Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 wow it is over!

Just a quick look back at 2013
January: My dog Pip, hurts her leg and has an operation.
February: Baby goats and chickens, lots of them.
March: Birthday dinner with Mom and Dad!     
 
 May: shot the coyote that was trying to get the goats, never shooting again!! Hannah gets a puppy.
June: visited Bob Jones University and Greenville SC.  Doggie days.
July: Kansas cousin invasion!!   

August: left for Bob Jones University 

September: School
October: more learning 
November: Fly home to say Goodbye to Grandpepe.

December: Finals, home, Christmas! 

                                                      Looking forward to what 2014 brings!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Expected

     In the 21st Century King James Bible, Jeremiah 29:11 reads "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end." An expected end, what does that mean? Does it mean that God promises that we all live to old age, because that is when we are expected, by man, to die? If it means that then why do some die so young? When people tell you someone who was expected to die, dies is it suppose to take away the hurt? This week God showed me that the "expected end" in the verse means that He, God, has planned when you are to die and that you do not die sooner or later then He planned. So when my Aunt Jen, cousin Sophie, and Uncle John died so suddenly and so young it was God's plan. Just like it was His plan for my Great Grandfather to die at 91years old of cancer. In my life so far, my Great grandfather has been the only death in my family that has been expected by man, all the others have not. It was God's plan for my Great Grandfather to fly to the arms of God, into the the arms of his savior, on the night of December 14th, 2013. It was God's plan for me to have to turn to Him and His servants here at BJU in Greenville SC, for comfort and through that draw me closer to Himself. I am not saying that expecting that someone will die does not make it any less hard to deal with( Final Exams are expected and that does not make them any easier, just say'n). What makes the loss of a loved one easier is knowing that God is there for you and that He is the one leading you and your path, remembering that God knows the beginning from the end, being reminded that God is still in control, and keeping in the forefront of your mind at  ALL, every single, ending is expected and planned by the ultimate, sovereign King of Kings, God the Father.                   

Friday, December 13, 2013

A tale of accepting God's perfect plan.

 I would like to share a family tradition, a verse or two and some thoughts with you.
    When I was younger one thing that my family would do around the holidays is we would gather together and read “The Tale of Three Trees”. 

"The Tale of Three Trees"

Author unknown

     “Once upon a mountain top, three little trees stood and dreamed of what they wanted to become when they grew up. The first little tree looked up at the stars and said: "I want to hold treasure. I want to be covered with gold and filled with precious stones. I'll be the most beautiful treasure chest in the world!" The second little tree looked out at the small stream trickling by on its way to the ocean. "I want to be traveling mighty waters and carrying powerful kings. I'll be the strongest ship in the world!" The third little tree looked down into the valley below where busy men and women worked in a busy town. "I don't want to leave the mountain top at all. I want to grow so tall that when people stop to look at me, they'll raise their eyes to heaven and think of God. I will be the tallest tree in the world."

        Years passed and the little trees grew tall. One day three woodcutters climbed the mountain. The first woodcutter looked at the first tree and said, "This tree is beautiful. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the first tree fell. "Now I shall be made into a beautiful chest, I shall hold wonderful treasure!" the first tree said. The second woodcutter looked at the second tree and said, "This tree is strong. It is perfect for me." With a swoop of his shining ax, the second tree fell. "Now I shall sail mighty waters!" thought the second tree. "I shall be a strong ship for mighty kings!" The third tree felt her heart sink when the last woodcutter looked her way. She stood straight and tall and pointed bravely to heaven. But the woodcutter never even looked up. "Any kind of tree will do for me." He muttered. With a swoop of his shining ax the third tree fell.

        The first tree rejoiced when the woodcutter brought her to a carpenter's shop. But the carpenter fashioned the tree into a feed box for animals. The once beautiful tree was not covered with gold, nor with treasure. She was coated with sawdust and filled with hay for hungry farm animals. The second tree smiled when the woodcutter took her to a shipyard, but no mighty ship was made that day. Instead, the once strong tree was hammered and sawed into a simple fishing boat. She was too small and too weak to sail to an ocean, or even a river. Instead she was taken to a little lake. The third tree was confused when the woodcutter cut her into strong beams and left her in a lumberyard. "What happened?" The once tall tree wondered. "All I ever wanted was to stay on the mountain top and point to God..."

         Many, many days and nights passed. The three trees nearly forgot their dreams. But one night, golden starlight poured over the first tree as a young woman placed her newborn baby in the feed box. "I wish I could make a cradle for him," her husband whispered. The mother squeezed his hand and smiled as the starlight shone on the smooth and the sturdy wood. "This manger is beautiful," she said. And suddenly the first tree knew he was holding the greatest treasure in the world.
       
        One evening a tired traveler and his friends crowded into the old fishing boat. The traveler fell asleep as the second tree quietly sailed out into the lake. Soon a thundering and thrashing storm arose. The little tree shuddered. She knew she did not have the strength to carry so many passengers safely through the wind and the rain. The tired man awakened. He stood up, stretched out his hand and said, "Peace." The storm stopped as quickly as it had begun. And suddenly the second tree knew he was carrying the King of heaven and earth.

          One Friday morning, the third tree was startled when her beams were yanked from the forgotten woodpile. She flinched as she was carried through an angry jeering crowd. She shuddered when soldiers nailed a man's hands to her. She felt ugly and harsh and cruel. But on Sunday morning, when the sun rose and the earth trembled with joy beneath her, the third tree knew that God's love had changed everything. It had made the third tree strong. And every time people thought of the third tree, they would think of God.

That was better than being the tallest tree in the world.”

( http://www.inver.org/ceantar/Learning_Circle/folkflorida.htm here is the link to the version I found online and is posted in this post)

        I now would like to share some verses and a thought. In Luke 1:26-38 we have the account of Mary receiving the news that she is to bare the Son of God. In verse 38 we see Mary’s final response to the message. The verse reads “And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her.” Mary did not question God's plan for her life. She may have been confused, I know I would be. In her mind, she could have been going over everything that would happen people found out that she was pregnant and unmarried. The man she love could not marry her he could even have her killed. Yet, she willingly accepted God's plan for her. Just like in the “tale of three trees” the lives of the trees did not turn out the way they thought they should God had something better in store for them. By accepting God's plan for her life Mary got something greater then she could have ever imagined.  So I pose this question to you, when God brings something unexpected into your life do you fight it and get mad at him or do you accept it and trust God?


Merry Christmas!!!         

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

God's way of teaching me trust

   Wow, what a crazy past few days it has been for me! That is not saying I did not enjoy it, but rather I did enjoy watching God working in them. To start of Monday, November 25 during chapel it was announced that due to the approaching storm that school was letting the students leave for Thanksgiving break early. My mom and I felt that I would be alright in keeping my Tuesday night flight home. God had other plans. His plans for my trip home turned out to look a little like this. My 6:56pm fight from Greenville SC to Charlotte NC, getting delayed till 9:30pm. Arriving at Charlotte airport just in time to get no my delayed 10:00pm flight to Providence  RI. Around 12:00 midnight the pilot told the passengers that where was a mechanical issue with the plane and that they were working on getting it fixed. Around 1:00 am the pilot then told us that due to high winds in Providence, the fight had been canceled. So there I am a minor without any adult stuck in Charlotte airport for the night, while my wonderful Mom and Dad are miles away in CT trying to get me on the earliest flight home. Around 2:00 am, after much encouragement by Mom, I went to an airport worker and told them I was 17 and alone. After that I got put in room with other unaccompanied minors and a couple of chaperones. I got a cot to sleep on, food and a meal voucher for breakfast the next morning.
When I finally got home at 9:45 am Wednesday, November 27 I was greeted by my very relieved and happy parents. I thank God that He never leaves us, no matter what or where we are and that I can trust on Him to be there. But God was not done teaching me to trust Him.  A few days later after getting back to school safely I had to take my first practical final. For this final I had to make four different dishes, fabricate a chicken and do two precision cuts with potatoes. Again God got me through it and I passed! God calmed my nerves so I could focus and think clearly to get done what I need to get done.  
 Jeremiah 29:11  "For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end."  I am praising God for his trustworthiness, and for the fact that He is writing my story.