He Leadeth Me

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!

O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.


Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Where Is Your Mission Field?

You may be thinking in your mind, “I know I am not called to missions, this has nothing to do with me.”. But you are wrong. This question is one that we all need to ask ourselves.
I know that everyone is not called to foreign missions but I do believe that every one is called to a mission field. You are starting to think, “This girl is loopy!” Hang on just one minute before you completely blow me off. A mission is a job to accomplish, right? Well in the Christian life we all have a job to accomplish. So a mission field would be the place we are to accomplish that job. Does this make sense so far? Well here is what the Lord has been showing me.
Some people are called the foreign mission field, that is where God has called them to. There are other who feel God has called them to reach their own country, or people. These people whom God has called to reach their own country and people are no less called to missions than the foreign missionary, they just have a different mission field.
So I began to think of other things. Some of us are called to reach our own country, for me that is America, and that is great because our own country needs the Gospel just as much as the foreign countries do. But what about some other mission fields?
For parents: Guess what? Your mission field is your home, the children you bring into this world are going to have an effect on the world. Are you raising them in the ways of the world?Follow your requirements according to the Word of God. You are to reach the mission field of your family first.
For every saved believer: Where God has placed you right now is the mission field He has placed you in. The church you are in is to be your mission field, the people in it, your people. The community that you live in is your mission field, those lost souls that you pass every day in the store are your people. You will be held accountable for those that you pass and never tell the Gospel.
Teachers: Your mission field are those precious, but sometimes trying, children in your classroom. They may be from a Christian home but that doesn’t mean that they are being brought up in the ways of God. Do all you can to build the character and moral in those children that they will need to be the godly generation of tomorrow.
So have you figured out your mission field? Where has God called you to? If you know you are doing God’s will for you life right now, then you are right in the mission field God has placed you in. So don’t think that just because you aren’t called to the foreign mission field you don’t have a mission field. Reach your mission field!

God Will Make a Way

I listened to a great message entitled God Will Make a Way When There is No Way by Dr. David Gibbs yesterday. What a great message! In it he gave five rules to follow if you want to see God make a way where there is no way. I thought I would list them.
Rules to follow if you want to see God make a Way where there is no way:
1. He’s put you exactly where He wants you, give thanks and praise for the trials as much as you do for the blessings in your life.
2. Strive to give God the glory more than you want relief from the trial. Make God look good.
3. Pray fervently, throw yourself into it.
4. Wait on the Lord. This is where faith develops. No hope-no faith. God is still moving and working when we are standing still waiting.
5. Take the next step of faith. Do what lies clearly ahead not just what is seen dimly at a distance.
It was a real encouragement. You can find it on sermonaudio.com, under David Gibbs.

Challenge to College Students

My Dearest College Students,
If there were one bit of wisdom I could impart to you as you start this journey of college it would be to keep your focus on the Lord, letting nothing sway you or distract you from Him. I’ve been to college and lost my focus on the Lord. Freshman year of college was new and exciting to me, I was the shy girl, just observing everyone around me. By my second semester I had warmed up to my surroundings, loving every part of college, even learning. But seemingly without my notice my eyes slipped and the Lord wasn’t my main focus. The more I became friends with those around me the more I cared about them and their lives. By my second year of college other things came into my life that were not right at the time and further distracted me from the Lord. Oh, I still read my Bible and prayed and served in my ministries but not with my whole heart. After my second year I didn’t expect my plans to change, I would be back in the fall to finish my schooling. Little did I know that God had other plans. A ministry opportunity arose, teaching three missionary children while their parents attended language school. Someone volunteered my name, so I said I’d pray about it but I had no intention of giving up my plans. I fought it, I did not want to go across the ocean and teach, I didn’t even have my degree! I heard college horror stories of how people that drop out for a year most times don’t return. I didn’t want that, I loved college. But during a camp service where I was a counselor that summer the Lord got a hold of my heart and I surrendered. Two months later I was across the ocean teaching children without a college degree, but I was right where God wanted me. It was there that He revealed to me that my focus was not on Him and Him only. My God became so real to me, my Bible, my greatest comfort. The Lord had to take me across the world to get my attention, but it worked and college now is so different. You see He knew how much I love college and He has allowed me to come back and finish what I started but I came into this year with a new focus. “I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.” Ps. 16:8. Don’t learn this lesson the hard way, start your college years with the right focus, so you can end your years of college with the right focus.

Full Consecration

The following is taken from the book Kept for the Master’s Use by Frances Ridley Havergal:
“’Take my life!’ We have said it or sung before the Lord, it may be many times; but if it were only once whispered in His ear with full purpose of heart, should we not believe that He heard it? And if we know that He heard it, should we not believe that He has answered it, and fulfilled this, our heart’s desire? For with Him hearing means heeding. Then why should we doubt that He did verily take our lives when we offered them, our bodies when we presented them? Have we not been wronging His faithfulness all this time by practically, even if unconsciously, doubting whether the prayer ever really reached Him? And if so, is it any wonder that we have not realized all the power and joy of full consecration? By some means or other He has to teach us to trust implicitly at every step of the way. And so, if we did not really trust in this matter, He has to let us find out our want of trust by withholding the sensible part of the blessing, and this stirring us up to find out why it is withheld.”
Pretty powerful paragraph isn’t it. I don’t think I need to say anything else, it speaks for it’s self.

Asking, Seeking, Knocking

Matthew 7:7-11
I’m seeking the Lord’s will about certain areas in my life, asking Him for wisdom and guidance, and I’m knocking every day. Can’t you just picture a little child pounding on the door, until someone finally answers? Yup, that’s me. But I have the promise that He’s going to answer my knock and give me the guidance I asked for and I will find wisdom and the Lord’s will. Than as if this isn’t enough Christ gives an analogy.
What kind of parent would give their child a stone when he was hungry and asking for food? I’m hungry and asking for the Lord’s will, why would He give me something as cruel as a stone? He’s not going to give me something that’s not His will if I am truly seeking it and hungry for it. When we wanted fish would He give a snake that’s going to hurt us? Why would He give us something dangerous when all we wanted was to be filled with good things? He wouldn’t.
We are humans and parents can give pretty good gifts to their children and supply their needs. So now think how much better a parent God is compared to our earthly parents. He’ll give us much more good things.
Asking, Seeking, Knocking- Our Father giving us good things.

“Where are our young men, fired with the love of Christ and compassion for immortal souls, who are desirous to leave their comforts and their homes for a few years, to serve their Redeemer in foreign lands?"
~Ann Judson~

Are You An Encourager Today?

Mrs. Bullock taught our dean session today and we have been studying the life of Barnabas, the encourager. There were some things that stuck out to me and I though I would put them up here, to be an encouragement to others.
Barnabas’s encouragement changed many lives and furthered the spreading of the Gospel. In Acts 11:19- 26 we see that Barnabas ended up going to Antioch, then he went and retrieved Paul and they returned to Antioch to abide there for a year. After that year was up there were many added to the church and the people were first called Christians. Barnabas brought Christ out of these people by encouraging them to live and serve Him, because they had the courage to live for God they were called Christians, “little Christ’s”.
So Barnabas changed lives… What about us? Whose life are we changing and encouraging to live for God?
An encourager:

• Is committed to the success of others.

• Doesn’t focus on the failures of a person but focuses on their potential.

• Infuse courage into someone else, helping them to be bold enough to do what they should for God.

• Prays for others and lets them know it. When was the last time you asked to pray with someone? To hear someone pray for you gives you the courage and strength to get through that day.

So today start little and be an encourager. Keep in mind that God takes our failures and makes them successes.

Joy when God says “No”

Have you ever found yourself praying fervently about a situation and God says “No”? How many times have you been upset that they Lord told you “No”? We’ve all done it, it’s because our human flesh wants it’s own way.
This past week I was praying for direction from God over a situation. I really wanted direction from God, I didn’t care what He chose, I just really wanted an answer. I had been reading about giving everything to the Lord; every desire, plan, thought, everything. And I did, I gave it all to the Lord. I was still praying about it but not dwelling on it.
On Monday I received an answer from the Lord. During my devotions I read about how we give everything in our life as an offering, sacrificing it to the Lord. Sometimes He takes it and never gives it back, other times He takes it like He did with Abraham and Isaac and gives it back to us. He just wants to know we are willing. Later that morning during chapel I got a direct answer from the Lord saying “No, not now”. He was impressing upon my heart, “I care about your situation, and I want to give you my best, but that best you want is not now.” It was amazing that God answered so directly and I knew that it was Him, not myself.
The best part was the peace and joy that came with hearing the answer of “No”. Most times when someone tells us “No” it upset us and we just have a hard time accepting it. But with God we have the free will to choose how we respond to His direction; we can readily accept it or rebelliously reject it. Why do we always seem to reject it? There is such a phenomenal amount of happiness that we gain when we accept His will for our own. I was just rejoicing that day, literally my heart was overflowing that my Father had answered, and He even said “No”. But I knew it was from Him and that made all the difference in the world.

What's Stopping You?

Have you ever gone somewhere like college or camp or some conference and you felt like you were right in the will of God? You had joy and peace and you were contented where God had you. You were in awe of your God. But then when you go home you feel that at times you can't even figure out where God is and why it seems He left you.
I don't know about you but I definitely feel this way sometimes. Especially when I am here at college. I'm learning, growing, serving, falling, getting back up, but when I go home I feel like I'm struggling. Greer and I were talking about this last night, trying to figure why it is we feel that way(and no we don't run by our feelings) and I'm going try to explain what we found out.
When we are here at school we are in the Word of God all the time, and we set out schedules. If we feel overwhelmed and just need to be with God, we just sit with our Bible and read and pray. We don't even have to go to another room, the others just know they wanted to spend some time with God. Now when I say this I'm referring to times other than you normal everyday devotions which you should have everyday. We also established at the beginning of the semester that between 10-10:15 we start a wind-down mode. By 10:30 we are all reading our Bible or another "self-helps" book, this helps us at the end of the day get our thoughts re-focused on the Lord before we go to sleep. We forget the troubles of the day and think on Him.
Greer and I both have the same struggle: when we go home, we love our families, and there are those times when we want to be alone with the Lord, yet we don't want to be rude to our families and just go hide somewhere. Neither of us have our own room, we share it with siblings, making it difficult to find a place at night to read. But we realized that we have to learn to find other times to get alone with God, God will present them.
We've got to learn to deal with our situations because this could be God preparing us for the future when we have families of our own and we can't just run away and hide, though I'm sure we will want to at times. We've got to find ways to keep that peace and joy of being in God's will real in our lives no matter where we are.
These were just some thoughts on it, I might post more about it later, once I ponder on it more.

Daily Struggles

I wrote this in my journal the other day and haven't had time to post it until now.

I seemed to have such a struggle today with the flesh and the mind, thinking of things in the past, things I don't understand, things that I long for. All throughout today I kept asking the Lord to keep my focus on him, to keep my thoughts pure and holy. But tonight I was reading about how singleness is a season and an enjoyable one. We shouldn't spend it on longing for a different season.

"God took care of me today,
I didn't need a husband.
God takes care of my needs."
-Greer

Our outward obedience
is a show of
our inward love for God.

One Thing I Would Outlaw

In creative writing class, Lizzy thought about using the topic: If You Could Outlaw One Thing, What Would It Be? So I'll tell you what my choice would be.

Insincerity in Christians

Some one comes to you expressing their love for God and desire to serve Him, yet they turn around and continue in sin. Do they not understand? God cannot use someone who continually disobeys Him and His laws. Yes, I understand we all sin, but to say one thing and then deliberately disobey is a different situation. God longs for sincere Christians who say what they mean and do what they say. There is nothing so unnerving as someone talking nice about your God, then dragging His name through the mud. If I had the power to outlaw one thing it would be insincere Christians who fake their devotion to God.

Unashamed Waiting

"For they shall not be ashamed that wait for me."
Isaiah 49:23c.
"Yeah, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:"
Ps. 25:3
Isaiah 50:7c
"I know that I shall not be ashamed."

These three verses and others talk about not being ashamed, primarily not being ashamed for waiting on the Lord. When people make fun or you-and they will- don't be ashamed or embarassed for waiting on God's timing in any situation. No matter what it is, singleness, God's will, standards you are working on, don't be ashamed. Your decision to wait on God will be blessed if you keep waiting. Don't give in when the pressure of your friends come. No time is wasted waiting, if waiting on the Lord!

Giving Up What I Want

I was reading the biography of Hudson Taylor yesterday and was amazed by his life. One thing really stuck out to me and reminded me of some things.
Hudson Taylor had not yet left for China, he was preparing and while he was he fell in love with one of his sister's friends. They got to know each other for a while but apparently she wasn't willing to go to China with him. Hudson has a choice to make: follow God's call or follow his heart. Every person longs to find that someone who seems to complete them. But Hudson knew to do God's will was far better, so he chose China. Then all seemed to go wrong and it looked like he would be stuck at home, some might say "He could marry the girl! ". Instead he said, "My hope is in God alone, I need no other." He wasn't going to marry her, he was going to keep trusting God to send him to China, which God did in His timing.
I just though it was neat and a powerful reminder that all of us long to have someone, like I said earlier. But if God calls us to do something, we need to be willing to leave those longings or even that someone(if we've found them) behind and follow Him. If God calls me to teach missionary children for the rest of my life I've go to sacrifice those longings for that special person I hope to meet someday.
I don't know, maybe this will help you, it sure helped me.

The Weaver

My life is but a weaving
Between my Lord and me,
I cannot choose the colors
He worketh steadily.

Ofttimes He weaveth sorrow,
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I, the underside.

Not till the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Shall God unroll the canvas
And explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned.
Grant Colfax Tuller

I think it is amazingly wonderful that God still keeps working on us no matter how often we try to weave our own ideas into our life. If we would only realize that letting God weave our whole life will result in the most beautiful masterpiece. Instead we come out with a wonderful piece of art but has many knotted thread on the underside where we tried to go the wrong way and God had to fix it, to cut the string, tie it, and start the right way again. What great mercy! Isn't it great that He doesn't just leave us a half- woven piece of art?

Do I Really Want It?

Acts 12:8
Sometimes we pray earnestly for something and we even have others pray with us about it. When God decides to answer and deliver us, sometimes He makes sure we were really serious about what we were asking, if we will truly follow through with it. People had been praying for Peter and I'm sure he had been praying and God answered, but when the angel came he gave Peter some instructions. Now think if he wouldn't have followed the instructions, maybe God wouldn't have delivered him. Maybe God would say, "If you aren't serious about it I don't have to follow through with it."
How often do I pray about something and God's ready to answer it, He's just waiting for me to follow some instructions? So I follow them? The blessings as a result of obedience to those instructions is more amazing than the fear or doubt of if I really wanted God to answer. So how about you? How many things are you praying about but God's waiting for you to following the instructions so He knows you're serious about it?

Back in Business!

I am so excited to be able to post on this blog again. In reality I missed posting on this blog more than my other one. When I can post on here it almost motivates me to keep digging for treasures in God's Word. I love being able to share them with others. So I might spend a lot of time posting one here in the next few weeks. By the way, it is wonderful to be back at college and be learning all sorts of new things.
So without further ado, I have something to post that the Lord showed me earlier this month.

Our America

"The more profoundly we study this wonderful book (the Bible) and the more closely we observe it's divine precepts, the better citizens we will become and the higher will be our destiny as a nation."

President William McKinley

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord"

May America get back to the Lord before it's too late. May the Bible be our law and the Lord, our Guide.

Replenished Supply

Did you ever think of how the Lord replenished things for the Israelites? Daily He provided manna and quail for them to eat. He provided protection their whole lives and allowed them to be defeated a couple of times to humble them. When they were in the wilderness their clothes didn't wear out, neither did their shoes. Amazing! If only that would happen with my favorite skirts and shoes.
But really I was thinking of how they were in the wilderness because of their disobedience and they were there until all those that came out of Egypt died off. And to think that the God that replenished the Israelites' necessities is the same God I serve today. He will provide for me everyday, everything I need and even things I want. He will keep me safe and just like the Israelites humble me when needed, which seems to be very often. Praise the Lord that the God I serve is the same God that led Abraham, that comforted Ruth, convicted David of sin, gave Esther courage, endowed Solomon with wisdom, sent His Son to the cross, allowed Paul to live and serve with his infirmities, and give me the strength to live each day. What a privilege to live for God and not have to worry about anything! Because He still provides the same.

Such Great Compassion

I was reading in my devotions part of Psalm 78 this morning and I was struck by verses 35-39. The children of Israel are known for their murmuring and complaining, that's a given. But in verse 35 they knew the Lord was their rock, their redeemer. He took care of them, provided, protected, and promised them a great inheritance. They knew all the things the Lord said, the things He did for them, they grew up hearing all about it and seeing it. Then in the very next verse it says that they were hypocritical. They said one thing and did another, not just to people, but to GOD! And they knew He knew all. It was downright rebellion.
Verse 37 tells us why. It was simple, they weren't right with Him. They let sins get inbetween them and God, eventually they were bold enough to be hypocritical with God. What a scary thought! I pray that I never get to that point.
Yet in all this, outright hypocracy, lying, and forsaking what they knew, verse 38 begins with the word "But". What a great word! Despite their gross, outright sins, it says that He had compassion on them. He forgave all their sins. AND He didn't kill them! What compassion! What Love!
Then the Lord went on to explain in His blessed book why. "For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again." verse 39. That verse thrills my soul! He forgives us over and over because:

• He knows we're human
• We are only here for a little while
• We aren't ever coming back once we've gone. (I guess that proves reincarnation is false!)

Now that doesn't give us the right to sin, since He forgives us every time. But it does give us assurance that He forgives us, and when He does we know He forgives and forgets. And his compassion never ends,
"...His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." (Lam 3:22-23)
What loving compassion the Father has for us sinners! Praise Him!

Fed Up With Myself

I look at myself and I want to change so bad. I watched a preaching DVD of David Gibbs this morning and it is one of my favorite messages, Doing the Impossible. This is an amazing message, if you want to hear it there is one on sermonaudio.com that I think is the same thing. I haven't checked. In my book this sermon is one I've listened to numerous times but I still need it, I guess it's like Jonathan Edward's Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God.
I've been struggling with the whole concept that we have good churches full of people who are unwilling to leave their comfort zone and do something for God. Yes, I know we have to have those faithful ones who remain at home to take care of the church, but I fear our churches grow larger and larger because people become too comfortable.We have people that are called to go but they stay. I fear that might happen to me and I pray it never will. I'm not saying that we should all go to the foreign missionfield, home is a missionfield all in itself. Nevertheless, we need to beware of becoming too comfortable and not willing to do whatever God says. I've realized though that I can't change anyone else, just myself. I can voice my concern, but I've got to look in the mirror.
I just know I don't want to be a stagnant believer, sitting in my good church, serving in my ministries that were created for me. I don't want to just be a good Christian, I want to be a great believer for Christ. But I don't want to have people look at me and say "Look what she did for God!", I want them to say, "Look what God did!" Yet, I want to be out there, I want to be on my missionfield, wherever that is. I'm ready, willing, excited, and I guess impatient to get there. I feel like we have so little time left here on earth and I myself am not using it wisely enough. I think I'm failing. Mediocrity scares the life out of me! I'm so afraid of becoming just another run-of-the-mill "Christian". And I guess I feel alone, I feel there aren't many out there that feel like I do. This isn't something I should feel alone in, yet I do. I'm just petitioning others to not become so tangled up with your lives that you become comfortable where you are.

A Lesson From Germany

Spending time with my family yesterday got me to thinking about one of the biggest things I learned while I was over in Germany. I seemed to have forgotten some of the things I learned. How could I forget? It's a good thing I wrote in a journal everyday, so I'll never forget it. But back to the lesson I learned...

While in Germany I was away from my family and friends, of course. Though the Robinson's were wonderful and I called home twice a week it still wasn't the same as being with my family. Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my family and spend much time with them. And I love and missed my friends, you know who you are: you're there to encourage me, rebuke me, love me, and care about me. Being away from everyone though was just what the Lord knew I needed.

You see, I realized how much I had taken my family for granted. Hard to believe, isn't it? I also learned that not even your friends or family could be there for you all the time, and know just the right thing to say to you.But, I found a friend that I seemed to have taken for granted. He was there with me, always telling me the exact thing I needed. He fights for me, loves me, cares for me unconditionally. Yes, the Lord became my best friend, I could talk to Him about everything, things I couldn't even tell friends. He knew what was in my heart even if I couldn't find the way to say it. I learned to fully rely on Him. He showed me how precious my family was and how I had taken them for granted, how I let things come between us. I cared more about my friends and their lives than my own family. The realization that my family and my Lord were the only real best friends in this world hit hard. No matter what I say, think, and do, good or bad, I know that I can always go to them. They are there and will forgive me for anything. They understand me better than anyone else ever will. They're there for me no matter what. I still love those of you close friends, but I realized you all will be moving on in your lives, we may drift apart, but my family and my Lord are always there.

So just a quick challenge: Are you taking your family for granted? Do care more for your friends than you family and your Lord? Let your Lord and your family be your best friends, the ones you go to first.

We Need Revival

There was a time when the Spirit of God,

Moved in a mighty way.

There was a time when the people of God,

Lived in a godly way.

Something's wrong, it is time to turn around.

Somethings wrong, it is time to heed the sound.

Verse Two

Now is the time, and this is the place,

We are the ones who must make the choice.

Now is the time, we do not hesitate,

The people of God must lift their voice.

We must be strong, in the power of God's might,

We must be strong, this darkness needs our Light.

Chorus

We need revival, all across the land,

We need revival, it is time to take a stand.

We better fall on our knees and pray,

And turn from our wicked ways,

We need revival all across the land.

A Quote to Think About

I was reading a book the other day, Christy, by Catherine Marshall, and though it is fictional there was a part in it that I thought, "Wow! That is so true in our Christian lives. So will post it.

"What do you do when strength is called for and you have no strength? You evoke a power beyond your own (Christ's power in us) and use stamina you did not know you had. You open your eyes in the morning grateful that you can see the sunlight of yet another day. You draw yourself to the edge of the bed and them put one foot in front of the other-and keep going. You weep with those who gently close the eyes of the dead, and somehow, from the salt of your tears, comes endurance for them and for you. You pour out that resurgence to minister to the living." (p.477)

I thought it was neat how God can use anything to teach us a lesson. Sometimes we "know" we can't go on anymore, we just "can't" do it. But we are wrong in one sense, We cannot do it but God can through us. "I can do all things through Christ, which strengtheneth me." Phil.4:13

Then when we actually do it and we look back, we know the only way we got through that trial was with the Lord's help. I just thought it was neat.

Do We Really Want Revival?

I mean do we really, seriously want a revival that will change our life? Like that of the old days. I am reminded of the time at college when we went up for teen visitation and were told that we were going to stay on campus and pray for the upcoming revival. That was one of the best moments of my life and the lives of others. We spent that time praying, really praying, that God would send revival to everyone but more specifically to us individually. And it was amazing! We spent time searching ourselves for any sin that would be in the way of God getting a hold of our lives and making us more like Him. Why is it we don't have revival? Even my 9 year old brother Josiah, after learning about the Great Awakening in history, said "Why can't we have a revival like the Great Awakening? I wish we had a revival like that." This coming from a 9 year old! Yet you never hear things like that coming from adults. What a sad world we live in and what carnal Christians we are!
I want revival, I want the Lord to change me and make me more like Him. But how can I help make it happen? I mean we have revivals and they are wonderful but they aren't like I believe they could be, so what do we do?
I read a really great book called The High Cost of Compromise & Worldliness by Glen Spencer Jr. and in it he speaks about how we can obtain revival. So I am going to put some quotes from the book and hopefully it will help remind me to do my part in helping to bring about a revival.

"It is only when God's people repent and separate from ungodliness that God can hear from Heaven and pour out a might revival." (p.20)

"Christianity is suffering today because the bible has been replaced by television, pleasure, sports, and just about everything else the Devil has thrown out. What's the solution you ask? A God breathed heaven sent revival is our only hope! How can we have it you ask? Junk the television, movie going, money mongering, jungle jazz music, card playing, public nakedness(mixed bathing), cigarette sicking, cocktail drinking "sipping saints." Then get rid of these pussyfooting, back scratching, ear-tickling, gospel-dodging, compromising, soft-soaping, corner cutting, aim-at-nothing, hit nothing, modernistic, cemetery seminary, manufactured, assembly line preachers, and get some Daniels, John the Baptists, and Elijah's. Then, and only then, will we see an old fashioned, Holy Ghost, sent from Heaven, God-breathed Revival." (p.23)

We need to forsake our worldliness and get focused on doing what God's Word says. And I'm just as guilty as the next person. We never reach that peak of perfection, where we've done it. It's an everyday process of denying the flesh. So pray with me and strive with me to do our part to bring about an old fashioned revival.

Why am I Like I Am?

Does anyone else ever think about that? I mean when I think about myself, not that I'm anything special, I really want to know God's will for my life. Then I look around and see other teens and young people that want the same thing. But sadly there are those that don't really care or they are too distracted by other things to do it right not. What about those who are raised in church, but as soon as they are out of the house you never see them at church, serving God? So what makes the difference?

Of course the greatest contribution is the salvation of a person, not just a profession but a possession. Not only do you need to be saved but you need to grow in the Lord.

Another big factor is when you see your parents living it. You know what I mean by it, you see them living for God, doing His will. How blessed we are to have parents that live the life of the believer, not just talk about it. You know they are in church when the doors are open, you see them reading their Bibles and praying, they drop all their plans and go where God wants them. I know this has to have affected the way that I am. Why else would I have no problem going around the world serving the Lord? Not have a big problem doing my devotions everyday? I have the desire to be in church when the doors are open. Yet I still have situations that I don't understand. Maybe it's something I'll never understand.

How can a pastor's children grow up and forsake all they were taught? It puzzles me. Maybe they aren't really saved I guess or maybe they aren't growing. Maybe they weren't really listening all those times their dad was preaching. Heaven forbid we become like this. This is just something I was really thinking about over in Germany. Just, what makes me what I am? I want to have children someday, but it scares me because of seeing the children of good, strong families stray from God. So think about this: What makes you the way you are?

Singleness Poem

I have so many things I want to post while I can, but right now I'll just post this poem I read that was a blessing to me. So it's dedicated to all those out there who are single still.

The Single Gift
How blessed you are, you single one,

Don't talk of care and woes.

You've got too much to be thankful for,

Oh, what, you'd like to know.

It's no mistake, no misdirection

Of God's perfect plan

That you've not found your special lady

Or you, that certain man.

God loves you so and has much more

To give you than you've ever received.

That He's giving His best to you right now,

You really must believe.

His best is in Himself, do you have it in full

Or only a bit on the side.

No man can meet your needs like God,

Nor can a lovely bride.

If your life's not complete, you know that Jesus is

And your life He will fulfill

If you'll only put Him first each day

And live to do His will.

He's gifted you for undistracted

Devotion to the Lord.

There should be nothing that can interfere

With Him and prayer and the Word.

Unless you let down the guard of your heart

And let others take His place,

Then you'll lack joy and peace and hope

And not experience His grace.

So give your heart right back to God,

Let Him keep it safe for you.

And when its better then is best,

He'll make your one into two.

Donna L. Mihura