Dance

Check out the dance that a few friends and I are doing for the talent show here at school...minus some of the hip shaking!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7AuQKFlhXI

Encouragement

Last night I had the privilege of hearing some missionaries from PNG speak. Sometimes I feel like God knows exactly what I need to hear...duh, He's God. But sometimes it's so recognizable as a gift, you know? This missionary was encouraging us not to give up. He wanted us to commit to the task at hand and go wherever we were sent. He kept saying how much potential we had and that God was going to do great things through us. He also told us that some of us would probably die on the field. I know this probably doesn't sound encouraging, but when you hear someone being completely upfront, honest, and real about what lies before you; I don't know, but it gives me a sort of peace. I sat in a room with about 20 other students committed to overseas missions. That's just awesome. We're going. The missionary kept saying that it was now up to our generation and I kept thinking, "I can't believe God wants to use me. Isn't that just amazing? Isn't God just so great. Thank You God, for working in and through me." My generation is the "driving force." And of course by that I mean that God is the driving force but He is using my generation as His empty vessels. How will I be a part of that? How will we all partner with God in what He is doing overseas? How will you? Will it be through prayer, earnestly lifting up your brothers and sisters to Him? Will it be through giving, being the vessel God uses to bring finances to the field in order to spread the Gospel? Will it be by going? All parts are needed. Where does HE want me? Where does HE want you? Whatever it is, we need to commit faithfully to whatever part God has given us in completing His task of every tongue and every nation praising His name. And isn't it so awesome that He wants to use us?? Our God is so good.

Quote

"Norman Bouty writes, 'If I am to be like Him, then God in His grace must do it, and the sooner I come to recognize it the sooner I will be delivered from another form of bondage. Throw down every endeavor and say, I cannot do it, the more I try the farther I get from His likeness. What shall I do? Ah, the Holy Spirit says, You cannot do it; just withdraw; come out of it. You have been in the arena, you have been endeavoring, you are a failure, come out and sit down, and as you sit there behold Him, look at Him. Don't try to be like Him, just look at Him. Just be occupied with Him. Forget about trying to be like Him. Instead of letting that fill your mind and heart, let Him fill it. Just behold Him, look upon Him through the Word. Come to the Word for one purpose and that is to meet the Lord. Not to get your mind crammed full of things about the sacred Word, but come to it to meet the Lord. Make it to be a medium, not of Biblical scholarship, but of fellowship with Christ. Behold the Lord.'"

The Complete Green Letters by Miles J. Stanford

I've been tagged by Stephanie in a little game called "Eights".

8 things I am looking forward to:

1. Seeing my family again. While I love school, it's always nice to see them.
2. Green Letters next week. It's one of my favorite days.
3. Next semester! I'm going to miss being here!
4. MTC. I can't wait for the next stage of training.
5. Getting a tan. I am incredibly white at the moment...
6. Our talent night on Saturday. I'm doing a dance with some friends and it's going to be AWESOME!
7. All of the weddings I get to go to this summer. I'm so excited for everyone!!
8. Being done with homework. I want to really get down and teach myself greek this summer...as well as so many other things. I REALLY want to make a comprehensive outline of the Bible...a very detailed one...

8 things I did yesterday:

1. Went to class
2. Had turkey meatloaf that was more like a baked salad
3. Ate hummus and liked it!
4. Went to youth group
5. Did an awful job speaking in youth group
6. Bought icing and angel food cake (to be eaten separately) to be my comfort foods
7. Practiced our dance for the talent show
8. Cried to my momma and daddy

8 things I wish:

I find that this is not a good thing for me to do. I try not to wish or dream in these ways so that I don't get myself disappointed or unhappy with where I am today.

8 shows I watch:
Man, I'm at Bible School! So...let me try to come up with some.

Fringe
House
American Idol
Lie to Me
Psych

Yeah, that's all I got.

I'm supposed to tag people, but I don't even know of 8 people who read this, so I'll just leave it at that. :) Love you all who do read!

Lessons

Within the past few days I have learned...

- Sunburns actually hurt. But mine turn into tan fairly quickly. :)

- I do not like sushi. The smell alone makes my stomach turn.

- I do not like caviar. They get stuck in your teeth and taste like fish water. Gross.

- Things get spread like wildfire at this school! And it's no fun for people to be talking about you, even if it's over something as small as the length of your paper.

- People are not perfect, but I'm learning so much to love them anyways! I'm not perfect either!!

- High school Musical Dances are not good for only three people to perform with no set. However, the dance from Slumdog Millionaire is fantastic, especially at a school focused on tribal missions. :)

- In the midst of trouble, my attitude is not perfect. I need to depend on Him for guidance and adopt His attitude and His way of looking at things.

Grace

When I was little, I thought that my father was the most amazing man in the world. I think most girls go through that phase. As I got older, I soon began to realize that he is not perfect. This was a big shock to me. My dad is supposed to be perfect!

Sometimes I think we have that attitude when we recall stories in the Bible. These great Bible characters: Moses, Jacob, Joshua, they were all such Godly men. We idealize them in our minds. Going through the Old Testament it is so nice to continue to realize that these men made mistakes. Mistakes they shouldn't have made. They would live lives full of faith until perhaps the end or maybe they would just have sporadic sin, but they were not perfect. Yet God is a God of grace. He doesn't expect perfection, but dependence and obedience.

There are times when I feel like I need to get something completely right, learn this lesson and never fail again. This is about me, not God. God will continue to teach me in His timing. The only thing that I need to concern myself with is my dependence on Him.

Meditation

I'm learning more and more. I'm watching God and His patience with me. I'm learning patience...no really, I am. I'm learning contentment with where I am. Key word here is LEARNING. I'm learning that I will not be perfect every timel I will walk in the flesh. But I'm recognizing more and more when I do and able to reconcile with God. God has truly blessed me to be here and I could't think of anywhere else I'd rather be than right where He wants me. I think I'm learning just as much outside of the classroom (if not more) than inside.

Today was the Day of Prayer. I love Day of Prayer...mainly because I have so far to go in that area of my life...just like every other area of my life. We got to go into the staff houses and pray for missionaries in specific countries. I went to the Keen's and prayed for PNG. There is something so encouraging about praying for missionaries...intentionally lifting them up in prayer and thinking about them and what they're going through. It's an awesome way to encourage our brothers and sisters in Him.

Speaking of prayer, my cousin just had a baby, Sophie Elizabeth (how cute!) and she was 5 week premature. Pray that she would continue to develop and be strong and ready to come home soon!