The end is in sight.
I'm almost done with my first year of college. It has gone by pretty fast, though moving up here seems like a long time ago. I feel like I have changed a lot and grown up as well. From little things to big things, I've learned how to semi successfully do loads of laundry and I've also learned a lot about real world financial operations(even less fun than laundry.)
I'm thankful that God led me to Gainesville, I love the city and am now a huge supporter of going away to school, I recommend it to everyone.
However, not everything is easy. You really have to stay disciplined to succeed when you are on your own. You're going to make mistakes, luckily I've been able to get through my first year without any major ones.
If I had to give people some tips about college I would say to get organized and plan a lot more.
Try to relax and not freak out about college, you can handle it if you work at it.
For us Christians, it is brave to avoid sin, and foolish to put yourself in bad situations and try and "stand up" to temptation. The flesh fails you.
Definitely stick to your beliefs. I've seen too many people compromise what they stand for, and end up losing themselves in the process. This has drastic effects.
All in all, it has been a great year so far, I just have to wrap up this last month and a half and finish strong. I look forward to being home soon, but won't mind coming back.
Love
I think Christianity gets over complicated very often. People need things to talk about and they focus on rules and religion, while missing the simple truth.
I was reading 1 John, and the thought that comes through over and over is to love one another.
That's it.
Just how all sin comes from pride, all righteousness comes from love.
I'm not saying loving one another is always easy, but it is what we must do.
"But anyone who hates a brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness." - 1 John 2:11
With that scripture, I challenge you to love those around you, and I also challenge you to forgive.
It's not hard to love people, it's hard to forgive people that hurt you. Those are the people that are hard to love.
God says to let those grudges go.
Forgive those people of what they did to you.
Holding on to grudges and fantasies of revenge only strengthens that person's hold on you and your life. It only makes the hurt worse, and pulls you both farther away.
The scriptures say to put away your hate, to forgive one another, and love one another.
If you continue to hate, you're still walking in darkness.
If you have someone in your life that you need to forgive, that you need to love, I pray that you have the courage to walk in the light and start loving that person.
I was reading 1 John, and the thought that comes through over and over is to love one another.
That's it.
Just how all sin comes from pride, all righteousness comes from love.
I'm not saying loving one another is always easy, but it is what we must do.
"But anyone who hates a brother or sister is still living and walking in darkness." - 1 John 2:11
With that scripture, I challenge you to love those around you, and I also challenge you to forgive.
It's not hard to love people, it's hard to forgive people that hurt you. Those are the people that are hard to love.
God says to let those grudges go.
Forgive those people of what they did to you.
Holding on to grudges and fantasies of revenge only strengthens that person's hold on you and your life. It only makes the hurt worse, and pulls you both farther away.
The scriptures say to put away your hate, to forgive one another, and love one another.
If you continue to hate, you're still walking in darkness.
If you have someone in your life that you need to forgive, that you need to love, I pray that you have the courage to walk in the light and start loving that person.
Hurdles
Life hurts, it beats you down and wears you out.
There are times when I am exhausted.
I feel like I can't battle sin anymore.
I just don't understand why a loving God would make it so hard for me to follow Him.
I try and do what's right but still do what's wrong.
My flesh leads me to temptations I can't withstand.
I am weak.
It's times like this when this verse hits home.
"Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
-2 Corinthians 12:7-10
You see, Paul's been there.
He knows what I'm going through. He was a better Christian than me and even he still had sin he had to battle. It's not about being perfect, I just can't do that. I try my hardest, but I still screw up. But it is in my weaknesses, my failures, my defeats, my brokenness, when He is strong.
Maybe that's why I write at a time like this, fresh from battle with sin, in my moments of weakness is when God will use this.
But I tell you, in our defeats, we find victory in him.
When all is lost, He is there.
Through Him, we can overcome.
These sound like cliches until you've been there. God has lifted my spirits and delivered me from my shame and hurt.
He can do the same from you.
Only God can heal a broken home, stop an addiction, or simply give you the strength to go on.
Life is hard, I screw up.
All I know is life is better with Jesus than without.
It breaks my heart to see people going through pain without God. I firmly believe that is one reason why God puts hurdles in our paths. So we can experience them, and overcome. Once you've been there, you can reach out and help someone who is there now.
Only those who have been through divorce can truly understand the hurt of someone going through divorce.
Only those who have overcome addiction can relate to others trapped in the bondage of addiction.
God gives us the strength, when we are weak, to pull through problems, reach out to others, and in the end glorify Him.
There are other forces at work, causing pain and sorrow, we come across those people in our lives everyday, coworkers, classmates, spouses, family. God doesn't make us immune to these problems, God gives us the strength to deal with them, and come out on top, victorious.
That way we can go into a broken world and show them that there is a way out of the pain.
That way is Jesus.
There are times when I am exhausted.
I feel like I can't battle sin anymore.
I just don't understand why a loving God would make it so hard for me to follow Him.
I try and do what's right but still do what's wrong.
My flesh leads me to temptations I can't withstand.
I am weak.
It's times like this when this verse hits home.
"Even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.
Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, "My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness." So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
-2 Corinthians 12:7-10
You see, Paul's been there.
He knows what I'm going through. He was a better Christian than me and even he still had sin he had to battle. It's not about being perfect, I just can't do that. I try my hardest, but I still screw up. But it is in my weaknesses, my failures, my defeats, my brokenness, when He is strong.
Maybe that's why I write at a time like this, fresh from battle with sin, in my moments of weakness is when God will use this.
But I tell you, in our defeats, we find victory in him.
When all is lost, He is there.
Through Him, we can overcome.
These sound like cliches until you've been there. God has lifted my spirits and delivered me from my shame and hurt.
He can do the same from you.
Only God can heal a broken home, stop an addiction, or simply give you the strength to go on.
Life is hard, I screw up.
All I know is life is better with Jesus than without.
It breaks my heart to see people going through pain without God. I firmly believe that is one reason why God puts hurdles in our paths. So we can experience them, and overcome. Once you've been there, you can reach out and help someone who is there now.
Only those who have been through divorce can truly understand the hurt of someone going through divorce.
Only those who have overcome addiction can relate to others trapped in the bondage of addiction.
God gives us the strength, when we are weak, to pull through problems, reach out to others, and in the end glorify Him.
There are other forces at work, causing pain and sorrow, we come across those people in our lives everyday, coworkers, classmates, spouses, family. God doesn't make us immune to these problems, God gives us the strength to deal with them, and come out on top, victorious.
That way we can go into a broken world and show them that there is a way out of the pain.
That way is Jesus.
