So..what's been going on recently?

     Spring weather has finally arrived here in New York, which is such a blessing! The sun, the birds, and all the lovely spring flowers are peeping out from the dirt...it makes me so happy!
     I have lately been studying for my nursing licensure exam which takes up a lot of time in my day-to-day schedule. But, have no fear, it hasn't stopped me from growing closer to my savior over the past few months. I have no fear of the future, and the Lord has supplied me with peace about this exam and how the results will play out.
     I have recently started going through the book of Isaiah and have learned a lot about God's power, coming judgement, and mercy. The first few chapters talk a lot about the day of judgement and it is summed up well in Isaiah 2:11:

"The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day."

So, be prepared for that day. Follow in Jesus' steps, in humility, as you walk on this earth.

May the Lord bless you in these coming weeks...may he shower you with blessings! Amen.

Hope...

Pastor (Bro.Eddie) with his eldest grandson!

I have to admit it's been quite a week. Last Monday, Februrary 1st, our pastor passed away. My dad and I had been on our way to visit him in the hospital. I remember the shock of the words that I heard. He had a subdural hematoma (a bleed in his brain), which had caused the stroke. He  had been unconscious since Sunday morning (he hadn't even made it to church), but there had still been hope. Hearing that he had died was so...final. He was only 63 years old..too young to die, especially since he wasn't a sickly man.

BUT, it was God's plan, and nothing was ever going to change it. Our pastor had lived a full life, one full of love and giving. He had always worn a smile that was infectious (at least for me it was). I'll never forget the memories I made with him. He was an example to all of us in the congragation of what Christ should look like. His work here on earth was complete, and now he is in heaven with all the other angels rejoicing around our Heavenly Fathers throne.

"Fear not, for I am with you;

be not dismayed, for I am your God;

I will strengthen you, I will help you, 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

- Isaiah 41:10

The Song of Praise..

And Mary said, 

“My soul magnifies the Lord, 

and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, 

for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. 

For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; 

for he who is mighty has done great things for me, 

and holy is his name. 

And his mercy is for those who fear him 

from generation to generation. 

He has shown strength with his arm; 

he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; 

he has brought down the mighty from their thrones 

and exalted those of humble estate; 

he has filled the hungry with good things, 

and the rich he has sent away empty. 

He has helped his servant Israel, 

in remembrance of his mercy, 

as he spoke to our fathers, 

to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

Luke 1:46-55, ESV.

On God's Shoulders

Just an amazing song that's been in my head for the past few weeks.

The chorus is below..in case you feel the need to sing along,..

My help comes from You
You're right here, pulling me through
You carry my weakness, my sickness, my brokenness all on Your shoulders 
Your shoulders
My help comes from You
You are my rest, my rescue
I don't have to see to believe that You're lifting me up on Your shoulders 
Your shoulders

From David Wilkerson, to you.

I don't think this needs any explaining. 

David Wilkerson says it as it needs to be heard.

A re-post of a some other posts...

All day I had been wondering about what to post, and then it hit me! 

I decided to make a list of some posts that I have recently read, and then share them with you.

You could read them all at once or one every day or not at all (but then there's no learning which is not cool)

1 - Why Not Pursue Him? (loved this because I believe that young men should be initiators and leaders in relationships, yep that's a lot of pressure) = http://www.truewoman.com/?id=1639

2 - Potential Boyfriend or Forever Brother?? = http://paulawrites.com/2014/03/11/potential-boyfriend-or-forever-brother/

3 - Self-esteem VS. Christ-esteem (written by lovely Leslie Ludy) = http://setapartgirl.com/leslie-ludy/blog/04-14-14/self-esteem-vs-christ-esteem 

4 - True Wisdom  = http://setapartgirl.com/devotional/04-12-14/true-wisdom

5 - How will He notice me if I Don't flirt? = http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com/index.php?id=2225

6 - Idle Chatter VS. Godly Edification = http://setapartgirl.com/leslie-ludy/blog/04-22-14/idle-chatter-vs-godly-edification

I really hope you enjoy these posts..God Bless you all!

(I will write my own post when college classes finish..pray for me on upcoming finals)

Immense Loss, but Hope...

     I haven't written a post in quite some time and originally I thought this post would be on some really awesome athletes from the USA Olympic team, but apparently that won't happen right now. This past week something happened that I feel is way more important than any sports competition.

Sophia + Elise

     I know two of the members from the Smithe family from Google+ and so, when I started using Facebook I naturally "friended" them there. Last week there had been lots of posts from the family because of the wedding of Sophia. On Monday the much-anticipated photos started appearing. The smiles and joy from the bride and groom was contagious. I was happy for the whole event. The wedding party pictures were fun to look at, seeing the flower girls and children so excited. 

Sophia + Enoch

     But, as I was looking at those pictures on Monday night, somewhere else, the Einwechter Family was driving home and was involved in a tragic car accident (the car slipped into a pond on a farm). The only girl Elise (pictured with Sophia to the left) was killed in the accident. The youngest son Enoch (pictured with Sophia below) died in the CCU on Wednesday, who was just a few months old. 

     Even though I don't know the family personally, I felt sadness for them. I can't imagine the pain that they are going through. I believe that losing two children would be an immense loss, and even worse for such little children. My prayers continue to flow for the family and those who personally knew them. There is a website that has been started in case you'd like to help them financially or just to offer prayers or hope: http://eliseandenoch.org/. More information will be released later about the actual car accident, which I'll be posting later on, on Facebook.
   

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, 

who have been called according to his purpose." - Romans 8:28

The Einwechter Family

Alone, Yet Not Alone.

Isn't it amazing that we have such an amazing savior.

We may think that when the hard times come God isn't there.

But, that is exactly when he holds us closest. 

God is always beside us no matter what we are going through.

Joni Erickson Tada is an amazing singer as shown by this beautiful song. 

She is a quadriplegic and has quite a story...wonderful in fact. 

A short bio: http://www.joniandfriends.org/jonis-corner/jonis-bio/

Her book is the best reference though:  Joni: An Unforgettable Story

A last-minute Christmas post..

      This past Christmas I found myself thinking a lot about Mary.  She was younger than me when she had a firstborn child. Just thinking about that makes me wonder what it must have been like to the young teenager. She was given a task that surpassed any burden we would want to carry.  It was almost impossible to comprehend and scary to face.  She was a virgin, and a poor one at that.  What would people say?  What would they think?  She could be labeled insane or even stoned to death for adultery.

      The angel explained that nothing was impossible with God (the birth had to happen, so she had to be living).  So I wonder, did she know that she would not be accused of adultery and be stoned?  Did she have courage that someone would believe her?  When the angel left and she had traveled to her cousin Elizabeth's house she was filled with JOY and PRAISE. She was glad for this opportunity.

May we be humbled this Christmas season at the incredible humility and joy of Mary's response.  The calling of God is a gift and we see a meaningful example of that in the story of Mary. Merry Christmas to all (and sorry for posting this so late).

Then Mary said, "I am the Lords servant. Let it be to me just as you have said." 

Then the angel left her. (Luke 1:38 CEB) 

Something Added becomes a Blessing...

"Oh the wonderful cross (2x)

Bids me come and die and find

That I may truly live.

Oh the wonderful cross (2x)

All who gather here by grace

Draw near and bless your name."

At my church we sing the hymn called The Wonderful Cross. Michael W. Smith put the words above into a chorus for the hymn and every time we sing that song at church his words go through my head. 

The words go so well with the verses. It's such a great chorus...maybe one day I'll tell them about it! 

You can hear Michael's version here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-g1ry6wa5s

Some Striking Songs...

1. Worn by Tenth Avenue North (lyrics)
This song has been such a blessing to me. When I first heard it I was driving in my car and I started to tear up. I know that everyone, at one point in their life, feels worn and tired. This "worn" they talk about in the song is more than just physical weariness though. It takes on a spiritual meaning. Our souls get crushed under the influence of the world's' temptations. sometimes it feels like you won't be able to get past this temptation, but God can help you. He is always there to help us rebuild our relationship with him. He alone, can lift us up to create a song of redemption. He is our rest and redemption, no matter how torn and tattered we are.

2. Hello My Name Is and Forgiveness by Matthew West (lyrics for Hello.. and Lyrics for Forgiveness)

Just look at that smile..

Hello My Name Is is a great song. It reminds us whose child we are. Regret and defeat are very real things that can consume us and block out Jesus from our hearts. But, they are lies that we believe. With a strong chorus, we become God's child. A child of the ONE true king.
Forgiveness is a song with a most stirring message. This excerpt is taken from something written by a mother who was involved in the sad, but touching story: "May 11, 2002, 24-year-old drunk driver, Eric, killed one of my twins, Meagan, and one of her friends, Lisa, both girls 20 years old. This was devastating for all three families involved, and countless friends that mourned the loss of these precious girls. But this is also a story of forgiveness and healing. My family and Lisa’s family chose to forgive Eric. We even appealed to have his 22 year prison sentence reduced to 11 years."
A little side note: During the Klove Fan Awards I heard Matthew West host, sing, and talk live a few times. He is by far the funniest artist that I know and was always making me laugh and smile. He could be a stand up comedian, I think. 

3. Words by Hawk Nelson (lyrics)
The words we say can have different effects and this song goes through them. They can bring us or others down and they can bring us back up, higher than we've ever been. So, in the chorus, we ask God to help us have words that heal and are always truthful. We should only want to say words that bring the world back to God. We should always speak words of love and life, bringing light to a dark world. 

4. Strangely Dim by Francesca Battistelli (lyrics)

The first time I heard this song I didn't really like it, but boy has that changed. I absolutely love it and I know all the lyrics by heart. It talks about how we, as humans, have our life planned out. We are gonna get married, have kids, graduate college, have a great career. But, God has the reins, not us. He may change our plans in a few seconds and make us wait for our purpose to be fulfilled. When we fix our eyes on Jesus alone, everything grows dim: our plans, our worries, our doubts.

5. Every Good Thing by The Afters (lyrics)
I was listening to the radio and when this song came on, the young lady broadcasting said "Want might to watch your speed on the road..this song may cause you to go faster." I laughed as I looked self consciously at my speedometer. I don't think it made me go any faster, but I did roll down the windows and turn up the volume. God is the reason for everything good. The lyrics are pretty much self explanatory. The second verse talks about how God is in control of the bad times, and will always be there to make them better and comfort us. The family we have is a gift from God, and so are the troubles, because he is always there to turn trials into gold.

6. We Won't Be Shaken by Building 429 (lyrics)
This song was written right after the school shooting in Newtown, CT last December 14th. I remember hearing about it all over the news, such a devastating piece of news. Surrounded by tragedy, the town pulled together and just a few days later Building 429 wrote this song. This song will always remind me of that tragic event, but it's for every day. This song is a call out to all christians that we should not be shaken by the devil's schemes or the worlds prejudices. We should stand strong in Christ, and not be shaken. 

7, Me Without You by TobyMac (lyrics)

Always wearing an awesome hat!

I thought this song was a bit too upbeat for me, but it wasn't. I learned the lyrics and now I sing it all the time as I listen on the radio. The strong and fast beat, well..that explains the jumping sometimes upstairs..LOL. Where would we be without God in our lives? We would just aimlessly be walking around without any purpose. All our dreams would fade, and we would be chasing anything that looked appealing. As TobyMac states it "You rescued me/ You are mine, I am yours/ You rescued me/ And I am yours forever /You saved me, remade me/ And where would I be/ Without You."

8. All This Time by Britt Nicole (lyrics)
God's been with us every day of our lives and sometimes its just amazing to stop and think about that. This is a true song of thankfulness and worship. It talks about the day when Britt gave herself to the Lord, how she felt love and peace. He's been there through every heartache and every dream come true.  I will never leave us, nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). 

get lost.

     I recently received a copy of a get lost: Your Guide to Finding True Love by Dannah Gresh. When I picked it up off the bookshelf I honestly didn't know what I was getting myself into.

     I had gone into the hospital to volunteer that day and I had just finished signing out to head back home. The lady at the front desk saw me and called me over. She told me there was a book vender just down the hall. (I later found out that she thought I would like it because she always saw me carrying around a book with me..haha..that's definitely true!). So, without any hesitation I walked down the short hall to where she was. She smiled when I walked over to look at some of the books she had on the shelves near her...of course, I smiled back. 

     Her name was Lucy and she started telling me why she was here. Her parents had lost their house in the tornado that just ravished a part of Oklahoma that past week. She was raising money to send down there for her parents and other various families that she had met. She was charging just five dollars for any book on the shelves she had there. Most of the books were fantasy, non-fiction, and modern-day love stories, but there was a small part of the christian genre and I was drawn there immediately. 

     I had already given five dollars to her and whether or not I was actually going to take a book was dependent on the books she had that I would actually read. I'm not a fantasy person, and the non-fiction books looked boring, and the modern-day love stories are too graphic, so I only looked at the christian books really. There were about fifteen christian books and I scanned the names. The title get lost popped out right away. I smiled as I pulled it out, it was such a weird and unique title. I read the first sentence, which is:                    

                                     This is a book about God...

                                                   ...and guys...

                                                               ...and how we get them mixed up. 

     I smiled, I couldn't resist. It was certainly gripping...haha. I scanned the summary on the back cover. One sentence (in green) stuck out:

Discover how to get so lost in God 
that a guy has to seek HIM to find you. 

     That did it for me! Without hesitation I walked over and told her I had found the book I was taking. She put my name in her notebook along with the book I was taking, and then thanked me. I smiled one last time...and walked away. 

     Two good things came out of that meeting: I had given money to the families in Oklahoma and I had a chance to get lost in God. I haven't finished the book, but it has been such a blessing so far. I'm getting lost and I love it! 

Just seventeen words...

This is exactly the right thing to say when someone thinks you're crazy for being a single young woman..

When they wonder why you don't reach for every boy that walks by...

Gods plan for your future is going to be better than what you imagine...if you just trust him..

I know I do...and I can't wait to find out what he has been planning all along...

There is always a new hope to be found..

     I never thought that you could get so many messages from one movie. I just didn't think it could happen. But, it actually can happen. And it did. For me, at least. The movies name is "New Hope." It was made last year, in 2012. Now, without further adieu  I'd like to tell you about the lessons I found in the movie. 

~WARNING: If you haven't seen the movie I'd recommend watching it before you read anything below, because I'll be talking about some of the plot and I don't want to ruin it for you!~ 

     

     God DOES Care

After losing her boyfriend Chase to suicide, Jasmine starts to believe that God doesn't care about "some troubled high school kid." Michael, the preacher's kid, who is also new in town, reassures her that God does care. He tells her "We all have struggles, but God hasn't given up on you." God doesn't give up on anyone, especially those that are going through struggles.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says; "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."

God also tells us; “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you (Heb.13:5).” 

     There will be PEACE

After losing a son, things will never go back to the way they were, but Chase's parents want it to. They go to counseling with the new pastor (Michael's father). Sometimes we don't think we will ever get past the current struggle, but God promises us peace, and his unfailing love. 

Isaiah 54:10 says: "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the LORD, who has compassion on you." 

     Love those that  DON'T love you back

Michael's father explains this one pretty well in the movie. He says "Loving the ones that love us, that's easy, anybody can do that. It's loving the ones that hate us..well, that's the real challenge." It can be a challenge, physically and emotionally, and Michael takes the challenge. Sometimes, a friendship can be born out of the greatest challenges of our life. 

God tells us; "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; (Matthew 5:44)."

     Losing someone you loved, is NEVER easy

Lucas Green is eighteen and just went through the tragic loss of his brother. They must have been close in age because they played high school basketball together. I could never image losing my twin sister or brother at this age, but it could happen..today, tomorrow, or fifty years from now (or if I'm lucky I could die before they do..LOL). Lucas takes his anger out at Michael the most because Michael plays Chase's position on the basketball team and starts dating Chase's girlfriend. At the end, Michael tells Lucas that he'll never give up on him..and that proves true. The movie ends and then their are pictures that tell of a wonderful friendship between the two. 

I ABSOLUTELY recommend watching this film. I have never felt so touched by a movie even though I didn't shed any tears. I think it reminded me of some great lessons, that I'll never forget. It's an unforgettable and powerful film!

Winter Weekend Retreat

     This past weekend I was at a youth retreat. I had an amazing time with friends; new and old. We slept in dorm-like rooms (girls on one side of the building, boys on the other side), with 4 or 5 other people. Laughter could be heard down the long hall at any point during the day. We did all different activities such as; basketball, volleyball, card games, shuffleboard, and even sumo-wrestling (which was quite fun to watch also). When we weren't having fun, we were in God's presence.
     An evangelist named Glen Badonsky was the special speaker and had us laughing and crying. He had a special sense of humor, but when alter call came we all went up to worship with him. He broke through with the humor and we were built up with our tears. He has a ministry in India called Double Portion Ministries. I truly felt the holy spirit in the chapel this year.

   

     We had worship time, which is always my favorite time. We sang a lot of contemporary songs. Some were "Stand" by Hillsong, "10,000 reasons" by Matt Redman, and "Promises" by Parachute band. Raising our hands in worship always makes me thankful that I have a God I can reach out to and he'll hear me and answer me.

What are YOU thankful for?

  I'm so thankful for everything I have; my family, my friends (far and near, new and old), my house (that still has some branches of a tree on it), wonderful food, God's word, and sooo much more. The thing I am most thankful for is for my Saviour, Jesus Christ. He is so merciful and faithful. I'm thankful for his infinite and unfailing love, and his grace. He is always there for me, to guide and protect me. You can leave a comment and tell me something that you're thankful for...

"Be still And Know"

This is a great video that I got from a friend...you should all watch it...the pictures are great as well! 

Springtime: An awakening

Lily Of the Valley

Spring is my favorite time of the year! Everything wakes up from the long winter slumber. It is truly a fresh start for everything and everyone. The birds once again start there beautiful relaxing songs that go from the early morning hours till the sun sets in glorious colors. The trees and bushes start to grow their blossoms, some poking their heads out of the thawing ground toward the sun. Blooming cherry blossom trees are my favorite trees to see during the early spring. The sun shines, casting rays of sun through treetops. Those sun rays remind me of God's light on us from heaven. Spring also reminds me of God's promise to Abraham, that he would never completely destroy the earth in a flood ever again. Cardinals move with the colder weather and soon are gone from the trees. Blue jays and various warblers come to adorn our trees once again. 

Another Year With God..

As we start the new year we should all thank God for giving us such a great year last year. I know that I have grown closer to God this past year, and all of you have helped me draw closer to him. I pray that God will give me another year to draw closer to him and to grow in my faith. God is faithful and will always be at our sides to help guide us.  May he also bless you as you go on into the new year! 

1 Peter 4:7-8 = "The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so

 that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. 

“I Will Walk With Integrity”

Yesterday, in Sunday School, our lesson was on godly character. We touched briefly on multiple passages, but the one that stuck out at me was Psalm 101. So, without further ado…

The first verse of Psalm 101 is something  I can relate to. It says “I will sing of your love and justice; to you, O Lord, I will sing praise.” Singing is something I am always doing. I am not voice trained, and never took singing lessons, but that doesn’t stop me. I love listening to the Klove radio station or one of our many Christian cd’s that my family has collected over the years. I listen and sing to a lot of contemporary music, but every once in a while I take out a praise cd and sing those songs too. Just because my music is labeled Christian, doesn’t mean that the music is all about singing praise to the Lord. Sometimes the song isn’t praising God, so just be careful about the music you sing and listen to.

Verse two is when David asks God for help: “when will you come to me?.” We should all ask for Gods help, because we can’t possibly do everything without Gods help. Actually, we can’t get through anything without Gods help. In this world, we see people who aren’t true Christians get through situations, you might say, but they aren’t coming out without scars and wounds. Their hearts may be shriveled and broken into thousands of pieces. In order to live a blameless life, we need Gods help.
Verses three to eight show us characteristics that help us to live a blameless life. They aren’t easy to follow especially when we are in the presence of non-christians. Not looking at vile things is pretty hard to do nowadays. Posters and bulletins are all over  buildings, not to mention, in the biggest print people can possibly fit. They advertise beauty products, that probably don’t even work on everyone out there in the world. Sin can be enticing and can even look like fun. I know that I have participated in things that haven’t honored God, like spreading the latest gossip or making fun of people who didn’t fit in with our middle school click. After doing things like that, I would have a huge, guilty conscience, that I never enjoyed. Now my conscience is a good thing and has helped me stay away from those evil things. I’ve been forgiven for those sins and try not to do things like that anymore. In college I’ve met people that are haughty and boastful, and unfortunately I have become aquatinted with them. Those people should not be tolerated and I know that God will help me with them.
Verse six is a blessing to me. “My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.” I also have Christian friends that build me up and draw me closer to the Lord.  There are so many Christians girls (set-apart for Christ) on Blogger and I am so happy for that. Verse six talks about pastors. Pastors aren’t perfect, but those that try to live a blameless life, should be the one’s preaching to us. I don’t want a pastor who has not experienced the love of Christ for himself/herself.  They would never be able to show us how to love the lord. Verse seven talks about living with people who aren’t deceitful and slanderers. All of my friends, whether christian or non-christians, now that I hate when they speak inappropriate language. I used to participate in all of that gossip, but now I keep what I know to myself and try not to laugh at others who are being gossiped about. Verse eight is something that all of us should commit to. We should all try our best to turn the lost sheep back to the lord and we should be careful of ourselves. We should watch that we don’t get pulled away from the Lord.
It may be hard to live a blameless life, like this Psalm explains, but we have God right beside us and we can always ask his help.

“Don't follow a defeated foe. Follow Christ. It is costly. You will be an exile in this age. But you will be free.”
― John Piper