A New Journey -- How I Met My (Soon to be) Husband, Part 1

I have been silent on my blog for about 1 1/2 years, but recent life events have made me realize that it is time to break that silence and start writing again. I want to make time to write, to share the many life lessons that God has been teaching me, in order to help others who may be going through the same stage in life.

To start out the break from silence, I would like to introduce you to someone. His name is David Allen, and He is the most incredible man I have ever had the privilege of knowing. And on May 27th, 2017, he will become my husband!

Isn't he just handsome? I think so.

God did an amazing work in bringing David and me together. And it's time that I share the story, and in more detail than most people may know.

One year ago today, April 22nd, 2016, God perfectly orchestrated many circumstances that led to me meeting David. Little did I know then that David would become my very best friend, my confidant, my boyfriend, the love of my life, my fiancé, and in 5 weeks from today, my husband. God works in mysterious ways, as you will see as I tell our story.

So here it goes (my side of the story)...

It was a dark night, hardly any light at all...no really, that's how we met.
Let me back up a little.

April 19-22nd, 2016, I was attending the annual Christian homeschool conference with my family, along with my dear friend Dessiree, and her husband Chris. I went that week ready to hear what the Lord would teach me through the many sermons, and see where I needed to work on growing in my life. But also, in the back of my mind, I was praying that maybe God would let me meet a godly young man.

The Sunday before the conference, I had several moms at my church approach me and tell me that they were praying that I would meet a young man at the conference that week. I kind of shoved it aside thinking "Oh, that's nice. Thank you. But that's not going to happen." I had recently come to the place where I was content being single, and getting ready to go on a photography mission trip. But as those women told me that, in the back of my mind, I was really hoping that maybe I would meet someone.

During the sessions at the conference that week, I sat with my mom, as well as Dessiree and Chris. I thoroughly enjoyed every session, and wrote copious amounts of notes (which I may or may never read again). I enjoyed spending time with my dear friend, Dessiree, and seeing many other friends I get to see at that conference every year.

April 22nd, the last day of the conference, my mom approached me, and said that there was a father who approached Chris, and asked him if it would be a possibility for me to be introduced to his son. I was flabbergasted. This father had only seen me with Chris and Dessiree, and from that thought it would be a good idea to introduce me to his son. Turns out, this father and his family were camping next to Chris and Dessiree, and had the opportunity to make their acquaintance. So when the father saw that there was a young lady spending time with Chris and Dessiree, he put two and two together, and decided I needed to be introduced to his son, who was "single, and ready and wanting to be married, and just needed to meet a godly young lady."

My mom asked how I felt about meeting this young man, and I replied, "Well, it couldn't hurt. I can always meet him. Surely nothing will come of it, but it doesn't hurt to meet someone. You never know what could happen." So the arrangements were made for us to meet at Chris and Dessiree's campsite that night. I briefly met the young man's father and mother in the conference room, but was distracted with other things, that I didn't even remember their names (whoops...).

We joined a family for dinner that evening, and stayed there really late. I begrudgingly left the wonderful fellowship we were having, because I knew this young man and his parents would be expecting us. So, 11 pm, we met Chris and Dessiree at their campsite, which was very dark, and only one small lamp hanging from the inside of their tent. Chris contacted the father, and then after a little while, the father and his son appeared. My first impression? "Wow, he's tall! And he's cute!" (Well, from what I could tell by the small lamp.) My mom joined the group, his mom, and then my brother.

It was pretty awkward at first. They were calling me by my name, but I didn't know their names. When my brother joined us though, they introduced themselves, and that's when I found out his name was David. We talked for maybe 20 minutes at the most, and then we needed to head home. During those 20 minutes, David and I only exchanged a few words, as his parents did most of the talking. But the few words that we did exchange left me with the impression that he was very easy to talk to. During this conversation, the light was behind my head, so he could not really see my face, and I could barely see his. We parted ways that evening with the idea that maybe his family would try and come visit my church.

But for all I knew, we would never meet again....

(Part 2 to follow)

Life like a teacup

I feel particularly blessed to have this tea cup and saucer, which belongs to a set of China.
No elaborate design. Just a simple leaf pattern on each piece, surrounded by a blue-gray rim, with gold edging.
But to me, it's beautiful.
Why?
Because this set belonged to my MamaDoll. When she was moving to an Assisted Living Center, they had an estate sale for everything at her house. I had wanted another set of China that was well worn, and even missing some pieces. I just wanted it because it belonged to MamaDoll. I was sentimentally attached to it, and didn't even think to ask for the other set.
I did not get the set I wanted.
Instead, this set that is barely used, and still has all the pieces, is the one that didn't sell at the estate sale, and I "inherited" this set.
I see this as a great blessing. I would have been happy with what was worn, chipped, and broken. But God gave me something much better. God gave me something beautiful and complete.

God gives good things to His children.

As I was thinking through this fact this morning, I realized all of life is like this. Especially when it comes to marriage.

Often, we are willing to settle for what is less than the best. We are willing to settle for what is used and broken. We don't always think to ask for what is best, and we don't always want to wait for it either.

I remember being disappointed when I did not receive the set that I wanted, but I never realized I would receive an even more beautiful set, which I had to wait for, and with which I was surprised.

How often are we willing to settle for less than God's best, and not willing to wait? Whether it is in who we will marry, where we live, the job we have, or anything else in life, we need to be willing to wait for God's very best.

Don't settle for less. Why would we want any less than God's absolute best?

God has taught me this important lesson this year in a hard way, as I was wanting something that I know now was not His best for me. Instead, I will have to wait until God gives me something more beautiful than I can imagine.

Because my Father gives good gifts to His children.....

....I will wait.

Will you be willing to wait for God's very best?

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Balancing Mercy and Truth

"Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other." Psalm 85:10

"For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100:5

"For thy mercy is great above the heavens: and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds." Psalm 108:4

"Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart." Proverbs 3:3

"Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy." Proverbs 20:28

 

 

Mercy and Truth. Two important characteristics of God, and components for sharing the Gospel.

 

 

I think it is time that this subject be addressed. I'm not the expert by any means, nor the authority. God and His Word should be our only authority on any subject.

I am seeing this problem so much amongst Christians, and it even appears in my own life in daily affairs. But the biggest area I see this problem arise is in the area of sharing the Gospel.

 

The Problem: Balancing Mercy and Truth

 

I know a lot of passionate soul winners, who are desirous to share the truth of God's Word and His glorious Gospel with everyone. And that is just fantastic! We need more people who are truly passionate and desirous to share the only Hope that this world has through Jesus Christ!

But here is the underlying problem that I see in a lot of passionate soul winners. No love. No mercy. They focus so much on the truth of the Gospel, and God's righteousness, that they forget to bring in His love and mercy.

 

What does this look like? "Repent. You know you are a sinner." "You are suppressing the truth of God in your heart." "Why are you rejecting God?"

There is absolutely nothing wrong with any of these phrases in witnessing. But where is the love in those phrases? What about "For God so LOVED the world..." Not "For God is so righteous compared to the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." No! Why did God send His Son? First and foremost BECAUSE of His LOVE for us!

 

I hear so many Christians passionately preaching the truth of God's righteousness, and the need to repent. But I don't hear those same Christians preaching about why we even have the option of living eternally in the presence of God.

 

Now, before I go any further, I will say this. You can go too far to the other side, and say that "God is all love! You can sin all you want, because God will forgive you." Yes, God will forgive you, but grace and God's love are never a license to sin.

Remember --- "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" Romans 6:1-2

 

There needs to be a balance!

First, in each of the verses quoted at the top, mercy and truth are mentioned together. Where do unbelievers get all the impressions that Christians are a bunch of haters? Well, I hate to say this, but I think a lot of times it is from Christians themselves! Some Christians just get so passionate about preaching God's righteousness, that they almost come across as sounding argumentative, and maybe even a little hateful, even though they are not intending to come across that way.

Second, in all of those verses, mercy is always mentioned BEFORE truth. So maybe this is how it should be in our approach in witnessing.

 

Let's show the world that we are different by our love, and then show them the truth that we possess. Instead of pointing out there sin, and always talking about God's righteousness, we need to start balancing the truth with mercy and love.

 

So how do we do that? First, show the unbeliever a loving person, who is patient and kind in conversations, especially when presenting the Gospel. Show them a warm smile, a friendly personality. Show them Christ's love, before you show them their sin.

 

Then when you are speaking the truth of the Gospel to them, they will be more receptive when you are loving, and not argumentative. You should still be firm in what you believe, but do so in a gentle manner.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 1 Peter 3:15

 

What does this look like?

--- God loves you so much! Do you know how much He loves you?

--- He sent His only Son to die for you!

--- Why did His Son have to die?

--- God is a Holy and Righteous God. That means He is completely perfect. Without any sin.

--- Because God is Holy and Righteous, He cannot allow any sin in His presence.

--- But because God loves you SO much, He has provided a way for you to become holy, because He wants you to spend eternity in HIS PRESENCE and not separated from His Presence.

--- Christ died, because He wanted to pay the price for your sin (Romans 6:23).

--- All you have to do to become holy is to accept the price Christ has paid for you, and to repent from your sins and turn to Christ.

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, please do not forget to show one of the most important aspects of who God is. His Love. If it were not for God's love, He would not have sent His Son to die for us, BECAUSE of His righteousness.

 

I know this has been long, but I pray it has been worth the time you took to read it, because this has burdened my heart for some time now. I pray that each of you, my brothers and sisters, will shine forth the love of Christ in your lives, so that unbelievers will want the truth that we have because of the love that we have.

 

Because of Jesus' Blood,

Faith Christine

Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

 

 



He Restoreth My Soul

Psalm 23:3 "He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."

This verse is especially true to my heart right now. I am seeing the Lord at work in my life more now than ever. I'm on an upward climb. I am so unworthy of this work in my life, but He is so gracious to me in doing this work! I keep pouring out my heart in gratitude to Him who is not letting me go, is not leaving me alone.

Why would God choose to work in a life such as mine? When there are so many people around me who are falling away from the Lord, why does He choose not only to keep me from falling away, but also to draw me ever close to Himself? There is nothing in me that merits such favor! But that is God's incredible grace!

God is restoring my soul. He is working to perfect my mind, will, and emotions.

My mind, by enabling me first to think joy and peace filled thoughts, instead of complain when things don't go quite as I think they ought. He is enabling me to "take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." This has been such a struggle for me, but God is not letting go. He continues to pry, and peel my flesh away layer by layer, as a person would peel an onion.

My will, as He continues to show me that what I desire for my life in the flesh is completely different than His plans for me. He has finally brought me to a place where I can fully rest in His perfect plan. Even so much so that I can be joyful when plans are disrupted, like with my flight to Ohio on 3-13-15. Flight was delayed by about 2 1/2 hours, for various technical reasons. But instead of complaining, I found that my first thoughts were those of joy and peace, knowing that God was in control of the whole situation. I didn't worry even once, or even think to complain. I know that is all God's work in my heart. This has greatly been influenced by studying the journey of the children of Israel, and seeing how often God punished them for complaining. I am to just "follow the Cloud" wherever it leads. I should not move unless It is moving. God will direct me in His timing. Meanwhile I am to submit myself to Him, and follow His will on how life is supposed to be lived. This has also been greatly influenced in my life by the lives of George Muller and Nick Vujicic. Both of them purposed to find joy in their situations, and to lean fully on God. This is what I now truly desire in my heart.

My emotions, why not fully under control, are more controlled than in times past. I am rarely given to the emotion of anger. And when those emotions would be stirred within me, the Holy Spirit gently reminds me that "A soft answer turneth away wrath." The times that gentle reminder of the Holy Spirit has saved me from speaking harsh words are more than can be numbered. This is still an area to be refined and perfected in my life, but God is doing a marvelous work in me.

Yes, truly. He has and is in the process of restoring my soul. My heart continues to ask, "Why me, Lord?"

"Why, you ask? For My Name's sake." This is His loving, gracious, and gentle reply. He does not do it for me. He knows how unworthy I am of such love. He does it for Himself. So that He can obtain glory from my life. This is why I am here. To bring glory to a wonderful and mighty God, whose Name is to be praised above all other names.

All glory be to my Shepherd who lovingly restores my soul, and who leads me in the path of righteousness for His name's sake!
I pray this was a blessing to you. God bless you, my brother and my sister!

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Every Christian Woman Should Marry a FAITHFUL Man

Recently, I read this article on the 10 types of men that a Christian women should never marry. It hit the nail on the head, and clearly defining the types of men a Christian woman should not marry. Marriage, aside from asking Jesus Christ to be the Lord of your life, is one of life's most important decisions, and will either "make or break" a person. So we must choose carefully when selecting a life partner. Ladies, I definitely recommend reading this article! And Gentlemen, try to avoid being that type of a man. I'm grateful for a father and older brother who give wise counsel and insight into the true character of the men around me, and who will help to filter out the guys that I would never want to marry.

But what kind of man should a woman be looking for? This article is mostly intended for my fellow single ladies, who are holding out for God's best in their life. But, if you are a man, and reading this blog post, then I exhort you to live to be this kind of a man.

My Dad recently gave me a list of characteristics that he will look for in any possible suitors in the future. They are easy for me to remember, and watch for myself, because the acronym of the character qualities is FAITHFUL.
They are:
Frugal
Attentive
Industrious
Teachable
Humble
Focused
Unselfish
Loving

If you are interested in knowing more about each of these qualities, I will now elaborate.

Frugal

How does he handle his money? Does he just spend it without a thought of what he is spending it on? A frugal man will be cautious with how he spends his money. This does not mean that he does not spend his money on fun things, but rather that he carefully allots each dollar. He is wise with his money, and spends with the future in mind, rather than throwing his money away for the pleasures currently at hand.

Attentive

The dictionary definition of Attentive is: Assiduously attending to the comfort or wishes of others; very polite or courteous. This kind of a man is thoughtful, kind, gallant, and chivalrous. He notices the small details in a conversation. He notices when others are in need of something, and finds some way to aid in fulfilling that need. This is the man that opens doors for ladies. You know he is paying attention to a conversation if in a later conversation, he mentions something you previously said.
When you are talking, he is focused on you, will make eye contact, and does not look every which way while you are talking. This is an attentive man.

Industrious

This man is diligent in all his work, and does all he can to earn a living. This does not mean that it would be wrong for the wife to work. But if the man is sitting at home, playing video games, and not out trying to find some job, ANY job, he is not industrious. This man would be content to stay at home and let his wife work and be the bread-winner.
1 Timothy 5:8 says, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel." This is not the kind of man you should want to marry. Marry an industrious man.

Teachable

This one is huge ladies! Marry a man who is open to receiving teaching from God's Word. If he thinks that he "knows it all," watch out. This is a pride issue (which we'll talk over more in the next point), and means that he will never be open to your point of view. If someone points out a blind spot, or a character flaw, in his life, he should be willing to learn from this, and use it as a means of the Lord teaching him. This man will be seeking counsel from godly mentors, and will constantly search God's Word to learn more about how to live the Christian life.

Humble

Yes, everyone will struggle with pride at times, as pride is the root cause of just about every sin. But there is a difference between a humble Christian, who being human struggles with pride and admits His struggle before God, and a man who is just full of himself. If a man thinks that he knows everything, and thinks of himself as better than others, run the other direction! This is not the kind of man you want to marry. Also, avoid the extreme opposite, the man with false humility. This man puts himself down so that he can gain attention for himself, and have others say good things about him.
Instead, find a man who knows that he is nothing in and of himself. Find a man who sincerely praises God for everything in his life. He sees himself as low importance, and Christ as the greatest importance.

Focused

This man has a goal in mind, and he is focused on achieving it. He does not wander from one kind of job to the next, but rather uses each job as a preparation for his ultimate goal. When he sets his mind on something, he strives for that goal.
I want to take a minute to brag on my dad and older brother, Richard. They are some of the most focused men I have met. They know what their end goal is, and they strive to reach that goal. I am privileged to have such great men in my family. :)

Unselfish

Really, a man who is humble will not be selfish. But an unselfish man will think of others' needs before his own. He will be looking for ways to serve others. He is willing and interested in putting the needs of others before his own needs.

Loving

Not much needs to be said for this one. But does the man love you unconditionally? Or does he love you only when you do something for him? (which would be selfish) What are his reasons for loving others? Does he love others despite how they may treat him? How does he respond under criticism? Does he continue to love them, or does he lash out irrationally?

A man with these characteristics is truly a FAITHFUL man, and following Christ wholly.

So now that I have laid out these characteristics to look for in a husband, let me say a few things.

First, ladies, if you want to marry someone like this, then he will be looking for a wife with these same character qualities. Work on developing these own characteristics in your life!

Second, you will never find a man who fulfills all these things perfectly. The only perfect man to ever walk the face of this earth is Jesus. Don't expect perfection, because then you will NEVER get married. Instead, look for a man who is striving towards these character traits in his life. He will never follow them perfectly, but he will be striving through the strength of Jesus to follow Him wholly. I do not expect a husband who is perfect, because then he would expect me to be perfect, and I am far from ever obtaining perfection. But these character traits, or lack thereof, are easily seen a man upon better acquaintance.

Third, to the men out there who may happen to read this blog post, I want to encourage you to live to be this kind of a man. No, you will never obtain perfection, as no woman will ever obtain perfection. Christ is the only sinless human. But yield your life to Jesus Christ, and seek to follow him and develop these character traits in your life. My hope is that this will not discourage you, but rather give you encouragement as to the kind of man that Christ wants you to be.

It all boils down to this: Find a man who seeks to put Christ first, others second, and self last in all his ways. Seek this, become this. Follow Christ wholly. Live for Him and Him alone!

I pray that these words may be an encouragement to at least one reader, and that Christ can use it to make a difference in your life!

Praying blessings over you, dear reader! Go with Jesus!
Because of Jesus' Blood and by His Grace,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Reflections on 2014

 

So at the end of the year, I'm sure everyone is thinking about their year, and reflecting on the things that happened. And I'm sure that every single blog out there has a "Reflections on 2014" post, and so I thought, "Why not write one myself?"
So what makes this post different than the others? Okay...so nothing at all. Just a reflection on the things that God taught me this year, and the things He did in my life this year.

This year was a pretty significant year in my life. Such an event filled year for me. Probably the most significant year in my life to date. So what happened in my year to make it so significant?

This year, I finished my college education. Now to me...that is a pretty big deal. After 3 years of hard work, $12,000, lots of tears, prayer, frustration, and stress, I finished my last test for college on August 19th, and then officially graduated on December 12th. I now officially posses my Bachelor of Arts in Music!

God taught me some very important lessons this year. The biggest thing I learned was...

Weakness

Yes, you read that right, weakness. Learning to be weak was the most important lesson that I learned this year. I learned that whenever I try to do something in my own strength, I completely and utterly fail. So God taught me this year that I need to empty myself of any of my own strength, and be completely weak in my flesh. I need to become completely weak in my flesh, and I need to ask Him for His strength to fill me.
The verse I have been meditating upon lately is 2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

God's grace has been beyond sufficient for me this last year. His strength has been made perfect in me so many times this year. Through the many hours of studying, working on research papers, agonizing over my Form & Analysis homework, and testing out of 42 hours of college credit in 10 weeks, God has made His grace sufficient throughout it all!

There is so much more I could write about this year, about how much God has taught me, but that would fill a whole book. In fact, I did fill a large journal worth of prayers, thoughts, and lessons learned this year. Just a few of this year's events included a lot of time spent on school, attending Creation training conferences, turning 21, attending my very first night at Medieval Times, receiving the best gift of a piano from my parents, and running a studio of 25 students.

Just even listing those few things, I'm sure you can tell it's been a great year for me. So as I count out the last few minutes of 2014, I'm counting my blessings, and looking forward with great anticipation to what 2015 has to offer! I'm not going to try and plan out my year, because if there is anything I've learned, it's that I can't make a plan for myself, because things never happen the way I think they might happen.

I'm looking forward to 2015, because I know that it will be a year full of many surprises, as I travel a new road. Blessings be upon you this next year! Go with God in the new year!

Happy 2015!!!

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Study....Study....STUDY!!

It's been quite a while since I updated the few folks who read my blog on what has been happening in my life lately. SO much has happened this year, it's overwhelming sometimes to look back at it and see how much time has already flown by! Here we are in the middle of July already! Can someone please tell me where the time went?

So quick update: What has this year held so far? Hmm...studying, oh and more studying, and a little more studying! I faced some of my most challenging courses this year with taking Form & Analysis 1-3 in the early semester (Really, who needs to analyze Debussy's quartet? Why?). Then I had my HUGE Liberal Arts Capstone project. What does this involve? Glad you asked. It involved a LOT of researching, LOTS of writing, late nights (stayed up until 4 a couple times...:-/). Yes, and even some tears. But I finally finished, and received an "A" in the class (made up for all the late nights and tears!).

I officially finished all 33 hours of my music courses at the end of May, and had all those hours accredited and on my transcript. Whew! Then came the "easy" part. Finishing the testing out of the rest of my basics and free electives.

Fast forward to the first week in June, and I took a trip to North Carolina for a week to take some of the most AMAZING and life changing training I've ever experienced! I took a week of Creation Apologetics teaching, and learned how to teach it to others. If you want to find out more about my week, clink this link, which will take you to their website. I strongly believe that this training is essential for every Christian who wants to be ready to defend their faith! While there, I met some of the most amazing people! And an extra blessing was meeting a dentist who gave me some unbiased opinions about my TMJ disorder, and also meeting an amazing biochem teacher who gave me some terrific help on my Natural Science CLEP test. I plan on writing more in depth about my experience in this training, but for now, check out that link!

July 3rd, I had my 21st birthday! And no...I did not go out and "party" as some may describe it. Instead, I spent the morning with my family, going swimming with my sister and a friend and their combined five kiddos, as well as my "at home" family and cousin. Then I spent the afternoon helping with little kids (everyone wants to do that on their birthday, right?), had great friends over in the evening, spent some "just girl" time with my sisters and friends, and my day ended with a dear friend spending the night and us staying up late watching one of those "girly" movies.

So, it's July 16th, and where do I find myself now? Studying away! Withing the last 7 days, I have taken three exams for college credit. Yes, you read that right. THREE college exams, giving me a total of 12 hours of additional credit. I took one last Thursday, giving me an additional 6 hours, and took two tests today after only 5 days of studying. I'm looking ahead at the next five weeks (my projected FINISHING date), and I'm realizing that the crazy schedule I gave myself of finishing SEVEN more tests in the next FIVE weeks is actually completely feasible!

So, what has the first (almost) seven months of this year taught me? One main thing.

God's grace is ALWAYS enough!!

I cannot stress that enough. In fact it's so important that I will say it again. God's grace is ALWAYS sufficient for my needs! Folks, I have literally seen Him work miracles this last seven months! How, you might ask? Because I have made it this far in school! It is only by His grace that I am where I am today, and have made it this far! I could NOT have finished those classes on my own. Believe me. I was in TEARS over Debussy (Debussy and I don't get along very well). I was in tears over my massive thesis-type paper. I have no idea how I managed to keep such late hours for such a long period of time, except that I know that God gave me all the strength that I needed! And God definitely gave me all the inspiration I needed for such a challenging subject (why did I pick to do a BA thesis on the aesthetics of music again?).

So all this to say, even in the smallest minute things, God cares, He is faithful, and He will be your strength, if you only ask! I'm not stupid, but I know that I could not have come this far in my schooling without God's continued grace and strength pouring through me. I have learned to ask God on a daily basis to empty me completely of myself, and to pour Himself completely into me. One of the verses I am claiming for this next year of my life is from Ephesians 3, where Paul prays that God will fill the Ephesians with "all the fullness of God." My dad explained that in his sermon this is like throwing a coke bottle into the ocean and watching the bottle become completely filled with the fullness of the ocean, yet there is still so much ocean. But in order for that coke bottle to be filled, it has to empty itself of its contents. 

So my prayer for each of you that reads this article is that you would humble yourself and empty yourself completely of anything inside, and ask God to fill you with all His fullness! His grace and strength are ALL we could ever need, and way more than we could ever hope for! I hope that this has been at least a little encouragement to you. 

Until next time....

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, and may you be filled with ALL the fullness of God! Blessings!

Because of Jesus' Blood,

Faith Christine

Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

He Asked if I Would be His Forever ---- I said YES!!!

Today is such a special day for me. Why? Because I said yes to the Love of my life. After pursuing me for several years, and asking me if I would be His forever...I finally said yes. I could not be happier with my decision to commit myself to such an amazing man!

He is the most perfect man I could ever ask for. And I know people tell me that no man can ever be completely perfect, but believe me, this man is!! He has no flaw whatsoever! He has rescued me from distress so many times. He comforted me when I was discouraged. He was there for me to lean upon when I was so weak.

He is my true "Knight in Shining Armor," my "Prince."

He is patient, joyful, kind, gentle, gracious, faithful. He has the most amazing self-control, goodness, and meekness. He is slow to anger, and quick to hear. He is the most loving man you will ever meet. I know I can count on him to be there for me for anything. He is sacrificial, always putting others' needs before His own. He has experienced many trials in his own life, yet become better through them all.

Sound to good to be true? Well all this is absolutely true!!

And his name? His name is Jesus.

Jesus....such a wonderful and magnificent name above all names! At his name, every knee shall bow, of things in heaven and things on earth. Every tongue shall confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!!

Fifteen years ago today, after being pursued by the Lover of my soul, I said yes to Jesus, and invited Him to live in my heart, and be the Lord of my life. I have learned so much the last fifteen years, and have grown to love Jesus more day by day.

As a single young lady, not knowing what my future holds, it is comforting to know Who holds my future. The Bible in many places describes Jesus as the Husband, and the church as the Bride of Christ. I know that Jesus is my true lover, and that He is everything I could ever dream of having in a husband, yet He is the absolute perfect version.

The Lord has taught me that I can only find my complete satisfaction in Him, and will never be completely satisfied if I am looking for it in a man. It is so wonderful to think that Jesus is the perfect Husband, and that I can find my complete fulfillment in Him right now. I can enjoy a great intimacy with Him, right now!

The last fifteen years have been full of trials, battles, lessons, mistakes, and regrets. But I would not trade a single thing for the lessons I have learned, and the intimacy I have experienced with my Savior through all the trials over the last fifteen years.

Jesus is my true lover, and He has asked me if I will be His forever. And when I say forever, I mean for eternity. I am a part of the Bride of Christ! He loved me with an everlasting love. He left His throne and His majesty, and took on the lowly form of a human and died for me. That is true love. To die for those who hated you and persecuted you.

Here I was in sin, living with a dirty heart. Jesus came along and told me that He could make me clean: white as snow. He promises me a place with Him in glory after this life is over. Because I said "Yes" to the Lover of my soul, I have many blessings in this life, much joy, and an assurance of where I will be spending eternity.

Do you know Jesus? Have you said "Yes" to your pursuer? Jesus is at the door of every heart, just asking to come in. Will you open the door? Will you say yes? Jesus died for you! He paid the price for your sins. He loves you with an everlasting love. He wants you to be His forever more. All you have to do is say a simple "Yes." "Yes Jesus, I want to be yours forever."

After you say "Yes" to the Lover who has pursued you since the day you were born, then seek to please your Lover! Any newly engaged/married couple seeks to do whatever is possible to please their partner. Should we not strive for the same with the Lover of our soul, who gave His own life for us, so that we could be His? There is this great book that tells exactly how we can please Jesus. It's called "The Bible." We were created to please Him (Rev. 4), so should we not seek to please Him in every area of our life?

I am praising Jesus for an amazing fifteen years! I am looking forward to seeing what the next fifteen years hold as He continues to draw me nearer to Himself. Would you pray for me? Pray that I will become infatuated with Jesus? That my love for Him will exponentially multiply within this next year? Would you pray that I would come to know Jesus in a new and real way this next year?

And I am praying for each person that reads this, that if you don't know Jesus as your Savior, that you will not hesitate a moment to accept His love and forgiveness into your life. For each of you who have taken the step of saying "Yes" to your true Lover, I am praying that you will make every effort to learn more about Jesus and to seek to please Him in every area of your life.

May the Lord Jesus bless you and keep you, and cause His face to shine upon you!!

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

An Offense to Christ

As I sat in my bed this morning, sipping my chai latte (THM approved, of course), a couple verses came back to my mind that I read this last Wednesday. I meditated on them a little then, but they still kept lingering in my mind.

Wednesday morning, I was laying on a bench in my chiropractor's office, receiving stem treatment to my knee, which I recently sprained. Since I just had to lay there for 15 minutes, I pulled out my phone. I have a daily Bible verse app on my phone, and so read the verse for the day. Then I decided that since I was just laying there, I'd pull up the whole chapter and start reading it. The chapter was Matthew 16. When I got to these verses, they really grabbed a hold on my heart.

Matthew 16:23-24 --- "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

I never noticed the second half of verse 23. Read it again:

"Thou art an offense unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Even if you don't read the rest of the chapter, this small fragment of the verse is enough to pierce into the very heart of any Christian. Why? Why should this pierce my heart so?

Because I have so often chosen to follow my flesh, instead of my spirit. How many times have I chosen to not read my Bible first thing in the morning? How many times have I chosen to just dive into the day, without so much as a prayer to God, asking for His strength? 

Here are some other things to think about...

Is there anything in your life that is not pleasing to the Lord?

Does your dress reflect the way that God would want you to dress, or does it reflect a sense of worldliness?

What about your music?

What about your friendships?

What about your boyfriend/girlfriend relationship?

What about my thoughts? Do they please the Lord?

And the list could go on and on. 

The word savor here means to:

excercise the mind, entertain, or have a sentiment or opinion; to be mentally disposed; to interest oneself in; set the affection on...

My point is this: Whenever we set our affection on, or make an interest in anything that is of the world, and choose those things over what God wants for us, we are an offense to Christ. 

You hear those words? They sting to me...

To think that I have offended Christ. Why should I ever want to offend my precious Savior, who sacrificed Heaven's glory, and took upon Himself the lowly form of a servant, and suffered the worse death possible? And all of this He did for YOU and ME. 

I know there have been so many times when I have been an offense to Christ. But praise the Lord that He is ready and faithful to forgive, if we simply ask. And despite the many times we become an offense to Christ, He still goes on loving us, and doesn't hold it against us (which doesn't that say something about the way that we should treat others?). 

So how do we keep from becoming an offense to Christ?

The next verse says it: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."

The paralleling verse in Luke says "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

On a daily basis, we need to live as if we are basically dead. Because anyone carrying a cross knew that they were on their way to die the most gruesome death possible. 

Wait....What? Live as if we were dead? How is that possible?

I am reminded of another favorite verse of mine. Galatians 2:20 "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."

To take up our cross daily is to crucify our flesh. Kill our own desires. With every decision we make throughout the day, we might ask ourselves:

Does this please Christ? 

Would Jesus be doing this right now? 

Is this choosing the things of the world, over the things of God?

So, as Christmas comes, I really do want to give Christ something for His birthday. I want to give Him of my whole heart. This will not be easy, and I know I will fail at it so many times. But I know that Jesus is also right beside me to help me up, and to hold my hand, as I choose to make Christ first. 

This has just been the words that have been pouring from my heart, and from what Christ is working on in my life right now. I pray that it can be helpful to you as you strive to make Christ the center of your life. 

I pray that you have a very merry, and Christ-centered CHRISTmas, as we celebrate the Savior who was born to die for us! Be sure to thank Christ for His unspeakable gift to us, that very first Christmas. 

Redeemed by Jesus' blood,

Faith Christine 

Taiwan -- A Place I Love

I never did post anything on my blog about my trip to Taiwan. In fact, I really haven't uploaded very many pictures to Facebook of my trip either, and it has been five months since I returned from Taiwan. Despite this, I have been thinking a LOT about Taiwan, especially within the last month or two. My heart longs to return to what I felt was my second home. My trip to Taiwan was such a special time. The Lord taught me a lot of lessons on that trip. But also, I discovered how much I really loved Taiwan, and how much I felt right at home being there, and serving the people there. I don't know if Taiwan is somewhere that God is calling me to later in life, after I'm married or while I'm still single. But I do know that Taiwan, and the people there, found a special place in my heart, that I just really can't explain. So this will just be a short post, but I wanted to post a couple of pictures that will maybe help you understand why I miss/love Taiwan so much. So here's why I love Taiwan:

Small Chinese children sitting in my lap makes me happy, even if I can't talk to them very much.

Finding random cute kids on a long train ride, and trying to make friends with them.

Winning their hearts, and having them sit in your lap.

An accountability group who actually wants to hear how you are doing. This was the best group ever!

Opportunities to teach the children important lessons, in creative ways, while pausing so someone can translate.

Random opportunities to play "Orange Blossom Special" in the middle of the street in Taiwan, just because you can, and because there is a random man standing there playing his violin, who willingly allows you to play it.

An awesome group of classmates that flew all the way from America with you.

Awesome team of teachers, translators, and coordinators (this is just one group from one week).

I definitely miss Taiwan, and pray that the Lord will grant me the opportunity to go back some day. But even if that is not in His plan for me, I know that I will always have a special place in my heart for Taiwan, and a place for Taiwan in my prayers.

Have a blessed week! Hope you enjoyed just a taste of Taiwan! Hopefully some time, I'll post some detailed blog posts about Taiwan. Stay strong in Jesus, and have a blessed day in the Lord's house tomorrow!

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Waiting on God

A soon-to-be cousin of mine posted a link to this blog. I don't know if I can fully endorse the whole blog, but I definitely agree with everything in this one post.

I know girls who sadly throw themselves at the first guy that comes along. They don't think about the long-term consequences of marriage. As this article states, aside from salvation, marriage is one thing that will change your life forever. But many people don't go into marriage with that mindset. Girls, it is really important to wait upon the Lord and His timing. I love this quote that I read:

"When God has called you to wait, it is because what He is doing during the waiting time is necessary for the best outcome."

That is so true. Girls, if God has you single right now, it is because He is preparing you, and/or He is preparing your future husband for you. If you are trusting God with your future, God has a special reason for you being single. 

Last weekend, I attended the Radiant Purity conference, taught by Sarah Mally. While I "knew" everything they were teaching, since I attended the conference last year, it was good to be reminded and encouraged to wait on God's perfect timing. I loved what Sarah Mally had to say about the purpose of our lives.

"The purpose of our lives is not to get married. The purpose of our lives is to glorify God."

So important for me to remember. Now that I'm 20, I can't help but wonder even more than before when God is going to bring "that guy" for me. But, I have to remember that my purpose in life is NOT to get married. My purpose in life is to glorify my Creator and Redeemer. He gave His life for me, so why should I not give my life to Him for His glory?
Before this conference, I had already determined that I didn't want to get married unless I could serve God better married than I could single. To hear Sarah, who is 34 and still single, say that was a huge impact on me. This is not to say that I want to wait until I'm in my 30's to get married. If the Lord wills, I would like to be married within the next five years. But I don't know that that is in God's plan for me, and if that doesn't bring the most glory to God, and if God can use me better as a single young woman, then I would rather stay single. This heart attitude has definitely been very difficult for me to come to. But I know that it is better to be single, serving the Lord, and happy, than to be married and miserable.
Something else Sarah said really stuck out to me:

"God is not going to keep us single one day longer than we are supposed to be single."

How true that statement is! God knows better what His plan is for us than we do! As long as I am single, God has a plan for my life! I have only to submit to His beautiful plan for my life, and He will fulfill it.
I am to be a waitress. A waitress does not stand around doing nothing. She walks around finding ways that she can serve, because that is what her employer wants her to do. The idea of "wait on the Lord" (as in Psalm 27:14) means that while I am waiting for God to bring the next phase of my life, I am serving Him, and serving others. I love this mindset of being a waitress, and pray that the Lord continues to remind me that this is my calling for right now.
So I write all of this mainly to encourage other young ladies. But, it can most definitely apply to young men. If we are following God's call for us right now, and keep walking down the path that He has for our lives, eventually our paths will cross with the person we are supposed to spend the rest of our life with. Our paths will join, and we will continue down the path together, running for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus.

I encourage you all, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." (Psalm 27:14). God has a beautiful plan for each of us, if only we will trust Him and submit to Him. If we try to write our own story, or if we jump at the first person that takes an interest in us, or we are interested in, then we could mess up the beautiful plan that God has for our life. Not to say that God is not sovereign over everything, because He will even use our mistakes to fulfill His ultimate plan. But we do have a free will, and we must submit that will to the Will of God for our lives, and allow Him to write our story for us. Relinquish the pen to the great Author. He will write a story for you more beautiful than you could imagine.

Just some thoughts for tonight. I pray that you will take them to heart, and allow God to work His beautiful plan in your life. Stay strong in Jesus! Trust always in Him, and He will direct your path.

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

20 years

20 years....

Out to dinner for my 20th birthday

God has allowed me to live on this earth for 20 years now. Each new year that the Lord grants me, I know is a huge blessing.
Last Wednesday, July 3rd, I turned 20 years old. It's such a surreal feeling. I know some of you who have come to and left this point already probably think I'm silly, but to me it just seems so unreal.
I have been thinking back over the last 20 years (okay, so as many as I can actually remember), and thinking of all the lessons God has taught me, with the last six years being the most significant. Six years ago, I attended the Journey to the Heart, and it changed my life forever. And out of the last six years, this last year especially has been a time of huge change in my life, and in my walk with the Lord.
I remember last summer having feelings of discontentment and anxiousness: anxious to get married (yes, at only 19). Not completely content where God had placed me. I had so many things that I was holding on to, of which I needed to let go. I am amazed at the work that God has done in my life just since last summer, and that He continues to do.
This last year, He has taught me...

Surrender
Trust
Patience
Contentment

I have definitely not perfected these things, but I find myself perfectly content where I am right now. I have surrendered my future into God's hands, and I trust Him completely with my future. Recent circumstances showed me that trying to write my own story was not worth it, and that I'd only end up making a disaster of my life. So who better to let write my story than Someone who is perfect?
I am also finding myself falling deeply in-love with Jesus. Wow...He continues to amaze me more and more every day, and I find myself falling deeper and deeper into an intimate relationship with Him. He has become my true source of joy. He is my contentment. He has provided for all of my needs. It is because of Jesus that I am the woman that I am today.
Because I have found such a deep love for Jesus, I'm not anxious anymore about getting married. I only want that to come if it will further deepen my love for the Lord, and if I can serve Him better married than I can single. I have learned that life is all about Him. It's all about bringing glory to Christ. Now when tempted to sin, I think to myself "but I love Jesus too much to do something like that." Oh that the whole world could know of Jesus' deep love for them, and fall completely and madly in-love with Jesus themselves!
I wish I could fully express my love to Him, and fully explain to everyone how much I truly love Jesus, and how much I want everyone to love Him the same way.
I am thankful that the Lord is teaching me to love Him and to delight in Him. I am looking forward to another 20 years of truly loving and serving Jesus, if He decides to grant me with those 20 years. I know the next 20 years will be filled with MANY changes in my life (as I do hope to marry and have kids within the next 20 years). As my brother said, "The next 20 years will be harder and more expensive."

No matter what the future may bring, I am resting in the knowledge that my Father has a beautiful story for my life, if I will only leave the pen in His hands. I am thankful for even the mistakes I've made in the last 20 years, as they have taught me many beautiful lessons.

Sorry if this post has seemed like kind of a ramble. But I'm excited to see how God will work in my life and use me in the next 20 years, and am thankful for these past 20 years. I encourage you all to let God write your story, especially if you're still young, and unmarried. Give Him the pen to your life, and He will write a more beautiful story than you could ever have imagined for yourself. Stay strong in Jesus! Cling to Him, and give Him your whole heart!

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

Run and Jump

Tired...oh, so tired. Why do I feel like this?

For the last couple of months, I have experienced extreme exhaustion. I experienced that right after coming home from Taiwan, but knew that was definitely from jet lag. But the last couple of months? Why have I felt tired? There would be mornings I just found it difficult to get out of bed before 8, and even then I would be groggy, and could barely drag myself through the day. I was not going to bed extremely late at nights either. Supposedly, I should be getting enough sleep. This could not be a hangover from jet lag.

The middle of April, I walked into my local blood donation center to give blood. Overall, I was feeling well, but still had this feeling as if I had been awake all night. I waited for a long time, and finally they called me back into the room to test my levels, and have me answer a bunch of questions. They pricked my finger, and took my hemoglobin levels. "12.0. I'm sorry, you can't give unless it is 12.5." Disappointed, I left the donor center, with an appointment to come back in a couple of weeks.

The Wednesday before last, I went back for my appointment. After waiting a while, they finally called me back. Again, I got to have my finger pricked. "11.8. Your iron is too low. You can't give blood today." She gave me a pamphlet on low iron, and food to avoid, and foods to eat. She said that I might consider the fact that I am borderline anemic.

I went home, and did some researching on borderline anemia, and found that I had all the symptoms of it. But at least now, I know the cause of my extreme exhaustion, as well as some other problems I've been having.

Since last week, I have had my ups and downs. There would be days I would feel just fine, and then other days I just could not pull myself out of bed before noon, because I would be so tired.
Yesterday was a pretty terrible day. I felt completely exhausted, and every time I would stand up, I would start to black out. I had to pull myself together to go teach yesterday afternoon, but I barely even made it through that, and just crashed after I got home.

There have been times when I just felt like crying. Now, I know that this may not be a big deal as compared to people who suffer from diseases, or cancer, or other serious health issues. But it was frustrating to me. I am so tired of feeling tired. So tired of not being able to accomplish really anything, because of a lack of focus. Because of this, I have not really been able to do school like I ought for the last couple of months. And that only added to my frustration. Yesterday was definitely a day where I just felt like crying. Yesterday, I also had some other struggles, that I kept having to give to God.

Now, you're probably wondering why I have told you all of this. I am setting the stage for how amazing God is in all of this. 

Last night, as I was getting ready for bed, I listened to my audio Bible on my phone. I love the dramatization of the Zondervan audio Bible, as it gives me a new perspective on the Bible, as it makes it come alive. I have been reading through the Bible, and was in 2 Samuel last night. Because of extreme exhaustion yesterday, I did not get a chance that morning to read my Bible. So this was my go-to, with the little time I had left before bed. 2 Samuel 22 started playing, which is pretty much word-for-word of Psalm 18. The Lord caught my attention with these two verses.

"For by thee I have run through a troop: by my God have I leaped over a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him." 2 Samuel 22:30-31.

I had been frustrated, yet not griping or complaining to God about it (because I realized that I break 130 commands when I do that, so I can't do that anymore). But when I heard these verses, they became more alive to me than ever before. I felt as if God spoke to me through these verses and said, "Faith, by me, you can run through all these struggles as if they are not there. You can jump over the walls in your path, such as health issues, no matter how high or difficult they might be, if you only look to me for your strength. My way is perfect, even when it may seem thing are going wrong." I was overwhelmed by this. I realized that I had not been seeking Him for all of my strength. I was not trying to do anything in my own strength, but I was not asking Him to fill me with His strength. Through Him, all things are possible, even the difficult things.

Thankfully, I know that I can fix my problem by eating a high iron diet, and by taking some supplements to help raise my iron levels back to normal. Hopefully in a couple of weeks, I will feel normal again. But I am choosing to thank God for allowing me to experience this in my life, to teach me yet again that I cannot depend upon my own strength, and that I have to ask for His strength. By His strength, I can get through anything in life, no matter how difficult the situation.

So my challenge to you is this:

Seek His Strength! Become completely weak, so that He can be made strong. Remember that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. And make sure that when you know you are completely weak, that you do ask Him to give you His strength.

I pray that the Lord is able to use the lesson I have learned to help you in the future. My goal is to glorify Christ in every situation, even in the tough situations of life. Stay strong in Jesus!

Because of Jesus Christ and for His glory,

Faith Christine

Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

My Father Makes Me Smile

I know it has been FOREVER since I have posted on my blog, and can't believe it's almost the end of April already! This year has gone by crazy fast, especially with my Taiwan trip at the beginning of this year. I'm praying that I'll be able to sit down soon and write some blog posts to document my Taiwan trip, so I don't forget, and so others can hear of God's goodness to us in Taiwan. But, I wanted to write a quick post to praise the name of my Father in Heaven. He is so good to me, and has shown Himself so faithful in every single way, and even in small things.

I want to share with you right now something that made me smile. Something I knew God did just to make me smile, and thank Him, and praise His holy name. God is our Father, and what Daddy does not just love to make his children smile, and see them happy? I know that my earthly father definitely does, so why not our Father in Heaven, who is the absolute Perfect Father? God has made me smile in so many ways today, but I will share the extra special blessing with you.

As you may know from reading my description page, I am a photographer. Recently, a family in our church asked me to take some family photos of them in the beautiful Texas blue bonnets. Of course, I was delighted! They had asked if we could meet at the church before Sunday school services, and go to a field nearby with blue bonnets. Now if you live in Texas, then you understand how crazy our weather has been. So not as many wild flowers popped up this year. I arrived at the church early today so that I could drive around and find the best spot for pictures. I drove around close to the church, the whole time praying "God, could you please give me some blue bonnets? Like lots and lots of blue bonnets. You created them, so I know you can give them to me." I drove around...and could not find a single good thick patch. I prayed again, "God, I just need lots of blue bonnets. I know you can give them to me." Then, I remembered! Last year, as I was driving to the college that I test at, which is near our church, I saw a huge patch of blue bonnets right next to the college. It was only a 4 minute drive from the church, so I headed that direction. I kept praying, "Father, I just need a lot of blue bonnets. It's so simple for you. I know you can give them to me!" I arrived at the location, and guess what I found?

Blue bonnets! Lots and lots of them! The very thing I had asked my Father to give me! Of course I had to share my story with the family that I photographed.

But my story does not end there! If you are a photographer, then you probably have some of the same "fears" of shooting outside, especially if you live in Texas.

Hot weather.....
Sun so bright that everyone is squinting their eyes all the time....
Lots of wind.....

(Aren't they a great looking family, and aren't those beautiful flowers?!)

So yes, I may have slightly feared these things....but God gave me a perfect temperature, partly cloudy skies, and very little wind (I think it was going about 9 mph). It was perfect! And not only that, but the family that I worked with today had the sweetest most obedient kids, who were more than happy to pose in whatever way I wanted them to. The parents were even willing to make a silly face for one of the pictures (and did a great job of it too, I might add). And even by the end of the shoot, they were asking me to take pictures of them in a certain spot. Then the oldest girl wrote me the sweetest note later thanking me for taking their pictures. That really made my day, especially since my major love language is words of affirmation. I definitely felt my Father in Heaven looking down on me saying, "See Faith? I care even about the little things! I clothe the lilies of the field. I feed the ravens. I do care about making my precious daughter smile, and I do love to see you smile." So I could not help but smile all day today, knowing how faithful my God is even in the tiniest of things. If God cares even about tiny things like giving me good weather, and lots and lots of blue bonnets, then I know He cares about the "bigger" things. Because they are all the same to Him! Because He is a big God!! And not only all of these perfect things, but the location was perfect! My church is located in an industrial area, and so there are a lot of ugly signs, or tall buildings. But there was this awesome little "forest", and awesome trees, and no ugly buildings in the background!

We are commanded over and over in the Bible to bless the Lord, or to sing praises to His name, so I wanted to do just that. Why do I feel so much joy? Why do I smile so big? Because I know I have a Father in Heaven who is smiling down on me right now, and that makes me smile too. :-D God is so good to me, a wretched sinner. I am so undeserving of His love, yet He loves me anyway, and shows His love through small things like good weather, no wind, a partially cloudy day, and lots of blue bonnets! I praise you, oh my Father! You created this wonderful day, and I lift thanks up to you!

Don't forget to thank God every day, especially for the little things! Remember His faithfulness endures forever. Trust in Him, and give your all to Him!

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10

P.S. It's good to finally get a blog post out....

Reflections on 2012

Another year has come to a close. It's hard to believe how fast this year has gone by. I look back at this year, and see that my life has changed in a lot of ways. I have done more growing spiritually this year than ever before, and I find myself more and more in love with my Jesus every day.

When I think of words that sum up this year for me, the lessons that I've learned, these are the words that come to mind.

Surrender --- Trust --- Contentment --- Patience --- Self-control  --- Discipline --- Witnessing --- Brokenness

There is much more that God taught me this year, but these are the main words that come to my mind. God has taught me how to pray, and given me hard lessons on just learning to be still, and listen to Him.

 

At the end of last year, I made several goals for myself. I actually accomplished a three of those. My goals that I accomplished are:

1. Read my Bible and journal every day.
2. Tell at least 50 people about Christ, even if it is just by handing them a tract.
3. Get my weight down to a certain level.

I am excited that the Lord gave me the discipline, and the self-control, and the passion that I needed to get these three things accomplished this year!!

 

These are all of the journals I have filled this year. 8 journals, which comes out to 1539 pages. I can't believe how much I wrote about my life this year! But I am glad I did, because so much happened, and I have every single bit of it is written down to remember for years to come. There is a verse about writing down the things that God has done for you (can't remember where the verse is), so that you can remember them, and generations after you can know of God's faithfulness. Well, I have definitely done that this year, and I plan to continue this discipline next year, and hopefully each year after that. I would have to say that a great deal of my spiritual growth is due to the fact that I did journal this year. It is as if God was waiting for me to sit down with a pen and paper before He just started pouring out insights to me. I also discovered this year that I pray much better when writing it out in my journal. That's not to say that is the only way that I pray, but some of my deepest most heart-felt prayers are the ones I wrote in my journals. It's amazing now to be able to go back and see the prayers I have prayed, and the way that God answered them so specifically. Journaling has been an amazing journey for me, and it's one I encourage each one of you to embark upon yourself.  

Something else I completed this year is "My Utmost for His Highest" 1-year journal. These have been wonderful devotionals to do every night! Oswald Chambers is a very wise man, and a lot of this has been life changing for me.

So I am going to share with you some of the ways that God has taught me those special words this year.
Surrender --- Trust --- Contentment --- Patience

These four words all kind of go together for me. Can you guess why? I think any single young woman can identify that these four are the hardest for us to obtain.
Surrender: Surrendering all our desires, hopes, and dreams to God. Laying them on the altar, not taking them back up unless He gives them back. I had to learn to surrender some things this summer, which was so hard for me that I told God that I couldn't do it. I told God I couldn't, and only He could. He had to work in my heart, and bring me to the point of surrender. And He did!
Trust: Trusting our future in the hands of the Almighty, who has a much better plan for our future than we could ever plan. Trusting Him with the pen to our story, and not making any suggestions as to how the story should go. This has been pretty much the hardest lesson for me to learn, for me to simply let go, and trust God. Even when I don't understand what is going on. I find it interesting that this is the lesson that it seems God keeps taking me back to, since the meaning of my name, Faith Christine, means "A Christian who places their trust in God". It's amazing how God uses our names. Recently, I started trying to create pictures of different things in my mind. Just a couple of nights ago, the Lord gave me a picture of what trust is. And He also gave me a verse to go along with this picture in my mind.

(The Beautiful necklace my sister Grace made me for Christmas which will always serve as a reminder to me.)

 

My picture of Trust: Me, a blind girl, walking down a path. I have no idea what lay in front of me. I cannot see. I try many different ways of finding my own way down the path. I try different people. But alas, all of them lead me astray. They all lead me into danger. But then One with a soft and gentle voice comes behind me saying, "...This is the way, walk ye in it..." (Isaiah 30:21). I know this is the voice I can trust. This is the voice of The Only One that I can trust. I just have to trust that He will keep me from the dangers that lie on each side, and keep me from falling. He will lead me down the right path, even when I think I know a better way. I just have to trust Him, because only He can see the road ahead of me.
Contentment: Learning to be content with my present circumstances, even if I desire greatly to be somewhere else. This has been the hardest for me to learn. Contentment in singleness. This summer was especially a hard struggle for me, but the Lord gave me victory, because I kept asking Him to create in me a heart that was willing to be content right where I am. And then the Lord opened up the door to Taiwan...and I knew I was content right where I am.
Patience: Sometimes this can be the hardest to learn. Patience---waiting for God to fulfill His perfect plan in your life. Waiting for God to come through on His promises, which He ALWAYS does!
This year, the Lord has given me great victory in these areas. This does not mean by any means that I have perfected these things, but I have come a great distance. About two months ago, I was reading in the book "Sacred Singleness", by Leslie Ludy. She talked about Mary pouring out her most precious ointment, which was the thing of most value to her, onto the feet of Jesus. How much should we be willing to pour out what is most precious to us onto the feet of Jesus? I decided right there and then that I was pouring what I held as very dear to me, my desire to someday be a wife and mom, onto the feet of Jesus. It is all His, and if He has a life of singleness in store for me, then I am ready for it.
There is so much more in each of these areas, but it would take many hours to tell you every step along my journey.
Self-control: God has helped me greatly develop in the area of self-control, mainly getting my weight under control, which has been a huge struggle for me. Also just in controlling my temper, which has been a huge stumbling block for me in the past. Not perfect yet, but I am being perfected.
Discipline: I wanted to become more disciplined in reading my Bible on a daily basis, and this year I have! I'm praying this discipline will carry over into the rest of my life. Gaining this discipline helped to carry discipline over into other areas of my life where I greatly needed it. Still working on this one, but it's well under way.
Witnessing: This has been a huge year for me in witnessing. I have come "out of my box" so much. I have started to get excited about witnessing, and leaving tracts for people. I even start to pray now before plane flights that God would put an unsaved person on the plane next to me (because they can't go anywhere...). So needless to say, I am DEFINITELY looking forward to my upcoming plane trips, if only because it will give me an opportunity to share Christ with someone. I have become more excited than ever about sharing my faith, and have lost a lot of the fears that I used to have about witnessing. God has done an amazing overhaul on my heart in this area. I just learned that I should not fear man who is going to die. Rather I should fear God, and what He will say to me if I didn't do my duty in sharing the Gospel with the lost and dying world.
Brokenness: I would have to say this was the hardest for me to learn this year. Not holding tightly to any earthly friendship, and not placing my trust in a friendship I always thought would be there. I won't go into great detail, but I did lose a friendship that was very near and dear to me, one I was sure would always be there for me. They broke off our friendship, and that did break my heart.
But I realized that God worked through even this to answer my prayers. Exactly one year to the day before this happened, I wrote in my journal "Lord, break my heart so that I might draw closer to you. Crush my spirit, Lord. I want to be so close to you, Jesus." Exactly one year later, I had my heart broken in a very real way, but Jesus did use it to draw me closer to Him, because I realized then just how real the phrase "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" was to me. Jesus means even more to me now, because I know that He will never leave me, He will always be with me. He is the one and only one that I can depend upon to ALWAYS be there for me.
God used this to answer another prayer in a very real way. Five days before this happened, I read 1 Peter 1:6-7, and wrote these words in my journal: "If You need to take me during a season of testing to try my faith, if You need to try it by fire, then do so. I know that this means I am asking for testing, but I want my faith to be found precious and honorable in Your sight." And He did purify my faith through this. So I am able to look back on this brokenness that happened in my life, and I am able to thank God with my whole heart for this, even though I don't understand.

All spritual growth aside, this has been an amazing year!! I had a nephew and a niece born this year, I joined professional adult orchestras in the area, and I found out I was going to Taiwan. Some friendships have gone, others have grown stronger. But my family is even more precious to me, and I am learning to treasure and value the rare family that I have even more every day. I also started going to a girls' accountability group, which has been amazing!!

But most of all, nothing is more precious to me right now than my True Love, Jesus. If He is not your first love, I urge you now, don't waste another minute making Him your first love!! Jesus is the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me. I will leave the whole world behind before I will leave my Jesus. And you can have a deep relationship with Him too. Just tell Him that you want it!

So this has been an extremely long blog post, but God has done so many amazing things for me in 2012, and this isn't even the half of it. I can't wait to see the exciting adventures and surprises that God has in store for me in 2013! Bring on the new year!

My prayer for this next year is that both you and I as Christians will use every breath we have to proclaim the goodness of God, and the love of God to a lost and dying world, before God comes to take us Home. May 2013 be an amazing year of surrender to God, and of telling of His goodness! God bless your new year! Stay strong, and hold fast to Jesus!!

Because of Jesus' Blood,
Faith Christine
Galatians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 15:10