Overwhelmed

Its been over a week since I last posted...because life has been a little crazy! So much going on!

OVERWHELMED that sums up how I've been feeling.

but God has been so faithful over these past few days, and has given me little bits of encouragement and strength to keep going. For example

I had an awesome time just fellowshipping with God at Epicenter on Sunday

I got an encouraging e-mail yesterday from one of my admissions counselors:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

(Proverbs 3:5-6)


"He has been faithful in the past when you have felt overwhelmed and He will be faithful this time too"


My homework load has been a lot lighter this week (praise God)!

Hugs (its amazing how much of a difference a simple hug can bring)

Simple reminders of God's truth and love...and somehow instead of being stressed and weary I have found peace and strength this week! Something that could only have come from God!

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart

leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song” (Psalm 28:7)


I just need to keep leaning on God, because he has always been faithful!


(hopefully i'll have time to write a blog post sooon!)


Sweet Promises!

I want to remind you brothers of the gospel I preached to you. (1 Corinthians 15:1)
Paul emphatically takes us back to the gospel and back to the blessings we have in Christ in order to push us deeper into a knowledge of His amazing grace. So, below is a list of promises that are just some of the many afforded to us if we have trusted Jesus. You don’t have to earn these truths, you don’t have to work hard to gain these truths, you simply have to receive these powerful gifts we have in Jesus. Note they are all in past or present tense.
They are already true even if you don’t acknowledge it. If you are in Christ these all apply, so rest, accept, and live in light of them.

You are loved | Ephesians 2:4
You are forgiven | 1st John 2:12
You are healed | Isaiah 53:5
You are new | 2nd Corinthians 5:17
You are secure | Hebrews 6:19-20
You are no longer under condemnation | Romans 8:1
You have the Holy Spirit | Ephesians 1:13
You have every spiritual blessing in Christ | Ephesians 1:3
You will never be abandoned | Matthew 28:20
You are partakers of the divine nature | 2nd Peter 1:4
You are pursued | 1st John 4:10
You are clean | 1st Corinthians 6:11
You are holy | Colossians 1:22
You are blameless | Ephesians 1:4
You are His | Titus 2:14
You are made in His image | Genesis 1:27
You are written on the palm of His hand | Isaiah 49:16
You are free | Galatians 5:1
You are filled with a Spirit of power, not of fear | 2nd Timothy 1:7
You have Jesus as your advocate | 1st John 2:1
You are justified | Romans 5:1
You are not on trial anymore | Colossians 2:14
You have a Father that graciously gives all things | Romans 8:32
You have Him interceding for you at all times | Romans 8:34
You are a Child of Him | 1st John 3:1
You are His bride | Ephesians 5:31-32
You are His friend | John 15:15
Your old self is buried with Him | Romans 6:3
You are raised to new life | Romans 6:4
You are dead to sin | Romans 6:7
You are in union with Jesus | Galatians 2:20
You are a member of His body | Romans 12:5
You are chosen | Ephesians 1:4
You are hidden with Christ in God | Colossians 3:3
You are a branch of Jesus | John 15:5
You have perfect access to Him at all times because of the blood | Ephesians 3:12
You are God’s poetry/workmanship | Ephesians 2:10
Maybe copy and paste these into a word document that you print out and put in a place you will see every day. Maybe commit to meditating on a few each day, marinating in its implications. Or, maybe open the Word and find the countless ones not even listed here that add to the list!


(wonderfullymadeblog.org)

Even in the calm...

"Oh no you never let go...through the calm and through the storm
oh you never let go of me."

What a comfort to my soul! Often we focus on how God is always with us in the storms, darkness and trials of life, and he is and that is an awesome truth, but today a new thought hit me. What about when everything is going okay? when we're happy and there is no big storm? Does God leave us to go through life by ourselves and then when a storm or bump comes he swoops down and helps carry us threw and then he leaves us again? Thankfully that's not what he does. God is with us holding and sustaining us all the time, no matter what circumstances we are in. I don't know about you, but I am so glad that I don't have to live one week, day, hour, minute or second without my heavenly father guiding and sustaining me. I know I can't do this life on my own even the "easy" parts. So today I am dwelling on the fact that even if I am not in a storm right now, my God is still the good, sovereign, faithful God, who is always with me. He is still holding me and leading me and giving me the daily strength I need to glorify him with my whole life!

Let that encourage you today, as it has me! & thank God that he is ALWAYS with us!

sunshine&hope

The beautiful weather after the yucky rain this morning (I even wore a short sleeve shirt!)


Sometimes God speaks to me and teaches me things in the smallest, little mundane moments of life...when I am open and actually slow down and listen he is always teaching me and showing me truth.

This afternoon was one of those times...I was driving up the street to the gas station, to get some study snacks for my sister and I. As I pulled up in the drive-way and got out of the car I couldn't help but enjoy the beautiful rays of sun as they shined down on me. I just stood there for a minute in the air that was cool, but warm with beams of sun rays hitting my arm,everything just seemed SO pretty! Then the thought hit me...this was the exact opposite of what happened early this morning. I came outside to go to school and it was dark, dreary and rainy. There are nothing pretty about it, but then 6hours later the weather had completely changed and the sun was out and the rain was gone....this reminded me of how God always brings "the sunshine" into our life. We may be going through a hard time, a trail, sickness, stress or just the everyday burdens of life and that's like the dark rainy days. But God will never leave us there he will always bring light and hope to even the darkest circumstances (he never leaves us he's always holding us & giving us strength). It's just like He brought the sun light out after a dark gloomy morning! :) Some how good is going to come out of it all! Persevere and rejoice knowing that God will use whatever circumstance you are going through for your good and in the end it will bring God glory and make you more like your amazing creator and savior!

"For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning." Psalm 30:5

Book Review:

I recently just finished reading: Relationships a Mess Worth Making by Tim Lane and Paul Tripp



Let me tell you it is a GREAT book! I highly recommend it! Especially since it's a book that's applicable to everyone because no matter what stage of life you're in, or what sin pattern you struggle with, we all have relationships that are apart of our lives.

One of my favorite parts about this book is that, it focuses on how theology and God's word should affect your relationships and it take everything back to scripture.

The book starts off with why relationships are important and why they are worth fighting for. It then goes on to talk about different things that hinder our relationships such as agendas, who/what we're worshiping, our sin etc. It doesn't leave you there though it goes on to talking about how there is hope for EVERY relationship no matter how difficult, and then gives you practical fruit that a godly relationship should bear.

Here are a few teaser quotes:

"You've felt the sting of hurt and disappointment. You know that you have disappointed others too. It is clear to you that no relationship ever delivers what you dreamt it could. Your fantasy collides with reality and reality bites!"

"The fatal flaw of human wisdom is that it promises that you can change your relationship without needing to change yourself"

"Each of us has tried to be the Holy Spirit in another person's life, trying to work spiritual changes that only God can accomplish."

"Because our talk lives in the world of the ordinary it is easy to forget it's true significance"

"Every painful thing we experience in relationships is meant to remind us of our need for God."

"God wants us to see the daily struggles of life as critical moments of redemptive opportunity, rather than hindrances."

Building relationships is at the core of how Christ calls you to live since he has redeemed you. God makes his people more like Jesus by putting them into relationship with others. And He intends to use you to minister hope and change to others by speaking and living out the gospel as you forge friendships with Christians and non-Christians.

Now go read the book yourself for more ;)


abide in me...

"Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine you are the branch, whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing."
John 15:4-5


This is such a sweet promise that Jesus offers, if we simply abide in him, seek our strength and life from God alone then we will bear great fruit! However, how often do we try to do things on our own, we feel like we can handle situations or ministry opportunities without God and his grace and wisdom? How foolish are these thoughts? If we do not abide in God then we can do NOTHING and we will not be able to bear any fruit. Jesus has paid a way for us to come to the father and be in him, so let us take advantage of that free gift and bear fruit for Jesus, no more striving and trying to do it on our own, that only leads to frustration, discouragement and dissapoinment! Seek Jesus today and abide in Him completely! Once you've experienced the joy, peace and strength that only he provides, you'll never want to go back!

I'm a sicky

I've spent all day today in my bed...yep I'm a sicky :/

Instead of dwelling on how awful I feel or what I wish I had been able to do today, God has changed my perspective and revealed himself to me today. When I think about it, it is kind of amazing that God could show me more of his greatness while I'm laying in my bed, sleeping, watching movies, and sucking on cough drops.

A few things I'm thankful for today:

Today I got to rest, something that I haven't had time to do in a long time.

I got to spend uninterrupted time with Jesus my Lord and Savior (always so encouraging and such a blessing)

God helped me be thankful for today instead of dwelling in self-pity

I caught up on schoolwork in between sleeping

I got a letter from a dear friend that made my day!

Prayer (knowing that people are praying for me, and that I'm surrounded by such an amazing community of believers! so encouraging)

For medicine (especially NyQuil! most definitely a gift from God)

My awesome mom who cares for me when I'm a sicky

Now I'm off to spend more time with my amazing savior! I may not be feeling great, but God is giving me joy today in the midst of my sickness and he is teaching me to love him more and to be grateful and praise him in every circumstance! He uses the everyday things to draw me to himself and for that I am so grateful!

"Teach me your way O Lord that I may walk in your truth. Unite my heart
to fear your name. I give thanks to you, O Lord my God with my whole heart,
and I will glorify your name forever. For great is your steadfast love toward me."
Psalm 86:11-12

New Years

This New Years I'm looking back and seeing all the amazing gifts that God has blessed my life with. This year has been amazing and I can't believe all that he has done! Looking back on this past year a lot as happened from big to small...and I have grown so much!

1) I got my drivers license
2) my brother graduated from Marine's bootcamp
3) I'm gonna be an Aunt to baby AJ
4) I got a car
5) I'm now a senior
6) I got to help 15 people come to Christ
7) Went on Operation Barnabas! definitely. Highlight and amazing experience!
8) made amazing new friends who have encouraged and challenged me
9) traveled to 2 new states (Georgia and Indiana)
10) broke my first bones (wrist and foot)
11) awesome new youth pastor
12) first surgery
13) Medicine so im not sick all the time!
14) two trips to NYC :)
15) I've learned to trust God
16) seen God work in amazing ways and answer so many prayers
17) felt pain like I never have before--but grew closer to my savior through it
18) I now have 2 pee wee pillow pets (zebra and dolphin)
19) two drama productions
20) accepted to 5 colleges so far
21) learned how to let go and trust completely
22) gluten free
23) awesome volleyball season (got to play libero)
24) record for living somewhere the longest = Frederick MD 5years & 2months :)
25) Fallen more in love with my savior!

So grateful for all that God has done in my life! CANNOT wait to see what God has in store for me in 2012 so exciting to think about! I'll end with one of my fave verses from 2012 :)

"Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upone his name. Make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderous works! Glory in his holy name; let those who seek the Lord rejoice! Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! Remember the wonderous works that he has done, his miracles and the judgements he uttered." Psalm 105:1-5
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