As Iron Sharpens Iron...

            

           I truly did have the best intentions to escape from the hectic occurrences that consumed my life the past few weeks to blog, but to no avail. But, as one of my favorite quotes so wonderfully puts it, “The best laid plans of Mice and Men often go awry”.   (In actuality, this quote is the implied title of the book Of Mice and Men but it originally  comes from a Robert Burns Poem To a Mouse, that says “The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
 Gang aft agley” ok enough literature trivia) Anyway, I truly cannot put into words the full extent to which the Lord has been at work in my life, or recount all of his merciful blessings, but with the next few minutes of my time, I shall certainly try.

           

            First and foremost, I have come to understand more fully the wonderful blessing of friendships.  I am so blessed to have numerous people in my life that constantly remind my of the goodness of God, hold me accountable in my actions, and pray with me over specific areas of my life.  Its funny, as I moved yet again to a new state (but this time completely on my own) I wondered how I would keep up existing friendships and also establish new ones.  One such relationship is with a dear woman of God named Evie.  You know how there are certain people you can just sense the very presence and joy of the Lord when you are around them, well, she is certainly that person.  Its crazy to think that I have only known her for not quite a year because I feel like we have been lifelong friends. She is the kind of person I know God is going to use in mighty ways, and I truly cannot wait to see how all of that unfolds. Anyway, over the past few months, the two of us have kept in contact via email.  In these messages, we have poured out our struggles, our praises, and our prayer requests to one another and encouraged each other by showing how the Lord is so greatly at work in our life.  Sometimes, I wonder if this is what Paul must have felt like as he wrote to the Corinthians and told of the wonderful work of the Lord and encouraged them greatly in their faith.  Because that is precisely what these messages do for me.  God has also given me wonderful friends at Union that I could truly write a novel on.  They are some of the best people on the planet.  They make me smile and laugh the entire time we are together, but they are people I can call at any time and just talk to about life.  We share a common addiction to coffee that inevitably draws us each to the tables of starbucks where we share life together.  (I really think if Starbucks were wise, they would use us in a commercial or advertisement: Starbucks, bringing people together one coffee cup at a time. ok that might be a little conceited.)  I talk about these beautiful people all the time at college and although I cannot see them as much as Id like, I am forever grateful for their presence and friendship in my life. Since I have written a previous entry about the people God has brought into my life at Samford, Ill try not to repeat it all. But it is so neat to me how friendships form, how God places certain people in your path to encourage you and challenge you for that day.  Its funny to me that although we have one of the smallest rooms on our hall, it always seems to be filled with people.  On nights like tonight, I am so thankful to live on a hall with such wonderful girls.  My roommate and I joked that we should play a game to guess who might be knocking on the door or how many people might come in. Tonight’s total: Seven (7 awesome people that provided the best distraction to my Spanish homework). This is truly my favorite time of the day.  Its neat to see who will walk in our humble abode and what conversations will ensue.  Last night, I had a lovely 2 hour conversation with my neighbor about God’s awesome plan for our future, relationships, and what God is teaching us in our life, and it all started with a simple request to borrow a season of our Friends DVD. Tonight was a lovely mix of people coming in to cheer for the Cardinals (or Rangers in some cases), to ask questions about classes, to randomly pop in and visit, and to share how God had answered prayer.  Its these very nights that continue to confirm why I am at Samford, as I drift off to sleep with my heart overflowing with encouragement and joy. As cheesy as it sounds, we are a community that shares life together (the good times and hard times) and I am loving every minute of it.  I have decided if God ever gives me a chance to write a book, Ill include all of these wonderful people in it.

           

            Secondly, I am realizing what it means to Abide in Christ. In church Sunday Morning, Pastor Platt mentioned a verse that resonated with him this past week as he experienced hardships that says “Just as the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now, abide in me”. So often I just read the first part of that verse.  And although it is so important to realize the depth of the father’s love, I have come to see the equal importance on the second part, that we must come to the throne boldly, not lacking confidence, and abide in the Lord.  How awesome it is so to know we serve a God who not only loves us, but truly wants to spend time with us.

            Lastly, (and then I promise to end this ridiculously long blog) God has shown me the beauty and purpose of singleness. You know how it is often said that marriages are a picture of the Love of Christ to his bride (the church..aka US). I agree with that 100 %, but God also revealed to me that it is also symbolic in our singleness. As a Christian, we are called to prepare ourselves daily, sacrificing our desires for those of God's, and it may mean walking in times of extreme loneliness as we leave as foreigners to the things of the world.  For God never promised it to be easy. But we are called to live intentionally and seek the plans of the Lord (not sitting idly)  until the second coming of our Bridegroom when we are called into heaven (what a glorious day that will be). In the same way, as a single girl, I am supposed to prepare myself for my future groom that will be brought into my life when the Lord (in his perfect timing) decides it.  I am not supposed to sit idly waiting for a man to waltz into my life or try and take matters into my own hands, but I am supposed to use this time and season to follow boldly after the Lord with every fiber of my being to work according to his purpose. I need to be so caught up in following him and making his glory and love known that when He places a guy into my life, it is someone that will serve as a partner and that will come alongside me. Not someone I have to constantly be on the lookout for. Im sorry this sounds like an excerpt from a singles book, that’s not my intent really.  I truly was just encouraged by this observation and it seemed like a good thing to share. As I have discussed this concept with several people, it has been interesting to see that they are learning the same things.  I truly am amazed at the way in which God has placed people into my life that have sharpened my faith, and it is my prayer that I can do the same for others.  Until next time. 

Kindred Spirits and A New Chapter

     I truly am in awe of the graciousness of God and the wonderful ways He is at work in my life. I cannot believe I have now been at college a week, yet the relationships that have developed and the memories already made make it seem as if it has been so much longer. I must admit, the precise moment I bid farewell to my parents after our prayer together, I grew increasingly apprehensive about the days to come.  It seemed impossible that my life could get any better than it already has been.  I have the most wonderful friends, family, and life back home and I truly could not imagine anything better awaiting me at Samford, but boy was I wrong. Before I continue, I must make clear that nothing can replace my wonderful life back home and I still miss my incredible friends dearly.  There is not a moment that goes by that I don’t thank God for the people He has already placed into my life, and I am exceedingly grateful. Being at Samford has in no way replaced my old life, it has truly just enhanced it.  It amazes me how God continues to use my closest friends and family to encourage and pray for me about issues, and then answers the prayers here at Samford.  How wonderful that we serve a God with no geographical limitations or boundaries!

     I truly do not know where to begin in this blog but to recount a miniscule portion of the wonderful blessings God has brought into my life the past seven days. He has placed some incredibly Godly, wise, and encouraging girls into my life in the most random ways.  The best way I can tell of this blessing is through a feeble attempt at illustrating how I met two specific Godly women here on campus, Jordan and Tabitha.  I actually met Jordan several months ago at scholar weekends and we shared this instant connection although we saw each other sporadically.  At connections, our first weekend on campus, we were divided into groups.  By some divine act, Jordan was placed in my group along with Tabitha, a beautiful girl with a gentle spirit.  As the three of us got to know each other, we realized we each felt a passion for girls and a calling into the ministry in some capacity.  It amazed me as I listened to these two ladies before me share their heart for ministering to the girls around us, and sensing their immense desire to seek the Lord and serve Him wherever He called.  We truly are kindred spirits. It has been incredible to see God shine through these two and his love evident in everything that they do.  It has been a beautiful thing to pray with them about issues we are facing, share what God is teaching us, and form an accountability group so we can grow together putting Christ first in our friendship as we seek God’s plan for us for the next four years on campus.  It reminds me of the relationship depicted in Acts between Paul and Silas, and how God used these two men to spread the gospel and His love. 

  Not only has God placed Tabitha and Jordan into my life, but He truly has blessed me with the most amazing, almost unbelievably close hall in the dorm.  It really is somewhat bizarre how close we each are and the bond that we share.  Every single girl encourages me daily by her love and devotion to the Lord, and they each bring joy into my life.  We truly are a community.  Every day, it seems another girl is ‘adopted’ into our hall and joins us to share life together.  I truly believe God is about to do something huge here.  I cannot fathom what it is or when it will take place, but I know that God is up to something.  It’s this feeling that cannot be shaken and is intensified daily by every conversation I have.  Multiple girls are experiencing the same sense that something big is about to take place and although we cannot put our finger on it, all we can do is pray and wait for the Lord to reveal it to us.  I am so excited about whatever it is that God is up to!!

   Although I miss a lot of people dearly, especially my awesome family, I know that God truly does have a purpose for me here at campus and I am so excited to see how He is going to use this people in my life now! He has replaced my anxiousness with peace that surpasses all understanding, and He has shown me what it means to depend completely on Him and his sustaining Love and mercy. My prayer is that I will continue to seek Him in the place where His glory dwells and that I will humbly submit myself to the plans He has for my life. Lord, may the desires of my heart align with yours.  I want what you want for me. For ‘your ways, Oh Lord, are holy. What god is so great as our God?’

Finding Serendipity in Texas

  Serendipity can be defined as: a talent for making fortunate discovering while searching for other things. Although the word serendipity alone seems to imply a stroke of luck or chance, I struggle to believe that these circumstances in life are brought about by mere luck. Perhaps these divine occurrences that are advantageous to man are orchestrated by God. Therefore, I consider the serendipitous discoveries on my journey divine, revealed by the Lord himself in his own timing and way. This past week, I was given the wonderful opportunity to visit a dear friend in Texas for a few days. In all honesty, I assumed my trip would consist of exploring my state of birth and sharing life with my friend; little did I know God had so much more in store.  As I settled into what would be my temporary home for the next few days, I was unaware that the Lord was about to pull my heartstrings and reveal to me more of his nature in unimaginable

ways. 

As I reunited with my friend Evie, I thanked God for giving me time to share life with her and see her doing the Lord's work in her own setting. It is incredible to me how powerful a friendship is that is built upon God. She is truly one of the few people in my life I can be completely transparent with.  I know I can expose my sin and struggles to her completely and trust that she will encourage me and lift me up in prayer at any moment. On this particular trip, God taught me so many lessons through her as we poured out our heart and what God has been doing in our lives. I was reminded that although each of us struggles with a specific area of sin, we are called to get rid of its foothold and rely completely on God as we strive to live a life like Christ. What a beautiful picture is painted as God sets our captive selves free from the sin that so greatly ensnares us.

I must say, the greatest 'discovery' in Texas was made in Fort Worth at the Serendipity Equine Haven. This small stable is easily one of the purest reflections of God's love that Ive ever seen. Serendipity, as it is called, is a non profit organization that uses its equestrian facilities to serve people with special needs. Debra, the founder, said she felt God calling her to do this, and decided that as long as God would give her the means to maintain the organization, she would offer the services free of charge. Talk about complete faith in the Lord. As I stepped onto the soil of this land, I could almost feel God smiling upon this beautiful place. Since Evie is about to begin volunteering here, I was able to follow her around during her orientation and learn more about it. As we talked to the women in charge, it was so evident their heart for people with disabilities as they attempted to describe how incredibly rewarding it is to work with these precious athletes (as they are commonly referred to as) and see the joy on their faces when they connect with the horses. Perhaps the greatest part of the trip was meeting a mother of a few of the athletes. Although I cannot recall this woman's name, a picture of her smile and love will forever be etched into my memory.  She has not one, but three young men with special disabilities that come to the equine center. Although one might expect a mother with such a heavy responsibility to appear fatigued and possibly pity the situation, this woman was entirely different.  She was never once without a smile and had the patience and joy described in Galatians. As she radiated the unending love of Christ, I could not help but develop an immense respect for her.  She is the kind of person I truly aspire to be; the epitome of a proverbs 31 woman. I will never forget the sparkle in her eye that appeared as she watched her sons joyfully nuzzle the horses, or the streams of laughter that erupted as they attempted to feed all of the horses carrots. Although all of her sons were incredible young gentleman, each possessing a contagious laughter, my favorite was her child named Andrew. Andrew, the most extraverted, loves to ride horses and is allegedly quite the culinary mastermind. He finds humor in almost everything and can brighten a room with his melodious chuckle. It amazed me to watch the beautiful interaction between these young gentleman, their caring mother, the trainers, and the loving horses themselves.  There was such a peace on this stretch of land and the loving joy was almost palpable. I am extremely grateful to have witnessed the Lord at work in another part of the country and meet this wonderful people who have encouraged my faith. 

Finding true Love at the beach.

  Ever since I was a little girl, the beach has always been a magical place in my mind. There is something about the sparkling water, white sandy beaches, and sun that elicit a feeling of serenity and near perfection.  I have to imagine that I’m not the only one who feels this way; why else would the beach be among the top destination spots in the world for all types of people?  When I think about the waves in the ocean, memories of my childhood rush to my mind.  An image of me as a little girl in a pink bathing suit  crawling on my hands in the water pretending I was the Little Mermaid , dreaming of my prince charming and singing “Part of Your World” at the top of my lungs. Next, I see a girl a few years older running through the waves pretending to be a lifeguard on a new episode of Bay Watch (It was the nineties, don’t judge too much).  I remember the countless sandcastles my dad and I made, the horrible sunburns I managed to get, and the gallons of water I must have consumed as I played, or rather nearly drowned in the ocean with Teddie every year from intense boogie boarding. 

Fast forward to the present: this year despite my age, the magic still remains but it’s a different type of magic. Today I walked along the shoreline of the ocean for what seemed like miles.  Although we are staying at a wonderful resort with tons of people, I love to seek out a quite, uninhabited stretch of sand along the beach and sit.  This is where the true ‘magic’ is revealed to me.  As I sat in the sand watching the waves crash onto the shore almost rhythmically, I saw God’s beauty everywhere I looked.  How incredible is it that there is a God who created every wave, every grain of sand, and every creature of the ocean.  He has complete control over ever crest in the water, every tide, and every creature’s life.  Much like the ocean, this same God has complete control over every circumstance in the world today.  I have realized that despite the heartache, the devastating disasters, and the problems in society and the world, God is not just up there watching the show.  Not a single event goes by without his knowledge of its existence, and just as we are saddened and mourn of the pain, He grieves so much greater.  We do not serve a heartless, indifferent God, rather we serve a loving Father who cares for His creation. 

I must admit, even to this day, every time I go to the beach songs from The Little Mermaid run through my mind at least a dozen times.  I remember telling my childhood friends that if we swam as mermaids, surely Eric would magically appear before our eyes and we would fall madly in love (whatever that meant) and live happily ever after with our Prince as we sailed off into the sunset while a lobster serenaded us.  Now, I have come to see that my dream might have been a bit unrealistic (obviously lobster’s don’t sing…).  Truthfully, although I have yet to sail off into the sunset with ‘Eric’, I have something far greater, the love of a King. 

Since I am an avid reader, bringing three or four books to the beach is almost as important as sunscreen.  On this particular trip, I packed “The Christian Atheist” (a good book by the way).  A comment was made in the book about Love and God.  I realized that Love is not just an adjective or quality of God, it is what defines God.  He doesn’t just give Love, He IS love.  Although this is a simple statement, to unpack it, I had to ask myself What Love is. After many conversations with God and much reading, I think I am beginning to understand Love.  It is not just a feeling, a few sincere sweet words, or an attitude.  Love is an action.  It keeps no record of wrongs, has no limits, and is given sacrificially and freely.  In the words of a great song my Mumford and Sons, Love “will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free”.  Love is when you care so greatly for a person that you are willing to give everything for their prosperity and joy, even if they do not deserve it.  Love is when the father forgave his prodigal son for deeply hurting or wronging him and took him back with open arms even if he was unworthy.  Truly, Love is when the Lord, our Father, gave his only son to die for us despite our sin so that we would not die but have eternal life with Him.  Today, I felt this consuming love through every fiber of my existence as I sat humbled before the Lord in awe of his beauty as I took in his creation.  Despite my shame and sinfulness, He truly loves me and wants me to experience pure joy in Him.  I must admit, this is better than any ‘Eric’ or prince charming I could have ever imagined.  How incredible would it be if I loved like the Lord.  What would that look like? How would it impact people? For isn’t this what God has called each of us to; To recognize His love and live out this love to every person we meet?

A New Season of Life

“Just as spring’s role is different from that of Fall, so each of the seasons of our lives have a different emphasis, focus, and beauty” (Joshua Harris).  I stumbled upon this quote while reading a year ago and it has always stuck with me.  Now, as I am preparing to embark upon this new chapter in my life, it encourages me to accept change and look for the beauty in it.  It seems every aspect of my life is being altered and as unsettling as it may seem, I know it is for the better.  I must hold strongly to the promises of the Lord in Jeremiah.  He says his plans are “to prosper you and not to harm you… to give you a hope and a future”.

It always amazes me that even days when I wake up consumed with my own plans or thoughts for the day, God subtly reveals Himself to me in a quiet voice to regain my attention.  How incredibly cool, this mighty, Holy God who does not need me to show his glory, seeks me and desires me.  This happened just today. As I woke up, rushed to get ready, and met an incredibly awesome woman for lunch, I never once paused to talk to God.  Yet as I approached the counter to pay for my food, the worker told me I had a free meal on my rewards card.  As I hurried over to Starbucks to meet with my mentor/friend Katy Pope, I was offered a free cupcake from the barista. (Obviously I could not let a perfectly good peanut butter cupcake go to waste).  As if this wasn’t enough, when I went to Liz’s house, she gave me leftover pizza. This all seems somewhat trivial I know but that’s the cool part. Although I did have money and could have bought food for myself, God provided for the entire day.  God blessed me and revealed his loving nature to me despite the fact that I was undeserving.  It is as if God was reminding me in a soft voice that he can provide in the menial things, therefore I can trust Him with the huge details in my life.

Although I originally planned today as a relaxing, quiet day, I am so thankful God had other plans in store.  I was able to talk to wonderful women of God about the Lord’s faithfulness.  As I sat at a small table in the middle of starbucks with Katy like I do every week, I was once again filled to the brim with encouragement.  This truly is one of my favorite times of the week, to sit and soak up every ounce of wisdom and truth that flows from her mouth and apply it to my life.  Through this relationship, I have come to realize the beauty in generational discipleship.  There is something so beautiful and pure in sharing with a sister in Christ and being completely raw and honest.  It is such a great source of accountability.  The day continued as my incredibly awesome friend Meredith entered starbucks. She is as Godly and artsy as they come with a sense of humor beyond belief.  We sat and talked about this crazy, awesome God that we serve, I was reminded yet again of how blessed I am to have such great friends.  I decided to go with Meredith to the Middle School girls’ bible study.  I cannot think of a more perfect way to end a day than to see these girls hungry for the Word and truly seeking after God.  I could sit in a room all day listening to these girls talk about what they are learning in Philemon, how they wish to change their lives to better reflect the love of God to the people around them, and even their hilarious stories about their eventful day. 

Clearly, my day was seemingly perfect, but I cannot help but taste the bitter sweetness as I realize in a few short weeks, I will be leaving this place and starting the next part of my journey.  I cannot imagine my week without seeing the beautiful hearts of these girls, being able to invest in them, and knowing every detail of their lives.  I selfishly want to hold on to my life here and continue being poured into by Godly mentors and investing into younger girls, but I know that in this new season that lies ahead, God has a plan and a purpose.  Now, He is calling me to use every ounce of wisdom and encouragement I have received and pour it into other people’s lives as I lean on Him.  As I reflect upon my friendships with these people, I cannot help but wonder if this is exactly how Jesus and his disciples shared life.   The mere thought of eating dinner with Christ and having Him invest into me directly as we walked along to the next village or sat under the shade of a tree seems unfathomable.  I only wonder what was running through their minds as they conversed with Jesus in the flesh.  What a glorious thought  to know that one day, I will be able to see my Savior face to face.

Cassandra

 This past week, I was given the precious opportunity to get away for a few days and seek solace in a wood house at the base of a Mountain in Georgia. There truly are not enough words to describe the atmosphere of this seemingly unrealistic place on earth. The only name I have for it is ‘God’s Country’. I left my house and embarked upon this solo journey to see my sister but also to escape the fast pace of life and recharge, if only for a brief time. As I drove over the mountain, I took a mental picture of the beautiful landscape stretching for miles before my eyes. There are vast expanses of farms with horses and cattle roaming along the banks and peaceful rivers that flow through the land. As I was nearing the end of my five hour drive, I stopped along the winding country road at a small white chapel and watched the sun set over the mountain; truly the perfect ending to the day. As I took in the beauty all around me, I was reminded of how creative God is.  How glorious that I serve a God who is the maker of such beautiful things.  Although the scenery around me was breathtaking to say the least, I could not help but wonder if this was a small bit like the wonder Adam and Eve must have possessed when they resided in the Garden of Eden. I cannot help but imagine them in complete awe of the beauty that surrounded them. But the exciting thing is that one day I will not have to try to imagine it. One day, I will be able to share in the awe of the perfect beauty when Eden is restored.

Although the landscape alone is enough to provide a recharge after a hectic, stressful week, the main reason I head to this small wooden house is to see my grandmother, Sarah Elizabeth Bell Coulter.  I have never met a woman as wise and loving as she in my lifetime (although perhaps I am a bit biased). There is something special about returning to the town of Cassandra or the ‘homeplace’ as it is referred to in my family. For history buffs, the farm was originally a 500 acre farm. During the Civil War, soldiers from the North traveled down and took over a house that was built on the farm during the Battle of Chickamauga. That house was the one my grandmother was born and raised in and to this day, there remains a large cooking pot outside left by the Yankee soldiers and a gun hidden in one of the walls. My great aunt currently inhabits that house, and my grandmother lives a short walk away in a house built by my grandfather. Since my grandfather passed away several years ago, I always make time to visit with my grandmother and keep her company. 

On this particular trip, God used my grandmother to show me love and teach me about Himself. Each night, we stayed up late sharing life with each other. My grandmother recounted stories from the Great Depression, family trials, and the faithfulness and mercy of God while I sat hanging onto every word. I was reminded on this trip that although God allows certain trials to arise and heartache to occur, He never gives you more than you can handle and He is always to help you through it. On my last day there, I had the privilege of listening as my Grandmother and her sister told stories of their childhood and life lessons they had learned. Such wisdom was imparted to me in those few hours. It amazed me to see these Godly women who have survived so much in their 80 plus years of life still laughing and finding joy in life.  They truly are perfect examples of the Proverbs 31 woman and they remind me of the Faithfulness of God in every word that spills from their mouth.  Every scripture referenced and every testimony shared by the two Godly women were like salve for my wounds.  They truly are beautiful reflections of God’s love.  As I departed and embarked upon the long journey home, my heart was full and my joy restored as I reflected on the goodness of God. I pray that one day, I will be like my grandmother who finds joy and peace in the promises of God’s word.

A Servant's Faith in an Omnipresent God

Over the past few weeks I have been studying the life and ministry of Elisha in 2 Kings.  I truly learn so much by every verse. I believe I could write a novel on what God is teaching me for every chapter in this book of the Bible. It amazes me how God is still the same God today that He was thousands of years ago, and that the people then are truly no different than I. 

One passage in particular is a six verse account in chapter 6 of a miracle involving an ax head. In the story, Elisha accompanies the servants to build a place to meet.  As they were cutting down trees, one man drops an iron ax head into the water. He cries out to the Lord because he had actually borrowed the ax from someone else and now it appeared gone forever.  Elisha heard the man’s cry and threw a piece of wood in the water and, by a miracle from the Lord, the ax floated.  As I read this short story, I cannot help but identify with the poor servant who accidentally dropped the ax. I can almost feel his anxiety as he lost something and had no control to retrieve it.  Yet I so admire Him because his first reaction was to cry out to the Lord. It begs the question, how often in the midst of a trial or difficult circumstance, no matter the caliber, do I cry out to the Lord and seek help from Him immediately? Sadly, it seems easier to dwell in my pit of despair and wallow in self pity as I try to fix the situation on my own before I come ashamedly before the Throne and ask God for help.  How sharply my reaction contrasts to the servant in this story.  What would it be like to come before God void of pride and a spirit of defeat; instead possessing a reverent attitude and complete assurance in His abilities. What is we truly live out Hebrews 4:16, and in the midst of difficult circumstances, we instead “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” just as the servant did.

Perhaps my favorite part of this passage is the reassurance that God works even in the mundane, everyday happenings in our life.  The ax head floating is a miracle that was performed by God, through Elisha, for His people.  It shows that God cares and will provide for those who have faith in Him, even in the common,  seemingly insignificant events.  He is omnipresent.  How awesome it is to know that I serve a God who sees no trouble too small to work in. I realize I must look for God in my life even in my menial tasks.  I pray that I will recognize His presence in every aspect of my life and thank Him for the times when He reveals His glory even in the smallest details.