Praise to the Lord!!

With the jail ministry I've been involved in--I've been going over with the ladies who God is. Not just to gain knowledge for knowledge sake, but to have a personal, thriving relationship with the God of the universe. The study has been so wonderful, and I have enjoyed it immensely!! One thing that we went over this past Wednesday is faith--faith is not just believing in something you can't see, but acting upon that belief. That is so amazing!! It's something that I know, and yet, phrased in that way, it was amazing--that is living by faith--living a life pleasing to the Lord, and when things come that don't make sense, resting(an action!:) in the fact of who God is.

"Praise to the Lord, who, when tempests their warfare are waging,Who, when the elements madly around thee are raging,Biddeth them cease, turneth their fury to peace,Whirlwinds and waters assuaging.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him! All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him. Let the Amen sound from His people again,Gladly for aye we adore Him."

Abide with me.....

Wow!! It's been a while since I've had access to my blog--some crazy password thing was not allowing me to sign in. I think the posts I would've had would've gone back and forth from discouragement to excitement--thus has been the last month or so. :) I am so thankful that my God is the same yesterday, today, and will continue to be forever.

In the last month, I completed my first year at Northland (yea!!) and came home. The coming home part was very difficult--there's something about living at college--making big and small decisions, being put in tricky financial situations--being away from home. It was so hard to say goodbye to the friends that I made in those short months. The Lord really has blessed me with some amazing friends that truly desire and are actively pursuing a more intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father.

One thing that I kept (and keep!) coming back to is the whole issue of trust. Who is my God?? He has a plan for my life--difficulties don't mean He is sleeping, or ignoring me. He sees the bigger picture--He knows that difficulties now are preparing me for the future, whatever that may hold. I don't know, but He does, and that is very comforting to know. This really was the start to an amazing study I've been going through on who God is. God is my Father, Friend, Comforter, Guide, Refuge, Strength--the list goes on and on. Then I've been taking each of those things and naming what that specific title entails--Father=protector, provider and all the other things an earthly father is, except He does all those things even more perfectly than an earthly father could ever do(which is amazing to think about!)

One major thing that has been going on in the last month is the search for a job. :) I've been working a few hours at the coffee shop that I worked at before I came to school(Dew Hill's) and also have helped for a few days at my dads shop. At first I was very frustrated, because I kept being rejected by the places I went, but I was thankful that the Lord has given me a new perspective on this struggle. He has a purpose for the time that I've been looking for a job--it's been hard, because I have financial obligations, but He will provide.

When I came home from college, I prayed that the Lord would direct me to the specific ministry He wanted me to be involved in during the summer(or longer). I really thought I'd stay with teaching the 1-3 graders and had committed to that, but the Lord made it very clear that He had another plan for me. He gave me a burden to work with the ladies in the jail with the jail ministry. It has been by far the most stretching ministry I've ever been involved with. Every time I meet with the ladies, I'm able(and delighted!) to share the work of salvation that God has offered through His precious Son. Nearly every time there are new questions about salvation, and it has been so exciting.

I'll just end this post with a quote from the book Free Grace and Dying Love by Susannah Spurgeon--"No, rather, I should joyfully meet and welcome it,[hardship or difficulties], well knowing that Your love to me could only send a message of peace, however dark might be the envelope which enwrapped it."