More like YOUR words...

My blogger name is mythoughtsandYourWords; meaning the things i think about being my words- but then what does God have to say about it- Your Words. This blog will be more like a YourWords blog.

This morning I read Philippians 1 and 2. I love reading this book, especially since Crosswave (youth discipleship team that uses the arts to proclaim Christ in churches and to others) is reading it as well. While I was reading these 2 chapters, several verses popped out at me.

Phil. chapter 1: 7-11
⁷ It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, 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. ⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Again, this is Paul writing to the saints in Philippi. The phrase that really spoke to me and stood out to me was "God can testify how I long for all of you WITH THE AFFECTION OF CHRIST JESUS". say what? yes- Paul longs for the saints with the affection of Christ Jesus. Just that little phrase blows me away. 1- that God would give us that much affection for others by HIS doing, and 2- it's the affection of Jesus Christ-MY Lord and Savior and Faithful Friend.

The other part of chapter 1 that stood out to me was verses 21-26
²¹ For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! ²³ I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; ²⁴ but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith, ²⁶ so that through my being with you again your boasting in Christ Jesus will abound on account of me.

Many times I think about Christ coming back and when is he coming back. One time I thought- wouldn't it be great if Christ came back before exams, or before my project? But back to the verses- when we hear a little taste of what Heaven will be like- for Christians- we long to be with Christ and we long for that perfect place and to be with Christ forever and ever. Paul says that while he yearns to be with Christ, he feel it's more necessary to be in the body here on earth. What a great example of how life is not all about me. It's also encouraging to know that my life here on earth is a blessing to others. With the phrase in mind- "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain" makes perfect sense when I think about my life. The reason I'm living IS for Christ to be known and when I die, I know that I'll be with Christ forever! no second guessing.

halloween, thanksgiving, christmas ,easter, valentines day....STRANGE WORLD

So at dinner time tonight, i was just browsing through the ads/coupon magazines we received in the mail. Many of them, or in fact, most of them, are promoting Halloween costumes, candy, other "scary" stuff, decorations....etc. As I thought about Halloween- a few interesting thoughts came to my mind.

1) It's interesting that the media portrays Halloween as a party to play dress up. Obviously, they just want your money- but most often times- no one in the media never says what Halloween is really all about. I bet if they did, then hopefully people would be a lot less likely to dress up and go trick-or-treating.

2) In the costume aspect: it seems to me that the little kid costumes and possibly up to 5th grade- those costumes are cute and cool. But if you're a mom or an older female- either the costume choices are inappropriate, or your costume is ragged. If you're a dad, your costume is either someone who's in jail or something ridiculous.

3)What is this fascination with dressing up like people coming back from the dead? AND, if that's not enough- people are always wondering about the afterlife and if there really is a heaven or hell and OH NO- what happens when i die? i don't want to die!!!. that just seems strange to me.

The other thing i began to realize is that for some holidays- (Valentines day, St. Patrick's day, Easter,Halloween, Christmas) (i know i missed a bunch- but i'm using those i listed as an example)
it seems like the media and malls- present everything else BUT the true meaning in those holidays.
It's like- oh Valentines day- here's a little cupid, some candy, some paper valentines..etc
AND
oh St. Patrick's day- here's a ton of 4-leaf clovers, and a leprechaun, and some pots of gold
AND
oh Easter- here's a BUNNY (?????), some eggs, some candy, some grass, some flowers...etc
AND
oh Halloween- here's some costumes, some more candy, some pumpkins, some odd decorations that are supposed to "scare" you.
AND
oh here's Christmas- here's some snowflakes, some reindeer, some Santa figures, some snowmen, and other little knickknacks.

don't get me wrong- some of those things i listed really do have to do with the holiday- although i KNOW that there was no bunny on Easter morning (unless there was one munching on some nearby grass- but the bible doesn't say that)...and eggs!?! why is that associated with a bunny? Anyway, all that to say that I wish that the media would present the REAL meaning of those holidays. and i'm glad for those people who do teach their kids the real meaning of those holidays.


Anyway, that's just some things i thought about tonight. what do you think?

hey it's a blog from me!

The real reason I'm doing another blog is so that people who missed my lesson today, in Sunday school, can read what i was talking about and be caught up! (and it's also for anyone else who wants to read it)

My lesson today was about 1 John 1:5-10.

⁵ This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[a] sin. ⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.

The first thing i talked about was just a general overview of what it means to walk in darkness and to walk in the Light.

Sources: christnotes.org/commentary
desiringgod.org
a small book called Discipleship Explored
Walking in Darkness: (physically and spiritually)
-it's like being alone (if you are truly alone)
-not knowing what to do
-not knowing how to live in a right manner--> lieing, blindness
-denying our sin cuts us off from fellowship with God
- (christnotes) God holds no heavenly fellowship or intercourse with unholy souls
-no truth in their profession; their practices show its folly and falsehood

Walking in the Light:
-fellowship with others
-(discipleship explored) walking in the light apparently needs the purification of the blood of Jesus
-this can't mean being perfect (walking in the light)
-Christs' blood purifying us from all sin
(christnotes) "The great God should be represented to this dark world as pure and perfect light".
-(desiringgod) confessing our sin opens a channel for truth of forgiveness and cleansing

So, having said all that- let's jump in to the verses.
FYI-John wrote this book. (also notes from desiringgod)
John lays a foundation in verse 5 as he sais that God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. (i love the "..at all" part.)
In verse 6-7 it's the Application. If we walk in darkness, we lie and we are not living with the truth. If we walk in the light we have fellowship with God and other believers- Jesus' blood cleanses us from all sin.
In verses 8-10: the claim of sinlessness --> self-deception. Instead of denying our sin, we need to confess it- no matter how ugly or real it is.
Going back to verse 9- confessing out our sins- God is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness.
Then specifically verse 10 the clarification: "The claim of sinlessness is not only self-deception; it is also blasphemy. The sentense, "I am without sin" amounts to the sentence, "God is a liar".

So, let's recap.
1) Foundation: God is light. (vs. 5)
God is light and in him is no darkness at all. His truth is bright and hopeful for all who come to Him.
2) Application: Walk in the Light (vs. 6-7)
Therefore, let us walk in the light of God so that we can enjoy his fellowship and experience the cleansing of Christ's blood.
3) Clarification: Don't claim to be without sin (vs. 8-10)
Nevertheless, do not presume to claim sinlessness as you walk in the light, but confess your sins to God.


one more thing- if u've read this far haha- when the word "clarification" was used above- i don't think it meant to sound like the bible wasn't clear enough- which it is. It's meaning to make a finer point and make sure that the reader clearly understands the concept.

For Such a Time as This...

Pre-blog thoughts: I just wanted to write out what I've been thinking about my senior year in college so far. So what you are about to read in my blog is more like a rough draft of what i've been thinking recently.

Setting 1: (the only setting for this specific blog) The story of Esther when she is about to approach the King on behalf of herself and her people. She is afraid for her life and knows that it's not going to be an easy thing. Her cousin Mordecai encourages her and in doing so- includes the phrase, "for such a time as this".

Imporant Context: In the bible study group I am currently in, we're studying the story of Esther. This is the 3rd time in the span of 4 or so weeks that I've been through this story. 1st time- i read it on my own, 2nd time- it was the sunday sermon, and the 3rd time- my bible study group is doing it.

Blog: When I began my senior year, I thought a lot about Esther and the phrase, "for such a time as this". I couldn't help but wonder the same phrase for myself. As this is my last year at Meredith, I wonder what things God would have me do, say, tell, encourage, pray.... for people at Meredith. (and not just at my college everywhere- but for this blog- i mean my college). Right now, I'm thinking of 2 people that, I believe, God has really put on my heart. One girl I've gotten to know somewhat well- we've had a lot of classes together and I really like her. The other girl I met a day before the semester started and already I feel like God has given me a love for her even though I don't know her very well. Not only that, I'm finding that God is also becoming more of my central focus and I'm not as stressed out in school. Ya i have things due, but by God's strength and grace, I'm not stressing out over those things so much. I know God has His purposes for everything, and I can't help but wonder what He'll have for me while I'm at school or how I can continue encouraging people-just by being myself and showing off Christ. I can't help but wonder what God will have for me, in this time and place- "for such a time as this."

What you can do: pray
-Please pray that I won't miss out on an opportunity that God has put before me
-pray that i'll have the right words for these times
-that my eyes/ears/heart would be attentive to God

<3
Rebecca

You got all that from WHAT?

This morning I read Isaiah 55. Not once, not twice, but thrice! After I read it the first time, I thought, I need to read that again. After i read it again i thought, man, i really need to read that again. I didn't want to miss what the Lord was trying to show me. I could go verse by verse and describe what was shown to me- wait- maybe i'll actually do that. ( I will say that in some verses, i got more out of than others- but that doesn't mean the other ones don't say anything important- they do)

Verse 1: Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. COME! When we come to Christ, He can fulfill our every need; whether it may be physical, spiritual, emotional, or what ever need you have-HE-can fulfill it.

Verse 2: Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and you will delight in the richest of fare.
Why spend money on things that, you know, will not bring satisfaction? or at least long-lasting satisfaction. When we listen to what God says, it says we WILL delight in the RICHEST of fare (food, diet).

Verse 3: Give ear and come to me; listen, that you may live. I will make an everlasting covenant with you, my faithful love promised to David.an EVERLASTING covenant..not one that only lasts a few days, weeks, months or years- but an EVERLASTING covenant....of what? His FAITHFUL love.

Verse 4:See, I have made him a witness to the peoples, a ruler and commander of the peoples.
In conjunction with verse 3, this is what God says He has already made David into-God's plan for David came about in God's timing. David became a witness to God's everlasting covenant AND God's FAITHFUL LOVE that was PROMISED!!!!! not maybe..but PROMISED.

Verse 5: Surely you will summon nations you know not, and nations you do not know will come running to you, because of the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, for he has endowed you with splendor.” This verse was interesting to me for a reason. Correct me if i'm wrong, but this verse is saying that we will be calling nations we don't know, and nations we don't know will be coming to us- BECAUSE OF THE LORD; for HE has endowed (or enriched) us with SPLENDOR. The nations will all be coming because of what the Lord has done in our lives.

Verse 6: Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near. This verse is confusing to me. While we do seek the Lord, is there ever a time when he isn't being found by those who are calling out to Him? Is there a time when He isn't near to His people? Isn't HE always being found when his people call on Him, and when unbelievers are drawn to him too? Isn't he always near when his people call on him and when unbelievers call on him too?

Verse 7: Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Maybe this verse is in conjunction with verse 6. When the wicked and the unrighteous forsake their ways and thoughts- and turn to the Lord- he WILL have mercy on them, he WILL be found by them, and they WILL call on Him and He WILL draw near to them- when they are repentant.

Verse 8: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. Obviously this is so. As much as we plan and plan what we think is going to happen in our lives, God says- My plans are better than yours. As much as we think, God says- My thoughts are better than your thoughts. When will that idea finally be ingrained in to our minds? #challengeyouandmyself

Verse 9: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts. As much as we think that our ideas are the best, there is still a higher opinion that is always right. God's ways are higher and better than ours- thought we may not understand his ways, we know that they ARE better than what we could ever imagine.

Verse 10: As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it
without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, snow and rain come to the earth with a purpose- watering the earth and helping flowers to grow--> rain is always essential for plants to grow and be nourished....

Verse 11: so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. God's word WILL NOT RETURN TO HIM VOID. See, this is so cool. God says that his own word will accomplish what He desires and what he purposes. And to think, He calls us to join Him in something he can do Easily. When he sent His word to us, He meant to accomplish what He desires and purposes in our lives and in the lives of others. (really verse 10 and 11 go together-if you couldn't tell. :) )

Verse 12: You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. the cool thing about this verse is that it says you WILL go out in JOY and be led for in PEACE. It's cool that we'll go out in joy, and be lead in peace that God's word will accomplish all what God desires. The coolest thing to me about the Bible is that God's word will NOT return to him void. It's HIS word anyway, He uses it for HIS glory alone. To be successful soldiers of the faith, we need to know HOW to use the Sword of the Spirit.

Verse 13: Instead of the thornbush will grow the juniper, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, that will endure forever.”
In this chapter, the last verse is like the icing on the cake. Instead of something bad (thornbush), a juniper plant will grow; instead of prickly pointy briers, a myrtle tree with pretty flowers grows on it- WHY all this? FOR the Lord's renown-an everlasting sign that will endure forever. ALWAYS.

Everything good comes from God

So recently, one of my new friends sent me this video. The video that he sent me is an 8 part series video.

The video has the author of "23 Minutes in Hell" (book) on it and he discusses his experience in hell. The author of that book, Bill W. said at first that if he told anyone about his experience that people would 1) not believe him, or 2) just think that he had had a bad dream. But in this video he says that God wanted him to share his experience with other people so that we may truly know, as Christians, what God was truly saving us from by saving our souls to be with Him eternally. As i watched this 8 part video series on Youtube (lol, where else?), I was truly enlightened to what hell is like. Of course no amount of our explanation of heaven or hell could ever compare to actually being there- but when someone talks about either of those places- it just gives me a small glimpse into eternity- 1 place being with God (aka heaven) and 1 place being without God (aka -hell).

It's one thing to just know in your mind that everything good comes from God, but when that truth is really put into perspective- ie- hearing what hell is like and truly KNOWING with my heart- that truly EVERY good thing DOES come

from God- it really makes me soooo thankful that 1) i'll never go to hell because my heavenly Father is preparing a place for me even to this day and 2) He will NEVER strike my name from His book of life so i don't have to go to hell. NEVER.

While Mr. W was explaining his experience in hell- he wanted to make it clear that it was not just a bad dream- he had a vision from God and that it was an out of body experience. Everything he described that he experienced, he backed up with scripture- so people would KNOW that hell is real and NOT that he just didn't have some bad dream.

I've complied a whole list of mostly everything that he said- and it's not that i'm trying to be scary or anything- all of this just made me soooooo thankful and ever so grateful to God that He saved me from all of this.

Just so you know, I am NOT, I repeat, am NOT one of those people that wants to scare anyone into salvation. That, to me, is the not-so-smart-way to go about leading someone into the presence of God. So please don't think that i'm trying to do that by telling you this list because i'm not.

Here's the list.

in hell
-tremendous heat
-huge demon giants, deformed- tremendous strength
-no strength- any movement takes tremendous effort
-real physical pain
-no life- no blood, no water
-pitch black
-millions of people screaming at the top of their lungs
-no peace of mind, can't get away
-pit of fire- flames raging 100 ft. in the air
-pit about a mile across
-senses are keener
-flames barely lit up skyline- just enough to see- contained light
rock, desolate wasteland
-no green grass, nothing green- light did not travel
-foul stench from the demons- like a rotten open sewer, like you've never
smelled before, terrible and nauseous
-toxic to breath it--> fumes, smell, can't die from it
- not enough air to breath, not enough O2
-every time u feel like you're going to die- u don't have enough air to breathe
-Isaiah 42:5 --> hell is under the earth not upon the earth like we are,
don't get all the benefits
-everything good comes from God. fellowship, food, eating, fresh air, light, grass, sunshine
-when you remove God from the situation, all the good goes with him; there's no good apart from God; nothing
-he (Bill W) wanted to talk to someone- but he knew he would never get to again
-complete isolation for eternity
- hell is in the center of the earth num. 16:32 (sheol) eph. 4:9,
- a lot of scriptures that say where hell is
-he could never see his wife again and she was on the earth and she would
never know where he was
- no way of ever getting out
-could see outlines of people in the flames- ppl in the flames burning
-millions of people are burning and screaming but they're still alive in the
flames- real fire (john 15:6, ps. 11:6, ps 140:10, matt. 13:49, rev. 9)
-real fire in hell as truely now as you have a body- c. spurgeon
-center of the earth is about 12,000 deg f. - this kind of heat for eternity in hell
-matt. 18:34, luke 12:47, ps. 50:22, ps. 116:3, matt. 25:41, Is. 14:15, Ez. 28:17
-after judgement day- satan will be cast into the lake of fire
- no sleep - don't get to sleep- ever. Rev. 14:11
-no rest from the torment and no physical rest- ps. 127:2- God gives beloved sleep
-in hell- they aren't God's beloved- they dont get that benefit.
- not with your friends, no parties, no conversations
-alone and isolated for eternity
is. 5:14- the mighty man shall be humbled
-useless wasting away
Ecc. 9:10- no work, no device and no wisdom
-no purpose, just rot away, no job, nothing to do- other than suffer and be
in torment-never get to see loved ones again
- he was sooooo thirsty
-when he came back and his wife gave him a glass of water; he saw life
in a glass- no life in hell
-no time to think
-millions of ppl that used to live on the earth are now in hell suffering
because they made a wrong decision
-horrible feeling to be lost there forever
-no angels to come rescue you
-fear level- so high- it's like a scary movie but times a million
-Is. 14:11- bed of maggots and cover ppl- flesh is never consumed fully
- diff. sizes and shapes of demons, spiders (some were 3 or 4 ft. across), HUGE,
snakes, maggots, everything was twisted and deformed, every gross thing
you would imagine- it's in hell.
-the demons have a hatred for you, they want to torment you w/ a passion
-intense fear because there's no god to rescue you
-consumed with terror
-hopelessly lost forever
-separated from God
-people were in their individual pits
rev. 1:16- he (author Bill W) finally came to the feet of Jesus
-even some Christians don't believe hell is real
-we're made in God's image- that's why the demons hate us so much b/c
they hate God
-god doesn't send anyone to hell, people send themselves there
-it's not our job to convict people's hearts, it's the job of the Holy Spirit
-all u have to do is cast out the demons in God's name
-the demonic realm is NO MATCH for God
-job 26:7
-God is in control
-numbers 12:6
ez. 33:11- God doesn't want anyone going to hell, he feels deep sorrow for
this
-eph. 3:19- we can't even grasp how much He loves us
-job 33- God gives people visions to keep their soul from the pit
-the real you is inside- the soul and spirit
james 4:14
-it's not based on whether your good or bad- none of us meet his standards-
we're not perfect- we've all sinned- job 15:16
-jesus paid the price so we don't have to
- god gives us clear directions to his house- i think he knows where he
lives (ex. person 1 gives person 2 directions to person1's house. person 2
says he thinks he's going to go another way b/c he thinks all roads lead to
person1's house) he's given us clear direction

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqTuLNFTm70
this is the link. It's video 1 of the 8 part video series.

Left Out or Left In?

You walk into your church or school, or any other social meeting place, and there they are. You see that person sitting/standing by themselves-alone. It's not like this is the first time you've seen that person alone because they are always there at the same time and place that you are. Apparently, you and the other person have the same ideal hang out place in mind. You've tried to talk to this person, and usually this person is very social and enjoys talking with others; but maybe you wouldn't know that because hardly anyone talks to this person. In fact, it would be a stretch to say that this person has many close friends at all. This person has some close friends, but many don't know them beyond surface level. Only a handful of friends know this person beyond the surface.
Those that know this person on a surface level only know a few things about this person:
1) they're favorite color is yellow
2) they have 1 dog and 4 cats
3) they like to collect super-hero action figures.

Those that know this person beyond the surface level know something more:
1) This person gives their time, talent, energy to school, 2 ministries within the church, a summer missions trip (has been for the past 8 years)
2) This person is mostly reaching out to others in making the effort to have people over and talk to people
3) This person wonders why do they always have to be the ones reaching out and why isn't hardly anyone reaching out to them?
4) It's not that this person doesn't have many friends, it's just hardly anyone is reaching out to them.


Is this person being left-out?, you wonder? It would seem that way, yes. But there's a bigger concept here than feeling left out. Have you ever felt left-out?

This past weekend i was at a church in WV. I heard an awesome message and one of the points in the message was this:
God will NOT leave me out. Better yet, He calls me TO Himself- He gathers me with the believers.
I was greatly encouraged by this point. It's not that many times i feel left out, it's just what i said above in the 2nd set of facts. (the 4 facts).
It's just so good to know that God INCLUDES me in His plan and that He does NOT cast me to the side. So just when you're beginning to think that you're left-out, just remember that Jesus INCLUDES YOU, so actually you are Left-In and not left-out.

Rocked by God this morning

A friend once told me; you think about others more than you think about yourself. In some ways, that's good. In some ways, it's bad (or not as good.)

A lot of times I find myself thinking about the needs of others. I'll think about the homeless people in our nation, the starving kids in Africa, the people who were hurt by the earthquake in Japan, the people whose houses/lives were damaged by the tornadoes in our country, my friends/family who need prayer...etc. When I think about all those people I wonder how I can help and that they really need to know the love of God. I'll think- those people are valuable to God too and He wants to restore their lives.

This morning as mom and i were riding around in our van, we were listening to Point of Grace.
Suddenly, God told me/laid it on my heart & mind that I am also valuable to Him. He also loves me and cares about me. So many times I'm thinking about others- that i think i miss the fact that God thinks about/of me, cares about/for me, loves me...etc. I didn't quite break down, but i cried because I was reminded of God's love for me and how much He loves me.

Romans 5:7-9 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!

There was a Point of Grace song that we were listening to some of the lyrics said:
"The more you give the more He brings His love back to you!" and "The answer is Jesus."
Amen to both of those!


p.s.- i did not post the picture to be vainful by any means...just posted it to remind me that God/Jesus cares about me and loves me.

somethin.....

I see all these people.
All these people who, like me, are wondering what they're gonna do in life.
People like me who are unsure, uncertain, and STILL wondering.

I've been told i have a gift for dancing. I like to teach dance, but my overwhelming question is-
am i adequate enough to teach dance? Do i know enough to teach? Would I make a good dance teacher?

i am taking a class about how to teach dance, but somehow it's hard for me to see myself teaching dance in a studio somewhere. This is not to say that i can't dream, but it's just hard for me to see myself in that position. Not that i can't do it- I'm just nervous/slightly worried about it.
____________________________________________________________________

I have this Prayer Request word document on my computer. It's 5 pages long- filled with people's requests for this or for that--all these things really need prayer. Some of these things i have seen answered. For others, the answers are yet to come. It's not exactly overwhelming for me to have this list, but it's another reminder that everyone needs prayer.
I don't know about you, but sometimes i hear about certain issues that need prayer- and i think if i had prayed about that then it would have changed. (like my prayer is the only one that counts- or makes something happen (it's not a pride issue , plz don't think that) (which it doesn't) ). But I guess I just need to be reminded of corporate prayer, and how strong that is.
___________________________________________________________________

I was talking with a friend the other day and she told me something (that a friend told her) that really encouraged me. Many times it's so easy for us to get bogged down in school and somehow school becomes our #1 object. We don't mean for/want this to happen because God/Jesus/Bible reading/Prayer should be #1. My friend told me that her friend said that God is always with us- even while we do school. For some reason, this really got to me. Not that i think God isn't with me during school- and only with me during church or crosswave weekends- but he's ALWAYS with me. It's not even that His presence is stronger in one place and weaker in another. NOPE. His presence is always with us, wherever we go- EVEN AT SCHOOL. It's not that i'm trying to not allow God in my school, but so many things fill my mind for school work- like right now- and it's hard to keep my focus on God when there are so many things asking for my attention. But during these times I remember that my final home is heaven with My King Jesus. This earth is not my final home- i'm just an alien passing through.