Getting Dirty to Become Clean

     When I was a young girl, I didn't like the outdoors. I decided at an early age that nature had nothing of value to offer me and preferred to spend my time indoors where I could remain clean and avoid the horrors found outside (as in spiders and bugs and snakes and spiders). Fortunately, I grew out of this aversion. I learned that being outside is fun and offers countless opportunities, and even though it may result in getting dirty, it makes that shower at the end of the day much more enjoyable.

     God recently taught me a lesson about being dirty.

     When a person is born, he or she comes out of the womb sinful, dirty. Though that sin doesn't manifest into anything significant for several years, it will eventually show its true colors. The beautiful thing about our Lord is that when we truly accept Him into our lives, all of the nasty, dirty, unmentionable sins we've committed are forgiven. Our slate is wiped clean. So this means that once a person becomes a Christian, he or she will never sin again, right? Wrong. As human beings, it's in our nature to mess up. What makes being a Christ-follower different is having the Holy Spirit on our side. Now when we do wrong, that feeling of guilt and conviction makes itself known. One would think that this would make life simple; unfortunately, we're never promised an easy road.

     The lesson that God taught me is that it's possible to be a Christian and still be dirty. 

     Imagine falling into a puddle of mud. After a while, whatever bit is on you dries and creates matted hair and stiff clothes, and all you want is to go home and shower. As soon as the hot, steamy water touches your skin, the renewed feeling begins. You see the dirt and grime being rinsed off of your body and down the drain. However, upon getting out of the shower and glancing in the mirror, you notice that you still have a small spot of mud between your shoulder blades. It was just too hard to reach that spot. After further inspection, you discover remnants of mud behind your ears. You simply forgot to rub a washrag back there. The more you look, the more you realize that you're only partially clean.
     Our spiritual lives are the same way. As Christians it's a constant struggle to keep ourselves clean. The dirt of the world tries to work its way onto us, and if we're not careful, it'll cover us from head to toe. The Lord taught me that it's not enough to be mostly clean, to be pure and faithful in most areas in my life. We serve an all or nothing God, and He wants us to be clean in every aspect. 
      One might ask, "How do we get completely clean? There are some sins that are too hard to reach; I can't get rid of them." The beautiful thing about our Savior is that He's the ultimate "Mr. Clean." He can use His "magic eraser" (aka Jesus) to wipe away even the most stubborn spots and stains! He's only waiting for us to ask; our pride is the only thing standing in the way.

For me, it took hitting rock bottom to realize this truth. I had been wallowing around in the dirt, believing I was immune to getting dirty. Over time I began to notice spots of dirt that I couldn't quite wash away, and pretty soon even the most conservative garments couldn't cover up the grime. 

     Thankfully, God broke me. 

     In my weeping, crumpled state, I asked for forgiveness and like the Father He is, He held me in his arms and used that "magic eraser" to get rid of every last speck of dirt. I can honestly say that after being so filthy, I appreciate being clean much more!

     So how about you? Are you content with being dirty, or are you ready to get clean?

UTM: Land that I Love

     My goodness, how time flies! It's hard to believe that my time in college is almost complete, and the future is getting ready to knock on my door. There are only two days of classes left, a week of finals, and then my time as an undergraduate is basically done. I'm this close to fulfilling my dream of becoming a teacher, but with that reality comes feelings of both elation and sadness! I'm so happy that tests, quizzes, papers, and projects are almost done. I'll soon be the one assigning those things, and I'll be happy when the shoe is on the other foot. Also, along with that comes independence, and I'm beyond ready for that (ask me again when the bills that come through the mail are in my name, ha ha)!

Me and a few of my fellow Education majors before our Senior Walk!

An action shot from the Walk.

Of course, I have student teaching in the fall, and my graduation won't come until December (12-13-14 to be exact, pretty cool, huh?), but I'm definitely feeling the perks of being a senior! Yesterday was Senior Appreciation day, and we all went on a celebratory walk that ended with graduation practice and a "party" in the form of delicious food and a few giveaways. Even though it was fun to celebrate the end of an era, I was a bit saddened to know that my days as a college student are almost over. The last few weeks have been bittersweet, and that feeling has been increasing as the semester wraps up here.
     Speaking of "here," that happens to be the University of Tennessee at Martin. This has been my home away from home, my refuge, my safe harbor, for the last three years. Upon coming to college, I had all of these grand ideas about falling in love; however, I didn't think it would be with my school. 

     I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that this is where God wanted me during my college years. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, and UTM is everything I could ever ask for in a college. Sometimes I'll be walking through the Quad, to and from class, or back from the library, and I'll get this overwhelming feeling...I don't even know how to describe it...it's a feeling of happiness-contentment-love-peace-joy-gratitude and so many other things! UTM is such a gorgeous campus! I love the Quad and all of the trees;

The Quad in the fall from a few years back.

I love the provided benches so that we can enjoy that beauty! Though there are many, many, many more people here compared to my high school, UTM still offers a small town, close-knit atmosphere. I also love all of the activities that students are offered throughout the year! There is always some type of athletic game happening, free food from this or that organization, or some other way for students to get involved. This is a very student-oriented campus, and I'm very grateful for that!

This is last year's Quad City, an event during homecoming week.

Captain Skyhawk - Yay for school mascots!

Pyramid, a Greek Week event.

UTM Rodeo

     I'm just so grateful for all of the friends and memories I've made over the the last three years. I'm desperately going to miss this place and all that it has to offer. However, I'm forever grateful for the impact that this school has had on my life. I've heard many people talk about how much they loathe college and would rather go back to high school, but I'm definitely not one of those people! I've had the time of my life here, and I'm so happy that God brought me to UT Martin, the land that I love.

Life Changing Pancakes

     When you think of college students on Spring Break, my guess is that the image is not a very pleasant one. Partying hard, indulging in sinful activities, living for the moment...these are actions that my generation seeks fulfillment in. But what if there was more to Spring Break than these things? What if there were people who saw all of this and rather than condemn those actions sought to show love and offer help. The truth is that those people do exist and they created something called Beach Reach.

      This Spring Break ministry is composed of different Christian organizations from around the country who come to Panama City Beach, FL (the Spring Break capital of the world) to offer services to the Spring Breakers in the most practical way possible. Free van rides are offered at night and a free pancake breakfast happens each morning. These events allow "Beach Reachers" to engage in conversation with the college students which hopefully leads into opportunities to share the Gospel and lead people to Christ.
     I went to Beach Reach with a group from the BCM at my school, and we saw the power of God work in truly miraculous ways throughout the week!!

The whole gang from my school.

I stood in awe as my teammates witnessed to the Spring Breakers confidently and without shame and some amazing conversations were had as a result!
     Our group was composed of mostly first time Beach Reachers, and I was the only "veteran" girl. With this in mind, I found myself approaching everything with a different mindset than the previous year. I realized that God brought me back to PCB, not to dominate every conversation and to overshadow my teammates, but step back and let them lead the way. 
     As Christians, we've all been given gifts and talents to use to serve and bring honor to God; furthermore, those gifts are different and vary with each individual. 1 Corinthians 12:12-20 talks about how the body is made up of various parts that work together as a whole. Verse 12 says, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ," and this analogy is extremely applicable to Beach Reach!

The guys from our group.

     Each night we had street teams walking up and down PCB's Strip spreading the news of free van rides and free pancakes; similarly, there were teams on the vans to engage Spring Breakers in conversation. These two groups represented the feet and mouths of the above mentioned body, and while I served on each team during the week, I didn't believe those places were where I belonged.
     I ended up being a navigator (this means I received the van ride assignments, communicated with the driver, and helped him find our pickup and drop off locations) in the vans for most of the week, and even though I'm not the most directionally savvy person, I had a great time doing this job! While I got to converse with some of the people we picked up, being the navigator

really allowed me to pray for my teammates, listen to the talks happening in the van, and be an encourager for the people I worked with. It was through this that I realized what parts of the body I was meant to be during the week: the ears to listen and the hands to help out in any way possible.
     It's amazing how God uses certain events to teach lessons, and I learned through Beach Reach that it's okay to not always be the one up front and that those in the background have important jobs, too. God blessed me with a precious group of girls,

The girls from our group.

and we had the biggest time beginning every day with a group devotional and ending every night with hours of sharing the night's stories (and there might've been a few cups/pots of coffee in between). It brought me such happiness to see their beaming faces as they told about sharing the Gospel in the vans or telling their testimony to people they met on the streets.
     Now that I'm back at school and Beach Reach is over for me forever (by this time next year I'll be a college graduate and will hopefully have a teaching position somewhere), I'm left with a peace about everything that occurred during the week. I now know why God lead me back to PCB and why He gave me the teammates that He did. I'm just filled with such happiness and am so proud of those who choose to answer God's call and serve Him during the break.
     I want to send a special shout out to all of my teammates: Thank you all for serving and making Beach Reach an unforgettable week filled with memories and God moments. 
     Thanks for reading everyone!!!

Start Praying and Stop Ceasing

     Why is it that in life the simplest actions are often the most difficult to accomplish? Is it that we crave challenges and want to test ourselves, or do we decide that if something is too easy it's not worth pursuing? This is a question that often baffles me, particularly in the area of prayer. For some reason, I find it difficult to put aside time for one of the essential parts of living a Christian life. I can sit down and read my Bible, I can travel hundreds of miles to go on a mission trip, but talking to God through prayer doesn't come easily to me. Why is this? I think the reason is that because prayer is so simple I take its value for granted. 
     A few days ago, the BCM launched a "15 Days of Prayer" campaign, and we began by holding a "15 Hours of Prayer Day." This was a time where people signed up for shifts and went to the B (that's what we call our building) to pray. 
 

(This is the front of the prayer pamphlet we received upon finishing all of the prayer stations. I added the Lilly Pulitzer background for a bit of decoration.)

There were 15 stations that we prayed at, and each one had us pray for a specific topic, such as upcoming mission trips, the lost on our campus, and places that have never heard the Gospel. After going through this experience, I left with a softened heart and a renewed belief in the power of prayer. Beginning the day by talking to God filled me with a joy that permeated my day, and I thought to myself Why wouldn't I want to start every day like this? 
     Furthermore, in my quiet time this morning, I read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says, "Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Out of all the things we Christians are expected to do, this notion should be one of the simplest.     
     There is no denying that following Christ comes with many trials and tribulations, various mountains and valleys, and both good and bad times. However, the beautiful part of having a relationship with God is that it comes freely. He willingly gives His grace and love to us even though we don't deserve it, and He'll listen to us whenever we call upon His name. 
     With this revelation comes motivation to work on my prayer life. I'm determined to set aside time each day to just talk with God. He is never too busy to hear, never too busy to talk, and never too busy to give. He truly and genuinely cares what we have to say which should make the simple action of prayer more appealing and doable.
     So how about you? What are your thoughts on prayer? Do you pray without ceasing, or, like me, is it difficult to even start? If you have trouble, I encourage you to remember what it's like to have a deep, heartfelt conversation with God. Don't forget the feeling of peace and security that flows through you after talking with Him.  
     I hope you have a prayerful and blessed day, and thanks for reading!
    

Live for Now, Play in the Snow

     Over the weekend my little ‘ole college town awoke to a white blanket of snow. Cheers were shouted, layers were put on, and playing like a kid ensued. Even though it was cold, it warmed my heart to see so many people forget about the “mature image” that we college students are supposed to don.  For a little while, we were kids again. For a few hours, snowballs flew, people ran, and laughter occurred.  Oh yeah, and lots of pictures were taken of the wintry goodness by my friend, John.

Courtesy of JMichael Photographs

     Unfortunately, though the miracle of snow is a beautiful thing to behold, it often doesn’t last very long (at least in the South), and by the middle of the afternoon, that gorgeous blanket became mushy, sparse, and even a little brown in some areas.

     This phenomenon got me thinking about how important it is to appreciate every moment we’re given and how we should live in the here and now. Usually I'm the type of person that likes to know exactly what to expect in every situation, and I write everything in my planner to make sure that this happens. However, we all know that life is full of unseen twists and turns and my eyes were recently opened to how my need for control was actually a sin that was controlling me.

     I recently went on a retreat with the Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) at my school, and the theme of the weekend was focusing on the present and giving God our moments. 

Here's a group photo from the trip.

In Matthew 6:34, Jesus says, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." This is a command that I wasn't living, and after attending this retreat, my eyes were opened to the error of dwelling on things that may or may not happen. 

     Don't get me wrong, it is important to think about the future and to be prepared, but it's also crucial that we don't let that planning take us away form "playing in the snow" today. If God takes care of birds and lilies, how much more will he take care of us?

    Live in the now. When something beautiful happens, enjoy it. Always appreciate what you have because you don't know when time (or the sun) will melt it away.

From Pretend to Reality

     When you were younger, did you ever play pretend? Did you imagine yourself as a princess, locked away in a castle, waiting for Prince Charming? Or maybe you were an adventurer and saved the world from bad guys? Though I certainly imagined myself in each of these scenarios, in reality, I'll never be a Kate Middleton and marry the heir to the throne. I'll never save the world from some evil villain who is bent on its destruction. Many of the things I pretended to be when I was younger will never occur, but one thing that is attainable (and that I've almost grasped) is being a teacher.
     I remember playing school and using my stuffed animals and Barbies as students. I spent endless hours jabbering away about ABC's and 123's and teaching my pupils content that I dubbed to be important. It's both exciting and scary to know that the time for make-believe is over and that the "real world" is moving in. As my college career nears its end, the reality of what I'm getting into is beginning to set in. I'm under no misconceptions that the classroom will be filled with rainbows, daisies, and butterflies; in fact, I see lots of frustration, impatience, and possibly a few tears in the future. However, what makes it all bearable is that I know I'll be doing what God put me on this earth to do. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear." I know there will be days when I want to quit and give up, but if I can make a difference in one student's life it'll all be worth it. I'm just so excited to see where this road leads and am anxious to meet the adventures that I'll encounter along the way.