Should a man see only popularity, he becomes a mirror, reflecting whatever needs to be reflected to gain acceptance. He is everyone and no one.
Should a man see only power, he becomes a wolf — prowling, hunting and stalking the elusive game. Recognition is his prey and people are his prizes. His quest is endless. As a result, he who sees only power is degraded to an animal, an insatiable scavenger, controlled not by a will from within, but by luring from without.
Should a man see only pleasure, he becomes a carnival thrill-seeker, alive only in bright lights, wild rides, and titillating entertainment. With lustful fever he races from ride to ride, satisfying his insatiable passion for sensations only long enough to look for another.
Seeker of popularity, power, and pleasure. The end result is the same: painful unfulfillment.
Only in seeking his Maker does a man truly become man. For in seeing his Creator man catches a glimpse of what he was intended to be. He who would see his God would then see the reason for death and the purpose of time. Destiny? Tomorrow? Truth? All are questions within the reach of the man who knows his source.
My first semester at college went well. I've met so many new and fascinating people that I feel I could just listen to people's stories all day long and never run out of interesting things to talk about. I never expected the social aspect to become such an attention-diverter, but it did unfortunately. Not that it affected my schoolwork. Not at all. I just ended up really sleep deprived. Yep, that probably wasn't very smart of me. But, college is about learning, and I did learn my lesson. By the time finals week rolled around, my brain was like a plate of over-easy scrambled eggs served with a side of toast. Re: Mush. I wasn't acting at all myself when I went home and I knew it, but I was simply too exhausted to do anything about it. The first few weeks of being at home were a struggle. I needed to readjust to living at home again with different changes, expectations and realities. Three weeks later, I think I'm finally getting the hang of it two days before I have to move back to my dorm. :D Ah well. Such is life.
My roommates and I after a successful night of shopping. :)
I'm worried about second semester and what's going to happen. I felt like with first semester I was literally pouring every ounce of myself into my schoolwork all the time and I barely got everything done on time. Now I'm taking 3 credits and two classes more than I did first semester. And the biggest thing was that my relationship with God began to fade. I stopped reading the Bible actively. Oh I read it to say that I was in the Word, but I didn't apply the energy to actually study it. I felt like a fake. I wasn't being challenged. THINGS were getting distracting. And I was ashamed. For awhile I was even mad at God. But somehow, someway, with His calming voice, He wooed me back into peace. And in the midst of the storm I was smack dab in the middle of, He wrapped His arms around me and whispered sweet words of peace to my spirit. Not that everything was going to end soon or that my life would somehow miraculously get better, but because He is never going to leave me. Never.
And that's exactly what I've been learning lately. That I can't just start "becoming a better follower of Christ" when things get easier. Because they never will. It's about learning to be content WHEREVER I am! In whatever situation.
Over the past few months I've felt God leading me to considering a life dedicated to overseas missionary teaching. I, of course, was ecstatic. I love traveling. I love people. I love God. I love teaching. This nudge was awesome. A few times I've doubted it, saying that maybe it was just me that was trying to convince myself or make myself better than others. But every time I came up with an excuse, God's reassurance came back even stronger than before. After I get some experience teaching in the States (and pay off my lovely school loans), I'm going to teach. Overseas. Who knows where. The thought is thrilling and exciting and dangerous and scary all at the same time.
And of course then there's the little matter of if God is going to send along a husband for me. Now I know what you're thinking. Girl goes to Bible college and sees everyone else dating and/or getting married and thinks she must do the same.
Not true.
In fact, it was quite the opposite. I loathed the idea of ever getting married. I tured up my nose every time the idea was even brought up. I was not going overseas to teach tied to a man who didn't want to do the same!
But as God does, He slowly began working at my heart. He made it very clear that I am going to get married, but didn't add the little detail about when. But that's ok. Honestly, since I've stopped being so stubborn and started listening to what GOD wants for me, life has gotten less stressful. So, my prayer is that God will send me a man who loves God more than He loves me and dreams about setting up a ministry somewhere overseas. It's going to take someone very patient, loving and Godly to put up with me and my impulsive ways, but I guess if he can, I will know that he is straight from God and meant for me. :)
Yes I realize I'm being the "typical girl." Maybe that's what I was afraid of, that I would be following the status quo in wanting to get married. But that's what's on my heart. I'm going to be 19 in a few days, and I've never had someone express interest in me before. I had been just fine with this fact until I started felling discontent but it was because I had been trying to live my way instead of listening to what God was trying to get me to hear. And now I'm open to the idea of finding the right man, encountering love and settling down. I can't say that I never feel a swell of panic every once in awhile that it may be awhile before Mr. Right shows up, but I do know that God will always be ready to comfort.
This is a repost of last Christmas. It shares what is on my heart. Enjoy.
Luke 1:26In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth,
27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin's name was Mary.
28 And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!”
29 But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be.
30 And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,
33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
36 And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren.
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.”
38 And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
39 In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, 40 and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.
41 And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit,
42 and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
43 And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
44 For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.
45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.
Luke 2:1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2 This was the first registration whenQuirinius was governor of Syria.
3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town.
4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David,
5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,who was with child.
6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.
7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear.
10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.
11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”
15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child.
18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them.
19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.
I want you to do something for me. I want you to image yourself in your room. Think of how big it is compared to yourself. Now think of your house. Then your city. Now state. Country. World.
This planet we call Earth belongs to something called the solar system which is comprised of the nine eight planets and some other stuff like the Sun, Moon, etc.
Our solar system belongs to the galaxy which is known as the Milky Way Galaxy. Now think back to you standing in your room. Pretty impressive right?
But I'm not done yet.
Do you know how many galaxies are in the universe?
Take a guess. Any number will do.
The answer:
Approximately 500 Billion.
(Taken with the Hubble telescope.)
Isaiah tells us that God holds the universe in the palm of His hands.
What does that tell you about God?
Have you ever held a baby? Do you know how fragile and little they are?
Want to know what the unimaginable part is?
That's how God came down to us.
As a baby. A helpless little baby.
The creator of the universe came down as a baby!
One of my favorite verses in the entire Bible is Luke 2:19, "But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart."
Mary got to hold the creator of the universe. Wow. Can you imagine?
The birth story has so many incredible and memorable characters. What would the birth story be without the humility of the Lord's servant Mary,
the joy of Elisabeth,
the bravery of Joseph,
the faith of Zechariah,
and of course,
the divine timing and appointment of Jesus, orchestrated by the True Conductor.
Now that's what I call
Beautiful.
With my sincerest thanks and warmest wishes, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas filled with laughter, happy memories, and the recollection of what a sweet Baby in a manger did for us on a night so long ago. Treasure these things in your hearts, dear readers, and remember the truest reason for our celebrations.
Do you ever wonder about people? That maybe they are hurting just like you are, deep down, but no one would ever guess because they are too wrapped up in sports or work or school. But inside their heart is shredded and their life is bleak. And it's the believers.
I can't believe it's November. Thanksgiving is 20 days away. I've never been so tired in my life, but I am doing ok. I just have to make it to November 22nd, two projects and three exams away.
I'm a sophomore in college trying to navigate this thing called life. I love Jesus with all my heart. He finds me captivating. And you know what? He finds you captivating too.
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