Joy From the Truth.

Hey Everybody! Just wanted to share some more things that I have been learning lately!  I love doing these posts cause it really gives me an opportunity to just kind of let you all in on some of the things that God is teaching me….So, enjoy!

PSALMS 73:25-26

Leeland’s Song “Opposite Way”

………Colossians 2:6-10….”fullness in Christ”……

“As we, in our abject need, consistently and lovingly look upon our Lord Jesus revealed to us in the Word, the Holy Spirit will quietly and effortlessly change the center and source of our lives from self to Christ- hence for each of us it will be, “Not I, But Christ!””                            ~ Green Letters- “Purpose”

HOLY SPIRIT’S CHIEF FUNCTION:

1. Manifests Christ to me John 16:13-15

2. Witnesses of Christ THROUGH ME    Jn. 15:26-27

3. Reproduces Christ in me II Cor. 3:18

God SO cares for “unreached people”!

: The Church was designed for missions! Israel was to stay and to draw people to God, but the church is exactly opposite; we are to carry Christ to the nations!

[2 Peter 1:3-9]

The Gospel is only powerful when people understand!

=anxiously awaiting the return of Christ

<Abide above….Heaven is my home   Phil. 3:20

Just a few of the main thoughts that I’ve been focusing on recently.  God is so faithful to be teaching me these things and helping me to understand.  Keep your eyes on Him!

Amy!

March 15th 2010!

Hello Everyone!

Why does time seem to be going by so fast!!!  I’m going to look back in my journal and see what was going on in my life 2 years ago at this time and then last year:

March 14th (the closest entry that I have) 2008- Here is an excerpt- “Well, yesterday was a momentous occasion. I got my driver’s license! How exciting.  No, like I was really scared and all- but it was very easy.  I got a lady to actually drive with me- so that was a lot better.  She said I did a very good job.  So, I HATE the picture, but whatever.”

Oh, wow!  2 years ago I was sixteen and just getting my driver’s license!  That is really funny!  That seems like a really long time ago!

March 12th 2009- The entry on this day isn’t really that exciting.  I am just complaining about work and getting ready to move on in life.  And, I’m talking about being excited for soccer season.

Well, I just thought that would be an entertaining thing to do!  :)

And- I also just wanted to say that I was finishing writing a paper tonight on Knowing God for my Prophets class, and I included some thoughts about these verses in there and just wanted to share them with all of you:

Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.           ~Psalms 139:23-24

God is faithful to continue working in each of our lives.  I just want to be a willing vessel for Him to work on me.  Our chapel speaker today said something like, “The easiest person to lead is one who is walking with God.”  And, I was just picturing a dog on a leash or something- Like, when we are walking along with God, of course it’s going to be easier for Him to lead us….let that be my goal!  JUST WALK WITH GOD.  Amen!

Good night!

Amy!

Amy’s Life Goals for 2010

1. Memorizing more Scripture

2. Reading more books- classics, history, and biographies

3. Work on better skin

4. Get to know more staff people at school

5. Develop a better prayer life- for family, friends, and the world

6. Journal more regularly

7. Be an encouragement!

8. Be more intentional about evangelism

9. Love people more….

10. Guard my heart- Proverbs 4:23

11. Live simply and joyfully- Colossians 3:1-2

12. Don’t focus on external beauty- 1 Peter 3:3-4

These are just some things that I really want to work on this upcoming year.  A year from now I will have to check and see how I did on each of these.  I’m just posting this on here to hopefully keep me more accountable to actually doing these things.  So there.

1 John 3:16-20…..Read the Bible….it’s so good.

:)

Amy!

Reflections on Christmas:

Hi Everyone,

Today as I was reading my Bible, I was in Philippians and was reading chapter 2 and just thinking how much this passage really relates to Christmas and the whole idea of Jesus coming as a man to redeem His people.

Your attitude should be the same as that of Jesus Christ; who being in very nature, God, did not consider equality with God as something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!  Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.                                                 ~Phil. 2:5-11

Christmas is about the incarnation of Christ….Jesus as God coming into the world as a man.  In this passage we are first told that our attitudes should be the same as the attitude that Christ had in leaving His unique fellowship with God and coming to earth to carry our sins and sorrows, to be smitten and afflicted by men, to be scorned and pierced for our transgressions.  (Isaiah 53)

It is such a beautiful thing to me that Jesus, as said in verse 6 didn’t count His position with God as something to hold on to, but that He was willing to give up that standing with God to come as a baby in order to deliver us from our sins and to give us hope and peace!

Sometimes, I think that I separate Christmas and Easter so much….Christmas strictly focusing on Jesus coming as a baby into the world.  And then Easter I focus on His death and resurrection.  But really, they are inseparable.  The reason that Jesus came was save us, He had a purpose.

Jesus was the ultimate missionary…definitely my Hero.

Jesus, thank you so much for coming to this earth, for dying on the cross, and for Your resurrection!  You amaze me.

Amy!

Special Emphasis.

One day last week here at school, we had a special emphasis day talking about Bible Translation and some of the needs in that area.  It was really interesting and eye-opening to hear about how many people do not have the Bible in their language and also just the process of translation.  Here are some statistics that were mentioned:

• 6909 languages in the world
• 1168 languages with the New Testament
• 2393 languages with no part of the Bible
• 438 languages with the whole Bible

Hearing about this issue also just made me appreciate the Bible that we have in our heart language and reminded me just how much I take it for granted that I have access to God’s Word.

When I was in Papua New Guinea this summer, I remember hearing some of  the believers quote Scripture way more than I could and they were just so grateful for the Bible.  That was really challenging to me that I need to really take more advantage of the Bible as it is so readily available to me.

Anywho, just thought that I would share that with you all.

Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. -Psalm 119:105

Amy

Photo by Curt Sharp

Photo by Curt Sharp

Redeemed by HIS Love.

Hi There!

I just finished the book (for the second time) Redeeming Love, by Francine Rivers today.  It was amazing.  Such a good story.  I was crying by the end of it because it just really shows God’s love in such an awesome way.  It’s actually a retelling of the book of Hosea and it is SO good.

After finishing it, I was just thinking about how much we are like Gomer (Hosea’s wife) in how we reject and turn away from God.  But God, knowing all of our past, our failures, our weaknesses….chose us and loves us anyways, despite our rebellious hearts.  It blows me away to think of all that God did for us in sending Jesus.  Wow.

Some of us kids at church put together some quotes to put on the wall of the youth room and the one that I did is this:

God didn’t look down from Heaven and see our need, and shed a tear- send a tract- or write a check- He sent His Son.                                                                                    ~Brad Buser

I thought that was really good though.  God is good!

Amy

Easter.

Happy Easter Everyone!  Christ is Risen!  This morning at church, the Pastor asked us to describe Easter in one word, and there were a lot that people came up with; Glorious, Redemption, Alive, Freedom, Deliverance, Fulfillment, etc.  But, the one word that he used to preach on was Hope.  The Cross and the empty grave have given us such Hope.

Also, in Sunday school this morning we watched a video by Louie Giglio called ‘Fruitcake and Ice Cream’ all about Grace.  It was beautiful how he described what Christ did for us on the Cross.

God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.   2 Cor. 5:21

Wow. God made Jesus Christ, who faced temptations of every kind and yet was without sin, to become my sin for me, so that I might become the righteousness of God.  That is Grace.  Louie defined Grace as God at work since the opposite of Grace is ‘us at work’.  With Grace, we cannot do anything, God does it all, and that is amazing.

We will never understand Christ being a great Savior unless we understand ourselves to be great sinners.

Our God is Mighty to Save.  I hope that you each had a blessed day, and that you remember Hope, and remember Grace.

missAmy

Without Love…..

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging symbol.  If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.  Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres.                                 1 Corinthians 13:1-7

Without Love…I am nothing.

The Truth Project.

Hi Everyone,

At church we have been having a Biblestudy going through the Truth Project DVD series. It has been really good so far. Made me think a lot. It is really sad to me that us as Christians most of the time are not really firmly rooted in our beliefs. It is so important for us to have a good foundation. God’s Word is so amazing and this study has made me want to get into it even more. I would definitely encourage you to get involved with a Truth Project study if you can or are not in one already. If you go to their website, you can look up ones that are in your area.

http://www.thetruthproject.org

Peace. Love. Hope.

This is the binder that I made for the study, just for fun.

The Lost.

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for His name sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love with follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

~Psalms 23

What hope.  What wonderful promises that we have.  This passage is amazing.  My sister sent me an e-mail this week that was something that she had heard at her church that put this passage into perspective for those who don’t know Jesus:

Psalm 23 Undone- The psalm of the unbeliever.

I have no Shepherd.

I am lost in the desert.

I am thirsty.

There is no restoration for my soul.

I am lost.

I walk in the valley of the shadow of death and evil surrounds me.

I have no comfort.

I am hungry.

There is no goodness or mercy.

Will I dwell in the house of evil forever?

It just made me really thankful and peaceful to know that I have such Hope in Christ, but yet very sad for those who don’t know, for those who live without hope and without purpose.  God is Good.

missAmy