rejoice always

Sooo in this time of high stress and busyness.. I have not forgotten the one who loves me more than I deserve.  He is strong where I am weak.  He does not grow weary when I want to collapse.  He is amazing and wonderful and in HIM i find the rest I so desire.  I praise God that He puts his arms around me and carries me through... without Him.. i am nothing!

PRAISES!!!!!

So much to Praise God for!!!! so much!! i'll get back to this soon.

Personal experience

I hate to divert from the point I made this blog.. which was to write out Praises to God, but I have to today.

I was cleaning downstairs a bit.. and found my old bible case that the zipper had broken.  I opened it to see was was inside.  I found my sermon notes from January 10, 2010.  I was saved that day.  I think back and all I remember was my pastor speaking "are you lost?.. Do you get the God thing, but not the Jesus thing". I am getting baptized by this pastor in 2 weeks from today (September 12, 2010).  A short 8 months and 2 days after being saved.  I feel that God has called me to reflect on what called me home in the first place.  I have decided to review the verses mentioned that sunday and a few other things.  A personal.. spiritual.. reflection.

I jumped into 1 Peter 2.  I decided to break it up as I have 2 weeks.  So, I stuck to verses 1-10.  WOW!! Power packed!!  I felt that I needed to just share a reflection on this passage.

Verse 2: As Christ followers.. we are called to desire the Word as a baby desires milk.  An unquenchable  passion.  I have found that the more you spend in the Word.. the more that passion grows.  If you stop spending time with God.. that passion will fade.  I personally.. LOVE the passion.  I prayed this summer for a passion so deep that I couldn't ignore it.  I found it.  I started spending time in the Word which led to this blog.

Verse 4: We come to God.. broken....rejected.. whatever.  We come with baggage.  I know I had a LOT of baggage when I called out to my Lord.  We may be bruised.. broken.. mangled.. rejected.. but in God's eyes.. we are chosen and precious.  We have a purpose!!!

Verse 9 (awesome verse!!!): We are a chosen generation.. a chosen people.. a chosen group.  a HOLY NATION! his own SPECIAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! people.  We are chosen so that we may go out and speak of God's glory.  We have been brought out of the darkness into the light.

We have a purpose.  We are not on this earth by chance.  I know I don't know my purpose.  If anyone knows exactly what their purpose is.. let me know. I'd like to meet you.  We have a general purpose, to go and spread the Word, the glory of God, the saving power of Christ.  But, that's about as far as I've figured that out.

Please take note.. NONE! of this blog should be used to base you're own thoughts, beliefs.. etc.  This is MY PERSONAL observation.  I have only been on this path a few short months.  I don't know what I'm doing except allowing God to speak through me.  If you have questions about God and this whole Christian walk.. feel free to contact me, but most likely I'll suggest you talk with a pastor.

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation. [God's] own purchased special people, that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."  1 Peter 2:9 Amplified.

p. 68

To begin, I apologize for NOT writing in this blog for a number of days.  This does not mean by any way that I have drifted away from my relationship with God.  I have been busy enjoying the blessings he has given me.

Excerpt p. 68

a skillful masseur

patrons of the arts

those who faithfully visit the chronically ill

being able to recall the experience when you need to

workouts concluded

successful outmaneuvering of the enemy

foresight

rock ptarmigan*

getting past the narrow ledge

bell caps

relationships in which you are known by name

clients who pay promptly

one-day dry cleaners

laptop computers

God's sustaining our loved ones until they come to know the Lord

sufficient yew tress

cherry cobbler

purple robes

the almost immediate greening of a desert after a rain.

* for those, like me, who have no idea what rock ptarmigan is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Ptarmigan

A lot of these I feel work in a more.. metaphorical sense.  So.. work with me.

Laptops: Without a laptop.. where would I be.  No idea!  I just thank God for blessing me with a fantastic laptop so I can run with all of my information at a drop of a hat.  I can go to a place and do my work THERE on a computer I'm used to.  I can take notes by typing instead of writing and then trying to figure out what I wrote later.  

Visitors and Purple Robes: So what do these two have in common? My family.  My grandma is terminally ill.  She has lung cancer and dementia.  I praise God that there are some people in her life that continue to check in on her even when she doesn't know who she is.  I also wish that more people would.  My estranged sister has not seen her in a long time.  My heart breaks for her, both hers actually.  I am blessed with a mom who, despite the fact she gets on my nerves, loves me unconditionally.  She loves my grandparents unconditionally.  AND she owns a purple robe!!  When I think of purple robes.. I think of my mom.  Quite a few years back my dad and I found a amazing robe for my mom and she's had it ever since.  Thank you to all of those people who care for their loved ones even if it's just a phone call.  Thank you to all of those people who love big purple robes. 

God refreshes our soul.  Much like in a desert.. when God rains his love on us, we become green again.  I know that when I've cried out to God and submitted to him, He has blessed me with peace and I become okay again.  I am refreshed!  I pray that everyone I love comes to know that God-refreshed feeling.  It's better than anything you can experience on earth.  Even those struggling with their relationship with God.. He will not leave you and He will welcome you back with open arms.  He knows each of us from the moment on conception and knows our name.  We are created with a purpose.  

Jesus said that he would send a helper (comforter, intercessor).  That helper is to guide us.  the Holy Spirit gives us that "funny feeling" that we should or should NOT be doing something.  I don't know if it's foresight or God just tapping us on our shoulders and saying "ummmmmmm you really shouldn't be doing that".  God will not force us to do anything... we have free will.  He may work with our choices and force us to change anyways.  I'll explain that one another day perhaps.  I know from my relationship with God that he will guide me and help me when I need it.  All I have to do is say, "God.. I can't do this.  you've got to handle this".. and wow.  HE takes over!!! Submission is soo important.  It's not that we have to give up everything in our life.. we have to tweek things.  I am Christian, but I am FAR from boring.  I am trying not to conform to this world, but I do try to work with it.  If you truly have faith in God.. He will protect you and give you the strength to do the things you need to.  

So, this was a different style tonight.  I don't know why.  It just was.  

John 14:16

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever" ~ NIV

"And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever" ~ NKJV

(my favorite) "and I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever" ~ Amplified

Personal Praise

So, I'm going to take a post and do a personal Praise to God.

Since I was saved on January 10, 2010.  My life has been a roller coaster.  I went through some of the worst pain in my entire life caused by some of the hardest things in my entire life.  I will tell you right now, as I've said to others, if I didn't have God... I would be dead.   Despite all of these things and all of the pain, God never left my side.  I have struggled with doubt and lack of faith in Him and He is just taking that from me.

It has been it has been 7 months and 15 days since I cried out for the first time and took Jesus as my SAVIOR!!! God has taken me under his wing and has been molding and pruning and creating me as a new creation.  I have changed more in the last 7 months than I have in my entire life.

My specific Praise, if that wasn't enough, is how God is just taking that doubt and lack of faith and SHOWING ME that He's got my back.  I've got three specific ways God has done this.

1: Earlier this summer, things were getting rough around here financially.  I was losing faith.  I stopped... took time to God and just laid it all out to Him.  THAT NIGHT!!! (true story) I had a refund from school financial aid and was able to get those things that I needed.

2: I'm coming to the end of my associates degree in less than a month.  I've just been wanting a job or something to do at least.  God heard my prayers and brought me to the mind of someone.   Because of those few minutes he spoke with me after church, I am now volunteering and I am helping him out in his office.  GOD ANSWERED MY PRAYERS!!!!

3: I can't explain how excited I am about this one.  Early spring, I thought it would be a good idea to just keep going to school.  So, I applied to a few schools within an hour from me, but not HERE.  I want to be far enough away that I can do my own thing, but close that I can still see my family.  Things started getting bad again with all of the stuff.. so I put it on the back shelf.  May, I decided I really did want to persue this, but I only really wanted to go to ONE of the schools that I had applied to.  So I was going to apply again because I didn't know if they still had my application.  Soon after these thoughts, that school called me asking if I still wanted to start in Spring 2011.  I said YES!!!  A few days, maybe a week, later I went up to Grand Rapids and toured the campus.  It was home!! I can't explain it.  From that moment on.. I CLAIMED IT!!! I said I WANT THIS!!! So, from that moment on I said "I'm leaving in January to go up to Cornerstone".  Well, there were some road blocks, but God just blew those away.  satan tried to stop me and I said to God I WANT THIS! As of yesturday August 24, 2010, I have been accepted to Cornerstone University Spring 2011.  I still have a few things to deal with mostly financial aid, but God has mansions full of money up there just waiting for His faithful ones to ask for it.

Because of that final one, I do have a prayer request.  PLEASE!!! Pray for me as often as I come to mind that God has this amazing plan for me and that I will be at Cornerstone in January 2011 with no problems.  Please just pray that God keeps being faithful to me even when I'm not to him.

Our words our powerful.  You don't need to pray for 20 minutes for this, a simple "God, be with Brittany as she goes down this road following what you have shown her".  Even our simple prayers get answered.  So as you all pray, I'll keep claiming.

I WILL BE A STUDENT ON CAMPUS AT CORNERSTONE UNIVERSITY IN JANUARY 2011 AND EVERYTHING WILL FALL IN TO PLACE JUST AS GOD HAS INTENDED!!!!!!

p. 1

excerpt from p.1 

God's existence

God's presence with us

God's manifestations in our midst

Jesus Christ, God's Word made flesh

the old rugged cross

the church

a glass of warm milk before bedtime

books

outward visible signs of inward invisible works

friends

holy sanctuaries

rest from our enemies

the loved one who finally comes to know God

fresh juicy oranges after a grueling tennis match

believers.

I will tell you now, I have only look at this book enough to write the previous posts.  I have never seen the first or last page.. I randomly open it and write. 

Wow.. what a list today.  There isn't one thing on this list i cannot comment on, so I will try to be brief.  

Can we just praise God for EXISTING!! period.. end of sentence.. just Praise GOD for everything!.. i could end this entire blog now.  

nah.. i won't do that.  Not only does God exist, he lives within us (Holy Spirit).. sent his son Jesus Christ for us.. DIED for us (old rugged cross).. to create the church/holy sanctuaries  that leads us to HIM (finally coming to know God) because of other believers and our friends displaying outward signs of an invisible inward change due to spending time with Him in his Word, the Bible (a book).... wow i think I did that one good.

Honestly, I'll end it there.  That just .. works.

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 NKJV

p. 71

excerpt from the book (see disclaimer) p. 71

God's providing a seller

"Amens" that punctuate a sermon

freedom from ill winds

pastors who are truly anointed by God for their role

freedom to choose where you want to go and when you want to go

deliverance from heroin addiction

courtships

the Lord's "yes" people

atomic seconds

the multitude of stars we cannot see

tear-proof mascara

mind-boggling spiritual concepts

freedom from avalanches

dust covers

requital

being known for your Christian witness

stretchers

those who don't feel constrained by an IQ score

woolen sock liners

the fun of watching a child watch a mime act

Can i get an AMEN?

haha.. This praise reminds me of someone at church.  He is VERY passionate for God.  He passion for God blows my mind.  I've sat down with him before and wow.  God has done some amazing things with that man.  AT FIRST!!! when i heard him say "amen" or "keep going", I thought it was weird.  but NOW? Now that i have that passion burning inside of me.  I join him in those amens and keep going-ings.  When you are so passionate for God.  you don't want him to stop.  EVER! AMEN!!!!

Pastors who are truly anointed.  It's sad.. but true.. many pastors continue to teach God's word, but don't believe in it.  I am LUCKY!! to have a Pastor who not only teaches God's word but LIVES IT.. and BELIEVES in it!!! The first time I heard him speak.. I will SWEAR!! on everything.. that it was GOD SPEAKING through him.  I actually told my pastor the story of that Sunday today.  I told him, "all I remember from that day was 'Are you lost?.. Do you get the God thing but not the Jesus thing?' from then I was done".  Even if just for that Sunday.. God used my pastor to be the catalyst to the greatest thing that's ever happened to me.  Now, that doesn't mean that God doesn't use my pastor in other ways.. it just means that this is ONE clear example.

Courtships.  When did society get so lost that we forgot what courtship is.  TWILIGHT INSERT.. In the 3rd movie.. Edward describes to Bella how he would have COURTED her.  What happened to that?  What happened to a man being sweet and asking a woman's FATHER for her hand in marriage.  What about supervised dates.  Nowadays.. It's hard to find someone who doesn't want to hop into bed the first time you meet.   The unsaid 3rd date rule? what happened to courtship.

The mutlitude of stars which is a mind-boggling spirtual concept.  Point-blank.. GOD IS BEYOND OUR UNDERSTANDING!!!  that's it.  that's all you need to know.  Don't TRY to put logic to God.. it won't happen.  GOD IS NOT LOGICAL! He spoke and light happened.. HE BREATHED STARS!!! he formed man out of clay and woman from the man's rib! HOW LOGICAL IS THAT??? 

Finally.. being known as a witness to Christ.  You don't have to live in 33AD to know that Jesus is God.  Through the Word and through the change that spending time with him creates.. you can be a witness to Christ.  Just because you can't go up to Jesus and say "hey lets go get some coffee".. doens't mean you can't have a personal relationship with him.  This blog.. has already changed me.  I look forward to spending time in the Word so I can write this blog.  Talking about GOD excites me.  it's a high!!! I hate that I do this at night because Im always super hyper and like.. BAM ready to go, but that's how it is for now.

To leave you this evening I conclude with a verse (i'm sure if you're on my facebook you already can guess what verse).

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" Matthew 6:33 (NKJV).

AMEN!!!! (laf)