i am leaving in less than an hour to go to student life camp so i feel like this post is appropriate. i found this letter that i had written to myself last year at slc. i can even picture the scene in my head where i wrote it. i was one of the last people done because i had a lot to say to myself-some good, some bad.
anyway, here it is:
lauren,
God has worked in me SO much this week. Maybe even the most He has in a while because recently i haven't let Him until a few weeks ago at staff camp then mullins. DON'T BLOW THIS! DON'T BLOW YOUR LIFE ON ANYTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION! God is the only perfect being. Everyone else WILL let you down, but not God. No, He will sustain you and keep you going IF YOU LET HIM! God wants your submission to His Will. Remember Student Life Camp when He taught you that jealousy and selfishness are too much for you and you will always be brought down by them unless you give them to God. God can carry that burden because He is all-powerful and your Strength. You can't. [Psalm 68:19] Remember how powerful and great the Bible - God's letter to YOU - is! Read it, meditate on it, and keep it in your heart - very close to you. Memorize it because it is life-changing. Remember how you wrote to have a better quiet time in last year's letter too. that's pathetic. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN AGAIN! Remember what God told you that day on the rec field - "lean on Me, hard; I'll hold you, you just lean HARD." God loves you and doesn't want you to go through life aimlessly. Press on toward the goal (Philippians 3:13-14). God loves you more than you can ever imagine. Do this...for Him because He loves you and cares for you so much that He SAVED YOU! GOD loves YOU! WOW!
psalm 68:20
God loves you!
<3 lauren
i skipped part of it because it said i should live for Him as a present to Him, but i don't agree with that anymore. a present is something you give someone just because you can but you don't have to. i don't feel like it's right to say that we live for Him as a random favor to HIM because it's the other way around. God loved us first.
"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19
i encourage everyone to take time every once in a while to write themselves a letter to read several months or even a year later. i truly believe it can help us grow. i admit that it is hard for me to set aside a little bit of time to do that but God has definitely used this letter to convict me of some things. Don't let yourself forget the wonderful "little" moments in your life that God shows you something life-changing. i know i had forgotten some of these things in this letter...things i thought would change my life but i let slip away.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Life is too short.
I didn't know Jimmy but i am praying for everyone who did. It always comes as a shock to me when a student my age dies though. What if next time it's me in the car wreck? Every time a student dies, i am reminded that life is short. Maybe the rapture will even happen soon. but i think to myself, 'am i ready to leave this world? have i truly done my job here on earth?' and i have to say no. i am not ready yet because i want my God to look at my life and say, "This is My beloved [daughter], in whom I am well-pleased." (Matthew 3:17) I know that I will never be as great as Jesus, but I can certainly be more like Him than i am now.
Now don't get me wrong: I would certainly LOVE to be in Heaven right now rather than this pain-filled earth, but i only have ONE life, only ONE chance to change the world for Jesus Christ.
Now don't get me wrong: I would certainly LOVE to be in Heaven right now rather than this pain-filled earth, but i only have ONE life, only ONE chance to change the world for Jesus Christ.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
the path, the journey, and then the Destination
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way...'" John 14:6
I am kinda new at being able to drive places without my parents telling me where to turn and which lane i need to be in. I was so used to it that when they began to let me do it on my own, i realized that i need to constantly have my mind on the destination. the same is true in life. my destination is Jesus Christ. if i take my mind off Him, i will miss my turn and keep following the main road that everybody else is on. I've seen a lot of confused people on that road and i don't wanna be on it.
I am about to head to college: a whole new experience for me. I don't know exactly where it will take me and what's in store for me but i do know that my destination will never change. my destination will forever be Jesus Christ.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14
I am kinda new at being able to drive places without my parents telling me where to turn and which lane i need to be in. I was so used to it that when they began to let me do it on my own, i realized that i need to constantly have my mind on the destination. the same is true in life. my destination is Jesus Christ. if i take my mind off Him, i will miss my turn and keep following the main road that everybody else is on. I've seen a lot of confused people on that road and i don't wanna be on it.
I am about to head to college: a whole new experience for me. I don't know exactly where it will take me and what's in store for me but i do know that my destination will never change. my destination will forever be Jesus Christ.
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." Matthew 7:13-14
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
the PASSION of the Christ
a while ago, my small group got together and watched the Passion of the Christ together. it made a huge impact on me because i am a visual learner. anyway, here are some thoughts i had that week.:
tonight, i watched "the Passion of the Christ" with my small group. it is life-changing. the whole time i was watching Christ be beaten, flogged, spit on, mocked, bruised, broken, and so much more, i couldn't stop thinking, "this is what MY sin did to Him. this is my SAVIOR and my KING that is being broken...and He did it just for ME." He did not come to save me like a mythic hero or prince charming. Instead, He came humbly, and He died a humble and embarrassing death for me. the people doing this to Him thought that THEY were the ones in power and they thought THEY had control of Him and that is the way it looked, but that is all wrong. I believe that Jesus suffered WILLINGLY for me. He had a chance to run away before the soldiers got to Him on the Mount of Olives. He knew what was coming...He had warned the disciples at supper only a few hours before. As i watched Him progress through the suffering and get even more and more hurt and bloody, i wondered why He didn't just call on an angel to come save Him from it. He knew it was God's will that He die. He knew that His death would save us. I heard someone once say something like this:
Why do we always try to take the easy road? what if Jesus had taken the easy way out? where would we be now?
let's talk a little bit more about humility. my calculus teacher told my class that no matter how long you talk or what you say, people always leave you remembering the very last thing you said. The Last Supper was one of the last chances Jesus had to teach them before He died. and what did He talk about? not how great He would be for taking the punishment for all of our sins, not how scared He was about suffering and dying; He didn't complain to them about how He wouldn't have to do this if we hadn't ever sinned. Instead, He talked about humility. He says,
"The kings of the gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? BUT I AM AMONG YOU AS ONE WHO SERVES." Luke 22:25b-27
I can't even begin to imagine what this was truly like for Jesus. I complain about paper-cuts...this suddenly seems extremely minor and worthless. Comparing a paper-cut to Jesus' pain is like comparing the size of a speck of dust to the size of the Golden Gate Bridge...maybe more so. During one scene, i had to blink almost every time He was lashed because it was almost too unbearable just to watch...I cannot even come close to imagining that agonizing pain.
I am in awe of the fact that God loves me so much that He willingly let His only Son, Whom He loved immensely, to suffer unbearable pain for ME, just for little ol' me. I think that's one of the things i love most about "the passion of the Christ"...how it shows me a little better how much my Heavenly Father really loves me. I still cannot fathom all of His love for me, though!!!
As i watched one of the scenes as Jesus suffered, i remembered the title of the movie: the PASSION of the Christ. Passion is an intense word. it means "strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor." God DESIRES you. think about that...GOD, the Maker of everything, the Creator of the universe, the One who provides salvation for the world, the One greater than everyone put together, the One powerful enough to do anything He wants to, powerful enough to not need me or you...He DESIRES you.
God desires YOU!!!
tonight, i watched "the Passion of the Christ" with my small group. it is life-changing. the whole time i was watching Christ be beaten, flogged, spit on, mocked, bruised, broken, and so much more, i couldn't stop thinking, "this is what MY sin did to Him. this is my SAVIOR and my KING that is being broken...and He did it just for ME." He did not come to save me like a mythic hero or prince charming. Instead, He came humbly, and He died a humble and embarrassing death for me. the people doing this to Him thought that THEY were the ones in power and they thought THEY had control of Him and that is the way it looked, but that is all wrong. I believe that Jesus suffered WILLINGLY for me. He had a chance to run away before the soldiers got to Him on the Mount of Olives. He knew what was coming...He had warned the disciples at supper only a few hours before. As i watched Him progress through the suffering and get even more and more hurt and bloody, i wondered why He didn't just call on an angel to come save Him from it. He knew it was God's will that He die. He knew that His death would save us. I heard someone once say something like this:
Why do we always try to take the easy road? what if Jesus had taken the easy way out? where would we be now?
let's talk a little bit more about humility. my calculus teacher told my class that no matter how long you talk or what you say, people always leave you remembering the very last thing you said. The Last Supper was one of the last chances Jesus had to teach them before He died. and what did He talk about? not how great He would be for taking the punishment for all of our sins, not how scared He was about suffering and dying; He didn't complain to them about how He wouldn't have to do this if we hadn't ever sinned. Instead, He talked about humility. He says,
"The kings of the gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call themselves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who rules like the one who serves. For who is greater, the one who is at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one who is at the table? BUT I AM AMONG YOU AS ONE WHO SERVES." Luke 22:25b-27
I can't even begin to imagine what this was truly like for Jesus. I complain about paper-cuts...this suddenly seems extremely minor and worthless. Comparing a paper-cut to Jesus' pain is like comparing the size of a speck of dust to the size of the Golden Gate Bridge...maybe more so. During one scene, i had to blink almost every time He was lashed because it was almost too unbearable just to watch...I cannot even come close to imagining that agonizing pain.
I am in awe of the fact that God loves me so much that He willingly let His only Son, Whom He loved immensely, to suffer unbearable pain for ME, just for little ol' me. I think that's one of the things i love most about "the passion of the Christ"...how it shows me a little better how much my Heavenly Father really loves me. I still cannot fathom all of His love for me, though!!!
As i watched one of the scenes as Jesus suffered, i remembered the title of the movie: the PASSION of the Christ. Passion is an intense word. it means "strong amorous feeling or desire; love; ardor." God DESIRES you. think about that...GOD, the Maker of everything, the Creator of the universe, the One who provides salvation for the world, the One greater than everyone put together, the One powerful enough to do anything He wants to, powerful enough to not need me or you...He DESIRES you.
God desires YOU!!!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
we are conquerors
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Romans 8:37 NIV
This has been one of my favorite verses for a while now (along with verses 38-39). Check out the NASB version:
"But in all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY conquer through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37 NASB
God doesn't just let us barely get through this world. With Him, we "OVERWHELMINGLY conquer" tribulation, distress, persecution, hardship, etc (vs. 35 both versions)
With God, we have no in between. It is either to conquer through Jesus or to die with the world. Life is hard and it will never get easier, but i find peace in the fact that through Jesus Christ, my Savior, I can conquer it all. and no matter how much I mess it up, "I am convinced that neither DEATH nor LIFE, neither ANGELS nor DEMONS, neither the PRESENT nor the FUTURE, nor ANY POWERS, neither HEIGHT nor DEPTH, nor ANYTHING else in ALL CREATION, will be able to separate" me "from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (verses 38-39)
I wish i could say something right now to express my wonder and awe for my Redeemer, Healer, Savior, and Father, yet Friend but there are no words for it.
This has been one of my favorite verses for a while now (along with verses 38-39). Check out the NASB version:
"But in all these things we OVERWHELMINGLY conquer through Him who loved us." Romans 8:37 NASB
God doesn't just let us barely get through this world. With Him, we "OVERWHELMINGLY conquer" tribulation, distress, persecution, hardship, etc (vs. 35 both versions)
With God, we have no in between. It is either to conquer through Jesus or to die with the world. Life is hard and it will never get easier, but i find peace in the fact that through Jesus Christ, my Savior, I can conquer it all. and no matter how much I mess it up, "I am convinced that neither DEATH nor LIFE, neither ANGELS nor DEMONS, neither the PRESENT nor the FUTURE, nor ANY POWERS, neither HEIGHT nor DEPTH, nor ANYTHING else in ALL CREATION, will be able to separate" me "from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (verses 38-39)
I wish i could say something right now to express my wonder and awe for my Redeemer, Healer, Savior, and Father, yet Friend but there are no words for it.
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