My faith Story

Last semester my sorority was voting between two books they wanted to study for our bible studies this semester. They were between Sun Stand Still by Steven Furtick and The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel. Both books sounded very interesting to me and I was happy with either way the vote turned out. Sun Stand Still won the vote, and the book was life changing. After reading the book, I knew that I wanted to dive right into another book study on my own. I choose The Christian Atheist to see what it was all about.
In reading the first chapter of this book I knew that it is going to be life changing, and I want to encourage you blog readers as I read this book. We are all sometimes Christian Atheists that do not realize we are one. A Christian Atheists is as defined by Groeschel is where people believe in God but live as if he does not exist. When I first read this sentence I was said to myself, this doesnt define me. I go to church, I read my bible, I pray, I do good deeds but my friends Christianity is SO much more than going to church, reading the bible, praying and doing good deeds. And that is where your faith story comes in. Many people look the part of a christian, but they have not fixed their hearts on a full and complete relationship with God.
As I was reading in The Woman I am Becoming, T. Susan Eller talks about our faith story. She points out three principles of faith:
1. Faith is meant to be personal.
Our faith should be our own. It should not fall into the beliefs of others nor built on sermons you've never investigated for yourself. Faith defines who you are. You could relate to the good girl, always doing right, growing up in church your whole life, and striving to please God in everything you do. Or you could have a different story...you could have known about God, made a lot of mistakes, and then found God again. Eller points out that you must find the depths and heights of knowing God.
2. Faith can withstand intellectual exploration
There is plenty of room for doubt and questions about God and Christianity. Our story will forever be a growing process for our walks with Christ.
3. Faith isnt about your goodness.
Faith is not about YOU. You have "been crucified with Christ" and you are now to let God show you how to identify yourself completely with him. Our faith is not about pleasing God, it is about learning how to trust him with our whole hearts. You and I become smaller as he becomes larger in our lives. Spending time alone with God becomes our tradition because we gain our strength from those hours. When we approach God, we find what we need. We dont have to pretend, or wear masks, or walk in with shame. God loves us despite our weakness and wants us to trust him through the pain.

Your story has already began, now it is time to listen to it. God already knows what is going on daily in your life. Find the strength, encouragement, maturity, and peace through faith with him. You will also see new paragraphs unfold, questions emerge, and exclamation points that you want to shout HALLELUIAH about, but God will be with your through every step.

"And so we are transfigured much like the Messiah, our lives gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him."
-from 2 Corinthians 3

Love,
Mindy

The Easter Basket I never Got...

Growing up your parents choose how they want their family to celebrate each Holiday. My parents choose for me and my sister to experience Santa, but they choose a different route during Easter. They choose for us not to get Easter baskets, and teach us the real meaning of this Holiday. I am not saying they do not think just because you got or get an Easter basket means you do not know the true meaning of why we Celebrate Easter, but this is something that the two of them decided together when both me and my sister were younger.
Throughout our years, me and my sister have joked about how we were "deprived" children because our parents never got us an Easter basket. I think we may have ONE picture with a basket on Sunday Morning. It was one basket for us to share and consisted of candy. But that is it. When we joke about it my Mom says "Do you really think yall would believe a BUNNY hopped into the house to bring you stuff?" As I grew older, and also grew in my own faith I believe that my parents made a great decision on not to celebrate the secular side of this Holiday. They want us to experience the true reason for Easter- That Jesus went to be crucified on the cross for me and everyone else and rose from the grave.

the one time we got an Easter Basket Growing up.

This is something I want to pass down to my family, and instill in my children. I want them to have the faith background that I grew up in. I want me and my husband to decide on how we celebrate Holiday's and how we show our children the true meaning. I do not want my children growing up thinking for every Holiday they are supposed to get a earthly gift.
On Easter we are to remember that our gift is God giving up his own son so that We can live in heaven with him one day. Jesus was pierced with our transgressions and while one the cross he forgave people who hated him. He called out to God and said "father forgive them for the do not know what they do."
Would you have taken the place of Jesus during this moment? Would you take nails being hammered into your hands so that the whole world could have salvation from their sins? It is mind blowing to me that when asked that question we immediately say "no" or "i'd have to think it over." Jesus did not think it over, he did not say no. He died for us without hesitation. He rose from the grave to show us that he will be coming again.

He died for you, So live for HIM.
Love,
Mindy

Friends a world away

If you know me, then you know I can not go very long without talking about a mission trip I went on to Kenya the summer after my Senior year in High School. While in Kenya, I met one of my very best friends. Though we are so far apart and we can only communicate through facebook, twitter, and skype and any other social media site we might find in the near future our friendship is still strong. I know that if I come to him asking him for prayer, he will pray for me and the same for him.
I am in awe of the fact that praying for someone in a different country means there is always prayer for you happening. When all of us American's are asleep, I know there is someone across a huge body of water, lifting up my name in prayer. It is such a comfort to me. I have loved having this experience of having a best friend across country. It has made me stronger in my faith because I see just how strong they are in theirs. I am always reminded to take my burdens to God, and also to seek answers in the bible. Though its hard not being able to pick up the phone and call my friend, I know if I need him I can pick up my computer send a message and I will hear back as soon as he gets it.
Julius, is working on a music album with some other great Kenyan boys I had the privilege of getting to know that summer. They all have such a great relationship with God, that it makes me want to grow more in my faith just talking to them. They are some great guys, and Kenya's next best rap group! Take a listen to some of their music, and enjoy Kenya! Also be in prayer for them as they travel to preform, and also making there album-which I have been promised to receive a copy three times! I can not wait to have Kenya's biggest group playing through my radio as I travel back and forth to school-So Julius get to steppin!

Meet my best guy friend Julius:

He took me to get French Fries one day!

So We made him try pizza the next night. He feel in LOVE.

Love,
Mindy

Old Journals

Throughout my life I have kept journals or diary's of my most private and personal feelings. Journaling has always helped me just calm down when situations get tough and when I need to get things out. This week as Ive said in my other two blog posts, has been tough. So tonight I wanted to take out my journals and read them and see how God has gotten me through every situation in my life. God has been my constant through everything and he will also get me to the end of Sophomore year. Seeing these Journals not only have shown me what I have experienced but also that I am a strong girl, and I can hold my head up and pray faith filled prayers.

In High School I would always start out my page by writing the verse from my devotion that night at the top of the page.Looking back now it shows me that God has always been there with me through every situation that I wrote about. Most of the verses related somehow or someway to the topic I discussed on that page, and it is amazing to me that at 15 I was so in love with God. I can remember countless rants that I had written about boys I had little crushes on, and then drama of the school day. I fully confided in my journal and put my whole heart into each entry. Reading it now, I still can feel the excitement, the hurt, or the joy that any of the situations I went through caused me through the words that I used. I wrote every detail almost like I was talking to my best friend. Through every heart ache and every Joy my journal has been with me, My GOD has been with me.
I am So glad that my Journals have now become meaningful to my life instead of sappy love poems and crazy boy crushes saying "my life is over" type things. I really had no clue at 15 where God was going to have me at 20 and how God was going to use me during the time in between. Now most of my journaling is shared with you all I do not get into the intense intimate details that I once did when keeping them private. But these journals are helping me grow in my faith by relating everyday situations to God and how he is going to use it some other day-and I hope that they are helping you too.
To all my single Ladies out there Here is acutally something meaningful that I did find in my journal. Still about love, But one great image.

A healthy realtionship with a guy who LOVES God gives me a glimpse
of a part of the LOVE that God has for me.
A guy is not perfect, and never will be.
He is not my Savior. he is not the answer to all my dreams and longings.
I must learn the difference between guys who are healthy emotionally
and spiritually, and guys who are not. And this is Critical:
I must not mistake his opinions for the opinions of God. That guy may never call me
gorgeous or smart or witty. That doesnt change the fact that I am beautiful and smart and funny
and amazing. No matter what a guy says or doesnt say:
GOD IS STILL WILD ABOUT ME!

Remember to be Wild about God, because he is Wild about you!

Also, I would like to welcome one of my dear friends, future roommate, and sister to the blogging world. Check out her blog here and give her some love. She has great things to share with the world.

Love,
Mindy

A few of my Favorite Things

Since my last blog post was a little down in the dumps I figured I would give yall a list of just a few of my favorite things. Yes the list does include rain drops on roses and whiskers on kittens. lol. But these are things that give me happiness when I see them throughout the day, or when ever they show up just because God knows I need them.

1. Text messages from a friend when you need them most.

its like though your friend doesnt know what is going on during those moments in your life, they show up when you need them too. I have had many texts this week just when I needed them.

2. Daisy's LOTS and LOTS of Daisy's!

I told my boyfriend when we first started dating that I never wanted him to get my roses, I loved Daisy's. He has stuck by that for two and a half years. I have never gotten a rose. I always get beautiful perfect daisys. They just cheer me up and are so beautiful. I love driving in the country and seeing them grow on the side of the road.

3. I scream You scream We all scream for ICE CREAM!

I could eat it everyday all day. I love it. It is by far by guilty pleasure other than cheesecake. I could eat it in the winter while being out side that is how much I enjoy this wonderful creation.

4. Coffeeeeeeeeeeee!

Coffee is my new guilty pleasure as of this year. And I love that the on campus coffee shops are now starting to do the pictures with the foam. It just makes me so excited to see what picture Im going to get that day. The heart is my favorite because it reminds me that I am loved.

5. I LOVE OLD PEOPLE IN LOVE!

Is this not the most precious thing you've ever seen???? I love it! I can only hope that I can be old one day and still be crazy about the man I marry. I get the biggest smile when I see older couples out and the man still treats the woman like a queen and he enjoys doing it. so dear husband-you better love me like this when we are 90!

6. I love MOVIES:

Movie nights are my favorite nights. If its staying in to watch them or going out to the movie theater I love them. I get lost in a movie. I love to put myself in the characters and just dream.

I hope you have enjoyed a few of my favorite things!
Love,
Mindy

twenty four hours

A lot can happen in just twenty four hours. Emotions can go from extreme highs to really low lows. You never really know what to expect in these hours of your life, what will happen, and what all will take place during that time. You are not guaranteed your next breath, your not guaranteed your next turn down the road-you never know thats why you have to live.
These twenty four hours that I have lived between Monday and Tuesday I have struggled. I have felt like I was on the top of the world with excitement, then hit rock bottom of disappointment. I wasnt disappointed in myself, but disappointed in a prayer that I have been praying all year to be answered the opposite way than I expected. I know that Gods hand is at work, but when you give your all in a prayer and you see it turn out differently and you must now change your prayer, your mentality, and your heart its hard.
In my twenty four hours I have found out about three assignments that are all due by Thursday for my Math 1010 class and a Test next Tuesday upon trying to complete papers, another test for one of my classes, and oh yeah more papers.
I also found out that my Grandpa might be going back to the Hospital due to trouble breathing. Please keep both him and my family in your prayers. We want him to get better, but we do realize that this is a long process.
In the mist of this I am having problems with living arrangements this year. It has been test after test of my faith. Though I have not handled every situation to the best of my ability I know that I have done my all in working through this situation. And all I can say to myself is two weeks, two weeks and I will be home for the summer, I will be out of this environment, and lessons will be learned from this.
So as I said when I began this post I am filled with five hundred different emotions right now. I dont know what to feel. I dont know if it is ok to be disappointed because I know God has a plan that I cant see right now. I want to be happy for my friends, because they are all excited for this new adventure. I want to feel peace about situations I can not control because they are all in Gods will for my life.

But instead of saying "God why is all of this happening in twenty-four hours" I am looking to him. I am seeking his guidance and will for my life. He has a great plan for me. He is not finished with me yet.

You know all of my fears, there's nothing Your eyes can't see
When I tried to give up, Lord, You never gave up on me
I give You all of my hopes and dreams, I lay them down
Of all the places I've looked Your the one truth I have found

Love,
Mindy

until the day I had you...

This post may be all over the place, but I am not wanting to study for my Bio Lab final and I have had words that I really needed to share on here lately but just have not had the time to do it.
Many of my friends that I have been blessed to get to know this year are going through something that I went through two and a half years ago. Something that I never wanted to go through nor want anyone to go through- heartbreak. Going from being perfectly happy with a significant other to that horrible alone feeling, like you have no one in the world. I read countless books during this time telling me to "enjoy my single days" but all I wanted was to feel that love and be able to love in return again. You take advice with a smile and say "thank you" but in your head and heart you know you wont really take it. But to the ladies out there reading this: Take the advice. Enjoy your single days, and Love yourself because thats when you will find someone that will love you too.
God was with me everyday during my alone time and it is the best filling to grow closer to him than anything in the world. "A woman's heart should be so lost in God, that a Man must seek him to find her." I love that verse because how true is that??? As a young christian woman you need to be grounded in your faith and so does your future boyfriend, or spouse and let your two relationships with God merge together. Look for someone who will lift you up in your walk with God, who will not pressure you into doing things. Someone who stands on the same beliefs that you do. Take those beliefs and live them out daily-shine so that everyone can see you are in love with a perfect God.
You know that glow you get when you meet a boy for the first time? The first time you talk to the guy you like and everyone knows somethings up? Well thats how us as Christian women should live daily. We should glow because God is in out heart and we want everyone to know he is there! And this is the time to do that!!!
Though I am not single anymore I am so blessed to be with a great boy for two and a half years. He is a Christian, a hard worker, and he loves unconditionally everyday! I was not ready for him when he walked into my life but he was ready for me. Relationships take time to strengthen and become what me and my boyfriend are today.
God wants to be your best friend. God is ready for you. Are you ready to G.L.O.W. for him????



Now I can not post a blog without including some cute pictures from my sororities formal. Enjoy them and see how we are glowing for God!
LOVE,
Mindy

This Summer....

First off I want to apologize for my lack of blogging lately. I have been so bombarded with school work, sorority functions, and trips home to see my grandpa (but they are all wonderful events that take place in my life). This week...tomorrow actually I have two test, a paper, and a whole lot of places to be. BUT it will be reworded by a wonderful weekend with my boyfriend, Relay for life and Formal with my sisters, and Walking a dog on Sunday with my boyfriend. But right after that I will be flooded yet again with homework, last minute touches on papers, and more places to be. Your probably reading this and thinking ok Mindy if you have so much stuff to do, then why are you blogging? Well I wanted to update you on something exciting that will be happening this summer....

This summer I have been given the opportunity to work at Blaise Baptist Church in Mocksville, NC at their summer children's Camp. I am so excited for this opportunity and time I get to spend with children this summer. I know God has great things planned for me and also for this camp. I can not wait to get to know my children that I will be working with, and also share Jesus with them-because after all he is my best friend.

Please pray for me this summer as I work with these children. Pray that God will give me the words to speak to them and also help build relationships with them. I love kids, and God has called me to work with them. I am also so thankful that I am going to get the opportunity to be working with a Children's Ministry. This will give me a feel to see if this is really where God is calling me to be with my life.

Now back to school work and my bed is looking nice right now.
Love,
Mindy