There is an epidemic going around.....yet another friend is pregnant. I know that it's the stage of life we are in but seriously how many more people can have a baby? :)
Congrats to Lauren and Jeff! We are really excited for you!
Sorry that I haven't updated on here recently. Life is crazy right now with the first quarter coming to the end. Assessments and plannign have consumed my life so much that haven't done anything but do that!
Fun news though...our church may have finally found land to build our new church on. We vote as a congregation on Sunday and hopefully if the vote passes we will have a new church home. Sadly it will take years to build the sanctuary and therefore we may never see it. We've been thinking a lot about what lays ahead of us after seminary. I'm so very impatient and would like to know now but it is not the time to know. It's all in the Lord's timing and we are willing to follow the Lord where ever He take us.
I'll try and update later after all the papers are graded and the report cards are written. Until then...
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Evidence of the Lord's hand
God is GOOD! Over the last week, I had the privilege to hang out with some of my oldest and dearest friends. Each of them is dealing with different issues but with all of them I could see evidence of how the Lord is using them and stretching them. Right now when my life feels sort mediocre, its awesome to see big ways that the Lord is working. Two of my friends are pregnant and it was really cool to see how the Lord is using their experience to bring them to a greater knowledge of His love, grace, and mercy. I was so encouraged by them and I hope if they are reading this that they know how much they have blessed my life with their stories. I'm praying for both of you.
Their visits have also helped me to examine what the Lord has done in my life. One of my dates was with a friend that I've had since middle school. Our time together showed me how much I have changed and how much my knowledge and love of the Lord as increased in the last 10 years. I am amazed by how much the two of us have grown and how we continue to be friends after all this time. I praise the Lord for lasting friendships built on Him!
Col. 2:2, "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ"
Their visits have also helped me to examine what the Lord has done in my life. One of my dates was with a friend that I've had since middle school. Our time together showed me how much I have changed and how much my knowledge and love of the Lord as increased in the last 10 years. I am amazed by how much the two of us have grown and how we continue to be friends after all this time. I praise the Lord for lasting friendships built on Him!
Col. 2:2, "that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ"
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Totally surprised
Ok so I love surprises but usually I am good at figuring them out before they happen but this time Jeremy pulled one over on me. For weeks I have been wanting to go see the play the Lion King while it was playing here in Raleigh. I thought I was going with my mom but then my dad rearranged his business trip so he could go. It seemed like everyone I talked to was going and the whole time Jeremy kept saying how expensive it was. Little did I know...
Last night I came home from work starting to work on dinner, thinking I had to lead my girls' Bible study in about an hour. As we sat down to dinner and were discussing the evening, one conversation lead to another and Jeremy told me my plans were different than anticipated and we were going downtown to the see the play. I was absolutely shocked and so excited!! So excited in fact that I couldn't finish my dinner.
The play was everything I anticipated and so much more! It brought me back to my childhood as I sang along with the songs and it rekindled my love for Africa. The costumes and setting were amazing! It by far was the best play I've ever seen and definitely worth the late arrival home on a school night.
Jeremy definitely racked up some brownie points on that one! :)
Last night I came home from work starting to work on dinner, thinking I had to lead my girls' Bible study in about an hour. As we sat down to dinner and were discussing the evening, one conversation lead to another and Jeremy told me my plans were different than anticipated and we were going downtown to the see the play. I was absolutely shocked and so excited!! So excited in fact that I couldn't finish my dinner.
The play was everything I anticipated and so much more! It brought me back to my childhood as I sang along with the songs and it rekindled my love for Africa. The costumes and setting were amazing! It by far was the best play I've ever seen and definitely worth the late arrival home on a school night.
Jeremy definitely racked up some brownie points on that one! :)
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Isaiah 55:6
"Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;"
I read this verse during my quiet time today and it just really struck me. What am I doing on a daily basis to seek the Lord? I feel like sometimes I get so stuck on my head knowledge of who God is that I forget that I still need that personal heart knowledge of Him. Do I seek Him on a daily basis? Do I look to know His character like I look to know others personally? The Lord has really convicted me lately that I seek joy and satisfaction in the things of this world rather than in Him... only later to find out that none of those can bring me true satisfaction (which I knew to begin with but still tried). That brings me to my other train of thought...
Does my life radiate the love the Lord? Do I radiate the joy He brings in my life? Am I experiencing the full joy that He brings for that matter? Sadly, I do not feel like. Joy is not based on circumstantial things and I know that I have an everlasting joy from the Lord that is not based on emotions. So many times I rely on my emotions to determine how much joy I have. Philippians 4:4 says to rejoice in the Lord always and that is something that I really need to work on. One thing that I desire most is that my life would lead others to Christ no matter the circumstance.
I read this verse during my quiet time today and it just really struck me. What am I doing on a daily basis to seek the Lord? I feel like sometimes I get so stuck on my head knowledge of who God is that I forget that I still need that personal heart knowledge of Him. Do I seek Him on a daily basis? Do I look to know His character like I look to know others personally? The Lord has really convicted me lately that I seek joy and satisfaction in the things of this world rather than in Him... only later to find out that none of those can bring me true satisfaction (which I knew to begin with but still tried). That brings me to my other train of thought...
Does my life radiate the love the Lord? Do I radiate the joy He brings in my life? Am I experiencing the full joy that He brings for that matter? Sadly, I do not feel like. Joy is not based on circumstantial things and I know that I have an everlasting joy from the Lord that is not based on emotions. So many times I rely on my emotions to determine how much joy I have. Philippians 4:4 says to rejoice in the Lord always and that is something that I really need to work on. One thing that I desire most is that my life would lead others to Christ no matter the circumstance.
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
The best of intentions...
It seems like lately I have the best of intentions to do a lot of things and yet I always fall short. For the last two weeks, I have intended to spend more time in the Word and in prayer and then (like always) I find many other things to occupy my time. I also had all intentions to call some old friends, keep the house clean, stay on top of paper work, prepare for Bible study...the list really just goes on.
Where does my time go? Where are my priorities? Why is it that I can see what I need to do but yet choose to different? Always the best of intentions....
Where does my time go? Where are my priorities? Why is it that I can see what I need to do but yet choose to different? Always the best of intentions....
Sunday, September 17, 2006
The 10 Commandments: Broken
A question to all you out there...How well do you feel like you uphold the 10 commandments? If you thought like I did you probably are saying, I do pretty well...I mean I don't commit adultery, murder, or steal... Today at church, JD's sermon was on rebellion and how people run away from God. He had a checklist printed for us and asked us to be honest with ourselves. As he read through the commandments (including explanation for each of them) I realize how much of a stinky sinner I am. I have never killed a person but I have taken the slightest pleasure in seeing harm done to someone. I have never stolen any material possessions but I have taken credit for something that was not mine. I try to honor my parents but I have disobeyed them one time or another. Though I am believer of Jesus Christ and believe in one true God, I have put other idols in my life that have given God-like status to.
After JD read the checklist, I realized that I have broken every commandments and continue to do so some days without even blinking an eye. Though we all try to do good, we inevitably are sinners. We were born sinners with an evil heart. But luckily there is good news and Jesus came to give us a new heart. Today I am so overwhelmed by the grace that God has given me. I continue to sin daily and He continues to forgive me daily. Who am I that He would love me so much and why do I forget that so often? I take the Lord's grace and mercy for grant so much. I think today was a definite reality check in the fact that I need to be more self-conscious of my actions.
On that same note, the Lord has been convicting me of the idols I have put in my life. Lately the computer has become an idol. As Stefanie pointed out one day, I am addicted to the internet...i.e. email, IM, facebook, blog reading. It has seriously become an addiction in where it is all I want to do. I come in the door and immediately want to get on. I spend more time on the computer than I do reading my Bible or praying. Stef says I need Internet Anononymous and while I laughed when she said it...I beginning to realize the truth in it. I really do have to get away from the computer, so this week I'm making a point to stay off the computer. We'll see how well it goes but for now I leave you with this.....the Lord is good, gracious, and forgiving more than I will ever fully fully comprehend this side of Heaven.
After JD read the checklist, I realized that I have broken every commandments and continue to do so some days without even blinking an eye. Though we all try to do good, we inevitably are sinners. We were born sinners with an evil heart. But luckily there is good news and Jesus came to give us a new heart. Today I am so overwhelmed by the grace that God has given me. I continue to sin daily and He continues to forgive me daily. Who am I that He would love me so much and why do I forget that so often? I take the Lord's grace and mercy for grant so much. I think today was a definite reality check in the fact that I need to be more self-conscious of my actions.
On that same note, the Lord has been convicting me of the idols I have put in my life. Lately the computer has become an idol. As Stefanie pointed out one day, I am addicted to the internet...i.e. email, IM, facebook, blog reading. It has seriously become an addiction in where it is all I want to do. I come in the door and immediately want to get on. I spend more time on the computer than I do reading my Bible or praying. Stef says I need Internet Anononymous and while I laughed when she said it...I beginning to realize the truth in it. I really do have to get away from the computer, so this week I'm making a point to stay off the computer. We'll see how well it goes but for now I leave you with this.....the Lord is good, gracious, and forgiving more than I will ever fully fully comprehend this side of Heaven.
Sunday, September 10, 2006
I want to go back...
Yesterday I had the privilege to spend the afternoon back in Chapel Hill to watch some Carolina football. Thanks to Daddy dearest, Jeremy and I have the honor to attend all the home football games (Except for J didn't go yesterday but that's a different story).
Ok I digressed, anywho...yesterday when we drove into town I realized how much the place has changed in 2 years. First there were like 5 additional dorms down on south campus making the skyline look completely different. Walking around inside the stadium, I soon realized that I didn't recognize the faces around me. Am I really that far removed?
As I sat watching the game and observing the students, I thought about my years at Carolina and how I missed them so much. It's amazing how fast those 4 years went and now how much I really wish I could go back. I know I could go back and do graduate work but it would not be the same. The people would be different, heck I'm different. It's amazing to see how much I've changed since I left there. I'm now in mid 20s, married, and a teacher. Most of my friends are pregnant these days or thinking about it. Some days I feel so old..and I'm only 24. Where the heck is the time going?
My day in CH this weekend really helped me to see that I need to slow down and enjoy the stage I'm in. I'm always so ready to move on but I need to enjoy where the Lord has me now. But still.....I don't want to grow up...
Ok I digressed, anywho...yesterday when we drove into town I realized how much the place has changed in 2 years. First there were like 5 additional dorms down on south campus making the skyline look completely different. Walking around inside the stadium, I soon realized that I didn't recognize the faces around me. Am I really that far removed?
As I sat watching the game and observing the students, I thought about my years at Carolina and how I missed them so much. It's amazing how fast those 4 years went and now how much I really wish I could go back. I know I could go back and do graduate work but it would not be the same. The people would be different, heck I'm different. It's amazing to see how much I've changed since I left there. I'm now in mid 20s, married, and a teacher. Most of my friends are pregnant these days or thinking about it. Some days I feel so old..and I'm only 24. Where the heck is the time going?
My day in CH this weekend really helped me to see that I need to slow down and enjoy the stage I'm in. I'm always so ready to move on but I need to enjoy where the Lord has me now. But still.....I don't want to grow up...
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