When You're Stuck in a Delicate Situation

"No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man. And God is faithful and will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able. But WITH the temptation will also provide a way of escape that you may be able to endure it." I Corinthians 10:13

I received some terribly disappointing news from my parents today. As I left for cg, I was flooding my car with tears. But I had prayed before receiving the ultimatum that I would be able to glorify God and do His will no matter how the situation worked out. Half way down the hill by my house, God provided a way of escape from the downward spiral I could feel myself going into. I turned on worship music and began singing through my tears. I remember a quote from my communications textbook "I don't sing because I'm happy, I'm happy because I sing." Half way to the cg house, a brilliant inspiration struck that will both make my parents happy AND me happy (although it will mean I'll be gone from 8am-5:30pm twice a week) and I think it's a God-honoring compromise.

I love the way He shows Himself when I ask.

Blue badges and Pink peonies

Last night I visited my first Police Explorers meeting. It looks like an amazing group of kids, and what they do seems to be a little bit intense--but exactly what I'm looking for. So I'll turn in my application at the next meeting and we'll see where it goes from there. Hopefully someday soon I'll have some exciting news about that.

In Jazz Dance AND Advanced Acting we did push-ups today, and my arms are floppy and sore. I have a weird shoulder thing (which I'm hoping won't be a problem long-term!) and so doing push-ups kind of hurts, and plus I've neglected that part of my PT, leaving it for a later date when I have weight equipment to work with. My jazz teacher is ruthless. Not in a bad way, but I'm being pushed harder than I ever thought I'd be. She will make a dancer of me yet!

Recently the news about what's happening in Haiti has really hit me hard. Pastor Mark went down there for a few days and tweeted several things that broke my heart for those people. All this happened on Monday morning and that night before I went to work I decided that whatever I made in tips I would send to Haiti. Yes, that is usually the biggest part of my pay and it's kind of what's going to put me through college but I feel like if I don't give sacrificially--why give at all? So between me and God I went in and made $63 in tips that night (which is amazing for a Monday). I'm not saying this to boast about what a great kid I am or anything, I'm just hoping maybe someone somewhere will read this and realize that God might be calling them to give something as well. I'll probably be sending it to www.churcheshelpingchurches.com, the group Pastor Mark is part of.

That's all I really have to say. I'm kind of in the middle of a whirlwind, but it's nice. I think I'll be able to stay afloat--as long as I keep my priorities straight.

Evidences of God's Grace in my life:

• Finding the Police Explorers
• a great, encouraging, friendly table at work
• remembering the dance combination
• safety
• ability to bless others financially

Forgiveness

So what do you do when you try to forgive, but the past keeps coming back and biting you in the butt? I think this sermon today on temptation is kind of hitting me. I work so hard to forgive, but exactly when I think I have it figured out--I either think of a great way to hurt someone back or I see something that physically hurts my heart and encourages me in building walls of bitterness.

Jesus, I'm begging you, teach me how to truly forgive.

And if you think about it--my two faithful readers--pray for me and that either the relationships will be restored or that I can peacefully let them go.

Hopelink Housing

Today my cg moved a bunch of stuff we had collected over the past few weeks into an apartment for a single mom who needs a transitional place to live. The great thing is that we gathered a ton of furniture and stuff and when she leaves the transitional housing (in a year) she gets to take it all with her! So basically we're giving her a jump start on her future.

Some of the stuff we needed to find were a dining room table and chairs, bed, crib, couch, silverware, coffee table, pots and pans, garbage cans, and a ton of other stuff. Basically think about everything around you that you take for granted. None of us have a ton of money, plus it's supposed to be gently used stuff, so finding everything with a tight budget would be a challenge and we knew that. But Greg thought we should go for it--and so we did.

We had 2 weeks to pull everything together. What we didn't have by today, she won't have. For instance, if we didn't get a bed, when she moved in she wouldn't have a bed. Some things were ridiculously hard to find. Like an inexpensive dining room table and chairs.Those things STARTED around $99 at the thrift shop. But as we looked around the room that we pulled together this morning I realized that God worked some amazing miracles. We got a bed, table set, coffee table, crib, changing table, and many many more things for free and were able to find quite a collection of inexpensive things. It was really a miracle and it blew me away that God  showed us his grace and provision in such a clear way.

And like we talked about on Thursday night, our God is real. He's the God that blessed David in the Old Testament, he's the God that worked miracles in the New Testament, and he's the God that has this amazing heaven in store for Christians when we die. It blows me away when I really stop and think about how powerful our God is, and that he provides for ME. Who am I that he should love me? I'm just a normal kid who screws up like the best of 'em and thinks she can do it all on her own. That is truly amazing love.

Such is life

to sit and spend time with Jesus
to study and keep myself afloat
to fight raging emotions
to Skype with Emily
to receive conviction at community group
to fellowship
to reject parts of the past
to press on
to daily remind myself Jesus is in control
to pray (and pray some more)
to dream
to primp for work
to do my best for Jesus' sake at work
to battle

........such is life.

A snapsot of my day....

And my list of things to do:

• "SCHEEP" on Ma
• Read script as Ma
• eat
• begin Chapter 2 (comm)
• re-read discussion info
• start guided reflection
• run 1.5 mi
• finish Chapter 1 (drama)
• Facebook Fx
• study scene tech/look at site
• 6:30--> Value Village
• e-mail Mark
• start K-12 Essay