The smell that makes you want to TuRn & FoLlOw..

I don't know about you, but I have a pretty good smeller.  I can be walking through some place get a slight change of smell and it will take me to an old memory.  I love pondering on these memories.  For instance, this past summer I was at a hotel in  Branson and I smelled...tanning lotion!  Ya soo...haha, it reminded me of 2 fabulous spring break trips I took with my F.U.N friend Kacie, my twin, another Zeta sister, and some Chi-O's we literally layed on the beach sun-up to sundown.  Followed by dinner, a movie... we'd then sleep, then head right back to the beach.  Point is... smell is a big thing in my life. 
I'll get ever more personal, ladies... who doesn't love a freshly clean smelling guy?  Haha, let's not all raise our hands at one time- I'm the one whose admitting here, need not to be ashamed.    I had a kamp friend this summer who had a young girl ask him if she could have his shirt because she liked the way it smelled...weird.  But in all reality when I was younger, (much younger of course) I can recall passing a group a really nicely smelling guys and wanting to turn and follow them.  The smell alone was appealing.


2 Corinthians 2:14-15  "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing."


We are to be the aroma of Christ.  We are to be the smell that causes people to want to turn from what they are doing and follow the sweet, goodness of Christ. 

2 Peter 1:3-4 "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

I love these 2 verses, and I love that the phrase knowledge of Him in both of them.  I probably should have flip flopped them- see 2 Peter 1:3-4 tells us we have been given EVERYTHING we need through our KNOWLEDGE of HIM.  But we must spend time with Him, in His word to grow to KNOW HIM more.  For HIM to transform us for us to have HIM smell. 

Will you spend time with HIM and in HIS word today so HE can continue to transform you, and fill you will an aroma that is a smell that makes people want to turn and follow the Jesus you know?  Trust me, the beautiful smell will lead people to you so you can lead them to the Lord.  Be the aroma of Christ today- be blessed! 

I simply did it (the first time) now I wanna do more!

As of last Sunday I have officially ran my first 1/2 marathon.  Wait maybe I should restate that (when I read it, it made me think I had ran 13.1 miles before but this was just the first time in a race)... FALSSE!  Ha, that couldn't be less than true.  Before this race I had not ran more than 8 miles- but that was last spring, and before that my Freshman year of college (which lets be honest was a LONG time ago).  I think I ran 5 miles in October but since then 4 has been my max.  I had great intentions of "training" better, but like always that didn't really follow through.  HOWEVER I was deteremined to run in the race this time and quit talking about doing one.... so ready or not here I came!

It was a fun trip, got to spend some quality time with my sister and a friend from high school.  And I think I learned some valuable lessons while on this trip and during my run. Some of these lessons are as follows...

1.  We watched Julie and Julia the night before... I didn't finish watching it beacause I fell asleep however the jist of finishing something you start was a great message the night before I thought my legs were gonna fall off.

2.  I got a little nervous because I felt as if at the first of the race there were going to be lots of hills... I hate hills.. but I also learned that at the end of every uphill climb is a downhill slope!  Which made things a little more enjoyable.  (1Cor. 10:13)

3.  I was NEVER alone!  Not only was Kara always right beside me encouraging me to keep going, but there were 20,000 runnings in this race.  PLUS the people who were lining up along the streets cheering us on. 

    Sidenote.. how often do we not take the step of faith because we 1) feel like we are going to be by ourselves or 2) don't feel prepared.  Well we know that we are never alone Jesus promises to never leave us or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5), but how often do we forget about the purpose of the Body of Christ and accountability in the midst of that.  Not only did I have a close running buddy in Kara who was running at my pace, focused on the same goals as me.. but I had people running around me (some faster, some slower) who had the same goals as me too.  All moving in the same directions-WHILE also seeing the people on the side of the roads offering encouragement.(Hebrews 3:13, 10:25, 1 Thes 5:22)  ALL these things should be seen in the midst of the Body as we are all working towards the same goal, spurring others on in persuing Christ.  It was a lovely picture and a beautiful reminder of how I need to be encouraging my fellow believers and helping support them.  I wasn't prepared for the race, however I learned a lot by running alongside these folks, and that helped me finished. 

4.  My goal was to finish in less than 3 hours, which I did.  Yet while I was running I couldn't help but think how much fun this would have been had I actually trained for this.  AND not that I want to be some super fast 1/2 marathon runner but I could have finished a lot faster.  SOOOO..

it was good to plan to do a 1/2 and finish it.  BUT kinda like when you step out and follow Jesus and He meets you there and you're left wanting more.  You then understand why being in the Word is so important, why you need fellowship, etc.  Well.. so I am wanting to not only run another 1/2 but also train for one.. I know its possible, now I want to fill in the blanks and actually prepare.  So like Julie in the movie, I'm going to document this process.. b/c we all need accountablilty right?  So thus is another step in not only doing things not because I want to, but because I know I need to.  I think that's called disciplining yourself... the more you do the more it spills out into all areas of your life.  Yet this time, doing the needed isn't enough... I want to do it well!  I simply did it (the first time) now I wanna do more! 

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.  Colossians 3:23-24 

(The Lord wants us to do all things well, holistically living completely sold out for Him, that balance is what I am striving for in every aspect of life.)

Be blessed!

He's BLESSING my SOCKS off!

Sometimes I’d like to have a computer at the treadmill as I run. I have LOTS of thoughts that pop through my head as I spend time on there. Some deep thoughts, some funny thoughts (let’s be honest sometimes these thoughts cause me to think I might have a future in standup comedy). But mostly I believe the Lord uses this time mostly in my life to remind me of great promises He had made for me. These reminders are great things to keep at the forefront of my mind as I experience a new adventure in life- and live on my own- and in a VERY small town. The town is cute, the people are great, I love my job, and I just don’t know very many people here yet. (This will come I know) For someone like me, who is VERY people oriented a move such as this could be a little difficult. So in the past couple weeks I have been challenged to choose to do things not because I want to… but because I need to. An example of this would be joining a gym. Or a house. Or maybe I don’t know what to call it! It’s a house with workout equipment in it. I know part of me being content is that I need to work out regularly..Basically I mean I need a treadmill because I don’t ever lift weights (that’s for boys, right?!? j/k!) I’m not a professional- just need a little time on the treadmill, or more like good quality talking time with the Lord.. But when life is kinda blah- the treadmill is not where I go. I usually get stuck and don’t really want to move- don’t really want to do anything actually. Which is sad because while I’ve been out in the boonies :) the Lord has shown me some new passions in my life which I never knew I had. New ways to love on people, new ways to use His gifts… but I was choosing not to do anything at all. So I joined the house gym. I’m going to be honest and tell you that I joined and began going to the gym not because I wanted to- but because I knew I needed to. I knew the benefits of what working out would do for me- well and honestly my time with the Lord. So I have faithfully been choosing to go to the house gym daily. To choose to go every day isn’t easy but it’s been so fun to see how faithful the Lord is in my decision to be disciplined in this area of my life. (Which is beneficial not only physically but spiritually as well)

See I am very much a people person…I thrive off relationships, conversations, let’s be honest just being in the same room as people. I wouldn’t consider myself a needy person; I just like to know people are near. (I unlike most kids was sent to their room for punishment because I didn’t like being in there by myself- unlike my older sister who would be made to come out of her room when she was in trouble :-) )Thus far in my job I sometimes get to interact with people, which other days I’m just chilling in the office (this will all change as the schedule for 2010 starts unfolding). So I am completely being stretched in this aspect of life thus far in this new journey.. Anyways- back to the house gym. The first couple days I went no one was there… I thought to myself no wonder this place is soo expensive- I’m the only one who uses it. Same things the second day (my goal was to stay a little longer each day). The third time I went when I pulled into the drive I saw….ANOTHER CAR! Yay! The Lord is good (and to think I almost decided not to come today)… I’m blessed. So on so forth til yesterday was a blah day (due to weather circumstances) and I had decided halfway thru the day I didn’t need to workout...THEN I remembered how much it cost me to get the “house” membership… an arm and a leg basically (I’m currently waiting on these limbs to grow back) so I drudgingly went to work out yesterday… and guess what?!? There were like 6 ladies who came and worked out while I was there too! The Lord blesses our disciplined lifestyles, and seriously has been blessing my socks off! The more that I see these blessings the more I want to continue to walk in the manner that I’ve been called to walk and do the simple things He is asking of me… because it’s in these things through Him that I am completely satisfied!

Let’s be honest should I be surprised that the Lord always provides exactly what we need when we need it?? NOPE. If we look at the Lord throughout the Bible in the Old Testament to the end of the New Testament we see the characteristics of the Lord NEVER change.

Hebrews 13:8 “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

I’ll give this example. I have a friend coaches Jr. High and High School aged girls and has know most of these girls since Jr. High (if not before). She given them rides, found financial support for those who can’t afford to cheer, she’s been a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on, a mentor. Well this past week some drama has stirred up and a BIG communication error happened in the midst of these girls that was blown WAY out of proportion. So much so that a girl had decided she couldn’t’ trust my friend anymore and that she was done with her. (mind you thing young girl was speaking to an adult and this has all been smoothed over since it all happened). However had these girls stopped to think about the person they were frustrated with (who yes is human and can make mistakes but had done nothing wrong in this case) and thought about the characteristics she’d had shown them about herself since the beginning of their relationship, they would have know this didn’t line up with who she was or what she is about.

This my friends is where I am at. I am in the middle of nowhere. I know the Lord has a purpose- and I am remembering who He is. He has not changed; therefore I can lean on His promises that He will continue to provide for me at the time He knows is best be it through something as simple as people being at the work out gym. Will you take time to see the faithfulness of His characteristics in your life today? Because since I’ve noticed His faithfulness, I’ve become more faithful in starting and using these new passions He’s put in my life … and guess what He is continually blessing my socks off! :-)

Be blessed!

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." John 16:33