Week Two of the Second Term

Today concludes my first week of the 2nd term. I must say God has defiantly given me peace this semester. I finished the last term with 2 B's, and only by His grace, I was ok with that. My Theology class was out of my hands. My teacher didn't quite see eye to eye with what I have been taught over the years, and because of that he took points away for things He didn't agree with. Even though they said in the beginning of the class to speak freely on what you believe. The book we were reading was a lot on what we do as Christians, rather than the work of Christ on the cross. And in my papers and discussion boards, I spoke freely. But it was clearly not what he wanted to hear.

My education class I finished with 89.5. Just .5 points away from an A. With everything that is going on in my life, I had peace with receiving that grade. Though I do wish it could have been an A, I mean who wouldn't?

So far my new classes have been going great! I am taking Bible and English, and I'm really enjoying both of them. This will be an easier term for sure! The first day my teacher said for us to start reading right away since there was a lot of it. When I looked at the assignments, I was required to read 30 pages for the week. Compared to the 100 I was reading for my Education class last term.

God has been very kind to me this year, giving me the strength he has for everything that has been going on from work and church, soccer, friends, family, and school. At times I don't feel like I'm gonna be able to get it all done, but some how, every week, I do. How kind He is!

Little did I know, my current memory verse was perfect for this past week. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9

Hope you are able to see God's amazing grace in your life at the moment! Because He is an awesome God. Thanks for reading!

Saying Things Twice

I just got done listening to a message by Roy Comfort called Hell's Best Kept Secret for my Theology class. Amazing message! Worth hearing if you haven't yet. But there was one part I thought was hilarious and wished I could share it on my blog. He was talking about how men need to hear things twice. Made me think of Brian Regan's stupid husbands skit. And how totally awesome it was that I found his sermon typed out on his website.

He says; 

"So we’re going to now very briefly look at examples of law to the proud and grace to the humble. Luke 10:24...Luke 10:24. And when I give you a reference from the pulpit I’ll give it twice, because I know that men are present, and men need to be told things twice....Men need to be told things twice. This can be backed up biblically. When God speaks to men in the Bible he uses their name twice. “Abraham, Abraham...Saul, Saul...Moses, Moses...Samuel, Samuel...” Because men need to be told things twice. Women once. I don’t know how many times I’ve sat in a pew, preacher said, “Ah, Luke 10:25.” I turn to my wife and say, “What’d he say?” She says, “Luke 10:25.” I say, “Thank you, dear.” HELP-MATE. That’s why God created women, because men could not handle it on their own. The whole thing is: men lose things, women find things. “Where’s the keys love?” “Hangin’ on your nose, Dear.” I mean, I don’t know how many times I’ve opened the cupboard, “[Burp] There’s no honey here, Honey!” She says, “Here is here, Dear.” Where would man be without women? Mm? Still in the Garden of Eden. Eve found the tree. Adam didn’t really know what was going on. In fact, if you look at the creation of woman, to create woman the Bible says God put man into a deep sleep. And Scripture doesn’t say he ever came out of it."

Son of God, Lunatic, or the Devil

For my Theology class, there is a lot of articles I have to read.... One I was reading on bring up arguments on if the Bible is the word of God, the author had a quote from C.S. Lewis that I loved.
Lewis said,
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claims to be God." That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic - on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg - or he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse..... You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He was not left open to us. He did not intend to."
What is your choice?

Ways You Don't Expect

I love it when God shows you things when it couldn't have been more perfect. What an awesome way He shows us He cares for us! 

Monday was my first day back to school. And rather than starting my day in the books, I started it with Spurgeon's Morning and Evening. The devotion for January 16 was titled I Am the One Who Helps You, Declares the Lord. I couldn't help but smile! This was the devotion for the day I start school? It felt as if God was speaking the words right to me! 

Spurgeon says, "This morning let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us: "I will help you.""It is but a small thing for Me, your God, to help you. Consider what I have done already. What! Not help you? Why, I bought you with My blood. What! Not help you? It is the least thing I will do for you; I have done more, and will do more. Before the world began I chose you. I made the covenant for you. I laid aside My glory and became a man for you; I gave up My life for you; and if I did all this, I will surely help you now. In helping you, I am giving you what I have bought for you already. If you had need of a thousand times as much help, I would give it to you; you require little compared with what I am ready to give. It is much for you to need, but it is nothing for me to bestow. Help you? Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of your granary asking for help, it would not ruin you to give him a handful of your wheat; and you are nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency. I will help you."

He helped us in the most desperate time in our lives, why would He not help us now? Why would He leave us to fend for ourselves? He wouldn't! He isn't! One of my all-time favorite verses says, "For I, the LORD your God, hold your right hand; it is I who says to you. "Fear not, I am the one who helps you." (Isaiah 41:13). He's right here with us, He is helping us run this race.

It's only by His grace, but I have a totally different perspective going into this new semester. I can't explain it, but I have this peace I haven't had yet with school. I'm not overwhelmed, I'm not questioning if this is what I'm suppose to be doing. I got home late today from work... did I finish all that was on my schedule for school today? Nope. And I'm ok with that. Because I know His grace is sufficient! He is going to help us!!!! What a great God He is!!!!

No More Bio!!!! Woo hoo!

Sorry I have not been posting this term... Biology was a killer! I knew this going into the class as they tell you on the phone, "You do know this is our hardest course?" I really do now! It was a challenge for sure! One reason was the course... they had you read sections from the material, and then have questions that were not even related on the test. Then my group for our discussion board, did not really act like a team. There were 4 of them that would do the work themselves and post it days before it was even due. Our teacher on numerous times emailed and mentioned on our DB that we need to work together as a team, and that it was not due till Monday. Did they listen? Nope! They posted without the team still. At that point, I gave up working with them, and posted what I needed to post. And my teacher was gracious enough to give me 100% on those!

This was a major struggle for me, as last term I was making all A's, and this time I was failing. My other class, Apologetics, I was pretty much winging, since Bio was taking up most of my time during the week.  Other than my teacher grading poorly for my spelling on most of my papers, I scored almost 100 on everything else. It was perfect that I was taking these two classes together. I felt like I was being tested on my knowledge of the gospel, God, and Christianity, everything I have been taught by my dad and at KingsWay.

I hate to say that during this term, I was not trusting God like I should have been. I was taking things into my own hands. 6 weeks into the 8, that began to change. I didn't care what the outcome was... I left it up to God. I was still failing Bio, and had a B in Apolo, but I left it up to Him! I turned on worship music for everything... studying and tests. This helped me to focus on Him rather than taking things into my own hands.
All the way up to the last day of Bio, I had an F. But by the grace of God, my teacher graded on a curve due to most of the students failing!!! I passed the class!!!! But not only that, I made a C!!! What a gift from God! All I wanted was to pass the class.... He is so kind! My other class I made a B, and that's ok with me!

So what else has been new? Well... I will be playing soccer again in January. Which I am totally thrilled about! Also, this past Sunday, my friend Kristen and I went to get our noses pierced. What an experience that was! Going to a tattoo parlor was an experience alone.... Then there was a chance I could pass out like the last time I got something pierced. I was trying to stay calm. I didn't want to pass out... and Kristen was slightly freaking out. After much waiting, panicking, numbing cream, and anticipation, we finally did it!

Well, I know I say this a lot... But I hope to be blogging again... and a lot more often.
Merry Christmas!!!!