Wednesday, January 20, 2010

1.20.09


And so the second semester is under way....
3 days of classes and then we get a 3 day weekend? What?! Well, I guess I'm not complaining...

A group of friends went up to Ruidoso for MLK weekend and spent 2 days on the slopes and the rest of the time just enjoying each other's company surrounded by God's beautiful creation. I absolutely LOVE being in the mountains. There is nothing like the view from the top of Sierra Blanca looking out and seeing the trees, snow and even the white sands of New Mexico! It's unbelievable! It really just reminds you of how big our God is!



We spent Saturday and Sunday skiing and then Sunday night we had everyone over to our cabin and we cooked out and just hung out together! Monday morning we got up, ate breakfast, packed, cleaned up the cabin and headed back to Lubbock! It was a great trip; lots of fun!

Tuesday night I went to my new small group at the Wesley Foundation called "Salt Shaker". We meet every Tuesday evening from 5-6:30 and it is basically a discipleship small group building up Jesus-followers who are committed, obedient, loving, and equipped to share the Gospel with anyone and everyone! I am looking forward to growing in my relationship with God and with others over the next 12 weeks of Salt Shaker!

Well, that's really all I have so I'll wrap this up.
Once again, I find myself at Barnes & Noble needing to read and do homework, but somehow I ended up updating this! haha
I hope you all have a great week!

-SG

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Just a thought...

New Years Resolution: KEEP THIS BLOG UPDATED!

Haha I definitely haven’t done the best job at doing that…

First semester of college – CHECK!

Wow, I’m finished with my first semester…it’s so crazy how time flies! Well I’ll get into college stuff and get you all caught up with what’s been going on in my life in just a little bit, but right now I just want to share something that is on my heart.

You know when you get up in the night and have to walk into another room in the house to get a drink or something? All of the lights are off. It is dark. You can’t see anything. Yet somehow, you know where to go. You know which path to take. It’s routine. 10 steps forward, turn to your right, 4 steps forward, turn left, one step forward, and you’re at the refrigerator. (or where ever it was you were going) However it may be in your house, you KNOW the path to take. You don’t think about it, you just do it. It’s comfortable. It’s the same every time.

But wait…what about when your mom rearranges the furniture and you didn’t know it? What about when you run into a closed door you thought you had left open? It throws you off. You weren’t expecting it. It slows you down. It makes you mad because something got in the way of your easy, comfortable, routine path that is always the same that you never have to think twice about.

Isn’t life the same way? Don’t we get on this “path” that becomes routine to us and we don’t even think twice about the steps we take? We just know that everything will be the same, that it is comfortable, that nothing can get in our way and then BAM! You run into something…closed door… road block… flat tire… whatever it is, you weren’t expecting it. It wasn’t supposed to be on your path. But it was. How do you react? I know I don’t always react with a smile and a “That’s okay, it’ll all be fine!” No sir. It’s usually a “What in the world was that?! Why did something get in MY way?! Why ME?! WHY, WHY, WHY???”

You want to know why? Because that’s life. That’s just how it is. God did not promise us an easy, care-free life. In fact, He says quite the opposite.

He told us we WILL face hard times…and He told us to persevere.

James 1:2 (NIV) - Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.

Matthew 5:10 (NIV) - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

He never said hard times wouldn’t come, but He DID say that He will provide help. He WANTS to help.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) - No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

1 Peter 5:7 (New Living Translation) - Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you.

This has definitely been something I’ve dealt with firsthand throughout this entire semester, but I held tight to the fact that I have a God who loves me, who cares for me, and who helped me through everything I faced. That doesn’t mean it was easy to do. It just goes back to Hebrews 11:1 – Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see

JUST TRUST HIM AND HAVE FAITH THAT HE IS WHO HE IS!

We are each going to have times where the furniture gets rearranged or a door gets shut that we needed to be open, but no matter what, God will provide a way out. This is something I have learned and will continue to learn.

Well I said I was going to update you about my college life and what not, but I actually think I’ll save that for later… I just got back from San Antonio tonight (Tech was in the Alamo Bowl and WON! WRECK ‘EM!) and I am EXHAUSTED so I am going to try to get some sleep now! I’ll try to update soon!

Goodnight!