Speak Up,

Today for Easter Sunday our pastor talked about Jesus’ power over death—physical death, emotional death, and spiritual death. Jesus rose from the dead, conquering the bondage sin holds over us. No longer are we who believe bound under the chains of sin, death, and the devil. We have victory in Christ!

To remember the personal chains in our life that Christ has broken, we were given the opportunity to actually break some chains and keep a piece. I was more than eager to break one because this year Christ has redeemed me from my eating disorder that has plagued me for the last several years of my life. No longer am I bound to the chains of a false idea of beauty, confidence, and acceptance. I have not thought about it in a couple months and I can only give glory to Christ for healing me!

It was quite relevant this morning when I couldn’t break the chain alone; I needed someone to help me. And it’s quite true for the actual chain in my life—overcoming my eating disorder was not possible when I went at it alone. Christ worked through friends and through me and labored on my behalf to loose the chains and take them away entirely. I needed help, I needed Him.

Today I celebrate Christ’s resurrection because by His power I am saved and His name is glorified! Amen!

"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as it’s own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."

John 15:19

In an age where having a different opinion from someone else is considered an offense, and following the Bible brings ridicule, being a follower of Christ is entirely against the flow of the world’s way. It’s not easy, especially when friends are the ones mocking.
But Christ offers hope in this. First, He denies any opportunity for believers to think they can be one with the world as they follow Him. Second, He reminds those who love Him that the world is not their home. It’s actually a hopeful thing when the world hates believers for their faith and dedication to obeying and following Jesus.

Wouldn’t it be much better to love and obey Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords, while being hated by the world, rather than follow the ways of the world that lead to death?

Jesus the Savior of the world has died and raised from the dead—that is my ultimate hope! My Savior did not only die for me but conquered death that I might live for Him! Hallelujah, praise Him forever!

(Source: Flickr / ricardipus, via thesethmeister)

Leonardo da Vinci - A Copse of Trees (1502) - Chalk on paper

(Source: likeafieldmouse)

I finally decided to put my bike to use after a month-long hiatus. It was great riding again, even if it was just a few miles. Maybe I’ll make a bigger effort to use it more often, but I know with another month of school it’s not likely.

Being outside and watching the weather change from a cool morning to a sunny afternoon was fantastic. God makes great things and I want to be more aware of His work, that I may praise Him all the more.

"Patience is the companion of wisdom."

St. Augustine

(Source: i--wanna--feel--something)

Wednesday night I drove out to Joshua Tree with fourteen friends and spent the night freezing in my sleeping bag, praying time would pass quickly and the sun would come up. After shivering and shaking for hours, I seemed to wake up from a daze to a warmer temperature and heard some of the guys talking just outside our tent. After getting dressed, I went out to find breakfast was being made and some of the guys were already climbing up the giant rocks.

When breakfast was finished, Austin pulled out his Bible, along with everyone else, and read from Luke 22, where Jesus was at the Passover with His disciples, telling them about the bread and the wine being His body and blood. After a short discussion, Jackson pulled out his guitar and started to sing worship. 

The coolest part is that Austin and Jackson are deaf. Austin spoke and signed at the same time, and it was so peaceful to watch him sign his prayer to God—I was getting to see someone talk with the Father in a different language, one that I could understand. And Jackson…man, Jackson is such a talented guy. He’s deaf, yet he plays the bass, drums, guitar, and piano. While playing guitar yesterday, he sang. I’ve never heard him sing before, but yesterday was so awe-inspiring. He was definitely not singing the way we normally expect people to sing—for obvious reasons—but just listening to him praise God with all that he had caused me to admire God. I can only imagine how wonderful Jackson’s praise was to the Lord. I was reveling in it and found myself praising God all the more because of how sincere and abandoned Jackson was worshiping God.

After breakfast, worship, and Bible study, we set out to go rock climbing. Holy macanolli, that was a thrill and I’m set on going to the Rec Center here to continue using the rock wall. I’ve never been rock climbing before, so my adrenaline was pumping as I climbed. I didn’t get too high due to getting myself stuck at one point, so I came down, feeling challenged to try harder next time. It’s something I’d like to pursue as a side hobby.

As I looked at the group of people I was with, I took joy in the fact that I knew we were pleasing to the Father. Here we were, fourteen college-age students, choosing to worship God, serving each other by making breakfast, cleaning dishes, encouraging each other in rock climbing, being uplifting in our conversation, and enjoying God’s creation. It was magnificent. So I thanked God for blessing me with a fantastic experience.

Camping and rock climbing at Joshua Tree with these people was perfectly fantastic. So glad to know such great people.

"How does the doubter know so much about the unknowable?"

Newbigin,  The Gospel in a Pluralist Society

(Source: inthefray611)

(Source: ofsmokyburgundy)

Being busy is nice and all, but it kind of sucks when I can’t just hang out with people. I have to schedule people in like a week ahead of time because of my classes, work, meetings, and club arrangements. Heck, homework doesn’t start until ten or eleven or midnight most times. And even when I’m doing everything on my schedule, I’m still constantly behind because more responsibilities arise each day.

Wah, college life.

(Source: livresdesmerveillesdumonde)

Anonymous asked: Would you mind answering some questions? 1) What's your sexual orientation? 2) What's your religion (and denomination if any)? 3) Are you pro-life or pro-choice? 4) Are you for, or against, gay rights/equality (should gays be allowed to get married, adopt a child, etc)?

I’m straight, which is a bit obvious if you know me in real life since I’m dating a guy.
I’m Christian but really couldn’t give you an informed answer on what denomination I am, simply because I don’t know all of them, nor do I know which I’d fall into.
I’m pro-life.
And finally, I don’t think it’s my territory to ban gays from getting married/adopting a child because if that’s what they’re trying to do, I’m not going to stop them. Just as I wouldn’t force a friend to be moral in any specific way, so I would not force other people I don’t even know to abide by my beliefs.

(Source: 4twa)