Are you fighting for Love?

John 13:35 says, " By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” 

This is a rather challenging verse. The world will know that we are followers of Jesus Christ just by LOVING ONE ANOTHER?!?! How many times a day do we find ourselves harboring anger or frustration or even hatred for another person? Not that we would blatantly come out and tell someone that we don't love them or that we hate them, but how are we showing Christ's love to one another? 

This is such a hard concept to grasp, for myself especially, because there are certainly people that I flat out don't want to love. But this is disobedience to the King of Kings because our witness to Christ comes from loving those around us...especially those that are so hard to love. 

God sent his only Son for us out of True Love, if He did this, we should be sacrificing to love others as well. Don't get me wrong, I am preaching to myself here too! My very, very good friend posted a music video from Warren Barfield on her Facebook page yesterday and it is just speaking to my heart as I repeatedly listen to it. The lyrics to the chorus are beautiful and inspiring: 

"Love is a shelter in a raging storm; Love is a peace in a middle of a war, and if we try to leave may God send angels to guard the door.No, love is not a fight, but is something worth fighting for."

Take this song as a challenge (I will too). What will you do today to show the love of Christ? Are you fighting to love those people who have hurt you in the past, or those people that just plain, drive you crazy!? God has called us to love one another, no matter what the circumstance. Listen to this song and let it speak to your heart. Maybe you will be called to love someone today that you didn't think you could...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v​=rwK73QbNPKo&ob=av2e

 

Is that excitement in the air?!

As I write this morning, I find myself rather excited for something that could be beginning...

My wonderful mom (Clinical Nurse Leader for Labor and Delivery @ St. Joe's, Ann Arbor), started telling me about a young nurse that she works with. This special young woman has had a great deal of experiences in her life and has decided to look more at Nutrition to help young girls learn how to live a healthy lifestyle while loving the bodies that God blessed them with! Sound familiar?! (If you know me at all, it should!) So as quickly as I could, I found this young lady on Facebook and we have begun a great discussion about how God is working and moving in our lives...leading us to paths that we didn't really expect. I found her blog (which you should all check out, it's AWESOME) and can see that she is passionate and excited about where the Lord is leading her. While I am still unsure about if this is exactly what God wants me to do, I know that he will provide opportunities to learn and grow...and provide the money to pay back my student loans (which seems to be the biggest thing on my mind these days). I don't know what will happen...this young woman and I are going to try and get coffee to meet face-to-face and start discussing what God has placed on our hearts. Who knows, maybe in the next few years I will be going back to school to become a nutritionist. Or maybe this lovely young woman and I will be working together to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ through healthy living to young girls. It seems scary to think that there are all these opportunities that could be beginning, but I know that whatever it is that I'm doing, I will do it to the best of my ability because I am serving the Lord. 

View her blog at: http://www.dashingdish.com/

Who Am I?

The lyrics to a popular Casting Crowns song comes to mind this morning as I sit and contemplate the distance that has grown between myself and my God. 

"Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I?
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart."

Last night my mom and I went to an intergenerational church event for women called "True Love." While I was hesitant to go, I went because I wanted to spend some quality time with my mom and I must say, it was good food for my soul. This summer has been very challenging spiritually as I find myself pulling away from my relationship with God. There have been times in which I feel the Holy Spirit nudging me to read my Bible or devotional as it sits on my bedside stand...and selfishly, I find myself putting a movie on my computer as I fall asleep instead. Or when a friend texts me with a prayer request, I say a quick 30-seconder that will cover what I already know God knows. But why can't I stop everything I am doing and take 5 or 10 minutes to pray for that friend? 

When I find myself reflecting over the summer thus far, I can't help but think that the Lord must be rather disappointed in me. I haven't help up my end of the bargain...I haven't been faithful in my prayer time, I've had a bad attitude and often times, a dirty mouth, I've continued sins that I know I need to stop, and I haven't even read my Bible since sometime at the beginning of June! I have found myself making every excuse and I am realizing that enough is enough. Yes, I am broken and wounded and have more flaws than I can begin to describe, and yet, the Creator of the universe loves me as His precious bride no matter what. When I am the most sinful and scary, He still loves me. When I wake up in the morning and look like crap, He still loves me. When I yell at my parents for annoying me, He still loves me. No matter what, the Father still looks upon me with the unconditional love that most of us humans will never comprehend. I certainly did not do anything to deserve such love. 

Be encouraged today. If you have fallen away from your relationship with Jesus Christ, you are not alone. If you feel guilty and broken inside, turn your eyes upon Jesus and look full in his wonderful face. You are redeemed by the Blood of the Lamb. 

Learning Important Lessons

It's been a while since I've written a new post...but I've been soaking up a lot of things and learning from several experiences in the past couple weeks. Since I am a professional at making lists (which you learned quickly in my first post), I will put these life lessons into a list too... :) 

First: Life is short. There was a scare in my sister's family when they almost lost someone very young with two small children. I quickly began to think about the fragility of life. Anything can happen at anytime. And while God is sovereign, things still happen that can be painful and/or unexpected. If life is that fragile, why aren't we living it like it's our last day? This is hard for someone like me to swallow because I am the non-spontaneous, fearful type that doesn't like to try anything new...besides kayaking or shooting a crossbow that is. But I am continuously learning....don't say no to hang out with people just because, well, you're tired...don't be afraid to roll down the car windows because you don't want your hair to be messed up...sing your heart out in the car, even when people in the car next to you stare and think you're absolutely out of your mind...don't settle back in your chair when Truth needs to be known...Life is just a wind, it comes and it goes quicker than we can realize. I don't want to sound like a Debbie Downer, but as cliched as it sounds, we have to embrace life and truly LIVE it without looking back.

Second: Live like a child. I have spent a lot of time this summer with children and I am learning that adults tend to be...well, boring. I'm not trying to be offensive to those "cool" adults who know how to live it up, but really, children have an appreciation for life that I believe, many times, adults can take for granted. I have decided that it's acceptable to see movies that are meant for children: Zookeeper, Despicable Me, Monte Carlo. [Funny story about the last movie...my best friend and I went to see that movie last week (because we secretly both wanted to see it really bad), we were probably the oldest young ladies in the theater besides the parents that had brought there 10-year old, Selena Gomez fan daughters.]

While babysitting last week, I cranked up the Itsy Bitsy Spider song and danced around, rockin' out with a two-year old on my hip. It was probably the most fun I've had in a while. The challenge for you this week is to look at life through the eyes of a child and have an appreciation for something that you normally would not take time to notice...like the lightning bugs that have come in swarms with this lovely summer weather! Or even, pick out a children's book and read it, let yourself laugh if it's funny, or cry if it's sad. (I recommend "The Blue Day Book for Kids")

Third: Don't look back. We all make mistakes. We all say things we wish we hadn't or do things that were stupid or embarrassing. We can't dwell on the past because it will just consume us, haunt us, hinder us from living life to the fullest. If you have something that is bothering you from the past, confront  it and be done with it (I still have to do this with certain things, too). Life becomes much more exciting and unique when we let ourselves "let go and let God." 

Finally: Take time to absorb wisdom from those older than you. I found myself at our cottage last weekend with five couples ages 54-60+. Now, being 21, this didn't seem like my ideal way to spend my weekend; however, I quickly learned that spending time with these adults was uplifting and such a special experience. I am blessed to have such wise and Christ-like adults in my life, family friends that have touched my life in a unique way. If you don't have anyone like this in your life, find some. Make it a goal to start an intergenerational program at your church or in your community. These couples have had many more life experiences than I have and I learned a lot by just sitting in a room talking with them, or playing Farkle at 11:00 at night with them! What a wonderful weekend it was! 

So, I think that's it for now. Enjoy....and live it up. :)

pain.

You know the saying "pain makes beauty"? Well, that's the biggest lie I have ever heard. The person who coined this phrase had never experienced the pain that I have been feeling the past few days!

A few weeks ago, I did something to my back while I was working out. I'm not quite sure what exactly I did, but I was in a lot of pain for a few days and taking muscle relaxers to help me sleep through the pain and get my back to calm down. Well, since then I have had some mild pain on and off...but now it's back, IN FULL FORCE. I woke up in the middle of the night last night in such pain that I couldn't even move in my bed from one position to another. I would not wish this pain on my worst enemy!

Most of all, I am frustrated because I can't work out and I keep wanting to eat cookies! Can you believe that, even though I am in this much pain, that's what I'm worried about! (laughs) I hate that I can't be at the gym every day because I feel like crap about myself/I don't want to lose the great progress I have been making... and it doesn't help that I end up laying flat on my back every day! In addition, pain makes it hard to be motivated to do any studying/school work that I REALLY need to work on!

I guess what I am trying to say is that your continued prayers for supernatural healing would be greatly appreciated. I'm headed to the chiropractor today for a massage and hopefully an adjustment/electric muscle stimulation. All I know is this, I am trying to find comfort in the Holy Spirit...but, it's really hard to do when one is in such great pain. At this moment, I can admire the strength in so many of those who deal with chronic pain/sickness through their entire lives: may God bless them in a mighty way!

Grateful

Proverbs 27:17
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Good morning and happy Monday! While most Monday's are rather challenging and we typically find them annoying, I find myself grateful this Monday morning. No, I don't really like waking up at 5:15am after a poor night's sleep, but this Monday is different. I have come off a weekend that has shown me how grateful I am for the friends in my life.

This weekend I had friends from out of town visiting and staying in my house for another friend's wedding. Alison and Cara came and spent all weekend with me and my family. I am realizing that even thought I didn't have a large group of friends in high school, that didn't matter because I only talk to a couple of those people anyway. The friends I have made in college have been friends that have changed my life.

This weekend, I was able to talk with my friends about some things that I am struggling with and they were able to talk through it with me. I know that because of their relationships with Christ, I was strengthened this weekend. I see a difference in my attitude and heart when I hang out with my friends from school...they have shown me what it means to love other people, no matter what. Thank you, Alison and Cara for making this past weekend an awesome one. I am glad we were able to spend some quality time together and talk about what's on our hearts.

I challenge you, if you don't have a solid and Christ-like group of friends: find one. It will change your life.

Practicing Parenting

Proverbs 17:6
Children’s children are a crown to the aged, and parents are the pride of their children.

As a fulltime "babysitter" for the summer, I am learning a lot about parenting. ("Babysitter" is such a weird term for me to use since the kids  I "babysit" for are definitely not babies.) Yesterday, I was able to take four kids to Waldenwoods and spend the day observing them in their interactions with each other and the people around us...it was fascinating, to say the least. 

You may be asking what this post is really supposed to portray, and I will tell you that I have seriously learned the importance of the role of the real parent. I am a substitute parent for 10 hours a day. I am responsible for their well-being. It is my job to teach them love and respect (even if that's not evident on a day-to-day basis). I have done a lot of "babysitting" in my life and I am learning several things very quickly:

1. Follow Through: Boundaries must be set for every area, but especially for behavior. If those boundaries are broken with acceptance from the parental figure, they are going to be broken again. Follow through with the consequences for the actions taken. It's not about being the friend; it's about being the solid, reliable figure.

2. Show Affection: Kids, no matter what the age, crave affection and want to know that they are loved and appreciated. Whether it's a hug, a pat on the head, or a back scratch...it matters! When the kids know that I appreciate them and care about them, the day goes much smoother.

Give Positive Feedback: Yes, children have negative consequences for negative behaviors. But what about positive consequences for positive behaviors? The word "consequence" has a negative connotation already; however, the dictionary defines this word as "a result or effect of an action or condition." This means, kids need to know when they are doing things right too! So, if the kids are being good listeners and not arguing, I tell them. For example, the other days, the kids were being so good. They had one little tiff in the morning and that was it (which is epic!), so I took them to Speedway and bought them a slushie! They responded very well... although, I wouldn't recommend making sugary drinks the reward in most situations ;) 

Being the parental figure in a child's life is a really difficult job; don't ever doubt those who care for your children because it's certainly a challenge. I do my best to exhibit behaviors and take on the role of a parent when with the kids I am watching, even if they are hard to love. Now I am beginning to realize why parents have such a special role. AND I have realized how blessed I was/am to have such loving and awesome parents...hopefully someday I will be able to bless them with some grand babies :)

Take pride in your children today. Go out of your way to show them you love them. Back to "babysitting" I go...

Swimming in a Sea of Unknowns

Well, here it goes. My first real attempt at blogging. I will warn from the start: I am an emotional person. I am not doing this to satisfy anyone but myself; getting my thoughts and feelings out there has to be better than bottling them up inside...

As I sit here at the kitchen table of the family I babysit for, I am trying to write a 100 point essay for my class in African American Literature. While this may seem like a simple task for an English minor who has almost finished her coursework (this is a 100 level course, haha), I will tell you otherwise: I cannot focus. It's like I am stuck. I am drowning in a sea of unknowns (as the title of this post makes clear). The thoughts that are clouding my mind are frustrating me, so I have to get them out. The following are the list of unknowns that are mucking up my mind today:

Unknown #1: I have to take a CLEP test in Biology is just over one month. While I am a fairly smart person (no bragging intended), this is rather challenging because I have not taken a Biology course since my sophomore year of high school-that was over five years ago. I haven't started studying for this test yet...and if I don't pass, I don't graduate. How am I going to find the motivation to study, let alone study well enough to pass?

Unknown #2: In sixty-three days, I will embark on the greatest adventure I have ever attempted: I am going to study abroad in a foreign country for three and a half months. As a Spanish major, this is the most incredible opportunity, and I know I will learn more than I can even imagine. However, I don't do well with change. As a matter of fact, change often throws me into a state of great anxiety. In addition, I am the biggest "home-body" on this planet. Leaving home for this amount of time is the greatest step of independence I have ever embarked upon. It's probably more than a step...more like a giant cliff.

Unknown #3: I have no clue where I am going to student teach in the spring following my semester abroad. I want to have the perfect placement, with a teacher that will show me how wonderful it is to be a teacher. What if I end up with a horrible supervising teacher?

Unknown #4: THE BIGGEST UNKNOWN OF ALL. I don't really think I want to teach anymore. As I write this, I somewhat laugh to myself because with one year left until graduation, this seems ridiculous...I know! I have wanted to teach since kindergarten. I was that child who had a desk in her bedroom and my mom bought me a real teacher's grade book to play "pretend" teacher/classroom. I even used to make up the name of my students. You are probably asking, "Why not?! You've come so far!" Trust me, I ask myself the same question. But lately I have felt a new tug on my heartstrings and that tug is pulling me closer to the medical field...don't worry, not a doctor or anything, but in the field of nutrition and dietetics. Obesity and horrible lifestyle habits have started to plague our world and I want to do something about it. The question now becomes: When do I do this? I have been researching some programs and a whole new full-time program with 11 pre-requisite courses becomes difficult for someone who isn't even finished with her first degree. Obviously, I would have to wait a while until I could start this new program, but it's all so unknown. I like to plan and know things ahead of time.

I apologize for this seemingly long and whinny tirade about my whirlwind of a life, but I know that writing these things out will help me filter them out of my brain so I am able to think more clearly about tasks at hand...like writing my paper for my literature course. I know that my life is not in my hands, but in the hands of the Almighty God...but sometimes, it's just really hard to trust Him. I admit that my relationship with Christ has faltered in the past months and I'll be completely honest in saying that right now I am not doing anything about it... maybe that's why everything seems more difficult right now.

As I close with tears in my eyes and frustration in my heart, I am reminded that I am still young. At twenty-one years old, I can do anything that I want. With Christ by my side, I can conquer anything from living in Guatemala for three and a half months to maybe taking an Organic Chemistry class to get my second degree. All these things that seem so big and scary and unknown...they are a grain of sand in God's eyes. So, I will continue to tell myself: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."