Wednesday, August 24, 2016

How to Deal with Suffering

(I've never tried a picture like this before, but I've gotta say, I like it a lot : ) I'm doing this more often)
To begin, we are going to look at the verses in Ezekiel 37:1-14.


The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
Then he said to me: “Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’ Therefore prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel. Then you, my people, will know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves and bring you up from them. I will put my Spirit in you and you will live, and I will settle you in your own land. Then you will know that I the Lord have spoken, and I have done it, declares the Lord.’” Ezekiel 37:1-14


As you know, moving here was painful for me. I've already moved here once, so you would think this ought to be easy, right? That's what I thought and was hoping for, too.
Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way.
But that's how God works. His ways are greater than my ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). So I'm trying to role with it.
I'm learning that's harder than it sounds.

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Arrived and Not Dead...Yet

So guess what, guys...We made it safely to Arizona. It took FIVE whole days to get here. It has never taken us so long to get here before... : /
Well, we had some car trouble with our van. It wasn't shifting well up and down the mountain and our van was overheating and two hoses were cracked and leaking. Grandpa got a ticket going down a 7% grade mountain going 70 in a 45! Dad left his phone at a Fazoli's and had to turn around and get it. Grandpa jackknifed Dad's truck (broke the side light cover of the camper, dented the bottom bumper of the camper, and rubbed paint on the front bumper of Dad's truck). We left on Wednesday night at midnight so everyone was EXHAUSTED and we had to stop several times the next day to rest. And every stop we made took about an hour each. (I apologize for the non-chronological order here).
But now we are here and we are all still alive. For now.
So all my fears that I mentioned before are still here. Confirmed even. But I know that God will make this good, like he always does.

Signing off,
Amy Kathleen
P.S. Please pray:
-that the AC gets fixed in our house.
-that I may have faith instead of fear.
-that we may use our faith to impact many here.
Keep your eyes pealed for pictures of our trip. <3 ; )

Sunday, August 7, 2016

[When] Love Broke Through // I'm Getting Baptized!!

I grew up in a Christian family, but it wasn't until I was twelve years old that I decided to take the decision into my own hands and ask God--on my own--to come into my life. It was the best decision I've ever made.
Since then I have been growing in my faith and keeping people around me who reflect Him. And all this crazy moving-across-the-country thing has really helped in the growing-of-faith aspect.
Anyways, I've been wanting to be baptized for years now. I thought I wanted to be baptized at the church that I became a Christian at...but God has different plans.
Since moving back to Minnesota we've been going to an amazing church. I've tried really really hard to fit in with the other youth and getting all of them--the youth pastors included--to like me. I know now I shouldn't have hurt myself trying, but at the time it seemed important.
Interestingly enough, a lot of the people from our church in Arizona and our church here are from San Diego...I guess that's why it seemed so fitting for us to be going to this church.
This church has been praying for us through all our hard times living here in Minnesota. And a few weeks ago they announced that they will be doing baptisms--two weeks before we move.
My mom and I got talking and we decided that her and I should be baptized here with this church and the people who've been praying for us. How fitting, right!?
So last week there was a meeting for those of us getting baptized. They told us we will be asked, "Why do you want to be baptized?"
Then it hit me. Why do I want to be baptized? What's the purpose of baptism anyways?
I've been praying that God would reveal this answer to me. These are the verses I found helpful:

What are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized. Have your sins washed away by calling on the name of the Lord.’ Acts 22:16

So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Acts 10:48

And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. Galatians 3:27

And that water is a picture of baptism, which now saves you, not by removing dirt from your body, but as a response to God from a clean conscience. It is effective because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 3:21

Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.  Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:18-20

Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:38

Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. Matthew 3:15

Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Romans 6:1-4

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that. But you were cleansed; you were made holy; you were made right with God by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. 1 Corinthians 6:9-11

So, to answer the first question: I want to be baptized because "Jesus [said]...it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Matthew 3:15. Because Jesus was baptized and I want to be like Jesus. Because it was said, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38. Because I want to be "...united with Christ in baptism..." and to "...put on Christ, like putting on new clothes." Galatians 3:27

I officially accepted the Lord into my heart when I was twelve-years-old. Since then I've wanted to be baptized. In Galatians 3:27 it says, "And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes." I'm ready

I officially accepted the Lord into my heart when I was twelve-years-old. Since then I have wanted to be baptized. In Romans 6:2-4 it says, "Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives." I'm ready.


Thursday, August 4, 2016

Prone to Wander

Hey Everyone! Its a Thursday. We're in August. There's about 14 days till we move. I'm having a sleepover with a close friend of mine. This is sort of goodbye (sort of).
I was over at some family's house on Saturday and we had a mini-party (a.k.a.: a family-goodbye-party). It was fun but sad. I don't like goodbye's.
On Sunday we went to my cousins before-the-wedding party (I'm not really sure what you call that--its too early *running on little sleep*) that was another family-goodbye-party of sorts. We don't get to see everyone that often and that was kind of goodbye.
On Monday I invited a ton of friends to help us pack the house...there was about five friends that could make it...and it was a blast! I'm extremely sad about that though. Why on earth do these people have to make it so hard to leave them?!? (but I am so thankful for the help, you guys! Come again soon! <3)
On Tuesday we went to the lake with more friends--as usual on Summer-Tuesdays. It was a blast, as always.
Wednesday we picked up a friend of mine so she could spend the night and hang out with us at youth group. The real reason she came is so that she could meet that one guy I mentioned in a previous post...but he was--for one of the first times since my coming to youth group--was gone. And you wanna know where her was?
Too bad, I'm not telling you. That'd be rude.
; P
So now we have today. Thursday. Guess what comes on Thursday...the parts of the U-Haul truck. That basically means we begin loading the truck today....
I'm not going to cry.
I'm not going to cry.
I'm not going to cry.
Once we get to Arizona, everything will be fine...right?