Ask and Believe

IT'S STORY TIME, Y'ALL!

The bookstore has been backed up BIG time! I ordered my books THREE Tuesdays ago and only 3/8 of them came in this past Friday. Unfortunately, the book I needed most hasn't arrived yet! The problem? I have a paper due next Tuesday over this book and I'm leaving to go home TOMORROW! YIKES! As I was getting ready for the day this morning, I took the time to ask God if he could get my books here before I leave tomorrow. I just received an email informing me that my books were ready to pick up, so I immediately opened the email and saw that only ONE of my books was ready to pick up. Can you guess which book it was? THE BOOK I NEED TO WRITE MY PAPER THAT'S DUE ON TUESDAY! Coincidence? NOPE! This is a perfect example of Matthew 21:22 which encourages us to take the time to ASK God for something and BELIEVE he will do it! He's God - he can do ANYTHING! All we have to do is ask! GOD IS GOOD, Y'ALL! Happy Wednesday! HUMP DAAAAYYYYYY!

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." Matthew 21:22

Performing for an Audience of ONE

At my apartment complex, there's a shuttle bus that picks us up and drops us off at the bus stop. Living in the furthest building away from the bus stop, I have always been grateful for this unique system. However, some days I am even more grateful than others...like today:

Sweat was already forming on my forehead as I waited patiently for the shuttle bus to arrive. When I noticed it rounding the corner, I shot up and began strolling towards it, planning to meet it in the middle as I do every day. However, today was different. As I was approaching the bus doors, inches away from stepping on, Mr. Charlie suddenly yells "PSYCH" at the top of his lungs! He immediately closes the door, laughs his head off, opens it and then, still laughing, lowers his head and says, "I should be ashamed." IT MADE MY DAY!

As we made our way to the bus stop, I couldn't help but think about all the ways Mr. Charlie shines the light of Christ on that shuttle bus. I thought about how there is always Christian music playing on the radio, how he has no problem bringing God and his goodness into the conversation, and how he never fails to encourage us to have a "blessed day" when we get off the shuttle. The love he has for his job is the best representation of Colossians 3:23 which says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if working for the Lord, not for man." It is evident who Mr. Charlie is working for, and it's NOT Campus Village! He is living, working and performing for an audience of ONE!

As Christians, the only praise and applause we should seek is that of God alone! It doesn't matter if you are a teacher, bus driver, talk show host, pediatrician, or zookeeper! God needs Christians everywhere, and we are called to "do what [we] can, with what [we] have, where [we] are!" That is exactly what Mr. Charlie does! He is an inspiration, and I am so grateful God allowed our paths to cross.

I encourage you to take Jon Gordan's advice (the author of The Energy Bus - I've written about it before in my post "Rejoicing on the Ride") and "drive with purpose!" Trust that God has you exactly where he wants you, and know that it's your responsibility to make the most of the opportunities he has given you! Shine your light "every day, every day" in any and every way possible!

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of

God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still

trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Galatians 1:10

Mud Stains

As we were cleaning the cabins at our Phi Lamb retreat one weekend, our crew came across a mud stain splattered on the wall. At first there were two stain-removers, but as time went on and as the stain became more difficult to remove, we were having to send in people left and right to continue the strenuous job. As we scrubbed, wiped, washed, and scratched, doing all that we could, and more, to ensure this stain was clean and looking good as new, I couldn't help but think about OUR "mud" stains. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, HE WORKS OVERTIME UNTIL WE ARE MADE NEW. He even sends people in and out of our lives (like those switching out, taking turns cleaning the mud stain) to aid us on our spiritual walks - to encourage us, to teach us valuable lessons, etc. - so that we may continue growing in His likeness. Just as we continued working on the mud stain until we reached the desired cleanliness, Christ will continue working on OUR "mud" stains until He can see His image in us, the desired "cleanliness." 

 "But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand." Isaiah 64:8

"First day of school! First day of school!"

It seems like just yesterday I was taking a giant leap onto the filthy steps of White Oak Primary's "Donald Duck" school bus to head to my first day of kindergarten. Since that day, school has been my passion. I believe this results in part from my eagerness to learn, but also from my enthusiasm for life and my thirst for discovering not only what the world has to offer me, but what I have to offer the world. The enthusiasm I have for education has continued to thrive throughout the past 16yrs, and as hard as it is to believe, I began my LAST year of schooling yesterday! I AM A SENIOR IN COLLEGE, Y'ALL!

Three things came to mind as I rode the bus back to my apartment:
1) I am BLESSED! Everything I have is solely an illustration of God's grace and is NOTHING I deserve! I constantly find myself down on my knees, wiping tears from my eyes, thanking him for the individuals, opportunities, and obstacles he has purposely placed in my life! I am confident in the direction my life is going, and I am grateful for the paths that have led me to where I am today. I know God is writing His story on my heart and I'm just here to turn the pages when He, the Author, tells me to!

2) I am PUMPED! After 4yrs of summer classes and 15hr semesters, I'm ahead of schedule and will be taking 6hrs in the fall. My senior year will (hopefully) be a hop, skip, and a jump! Though I'm only taking two classes, my present circumstances are evidence that God wanted me to wait and graduate in May! Besides, I've got my whole life to work! Yes, it's a delight (I repeat: a DELIGHT) not having classes on MWF! However, I am most excited about discovering God's plan behind all of this and seeing how He'll use my "free" time to make a difference for His Kingdom. Don't worry, I have set aside PLENTY of time to study and write papers!

3) I am ANXIOUS! The closer I get to graduating, the closer I get to the real world. I'll soon be making decisions that will test my faith, challenge my courage, and ultimately change my life! It's scary, nerve-racking, and exciting all at the same time! However, if there's anything I've learned in college, it's that I am called to focus solely on the tasks God has assigned me right now - passing my classes, leading my sisters in Phi Lamb, and reaching out to those placed along my path here at Texas A&M. We aren't guaranteed the future. The only time we're guaranteed is the time we have right now at this very moment! I am reminded of Luke 16:10 that reads, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much." If we desire for God to use us in big ways, we must prove we are responsible with the tasks he has assigned us right now! With that being said, I'm letting go of the reins and will simply be enjoying the ride! I'll worry about being a grownup when the time comes!

Seeing that my first day of school was technically on a Tuesday, it only made sense to post a Transformation Tuesday picture!  In honor of my LAST first day of school EVER, I decided to recreate my FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN picture! Time flies when you're wearing giant bows and posing awkwardly for pictures! I am so grateful for these 16yrs of education, and I can't WAIT to see what God has in store for me this last year!