We are God's children

"Each one of us has a body with many parts, and these parts all have different uses.  In the same way, we are many, but in Christ we are all one body.  Each one is a part of that body, and each part belongs to all the other parts.  We all have different girts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us.  The person who has the gift of prophecy should use that gift in agreement with the faith.  Anyone who has the gift of serving should serve.  Anyone who has the gift of teaching should teach.  Whoever has the gift of encouraging others should encourage.  Whoever has the gift of giving to others should give freely.  Anyone who has the fist of being leader should try hard when he heads.  Whoever has the gift of showing mercy to others should so with joy." --Romans 11:4-8

We all have our own way of adding to the body of Christ, and while sometimes it feels we do not fit in or know where we are going, God does have a plan.  For myself, while I am in college, I am trying to figure out what I want to major in, and lately have decided that I am working to hard to try to figure out what I want to do with my life, rather than doing something that I would enjoy to do with my life.  I have decided that I am going to major in Elementary Education, but I think I have a bigger picture that I am headed toward.  I am interested in working in Social work in the schools, but my heart is always with non-profits. The biggest thing for me, is I love helping people, and helping a community.  

Recently, I am taking a Philosophy of Human Nature class, and in the last week we talked about why do we go to school and why do we do anything.  Most of the things that we do, is because it is what society tells us we should do.  I for myself think, I look at society and see what I want to do to help.  I believe that I am not someone that has to see a fix to the problem, but rather a start in the right direction.  I think it is important that if you are unsure about what you want to do with you life, that you focus on now.  What is it now that you enjoy?  Not meaning a certain major, but looking deeper and finding out why you are interested in that.. and whatever that is..!  That is what you will be content with.  

I often wonder what people think about when they look at me.  I wonder if they think only bad things and negative things of me, or rather they think of good and positive things.  I would hope that there is positive things.  But then I also know that since I do not do a lot on campus, there is a lot that is unknown of me.  The one thing that is very important to me, is not connected with my schooling or really my church, unless I am informing.  The Hydrocephalus Association has my heart and always will.  Most recently I have become a new HA partner :D  This is exciting news for myself.

I am starting the first support group for the HA in North Carolina.  Planning on having the first meeting this summer, and it excites me inside and out.  And I sometimes cannot seem to contain my joy from it, but since many people do not know about it, then it makes it hard to explain why I am so happy.  And then sometimes when I say Hydrocephalus, and then say it is water head babies, or water on the brain.. they laugh.  And it stabs a part of my heart.  

Dear Heavenly Father, 

I would pray that anyone that is unsure of what they want to do with their life, look at what they enjoy doing right this moment.  What is it that makes you happy.  I pray that for everyone that is facing struggles and the hard times of their life and that you GOD, sit by their side and be their leaning shoulder.  Lord, I pray for everyone including those that think they are good and don't need pray.  Lord, I want to strengthen to pray for those that are sick but also everyone on this earth!  GOD i love you, and I am so thankful to be one of yours.  In your holy name, Amen.

Shine before others

Reading the bible is not something that I do often, rather I pick it up when I am looking for something, or am in bible study or church.  Reading the bible gives comfort and knowledge, and that is what I am working hard to get from the bible.  So instead of participating in read the bible in a year, or read straight through, or something in some other form, I am doing it in my own way.  I have missed a few mornings and a few nights, but what I do, is I randomly open to a page and then random choice something on the page to read.  Sometimes it encourages me to read on, or to look  something else up, but no matter what it is getting me in the bible.

This past weekend I served as a YARP (young adult resource person) for a lock in at my church.  It was a combination of the 30 hour famine and Souper Bowl of Caring with 5 churches. The attendance was around 50 of youth and adults.  I enjoyed spending time doing crazy games, and bible memorization with the youth, along with bonding with the adults.  One of my duties was to make sure everyone went to bed, so in the midst of that, I picked up my bible, flipped open to a page and began to read. 

"You are the light of the world.  A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify you Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)

In the closing of the Lock-in worship service to break our fasting with shared communion with one another and closed off the service with singing "this little light of mine".  While sitting with the youth (some of which I was in youth with), I thought about this song.  The song is one that I learned when I was little bitty and knew the hand motions to, but yet it was just a song to me, and now after what I read the night before it is connected with the scriptures.

What I did not realize was that reading was part of the Sunday scripture and is what my pastor preached on.  I think it is interesting how I simply turned open the bible and began reading something and it became part of my weekend.



Continuing on, one of my homework assignments this week was to take five minutes and look at the stars and think about what is there, and take time to wonder.  I have now already done my blog, but will writing this, I begin to think of the stars and shining together.  I see the stars like individual  human beings.  Each star is different, in its brightness, location, distance and much more, just like every person on this earth has their own uniqueness.  (Snowflakes are like this as well.  Not one snowflake is like another snowflake.)


I feel like everyone is a star in the sky, just as everyone is a snowflake that falls to the ground and we are unique.  It is sometimes hard to pick the stars out of the sky, just like it hard to pick an individual out of the crowd. Have you ever taken time to let the snowflakes fall on you and then look at what they really look like.. It really is amazing how a million can fall at once, but yet there are all different.  And to me that is the same with the stars, they may look similar, but they all have their own unique qualities.  While some people my be a twin, there are no two people that are exactly the same and like the exact same things.  So take some time to learn the unique you, and find the unique star in the sky that is like you and the unique snowflake that falls.

I am a snowflake, and I am that one!

I am a star, and I am that one!