Be a thought catcher

I surround myself with paper:

  • I carry a planner because using my phone’s calendar has never stuck with me.
  • My desk is covered in sticky notes and scrap pages and memo pads with scribbled out notes to myself.
  • I even use Evernote, which is a digital notebook.

If I don’t grab catch a thought immediately, it’s a goner.

Do you know how many times I’ve written a great blog post in my head and planned on writing it down once I got home?

Whether you’re the most organized thought catcher that ever lived or you have 10 notebooks and scrap paper falls around your feet when you walk, just write things down!

Habakkuk 2:2 says, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets…”

The Lord was giving instructions and the first words out of his mouth were, “Write this down!”

The point of writing things down is to use that information to teach and encourage others.

None of us lack ideas.

If you’ve ever sat in a meeting, you know that everyone has great ideas–and they normally all come about the time the meeting is supposed to be over.

We just don’t catch the inspiration when the Holy Spirit gives it to us.

Grab your thoughts!

Write them down!

And then go do something with them.

 

 

 

 

Not an ordinary book

The biggest part of my job is communicating with students, so most of my day is spent talking on the phone or checking my email. 

It doesn’t bother me too much because my job–my mission–is to help the students connect with the right information to graduate. 

I love connecting others with information!

Ask any of my closest friends and they will tell you I always have a book recommendation. 

Just tell me what you need or want to know and I’ll get a book in your hands. 

This passion is not separated from my faith either. 

I love teaching and explaining scriptures! 

Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.”

As much as I love reading, I’ll never love another book like I do the Bible. 

The Bible is Jesus in print. 

It’s His mind, His will for us to follow. 

Every question can be answered by the Bible. 

This is why it’s so important to teach and explain scriptures. You’re connecting others with information–faith–and faith comes by hearing. 

What can faith do?

Well, we’re saved by grace through faith. 

We’re healed by faith. 

We pray by faith. 

Just check out Hebrews 11 and you’ll see how all of our favorite Bible characters did nothing without faith. 

In fact, Hebrews 11: 6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God.”

I’d say faith is important. 

I’m all about sharing a book with someone to help them understand more about Christianity. 

Just be sure you give that person a Bible as well. 

Then go a step further: Actually read, study, and discuss both the recommended book and the Bible with them. 

Other books are great, but only the Bible holds all truth. 

Growing in Confidence

I’m really terrible at describing myself.

Today I filled out a survey for the Rhema yearbook team. One of the questions was: How would you describe yourself in six words?

Uh…

This is my first response any time I’m asked this question. 

My mind goes blank. 

Am I the only one who struggles in this area?

While I’m at Rhema,  I want to learn how to be confident in my authority as a believer and how to be confident in who God made me to be as a person. 
Confidence in both areas is important. 

I’m glad that God patiently walks with us on our journeys. 

He’s definitely teaching me so much about digging deeper and not giving up. 

So, if you also struggle with either one of those areas, don’t quit!

Fun Family Visit

I had a good time visiting with my dad, stepmom, and the kids today.  

They came to town for a funeral and we spent Monday night and Tuesday afternoon together. 

Our friends, Tim and Carolyn Clark, ate dinner with us on Monday night and then spent spent time with us before they headed to the airport. 

When the Clarks left, us adults hung out and talked before surprising the kids with a trip to the movie theater to see Kung Fu Panda 3. 

After the movie, we enjoyed a quiet dinner followed by more talking and some family worship around the piano. 

I was sad as I said goodbye to everyone. 

However, I know in my heart that I’m supposed to be at Rhema. Tulsa, Oklahoma is my home for now, and I am excited about all that is ahead of me. 

This knowledge doesn’t make me any less sad–I miss my family and friends back  in Alabama–but it definitely helps me keep going in the midst of bittersweet moments. 

I came home at the end of the visit and looked around at my new reality, the path that is mine and mine alone to walk. 

Good things are ahead. 

I am so thankful to God for this journey. 

And I am so thankful for family and friends who encourage me to go on great adventures with God. 

Missions on my mind

I had an amazing Saturday….and I can’t tell you anything about it!

The School of World Missions (SOWM) Cultural Immersion Weekend was this Friday and Saturday. 

I rode the church bus out to Rhema Ranch early this morning with 10 other student volunteers. 

We were sworn to secrecy because SOWM wants the experience to be a surprise for upcoming missions students. 

What I can tell you is that I will definitely sign up to volunteer in the future!

The presence and power of God was so strong. These students are ready to take the world by storm.

Another cool aspect of volunteering is knowing that my dad and stepmom went through similar training to prepare for the mission field. 

Missions is a core value in my family, so I want to help SOWM any way I can. 

I was also more stirred up about deaf missions. There are so many deaf people who don’t know Jesus! I look forward to seeing how the path God has for me unfolds. 

Missions is on my mind and burning in my heart!

The Overcommitment Trap

It is really easy to overcommit, especially if you’re a person like me. 

I want to help people. 

I want to encourage them in all of their endeavors. 

I want to not say no…

And here is the rub: I can’t say yes to everything. 

Overcommitting stresses you out and it guarantees that your best intentions will fall short because of other spinning plates. 

So, how do you keep yourself from overcommitting?

By keeping your priorities straight. 

My first priority is being a student at Rhema. 

I didn’t move out to Tulsa, Oklahoma for any other reason. There’s nothing wrong with helping, volunteering, and working–I just can’t lose my focus. 

Everything else I do can’t take away from my training or else I’m missing out on why I came. 

I’m primarily reminding myself of these truths tonight because I have already been tempted to overcommit.

Though, I hope my personal reminder will encourage you to make wise choices with your time as well. 

Thankful for Provision

I am blessed. 

I am blessed. 

I am blessed!

God blesses His children. Period. 

And today He reminded me of His loving provision in a mighty way:

The school called me at work and told me that my tuition is taken care of! An anonymous donor called the school on my behalf. 

Talk about a reason to praise God! That’s all I’ve done since getting the news. 

I am thankful for God’s provision. 

I am thankful for the genorisity of the donor. 

On my drive home, I prayed for the donor and asked the Lord to bless he or she in a special way. 

I know that He will. 

We’re learning in our classes that God honors faith and every step of my journey to Tulsa has been a step of faith. 

Praise God for the journey!

Praise God for friends and family who support that journey! 

Here’s my question to you, my friends:

What step of faith do you need to take?

Turkey Sandwich Fellowship

I had the opportunity to eat lunch with a few friends today. 

After a full day of classes, we had church over soup and sandwiches!

One of my favorite things to see is how God is moving in the lives of others. 

Our God is so faithful!

He speaks to each of our hearts in a way that keeps us walking in the right direction. 

My friend shared with us a revelation that is, to me, one of the best revelations God shares: Our identity in Christ. 

I remember how sweet that revelation was in my own life–an abandoned and rejected child who just needed to know God’s love was for real and for her. 

So, I rejoiced with my friend and encouraged her to learn as much as she could about her identity in Christ. 

Fellowship in the Word takes place in many forms, but I’m thankful for my lunchtime feast. 

My turkey sandwich has never tasted better!

Learning from Friends

I can’t wait to learn more about my classmates!

During spring orientation, I made it a point to introduce myself to every spring student. There were around 35-40 first year spring students, so it wasn’t too hard of a task. 

Now all of the first year students are together…

It might take me a bit longer to introduce myself to everyone else, but that’s my goal before the end of the semester. 

I’ve heard many stories already and each one is amazing. 

It’s my hope that maybe (crossing my fingers now) some of my friends will let me tell you their stories on the blog. 

Their personal testimonies are powerful as well as inspirational. 

On top of all the classes, my newfound friends are also teaching me a lot about faith. 

The Law of Hunger

My first day at Rhema was a lot like being thrown into a swimming pool. 

I’m so excited for the opportunity to learn and grow through my classes. 

My supervisor at work, Dr. Ray, gave me some great advice today, which I believe will help me maximize my time in school. 

He taught me about The Law of Hunger. 

Maybe this sounds weird (it did to me at first), but let me explain:

The Law of Hunger is a learning principle that engages both your mind and your spirit. 

You have to go into the classroom (or any learning opportunity) with both your mind and your spirit open to receive.

You must be hungry. 

As Christians, we need to understand (this should be a given) that there’s only so much we can know in the natural. 

Our spirits, however, are capable of knowing the deeper things of God. 

I’m a big believer in education–book learning–but it can never replace the role of the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all truth. 

With all of this in mind, I’m ready to swim!