Hebrews 2:14-15

After all the amazing goodness that I have been learning through the Advent bible study by John Piper, I just had to share!
I always knew that Jesus died for us because He loved us and wanted to make a way for us to go to Heaven. He had to take our sins because He is Holy and therefore the only one fit to do it. But this morning I learned that He had to die and then come back to life in order to defeat the power of death, better know as Satan. By doing this, believers no longer are held in bondage to their sins. We no longer have a fear of Gods wrath and judgement! It is like we are exempt. It is sort of like standing before a judge and having them say not guilty even though we are, but the judge is our father so the same rules do not apply. Since believers have this relationship, we do not have to worry about our punishment (Romans 8:15,) and therefore do not have to worry about death! If you took a survey of 10 random people, I bet 9/10 would say they are afraid of dying. It can be a scary thing if you are not in Christ. You do not get to look forward to getting a new body, treasures, and endless joy.
This whole thing just shows how much He loves us. He created us. We turned to sin. He had to die to get us back. It blows my mind that the God of the universe would do that for us. I am so thankful for His endless mercy, grace, and love!

His unconditional love

Imagine creating something that was good. Imagine making something that reflected you as an artist and loving it so much that you would do anything to never depart from it. No matter what happened, or how much it hurt you, you would find a way to let your creation chose you because you wanted to be loved the way you knew was right.

Imagine having your creation hate you. Imagine them never acknowledging you and knowingly push you away for only seconds of what they thought was happiness. You still love them and always will because they are yours. You help them when you can, but you must let them learn most things for themselves since they do not listen to your warnings. You see them suffer and see them in anguish and you wish you could take the hurt from them and put it on yourself. The only way you know to do this is to put all these bad things on yourself. No matter what the costs, you will do this for your undeserving children because you love so perfectly that you can’t imagine not dying for them. You love them so much that you let them kill you so that they can at least have the choice of being with you for eternity. You never consider being separated from them because they are doomed without you. They need your love and you enjoy their praise.

After years and years of disobedience they finally decide to acknowledge you. They want to spend as much time with you as possible. How happy are you? How can you describe that feeling? But what about the child who never lets you in and you never see again. Do you just forget them? No, but there’s nothing you can do. It’s their choice.

Changing desires

  Today I wanted to reflect on how my desires have changed in the last two years. It is crazy to think about how far I have come in such a small amount of time. I remember moving in for the first time as a freshman. I cried because I hated college on the first day, but the next day I loved it! It is strange just how quickly our feelings can change.
  Recently I have been struggling with what I wanted to study in school, but now I have clarity on what I want to do. Back when I was a freshman one of the reasons that I wanted to major in biology was because I wanted to become wealthy. I was going to be some sort of doctor and it did not matter what kind. Part of that reasoning was also to help people, but more towards the monetary rewards. I felt like I would not be happy unless I was successful. That is after all what the world teaches us. Luckily during the summer after freshman year, my desires changed. I spent the whole summer with college students that gave up their summer to know Christ more. I studied the world, I evangelized, I prayed, and slowly my desires began to change. No longer did I care about how much money I made, or how I looked, or what people thought of me. I only care about bringing God glory and getting to know Him deeper. Even the tiniest desires of my heart have changed and it was all because of the Holy Spirit.

Tomorrow does hold the future

Wondering about the future is a natural part of life. I find myself over-whelmed at times because I want to accomplish big things. I once heard that if your dreams don't scare you, than they aren't big enough. That should be true. If what you want most in life is to be a doctor, that's scary because someone else's health is in your hands. If you want to be president, that would be scary to represent an entire country. The scariest thing I can think of is leaving the life you've known to be used by Christ in another country.

This dream reminds me of Peter. When Jesus said, "Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men," Peter dropped his whole life to become a disciple (Matthew 4:19.) Without any hesitation, he followed the person that he knew was the savior. This is how the Christian life must be. Although it may not be to this extreme, it does require complete submission. 

I only pray that I can be used to impact the world for Christ. I hope that when called, I can have the same faith that Peter did. I never want to be afraid of anything. Instead I want to put all my trust in the only thing that I am sure of, and thats Jesus.

God

Who do you think about when you hear Gods name?
Most people think love, but to limit the creator of the universe to one characteristic would be unheard of. Not only is God so much more, but we can't even understand His ways.
I am going to try and describe the God of the world with my little tiny, limited brain.
God is:
Holy
Eternal
Infinite
love
Compassion
Mercy
Humble
Jealous for us
Just
All knowing
Omnipresent
Personal
Immortal
Good
All powerful
Creator
Fair
Forgiveness
Worthy
Glorious
Opposite of sin
Due all the glory, praise, and worship that we could ever give Him in every second for all of eternity
3 different beings at once, everywhere

He can't be contained in the world. He cant be explained by our vocab, or understood by our brains. I love in Revelation 4 when John describes Him in heaven. How every creature around Him cant even look at Him and all they can do is praise Him constantly. A God so powerful and Holy will receive glory, praise, and worship no matter what. Even if we don't praise Him, Luke 19:40 says that the rocks will!
I hate to see people who constantly look around them for their purpose. Whether it is the girl who is looking for the next guy to be important to, or the guy who is looking for the opportunity to prove how important he is, we are all searching for happiness. And while this earth can bring temporary semi-happiness, God freely gives us the chance to experience joy in Him everyday. We were created to be in relationship with Him and without this, life is mediocre.
When I think of Gods love for me, I don't deny that He is God. His love is so perfect that I am completely satisfied. The love between Him and His people is absolutely perfect. It works so well. We give Him glory and praise and He gives us mercy and love even though we don't deserve it. He loves us so much that He sent part of Himself in human form to die so that we may live life abundantly. When I think about the Son of God dying for me, things start getting real. No longer do I care about temporary pleasures. I wholeheartedly want to serve Him alone and bring Him glory. And that is when He can use our lives.

A new chapter

   Well it looks like time for another chapter of my life! Sophomore year is over and there are only bigger and better things ahead for me.
   It has been a great year! I have made memories I will never forget and strengthened friendships that will last a lifetime. Academically, this year was tough for me. I took chemistry the entire time and did not pass it. Otherwise it has been a joy. The most exciting thing was taking my last math class ever! I have longed for this day since I first took algebra in high school. Surprisingly I enjoyed calculus this semester, but I think that was because of my professor. He was so patient and kind. I will definitely miss his humor.
   With all the ups and downs, I can see how blessed I am. The privilege of going to such an amazing university, along with a great community of believers is so awesome. Community is important. Time and time again, I have felt loved and in need of their accountability. God truly shows us love through His people. It has also be SO cool to see how God has used my life. I ask Him to use me on my campus and I can definitely see Him working even when I am skeptical or discouraged. I can only thank Him for His provision. What a God we serve!

Trusting God in hard times

   So yesterday my Father had a heart attack while visiting the Grand Canyon. He had always wanted to see it so he decided to pack up the truck and go camping there. Unfortunately, I am stuck at school because of finals. Anyway, my dad is one tough guy. This was his fourth heart attack I believe, but I am so thankful for the medical care he has received over the last ten years. His father died of a heart attack when he was younger than my dad so I am very grateful to have him still around.
   At times like this, I naturally lean on God more. It has taught me to pray more because I don't like the feeling of coming to God when I need something. I know He doesn't judge me, but I don't want to be like that. Since I believe in the power of prayer, I need to use it more often. I particularly love the verse that says, "for the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working." This just reminds me that although Gods will is going to happen, He still wants us to pray and rely on Him.
  I can't stop thinking about how horrible it would be if I didn't trust God at a time like this. I would be mad at the world and confused about the future. The scary thing is that I know that my father is likely to have more heart attacks, and along with his diabetes and heart disease, I am very scared of loosing him. My dad means the world to me and he is such a blessing. Yesterday he just kept telling me don't worry just trust God, we only want His will. Having someone with that kind of faith for a parent is something I thank God for daily. Along with his mothers influence, he is the reason I know Christ today and of course that means everything to me.
  Although this could be a horrible time in my life, it's not. I trust God and His plan. I want what He wants no matter the outcome.

Wedding bells

    Today is a special day because it will be my fist time, and hopefully not my last, being a bridesmaid. I feel so honored to be apart of such a special moment in someones life. I can't wait to celebrate this couple because of who they are. They are both kind, sweet individuals who deserve each other.

    It seems that most everyone wants to find that special someone to spend all their time with. As a christian, It can be difficult to find that person because there are fewer of us than your average people. It is definitely different dating when you are a christian. I have not experienced that yet but people tell me it's so much easier and I can imagine so. You do not have all the drama, and fighting, but you are always on the same page. It must be a breath of fresh air to be with someone who believes the same things as you and has the same hopes and desires.

    Although all of this sounds great, lately God has shown me just how great singleness can be. I have the privilege of focusing on my walk with the Lord. I think this is a great time to focus on others and not yourself. It's a wonderful season where you can submit yourself fully to the work of the Lord. It's a time in your life where you must trust God. Don't let satan put lies in your head. Just because everyone else is doing something, doesn't mean you should. 

   Today I went to my aunts house whom I haven't seen in a long time. She was married when she was young but her husband became an alcoholic so she packed up the kids and left. She has never married again and she claims that she never will, but she does not seem unhappy. The only thing she wishes she had was security.

    Being single can be a privilege but so can be being in a relationship. It is nice to be close to another person. God made us to be relational people but I think we must first be ok with being single before we find who we are looking for. And if its in Gods plan for us to be single, so be it! His plan is bigger and better than our minds can comprehend so we must trust it.

Love

    I am at a point in my life where I feel like things are making sense. Life is making sense. My desires and perspectives have changed to a deeper understanding. I have to admit that I like it when things make sense! Although I clearly will never know everything, clarity can be a blessing in a time of confusion.
    When you are putting all your trust in God, worry and stress simply melt away. Life is easier! Pursuing God in life has been such a breath of fresh air! This world is so crazy and uncertain and when resting in someone who knows/wills everything.. you tend to look at everything differently.
    One thing God has been teaching me lately is how I should be treating others. I have been letting my life get in the way of showing love to others and that is such a waste of time. I could never love others the way God does but the fact that He loves them so much makes me want to love them too. Instead of looking at people and their sin, I have been focusing about how they are a child of God and unconditionally loved by Him. If God can love them than so can I because He is in me!
    People really are good! It is hard when you're walking to class and hear people talking about what they did last night, and it makes you sad, but then you see people who help others once they fall off their longboard. I have always felt like everyone has good in them and I now know that to be true because God made us all in His image (Genesis 1:27.) God is good and God is love.
"Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend," John 15:13. This passage is so good because it emphasizes two things,
       1. The greatest love occurred when Jesus died for us all,
       2. We are a friend of the one true God!
    How great it is to know that God loves for us is the best there is. I have lately been thinking about when someone purposely sins against God. I can't imagine how that must feel to have someone you made slap you in the face....I guess thats like your own child slapping you in the face. I don't know about anyone else, but that would really irritate me because people do everything for their kids and yet they can't even get respect from them. Well this happens to God a lot! Over and over again actually, but He doesn't get mad; not even a tiny bit. That's cause He is perfect and we aren't. This is how I know that humans are not capable of unconditional love; the kind that God freely gives us. The love that should warm our hearts toward our maker and cause us to repent of sin.
   Sometimes I think the only difference in a Christian and nonbeliever is that Christians will admit their sins. We also strive to be like our maker but we still sin; theres no escaping that. It is inevitable, but thanks to Jesus we don't have to experience hell because of it. Instead we get to spend eternity with the person who loves them more than anyone else ever could.

Faith can be hard

   A year ago, I stepped into the unknown and trusted God in an important decision in my life. It was scary. I wasn't sure what would happen, but all I knew was that I trusted Gods plan 100%. Although my flesh was telling me it was impossible to trust God and that it would be unbearable to trust Him, I did it. While I had the faith, I immediately made my decision.
   I remember being so sad and not understanding why I did what I did. I wanted to undo it and I questioned if God really knew what He was doing. I thought that He had to have made a mistake because I was so unhappy.
   After wondering this for about a year, I can finally say that I was highly mistaken!
   God has brought me to a place in my life where I could not be anymore grateful for what He did a year earlier! I see His love through this and am so thankful. His ways are right and perfect. All we have to do is trust Him. Although extremely hard, even a year later it can be worth it a hundred times over.
Dont listen to the enemy. Trusting God is always the right thing to do. No matter what happens, He will be glorified and praised!

Blessed assurance

     I know that trusting God with your entire life is scary. It wasn't something I was ever eager to do, but it ended up being the best decision I've ever made. It gets SO exhausting choosing between God and a certain desire over, and over again. At the time you think it's an impossible choice, but then when you look back you're like "why didn't I do this sooner?"

     The best part is that no matter how many times you reject God, it means nothing. Paul is a great example of this. He wanted nothing to do with God and even killed people who loved Him. Did that change the way God felt about Paul? Nope. Unconditional love means that no matter what happens, you will continue to love that person. It doesn't matter if they lie, cheat, steal, or break your heart a million times, you are still going to love them exactly the same way.

     When I was younger, I thought love was a feeling. Then after loosing that feeling several times, I thought love was a decision, like when you get married. But after looking at the way God loves us, I've realized that love is our reason for existence. It's who we are. If we were not capable of love, there would be no point to life. We were created to worship, praise, and glorify God. 

     If we are not fulfilling our purpose, then we obviously aren't happy so we turn to anything and everything to try and fill that void. Whether its booze, friends, jobs, sororities, school, or guys, if that thing isn't Jesus, you will continue to feel frustrated and alone. You will feel like you can't trust anyone, that everyone is judging you, and that nobody understands you. Confidence in Christ can fix all of these things and its only when you trust God completely with your whole life that you start to see things differently in a new and marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9

Beautifully and wonderfully made

    Love is something that God freely gives us. No matter what we do, He will never stop loving us. His love for us is unconditional, which means we could do anything in the world to defy Him and He would not love us less. Real love is something that sacrifices and sometimes it can result in the ultimate sacrifice. Life.
     Recently someone I knew said their family member tried to commitment suicide and I started thinking about how that person must feel. I wondered how desperate they must be to find what they are missing. It saddened me greatly, because I knew what they were missing.
    When there is a void, a unhappiness, a feeling that something is missing...that is every humans longing to be with their creator. You see God made us so without Him we feel empty and unhappy. Without a deep and meaningful relationship with Him, we find life meaningless and without joy. Only when we find our reason for existence can life actually feel content and worth living.
    I know it is hard to imagine Gods love. I have struggled wrapping my mind around this concept, but I find that reading what God said about His love for us helps. The Bible says that He loved us so much that He sent His only son to die for our sins. He made us in His image, He knit us together in our mothers womb, and He knows every single hair on our heads. There is NO ONE on this planet that can say that for another person. The love that a Shepard, Master, and Creator has for His children is infinite. Not the curse of sin, the flames of hell, or the cunningness of the enemy can weaken it.

Grace to me

    Grace is what God showers us in everyday. It is the very thing that can save our souls from an eternity of fire. Without it, I can't even begin to comprehend how hard life would be. For example, when I think about how I use to live my life, I get very nauseous. I begin to imagine how Gods wrath could affect me and I experience indescribable emotions.
    I remember when I had a similar experience during the summer while attending an Episcopal Church service and taking communion. As I was sitting there waiting for my turn, I suddenly realized that every wrong thing I had ever did were the very things that nailed Jesus to the cross. My disgusting, unnecessary sin nailed a perfect and holy being to a tree; the son of God to a tree! I immediately felt sick to my stomach and I could barely walk up to the alter.
    I think the moments when you realize how much you need Gods grace and you physically feel ill from all the wrong you have done, are the prefect moments to get on the ground and cry out to God. Tell Him you are sorry, ask for His forgiveness, and begin to experience the grace that we would all be lost without.

Amateur blogger

  My name is Erika. I am a sophomore in college and I am studying the wonderful science of Biology. I absolutely love studying biology and learning everything there is to know about life.
  I am also a follower of Jesus Christ, as is evident from my other pages.
  I really enjoy writing. There is nothing more comforting or relaxing to me (especially when I am outside on a beautiful day.) Writing is a way to escape the world and create a new or different existence if only for a little while. It is also a great way to preserve little aspects of your life. I plan on continuing my blog through every year of my life and then having it as a sort of time line for when I can no longer remember anything.
   I am extremely blessed with loving friends and family. I am privileged to have the most loving and selfless father on the planet. I am so grateful for his influence in my life. When I was little, he took me to church every sunday and taught me to pray every night. He has taught me the difference in right and wrong and shown me by example how to be generous to others.
   I have a loving mother. Although we are complete opposites, I am grateful that she cares about me.
I have two awesome brothers and one amazing sister. My sister is a great role-model and friend while my brothers are protective and loving in their own awkward ways. They show their affection in funny ways but never forget to say I love you.
   I was also blessed with a great christian community both here at school and back home. I have people that are pouring into my life and accountability partners wherever I go. I also belong to a sorority and I love my sisters more than I thought I ever would. It is truly a honor to be apart of such a great organization and join a sisterhood that will endure all things.
   I can never thank God enough for all the wonderful blessings he has placed in my life.