The Faith of Joseph..

I just couldn't wait to tell you what the Lord has just taught me.
I've had a day where I feel like everything I do is so completely disappointing to my dad. He has had a negative comment to say about EVERYTHING I've done lately--All my life choices. Where I go to college. My Sorority. My Future. Nothing seems good enough. I was starting to feel down and just completely discouraged. However, the Lord ALWAYS provides.

Matthew 14:13-36 was in part of my reading for the One Year Bible tonight. The first part of this passage is about the feeding of the 5,000 men (not to mention the women and children) that were there to listen to Jesus talk. His disciples were ready to send the people away into the villages for them to get their own food. And Jesus looks at them and says. Nah, why don't you feed them? And the disciples are like no dude, you're crazy. We only have five loaves of bread and two fish. That would barely feed 5 of us let alone 5,000+ people! But once again, I am completely reminded about how the Lord provides for us. He won't let us go! Jesus takes the food, looks up toward heaven, blesses it, and then they feed the people...and have PLENTY left over.
I was just reminded so much that the Lord provides PLENTY for His followers. He gives us what we need. And plenty of it. Who am I to care about what my dad thinks about my life choices? I KNOW that I am following the Lord's will...

The rest of that Matthew passage is when the disciples are caught in a storm at sea and Jesus walks on the water. Peter says Lord if that's you, tell me to come to you! And Jesus says, Okay, come. Well, like most of us, we're all on the Lord's side, until we get in the middle of something and it gets messy. "But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink.." v 30. Isn't that so true of us? We get so on board with Christ and then when we see the strong waves and wind, we get scared, start questioning, and begin to sink. I have done this PLENTY of times, especially now that I am getting very close to marriage.. I'm like woah, slow you're roll. I can't handle this. No this is too much, I'm not ready. OH YE OF LITTLE FAITH! YOU HAVE PRAYED ABOUT THIS. THE LORD HAS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO! TRUST IN ME! JUST LIKE THE FEEDING OF THE 5,000 I WILL PROVIDE! HAVEN'T I ALWAYS...

Now this, brings me to the faith of Joseph.. The Old Testament reading for today was Genesis 44:1-45:28. This passage is when Joseph reveals himself to his brothers. Chapter 45:5-8 "But don't be upset, and dont be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. This famine that has ravaged the land for two years will last five more years, and there will be neither plowing nor harvesting. God has sent me ahead of you to keep you and your families alive and to preserve many survivors. So it was God who sent me here and not you. And he is the one who made me an adviser to Pharaoh--the manager of his entire palace and the governor of all Egypt." It is GOD who has sent me to Union, has placed me in Zeta, has placed me with the Most Amazing Man for me. It is GOD who has shown us His timing for us to get married and start a family. Even though my life is in a drought acceptance wise from the people around me the LORD has brought me here. Why should I be afraid?

What the Lord says about His Beloved

I've been thinking lately. About security. I know that we all struggle with our own insecurities. Life does not exist without them, especially for women. I just finished the book Lady in Waiting and it is phenomenal! I learned so much about the Lady that I need to be for my Knight in shining armor, who, by the way I am so excited about my future with! But, I know that we, as women, have this desire for a man. It's normal but a little unhealthy. You never know why the Lord has you waiting. Maybe your Prince is not a believer yet, or maybe he is a new believer that the Lord needs to grow to be your perfect mate. I say this to say, don't be dissatisfied with your set of circumstances, you're in them for a reason! Commit your dating life to the Lover of your soul, and let Him captivate you until he shows you your husband. By the way, the man I'm dating now, the man that I am going to marry, is my first boyfriend. He's the first man I really ever kissed and boy can I say that I am BEYOND thankful that he gets all of my heart. He doesn't just get part of it because I let other boyfriends walk away with a piece of me, but he gets ALL of me and that is SUCH a beautiful thing. I hope you'll be able to say the same.

I just recently started So Long, Insecurity by Beth Moore by the second time. Girls, I'm serious about finding my security in the Lord. While I was reading today, something stuck out in my mind. In her book, Beth says,

Men are not our problem; it's what we are trying to get from them that messes us up. We use guys like mirrors to see if we're valuable. Beautiful. Desirable. Worthy of Notice. Viable.

While this is so true, that's not what I was stuck on. She goes on to say

At times we really seem to think that our worth depends on qualities we have little control over, such as appearance or personality. We think someone else's opinion matters THAT much. We give other people so much power over us, and we need to get it back.

It's not only the men that we let determine our worth. It's the women! Can you believe that? That we let our fellow ladies judge us, tear us down, and hurt us. This hits home to me right now because my boyfriend and I are talking about getting engaged very soon. His family doesn't accept me, and they certainly don't love me. They never have really given me the chance to prove myself. And it has always just killed me that they don't like me.. I've never done a bad thing to their family. And I used to have a great relationship with his sister, and one day she just started to ignore me for seemingly no reason. And it just killed me. What had I done? What was so wrong with me? Why don't they love me, what is so bad about me?
But the truth is. I've done nothing. It's not me. And they don't define me. The Lord does. I can't tell you why they don't like me. And I'm done caring. The LORD has a plan for this.

I looked up some passages last night about what the Lord says is true of His Beloved. These verses do not even begin to scratch the surface. But I wanted to share them.

1 Peter 1:23--> I am a Child of God
Ephesians 1:7--> I am forgiven
Colossians 1:13--> I am delivered from the power of darkness (NOTHING CAN TOUCH ME!!)
Ephesians 6:10--> I am strong in the Lord
Ephesians 1:6--> I am ACCEPTED in Chirst!
Ephesians 1:4--> I am holy and blameless
Jeremiah 31:3--> I am loved with an everlasting love
Ephesians 2:10--> I am God's workmanship
Philippians 4:7--> I have the peace of God
Philippians 3:13-14--> I press toward the goal
1 Peter 2:9--> I am a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, I show forth His praise
II Corinthians 2:14--> I triumph in Christ
Romans 8:37--> I am more than a conqueror
Romans 8:38--> Nothing can separate me from His love
1 Thessalonians 1:4--> I am beloved of God
I John 5:18--> I am born of God and the evil one does not touch me
Colossians 2:10--> I am complete in Him
Romans 8:1--> I am free from condemnation
Isaiah 54:9
Psalm 17:8--> I am the apple of His eye

Girls. Take a hold of your security. Find your worth in the Lord and no one else!

Blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a river bank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat, or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit. --Jeremiah 17:7-8

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He remembers how we were formed, He remembers that we are dust. --Psalm 103:13-14

Having a Healthy Relationship

Hello ladies! We talked about this in church last night and it's SO good. I wanted to share this with you. :) Love you girls!

We are created for relationships; It is a built in desire.

Lonliness is one of the most powerful feelings. It is a vulnerable state and very fe people deal with it in holiness.

Christian Dating
1. You cannot date an unbeliever
II Corinthians 6:14 "Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?"
Be very careful when you start justifying dating an unbeliever.

2. Guard your heart
Proverbs 4:23 "Guard your heart above all else,for it determines the course of your life"
Be careful wht you let your heart love. Give your heart to God and trust only in Him. Wait on the Lord

3. Be satisfied withnothing less than Biblical love
I Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."

4. Be accountable. Find someone you can tell to pray for you before a date and be able to answer them when they ask if your date stayed pure. You are not above temptation.
Galatians 6:1-2 "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."

Everything is Meaningless!

I'm writing to you very encouraged and very humbled.
I'm going through the One Year Bible (NLT) and currently, I'm in Ecclesiastes.

In Ecclesiastes 1-2 it's really talking about how everything is meaningless. He says several times, why do I do this? It's meaningless. Working is meaningless. Being kind is meaningless. Everything under the sun is meaningless.

How often do we think that?? I know I do!

Why do I always have to be the girl who follows the rules. It's so pointless! Why am I always the one who volunteers for things? What does it even matter? Why do I do this? Why do I do that? Currently I've even been like why am I in this relationship with my boyfriend? It all seems so pointless. Like, I've been dating the same person for TWO YEARS! Why am I doing that? Why do I always have to submit to him and push my feelings aside to follow him? Stuff like that. (by the way girls, it's our job to follow our men no matter what when you're in a serious relationship-see Ephesians 5).

But in the end of Chapter 2 and Chapter three, he assures us that the reason for all of this is 2 words- GLORIFYING GOD. Chapter 2 v 26 "God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless- like chasing the wind." I think what he's saying is we should chase God and not meaningless earthly things.

This is the one that really got me though- Chapter 3 vv 11-14 "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded that there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people shuld eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor for these are gifts from God. And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to or taken away from it. God's purpose is that people should fear him."

Our sole purpose on earth is to glorify God. That can be in how we work. The relationships that we are in (both friendships and dating relationships). For me, what I was saying earlier about why am I in this relationship? It's because God created my boyfriend and I for partners. We make each other better. And that, glorifies God. Our relationship glorifies God. He will make everything beautiful in His own time. So, "Do not weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap, if we don't give up" Galatians 6:9

Be encouraged, beloved! You're here for a much greater purpose than you could ever imagine!

Continuation of Previous Blog!

1. God wants us to give Him thanks in all circumstances.

Psalm 100:4; I Thessalonians 5:18

2. Be attentive to God's messages, in whatever form they may come.

John 10:27; Isaiah 29:13

3. God can take the deepest sorrow and weave it into a pattern for good.

Romans 8:28

4. Relax and let God lead me through my day. He has everything under His control.

5. Attentiveness to His is not only for quiet time, but for all my time.

Psalm 32:8; Psalm 119:35; Psalm 143:8

6. God never leaves my side or lets go of my hand. The road I travel with God is ultimately a highway to Heaven.

Romans 12:12; I Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 6:18-19

7. Don't close off any part of myself from God. Open up fully to His transforming presence.

8. Let His brilliant Love-Light search out and destroy hidden fears-This requires time alone with God.

1 John 4:18; Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24

9. Run to God continually. He is meant to be the center of my consciousness, the anchor of my soul.
How far will I let my mind wander from God?

Hebrews 6:19; Psalm 29:2

10. Find beauty in God's creation- the whole earth is full of His radiant beauty.

Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 29:2

11. Trust God above all else.
The swirl of events going on all around me sometimes feel overwhelming. Remember that God is both with me and within me. Quiet my mind in His presence and find peace.

Matthew 28:20

Love you girls! Put on the full armor of Christ daily. (Ephesians 6)

Brighten the World by Reflecting Who God Is

Hello, lovely ladies! I hope you have all had a wonderful summer! Sorry I haven't written you all summer, I'm sure you all know how hectic summer can get! As you all start back to school, I want to share with you this list I made for myself.

We are meant to be beacons of Light to the world: but we can only do so when we are in full communication with God.

1. Trust in Jesus in all my thoughts- I can direct my conscious thoughts to Him. Reject the negative or sinful thoughts; as I become aware of them, confess them to God.
>Luke 1:79
1 John 1:9- "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness"i>

2.Open my heart and mind to receive more and more of God.

John 15:11-I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!blockquote>

3. Stop Worrying and listen to God's voice. Ask the Spirit to quiet my mind so that I can think the Lord's thoughts.

4. Do not be deafened by the noise of the world or by my own thinking. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of my mind.

Romans 12:2- "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect"blockquote>

5. Sit quietly in God's presence, letting His thoughts program my thinking.

Deuteronomy 30:20- "You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This[a] is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”blockquote>

6. Relax in God's presence. He desires to be my intimate friend.

John 15:13- "Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friend."blockquote>

7. When I am real with God, He is able to bring out the best in me: the very gifts He has planted in my soul.

8. Worship God alone. False gods NEVER satisfy.

Exodus 20:4-5

9. The glitter of the world is tinny and temporal. The Light of God's Presence is brilliant and everlasting.

Acts 4:12-"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved"blockquote>

10. When I walk in the Light with God, I become a beacon through whom others are drawn to God.

II Samuel 22:29- "O Lord, you are my lamp.
The Lord lights up my darkness"blockquote>

11. Instead of trying to "fix" myself, fix my gaze on God, the Lover of my soul. Instead of using my energy to judge myself, redirect it to praising God. God sees me clothed in His righteousness, radiant in His perfect love.

Ephesians 2:7-8 "So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God"blockquote>

12. Anxious thoughts meander about and crisscross in my brain, but trusting God brings me directly to His presence.

Psalm 62:8; Matthew 6:34; II Corinthians 12:9

13. Self-Pity is a slimy, bottomless pit. My only hope is to look up and see the Light of God's Presence shining down on me. Though the light looks dim, deep in the pit, those rays of hope can reach me at any depth.

Psalm 40:2-3; Psalm 42:5; Psalm 147:11

14. Ask God to open my eyes so I can find Him everywhere. The more aware I am of His presence, the safer I feel.

Acts 17:27-28

15. Bring God all my feelings, even the ones I wish I didn't have.

16. Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin.

1 John 1:5-7; Isaiah 12:2

17. The deepest yearnings of my heart are for intimacy with God. He designed us to desire Him.

Psalm 42:1-2

18. Don' tbe afraid to be different from other people. The path God has called me to travel is exquisitely right for me. The more closely I follow His leading, the more fully He can develop my gifts.

19. To Follow God whole-heartedly, I must relinquish my desire to please other people.

Philippians 2:15

20. Rest in God's Presence when in need of refreshment. God wants me to lean on Hmi, trust in Him, and be conident in Him.

Isaiah 30:15; Proverbs 3:5-6

21. Find freedom through seeking to please God above all else.

Ephesians 5:8-10

22. I can only have one Master. I can't let others expectations and the desire to look good control me.

Matthew 23:8

23. God desires His followers to be light bearers. Ask the Spirit to live through me.

II Corinthians 3:18; John 8:12; Matthew 5:14-16

Blessings in Disguise

Hello, beautiful Daughters of Christ! :)
I have to tell you all about my day! It goes perfectly with what we talked about yesterday. I am completely overwhelmed by God's grace and lovingkindness.

So, today. I had this plan. I was going to get up, go to the gym, take a shower, get my books at the book store for Northwest, have lunch with my mom, then go to Wal Mart. Well, I go to get my books at Northwest and I got really turned around and couldn't find the book store. I was flustered, because I felt stupid. Then, at lunch, Mom goes with me to find it. We found it, but it was closed from noon to one. It was 12:45. I said to my mom "For once, can't I just have a simple day." Little did I know that God had planned a much bigger blessing for me than I had anticipated.

I go to wal mart. Get my stuff. Get in line behind these two women(I must assume mother and daughter) and seriously y'all I stood behind them in line for 20 minutes. I was abnormally patient though, and I waited it out. The older woman started talking to me, and we had a pleasant conversation. She was very sweet.

Then, I get my groceries checked out, head to northwest. While I was going in, I ran into a very good friend of mine that I haven't seen since Christmas, Hillary Young. It was such a blessing because when she saw me she lit up so much. (I've been feeling a little unwanted and unloved lately.) She truly truly was so excited to see me. That was such a blessing and encouragement. God had much bigger plans for my day!

After I get my books, I go over to the NWCC police station to get my ID made. Well, I get in there, and the two SWEETEST men are working. They start asking me about my major, I told them that I am special education. And they just. Lit up. They said they could tell from my smile that I was a special person when I walked in the room, and how kind I was to them. We talked for a good 15 minutes. They were saying how blessed I am to be at Union and how they could see God's plan was carefully mapped out for my life (I told them I got a lot of scholarships because they asked how I paid for Union) and that He had a special plan for me. He was looking out for me.

I just thought "I have to go home and tell my precious sisters in Christ about this!" It's so wonderful, that we can't even see how BIG His plan is, and if we just submit, how much He wants to bless us. I'm encouraged by God's grace. How beautiful is our Savior!