It is "Miller Hall Challenge Week" this week, and basically that means that my dorm hall is doing a week of growing closer to God in different aspects and we have new challenges for each day that will help us in that quest. Yesterday, the challenge was to fast all media. I knew it was going to be a hard day because I had a lot of homework I had to do online and it was difficult to not open a new tab and check my Facebook or look at my phone to see if I had gotten any texts, but I did it. And in doing it, I learned a lot.
The amount of time I spend consumed with media is disgusting. Even when I go to spend time with God, I find it difficult to focus unless I have worship music blasting in my ears. Now, I'm not saying that listening to worship music is bad by any means, just that sometimes, it's a good idea to take a step back from all those things and just focus on God in the simplest of ways.
As I was spending time with God yesterday, I was praying for two main things in my walk with Him. I prayed that first off, I would be more consumed with Him than I am with media. If I were to spend as much time with God that I do every day with media, my relationship with Him would be so much stronger. My second prayer was that I would be able to worship Him in the purest of ways. I realized that simplicity is so pure. I want to make my heart as pure as possible in my pursuit of Christ.
I am looking forward to the rest of the week as new challenges come with each day, and I'm sure I will be posting about them. I am so excited because I have already made some commitments to God that will go beyond this week. One of those is that each week, I am going to take one day and fast media and just seek His face. It is not going to be an easy thing to do, but it is going to be so worth it in the end.
I am so stoked to see what God has in store for all of us girls in Miller Hall the rest of this challenge week. I know that He is going to do great things.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Worth Fighting For
As stated by my last post, I'm going through a lot right now. I've learned that life isn't always easy and there will be times and seasons during which it will be a struggle to be happy due to certain circumstances. I'm in one of those seasons, and it's not easy. It's not easy waking up every day and having to make the choice to be joyful, to be passionate for God, to fight with all you've got to rest in God's presence.
Through this time in my life, I've learned that God is worth fighting for. Happiness and the joy of the Lord are things worth fighting for, and sometimes, we are going to have to fight for them. Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean life is easy, but it does mean that you will never have to walk alone, that God will always be there to lift you up.
Even though it has been a hard season, I am so thankful to be walking through this because it has strengthened my walk with God in ways I can't even describe. I have found that there is so much joy in simply being in His presence, and that He needs to always, always be my number one, even when I don't feel like putting Him first.
I've been reading through Job and it's been so incredible to see that he was going through so much more than I am right now, and he still found rest in God. He never let go. He fought for God. I want to be more like him. I want to continually fight for my time with God, even when my schedule gets busy and my life gets hard. I want to fight to rest in the joy that is found only in spending time with Christ, and I want to walk in His peace every moment of my life.
I want to encourage you guys to fight for your time with God. Fight for His joy. It's more than worth it, and once you get a taste of it, you will want it more and more.
Through this time in my life, I've learned that God is worth fighting for. Happiness and the joy of the Lord are things worth fighting for, and sometimes, we are going to have to fight for them. Just because you're a Christian doesn't mean life is easy, but it does mean that you will never have to walk alone, that God will always be there to lift you up.
Even though it has been a hard season, I am so thankful to be walking through this because it has strengthened my walk with God in ways I can't even describe. I have found that there is so much joy in simply being in His presence, and that He needs to always, always be my number one, even when I don't feel like putting Him first.
I've been reading through Job and it's been so incredible to see that he was going through so much more than I am right now, and he still found rest in God. He never let go. He fought for God. I want to be more like him. I want to continually fight for my time with God, even when my schedule gets busy and my life gets hard. I want to fight to rest in the joy that is found only in spending time with Christ, and I want to walk in His peace every moment of my life.
I want to encourage you guys to fight for your time with God. Fight for His joy. It's more than worth it, and once you get a taste of it, you will want it more and more.
"The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised."
-Job 1:21
Friday, January 13, 2012
God is Good, Always.
Well, I am officially three days into my second semester here at NCU. I wish I could tell you everything is all great and peachy, but this is real life, and in real life, that isn't always the case. Things have been really rough lately. I've been struggling in more ways than one. Winter sucks.
Today, I was spending some time with God, just talking to Him about everything that's going on right now in life, and since it's the 13th, I decided to read Psalm 13, and realized that it was about my life right now. Crazy.
Today, I was spending some time with God, just talking to Him about everything that's going on right now in life, and since it's the 13th, I decided to read Psalm 13, and realized that it was about my life right now. Crazy.
"How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Lean on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give life to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, 'I have overcome him,' and my foes will rejoice when I fail. But I trust in Your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for He has been good to me."As you probably did, I was reading the first 4 verses feeling like crap, but then I got to that fifth verse and it was just a great reminder. I must always trust in God because He is good to me regardless of my current situation. My reality does not have to define my destiny. My God is faithful always, even when I am struggling. He has already done so many great things for me and I need to remember to rejoice in those always and trust in the joy of the Lord to be my strength all of my days.
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Reflections on My First Semester
Right now, I feel the greatest sense of accomplishment I have ever felt in my life. I feel, at this moment, more proud of myself than I ever have been. As I was walking back home today after my last class, I felt more accomplished than when I walked across the stage at graduation or when I went on a mission trip for two whole months or when I got second place in the nation for my essay. I am so proud of myself because I have finally completed my first semester of college.
Yes, it's true. The never-ending pile of homework, classes, finals, papers, exams and quizzes has finally come to an end. As of 9:00 this morning, I was officially completely done with my first semester of college.
This semester has been, by far, three of the hardest months of my life. Coming here was the hardest thing I have ever done. I walked away from the only world I ever knew to come to a place where nobody knew my name. I left behind all my friends and family to chase after a dream God had given me years ago. It wasn't easy. It was a transition that consisted of a lot of tears and a lot of days where I would just sit in the prayer room asking God why He would ever think bringing me here was a good idea. It took a lot of work to transition into a life where I had to actually make an effort to make friends and do well in school. Life was so easy for me pre-NCU; I never had to do homework and making friends came naturally to me. Here at NCU, neither of those things were true. It was a slow process and it took a lot of effort, and some days, it still takes more effort, but I'm getting there.
These past three months have also been the best months of my life. I have changed so much in my time here at NCU. I have grown so much closer to God and have experienced and learned things I never imagined doing or learning. I made friends with some of the most incredible people I have ever met; friendships that I'm sure will last throughout my life. I have had so much fun. I have made memories that I will never forget. I have laughed harder than I have ever laughed before. I have found joy in the Lord, even when my days were bad. I've learned a lot about myself. I've learned that I am always going to be a work in progress. I'm not perfect, and I'm learning to be okay with that. I'm an introvert in more ways than I thought. I grew up a lot. I had to do a lot of "grown up" things this semester. I am not the same person today as I was when I walked into these doors for the first time.
The second day of this semester, I wrote a letter to myself to open on the last day of this semester, and I'd love to share it with you guys, so here it is:
Dear Second Semester Elyse,
As you write this, you have been 18 for three days now and today is your second day at NCU. You have a lot of mixed feelings. You know without a doubt that this is where God wants you, but this is a brand new experience for you. You miss people back home and are really lost and worried. You're terrified.
I hope that changes. I believe it will. I believe you will do wonderful things with God and you will not be the same person reading this that is writing this. This is where you belong. Your dreams are finally coming true and you're taking a step of faith into what God has for you. I am so proud of you. God is going to do great things in and through you.
Goals
Yes, it's true. The never-ending pile of homework, classes, finals, papers, exams and quizzes has finally come to an end. As of 9:00 this morning, I was officially completely done with my first semester of college.
This semester has been, by far, three of the hardest months of my life. Coming here was the hardest thing I have ever done. I walked away from the only world I ever knew to come to a place where nobody knew my name. I left behind all my friends and family to chase after a dream God had given me years ago. It wasn't easy. It was a transition that consisted of a lot of tears and a lot of days where I would just sit in the prayer room asking God why He would ever think bringing me here was a good idea. It took a lot of work to transition into a life where I had to actually make an effort to make friends and do well in school. Life was so easy for me pre-NCU; I never had to do homework and making friends came naturally to me. Here at NCU, neither of those things were true. It was a slow process and it took a lot of effort, and some days, it still takes more effort, but I'm getting there.
These past three months have also been the best months of my life. I have changed so much in my time here at NCU. I have grown so much closer to God and have experienced and learned things I never imagined doing or learning. I made friends with some of the most incredible people I have ever met; friendships that I'm sure will last throughout my life. I have had so much fun. I have made memories that I will never forget. I have laughed harder than I have ever laughed before. I have found joy in the Lord, even when my days were bad. I've learned a lot about myself. I've learned that I am always going to be a work in progress. I'm not perfect, and I'm learning to be okay with that. I'm an introvert in more ways than I thought. I grew up a lot. I had to do a lot of "grown up" things this semester. I am not the same person today as I was when I walked into these doors for the first time.
The second day of this semester, I wrote a letter to myself to open on the last day of this semester, and I'd love to share it with you guys, so here it is:
Dear Second Semester Elyse,
As you write this, you have been 18 for three days now and today is your second day at NCU. You have a lot of mixed feelings. You know without a doubt that this is where God wants you, but this is a brand new experience for you. You miss people back home and are really lost and worried. You're terrified.
I hope that changes. I believe it will. I believe you will do wonderful things with God and you will not be the same person reading this that is writing this. This is where you belong. Your dreams are finally coming true and you're taking a step of faith into what God has for you. I am so proud of you. God is going to do great things in and through you.
Goals
- Grow closer to God.
- Feel more at home.
- Make friends.
- Open up; get out of your shell.
- Trust God more.
This is going to be a great year. God has wonderful things in store for you.
Sincerely,
First Semester Elyse
I am proud to say I accomplished all of my goals and more in these past few months. God has worked in me in incredible ways and I am so glad to have had this experience. I never thought I'd say this, but I don't want it to be over. I am glad for the break from school work that I will have, but I'm not really sure if I'm ready to move on from this semester into the next one. I don't know if I'm ready to go spend a month at home and transition into the next stage of life. But I know everything will be okay, because it's all a part of this incredible journey that God has me on and I'm just along for the ride. He has been faithful and good to me so far, He will continue to do so.
So today, I am proud. I am ready to see what else God has for me. I am thankful for these past few months, however difficult they have been. I am thankful for the people God has placed in my life at this time and for the people back in Michigan that will be welcoming me back. I am thankful for this new home, for this school, and for the fact that I am a new person today. I am reflecting back on what God has done for me, but yet looking forward to what else He is going to do.
To all my fellow NCU students, we did it! We finally made it through the horrors of finals week and all the weeks before it. This may have been the best semester of your life, it may have been the worst. If it's been the best, look forward to how God is going to make it even better next semester and be thankful for the times you've had. If it's been the worst, tomorrow brings the hope of a fresh start. I hope you all have a fantastic break, get rested up, continue to seek God, and come back ready to tackle next semester and finish the year out strong.
God bless you guys.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Still I Will Praise You
I have $800 due for my Kenya trip tomorrow and I have pretty much none of it. I know this is a rough way to start out a blog post, but it's what's on my mind. I'm sure this is going to be a very vulnerable post, so bear with me.
I wasn't okay with this. I didn't know how to deal with it, because I have never been called to a trip God didn't provide for. I have always, always had God come through, and tonight, I don't really know if that is going to happen. It's hard. It makes me question God. It makes me question myself. It makes me question if I really heard from God calling me on this trip or not.
I'll be honest with you guys. I've been ignoring God a lot this past week, for a few reasons. One of the main reasons was because I didn't know how to be okay with this whole money situation. I spent some time with God tonight, though, and He spoke a few things to me about this.
He brought me to the story in Daniel about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If you've ever been in Sunday school, you know the story. They were about to get thrown into a fiery furnace for not bowing down to an idol and they responded in Daniel 3:17-18
God may provide in a miraculous way for me tonight. He may not. But whatever happens, I will still serve Him. I will still put all my trust and faith in Him. I will still follow Him. I will still love Him with all of my heart. Because He is my God, and in all things, He is faithful.
I wasn't okay with this. I didn't know how to deal with it, because I have never been called to a trip God didn't provide for. I have always, always had God come through, and tonight, I don't really know if that is going to happen. It's hard. It makes me question God. It makes me question myself. It makes me question if I really heard from God calling me on this trip or not.
I'll be honest with you guys. I've been ignoring God a lot this past week, for a few reasons. One of the main reasons was because I didn't know how to be okay with this whole money situation. I spent some time with God tonight, though, and He spoke a few things to me about this.
He brought me to the story in Daniel about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. If you've ever been in Sunday school, you know the story. They were about to get thrown into a fiery furnace for not bowing down to an idol and they responded in Daniel 3:17-18
"If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and He will rescue us from your hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up."Those verses just blow my mind. I can't believe the amount of trust those three men had in God. They weren't facing $800. They were facing a life or death situation, and they chose to stare into those flames and say their trust was still in the Lord. I really love verse 18, where they say, "Even if He does not, we want you to know we will not serve your gods." That's so amazing to me. I want to have that kind of faith, that kind of trust. I want to be able to say, "Even if God doesn't provide this $800, I will still serve Him." And tonight, I will say that. I will trust God, regardless of what happens with this money.
God may provide in a miraculous way for me tonight. He may not. But whatever happens, I will still serve Him. I will still put all my trust and faith in Him. I will still follow Him. I will still love Him with all of my heart. Because He is my God, and in all things, He is faithful.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Thankful
Today, I am so thankful. I am so blessed. God has blessed me so much and I constantly stand amazed by Him.
It's a tradition in our family to go around the table and say what we're thankful for before we eat every Thanksgiving. Usually, I say things like family or friends, and don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for those things too, but today I had a new thing to say. I am thankful for North Central. I am thankful for these past couple of months. Looking back to who I was when I left this town, I am so incredibly different from that person. I have changed so much and God has been a huge part of that. He has taken me to North Central, blessed me with all my friends there, and changed me from the inside out. And for that, I am thankful.
I am thankful today for journeys. I am thankful for the hard times, for the times I sat in my bed staring at the celling wanting nothing but to turn around and quit. I am thankful for the times I've spent in the prayer room, begging God to give me some answers. I am thankful for chapel, for my professors, for praise gatherings, for the students at NCU. I am thankful for the people God placed in my life these past few months to help me grow even closer to Him. I am thankful for the Friday nights I've spent trying to find something to do with some of the best people I've ever met. I am thankful for the fact that every single night, I am amazed at how beautiful Minneapolis is. I am thankful for the horrible winter that's about to come, for the snowball fights and snow angels I have made and will continue to make. I am thankful for 4 North, the best floor ever. I am thankful for having two homes now. I am so thankful.
I think today of all the NCU students, spread across the country, spending Thanksgiving with our families. I miss everyone already and I am so blessed to be apart of such an incredible community.
Thank you, God.
Happy Thanksgiving.
It's a tradition in our family to go around the table and say what we're thankful for before we eat every Thanksgiving. Usually, I say things like family or friends, and don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for those things too, but today I had a new thing to say. I am thankful for North Central. I am thankful for these past couple of months. Looking back to who I was when I left this town, I am so incredibly different from that person. I have changed so much and God has been a huge part of that. He has taken me to North Central, blessed me with all my friends there, and changed me from the inside out. And for that, I am thankful.
I am thankful today for journeys. I am thankful for the hard times, for the times I sat in my bed staring at the celling wanting nothing but to turn around and quit. I am thankful for the times I've spent in the prayer room, begging God to give me some answers. I am thankful for chapel, for my professors, for praise gatherings, for the students at NCU. I am thankful for the people God placed in my life these past few months to help me grow even closer to Him. I am thankful for the Friday nights I've spent trying to find something to do with some of the best people I've ever met. I am thankful for the fact that every single night, I am amazed at how beautiful Minneapolis is. I am thankful for the horrible winter that's about to come, for the snowball fights and snow angels I have made and will continue to make. I am thankful for 4 North, the best floor ever. I am thankful for having two homes now. I am so thankful.
I think today of all the NCU students, spread across the country, spending Thanksgiving with our families. I miss everyone already and I am so blessed to be apart of such an incredible community.
Thank you, God.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Longing
Before I start off this post, I have a prayer request for all you guys out there. I just found out yesterday that in 15 days, I owe $800 for my Kenya mission trip this Spring Break. I'm trusting that God will provide and that He will prove Himself faithful, I just also need a lot of prayer. Pray that the money comes in and pray that I will be strong and have the faith that it will in fact come in.
Okay, moving on.
Today, I fasted. I was praying mainly about the Kenya trip and the funds that go along with it. Tonight, we had a Miller Hall LifeCore where all the girls from Miller Hall got together and did a service and just ran after God. It was a really great night, but I was so distracted by how hungry I was. I realized that I was focused more on the fact that I would be able to eat in a few hours than on the service. God really spoke something to my heart at that moment. What if I longed after God the way I longed after food? What if I realized that I need Him more than I need food? What if I hungered and thirsted after Him as passionately as I do for actual food and water? How, then, would He be able to move in my life?
I want to. I want to have such a hunger for God, others can see it in me. I want to be so passionate about seeking His face. I want to fall so deeply in love with Him. I want to long after His touch and His presence in my life. I want to get to that place of intimacy with Him, but I don't know how.
So I guess that brings me to a second prayer request for you guys. Please be praying that God will teach me how to hunger after Him, how to truly long for and seek after Him with all that I've got.
Thanks guys, you're the best! (:
Okay, moving on.
Today, I fasted. I was praying mainly about the Kenya trip and the funds that go along with it. Tonight, we had a Miller Hall LifeCore where all the girls from Miller Hall got together and did a service and just ran after God. It was a really great night, but I was so distracted by how hungry I was. I realized that I was focused more on the fact that I would be able to eat in a few hours than on the service. God really spoke something to my heart at that moment. What if I longed after God the way I longed after food? What if I realized that I need Him more than I need food? What if I hungered and thirsted after Him as passionately as I do for actual food and water? How, then, would He be able to move in my life?
I want to. I want to have such a hunger for God, others can see it in me. I want to be so passionate about seeking His face. I want to fall so deeply in love with Him. I want to long after His touch and His presence in my life. I want to get to that place of intimacy with Him, but I don't know how.
So I guess that brings me to a second prayer request for you guys. Please be praying that God will teach me how to hunger after Him, how to truly long for and seek after Him with all that I've got.
Thanks guys, you're the best! (:
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