Last night I laid down at about 8 to go to sleep since I was planning on getting up at 5 this morning. I was laying in bed tossing and turning because I couldn't go to sleep. Normally I would just lay there or turn on Netflix until I fall asleep, but last night was different. There was this sense of incompleteness and heavy burden on my heart. I decided to get up, I turned on pandora, and walked around my room multiple times singing praise songs and weeping. Then names started to pop in my head that I needed to pray for. I have this little white board on my wall in my room and for some reason I never wrote my schedule up there so I jotted down all oft he names that came to mind that needed prayer. I then just started praying, and journaling, and praising God.
When I was journaling last night at this time, the thought came to mind that God owes us nothing, yet gives us everything. We owe God everything, yet give him nothing. My question to you is, WHAT ARE YOU GIVING? It is kind of a vague question but the answers are limitless. What are you doing to please God? What are you giving back to God for what he has done for you? As I am typing this, I am asking myself the same question. What am I doing to honor God? What am I doing here on my campus to show God's love to each and every person that I meet? WHAT AM I GIVING? We should be asking ourselves these questions every single day when we wake up. Give yourself an answer and DO IT! Don't just say, "I'll do that tomorrow" or "Ahh I don't have to do that". Is that pleasing to God?
I was really bad about this as a teenager. "Oh God if you just wake me up good in the morning I will get up and read your word" Morning comes, I wake up on time and pretty good, decide that I want more sleep so I go back to sleep. What is that saying to God? How am I giving anything to God when I go back to sleep instead of digging into his word? Being a Christian and living out the life is a sacrifice. We have to sacrifice things that sometimes hurts. It may hurt for a little while but Joy will come in the morning! God has his rewards for you! How important is sleep when there are lives out there dying every day that don't know Christ. That are not Christians. That have never heard his name. WHAT ARE WE DOING AS A GROUP OF BELIEVERS? We seem to think that we know Jesus and that is enough. We are going to heaven so we are in the clear. You are not! Reach to those around you. They are just as important as you with knowing Christ.
I have to ask again....
WHAT ARE YOU GIVING????
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
God I need direction...
A couple weekends ago I went to The World Missions Summit 3 (TWMS3) and I pledged to give a year and pray about a lifetime. God has made it clear that I am to finish school first so I can use my deaf education as a tool to get into other countries that are extremely hard to get into being a missionary. When I think about school though I get discouraged considering I still have 3 years left. AHH. Until then, until the time that I am actually to give my year, which I feel it's Eurasia that I am being called to, I kind of stumbled upon this opportunity to go to Egypt. (Part of Eurasia, Kind of ironic??) Well I emailed them about what I could do there and I got a response this morning about two different choices to choose from. The volunteer position I would be staying in an orphanage for at least one week and up to as many weeks as I would like. How AWESOME would that be? The other is a mandatory 3 weeks that are already set.
This is where I am at at the moment. I know it is a great missions opportunity and I would be working with other missionaries and reaching to the children of Egypt, BUT I am still searching for if this is what God's will is for me or if it is just something that I came upon on a whim and think it's a great idea. I am praying about it and seeking for some direction.
If you are reading my blog or happened to stumble across it (maybe that is coincidence as well?) Please pray with me. Pray that God can lead me in the right direction and if this is God's will, If I am to go to Egypt that the funds become available for me. I am not rich and as I have said in the past, I am a college student. Also, if this is God's will it will be hard to try to explain this to my parents so also start praying for divine intervention between my words and their ears and hearts if I do have to tell them I am going to Egypt.
Thank you in advance for the prayers. May God Bless You!
-Ariel
This is where I am at at the moment. I know it is a great missions opportunity and I would be working with other missionaries and reaching to the children of Egypt, BUT I am still searching for if this is what God's will is for me or if it is just something that I came upon on a whim and think it's a great idea. I am praying about it and seeking for some direction.
If you are reading my blog or happened to stumble across it (maybe that is coincidence as well?) Please pray with me. Pray that God can lead me in the right direction and if this is God's will, If I am to go to Egypt that the funds become available for me. I am not rich and as I have said in the past, I am a college student. Also, if this is God's will it will be hard to try to explain this to my parents so also start praying for divine intervention between my words and their ears and hearts if I do have to tell them I am going to Egypt.
Thank you in advance for the prayers. May God Bless You!
-Ariel
Sunday, January 13, 2013
Why aren't we crying for God?
I started an online January scrapbook a few days ago. For every day of January I make a page in a book to describe my day, special events, amazing friends, conversations, or anything that really pops into my head really. Today while I was writing about my Mom and brother leaving from staying with me since Thursday and how I cried when she left the thought crossed my mind, Why aren't we crying for God in that way?
Let's rewind a few years, I am back in High School with my "I am better than my mom" attitude, and moved out because we didn't get along the way I wanted to get along. Mom and I was not close at all. I never told her secrets, I hid everything from her. She was my mother and was to never be my best friend. Now fast forward a few years and it is my first year in college (last year). Mom and I got really close because we are far apart. All we needed was so space between us and a little bit of age on me, to really realize how important my mom is in my life and how lost I would be without her.
Our relationship with God (for most people) is about the same way. We have the phase when we are little where we really don't know much and God is pretty cool guy. I mean he loves us, what more can a child ask for. Then we grow up just a little bit and he is no longer the "Cool Guy". Instead it is all of the sinful desires of the world that strike our interests. We push God away and forget that he even exists. Reality hits and we come to our senses that Christ is really what we need in our lives. Now we are at the same point. All of us. We know Christ is suppose to be in our lives, and we should worship only Him. Yes that is nice, and dandy, but we all have those moments when the world comes back into focus and God goes out of focus. You all know what I am talking about. We start to slip off the Jesus High.
When my mom was leaving today (and any other time I leave) I cry. I cry like a baby that is stuck in the nursery with people he has never seen before and mom waves and walks out that door around the corner out of sight. Today I came back into my house and cried for quite a while. (I know I am 19 and crying when my mom leaves me. A little weird) I now realize that it is because I grew so close to my mom that it hurts to see her leave. She is just an hour away and a phone call away. I know this but it still hurts. When we start to slip off our Jesus High... Why aren't we crying for God? Why aren't we crying for him, that he (really us) is drifting away. He doesn't want us falling away from him but we do it, and most of the times it almost seems like it doesn't matter to us. If we are truly trying to build this intimate relationship with Christ, just like I have with my mom, then why aren't we reaching for him not to leave our side. Why do we push away, go the opposite way, take a different turn, decide our way is better?
MY CHALLENGE: (for not only you, but for me) Yearn for Him, Cry out for the Lord. When you start falling off that Jesus High, jump right back up. He doesn't want to see you go, but we choose to go. Choose to stay this time. To take his advice. Go the way he wants you to go even if you don't think it is the BEST choice. He knows what is best for us, He made us.
If you have any questions, comments, concerns please email me at arielpaige5893@yahoo.com I would love to hear from you, hear your story, what you think about my blog, anything. Just want someone to talk to? I am here for that as well!
God Bless!
Ariel
Let's rewind a few years, I am back in High School with my "I am better than my mom" attitude, and moved out because we didn't get along the way I wanted to get along. Mom and I was not close at all. I never told her secrets, I hid everything from her. She was my mother and was to never be my best friend. Now fast forward a few years and it is my first year in college (last year). Mom and I got really close because we are far apart. All we needed was so space between us and a little bit of age on me, to really realize how important my mom is in my life and how lost I would be without her.
Our relationship with God (for most people) is about the same way. We have the phase when we are little where we really don't know much and God is pretty cool guy. I mean he loves us, what more can a child ask for. Then we grow up just a little bit and he is no longer the "Cool Guy". Instead it is all of the sinful desires of the world that strike our interests. We push God away and forget that he even exists. Reality hits and we come to our senses that Christ is really what we need in our lives. Now we are at the same point. All of us. We know Christ is suppose to be in our lives, and we should worship only Him. Yes that is nice, and dandy, but we all have those moments when the world comes back into focus and God goes out of focus. You all know what I am talking about. We start to slip off the Jesus High.
When my mom was leaving today (and any other time I leave) I cry. I cry like a baby that is stuck in the nursery with people he has never seen before and mom waves and walks out that door around the corner out of sight. Today I came back into my house and cried for quite a while. (I know I am 19 and crying when my mom leaves me. A little weird) I now realize that it is because I grew so close to my mom that it hurts to see her leave. She is just an hour away and a phone call away. I know this but it still hurts. When we start to slip off our Jesus High... Why aren't we crying for God? Why aren't we crying for him, that he (really us) is drifting away. He doesn't want us falling away from him but we do it, and most of the times it almost seems like it doesn't matter to us. If we are truly trying to build this intimate relationship with Christ, just like I have with my mom, then why aren't we reaching for him not to leave our side. Why do we push away, go the opposite way, take a different turn, decide our way is better?
MY CHALLENGE: (for not only you, but for me) Yearn for Him, Cry out for the Lord. When you start falling off that Jesus High, jump right back up. He doesn't want to see you go, but we choose to go. Choose to stay this time. To take his advice. Go the way he wants you to go even if you don't think it is the BEST choice. He knows what is best for us, He made us.
If you have any questions, comments, concerns please email me at arielpaige5893@yahoo.com I would love to hear from you, hear your story, what you think about my blog, anything. Just want someone to talk to? I am here for that as well!
God Bless!
Ariel
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Introduction
Hey blog readers, My name is Ariel. I am a college student in Texas studying Deaf Education. I am part of a college campus organization called Chi Alpha (XA). It is a Christian Organization where I am a small group leader, so I lead a bible study once a week for my girls. Chi Alpha and school keep me extremely busy.
I will be posting my whole testimony within the next couple of days but here is a brief one just so you can kind of get to know me as of right now.
I grew up in a really small town with my single mom and special needs brother. Church has always been a part of my life whether I really wanted to go or was forced to go. Today, I cannot thank my mom enough for dragging me to church even when I was being a teenager and Church was not the "Cool" thing. I accepted Christ for the "second time" (will post more about that later) when I was 15 at a Worth The Wait conference. I have gone in and out of living the Christian life since then. It wasn't until my senior year in high school that I truly started to get my life straight, thanks to my awesome Youth Pastors. Shortly after that I went off to college and was terrified that I would get stuck in the wrong crowd of people. I would get into the drinking, partying, sleeping with guys, and drugs. At this point I decided that I could not do it by myself. I spent all summer before school starting praying that I would find the right crowd, find christian friends, find uplifting people that I would be friends with the rest of my life. My second night at college I found my future small group leader (involved with XA) (more to come about this) which invited me to church the following morning. Needless to say that God answered my prayers pretty early on in my college career. I now have some amazing friends, went through the Leadership Training Class (LTC) to be a small group leader my second semester. Now I am about to start my 4th semester at college and love it. It is not always easy being a Christian but in the end it is so worth it.
The reason for starting this blog...
1) to bring Christ to others through Social Media.
2) to keep track of my walk with Christ.
3) to have a motivational site for those that are trying to stay strong in their walk.
I hope that I can fulfill my purpose with this blog. And I pray blessings over each person that reads it!(:
If any of you have any ideas of posts, or comments, or concerns please email me. (:
arielpaige5893@yahoo.com
I will be posting my whole testimony within the next couple of days but here is a brief one just so you can kind of get to know me as of right now.
I grew up in a really small town with my single mom and special needs brother. Church has always been a part of my life whether I really wanted to go or was forced to go. Today, I cannot thank my mom enough for dragging me to church even when I was being a teenager and Church was not the "Cool" thing. I accepted Christ for the "second time" (will post more about that later) when I was 15 at a Worth The Wait conference. I have gone in and out of living the Christian life since then. It wasn't until my senior year in high school that I truly started to get my life straight, thanks to my awesome Youth Pastors. Shortly after that I went off to college and was terrified that I would get stuck in the wrong crowd of people. I would get into the drinking, partying, sleeping with guys, and drugs. At this point I decided that I could not do it by myself. I spent all summer before school starting praying that I would find the right crowd, find christian friends, find uplifting people that I would be friends with the rest of my life. My second night at college I found my future small group leader (involved with XA) (more to come about this) which invited me to church the following morning. Needless to say that God answered my prayers pretty early on in my college career. I now have some amazing friends, went through the Leadership Training Class (LTC) to be a small group leader my second semester. Now I am about to start my 4th semester at college and love it. It is not always easy being a Christian but in the end it is so worth it.
The reason for starting this blog...
1) to bring Christ to others through Social Media.
2) to keep track of my walk with Christ.
3) to have a motivational site for those that are trying to stay strong in their walk.
I hope that I can fulfill my purpose with this blog. And I pray blessings over each person that reads it!(:
If any of you have any ideas of posts, or comments, or concerns please email me. (:
arielpaige5893@yahoo.com
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)