Friday, October 22, 2010

2


Since I last wrote it seems like things just continue to get more and more crazy and busy! But that’s okay because I enjoy it :)
God has been teaching and showing me numerous things this past month. Where to begin.

I’ll start with something that God has drastically changed my heart for. There is an estimated 143 million orphans in the world. 143 million. Let me tell you about someone. Katie is a 21 year old single woman who lives in Uganda, Africa, and has 14 children. She feeds them, bathes them, takes care of them, and loves them, these children are her life. These children are also adopted. Katie left everything she was comfortable with back in her home town of Brentwood, TN and Katie lives her life for Christ; she obeys Him even when it is tough, and even when she thinks she can’t go on. Her job is simply to love. Her story has affected my life. Just as Katie has adopted those beautiful Ugandan children, God has adopted me; I am His child through the sacrifice of His only Son, Jesus Christ. He loves me and takes care of me; He is the only thing I will ever need. He is my Father, and I love Him. And because of His unconditional love for me, I want to adopt and love because He adopted me and He showed me love. It’s so hard to describe how much my heart has been changed toward this, sometimes I just think we as people do not remotely understand how blessed we are. I recommend you read Katie’s blog, http://kissesfromkatie.blogspot.com/, and pray for an open heart to let God change it.

Also God has shown me the blessedness of possessing nothing, through reading The Pursuit of God by A. W. Tozer in our afternoon sessions of Trek-X. Through struggles with my dad battling cancer and surviving financially, I have come to terms with possessing nothing. Every single day, I am reminded that all I need is Christ, and nothing else. I don’t need the vehicle I drive, I don’t need the bed I sleep in, I don’t need the roof over my head, but God has blessed and provided me with these mundane things. I’m continually striving to not put my worth in the things of this world, but put my everything in Christ. Honestly, it’s difficult and I know it won’t get easier, but through prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit I know I can get through it.

These are just a few things that have been consuming my mind and I challenge you to look at your life and determine what you put your values in and whether or not they align with the American dream or the Kingdom dream. I pray that you would have the boldness and the faith to cut anything out of your life that hinders your walk with Christ. Write again soon, many blessings :)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

1

Yesterday was the official 1 monthiversary of being here in Nashville! There have been so many things going on and everything has been busy! This is the beginning first year of the entire Trek-X program, so we have really been trying to get the schedule in place this past month and settle all the small details. I'm hoping to get started doing this blog daily, but we'll just have to see with that ;)
Every morning from 9:15 to 10ish, although we hardly ever end at 10 it's always later than that, we have Spiritual Disciplines; which include the simple things like reading the Bible, prayer time, and memorizing Scripture (RPM.) Then on Tuesday and Thursday from 1 to 3ish, again we hardly ever end on time but I love it, we study in theology, worldview, religion and cults, and doctrine. But I'll get more detailed about all of that in a soon blog. On top of it all I'm getting my Bachelors degree in accounting online with Liberty University, so I throw all my school work in that schedule sometime whenever I can.
Overall Trek-X has been great! All the information I've been given is starting to well up and overflow. I'm just so excited to get to share with anyone about what all God is doing in my life; it seems like my conversations always come back to Him which is awesome and something I've hardly ever experienced. I can definitely see the changes He is making in my life, all for His glory.
We are involved with a ministry called, First Priority, which is similar to local schools FCS or FCA. We are partnered with other students from the area that are in a program similar to Trek-X only in a shorter period of time. Sometimes people are amazed that this is a 4 year program, but I'm at the point where I don't look at it like that. This is 4 years that I can be changed and stretched by God to further His Kingdom. If this were a 6 or 8 year program I would still do it, I know God planned for me to be here. I'm just looking at the bigger picture. If it means giving up the college experience and leaving things I am comfortable with to further God's glory, by all means that is what I am going to do. And that is something that has been on my heart so much lately; the comfortableness with everything. Possessions, location, status, etc,. I am striving not to be so comfortable with things, I don't want to be. My prayer is to have boldness just like Peter and John in Acts 4. 
I will write soon about the numerous things that God is doing here and the numerous things God has going on in my heart. There is just too much for one post :)

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Trek-X

"Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies--in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." 1 Peter 4:8-11