A Helping Hand

So, it's been a while since I last wrote one of these things. I kinda forgot about it. Anywho, I wanted to share a little about my experience this past week. It has been one of those awesome weeks in general just because of a ton of little things. I started out getting to see my friends off to their Kenya trip, which is part of what has made this past week so great. Every single day, I just find myself thinking constantly about them and what kind of things they must be experiencing. I challenged myself to pray for them everyday, and especially for my friend, Debra, as she prayed so hard foe me when I was on my trip. It is so crazy when I think about the time difference. For instance, right now it is like 6:30 a.m. there. Weird! I know that the things they are seeing and dealing with are tough and I can't wait to hear stories straight from them. I am seeing how God has made me a part of this trip, though, in the way He has put it on my heart to lift them up whenever I think about them. Okay, that wasn't really the point of this blog, but I did also want to share that. So, one of my two goals this summer was to draw closer to God and to love my mom better. I have really felt God so much more than I expected to what with being away from mt college community of believers and all. I find it a lot easier to keep up with Him when I stay in His word and try my best to give Him everything I have. I've had a lot of babysitting jobs this summer, for two different families, and one way I have been able to bless them is just by letting them feel safe leaving their kids with me. When they get home, they know that their kids have had fun and I treated them with respect, while also disciplining them in the way their parents would. I thought it would just be a cool way to earn some money over the summer, but it's turned into a serious humbling experience because of the way I've had to adjust my attitude to be "kid- friendly". I also got to sing in church this morning and it was just really nice to finally have the time to do that again as it had been a few weeks. Afterwards, the pastor's wife thanked me for using my gifts and sharing them this morning. It felt really great to be thanked while also having God acknowledged. I have found it very hard to take compliments from people because it wasn't really me giving it in the first place. Knowing that she recognized God as the reason I got up there just totally made my day. Okay, so now I think I'm finally going to get to my point: I have been trying to love my mom better this summer because for the next 2 years (at least) I will be living with her 24/7. I was freaking out about it because we just don't get along! We have different personalities, although everyone tells us they are the same. Either way, whatever attitudes we have, they don't get along with each other! I decided this week I would do at least one nice thing for my mom everyday, whether she asked or even noticed it. The first couple days, she didn't notice until later. But once, she saw me unloading the dishwasher and she was just really excited to see me doing it without being told. Her attitude towards me has improved a TON and because of that, I am less defensive around her. We still have a long way to go, and trust me, we're obviously not anywhere near perfect, but at least we're on the right track! So I guess my question is, what can you do this week to improve a relationship? Whether it's with a parent or a friend or a coworker, is there something you can do to make things better between you and that person? It also kinda makes me wonder what other things God would want me to do to make it even better. Thanks for listening to my thoughts, sorry they were so long!!! :)

Making a Change

So I'm sitting here at Panera, where I've been everyday this week so I can get the internet. I've been thinking a lot about my Honduras trip. It was without a doubt the most life-changing experience of my life. I think of my thank you letters I sent out and how I wanted to really give people an idea of what the trip truly meant to me. I am never going to be able to forget the people I met there and the things I saw and did, nor would I ever want to. I loved every part about that trip. What sticks out to me the most is the love. They loved us there like I have never been loved before. How could people who have so little love us so much? Then it made me think of my life here in Illinois. How can I show that love to the people I come into contact with in my OWN daily life? I realize that the best way to do this is to always be a helping hand. The times it's hardest is when I just don't feel like doing much of anything, yet those are the times that God is calling me to it more than ever. I don't want to walk away from this trip and have it eventually become a distant memory, I want it to be at the forefront of my mind all the time. What was the point of going if nothing about my life changes? There are still many things I am going over in my head about what I can do to reach the people there without actually being there, but for now, knowing that there is something I can do here is a great start. We were all meant to change the world, so how are YOU going to do your part?

The definition of entertainment

Hey there,
So I've been thinking about this idea of being Jesus-like. In my head, isn't that really asking that if Jesus were here with us in the flesh right now, what would HE do?? Well, lately I have been really convicted in regards to my movie collection. We had a garage sale yesterday and I was going through my things in an effort to "simplify" my life. I had some movies that are all about killing and I know have bad language in them. One of my friends posted a while back on this topic, too. I just can't seem to shake this feeling that there's more to entertainment than what entertains US. If Jesus were sitting next to me in the movie theater, what would He really have to say? Would he be okay with me listening to bad jokes that are directed at Him? I think of Talladega Nights and the scene where they pray to "precious baby Jesus" or something like that, but really, they're kinda making fun of Him. They're not honoring Him. Yet, we are human, and we think that's funny, even those of us who are totally in love with Jesus. Anyway, as I went through my movies, I looked through each one and decided, for myself, does God really want me to fill my mind with this stuff? I put them in the garage sale pile and as I sold nearly every single one yesterday, it hurt. I'm not gonna lie, some of those movies I love. But, if God doesn't love it, than I think I just got my answer on whether I should be watching it. It's been really hard, especially with the movies coming out in the future. Does God really want us watching sex scenes about couples that aren't married on television? I don't know, I really just don't know the answers to these questions, that's why I have them. But, I do know that there is a very good reason God's put this on my heart, so I just wanted to share this, who knows, I may not be the only one feeling this way. Also, if you have any thoughts, I would love to hear them....