Challenge

Almost through my first week at CCBC!! I’m all registered for classes: I will be taking Bible Study Methods (Required for 1st semesters), Ruth/ Esther (All girls class), History of Redemption (Required for 1st semesters also), Romans, and John. I also got assigned my “M1”... as we call it here.... which is basically my volunteer work I will be doing on campus. I’ll be working in the kitchen every other weekend doing evening food prep. I will be honest, it’s not what I originally wanted to do. I was hoping to be a server, and I found out later I could have requested it.... and probably still could. After thinking about it all day, I came to the conclusion, for whatever reason, this is where God wants me to be. I just decided to take whatever was given to me and believe that it was part of Gods plan. So, after that, I started getting more excited about it!! Just getting to serve where I’m needed is worth it to me. It’s all about the heart (which I will talk more about later) and the attitude towards the situation.

 Anyways... there's just a brief update.... and now for the thoughts I wanted to share with all of you reading this....
 This morning was our first chapel service to kick off the new semester! As I was standing there in worship, I felt God speaking to me. I was standing and singing with a whole auditorium full of other worshipers and the thought occurred to me..... “who am I, that the LORD would listen to my insignificant little voice in the huge crowd? Who am I, that the LORD would listen to my whispered prayers as I’m surrounded by hundreds of praying hearts? I am so small. And the LORD is so huge!!!” It’s difficult to explain my heart in these few paragraphs, but I feel like the Lord really opened my eyes this morning to how small I really am. It overwhelmed me to think about it!!! Out of all the billions and billions of people in this world..... He saw me, loved me, and chose.....me. He brought me to the place I am now... all for His glory and honor. Just the fact that He WANTS me is overwhelming. He doesn’t need me.... He’s GOD!! But yet, He longs for... He desires.... He’s jealous for me. How wonderful is that???
 If you are reading this, I really want you to stop and just think about that for a moment... let it sink in.  Because it’s the same for you. The Lord God of the universe, the ONE who breaths life into our lungs, the ONE who whispered the wonders of the world into existence..... Loves you. But much, much more then that, He wants a relationship with you.... He longs for your heart. Let HIM show you.... as He revealed it to me!!

Okay okay.... I will stop preaching now. I’m just SO excited about the way God has already been showing Himself to me... and I sincerely want everyone to experience the same thing. There’s nothing more amazing!!!

 Moving on to the other thoughts I wanted to share with you.... 

I was talking to one of my new friends I met here and he asked me a question that really got me thinking. We were talking a little bit about our personal testimonies and how we feel like the Lord had led us to Bible College. I shared with him that I was a little nervous about the whole experience because I felt like I was diving in totally blind. Now, when I said that to my other friends they just nodded in agreement and continued on with the the conversation.... but this friend questioned it. 
“What is blinding you?” He asked. I hesitated to answer and quickly realized...... I don’t know. “Honestly, I haven’t even thought about that.” I replied. “That’s a good question.”
 And from then on I’ve been thinking about it and trying to figure out the answer. What’s sad is... I still can’t figure out what is blinding me. From what? You may be wondering. What I meant by that comment is, I don’t know what the LORD has planned for me. I’m taking it one step at a time and believing that God will show me the next step when it comes. But for now.... all I know is that He wanted me to come to Bible College... but I don’t know what comes after this... or even during. So now the question is, is something in my life hindering me from being able to see clearly? Or is it just simply... God hasn’t shown me the next step yet because He wants me to trust in Him fully?.... or maybe both!

Anyways... The reason I bring this up, is to encourage you to start asking the right questions in your life. Examine your life through God’s eyes and start asking “what is hindering me?” One of my points in writing this blog is so my readers can get something out of my experiences, stories, and thoughts, and apply them to their personal lives. And so we can walk through this together as I am also striving for a closer and deeper relationship with my KING.  I’m praying God will use this blog for His glory!!.... because, if not for HIM..... it’s pointless.... and just becomes words on a piece of paper. He is my reason for writing. 

This post is getting quite long, I know.... but just bare with me for one more thought.......We had an all girls meeting yesterday.... just to go over a few rules and what not. As I listened to the young lady describe what is okay and what is not okay to do... I began thinking. Here are my thoughts..... If all these people are here just following the rules by the book- they are TOTALLY missing the point. It’s as the speaker mentioned.... it’s all about the heart. If you are just not doing something.... or doing something because that’s what you’re supposed to do then you’re heart is not in it at all. Being here at Bible College.... it’s so easy to cut corners, have a friend sign you into class, only listen to just enough of the lesson to answer the questions then turn it off... ect. But my question is... Why?? What’s the point? You’re only going to get out of it what you will put in to it. So if you don’t want anything out of it.... why even be here?? My point is...... make sure you’re heart is right before God, no matter what you are doing. Reading His word, singing, cleaning, serving.... “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31) 
So I will end with this...I know we’ve probably all heard these things before...... but seriously... I challenge you to take it literally. Ask yourself, “How would this look in my life?”