Thankful Tuesday

I think it is pivitol to take a moment every day to thank God for everything that He has given me.  I would not be where I am if it weren't for His involvement in my life.  I am so thankful.  Before I ask God for anything, I thank Him for everything.  You should try it!

Thankful Tuesday...

1. My mother!  She does my taxes for me every year.  They seem to get harder and harder every year and she does them each year with minimal complaint.  She doesn't charge me.  She is amazing.
 
2. My job!  My boss is amazing.  She bought me a pair of Toms last Friday, just because.  I would do all that I do for them without the random gifts.  They just make me want to do more and be better.
 
3. My roommate!  I have so much fun with her.  We can talk openly about what we are stuggling with.  We randomly go out to the nearest mexican resturant in our most bum outfit and get chips, queso and margaritas.  She is awesome.
 
4. Skype!  My best friend is in South Africa!  She is over 8,000 miles away!  I was able to Skype with her this weekend.  I loved being able to see her and talk to her.  I am praying for her daily!
 
5. Time!  I took two semesters off from school.  It has been amazing to have this time.  I have been able to focus on other things.  I have been able to get my relationship with God in check, lose weight, focus on my position with Elevation Church.  These are all amazing things.  I am so thankful for the time that I have had to regroup.

 

Keeping My Guard Up

Warning: I do not know where this post is going to go.  I just know that I need to write.  Bare with me, please!

There are some people in my life who think that I should be in a relationship right now.  These people thing that I have too much of a guard up.  These people think that if I bring a man into my life, I would be happier.  These people tell me there are areas of my life that I should step back in, so that I have time for a man. 

I am here to say that I am going to keep my guard up for a while.

There is this boy.  We have been talking for over four years.  We met the summer before my senior year of high school.  We have never dated.  We have been on a date or two.  He is all wrong for me.  We have different goals in life, different views on the important things.  He facebook messaged me about a month ago to tell me that he was getting things together and had began to attend a church where he lives. 

I would be lying to say I wasn't elated.  I'll be completely honest and say that the moment I read this message I had two thoughts go through my head.  Him? In church?  God can change all people, right?  and Now we can be together.  After four years, we can finally turn this into something!  We will be the perfect couple. 

I kept my guard up for a little longer.  I know, that probably makes me the worst Christian ever.  I had a bit of disbelief.  I just couldn't shake the thought that this was another one of his games.  He had to be lying.

Saturday night, I let my guard down.  I agreed to go on a date with him, and see where it took us.  I was thrilled to think that after four long years of talking and not talking and talking and not talking and hating each other and loving each other and hating each other that finally we could be something.  I have always thought that it would be a complete waste of years worth of talking if we never dated... and now the time had come.  I could actually see myself dating him.  He was getting his life together and going to church.

Sunday, we were texting about church.  I asked him one last time if it was for real.  I was just playing, was the response I got.  It was all a joke.  A month of lying to me about attending church.  His explanation, I just wanted to see how happy it would make you.  Well, the disappointment I felt from believing his lie far outweighs the happiness that I held onto for a month thinking he could be attending church.

I am going to keep my guard up for a little longer.  Keeping my guard up is keeping me from getting hurt.  Just like God told me when it was going to be okay for me to leave the preschool I was teaching at, He will tell me when I can let my guard down for a man to come into my life.

Sermon Sunday

Living a Better Story Week Two

Suspension of Disbelief

Numbers 13 and 14

Pastor Steven preached a sermon about what happens when God has a plan and we ruin His plan with our disbelief.

Of course it is hard to live a great story for God.  If it wasn't hard it wouldn't be a great story.

Your setting doesn't determine your story. 

Suspension of Disbelief - Deciding to get lost in the story. 

Example: Watching a science fiction movie and enjoying it even though you know it could never happen.

We must be willing to suspend our disbelief in the Bible.  It happened!  Nail your disbelief to the cross.

The moment you decide not to believe God, your story hits a dead end.

If you want to enjoy the entire message, visit Elevation Network or check it on iTunes on Monday.

Personal Reflection: I loved when Pastor talked about hitting a dead end when you decide to not believe in God.  God has a great plan for my life.  I must believe that if He tells me I can do it, that I can do it!  My first instinct is to always tell God that I can't do what He says I can.  I told Him that I couldn't lead an eGroup in Rock Hill.  Look where I am at now.

I am a serious planner.  Every moment of my day is planned out.  I have gotten so busy lately that I even plan out my sleep, to assure that I get enough.  I have to remember that I am not the director of my life.  Pastor closed with this line, I am not the director.  He is the director.  I am just holding the reflector to shine the light on Him.  Everything I do should be to the glory of God, but my life isn't mine to live.  I must do everything to His glory, I must do everything according to His plan.

I never want to hit a dead end in my life by giving into disbelief. 

Reflection Saturday

Reflection Friday coming to you on Saturday.

This week, my middle school girls and I discussed being faithful before you are married.  I have blogged about this concept before here and here. 

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:12

This is a foreign concept to us today.  All the days  means ALL, before you meet him, when you meet him, and every day after you meet him.  I want to drill this concept into the girls in my eGroups head. 

We can't have sex before we get married, because the Bible says so.  You need to be doing him good right now.  Having sex, or lusting after another boy is not doing your husband good.  You shouldn't do that if you are married, and according to this passage, you shouldn't be doing it before you are married. 

I think this concept is huge for the middle school girls in my eGroup.  I pray daily that they can wrap their heads around this.  Their husband exists, he is alive somewhere.  I don't want them to do something now that they will regret when they get married. 


I shared a story with the girls about a mistake that I made and what can happen when you invest all of your self-worth in a boy or boys.  We wrapped the evening up by reading Romans 8 together.  Take a minute to read Romans 8.  Isn't that something you would rather put all of yourself in?  I don't want to invest myself in something I'll regret.  I never regret putting my worth in Christ.

Numbers

Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.

2 Corinthians 9:6-7

As I am gathering things for my taxes, I have been waiting for my giving statement from Elevation.  The longer I waited for it to arrive in the mail, the more anxious I became.  I have set up my offering to come out of my bank account automatically.  I know how much I give, but I really never think about it.

When I budget at the first of every month, it is a strain on my finances to give the amount that I do.  I skimp in other places to give.  I have never regretted this decision.  I know that God will bless my obedience to His word. 

The statement came in the mail last night.  Let me tell you, I had a slight moment of panic.  My first thought was, I gave how much!!??! Yikes!  My second thought was more of a, and how much of a blessing is it that you were able to give that much to the Kingdom of God.

Along with my giving statement was a card with the following numbers...

- 7, 699 people made professions of faith in Jesus

- 2, 410 people came forward to be baptized

- Over $2 million given to our outreach partners

- Over 5,100 people involved in a community through an eGroup

- Our church grew by 48% in attendance

- We launched 2 new locations - Rock Hill and University

- Our new worship album "For the Honor" reached #1 on the iTunes Christian Music Charts

- Named by Outreach Magazine the #2 fastest growing churches in America

I was able to be a part of all of that through my giving.  I may never attend the University campus, but I was a part of launching it with my giving.  I may never meet the 7,699 who made professions of faith in Jesus in 2011, but I was a part of each of their professions.  It takes all the panic away knowing how much God can do with my giving.

Yeah, I could give less.  But, God told me to give the amount that I give.  It stretches my faith in Him.  I would only be able to live the way I do through Him.  He makes it possible.

God will always do more with what I give than I could do if I didn't give at all.