Holy Ladies Update....

..Ok, so here is an update of my small group Holy Ladies on Monday nights. Tonight we finally started the content of our group. And I talked about "Idols" in our lives. It went so well! I was definitely nervous but I really felt God's presence in the room and through the message. We talked about identifying "Idols" in our lives. Identifying the things that are consuming our focus and time away from God (relationships, schedules, media), also realizing the captivity(the power) they hold. And we ended by talking about deliverance from those "Idols" by first and foremost guarding our hearts. Not letting "idols" have an inch into our lives because when we are making room for God we are finally realizing the depth of God's love, grace, compassion, and mercy towards us. We ended the night by splitting up into groups of three and praying for one another. All in all it went so so good. A lot of girls said at the end that they needed that message and it was very encouraging.This whole process has just been so encouraging because I feel like every time I'm at small group I am so much closer to God and I think a big reason is because I realize that I'm not by myself in this. There are several ladies around me with the same goals and ambitions. It just feels so good to know that we are all in this together...

Naturally running....

These last few days have been absolutely beautiful. No doubt about it. And I have been thinking a lot about God's beauty and love lately. And I think it's because of Francis Chan's book Crazy Love. He says in the book that he loves coming home from work every day because he is greeted by his daughter running out to the driveway and jumping into his arms. He says, "My daughter's expression of love for me and her desire to be with me is the most amazing thing." This reminds me of the kids at the day-care I work at. When it gets close to the end of the day I love watching the children run to their parents with so much excitement. When they don't get excited then they must be in trouble or something. But you can just see the excitement through their faces and their fast pace. This reminds me of God's love. My love for him. Am I responding like that? Am I jumping into his arms with excitement like I should be? Francis Chan said, "...when we love God, we naturally run to him."....I just love this. I want to run so naturally to God. I want him to see my love and my desire to be with him in my reaction towards his presence...just like those kids towards their parents. His love is just so beautiful and big. Why wouldn't we respond like this?? "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 18:2-6

Pure Joy in Pain

Change is painful, but it certainly brings results that are worth the growing pains.  This idea of breaking or failing in order to grow and to attain greater things has really been sticking out to me lately.  Just like a seed has to die before it can sprout and become a flower or a great tree, we have to be willing to give up ourselves to become who God created us to be.  We have to study and attempt to grasp foreign and difficult concepts if we are to grow our minds.  We have to push our bodies in order to become physically in shape.  We have to work through problems with friends and family to truly remain a part of a relationship.  And we have to be challenged in our faith in order to ascertain what we truly believe.  All of these struggles are painful and can sometimes feel hopeless, but thanks be to God that we have a living hope through Christ!  We can push through the hard times knowing that what lies on the other side is well worth the struggle.  Though the temptation to stagnate and to keep the status quo is strong, it leads to death.  Life is about change and about growth, about reaching for the lofty goals of Christ, about living more and learning more and thinking more and loving more and giving more...pushing and straining and striving forward, not looking back but remembering all that God has already brought us through...in the end, we are victorious.  For now, we must run the race.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything"

-James 1:2-4

Kingdom Results.......

Lately i have been thinking about my life and what kind of results i am producing. Last Friday i spoke at a chapel and i urged the students to live like God wants them to produce kingdom results. How big of a thought though. If i lived like i had the responsibility to produce results outside of my realm of possibility than who's to say what my life would look like. I imagine it would be much more extreme. I would go as far to say "Dangerous." Have you ever been around a dangerous person. They're great and terrible to be around, because they realize that they have a responsibility to produce big results with there lives. Being around these kind of people make you feel better about yourself and at the same time make you want to be better than you currently are. What if we could all catch the same vision that these people have. My life is not my own. I was made FOR the king of kings and BY the king of kings. I don't know, these are just some thoughts that i have been challenged with lately and can't get out of my head.

He

Ok, here it is.  Lately I've been dealing with thoughts of God.  I know that this may seem weird to hear me say but let me explain.  I've found out that I spend a lot of time thinking about me instead of being consumed with He.  He is the worthy one.  He is worth thinking about.  He is worth living for. He is . . . In His own words "I AM!"  But I spend a lot of time thinking that I am instead of He IS.  This has gotten me into a dangerous spot.  I've taken His place.  Who do I think that I am?  GOD?  What can I do better than HIM?  Do I really want His Job?  I am His kid and He is my Dad so why don't I act like it?  

I'm in the middle of a major transformation in my thinking.  I'm trying to get me out of the equation or at least in proper place.  I need make BIG of HE and small of me!  It should be very easy to do - the Bible says that we need to have faith like a child.  So maybe I need to regress and quit making things so complicated or maybe I need to grow up and become wise enough to see that life is all about Him and not me.  

I wonder if it is possible for someone to encounter me and walk away talking talking about HIM?  This is the goal of my life!  

WHat about this?

Our God Reigns

With the start of school (and a new one at that) and a new job, my life has been a whirlwind the past couple of weeks.  I seem to be too busy to think, and I am trying to find the time to do EVERYTHING all the time...at least that's how it feels.  But in the midst of all the craziness, God has really been pointing me to His love and His grace, to the fact that He really is ALWAYS there, and I cannot escape or outrun or overwhelm Him.  No matter what gets piled on my plate or what emotions shake up my heart, God is there, and He is solid and true and loving.  He is my Rock, and I will hold onto Him for dear life!!  It gives me so much peace to know that it is all about Him.  He is in control, and my life is in His hands.

Genesis Luau

Here are some pictures from the Genesis Luau!! It was so fun to just hang out with people and be crazy. And Rodney did an awesome job on the pig! lol I have to say that it was a very good turn out! Thank you so much to everyone who came out and helped!!!