God Always Gives Us What We Need

I was out with my mom today getting gifts for a baby shower that we had to go to a little later this afternoon. As I was out, I got a phone call from a friend telling me that I absolutely had to come to church with her tonight. A great message was going to be taught and I just had to be there.

The church is about 40 minutes away from my house and since I had a baby shower to go to, I didn't think there was any way I could go to the shower and then go home, get my car, and drive all the way there. So I told her that I didn't think it was possible. But then she said "Well, I'll give you a ride home." Now I had no excuse... I had to go.

This service was led by the youth in Master's Commission (a super awesome God-focused program) all of them about my age. And it was good. After the service was over there was just a time of prayer for different people in the church...

As I mentioned in my last blog, I've really been seeking the Lord in how my life is supposed to work out and if I'm really doing what he has called me to do. Everything has seemed to kind of be working out but the long-term picture hasn't been in focus.

I had been praying all through the service that God would speak to me and just bring me peace and reassure me that I'm on the right path.

My friend who invited me asked if I had been prayed for. I told her no and that I couldn't think of anything that I needed prayer for. She told me that I was wrong and that God definitely had something for me.

She brought me over to one of her friends and they began to pray. Immediately, her friend began to sob. And just said...

"The care and compassion that you have in your heart is really pleasing to God and He IS going to use it in a massive way. I don't know you, or anything about you but God wants you to know that He has big, no, HUGE plans for your life. Bigger than you can ever imagine. You are going in the right direction. Don't forget that he is guiding your steps. He wants you to remember Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, they are plans for good and not disaster, plans to give you a future and a hope. - He'll give you the direction and guidance you've been asking for in His time, not yours. Learn to be patient.

WOW!!! GOD ALWAYS COMES THROUGH AND HE ALWAYS GIVES US WHAT WE NEED.

How does it all work together?

Sometimes I wonder how all of the different pieces of my future are going to fit together. God is very particular about revealing certain aspects of our future to us, probably to keep us from freaking out. He knows that if he tells us too much at once we won't be able to handle it. Which leaves me wondering how the pieces will fit.

I know I am supposed to be a photojournalist.
I know I am supposed to travel.
I know I am supposed to be a wife.
I know I'm supposed to be a mother.
I know I'm supposed to work with youth.

So how does it all fit? How can I be a traveling photojournalist, mission worker when I have a husband, family, and youth group at home?

How does it all work together?

It works together for my good, that's how.

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."
Romans 8:28

Spiritual Lessons from a Children's Book

After completing Prince Caspian, I thought to myself ‘Well, I might as well continue reading.’ So I did. Yesterday/night I read the entire next book, (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader). I had forgotten why it was my favorite of the Narnia series.

The scene takes place on a small sail ship which belongs to Prince Caspian. I generally don’t care too much for novels of sailing and such, but this one is different. The spiritual truth that is hidden behind every word will make your head spin and your heart beat faster!

I don’t want to tell you too much about the book because I don’t want to ruin the story for you. But I will tell you this, as I was lying in my bed last night (or this morning rather) at 2am reading the last page in of the book tears were streaming down my face. Not tears like the kind you cry when someone has hurt you, but rather the kind you cry when you realize that you have hurt someone and are truly repentant.

I realized the lack of love, hunger, and sincerity that I have in my relationship with God, not that my relationship with Him is bad (some would say it is good) but I know that it can be SO much more. He desires to have a relationship with me (and you) that we cannot even comprehend or begin to dream about.

READ THIS BOOK! You won’t regret the use of time.

I am starting my journey to obtain a deeper relationship with God; I encourage you not only to do the same but to join me. We can help one another.

If you’ve read or are reading the book, how has it changed you? If you aren’t, when is a time in your life that something as simple as a children’s book has brought you to your knees before the Lord?

Narnia, anyone?

When the first movie in The Chronicles of Narnia series, (The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe) came out I was really excited to see it. I had never even heard of the books, or the phenominal C.S. Lewis beforehand. After seeing the movie in the theater I immediately decided I needed to read the books. So I set out to Mardel's and bought a 767 page book that encompasses all of the Narnia books. It took me about a month to read the 7 books. Some friends of mine and I spent many hours nestled up by a warm fire reading. After finishing the books, I felt sad. Sad because I wouldn't be going on any more Narnian adventures.

Now the second movie (Prince Caspian) has come out which is actually the fourth book if you are reading in order of which they were intended, not published. I saw it and decided to brush up on the real story of Prince Caspian once again. I finished it just today, the books are an easy read, if you start from the beginning. Over all I had about 4 hours invested in it (but that's beside the point, I'm always getting off track with extra details).

After having read it again and noticing the large gaps between the movie and the book, I like the book better. Go figure, who can beat the literary genius, Lewis?

This is one thing I have been wondering about though: what does the land of Narnia symbolize? I know what most of the symbolic attributes represent such as the Lion, different talking animals, people, etc. but I don't know about the actual place. Is it really a world, maybe the Christian journey, I'm not sure.

So give me your Narnian smarts! What do you think the land of Narnia represents, or does it have a meaning at all?

Do I ever say no?

I was visiting with my good ol' friend, Anna, today and she asked me how one of my study groups went (I had told her previously that I had to go to one). I told her it went fine but I had a lot of work to do because my group delegated everything to do to me.

She told me that I need to learn to say "no" to people. . . that's a hard one for me. I like making people happy (even if it means doing more than my share of the work). I didn't really think that I had a problem with saying "no" until I got home and started working on all of the things that my group delegated me to do. Then I got a call from my sister-in-law asking me to come to dinner with her. Don't get me wrong. . . I wanted to go to dinner, I just knew that I didn't have the time. But I told her that I would because it would make her happy. So now I will stay up all night getting everything else finished.

I have a disease called Okay, whatever you want.

It's just like Dominoes, once you start saying "yes" you never can seem to stop. You just keep falling into something else.

I have a problem. . . and I'm going to start dealing with it.

Wow, what a week!

I am writing this blog mainly because I need a break from life. I don't even know where to begin to enlighten you about what's going on right now. Maybe I won't begin. Instead, I'll just say that I'm REALLY stressed (for lack of a better word) and could use a little prayer from all of you!

It always seems that when I can't handle one more thing, God wants to push me, so He throws a few more things my way.

When are some times in your life when God has pushed you beyond your limits?

Leave me some good tips for stress management/reduction!

I'm a bad blogger

Lots of people have been telling me that I haven't been blogging lately. . . thanks for pointing out the obvious. (chuckles to self)

I realize that I may not be the best blogger in the world because I don't really keep up with it as much as I should. But I haven't because there are a lot of other things in my life that have taken higher priority. Like: Jesus, school, work, homework, people, and sleeping. I think that maybe I should move it up on the list of priorities though because keeping in contact with you and self-disclosure is very important. So I am trying to do better, thus this blog that you are reading.

It's good to be back!