Pleasant Surprise

So last Monday I got a shot to get tested to see if I have tuberculosis.  Now 2 years ago when I had gotten it and nothing happened.  This time the bottom half of my arm became itchy and a little swollen around where I had gotten the shot.  On Wednesday I went to the nurse to see if the results where positive or negative. (Now my roommate had gotten it taken the same time and she just had a little bruise the size of a baby’s fingernail.)  I was pretty nervous.  The nurse had a funny reaction once she saw my arm and said, “I’ve never seen this before.”  The immediate response in my head was, “CRAP! I have TB and now I can’t be a teacher! What am I going to do?!” (Granted, I thought the worst scenario but I was worried!)  I even cried a little because I had no idea what TB was.  So I went to a doctor the next day and he said that he doesn’t see that kind of reaction too often.  He scheduled me for a chest x-ray just to make sure I was all clear and had no TB.  On Thursday morning I got the chest x-ray bright and early, waited all day for a call from the doctor…no call.  Called them in the morning and left my number…still no call…. until about 2:30 in the middle of a class.  I was so relieved of the news that I had gotten: no TB, it was just an allergic reaction. 

Needless to say that the day after I had gotten the TB shot, I read Psalm 34:1-4:

            “I will bless the LORD at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth.  My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.  Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together!  I sought the LORD, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.”

The day that I got the news that I might have TB I went back and read this chapter over again and it hit me- God is still with me through my trials and I need to praise him no matter the outcome.  I sighed a big sigh of relief and prayed that God would give me comfort in the next few days as I was awaiting the results.  Lastly, he delivered me from my fears.  I didn’t have a fear that I would have TB or that I would have to take pills for the next 9 months to make sure that it didn’t become active while I was alive, I had the belief that I can handle all things through Christ who gives me strength.  Even if I had TB, I would still praise God because it is just one more reason to.  

A New Day

Since today marked a new day, I started anew this morning and left my yesterdays in the past.  I chose to keep a smile on my face even if I didn’t feel like it because it kept me thinking positively.  I am starting to do my devos in the morning hoping that they will make my day go a lot better and smoother.  I feel a lot more relaxed after half way completing a couple assignments that are due Friday and I am not stressed at all to finish it.  It’s such an awesome feeling- the peace of God.  Hopefully I can keep this up!

p.s.- I'm not sure why, but it's relieving to write these blogs because I have no time to talk to anyone about it.  It's so much better than keeping it all bottled up inside.

Stuck Like Glue

       Okay, so I have been so swamped with work and longterm projects that it’s all building up to this week and next week.  I’ve been struggling a lot to juggle college, homework, volleyball, boyfriend, and my personal time with Christ.  I also recently picked up on taking pictures for people as a little side job and the time that it’s taking me to edit and get developed the pictures is wasting so much of my free time (that I didn’t really have much of in the first place).  Anyway, It’s only Tuesday and I’m down in the dumps and I have no idea why.  I just have so much running through my mind that I don’t have time to stop, relax, and smile.  This is what I always tell my one friend to do but there is no one to tell me.  I try to always be positive and give it over to God but this week I feel as though I am in a valley and I have no clue why.  I’m hoping that refocusing my priorities again will help my week go better.  My new priorities:

1.      Personal time with Christ

2.      School

3.      Friends (boyfriend)

4.      Volleyball

5.      Photography

Let’s see if this works….

Also, Shawn & I celebrated our 3 years of being together yesterday but I’m waiting patiently to actually go out and celebrate for it :)

Coincidence

           Okay, so I have a legitimate reason for not posting the past week.  This past Monday we started classes, one of them being Theology 2.  In this class, one of our assignments for the semester is to read a book on the characteristics of God and keep a journal of it.  I think that this was a coinicidence that I needed that connection because I know I couldn't do this on my own quite yet.  So I have read almost a chapter a day and have been keeping a journal, just not posting it on here.  When I get some free time, I will make sure I post what I am learning.  Starting this week I know I will be scarce on my free time and will have to use it wisely because volleyball games start so I am sorry if I go a couple of days without posting.  The book is called Knowing God by J.I. Packer, if anyone was interested in reading it as well. 

Day 3: Patience

          Today I moved back into my dorm and it feels good to be back.  Now I am just waiting for my roommate and suitemate to come tomorrow sometime.  I am very excited about this upcoming semester and helping out with the volleyball team.  But anyway..back to the point of why I created this blog...
          
          This is definitely not one of my best characteristics.  But I can only imagine how much patience God has to have with us!  I mean one day we want to fully follow Him with all of our hearts and the next we could care less if we skipped our devos for the day.  One of my favorite quotes goes something like this: God doesn’t just give you patience when you ask for it, He gives you “trials” to test your patience and make it stronger.  This is something I have to constantly remind myself.  Whether it’s driving down the turnpike, working at a waterice stand, or something as simple as playing with my 3-year-old niece.   If I want to be more like Christ, than I need to have patience and love for everyone, not just who I want.  God tells us clearly in Colossians 3:12 to “…clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and PATIENCE.” Now just because patience is listed last doesn’t make it any less then the other characteristics.  They all should be used equally. Everyday. 

 

Day Two: Love

               This is probably one of the first things you think of when you think of God, am I right?  And probably the first thing that you think of when you hear “now where can I find love in the Bible?”, you would probably think of 1 Corinthians 13, right?  Well there are many forms of love: philia (brotherly love), eros (romantic love), and agape (unconditional, self-sacrificing love) just to name a couple.  Well, as a lady I know I always need to feel loved from something, whether it was from my parents, dog, or boyfriend.  But there is no love that can be described as the love that comes from God.  His agape love for us was the reason why He was able to send His son for us.  While God loves us, we are also commanded to love others the same way. 

           

            1 John 4:7-10

            “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

Day One: Attention to Detail

          Have you ever just stopped everything that you were doing, took a step back and looked at everything?  I mean EVERYTHING, in detail.  You see, you don’t have to think about breathing or seeing or need to activate any of our senses to use them.  God created us with those little details.  Now what about everything else that He created?  Have you ever planted something and watched it grow each and every day?  I had that privilege this past summer while working in a greenhouse filled with herbs.  Each Monday we would plant new seeds and every Friday they would be these tiny green plants just sprouting out of the soil.  About three weeks later when it came time for them to be sent out to other companies, I would be like a proud parent sending a child off to school (even though I have no clue what that feels like).  The nourishment and care that I gave to them is exactly the same from my Caretaker.  Even though I don’t realize something is good as soon as it happens, I look back and see the changes. 

            How about have you ever just sat and watched hummingbirds?  I think they are the most fascinating animals that He could have created!  I could watch them for hours on end.  These tiny 3-4 inch birds flap their wings about 55 times per second! The little details that God has put into everything that He has created just amaze me! I could probably write a book on it all!  Now it's you turn to "stop and think".

My Challenge

I have decided to begin a blog so that I can keep myself on track with my personal walk with Christ and to be able to look back and see if and how things are progressing.  I am going to start off with a 30-day challenge: each day I am going to choose an attribute of God and chat about it.  Easy enough...and hopefully I can keep going past the 30 days. Now some days I won't be able to post because I will be away on volleyball trips or will have tons of homework to do that day, but I will do my best to post each day.

Day 1 will be posted later on today so feel free to check back later :)