It's Vlog Time!

So, since it's been a bit since I've done a vlog (short for video-blog, all you non-technical people), I decided since I had some spare time to do one.

Some notes before we begin:

1. Please excuse the nasal-y voice and sniffling. I have a cold. And allergies. :)
2. And that "airplane" sound in the middle? That's my computer. I promise no jets landed on my building during the making of this film.
3. And with that...I bring you our feature presentation. Haha. :)
4. [Edit: I have no idea why my mouth and voice are speaking at two different times. I'm pretty sure something went crazy on the YouTube end of the matter because it is fine on my computer. Probably this crazy slow internet in the dorm. I'll see what I can do this weekend at home. :)]

being free.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have seen the following that I posted earlier.

I realize the irony about posting against social media on Twitter. But, honestly, it's not that big of a problem. I don't waste hours and hours on Twitter. I maybe check it once a day or so.

True Life: I deleted my Facebook. No, I don't think Facebook is of the devil or anything like that. But, it was definitely affecting my relationships with others, myself, and God. I didn't have to call my friends to see how they were doing...because I could see it on Facebook. I began comparing myself to my "friends" and got upset when I didn't measure up. And because I spent the hours and hours doing absolutely nothing...God kind of got left out of the picture. It's something I've realized. It's something God's been convicting me about. I don't need to forge these fake relationships with people. It means nothing to invest in someone's life by clicking "Add as Friend". I'm sorry, but that's not how you impact someone's life. It is too easy to get caught up in the fake and forget to invest in the real. For example, I have a friend that I recently fallen away from somewhat. She lives in a different state, so it's not like I see her all the time. I was feeling like I kept up with her via Facebook (because I could see what she was doing, recent pictures, etc)....but I haven't called her in over a year. That's ridiculous. 

I'm ready to get out there and form real (face to face) relationships with people. I don't want to "Friend" you or "Follow you". I don't want to be just another email or a text. I want to form a community with people...I want to know what's really going on and form a deep meaningful friendship. That's what it's all about. It's not about the number of "Friends" or "Followers" you have. It's about something deeper and more intimate. If that means I lose a couple of the people that I thought were my "friends"...so be it. If social media is all that is keeping us together...our friendship wasn't that strong anyways. If it means I get left out of the loop sometimes...so be it. (Just make sure to tell me where and when the free dinners are...that's important!)

It's a new start. And I've never felt so free. :)

via

sacrifice.

I've come to the conclusion my generation knows nothing about sacrifice. 

We live in a world of instant gratification. And whenever we want something- we get it. My dad tells the story about how when I was little I saved up my allowance to buy a pair of binoculars. Instead of putting my money in the quarter toy machines, I saved up my money for these binoculars (which weren't that amazing. I mean, I don't even remember any of this). The bottom line of this story being, I sacrificed (in a very small matter) to get what I wanted. But now, in a world of credit cards...there isn't much room for sacrifice. Yes, the interest will add up. Yes, It won't be good for your credit score. But, we see ourselves as invincible beings. I mean, I know that I should save up for life after college. But...I really really want that iPhone. Or I really cannot live without this or that or whatever. We have no concept of the word sacrifice...because we've never had to do it. When all we have to do is call Mom or Dad if we get in a bind and need some help...we're not gonna get it. When all we have to do is swipe that piece of plastic...we're not gonna get it. When we do absolutely nothing and get whatever our hearts desire...we just aren't gonna get it.

Then, we read in our Bibles about Jesus telling his disciples to take up their cross daily and follow Him. We read about how we need to die to ourselves. We read all this stuff that sounds so great...and we just don't get it. I mean, we prefer to think that God would like us to be happy than to think that God may require us to sacrifice something. But, after all...God already gave His sacrifice, in the form of Jesus. The only thing that's left is for us to follow Him. And to do that requires sacrifice. It's a completely foreign concept in America, the world of instant gratification. But, just imagine what life would be like if we lived a life of sacrifice. How would our lives look different? How would our churches look different? How would our communities look different if we all put ourselves and our comforts last and sacrificed for the sake of the Savior?

Just what's mingling around in my little mind.

Off to finish that homework. :)

where i need to be.

Dear Friends, I know it's been awhile since I've blogged. And it's been even longer since I composed a post that was somewhat meaningful and had some tiny bit of purpose. I would say I'm terribly sorry, but I'm not. I've been looking for the words to say...and they aren't there (well...here). I've been on Spring Break this week, so that could be an excuse. And, well, I've had no ideas or desire to blog...that could be an excuse. Or, I could just share that I was placing undue pressure on myself that needed to be cut out. All of the above are true. So, for now, there's going to be some minor changes to this space. I'm not going to be sharing my Project Life pictures every week. I've been falling behind and feeling guilty...but I've realized that since I'm doing PL for myself, it's not really fair to either of us for me to say I'm going to post them and then not do it. You get disappointed. Those of you that know me in real life ask me when I'm going to post my pretty pictures. And then, I tell you that I've fallen behind and I get all embarrassed. So, for now, I'm taking a short break. Not that I'm not going to still take pictures...and I may even post some on here as non-PL posts. I still enjoy photography...but Project Life is so demanding. I'm trying to refocus on my vision of blogging and the reason why I blog. Yes- it is to share with you all the neat things I am doing. But- it's also a ministry tool. And I need to remember that. :)


Moving forward now, I thought I would share some of the things I'm learning about through my Bible Reading. I know I mentioned a few posts ago that I started a new Bible Reading plan. It's super intense and a little hard for me to keep up with at times, but it's good. I'll be sharing the details on that later. That's not the purpose of this post. As I've been thinking about where God is leading me later in life, I've begun to think about some views that I have about ministry. As some of you know- I have some radical views on topics (in all areas of my life- from politics to religion). While I'm still digesting them, and I try not to judge people that don't interpret things the way I do, there are some things that I believe are non-negotiables. These are things that I believe should not be argued about within the church and should be accepted as fact. Some other things I believe are a little bit more open to personal interpretation. I've really begun to see the roots that universalism has sown in our Christian culture. And frankly- it scares me. I see it in my own life when I don't want to tell people that what they are doing is wrong. And while I believe that judgement is reserved for God, I think it is your duty as a Christian friend to tell your friend when they are doing wrong. When you have a relationship with someone, you also have a responsibility. Ezekiel 33: 12-16 says:

 The righteous behavior of righteous people will not save them if they turn to sin, nor will the wicked behavior of wicked people destroy them if they repent and turn from their sins.When I tell righteous people that they will live, but then they sin, expecting their past righteousness to save them, then none of their righteous acts will be remembered. I will destroy them for their sins. And suppose I tell some wicked people that they will surely die, but then they turn from their sins and do what is just and right. For instance, they might give back a debtor’s security, return what they have stolen, and obey my life-giving laws, no longer doing what is evil. If they do this, then they will surely live and not die. None of their past sins will be brought up again, for they have done what is just and right, and they will surely live.

It's not just saying the words. It's living the life. All the good things you have done in the past can save you if you turn your life over to sin. In the same way, no one is too far lost in sin to turn away from sin and turn towards righteous living.
Another thing I found interesting in my Bible reading is the fact that God calls us to not only evangelize, but also to tell people to change their ways. As I said earlier, it's not just saying the words, it's living the life worthy of the gospel.

If I announce that some wicked people are sure to die and you fail to tell them to change their ways, then they will die in their sins, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself. - Ezekiel 33: 8-9

As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you abandoned my flock and left them to be attacked by every wild animal. And though you were my shepherds, you didn’t search for my sheep when they were lost. You took care of yourselves and left the sheep to starve.  -Ezekiel 34:8

If we don't tell the people we know about how they are dying in their sin-- WE are the ones responsible! The whole "Go and make disciples" thing isn't just in the New Testament. The whole evangelism thing isn't just Jesus and Paul. It's a God thing in the Old Testament prophets, too! 
Another little verse I thought I would end with. At the end of  Deuteronomy, Moses is about to leave to go die. It is time for the Israelites to enter the Promised Land, but Moses is not allowed to go with them. Before Moses leaves his people, God tells Moses about what is going to happen in the future. How Israel will turn away from God and worship other pagan gods. How they will abandon Him. So, God gives Moses the words to a song to give to the people. It's a song of warning that is echoed in the prophets of the latter part of the Old Testament. He gives Moses this song to give to the people so that it can be passed down and maybe someday they will learn the error of their ways and turn back to God. 

But Israel soon became fat and unruly;
the people grew heavy, plump, and stuffed!
Then they abandoned the God who had made them;
they made light of the Rock of their salvation.
-Deuteronomy 32:15

Does this not sound like us in America today? We are so prosperous on our own, that often we feel that we don't need God. Like the Israelites, we forget that God brought us out of slavery and to the prosperity we enjoy today. We didn't make our lives by our own doing. We are where we are because of God. He's the one that brought us here. Are we abandoning Him by the way we are living our lives? 


So, that's where I'm at. Figuring out where I lie in the spectrum and where that is in relation to God. I'm not perfect at any of this- so please don't take this as judgement. I'm just passing on the truth and spreading the Word that I've found. :)

super moon.

So, I'm not sure how many of you were aware that there was a "Super Moon" last night. Honestly, I was expecting the Big Cheese to take over the night sky, so I was a little disappointed when it was only 4% bigger than a regular nighttime moon.

We went out to the lake to take some pictures with the cameras. I didn't have too much luck with the kind of moon shot I was looking for- no zoom lens- but I still got some pretty neat photos if I say so myself. :)

decisions, decisions.

I'm really struggling right now to figure out where God is leading me after college. As of this moment, I have no earthly idea what I really want to do. I throw around ideas (such as working for an organization like Compassion, writing children's Sunday school curriculum, and being a children's director)...but I really don't know how to get there. When I came to HC, I declared Business as my major. Keep in mind, I'm at my third college and fourth major. For the first time in my college career, I am absolutely in love with my college. I love it here and it is perfect for me. I love the small college feel and the personal relationships I have with my peers and my professors. I know that I want to graduate from here and I cannot wait for the day that I get to walk across the stage out on the Green and get my diploma. It's something I get excited about every time I walk by the Green. In the past, I've always dreaded the concept of graduation. The whole having to sit on a stage for hours and hours was something I dreaded. But, I am excited about graduation now. I'm excited about the new experiences I will encounter after that day. But, in order to get to that day...I've got to complete a major. And that's the part I'm really struggling with right now. I hate my business class. I'm not going to lie. It's not just that it's at 8 o'clock in the morning, but it's the fact that it's dreadfully boring. It's outright torture. And I realize that I'm slowly confining myself to a job that will put me behind a desk for many hours will little or no encounters with children. My goal in life? To help children and lead them to Christ. That is my ultimate goal. I would go as far to call it a calling, but I don't like to get caught up in labels. :)

I know people say that the degree you get really doesn't matter. But, I hate math. And I hate statistics. And I'm really not a huge fan of the classes I have left to take. So, now I have a major decision. To stick with the major that I'm in (by 1 class) or to change (and still graduate at the same time-maybe a semester early). I'm beginning to consider options post-college. This is probably due to the fact that several of my roommates are graduating this semester, and the remainder of my friends are graduating next Spring. I'm beginning to see that there really is a life after college (if Jesus doesn't come back first, obviously). I'm thinking about Grad school- is it for me? Or what about seminary? Where is God leading me? I don't know yet. I'm still in the prayer mode. I'm not officially changing my major...yet. But, it's something I'm definitely considering. Religion or Christian Ed? Psychology or Communication? Or do I stay where I'm at and grit my teeth? Big decisions are in my very near future. I know that technically it doesn't really matter what your major is. But, if I'm going to be studying something for the next two years...should it be enjoyable? I have some preferences towards the faculty in certain majors and would really enjoy taking a class or two with them. But, I don't know. I have no idea what I'm doing. I thought that once I turned twenty and started here- I would know exactly what to do. But now- I'm not so sure.

Have you ever been in this situation? Any ideas of what this girl should do? :)

Project Life: Weeks 9 and 10

Sorry for the delay. Something called life and forgetting to take pictures got in the way. Oops. :)
But, now.
The long-awaited pictures from Weeks 9 and 10 (February 26-March 11)

Week 9:

February 26

February 27

February 28

March 1

March 2

March 3- No Picture. :(

March 4- Picture still to come. :)

Week 10:

March 5

March 6

via Google Images

March 7

March 8

March 9

March 10

March 11- No Picture

Yay for catching up on Project Life! (I promise I'll have a post of some value some time in the upcoming week. As soon as I conquer this stats test tomorrow morning.)

procrastination. part 2.

So, I'm done with my homework for tomorrow.

And I'm delaying on studying for my Stats test since I think it's totally unfair I'm not on Spring Break yet.

Solution?

Sister Wives and Etsy.

Please don't laugh or hold my obsessions against me.

I promise I don't want to be a sister wifey.

I'm too jel. 

(Mom-that's "college talk" for jealous).

On to Etsy finds. :)

I really like this one. I think it screams "It's from the 70s" and "I'm a hippie".

Aside from the fact it's yellow...it's cute. :)

But, since we are talking about my love of crafting and Etsy....

Yes. You saw that right. A "sewing" jumper.

procrastination.

Is my life right now.

• I will get Project Life pictures from the last two weeks up soon. Hopefully tomorrow. I'm just forgetting to take pictures, and y'all- it's awful. I was doing amazing. Got to get back on track!
• I had to read a poem for my Lit class tomorrow. We have a guest professor from University of Chicago coming in (he's interviewing for a j-o-b). And it is horrible that I have to read this poem. It's Ginsberg's "Howl" and I got to about page two and had to stop and just scan for the important parts for the essay due tomorrow. I'm not subjecting myself to the immorality contained in that poem. Honestly- if that's the kind of stuff he's going to teach, I don't think he belongs at a United Methodist university. Just saying. I don't care if he has some fancy degree from some fancy college and is from the Land of the Deep Dish Pizza. I. Don't. Want. Him.
• I made it pretty clear in my essay that I thought the poem was stupid. And immoral. And against my beliefs system. I mean, Ginsberg glorifies homosexuality and mocks Christianity. I'm not buying it. 
• I'm teaching 3rd and 4th grade Sunday School at church now on the first Sunday of the month now apparently. I thought I was just being a helper...but I like kids and I got an email tonight...so. That's that. 
• Desi will so love the fact his big sister is teaching him. HA!
• I have 2 super talented brothers. See video below for further evidence.
   
• I'm really glad I'm not living at home right now. Drum sets are L-O-U-D if you were wondering.
• And that's my life on this wonderful Sunday night! :)

When someone calls you a fat cow...it may be time to DTR

I've written on many occasions about how I feel that one of the main duties of Christians is to look over the "least of these". I've probably gone overboard and some people may think I write on the topic far too often, but it's something that's on my heart. And since this is my blog...I'm going to write what's on my heart. Ever since beginning my new bible reading plan (just finished day 9 and it is going amazing!), I've realized that God had an awful lot to say about justice and looking out for the poor. I mean, like all the time. I was going to post every verse I found, but it got to be too many. So...I decided just to stick with the ones that really stuck out to me.

• "You must not exploit a widow or an orphan. If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with my sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless"-Exodus 22:22-24
• "For when they die, they take nothing with them. Their wealth will not follow them into the grave." -Psalm 49:17
• "Pour out you unfailing love on those who love you; give justice to those with honest hearts." -Psalm 36:10
• "They refuse to provide justice to orphans and deny the rights of the poor." -Jeremiah 5:28b
• "Then, when you swear by my name, saying, 'As surely as the Lord lives', you could do so with truth, justice, and righteousness. Then you would be a blessing to the nations of the world, and all people would come and praise my name." -Jeremiah 4:2
• "Don't say 'I'm too young', for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. And don't be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!"-Jeremiah 1:7-8
• "Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon." -Isaiah 58:10
• "Our courts oppose the righteous, and justice is nowhere to be found. Truth stumbles in the streets, and honesty has been outlawed." -Isaiah 59:14
• "No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives that need your help."-Isaiah 58:6-7

And that's just the Old Testament, y'all. I didn't even get into the gospels and the words of JC. That's powerful stuff. I've just been feeling really convicted here lately. I know that I live a very blessed life. And, I want to use the blessing I've been given to bless others.  I sometimes feel like I define my faith by the "good things" I do. Which...these "good things" are good. I mean, going to church, reading my Bible and all that. But, I get so caught up in the legalism sometimes. And that is so not what God wants. He wants a relationship with me. He could have created humanity and not given them to option to make choices. He could have made a bunch of super-Christians that always did all the right things and had no choice but to do right. But, that's not what he wanted. He wanted (and still wants!) a loving relationship with you and me. True love does not exist without the possibility of rejecting that true love. That's why he placed the Tree of Life in the Garden of Eden. He gave humanity a chance to reject him. And since then, we have repeatedly rejected him. (If you don't believe me, read through 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings. Actually, just read through about the whole Bible and see how his Chosen People have repeatedly chosen their selfish desires over their relationship with the Creator) 

So, what I'm trying to say is...it's not that these works (and helping the poor) will get us a free ticket to heaven. But, it's just the idea that maybe if we really love God, why don't we want to obey him and love his people? Why are we so comfortable in our perfect little lives that we don't want to reach out and help the dirty people? In my bible class today, we were discussing the book of Amos. Amos was a prophet from Judah that preached in Israel. At that point in history, Israel was enjoying a time of peace and prosperity. This caused rapid spiritual decline because the people felt like they didn't need God anymore. The well off ignored the less fortunate. One of the main things that Amos spoke out against was the exploitation of the needy. In Chapter 4, Amos talks to the women by saying, "Listen to me, you fat cows living in Samaria, you women who oppress the poor and crush the needy, and who are always calling to your husbands, 'Bring us another drink!'" He doesn't just attack the women though. In Chapter 3, he says, "The people of Israel have sinned again and again, and I will not let them go unpunished! They sell honorable people for silver and poor people for a pair of sandals. The trample helpless people in the dust and shove the oppressed out of the way." 

How does this relate to America today? What about the world as a whole? As we were reading through, I couldn't help but think that a majority of the time, you could have substituted "America" in for "Samaria" or "Israel". You would not really notice a difference. God is calling us to help others. It's not a matter of legalism. It's a matter of relationship. It's time to DTR and figure out where this relationship train is headed. How this affects your personal life is up to you...but I know that I don't want the wrath of God against me. 

And know I really don't want a prophet calling me a fat cow. Just saying. :)

Shadows.

When shadows fall on us, we will not fear, we will remember.

When darkness falls on us, we will not fear, we will remember.

When all seems lost, when we’re thrown and we’re tossed, we’ll remember the cost…

We’re resting in the shadow of the cross.

-Shadows by David Crowder Band

This week has been really, really hard for me. Honestly, I’m trying to hold it all in. I’m trying not to show everything getting to me…but, I’m having a really hard time with my anxiety this week. Several times this week, I’ve wanted to pack up my bags and head home. I mean, I live 20 minutes away. It’s no big deal to go home for dinner. But, I’m struggling to stay on campus/with friends/etc. because I know that part of my fear of the unknown will only be conquered by doing so. I’m insanely scared. There’s something about putting my trust in people and opening myself up to friendships that is scary. I’m not great about being vulnerable with people. I like to keep control over the situation. I’ll tell silly stories that make myself look stupid all day long but when it comes to letting people into my life, I want to close those doors. I’ve been really convicted of this during my bible reading this week though. It seems like God is constantly trying to tell me “It’s okay Lauren. I’m here for you. No matter what happens, I will always be here.” I know that I can place my faith in him. He has shown himself constant throughout the ages. He’s kept covenant after covenant  even though his people failed to keep up their end of the bargain. As the psalmist wrote in Psalm 40:1-3 “I waited patiently for the LORD to help, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along. He has given me a new song to sing, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see what he has done and be amazed. They will put their trust in the LORD.”

My God is always with me, even when I feel alone, like I’m trapped in the shadows. It may feel like the world is swallowing me up, but I know that my God will remember me. I know he’s faithful. I’ve got this big book with tons of stories in it to prove it. It’s hard sometimes. I feel like it shouldn’t be. I mean, I’ve been incredibly blessed to make some amazing friends here at HC. I know that God has great things planned. I love it here, don’t get me wrong. But, it’s hard once the newness of the situation has worn off. It’s hard when you reach that point in friendships when you realize, “Wow. I want to trust this person.” Because be giving someone trust, you’re also giving them the opportunity to turn you down and completely destroy you. As one of my favorite worship leaders, Chris Tomlin, sings “Lord I need you, oh I need you. Every hour I need you.” It’s an ongoing thing. It’s not like I’ve suddenly figured it all out. Every time I think I’ve finally smartened up, I get struck down again. Every time I think I’ve figured this God-thing out and am giving it my everything, I find a tiny place in my heart that I want to hold back on. Like, I don’t mind trusting God with my career. I don’t mind trusting him with the little things, like what I’m going to eat tomorrow. I struggle with the big things. Like, who I’m going to marry. Like, what I should be doing to make the best of my season of singleness. Like, what he has planned for the bigger outcome of my life. It’s these times I feel trapped in the shadows. It’s times like these when I want to run back home to my family where it’s safe. Home is safe. It’s a zone that I can be free to do whatever because they will love me no matter what. I’m realizing that God fits into this. While I’ve said for years how God loves me all the time, no matter what I say or do, I’m finally realizing the true meaning of the words. I can be independent from my family. I can live a life where I don’t go home every weekend. I can find a new “home”. While it’s not exactly the same…it’s similar. It’s finding a “home” with God and finding my rest and peace in Him. That’s the only way to escape the shadows and find true joy.

And that’s my sermon for the night. :)

Oh dear.

Today has been a long day.
I've just spent the last hour working on stats homework while watching the Bachelor.
I did the first part of my Bible Reading for the day.
I turned in my Room Draw form for next year! It feels so amazing to know where I'm going to live and who's going to be my roommate!
I went to a Lenten Bible Study/Covenant Group tonight. I think it's going to be really good. We're studying the last 24 hours of Jesus's life.

But, after all of that...
I still need to finish my Bible Reading for today...and some of yesterday.
I need to study for a math test on Thursday.
I'm pretty sure I still have some reading for Religion to do.
I thought I had the grocery situation under control, but seeing as most of my food is moldy....eww.
I have some interviews to do before class on Friday.
I need to do my Project Life post for last week. And round up all the pictures.

Busy, busy, busy.
I'm a busy bee. :)

{Other miscellaneous information}

Good News- the new Passion CD comes out tomorrow! Kaitlyn's copy came in the mail today and it is amazing. If you haven't bought it yet, it would be a worthwhile investment. The fountains song is my fave. :)

A Little Rant- Okay. So. This isn't really related to the above commentary on my busyness. Rather, it's a Bachelor rant. Okay, so like all season, I've disliked Michelle. It's no secret. I was pretty sure she was a jerk and wondered what Brad saw in her to keep her around as long as he did. But, on the "Women Tell All" episode tonight, all I wanted to do was hug that poor girl. All of the girls started attacking her and telling her how awful of a person she was. While her actions weren't all righteous...I don't think the right response was humiliating her on public television. Honestly, people. That's just not nice. I think Michelle has realized as she watched the show the last few weeks how wrong her actions were. Now, it's time to offer up forgiveness and move on. As in, move on to the next episode. I'm on Team Emily and I think that she would be perfect!

And now...back to homework.
Bible Reading and The Bachelor...that's a pair! Haha! :)

friday musings.

So, the other day, my daddy sent me an email with this link in it.

And it kind of inspired me.

We live in an "anybody can be anything if they set their mind to it" culture. 

And I've always wanted to be an author.

This might be the way to my dream.

While it's not something I would consider for a full-time career, it's definitely something to do on the side.

While I'm not thinking I will become a millionaire writing Kindle books, 

It would be something fun to do.

A big project to work on.

So, I'm plotting and planning.

And figuring out what kind of book to write.

What genre.

Nonfiction vs. Fiction.

Maybe a collection of Lauren-isms? (Haha, totally kidding).

Oh Fridays.

Inspiration hopefully coming this weekend.

Refocusing.

I started a new bible reading plan today.
You see, I remembered how I had this goal of reading the Bible in a year.
It was going real great...until Leviticus.
So, I'm starting over. I have a goal in mind for the finish date...but I'm not sharing it all until I get there. It's just between me and God right now.
It's just...I've been feeling really convicted about how much time I'm spending in useless things. Like Facebook. And Google Reader (ahem, I'm a big blog stalker). And even spending time with friends has become a priority over spending time in the Word. So, I'm stepping back. Refocusing on what's really important.

Here's some verses that stood out to me in today's bible reading:

• "Preserve the teaching of God; entrust his instructions t those who follow me. I will wait for the Lord...I will put my hope in him." -Isaiah 8:16-17
• "The nation of Israel is the vineyard of the Lord of Heaven's Armies. The people of Judah are his pleasant garden. He expected a crop of justice, but instead he found oppression. He expected to find righteousness, but instead he heard cries of violence." - Isaiah 5:7
• "Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of the orphans. Fight for the rights of widows." -Isaiah 1:17
• "So don't worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it's own worries. Today's trouble is enough for today. "- Matthew 6:34

March Goals

I'm having a super hard time keeping my priorities straight. While I'm pretty good at remembering to do my homework and faithfully watch the Bachelor every week, I'm not doing too great at some of my New Year's G.O.A.L.S. So, since it's the third month of the year, I'm making three specific goals for this month to help me remember where it's at.

One: 
Play catch up on my SSMT verses. I've been insanely busy and pushed these to the back burner. So, I'm working on remembering the first three from the year and learning these two (for Feb 15 and March 1).

"And my God will supply you every need according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus." - Phillipians 4:19 NET

"The Lord my God has opened my ear; and I was not disobedient nor did I turn back" - Isaiah 50:5 NASB 

Two:
Work on finding ways to love the unloved in the community around me. I'm pretty sure that I know who God is placing on my heart in this regard. I'm not going to post all the details on here (because of obvious reasons), but there's a girl that I sit next to in a class that I'm having a hard time showing God's love to. Patience. I need patience. :)

Three:
Get the area underneath my bed organized and do my laundry! (It's kind of a war zone under there because it's not really seen by people.)

So, these are my "mini goals" for March. How are you doing on keeping up with your resolutions and/or goals for 2011? Are there things that you are falling behind on? How do you stay on top of things (if you aren't falling behind) ? Is it even possible to keep up with New Year's Resolutions? I've never actually made it through the whole year.