Tough Stuff

This past week has made me completely nuts.

Besides my normal schedule, I had another paper to write, exam to study for, and more homework to do. Caleb's schedule, plus him working at our new house, and not seeing him has took its toll. Also, this week, I'm doing more for work, hurt my knee, and am trying to figure out how to not let the frustrations that got to me last weekend, get to me again. Let me tell you, its quite the project. So, today I got home after my exam (which didn't exactly go as well as I hoped it would..) and was on good 'ol Facebook. A friend of mine just posted about having an off day, and I was quick to respond with some encouragement off the top of my head (and Google, man, I sure love Google!). A few minutes after I posted, I realized those Bible verses applied directly to me too, and my struggles this past (and current) week. Here's what I had written:

2 Corinthians 12:9 - But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness"..


Isaiah 41:10 - "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous hand" 


Ephesians 3:20 - "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.." 




Bask in who He is.. and may your day get much better!

After I read them over a few more times, I realized that if I had just went to my Jesus last week when I got frustrated, it wouldn't have been as bad as it was. Its crazy how anger and frustration can make a person go nuts. These verses helped think through it now though. The first one is a favorite for me. Its such a sweet reminder that God's grace is truly sufficient for us, because even though we are so very weak, His power is perfect, and we are held in the palm of His powerful, loving hand. The second one is so wonderful to think about; the God of the universe is ours, yes ours!, and He has not only told us that, but also promised to strengthen, help, and uphold us. We can't slip out of His grip.. it just doesn't work that way, He won't let us go. What a promise! The third became a reality to me when my life started started to change drastically, after I had asked God to make me His, fully. He is SO able to do so much more than we can ask or think! He's the God of the universe, how can He not?! In the book of James, we are told to believe it can happen when we ask God to do something. I had asked, and waited, and waited, yet I didn't lose heart. Knowing that God is so amazing, and that He will work all things for the good of those who love Him, I knew that even if He didn't answer directly, I would get an answer that was best for me. And I did. He answered exceedingly abundantly beyond what I asked, and I am so thankful for that. Basking in who He is.. easier said than done, I know. But when we fully focus on God, who He is, what He has done, and what He is doing, it is so much easier to put off the day around us (good or bad!) and truly just live in Him and His wondrous glory. 

So, as I face the rest of my week keeping these in mind, we'll see how it goes. I know there will be things people do/say to me that I have no control over, but that's their problem, not mine. As I look ahead to See You At The Pole (tomorrow is National See You At The Pole Day, if you didn't know that. People will probably be meeting at your court house flag pole around 7:30 am if you want to participate in lifting up our nation, and many other things in prayer!), AWANA, class, planning youth activities, and more, I'll have some more comfort.. and truly bask in who my Lord and Savior is. 

May you do the same

Skies

As I was sitting on the couch earlier this morning after my devotion, the eastern sky caught my attention. There were faint hints of a rosy pink color beginning to peak up through the trees and light rain. Within a few minutes, the piece of sky I could see outside the window had turned pink with hints of purple and blue. Caught up in the sight, my phone scared me as it started ringing. It was my husband on his way to work. "Look outside," he said, "first toward the east, then towards the beach (west)"  He had seen a dark grey color coming off the lake as the storm blew in, and then a totally different scene as he turned eastward to head to work. The sky he saw had been painted pink with some purple and blue as well. But it had also been infused with orange as the sun began to rise. "Its so cool," he said, "it made me think of you. The sun looks like a glowing ball, it would be worth hopping in your car and driving just to see it." So I hopped in my car and started driving eastward. I saw what he had described, and it was beautiful. The sky was painted just like he said, and the sun was a glowing ball fighting the clouds just to be seen. The most the clouds let me see was a sliver, but saying it glowed was an understatement. Soon, the pink, purple, blue, and orange dispersed and gave way to a light blue sky with faint purple streaks. Going as far through town as I could, I turned around and headed home.

As I neared our house I decided I'd drive through the beach. The sight there was beautiful too, and I parked my car to sit a minute and take it all in. The dark grey color on the horizon of the water warned of the storm that was blowing in. Waves jumped at the breakwall, and the green light in the lighthouse flashed to warn any boats it was there. The wind whipped the rain and trees in every direction, and ruffled the feathers of the gulls who were hunched up protecting themselves from the cold, and begging me for food. Soon, that sky too gave way to a blue streaked sky and the rain slowed its fall. I started my car and began the drive home. 

On my way home, I thought of both views I had just witnessed as multiple things crossed my mind. The main thoughts were that just as sunrise or a storm blowing through, our life is only a few minutes on this earth compared to eternity. Are you making yours worth living? 

Home and Students

Last Friday my husband and I officially became homeowners =] The house that I posted a picture of (that looks like a big red barn) will be our new home as soon as we get all the fixin-up done that needs doing! Thanks to all who prayed - we are super excited to start this new chapter in our lives and can't wait to see what God has in store for us!

Now on to ministry stuff! Yesterday, we took our youth group to see "The Grace Card" at another church with a few other youth groups. It was a fantastic movie, and even a great learning opportunity. The movie focused on concepts like grace, forgiveness, guilt, blame, relationships, loving others and second chances. We even had a time after the movie to split up in small groups and talk to our students about these concepts, the movie, and how it applies to their lives. The students had fantastic feedback for us, and their answers to our questions were encouraging - they had not only paid attention and grasped some of the concepts from the movie, but they had already thought about how they could apply them to their lives! Pray that they will continue to focus on these topics outside of the church atmosphere and and keep applying them to their lives.

Warriors and Soldiers

Youth Group back to school kickoff was last night, and I would call it a success. We had between thirty and forty middle and high schoolers come for some fun, food, and fellowship. We let them hang out a bit, then played three games. The first was a name game, the second a teamwork game, and the third a crazy game that was just for fun. The devotional was on spiritual warfare, and definitely gave our students a lot to think about. If you'd like something to chew on for the day, I wrote down something one of the leaders said when asked a question during the devotional. Here's what he said:

"We are not called warriors of Christ, because warriors stand alone. We are called soldiers of Christ, because soldiers stand together. As warriors we would die alone, but as soldiers we stand, fight, and live together."

 It hit me as completely true. As Christians, we can't live this life alone - we need others to help us, thus being called soldiers. Please pray that our students heard the message in their hearts and it will effect them in a positive way as they grow in Christ and in relationships in school. It looks like we're going to have a great group this year, and we (as staff) can't wait to see what's in store!

Some Summer Pictures!

First, here is our prospective house!

Close to 3,000 ft sq, tucked away, and ready for some tlc and love! Please keep praying that all goes well!

Now for a few pictures of what we've been up to =]

My mom sister and I rode our bikes to the Big Sable Point Lighthouse (and took our dogs) while at the State Park.

A walk to the North Breakwater Lighthouse one night while my parents were in town.

Caleb and I on the breakwall

Photo credits to my mom on the above three - I wish I had one with her in it too!

Below - photos of crud wars (see earlier posts for explanation)

I Challenge YOU!

Yes, you! I have a challenge. Go to the link below and make a promise to help change lives on September 11, 2011 - two days from now. In honor of those fallen defending our country, KLove is encouraging everyone to make a difference. The goal is to change one million, yes - one million, lives by encouraging us to love and bless others. Your promise doesn't have to be anything extravagent, sometimes the simplest of things can change lives in the largest ways. Will you take the challenge?!

http://www.klove.com/ministry/make-a-difference.aspx


(Also, as a side note, I would definitely recommend exploring KLove's website! You can listen to the radio station live online at any time, and there are lots of great resources! Enjoy!)

G.O.S.P.E.L - A Must See!

If you have a few minutes - please watch this video! It could change your life.

If you have any questions feel free to ask.