Encouragement

I am currently taking Bible Basis of Missions and 1 Corinthians. I cannot tell you how awesome these classes have been! I feel like I say that about all of my classes, and honestly, I really think it has been true. I have learned so much and my outlook on the Word and how I read it has changed so drastically since I arrived here. It has been so good. :) God has been breaking down wrong thinking in my life and continues to do so. These classes have definitely helped. They have got my mind thinking about things and how God views the things that I do. We have been challenged in 1 Corinthians over and over again to live in view of the Kingdom. This isn't something I really feel that I do. I know that it's coming. I know that I will have a place in it. I know that God gave me freedom so that He could reign in my life and so that I would be free to serve others and show His life in my own. Yet my own life has not reflected this very often. My own life has been centered on the here and now. God is revealing truth to me. I am seeing my need and realizing more and more how much I need Him. The more I learn, the more I realize my need for Him and for His indwelling. How wonderful that He DOES indwell me!

On another note, my mom is on her first overseas mission trip right now. She is such an encouragement to me. If you know my mom, then you would understand why. It's so neat to see how she is trusting God, how she is stepping out to be involved in God's Work around the world and knowing by faith that He is going to show up. All of this is just so encouraging. A lot of people take on the attitude of "well, you have to be in your twenties to do overseas mission work. Anything older than that is pointless." Mom doesn't have that attitude. She is taking the moments as they come and giving God what time she does have. Thank you Momma for your desire to follow God even when it scares you, even when it's unlike anything you've ever done before. He is a great and mighty God!

I have been so blessed here at school with so many encouraging friendships. I have been able to have several people speak truth into my life, encourage me to walk in the truth that I know, pray for me, and so many other things. I have watched people back home praying for me, encouraging me, giving to me, and so many more things. A few weeks ago I was feeling very discouraged, very disconnected from the church body. God has answered my prayer and encouraged my heart. Thank you for those of you that He used to do so, for letting Him encourage me through you. Thank you so much.

Looking Back

It's the end of the year sprint to get everything done before graduation. I'm going to miss this place, but the journey is the destination and I'm excited for what this summer will bring. It's an interesting thing to look back over the past 5 months and see how relationships have changed and how people have changed. It's crazy to see how I have changed!! God is really at work here and I honeslty couldn't be more grateful to all the staff that have made my time meaningful, people who have taken the time to invest in friendships with me and to correct me when I'm wrong. Praise be to God!

On a different note...
I have been memorizing verses all day long. I already completed all of my Proverbs verses and am now working on my OTH (Old Testament History) verse. In the spirit of practice, let me type it for you here. :)

2 Samuel 7:18, 20-24, 28
Then David the king went in and sat before the LORD, and he said, "Who am I, O Lord GOD, and what is my house, that You have brought me this far? Again what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O Lord GOD! For the sake of Your word, and according to Your own heart, You have done all this greatness to let Your servant know. For this reason You are great, O Lord GOD; for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears. And what one nation on the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for Himself as a people and to make a name for Himself, and to do a great thing for You and awesome things for Your land, before Your people whom You have redeemed for Yourself from Egypt, from nations and their gods? For You have established for Yourself Your people Israel as Your own people forever, and You, O LORD, have become their God...Now, O Lord God, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant."

I'm no good at verse memorization...