In the Vine

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made c...

I love how God has designed each of us so uniquely. Psalm 139 tells all about God creating us and how fearfully and wonderfully made we are. I love that. It helps me realize how much he loves us each individually and has such a perfect plan for every single person. However, being unique from every other person makes it so there's no cookie cutter way to deal with situations. We have the bible which is the ultimate guide to living, but I think its still really hard to know how to deal with certain things when we're all so different. I have been really challenged recently with what I have idolized in my life. We are to have no other gods before our God. He is not only supposed to be the most importan part of our life, He is supposed to be in and throughout every other part of our lives as well. I've realized that part of us all being unique is that we all have different things that we constantly put in front of God. It boggles my mind that the same thing keeps creeping in f...

Natasia Lukiewski May 21, 1987- April 17, 2010 RIP beautiful girl. You are truly missed. Your smile could always brighten even the darkest day and your love of life was inspiring. Its so sad to see someone so young and beautiful and full of life be taken so early. God did some amazing things through tashy and he is continuing to work through her death. Remember...that each day is a gift. Understand...that this life is not about us. This life is about bringing glory to God. See... how God blesses you each and every day. and Know...that the God of the Universe has a plan specifically for your life...if you'll just let him have it. He loves You...He has a plan...and its a good plan. " This is my temporary home It's not where I belong. Windows and rooms that I'm passi' through. This is just another stop, on the way to where I'm going. I'm not afraid because I know this is my Temporary Home."

We watched a video today at church that was all about God cutting out the bad stuff in our lives to make us into hi original masterpiece. The quote that hit me most was "how can you let God down when he's the one holding you up?" "Your grace has found me just as I am. Empty handed but alive in your love"

Here's a few things I like today.... Iphone Ap- Sleep Cycle- This is my sleep pattern last night... Song of the day: Lady Antebellum- American Honey Get caught in the race Of this crazy life Tryin' to be everything can make you lose your mind I just wanna go back in time To American honey, yea Website: www.rainymood.com

I've often struggled with the idea of being consumed by God. I know its what i want, but what does that really mean? "For the Lord, your God is a consuming fire" Deuteronomy 4:24. God has a plan and a reason for everything...at least, thats what I believe. How do i live with that in mind? He is everything. He is a jealous God and he wants to be every part of our lives. This song has hit me like a brick wall for about the past 9 months or so. God in my living There in my breathing God in my waking God in my sleeping God in my resting There in my working God in my thinking God in my speaking Be my everything Be my everything Be my everything Be my everything God in my hoping There in my dreaming God in my watching God in my waiting God in my laughing There in my weeping God in my hurting God in my healing Christ in me Christ in me Christ in me the hope of glory You are everything Christ in me Christ in me Christ in me the hope of glory Be my everything

Lately, I've been reading a lot of articles on how to relax, de-stress, sleep better, and get up earlier. As much as I try to cut as much stress out of my life as possible, i've found a lot of things i'm doing (or not doing) are more hurtful than helpful. For example: when I go to bed at night, I usually watch a TV show on my computer until i'm tired enough to go to sleep. As its a little far past January, 1, here are my beginning of March resolutions... 1. Wake up half an hour early to have a Quiet Time 2. Find a verse to meditate on for fifteen minutes or so at some point during the day. 3. Stop drinking coffee by 10am 4. Drink water! 5. Take a walke every afternoon 6. Spend half an hour after getting home doing nothing. 7. Make to-do lists 8. Keep room clean 9. Rather than being on the computer or watching TV right before bed, read a book. 10. Have a nightly routine 11. Turn off cell phone for at least an hour outside of work every day. 12. Since i have to be at w...

"You give and take away. But my heart will choose to say: "Lord, blessed be your name."

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a Christian. I think its funny when “Christians” say they hate religion and its a relationship instead. While this is true, i disagree with the first half of that statement. Wikipedia, clearly the most reliable source in the world, defines “Religion” as: A religion is an organized approach to human spirituality which usually encompasses a set of narratives, symbols, beliefs and practices, often with a supernatural or transcendent quality, that give meaning to the practitioner's experiences of life through reference to a higher power, God or gods, or ultimate truth..... So for all those Christians that say they hate religion... what part of that definition isn’t true for you? “organized approach to human spirituality.”-We are called to be part of the church. My best friends are the ones who are part of the church and keep me accountable in my walk with Christ. “narratives, symbols.”- We read the bible and learn from Jesus’ ...

Then this was written a couple months after graduation So I feel like everyone is always stressing out over what God’s will for our lives are. We think we need to have it all figured out. Its definitely not something I have figured out. As I went through senior year of college, there was a ton of pressure to have it all figured out and know exactly what I was doing after graduation. Well graduation was 2.5 months ago and I have no idea what i’m doing next week. I still dont even really know what I want to be doing. I feel like a lot of people are in that situation where you know God has a plan for your life and its far better than you could imagine. But you have no idea what that is. You know you want to serve God, but you really aren’t sure how. Thats where I’ve been for the past...well, forever. I know everyone has heard Jeremiah 29:11. But no one really looks at the next couple verses: “12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek...

This was my UM message one year ago today: I Think God has many ways of showing us he loves us. He’s got big ways and small ways, both having the same underlying theme: The God who created everything is designing the way the Universe works to show us in many different ways that He loves us. Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. “ I think we often completely look over these magnificent works of God. For example, how many times, do you wake up and say, “God, thank you that I’m breathing”? or even , “God thank you that the sun is shining?” Well, I also think God has made each of us unique in that he shows us each in different ways that he loves us. Have any of you seen the family guy movie? Good movie. Well, in one part Stewie tries to get the future version of himself to play the glad game. Basically, he lists the things that make him glad and these things put him in a better mood. The t...

I wrote this last year a couple months before graduation: How much do we all hate the question..."what are you doing after graduation?"... I usually say "i dont know" and change the subject. Or I'll mention that I know what I'm doing for the six weeks after I graduate, but after that its completely up in the air. I go back and forth between being excited for what God is doing and scared out of my mind not having a clue. The other day, I started re-reading "My Utmost For His Highest" by Oswald Chambers and today, right as I was thinking once again about my lack of plans after graduation, this is what I read.... -------------------------- WILL YOU GO OUT WITHOUT KNOWING? "He went out, not knowing whither he went"-Hebrews 11:8 Have you been "out" in this way? If so, there is no logical statement possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the difficulties in Christian work is this question--"What do you expect to ...