Spring 2009 - Looking back

Now that I am not so busy with school, I am going to post some pictures from this semester. The first pictures are from our crazy wedding weekend. Why they had to pick the same weekend to get married, I am still trying to figure out. We had lots of fun though in the midst of all the craziness. Here are Amy & Joe's pictures:

Positive or negative???

I read this article on another blog and it kind of hit home to me.

"Every once in awhile my husband will ask me, 'Do you think so and so is a positive person or a negative person?' Not in a judgemental fashion, just a question: Does the things that come out of that persons mouth show them to be positive or negative? Then to turn the question to myself. If someone spent any length of time with me, would they say I am positive or negative? It's easy to get caught up in complaining or being negative...far too easy. But I am reminded by my son's Sunday School verse: Do everything without complaining or arguing. I hope to be a positive person!"

If we want to be in God's will, then we have to give thanks in everything.

I Thessalonians 5:18, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Graduation!

It is so hard to believe that in five days I will be graduated. Finally! It seems like it has taken forever. I am so thankfully for all the Lord has taught me over these last several years. I am looking forward to serving Him with what He has given me.

I am also very excited to be having family and friends coming to visit for graduation. Mom is planning a big party for me on Saturday, which will be fun. Hopefully, it will not rain. Then it really will be fun trying to cram 70-100 people in our house. Charity and I are planning to take the Bukers (the missionaries to Spain, I did my internship with) to Washington on the Monday after graduation. The scary part is that is where my plans end, Monday night. I am still uncertain about what God has for me over the next years of my life. Right now, He is teaching me to just wait and trust on Him. It is hard to remember that God is never late, He always runs right on schedule. :)

How you react to storms will determine their positive or negative effect in your life.

Why Are Ye Troubled?

Luke 24: 36-40, 44-49

And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit. And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.

And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures, And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Just a short time before the disciples had accompanied the Lord in His triumphant entry into Jerusalem. They had great hopes that He would become their new king; yet, now they seemed so hopeless. Their king had been crucified. They must have been bewildered and questioning why this had happened. Why did He have to die? Things seemed to be going so great.

The disciples were now gathered together in the upper room. They had heard from others that Jesus had risen; yet, they were still confused and bewildered. Their dreams had been crushed by the death of their Lord. How many times have you found yourself crushed, broken hearted and bewildered. Just when you thought God was going to work in a certain way, everything falls apart.

Even after Christ appears to the disciples, they are still afraid and confused. Jesus asks them, “Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?” The word “thoughts” means doubting or reasoning. I can imagine them before Christ appears to them, sitting there discussing and trying to reason out why Jesus had died. They doubted God’s workings and His plan. They did not understand.

The disciples were troubled because they doubted God. We should ask ourselves when we are in a tizzy or frustrated over a situation in our life that is not going well, “Why am I troubled and why is my heart doubting?”

The reason, that we get ourselves so worked up over things, is that we have not put our faith and trust in God. We need to trust in the Lord with all our heart and stop leaning on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5-7). We need to cast our burdens on the Lord. We need to cast our lot or the trials that befall us upon the Lord.

Psalm 55:22, Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

Even though we doubt, the Lord is still merciful and tender. When He appears to the disciples, He sits down and explains to them His plan. He asks them a heart-wrenching question; yet, He doesn’t sit there and condemn them for their lack of unbelief. He deals so tenderly with them and reveals to them His working and His plan.

We need to rest in the Lord, wait patiently for Him, and stop fretting and worrying. The disciples should have just been waiting, instead of doubting and reasoning.

Psalm 27:14, Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.