chapter 2 but I would certainly recommend this book to any women readers looking for a good study book. The second chapter talks about the attributes of God. It first talks about his amazing love, and then continues to talk about his sovereignty. Together these topics dicuss how awesome and powerful and righteous and just God really is! It is hard for a human to wrap their heads around the fact that someone can be completely right in EVERYTHING that they do, and I am certain that no human can, but God can! He is all-powerful, I mean He created the whole world and everything in it. In Psalm 33:8-9 it says "Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitant of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast." And in Colossians 1:15-17 "He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him, And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist." These are very poetic ways that the Bible describes God's amazing power over His creations, but how about a scientific example about just how amazing God is. A friend recently shared an interesting fact with me that goes along with this topic.
Have you ever wondered how we as humans stay put together? Louie Giglio, a famous preacher, shares a mind blowing story about a meeting he once had with a molecular biologist who discovered LAMININ. Laminin is a protein molecule that all organisms must have to survive. It is basically the protein that holds all of our cells together. The interesting part comes in when you see a picture of what Laminin actually looks like.
We serve an amazing God. He is amazing and righteous in everything that He does. So how can we not trust Him?
In Jeremiah 29:11 He explains that He has a plan for us. "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not evil, to give you a future and a hope." And Romans 8:31-32 explains How God is always on our side. "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely gibe us all things?" There is no arguing with this verse. God has clearly shown that He will do anything for us in order to provide us with all of our needs.
God constantly holds us together with the cross shaped protein He created, He provides us with a future, and he sent His son to die for our sins. He has done everything we could ever ask from Him yet we still have trouble trusting in Him. We want to hold on to our lives and try to control everything. I pray that this week I will begin to trust Him more, because I know that He will take care of me.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Sweetheart Banquet and More Good News
My local church planned a sweetheart banquet tonight as a fundraiser where half of the proceeds went to fund my mission trip this summer to Ukraine. The banquet was country themed which made for a great time of fellowship full of clogging, square dancing, and even a visit from Minnie Pearl (for those younger readers Minnie Pearl is a lady that appeared on a TV show a long time ago and apparently was quite funny). I was also so happy that my family was able to make it up the mountain despite the harsh weather we have had for the past few days.
Through the fundraiser we were able to raise $900 which was such a blessing!
Another piece of good news came just a few days ago when I recieved a call from my aunt. I had recently sent her a letter along with several other family members informing her about the details of my trip and asking for financial help as well as prayer. My aunt told me that her and my uncle wanted to buy my airplane ticket for this summer! I didn't know what to say at first. My airfare is the most costly expense for my trip and so I was speechless. When I finally processed this information I thanked her for several minutes and then when I got off the phone I thanked God.
I knew that when I was offered this mission trip opportunity that it would be very expensive and certainly out of a college student's budget, but I also knew that because God was leading me to go that God would provide the money for me to afford it. He is doing so through family and friends and I am so thankful for every bit of it!
So this week I will begin looking for plane tickets and hopefully will decide on exact days!! I'm getting excited. Please continue to pray for me!
Through the fundraiser we were able to raise $900 which was such a blessing!
Another piece of good news came just a few days ago when I recieved a call from my aunt. I had recently sent her a letter along with several other family members informing her about the details of my trip and asking for financial help as well as prayer. My aunt told me that her and my uncle wanted to buy my airplane ticket for this summer! I didn't know what to say at first. My airfare is the most costly expense for my trip and so I was speechless. When I finally processed this information I thanked her for several minutes and then when I got off the phone I thanked God.
I knew that when I was offered this mission trip opportunity that it would be very expensive and certainly out of a college student's budget, but I also knew that because God was leading me to go that God would provide the money for me to afford it. He is doing so through family and friends and I am so thankful for every bit of it!
So this week I will begin looking for plane tickets and hopefully will decide on exact days!! I'm getting excited. Please continue to pray for me!
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Really Long Noses and Really Big Ears
I went to a new Bible study tonight where a group of college women are going through the book "The Me I Want to Be". It's an interesting book that focuses on how we can be the people God made us to be.
Some of the girls shared their testimonies of how they came to know Christ and about where they were in their walk with God now. One of the girls that has not made a profession of faith mentioned that something that was holding her back was the things she would have to give up if she became a Christian, like going out and partying with her friends. We all came to the realization that once God is in your life giving up those worldy things doesn't feel like that big of a sacrifice anymore. A part in the book even talks about this same topic, and I really liked the way the author describes it. He says, "But as God grows you, He wants to use you in his plan to redeem his world, and you find him changing your experiences. Your flourishing self works out of a richness and a desire to contribute. You live with a sense of calling. How much money you make does not matter as much as doing what you love and what creates value. You become resilient in suffering. You get better. You grow! What could you want more than to become the person God created you to be?"
When I was in about the third grade I learned that when people get old they have really long noses and really big ears because noses and ears never stop growing. So I guess our walk with God should be like our nose or our ears. We all should strive to never stop growing!
So tonight I pray for two things that my spiritual jouney be like a nose and never stop growing and that through my life and especially through my trip to Ukraine I can be the ME that God made me to be.
"The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God." - Psalm 92:12-13
Some of the girls shared their testimonies of how they came to know Christ and about where they were in their walk with God now. One of the girls that has not made a profession of faith mentioned that something that was holding her back was the things she would have to give up if she became a Christian, like going out and partying with her friends. We all came to the realization that once God is in your life giving up those worldy things doesn't feel like that big of a sacrifice anymore. A part in the book even talks about this same topic, and I really liked the way the author describes it. He says, "But as God grows you, He wants to use you in his plan to redeem his world, and you find him changing your experiences. Your flourishing self works out of a richness and a desire to contribute. You live with a sense of calling. How much money you make does not matter as much as doing what you love and what creates value. You become resilient in suffering. You get better. You grow! What could you want more than to become the person God created you to be?"
When I was in about the third grade I learned that when people get old they have really long noses and really big ears because noses and ears never stop growing. So I guess our walk with God should be like our nose or our ears. We all should strive to never stop growing!
So tonight I pray for two things that my spiritual jouney be like a nose and never stop growing and that through my life and especially through my trip to Ukraine I can be the ME that God made me to be.
"The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God." - Psalm 92:12-13
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The Beginning
I went on my first mission trip last year around this time and was completely blow away by the blessings I received by helping other people and showing them the love of Christ. Growing up missions was never really a huge priority in my life. I fit nicely into the category of "if I give my money to missions at Easter and Christmas that should be enough", but through a mission trip to a poverty stricken area in Kentucky my outlook was changed. After my trip I prayed and prayed that God would present an opportunity for me to do mroe mission trips and over the past summer I was offered an invitation to travel to Ukraine for the summer of 2012. I was terrified at first! I mean the farthest I have ever been away from hom eis Florida, out of the country is a whole other story. I prayed for close to a month asking God what I should do. My answer cam one Sunday morning at church. the sermon was about how God didn't need us because after all he is God. Instead he uses us to spread his word so that we can receive a blessing. God had also been dealing with my heart by reminding me that if we don't follow the great commission and go to the ends of the earth those people will die and go to hell. During the alter call I basically ran to the alter and laid it all out for the Lord. Then and there he answered my prayers and I knew that I needed to take this opportunity to go to Ukraine.
At the end of May I will travel to L'viv, Ukraine and stay for 6 weeks in an effort to spread the word of God to the people I meet over there. There are many prospective mission activities I will be participatingin while I'm there. I will be working with daycamps at orphanages which share Jesus through music, Bible lessons, and sports. I will also be working on community projects which include playground ministries, anti-human trafficking projects, and outreach programs.
I am starting this blog to document my progress as I plan to go to Ukraine this summer and as a way to keep family and friends up to date while I am gone. I believe that God will greatly bless me through this trip and I want to share those many blessings with as many people as possible.
As of now I have recently submitted my passport application and sent letters to family and friends in an effort to raise money for my trip. My local church is also planning a fundraiser for this weekend to help raise money as well. I believe that God will provide me with the funds that it takes to go to Ukraine and he is already proving that to me!
"And my god will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:19
At the end of May I will travel to L'viv, Ukraine and stay for 6 weeks in an effort to spread the word of God to the people I meet over there. There are many prospective mission activities I will be participatingin while I'm there. I will be working with daycamps at orphanages which share Jesus through music, Bible lessons, and sports. I will also be working on community projects which include playground ministries, anti-human trafficking projects, and outreach programs.
I am starting this blog to document my progress as I plan to go to Ukraine this summer and as a way to keep family and friends up to date while I am gone. I believe that God will greatly bless me through this trip and I want to share those many blessings with as many people as possible.
As of now I have recently submitted my passport application and sent letters to family and friends in an effort to raise money for my trip. My local church is also planning a fundraiser for this weekend to help raise money as well. I believe that God will provide me with the funds that it takes to go to Ukraine and he is already proving that to me!
"And my god will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus."
-Philippians 4:19
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