I can't help but post over a couple other sections that I really love in Mere Christianity. I just came across them.
"If you are thinking of becoming a Christian, I warn you, you are embarking on something which is going to take the whole of you, brains and all."
--
"Anyone who is honestly trying to be a Christian will soon find his intelligence being sharpened: one of the reasons why it needs no special education to be a Christian is that Christianity is an education itself."
These two quotes, I believe, are so important.
First, I think the top quote is extremely true. Being a Christian is not a hobby - it's a life style. It's not something you can just do on the side, it's something that you are committed to. There's most definitely a "before" and an "after". Each Christian has a time period of "before" Jesus and then of course an "after". If you accept Jesus into your heart, your entire life will change. That I can promise you. As you begin your journey through Christianity, it will take all of you, brains and all, just as C.S. Lewis says.
Second, I also agree with the bottom quote. Starting out, Chrisitanity can seem very overwhelming. Especially when you know a lot of people who have been a Christian their whole life. But as C.S. Lewis points out, you don't need any special education to be a Christian - you learn as you go. For a while, and sometimes even now, I hesitate when talking about Christianity. I still feel a little loose in my footing, and I'm afraid to say the wrong thing. But what's great about Christianity is that you not only learn the stories and the verses, but it relates to your life every single day, in every single way. But the especially wonderful thing is that everyone is still learning - it's a life-long process.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Mere Christianity.
Mere Christianity is one of my favorite books. And I'm not even all the way done with it.
As you can see, the author of the book is C.S. Lewis. He's such an amazing author. I love reading him. What I'd like to do is share some of my favorite quotes thus far.
1. "God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God desgined the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. THere is no such thing."
Now, I love this quote for many reasons. I think it is a great analogy of our spiritual life. For us to function properly, we must use God as our fuel. It's a great way to state that we should rely on God in everything we do. As a new Christian, this passage totally put it into perspective for me.
2. "It is no good asking for a simple religion. After all, real things are not simple." - "Reality, in fact, is usually something you could not have guessed." - "The problem is not smiple and the answer is not going to be simple either."
These three quotes I thought were great. When I first became a Christian, I thought it was going to be black & white. In some ways, it is black & white. But in many others, it most definitely is black, white, and every color in between. Although sometimes I struggle with a concept, I always think back to these quotes. If it were simple, it wouldn't be real.
3. "Progress means not just changing, but changing for the better."
I enjoy this quote because it takes a word and gives it deeper meaning than we usually do. I've almost alwyas just thought of progress as change. I've never really associated it with change to the better. I just really like that.
- I would really suggest this book to anyone. But I would especially suggest this book to a new Christian. C.S. Lewis covers so many wonderful things within this book. He splits the book up into smaller books. The first one is titled Right and Wrong As A Clue to the Meaning of the Universe. The second is What Christians Believe. The third is Christian Behaviour. The fourth is Beyond Personality: Or First Steps In The Doctrine of the Trinity. As you can see, this book has many parts. And they are all good!
As you can see, the author of the book is C.S. Lewis. He's such an amazing author. I love reading him. What I'd like to do is share some of my favorite quotes thus far.
1. "God made us: invented us as a man invents an engine. A car is made to run on petrol, and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God desgined the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. THere is no such thing."
Now, I love this quote for many reasons. I think it is a great analogy of our spiritual life. For us to function properly, we must use God as our fuel. It's a great way to state that we should rely on God in everything we do. As a new Christian, this passage totally put it into perspective for me.
2. "It is no good asking for a simple religion. After all, real things are not simple." - "Reality, in fact, is usually something you could not have guessed." - "The problem is not smiple and the answer is not going to be simple either."
These three quotes I thought were great. When I first became a Christian, I thought it was going to be black & white. In some ways, it is black & white. But in many others, it most definitely is black, white, and every color in between. Although sometimes I struggle with a concept, I always think back to these quotes. If it were simple, it wouldn't be real.
3. "Progress means not just changing, but changing for the better."
I enjoy this quote because it takes a word and gives it deeper meaning than we usually do. I've almost alwyas just thought of progress as change. I've never really associated it with change to the better. I just really like that.
- I would really suggest this book to anyone. But I would especially suggest this book to a new Christian. C.S. Lewis covers so many wonderful things within this book. He splits the book up into smaller books. The first one is titled Right and Wrong As A Clue to the Meaning of the Universe. The second is What Christians Believe. The third is Christian Behaviour. The fourth is Beyond Personality: Or First Steps In The Doctrine of the Trinity. As you can see, this book has many parts. And they are all good!
Mercies In Disguise.
Blessings - Laura Story
I've posted one of my favorite worship songs that I discovered thanks to Pandora.
The chorus goes like this:
"Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops,
What if your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
are what it takes to know you're near?
What if the trails of this life
are Your Mercies in disguise?"
This song has really helped me out lately. Last night, Matthew and I prayed together about my nightmares that I've been having. I was really troubled over it and had been crying. Finally, as we were laying down and talking about the dreams, Matthew brought up this song. I had posted it on his Facebook page a couple of weeks ago or so.
Matthew brought it up because he knew that I was struggling to find a reason for having these dreams. He brought up that sometimes the trials of this life can be mercies in disguise. At first, I was kind of angered by it. I thought that it was a crappy way to get a message across to me. I mean, a simple note would suffice. Matt told me that wasn't fair of me to say; God always has his reasons, we just won't understand them most of the time.
Being a new Christian, I'm still sometimes struggling with certain concepts. Don't get me wrong, my faith is still growing every day. But I was seriously struggling with the thought of God using these horrific dreams to convey a message to me. As a result, I spent a lot of today reflecting on this. Once I got to work today, the first song that played on Pandora was Blessings. What perfect timing, as always.
After crying last night, I did feel slightly better. Sometimes a good cry is all you need. After pondering over this for hours, I've come to this conclusion: God knows what is best for me. He loves me, and I in turn should trust him. I know there must be a reason for these dreams. Sometimes, things aren't as you expect them to be. Just as the song says "What if the trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?". Or what is your healing comes through tears? A normal assumption would lead someone to think that mercies and healings come through happy things, great things. But sometimes, that's just not the case.
I know that God has a plan for me, and that this just plays into the plan. I will bear these dreams and will lean on God for support. Matthew showed me a verse last night that really helped. It was Psalms 27. Here's a link to it: Psalms 27 (ESV). I would post it all here, but it's actually kind of long. I really encourage you all to go read it if you don't already know the verse. It really helped me last night. It gave me a calmness that I didn't have.
I've posted one of my favorite worship songs that I discovered thanks to Pandora.
The chorus goes like this:
"Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops,
What if your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
are what it takes to know you're near?
What if the trails of this life
are Your Mercies in disguise?"
This song has really helped me out lately. Last night, Matthew and I prayed together about my nightmares that I've been having. I was really troubled over it and had been crying. Finally, as we were laying down and talking about the dreams, Matthew brought up this song. I had posted it on his Facebook page a couple of weeks ago or so.
Matthew brought it up because he knew that I was struggling to find a reason for having these dreams. He brought up that sometimes the trials of this life can be mercies in disguise. At first, I was kind of angered by it. I thought that it was a crappy way to get a message across to me. I mean, a simple note would suffice. Matt told me that wasn't fair of me to say; God always has his reasons, we just won't understand them most of the time.
Being a new Christian, I'm still sometimes struggling with certain concepts. Don't get me wrong, my faith is still growing every day. But I was seriously struggling with the thought of God using these horrific dreams to convey a message to me. As a result, I spent a lot of today reflecting on this. Once I got to work today, the first song that played on Pandora was Blessings. What perfect timing, as always.
After crying last night, I did feel slightly better. Sometimes a good cry is all you need. After pondering over this for hours, I've come to this conclusion: God knows what is best for me. He loves me, and I in turn should trust him. I know there must be a reason for these dreams. Sometimes, things aren't as you expect them to be. Just as the song says "What if the trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?". Or what is your healing comes through tears? A normal assumption would lead someone to think that mercies and healings come through happy things, great things. But sometimes, that's just not the case.
I know that God has a plan for me, and that this just plays into the plan. I will bear these dreams and will lean on God for support. Matthew showed me a verse last night that really helped. It was Psalms 27. Here's a link to it: Psalms 27 (ESV). I would post it all here, but it's actually kind of long. I really encourage you all to go read it if you don't already know the verse. It really helped me last night. It gave me a calmness that I didn't have.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Bad Dreams.
Lately, I've been having some horrible dreams. Weird or odd dreams are usually a common occurrence with me, but these dreams have been down right terrifying. Last night, I woke up once crying and another time petrified. I don't know what could be causing these dreams, but they're very disturbing.
In one dream, I literally thought I was going to die. I woke up so scared that I woke up Matthew and made him comfort me and hold me.
Last night, I had two dreams. In the first, my own mother was physically destroyed. By this I mean that she was shot with some type of gun that tore off at least a third of her body. That was the dream that I woke up crying from. I mean, who wouldn't cry after seeing that?
The second dream I had was equally as disturbing. In this dream I was going down this river through a swamp with Matthew. We were in a canoe, and we came upon this house. When we got alongside the house, I looked inside and started screaming. On the counter in the kitchen was a man, kneeling on his knees as if praying. Except he had a knife through his midsection anchoring him to the wall and had another knife protruding from his head. Matthew and I stopped the canoe and went in the house calling someone for help. We went back outside and went back to the canoe. I pulled some substance out of the canoe with a bowl. the bowl seemed to hold something that looked similar to spaghetti with pepperoni in it. But it was MOVING. Like a million maggots was in it. Of course I freaked out. So we went back in the house. But the man on the counter was gone. Near the counter were square pillars. Hanging from the pillars were children. Four of them aging from a six year old girl to a seventeen year old boy. How I knew their ages, I have no idea. They were hanging in the air from huge metal hooks that had been stuck in their backs. Their bodies were mutilated. Suddenly, there were people there, but I don't know who they were. Everyone was freaking out. We all knew that soon the bodies of the four kids would disappear and someone else would die. I was terrified. Then I woke up.
As you can see, these dreams are horrible. and that's only one night's worth. I've had more of them in the past month or so. I'm not eating anything before bed, and I'm not watching anything scary. For example, last night I watch Big Bang Theory right before bed.
To those who read my blog, do you have any advice? I have no idea what's causing these terrifying dreams, and I don't know how to get them to stop.
In one dream, I literally thought I was going to die. I woke up so scared that I woke up Matthew and made him comfort me and hold me.
Last night, I had two dreams. In the first, my own mother was physically destroyed. By this I mean that she was shot with some type of gun that tore off at least a third of her body. That was the dream that I woke up crying from. I mean, who wouldn't cry after seeing that?
The second dream I had was equally as disturbing. In this dream I was going down this river through a swamp with Matthew. We were in a canoe, and we came upon this house. When we got alongside the house, I looked inside and started screaming. On the counter in the kitchen was a man, kneeling on his knees as if praying. Except he had a knife through his midsection anchoring him to the wall and had another knife protruding from his head. Matthew and I stopped the canoe and went in the house calling someone for help. We went back outside and went back to the canoe. I pulled some substance out of the canoe with a bowl. the bowl seemed to hold something that looked similar to spaghetti with pepperoni in it. But it was MOVING. Like a million maggots was in it. Of course I freaked out. So we went back in the house. But the man on the counter was gone. Near the counter were square pillars. Hanging from the pillars were children. Four of them aging from a six year old girl to a seventeen year old boy. How I knew their ages, I have no idea. They were hanging in the air from huge metal hooks that had been stuck in their backs. Their bodies were mutilated. Suddenly, there were people there, but I don't know who they were. Everyone was freaking out. We all knew that soon the bodies of the four kids would disappear and someone else would die. I was terrified. Then I woke up.
As you can see, these dreams are horrible. and that's only one night's worth. I've had more of them in the past month or so. I'm not eating anything before bed, and I'm not watching anything scary. For example, last night I watch Big Bang Theory right before bed.
To those who read my blog, do you have any advice? I have no idea what's causing these terrifying dreams, and I don't know how to get them to stop.
Wedding Songs.
You Raise Me Up
I've posted the link to Josh Groban's video for You Raise Me Up. Feel free to listen while you read this.
Matthew & I have chosen this song as our First Dance song. It's one of my favorite worship songs for two reasons: 1) It's such a great message. God raises us up to stand on mountains and walk on stormy seas. Through Him we can find strength and courage. 2) I believe the song is just beautiful. The sound of it is so calming and yet empowering.
When I first thought of using this song as our first dance, I was hesitant. I even talked to Kristen about it before mentioning it to Matt. I thought it would be a great song, but wasn't completely sure. I eventually came to the conclusion that it not only encompasses our relationship with each other, but also encompasses our relationship with God.
Matthew definitely raises me up and gives me strength. He could help me walk through any stormy weather. And I hope that I do the same for him. But I also thought that using a worship song as our first song would be special too. The only reason we can love one another is because God loved us first (we discussed this in church today). God is a HUGE part of our relationship, and I think sharing our first dance as a married couple to a worship song is just fitting.
Not only have we decided on this song, but we have asked Matthew's best man, Grant, to sing the song for us. His voice is beautiful, and it will be so special for us to have such a close friend sing this amazing song for us. I'm very excited for this.
Side note: Something I've noticed is that the more I embrace my love for Jesus, the stronger my love with Matthew becomes. I can't prove, of course, that these two things are directly correlated, but I definitely feel amazingly blessed to have a man as great as Matthew in my life. i thank God for him every single day.
I Loved Her First
The link I just posted goes to the song I Loved Her First by Heartland. I've chosen this song for my Father/Daughter dance. If you take a listen and focus on the lyrics, I think you'll see why.
The chorus is my favorite. Here are the words: I loved her first, I held her first and a place in my heart will always be hers. From the first breath that she breathed, when she first smiled at me, I knew that the love of a father runs deep. and I prayed that she'd find you someday, but it's still hard to give her away. I loved her first.
This song seriously hits home for me. When I first sat down with my father after getting engaged, it was a hard conversation. As a daughter, I was nervous telling my dad his little girl was going to get married. I was excited, but also VERY nervous. I could tell that my dad was still shocked about the news. At first I thought he was slightly angry that I was engaged, but after talking to him I found out that even he was afraid. He wasn't prepared to lose his little girl just yet. He told me how much he loved me and that it was just hard to let me go.
This song completely encompasses the conversation I had with him. Even now, the song makes me tear up when I listen to it. But I think it is absolutely perfect for me and my dad. No matter how much I fall in love with Matthew, and no matter how many years I spend with him, my dad will always be my #1 guy. I know that my dad loves me unconditionally, and for that I'm grateful. He's done a great job helping raise me, and I love him more than anything in the world.
I can't wait for the night that I dance to these songs. I just know that I will cry. But they will be such happy tears.
I've posted the link to Josh Groban's video for You Raise Me Up. Feel free to listen while you read this.
Matthew & I have chosen this song as our First Dance song. It's one of my favorite worship songs for two reasons: 1) It's such a great message. God raises us up to stand on mountains and walk on stormy seas. Through Him we can find strength and courage. 2) I believe the song is just beautiful. The sound of it is so calming and yet empowering.
When I first thought of using this song as our first dance, I was hesitant. I even talked to Kristen about it before mentioning it to Matt. I thought it would be a great song, but wasn't completely sure. I eventually came to the conclusion that it not only encompasses our relationship with each other, but also encompasses our relationship with God.
Matthew definitely raises me up and gives me strength. He could help me walk through any stormy weather. And I hope that I do the same for him. But I also thought that using a worship song as our first song would be special too. The only reason we can love one another is because God loved us first (we discussed this in church today). God is a HUGE part of our relationship, and I think sharing our first dance as a married couple to a worship song is just fitting.
Not only have we decided on this song, but we have asked Matthew's best man, Grant, to sing the song for us. His voice is beautiful, and it will be so special for us to have such a close friend sing this amazing song for us. I'm very excited for this.
Side note: Something I've noticed is that the more I embrace my love for Jesus, the stronger my love with Matthew becomes. I can't prove, of course, that these two things are directly correlated, but I definitely feel amazingly blessed to have a man as great as Matthew in my life. i thank God for him every single day.
I Loved Her First
The link I just posted goes to the song I Loved Her First by Heartland. I've chosen this song for my Father/Daughter dance. If you take a listen and focus on the lyrics, I think you'll see why.
The chorus is my favorite. Here are the words: I loved her first, I held her first and a place in my heart will always be hers. From the first breath that she breathed, when she first smiled at me, I knew that the love of a father runs deep. and I prayed that she'd find you someday, but it's still hard to give her away. I loved her first.
This song seriously hits home for me. When I first sat down with my father after getting engaged, it was a hard conversation. As a daughter, I was nervous telling my dad his little girl was going to get married. I was excited, but also VERY nervous. I could tell that my dad was still shocked about the news. At first I thought he was slightly angry that I was engaged, but after talking to him I found out that even he was afraid. He wasn't prepared to lose his little girl just yet. He told me how much he loved me and that it was just hard to let me go.
This song completely encompasses the conversation I had with him. Even now, the song makes me tear up when I listen to it. But I think it is absolutely perfect for me and my dad. No matter how much I fall in love with Matthew, and no matter how many years I spend with him, my dad will always be my #1 guy. I know that my dad loves me unconditionally, and for that I'm grateful. He's done a great job helping raise me, and I love him more than anything in the world.
I can't wait for the night that I dance to these songs. I just know that I will cry. But they will be such happy tears.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Life with a capital "L".
Today, in my Religion class, we were discussing Hinduism. Throughout the conversation, we were discussing Life. Not life as in the every day happenings, but Life (with a capital "L"). Life with a capital "L" goes beyond just the every day happenings of brushing your teeth, or doing some homework. When looking at Life, one will discuss the meaning of Life. Why are we here? Do we have a purpose? If so, what is it?
These questions can be difficult to answer sometimes. Especially because sometimes the answers can change. Sometimes I question what my purpose is almost every day. I never question whether or not I have a purpose - just what my purpose is. Personally, I think that there are two tiers of purpose. A daily tier and a life-long tier.
A daily tier is your purpose for a day. This, obviously, can change day to day. This purpose may or may not be significant. It could be that you were at the right place at the right time and was able to hold a door open for an elderly person. Or maybe it's just to be at work. For me, my purpose every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is to show up at Thompson Sales to answer the phone for them. These purposes are just as important as life-long ones.
The life-long tier is just what the name implies - it's life-long. Every person on this planet was created for a reason. Whether it's to make a big break through in science, or to just own a local restaurant that everyone loves to go to, everyone has a reason for being on this earth. This purpose can be hard to figure out. Life-long purposes can change as well. Personally, I know that my purpose is to help people. I've known this since I was little. When asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I would answer "I want to help people." Now, as I'm older, I know how I wish to accomplish that.
For those who have no idea what your purpose in life is, I encourage you to lean on God. He has a purpose for you; you were not a mistake. Not only can you find comfort in knowing that someone as great as God loves you and has a purpose for you, you can also turn to Him for guidance. He will show you what you are meant to do and who you are meant to be. Worrying about your purpose in life can be tiring. It's much easier to rely on someone who you can trust because He knows what's best for you. Rather than focus on trying to figure out your purpose, focus on other things that matter to you, such as family, friends, schooling. Through these things, God will guide you to exactly where you were meant to be.
Life can be a funny thing. It can be easy at times, and it can be hard at times. But in the end, if you lean on God, you can accomplish anything.
"On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
These questions can be difficult to answer sometimes. Especially because sometimes the answers can change. Sometimes I question what my purpose is almost every day. I never question whether or not I have a purpose - just what my purpose is. Personally, I think that there are two tiers of purpose. A daily tier and a life-long tier.
A daily tier is your purpose for a day. This, obviously, can change day to day. This purpose may or may not be significant. It could be that you were at the right place at the right time and was able to hold a door open for an elderly person. Or maybe it's just to be at work. For me, my purpose every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is to show up at Thompson Sales to answer the phone for them. These purposes are just as important as life-long ones.
The life-long tier is just what the name implies - it's life-long. Every person on this planet was created for a reason. Whether it's to make a big break through in science, or to just own a local restaurant that everyone loves to go to, everyone has a reason for being on this earth. This purpose can be hard to figure out. Life-long purposes can change as well. Personally, I know that my purpose is to help people. I've known this since I was little. When asked "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I would answer "I want to help people." Now, as I'm older, I know how I wish to accomplish that.
For those who have no idea what your purpose in life is, I encourage you to lean on God. He has a purpose for you; you were not a mistake. Not only can you find comfort in knowing that someone as great as God loves you and has a purpose for you, you can also turn to Him for guidance. He will show you what you are meant to do and who you are meant to be. Worrying about your purpose in life can be tiring. It's much easier to rely on someone who you can trust because He knows what's best for you. Rather than focus on trying to figure out your purpose, focus on other things that matter to you, such as family, friends, schooling. Through these things, God will guide you to exactly where you were meant to be.
Life can be a funny thing. It can be easy at times, and it can be hard at times. But in the end, if you lean on God, you can accomplish anything.
"On Christ the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Becoming a Christian.
I think I'd like to write about a topic that I haven't really mentioned on my blog. Last August, when I met Matthew, I was not a Christian. I was pretty much anti-religion, and I had been for a long time. Religion, and God, was not really my thing. But then after meeting Matthew, I admired his love for Jesus. His love for Jesus radiates from him. At first I was nervous about dating someone who was so hardcore Christian. I was afraid he was going to preach 24/7 and try to shove Christianity down my throat like so many others had before.
Then, one weekend I went back up to Kansas City. I found the Bible that I had bought last spring. I recently had read some books about Christianity. First I read Heaven Is For Real, and then I read Blue Like Jazz. These two books had really gotten my thoughts going. I asked Matthew what book in the Bible I should read, just out of my own curiosity. He suggested Romans.
I got about half way through Romans, and I couldn't focus anymore. All I could think about was the Book of Matthew. I believe it was partly because of Blue Like Jazz. In the book, anyone who had become a Christian had started with reading Matthew. I was texting Matt, and I told him that I couldn't focus on Romans and kept thinking about Matthew. He told me to give up on Romans and to switch to Matthew. So I did. Looking back, I wonder if it was actually Blue Like Jazz that lead me to the Book of Matthew, or if it was the guidance of God. It may have been both.
For those of you who have never read Matthew, it covers some of the life of Jesus and his crucifixion. About half way through the book, I realized that I was not reading just read anymore. I was reading to learn. I fully believed in everything that I had just read. Matt texted me and asked me how it was going. Once I was finished, I texted him back and told him that I believed in Jesus, and that I believed that He had died for me.
Matt asked me, "Who is Jesus to you?" I responded, "He is my Savior and He died for my sins." I had no idea where that answer had come from. In Heaven Is For Real, the father would be asked questions that he didn't know the answer to. However, he could give the perfect answer to these people. He stated that these answers just came to him - that they had come to him from God. I felt this same sensation when I was talking to Matt about it. Saying "He is my Savior and He died for my sins" was not something that I would have ever said prior to that night. But that answer was so perfect, and I knew that it was true.
I can't even describe what I felt like. One of the campus ministries, Cru, made videos about the Before and After. Before, without even knowing it, I was so lost and so empty. I suddenly had purpose to my life. I realized that I was never alone, and that I had someone so amazing to lean on. It made me wish that I had believed in God when my parents got divorced. Having that rock to stand on would have been very helpful.
Ever since that night, I have been moving forward in my journey with God. I've learned an amazing amount about God, and I learn something new every day. Talking about it with Matthew is one of my favorite things to do. I also love talking to Matthew about what his parents are doing. I think it's amazing work.
Becoming a Christian has literally changed my life. It has helped me become a much better person, in every aspect. Of course, I'm still working on many areas, but that will always be an ongoing process. Becoming a Christian has even changed what I want to do with my career. Not only do I want to own a not-for-profit organization that helps those who just got out of prison get back on their feet, but I want my organization to be Christian based. I believe it's what I'm meant to do, and I know that faith based organizations are far more successful than non-faith based.
Becoming a Christian has been the best thing to ever happen to me.
Then, one weekend I went back up to Kansas City. I found the Bible that I had bought last spring. I recently had read some books about Christianity. First I read Heaven Is For Real, and then I read Blue Like Jazz. These two books had really gotten my thoughts going. I asked Matthew what book in the Bible I should read, just out of my own curiosity. He suggested Romans.
I got about half way through Romans, and I couldn't focus anymore. All I could think about was the Book of Matthew. I believe it was partly because of Blue Like Jazz. In the book, anyone who had become a Christian had started with reading Matthew. I was texting Matt, and I told him that I couldn't focus on Romans and kept thinking about Matthew. He told me to give up on Romans and to switch to Matthew. So I did. Looking back, I wonder if it was actually Blue Like Jazz that lead me to the Book of Matthew, or if it was the guidance of God. It may have been both.
For those of you who have never read Matthew, it covers some of the life of Jesus and his crucifixion. About half way through the book, I realized that I was not reading just read anymore. I was reading to learn. I fully believed in everything that I had just read. Matt texted me and asked me how it was going. Once I was finished, I texted him back and told him that I believed in Jesus, and that I believed that He had died for me.
Matt asked me, "Who is Jesus to you?" I responded, "He is my Savior and He died for my sins." I had no idea where that answer had come from. In Heaven Is For Real, the father would be asked questions that he didn't know the answer to. However, he could give the perfect answer to these people. He stated that these answers just came to him - that they had come to him from God. I felt this same sensation when I was talking to Matt about it. Saying "He is my Savior and He died for my sins" was not something that I would have ever said prior to that night. But that answer was so perfect, and I knew that it was true.
I can't even describe what I felt like. One of the campus ministries, Cru, made videos about the Before and After. Before, without even knowing it, I was so lost and so empty. I suddenly had purpose to my life. I realized that I was never alone, and that I had someone so amazing to lean on. It made me wish that I had believed in God when my parents got divorced. Having that rock to stand on would have been very helpful.
Ever since that night, I have been moving forward in my journey with God. I've learned an amazing amount about God, and I learn something new every day. Talking about it with Matthew is one of my favorite things to do. I also love talking to Matthew about what his parents are doing. I think it's amazing work.
Becoming a Christian has literally changed my life. It has helped me become a much better person, in every aspect. Of course, I'm still working on many areas, but that will always be an ongoing process. Becoming a Christian has even changed what I want to do with my career. Not only do I want to own a not-for-profit organization that helps those who just got out of prison get back on their feet, but I want my organization to be Christian based. I believe it's what I'm meant to do, and I know that faith based organizations are far more successful than non-faith based.
Becoming a Christian has been the best thing to ever happen to me.
Life has been a little crazy.
Things have been a bit hectic lately.
Life has changed yet again in our household. We did end up buying the HHR, which is super exciting for us. It's definitely a nice big step for our relationship. Well, in my opinion anyway.
Aside from that, I have also resigned from my position as Director of Student Affairs for the Student Government Association for MSU. As much as I loved the position, I realized that it wasn't fair for either party for me to not be committed anymore. With work, school, and wedding planning, I simply didn't have time for SGA anymore. And I knew that it wasn't fair to the organization to have someone who wasn't as committed as they needed them to be.
I know that I put them in a tough spot, however, I also know that in the long run it will be better for both myself and SGA.
My 18 hours this semester is really starting to kick my butt. There's so many papers and tests piling on top of one another. School and work is all I can really focus on right now. Well, and Matthew too, of course.
Life has changed yet again in our household. We did end up buying the HHR, which is super exciting for us. It's definitely a nice big step for our relationship. Well, in my opinion anyway.
Aside from that, I have also resigned from my position as Director of Student Affairs for the Student Government Association for MSU. As much as I loved the position, I realized that it wasn't fair for either party for me to not be committed anymore. With work, school, and wedding planning, I simply didn't have time for SGA anymore. And I knew that it wasn't fair to the organization to have someone who wasn't as committed as they needed them to be.
I know that I put them in a tough spot, however, I also know that in the long run it will be better for both myself and SGA.
My 18 hours this semester is really starting to kick my butt. There's so many papers and tests piling on top of one another. School and work is all I can really focus on right now. Well, and Matthew too, of course.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
We all know...
...my love for Nicholas Sparks books. I read another book by him last week. It's called The Wedding.
As always, it was REALLY good. I blubbered like a baby at the end. Totally unexpected! It was romantic, tragic, adorable, and I loved it.
It's kind of a continuation from The Notebook. It's the life & marriage of one of Noah & Allie's children. Well, it's from the perspective of the son-in-law. Basically, the marriage is falling apart, and it's about the main character's journey trying to fix the marriage.
READ IT.
As always, it was REALLY good. I blubbered like a baby at the end. Totally unexpected! It was romantic, tragic, adorable, and I loved it.
It's kind of a continuation from The Notebook. It's the life & marriage of one of Noah & Allie's children. Well, it's from the perspective of the son-in-law. Basically, the marriage is falling apart, and it's about the main character's journey trying to fix the marriage.
READ IT.
NEW CAR!
Today, Matthew & I went to Thompson Sales and looked at cars! Well, mainly just one, because we're poor college students. We have applied for a 2006 Chevrolet HHR! Here it is:
That's literally the car we're trying to buy. I took it from the website, haha. Anyway, we applied for it under my name, mostly because I have the most credit. Turns out I have GREAT credit (over 700), but just not enough credit history. So they told us we need a co-signer. Luckily, Matt's dad, Miles, has agreed to co-sign for us! He's putting in the credit app tonight/tomorrow and we'll know Monday if we get it!
They didn't want someone stealing it from under us, and so they let us bring it home with us! So it's currently in my possession. I must say, I REALLY like it. It drives well, and it's an overall nice car! You can tell the previous owners smoked, but it's nothing some air fresheners won't fix!
All in all, we're really praying we get this car. We really need it.
Right now though, everything seems to be falling into place. Slowly, but surely anyway. Matt & I both have jobs now (he works at Dillons - a local grocery store). Now that we have a steady income, we're feeling better about things. Life's not as stressful. Of course, the semester isn't in full swing just yet, but that's fine.
Personally, I'm in a pretty good place right now. God has been answering some prayers of mine, and I'm extremely grateful for it.
That's literally the car we're trying to buy. I took it from the website, haha. Anyway, we applied for it under my name, mostly because I have the most credit. Turns out I have GREAT credit (over 700), but just not enough credit history. So they told us we need a co-signer. Luckily, Matt's dad, Miles, has agreed to co-sign for us! He's putting in the credit app tonight/tomorrow and we'll know Monday if we get it!
They didn't want someone stealing it from under us, and so they let us bring it home with us! So it's currently in my possession. I must say, I REALLY like it. It drives well, and it's an overall nice car! You can tell the previous owners smoked, but it's nothing some air fresheners won't fix!
All in all, we're really praying we get this car. We really need it.
Right now though, everything seems to be falling into place. Slowly, but surely anyway. Matt & I both have jobs now (he works at Dillons - a local grocery store). Now that we have a steady income, we're feeling better about things. Life's not as stressful. Of course, the semester isn't in full swing just yet, but that's fine.
Personally, I'm in a pretty good place right now. God has been answering some prayers of mine, and I'm extremely grateful for it.
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