"You traded riches to run to my rescue..."

It’s been a while since I’ve been on here, obviously. I wish I knew how to put into words all that God has been teaching me in the last month or two about his Son, the gospel, and his plans… when I try to and it just seems like word vomit. But at the same time, I’m so glad that the Lord’s work cannot be explained completely through my words… he is so much bigger and greater and more complex than any earthly vocabulary.

This past fall semester was extremely busy and it flew by! Overall it went well, but I’m glad it’s over. I’ve had to trust God with several “big” decisions… and none of them were easy. One that I am very excited about is next summer. After a lot a lot a lot waiting, seeking, and praying, I believe God wants me in Romania again this coming summer. At first I thought it was to good to be true – but I feel that it’s really where I’m supposed to be. AND I AM SO EXCITED.

In the last few days, I spent time listening to a few of the messages online from the Passion 2011 conference in Atlanta. Listening on my computer was incredible, I can’t even imagine being there. Through those messages and spending other time in the Word lately… I’ve been convicted, humbled, and encouraged.
One of the speakers made the point that when a person says “yes” to Jesus Christ, they are saying “no” to everything else… and everything else is a TON of stuff. I am so glad that I have chosen to follow the One that controls everything all the time, whether I’m actively showing my love for him or not. I’m saying yes to the one with the only name that really means anything at all, the only name that has the power to save and free people from an eternity apart from Him, the name people are dying to hear.
2 of the speakers spoke out of Philippians 1. Verse six reminds us that God is for me, he is for all of his children and we can be assured of that. Verses 26-27 talk about living a life “worthy of the gospel”… which makes me think… do the people I talk to know I have a relationship with Jesus? Do they know I believe in Hell? It’s not about if they know I go to church, that I try to live morally, or even that I’m a “Christian”… I mean do they know that I know Jesus Christ and that he saved my life and can save theirs?

Lastly, sort of… I’ve been so convicted about my attitude towards some people and where God has me right now. I heard a pastor say recently, “…don’t minimize where God has you right now.” That went deep. It’s so easy for me to get caught up in the excitement about where He may take me in the future that I discount where I am right now. I really want this coming semester to be different – I want to take advantage of opportunities He gives me to spread his name, glory, and fame… instead of praying for opportunities, observing them as they come, and letting them pass without saying a word like I’ve done so many times before.
If that all sounded like gibberish to you all... I'm sorry!
More to come :)

Lord, please drown out my desires for everything that doesn’t matter. Help me remember that no circumstance can make it impossible for You to use me.