make new friends but keep the old...

Friends are so important! I am starting to really realize that. Or God reminded me this morning how important Christian community is. In my small group this past semester we spent every wednesday night going through Acts 2:42-47.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

We looked at community in terms of relationships, worship, hospitality, prayer and breaking of bread. It was such a blessing to get together with these wonderful women and sisters in christ and talk about community and learn what God wanted us to take out of Christian community.

I was trying to just have it be God and I and try not to let my personal insecurities take up others time. Then I realized it cant be like that. Christian community is really important. You need those Christian friends to build you up spiritually and help keep you grounded and be able to call you out on things when you start to get carried away. And that can happen sometimes with me. I love my friends and its good to have a reminder how blessed I am to have them in my life. I am at school for the summer and my friends aren't here and it's been a little hard not having that influence I had during the year. I came from a program with GREAT community and coming back to anything less has been a bit hard to get used to. Yes, I miss my friends but its good to know how much they love and care about me and how blessed I am to have them in my life.

Seasons of Love

No the title has nothing do to with love and stuff. I just like that song from rent and this post has to do with seasons. Leaving Colorado in the end of April was tough for me. It was the end of a season and the beginning of another. The changing of seasons sometimes is painful. I know a lot of people get sick when seasons change. You can say I was spiritually sick for a while. So as I was trying to figure things out one of my devos really spoke to me.

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland." ~Isaiah 43:18-19

At first I read that verse and was like, "forget?? why do I want to forget??" But I realized I was dwelling too much on what had happened and still living in the past. And when I do that I miss what is right in front of me. Which is God. I was starting to forget how He understands what I am going through and I can lean on Him. I know that a new season is coming in my life and I know God will be working through me in so many ways! And to tell you the truth I can not wait!!

I am learning about being vulnerable too. I know that sometimes it is necessary. I have been known to be really good at hiding what I am really feeling. In the long run that never seems to pan out well for me. I am realizing that it is not good for anyone. There is someone in my life I know I need to be completely honest and open with and that scares me. I am scared I will be rejected, but who does not fear that. But I know we both deserve the honesty and I know that stepping out will be something I need desperately. So that will be exciting and nerve wracking all together!

Besides all that I got a chance to visit some of my close friends from FLI this past weekend in Colorado springs! It was a blast!! I also got to see

some of my old professors and staff members from the institute and met some of the current students. It was a great time to see old and make new friends. The five days went way to fast and I am not a fan of the humidity and bugs of the east coast :p Here is a pic of some of my friends and I white water rafting

and hiking! (side note: no one fell out of the raft while rafting! we beasted it even when it started to thunderstorm!)