One...

...year left. I thought the day would never come when I would complete my next to last year of high school. Now, I only have that one year left-and I am astonished and thankful. I remember the times that I sat and glared at my math speed drills, sighed my way through read and think skill sheets, and declared that school was only devised to torture children (needless to say, I was very wrong.) I regret it, the whining and complaining. Of course, at the time it seemed like no big deal but now I realize that having the right attitude about what needed to be done was important. Not only was it important to my parents but it was important to God. God cared and he still cares about whether or not I did my best and he cares about whether or not you do your best.

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men...
Colossians 3:23

As I closed my school book today and turned off my DVD player I thought about you (especially those of you who are younger) and wanted to exhort you to follow Colossians 3:23. I don't want you to have to come to a place in your life and wish that you had done all things for the glory of God instead of doing them in a way that suited you. I have one year left to try to redeem the time I didn't use wisely when I was a young student. So if you have one day, or one month, or one year left of your education; spend that time well so that you will not later regret the way you spent your days of schooling.

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This says it all...

When I compare
What I have lost with what I have gained,
What I have missed with what attained,
Little room do I find for pride.

I am aware
How many days have been idly spent;
How like an arrow the good intent
Has fallen short or been turned aside.

But who shall dare
To measure loss and gain in this wise?
Defeat may be victory in disguise;
The lowest ebb is the turn of the tide.

-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow-

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Reflection for Earth Day

I didn't know it until I opened up my Google browser and there it was...Earth Day. It isn't that I am not interested in taking care of this earth and doing my part to keep it clean, but Earth Day has never been top priority for me and that's simply because I feel that too many people take it to the extreme.

Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

Romans 1:25

It is my concern that many people use Earth Day as a way to take their environmental agenda to the point of worshipping the earth and valuing it above God's ultimate creation. The beginning chapter of Romans speaks of the people who fell into the practice of worshipping God's creation instead of God and as a result they did not prosper-they were punished. Before you begin to think that I am against picking up trash that litters the road, turning off the lights when you're out of the room, or taking care of the animals that live in our world; let me assure you that I am not against any of those actions. What I am not in favor of is the exaltation of our planet and the credit we give "Mother Earth" for what is "Father God's."

In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:1

I am a child of God and because I am, I have an obligation to be a good steward of God's creation but I am not to worship or value it above our Creator. All things should be examined with a Biblical perspective, even Earth Day. I would ask you to consider what you can do to make this earth a better place but I would suggest that you keep in mind that this earth is not our final home and it is not to take the place of that which is eternal. Thank the Lord for giving us such a beautiful world to live in and experience each day.

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Lesson from a bar of soap

I can remember it quite well. The green Irish Spring soap seemed to be glaring at me from inside the box and I did not like that. I deserved it and I knew it. My mom handed me the waxy bar and told me that I had to wash my mouth out with it. I can't remember exactly what bad thing I had said but this punishment was certainly well warranted (trust me, I was not always a well behaved child.) As I grew older I came to understand that my rude words were as bitter as that bar of soap and I also realized how terrible it is if we go one step further and loosely use the name of Christ.

Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exodus 20:7

I knew that if I ever used the words gosh or god (God in an irreverent way) I would be corrected with something more than sixty seconds of swishing soap around in my mouth. My parents taught my siblings and me that taking God's name in vain was something that we should not do because God commanded us not to do it. And why, if we are a child of God, would we want to carelessly toss around the name of the One who loved us enough to redeem us with his blood? Perhaps it is because we do not fully grasp the fact that Jesus Christ is jealous, jealous of his most holy name or perhaps it is because we do not care. Either way, it breaks my heart when Christian people casually toss around the Lord's name as though it were as common as a the word the.

Repeated in Deuteronomy 5:11 is the command to abstain from taking God's name in vain. If our Lord cared enough to include that in the Bible twice then don't you think it is important enough to obey? If you love the Lord, I would challenge you to think before you speak. Think about the Lord loves you so much that he knows you by name and knows the motives of your actions. I remember the bar of soap and I recall how terrible it tasted and it is my desire that I would never give my Savior grief because of my bitter words.

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Are you willing?

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When I Grow Up I Want to Be A...

Nurse, veterinarian, doctor, or a teacher; that's what I wanted to be when I "grew up". The phases were endless. One day I might be nursing my stuffed puppy back to life and the next day I might be teaching my imaginary third grade class about the wonders of the *Canis lupus familiarus, but no matter what I wanted to be; I was passionate about one thing-what I wanted to be.

Then there came the day when I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior. It wasn't immediate but I came to realize that God had a bigger plan for me than my plan for me. It wasn't without reluctance that I yielded to what God was calling me to. It wasn't according my comfort zone, my willingness, or my personal idea; it was about Jesus Christ, not about me.

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.
Psalm 37:5

It was hard. Hard to let go and let God have his way and there are days when I still wonder just why God chose me for a certain purpose but I am striving to commit that unto the Lord and watch as he shows me his will. I thought I had it all figured out, what I should study in college (I thought it was missions) where I should live and what kind of car I should drive, but lets say that He has shown me differently. You see, I was trying to create my own idea of what I had to do to accomplish the Lord's dream for me even when it meant that I would be doing things that certainly didn't fit who I am. Slowly he began to show me that I do not have to lay aside the personality he gave me in order to serve him.

I had to understand that God created each one of us with certain gifts and abilities to use for him. There are things that I am motivated to do and things I am passionate about-things that my Savior has placed on my heart and I nearly tossed them away. I have come to realize that I can serve God on the missionfield without a missions degree. I have learned that my love for the English language can be a tool to reach others with the love of Christ. I have seen that music often speaks louder than words. So when I grow up I want to be whatever God wants me to be...you'll see what that is as his perfect time unfolds.

Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6



*Canis lupus familiarus is the scientific name for the domesticated dog. =)

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A few more pics

Remember this post? This is a little update about the person I asked you to pray for; there situation has changed a little for the better!

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Anyone there?

After eight hours waiting for a delayed flight and flying two hours on said flight; I'm back from Florida! Upon stepping out of the airplane I felt the cold air and wished that a bit of Florida weather had flown back with me.=) Without further ado I will share some of the pictures from my trip. I will try to post more as soon as I can extract them from my sister's camera.

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Why We are Here

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Paid in Full

"He came to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay."
-Anonymous

How often do I go about my day and never even think about how much I truly do not deserve to live one more moment or have even a chance to spend eternity in heaven? To be truthful I must admit that it is very often that I take for granted the way my debt has been paid. Truly, I deserve to suffer and die for my sins; but Christ loved me so much that he suffered and died in my stead. He did the same for you too.

If there were a bill that listed all the things I had done wrong, and if it showed the amount I owe, it would be obvious that I could never hope to pay that bill. But what if I could see the bill once more? I would see that red letters were stamped onto the page. The red ink declares: "Debt is paid in full by Jesus Christ." This is what Christ did on the cross of Calvary; he paid our debt in full. All the mistakes, all the lies, and all of our other sins; they were nailed to the cross and we bear them no more. Although we bear our past sin no more but we must never forget the One who bore them for us and took the scars of our sin upon himself.


...So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.
Hebrews 9:28

Christ will come again, and on that day those of us who have come to him for salvation will have the opportunity to thank our Savior for paying our debt in full. Remember, remember that apart from Christ we owe a debt we cannot. Remember that you are redeemed and thank God for sending the Payment for our insurmountable debt.

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