COLLLEEEEGGGEEEE!!!

How do people have time to blog so often?! Maybe I just write too much.  Or maybe I view it as being separate from spending time with Jesus, but today I am going to incorporate it into my QT!

First I just want to talk about college.  Think about it-its literally the greatest thing anyone has ever thought up (I speak in absolutes and exaggerate way too frequently.)  I've probably been thinking about it a lot because we are almost juniors! 2 years=dunzo.  It's the simplest moments with friends and people I love dearly when I think, "When the heck else in my life am I going to get to live life like this?"  Simple times of doing work (hanging out) in Carrier Library, watching hockey games and dumb scary movies and getting the cops called because of Karaoke at Urban Exchange, going to Klines twice in one day when we all have tons of work to do, and the countless ridiculous conversations at D-hall.  We are so lucky!!! Actually, we are so blessed.  I am SO thankful for this community of amazing, fun, loving people.  I truly believe I have the best friends ever.  And I am SO thankful for this ministry.  Leading Young Life has been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life (no exaggeration there) but the Lord has grown me in unimaginable ways and has given me the perfect picture of the body of Christ through my teammates. Maybe I'm just a college person, as Anthony told me yesterday, but on the real: these have been the best two years of my life, and I am so excited I have two more years.

The Lord has recently helped me express these thoughts through a revelation in Scripture:
"For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills."
-Deuteronomy 8:7

God has delivered me from the sordidness of this world and has provided.  He has brought me into a GOOD, GOOD land where there are endless brooks of water and fountains that I can drink from and be satisfied!  I am just so THANKFUL.  He is so worthy of all of my praise.  I have been learning about the power of praise recently.  This past semester I have learned so much about the power of prayer in many dimensions from prayers being answered through God's faithfulness, to being built up in community by the hearts of others expressed through prayer, and to simply being completely broken and humbled before God in prayer because He is bigger and He deserves it.  But now, I think God is just asking me to PRAISE HIM.

In "Come Away my Beloved" I read something in a section called "Dynamos of Praise." It says: "Man has contemplated the power of faith and of prayer, but only rarely have I revealed to men this far greater power of praise.  For by prayer and faith doors are opened, but by praise and worship great dynamos of power are set in motion, as when a switch is thrown and an electric power plant such as Niagara is thrown into operation.  Praying for specifics is like requesting light for individual houses in various scattered places, while worshipping and praise flood the whole area with available current."

What a beautiful image.  Why do I ever doubt?  Why do I limit God and confine him to only what I can see in front of me?  God is good. I have known this truth for quite some time now, but this semester has taken a toll on the connection between my head and my heart.  But now I can say with confidence and from full belief in my heart that God is good.  I have every reason in the world to be joyful and thankful.  PTL people!!! ;)

Best Friends at Black&White Semi-Formal! I just LOVE THEM
...and I'm really verbal about it