Weekend of Blessings

I spent this past weekend in at a conference in Bentley, LA. My sister and I started going to the tri-annual family camp when we were about 12 or 13, and we have been going ever since. It has always been a special place for our family, a time of renewal and fellowship. (I was converted the first time I went, too, so I guess I have an extra-special link with the camps.)

As many times as I have been in the almost 10 years of my attending the Bentley camps, I have never seen the Lord move quite like He did this past weekend. Friday night after the main speaker preached a very powerful message, the Lord moved 7 or 8 young people to conviction of their sins and they were brought to Christ!! Most of them were teenagers (1 or 2 were much younger), several of whom I've been praying for for several years. It was such an amazing event! I was so blessed to be able to be a part of it. Most of us there didn't even go to bed until after 2am because everywhere there was crying, praying, and rejoicing!! After we had a time of praise, several of us older girls got a group of the new Christians together and had an impromptu Bible study, where we were able to encourage them all in the Lord. It was such a blessing to be able to pour into their lives. I pray that God will give these baby Christians strong support, so that they will grow daily in their faith!!

It was such a blessing to see God move in such a powerful way! I just want to remind you all--the Lord is still on His throne, and He works everything out according to His will!! And it is so wonderful to see!!! Praise the Lord--He is worthy of all glory and honor!!!

Grasping Eternity

The past few weeks, our pastor has been doing a series of sermons on 1 Timothy 6:11-14. I have been especially convicted through his preaching on verse 12, which says, "...Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called..." For me, eternal life is often just something that I know about, but it really just stays in the back of my mind. I don’t often live in the light of eternity. But what if I were to follow this teaching and really take hold of eternal life? There is so much more to life then just the small trials that we experience each day. We have to look at our lives as God sees them, and understand the big picture. Each moment that He has given us is for us to live for His glory and for His eternal purpose.

I tend to get so bogged down in the little things, and I think I often lose sight of what is really important. God has reminded me so many times this week to think on how things really matter in the light of eternity. How I face the day, the attitude I have, and the way that I go about my tasks are so much more important then the actual tasks that I am completing. This week I have come to realize how important it is to always remind myself of the calling that God has placed on my life. Frequently, I need to re-evaluate whether I have my eyes set on eternity or on the trivial things of life. The little trials seem so much easier to bear when I look at them with the right perspective.

For me, this means not getting caught up in the busyness and stress of my school schedule. Instead, I remind myself why I am doing what I am doing. I feel very strongly that God has called me to be in nursing school. I am very interested in medical missions, and I really think that God is calling me to work (at least short-term) in this area. When I remind myself of this, I find that my schedule it doesn't seem nearly as stressful. I actually spend more time working on building relationships then getting good grades. While grades are important, I feel that my family should come first. College is such a short season of life, but relationships last for a lifetime. Who knows what a difference I may make by taking the time to actually show the people around me how much I care for them?

When I set my eyes on the goal of glorifying God and spreading His Word through my life, I find that my little trials actually seem rewarding. I know that it is all going to be worth it in the end. Whatever He has in store for me, I know that God has a wonderful plan for my life, and that I can trust Him with it.