"Altered View of the Altar"

Most of us have been in a church service in which an altar call was mad. It think by being in so many services with altar calls of varying reasons, I formed an idea of reasons to go to the atar. Accepting Chris, wanting to be baptized, major life tragedies, and repentence were just a few reasons, I in my head, had deemed "altar worthy" causes. Well, God really started working in me on this about a year or so ago. I started seeing the altar as a place of total surrender to Him, an outward representation that I was forgetting all those people behind me and looking to God. I twas my way of saying, "Lord, my life is in your hands alone and I am physically demonstrating it." The altar became my "hiding place. But, God is always offering us insight and revelation and this Sunday my view of the altar was altered again.

Up until this point I used the altar tas a place to bring my requests to the Lord, ask for forgiveness, pray for change, and knowledge of His will. The past month I have made many an altar visit---praying, crying, and earnestly seeking His will for my life. As usual, God moved in an amazing way! Each service, our church has a "call to prayer" before the message, where the altar is open. This past Sunday, I sat int h pew and thought about how thankful I was that God was really moving and guiding me as I had asked. Then I realized that the altr is just as much a place of thanksgiving and praise as it is a place to sacrifice and petition. Immediately, I walked ot the altar, knelt and thanked God for the works He had done and will do. I was humbled. Let me tell you, it is one thing to thank God, but it is even more awing to thank HIm from your knees ( the same postition in which you plead for forgiveness).

Now, I can't take credit for this idea of thanking God at the altar. It is no new concept. In fact, the Old Testament is filled with stories of the Hebrew people building altars to God for prayer, petition, and when they were victorious, thanksgiving. These altars they built were physical reminders of what the Lord had brought them through. It was a reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness. It is awe inspiring to sit back and think of the many times God has worked in a mighty way in my life and all the "altars" I could have built in remembrance of Him.

He broke the 10 Commandments... for real

Don't you hate when you are given specific instructions, you try to do it your own way, then it fails? Yeah, it's even worse than having no instructions at all and failing because there is typically someone who gave you the instructions. Well, I was reading about Moses and his trip down from Mount Sinai with the 10 Commandments. While he was gone, he left Aaron in charge [this is the same Aaron that will also be the High Priest]. Upon his return with an amazing encounter with God, he came home to an idol made of gold. Moses had just spent the latter part of his visit with God, pleading for the people. In his anger (which was probably justified), he threw the 10 Commandments and broke them.

Now once he chastised the people for their incredibly stupid actions, he had to walk all the way up the mountain to go ask God to give him a second copy. Now, think about how Moses must have felt. He just had an encounter, was given instructions, returned to the people put under his care, and then preceded to break the law that God had given him. Yeah, imagine Moses playing out the conversation he was about to have with God... "Uh, Lord, I know I begged and pleaded for your mercy for the people...but when I went down the mountain they had built an idol to another God and I got kinda angry and threw the commandments you gave me...and broke them---you think you could make a second copy?" This was the father of all "I broke it" stories. Moses must have felt like a horrible leader, feared for his life, and felt liek there was no hope as he climbed that mountain.

Doesn't that happen to us though? God has a will for our life, instructions. And while we are waiting for him to reveal the specifics of His will, we go astray. Now most of us don't melt gold into the shape of a cow and worship it, but we probably replace the time we should be focusing on God to focus on other things in our life. Others of us are like Moses, we have an amazing encounter with God away from the world (sometimes pleading for mercy). It's often at a conference, retreat, or maybe just each Sunday... Then we travel back down the mountain, God's word in hand, we hit the world where there is chaos, idol worshiping, unhappy people and we throw down and break the word God just gave us.

It shouldn't be like this though. God has given us his Word which is living and breathing. He has also given us the Holy Spirit to lead, guide, and direct us. It's all to easy to worship and focus on God when we are on the mountain alone with Him, but forget and get caught up with our feelings toward the craziness in this world. I just pray that God will grant me the strength and preparation that when I reach the bottom of the mountain, I'll be able to hold on tight to the Word He gave me...

2 days+ 1 goal= Kingdom Work

So, as I was reading "One Thing You Can't Do in Heaven", a thought hit me. There are only 2 days that should be of concern to us... the rest do not matter. Judgement day and today. Now the first, Judgement day, is the most pressing concern. Many of us believe that we have that one covered, so we worry about today, tomorrow, next week, our future, who we will marry, what our career will be, if we will have enough money, how to pay off student loans, what to wear, where to live,who is dating who, who to support, and what team will play in the championship game....

REALITY CHECK HERE!

We should constantly be concerned with our Judgement... think of what a short time we spend on this earth compared to what a long time we spend in eternity. How many people that we call close friends and family are walking around us, unsure about what their Judgement day will reveal. Now, I am speaking to myself just as much as anyone else, but what has happened to us? The Gospel is the living, breathing, Word of God in which He sent His son in a redemptive plan. We are undeserving, we are sinful, we are cunning, evil, lying, greedy, impure, immoral individuals who have been clothed in the righteousness and of a Savior and we sit around and worry about our future? Really, I mean come on...

TODAY is the only day we are promised and the only day we can actively take part in... think about it. The present is our opportunity to live the life we have been called to. In our Ephesians Bible study, we read yesterday in the 5th chapter where Paul calls the church to a worthy, wise, walk in the light. There is something very interesting about the parallels of light and darkness in the Bible in relation to science. Darkness, which represents all that is not of God, has not properties of its own. Darkness cannnot move, it does not overpower light. Instead, it is the absence of light. How cool is that? We are given one true light. It is up to us. We can choose to actively take part in the darkness or actively take part in spreading the light. There is no room for any other option.

So, back to the whole two day thing... I kind of get side tracked. I want to live my today to count for my Judgement day. Now, we are not saved by works, but they are still important in our daily lives. I want to take it one step further and challenge myself to live my today not just for my Judgement Day, but for those around me. I want to live a life in which my actions not only reflect my relationship with Christ, but that my words do also. It is great to speak through your actions... but how many people do you know that were saved without hearing the Word? Not many. It's our job to get out there and speak it.

So, as hard as it may be. I'm going to try to live for Judgement day, today. And let tomorrow worry about itself (just as Jesus said). It has been a recent struggle for me to figure out where I am going to live and how I am going to pay for my schooling and stuff, but you know what? That is ultimately in God's hands. I just have to acknowledge that and start living for what He put me here for: the advancement of His Kingdom.

Cause you gotta have friends...

I just can't express how incredibly grateful I am for my friends... I am surrounded by many true friends whom I love! At any moment in my life it's Krispy Kreme runs, late night talks, IHOP breakfasts, random shopping, fixing dinner, discussing God in the car, Barnes and Nobles to 'study', lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays, marshmallow shooting, car riding, dancing, poker playing, movie watching, singing to the top of our lungs fun! And I wouldn't trade any one of my friends for any of it...

See, I am one of those people who believes that God brings people into your life. And if I started to make a list of all the people that I think He brought into my life for a specific purpose, the list would never end. Tonight I am particularly thankful for those friends that have been there for me a lot recently... and in the harder times. You guys, have really pulled me through and I hope that someday I'm able to do the same for you. I just think that my generation, especially, takes people for granted and is so selfish. We don't take time to really invest in our relationships and make them count. All too often it is a matter of convenience... Forget convenience! I want a friend who will drive from Tennessee or Tuscaloosa to visit and I want to be that friend that does the same.... I want to be that friend that calls just to check on your day or brings you a doughnut when you're down. It's not because I get anything out of it really... It's an exchange. Friendships are made to be a support for two people, not one. And I thank God often for all the support beams he's put in my life. Thanks guys! I love you!

Checking in My Luggage for a Stamp.

Wow, it's been like 2 months since I've last written! One word: school. I have managed to slip away from my studies and write a bit. I've also been painting when I get a chance, so that has taken up what little free time I have. I'm going to try to post the pictures of what I've painted these past few months. But that's not the point of me writing. I want to explore a topic on here that I feel that God pointed out to me yesterday as I was sharing my life story with Heidi.

As we were talking about our pasts and how God is working in our lives, I looked at her and said, "You know Heidi, I realized not too long ago that there has to come a point in our lives where we check in the luggage we have been carrying around from our past and trade it in for a stamp on our passports." There are some things that we all have been through in our past that really do hurt a lot. And we carry that with us as we go through life, but God wants to take it from us---remove our burdens and use us! All too often though, we think that because we have dealt with our past problems that they will just disappear, but that is not usually the case. They will still exist and the thought of them will most likely still hurt, but the burden of them will be removed and when we are going through the rougher seasons in life and they resurface, we have a God we can turn to who will help us through.

This above is not necessarily something I'm dealing with right now, but rather an experience I've dealt with and a lesson I've learned. I'm no expert in dealing with the past, but it has certainly been a struggle of mine that I believe God has helped me persevere through.

On another note, here's some little lessons I've learned in these past 2 weeks which have been extremely difficult to go through:
~Friends really are the family we pick ourselves
~God is ultimately in control---in ALL areas of our lives
~rest is a good thing
~sometimes you have to get a bad grade to remind you to work harder in a class
~knowing God at a young age gives us SO much time to do things for God
~it's important to tell people you love them-even if it's not in words
~Doctors are skilled, but the Ultimate Physician is even more skilled
~prayer is powerful-rather God is powerful through prayer
~Sometimes, there's just not enough time in the day to show all the love I have in my heart for people.

My Life Right Now: a confession, a cry, and a hope [part one]

I have a ton of stuff on my mind right now and don't know where to begin. There are times that organizing my thoughts is an impossible task. So yeah, I'm going to make an attempt. Right now, I'm a bit frustrated/confused/pensive/"I just don't know"/happy/anxious/excited/scared/overwhelmed.... With that said, let me attempt to make sense of it all and share a bit of my heart with you.

Most recently, my thoughts have been three-fold. I've been thinking of God's plan for my life and what to do now, I have been really appreciating the relationships I have with friends and family, and a curiosity has been sparked in my mind about some topics of the Christian faith. God has definitely brought me to a place right now, where I have to put my faith in Him and trust that everything that is happening in my life is part of His ultimate plan. I have gotten distracted recently and lost sight of my purpose, but God is re-igniting that flame in my heart. But in order for a flame of desire to burn in our hearts for God, we must sacrifice whatever is filling our hearts currently. I like to think of a sacrifice as "giving up something you love for something or someone that you love more". Now, I'm not sure if I heard that somewhere or came up with it on my own, but how true? If we truly love God more than anything or anyone else, we will be willing to give up whatever we have in our grasp to reach out to Him. I believe God has an amazing plan for my life and I am living it, but I also believe that in order for me to live the John 10:10 life, I must let go of that which I hold dear to me and reach out for Him.

John 10:10
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

As for the relationships in my life right now, I am learning from them too. For the first time in my life, I am beginning to trust people again. I have learned to let go of the past and love with all I have. I have amazing people that have been placed in my life who love me and go above and beyond. They make sacrifices for me and for that I am SO grateful. I'm also learning how to be vulnerable around those I love. For so long, I have been putting up the "I'm ok and have everything under control" front and I'm through with that. This past year I have learned that it is ok for me not to be ok...

I might have been a little off in saying that my thoughts were "three-fold", because I have one or two other things I'd like to mention before I get to the third "thought" on my list above. I want to take a moment to talk about choir practice last night... I had a normal day at work yesterday and then an amazing time at Freshman orientation. I was able to talk to some people and tell them about Campus Crusade and according to Drew, I was extremely "peppy". Then I got to choir practice and we began to sing. Then Liv came in late and shared an amazing story about the youth service and God's presence was in the room! It was everywhere. The songs we are singing are amazing... not just because of the music or the lyrics, but because of the truth that we are proclaiming in them. The praise and thanksgiving we are offering to the ONE TRUE GOD. I was overwhelmed with praise last night and during the last song, "God is Here", I was moved to tears. The tears were not tears of joy, nor tears of sorrow. They were tears of amazement, of awe, that we serve such a Holy, Awesome, and Mighty God. Here are the words:

There is a sweet anointing in the sanctuary
There is a stillness in the atmosphere
Come and lay down
The burdens you have carried
For in this sanctuary God is here

Chorus
He is here, He is here
To break the yoke and lift the heavy burdened
He is here, He is here
To heal the hopeless heart and bless the broken
Come and lay down
The burdens you have carried
For in this sanctuary God is here

SIMPLY AMAZING!

Ok, after having said all of this... I think this blog has reached it's limit length-wise. While I am not tired of typing, you might be getting a bit tired of reading. I will talk about my other two thoughts tomorrow. One of them is the doctrine of election (not a debate, just a thought about it) and the other is Campus Crusade. I hope these words from my heart have been clear and purposeful. I hope that I have said something that has stirred your heart and made you think about what God is doing in your life... pray for ignition of the flame in your heart, I know I am praying hard for it!

God's Post-It Note: "I'm in control. Love Always, God"

Sunday and yesterday I was reminded, yet again, that God's timing is perfect timing. I'm going to share the stories of these two little "post-it note reminders" God placed in my life to let me know He is in control. Sunday I was running late for choir and I couldn't get the top part of the dress I was wearing zipped. In a hurry, I rushed out of the door and decided I'd just let someone at church finish zipping it and wear my jacket over it until then. Well, an old lady and old man were sitting outside chatting with there dogs and she stopped me to let me know that my dress needed to be zipped up the rest of the way. Needless to say, I ended up with an opportunity to invite them to our church. The old man was very interested, but also concerned that he didn't have any nice clothes to wear. I promised him that it was alright to come as you are, just as long as you come. In this case, me being late, was right on time!

Then yesterday, I stopped by a vet's office to pick up an application for a job. I have been looking for another job for over a month now and can't seem to get a call back from any of the applications I've placed. I filled one out and left it and was going to go to one more vet's office before I headed back home. The entire way to the second office, I prayed that I would get an interview or at least a call back because I was sick of not hearing anything. I stopped by and filled out an application, the lady and I started talking and I ended up getting an interview and hired on the spot. It was kinda crazy considering the fact that I was wearing Nike shorts, a t-shirt, flip-flops, and a baseball cap! So, my last day at this job is August 8th and my first day at that one is the 18th...

Through these two very different instances, I was shown that God is ultimately in control. And for that I am grateful. Oh, so grateful!

In Memory...

I just got word that a friend of mine, Monica Chao, from UAB was killed in a car wreck on Friday night. I did not know her that well, but we shared stories between us when we ran into each other on campus. We shared time on a couple of outings and stuff with Campus Crusade, but still my heart feels heavy with the thought of her death. She was driving to visit a friend for her birthday. How short is life? I sit her in my den with a prayer for her family and the thought of the brevity of life. Please pray for her family also. She was only 20 years old with the hope of a full life ahead of her...

Walking Down the Sidewalk

Ok, so I just got really angry for the first time in a while. It was with a co-worker and the reason is irrelevant now... As I was leaving the building, I called Kayla and was ranting about my frustration. I believe my exact words were, "It's times like these that I'd really like to cuss people out, but for some reason... I just don't have it in me". This was followed by a sigh of exasperation. "I don't know what holds me back from being a real jerk in response sometimes," I said, "but I just can't yell and scream back, I don't have it in me--why not?" Kayla's responded, half-jokingly. "Maybe it's cause you have the Holy Spirit in you".

Now, that really got me to thinking. [I had a roughly 14 block round trip, walking in the heat, so I had time to think]... So, maybe she was right. I thought back to a time in my life that I would have responded in today's situation completely different. I probably would have yelled, gotten an attitude, and said some things I would have regretted, but I didn't. That was the old me. I'm sure some of you know who I'm talking about. It wasn't until today somewhere between 18th and 19th street on University Boulevard, that I realized that I am a completely different person than I used to be. See, that is one thing I have struggled with in my faith is the fact that I don't remember the exact time and date when I was saved and it wasn't a miraculous, instantaneous turn around. No, that wasn't what my life needed and God knew it. God took His time changing me and now, looking back, I am SO grateful for that. I've learned SO much and come SO far! And yet, I have SO far to go.

Looking at my life, I see God's hand in every bit of it. In the times that I was obedient, and then as a saving grace and rebuilder of hope when I was disobedient. What a wonderful thought and message. If it takes testing like today, to make me realize how much better I'm doing, then I guess I won't complain. I was reminded of the verses in the Bible that talks about being a new creation:

"17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
2 Corinthians 5:17

Before today, when I read that, I thought of it as an instant thing. I guess, it's on God's timing not ours. Hmm... novel idea huh?

Thoughts from the Day...

*Sometimes you just have to go with your gut feeling on right and wrong.
*Even when you do, sometimes things just don't turn out how you thought they might.
*Life is short, lunch time is shorter.
*It's always important to learn peoples' last names.
*A pinched nerve hurts. Really bad.
*Being overwhelmed is good for you every now and then. It makes you realize how much you can take.
*Music makes the world go 'round.
*Love is a lot of things, but it is not rational.
*Embarrassment is a little reminder that we are human, imperfect, and need to lighten up.
*I need to take more time to use my creativity. I need an outlet.
*It doesn't always take a long distance to make you miss someone.
*The textbook business is the place to be, they are ripping students off left and right!
*Summer semesters are not for the faint of heart.
*If you can't laugh at yourself, you are giving others a great advantage over you.

Another Lesson Learned Driving

The other day, I was driving to work and flipping through the radio stations and WDJC was having their Bible reading of the morning and it was out of the first chapter of Phillipians. This is what it says, starting with verse 3:

"3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."

Since then, I've been brought back to those verses and there are a few things that really made me stop and think. I love that line "He who has began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus". I mean think about it, if the God of the Universe has started something good in us, why wouldn't He finish it? It is amazing to me that God has made time for us. Time that we can enjoy His blessings and live the life that He created for us to live. I can only hope that the life I am living and the choices I am making reflect that plan that God has so lovingly crafted.

Later, Paul goes on to pray for the church that their "love may abound more in knowledge and the dept of insight". It is my prayer for myself, my family, and my friends, that I will be able to put aside enough of myself to tap into that knowledge and depth of the love of Jesus Christ. There is a song "Empty Me", by Chris Sligh. The lyrics say "Empty me so that I can be filled with you."---what a desire... http://goodweb.org/empty-me-by-chris-sligh.html

next 2 weeks=no life

The picture above is my Microbiology book. I will be spending the next 14 days trying to learn all I possibly can from the last 6 chapters. See, I learned an important lesson last Thursday. I got my lowest test-grade in college. And I earned that grade because I didn't study at all for the test, because it was the Tuesday after the 4th of July. I've learned my lesson, and now I've got some serious catching up to do between now and then.

This might seem like one of the most pointless blogs ever, but I needed to make a public announcement that I am forgoing my normal life for the next 2 weeks to learn. :(

The Gospel: Tales from the Heart

When I say the word, "gospel"... what is the first thing you think of? "Good news", is what I've been taught my entire life. The first four books of the New Testament are the "Gospels". Both of these things are correct interpretations of the word, "gospel". But, Sunday night I was given a completely different perspective on what good news really is.

I arrived late at church (because I hit a monsoon on the way home from Georgia) and I slipped into the back row. Shanna Smith was telling a story about mission trip and was about halfway through. For the next hour or so I sat and listened to story after story of how God moved while the church was in Michigan. Now, I didn't go on this trip, but still my heart was stirred as I heard those stories. I began to realize that stories such as these are a prime example of "good news". Sure, God wants us to tell the story of Jesus and how He died, but I truly believe that He wants us to follow the story of Jesus's death with how Jesus is living and working through us. Is that not the "good news" that each and every one of us with a relationship with Christ holds? My good news story is different than yours and everyone elses, but it is still meant to be voiced, to be heard, and to be celebrated.

As I began to think about this, I felt a bit ashamed. God has done a marvelous work in my life. He still is. But, I have neglected to share the stories of what He has done like I should. The wonderful and even mysterious thing is that our story is constantly changing, God is constantly working, and that is what keeps our unique stories in Christ new...

Not Alone

Today was a good day. I had one of those moments today... One of those moments that makes you smile to think back on it. Sometimes I refer to times such as these as a "God" moment. Regardless of what you call it, it happened. I was driving to Georgia to visit my Aunt and cousin and I have been listening to the book, "Blue Like Jazz", by Donald Miller on CD. It was nearing the end of the book, in the final chapters, and he gives the scenario of sitting down and talking to Jesus face to face.

Now, I have recently read "The Shack", so this whole talking to God as if He was right beside me thing isn't a brand new concept in my mind, but I really began to process it today. As the book was finishing up, I began to think about all the things that Jesus might say to me if He was in the car with me on the way to Atlanta. Then I began to think of all the things that Jesus said to people that's recorded in the New Testament. Would he tell me of how He is the bread of life? Would He fortell of a betrayal? Would He challenge me to step out of the boat onto the water as a leap of faith? Would He turn to me and tell me to walk away and "be healed"? I could go on and on with examples of what Jesus told different people in the Bible in their differnt encounters. There is a common theme with all of them though.... love. Love and understanding. Jesus spoke to each person with their current life circumstances in mind. From Mary and Martha to Zaccheus (sp?), He knew what was going on each person's life and His conversations were seeping with love and grace.

My mind started reeling as I turned off the radio and drove in silence. "I love you", that is what He would probably start off with, I thought. "You are my precious daughter and you are not alone." "I'm proud of you" "Everything happens in my perfect timing" "Give me your heart and I will take it, mend it, fill it, and protect it"

As I began to think of all these phrases, I began to cry in the car and pray to Him. For the first time in a while my prayers felt like a conversation again. You might ask why I am sharing such a moment with the few people who might read this... Think, what would Jesus say to you right now? Where in your life do you need Him most that He is wanting to make right? Here's the wonderful thing, He is sitting right here beside each and everyone of us waiting to tell us of His great love for us. It is up to us to be still and listen, for He is God!

Walking Down a Mountain

So, these past few weeks have been extremely frustrating, but I have to say I think I am learning an important lesson from them. See, when the New Year rolled around and I was at Christmas Conference, I realized that for the first time in my life I wasn't going through a really difficult situation. It's kind of like this: I had overcome a lot in the past year or so, I was on top of a mountain if you may. Standing there on top, I had two choices... I could kinda chill out and enjoy the descent to the next valley OR I could prepare for the upcoming valley (even without knowing what it is). I told myself that I wanted to spend that descent in Go'd's word and in preparation for what might come at me next. I was expecting something great.

Unfortunately, I didn't really keep up as I had intended. I realized this yesterday as I was freaking out about a bunch of little things going on. I had lost my focus, I was unprepared, and the result was very frustrating. It was last night that I realized that I needed to hop back in line and start preparing me for the good things God has planned for me in the near future.... His Kingdom. The great things that I had my mind set on before I let the world get in my way.

There's a plank in my eye, but I want to complain about the speck in yours...

Ok, so it has been a really long time since I last wrote... I've been kind of busy, but mostly frustrated and in a bad mood. Thank goodness I am getting out of that!

So, I have two thoughts for the day. The second I will explore tomorrow. Firstly, I have been thinking alot today about the assumptions we make about other people. I mean, we are so quick to get angry at someone for cutting in front of us in traffic, or bumping us on the sidewalk and not appologizing, or taking the elevator up one flight insead of taking the stairs. The reality of the situation is that we don't know what is going on in that person's life. Maybe they have joint problems and the weather is affecting them. Or maybe their day just sucks. And instead of providing what may be the only smile in response to their bad mood, we glare at them.

Now, I am very much at fault for this. I realize that, but I would like to actively attempt to change that. So, if you see me or hear me glaring and complaining without just cause... call me out. Ha, that's an odd request I know.

On a lighter note, I am SOOO out of shape and I realized that last night when I ran suicides with the girls I coach. I'm thinking the Rec center is the place I need to be.

~em

Out of Focus

Do you ever have those periods in your life where you just can't focus on things? Usually it's when you have big decision to make or you are in a fight with a friend, boyfriend, girlfriend, family member, etc. I have been in one of those ruts for the past week or so and it is so frustrating!



I can't focus on anything. Nothing at all. I just don't have the focus. I have no clue what's wrong with me, but this needs to end soon. School is starting back and I am going to need to pay attention somehow. It's not because I am worrying about something else. Everything is going well in life right now. I don't know. We'll just see.

Shhh...listen.

Last night I had the option to go to church or skip and go hang out with some friends. I chose to go to church. Not always typical for me since it was Sunday night church. Well, Suzanne spoke last night about listening to God when He tells you to do something. The service was amazing. The cool thing was, I got to see exactly what she was talking about at work.

I'm not going to go into specific detail about the story right now, because I don't feel that it is time to tell a lot of people (not that a lot of people really read this). Pastor Cox had an altar call and I felt that I needed to go down when he called a specific group of people. I was the altar praying and someone came up behind me and asked if they could pray with me. She said that God had told her to come pray with me and she didn't know why. She told me that He had something great in store for me and a few other things.

After the service was over and all of us were just standing around and hanging out, trying to figure out what to go do. Another lady, whom I knew, came up to me with tears in her eyes. She had come from across the church. She said that God kept telling her to come talk to me, but she wasn't sure about coming up to me since the service was over and all. She continued to tell me pretty much the exact same thing the girl before me told me. It was pretty amazing. When I told her that I had heard the same exact thing earlier in the evening from someone else, she was reassured.

You know, it's times like that when I sit back and don't understand how people can say that there is no God, or that he doesn't speak to us. Last night's service was pretty awesome. I came away from it with more than just a lesson and so did 2 other people who listened to what God had to say to them. SO, if you are somewhere and God tells you to talk to someone today. Do it. Don't hesitate. They might just need it as much as I did. : )

~em

Procrastination is not always a bad thing.

So, I'm supposed to be cleaning my house right now, but I decided to take the 8th break of the night to write a little. Today was a great day. It was pretty laid back. My Jr. High girls basketball team played their first game today. They were a little sloppy, but they played hard the whole time and I see a lot of potential. I love coaching.

Heather and I hung out pretty much all day today. This evening we watched the movie with Johnny Depp, "Finding Neverland". It was a really good movie. I love stuff like that. The whole fantasy stuff gets me everytime. "Lord of the Ring", "Narnia", "The Giver", and whatever else. I just love that stuff. I think it is because I like to use my imagination so much.

When I was a little girl, my granddad used to tell me all kinds of stories about "Little People" that lived in the house and only came out at night. He would talk about people who had super powers and far away lands. It sounds really silly now to an adult, these make believe lands that have nothing to do with everyday life. I'm curious why we lose that sense of wonder. As a child it is so easy to pick up a wooden spoon and a lid to a pot and pretend to be a valiant knight on the way to save the princess. As we age it becomes a hassel to even play along with the children who play like that. I hope I never lose that sense of wonder.

I know that was a very random spill, but I am pretty random. I also have a very messy house right now that is in the process of being organized. I just keep stopping. I think that this stop was a productive one. I got to add a picture to the blog and create somewhat of a profile. Ha! I am pretty much just procrastinating right now.

Last thing, school starts back Monday. This semester should be interesting. I am working 36 hours a week and taking 15 hours of classes. Most of my classes are evening classes. I hope that works out. We will see. I'm ready to get back into a routine. I'm not ready to be at the school at 8am every morning. : /

~em

New Year, New Blog

Ok, So I'm new at this whole blog thing. I decided that I needed to channel all my random thoughts somewhere and what better place than here! Life is about to get crazy again. School starts back on the 7th and freedom thus ends. I just got back from one of the most amazing Christian conferences/retreats I have ever been on. I learned so much to carry into the new year. For now I just want to list some goals for this year:

• learn conversational Spanish- more to come on this one
• read the entire Bible
• buy a guitar and begin learning how to play ( I must be realistic with this one)
• go on at least one random trip
• finish reading all the books I've been stacking to the side to read
• run around less and stroll more

These aren't so much New Year's Resolutions as they are goals. I want to steer my priorities in a different direction this year. Today is short and sweet. More to come.

~em