bloom where you are planted...

"Bloom where you are planted" I can't tell you how many times I have heard that phrase recently...and it must be a God thing. It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 7:20 where Paul says: " Let each one remain in the same calling in which he was called".

  Friends to tell you the truth I have been seeing so much change around me...in my life but mostly in my friends and I sometimes think that my life could be better or fuller if similar changes were to happen to me...I get overwhelmed as friendships change and go away. I have become depressed and a bit withdrawn. But, just tonight the Lord is working on my heart...and believe me when I tell you that I have felt a spiritual battle in my soul!

  Things may be changing, friendships come and go, but God stays forever and He is enough for me to be content. He is enough to keep me going. I don't need to change the way everyone else is.

   I need to stay where I am and glorify the Lord there...moving out, a boyfriend, a new car, more money, etc. are nice but NONE compare to Jesus and my relationship with Him. I have to keep this in the forefront of my thoughts because if I don't the devil is going to do what he has been doing to me for the past few days...He is going to gradually drag me down until I get really depressed and miserable and he wants me to forget how wonderful a friend and savior I have! I am not going to let him! He is not allowed here anymore. 

So friends, bloom where you are. You don't have to fix everything before you start your service for the Lord. You don't have to be in an ideal place to be joyful in the Lord. God should be our joy. It should be in everything that we glorify Him!

.You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you.

Isaiah 26:3

Serving God from 8-5

On wednesday nights our church has been doing a book study on John Piper's book "Don't Waste Your Life". Tonight we discussed chapter 8 about serving God 8-5 so here are some highlights that I really learned from!

Think for a minute...What is your vocation? What is it that you A. either spend most of your time doing or B. earn your income from. You could for instance just be a full-time student not really earning an income or you could be in some other form of work lets just say a carpenter earning money for your trade. Ok, now that you have thought about what you are doing think about how you are serving the Lord in it? Or are you?

Not everyone is called to be a missionary or pastor but we are all called to serve the Lord in various ways and here are some things you can do to glorify God in your work.

1. Do not be conformed but transformed by the renewing of your mind in Christ Jesus and show love.
2.Provide for yourself and your family
3. Work so that you can give
4. Share the gospel to your coworkers

And there were more but those are the ones I can remember and that stood out! If you think of some ways you can glorify God is your vocation please leave a comment!

Are you acting like one of the family?

I got back from working a couple weeks at camp a few days ago. I have been very tired and still reeling from a really unusually crazy week at camp. I have been working on scholarship stuff, resting, and not doing much of anything.


Now my mom and dad know I am tired but soon they became tired of just seeing me not doing anything. Dad asked me to really start acting like one of the family again and pitch in....part of me was like "well gee thanks I am not part of the family because I haven't done many chores" and actually admittedly I did say something along those lines (Hey, I am not perfect and figure I should be honest here) But what my dad said reminded me of God and what He thinks of His servants. Here is something along the lines of what my dad said " Of course you are a part of this family whether you do chores or not but everyone pitches in around here and does there part. That is what makes us a family. I give you a break when you are tired but now that you are recovered its time to work again." 
 
This whole conversation though it was not fun to have definitely got me thinking about my relationship with God as well as with my family. It begs the question in my mind "Am I acting like one of the family?" I know I am in God's family. I know I am His daughter. But do I act like it? Am I obedient? Am I serving God as I should and how He wants me too? Or am I simply sitting here in the family but not pitching in?

Its food for thought.

Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.Hebrews 2:11