Who, oh Lord, could save themselves,/Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea/ Your grace is deeper still

Who, oh Lord, could save themselves,/ Their own soul could heal?
Our shame was deeper than the sea / Your grace is deeper still

You alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise

You, oh Lord, have made a way

The great divide You heal / For when our hearts were far away
Your love went further still / Yes, your love goes further still

You alone can rescue, You alone can save

You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise
(Repeat x1)

To You alone belongs the highest praise (x3)

We lift up our eyes, lift up our eyes
You're the Giver of Life (x8)

You alone can rescue, You alone can save
You alone can lift us from the grave
You came down to find us, led us out of death
To You alone belongs the highest praise
To You alone belongs the highest praise
To You alone belongs the highest praise

Matt Redman - You Alone Can Rescue 

Saturday night ( 10-3-15), my husband and I watched the Moses movie from Sight & Sound theaters. Sunday morning, we sang the above song during the worship time at church. 

Since watching Moses, this song just helps me understand more of the love, grace, providence and mercy of God. 

"Who O Lord, could save themselves?"
-The Israelites were trapped in slavery and there was no escape, (at least not yet). There was no escape on their own. 

"Our shame was deeper than the sea; Your grace is deeper still."
-The Israelites had been physically and emotionally reduced to slaves. Perhaps their belief and trust in God to bring a redeemer was not so strong. But God provided Moses to bring them out of slavery. No matter how deep their sin was, the ocean of God's grace and love is deeper; so much so that God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites walked through on dry ground.

"You came down to find us, led us out of death..."
-The Lord came to the Israelites and through Moses- led them out of slavery. When the Egyptian army was at their back- God still led them out of harms way with the pillar of fire. God continued to lead them out of physical death. 

"You, O Lord, have made a way, the great divide you healed...Yes your love goes further still.."
-God made a clear direct way for the Israelites to escape the rule of Pharaoh and the Egyptian army. His love went further still: further to part the entire Red Sea, further to allow them to cross it on dry land, further to brig down the pillar of fire to hinder the Egyptian army from capturing Israelites, further to drown the Egyptian army, and further still to provide the 10 Commandments so His people could know His important commands and follow them.

"We lift up our eyes...You're the Giver of Life"
Sure the Israelites were living in slavery, but not real life serving God in freedom. They really did lift up their eyes and cry out for a Savior, a Deliverer- God literally led them out of Egypt through Moses and led them to freedom and led them to life! 

Peru 2013

           Going to Peru, for me, has always been exciting and thrilling. I love being on mission with God and seeing how He draws the hearts of men, women, and children to Himself; it never ceases to amaze me. This year was my 10th time going to Lima, Peru on a mission trip. Being that I am 24 now, this means that I have been going to Peru since I was 14. Wow!! Think about this. Before I was 14, I never imagined that one day I would spend 10 straight consecutive summers in Peru sharing the message of God, salvation, forgiveness and hope to literally thousands and thousands of people. Because I have been going there for all those years, many Peruvian pastors, ministers, cooks, translators, bus drivers, hotel workers, friends, and kids have seen me grow-up physically and spiritually. How cool is that?
            This year, I spent nearly a month in Lima, Peru; June 7th-July 2nd. A friend and I went down to Peru a few days early to prepare for the team coming and go shopping. Three days later, June 10th, the team arrive and I am more than excited to see them. June 11th, we hit the ground running and begin our two weeks of ministry. We spent one week in San Juan de Lurigancho and one week in Pomacoches.
           I want to share four stories; two about the week in SJL and two about the week in Pomacoches. First, the former. One night our team was out doing the drama. We had just done the drama and I noticed that 2 men on our team had gone over to a Peruvian man to talk with him and pray for him. A few minutes later, one of the men from our team motioned to me to come over to where he was. I soon found out that the Peruvian man has been sick for 7 years with intestinal problems and he could not hear very well. It was interesting- when I went over there and learned this about this man, suddenly I felt like I had a prayer for him. Then one of the men standing with the Peruvian man, asked me if I wanted to pray- to which I readily responded by saying YES! Keep in mind that I had no idea what I was going to pray, what I was going to say or what would come out of my mouth. Obviously, I would pray for healing on this man's life- but other than that- I did not know what to pray. From that point on, my prayer for that Peruvian man was just God talking through me and using me to speak out the prayer He had given me. After I prayed, one of the men standing with me- said- "That was a beautiful prayer, Rebecca!" Wow!! Amazing- I was just saying what God told me to say, but thank you!
        Story 2: Our team was in another area- kinda late afternoon and we had just done the drama. Then we were to go into the crowd and pray for people and talk with them. Caroline Blinson and I went to talk with a man. We noticed that on his right hand- he had no fingers. I repeat- this man had no fingers on his right hand. As we were talking with him, we found out that his shoulders, back, arms, and other parts of his body- all hurt! We knew we had to pray for this man at that moment. After both of us prayed for him, I introduced this man to another Peruvian man who was with our team helping us talk with people.
         Both of these stories remind me about the story in the Bible about the blind man. This blind man was sitting on the side of the road and I think he had heard that Jesus was coming. This man shouted to Jesus. Jesus came to this man and asked him- what do you want me to do? The blind man said-Lord, I want to see. Then Jesus spat on the ground and made some mud and put it on the man's eyes. Jesus told the man, Go and wash in the pool of Siloam and you will be healed! The man did so and was healed! Both of these stories also remind me of the power of God to heal people.

Stories from Pomacoches
Story #1: Our team had just done the drama in one of the schools there. Each team member put 20 salvation bracelets on their wrists (10 on each wrist). We then told the kids at the school to get in groups of 18 or 19 and our team members would give them out to each kid in each group. I went to a group of about that many kids- these are older kids mind you. I gave each kid a bracelet and asked them if they understood the bracelet- to which they said yes- but then I proceeded to ask them what each color meant and what did it signify. I told them about this and what the colors meant as the story of salvation. All this I did in Spanish- it was pretty cool to use more of my Spanish with these kids and become more confident in another language. After I gave the bracelets out, I noticed I had one left over on my right wrist. I saw that another lady on our team was talking with 3 boys- I walked over to those 3 boys and noticed that one of the boys did not have a bracelet. So I said- all in Spanish- this is for you, but first I want to tell you about it.- Then I explained all the colors, what they mean and the message of salvation. All in Spanish yall! Then I talked with that guy afterwards. Yall- this day I was able to use a lot of Spanish to talk with people. I was soooo excited about it too! Plus- what's more- When we step out in Faith- God always meets us and goes with us as we do what He calls us to do!

Story #2: I guess this isn't really a story- but just something I was thinking a lot about while I was in Peru. So in the main drama that we do- this year, yet again, I was the Spanish Dancer- who portrays Mary the mother of Jesus in the drama. (This is my favorite part cuz i get to dance haha) But anyway, while I was being this character- I began to think about what it must have been like for Mary to raise Jesus and be his earthly mother and see him be crucified on the cross. I imagine Mary enjoying having a baby and caring for him all those years and being excited when he "learned" something new or when he did this or that and I would imagine her being the happiest mother on earth because her baby is the Son of God! Also, I thought about how Mary must have felt when she saw her Son on the cross....why did it have to be her son that had to die? Why my son? I also imagine as a mother, she would not want anything terrible to happen to her son- then later seeing her on on the cross. I imagine at that moment she must have had a flood of emotions in her heart and mind.

I could easily go on about all the stories.
-Like the time when we were doing the drama at a school in Poma and in the beginning, our stage was rather large- but as more and more kids came- it became the case of the disappearing stage because literally our stage became smaller and smaller with all the kids that kept coming and taking our stage space. It was quite the drama experience for all of our team.
-Like the time we were at one park and literally there was 1 couple there- then i think they left. So essentially there was no one there. We went out and invited people to come. We came back and after we did the drama- there must have been 50-100 people in that park area that we were. The cool thing about this was that God was drawing the people to come. No one had it on their calendar to come to that park at that time. When it came time to cast the net- aka- share the gospel- nearly the whole crowd responded and came forward. WHAT!??! WOW GOD!!!
-Like the time we got stuck in traffic on the way back from Pomacoches and on our way to Chachapoyas. Literally, we got stuck in traffic from 1-5pm because they were paving the road in front of us...how can that road dry in 4 hours!?!? But what we thought was hard or something we did not want or like- God turned it around and many other people who were also stuck in traffic (in the cars behind us) gave their hearts to God- literally yall, people were giving their hearts to Christ left and right. Maybe around 30 or 40 people gave their hearts to God that day.
-Like the Pastoral couple that traveled with us to Pomacoches. The church in SJL had been praying for a long time that God would raise up a pastoral couple that could be pastors at the church in Pomacoches. A couple was raised up, they traveled with us to Poma and they are planning on moving to Pomacoches. Is this not God's plans at work or what!?!?!??!
-Like the time we climbed/hiked another mountain in Poma and when we got to the top of it- we could not see anything and it was really cloudy. We prayed and God parted the clouds and we could see the lake in Pomacoches and we also saw a rainbow!!

I am sure there are countless other stories to share and from many other people as well!!

If you have not already, you can check out my pictures on FB.

The Gift to Breathe

     
          "How can the creature not worship its Creator and Sustainer? The debt that is owed Him cannot be measured. Would there be anything if He had not spoken? Would not all things immediately turn to chaos and destruction if He did not sustain them? Could the constellations and planets find their way through the skies without Him? Would not the seas escape their boundaries and engulf the land if His hand did not hold them back? Could man draw even one more breath were it not granted to him by God? How then can we not worship?"- Paul Washer (from the One True God bible study)

         Have you ever really thought about how the ability to breath is really an amazing and a wonderful gift from God? The fact that we breathe involuntarily is soooo incredible. We don't have to tell our bodies every single second to breathe in and breathe out. It just happens. When we breathe in, our diaphragm lowers to allow in more air. When we breathe out, our diaphragm pushes up on our muscles to push the air out. Not only that, but we breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Whoa!! Take for example this quote from wiki answers.
 (it should be broken up into sentences but this is how the quote was)
   
 "When oxygen is breathed in it goes to the alveoli... in to the bloodstream where it is picked up        by a protein molecule called hemoglobin one molecule of hemoglobin can transport 4 oxygen molecules to anywhere in the body the hemoglobin transports the oxygen to another protein called Cytochrome C oxidase which makes two molecules of water for every molecule oxygen (water needs two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen) when a water molecule is made it releases energy the Cytochrome C oxidase harvests the energy then uses it for every day functions. Carbon Dioxide is released because it is in most everything we eat and is toxic to humans so we breathe it out. You breath oxygen in order for you to live. You give off carbon dioxide in order for plants to live."

(http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Why_do_we_breathe_in_oxygen_and_breath_out_carbon_dioxide#ixzz28RHxCqg7) 
Could man draw even one more breath were it not granted to him by God?
Have you ever really thought about this? God's love for us is SOOOO great and so unexplainable that He gives us each and every breath that we breathe. Last night, I was driving home from a bible study group. As I was driving home, I was listening to "Perfect Love" by Shai Linne. The combination of his song and what I've been studying in my bible study just overwhelmed me. The thought of God literally giving me each and every single breath i breathed just brought me to tears. Literally, people, every breath you breathe- the small ones and the big ones; it just isn't something you can take for granted. God gives/gave you the ability to breathe. He created the process of respiration. He gave you life!! Not only that, He gave/gives you life ABUNDANTLY!!! Think about that! It's not just that we can breathe; we use our breath to speak, to sing, to play instruments that require air, pray, to take in oxygen, to laugh, to breathe, to sigh, to proclaim, to yell, to scream, to shout, to worship...etc. 

Genesis 2: 7 "...the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being"

The depth of God's love for us is so great that even our next breath- that one, and that one, and that one, and that one too and all the other breaths that you will take today and for the rest of your life- He allows and grants to us. Surely, He gives LIFE-and literally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.
"When the creation is correctly understood, it works to lay all men prostrate before God with reverence, trembling, and a real sense of utter dependence upon the One who made them." -Paul Washer

"When we do worship Him, we are at last fulfilling the purpose for which we were created." -Paul Washer

Psalm 150: 6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!"

5 Reasons I Do Not Cuss

There are many things in life that bother me; some things just plain annoy me. But one of the top things that really gets on my nerves is cussing. Now I do realize that there is freedom of speech, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't choose our words carefully and really watch what we say. Please know that my initial idea is not to be rude to anyone, I am just expressing how much I strongly dislike cussing. So here are my top 5 reasons why I don't cuss.


#1: To me, cussing is vulgar and degrading.
It's not that I just don't like it- whenever I hear it being spoken or see it- it doesn't sound nice
or look good at all. When I hear it being used to describe someone, I think- that sounds extremely negative and degrading of that person's character. It's one thing if that person is displaying ungodly character- but it doesn't really look good for someone to put that person down in order to elevate themselves.


#2: Use a thesaurus and/or expand your vocabulary
Are these the only words you know that can truly express what you're feeling? I'm sorry but I'm not amused by it. Please learn some new words that can truly help you describe the feelings you have.


#3: Is the thing, person, event, etc.. really that terrible? really?
Whatever is the negative thing you experienced- whether it was a person being obnoxious, or an event that you really did not like, or something that you really dislike- is it really all that bad? I can understand if something you experienced really was terrible and awful, but there are other words that can describe how you feel as well. I don't know about you, but i'd like to make my struggles places that I can grow- not just mentally, but also spiritually.


#4: Ephesians 4:29
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Plain and simple. If what you are saying tears down someone, then it's probably better to not say it at all.


#5: The use of hell in terms of swearing...how do u even know what hell is like?
Unless you are someone who has had a vision of hell, or an out of body experience in hell, how could you possibly know if something is as terrible as hell is? I've been thinking about this use of this word and my conclusion is- you have no idea what hell is like. I have no idea what hell is like.

So there are my 5 reasons why I don't cuss- the 5th one being a more specific reason.

oh yea- #6. To me, cussing does not make someone look cool or sound cool.

Again, I am not trying to be rude- I am just giving my opinion.

What is love?

There are a lot of ways that I could describe what love is. Love is caring for people when they are sick, and being there for someone in their time of greatest need. I could go on and on about this. Somehow I believe the LIE that people only love me IF I'm doing everything right- and if I mess up just once- then they're done and that's it. Take for example my childhood- when I was younger and was sometimes disobedient to my parents- I reaped the punishment. After that situation my first thought was- i don't know if they love me. I didn't understand they punished me because they loved me and wanted me to learn right from wrong.

Somehow this thought/lie/belief has obnoxiously stayed with me.

That's why I run to Jesus, first and foremost- then i jump to 1 Corinthians 13; really the whole chapter- but right now and more specifically the following verses:

¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,^[b] but have not love, I gain nothing.
⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

These verses speak to my issue directly. In the first few verses the message is- it doesn't matter what i can do- if I don't have love in my actions- I am nothing. If LOVE does not propel my actions- I am nothing.

Lesson 1: Let Love Propel your actions.

The other verse that spoke to me is verse 5: It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

To truly love someone, you are not hanging over them keeping a list of every single wrong thing they've ever done; no one is writing down every single thing you've ever done to annoy anyone, make someone upset at you, or any other thing- love keeps no record of that.
That literally blows my mind. For one thing, I try hard to not keep a list of wrong things people have done to me- but for someone to NOT keep a list of wrong things i've done to them? wow....
This always brings me back to Jesus and how he could love someone like me.

Lesson 2: Love keeps no record of wrongs.

The third verse I want to write about is the following- and here's where I feel may be and prayerfully will be the breaking point. Verses 7 and 8 say that love^" It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails.

My mom has told me that the words "always" and "never" are very strong words. I know she's right.
These verses say that love ALWAYS protects, ALWAYS trusts, ALWAYS hopes, ALWAYS perseveres and that love NEVER fails.

Note it does not say- i'll only protect you when you're not in danger. I'll only trust you when.... I'll only hope when.....and I'll only persevere when....

Note more what this verse does not say:
-love does not say- i'll only be this way when you're not annoying
-love does not say-i'll only be this way when you're obeying me
-love does not say-i'll only be this way when i'm not mad at you
-love does not say- i'll only be this way when you're perfect and obeying

NO. LOVE always protects, trusts, hopes and perseveres and it never fails.
I don't know about you, but sometimes what the verses don't say- really hits me.
Love is not conditioned to the words "when", "if", and other conditional terms.
To truly define love- look at 1 Cor. 13- the entire chapter. Love never fails.

Lesson 3: ^" It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.⁸ Love never fails.

When I look at Jesus, I see perfection. When I look at myself, i think- okay I'm a pretty good kid etc etc...but only being a pretty good kid doesn't cut it. See God's love for me is not based on what I do or how many good works I do. His love for me is just for the fact that He created me and made me in His image. His love for me isn't based on whether I made someone mad at me or I annoyed someone. He's not sitting in heaven going- uh oh..you made someone mad and now they love you less. In fact, God loves me SOOOOO much that He willingly sent his only Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins. Now that's love...sacrifice.

Please pray that this will continue to break this lie in my life and that God will do his amazing work in my life.
His love never fails.

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.

GO....Move...

This post is not about moving as in moving from one house to another. It's about following God's commands and His leading.

I've been reading more in Exodus. Now I'm reading about the plagues. (I'm past that now but I had been reading about the plagues). Before God brought the plague upon Egypt, He told Moses and Aaron what to do and say to Pharaoh when they went before Pharaoh. God always said "Go to Pharaoh...", then his specific order followed. Whenever God was about to move, or show His power, He always told Moses/Aaron what to say or do- so that God's power would be revealed and the Israelites and Egyptians would KNOW that HE IS GOD.

When God said GO, Moses and Aaron WENT. (Okay so Moses was definitely unsure of himself and argued with God when God first called him at the burning bush- but Moses eventually went.) If Moses had not responded to God's calling, then Moses would not have grown into the man of God that he became. Recently I've thought about what if Exodus 14:16 never happened.
((to Moses God said) ¹⁶ Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.) What if Moses had not done that. Would God still have shown His power? Would God still have parted the Red Sea by another means of His power and shown more of His glory?

If Moses had not moved, when God said GO, if Moses had not spoken to Pharaoh when God said tell him this, if Moses had not fully obeyed God- Moses would have had many missed opportunities to serve God and to be His vessel. Moses would not have become the man of God that God created him to be.

A Snake's Tail...

Despite my rather boring morning...Let's be honest for a second. I haven't exactly been reading my bible lately. I've been really sick the past few days- almost a week that I've been sick. Last Sunday, I watched The Prince of Egypt on youtube (yes it's all there) and, again, I was blown away at how God used Moses- just an ordinary person. Moses was on God's mind from the beginning. The Israelites had been under the oppression of Pharaoh for many years, and God had in mind to deliver them, though the israelites didn't think so. They had been working hard for Pharaoh for many years and after working with bricks, straw, and clay for too long- they began to believe that maybe God was not going to save them from Pharaoh's hand. What their situation came down to was trust...would they really trust God and believe that He was going to actually save them?

So this morning i decided to start reading in Exodus; the same story that the Prince of Egypt is- just to understand it a bit more and see God's powerful hand at work all over again. This morning I read Exodus (chapters) 1-4. I read something in chapter 4 that baffled me and got me thinking. It was verses 1-4 (That's Exodus 4:1-4 just so you're not confused.)

1 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?”

² Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,” he replied.

³ The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.

⁴ Then the LORD said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.

The part that really got me was when God told Moses to pick up the snake by its tail. AHEM...BY IT'S TAIL.. Nowadays, if someone picked up a snake by it's tail, the snake might come back and bite us. Now, picking up a snake by its tail is not a smart thing to do. I noticed in the Prince of Egypt movie that (in this part of the movie) Moses picks up the snake behind its head- the smart way to pick up a snake. But what did God say in the bible? Pick it up by its tail. God was asking Moses to trust Him on 2 (or maybe 3) accounts. 1) pick up a snake 2) pick up the snake by its tail 3) trust me that the snake will not come back and bite you. That's a lot to trust God on and really believe that the snake would not harm him when he picked it up BY THE TAIL.

Final Solo..

So i've really had a lot of topics on my mind and thought about many things I could write about on my next entry. I've had verses on my mind, spiritual topics, experiences...etc..ideas ideas ideas.

Let me begin by saying that i really do like my dance teachers. They've been so helpful to me these past years that I've been at Meredith College. They're so willing to work with me on anything or if i have a question, they'll be happy to answer it. They are also considerate of their students and are really able to be real with their students and help them out when they need it.

A few weeks ago, I performed my final solo dance. This dance was my final exam for my dance composition class. All along in this class, I have been creating new movement and learning about tools that I can use to help me in my process of creating movement. This final solo was also something that i created and performed for my class. (everyone in that class performed their solo, not just me). My final solo was/is about the battle that we as christians face everyday; the battle between the flesh and the spirit. I was really excited and a bit nervous about performing this solo. I kept praying that God would help me in this and that people would see Him in my dance and not just me. I was really looking forward to doing this solo as a form of ministry at my school and to the other students who were going to see it.

So i perform my final solo and as I was dancing it, onstage in the college's auditorium, i thought- this is what i really really want to do; travel across the country/world- and minister in my dance while i dance. Anyway, i do my dance and pray that God was glorified in it. I get my feedback later on from my teacher- and she did say a lot of things that i could have done to make my dance better and maybe a few ideas on it too..i think she did like it though.

When I saw my grade on my final solo, I was somewhat disappointed. It's not necessarily the grade that mattered much to me, it was the fact that I had worked on this dance for a really long time and I was really trying to add more to it and make it longer than one minute. Plus, I really felt like this was something great that I was creating. For example, you work on something for quite sometime, you put a lot of energy and emotion into it, you're really excited to show it or perform it, you can't wait to hear what your teacher/peers think about your piece, and you're just looking forward to the whole experience. Then when u do hear from your teacher or see the grade and it's not what you thought you'd get, it's kind of depressing and disappointing.

This is what happened to me in regards to my final solo. It's not that i didn't appreciate the valuable feedback I got from my teacher because I really did value it and she had some really great pointers. The grade I received was not what I was expecting.

This really all comes down to one thing, and one thing only --> Jesus Christ.
The other conclusion I came to in the midst of this was that I really was doing this for God and since He gave me a love for dance, why not give honor back to Him in my dance and just thank Him for taking away all my sin? I also thought that although I should respect people's opinions and advice, Jesus' thoughts on me is what I should be most concerned about.

In lieu of all these words, go watch my final solo- it's on my facebook page. Know that I am really doing it for Him; it's just that other people happen to be seeing it also.