So this past month God has been doing so many amazing things in my life! Lauren and I finished up our YellowBook study with DAna. CrossChat is up and running and is SUPER successful. Church small group has started up again now that Grace Fellowship has finally settled into the new building. UNIT (CIA Leadership Team) is also up and running. We've had several very productive meetings and have lots to do for the semester. Classes are going alright, I suppose. I'd much rather get paid to be in CIA, haha.
God is ever present on the bookshelf, too. UNIT has us reading The Way of The Shepherd so that we can become better shepherds (leaders) of our flock (non-believers & new believers). Chapter one talked about knowing the condition of your flock and I've really been trying to implement the principles he talks about into my daily life. Additionally, Aaron and I have established each other as accountability partners for reading the Bible. Right now we are making our way through the New Testament. I'm in Mark. He got side-tracked and is back in the Samuels. I don't know how that happened, I'm just glad he's reading.
God has been working WONDERS! in Aaron's life! It's such a blessing to be a witness to all of the changes and wonderful ways in which God is active. Our relationship is on fire for God and for each other. We are trying so hard to do what God is calling us to do. I am so thankful that we have so many people in our lives that are being godly influences and are encouraging us to stay in His Word. We are currently doing The Peasant Princess study by Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church that goes through the Songs of Solomon.
Its AMAZING! Arnold and Amanda are doing a great job of shepherding us through the lessons and fostering great communication between the four of us. I would recommend this study to ANY parent, ANY dating couple, ANY married couple, and ANY one who wants/needs to know what God wants for their "love life", children included. I know God has put us together because we can help each other grow and can help lead others to the salvation and hope in Christ Jesus. I just pray that we are being a good example to others and are following His perfect will. Please pray for this for us.
Also be praying for Aaron as he is wrestling with his future career choices. I've been praying that God gives him direction and affirmation in this.
Its been so awesome to be feeling God working in my life. It's so difficult to quantify and contain all the great things He is doing and put it into a blog post. I am praying for so much these days. I really want to be able to open my heart and share Him with my non-CIA friends. God has really placed this idea on my heart that people I know who call themselves Christians, may not truly be living the way Jesus has called them to. Christians need to stop giving Christianity a bad name! That sounds silly to say but it's so true. It breaks my heart to have so many people in my life that I feel helpless to help. Thank God I don't have to do any of the work. It's ALL God and I know He is using me to glorify His Kingdom. Boy does He have a lot of work to do through us! It's so hard not to be discouraged by the seemingly hopeless situation at hand. There are a LOT of lost people. It breaks my heart to think someone wouldn't want to experience this daily high of God's Love. I need to keep my eyes on Jesus and not be swayed by the world.
