Explorer...

I am back, don't you little ones worry. I have been very busy, back at school fresh semester with new classes, disciplship and life lessons. {Oh the joy of college}  I had the chance to take pictures of my lovely friends Andrew and Heidi. They are so adorable and very strong in their faith. I look up to them in many ways and they are amazing people.

 p.s they are dating and are beeeeautiful...

Jeremiah 2:13 "For My people have committed a double evil: They have abandoned Me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that cannot hold water."

In my discipleship we are starting to be exploreres, on a co-journey with non christians, meaning how to truly evangelize to people. Okay, let's dig deeper, for those of you who don't know what a {cistern} is it is a jug that holds water, God is letting us know that we cannot hold, control or live with a cracked {cistern} We must turn to the living water, trust and live in Him. We have "felt" needs meaning we have a need that is our purpose, identity and relationships. We also have a "real" need, these are what God puts before the "felt" needs. Go on to Luke 5:17-26, God heals the paralyzed man but FIRST, he says, "your sins are forgiven." Could you imagine having all your sins be forgiven AND be healed being able to walk again?! Our Lord and Savior puts the "real" needs before anything else, he is oh so powerful!

So what are some of your felt/real needs?

How can we walk along side others?

How can we get to know others and help them reveal what their true sins are?

Recently we had our first day of prayer through CRU, I was crabby earlier that day and was not looking forward to going before class. I know it was the Holy Spirit but God used me in that time of prayer. I could not stop smiling, I felt as though I could pray for hours on end!

This week, my goals are to focus on building friendships with people around me, not focusing on..{boys} trusting in the Lord, and spiritual breathing.

Thank you Lord for all that you do...

Lights & Music

Lights and music are on my mind.... remember this song? If you don't, I got the hookup!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeMC6_n6wcU

Tonight I got inspired by the Bokeh lighting effect, so I grabbed my winter boots and jacket and went to find some Christmas lights. This is what I ended up with!

              
                                                 {added some of the newly married couple}

Goods and Sweets,

Cor

Christmas break: Take 1

Today has been the first day home with the family, it's interesting, trying to adjust. Last night I decided I needed to read. The best nights {curling up in a warm bed with a book and not  falling asleep while reading}
I am currently reading Praying for Your Future Husband and Crazy Love.

Top highlights from last night:

• Francis Chan talked about "if  life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream. James 2:17 "Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead." 
• Francis writes about, the way you act toward people we're badly in love with, "when you are truly in love, you go to great lengths to be with the one you love. You'll drive for hours to be together, even if it's for a short while. you don't mind staying up late to talk. Walking in the rain is romantic, not annoying. You'll willingly spend a small fortune on the one you're crazy about. When you are apart from each other it's painful, even miserable. He or she is all you think about, you jump at any chance to be together.
• You know that if you are deeply in love with God you know you could never be satisfied in a heaven without Christ.
• " I think we naturally assume that if we look out for our own interests and concerns, we will be happy. But people who sacrifice for others will tell you that seasons of giving are the most rewarding of their lives." Acts 20:35 "it is better to give than to receive."
• God is the only true Giver, and He needs nothing from us. But still He wants us. He gave us life so that we might seek and know Him.
• Something is wrong when our lives make sense to the unbelievers
• As chronicled in Hebrews 11, the God that the people of faith served is the very One we serve. As James 5:17 says, "Elijah was a man just like us." When you pray, your prayers are heard by the same God who answered Moses' prayer for water in the desert the God who gave Abraham and his barren wife a son, and the God who made the slave Joseph second in power only to Pharaoh.
• Jesus who had everything and still chose to surrender it out of love for his father
• Giving that is not motivated by love is worth nothing. When we give out of love we gain much, as we love more genuinely and deeply, giving becomes the obvious and natural response. Taking and keeping for ourselves becomes unattractive and imprudent.

I am sorry that there is so much {maybe that is a good thing!}

Here are the pictures from our little Christmas I promised...

Merry Christmas :)

Posy

Inspiration: To affect or guide by divine influence

On Monday I had the privilege of taking a Hall Directors baby bump pictures. She is due in January and is looking like she is ready to {pop} It was such a great time, afterwards I came home and my lovely roommate was there, I almost started crying because I realized that this is my passion. I love photography, capturing moments, seeing people so happy about life!

Here are a few pictures from our day,

Seeing this baby bump just makes me excited for my future and to spend my life with the one I love. We had a little Christmas part with my roommates, opened some presents, acted crazy (the usual). P.S pictures will come shortly. One of my presents was a book called, Praying For Your Future Husband

http://www.amazon.com/Praying-Your-Future-Husband-Preparing/dp/1601423489

I am a women, first I always look at guys as potential, I want to get married, I want to be in love, I have heartaches and breaks, I get sucked into society and how I want to live my life...

This is why I need to read this book

My roommate knows me way to well!

I will be praying for this book and to gain lots of wonderful knowledge, also I am reading Crazy Love (recommend it to everyone)

Enjoy your winter break, God bless,

Cor

Do Not Awaken Love

"Do not awaken love until it so desires" Song of Songs 8:4

I am recently watching Mars Hill Church, Mark Driscoll videos on Song of Songs, love videos.

http://marshill.com/media/the-peasant-princess/do-not-awaken-love

It is one to watch, learn, and grow from.

Highlights from "Do not awaken love"

• When you are in a relationship, you both must have a serving heart. Serve each other in and out of bed. Tell each other what you want, communicate. This is a mature love for each other.
• Your body is a private garden, not a public park. Wait for that person that God has for you, don't settle and lower your expectations. Patience
• There is massive pressure for singles to settle. Wait, God knows what is going to happen, he knows the desires of your heart.
• Love is personal

http://marshill.com/media/the-peasant-princess/sweet-to-my-taste

Highlights from "Sweet to my taste"

• Take some time under the "apple tree"
• Set me as a seal upon your heart, I need to know that you will cherish me
• I need to know that I am your most valued treasure
• I want to be protected by your armour, fight FOR me not AGAINST  me
• Never raise a hand or a voice at me
• Love is as strong as death, it will never change
• I want to discipline and train my children to be strong in their faith
• Just because you get married and you were sexually together before you were married doesn't mean you start right at zero, you go to negative, you must work through your sin together
• Marriage is for a man
• She needs to see herself  through your eyes, she does not know what you are thinking
• You need to be able to provide a home for you wife
• Say "Thank you"

"We all pretend for a while or for a lifetime. But pretending is not living...I believe that God meant for life to take our breath away, sometimes because of the sheer joy of it all and sometimes because of the severe pain. To choose living over pretending means that we will know both."

 I have really been enjoying these videos, and learning so much about how to be a strong wife for my husband. I pray that God will bless me with my future mate, and that the next boy in my life will be my best friend who I will grow and share my life with.

I want someone who will fall head over heels for me, Cherish me and take care of me. Someone who will truly listen to me as I talk, romance me and give their all to protect my heart.

Love

L'Amour

Amore

Amor

kärlek

láska

No matter how you say it, everyone needs it, wants it and was created for it.

 God knows us, everything about us and knows that we as humans crave a human relationship..

1 Cor 11:7, “A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.”

God = mysterious fella

A few nights ago I had a very rough time hearing some painful words. I normally don't get that upset but Lord, my heart ached. I questioned myself as a leader, Christian and a women. All because of a person being jealous and felt hatred towards me. Words can cut deep in someones heart. I did confront this person and realized if something is bothering me, speak up, communication is Key!  You can't just sweep things under the rug.

Galatians 6:1 "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path."

I realized a lot that night, I had a lot to think about and decided to change my path. With prayer and petition I presented my choices to God. He clearly made me realize that I was where I should be. At our CRU meeting it was there that God presented his will for me.

He is very surprising at times but boy is he right. He knows the best plans for you, how to use you and what path you should be on. I love him so much even if he is a "mysterious fella."

I am learning that I need to put myself second  Put others first and the Lord. I must be a slave to everyone. No longer be selfish.

2 Thessalonians 3:4 "And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you"

{Leaders at CRU}

Inspiration