Out With the Old, In With the New

2011 is now just about gone. I have some mixed feelings about this last year. It was rough in some places, and peaceful in others, and though it was hard at times and I wondered if life would ever be normal again...God was always there, leading me and my family all the way through. If we but put our trust in Him, He will never let us down. He, after all, knows what is best for us. 

I am so thankful I am not where I was a year ago. God has brought me so far even though sometimes I don't realize it. If we look back, things always come to us in a different light. We just need to be courageous and keep looking up even when things are hard, and in the end it will be worthwhile. 

Sometimes we may think we have things figured out already, and we may make new resolutions and set out to stick with them, but of our own we will utterly fail. That failure then may lead to despair...just what Satan wish is for our  new year, but if we start out with God and His help, we will succeed and prosper and do well.
 
May Christ be reflected in our lives from day to day and may He change us into the people we need to be. Let us leave behind the old self and take on the new! 2 Corinthians 4:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is anew creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." That includes you if you want to accept God's gift of a clean heart and fresh start! 

He is so good and I want to walk with Him in this new year! Don't you want to do that, too? =) 

Happy New Year! 
Blessings! Remember to keep your focus [on Jesus]!

Jesus

In His great fullness, I have all I need. ♥

Let Fear Go

How many times have you found yourself in a situation that makes you feel feelings of utter anxiety?

Anxiety can be caused by all number of things, but most commonly because an individual feels that their self will be negatively affected in some way and that the result will be "terrible" and unbearable! Does this ever usually end in "the end of the world," however? I think not. 

I was just reading a book called "Telling Yourself the Truth" - the chapter was on anxiety and it got me thinking. One thought/quote in particular that I wanted to share is this....

"Christ wasn't devastated by what others thought of Him because He kept His eye on the Father and doing His will. He lived to please His Father in heaven." {Telling Yourself the Truth p. 68)

I thought that was just a neat little idea...or big idea. We ought to take Christ's example - He is, after all, the perfect example. He was so often not socially accepted and if anyone had a good reason to "worry" about what would happen or how they would be treated, it's Christ. Yet as the quote said, He kept His eye on the Father and did His will, living to please God.

Perhaps if we stop thinking of ourselves and look to our Father in heaven, and learn to trust in Him through all things, we won't have to feel as anxious anymore either. He is God, all things are possible through Him, and He is more than capable to take these unhealthy feelings from us and give us a fresh start.

Won't you let Him help you today?

Our Shelter

I think the Psalms are so wonderful! They are full of promise, full of hope and they share with us encouragement for most any time of need. The one I am going to share below is one of my favorites...

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." ~Psalm 91:1, 2

He is God

I was jut thinking a little this morning.. thoughts sparked by the Sabbath school I attended at church yesterday. 

What is God like? This is how I see it...

He is full of love, a relationship with Him will bring us joy, He alone can give peace, and because of His sacrifice of mercy, grace is extended to us that we may be forgiven and have hope of an eternal life with Him.

Isn’t that a precious gift? I feel unworthy to receive it sometimes.

Yet He has given that gift freely to all.  

Time Flies...Fun Or Not

Well I suppose I have not been very faithful in updating my blog as I said I would be. I think University life is a lot busier than I had anticipated - especially during the summer. So...since I don't have lots of time, here's a short update.

About a month and a half ago I flew to the US of A. Washington State. It was a long, stressful trip, but I made it, and I started school, and got as into the swing of things as I could. That being said, I must inform you once again that summer school is very busy...especially if you arrive a few days late like I did, and especially if you are taking 12 credits. Yes. Speech. Psychology. Ministry of Jesus.

Ministry of Jesus Classroom

These keep me busy. Fortunately, Psychology is now over, and I only have two weeks left until the other two are over as well. I am super excited for my upcoming break. It is much needed, and much anticipated. I absolutely cannot wait to visit family and friends in California for a few weeks before the Fall Quarter begins.

In other news, I have... well, not being doing much besides school/homework. This summer session has been pretty boring as nothing exciting has happened whatsoever. Another reason to look forward to break. I believe the actual Fall Quarter will be much better. I will be doing 12 more credits which is three classes, including a class I have done before (hoping it'll be easier this time round), I will have a roommate, there will be more activities going on, etc. 

Part of Campus

I must say, this year has been a pretty hard one thus far, but I'm thankful that even though I don't always feel it...God hasn't left me or my family once. What a blessing. :) I never realized how much of a blessing my family was until I came here, either. Don't take spending time with family for granted...it's not always possible, and when it isn't, it's greatly missed. I love my family! 

Anyhow, that was a little longer than I anticipated. If you would excuse me now, I'm off to go read some books...

God Knows

lightbook.deviantart.com

Though sometimes hard or frustrating things happen and it's hard to understand why...God knows.

He has the best plan for us no matter what waves roll up on the shores of life. The real question is this: where is our trust? Is it in our own thoughts (or doubts) of the situations we find ourselves in, or is it in the Sustainer, Provider, and Friend we find in Jesus?

It doesn't matter what it concerns, each one of us are loved and of priceless value in God's eyes and He wants nothing but for us to be happy. That being said, however, He may still allow us as His children to go through trials which may work for building and strengthening character as well as developing reliance on Him, our Heavenly Father.

Don't give into despair, you are being well taken care of even when you can't seem to see.. put your hand in Jesus' hand and He will take you all the way.

Little Things

...have you ever stopped to notice the beauty around you? It's not just in the lush forests, blue skies, or grassy plains that it can be found...

kanvadeafe.deviantart.com

...it is often in the small things, 
the things that often go unnoticed in the rush of life...

✿ ❀ ✿

Sabbath Rest

“And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” {Genesis 2:2-3} 

HAPPY SABBATH! 

No Compromise

We live in a world full of compromise. That's just one of the sad facts. God tells us, however, not to compromise. It's in the small things that we do this...that makes it easier to do in the big things.

Be not of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2). How can we know what God's will is unless we are striving to be more like He wants us to be? 

Stand apart. Be different. Be the leader. Be the example. Stand firm to conviction. Hold your standards high and let nothing shake you.

Is this even possible by any person alone? Absolutely not! It is only by the power of Christ that change can take place in our lives. Satan is desperate that we would compromise. He seems to push us to the edge little by little...until we see how far the fall really is...and it is sad, but some actually make the jump, falling into a pit of self-centeredness, disrespect...sin.

Who do you want to follow? Are you going to give into Satan and say, "Oh, but it's just a little thing, it doesn't really matter this time..." or are you going to say, "No! By the grace of Jesus Christ and through His power alone, I will not, absolutely cannot compromise! No, not even in the smallest thing!"

It is my hope and prayer that you choose the latter. I know, it's not an easy thing to stand firm when it seems like everyone else is doing the opposite, but you know the verse in Philippians that says you can do all things through Christ (4:13). It's possible to do the right thing, even when it's hard, because we have Christ to help us along the way.

I want to be the one who will only make choices to uplift standard and character...won't you choose the same thing? 

To Be a Woman of God - Part 1

What does it mean to be a “Woman of God”? Often I have heard of people preaching sermons on being a “Man of God” as if it’s something more important, but only rarely have I heard anything said about women. I want to start my own journey to find out what it really means to be the young woman that God wants me to be (as well as the wife I should be someday should I get married), so why not come along and discover (or be reminded) with me? I won't be sharing anything too hard to comprehend, just a few of my own personal thoughts/how I understand...I like to keep things simple. If you want to study out more for yourself, go ahead, that door is open! =)

 

I am starting in Proverbs 31:10 because this is where the real practical stuff begins. 

“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.”

~*x~*x~ {Proverbs 31:10} ~x*~x*~

 

What is this telling us? Essentially, it is telling us that virtuous women are extremely hard/rare to find. Often it is even easier to find a virtuous man. If we read Ecclesiastes 7:28 we can see such a thing indicated: “Which yet my soul seeketh, but I find not: one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those have I not found.” 

Anyhow, back to the verse of topic, Proverbs 31:10 - let’s look into this statement! It could get pretty basic, but I want to make sure that everyone understands, so let me ask a question—what does “virtuous” even mean? 

vir·tu·ous /ˈvərCHo͞oəs/ Adjective

1. Having or showing high moral standards

To carry virtues, to have standards; Practically speaking, what does this mean to us, today? It means to have integrity, honesty, respect, to be truthful, etc. What does it mean to you? :)

Short, sweet, and to the point. Don’t you want to be one of those rare rubies? Don’t you want to be known as a virtuous woman? (Or a virtuous man! This is not a women-only thing!) Not only to those around you, like your friends and family, but even to those who don’t know you.  I know I do, but since I am also just an erring human, I know that of my own strength I can do nothing…Christ has to work this very thing in me. It is Him who enables me to have those high standards and to be more like Him. Never settle for less than what you are able to be through Him! 

Just a Thought

Sometimes I wonder about something...

If more people were to stop in the rush of busyness and think during the day; specifically if more people would take the time to be thankful each day, even if it's for something small...

What would the world we now live in be like?

Would we have less impatience? Less disrespect? Less crime? I'm not sure. 

It still makes me wonder, though... 

Personally, I'm striving to be more thankful and I see a change in myself when I do this. Once I realize all the things that God has given me, life just becomes that much brighter! 

And why wouldn't I want that? :)

Hidden in Christ

“A woman’s heart should be so hidden in Christ, that a man should have to seek Him first to find her.” 

- Maya Angelou

♥ ♥ ♥

Be Still

I don't know about you, but so often I can get caught up in the busyness of the world, sometimes leaving no room for me to even think! It is different for various people, though. Some get busy with work, others with friends, and yet others who are out there trying to find their meaning in life..

Jesus calls us to be quiet. In Mark we are told the story of how Jesus calmed the seas when His disciples were panicing and afraid...and in Mark 4:39 the Bible says, "Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm."

I just find it amazing how God can speak and the wind and waves obey Him - perhaps today He is calling you and me to be quiet, to be still. We may not be able to calm the storms in our lives, and of our own strength we may not even be able to stop and rest a while, to hear His voice. He calls us in Psalms to be still as well. In Psalm 46:10 He says, "Be still, and know that I am God." 
 
Perhaps this is because if we are rushing all the time, we fail to hear His voice...we fail to recognize that He is the only one full of wisdom and truth, and that He is right here with us every moment of the day. By the grace of our Heavenly Father, however, we will be able to take some time to just be still, to rest in Jesus love and to realize all the wonderful things He wants to offer us, and to thus draw closer to Him.

The Fairest One

"Find a woman who cares about nothing but loving, serving, honoring, and glorifying Jesus Christ, and you will truly see who is the 'fairest of them all.'" 

- Leslie Ludy

♥ ♥ ♥

Blessing Your Husband: While Single

www.forteevents.com

I've been thinking lately, after reading Proverbs 31 over again. One question (from v12) really stands out in my mind: Is it really possible to be a blessing to a future husband...I haven't met yet? And even further, How can I start do this when I don't know what he'll be like...or even what I'll be like? What if he's not like I imagined him to be at all? Hmm..

---x---x---x---

I suppose these may not just be my own thoughts, as many other young women may ask the same questions from time to time. Nevertheless, I would like to endeavor to say that being a blessing to one's future husband is quite possible, quite important, and quite real. It doesn't really matter if we know who he is yet or not - God knows all of that, and He will reveal it in His perfect time.

If we go back to the actual verse in Proverbs 31:12, the Bible gives us a clear indication of what we ought to be doing: "She does him good and not evil, all the days of her life." Well, what is evil? It's obviously something that isn't good. I would like to suggest that as young women, we strive to do the opposite, which is exactly again what the verse said--good things.

Don't you think that it would be hugely profitable, perhaps even kind of exciting, to seek out ways even now, to be a Proverbs 31 woman/future wife, bringing our future husbands good all the days of our lives!? I think it would be. Maybe there are little things to work on in our characters, or maybe a skill we could learn...maybe we just need to be praying for our Mr. Future Husband's just a little more from day to day? Whatever it is, I believe it is important to start forming good habits now, that will lead to blessings, rather than trying to figure them out later on (kinda like... have you ever wished you would've started a homework assignment earlier when you realized you were trying to cram at the last minute because it's due the next morning? It's always easier to get a head start).

I think perhaps I'll be posting a list sometime, of different practical examples on how to bless your future spouse (yes, it doesn't just have to be a girls-only thing, guys). 

God has given good instruction, now if only we would put it into practice. 

Be a blessing. . . :)

    

Hello

Welcome to my blog! You might've already figured out that my name is Taryn.

In short, I am a college student working my way toward a nursing career - a child of God, learning to live for and be content in Him more each day - a sinner saved by grace.