I heard this from a friend the other day and it just really hit me. I feel like this is very valuable advice to people who are single and people who are dating. So here it is!

To quote Dr. Henry Cloud and John Townsend:

People who are good for you are going to have a threefold effect over time:

1. You end up closer to God. This person does not take you away from God. This does not mean that he seems himself as a spiritual giant. It means that he shows you more of who God is – God’s love and God’s nature – as a result of your relationship. He lives God’s ways, and you can experience God together.

2. You end up closer to others. You are a more relational person and grow in your capacity to relate to others. You trust more, not less. You are more open, not shut down or kidnapped to just this relationship. You have grown in your relational capacities as a fruit of being with this person.

3. You become more of yourself. Instead of a person causing you to lose parts of yourself to be around her, the relationship helps you find more of who God created you to be. You expand, grow, stretch, and become a better and more whole “you,” not less of you.

So, hold on to your heart in dating. Learn, experience, and have fun. Only give your heart to someone who deserves it. It is a precious commodity. As Jesus, says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs” (Matt. 7:6) They will trample your treasures under their feet.
Good people do the opposite. They are a “safe deposit box” for the treasures of your heart. Only store them there, with good characters to whom you can trust your treasures. If you do that, not only will your treasures be safe, but their value will grow. That is the person you are looking for, the one to whom you can give your heart.

Courage to Encourage

Life Rule #5 “The Courage to Encourage”- By Andy Stanley

· Life Rule: If you see a friend that is about do something really stupid it becomes your business
· Society Rule #1: Mind your own business
· Society Rule #2: When you see a friend about to make a bad decision talk about them. Christians will sometimes call this “Prayer Request”
· “Don’t anybody talk to Frank, we will just talk about his situation and pray for him”
· You have the potential to head someone off at the pass and save them from a decision they could regret for the rest of their life.
· Hebrews 3:12-13 “See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called TODAY, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”
· God sees us not as individuals, but as a community therefore we are accountable to each other.
· Sinful, Unbelieving Heart= There is a sequence to a drifting heart
· We stop behaving before we stop believing.
· People will think their experience is unique and it’s not it is a pattern of the World.
· Deceitfulness of Sin means we think we can control the outcome
· “Oh me and God our just at odds right now that’s why I am acting this way and separating myself from God and from the church but I wont stop believing” But that’s road we are on!
· Encourage One Another =Appeal, Beg, Urge, and Exhort
· Not about Praying it’s about Saying!
· Excuses to not engage
#1 Its awkward-> It will always be awkward when approaching someone about their life!
#2 My life is not perfect with God, I am not Perfect-> NO ONE on this earth on their own merit can talk, that is why we are assigned by God to reach out!
· If you are praying or talking about them, you better be talking to them!
· 2 Questions we should ask
#1-> Who do I know that has started down that path, who have I prayed for or talked about?
~You don’t know what they are praying about, they could be asking God to let them know if it is not in His will.
#2-> Who in my circle of friends feels empowered to come rushing in if they see me drifting?
· Christianity was not designed to be Private!

Runaway Love

Runaway love

Now little lisa is only 9 years old

Shes tryin to figure out why the world is so cold

Why shes all all alone and they never met her family

Mamas always gone and she never met her daddy

Part of her is missin and nobody will listenin

Mama is on drugs gettin high up in the kitchen

Bringin home men at different hours of the night

Startin with laughs--usually endin in a fight

Sneak into her room while her mamas knocked out

Tryin to have his way and little lisa says 'ouch'

She tries to resist but then all he does is beat her

Tries to tell her mom but her mama don't believe her

Lisa is stuck up in the world on her own

Forced to think that hell is a place called home

Nothin else to do but some get some clothes and pack

She says shes bout to run away and never come back.

Runaway love [x8]

Little nicole is only 10 years old

Shes steady tryin to figure why the world is so cold

Why shes not pretty and nobody seems to like her

Alcoholic step dad always wanna strike her

Yells and abuses, leaves her with some bruises

Teachers ask questions she makin up excuses

Bleedin on the inside, cryin on the out

Its only one girl really knows what she about

Her name is lil stacy and they become friends

Promise that they always be tight til the end

Until one day lil stacy gets shot

A drive by bullet went stray up on her block

Now nicole stuck up in the world on her own

Forced to think that hell is a place called home

Nothin else to do but some get some clothes and pack

She says shes bout to run away and never come back.

Runaway love [x8]

Little erica is eleven years old

Shes steady tryin to figure why the world is so cold

So she pops x to get rid of all the pain

Cause shes havin sex with a boy whos sixteen

Emotions run deep and she thinks shes in love

So theres no protection hes usin no glove

Never thinkin bout the consequences of her actions

Livin for today and not tomorrows satisfaction

The days go by and her belly gets big

The father bails out he aint ready for a kid

Knowin her mama will blow it all outta proportion

Plus she lives poor so no money for abortion

Erica is stuck up in the world on her own

Forced to think that hell is a place called home

Nothin else to do but get her clothes and pack

She say shes about to run away and never come back.

Runaway love

*Ludacris and Mary J Blige*Check out the Video *

The other day I was getting a pedicure. There was two women in getting their nails done...it was pretty late so it was just us three in the spa. They had families waiting outside for them to finish up. I was bored so I just started to observe the situation. The one woman had a black eye and the other looked like she had had a rough day (which is probably why they were at the nail place becuase thats where women go when things arent going their way lol). Well the woman that had the black eye had this little boy who kept coming into the spa and checking out the progress on his moms nails. I thought to my self "awww how cute he is fasinated by nails...a boy after my own heart!" Well I guess mom did not think that was as cute as I did because each time he came in she would yell and scream and smack this kid on the head. I have no idea what there situation is, but I did start to wonder "Man if this lady can do that in public what does she do in private." The situation just started to make me really sad. Im not a parent so I cant really say how I would act. But I want to believe that I wouldnt treat my child like that..while I do believe in discipline I dont believe in roughing the kids up. So its been a few weeks since I encountered this situation. I heard this song and it made me really think about what kind of world some kids live in and how they are running. Some are not treated and valued the way they should be. Some are beaten and abused by the people that are supposed to support and love them. Some live in broken homes. Some dont have a home at all. I came from a broken home, I remember what it was like and what issues my sister and I still deal with. I cant imagine what others go though and what kind of scars they have.....it makes me really sad. BUT I also know that there is a God who loves them and that gives me a sense of hope. It also gives me a drive to make sure the people in my life (especially the younger ones) know that they are loved and that an unconditional love is out there no matter what experiences they have had previously.

The Heart of God

One of my dear friends Jeanna posted a thought the other day that really struck a cord with me. She talked about losing her watch and then paralleled it to how God feels when he has a "lost child." This made so much sense to me. A while back I had lost a necklace that my grandparents gave me. I had a freak out session when I found it was missing from my possession. It was one of the moments when the room starts to get a bit warm, your blood pressure rises, and your head is racing a hundred miles an hour. I was calling my mom, my dad, my sister asking them all to join in the search and help me find the necklace. I know this sounds a bit over the top and it might have been, BUT the necklace had a lot of sentimental value. My grandpa gave it to me on my birthday soon after my cat Rambo died. Rambo was a childhood friend and a part of the family that I grew up with, so it was extremely traumatic when he passed. Anyways the story goes on in that I was the only one that frantically looked for the necklace, my family did not feel the same sense of urgency that I did. I was really disappointed in this. And when I was reading Jeanna's blog I thought about my situation and how no one would help find what was valuable to me. And to add to Jeanna's idea...I know that God considers each of us his greatest treasure. He loves each of us and we are extremely valuable to him. I cant comprehend how mine and Jeanna's situation must be amplified. And how disappointed He must be when the children that aren't lost don't help him find the others. In this I am saying that there are many of hurting and broken people in the world. And God has asked anyone who knows Him to help "seek and save the lost". What happens when we ignore that call or push it to the back burner. I know I have been guilty of it. There has been people in my life that God has put on my heart and because of selfish reasons I have not reached out. I have had several people lately that have been weighing on my heart and this analogy inspires me to reach out to them. God wants us to be a good steward not only of our time and money but also of our relationships. Bottom line is that I hope when each one of God's children is asked to reach out and help, we don't ignore God. I hope we are a good friend to our neighbor, the sick, the hungry, the hurting, and the broken. When we do this "our hearts will start beating like God's."

Alot like Eve

The passages where Eve is enticed by the unknown and the serpent have become all too real for me lately.

In Genesis Chapter 2:16-17 God commanded the Man, "You can eat from any tree in the garden, except from the Tree-of-Knowledge-of-Good-and-Evil. Don't eat from it. The moment you eat from that tree, you're dead." The Woman said to the serpent, "Not at all. We can eat from the trees in the garden. It's only about the tree in the middle of the garden that God said, 'Don't eat from it; don't even touch it or you'll die.'"
And then in Chapter three the serpent came along and tempted Eve
4-5 The serpent told the Woman, "You won't die. God knows that the moment you eat from that tree, you'll see what's really going on. You'll be just like God, knowing everything, ranging all the way from good to evil."
6 When the Woman saw that the tree looked like good eating and realized what she would get out of it—she'd know everything!—she took and ate the fruit and then gave some to her husband, and he ate.

Now I have read these verses before. I have heard them over and over again. But last night these verses had a whole new life for me. You see God set up boundaries for Eve, for you, for me. He set up those boundries to help protect us and protect our hearts. But like Eve I think there is something inside every woman (or man for that matter) that is so inticed by what they cant have. We want to constantly test the boundries God has. Even though in the long run it can really hurt us. Eve was sooo intrigued by that tree that she disreguarded God's commandment to her without even considering the long term affects of her actions. I know that mankind is prone to sin, but Eve's story has just become soo real for me. God has set up boundaries for my life and I know where the line is drawn. I will dance around this line because what I cant have, has always been so tempting for me. I always want what I cannot have. Its hard to believe that I would want something that I know is not good for me. BUT I did....I still do. This time I danced a little too close. I put my heart into something that I know isnt right for me and now my heart hurts because of it. I was warned by friends and by God. I chose to ignore both. I cant really expand on this too much but right now Im just feeling a little lost, a little let down, confused, and the list goes on. Even though I am feeling these things and I know for sure God doesnt want this for me....and I still want what I cant have. It makes no sense. But at the same time it does especially after reading Eve's story. I know God is going to work through this situation in my life. I think this could be a lesson in letting go. Letting go can be a really hard thing to do because its something you have to totally give up to God and just have faith that everything will be ok. I need to trust that God has a bigger and better plan for my life.

TRES

Three things

Three things that scare me
1. Sometimes I scare me lol
2. FAILURE...ooo thats a biggie
3.Bringing Dishonor to Christ

Three people who make me laugh
1. Ryan-(B-ronk)
2. Laura...haha gots to love the randomness
3. My family-we are pretty much out of control

Three things that I love
1. GOD
2. Family and Friends
3. India

Three things that I hate
1. Critical/ Negative People..ok ok i dont hate them but it is agrivating
2.Getting out of bed when it is cold
3.Being too busy

Three things I dont understand
1. Boys ...I dont even try anymore lol
2.Why people know God and Turn their back on Him
3.Suicide

Three things I love in a Girl/Boy
1. Personality/ Sense of Humor
2. Smile
3.Sense of Style

Three ways to best describe my personality
1. Random
2. Easy going
3. Spaztic

Three things I cant do
1. Snowboard ...Im going to learn this season ...YAY!
2.Play music...I only wish I would be such a rockstar
3.Cook...lol I have no marketable skills

Three favorite movies
1.Wedding Crashers
2.Pirates of the Carribean
3.Pretty Woman or Beaches its a tie

Three goals for your future
1.Go to India again...maybe even live there..Who knows what God has instore
2.Be a sales rep for a high end clothing line
3. Adopt a baby from China and India

Three of your dumbest moments
1.Well I have one at least once every hour...im natually a blonde what can I say
2.more like an obnxious moment....THE BIG BLOWUP...never live that down
3.Drunk Dialing....glad those days are over

Three people im tagging:
1.Jeanna
2.Sarah B
3.Jen

Baptism Cont

 

Indian Baptism

Judah is one of the women church planters we stayed with shes the right next her dad (he's a pastor). She was amazing. Shes 21 just like me!
This is just one of three women Judah led to Christ that got baptized that day! 

 

 

 

Raj Speaking at the Bible League meeting (he is in charge of the Bible League for Southern India)
Prema, Clarina, and Aroma Getting Jeanna some Pomegrante
The Bible League Boys Playing Cricket
Watching Cricket 

Pondicherry with Bible League

A beautiful view as we walked to the conference center
Prema, Clarinda, and Aroma (Love these Women!!)
Me, Jennifer, Julie, Kim, Lanette, Shelley 

FINALLY!

So I pretty sure I have been home from India for over a month. No Pics no Nothing. Sorry! Life has been insane. I have been working tons and a couple days after I came home I went back to school. BUT the trip was way too amazing not to share. India ...where do I even start.....


THE AIRPORT! What an adventure that was....Our flight from Chicago to Paris left at 5pm. Jack(He heads up missions at GCC) had us at the church ready to go at 8. We were all like why in the world that early. Well heres why! Some how it got mixed up and we were assigned paper tickets instead of electronic. Which means either we put 15,o00 dollars on someone credit card and buy new ones OR Jack has to hunt down the old tickets and bring them to Chicago. Low and behold Jack finds the tickets and is on his way to Chicago. Well while we are all waiting the lady gets our bags checked to save us time. She was the sweetest ever! But time was running out she told we had to have the tickets in 5 min. or we wouldnt make our flight. SO the picture in the middle is our fearless leader Shelley standing outside waiting for our tickets to arrive and not a minute after the woman gave us our 5 min warning Jack throws the tickets at us and We are on our way! God has everything under control and he is with us from the start!