Keep fighting

So I’ve been writing different things, but just haven’t posted anything in quite a while. Today I felt led to write this and actually post it. Do you ever feel like no one cares? Like you’re all alone in this fight called life? Then you’ve come to the right place to read this. I too know exactly what it means to have these feelings of loneliness (not just from being single), but just life in general with people you think are you’re friends and then you realize that they let you down too. Sometimes I feel like I pour myself out to so many people, especially with my line of work as a nurse. Everyone demanding something from me, they’re hurting, and needing help, so that’s what I do, I help them…but then when I myself go through a trial or spiritual warfare I feel like I am all alone. No one understands fully what is happening to me or has the time to care with what is going on. It causes me to have feelings of grief, hurt, and wanting to just give up. I’m sure we’ve all been there, just asking the Lord to take “this trial” from us. I know it is in the trials that makes us closer and stronger to the Lord, but sometimes I just want it to end and be over. I think, “If only I could just be in Heaven right now instead.” Honestly, the only thing to do is pray, because no one really will be able to understand what you are going through except the Lord. So I want to encourage you….and myself as I type this….to just keep fighting. And if you need prayer let me know. I don’t want people to feel like they are all alone in this fight because I know how it personally feels.  Remember, we've got victory in Jesus! 

“Good Fight” Song by Unspoken https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0M3X3_pFD4

Divine Valentine

Yesterday I was looking on my computer for some lab values in order to work on a patient care plan. Unfortunately I never found what I was looking for, but I did find this document that I thought you would all like. I can't even remember where or when I saw this poem last, but it is not something I created.                                         


                                   Your Divine Valentine

A valentine may play a love song for you, but God sings you the sweetest love song in the universe. "The Lord your God… will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."Zephaniah 3:17 

A valentine may give you flowers, but God sent you the most beautiful rose of all, Jesus.
"I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys."
Song of Solomon 2:1

A valentine may take you out to dinner, but God has invited you to the most amazing feast ever given

"...Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb."

Revelation 19:9

 A valentine may bring you chocolate, but God provides you with something ever sweeter, His Word.

"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"
Psalm 119:103

A valentine may be far away, but God is always with you.

"...I am with you always even to the end of the age."
Matthew 28:20

A valentine may give you something, but God has given you everything. 
"God...gives us richly all things to enjoy."

I Timothy 6:17

A valentine may love you for a lifetime, but God loved you before you were born and will love you for all eternity
"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love… with loving-kindness I have drawn you."

Jeremiah 31:3

Praying you’re blessed by the wonderful love of God this Valentine’s Day and always!

 

Jesus...More than just a Valentine

What is love? It might depend on who you ask.
Dictionary-     1. A deep and tender feeling of fondness and loyalty
                        2. A strong liking
                        3. A person that is loved very much

Bible-   I Corinthians 13:4-8, 13 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy. It does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge it will pass away. ( vs 13) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Bible says in John 3:16 that you are special to God. God not only gave His son, but he…
    Created us in His own image
    Knew us before we were born
    Knows the hairs on our head (that is pretty detailed)

Psalms 139:14 tells us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made

Psalms 139:17-18 “How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee.”

Did you ever think that in the beginning God spoke everything into existence, however we were so special and He loved us so much that He formed us (Different versions of the Bible- Knit vs. Formed)

God longs for fellowship with us and to be with us. He wants our heart, mind, body, soul, and time. Jesus wants a RELATIONSHIP with US!
If you have a new friend how do you get to know them???

1. Spending Time
      *Talking and listening….which we can do with Jesus
      * We can also meditate on scriptures and spend time that way

2. Proud of friend- Jesus
     * Go places together (Jesus is everywhere and will never leave you)
     * Introduce your friend to others (Tell people about Jesus. Don't be ashamed of Him)

3. Tell or Show how you feel
    * We do this in prayer
    * We keep His commandments
    * We keep the Lord first in our life

The romantic person may show how they feel by: sending flowers and saying, “These roses may die, but my love will never die.
In the Bible: God’s love was so much that he did died for us. His love is everlasting, and will not fade. He will never leave you nor forsake you. He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

I’ll leave you with these Scriptures that exemplify and describe God's love for us…
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life”

What more could we ever want, need, or hope for??
Now that is more than just an earthly valentine!!!!

 

 My "I Found Mr. Right" sweatshirt....

 

He knows the desires of my heart
He will never leave me
He is Perfect
He is a Prince
He opens the door for me
He walks on water
He died for me
He loves me
He gives me eternal life
He shines like the sun
-He is Jesus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm in love...

I’m in Love…. Yes you heard me correctly, but it is not what you might be thinking. No, I don’t have a relationship with a boy, but I do have a relationship with Jesus Christ, my personal Savior, and I am in love with Him.

I am content in being single right now in my life. Not to say that I don’t dream about one day having a husband and family, but it is not what my focus is on. Now truthfully speaking there would have been a short time in my life where I probably would not have said that I was completely content. I would see facebook statuses such as engagements, marriages, or having kids. Yes, I would be truly be happy for them, but  I also felt down hearted because here I was with no love in my life at that time. I now realize I was quite silly.

Walking in sacred singleness allows me a chance to focus completely on my relationship with God and spend more time with Him. I get comments all the time like, “You mean to tell me you’re single now? Why don’t you get a boyfriend? You are missing out on so much. etc etc.” People may think I’m strange because of this, especially when they know that I'm 22 and a 1/2. Well, personally I think God knows what is best for me. I am confident in knowing that Jesus has someone just right for me and we will meet whenever God thinks it is best.......In the meantime, life has so much to offer for me. I will live life to its fullest and try to be a light for Christ.

It is so sad that many people settle for less than God’s best. People date individuals just because they feel like they always need to have someone in their life. That person might not even have the same values and beliefs. Now that is scary!!! We need to look at dating/courting as thinking of them as our potential spouse and not someone to date now and then know that later on you will dump that person to marry your dream girl or boy.

The main problem with ‘dating just to be dating’ is that people won’t satisfy you. Until Jesus Christ is the obsession of your heart, you’ll always be looking to mere men to meet needs that only Jesus can fill. Making Christ your first love is the foundation for everything else in life, including guys.  Everything that you need is Jesus! Even if one never gets married that individual will always have Jesus in thier life. The best thing you can do is wait on God's timing  and pray for your future spouse.  

We must remember that we are soldiers of the cross, whether single or married. This life is, but a fleeting breath. Singleness is a short season. Marriage is a short season. Heaven is for eternity.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” Mark 12:30

Jesus is my true Prince, my ultimate Bridegroom, my all in all. J

Charleston Swim Team Video

A video of my sister, Allyson and I. (in the yellow swim caps) We did swim team from age 5-18. In the summertime we were in the pool at 7:30 A.M. Monday thru Friday swimming and Saturday swim meets up at 5:00 AM. I remember when I was younger I would swim all year round. Fun times!

Tennessee Friends

(Laura and me)

My dear friend Laura Harris Smith from Tennessee. I came across her devotional pincodes on you tube. On July 12, 2011 we became fb friends. I was fortunate to travel down to Nashville and meet her, her husband and family on August 7, 2011 at the Eastgate church where they pastor.

                                     (Chris, Laura, and their youngest Jenesis...Plus my family)

(Jeorgi Smith-The one who got me started with this blog)

Since our first time meeting, we've been able to see each other a few times when we've gone to TN. I'm thankful for all the new friends I've met every time I'm at Eastgate church. I consider Eastgate to be "My home away from home church." :)
Tomorrow I get to see Laura and her family. They are in Illinois because her husband's family lives up here. Then on Tuesday I get to see Emily Dunn who goes to Eastgate Church in TN. She is up here visiting her grandparents and every year stops by our house to visit. I'm excited to see everyone again.

(Me, Emily, my sister Allyson----Emily is getting ready to make another trip to Ghana)

Laura has a new book coming out entitled "Seeing the Voice of God" (about dreams). It comes out officially in bookstores January 7th and it can be pre-ordered. So far it has sold out. Yay!
( https://www.facebook.com/LauraHarrisSmithPage  Here is the link to her facebook author page)

About two weekends ago I was talking to Laura. She was having problems with her facebook author page uploading videos. Her publisher for her new book "Seeing the Voice of God: What God is telling you through dreams and visions," said to her that all the videos needed uploaded by Saturday, but for some reason it was not working. By midnight of Friday we decided to call it a night and continue praying about it. The next day I was supposed to teach piano in the morning and go ice skating in Champaign later. My students were not able to make it and then the ice skating plans fell through because of my friend's schedule. (We ended up going out to eat that night instead). God knew that He would have to clear my schedule in order for being able to talk with Laura. Friday at midnight we decided it would be best to get some rest and try working on it again the next day. Saturday we kept trying to figure out the reason why her videos were not uploading properly. We researched lots of information online, tried deleting cache and cookies, amongst several other attempts. Nothing seemed to be working! Well, then Laura asked me if I would be interested in helping her out with her speaking events by being her interpreter for the deaf and hard of hearing. We would also have time to pray for people afterwards. I was so excited and said yes. :) As soon as I agreed everything miraculously started working again. Her cousin, who also works with the deaf said she would help too after I agreed to helping. It is quite interesting that I was praying about my future. I had been asking God if it would be His will for me to perhaps get my certification as a sign language interpreter after nursing school because I really want to continue working with the deaf. They are such great people. The Lord definitely answered my prayers in a unique way. We never figured out what the problem was, but we do know that God's will was accomplished by this happening. I can not wait to see the blessings, and healings that will take place along with the places the Lord will take us. God is Awesome!

Deck the Halls: Christmas Piano Duet with sister

Another video: My sister and I playing a duet called "Deck The Halls." We performed it a long time ago at a recital.