It has been over a month since the last time I updated the blog.
What has happened since then?
*My friend Hayley came to stay for the weekend; that weekend I led a small True Love Waits conference at Grove Hill Baptist Church, joined Thomasville Baptist church and was baptized.
*Received a vision that changed my perspective on how to receive only the guidance of God through God's people.
*Spring Break
*Hayley came to stay the weekend again
*Hayley & Ashley put together a surprise party for me
*I turned 21
*My brother Damien came to stay with me for the weekend (this weekend)
The True Love Waits conference was really special. It was a small group of girls. First, we led the older girls; then, we led the younger ones. God surprised me by placing the words in my mouth. Before we got to Grove Hill, I was wondering if I would have enough to say and if I would be able to speak for 45 minutes or not. To my surprise, I did not have enough time & even went over a few minutes. God is wonderful & in control. Always trust Him. It was really great to have Hayley with me. She spoke up and had wonderful things to say. God used her and it was precious to have her!
It was really special to join Thomasville Baptist Church. Before I joined, Hayley & I met with Brother Ty. He talked with me about my relationship with Christ & asked if I had been baptized since receiving Christ as my savior. I was not baptized in the church since then, so he said it was a sign of obedience & I should do it. That night, I was baptized. The entire time, I cried. Afterwards Rob Hilbun asked me why I was crying. All I could think or say was "He is so big, I am so little". In that moment, I realized that I will never really know how small I am. I'm fine with that. Once again, having Hayley with me was such a special blessing! God knew that I would be getting baptized that weekend & allowed her to come (without us even knowing). Our God is Sovereign!
The vision that I received went like this: Imagine a shepherd leading his sheep- hundreds following him. One sheep slows down because he is tired and before he knows it, he has fallen to the back of the group. Instead of keeping his eyes on the shepherd, he looks down to the ground and keeps walking. A few of the older sheep unintentionally mislead him. Without checking to see if what the older sheep said was in line with how the shepherd was leading them, the little sheep walked the way he was led by the older sheep. The little sheep looked everywhere for his shepherd and could not find him. "How long have I been going in this direction? Why did I not confirm what the other sheep were saying with my shepherd?" thought the little sheep. "Come to me, you are not alone!" he heard faintly whispered in the distance. Was this truly the voice of his shepherd? He wandered longer and finally sat down and waited for help. Suddenly his shepherds voice got louder and felt closer. His shepherds voice got closer and closer until it was right behind him. When the shepherd saw that he had found the little sheep, he rejoiced and hugged him! He looked the sheep in the eyes and said, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you!" Comforted by the words and pursuit of his master, he followed him back to the group. From that moment forward he stayed in the front of the flock and listened carefully to what his shepherd said; his eyes remained locked on his shepherd. After seeing this, I have been able to focus on what God is saying & also, able to test each word others speak with the Scripture. This vision re-emphasized the importance of trusting the voice of God over any/every other voice in my life. I URGE YOU ALL TO TEST THE WORDS OF OTHERS (ADVISORS, PASTORS, TEACHERS, BROTHERS & SISTERS) WITH THE SCRIPTURE. Only God's Word stands firm forever.
Spring Break was restful. Every day I slept in late, prayed, read, journaled, walked three (or more miles), showered, and rested in the Lord.
Hayley's presence at the end of the weekend was amazing and refreshing! Having her around is one of the sweetest gifts. She is a special part of my life & I trust that God has established our friendship and soaked it in His love.
The girls (Hayley, Ashley, Chloe, Mariah and Lexie) surprised me with a party! We had cake, ice cream and lots of yummy treats. Hayley was supper sweet & asked the girls to share who I had been in their lives. Hearing their love and seeing who I am was helpful & truly blessed my mind. The girls said the opposite of who I thought I was; this conversation helped me to further establish and understand my identity in Christ. Thank you ladies!
I turned 21. Hayley came in my room & sang happy birthday to me at midnight! She brought in sparkling grape juice and a gift. Her gift was perfect! It was a mug that I had been wanting (and she had no idea) & cards (I ALWAYS USE CARDS & AM SO GLAD TO HAVE THEM)... so her gifts were gifts from God! In the morning when we woke up, we went to the early service and then Sunday School. We spoke to the Spinks sunday school class (the young adults-which is the class I would be in if I did not join the youth) about prayer. It was special to share our hearts with them! The experience was a blessing. We then joined Mrs Brandi's class (9th and 10th grade girls). After Sunday School, we went to The Grill. The Spinks took us to lunch. We spent the rest of the day napping, walking and then went back to church. The entire day was sweet. It was really nice to get to talk with Callum on my birthday. Seeing him is always great! Although seeing him makes me miss him more, I am grateful that I was able to share my birthday with him and see him! Thank You, Lord, for technology! Over all, my birthday was the BEST! Truthfully. Thank you to everyone who made it so special!!
This past week, Hayley & Damien stayed on Wednesday night. We all went back to school on Thursday morning. Damien & I came back to Thomasville yesterday. We took very long naps. Woke up for dinner, watched American Idol with Mrs Blanche and went back to sleep. This morning I woke up, prayed and read. Damien woke up & we ate a little breakfast. Following breakfast I listened to the new SONS cd (a gift from Callum) and then went for a three mile walk. Walking was special; I was able to pray out loud and just walk with joy. When I got back I took a shower, made lunch for Damien & I and then cleaned up the kitchen. We went up to the Salvation Army, Antique Shop, and another little shop downtown. We hoped to run into our family (the Brasell's). Mrs Barbara was not working at the Antique Shop, so Mr Hicks recommended we stop by her house. When we first got there, no one came to the door. So, Mr Jay helped us to find Mr Kenton. He was in the back working on making a bed. We all talked & he offered to take us to Grover (where our family lived before they came to Thomasville). Tomorrow, we are all going to go at two o'clock. Damien & I both look forward to it. It was nice to have some free time to go and see family. I am glad that God has blessed us with the opportunity to connect with them. Hopefully we will have more and more opportunity to see each other. Family is special. Nothing compares to family.
"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud" Proverbs 16:18&19
"He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he" Proverbs 16:20
"The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. Pleasant words are as a honey comb, sweet to the bones" Proverbs 16:23&24
"He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city" Proverbs 16:32
"In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence: and his children shall have a place of refuge. The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death" Proverbs 14:26&27
