Gentle Shepherd

Oh my Gentle Shepherd.

This weekend was filled with amazing services spoken by Brother James Rozak. 

I had never heard him before...and I can say I've never met anyone that can connect with the youth like he did. 

He led our youth meeting Saturday afternoon and spoke on "care." I found out in that service that I do not care for people the way I should. It was such a sobering subject. When someone strays away from the Lord...no one runs to them. I always thought that it wasn't my place...but now I know that if the Lord leads me...I can reach out to my brothers and sisters.

The service that hit me the most was the Sunday night Tri-state youth service. I went to church feeling like I just wanted to turn around and go right back home. I didn't feel like going, but I already committed to running the overhead for song service.

After song service it was pretty packed out, so I sat in the back. I prayed something like, "Lord don't let me miss out on this service. Help me to stay focused and get something out of it."

Next thing I know, Brother James has all the youth in the back move up to the front. Not quite what I had in mind, Lord, but ok. 

The subject was justification.....I can't really describe that service. Bro. James doesn't jump around or shout or run the aisles. He simply walked off the platform and stood in fron of us...and talked. He told stories. One in particular about a man that committed adultery against his wife. They were in counseling and the man knew what he did was wrong and said he would do anything...anything to prove his love to her. To prove that he wants to fix it. 

The power was in her. She said he could do nothing, that it was over....

The minister that was counseling them began explaining what Christ did for us. He died on the cross to absorb all of our sins from the past...and from the future...only to never bring them up again, and love us, and give us freedom.

After that, the woman said that this day, she chose to absorb her husband's sin...and never bring it up again. The man crumbled. He had been forgiven and given a second chance.

God has pardoned us. He has justified us. How can we not love Him? That service answered the question I've been wondering for a long time. How do I fall in love with Christ? 

The simple answer?...realize what justification is. Realize that Christ died for my sins, simply because He loves me. How often do I hear that...and forget it again so quickly? 

Lord...help me to fall so in love with you...now that I know. 

If anyone wants to hear that service, it should be up in a week or so at literallife.org

Where's Dewey Lake?

Greetings friends :)

This week my family and I are taking a small vacation to Dewey Lake, near Brooklyn, MI where I used to live. Funny thing is...for as long as we lived in Brooklyn, not one of us have ever heard of Dewey Lake.

Reason being?....it's small. Mmmm...more like quaint. 

The cabin is super cute and very close to the water...but completely without air. On a "normal" summer day, this wouldn't be such a bad thing because there is a strong breeze that comes off of the "pseudo-lake," but with it being almost 100 degrees here...its not the most comfortable feeling haha

Really though, it's been so wonderful being here. I love being on the water and with my family.

The first thing I spotted when we arrived was my devotion spot...the spot in which I will enjoy my devotions...

Aaaaaahh yes. 

God really speaks to me when I have tranquil spots like this.

Ah, P.S. if anyone is ever interested in the sermon "Going Beyond the Camp," I would highly recommend it. I've been listening to it while I'm here, little by little. 

(branham.org)

Well, all for now I suppose. 

Godspeed friends

PUFF!!!

Evening all! ...morning actually...

I started a quilt a whiiiiiiiiile back, and I haven't had the time to work on it much at all...in fact, my mom worked on it more than I did and when I pulled it out tonight we had only seven pieces sewn together...yeah.

Anyway, with me only have class one day a week and an online class the rest of the time...I have precious, precious time on my hands.

So much time that I got to spend as much time as I wanted to in devotions this morning, went to lunch with friends, started cleaning my room from camp (yikes), listened to a service, worked in the garden, watched a Disney movie with Aubrie, took a nice long bike ride, and started my quilt while listening to four episodes of Adventures in Odyssey (YES)!

Once I actually start my anesthesia class this week, I probably won't have quite so much time on my hands, but still...I'll have more than usual :) 

I have to take the time to thank God for this. I needed some relaxing and much more time with Him. 

Ok, now for the quilt. It is a puff quilt. Everyone thinks, "Oh quilting is so hard!" Not this one folks! All you do is sew a bunch of squares together, stuff them with fluff, and sew all those squares together in whatever pattern or fashion you wish! 

See? Easy squeezy lemon peasy!

So, as I said, four Odyssey episodes later and voila!

Nice and puffy! (don't mind my mess in the back there, heh)

I hope I finish this before winter because it will be nice and warm and hopefully keep me from freezing this year! 

Night all :)

Time for an update I suppose!

Greetings and salutations long lost comrades :)

I'm coming to the close of my two week break, and my what a marvelous break it has been thus far.

I got to spend the whole week at BYC camp! I was only supposed to go for a few days, but boy am I glad I got to stay the rest of the time! God blessed me at that camp with more faith than I've ever had, amazing services twice a day, and solidification of old friendships along with some new ones!

God is just so good and I will never forget that camp :)

After that wonderful, hot, week my dear friend and kindred spirit, Amber, spent five days with me. We ran up and down the roads everyday with fun adventures and more fellowship with friends from camp.

Yesterday we had, I'm thinking, some type of a tornado or super severe storm come through town. It hit so fast we didn't even have time to figure out what was going on! My dad and I had just walked through the door from taking Amber to the airport when the storm blew in.

My sister-in-law looked out the window and yelled that a tree had fallen on my dad's rental car (the one we just climbed out of two minutes before the storm hit). We looked out at the neighbor's house and a tree had fallen in their garage and smashed their camper along with a bit of the roof.

With much prayer from Haley and I, our God and Master of the wind protected out home. Almost every house on our street had a tree smash down on them. Praise God for His mighty hand of protection!

Today we have no power and, from word of the city, won't for two to four days. My family is now scattered around town, staying with friends that have power and air.

For this weekend and the remainder of my two week break I get to stay with my good friend Cheyenne. It will be nice for the two of us to have the house to ourselves. I foresee lots of cooking, laughing, and listening to the Word of God :)

A pretty good end to my vacation, wouldn't you say?

P.S. I have three baby watermelons and a baby eggplant growing in my garden! (Which got a little battered in the storm but is still standing strong!)

:D