A Time for Everything

In Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 it says,
"There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven:
A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace."

..."He has made everything beautiful in its time.  He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." chapter 3 verse 11

In my notes it states that:
Humans have little or no control over times and changes.  The eternal God sovereignly determines all of life's activities. A time means divinely appointed. Verse 11 is summarizing the chapter in saying, God's beautiful but tantalizing world is too big for us, yet its satisfactions are too small.  Since we were made for eternity, the things of time cannot fully and permanently satisfy. God's people find meaning in life when they cheerfully accept it from the hand of God.

I just read a friend's blog where she was talking about seasons and how pruning is painful and sometimes you just want to rest in comfort or happiness, but different seasons bring different emotions/situations/changes.  I just attended Campus Harvest 2011 where one of the speakers, Lynette Lewis, stated that, "When we are pruned by God, He takes things, mind sets, beliefs, people, idols and cuts them out of our lives but when that thing is cut off, multiple shoots of new growth come out."

Are you trusting in God's divine timing? Are you trusting Him through this season? Are you allowing Him to transform you and change you?  Do you believe that you were made for eternity and that this earth will never satisfy your heavenly longings?

At Campus Harvest, the theme was Transformed and they used the visual of a butterfly.  No matter what season you're in, know that if you allow Christ to transform you, that butterfly can never go back into the cocoon.  Once you allow Christ to be the Lord of your life, you'll never be the same.

some inspiring thoughts.

God inspired me to read some blogs from the Adventures in Missions site today and they were super encouraging.  There are several college age groups out in the world telling people about the love of Jesus and it seriously gets my blood pumping to hear of people my age, passionate about Christ, and passionate about reaching the nations.  The link to Adventures in Missions site is 

http://www.adventures.org/blogs/?sitetag=rl 

check out some of the blogs...they will really challenge you!

After reading some blogs I pulled tidbits that really encouraged me and challenged me.  One girl in Africa stated in her blog, " Because when I set God free, than I will be free!" I thought that was really interesting....we so often put God in our box of what he can and cannot do...and usually we derive those thoughts from our encounters with God, how great or how small.  Lately for me, I've been really seeking personal freedom from the bondage of insecurity and fear.  I realized that I've been living with these lies for so long- that I am not intelligent, that I am not athletic, that I have no value, that I will not flourish because I am not good enough....and the list goes on.  I think that if we all really try to be transparent, we can see sin patterns in our lives that lead to the lies we've been living with for some time...

God is so much bigger then our sin, he's so much more powerful then our anxiety, fear, anger, and disappointment.  I thought it was really inspiring that this girl stated in her blog, "Because when I set God free [from the box I put him in] I will be free [because I'm allowing Christ to free me].

Also I felt extremely convicted when I read a girl's blog who is serving in Thailand.  I encourage you to read the whole blog:

http://thailand.adventures.org/?filename=the-moments-in-between-ministry 

But I realized this disconnect in Bolivia last summer when our team would have days of ministry and then days of rest and on the ministry days it was like a separate life then the days we had off and I realized that was not right...everyday should be a ministry day.  At first when I think about this, I get really stressed because I think... "Oh crap, I have to do....I should do...blah blah blah" but I think the switch is when you open yourself to the Spirit.  Be willing for Christ to open up organic relationships or conversations and real breakthrough and life change can come through them!

Finally, today when I was enjoying the 80 degree weather I was reading Romans and I was struck by this verse: Romans 4:18-22 "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  WITHOUT weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead- since he was about a hundred years old- and that Sarah's womb was also dead. Yet he did NOT waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.  This is why "it was credited to him as righteousness." 

Wow, its crazy when you open yourself to Christ and say, "I trust you, I believe you, I have faith that you are who you say you are" We're opening the door to Christ to heal our wounds, and for breakthrough and freedom to happen.

beauty

Campus Harvest 2010 during worship

Tamara- Cochabamba, Bolivia

Zulma- Cochabamba, Bolivia

Margaret- Cochabamba, Bolivia

Kristen- Currituck, North Carolina

Virginia

Hannah enjoying her first drink on her birthday

My Dad, Ron- Washington, D.C.

My (stunning) mom, Alicia- Paris, France

Natasha praying over Cochabamba

Central Park, NYC

Colorado

 

The Cristo- Cochabamba, Bolivia

Raleigh, NC

Nassau, Bahamas

Hannah- Paris, France

Ochos Rios, Jamaica

Bald Head, NC

These are just some pictures I took of friends, family, places I've traveled...that I find beautiful.
We never really give God the praise He deserves for His beautiful Creation.

reality check.

So tonight was the Bachelor finale where Brad picked Emily, it was an exciting night for me and my friends to watch some good ole fashioned superficial television. After the three hour finale the 11 oclock news came on and images and videos of the destruction and heartbreak in Japan appeared.
Watching a mother reunite with her son for the first time after 3 days, seeing a man cry over his 35 year home reduced to rubble... I realized what a bubble I am in here in North Carolina....heck here on ECU's campus.  I think about my pain, my hurt, my struggle...the wrong that has been done to me.  Victimizing every situation so nothing is my fault.
But watching that raw pain and heart ache and natural destruction brings me to my knees.  I try to rationalize natural disasters, but there is no rationalization.  I was praying for the people of Japan and I was trying to act and speak like I would know what to do in their situation....know how to cope, know how to deal.
The only thing I can think about is praying to God saying, "You are Lord over all.....You are Lord over all....You are Lord over all."
I have a real sense of entitlement and pride....
"This would never happen to me..." runs through my mind in order to distance myself from the pain and the realness of what is happening.  It hurts too much to even watch it on TV thousands of miles away.

This is what I believe. Jesus is Lord over all... He holds all the power and strength and nothing can combat with his strength.  My problems and issues are not the only things happening in my dorm room...on the campus...in this state...in this country....in the world.  Humble yourself before the Lord, be His servant, pray and hold fast to His strength and protection.  Because at the end of the day and every moment in between the only thing we need is Jesus.