After my last post, I've found some scripture to help me with being a true and genuine Christian.  Romans 12:9-21 is about the marks of a true Christian.  I read through it and looked up synonyms for some of the words to help me better understand.  Here are some things I'm going to work on and my explanation of them:


1.) Love genuinely- I love this and I think it applies perfectly to me here at Liberty.  God calls us to love everyone as He loves us and as much as I try to do that, this is a good reminder to not just love people, but to love them genuinely.  Genuine means to be real and authentic and honest, and so I'm going to strive for genuineness in my relationships and to love them how I am loved by my Father.  


2.) Hate/ abhor evil- This one is tough, I feel like I so easily forget to hate what is evil.  I become callous to it until I don't really notice anymore and it doesn't shock me anymore.  For example curse words, after a while, I'm not as aware when people swear or when I hear it in music.


3.) Don't be lazy in determination and eagerness- I have become lazy lately in my determination to spend time with God every day and instead have put other things in front of what is really most important.  I think God rewards those who aren't lazy in their eagerness to live every moment for His glory. 


4.) Be enthusiastic with Spirit and your soul- The word for this in my Bible is fervent.  I looked it up and another word for it is burning.  I thought that was really cool how God wants us to be so enthusiastic in our souls that were burning for Him.  I want to be so on fire for God that other people will watch me burn. 


5.) Rejoice in hope- I like this because Paul doesn't just say to have hope, but to rejoice in it!  We should be joyful and happy in the hope we have through Christ!


6.) Be patient in trials- I've learned this one this semester, but it is true that when you're in the midst of the trial, it is hard to understand the purpose, but by persevering with patience, everything becomes clear and you can see how you have grown through the trials.  


7.) Pray constantly- This is another thing I have definitely messed up with.  Praying is so important and it is so neat to me to think that all I have to do is call out to God and He hears me and that He knows exactly what I'm going to say before I say it.  But it is also hard sometimes to know that He hears me when I feel alone and helpless.  But I know that I will be blessed through perseverance.  


8.) Seek to be generous- The last thing is not just to be generous, but to seek opportunities to show God's love through generosity.  I definitely want to work on this, especially during the Christmas season.  I am blessed with so much and if I have the opportunity to share my blessings with others, I definitely want to do that.  


So I've learned a lot through Paul's wisdom and it really helps put things in perspective and helps me focus on things to work on so that I can be a true Christian striving to glorify God in all I do!

Just thoughts

Lately, I've just felt no desire to read the Bible or spend time with God.  I'm struggling with what it means for me to be a Christian.  I find it difficult to be real and honest at a Christian school.  I often feel like people wear a mask and hide who they really are.  Everyone appears to be the same: a perfect Christian who reads their Bible everyday and has everything together with no problems.  And because it is a Christian school with high standards and harsh punishments, people tend to hide sin and do things in secret while still outwardly appearing to be righteous.  It just makes it hard to trust and understand people and it makes me scared that I'm the same way.


I'm just wondering if a Christian school really makes sense.  Jesus' best friends were his disciples, but he didn't spend all his time solely with other believers.  He made friends with the beggars and prostitutes and tax collectors.  I understand the importance and need for fellowship with other believers, but I sometimes feel like Liberty is just a big bubble of the same kind of people, or at least people who all act the same.  I wonder if it would be different if I went to a secular school where people could be who they really are and not hide behind a pretense.  And then, Christians would be tested in their values and could stand firm and stand out for Christ a part from the world.


I'm not trying to be judgmental at all, just reflecting... and I started this post out by saying I haven't had the desire to spend time with God, I don't know how much worse you can get than that.  I want to live my life for God's glory, but I want to be real and not hide all my struggles or pretend they don't exist.


Just please pray for me, that God will give me a hunger and a thirst for Him... and that I will fill it with Him.


Thanks, Cameron

A New Day

Well, a best friend told me I needed to write, so I will.  First, I just want to say thank you to that friend... you're amazing and encouraging and you've made such an impact on me and I'm truly so grateful for you.  


So, I guess I should write about the biggest thing that has happened in my life recently, but I don't feel like talking about it much anymore, so I'll be brief... I was in a car accident on the interstate coming home for Thanksgiving break this past Friday.  An 18-wheeler started smoking and came to a sudden stop.  I was two cars behind it and couldn't stop in time to avoid colliding with the car in front of me.  My airbag deployed and it burned and bruised my wrists.  They thought it fractured my wrist, but it feels better now so I don't think I'm going to get the MRI.  I cut my foot and was sore for a few days, but other than those minor injuries, I'm lucky to be alive.  My car is pretty much totaled and I was pretty shaken up after the wreck so it took me a while to calm down.  But I went to my car to get my license and there was a piece of paper randomly on my seat.  I picked it up and flipped it over and saw that it was a card with Scripture on it that my mom had sent me a few weeks back.  The card was Psalm 137:8 and it read: "Though I walk through the midst of trouble, you preserve my life."


 When I read that card, I just felt like God decided to give me life on Friday.  He could have taken it, but for some reason, He wasn't ready for that yet.  And so, I know that since He isn't ready for me yet, He still has plans for me here.  I already owed God my life, so now I double owe Him.  I'm ready and willing for whatever He has in store for me.  I'm grateful for each day and grateful that I know the love of Christ.  I just desire to be a good steward of the gift I've received and be pleasing in the sight of the Lord.  


I like how each new trial I face just puts things in perspective.  It's like each thing that happens reminds me that God is in control and I can't help but trust in Him... I am helpless to guide myself and I don't even want to try.  I'm thankful for so much this Thanksgiving and I know God is good and faithful to complete the work that He begins. 

Praise

A friend just showed me this cartoon and I thought it was really good... it really does put things in perspective and I kinda relate a lot to this.  The question shouldn't be 'why' when tough things happen but 'how' can I glorify God through my situation.  God allows all things for good and for His glory... like when Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and unfairly imprisoned for so long.  He couldn't see the purpose for the agony he was going through but God knew the whole picture and used Joseph's suffering to save his people.  I want to be like Paul who rejoices in the Lord through his sufferings, confident that they are accomplishing good and furthering the Gospel.  Praise is so important and I think that through it, we can better see ourselves and tune our hearts to be more like God's.  For me, praising God through every situation allows me to become more aware of my own self-righteousness, self-pity and pride.  I can release these things to God and praising Him tunes me in to His guidance.  When I face struggles, I want to be able  to say, "God I don't want you to remove this problem until You've done all You want to do through it, in me and in others." 

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!  Romans 11:33

Rainbow

After I wrote my previous post this morning I was thinking about how it always seems like when it rains, it pours... well the amazing thing is that after it pours, God sends a rainbow... I know it isn't for me but the gorgeous one that stretched over campus this afternoon just warmed my heart and made it so clear that God is in control and my problems are so minuscule compared to the joy of spending eternity with my Creator!

The view from above

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you." James 4:8


The past two weeks of my life have been crazy.  When it rains it pours, and when a few things go wrong, it feels like everything just crashes.  But it's also times like these that draw me nearer to God.  I want to shift my perspective from focusing on my circumstances to focusing on God's faithfulness.  And I want to understand what God is trying to teach me through these experiences and how I can persevere and praise Him through the pain.  I want to draw nearer to God through my adversities and be refined by the fire rather than destroyed by it.


I've been thinking a lot and have some questions to ask myself in times of struggle:
1. What if this isn't the end but a new beginning?
2. What if the answer to my prayers is just over the next hill?
3. What if this is necessary for me to be prepared for the next situations in life?
4. What if God knows exactly what I need at this particular time?
5. What if God is speaking to me through means I would not have chosen for a blessing I cannot see?
6. What does this experience make possible?
7. What can I tell others what I learned was so valuable in this season of life?


My life is like that of a little girl sitting at her mother's feet.  She is looking up at the underside of her mother's sewing confused by all the knots and tangles of thread and messiness of the piece.  She questions her mother, upset and asking why she can't see a picture and why it just looks a mess.  The mother then lifts the little girl and places her on her lap so she can see the view from above.  And at once the knotted thread and tangles disappear and a beautifully clear scene is before the child's eyes.  God's view: perfect, clear, purposed and breathtaking.  My whole life, all I see are the tangles and knots of uncertainty and adversity and my struggle is to remember that God, who is in control of it all, has the view from above and has a perfect plan for the masterpiece of my life.  And what I don't realize is that the tangles are what makes the view from above so beautiful.

My relationship with God

My relationship with God is something I cannot comprehend, it is one of grace and love and undeserved forgiveness beyond my understanding.  The fact that God, creator of the ends of the earth, wants to know my heart intimately and wants to show me his love just baffles me.  It is a constant struggle to focus more on the joy that comes from that love than questioning the reason for it... because I am so inadequate and undeserving.  I see myself weighed down by trash, entangled by sin, and burdened with guilt... and Christ, perfect and pure, clean and flawless.  But what awes and astounds me is that Christ willingly comes to me and touches me in my impurity taking all my shame and sin on himself and trading his robe of righteousness for my cloak of filth.  To me, a gift so great as that leaves me no choice but to live in the light of forgiveness and freedom found in releasing my burdens to Christ.  Day by day, I'm learning to surrender myself, my desires, my dreams, and lean wholly on Christ, who is perfecting me through every struggle.  I want my life to be a sweet aroma to the Lover of my soul, not needing to be ashamed, but to become someone who glorifies Christ in every aspect of my being.  I owe everything to Christ, he fights for me and pursues me through my insecurities and sin.  I reach for God and fall short, but I am forever grateful that he is always there reaching down to me and never letting go.  

Foggy Days

Well, I haven't written in forever... ya know how life just has those crazy times, right now is definitely one of them.

It is Friday morning around 7:30 and I'm sitting here looking out the window and spending some time with God, as I normally do at this time.  One of my most favorite things about Virginia is the mountains... I have the perfect view of them from my dorm room.  I love dark blue silhouetted against the sky and the contrasting green leaves perfectly framing the view.  My favorite thing in the world is watching the sunset, and seeing it sink over the mountains lighting up the sky and clouds with deep colors of purple and orange and reds, just fills me with awe and wonder at the One who paints the breathtaking scene.  But sometimes, like this morning, it's so foggy, I can't even tell the mountains exist.  And it is almost a lonely feeling because I'm so accustomed to seeing them so clearly on the horizon.  But at the same time, I know that no matter how hidden those mountains are, they are still there, and when the fog lifts, they will be more beautiful than ever.  It reminds me of God and faith... so many times, there is fog in my life and I can't see God and I feel alone and afraid and blind.  But I know that He is there, unchanging and faithful.  No matter what my view is, He sees it all perfectly and clearly and with no fog.  I just praise God for that truth that I have in my heart and I am filled with such gratitude that even on the foggy days, God can fill my heart with joy and an understanding that He will never leave or forsake me and has plans for me that exceed my greatest expectations.  

           View from my window before sunset

                                Gorgeous sunset :)

This morning's foggy view

Romans 9

I've been reading through Romans lately, it is such an amazing book and packed full!  I wanted to write about Romans 9 because we also went through this chapter in Sunday school and our teacher made some great points I wanted to put down.  


But who are you, O man,  to answer back to God?  Will what is molded say to its molder, "Why have you made me like this?"  Has the potter no right over the clay, to make our of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? Romans 9:20-21


That is only a portion of the chapter but it is so applicable to life and Paul asks questions that I know I have asked before.  I wonder sometimes why God made me the way I am and what purpose he has for me.  But the really cool thing is that when I am at my weakest, God's strength can be made known.  For I have no boast in myself, only in Christ and what he does in my life!  


But here are some of the points from Romans chapter 9:

• Mercy is not required or demanded, if God was totally just without mercy, we would all be damned.
• If we can't resist God's will then why does He hold us accountable?  
• Who are we to argue and question God, His ways and thoughts are so much higher than ours.
• God is God and it is His will not ours... He has a higher reason
• God wants to display His glory, He choses to sometimes do that through vessels of destruction... like how He used Judas to betray Christ to ultimately pay the price for our sins

In the second half of this chapter, Paul discusses Israel's unbelief.  There are also some good points to take from this:

• The Gentiles came in faith and knew that they were unrighteous --> therefore they attained righteousness (they didn't count themselves as worthy but as sinful and unworthy before a sovereign God)
• The Jews came by works and law and tried to attain their own righteousness --> therefore they did not attain righteousness

And lastly, going back to the beginning of the chapter, Paul says, "For I wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers." Romans 9:3

That is just unbelievable to me... Paul understands God's love for us and is therefore willing to be damned for the damned.  He has such an amazing Biblical knowledge and worldview!  I definitely cannot say that I have that kind of love for the lost that I would give up my eternity with Christ in order that they might be saved!  I don't know how to get to that point where I love the lost with the kind of love God shows me and them, but I pray God will teach me how.  

Mary or Martha?

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  Luke 10:38-42

I was talking to my dad earlier today and he reminded me of this story and there really is a lot to be learned from it.  Mary and Martha: two sisters who loved Christ and both made decisions... Mary chose to sit at the Lord's feet and listen to his teaching, Martha busied herself with preparing and serving.  Serving is important and is a gift, but what matters is where your heart is.  Martha wanted the accolades for her service; she wanted to be noticed and appreciated and complimented and praised.  I see this in myself so much.  But see Martha misses out on the most important thing because she is busy with things of the world that don't even matter in the scheme of things.  She misses sitting at the feet of Jesus, gazing up at him and hearing his stories and being taught his wisdom!  When compared to that, preparing a meal and cleaning the kitchen isn't even important.  As Jesus says, Mary chose the good portion which will not be taken away from her.  I think we have to kinda analyze ourselves and ask if we are busying ourselves with things of this world and missing out on the important things or are we sitting at the feet of Jesus focusing on him with everything we have?

How to let your anger out (haha)

Circumcision of the heart

I have been pretty busy this week, and not much time to write... but I am reading through Romans right now.  I am on chapter 3 today, the one about God's righteousness.  It talks a lot about circumcision too, which is always kinda strange to read about but I think of it this way... in the Old Testament, they were physically circumcised as an act of the covenant.  But after Jesus came, the Old Covenant was wiped away and Jesus brought a new way of life.  We are no longer called to give sacrifices or to be circumcised physically, but I think we are called to be spiritually circumcised.  Circumcision is a cutting away of the flesh and after Jesus' ultimate sacrifice, we are called to circumcise our hearts and cut away our sinful flesh to live in a newness of life with Christ!  So even though all that stuff is from so long ago, it still applies to us as something we need to think about every day, reminding ourselves that we are a new creation in Christ, the old has passed away and the new has come!  

Waiting on the Lord

There is something about patience that mankind doesn't quite get.  I am speaking for myself, but for some reason, patience is one of the hardest things.  Maybe it is modern day technology and how our culture is so fast paced.  I get impatient if my internet is slow or if someone doesn't text me back right away sometimes or just waiting for things in general.  When I went to Israel earlier this summer and we walked on the roads Jesus walked on and saw how far it was in between towns, I realized how much time Jesus had to just walk and think and quiet his heart and talk to His Father... and have amazing conversations with His disciples I'm sure!  It took Him 4 or 5 days, and sometimes a week to walk from one town to another.  It makes me wish I was there with Him walking on those dirt roads learning about life and heaven and just seeing into the soul of our maker who was the most patient man who ever lived!  He wasn't in a rush, He spent time being still before the Lord and I want to apply that more to my life.  


I had a lot on my mind last night and I just really wanted some answers.  I asked God to show me a verse or give me something to calm my heart and direct me.  I opened up to a random place in the Bible and ended up turning to Psalm 142 and 143.  The beginning says, "With my voice I cry out to the Lord; with my voice I plead for mercy to the Lord.  I pour out my complaint before him."  And chapter 143 goes on to say, "Answer me quickly, O Lord!  My spirit fails!  Hide not your face from me... Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust.  Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul."  It was so amazing to me when I read those verses just because they were my feelings exactly and even though I didn't get a direct answer, I felt peace and knew that I wasn't alone because God directs my every step.  


I guess it just shows me that God always answers in His own time and if I can just learn patience and how to wait on the Lord, He will never fail me or let me down.  In fact the opposite, He knows exactly what I need and exactly when.  I'm just so grateful that He is in control and a constant help and encouragement to me in times of trouble and peace.  

2nd Corinthians 4

I just wrote a book, but none of that was about my devotion for the day ha, so I'm gonna be quick cause I'm sweepyy... I read 2nd Corinthians 4 today and it is amazing!  I just love how Paul writes, he is such an encouragement and has so much wisdom to offer in his writing.  I love verses 5-6 that say, "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."  Our whole lives are just a proclamation to our king and creator!  He put his light in us and we reflect it through the way we live.  I heard Tenth Avenue North in concert and their lead singer was just saying some great things, but what I remember the most was him saying that we are to be like mirrors not facing ourselves but facing outwards and the glory of Christ should reflect off us into the world!  Well there is a lot more but its gonna hafta wait till tomorrow cause I'm pooped.  

Perfectionism

I have been a perfectionist since I was three years old and sat down on the floor for 3 hours until I learned how to tie my shoe exactly right.  It can be a good thing, but for me as I've grown older, it seems like it has mainly held me back and hindered me.  I am an athlete, so of course striving to do my best in everything I do and hard work is a part of every day!  But tennis is a way too much of a detailed sport to be concerned with every single shot, every point, every serve, every stroke, every match being perfect.  That is where my problems come in.  I'm not happy with myself unless I do each thing exactly so... if I hit a winner down the line and I meant to go cross court, I get upset!  And then I beat myself up over every mistake.  I don't really understand why I'm so hard on myself but I am my worst enemy and it's holding me back.  And confidence is another big issue.  I am so afraid that I'll come across as arrogant that I'm scared to be confident.  I tell myself I'm bad at tennis and tear myself down cause I don't want to think I'm good.  I just need to realize that no I'm not the best player in the world, no where near, but God gave me a talent with which to glorify Him and if I am going to tear myself down, I'm making it more about myself and less about God... If I keep it up, I'll miss the opportunities altogether to point towards God.  I'm coming to realize more and more that my goal and purpose in life is to glorify my creator in everything I do.  So when I play tennis, there is no pressure because the outcome doesn't matter as long as I give it all I have and as long as my play and attitude and body language reflect God and His glory, then I can't lose!  I feel so blessed to have such a freedom in my life, and also so burdened for those who don't know the Lord.  I can't imagine living everyday without assurance of God's love and promises and without knowing eternity is waiting for me with Jesus ready to receive me to His kingdom with forgiving and loving arms opened wide!  But I just found out tonight that I am going to be co-captain with one of the seniors on our team this upcoming year.  I don't know exactly what to think and to be honest it scares me.  But it makes me excited because I feel like God is just using me and putting me in positions that glorify himself and allow me to do that.  So I'm really grateful but definitely petitioning His help cause my confidence needs a lot of work and to be captain of a team is not going to an easy task.  But thankfully, God will walk with me every step of the way and I know that He is in control and I completely trust Him, so I'm just along for the ride!

Zephaniah 3:17

“The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. 
He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

My friend just showed me this verse and I love it!  It is just so amazing that we have a God who is a warrior and fights for us but at the same time rejoices over us with singing.  It is such an awesome picture of God’s love to us.  I picture Him fighting for me, a mighty warrior taking all risks to protect his princess and then holding me in His mighty arms singing of His love for me!  It blows me away.  I don’t understand His love for me, not at all, but I’m so grateful and I can’t imagine going through life without the knowledge of a sovereign and loving God taking every step with me.  Thank you Jesus for fighting for me and rejoicing over me!  

Bucket List!

1. sky diving

2. drive a hot car

3. skinny dip

4. ride in a hot air balloon

5. parasail

6. missions trip to africa/india

7. zip line in the rain forest

8. travel the world (specifically italy, france, switzerland)

9. go back to Israel 

10. learn a new language

11. run a mile in 6 minutes

12. win big south conference

13. kiss in the Eiffel Tower

14. live in another country for a time

15. figure out my passion and make it a career

16. find my soulmate

17. go camping again

18. swim with dolphins

19. play in the rain again

20. learn to drive stick shift

21. play hide and seek in a vineyard

22. ride a camel

23. learn to play guitar

24. play at wimbledon

25. go to all the grand slams

26. visit every US state

27. go white water rafting in the grand canyon

28. plant a garden

29. tell people about Jesus! (ongoing)

30. make a difference in someone's life (ongoing)

31. watch a sunset/sunrise with someone i love

32. go to a club

33. bungee jump

34. go snow skiing

35. run a marathon/half marathon

36. surf

37. see the great wall

38. go spelunking

39. scuba dive

40. do 100 consecutive pushups

41. watch the sunset out the front of a plane

42.  fly a plane

43. learn how to play golf

44, throw a surprise party for someone

45. learn how to cook really good

46. do random acts of kindness (ongoing)

47. pay for someone behind me in drive thru

48. serve the homeless

49. learn sign language

50. paint a big canvas and not care if i mess up

52. pet a giraffe

53. climb to the top of a tree

54. sleep on the beach

55. kiss in the rain

56. get a henna tattoo

57. eat fish and chips in Ireland

58. build a tree house

59. dance at a ball 

60. wakeboard

61. ride a helicopter over alaska 

62. go whale watching in alaska

63. go rock climbing

64. have a family and children 

65. make a scrap book

66. read the whole Bible

67. visit the holy land

68. ride a boat on the sea of galilee

69. be more confident in who i am and who God made me!

70. sleep on the grass under the stars

71. see a meteor shower

72. go to a drive in movie

73. sleep in a hammock

74. pick as many different kinds of fruits as possible

75. get baptized in the jordan river

76. fire a gun

77. milk a cow

78. ride/drive a motorcycle

79. ride in a submarine

80. find a four leaf clover

81. ride on a train

82. go inside a lighthouse

83. mountain bike

84. be a waitress

85. keep a blog

86. see lots of snow
87. go cow tipping
88. kiss under water
89. get a massage
90. get a manicure/pedicure
91. ride in a blimp
92. make pickles 
93. go to texas
94. buy cowboy boots
95. fly a kite again
96. go to a midnight release of a movie 
97. kiss under mistletoe
98. talk in a british accent for a day
99. swim in the dead sea
100. bench press my weight

Romans 8

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.  And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."  Romans 8:1-4


This morning in Sunday school, a guy named Joe taught on Romans 8.  It helps that this is one of my favorite chapters - one of the best in the whole Bible I would say, but his teaching was really great too.  Just to think that because we are covered by the righteousness of Christ, we have no condemnation of our sins.  We don't have to live in guilt or sin!  We still will sin of course but we are no longer enslaved to unrighteousness.  Joe told us about a serial killer, Jeffrey Dahmer, who became a Christian after brutally killing almost 20 men.  Now what is your initial reaction to hearing that someone so sinful, who murdered 20 people, can be accepted by Christ just like everyone else?  Some people think it isn't fair, but in all honesty, are we really any different than Jeffrey Dahmer?  We have the same hatred and desires in our sinful hearts, but Christ still loves us and accepts us.  We should rejoice in the fact that someone so lost was found by Christ, because I'm sure all of heaven was rejoicing on that day Jeffrey became a Christian.  But also, it is so scandalously amazing that our God offers a way for murderers, liars, and sinners to be freed and live in eternal life!  Some of us have heard that Christ died for our sins so much that it has lost its shock!  We have become desensitized to the scandal of the cross and the gift that our Savior so freely gave to us that he took on our trash and dirt and traded it for his purity and perfection!  Our God gave his only Son 'in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering' for us!  That is cool to think about too, he is fully man but not with sinful flesh like us.  Jesus Christ is the second Adam and where Adam failed the test, Christ passed and freely gave it to us!  Joe said that Adam lived in perfection at the beginning of the world, he didn't need anything, he wasn't lonely or cold or hungry and he failed.  But Christ went into the wilderness for 40 days, he was hungry and cold and hot and utterly alone, and he was tempted, but he passed!!  And Jesus' life was just a passing of every test, but not for himself, for us!!  It just amazes me so that we have such an awesome and powerful God and I am so eternally grateful to be clothed in His robe of righteousness!

Why blog and some struggles

Well I've never written in a blog before.  I have a good friend who showed me his for running and it inspired me to make one for tennis and life and everything.  I love God and writing and tennis so why not? I don't know exactly what I'm going to end up blogging about or if I'll even have time to post much anyways, but I figured its worth a try.

I just started writing about a tennis tournament I played in this weekend, but I don't think that is what I want to focus on, so I deleted it.

You know what has been on my mind a lot lately is devotions and quiet time and prayer.  It is one of my biggest struggles.  I don't know why it is that I seem to put everything else before my time with God, but it is so frustrating.  I think it is probably one of my weaknesses Satan knows about and tries to exploit.  I grew up Catholic so spending time in the Word and praying doesn't come as second nature for me unfortunately.  I thought maybe if I posted things I've studied and read, it would help me be more consistent.  I have such a passion for God and His Word and growing closer to Him, I just get so frustrated that I let myself be so easily distracted.  So I am going to try that this week and we will see how it goes!