“Lord you are my light and my salvation
whom shall i fear if you are near
Lord you are my peace when there is war all around me
and even here inside me i will have no fear
oh Lord you’re my protection from my enemies
You set me high upon a rock and You defend my soul
and when their ways advance against me
i am confident that they cannot make me less, for you have made me whole
Lord, you are my stronghold
You are my stronghold…“
….only 2 1/2 weeks until i head off to argentina….
it is amazing how time goes by so fast. last week i went to get my vaccinations and am thankful to have that all over with. : ) i’m really excited to see what the Lord has in store! i moved into cincinnati christian this past weekend and all my classes start next monday. i’m very thankful! my window overlooks all of cincinnati and at night, it’s especially beautiful. (i’ll have to take a picture of it sometime and put it up here.) the city lights come through my window like a night light…..so lovely! i’m really excited to see what the Lord has in store for the future. it is so easy for me to forget to be thankful in knowing that even though i don’t know what is ahead, He is the one leading me and directing my steps.
anyway, i have some things to do so that’s all for now. here is something i read last night that’s really stuck with me this morning…
“there is a sacred claim upon each of our lives that makes us whole so that we can be poured out for Him. not once a year. not even two or three times a week. He has called us to be a living sacrifice of service for His kingdom..” (leslie ludy)
wow….. continually poured out.
not just on “missions trips.”
not just when we feel like it.
but continually, constantly…
abiding…loving…living..serving….
….i definitely have so much to learn.
“the Christian life can be explained only in terms of Jesus Christ, and if your life as a Christian can still be explained in terms of you-your personality, your willpower, your gift, your talent, your money, your courage, your scholarship, your dedication, your sacrifice, or you anything- then although you may have the Christian life, you are not yet living it.” (ian thomas)
what does it mean to be a Christian? truly. a true Christian. a Christ follower. not an american-westernized version of a Christian but a true, non-compromised “little Christ”? is it going nicely dressed to church every sunday, is it being in a small group or bible study, is it doing all the right “Christiany things”? is it being just like the rest of the world, with a hint of faith here and there? when Jesus said…
“when you give a dinner or a supper, do not ask your friends, your brothers, your relatives, nor rich neighbors, lest they also invite you back, and you be repaid. but when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. and you will be blessed because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just” (luke 14:12-14)
“if you want to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the destitute, and you will have treasure in heaven. then come back and follow Me..” (matthew 19)
….does that mean we sit back and watch the latest movie in our nice homes, while the majority of the world is with out Hope? does it mean that while millions of women and children are forced into prostitution every day, we sit comfortably in church every sunday, sing a little praise and worship song, then head home? i’m not saying that watching a movie or church is wrong, at all…but i have been so convicted in my own life that the way i life my life needs to match up to what is commanded in the Bible. i think so much of my time is wasted believing in what the Bible says to be true, but living it out becomes a whole other story. if Christ is my treasure, my first Love–ultimately my life should deeply reflect His love and goodness. is it any wonder that so many Christian marriages are torn apart, so many homes in shambles, so many lives of Christian men and women still seeking for more religion and fufillment when Christ isn’t their first Love?
following Christ is meant to be beautiful. it is not meant to be always easy, but it is our Hope. when we begin to focus on Christ alone and all that He is, these temporary things- earthly distractions, entertainment, etc.- begin to fade. our self-absorbed life becomes Christ-absorbed as we surrender our own wants and desires to Him. we become completely devoted to Him alone. then, we find the greatest contentment in knowing Jesus and the joy that flows from a life in love with Him is evident…we can be a city on a hill, and His joy and love is shared with others…
…just some thoughts i’ve been thinkin and learning. : ) have an amazing day….
love to live: live to love.
hope you are having a beautiful monday! ok, so this is pretty basic stuff, but i think it is really good. : ) and very true…
“ there’s no need for you to imitate anybody else; they
already exist. do you want to be just like your colleague? if the
Creator wanted two identical colleagues, then He would have created a
copy of the first. if the Creator needed another person just like your
neighbor, then He would have immediately created two of them. He never
cloned somebody, so why would you? every snowflake is different. creation is not duplication…
don’t
imitate others. observe them, learn from them, but don’t try to be like
them. learn their skills but then implement them in your own life and
move forward on your own road. because you are walking your own road,
you cannot follow the footsteps of somebody else, nor can someone else
walk your road for you. they have their road, you have yours…
earlier today i watched this…
i remember that i watched it about a year ago and remember how much i
love it. is my heart in the world…or is it totally for Christ alone?
do i have one foot in the world, and one foot following Him? He said
that if we are going to follow Him we are to pick up our cross…and
follow Him daily. not every once in a while, not only on Sundays or when we feel like it…but daily.
my heart is broken for those in my generation. mainly, the ones who
call themselves “Christian”. yes, there are people my age out partying,
getting in trouble, doing whatever young people usually do but i’m not
going to judge them–why? because they don’t know Christ. they don’t
have the knowledge of Christ and the love that He poured out for their
life. however, there are those who are young Christians and profess it
with there mouths but–the lives don’t match up to the talk. they are
talking all the talk but what about the daily walk with Jesus? the walk
where we pick up our cross, pursue righteousness and look back to the
world and are able to say “hey! come with me…i have found something,
i have found Someone so much better than those temporary pleasures that
you run after…”
it may be that my generation has become so numb to sin, so desensitized
to the media. it may be that we think that good works will show others
that we’re good enough. or it may be that we seem to think what the
world has to offer looks better than the One who died a death for our
lives to be saved. however, i do know that there needs to be those who
whole-heartedly live a life without compromise, without the mediocrity
of much of what modern Christianity portrays. i deeply hope and pray
that this becomes true in my own life. that the way i life my life-my
standards- are not set by the world.
when people look at a life that is totally saturated with the love of
Christ, they are taken aback. they wonder how someone could be so
satisfied with a God who made all the heavens and the earth. they
wonder how Jesus could be someone’s treasure.. how He could make a life
worth living, and a life worth giving. they wonder why you don’t give
in to the pressures of the world. they wonder why there is peace in
trouble, why there is healing in suffering, and why there is so deep a
joy found daily.
they wonder why you aren’t living like most of the others your age.
they wonder what sets you apart, what makes you different. …. make them wonder. let them see a life in love with God, a life that glorfies Him. a life that is always, all for Him.
“for the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. and we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. we should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God, while we look forward to that wonderful event when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right…” (titus 2:11-14)
hello world!
so i have been a little busy here it seems..at least the past couple of weeks. i trained a new receptionist at work so i will be working much less until school starts so i am very thankful! school starts in a few short weeks and i am pretty excited. i’m also working on this little project on true beauty and…well, will see what that comes out to be. : ) i’ll explain all about it some other time.
and….i got accepted to go on a shoe drop with TOMs shoes in argentina!! ( note: TOMs is a shoe company and for every pair you purchase they give a pair to a child in need. to see what a shoe drop is click here. ) i did the application process to go on a trip a couple months ago and really didn’t think that i would make it in, so when i got the call a couple nights ago i was so thankful. it is such a blessing the way that the Lord works. it really is! when you truly seek Him and His will, and surrender your own plans to Him…He opens doors in ways that you would have never thought possible.
what else…oh, i’ve been reading a couple of books such as: boy meets girl by: josh harris, respectable sins by: jerry bridges and do hard things by: brett and alex harris. i really love do hard things and the message it portrays. it is has definitely opened my eyes to new ideas and encouraged me to not settle for mediocrity and complacency. there are five kinds of hard that they list in the book…
1. things that are outside your comfort zone
2. things that go beyond what is expected or required
3. things that are too big to accomplish alone
4. things that don’t earn immediate payoff
5. things that challenge the cultural norm
well, there’s a really little update for now. just a glimpse. i have so much to learn… but right now i’m very grateful and each day is such a blessing. i’m really thankful for certain friendships in my life right now and for His grace that keeps me running to Him.. loving Him and pursuing Him above all. let His joy shine in your life today friends..
much love,
arielle.
hello there..
i don’t really know who reads this or if anyone reads this but that’s ok : ) i just got home from going on walk in this beautiful park, listening to some sweet worship music, and just praising God because He is just so good. He is good. He is good…and i can say that over and over again and mean it with all my being each and every time. i can be totally and completely honest and say that the last couple of days have been a little crazy. i haven’t been feeling too well and have been trying to fight a cold or something. so i feel so sorry for my poor family who has seen me be a little short with them and has seen my impatience the last couple of days. hmm.. in other words, i haven’t had the best attitude in the world the last couple of days, and it has sadly shown. 
and so tonight i was praying and thinking back to john 15 “abide in Me…bear good fruit…apart from Me you can do nothing.” i have been praying for the Lord to help me to grow closer to Him, to help me to show patience, to help…..help. and then i stopped and realized that i am striving…i am wanting Him to help me do something that i really can’t even do in my own strength. sure, i can strive to be better, i can try and try…but it is Christ who has to change me. He is the one doing the work, not i. and so i’ve been wondering why trying to grow closer to the Lord isn’t working…why i am not making things better. maybe it’s because i am the one in the way. i’m not allowing Him to do the work in me. i have got to get out of the way and let Him do the work…
aw anyways, just some good ole thoughts. isn’t it so wonderful that the Lord loves us the way He does?! He loves us so much that he doesn’t allow us to stay where we. He doesn’t allow us to settle… He changes us, He teaches us and beckons Him more and more to Himself. just when we say to ourselves “ok, i’m good now. i’m alright..i think i’m doing good here…” the Lord shows us some areas in our lives (at least most definitely in my life!) where there is much work to be done. He disciplines those He really loves.
this past weekend i went to register for college and i’m pretty much excited. my classes are: english (which, i thought once you went to college you didn’t have to take more english…i guess i was a little wrong 
..) bible lands & lifeways, beginning hebrew, world missions, psychology, history & perspectives on missions. i must say that i’m so thankful that i get to go to school and study what i love…mmmm, good.
alright, well….this was a long journal…..my brother is calling for me down stairs so i should go see what he wants : ) yall be blessed. hope your summer is going beautifully.
be blessed..
be His,
arielle
[ that's my sister, by the way, and isn't she adorable?? i took
more pictures of her, and of my brother...who, is also
adorable so i will show where those all are sometime 
) ]
just a few quick things:
- i’m officially accepted into college.
- work has been extremely busy because of the heat (and we fix a/c.)
- i’ve begun to realize why i love the summer so much.
- june is already here and soon, in two short months i’ll be starting school.
- i’m realizing how much i have to learn in life and yet thankful for God’s grace.
- Jesus is so good to us, and i fail to continually give Him the praise He deserves.
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