Okay, the title is quite cheesy. I already know that. You can probably guess from the title that I'm in the Old Testament today. I'm so original, I know... not. Enough jibber-jabber. Let's jump right in.
I've been in 1 Samuel and was initially blown away by Hannah's prayer. I don't know why I didn't blog about it... Maybe later. I have other things on my brain at the moment. Okay... moving along to chapter 8. I can relate a lot to Samuel in the beginning of this chapter. For those of you that know me personally you know that when it comes to evangelism I casually change the subject. I've become almost a pro at it, which isn't good. I have a fear of rejection that comes naturally to most people. I get sad and feel down whenever I am rejected on something that I am passionate about. That's about what Samuel is feeling in the beginning of chapter 8. Samuel is crying to God. Then God chimes in and says in verse 7:
And the Lord told him: "Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king." (NIV)
I always love it when Old Testament translates past New Testament into 21st Century problems. I'm not even sure that sentence makes sense. Anyway, Israel is begging for a king. They want to be like everyone else and have a king rule over them and fight their battles. Evangelism is offering this king/getting people to realize that this king already exists. So, be encouraged my fellow soldiers! When we reach out to people and offer them Christ and they say, "No." or "Maybe Later." or "I'm just really busy right now." they are are rejecting God not you! Yes, it's still going to hurt. It's not going to be pleasant. God still wants a relationship with you. Why would I worry about being rejected or ridiculed? It's God they're hurting which is much worse than my hurt feelings. Not that we shouldn't care that God is being rejected. It's simply a reminder that it's not about us.
Moving on to verses 19-20. I chuckled a little when I read these verses. I thought to myself, "These people are not smart. What on earth were they thinking." Then I thought to myself, "Self, you do this all the time." And then I related and learned from history.
But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and go out before us and fight our battles."
I originally looked at this and was like: You dummies! God is your king. He's already fought your battles. Why would you want to be like everyone else! You're supposed to be different! Then I thought again to myself (I did a lot of thinking to myself this morning you can tell): Even then God's chosen people were meant to stand out in a crowd. They were called to be different. They didn't need a king because that had the King. Yet, they were blinded by their own desires. This doesn't really come as news as most of us know at least a little about the history of the Israelites. They were in a out of exile and they turned their faces from God a lot. The same stuff is happening today. God is fighting every single battle to this day for his people. I know I get so blinded by my own desires that I lose sight of God and all that he is doing and has done for me. Again, be encouraged! God is our King. We need no longer look for a king! He leads us; He goes out before us; He fights our battles.
I feel very empowered right now. I'm going to chew on this for a while.
Stay spiritual my friends.
Liz.
27 October 2013
18 September 2013
Grace. AMEN.
I just want to share my thoughts about my time with God this morning. I know, I know... it has been ages since I've posted anything on here. I don't know why. I have been tempted many times to post my quiet times and random thoughts, but I just haven't. Anyway, here goes:
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV
I quite enjoyed my meditation on these verses this morning. So, here's what I got out of it:
1. I cannot save myself. No one can save his/herself. There's no way.
"And this is not your own doing,"
On the one hand this is awesome! I don't have to worry about trying to save myself. Woohoo! On the other hand it's like, 'My life is doomed... I can't help myself.' I choose to keep the first frame of mind. I get overwhelmed thinking that I have to do everything and that everything in my life is going to happen because I say so and if it doesn't go my way then it's my fault. That's such an awful thought process. God doesn't work that way. I am not Lord of my life, Jesus is. I can't change my fate (for the better) only Jesus can. He's my leader and my captain. I can't save myself. Only Jesus has that capability.
2. Being saved is a gift, NOT a privilege or a right
"it is the gift of God..."
- It's not a privilege in the fact that it can never be taken away. I remember being in daycare as a child and having crayons as a privilege. If we didn't play nice with the crayons then our "crayon privilege" would be taken away for x amount of days. Grace is everlasting. God doesn't want to lose his children. He always wants us right next to him under his wings. He would never take grace away from us.
- It's not a right either. Don't get prideful into thinking that grace is something freely handed to us because we deserve it. We don't deserve grace, or at least I don't. I mess up daily. I could probably make a nice long list of things I've done today alone that I've messed up. This the beauty of grace though. My darkest days in the light are still days in the light.
3. Even though the actual works don't save/provide salvation, it is works that keep us under his grace.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
No, being a "good" person isn't going to be the one thing that gets you to heaven. Once you've made the decision to become of follower of Christ, one of his disciples, a Christian, there is work to be done. You don't just take that leap of faith and stop. No, we were created for good works that have been prepared for us ahead of time.
God is so good. A.M.E.N.
No, I do not understand grace entirely at all. Please don't get that idea, but I am quite grateful for it.
Liz
2. Being saved is a gift, NOT a privilege or a right
"it is the gift of God..."
- It's not a privilege in the fact that it can never be taken away. I remember being in daycare as a child and having crayons as a privilege. If we didn't play nice with the crayons then our "crayon privilege" would be taken away for x amount of days. Grace is everlasting. God doesn't want to lose his children. He always wants us right next to him under his wings. He would never take grace away from us.
- It's not a right either. Don't get prideful into thinking that grace is something freely handed to us because we deserve it. We don't deserve grace, or at least I don't. I mess up daily. I could probably make a nice long list of things I've done today alone that I've messed up. This the beauty of grace though. My darkest days in the light are still days in the light.
3. Even though the actual works don't save/provide salvation, it is works that keep us under his grace.
"For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
No, being a "good" person isn't going to be the one thing that gets you to heaven. Once you've made the decision to become of follower of Christ, one of his disciples, a Christian, there is work to be done. You don't just take that leap of faith and stop. No, we were created for good works that have been prepared for us ahead of time.
God is so good. A.M.E.N.
No, I do not understand grace entirely at all. Please don't get that idea, but I am quite grateful for it.
Liz
06 January 2013
Disciple of Christ
First of all, I have to give mad props to my main man Jarrod for becoming a theme guy at least for this short time and putting it out there to discover who we are in Christ. So, that's what I did today. Well, not completely and entirely, but I did begin to look into it.
Who am I? Like really, who am I? Deep down in my inner most being? Well, first and foremost I am a disciple of Christ. But, what does that even mean? Matthew 10 is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. Jesus calls his twelve and basically gives them a pep talk and prepares them to go out spreading the good news. First, Jesus gives them the tools they need to heal people/perform miracles. Then, he tells them what to do and warns them and encourages them about their journeys. Well, I couldn't get past Matthew 10:1:
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. (ESV)
Sounds pretty cool, right? What if I said we have the same powers? I love it when I make parallels like the one I made today. So, when I was studying the Bible and beginning my relationship with Christ, I was being healed. I was leaving the evil desires of my youth behind and setting forth on a journey of faith and discipleship. The unclean spirits that Satan had put inside my mind were being banished. By studying the Bible with people and showing them how the Bible is the standard for life, then we, as disciples, are being used to heal diseases and afflictions. Cool, right!? 2 Peter 1:3-4:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Verse 3 (the first sentence) goes along really well with the first part of Matthew 10:1. God has given us everything we need -- everything we need to fight Satan is included in that everything. And verse 4 goes quite nicely with the second part of Matthew 10:1. Through the promises God has given us we get to be a part of God's kingdom. We don't have to be tied down by unclean spirits and sinful nature. We are healed through Jesus and by that can heal others through Jesus.
I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but it makes sense in my head and I thought I would share. Anyway, happy new year! Who are you in 2013? For eternity?
Love,
Elizabeth
Who am I? Like really, who am I? Deep down in my inner most being? Well, first and foremost I am a disciple of Christ. But, what does that even mean? Matthew 10 is one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. Jesus calls his twelve and basically gives them a pep talk and prepares them to go out spreading the good news. First, Jesus gives them the tools they need to heal people/perform miracles. Then, he tells them what to do and warns them and encourages them about their journeys. Well, I couldn't get past Matthew 10:1:
And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. (ESV)
Sounds pretty cool, right? What if I said we have the same powers? I love it when I make parallels like the one I made today. So, when I was studying the Bible and beginning my relationship with Christ, I was being healed. I was leaving the evil desires of my youth behind and setting forth on a journey of faith and discipleship. The unclean spirits that Satan had put inside my mind were being banished. By studying the Bible with people and showing them how the Bible is the standard for life, then we, as disciples, are being used to heal diseases and afflictions. Cool, right!? 2 Peter 1:3-4:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
Verse 3 (the first sentence) goes along really well with the first part of Matthew 10:1. God has given us everything we need -- everything we need to fight Satan is included in that everything. And verse 4 goes quite nicely with the second part of Matthew 10:1. Through the promises God has given us we get to be a part of God's kingdom. We don't have to be tied down by unclean spirits and sinful nature. We are healed through Jesus and by that can heal others through Jesus.
I don't know if that makes any sense to you, but it makes sense in my head and I thought I would share. Anyway, happy new year! Who are you in 2013? For eternity?
Love,
Elizabeth
31 December 2012
Out with 2012, in with 2013
As I'm lounging in my bed reflecting on 2012 and everything that happened throughout the year, I can only praise God for all the ups and downs that was the 2012 rollercoaster. So, I'm going to do what most people do when the new year rolls around. I'm going to recap 2012 as best as I can and list out some resolutions for 2013.
The Recap:
1. This time last year I was counseling at HATS (Holidays At The Swamp). It was a lot of fun, including the 6 hours spent in a laundry mat. I got to form new relationships with kids and counselors.
2. On January 21, 2012 I moved to Wilmington, NC and started this blog. Not necessarily in that order, but whatever.
3. I moved in with Katie Sawhill.
4. I was a part of a mission team. Never in a million years would I have guessed I would do something like that.
5. I struggled hard core with home sickness. I talked all my life about moving out and then all I wanted was to wake up across the hall from my sister.
6. I had to take the backseat in my sister's quest for God. I wasn't at home to help here and could only take the teary phone calls from 5 hours away.
7. Wilmington had a send-off service in Raleigh, NC with all of the other NC churches. It was fun and finally happening that Wilmington families were starting to move down.
8. Summer 2012 was crazy busy. I was working pretty much 40 hour weeks and getting to go to the beach almost never. Weird, right?
9. Steve Kazella visited Hungary and came back with a flyer for the 2012 European Singles Conference. Katie and I decided to go.
10. Then campus moved back! YAY!
11. My dad asked me to move back home. I prayed about it.
12. I WENT TO BERLIN, GERMANY. Words cannot express my love for anything and everything Europe. I met so many awesome people from all over Europe and even some people from the states! I pray for all of you often!
13. ALEXIS GOT BAPTIZED!!! I can't think of a better going away gift than to see another get added to the Kingdom!
14. I moved back to Anderson.
15. MY SISTER GOT BAPTIZED!!! What a welcome home present!
16. I found a job and that's pretty much the rest of my 2012.
I didn't make any resolutions for 2012, but I am making resolutions for 2013. I want to be disciplined in keeping them. I tend to be a slacker in commitments to myself.
So, here goes. Some are spiritual; some are not so spiritual, but here are my resolutions for 2013:
1. To wake up before 8:00am every single day. It doesn't matter what day it is or what I did the night before. I want to be up before 8:00am.
2. Run the Cooper River Run 10k in under an hour.
3. Read through the entire Bible.
4. Be able to share about Jesus completely from the Old Testament. That's how the people were converted in the beginning anyway.
5. Go back to Europe for an entire month. That's right, AN ENTIRE MONTH. I want to strengthen current relationships and build new ones.
6. I don't know if I'm supposed to put this on here. I don't know how many guys actually read this, but I would like to, prayerfully, start dating in 2013. This one is complete faith in God and prayer in his will.
7. Study the Bible with more people and reach out to more people. I want to be a warrior for God in 2013.
I think that's all. A lot of them I just came up with on the spot, but I think it's a pretty solid list.
Anyway, 2012. It's been real, and it's been fun, but only parts of it were real fun.
Love,
Elizabeth
The Recap:
1. This time last year I was counseling at HATS (Holidays At The Swamp). It was a lot of fun, including the 6 hours spent in a laundry mat. I got to form new relationships with kids and counselors.
2. On January 21, 2012 I moved to Wilmington, NC and started this blog. Not necessarily in that order, but whatever.
3. I moved in with Katie Sawhill.
4. I was a part of a mission team. Never in a million years would I have guessed I would do something like that.
5. I struggled hard core with home sickness. I talked all my life about moving out and then all I wanted was to wake up across the hall from my sister.
6. I had to take the backseat in my sister's quest for God. I wasn't at home to help here and could only take the teary phone calls from 5 hours away.
7. Wilmington had a send-off service in Raleigh, NC with all of the other NC churches. It was fun and finally happening that Wilmington families were starting to move down.
8. Summer 2012 was crazy busy. I was working pretty much 40 hour weeks and getting to go to the beach almost never. Weird, right?
9. Steve Kazella visited Hungary and came back with a flyer for the 2012 European Singles Conference. Katie and I decided to go.
10. Then campus moved back! YAY!
11. My dad asked me to move back home. I prayed about it.
12. I WENT TO BERLIN, GERMANY. Words cannot express my love for anything and everything Europe. I met so many awesome people from all over Europe and even some people from the states! I pray for all of you often!
13. ALEXIS GOT BAPTIZED!!! I can't think of a better going away gift than to see another get added to the Kingdom!
14. I moved back to Anderson.
15. MY SISTER GOT BAPTIZED!!! What a welcome home present!
16. I found a job and that's pretty much the rest of my 2012.
I didn't make any resolutions for 2012, but I am making resolutions for 2013. I want to be disciplined in keeping them. I tend to be a slacker in commitments to myself.
So, here goes. Some are spiritual; some are not so spiritual, but here are my resolutions for 2013:
1. To wake up before 8:00am every single day. It doesn't matter what day it is or what I did the night before. I want to be up before 8:00am.
2. Run the Cooper River Run 10k in under an hour.
3. Read through the entire Bible.
4. Be able to share about Jesus completely from the Old Testament. That's how the people were converted in the beginning anyway.
5. Go back to Europe for an entire month. That's right, AN ENTIRE MONTH. I want to strengthen current relationships and build new ones.
6. I don't know if I'm supposed to put this on here. I don't know how many guys actually read this, but I would like to, prayerfully, start dating in 2013. This one is complete faith in God and prayer in his will.
7. Study the Bible with more people and reach out to more people. I want to be a warrior for God in 2013.
I think that's all. A lot of them I just came up with on the spot, but I think it's a pretty solid list.
Anyway, 2012. It's been real, and it's been fun, but only parts of it were real fun.
Love,
Elizabeth
26 October 2012
Europa!... And Other Semi-Related or Completely Unrelated Things
I haven't updated in a LOOOOOOOOONG while, and a lot has changed. When I say a lot, I mean A LOOOOOT has changed. Let me start with the events leading up to Berlin. (I know! I WENT TO BERLIN, DEUTSCHLAND!) Anyway, before Berlin...
I went home (Clemson) to visit family and to be home for my sister's 21st birthday. I cannot believe she's all grown up. It's crazy to think about. Anyway, so, at that time I knew that my journey in Wilmington was coming to an end. I won't go into those crazy details, but I was indeed moving back to Clemson. So, that midweek I announced to my church family that I was moving home about a month from then. Some people's jaws dropped. Some yelled in excitement. Others gasped. It was a great moment. I was also ecstatic to be back with my family again... a lot of whom I didn't know yet. Also, Clemson turned into an almost dating ministry so I got to congratulate the new couples that seemed half my age. They're not, really, but whatever. Anyway, Thursday night my family went out to TTT's for the traditional first legal drink in Clemson. You get a free T-shirt. I think that's the only reason we decided to go there... So, that was a fun weekend back home visiting. OH, I forgot about my trip to Atlanta on that Friday. What a fiasco that was! I felt like a chicken with it's head cut off... That's right, I felt dead. Not really... So, I had to go to the passport agency to get my passport done in one day... or so I thought. Turns out they just express mail it to you in a couple of days. The day that I went was 10 days before Katie and I left to go to Berlin. I wasn't cutting it close at all... NOT. So, Murphy and I get to Atlanta and had to make an emergency call to the passport office to change the appointment because I was late, late, late. I also -- like a genius -- left my passport photos all the way back in Wilmington. So, I had to find a CVS and pay ANOTHER $10 to have my photo done AGAIN. Luckily, there was CVS right across the street from the agency. Thanks iPhone maps for NOT finding the CVS and sending my sister and I on a wild goose chase looking for a CVS. Also, thanks to the CVS guy for making me laugh in a moment of absolute stress. He was a pretty cool guy. Anyway, after that was over, Murphy and I chilled and ate lunch and went to the High Museum in Atlanta.
After that, I drove back to Wilmington on Sunday for the dedication service/birthday party for the church. It was so awesome! Kevin spoke from Ezekiel 37 which was something that I definitely needed to hear. The worship was awesome. The barbecue afterward was AMAZING, OUT OF THIS WORLD, ON POINT. Triangle does not know how spoiled they are with these masters of the smoker. Anyway, I ate more that I should have, but I was completely satisfied feeling like a Butterball turkey.
Then, it was time to gear up for BERLIN. I still cannot believe that I was able to make a trip to Berlin, Germany with my roommate. Like, who does that??? God really made things happen with this. So, my passport arrived on Thursday back home in Clemson, and I needed my family to overnight it to me. Well they get it to the post office on Friday. So, I'm expecting it Saturday. It was a no show. Mail doesn't come on Sunday (duh!). Well, I don't know who celebrates Columbus Day. Oh, yeah, the USPS celebrates Columbus Day. Hooray! Happy Stolen Country Day! Mail doesn't come then either. That leaves Tuesday and ONLY Tuesday for this thing to come. Katie and I are set to leave Wilmington and drive to Raleigh on Tuesday evening to spend the night before our flight leaves on Wednesday morning around 10:30. I'm pretty much having a mild panic attack all Tuesday morning and my emotions are on edge. I read online that it was supposed to be there before noon if it's express mail. I checked at 11:30 and it wasn't there. WHAT?!!? I was freaking out. I ran around town doing various things before we needed to leave. I came back around 1:30ish and PRAISE GOD it was there. Amen! So, Katie and I finished packing and cleaning and high tailed it up to Raleigh.
Okay, this conference was BEYOND amazing. It was a little slice of heaven on earth. I was in awe of the lessons. I huge shout out to the Folkers, Muellers, and to Toks for leading such an awesome conference. I met so many great people from all over Europe. I have to go back, there is no question. I also could write a novel probably on here about everything that I learned. I don't exactly have the patience to sit and write it though. So, I'll just let you know that anytime there's another European Singles Conference you better be there. I learned so much and it definitely turned my light back on. (The theme was Let Your Light Shine!) I felt like Ezekiel 37 leading up to the conference. Katie and I both felt like this conference was a breath from God. If you want to know more about the conference then you can definitely ask and I will tell you all I learned.
Since the conference I have moved back home to Clemson. I have definitely enjoyed being back. I definitely miss my Wilmington family though!! I'm still unpacking and getting things set up in my room. It's quite a process and I don't plan on doing it again for a loooong while. I got the best welcome home a girl could ask for though. My sister became my sister all over again in the best way. On October 24, 2012 my sister stepped into Lake Hartwell and declared Jesus as Lord of her life. That day was almost 3 years in the making. Amen! Amen! Amen! I could not have asked for anything more! God hears your cries and answers your prayers. My sister is living proof.
I'll end here with this scripture that I read this morning:
We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
Hebrews 3:14
Love you all!
Elizabeth
P.S. I guess I should change my name and layout now that I'm not at the beach anymore?
I went home (Clemson) to visit family and to be home for my sister's 21st birthday. I cannot believe she's all grown up. It's crazy to think about. Anyway, so, at that time I knew that my journey in Wilmington was coming to an end. I won't go into those crazy details, but I was indeed moving back to Clemson. So, that midweek I announced to my church family that I was moving home about a month from then. Some people's jaws dropped. Some yelled in excitement. Others gasped. It was a great moment. I was also ecstatic to be back with my family again... a lot of whom I didn't know yet. Also, Clemson turned into an almost dating ministry so I got to congratulate the new couples that seemed half my age. They're not, really, but whatever. Anyway, Thursday night my family went out to TTT's for the traditional first legal drink in Clemson. You get a free T-shirt. I think that's the only reason we decided to go there... So, that was a fun weekend back home visiting. OH, I forgot about my trip to Atlanta on that Friday. What a fiasco that was! I felt like a chicken with it's head cut off... That's right, I felt dead. Not really... So, I had to go to the passport agency to get my passport done in one day... or so I thought. Turns out they just express mail it to you in a couple of days. The day that I went was 10 days before Katie and I left to go to Berlin. I wasn't cutting it close at all... NOT. So, Murphy and I get to Atlanta and had to make an emergency call to the passport office to change the appointment because I was late, late, late. I also -- like a genius -- left my passport photos all the way back in Wilmington. So, I had to find a CVS and pay ANOTHER $10 to have my photo done AGAIN. Luckily, there was CVS right across the street from the agency. Thanks iPhone maps for NOT finding the CVS and sending my sister and I on a wild goose chase looking for a CVS. Also, thanks to the CVS guy for making me laugh in a moment of absolute stress. He was a pretty cool guy. Anyway, after that was over, Murphy and I chilled and ate lunch and went to the High Museum in Atlanta.
After that, I drove back to Wilmington on Sunday for the dedication service/birthday party for the church. It was so awesome! Kevin spoke from Ezekiel 37 which was something that I definitely needed to hear. The worship was awesome. The barbecue afterward was AMAZING, OUT OF THIS WORLD, ON POINT. Triangle does not know how spoiled they are with these masters of the smoker. Anyway, I ate more that I should have, but I was completely satisfied feeling like a Butterball turkey.
Then, it was time to gear up for BERLIN. I still cannot believe that I was able to make a trip to Berlin, Germany with my roommate. Like, who does that??? God really made things happen with this. So, my passport arrived on Thursday back home in Clemson, and I needed my family to overnight it to me. Well they get it to the post office on Friday. So, I'm expecting it Saturday. It was a no show. Mail doesn't come on Sunday (duh!). Well, I don't know who celebrates Columbus Day. Oh, yeah, the USPS celebrates Columbus Day. Hooray! Happy Stolen Country Day! Mail doesn't come then either. That leaves Tuesday and ONLY Tuesday for this thing to come. Katie and I are set to leave Wilmington and drive to Raleigh on Tuesday evening to spend the night before our flight leaves on Wednesday morning around 10:30. I'm pretty much having a mild panic attack all Tuesday morning and my emotions are on edge. I read online that it was supposed to be there before noon if it's express mail. I checked at 11:30 and it wasn't there. WHAT?!!? I was freaking out. I ran around town doing various things before we needed to leave. I came back around 1:30ish and PRAISE GOD it was there. Amen! So, Katie and I finished packing and cleaning and high tailed it up to Raleigh.
Okay, this conference was BEYOND amazing. It was a little slice of heaven on earth. I was in awe of the lessons. I huge shout out to the Folkers, Muellers, and to Toks for leading such an awesome conference. I met so many great people from all over Europe. I have to go back, there is no question. I also could write a novel probably on here about everything that I learned. I don't exactly have the patience to sit and write it though. So, I'll just let you know that anytime there's another European Singles Conference you better be there. I learned so much and it definitely turned my light back on. (The theme was Let Your Light Shine!) I felt like Ezekiel 37 leading up to the conference. Katie and I both felt like this conference was a breath from God. If you want to know more about the conference then you can definitely ask and I will tell you all I learned.
Since the conference I have moved back home to Clemson. I have definitely enjoyed being back. I definitely miss my Wilmington family though!! I'm still unpacking and getting things set up in my room. It's quite a process and I don't plan on doing it again for a loooong while. I got the best welcome home a girl could ask for though. My sister became my sister all over again in the best way. On October 24, 2012 my sister stepped into Lake Hartwell and declared Jesus as Lord of her life. That day was almost 3 years in the making. Amen! Amen! Amen! I could not have asked for anything more! God hears your cries and answers your prayers. My sister is living proof.
I'll end here with this scripture that I read this morning:
We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
Hebrews 3:14
Love you all!
Elizabeth
P.S. I guess I should change my name and layout now that I'm not at the beach anymore?
13 August 2012
Wir fahren auf Deutschland... oder?
As many of you know or don't know, I am traveling (with my roommate) to Germany for the European Singles Conference. Yay, right?! Well, at first I was all like, "Yay! We're going to Germany! We already have our tickets! So much fun! Yay! Let me get a CD from the library to brush up on my German! Yay!" Please read that in a sarcastic cheerleader voice, because that's the way I intend it to be read/heard. Well, in case you've never traveled abroad or have lived under a rock for most of your life, you need a little thing called a passport to travel anywhere outside of your native country (and back into your native country if you somehow managed to get out of the country without one... but then again if you got out undetected, you can get back in, right?) ANYWAY, these suckers are like a trip to SeaWorld, except you're the dolphin not the spectator. These hoops they have you jump through is ridiculous! Let me take you on my journey. I'm going to do it bullet style... mostly because I'm no good at deciding where to start and stop paragraphs. That and bullets are just easier organizationally speaking.
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- It's the first day that I had planned to get my passport and the first thing I find out is that not all of my checks have gone through and I don't have enough money. At this point I have plenty of time to order my passport and get it in time.
- I still made the trip by the post office to see if my birth certificate is the right one and to get the forms to fill out.
- It's pretty much a month later (now, today) and I'm headed on this journey again. This time I have the money and the forms and everything else.
- I go by CVS to get my pictures done. IT'S $10 TO GET YOUR PASSPORT PHOTO THERE. Excuse me, but when did it start costing $10 to print a picture?!
- I'm like, "Okay, that's a bit steep but I'm already here." Next step, the post office. So I get up to the counter and I have all of my stuff and I'm all ready to go and I'm feeling a bit chipper. Well, come to find out the original guy that told me my birth certificate was okay was WRONG. Let me start a new bullet list so you can follow my process:
- My birth certificate is the wrong one. I have to have the big one with my parents' names on them. So, that's more $$ that I have to spend.
- My license has to be for NC. I still haven't changed it over. I know, I know I'm really late on that. But that's more $$ out of my poor little pocket.
- So, I have to wait for all of this to get to me before I can head back to the post office and get everything sent off.
- I'm headed out October 10 to Germany. That's LESS than 2 months away. So, guess who gets to pay for express service? This girl, that's who. Also, please add $60 to my tally at this point.
At this point I'm not really frustrated. I'm just at the point where I want to cry and I'm mad, extremely mad, at Satan. Opposition, opposition, opposition. So, what did I do? Well, I had a coupon for free coffee at Port City Java and it was for the one 2 blocks from the post office, so I went there. I paid the difference for ice coffee because it's August and hot coffee is ridiculously out of the question. I sat down and I opened my Bible. It's the first time in a long time that I turned to scripture to help me face something. I had to turn to my favorite book, James. I LOVE this book to pieces. So much so that it's the most colorful book in my Bible -- boxes and underlines and highlights everywhere. Of course, I read the first chapter about trials and temptations.
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial,
because when he has stood the test,
he will receive the crown of life
that God has promised to those who love him.
James 1:12
I love it. I love it. I love it. I'm still going to Germany. Yeah, I'm going to have to pay more out of my pocket, but my reward in the end is going to be so much greater and so much more worth it. God has something absolutely AMAZING planned for Katie and I in Germany. I just know it. I can feel it in my bones.
And now, because she's just so darn cute, Panini:
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Love,
Elizabeth
06 July 2012
Amazed
Love,
Elizabeth
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