Hello all! This week, the chapel focus was "re-live defining moments of faith." Phil Vischer, the guy who came up with the idea for VeggieTales, came to speak. How exciting! My intent is to use the majority of this blog post to "re-live" my defining moments of faith.
I grew up in a Christian home. When I was about 8 years old, I went to Camp Michawana for the first time. It was there that they had something called "birthday night." Of course, they were referencing spiritual birth. Up to that point, I did not remember a time in my life when I had accepted Christ. My heart was pounding like crazy. I really felt the Spirit was working in my heart for me to accept Christ, but I did not. Then, two years later, I went to Camp Michawana again with my sister Hannah. It was then that I felt the Spirit really calling me, and I conceded. I went and prayed with a camp counselor. After that, I tried to do everything as perfectly as possible. I would try to read my Bible and make my bed. If I messed up, I would give up and try again the next day. I sort of equated routine with being sinless, which I know now is definitely not the case. When I was about 11 years old, I was baptized.
God blessed me with different mentors while I was in middle school and high school. Two people in particular helped me greatly. (I won't mention names though, because you know who you are.) I learned so much and eventually incorporated into my day a time just for God.
Now, I am at John Brown University, and I continue to learn a lot about my Savior, Lord, and Treasure. I cannot wait to see what the future holds.
Words I learned this week: monger, iconoclastic, antebellum, Brahmin, solipsism, baroque, shrift, ebullience, decadence, immanent, polemically, nascent, motley, nexus, chagrin, inebriate, dialectic.
"We will never be satisfied with anything less-- each day, each hour, or each moment in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit-- than walking with God."
"If we are to be a people who reach the 'uttermost parts of the world' with the good news of Jesus, we need to learn what Peter learned. We must know that there is no limit to the love of God, that prejudice has no place in the kingdom of God, and there is no kind of uncleanness that God cannot redeem."
"Lord, you have given me another day in which to enjoy and serve You. I offer it back to You; lead me in the way You would have me to use it."
"What becomes important is not that I manage time, but that I let God manage me."
Have a good week, everyone! May God teach you many great things!
Leah Jarvie
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Week in Review Feb. 13-19
On Monday this week, the Siloam Springs school district didn't have school, due to about 2 inches of snow. Unfortunately, since John Brown is mostly a residential college, I still had to go to class. Other than that, nothing really exciting happened to me this week.
Some small blessings: peanut butter and oreo chocolate truffles, five quarters returned to me when I inserted a $1 bill into a change machine.
Words I learned this week: amain, lave, arras, carminative, runnel, declension, gravid, wraith, domicile, and some other word, but I cannot remember right now.
I apologize to my regular readers who enjoy the quote section of my blog, for I did not come across anything that quote-worthy this week.
It is getting to the time in the semester when everything just gets hectic, so please pray that God will provide me (and everyone else at college) with strength to get everything accomplished.
With much love to everyone in Michigan, especially to my lil sister, Hannah, who is going to be my maid of honor whenever I get married :)
Leah
Some small blessings: peanut butter and oreo chocolate truffles, five quarters returned to me when I inserted a $1 bill into a change machine.
Words I learned this week: amain, lave, arras, carminative, runnel, declension, gravid, wraith, domicile, and some other word, but I cannot remember right now.
I apologize to my regular readers who enjoy the quote section of my blog, for I did not come across anything that quote-worthy this week.
It is getting to the time in the semester when everything just gets hectic, so please pray that God will provide me (and everyone else at college) with strength to get everything accomplished.
With much love to everyone in Michigan, especially to my lil sister, Hannah, who is going to be my maid of honor whenever I get married :)
Leah
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Week in Review Feb. 6-12
First of all, here on some major highlights from my week:
On Thursday this week, my heart strayed from the Majesty and goodness of God to other things. I desired and thought about other things above Him, thus committing idolatry, not to mention adultery. As a result, on Friday, I felt so messed up spiritually and I felt like a hypocrite. I thought to myself, "How can I say that I desire God when I'm running after these things?" Soon, though, God uplifted my spirit distracting me with class and other responsibilities. These idols are things that I struggle with on a regular basis, but I pray that God will help me to overcome them.
On Saturday, I worked on homework until about 2:00, and then my mind basically turned off. Thus, I wasted the rest of day, even though I had a mountain-load of homework to do.
As a result of my decision on Saturday to quit doing homework way before the end of the day, this morning I was feeling overwhelmed with things, and the thought entered my head, "Perhaps I should just skip church this morning." The idea only lingered for a few seconds, and I went to church. I felt so blessed and uplifted by going to Sunday school and having fellowship with everyone. The experience definitely reminded me that it is important to go to church, because we need each other. It's amazing when God does those sorts of things in my life, and even amazing when He doesn't! His amazingness (is that a word?) does not change!
Today, it was also communion Sunday at church. I feel like I've been de-sensitized to what Christ did on the cross, so I was praying and confessing that to God and saying, "God, give me a fresh glimpse of the crucifixion and resurrection. Show me a picture of your love." As the elements were being passed out, I saw a a 9 or 10 year-old girl draw near to herself her 4-year-old sister who has spina bifida. At that moment, the human sisterly love was remarkable and overwhelming, but it was also a picture to me of how God wants to draw me near to Himself as His daughter, because of His love for me.
Thus far this afternoon, it has been quiet and peaceful and relaxing working on homework and just spending time in God's presence at the same time. I know that God is always present with me, but one of the signs that sometimes happens to me is a physical heaviness in the chest area. Before I became a Christian, my heart would always pound whenever some pastor invited people to receive Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, and Treasure. Well, I'm experiencing that physical heaviness this afternoon, and it just feels great. God has been speaking to me about a lot of things. I still have a lot to get accomplished before tomorrow, but I have a peace about it.
Words I learned this week: halcyon, stadholder, nonage, epoch, ethology, castigate.
Quotes from the week:
"The causes of life's history [cannot] resolve the riddle of life's meaning."~Stephen Jay Gould
I must say that I highly disagree with the above quote. In fact, the cause of life's history does solve the riddle of life's meaning. If one acknowledges that God is the Creator, then that also means that the created thing has some sort of purpose. For what would be the reason for creating something that has no use? Thus, knowing that we have purpose, we must adhere to the purpose for which our Creator made us, otherwise we would still be of no use. Our life is filled with meaning as we follow the purpose that God has for us.
Similarly, if we turn this concept on its head and say that we just came about by chance, then what is there to live for? If we're just accidents, then life has no purpose.
"If God's thoughts and ways are higher than our own (as a jet flies higher than a bird), then God is to us as we are to the preschooler, only more so. Just as the preschooler cannot fathom adult logic, indeed is baffled by things that adults easily understand, so we can expect to be baffled by mysteries and paradoxes that are, perhaps, mere simplicities to God."
"If God's thoughts and ways were like our own, God wouldn't be God, or else we would be gods, too."
Have a great week everyone! May our great, sovereign God reveal Himself to you this week in many ways!
On Thursday this week, my heart strayed from the Majesty and goodness of God to other things. I desired and thought about other things above Him, thus committing idolatry, not to mention adultery. As a result, on Friday, I felt so messed up spiritually and I felt like a hypocrite. I thought to myself, "How can I say that I desire God when I'm running after these things?" Soon, though, God uplifted my spirit distracting me with class and other responsibilities. These idols are things that I struggle with on a regular basis, but I pray that God will help me to overcome them.
On Saturday, I worked on homework until about 2:00, and then my mind basically turned off. Thus, I wasted the rest of day, even though I had a mountain-load of homework to do.
As a result of my decision on Saturday to quit doing homework way before the end of the day, this morning I was feeling overwhelmed with things, and the thought entered my head, "Perhaps I should just skip church this morning." The idea only lingered for a few seconds, and I went to church. I felt so blessed and uplifted by going to Sunday school and having fellowship with everyone. The experience definitely reminded me that it is important to go to church, because we need each other. It's amazing when God does those sorts of things in my life, and even amazing when He doesn't! His amazingness (is that a word?) does not change!
Today, it was also communion Sunday at church. I feel like I've been de-sensitized to what Christ did on the cross, so I was praying and confessing that to God and saying, "God, give me a fresh glimpse of the crucifixion and resurrection. Show me a picture of your love." As the elements were being passed out, I saw a a 9 or 10 year-old girl draw near to herself her 4-year-old sister who has spina bifida. At that moment, the human sisterly love was remarkable and overwhelming, but it was also a picture to me of how God wants to draw me near to Himself as His daughter, because of His love for me.
Thus far this afternoon, it has been quiet and peaceful and relaxing working on homework and just spending time in God's presence at the same time. I know that God is always present with me, but one of the signs that sometimes happens to me is a physical heaviness in the chest area. Before I became a Christian, my heart would always pound whenever some pastor invited people to receive Jesus Christ as Lord, Savior, and Treasure. Well, I'm experiencing that physical heaviness this afternoon, and it just feels great. God has been speaking to me about a lot of things. I still have a lot to get accomplished before tomorrow, but I have a peace about it.
Words I learned this week: halcyon, stadholder, nonage, epoch, ethology, castigate.
Quotes from the week:
"The causes of life's history [cannot] resolve the riddle of life's meaning."~Stephen Jay Gould
I must say that I highly disagree with the above quote. In fact, the cause of life's history does solve the riddle of life's meaning. If one acknowledges that God is the Creator, then that also means that the created thing has some sort of purpose. For what would be the reason for creating something that has no use? Thus, knowing that we have purpose, we must adhere to the purpose for which our Creator made us, otherwise we would still be of no use. Our life is filled with meaning as we follow the purpose that God has for us.
Similarly, if we turn this concept on its head and say that we just came about by chance, then what is there to live for? If we're just accidents, then life has no purpose.
"If God's thoughts and ways are higher than our own (as a jet flies higher than a bird), then God is to us as we are to the preschooler, only more so. Just as the preschooler cannot fathom adult logic, indeed is baffled by things that adults easily understand, so we can expect to be baffled by mysteries and paradoxes that are, perhaps, mere simplicities to God."
"If God's thoughts and ways were like our own, God wouldn't be God, or else we would be gods, too."
Have a great week everyone! May our great, sovereign God reveal Himself to you this week in many ways!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Week in Review Jan. 30-Feb. 5
"Change my heart, oh God, make it ever true. Change my heart, oh God, may I be like you. You are the Potter; I am the clay. Mold me and make me-- this is what I pray."
I forgot to mention last week that I got my hair cut. This time, I didn't skip school to get it done, nor did I lead anyone astray by having them skip school too. :) In fact, the girl came to my dorm room to do it! Talk about awesome service!
I feel like I am waiting on God for three main things:
1. Whom my spouse will be
2. What I will major in
3. What I will be doing this summer
Of course, some of these are more urgent than others. For instance, I have plenty of time until I get married. :)
There are different spiritual seasons that people go through. Some people are in valleys of trouble and despair. Other people are at the mountain top, experiencing God with joy. Some might be in between. I feel like I'm at the mountain top, but then again, I feel like I'm sort of going downhill. Either way, embrace the spiritual season that you may be in because God uses all of them to cause you to grow closer to Him.
One blessing that I realized in my life this week: my best friend Janeen. She is the first person my age that I have ever really opened up to about spiritual things. Before, I think I may have been a bit elusive about the subject with people, and I felt awkward whenever I did talk about it. I'm glad that I am comfortable telling Janeen what God is doing in my life, and I think she would agree that it has been a mutually beneficial, growing friendship.
I hope that one day I might be able to sing joyfully to the Lord, "Lord, you are more precious than silver. Lord, you are more costly than gold. Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares with you." This week, I've struggled with what it means to desire God in terms of action. I keep on saying to myself, "Okay, if I really desired God, then I wouldn't do this, or I would do that."
God continues to provide for my every need.
As with any other piece of writing, I urge my readers to understand that I am selective in what I write on here. For the most part, I like to write about positive things (since if you want to read about negative things, you can just read a newspaper). However, I still try to be genuine in what I write.
As ya'll begin a new week, I pray that the cry of everyone's hearts will be, "Jesus, draw me close; closer, Lord, to you. Let the world around me fade away. Jesus, draw me close; closer, Lord to you, for I desire to worship and obey."
Leah Jarvie
I forgot to mention last week that I got my hair cut. This time, I didn't skip school to get it done, nor did I lead anyone astray by having them skip school too. :) In fact, the girl came to my dorm room to do it! Talk about awesome service!
I feel like I am waiting on God for three main things:
1. Whom my spouse will be
2. What I will major in
3. What I will be doing this summer
Of course, some of these are more urgent than others. For instance, I have plenty of time until I get married. :)
There are different spiritual seasons that people go through. Some people are in valleys of trouble and despair. Other people are at the mountain top, experiencing God with joy. Some might be in between. I feel like I'm at the mountain top, but then again, I feel like I'm sort of going downhill. Either way, embrace the spiritual season that you may be in because God uses all of them to cause you to grow closer to Him.
One blessing that I realized in my life this week: my best friend Janeen. She is the first person my age that I have ever really opened up to about spiritual things. Before, I think I may have been a bit elusive about the subject with people, and I felt awkward whenever I did talk about it. I'm glad that I am comfortable telling Janeen what God is doing in my life, and I think she would agree that it has been a mutually beneficial, growing friendship.
I hope that one day I might be able to sing joyfully to the Lord, "Lord, you are more precious than silver. Lord, you are more costly than gold. Lord, you are more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares with you." This week, I've struggled with what it means to desire God in terms of action. I keep on saying to myself, "Okay, if I really desired God, then I wouldn't do this, or I would do that."
God continues to provide for my every need.
As with any other piece of writing, I urge my readers to understand that I am selective in what I write on here. For the most part, I like to write about positive things (since if you want to read about negative things, you can just read a newspaper). However, I still try to be genuine in what I write.
As ya'll begin a new week, I pray that the cry of everyone's hearts will be, "Jesus, draw me close; closer, Lord, to you. Let the world around me fade away. Jesus, draw me close; closer, Lord to you, for I desire to worship and obey."
Leah Jarvie
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