God is so good to me!

God is just so good! I just got back from a little night out with the girls that I work with at HyVee. Today was my last day, and so we had kind of a going away party for me:) It was so special, God blessed our time together, and I felt so loved. They were all anxious to hear about Africa..which I leave in 30 days!!!! I will write more and the details later...but for now...I got flowers and balloons...They gave me colorful, cheerful, beautiful daisies..which are my favorites:) I love you Lord...thank you for taking care of me..and lifting me up when I need it!

Humbling Experience

Last night, during my night class, which is Introduction to Special Education, I was humbled. I gave a 22 minute presentation of AIDS, especially the effects it has on children in Africa. I chose that topic, because in 35 days..aka 5 weeks, I will be leaving for Mali, Africa :) After my presentation, we listened to a few other presentations, and then we had a lecture on how to deal with children that have lost a loved one, or they themselves are dying. We watched a video clip on children dealing with cancer and lukemia. The children were just excited to be alive. Some shared their struggles, and fears, but also their hopes and how they arent going to let the cancer take their life away from them! It was so encouraging. I need to be thankful for my healthy body! I have so much to be thankful for! God is so good, and even when people are sick, God can use their stories, because that is just because we have such an amazing God! So, thank you God, for giving me a healthy body, and for giving me so much to be thankful for, help me to never take that for granted! I just love you Lord! You are so good to me!

A Heart for Missions/ Being on fire for God:)

Tonight, I had the most interesting experience:) I decided to go running, which is a rare thing. As I was returning around 7:45pm, I got a phone call from a friend asking if I wanted to go to the Switchfoot concert, which was at 8pm. The concert was a sold out concert, so I hadnt been able to get tickets previously. Well, it turns out that a lady got out of her car and had 3 extra tickets..so I got to go:) Before the concert, as I was waiting in line, I ran into an a friend of mine's brother, and talked with him quickly, just tell him to tell his brother hi from me. Well, after the concert, I ran into this guy again, and we talked for awhile about missions. He has a total heart for God..and it is obvious in the way he spoke! He is going to go to Serbia for one year, to build relationships with college students..and just share God's love with them. So, amazing! So, not only was the concert amazing, I was really blessed and encouraged by this guy. God used him to remind me that I need to be patient, and wait on the Lord. :) Thank God for being so good to me! I love you Lord!

It's Coming!

38 days left! I am sitting here thinking..how in the world did the last few months go by so quickly! It seems as though just week ago, I decided I was going to Africa..and now I am leaving in less than 6 weeks! Things are starting to get crazy, with finals, graduation, and such:) I am just hoping that I can keep my focus and get things done that need to be done:)

43 days!

We are down to 43 days...I can't wait! Today was a busy day..lots of things to be done! I had my night class, which is Introduction to Special Education..which, the more I learn, the more I am inclined to pursue special education! I think that I would love the challenge!

Always something to do

I just cant get over the fact that there is always something to do...I am learning that if I want free time I have to make it. I have to learn to build it into my schedule! Otherwise, if I let my schedule control my life, I will never have anytime to myself. Things are getting so busy with finals just around the corner! I can't believe just how soon this year is going to be over! A little challenging thought for today is this : Love isn't love until you give it away!

Challenges :)

45 days...45 days until I leave for Mali, Africa! I am so excited! I just feel like God is going to give me a lot of opportunities to serve Him! Lately, He has been showing Himself to me through my devotions. He is constantly reminding me that He is always there and that He has a purpose for everything! Although sometimes it is hard to understand why things happen, I know that I have to keep on keeping on and just trust that He knows best! Some verses that have really challenged me lately are

*Jeremiah 33:3, "Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

*Philippains 4:19, "And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus."

Giving

I still have not figured out why it is so hard for me to make time to blog! I always have intentions of doing it, but seem to fail at following those through more often than not...but I need to start practicing trying to blog/journal everyday, because I am planning on keeping an online blog while I am in Africa! I am leaving in 48days:) the count down is on! Here is a little devotional I found, that really challenged me!

"Give and it shall be given unto you." - Luke 6:38
The Law of Reciprocity
Mother Teresa wrote" One night a man came to our house and said, "There's a family of eight children who haven't eaten for days.' I took some food and went to see them. When I got there I saw the faces of little children disfigured by malnutrition. There was no sadness there, just the pain of hunger. I gave a sack of rice to the mother. She kept one half and went out carrying the other. When she came back I asked, 'Where did you go?' She answered, "To my neighbors, they're hungry also.' I wasn't surprised that she gave, the poor are usually very generous. But I was surprised that she knew they were hungry. As a rule, when we're suffering we are so focused on our own problems that we have no time for others." That's the law of reciprocity!
It teaches you that:
1)You can give your way to great blessing. Jesus said: "Give, and it shall be given unto you"(Luke 6:38). No seed is too little to multiply if you're willing to sow it. (2)What you do for others determines what God does for you. "Knowing that whatever good anyone does, he will receive the same from the Lord"(Eph 6:8). (3)Your gift is the key to your future, but you must be willing to give it. "How?" you ask. By finding a cause greater than yourself and pouring your life into it! When you do that you discover two things: (a) It's okay to acknowledge your limitations as long as you don't build your life around them. (b) That success begins by focusing on what you have, not on what you don't!