But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weakness, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties. For when I an weak, then I am strong.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Bible classes

Did you know, God always makes excellent grades on Bible test?? Our weakness shows up when the pencil doesn't write quick enough to get all the information down before moving on to the next question. So, basically....God has been taking my test for me. I know I can't remember everything I need to...it's a fact, yet somehow, when I go into a test, the answers (not all of them granted) come flooding in so fast I stumble terribly trying to keep up.
God is making it very obvious that I'm supposed to be at LeTourneau. YAY!!!

Living by Faith and Caffeine

So I went to bed an hour ago, yet here I am. There comes a point in life where you find it is not worth moving on. The fine line between life and insanity has been long crossed. Madness has taken over and the brain has stopped making it's electrical connections. When you lay down and immediately lose feeling in your body yet your brain won't shut up, this is insanity. All you need is sleep because you have gone to bed before the sun comes up and woken up before the same sun comes up and expect to feel rested and refreshed. Those few hours between the rising sun are a daze and your not sure if you are asleep or awake.

But through it all I can still smile because God is faithful. Everyday I find myself alive by His grace. This week I feel like a tree in the middle of a great drought. I am dry and dying but I know that the Great Gardener loves me and will not let me die. He will bring the rain in his timing. When I have nothing left to offer and can only lay face down. I find just enough strength to lift my head and cry out to God "Help." I can feel him reach down, pick me up, and set me on my feet once again and say "I love you and have called you to this. You can't do it on your own but I know everything you need and will provide it for you when you need it." When I am weak He is Strong.

Now that I have written this out, which may not make any logical sense at this time, maybe I will attempt once more to get the sleep I so desperately need and awake tomorrow knowing that God has given me another day and I will live it to the fullest, praising Him.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Living by Faith and Caffeine

LSM Chapel

So, did anyone besides me, really like chapel today? Ghillie, Copper, and Frizbee, y'all are great! Thank you for letting God speak and work through you!!! ^_^ Micheal DeGroat's message today was also a blessing and definitely something we need to be reminded of often. I can't help rejoicing in how much God has blessed this campus and how many men and women here are sincerely seeking God and letting Him use them. Praise God for all His wonders!!!

Work!

So, basically....I love work!!! Over working myself is bad, granted, but I love the blessing of work anyway.

Are we sane? You decide...

Here's a conversation we had yesterday in our suite:

Andy (doing statics homework): let's see... alpha? what variable am i using?
Laura: how about epsilon?
Andy continues to do homework
Laura: do you ever use epsilon?
Andy: well, i suppose if you have that many variables, you should just commit suicide.
(Andy, Laura, and Rene laugh histerically)
Andy: i'm sorry guys, i'm really not suicidal
Laura: that's good. because if you are, i'm supposed to be helping you, and i'm just laughing!
(all continue laughing histerically)

It is going to be an interesting semester to say the least.

Spare time is our dream date!
-- Kelsey

Summer... Sigh

East to West - Casting Crowns

Here I am Lord and I'm drowing
In your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don't want to end up where you found me
And it echoes in my mind
Keeps me awake tonight

I know you've cast my sins as far
As the East is from the West
And I stand before you now as
As though I've never sinned but today
I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From you leaving me this way

Jesus can you show me
Just how far the East is from the West
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
Cause you know just how far the East is from the West
From one scarred hand to the other

I start the day the war begins
And less reminding of my sin
Time and time again
Your truth Is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away
From you leaving me this way

Jesus can you show me
Just how far the East is from the West
Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been
Come rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
Cause you know just how far the East is from the West
From one scarred hand to the other

I know you've washed me white
Turned my darkness into light
I need your peace to get me trough
To get trough this night
I can't live by what I feel
But by the truth your word reveals
I'm not holding on to you
But your holding on to me
Your holding on to me

Jesus, you know just how far
The East is from the West
I don't have to see the man I've been
Rising up in me again
In the arms of your mercy I find rest
Cause you know just how far the East is from the West
From one scarred hand to the other

This is my 2007 Summer Song. God usually gives me a song that really sums up my summer. This song was exactly what I needed this summer. I felt like the italicized lines about every third day this summer. The bold lines are what God taught me. A lot of grace. A lot of mercy.

So now I'm at school... ready for a new adventure I suppose. Am I ready? Only God knows.

Dear Lord, I can only pray that You hold me tightly as I strive to please You. I've learned this summer that I am... well, an ugly sinner, and am unable to please You by myself; but I've also learned that You're bigger than anything that I do and are able to be pleased with the wayward child You've created. Thank You for being wonderful. You make everything ok... really

-Amen

Where are the Beds?

Suite D now has the Power! Coming this fall....suite D has a power suite sandwiched right in the middle of things. Andy, Kelsey, Rene, and I are roomies. Four desk in the big corner room and four beds in the other. (that wasn't a complete sentence.....oh well) So, this silly sophomore girl will now get the brand new experience of living in very direct, close quarters with three other sophomore girls. Perhaps, I have mentioned before the bit about my having four brothers and no sisters. I know this new challenge will be a splendid adventure! However, I would not be adverse to the company of reasonably well breed and behaved guys coming to visit during open dorm hours........just so I am not smothered by all the femaleness.
Seriously though, I am looking forward to sharing my next two semesters at LeTourneau with three of my beautiful, encouraging, hard-working sisters in Christ. God has truly blessed me.

Summer Update

Hey everybody! Guess what! I didn't fall off the face of the earth! I am finally back home from camp and have internet once more. I really want to thank everyone that was praying for me this summer. I saw over 14 people give their lives to Christ this summer. Even we hadn't seen any response it would have been worth every minute knowing that we were bringing God glory.
I would love to say that I enjoyed every minute of this summer but I have to confess that there were days when I didn't want to wake up and run a day of camp. There were times when I struggled with a bad attitude. When I get tired and hot, it gets much harder to be motivated to passionatly minister to middle school and high school students.
Looking back I had an exellent summer. I wouldn't have missed a day of it. I have so many stories to tell about how God worked this summer in my life and in the ministries I was involved in.