Recently, I have been so encouraged by a passage of scripture, a few songs on the
radio, my own thoughts and conversations with God, and wise women. I realized
that this summer appears to be a perfect time for growth in my relationship
with Christ. I feel like a lot of times I can get so caught up with the
busyness of school and all of the things that need to get done that I lose
focus on what is important. That is not always the case, but it happens more
often than not. I always treasure the time that I do spend with God during my
devotions at school, but I always want more (which is not a bad thing!). A few
things have been spurring on this desire for growth and I am so excited to
explore what God has in store for me this summer.
(I created this image and it is currently that background
on my computer to remind me that He is ALL that I need!)
I love these three songs by Love & The Outcome, “The God I Know,” “When We Love,” and “He Is With Us.” Each of these songs is filled
with truth and encouragement. I love their reminders that God is always with
me, no matter what situation I am facing; when we love, we are the evidence of
Christ’s love; and that it’s okay to throw our hands up and lay our worries
down and to break up with our doubt. The lyrics I just paraphrased have been
ringing in my mind recently and I love that God uses things like music to
encourage us in knowing that it is going to be okay and that He has everything
under control.
As I was working on updating my blog design, I reflected on
the past school year. It was definitely a year of growth, trial, and triumph.
God definitely proved to be faithful during the entire year and I am so
thankful and blessed because He was and still is faithful. Each day I would
walk to class and enjoy having conversations with God about life. I always felt
as though I learned something new each day about myself and my outlook on the
world. I treasure those moments of grace-laced conversation with the most
dependable person I know. He is always there, not like a good buddy, but as a
wise Father.
There are a few wise women that I admire and look up to.
First of all, my mother is a wonderful role model and example of a follower of
Christ. I ALWAYS go to her for advice for just about anything. I probably call
her more than I should, but there’s no one I’d rather talk to than her about
important things. My mom loves Jesus more than anything and exemplifies what it
means to be a humble servant. She never complains about doing things for my family
and me or others. She never asks for anything in return and continues to give
of herself daily. Another wise woman that I admire is Lysa TerKeurst. I do not
know her personally, but she is so rooted in Christ and encouraging. I am
always so blessed with the community she helped create, Proverbs 31 Ministries.
I have had the privilege of reading her book “The Best Yes” and doing the Bible
study that goes with it. I HIGHLY recommend that book as well as anything else
she has written. I’m looking forward to reading her books “Unglued” and “Made to Crave.” She posted something recently about her daughter Ashley, who was
recently married. She said that two years ago she sat and cried with her after
a broken heart and promised her that God had a plan for her. And not just any
plan… a good plan. What stuck out to me the most out of what Lysa said was that
she had to be courageous enough to let God write the next chapters of her
story. As a human, I often try to control the things that I can and even some
of the things in my future. In the back of my mind I know that God has a
perfect plan designed for me, but I just want to do it myself. Therein lies my
fault in not trusting fully. I hope that I learn to trust courageously this
summer and continue to do so when I go back to school in the Fall. Something
else that I love that Lysa said in a sermon was that she is just so on fire for
Christ and has such a thirst and hunger for His Word. Every spare minute she
has in her day, she craves for a taste of the sweet written Truth. What she
said inspired and lit a fire in me to chase after God like He chases after me.
I love that idea of seeking every extra minute I have free to fill myself with
Him. What a joy it is to serve Christ!
This summer is going to be good. I just know that God is
going to move in ways that I never expected. I pray that I would be courageous
in seeking Christ daily and not falter because I give thought to what the devil
says. I’m looking forward to many adventures, meeting up with old friends, and living
life to the fullest! I hope to have a new post up each Tuesday and hope that
you will join me for a fun chat.
Be blessed and live with the joy of the Lord as your
strength!
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