Countdown.
I leave for Panama City Beach in 4 days thanks to a wonderful woman named Rachel. Me and Rachel meet at work and from there on out, we have become great friends. I was searching for a college church that I could go to and she told me about a organization called StuMo (Student Mobilization). While I was there, I heard about an incredible opportunity called Kaleo. Kaleo is a 9-week discipleship program in Panama City Beach, Florida that matures you in four areas: 1.The Word 2. Discipleship 3. Evangelism and 4. Fellowship. It is a great opportunity where I can further my relationship with God as well as learn how to influence the women in my sorority and also in my everyday life. I am the only girl going from my sorority house and I want to be able to take four-plus women with me next year.
God has blessed me so much and I am ready to see what he has in store for me in these next months!
May 12, 2011
God has blessed me so much and I am ready to see what he has in store for me in these next months!
May 12, 2011
My Backyard
This is the view form my hotel..
Beautiful isn’t it.
"God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.”- Danny Hinkle.
I will be living with 8 other women in a condo type room. We have our own kitchen and washer and dryer which is a huge upgrade from dorm life!
May 13, 2011
Beautiful isn’t it.
"God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good.”- Danny Hinkle.
I will be living with 8 other women in a condo type room. We have our own kitchen and washer and dryer which is a huge upgrade from dorm life!
May 13, 2011
Well...It's Here
Tomorrow is the day I start my journey to PCB. This summer will truly be one of my favorites and most cherished, I can already tell. Even though I am nervous and scared out of my mind, I know that my God is with me and that there is nothing to be afraid of.
I will leave tomorrow after my little brothers Pre-School graduation and drive to my friend Blake’s (a PiPhi from OU) in Texas. From there we will wake up bright and early and drive ALL THE WAY to PCB.
If you could pray for me, it would be greatly appreciated. If you could pray that I would have a safe travel down there and that the other people driving with me will be awake and alert. Pray that we will have open hearts to whatever God wants us to do while we are there and that we will be able to grow spiritually together.
I love all of you and thank God that he has blessed me with such great people in my life.
May 15, 2011
I will leave tomorrow after my little brothers Pre-School graduation and drive to my friend Blake’s (a PiPhi from OU) in Texas. From there we will wake up bright and early and drive ALL THE WAY to PCB.
If you could pray for me, it would be greatly appreciated. If you could pray that I would have a safe travel down there and that the other people driving with me will be awake and alert. Pray that we will have open hearts to whatever God wants us to do while we are there and that we will be able to grow spiritually together.
I love all of you and thank God that he has blessed me with such great people in my life.
May 15, 2011
Hardest Part Is Over
Thursday, I had a very bittersweet goodbye with my family. Tears were shed of course but most of those tears were tears of joy. My family is so supportive of me and they are so excited I made this step in my Christian walk. How can anyone be sad about that?
That afternoon, I left to start my journey to Kaleo. My first stop was at my friend Blake’s house. If there was one thing to know about me, it would be that I absolutely love music. Every time I am in my car, I have to have music on. However, on my ride down to Aledo, Texas, I didn’t listen to music. There were a million emotions running through my head. I was scared to death. I was nervous. I was in what seemed like a trance. I found myself praying over and over again for God to give me peace about this trip and to ease my troubles and doubts about going to PCB. Also, If you know me, THIS IS NOT LIKE ME TO SIT BACK AND BE QUITE. However, that is how I was as soon as I met up with Blake and her family. I was not my usual self. I hope they didn’t think I was rude because I didn’t really talk. I was still praying and praying that God would grant me peace and I kept waiting and waiting and waiting and it seemed like it never came.
After 3 short hour of sleep, me and Blake woke up at 1:00am and started our journey to PCB. Blake started out driving and our first stop was to meet our caravan in Terrell, Texas. Needless to say, this was the most entertaining, most hilarious, most memorable trip I think I have ever been on. I feel like me and Blake bonded so much on this trip. As soon as we finally got into PCB, 16 hours later, me and Blake were still wide awake. More awake then we were the whole trip. We were cracking jokes and laughing and making complete fools of ourselves. Needless to say Rachel was a little jealous, I could feel it. Hehe :)
As soon as a good majority of the students got into town, we had a swim party/mingling party on the 10th floor pool. The place we are staying at is beautiful. Our room has 3 bed rooms with 2 twins, a queen and king, and bunk beds. We have 3 bathrooms, a tub, washer and dryer, and a full kitchen but the most treasured thing in this room is the gorgeous view of the ocean. It is absolutely breath taking and it makes you really think to yourself how great our God really is and how he made everything so perfectly.
Because I am just like my Nonnie, I had to met almost everyone here. I had such a great time talking with people and being the social butterfly that I am. I knew that this is God’s way of showing me that everything really is going to be okay. I felt such a sense of peace and like I was going to have the summer of my life. I am going to grow so much in my relationship with God and have the chance to grow with other amazing christian friends. I am SO ready to see what God has for me and I am more than willing to do whatever He wants me to do. ALL MY WORRIES ARE GONE! :)
SO EXCITED! :):)
May 17, 2011
That afternoon, I left to start my journey to Kaleo. My first stop was at my friend Blake’s house. If there was one thing to know about me, it would be that I absolutely love music. Every time I am in my car, I have to have music on. However, on my ride down to Aledo, Texas, I didn’t listen to music. There were a million emotions running through my head. I was scared to death. I was nervous. I was in what seemed like a trance. I found myself praying over and over again for God to give me peace about this trip and to ease my troubles and doubts about going to PCB. Also, If you know me, THIS IS NOT LIKE ME TO SIT BACK AND BE QUITE. However, that is how I was as soon as I met up with Blake and her family. I was not my usual self. I hope they didn’t think I was rude because I didn’t really talk. I was still praying and praying that God would grant me peace and I kept waiting and waiting and waiting and it seemed like it never came.
After 3 short hour of sleep, me and Blake woke up at 1:00am and started our journey to PCB. Blake started out driving and our first stop was to meet our caravan in Terrell, Texas. Needless to say, this was the most entertaining, most hilarious, most memorable trip I think I have ever been on. I feel like me and Blake bonded so much on this trip. As soon as we finally got into PCB, 16 hours later, me and Blake were still wide awake. More awake then we were the whole trip. We were cracking jokes and laughing and making complete fools of ourselves. Needless to say Rachel was a little jealous, I could feel it. Hehe :)
As soon as a good majority of the students got into town, we had a swim party/mingling party on the 10th floor pool. The place we are staying at is beautiful. Our room has 3 bed rooms with 2 twins, a queen and king, and bunk beds. We have 3 bathrooms, a tub, washer and dryer, and a full kitchen but the most treasured thing in this room is the gorgeous view of the ocean. It is absolutely breath taking and it makes you really think to yourself how great our God really is and how he made everything so perfectly.
Because I am just like my Nonnie, I had to met almost everyone here. I had such a great time talking with people and being the social butterfly that I am. I knew that this is God’s way of showing me that everything really is going to be okay. I felt such a sense of peace and like I was going to have the summer of my life. I am going to grow so much in my relationship with God and have the chance to grow with other amazing christian friends. I am SO ready to see what God has for me and I am more than willing to do whatever He wants me to do. ALL MY WORRIES ARE GONE! :)
SO EXCITED! :):)
May 17, 2011
Power of God
Yesterday was Sunday and the first day we got to go to our assigned church. I go to Woodlawn Methodist Church in PCB. A lot of the D-groups were assigned to this church also. It is nice knowing people in a place that is so far away from home.
After church is evangelism training. At evangelism training, I learned an AWESOME/EASY way to share the gospel with people. It is based of Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” After two hours of practicing for two hours, I was feeling a little confident yet scared to death.
The first couple we went up to turned us down. Not a good start to our beach evangelism but we kept going. The second people we went up to were Teresa and Jennifer. Jennifer was pregnant with a girl named Faith. These two ladies allowed us to shared with them and they were responding to our questions. You could tell that they were really thinking about what we were saying. They said they were already believers. I would just like for whoever is reading this to just pray for these 2 woman and her baby. Just pray that they will call on God only in their times of need but also in their time of praise. The mother Teresa was always telling us that she would thank God all the time but the more we got into our conversation she would start to tell us that she needed to start praising God not only in her bad times but also in her good times. So just pray for them and that innocent baby that it will have the chance to know God personally.
We shared with six more people and then we came to a little girl. This little girl was with her whole family and the more we talked to her the more her family would laugh at us and interrupt us. They were getting frustrated with us to the point that they were starting to pack their stuff up. It was hard for me and Lauren to sit through this. We were getting made fun of and laughed at and it felt like we were being backed into a corner. Needless to say we were not as strong as we thought we were. We also ask at the end of our talks if they are willing to put their trust in Jesus Christ today. Well this little girl said yes. By this time the family was not happy at all. They were all done packing up and pretty much staring us down. Me and Lauren got so scared that we handed the girl this packet and asked her to read this prayer and is she was willing to accept Jesus, to pray that prayer and that was pretty much it.
We were disappointed in ourselves for not sticking it out. I learned in my quiet time this morning that we should be excited to share the gospel with people because God gave us this wonderful gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. HOW CAN I NOT BE EXCITED ABOUT THAT? John 14:15 says that “If you love me, you will obey my command.” One of God’s commands is to make disciples and we cant make disciples without sharing the word.
On Sunday we shared with 9 different people and had one accept Jesus that day. There were groups all along the beach for 2 hours so just imagine how many people got to hear the gospel of Christ. Amazing isn’t it?
Please pray that me and Lauren will stay strong in our evangelism and that we will be willing to stick it out through the rough times.
May 21, 2011
After church is evangelism training. At evangelism training, I learned an AWESOME/EASY way to share the gospel with people. It is based of Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” After two hours of practicing for two hours, I was feeling a little confident yet scared to death.
The first couple we went up to turned us down. Not a good start to our beach evangelism but we kept going. The second people we went up to were Teresa and Jennifer. Jennifer was pregnant with a girl named Faith. These two ladies allowed us to shared with them and they were responding to our questions. You could tell that they were really thinking about what we were saying. They said they were already believers. I would just like for whoever is reading this to just pray for these 2 woman and her baby. Just pray that they will call on God only in their times of need but also in their time of praise. The mother Teresa was always telling us that she would thank God all the time but the more we got into our conversation she would start to tell us that she needed to start praising God not only in her bad times but also in her good times. So just pray for them and that innocent baby that it will have the chance to know God personally.
We shared with six more people and then we came to a little girl. This little girl was with her whole family and the more we talked to her the more her family would laugh at us and interrupt us. They were getting frustrated with us to the point that they were starting to pack their stuff up. It was hard for me and Lauren to sit through this. We were getting made fun of and laughed at and it felt like we were being backed into a corner. Needless to say we were not as strong as we thought we were. We also ask at the end of our talks if they are willing to put their trust in Jesus Christ today. Well this little girl said yes. By this time the family was not happy at all. They were all done packing up and pretty much staring us down. Me and Lauren got so scared that we handed the girl this packet and asked her to read this prayer and is she was willing to accept Jesus, to pray that prayer and that was pretty much it.
We were disappointed in ourselves for not sticking it out. I learned in my quiet time this morning that we should be excited to share the gospel with people because God gave us this wonderful gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. HOW CAN I NOT BE EXCITED ABOUT THAT? John 14:15 says that “If you love me, you will obey my command.” One of God’s commands is to make disciples and we cant make disciples without sharing the word.
On Sunday we shared with 9 different people and had one accept Jesus that day. There were groups all along the beach for 2 hours so just imagine how many people got to hear the gospel of Christ. Amazing isn’t it?
Please pray that me and Lauren will stay strong in our evangelism and that we will be willing to stick it out through the rough times.
May 21, 2011
I Work Where?
I finally got a job at Alvin’s Island!! It is kind of like a souvenir shop. If you watch the Jersey Shore, it is like the place they people work at. It is going to be such a fun job!! I start tomorrow actually. Since I was lucky enough to find a job so early, I have been with Blake and Jackie all day trying to get them jobs. We have seriously been to EVERY store on this beach and they still dont have jobs. Look’s like someone might be working at T-Bell.
I kid... I kid...They will go wherever God wants them to be so that they will be able to share with their co-workers.
When we got back, It was my night to cook dinner so of course I cooked Spaghetti!! I absolutely love the girls I am living with. We all get along really well. Everyone in the house always knows that Kieran and Blake’s comedy hour always comes on at 11p.m. Once 11 hits, it seems like me and Blake become so much more funny. Weird I know.
Coming here is the best decision I have ever made and I can already tell that there are going to be GREAT things done in PCB this summer. God is working in great ways and I LOVE IT!
Keep praying for me and the participants here. :)
P.s. ITS GAME DAY!! THUNDERUP!!! (It gets CrAzY! on game day)
May 21, 2011
I kid... I kid...They will go wherever God wants them to be so that they will be able to share with their co-workers.
When we got back, It was my night to cook dinner so of course I cooked Spaghetti!! I absolutely love the girls I am living with. We all get along really well. Everyone in the house always knows that Kieran and Blake’s comedy hour always comes on at 11p.m. Once 11 hits, it seems like me and Blake become so much more funny. Weird I know.
Coming here is the best decision I have ever made and I can already tell that there are going to be GREAT things done in PCB this summer. God is working in great ways and I LOVE IT!
Keep praying for me and the participants here. :)
P.s. ITS GAME DAY!! THUNDERUP!!! (It gets CrAzY! on game day)
May 21, 2011
Thunder Love
Okay so heres the story. It’s game day in PCB and we love to post random pictures of our Thunder flag waving proudly in the popular parts of PCB. Just something to make the Mavs fans that are here a little upset.
This picture said:
“A Thunder head’s rollin into Pier Park!”
Pier Park is a supppper popular place for tourist and locals to visit.
May 21, 2011
This picture said:
“A Thunder head’s rollin into Pier Park!”
Pier Park is a supppper popular place for tourist and locals to visit.
May 21, 2011
Ketchup Kieran
I had to buy MY OWN bottle of Ketchup so I knew I would have some when I needed it. I use Ketchup on everything. In fact, I have owned up to the name “Ketchup Kieran”.
Daddy will be proud…
May 21, 2011
Daddy will be proud…
May 21, 2011
Thunder Fans Don't Mess Around
This is what game 3 of the Thunder v Mavs game started out looking like…
This one is hard to see but the light on the wall on the right side of the picture is the game being projected and that huge large blob is all of us watching the game and of course causing a scene.
Too bad the connection was bad and we had to move to a different room..
May 21, 2011
This one is hard to see but the light on the wall on the right side of the picture is the game being projected and that huge large blob is all of us watching the game and of course causing a scene.
Too bad the connection was bad and we had to move to a different room..
May 21, 2011
Thunder Fans Stick Together
This is were we ended up.. there was over 60 people in this room. Both balcony doors were open with people jammed out there watching the game being projected on the balcony wall. I guess projecting the game on the side of the hotel on the 12th floor was NOT okay because security came and we had to all jam inside the room. ANDDD because I am just like my Nonnie and not like my Dad, Mom or Step-Dad, I almost know all 60 plus people in the room! LOVE IT :)
May 21, 2011
May 21, 2011
Turning Bad Into Good
TUESDAY: I started work on Tuesday and I thought to myself “How on earth am I going to be able to make it through 9 weeks of this?” I work at Alvin’s Island which is like, for better choice of words, a classier Spencer’s for PCB. My job is very VERY laid back. My boss shows up late every morning and as soon as he gets to work he leaves and goes to get coffee. At first I didn’t like working here, just because I was SOOO bored, but now I completely love it. I get to be the cashier so I see A LOT of "different" types of people. The first day a boy changed in the middle of the store.. 3 times. I saw two scooter wrecks andd… I think someone peed in the dressing room. (We don’t have public restroom) Needless to say, my job is very entertaining.
What does Tuesday mean??
StuMooooooooooo! We have StuMo every Tuesday night and Dagan gave a really good sermon. He talked about how we have to go all in this summer. How we have to give God all our attention or we are not going to get anything out of it. We either need to go all in or go home. I truly want to be a women after God’s own heart and I hope and pray that I will leave this summer with a better understanding of Him, the Bible and so much more and the only way that will happen is if I allow God to work in me.
However,
For those of you who don’t know, I live in Oklahoma. On Tuesday, there were 3 to 4 tornadoes that came through the state. One of those tornadoes hit our family business. We have no income, no inventory, no office, no paperwork, nothing. To hear my mother tell me this and to hear the fear in her voice broke my heart. One thing my mother told me that I will never forget is “Kieran, I don’t know how we are going to get through this…” I have a big family. I have three brothers that my Mom and Step-Dad care for. Us loosing our business is the worst thing that could happen right now. After collecting myself, I told my mom that everything happens for a reason. I don’t know what the reason is, but I know that there is one. God obviously has bigger and better plans for us we just have to trust Him that He will pull us out of this hole. God always turns evil into good somehow.
May 22, 2012
What does Tuesday mean??
StuMooooooooooo! We have StuMo every Tuesday night and Dagan gave a really good sermon. He talked about how we have to go all in this summer. How we have to give God all our attention or we are not going to get anything out of it. We either need to go all in or go home. I truly want to be a women after God’s own heart and I hope and pray that I will leave this summer with a better understanding of Him, the Bible and so much more and the only way that will happen is if I allow God to work in me.
However,
For those of you who don’t know, I live in Oklahoma. On Tuesday, there were 3 to 4 tornadoes that came through the state. One of those tornadoes hit our family business. We have no income, no inventory, no office, no paperwork, nothing. To hear my mother tell me this and to hear the fear in her voice broke my heart. One thing my mother told me that I will never forget is “Kieran, I don’t know how we are going to get through this…” I have a big family. I have three brothers that my Mom and Step-Dad care for. Us loosing our business is the worst thing that could happen right now. After collecting myself, I told my mom that everything happens for a reason. I don’t know what the reason is, but I know that there is one. God obviously has bigger and better plans for us we just have to trust Him that He will pull us out of this hole. God always turns evil into good somehow.
May 22, 2012
So Maybe I Don't Know The Bible Like I Thought
Inductive Bible Training. Doesn’t that just sound intense? Well let me tell you it is! I thought I knew the Bible somewhat but man was I wrong! I was so overwhelmed after that night. I.B.T is looking at a series of verses and looking at almost every word and seeing what it means. You look for things like repetitive words, results of and adjectives. It is a GREAT way of studying the Bible, I just wish I was better at it. I felt like a person that had never read the Bible before and was asked to lead a Bible study with it. I will become better with time though.
May 23, 2011
May 23, 2011
21 Day Challenge
FREE DAY! But first, I have to have one-to-one with my D-Group leader LoFo. We just talked about scripture and what they mean to us and how we can apply it. LoFo is holding me accountable that I will have quiet time for 21 days straight so that I can form a habit. With me doing that, it will give me a better chance to grow in the word, set my attitude for the day, and start my day of with God. Me and LoFo get along really well and I hope to become even better friends than we are.
Funny Story:
We were playing Ultimate frisbee tonight and I didn’t really want to play but I played anyways thinking that no one was going to toss me the frisbee ( I didn’t really know how to through one). Little did I know I was wrong. Will bombed a frisbee at me and when I went to go grab it, I completely missed it. Kind of in the motion of clapping but missing your hands. The frisbee about sliced my face in half. I'm sure it was like witnessing a real life cartoon. I though I broke my nose.. Forreal. I would be a millionaire if I had a dollar for every time I had an athletic object hit me in the face.
May 24, 2011
Funny Story:
We were playing Ultimate frisbee tonight and I didn’t really want to play but I played anyways thinking that no one was going to toss me the frisbee ( I didn’t really know how to through one). Little did I know I was wrong. Will bombed a frisbee at me and when I went to go grab it, I completely missed it. Kind of in the motion of clapping but missing your hands. The frisbee about sliced my face in half. I'm sure it was like witnessing a real life cartoon. I though I broke my nose.. Forreal. I would be a millionaire if I had a dollar for every time I had an athletic object hit me in the face.
May 24, 2011
Florida Sunsets
This is a usual PCB sunset. God is so good.
On Friday all the roomies went on a “date” with each other. We had a picnic on the beach and took a lot of cute pictures (too bad I lost my camera). We talked about embarrassing moments, flew kites and played frisbee. It was such a fun night. We really grew as roommates that night.
May 25, 2011
On Friday all the roomies went on a “date” with each other. We had a picnic on the beach and took a lot of cute pictures (too bad I lost my camera). We talked about embarrassing moments, flew kites and played frisbee. It was such a fun night. We really grew as roommates that night.
May 25, 2011
3 Words: OUTSIDE! ALL! DAY!
I look kinda like a lobster, but it was so worth it. I was outside tanning for 5 hours! Nothing like these Florida beaches.
May 26, 2011
May 26, 2011
Beach Evangelism
I was paired with my D-Group leader Sarah and all was going smooth and people were being very friendly and understanding/encouraging to us. Then there was a group of 20 college kids playing dizzy bat (a drinking game). Of course Sarah wanted to walk right in the middle of them and start talking to them.. So after I begged her for a good 5 minutes, she wasnt letting up. We walked right in the middle of them and surprisingly they were really nice and we shared with them and one of the girls that we shared with was so glad that we were out there confessing our faith to these people and that we were brave enough to walk up to them. I guess the moral of the story was “Not to Judge A Book By It’s Cover”. I need to remember that God loves everyone and that he wants everyone to follow him not just the “nice” looking people. I have to be willing to go to the people that are intimidating because they are children of God too and deserve to receive His gift of Eternal Life.
May 27, 2011
May 27, 2011
To My Family,
Thank you for raising me in such a loving and caring family that you would share the Word of God with me.
May 27, 2011
May 27, 2011
Galations 2:20
"For I have been crucified with Christ and no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I life by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me."
Rooms
Co-Star of the “Kieran & Blake Comedy Hour” show.
Because of Her
I wouldn’t be here without this woman. This is Rachel. She is the one that introduced me to StuMo and Kaleo. She has grown so much in her Christian walk in the past years and she is someone that I really look up to. Love her.
1512
Starting on the Left:
Blake, LoFo, Kelley, Kate, Sarah, Rachel, Jackie, Jessica
Blake, LoFo, Kelley, Kate, Sarah, Rachel, Jackie, Jessica
XOXO
I absolutely love relationship conference. It really gives men and woman an in sight as to what Godly relationships are supposed to look like. I will walk you through it a little.
First, lets look at some differences in Men and Women.Women are:
-More emotional
-Process Oriented
-Interdependent
-Emotionally/Verbally Oriented.
Men are:
-Goal Oriented
-Competitive
-Self-Reliant
-Visually Oriented
The verses we are going to be looking at are:
Genesis 2:7,22 1:27
Romans 12:1-2, 8:29
Proverbs 18:22
These just talk about the differences in Men and Women and how God made them different for a purpose.
1. Who you marry will make or break you. Either you are going be miserable and not be able to grow in your relationship with God or you are going be with someone that is going constantly challenge you to become a better Christian.
2. God gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him. When you allow God to become the center of your life, you will allow him to bring someone to you. I read something somewhere (assuring, I know) that said “God won’t bring you someone until you have a strong relationship with Him and have Him as the center of your life”. God wants to be your life. He wants to have your whole heart before you give half of it away to someone else.
Matthew 7:9-12 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
These verses tell us that we can trust God. Because our God is so awesome, He allows us to choose our spouse. However, I can promise you it won’t be for what’s best for you. I find it hard to trust God completely and this talk REALLY spoke to me in that area. I am a very structured and “have to have plans” type of woman and it is extremely hard for me to just “live” my life and wait for God to tell me what he wants me to do. I realized I have to put my whole life in Gods hands and trust that he will deliver.
There are two problems when you go searching for “The One”
1. It can cause you to become un-teachable to council. Meaning that if you are in an un-healthy relationship, you are constantly having to teach your partner Godly characters. This in return means that you will not be able to taught. You will be so caught up in dealing with your partner that you will loose grasp on your own relationship with God.
2. It can cause you to think mystically and abandon your common sense. I would say this is more common in women. Women tend to feel the need to help everyone. When their partner tells them that they need them to grow spiritually and they need them for this and that and BLAHBLAHBLAH, it is all a show. I don’t need to be with someone that can’t lead me spiritually and when I realize that whomever I am dating is not spiritually mature enough for me I need to act on that and not ignore the feeling. I need to stop making excuses for them and let them grow up on their own.
Things to make sure you walk away knowing…
A. Let God put love in the heart of a man for you. Don’t go searching for it.
B. MARRY UP!
June 1-2, 2011
First, lets look at some differences in Men and Women.Women are:
-More emotional
-Process Oriented
-Interdependent
-Emotionally/Verbally Oriented.
Men are:
-Goal Oriented
-Competitive
-Self-Reliant
-Visually Oriented
The verses we are going to be looking at are:
Genesis 2:7,22 1:27
Romans 12:1-2, 8:29
Proverbs 18:22
These just talk about the differences in Men and Women and how God made them different for a purpose.
1. Who you marry will make or break you. Either you are going be miserable and not be able to grow in your relationship with God or you are going be with someone that is going constantly challenge you to become a better Christian.
2. God gives the best to those who leave the choice to Him. When you allow God to become the center of your life, you will allow him to bring someone to you. I read something somewhere (assuring, I know) that said “God won’t bring you someone until you have a strong relationship with Him and have Him as the center of your life”. God wants to be your life. He wants to have your whole heart before you give half of it away to someone else.
Matthew 7:9-12 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”
These verses tell us that we can trust God. Because our God is so awesome, He allows us to choose our spouse. However, I can promise you it won’t be for what’s best for you. I find it hard to trust God completely and this talk REALLY spoke to me in that area. I am a very structured and “have to have plans” type of woman and it is extremely hard for me to just “live” my life and wait for God to tell me what he wants me to do. I realized I have to put my whole life in Gods hands and trust that he will deliver.
There are two problems when you go searching for “The One”
1. It can cause you to become un-teachable to council. Meaning that if you are in an un-healthy relationship, you are constantly having to teach your partner Godly characters. This in return means that you will not be able to taught. You will be so caught up in dealing with your partner that you will loose grasp on your own relationship with God.
2. It can cause you to think mystically and abandon your common sense. I would say this is more common in women. Women tend to feel the need to help everyone. When their partner tells them that they need them to grow spiritually and they need them for this and that and BLAHBLAHBLAH, it is all a show. I don’t need to be with someone that can’t lead me spiritually and when I realize that whomever I am dating is not spiritually mature enough for me I need to act on that and not ignore the feeling. I need to stop making excuses for them and let them grow up on their own.
Things to make sure you walk away knowing…
A. Let God put love in the heart of a man for you. Don’t go searching for it.
B. MARRY UP!
June 1-2, 2011
CCL
I am reading a book right now called the “Cross Centered Life.” It is SUCH a great book. The chapters we were reading were over emotions and how we can’t trust our emotions because they are constantly changing. However, there was a quote in the book that say’s “When we focus on truth, lo and behold, feelings follow and they’ll be reliable feelings because they are anchored on truth.” This quote is so true. Our feelings and emotions will be extremely reliable because what determines our emotions is reliable.
I highly recommend this book!
June 4, 2011
I highly recommend this book!
June 4, 2011
Riptides
On Tuesday, Blake ( SMU Staff Leader), gave an incredible sermon. He used the illustration of a riptide and how so many people are caught up in the "pool of sin" that they don’t realize that they have no hope without calling on Jesus to save us and be out lifeguard. This spoke so much to me… It made me realize people are truly trapped in a riptide. They have no hope of getting out alive and without knowing what it is like to be rescued. This gave me so much more motivation to talk to people at the beach and use the power of God to rescue them.
Something else that completely left me in awe was the song we sang. It is You’re Beautiful by Phil Wickham.
June 5, 2011
Something else that completely left me in awe was the song we sang. It is You’re Beautiful by Phil Wickham.
June 5, 2011
Lake of Fire
Jason Kuhlman gave a sermon over facing reality. The main idea was we as Christians need to face the reality of how real hell is. I never really thought of Hell as a real place. I was always taught that it was but I never thought of it as a place people would go. I always imagined it as, when people died, they just didn’t go to heaven. Hell is always a sensitive subject to talk about because no one wants to see their loved ones go to the place of ultimate torture and misery. Have you ever stopped to think, If we don’t like to talk about Hell so much and we don’t like knowing that people will actually go their, why don’t we do something about it? Did you know that 97% of Christians do NOT share their faith? I am proud to say that I am a member of that 3%. My family and friends loved me SO much that they didn’t want to see me suffer. They wanted me to have eternal life with Christ forever and ever and ever. Without them caring for me so much, I do not think I would be a believer today. If you think about it, we were all enemies of God. We were all members of Satans army. That floors me. I have never though of myself as someone who was again God but that is what we were. Knowing that it makes me so much more happy to know that I serve and love a sovereign God who knew I was going to sin and fall short everyday of my life and still love me and allow me to put my trust in Him.
I am forever greatful.
June 12, 2011
I am forever greatful.
June 12, 2011
Team Leader
Me and my Team Leader Emily Schwab.
She is such an amazing Godly woman.
Someone I will definitely seek council from.
She is such an amazing Godly woman.
Someone I will definitely seek council from.
2 Timothy 3:16-17
"All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. So that every man may be throughly equipped for every good work."
Family Visit
I’m sorry it takes me so long to update everyone it is a war zone to get this Internet. Anyways… Mom Bry and East came down last weekend to see me. I had a great time. We got a lot of beach time in and even some museums. It so great having apart of my family here with me. I miss them so much.
Kaleo is going great! Im practicing how to lead a bible study and such. It is very challenging but I think im managing. Since staff is gone, our PD gave a really great sermon Tuesday night. It was his first sermon ever and he did such a great job. It was about discipleship and how if we share with one person and disciple them and then the next year each one of us add one more person, by the time I have been doing that for 33 years, it will have reached 8 billion people. If you think about it…. There are 6.2 million people in the world. If I make disciples, there is a chance I could change this world. It was really cool how he described it and all. He did a good Job.
All is good at the island.. Only 9 more days at work!! Wooahhh! Next weekend is missions weekend and the weekend after that is free then back to campus!!!
Starting to count down.
This has been the best summer of my life!
June 20, 2011
Kaleo is going great! Im practicing how to lead a bible study and such. It is very challenging but I think im managing. Since staff is gone, our PD gave a really great sermon Tuesday night. It was his first sermon ever and he did such a great job. It was about discipleship and how if we share with one person and disciple them and then the next year each one of us add one more person, by the time I have been doing that for 33 years, it will have reached 8 billion people. If you think about it…. There are 6.2 million people in the world. If I make disciples, there is a chance I could change this world. It was really cool how he described it and all. He did a good Job.
All is good at the island.. Only 9 more days at work!! Wooahhh! Next weekend is missions weekend and the weekend after that is free then back to campus!!!
Starting to count down.
This has been the best summer of my life!
June 20, 2011
The Forgotten Doctrine of Hell
“On July 8, 1741, men and women were gripped with terror and awe as Jonathan Edwards preached his sermon “Sinners In The Hands of an Angry God.” Edwards planstankinly expounded the doctrine of an immanent, eternal, gruesome, and deserved place called hell, which awaits those who do not trust in Jesus Christ.
When was the last time you heard such a sermon preached within the walls of an American church? We have forgotten the doctrine of hell. It is no longer a truth that shapes our theology. it no longer causes lost men and women to flee from immanent destruction to the arms of Christ. it no longer causes believers to share Christ with their unbelieving neighbors. On the contrary, it is a doctrine we consider fossilized and even offensive. Those who speak of it we consider it narrow minded and hateful. We cannot imagine a loving God allowing such a place to exist. Far more, we refuse to believe that gentle Jesus could let people spend eternity there. And so, the doctrine has all but disappeared from our preaching and from our theology.
It may surprise those who are skeptical of the doctrine of hell to find out that Jesus spoke of hell more often than any other person in the Bible. His teachings on the subject is clear, and his description of the place is terrible. Taking a closer look at this teaching should help us to better understand the doctrine and the impact it should have on our lives.
I. Christ describes hell as a place of great physical torment.
Jesus says that hell is a “fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 13:42) It is described as a place where the “worm does not fie and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48) The person in hell is said by Christ to be in torment and agony (Luke 16:23-25). Even the Book of Revelation describes it as a place where people “will be tormented day and night.” (Rev 20:10)
Some have proposed that the Bible’s description of hell is figurative, and have hastily concluded that the torment of hell must be less severe than the Bible’s teaching would imply. On the contrary, if hell were a fiery furnace only in figurative sense, it would be more logical to conclude that hell is actually a more terrible place than the Bible’s description of it. Figurative language is used to help the audience comprehend in some tangible way that would otherwise be beyond their comprehension. If the Bible’s description of hell were figurative language this would indicate that the author was grasping for some tangible way to describe a place of indescribable agony. Thus, if in fact the Bible’s description of hell is figurative, then it would be more reasonable to assume that the severity of hell is actually more unbearable than the authors indicates.
With this in mind let us dwell for a moment on the physical torment associated with hell. Imagine being tormented day and night in a fiery furnace where the flame is never quenched. Many of us have burned our hands on the stove or by getting too close to the campfire, but imagine your whole body being engulfed by flaming embers. Imagine the pain as every inch of your flesh is seared in the fire. Perhaps now it will be clearer why there is to be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Imagine your teeth clenched as your body tenses to resist and endure the torment. As the agony continues day and night your body weakens and you are no longer able to fight and writhe in pain, instead you are only able to weep.
II. Christ describes hell as a place of eternal duration.
Jesus says that the fires and punishment of hell are eternal (Matt. 25:41,46). Hell will last forever. It is not a place of temporary punishment, but a place of eternal residence. The Apostle Paul calls it a place of “everlasting destruction” (1 Thess 1:9), and John says that the torment will last “day and night forever and ever.” (Rev 20:10) furthermore Jesus says that people will be unable to cross over from hell to heaven because an uncrossable chasm separates the two (Luke 16:26).
These teachings leave no room for the idea that hell is in some way temporary. Jesus’ teaching refuse to notion that people will reside in hell until their sins are worked off at which tome they will cross over to heaven. No, justice demands that the punishment fir the crime. As the crimes is against an infinite and eternal God, so the punishment must also be infinite and eternal.
Hope is the anchor that prevents suffering from becoming despair. We have all experienced terrible pain or loss, but imagine if there was no hope of moving past it, no future to look forward to. This is the case in hell. In the midst of all the agony, the weeping and gnashing of teeth, there is no hope that the suffering will ever end. Hell is a place without hope, a place of utter despair. Try for a moment to imagine yourself in a place of torment with no hope of escape. Imagine a year, a hundred years, a million years. In one billion years you will not be a minute closer to the end of your stay in this place. The torment never lessens, the flame never goes out, and your stay never comes to an end.
Jesus tells a story in the sixteenth chapter of Luke of a rich man who dies and finds himself in agony in hell. Upon finding himself in such a state the man has a conversation with Abraham, who is in heaven. The man in hell asks Abraham for two things. These two final requests of an eternally condemned man ought to be sober thinking. The man’s first request is for himself. He petitions Abraham for relief, asking for even a single drop of water to cool his tongue. His request is denied because the chasm between heaven and hell is fixed, and no one can cross over.
Let us, like the condemned man consider our own state for a moment. Were you do die this moment would you find yourself in torment as well. The Bible teaches that :if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9) It is only by placing full trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins that men can escape the fires of hell, but that decision must be made in this life. For the rich man in Luke and for us there can be no escape from hell and no relief from its flames apart from trusting Christ on this side of eternity.
The second request of the eternally condemned man is for his brothers who are sill alive. The man begs Abraham to send a messenger to warn his five brothers lest they also find themselves in hell. Again, the condemned man’s request is denied because God has provided Moses and the prophets as witnesses for them already.
How boldly might the condemned man share the gospel of Christ with those around him if her were allowed a second chance? After having experienced the agony f hell how fervently would he encourage others to flee the wrath that is to come? What would be able to stop this man from telling his five brothers? Unfortunately there is no second chance. Those who scoff at hell in this life will wish that they has believed and evangelized others in the next.
And what about us? If only every believer could experience hell for just a moment the world would be full of compassionate evangelists. It may not be easy to think seriously for very long about the doctrine of hell. In fact it may offend and terrify us, but it should also teach us compassion and move us to share the love and hope of Christ with the lost around us.”
This makes me want to talk to everyone I meet. Think about all the people over seas that don’t even have a chance to hear the gospel. They will have to live in hell for eternity. That breaks my heart. If I know from 80 years from now that there are girls in sorority house that come up to me and ask me why I didn’t share the gospel with them and ask me why I didn’t care about them enough to save them from this awful place, I will be heartbroken. This makes me wants to share the gospel with people that I know will judge me and people I know wont be my friends anymore. Those friendships are so temporary compared to the eternal life they might spend in hell.
I just encourage everyone who is reading this to really realize how serious hell is and realize that once someone is there, there is no going back. They are going to spend eternity there.
July 1, 2011
When was the last time you heard such a sermon preached within the walls of an American church? We have forgotten the doctrine of hell. It is no longer a truth that shapes our theology. it no longer causes lost men and women to flee from immanent destruction to the arms of Christ. it no longer causes believers to share Christ with their unbelieving neighbors. On the contrary, it is a doctrine we consider fossilized and even offensive. Those who speak of it we consider it narrow minded and hateful. We cannot imagine a loving God allowing such a place to exist. Far more, we refuse to believe that gentle Jesus could let people spend eternity there. And so, the doctrine has all but disappeared from our preaching and from our theology.
It may surprise those who are skeptical of the doctrine of hell to find out that Jesus spoke of hell more often than any other person in the Bible. His teachings on the subject is clear, and his description of the place is terrible. Taking a closer look at this teaching should help us to better understand the doctrine and the impact it should have on our lives.
I. Christ describes hell as a place of great physical torment.
Jesus says that hell is a “fiery furnace where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt 13:42) It is described as a place where the “worm does not fie and the fire is not quenched.” (Mark 9:48) The person in hell is said by Christ to be in torment and agony (Luke 16:23-25). Even the Book of Revelation describes it as a place where people “will be tormented day and night.” (Rev 20:10)
Some have proposed that the Bible’s description of hell is figurative, and have hastily concluded that the torment of hell must be less severe than the Bible’s teaching would imply. On the contrary, if hell were a fiery furnace only in figurative sense, it would be more logical to conclude that hell is actually a more terrible place than the Bible’s description of it. Figurative language is used to help the audience comprehend in some tangible way that would otherwise be beyond their comprehension. If the Bible’s description of hell were figurative language this would indicate that the author was grasping for some tangible way to describe a place of indescribable agony. Thus, if in fact the Bible’s description of hell is figurative, then it would be more reasonable to assume that the severity of hell is actually more unbearable than the authors indicates.
With this in mind let us dwell for a moment on the physical torment associated with hell. Imagine being tormented day and night in a fiery furnace where the flame is never quenched. Many of us have burned our hands on the stove or by getting too close to the campfire, but imagine your whole body being engulfed by flaming embers. Imagine the pain as every inch of your flesh is seared in the fire. Perhaps now it will be clearer why there is to be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Imagine your teeth clenched as your body tenses to resist and endure the torment. As the agony continues day and night your body weakens and you are no longer able to fight and writhe in pain, instead you are only able to weep.
II. Christ describes hell as a place of eternal duration.
Jesus says that the fires and punishment of hell are eternal (Matt. 25:41,46). Hell will last forever. It is not a place of temporary punishment, but a place of eternal residence. The Apostle Paul calls it a place of “everlasting destruction” (1 Thess 1:9), and John says that the torment will last “day and night forever and ever.” (Rev 20:10) furthermore Jesus says that people will be unable to cross over from hell to heaven because an uncrossable chasm separates the two (Luke 16:26).
These teachings leave no room for the idea that hell is in some way temporary. Jesus’ teaching refuse to notion that people will reside in hell until their sins are worked off at which tome they will cross over to heaven. No, justice demands that the punishment fir the crime. As the crimes is against an infinite and eternal God, so the punishment must also be infinite and eternal.
Hope is the anchor that prevents suffering from becoming despair. We have all experienced terrible pain or loss, but imagine if there was no hope of moving past it, no future to look forward to. This is the case in hell. In the midst of all the agony, the weeping and gnashing of teeth, there is no hope that the suffering will ever end. Hell is a place without hope, a place of utter despair. Try for a moment to imagine yourself in a place of torment with no hope of escape. Imagine a year, a hundred years, a million years. In one billion years you will not be a minute closer to the end of your stay in this place. The torment never lessens, the flame never goes out, and your stay never comes to an end.
Jesus tells a story in the sixteenth chapter of Luke of a rich man who dies and finds himself in agony in hell. Upon finding himself in such a state the man has a conversation with Abraham, who is in heaven. The man in hell asks Abraham for two things. These two final requests of an eternally condemned man ought to be sober thinking. The man’s first request is for himself. He petitions Abraham for relief, asking for even a single drop of water to cool his tongue. His request is denied because the chasm between heaven and hell is fixed, and no one can cross over.
Let us, like the condemned man consider our own state for a moment. Were you do die this moment would you find yourself in torment as well. The Bible teaches that :if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead you will be saved.” (Rom 10:9) It is only by placing full trust in Christ for the forgiveness of sins that men can escape the fires of hell, but that decision must be made in this life. For the rich man in Luke and for us there can be no escape from hell and no relief from its flames apart from trusting Christ on this side of eternity.
The second request of the eternally condemned man is for his brothers who are sill alive. The man begs Abraham to send a messenger to warn his five brothers lest they also find themselves in hell. Again, the condemned man’s request is denied because God has provided Moses and the prophets as witnesses for them already.
How boldly might the condemned man share the gospel of Christ with those around him if her were allowed a second chance? After having experienced the agony f hell how fervently would he encourage others to flee the wrath that is to come? What would be able to stop this man from telling his five brothers? Unfortunately there is no second chance. Those who scoff at hell in this life will wish that they has believed and evangelized others in the next.
And what about us? If only every believer could experience hell for just a moment the world would be full of compassionate evangelists. It may not be easy to think seriously for very long about the doctrine of hell. In fact it may offend and terrify us, but it should also teach us compassion and move us to share the love and hope of Christ with the lost around us.”
This makes me want to talk to everyone I meet. Think about all the people over seas that don’t even have a chance to hear the gospel. They will have to live in hell for eternity. That breaks my heart. If I know from 80 years from now that there are girls in sorority house that come up to me and ask me why I didn’t share the gospel with them and ask me why I didn’t care about them enough to save them from this awful place, I will be heartbroken. This makes me wants to share the gospel with people that I know will judge me and people I know wont be my friends anymore. Those friendships are so temporary compared to the eternal life they might spend in hell.
I just encourage everyone who is reading this to really realize how serious hell is and realize that once someone is there, there is no going back. They are going to spend eternity there.
July 1, 2011