These are a few of my favorite things!
-A successful planning meeting for our education presentation.
-A few pointers for my History test (from the professor of course).
-A big green apple that fills me up for lunch.
-Colored pens that help me organize my notes.
-Warm hoodies on cold soggy days.
-Catching up with the people I've missed.
-Emails from my Mommy (she misses me already).
-Getting asked "how was break?"-Getting to answer, "It was the most amazing break ever!"-Being truthful.
-Finding out that 3 weeks from tomorrow I'll be home for Christmas.
-Getting 100/100 on my nutrition project.
-Receiving an invitation to the CYA Formal Dinner in my GCC mailbox.
-Eating Reformed Dinner.
-Having homework done (I worked really hard over break).
-Coming back to a clean/organized room.
-Seeing Chris at church, and praying that he will come back (I met him in Broad Ripple on Friday night).
-Asking questions and working on the answers.
-Knowing that "from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen."
To Love with Open Hands
God wants me to learn is how to love with open hands. As soon as I snatch “my” blessings with a tight grip I am acting childish. Our first words are often “No! Mine.” God often get’s that from me a lot. He gives me everything and then instead of gratitude and submission I give Him attitude and complaining.
I am a selfish girl and it is easy for me to get way ahead of the game. I like to play God’s part. I like to figure out how it will all work. He needs to be the one in charge. I need to trust Him. He is all knowing, and I am not. I don’t know why it’s hard for me to put two and two together and trust Him. It is the most logical way. He is all good. I am not. Therefore He would be the one with the good plan. He is all powerful and I am not. Therefore, His plan will actually happen and mine will not. There is a reason why we are called sheep in the Bible. I have stupid tendencies.
On this Thanksgiving Day I have been pondering the importance of love. The word itself is hard to define in the English language. As soon as I think I have figured out what love is I find great holes in my understanding. Jesus knows what love is. He said that the greatest love is when a man lays down his life for His friend. Then He said we are His friends. Love is powerful. Jesus and the Father hold us in their hands, but see Jesus’ hands were always open to the Father. He was always speaking of the Father’s will. John 17 has a lot to say about love and the way that we are to love people within God’s plan for them. Jesus really loves us. He really loves the Father.
When I say that I am learning to love with open hands I mean that God is the one that actually holds people in His hands, and He sometimes lets me have a portion of His blessing (which is still in His grip). He will never let go. If I were to hold them with clenched fist… well I can’t because that is what God is doing. I have to hold my hands open before the Lord. It is His job to protect, guide, and deal with the people that we love. Yes, we. The Father and I love the same people. I have never thought about that before. The love I have is directly from Him. It is frustrating because my love is so imperfect compared to His. Oh that I would be more like Jesus. He came here to serve not be served, and to give His life. I hope that as I grow in the Lord I will be here to serve. I hope that I will be here to give my life.
My hands are open Lord. Please lead me. Please teach me. Please show me love. Lord break my selfish will and cause me to know to cry “Yes! Yours.”
A Broken Moon
Tonight Keziah and I were out swinging, well actually she was swinging and I was pushing, but that’s besides the point. It was fun because she wouldn’t stop smiling. She has the most beautiful smile. At one point I grabbed her and the swing and just held her.
She said, “What are you going to do now.”
I whispered, “I don’t know. What are you going to do?”
She just giggled.
“Kez look, it’s the moon!”
“Oh, I see it. Aww… it’s broken.”
I smiled one of those broad smiles that is meant to communicate amusement to someone. Keziah didn’t understand why I was so pleased. After a moment I reassured her that the moon would get better. She decided to comfort the moon with the new information.“It’s ok Moon, your Mommy is going to fix you soon.” No wonder we have to have child like faith to enter into the kingdom of Heaven. Lord make me more like a child. Let me learn how to trust You to fix the moon.
This is why it’s good to come home. In college there seems to be lots of discussion, but the practicality of our conversation is minimal. We confuse ourselves with big words and loads of information/data. In the end, I think often times kids get it right.
I love you Keziah, and I’m really glad that I can spend some time with you this week.
Abraham
On Saturday Lisa and I went to Wal-Mart to buy some presents for Abraham. I don’t know him, in fact I don’t know his name. I simply gave him one to be more personal. I don’t like saying, “I’m making a bracelet for my box.” I would rather say, “I’m making a bracelet for Abraham.” I chose the name Abraham because he was called out of a foreign land. He worshiped strange gods. He was a man of faith who loved God and obeyed even when the Gospel wasn’t entirely clear. God chose Abraham. God made him great. I am praying that in the same way God will call my little Abraham and raise him up to be a “father of nations”.
Operation Christmas Child is something I’ve done before. This year is a little different though. First, it’s basically a requirement in my Foundations of Education class to put a box together. Second, I love Abraham. He is 5-9 years old. That’s all I know. Wait, I know a little more. I know that God has preordained that he receive my box of gifts. I know that he will receive the Gospel, maybe for the first time when he is handed his box. I know that God hears my prayers for him, and I believe (though I don’t know) that Jesus is praying for him.
As I packed the toy cars and a bar of soap into the shoebox I imagined meeting him in Heaven. I don’t think I will get to meet him here on earth, but I’m praying for his salvation. I’m praying also that God will use him as a leader for His people. I’m praying that this young man will grow up to be a messenger of the Gospel. God knows. I will pray to the Lord of the Harvest.
I’m making Abraham a Wordless Book bracelet:
First a stripe of black representing the darkness of our hearts
Next red for Christ’s blood shed on our behalf.
White follows, because our hearts are washed clean by His love.
Blue is fourth (I think I added this one) it stands for the peace that we have in the Holy Spirit.
Green comes next, and it represents how we grow in faith as believers.
Finally yellow, or gold shows us the glory that we will enjoy forever with Him.
I am going to explain all of this in a letter to Abraham. I hope he wears the bracelet and is reminded of God’s goodness and his need for a Savior. Yellow is at the end, but it could also be at the beginning because it’s a continuing pattern. It would be important to emphasis God’s holiness when addressing our sin. Yes, yellow stands for God’s righteousness as well.
I wish I could explain it to him personally. I wish I could invite him over the play with my brothers and take him out for ice cream and ask him what he wants to do with his life. Little boys love ice cream, and it makes them not mind hard questions as much. At least that has been my experience.
I am sending him a picture, and a long letter. They say sometimes the children write back. That would be amazing. We shall leave it with the Lord.
I did buy Abraham and me matching coffee mugs. I don’t think that he will be drinking coffee yet, but I needed a $1.97 green coffee mug since I left mine at home, and I thought he would like to have his own cup with a lid on it as well. He can take it to school and it will keep his water cool. I thought it would be fun to match because that way when I drink coffee I will remember to pray for him. I also bought him a T-shirt. It’s probably too big, but I figure if he’s nine then it will fit, and if he’s five then he will have to grow into it. It’s amazing how wealthy we are in this country. If I gave a little boy these things in America he would find them rather boring. Abraham will be thrilled to receive toothbrush/toothpaste, candy, tennis balls, small toys, paper, crayons- among other things. I hope it shows him that I love him. I hope he realizes that I really am praying for him.
It’s exciting to serve an international God. He loves all kinds of people, and I don’t know where in the world Abraham is, but God knows. God is looking out for him. It’s exciting.
Ok, I’m going to get back to work.
Good Morning!
Can you believe it's already November 2?! It's kinda exciting. Well, this next week of school I have basically nothing due, but the week before Thanksgiving there's like a test/paper in every class so I have to work on preparation which can be a difficult motivator.
God is faithful. We were talking in
Biblestudy Wednesday night how He constantly reminded the Israelites of his
presence with the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night. I realized that although I don't have such "supernatural" evidence, when I like to the sky I am reminded of God and who He is- what He's done. The Psalms have a lot to say about the
firmament declaring his praise. We are so blessed to be a part of the New Covenant. We get to enter the Holy of
Holies at any time in any place. God has ripped the curtain. He has invited us to the throne room of heaven. Jesus is at His right hand interceding for us. We are forgiven. We are loved. Praise the Lord!
Ok, I'm going to get ready for class.
