Looking Ahead

On days like today I just want to praise God, because no matter what went wrong, all of the important things fell perfectly into place. Minor frustrations have melted away as I realize I am less than ten assignments away from graduation! This journey at JMU has been the most incredible four years of my life, and I have cherished every precious moment that I have been given. I feel so blessed to meet the people here, to find amazing opportunities to get involved, and I am mostly joyful that I have gotten to serve others during my time here. My heart is overwhelmed with joy when I think of the amazing women that I lead in WORD and how God is working in their lives, and I love seeing old members of Discipleship Team out and about on campus and catching up with them!

In retrospect, these years have really allowed me to get out of my shell and embrace who I have been created to be.

Looking Forward

The future looms large on the horizon but as I look forward I am no longer filled with dread or doubt about where I will be or who I will be with. I used to question my future, my own judgment, and whether I would make the right decisions, but after a long quiet time today and some sage advice from a wiser woman than myself, I feel as though i can look to the future knowing that the Lord has my best at heart. How have I ever doubted that what He does is good; I don't see my future, but He does. Trusting Him has never been so hard, but I know that is all I have as reassurance that no matter what happens, what is meant to be will be, and all things work out for the best in the end. I just have to trust, continue to pray, and really rest on Him during this period in my life because only He provides peace that surpasses all understanding. No matter where I go to grad school or what job I get or where I move or who I end up with, I find joy and rest in the fact that God has already gone before me and He has already made the path ready for me to tread.

Diving Back In

Now that school has officially begun and the work piles higher as my "To-Do" list becomes longer with responsibilities and expectations, some of which are my own perfectionist standards shining through, I feel as though I am diving headlong into a tornado of work.
However, as I dive back into this work that could threaten to consume me, God has been providing opportunities for diving deeper into Him as well, which has refreshed and revived my soul in a way that is so undeniable. Not only has the Lord been speaking peace into my life concerning my future and my present, but He continually assures me of His presence and His current workings in my life.
God has reminded me how blessed I am. If I were left to my own devices I would deserve death, but God in His mercy could not leave me in the mess that I created for myself. He has been teaching me that if we confess our sins He is faithful and just in forgiving us! Such a relief, because that was some good news that I needed to hear.

Senior Year Life Review

Over the past few weeks I have found myself wondering what I have actually accomplished with my life and what may realistically lie in my future. This has been a scary time, thinking about all of the things that I have accomplished, the projects I have undertaken, and the awards that have been bestowed upon me, yet what do these awards amount to? In my life I have accrued two binders full of awards, scholarships, distinctions, and other miscellaneous pats on the back, yet here I am, still scared of what the future will bring, wondering where I am called to grad school, and questioning what degree I should be striving for that will get me where I most want to go.

The scariest part of looking to the future is knowing that friend circles, especially the ones from college, are transient; that is to say that we have enjoyed our time together, but soon we will all move on, make new friends, settle into new communities, and experience a new form of life without tests, semesters, staying up late with housemates, and being able to come home for vacation.What will our lives look like in the real world? Will I be mature and sophisticated enough to ride through this transition with grace and confidence?

I guess applying for grad school has made me think about who I will meet, who I will work with, and what experiences lie ahead. Though these opportunities excite me, the power to decide frightens me. What if I choose the wrong place? What if I don't settle well into the new place? What if I don't succeed wherever this path of life takes me? I know that no matter what I can look to a bright and joyful future with friends and family that love me for me, because that has followed me my whole life. I know I have a faith in a God who will only allow the best for me, and that is a great comfort. I think the fear comes from the blunders that I know I am going to make on the way; even though I can preemptively say that I am going to fail, I cannot prevent these failures, and learning some of life's lessons can be hard. But I am hoping (the eternal optimist in me emerges) that these stumbles along this journey will merely look like I am dancing, and not that I have screwed my life up beyond any point of redemption.

Ultimately these fears chalk up to nothing, a vapor that tries to drag me down as I fly towards the open window placed before me, yet I look back and miss what I have lost. Along the way, drifting apart from friends and a significant other have detrimentally affected how I see myself and my future, yet I move on, striving for those who will truly love me, and fight for me no matter what. I love unconditionally, and I cannot wait to find someone who will do that same.

A New Year

Life confuses me in how circumstances can be orchestrated so that people meet, get together, break up, get back together, and how friends migrate in and out and back into our lives. While thinking over the many friends that I have had the pleasure of meeting over my college career, I can't help but think about how I have gotten closer to some friends and drifted apart from others simply because of the timing and circumstances of our lives. This retrospect has caused me to consider what really matters in life, and that is to appreciate the people who love us and whom we love. This year I am going to enjoy the time that I have with the people in my life, and I am going to continue to reach out to the people that are in my life. This year is going to be rich, full of memories that I will cherish forever and no regrets.

Quoteable Quotes

"The Lord will fight for you and you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid." Albert Einstein

"Never take a person for granted. Hold every person close toy our heart cause you might wake up one day and realize that you've lost a diamond while you were too busy collecting stones." ~Anonymous

A New Year's Life Review

With Christmas in the rear view mirror and a New Year on the horizon, I have begun to enter into a period of life review, a time when I look back over the decisions I have made and the person I have become at JMU. This was also sparked due to the fact that I am a senior considering where the Lord is calling me to graduate school. The possibilities are endless, and the future looms closer as I wait for discernment about the direction my life will take presently.

While looking back over the four years I have spent at James Madison University I am so thankful for the friends, for my housemates, and for the incredible Christian community and the education that I have been so blessed to receive. However, I also wish that I have maintained better priorities; many times I have allowed friends and academics to take the backseat, and worst of all, many times I have not taken care of myself so that I can be in a good place to help others. My heart is always for others; I believe I have been loved so that I can love others. But I feel as though I have a lot to learn about myself and the love I have received from the Lord before I can intentionally and genuinely love others better.

As I approach the New Year, I am thinking of resolving to make new priorities and to take care of myself this year instead of allowing myself to become so busy with others that I become emotionally and phyiscally exhausted.

I am going to love the people God has put in my life instead of wishing that God would put certain people in my life.

I am going to make time for myself and for God this semester instead of packing that time in among many other things that I have on my list to do.

I am going to remain single for this semester to allow myself time to heal and really think about what I want in a relationship, and I am going to use this time to enjoy my great guy friends who are so great and supportive of me!

I am going to pour more time and effort into the people who love me, like my family and best friends, and I am going to try to call them once a week!

Discipleship with a capital D

Discipleship.
What does that word even mean?
Why is it important?
What does that look like today?
How do I find someone that can disciple me?
When do I know I am ready to disciple someone else?
How do I find someone to disciple?

If only I could have a penny for each time I heard these questions.
So many people have so many questions about discipleship because we as a Christian community have not addressed this subject enough.
Discipleship is one of the most important practices that Jesus Christ himself showed us throughout His life. He lived with and taught 12 disciples who went on to bring His message to an entire world. What did He do that gave these disciples such vision and passion, and how can we continue in the path He has laid before us?

Well, I am so glad you asked! I am so glad these questions are on your heart, because that means God is at work, creating godly desires within you, so that you glorify Him and live out His purpose for your life. While I have only been learning a lot about discipleship in the last few years, God has given me such a passion for discipleship. Every Christian should be discipled, and every mature Christian who is seeking the Lord and practicing the spiritual disciplines should be discipling a younger Christian. There is a belief deep within my heart that this is God's vision for the church, whether that is an unrealistic idea which might never come to fruition this side of paradise.

Some might also disagree about what constitutes a "mature" disciple because some categorize "mature" using different measures; however, many Christians grow through leading other Christians. If they can handle all the responsibilities that comes with leading others, usually that Christian blows others away with how God uses their willing spirit. So what is mature? That is tricky and completely situational, but basically the discipler needs to be praying for the person they are discipling, seeking the Lord, living out their faith, and farther along in their walk with the Lord that the person they are leading (and preferably older). These standards are not too harsh and not too lax, and allow room for God's people to make appropriate, Spirit-led judgment calls.

One problem that I do notice is that many Christians shy away from this responsibility from the fear or feeling of inadequacy or not being able to answer someone's questions or solving their problems. What nonsense! God equips those He calls, and discipleship is not just a mentorship or an apologetics program for those who struggle with doubt. One quote from an old Sunday School teacher comes to my mind, "They do not care how much you know until they know how much you care." Discipleship is about living a life of faith alongside brothers and sisters, and sharpening one another for the glory of God. That is the whole point!! Not being able to answer questions, but being able to seek God and look up the answers in the Word with the person right there. Discipling someone doesn't require perfection, it requires a humble Spirit willing to hear God and speak love, affirmation, and truth only after you have listened and asked countless questions to gain more insight and understanding.

So why don't we do this? In Discipleship Essentials  by Greg Ogden, there is a chart in the beginning that shows how many people would come to know Christ if one Christian witnessed to one person a day who accepted Christ. Each year the number would increase by 365, and many would hear and accept the Gospel. Then he showed what would happen to the church if a Christian discipled two people who accept the Lord each year, and then those people also start to disciple two people. Since the growth is exponential and not just additional, at the end of 20 years, the number of followers that are mature and giving back to the Lord is almost triple the number from the first scenario. Not only that, but Jesus' plan of spreading the Gospel was discipleship, as talked about in Dr. Coleman's book The Master Plan of Evangelism.

So again, God's people, what is holding us back?
No really, what would ever stop us from imitating our Lord by "making disciples of all nations"? (Matthew 28:19)

TagTagTag!

Today is such a wonderful day; it feels great to simply sit back and relax knowing that life is good because God is good all the time. 

11 Facts about Myshelf
1.  I want to teach inner city special or remedial education and help the drive towards more inclusive classrooms for all learners.
2. I am doing a case study on a student with multiple disabilities and cortical visual impairment.
3. This year has been really challenging because of the leadership and responsibilities I have been called into, but that is also the most rewarding part of my college experience.
4.I LOVE NEW YORK and what God is doing there. I want to do ministry there!
5. I also love the city of Richmond, and I want to teach there one day!
6. When I teach there, I want to live in the Fan and be a hip youngster.
7. I laugh. A lot. Loudly.
8. I work at a camp with kids who have special needs :) I love children who are considered Exceptional, whether that be gifted or a child with a disability; they are both called exceptional.
9. Running and core exercises are so much fun, and they are good for you!
10. I sometimes get great joy out of silly little things that make me happy, such as silly games or hobbies!
11. I am that person that laughs at the corniest, most not funny jokes ever. Yep. That's me.

1.  Texting, calling, or in-person conversations?  Why?
Personal, face to face conversations are the best, because you get to read the person's body language and tone of voice! If that isn't possible, texting is a close second! Not a phone talker because it makes me nervous.
2.  Pants or dresses?
Jeans if it's cold and dresses if it's warm!
3.  If you could play any instrument, what would you play and why?  If you already play one, what would you switch to?
If I could play any instrument, I would definitely pick the drums! So cool! Or the guitar... I kind of already play that, but not really!
4.  What's your favorite thing about where you live?
I LOVE all of the places to go and things to do in Richmond, and the variety of things to get involved in! There is literally something for everyone! :)
5.  What will be the name of your first child?
Micah if it's a boy
Isabelle if it's a girl
6.  Do you believe in God?
Yesh I believe in Yahweh and in His Son, Jesus Christ who chose to give up His precious life for my horrific sins, and I believe that He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the only one who can heal and save and make us into new creations.
7.  What's your favorite musical and why?
Singing in the Rain, because it's the only one I've seen!
8.  What's your favorite season and why?
SPRING!!!! The smell, the warm weather, the fun clothes, the warm sun, and the rain!!!
9.  What's the song that describes you the best?
That is hard.... probably the Desert Song by Hillsong :)
10.  What's your favorite quote/verse/saying?
"I will bless the Lord at all times. His praise will continually be in my mouth." Psalm 34:1
Actually, just all of Psalm 34 :)
11.  What's your favorite book?
Right now my favorite book is The Master Plan of Evangelism by Dr. Coleman. Weird, I know. I never read books like that, but I couldn't put it down. It talks about how Jesus' plan of Evangelism was Discipleship and intentionally living with and pouring into 12 disciples.

This is how I feel about the New Year!

This was made by one of the coolest people I know! I hope you enjoy watching it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y90oxitk7fo&feature=g-all-u&context=G2c0ba89FAAAAAAAAAAA