Quick Update!

Hey Friends!

Just wanted to let you know that I am still here!

Many things are happening and I can't wait to tell you about them!

Look for posts soon!

Hope you all have a great day!

:-)

Trust & Worry

I am a big fan of writing notes in my Bible, like notes from sermons, speakers, conferences.
I also like to underline, circle, and highlight.

I have some old Bibles I used to use that are very colorful.

The Bible is God's loveletter to us.

It holds words of encouragement and solutions to problems.

It comforts, teaches, rebukes, and guides us.

I don't understand much of it, but it is one of my connections to a Loving God

who wants me to know Him more.

The other night,  I was looking through a Bible that I used to use.

I was looking at the different things I had written in the margins and what I had underlined,

when I came across something that I truly needed to see and be reminded of.

Trust and worry can't exist together.

I don't know where I heard it or when I wrote it down,

but it was something that I needed to be reminded of again.

If I trust the Lord with all my heart, with everything. There is no need, no room, for worry.

He had everything under His control.

I can't trust or believe that He has it all under control and worry at the same time.

Worry, shows a hole in my trust.

They can't exist together.

This doesn't mean I can't care about issues or think about my future.

But, my trust is completely in the Lord.

If I want to believe that myself

and live it out

I need to actually start trusting in the God who holds me in His hands.

All worry should disappear when I recognize the fact that

the Creator of the Universe, the Creator of man,

knows my future, He knows my hours, He knows my thoughts, He knows my dreams, He knows my hopes, He knows when I sit or stand, He knows what I really think about someone, He knows what I'm scared of, He knows my secrets, He knows my sins.

He knows.

He understands.

My trust in God should be greater than any worry I have.

My trust should be so great that I can't even see worry.

They can't exist!

Not my will, but God's.

I have a plan for my future and then God has a plan for my future,

they may be the same, they may be different.

But, I can tell you this.

That God's plan,

is

greater than any plan I could ever dream about

for my life.

My trust is greater than my worry.

Because with trust, worry doesn't exist.

My God will never drop me from His hand.

He will never do me wrong.

I don't know how many other people feel this same thing or go through this trouble.
Of learning to trust, but also worrying.

It is okay to have dreams and hopes and to care about things.

But worry is not from God.

Doubt is not from God.

He doesn't want that for you.
God is not a god of worry, but of comfort, joy, safety, and peace.

It's a hard thing trusting completely and letting go of all worry.
But, I would rather have peace than worry.

Here are some verses on Trust --
"Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." -- Psalm 20:7

"Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in Him and He will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him..." -- Psalm 37:3-7

"Blessed is the man who makes the Lord His trust..." -- Psalm 40:4

"When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?" -- Psalm 56:3-4

"Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless." -- Psalm 84:10-11

"May Your unfailing love come to me, O Lord, Your salvation according to Your promise; then I will answer the one who taunts me, for I trust in Your word." -- Psalm 119:41-42

"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever"
-- Psalm 125:1

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil."
-- Proverbs 3:5-7

"The Sovereign Lord will wipe away the tears from all faces; He will remove the disgrace of His people from all the earth. The Lord has spoken. In that day they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in Him, and He saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in Him; let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.'" -- Isaiah 25:8-9

"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it'...Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; He rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blesses are all who wait for him!"
-- Isaiah 30:15,18

"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me." -- John 14:1

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you." -- 2 Peter 5:7



Vicksburg National Military Park

On the way back from Texas this past weekend,

we made a stop in Vicksburg, Mississippi.

We decided to visit the Vicksburg National Military Park.

It was a big battle and siege during the Civil War.

Here are some pictures that I took from the Park.

The Mississippi River

The Memorial Arch

The Illinois Memorial

The Shirley House

African American Memorial

General Grant Memorial

in the place where he had his headquarters during the Siege at Vicksburg

Tunnel at one of the battlefields

Looking out of the tunnel to one of the battlefields

U.S.S. Cairo, a Union battleship that was sunk by the Confederate Army, they are now restoring.

Vicksburg National Cemetery in the Park where Union Soldiers are buried.

Looking out to the Mississippi River

On top of Fort Hill, looking at the Mississippi River

Cedar Hill Cemetery -- one of the Confederate Sections



A Texas Wedding

This past weekend was the start of my Spring Break.
What better way to start than to make a road trip to Texas

to see my cousin

get married.

It was a simple, but great wedding.

It was great seeing family that I usually only get to see once a year.

Congratulations to my cousin Christy and her new husband, Al.

Here are some pics from the weekend.

:-) 

This is my adorable second cousin, Abashai.

I finally got to meet him.

:-)

Did I mention that she designed and made her wedding dress?

Because, she did.

:-)

Hey Everyone!

New posts are coming soon!

This week is my Spring Break. I don't have too many exciting plans. Mostly just staying in my house and relaxing. Taking a break from school and all that it entails.

This past weekend, I went with my parents to Texas for my cousin's wedding!

I was so glad that it was this past weekend because I was able to go!

So, look for a post with pictures about that soon.

Also, on our way back from Texas, we stopped in Vicksburg, MS and went through the Vicksburg Military National Park. It was very interesting and we are hoping to go back again sometime. It takes at least 2 hours to drive the entire park, it is 16 miles. That is with stopping at each of the stops. And at each stop there are more areas where you can walk around. Needless to say, we didn't get to do all that we wanted to, but I did get some good pictures from our short time there.

So, look for a post with those pictures in it as well.

Hope you all are having great weeks!

:-)

Learning From Acts -- Part 5

This is part 5 in "Learning from Acts". For Part 1, click here.

A Love That Knows No Bounds

• In Acts 10-11:18, we learn about the conversion of Cornelius and other Gentiles after they heard the Gospel from Peter(also called Simon), a Jew.
• Cornelius was God fearing and may have had saving faith, even before he sent for Peter.
• Gentiles did not undergo circumsion like the Jewish Christians.
• The Jewish Christians (Peter's people) believed they were to not associate with the Gentiles (Cornelius' people) or they would become unclean.
• This passage in Acts, shows that the saving grace of Jesus crosses over all boundaries.
• Cornelius may have been a wealthy man, he was a centurion, which means he was paid higher than other soldiers.
• An angel appeared to him, telling him that the Lord had remembered his gifts.
• "The angel answered,'Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.'" -- vs. 10:4
• The angel also told him to send for Peter who was in Joppa at the time. Cornelius was in Caesarea about 30 miles from Joppa.
• The day after Cornelius had his vision, Peter also had a vision.
• He saw a sheet being lifted down from heaven and inside were all types of animals, both clean and unclean.
• Then, a voice told Peter to get up and kill and eat anything that he wanted. But Peter said, that he couldn't, that he had never eaten anything unclean before.
• "Then a voice told him, 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat.''Surely not, Lord.' Peter replied. 'I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.'" -- vs. 10:13-14
• The voice then called out to Peter and said to him, not to call what God has made clean, unclean.
• "The voice spoke to him a second time, 'Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.'" -- vs. 10:15
• Peter was perplexed by this dream and then learned there were men looking for him and he was to go back to Caesarea with them.
• The Holy Spirit told him to go back with them, without hesitation, so he did.
• "While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, 'Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.'" -- vs. 10:19-20
• When he arrived in Caesarea, he learn from Cornelius the dream he had. Cornelius was ready to listen to what Peter had to say.
• Peter said to them how they knew it was unlawful to interact with one another, but that God had shown him to not call what He made, unclean.
• "He said to them: 'You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any many impure or unclean.'" -- vs. 10:28
• Peter then preached to them, Cornelius and the other Gentiles, the Good News of Christ.
• After they had heard what Peter said, the Holy Spirit fell upon the Gentiles and they were baptized.
• "While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message." -- vs. 10:44
• "Then Peter said, 'Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.' So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ." -- vs. 10:47-48
• When Peter went to Jerusalem, the circumcised Jews criticized Peter.
• They were mad that he went among the Gentiles and interacted with them.
• "So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, 'You went into the house of the uncircumcised men and ate with them.'" -- vs. 11:3
• Peter recounted everything that had happened back to them.
• He also added that who was he or anyone else to say that the Gentiles could not be baptized?
• Peter made it clear that he saw that Christ was the Lord of all, not just the Jewish people.
• "'You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.'" -- vs. 10:36
• "'Peace, peace,to those far and near,' says the Lord. 'And I will heal them.'" -- Isaiah 57:19
• The peace He speaks of here includes Jews and Gentiles.
• Ephesians chapter 2 speaks on how Gentiles and Jews are now one in Christ.
• "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." -- vs. 13
• "He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit." -- vs. 17-18
• "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus." -- Galations 3:28

We are all born sinners in this world.

Whether we are Gentile, Jew, black, white, Asian, African, Russian, South American, Canadian, or Middle Eastern.

We are all sinners.

We have all fallen short of the glory of God because of our sin.

We all deserve death.

But, the Lord of all, came to earth as a perfect human to pay the penalty of our sin.

He rose from the grave and is alive!

Death couldn't hold Him.

He is too magnificient in power.

He gives the offer to anyone and everyone that wants to, to become followers of Him.

His blood was shed for all men and women, that whoever chooses to believe in Him, will have eternal life.

He gives us the choice. We are the ones who choose.

We choose to live freely in Him and be reconciled from sin,

or,

we choose to run away from Him.

Holding onto our sin and the thinking that we don't need Him.

Christ's love knows no boundaries.

It doesn't see race, ethnicity, how much money you have, what you do on the weekend, who you hang out with, or what music you listen to.

Christ's love is so deep and wide that it covers everything!

His love was poured out on us when He died on the cross.

His love is higher than the highest mountain and deeper than the deepest part of the ocean!

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge -- that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God."

Ephesians 3:18-19

It doesn't matter what you did or who you were in the past.

It matters what you choose to accept and believe now.

That there is a Holy and Fearing, All-Powerful, Magnificent, Loving, Alive God, that rules over everything and He wants you to know Him.

He wants you to become a child of His.

Lord, I pray that all who have heard Your name and the truth that You are, will turn to You and choose to freely accept You.

There is nothing we can do except trust. All of our works are nothing in light of Your sacrifice on the Cross.

You only can rescue.

You only can redeem.

You only can save.

What Can $7 Do in Africa?

$7 in Africa Can:

Sustain life for 1 person living with AIDS.

Provide clean water to 7 Africans for 1 year.

Save 1 person's life from malaria.

Just $7 can sustain, provide, and save a person.

And there is more.

$7 can go towards many other programs and help support:

Child Mothers and Women at Risk --

Return hope to women in Ethiopia.

Clean Water --

Provide life to the war-torn region of Sudan.

Education --

Help reestablish a generation and restore dignity in South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia.

HIV/AIDS and Health Care --

Help give life to those suffereing from illness in South Africa, Kenya, and Ghana.

Orphan Care and Vulnerable Children --

Provide care for children left behind in Ghana, Kenya, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

Want to know more about how to get involved with this and provide just $7 a month to one of these projects and maybe save a life?

Get involved with The Mocha Club.

For $7 a month, or equal to 2 mochas a month, you can pick one of these projects to help support.

The Mocha Club is redefining the coffee break.

$7.

2 mochas.

Life-changing.

All information taken from www.themochaclub.org

You don't have to like coffee or be an avid drinker to support.