See You Later

Tonight I had to say good-bye to Emily. She leaves for El Salvador in a few hours (well more like 8, but they have to leave for the airport in 4 and an half). It's hard having such a good friend being so many miles apart!
We were talking today after service what one the thing you are nervous about. Her reply, the plane will crash or something and she will die or be stranded on an island. As we embraced for the last time (at least till she come back) it kinda made me wonder what if this is the last time I get to see her? As I rode home I began to think about the sermon (which was over Christ's return), and time is running out. It is estimated that every second 1.72 people die and go to hell. That's 103 people per minute!!! The last command Christ gave on this earth was to tell everyone about Him. These past 6 months, God had really shown me just how important that is. The kid at our school who died wasn't a Christian. What if someone would have taken the time to share Christ's love with Him. What if? As I go through High School I don't want my mind to be filled with regrets and What ifs? I want to serve Christ in all I do. I want to be a light in the dark hallways. My prayer for you and myself is that you will shine and show Christ love to all you meet. After all, you never know if that's the last time you'll see them.

Awesome God

Our God is an awesome God. His beauty is displayed everywhere I look, from snow-covered trees, to the early morning sunrises on the way to school. All a reminder of how beautiful and awesome He is. No matter what may come my way, Hi is in control. Death and destruction are so prevalent in this world, it's comforting to know that someone is watching over us. He reigns with power and love.

So often, when we think of Christ, we think of a man hanging on the cross who is tired, sore, weak, or a man with his hands folded looking up, quiet and meek. Those two pictures don't truly captive the power God has. Christ is coming back, not as a babe in a manger, but to rule this world. So often we don't realize what a might God we serve. He is so powerful He created the stars in the sky, controls the sea and wind, and even overcame death. Yet so loving He come into this world of sin, suffered, and died for us. He knows every deep dark secret of our hearts, every thought we have ever thought, and every move we have ever made, but he still LOVES us. Don't we serve an awesome God?

So much going on!!!

Today was a hard day-the stress of life has taken it's toll on me. I was at a point today where all I could do was pray. Couldn't really constrate, couldn't read, just pray. There is so much going on right now between my grandparents possibly going back down to New Orleans, the death of Zach is still fresh in the school, Whitney leaving and so many other petty things. But even though my mind was kinda distracted today, I knew God was, is, and will alwas be in control. He has a plan and a reason for all of this. I may never know what, but He does. I can take comfort that my Daddy King is watching over me and cares for me.

Until We Meet Again

Wow, another one gone. Today my friends and family met to prayer over a good friend, Whitney, who will be going to Sudan to be a missionary. Like everyone else I have groups of friends, "Church friends", "School Friends", "Best Friends", "Swim Friends", and so on. Well after today, this pretty much completes all of the groups (at least the ones with Christians apart of them) having a missionary in them. I get tired of constantly saying good-bye, but that is part of being surrounded by missionaries.
God has taught me so much about Himself through having loved ones be missionaries. I have learned to trust Him. Trust Him for security and protection for my friends and family. Me being here and them being thousands of miles away being warriors for Christ,there isn't anything physically I can do to protect them. But that's ok, because there is another part of the battle I can fight. I can pray for them and encourage them. Besides "our battles are not against flesh and blood, but principalities of the dark". As another friend goes off to fight for Christ, I know I will continue to pray, and fight here on my knees!

Good From death?

Death strikes again, and once again it has caused me to examine my life. What if my purpose for being here? Am I really living for Christ? Questions like these run through my head. The sad news of Zach Gamble dieing reached myself and the rest of he swim team today during the meet. During the 500 we all went into a room and talked about it. we were torn at the loss of a student and a friend to many of us. As tears ran down our faces, we held each other close. I got a nagging in my heart, one of those nagging from the Holy Spirit. "We need to pray for his family". I looked over at my friend and whispered if she would join me in praying for them. To my relief she nodded she head yes. I made a brief announcement that we would be praying for his family if anyone wanted to join us. Then the most amazing thing happened-no one left, ever single person stayed. I know there are girls on the team who are not saved-some even claim to be atheists. I know seeds were planted today, and God is up in heaven smiling. It was nice to be able to pray. Upon joining the swim team (actually the main purpose I joined) was to witness to the girls. Everyday I come into contact with so many people who do not know Jesus. I am developing relationships with these people and because of those relationships I am able to witness to them. God has truly blessed me in the fact that I go to public school. I have a chance to get into the gov. system of education and make a stand for Christ! I encourage you to witness to those around you. You could be the difference between someone spending forever in Heaven or Hell!

A Struggle

Beauty has always been a struggle for me. I grew up hearing, "Your ugly", "Your fat", "You don't dress right". Those words came from peers, classmates, and even my best friend. The stung too-it cut like a knife right through my heart. However, I was able to put all of this behind me, at least for a while. Once middle school hit I lost the weight. But as the pounds were lost, so was my self-esteem. My contentment was found in what others thought of my body verses what my creator thought of it. I got to the point where I was constantly looking in the mirror to check to make sure my hair laying just right, or my makeup was ok. I was so dissatisfied in how I looked. It ate my up inside, but I never told anyone, that was until I met Ms. Luke. I ended up meeting here at a retreat, and we talked for hours as I spilt everything. Through her lectures and our conversations I became to know and believe that I was truly was a Daughter of the King. Psalm 45:11 says: The king is enthralled by your beauty;honor him, for he is your lord. My Daddy King loved me for me, in fact He was enthralled by my beauty. The King, Creator and maker of the Universe was enthralled by how beautiful I was. Imagine that. The one who created the world is ENTHRALLED by how beautiful your are. Pimples, freckles, bad hair days, He loves you and thinks you are beautiful. On days when Satan trys to come creeping into my thoughts with reminds of old peers words, I simply say "The King is Enthralled by your beauty, honor Him, for He is your Lord." I don't have to constantly look at myself, I don't spend hours getting ready each morning, I don't have to strive to meet the approval of my peers. I'm not bound anymore. It's been a slow process and some of the wounds are still healing, but I know that I am a Princess, and Daughter of the King. I can be confident in who I am.

Beautiful One

I never had really realized how Beautiful God was until this weekend at winder freeze. I've always liked the song "Beautiful One", but I never really contemplated the meaning of it, or how powerful the lyrics are.

BEAUTIFUL ONE

Wonderful so wonderful is your unfailing love

Your cross is spoken mercy over me

No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no heart can fully know

How glorious, how beautiful you are

Chorus:

Beautiful one I love Beautiful one I adore

Beautiful one my soul must sing

Powerful so powerful your glory fills the skies

Your mighty works displayed for all to see

The beauty of your majesty awakes my heart to sing

How marvelous, how wonderful you are

Chorus(x2)

You opened my eyes to your wonders anew

You captured my heart with this love Jesus

You opened my eyes to your wonders anew

You captured my heart with this love

‘Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as you

Chorus(x3)

My soul, My soul must sing (x3)

Beautiful one x2

How true are those lyrics? I think the phrase that struck me the most was "Cause nothing on earth is as beautiful as you". To fathom that, that nothing on earth comes even close to how beautiful God is. He is so beautiful we cannot look upon him directly. The implication that nothing on earth is a beautiful as Him, he is more beautiful than a breath-taking sunset in Hawaii, the beach in Cancun, or the sunrise on the mountains. If you close your eyes, and think of the most beautiful thing you have ever seen, then multiply that by a million, you only get a small glimpse of how Beautiful. I hope you take time today to thank God for his beauty, and delight in it as well!