Today's Tuesday Thoughts:

I am sitting in the lounge at the HPE building here at school.  I got all settled in with my Starbucks coffee and jazz music on iTunes to take my History online weekly quiz only to sign onto Blackboard and find out that I missed the due date, so it is no longer available.  I could really stress about this, but at this point, I almost don't care if I fail the class.  I don't recommend for anyone to take a petty 100 level class during their senior year.  You really don't have the incentive to do anything for the class b/c you have too many other more pertinent classes going on.  It is more a pain in your side than anything.  Maybe it is the modern day Paul's thorn in the side! lol.

Well, I had to make the most of my 2 hour early trip to school this morning, so I started reading some in my Bible, well, actually on biblegateway.com (it is a neat free tool too for anyone needing that sort of thing).  I have made comments before to some of you joking about the health, wealth, and prosperity type preaching.  Alot of times too when I tell people who fall into this category that I am a Community Health major, they go off on me (not in a bad way, but in a talk forever way) about how God wants us to be healthy and have money, yada yada yada.  I have to say that I don't totally agree with that.  God wants us to live a healthy lifestyle and take care of ourselves.  We have responsibilities as managers of this body to make the most of every moment.  But whether or not we get cancer or some other illness is ultimately not in our hands.  But if you drink alcohol or do drugs for most of your life, should you really think God will always deliver someone from terminal liver cancer after all that?  If He does, praise God!!  But if He doesn't, does that change who He is?  No way!  There are definately consequences for our actions.  The GOOD NEWS is just that, and God will always grant a person a second chance at eternal life--many times that is the deliverance that people in that state get.  I see this all the time at work.  I'm not saying that I have God all figured out, cause I definetly know that I don't.  But how one sided it makes God seem to say that He has a plan for everyone to prosper financially or health wise, and if you aren't, that you are just in disobedience with God.  Doesn't this sound familiar?  Didn't Job's friends tell him the same mumbo jumbo?  God is mulitfaceted and beyond our comprehension.  It always amazes me to see how he deals with us here on Earth, but the thing I can always be reassured of and know is that He offers eternal life to all those who come to Him!! 

So what verses sparked these ideas this morning?  Well, these:

17Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. 18Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.    1 Timothy 6:17-19

The part I highlighted really stuck out to me.  Life that is truly life-that is life with God for eternity.  So who in the world wants "Their Best Life Now?"  If you are telling me that this is as good as it gets, I'm in trouble!  Jesus said we would have troubles, persecutions, others will hate us.  We don't even get a minute glance of that here in the U.S.  We are clueless.  If you are living your best life now, I pity you because you obviously don't have much to look forward to.  Even the best, most blessed, happiest moments in my life right now don't compare anywhere to what life with God will be like one day.  And that excites me!!

I hope you all have a wonderful day.  Know that on your best days, it only gets better, and on your worst days, it only gets better.  Make this life count and give all you've got to God!

I heard such a good quote on the radio just now:

Harboring bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. 

Just another example of how having bitterness in our lives hurts us more so than the other person.  Perspective is such a key thing in life.  I am learning this...to try and see things from God's perspective, not out of ours, or what we think is God's, but really from His word, which is His perspective!  I have been so hungry for God's word lately, and I have found Him faithful to fill me everytime I go there to learn.  There are seasons of life, and I think that this past year (12 months relatively) has taken me through almost all of them!! lol.  It has been a good thing, at least I see it that way now as I look back.  Many times we don't understand situations or circumstances until we are through them.  Just hold on for the ride and continue to look to Christ for the directions!!!

Much Love,

Christina

I think my account may go dormant if I don't say something on here....lol.  Well, life is going grand.  I have a boyfriend now!! (for those of you who haven't seen the change on facebook).  I never realized so many people are into facebook, it's great.  Um...well, I'll save the details, but just know that things are going amazing.  (you can call me for more info).  I hope to get some pics developed soon from Easter.

School is almost done!!! yay!  I have a bunch of stuff to get done before then though :(  Speaking of school, here are some fun options that I am looking at right now:  Going to graduate school in Atlanta to get my Master's in Public Health, Grad school in New Orleans at the seminary, finding a job and staying put in Haughton, lol.  It's fun and exciting as I face this huge transition in life.  Please be praying for me!!  I pray for most of you, so let me know what's goin on in your lives. :) 

So tell me, have you become desensitized to the amazing story of love of Christ?  The fact that what the Bible says about everything He did and is doing is true?  I think sometimes we just get so used to hearing about it that we lose the meaning of it.  Think about it, meditate on it, make it your heart cry to know Him and make Him known.  A patient at work last night, 76 years old, and does not know Christ, and has never really had someone tell him about the Grace and Mercy of God.  I talked with him some and expressed the Truth, but he still has a lot of questions, please pray for him.  Thank you.  Have an amazing day and may God be so real to you. 

Wow, it's been a long time since an update!  I think I've lost my fervor for xanga...kinda burned out on it.  But the reason is because I spend so much time talking to other people about everything that I don't feel like writing anything (or typing).  So I will just mention some fun stuff:

The other day I ran into a small tree limb while I was running (very small tree limb).  But it was funny none the less.  This morning I almost got attacked by a red wasp that apparently rode all the way to school with me without me knowing it.  I think some guy in my class is randomly hitting on me??  lol.  who knows, maybe he's just tryin to be nice.  CLC is this weekend!!! whoo hoo.  I will be gone until Sunday, but I think it will be a relaxing time.  I almost skipped class this morning to go get a massage, but I decided to be a good student instead (darn concience. sp?)  That's about it for now--hope you all have an awsome week!!  Pilates at 1 if anyone wants to come!