I Am So Blessed!

I was was listening to my music and the Martina McBride song came on- "I am so Blessed" and that got me thinking today how blessed I really am. Yes I am blessed in the sense that I have always had food on my table and clothes to wear, but today I realized how God has deliberately and obviously placed some pretty awesome people in my life. While this blog is mainly for me -I think there are a few people who stuck around through my year long hiatus haha-But If you do read this know that you have touched my life and i am so very grateful for that! My awesome and encouraging friends and roommates who lift me up when I'm down, who laugh with me when i do dumb and crazy things, who will make ice cream runs to HEB at 3 am, who will go on completely random road trips to Conroe just 'cuz, who will pray with me when I'm struggling, who will lay on the trampoline talking about the most random things, who will do crazy exercise videos just to laugh at/with each other and whom I love so dearly. The wonderful Worleys and Bacaks who have truly been an example of what Mission minded really means- These people exemplify Christs love and the Commandment to spread the gospel in all of their actions through their whole day and it is because of Rusty's example that I know that I can be a PA and still share the gospel-no matter the setting. And my family. Every night I drop off my Awanas kids I'm reminded how blessed I have been to have parents who support me no matter what I've decided to do (Even through rach and I have chosen respectable fields I am certain they would be just as proud of me and supported me the same if I had gone to East Pasadena Community College and decided to become a trash collector- as long as it was where God called me and it had health insurance ;), who love me no matter how many times I get snappy or my "tone" is "unacceptable", and who will always be my momma and daddy no matter how old I get.

By the way the picture is me, Angela, and Emily on Buddy from the College Night of Worship out at the Creenshaw Ranch- some more people who have touched my life!-

My ways are higher than your ways...

So tonight was the first time I've been to breakaway in a long time. I was very faithful freshman and sophomore year but I've been slack recently. All the times I've been I don't think I have ever gotten as much from it as I did tonight. Tonight was an "All girls" night which usually bore me I have to say.Usually they talk about how we need to be modest and not be a stumbling block for our brothers in Christ, which don't get me wrong is a wonderful, truthful, and necessary message- and don't get me wrong when I say this- but I've got that. (I still work on it but its been pretty ingrained into my thick skull.) BUT tonight the speaker spoke about plans...(or at least that is what I gathered from her talk) As Christians we know that God is who we put our hope in but we (or at least I do) tend to put conditions on how much of our hope we are putting in God. She talked about how she had a "5 year plan" how she was going to graduate- work for a little while- get married before she was 27- get engaged about a year and a half later- have kids before she was 30...etc etc etc... It sounded like she was reading my thoughts-I saw so much of myself and my "plans" in her past. However, she hit a few stumbling blocks along the way and through them realized that no matter how devoted she was to God- because she was so set on her 5 year plan when it fell through she was devastated- It was through that she realized that she was telling God how much she loved Him and was dedicated to Him...IF her plans worked...Her hope was not in Him she realized at that point- and for me I realized that I am putting a limit on how much of my hope I put in God. I set deadlines for Him. I am going to graduate in May, go to PA school for 2-3 years, graduate, work for a few years, get married, etc... The verses she used to illustrate her point was Psalms 33. There were a few verses of that particularly that I loved:

"He made their hearts, so he understands everything they do." Psalm 33:15

Every desire I have has been given to me! The one who gave them to me will not mock me by refusing to give it to me! BUT just like God gave Abraham, Issac, his promise, and asked him to sacrifice this promise/desire it is only when we release our desires and trust in the only one who can be trusted that we will get the true satisfaction that we are looking for- the satisfaction that we think can be filled with whatever that desire happens to be!

"But the Lord's plans stand firm forever; His intentions can never be shaken." Psalm 33: 11

Even though we are given these desires by God it is His plan and His timing and His way that will be the results- When God closes a door it means he has a plan. I might think it is better or worse than what I expected but part of Gods amazing wonder is his mysteriousness (i'm reading about that in Intimate Faith- good book by the way if you are looking for something to read) and really in the end looking back on things nothing the Lord ever does has hurt me or caused me harm- in fact it has always been better than I could ever really come up with on my own!

" 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 a hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:9

His ways and his plans are so much higher/superior/better/ any-other-synonym-you-can-think-of than anything I can come up with. And that just makes me happy!

Seriously- when I am having my own little pity party I need to go read Job again. This guy was put through EVERYTHING- "My days have passed, my plans are shattered, and so are the desires of my heart." Job 17:11 To have the desires of your heart shattered- wow that's all I gotta say about that. But God blessed him more than before after he went through all that...

So to sum up this long and "rambley" blog- I have thrown out the "5 year" plan I had in my head and am working on putting all my Hope in God through setting my mind on the truths of His word, and surrendering my hopes with an attitude of trust. I KNOW I will struggle with this but at least now I've got a jumping off point :)