Worth It

"You're always a changed person when you come out of a trial from the Lord and it's usually for the better if you stick by His side and don't try to meddle with things you should be leaving alone. I'm already learning so much about what it means to let go of selfish wants so I can't wait to see the kind of growth I'll have acquired" in the end (Kelly).
Trials an often be a struggle, but I believe they're worth it in the end.

Worth It All - Rita Springer

Surrender

I Surrender - Kim Walker

I'm learning that surrendering [to God] is one of those "easier said than done," kind of things. Surrendering is also a more than once kind of comittment, it's an everyday decision and sometimes even a several times a day kind of decision.

Rat Race

"The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, you're still a rat." - Lily Tomlin

You've been there before: a long day, lots to do, worrying about the next thing, trying to get through the day. What if I get fired tomorrow? What if I can't make my rent payment? If I could only get this one thing done, THEN I'll be happy. How can I get to that magical moment where everything is ok?


Sleep Tip: Let Go Of Fear

BY: MASTIN KIPP, His first blog in the Huffington Post =p

Congrats, Mastin!

Life's an Echo

"A son and his father were walking on the mountains.

Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

"To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in the mountain: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!!!"

Curious, he yells: "Who are you?"

He receives the answer: "Who are you?"

And then he screams to the mountain: "I admire you!"

The voice answers: "I admire you!"

Angered at the response, he screams: "Coward!"

He receives the answer: "Coward!"

He looks to his father and asks: "What's going on?"

The father smiles and says: "My son, pay attention."

Again the man screams: "You are a champion!"

The voice answers: "You are a champion!"

The boy is surprised, but does not understand.

Then the father explains: "People call this ECHO, but really this is LIFE.

It gives you back everything you say or do.

Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.

If you want more love in the world, create more love in your heart.

If you want more competence in your team, improve your competence.

This relationship applies to everything, in all aspects of life;

Life will give you back everything you have given to it."



YOUR LIFE IS NOT A COINCIDENCE. IT'S A REFLECTION OF YOU!"--

The Lie

The Lie - Song and Spoken Word

Do not believe the lies of Satan. God can do all that He says He can do. Only God can take shattered dreams and make them new. It is through His son, Jesus Christ, that we are saved and made new.

Of Mice and Men

The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. -Robert Burns

We can plan all we want but no matter how much we plan something will not go according to plan. I know you all know what I'm talking about. We have all experienced a time in our lives when something just goes wrong. We plan our route for a vacation at the beach and get lost on the way, we run late, we drop things, we spill things, and we forget things. We are all imperfect, and that is totally okay. Honestly, I think that's some of the beauty that makes God so perfect. Anyway, Life just happens sometimes. You know what they say, "no use in crying over spilled milk." The best thing to do when our plans go "awry" is to keep moving forward. Spending all day obssessing over what has already been done will not only not help make things better, but in fact, may possibly make things worse. I over slept Monday missing my 9am class. Because I spent all day obssessing and frustrated over something that I couldn't change, I ended up forgetting about a meeting I was suppose to attend later that afternoon and missed my meeting; in addition to missing class.

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails. -Proverbs 19:21

It's the Lord's plan's that we should be intent in pursuing, not those of our own heart anyway. Everything will be okay in the end; if it's not okay, it's not the end.

Food for thought: Our issues don't define us as persons, though they may influence us, they don't define who we are.

I pray you have a blessed day in the Lord, that you seek His heart and His will. =p

Just Like You & What Do You Think About

Just Like You

What Do You Think About

Amen :)

Failure Is Not An Option by Chris Kinsley

As everyone’s aware (hopefully) we have entered a new year.


Amongst other happenings, this is significant because it becomes a time for many people to set out on the road to the rest of their life with a fresh start. Many people mark this renewal by making resolutions, a list of hopes/dreams/aspirations/goals that they plan to accomplish in the next year.

I have often been counted among these people. While I’ve never really taken it too seriously and often can’t recall on December 31 what I had resolved to by then on January 1, I’ve still fulfilled my duty as a festive new year celebrator by making the list anyway.

But not anymore.

I will not be making any resolutions this year whatsoever.

Though I can’t remember what they all were, I am confident in saying that for at least the past three years I have completely failed at every single of my new year resolutions. That’s right. Every. Single. One. No one’s going to be drafting me for their fantasy new year resolution league. I suck at it.

I was coming to this realization recently as I was considering what resolutions I might make for this next year. I didn’t really get down on myself about it (after all, what good does that do), but I did find myself wishing that more people talked about their own failures.

You see, just in case you didn’t know it, I fail. A lot. Way more often than I care to admit or am comfortable talking about. I blow it. I mess up. I fall short. I make mistakes. I’m wrong. I misunderstand. I even… sin.

And the thing is. So do you.

But that’s no big news flash. We all do, of course.

However, there are people out there, experts, who seem to have it all together and even tell people how to be as awesome as they are. Yet, they never want to talk about their failures. And when those failures do happen to become unearthed by some inconvenient news source, these people all of a sudden want to decry the invasion of their privacy and seek to have the whole thing expunged from their public record.

We love to have our accomplishments lauded publicly, but we all want to pretend we have the illusion of being perfect and never failing even though we know that’s not true.

Failure is not an option.

Failure is fact.

Failure is the norm.

This past year was a big time of change for me. Personally. Professionally. Spiritually. If there’s anything that I want to see happen this next year, it’s just this: I want to be different on December 31 than I am on January 1. Different for the better, of course.

There’s some things that I can name specifically that I’d like to be different. So, why not make them a resolution, then? After all, what’s the harm?

There’s not any. But the reason I want resolve to change these things or let you guys know about them is simply because of failure. More specifically, fear of failure.

If I’m honest, I’m often paralyzed by it.

And I have a feeling you are too.

So, why don’t try to give ourselves and each other a little room to fail? Why don’t we offer ourselves and each other a little more grace than usual, some encouragement even, to go for it, regardless of risk? Why don’t we commit to be there and celebrate all the accomplishments with the full extent of all of our party-throwing prowess but also to Pick each other up and let ourselves be supported after the failures?

Won’t you join me?

Women at the Well

I am a woman of no distinction
of little importance.
I am a women of no reputation
save that which is bad.

You whisper as I pass by and cast judgmental glances,
Though you don’t really take the time to look at me,
Or even get to know me.

For to be known is to be loved,
And to be loved is to be known.
Otherwise what’s the point in doing
either one of them in the first place?

I WANT TO BE KNOWN.

I want someone to look at my face
And not just see two eyes, a nose,
a mouth and two ears;
But to see all that I am, and could be
all my hopes, loves and fears.

But that’s too much to hope for,
to wish for, or pray for
So I don’t, not anymore.

Now I keep to myself
And by that I mean the pain
that keeps me in my own private jail
The pain that’s brought me here
at midday to this well.

To ask for a drink is no big request
but to ask it of me?
A woman unclean, ashamed,
Used and abused
An outcast, a failure
a disappointment, a sinner.

No drink passing from these hands
to your lips could ever be refreshing
Only condemning, as I’m sure you condemn me now
But you don't.

You’re a man of no distinction;
Though of the utmost importance.
A man with little reputation, at least so far.

You whisper and tell me to my face
what all those glances have been about, and
You take the time to really look at me.
But don’t need to get to know me.

For to be known is to be loved and
To be loved is to be known.
And you know me.
You actually know me;
all of me and everything about me.

Every thought inside and hair on top of my head;
Every hurt stored up, every hope, every dread.
My past and my future, all I am and could be.
You tell me everything,
you tell me about me!

And that which is spoken by another
would bring hate and condemnation.
Coming from you brings love, grace,
mercy, hope and salvation.

I’ve heard of one to come
who could save a wretch like me
And here in my presence, you say

I AM He.

To be known is to be loved;
And to be loved is to be known.
And I just met you.
But I love you.
I don’t know you,
but I want to get to.

Let me run back to town
this is way to much for just me.
There are others: brothers,
sisters, lovers, haters.

The good and the bad, sinners and saints
who should hear what you’ve told me;
who should see what you’ve shown me;
who should taste what you gave me;
who should feel how you forgave me.

For to be known is to be loved;
And to be loved is to be known.
And they all need this, too.
We all do
Need it for our own.

Woman at the well monologue

A Fork in the Road

Decisions, decisions! Recently, in my relationship with Christ I've been learning about paths. Quite frankly, I've come to a fork in the road. Last year, when inquiring about how to discern the difference between what we want and what God wants for I us, I learned that; Although God opens a specific door of opportunity for us, sometimes He opens a multitude of doors and we get to choose which door to walk through. It isn't always a matter of there being a good choice and a bad choice. Sometimes there are two really great choices and we just need to walk with Christ holding on to those choices with open hands. It's a matter of us choosing what we want.

Here is where my path comes to a fork in the road:

• Marry the man God has chosen for me   OR
• Live the life God has chosen for me

I am dating one of thee most fabulous gentleman, I love him and I am so in love with him. I would be so happy to marry him and dig into a career here in the United States. On the other hand, I had a small taste of what it might be like to live in Europe and I liked it. I would be so happy to take part in a career overseas.
However, my boyfriend doesn't feel called to a life overseas. He is totally down n cool with me doing short term mission trips, but if I decide to go long term I'm almost certain he doesn't want to wait around for me.
The first thing most people might think in this situation is if he loved me he would go with me, but on the contrary if I loved him I would stay with him. Well, that's a dead end argument so we're not even going to go there. Secondly, if he loved me, like I want the man I marry to love me, he will wait for me. If he doesn't want to wait for me, then maybe he's not the man God wants me to marry. Boy, that's hard to swallow.
I want to want what God wants for me, but I just don't know what it is God wants for me: A life in the United States with the man I love or a life overseas (Europe) with a man I love and just haven't met yet?
I have a year and a half to sort it all out and I'm confident God will reveal my path to me when the time is just right.
I just want to be sure I know what direction I am going when I graduate. As Andy Stanley says, "Direction determines destination, not intentions." So, though our intentions may be good, if we're not going in the correct direction, then we won't get to where we're going or better yet where God wants us to be.

I don't know what forks in the road you've dealt with, are dealing with, or will deal with but what ever it is I pray that you let the Lord be your guide. Know that Jesus is Lord and He wants the very best for you and me.

Hold your dreams with open hands :)

it IS my business

"You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge...., but you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Leviticus 19:18

I read in Our Daily Bread that in 1955, when the south was still highly segregated, Emmett Till, a black teenager from Chicago, visited relatives in Mississippi. After Emmett "dared" to talk to a white woman, two white men brutally murdered him. An all-white, male jury found the two "not guilty" -after deliberating for barely and hour. The two men later confessed to the crime in a Life magazine article.
Following the verdict, Emmett's mother said, "Two months ago I had a nice apartment in Chicago. I had a good job. I had a son. When something happened to Negroes in the South, I said, 'That's their business, not mine.' Now I know how wrong I was. The murder of my son has shown me that what happens to any of us, anywhere in the world, had better be the business of us all."

To love our neighbor means to make the persecution, suffering, and injustice of our fellow human beings our own. It is the business of all who follow Christ.

I think this was a perfect slap in the face for a day such as today, not only on the day in which we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. and all that he accomplished in his journey for the rights and freedom of colored folks, but also a day in which our neighbors in Haiti are suffering.
My heart has been heavy for everybody in Haiti. At first, I honestly didn't think much of the earthquake. I had heard something about it, and thought something like: "Oh that stinks- it must have been pretty big for so many people to be talking about it but all well, it's probably not that bad and not my problem." But the more I learn about what Haiti has been through with the multiple hurricanes that hit Haiti in such a short span of time not long ago and now this earthquake that has happened, and it's not just any little earthquake. It was MASSIVE! It has left so many dead, many trapped and so many more injured with very limited helpful resources. Haitians largest hospital has NO doctors or nurses to be found. Assumptions are that the doctors and nurses are dead, trapped or with their family. There are currently two non-Haitian doctors that have been trying with all of the very limited supplies they can find in the hospital to help as many people as they can. There is No Electricity and NO DRINKABLE WATER, No Food!!! The doctors are literally using any resources they can find or come up with such as rusty saws and tools to amputate and operate on patients. They ran out of rubbing alcohol and vodka that they were using to sterilize some of the tools they were using to operate and what not. I watched 60Minutes last night and was brought to tears, literally, because of the heartache from seeing and hearing how terrible of a situation this is in Haiti.
I'm also hurt by my first reaction to this, that I just brushed it off my shoulder as if it was no big deal. I was Wrong! It is a HUGE deal and we need to do something about it. I know a lot of you are praying and that is marvelous- I can't tell you how important prayer is right now, especially for a time such as this. But I think we can also do more than pray, we can take action as well and really make a difference. If you can donate anything it would be of great help. I am certain that there are plenty of organizations and places near you where you can donate money. Every penny helps, literally, even if you only have a couple cents in change it will help- Donate It. It was the woman who put only two coins into the offering who made a difference and was truly blessed, because it's not how much money she gave but with how much heart she gave when giving those two coins. Donate canned foods and such foods that don't need to be refrigerated and won't go bad or rot in a matter of a couple of days, water bottles filled with water, clothes, blankets, anything- just think of the most basic daily life necessities and donate them. I know there is not one of you reading this who cannot do one of the previously mentioned ideas to help our Haitian brothers and sisters in Christ. If there isn't a place near you taking donations, then start one.
Please help, that's all I'm asking that you take one small step in loving and serving your neighbors in Christ, and by this small step you're making a huge difference in the world- literally.
Thank you so much! Please continue to pray!
XO

For a time like this

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that testing of your faith developes perserverence." James 1:2-3

Monday: I was running in the cold, wet, snowy weather trying to get to the bus stop on time to catch the bus. I make it, literally, by a second only to find that I have lost my bus pass and I don't have any cash on me for bus fare. So, I begin my long (2h) walk home and I am furious. It's cold. It's snowing. My feet, my back and my shoulders are aching, and I'm not even half way home yet. Oh yeah and I was carrying a bookbag almost as heavy as another person on my back while carrying another bag containing my workout clothes. As I'm walking home I'm having a pow-wow with God giving him a peace of my mind, not that He doesn't already know how I feel and what I am thinking. Although I was upset, I almost felt kind of bad for feeling upset, angry, and all that jazz. I figure God didn't give us these emotions to keep to ourselves, He gave them to us to feel and express ourselves. So, I opened up to God and let Him have it. Momentarily, after spilling my guts, I began searching my brain for a bible verse or something that would be of encouragement or strength- anything- to get me through this unpleasent trial/challenge I was facing. I figured there had to be something for a time like this. Of course, one of the verses that imediately came to mind was James1:2-3. Of course, my instant reaction was thinking that is one of that last things I want to hear right now. That's easy for someone to say who isn't actually the one suffering or struggling. But the more I walked and talked, the more that verse kept biting at me. Now, I'm not sure if because I began to calm down I was able to have a better acceptance of this verse during this dreadful evening OR if because I began to have better acceptance of this verse that I was able to calm down. But never the less, I was calm and in the presence of the Lord and beginning to see Him in the midst of this annoying trial. I began to tell myself "God is preparing me. This is just all part of God's plan of preparation for what He has in store for me. This is part of a lesson from which I must learn."

Monday was an exhausting evening, but after reflecting on my experience and having time to put some things in perspective I have come to a conclusion or two.

1. God has reminded me how blessed I am to have warm clothes, a warm house, and food in my tummy. As I was walking home, a thought crossed my mind while talking with God, that although I am walking 2hours in the cold weather to go home- I have a home to go to and it's only 2hours. There are many homeless people who have been and will be outside in this painfully cold weather all night and all day with little or no food to eat.
2. In trails, it is important to perservere because God is strengthening us and sometimes through such trials God is reminding us of all the blessing we have to be thankful for OR sometimes He is showing us that we are/were beginning to put other things before Him and He's reminding us who we should be putting first in our lives.
3. It's okay to ask for help when in need. That's what family and friends are for, if you can't depend on your family and friends for help in such situations then get new family and friends. [When I say family, I mean not just biological family but church family, & etc.)

"Don't ask God for a lighter load, ask God for a stronger back."

Whatever trials or challenges that may come your way this week, I encourage you to perservere.

Break my heart

"Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God." Romans 15:17

God's two greatest commandments are to Love Him and Love our neighbor. God holds each of us accountable for keeping with these commandments. God calls all of us to keep these commandments by breaking our hearts for what breaks His heart. For some people, God breaks our hearts to love and serve the homeless, the hungry, those in the sex-slave-trade, the person behind you in the supermarket, shut-ins (elders in nursing homes), and orphans; Some people God calls to love and serve overseas, and some people God calls to love and serve in their own neighborhood.
So why is it so hard to go when we're called to go, to let go of all that's holding us back?
We get scared when we think of taking that leap of faith, making ourselves afraid that when we jump we'll fall head on into the ground for a nose dive. We easily forget that God has promised to always protect us and provide for us. Not only should we not think twice about going for that jump when God calls us, but we should also jump with confidence knowing that when we taking a leap of faith in the Lord, we will soar like eagles.

This has been a topic I've been struggling with over this past year. Not only taking the leap of faith when a leap is necessary on the path in which God has laid out for me, but also discerning what leap of faith God is calling me to take. Is God calling me to a life overseas, in another state, or somewhere here in Ohio? Who does my heart break for...the homeless, the hungry, the obese, those in the sex-slave-trade, children, elders, etc, etc.
I don't know who my heart breaks for and I have been trying to figure that out all year, and I think if I knew who God has laid on my heart then maybe that might help me sort out what I'm going to do with my life, or better yet what God wants me to do with my life. The only answer I can come up with right now is that God will reveal what He has in store for me when the time is right- you know, like in Psalm 119:105 "The word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path." If you've ever been walking in the dark and relied on a flashlight or a lantern, you'll understand that the light only allows you to see enough for a couple steps at a time. Likewise, God doesn't reveal more than we need to know at a time.

It's frustrating, I guess I tend to find myself jealous or envious of others who seem to know what God has in store for them- who their hearts are broken for, where they are being called, and what they are going to do.
When God calls them, they don't think twice before going. But I feel when God calls me, I'm hesitant with worries of being provided for and questions of whether or not I am qualified, is this really what God wants for me- etc. Fact of the matter is God doesn't call the equipped, God equips the called.

"Let my heart be broken with the things that break the heart of God." -Bob Pierce, founder of World Vision

a time to love

"I don't want to love others."
-This was a statement made by one of my most dearest friends in church one Sunday.

As much as it might hurt to hear it, I think it's often the truth for many of us. We don't want to love others (like God calls us to love Him and our neighbors). We make time for dates with our boy/girlfriends, spouses; we spend time facebooking/tweeting; we take time to hang out with family and friends etc. We do this because we want to, we want to love on our spouses and friends, we want to spend time with our family so we plan and make time to be with them and do stuff with them. But how many of us really make the time to go volunteer at the local soup kitchen; spend time visiting with shut-ins; take the time to honestly and truely love and serve both God and our neighbors in such ways?

I challenge you to make that extra effort to love your neighbor(s).

Here are a few ideas/suggestions how you can serve and love you neighbors while glorifying God all at the same time:

• When you ask someone "how are you," actually wait for their response
• Give a HUG
• Go through your closet and remove items you haven't warn in the past year (even those "just in case" items that you have yet to touch) and take them to your local clothes drive for homeless.
• Go to a local market, buy some water bottles and granola bars, tape a granola bar to each water bottle and store them in your car and everytime you see a homeless person (like near those on and off ramps holding signs for food, work and all that jazz) give them one of those waters and granolas
• Go to a near by nursing home or retirement home and visit with some of the residents (maybe even take them a snack like cookies or somthing to munch on while you all chat it up)

Those are just a few ideas, feel free to be creative
Make time to LOVE
In time, as the body of Christ, I think we'll learn to want to love others like we want to love our family and friends.
After all we are all brothers and sisters in Christ. The Lord made time for us, so lets spend that time loving and serving Him by loving and serving our neighbors.

"this too shall pass"

Fall semester 2009 has finally ended and I could not be happier. This past semester had it's ups, but we all know what goes up must come down; and I came down hard this semester. Although, most of my troubles this semester were my own fault. Have you ever had one of those moments when you're preparing your dinner plate, and just for a moment, your eyes are bigger than your stomach; so you fill your dish with too much food. Well, that was my experience with this semester. I put way to much on my plate- more than I could handle. I guess my only words of defense are that sometimes we have to learn life's lessons through our own experiences. This can be a frustrating concept, especially if you are a parent. I know my dad is always trying to teach us (my siblings and I) from his mistakes, so we can spare ourselves from making those same mistakes. I, however, don't prefer to call them mistakes I prefer to call them lessons. Because we learn from them, there is nothing wrong with messing up in life, especially when we learn from messing up. If there is something wrong with messing up sometimes then I'm in big trouble because I am always messing up all the time because I am not perfect, none of us are and none of us will be until we enter God's kingdom. So it's okay to make your own"mistakes" sometimes and it's okay to learn from others' mistakes too, it's part of learning and growing into who the Lord wants us to be.
Anyway, I had a lot of "lessons" this year and I learned a LOT.
This past week I took the Seven Day Challenge. Now for me it was more of a six day challenge (I'm a fan of quality, not quantity). And it definately was a worth experience for me. I honestly did spend more time with the Lord in so many ways and it was Amazing. Not to say that it wasn't difficult not to blog, facebook, twitter, and all that jazz, expecially b/c it's at the tip of our fingers and can just take seconds sometimes-you know? anway-
I hope I'm not being to scatter brained. But the point I am trying to make it that for me, this past year was extremely difficult, but definately rewarding in many ways. And I don't know what life is like for you right now, or what you're going through. But I want to tell you this: that we all have hard times, we all make mistakes. but know that "this too shall pass." You are God's precious child and He cares for you.
I have no idea what the Lord holds in store for me or you this next year in 2010, but I pray that you be open to whatever comes your way, to take in all in stride with Jesus Christ by your side.