Contentment

I have been experiencing something pretty unusual for me.

I am content.

I am completely happy where God has me right now.

Maybe its because I know that I will be in India soon (can't wait for this summer!!!) or maybe its because I'm finally truly trusting in God's plan for me and seeing the good that is coming from waiting on His timing.

But I am happy being here.

I don't usually feel this way. I am an impatient person. When I figured out the summer before my senior year of high school that India is where I'm supposed to be, that's where I wanted to be. Right then. God had other plans.

He didn't want me to go that Christmas, I don't know why. I do know that by waiting, when I did go, it was everything that I had hoped and thought that it would be and so much more. Maybe He knew that if I went that Christmas, I would be going even more crazy waiting to go back than I am right now. I don't know, but I do know that His way is best.

But now I have been. I now I want to go back so bad sometimes, it hurts.

A few of my friends are trying so hard right now to figure out what they're majors will be and what they will do with their lives. I know what to do with my life. I have known for a while now and its hard not being able to do it.

But I trust.

I trust that there is a reason that I'm supposed to be here right now. I trust that there are things that I am learning that will be so important when my time to go finally comes. I just trust.

I've been learning and growing so much in the past few months, it blows my mind. I have so many amazing people pouring into my life in so many different ways. I get to be a small part of several wonderful families from the Summit and get to spend hours loving and being loved by some of the cutest children in the world. When I show up at the Greear's house, little RL comes running to me with the biggest smile on her face. And I have the absolute best parents in the world and the greatest siblings a girl could ask for.

I can't wait to go to India, both this summer and for however long after I graduate, but for now, God wants me here and I am happy to be here.

You Hold Me Now

This is another of my favorite songs. We've sung it a couple of times in Cornerstone, always making me tear up, and I never knew who it was by. Of course, its by Hillsong- who else?

You Hold Me Now 

 

On that day when I see
All that You have for me
When I see You face to face
There surrounded by Your grace
All my fears swept away
In the light of Your embrace
Where Your love is all I need
And forever I am free

Where the streets are made of gold
In Your presence healed and whole
Let the songs of heaven
Rise to You alone

No weeping no hurt or pain
No suffering You hold me now
You hold me now
No darkness no sick or lame
No hiding You hold me now
You hold me now

 In this life I will stand
Through my joy and my pain
Knowing there's a greater day
There's a hope that never fails
Where Your Name is lifted high
And forever praises rise
For the glory of Your Name
I'm believing for the day

 Where the wars and violence cease
All creation lives in peace
Let the songs of heaven
Rise to You alone

 For eternity
All my heart will give
All the glory to Your Name

How I read the Bible

I was thinking the other day about how I read the Bible. I listen to people talk about how they long to be in the Word and learn so much during their time with God and can find such deep truths in the simplest verses, and it got me thinking...

Why don't I feel like that towards the Bible?

I spend time reading the Bible. I have been good about having my daily quiet time. I would read a chapter from whatever book of the Bible I was in at the time, read a Psalm, and then pray. 

But I never longed to read the Bible.

It's what I do in the morning while I eat my breakfast. 

It's what I do because I know that I should.

It's what I do because I honestly love spending my time in the morning with God and can completely tell a difference in my day if for some reason I missed a morning. 

But I wouldn't say that I love the Bible. 

And I think that I know why. 

I tend to read the Bible the way that I read my books for school, not the way that I read my books for fun. There is a complete difference in the two. 

My school books I read out of obligation. Even when I enjoy them and find them interesting, I don't love reading them, I don't read ahead of the assigned reading because I'm dieing to find out something new about rocks (I'm taking goel 101). 

I read what I have to, but no more. 

With the books that I read because I want to, its completely different. When I was reading Harry Potter for the first time, I would stay up till like 1 in the morning reading, nevermind that I had to get up at 6 for school the next day. I couldn't wait to get home and be done with my school work so that I could sit up in my room and read. I would turn off the TV and instead read. 

Why do I get more excited about reading Harry Potter than I do the Word of God?

I think that I read the Bible the way that I read for school. I might enjoy it and I definitely learn from it, but I don't do it for fun. I don't sit down in my spare time to pick up my Bible and do some pleasure reading in Leviticus.

I think that I put a lot of pressure on myself, I tend to think that if I don't find some life-changing theology in every verse, than I'm not working hard enough.

I turn it into a chore, instead of a joy. 

So, I'm trying something new. I'm just reading. I'm starting in Genesis and I'm just reading. If something jumps out at me, I write it down, but I'm not stressing myself out about how much I read or what I get out of what I read. I just read. 

I hope to get all the way through during this year, but I'm not going to stress out over following a schedule. The other day, I read one chapter, today I read 6. 

And I'm enjoying it!

Maybe this is something that you can relate to. If so, I would love to hear what you think, things that you have been thinking about or praying about.

This is what I'm trying, I'll let you know how it goes.

If you would pray for me, that I would develop a true love and joy in God's Word, I would appreciate it!!

Will you join me tomorrow?

"Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me."

Matthew 25:40

What will your lunch be tomorrow? Do you buy lunch? How much will it cost?

A meal at Bottom of Lenoir can cost more than 6$. A lunch with your meal plan costs about $8. 

For one meal.

One of the bloggers that I follow, Building the Blocks, has asked that tomorrow, we join her daughter in giving up our lunch tomorrow and donating that money instead to Adami Tulu preschool in Ethiopia. The school runs a feeding program for the local children. $3 can feed a child for a month. 

$3!!

That's it! Just $3 and a child will be fed for a whole month. A child who otherwise would not eat or would not eat well. All it will take to change a child's life is just one lunch.

I will be joining Amy and her daughter tomorrow and sending my lunch money to Lifesong. 

Will you??

You can get more information about One Day, One Lunch on Amy's blog here. If you would like to join, you can make an online donation or mail a check to Lifesong for Orphans. 

Online: http://www.lifesongfororphans.org/donation.html and indicate **Adami Tulu Preschool 

Or mail it to:

Lifesong for Orphans
PO Box 40
Gridley, IL 61744
For the Adami Tulu Preschool

One meal, that's all it takes.

 **Ok I read that post wrong haha and thought it was tomorrow, it actually was today, but that doesn't really matter does it? I'm doing it tomorrow and so should you!!**

I absolutely loved this verse!

I wanted to share one of the passages that we talked about at my small group tonight. It blew me away!

God, speaking about His lost children- every one of us.



"I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord GOD. I will seek the lost and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat, and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice." ~Ezekiel 34:15-16

Why we have to talk about it

I just want to take a second and explain a little bit about why I talk about boys and getting married on here so much.

Apparently, I've freaked my mom out a little bit cause she thinks that I'm really scared that I'm never going to get married. So I just want to talk about that for a second.

I'm not always worried, anymore. Some days I freak out about. Some days I get totally terrified about the thought of moving to India all alone. Some days I am totally worried. But on those days, I remind myself that God is in control of my life. He knew how my life was going to go long before the day I was born. He has a fantastic plan for my life and all I have to do is trust Him.

But.

That is so much easier said than done. ESPECIALLY in today's church. It is easy to get freaked out when I look around and see the shortage of men around me. (and I'm not just talking about at Carolina- that is a completely different problem) I'm not saying that all the guys in the church are wimps or anything like that AT ALL. I know great Christian guys who are going to be wonderful husbands and strong leaders. But, it just doesn't seem like there are enough of them. Or they won't take the initiative in the relationship. Or, for me, they don't want to go overseas.

I'm not trying to bash on the guys in Cornerstone or at Summit, like I said, I know some really great guys in both.

What I'm saying is that this is an issue that we are scared about. Girls my age are worried that there isn't going to be strong Christian men to go around.

We're scared.

But nobody wants to talk about it.


We NEED to talk about it. We can't carry it around inside or the worry and fear is going to build up and become an idol. That's what happened to me and that's why I talk about it so much.

I don't have a solution to the problem that we are facing. I am trying desperately to trust God with my life and my future. It's a day by day process.

What I do know is that this is something that we girls need to talk about. Girls need to know that they aren't the only ones who are scared about this. We need to know that its normal, but that it doesn't have to consume us. That there is a way out. A way to find peace about the fact that we may be single.

So I'm going to keep writing about it. Because I hope that by doing so, I will be able to encourage someone who is struggling through what I am going through and help them find a peace in our Father and to rest in His promises.

Oh Lenior...

Tuesday 2-1-11

I mean, they can't mess up waffles that you make yourself right?? This was Lindsey's dinner in Tuesday. It actually looks good, I kinda want one now.