Week 1

Hey guys, first off I want to say that I have loved reading all of your posts. Each one has encouraged and challenged me in some way and I'm so excited not only to serve with you this summer but growing with all of you these next couple months as well:)


I think Acts 17:28 puts it perfectly, "For in him we live and move and have our being." Our lives are all about us living in Christ and for Christ. So then shouldn't every little thing we do be pleasing to God? If so, then shouldn't we be talking with God about every thing we do? I've come to learn that prayer isn't just when we stop and talk with God for a moment, when we thank him before each meal, when we thank him for our day before bed. It is constant conversation and a constant desire to know him more. By constant this means that every step we take in life should be discussed with God. At first this was something I struggled to grasp. I soon began to realize that this means that even when I'm choosing what to wear I should be conversing with God about it, about maybe whether or not what I'm wearing is going to draw people away from seeing Christ in me. I so often forget this and I go about daily life without trying to consume it with God and his greatness. I'm always quickly reminded though when things don't work out like how I thought they would, because "apart from me you can do nothing." This means nothing, absolutely nothing, nada! We were created to live a life after God's own heart so why should we do anything apart from him?

Along with being challenged to make God more apart of my life every moment of the day, I've found myself in positions where I just cannot do something and I've struggled to pray to God for help because I find myself holding back. I'm holding back in fear that I'm not ready to surrender that much or that part of my life to God. But more and more God shows me that when I keep myself from praying that I'm telling him I don't trust that he'll take care of me- ouch. So he also challenges me to, through prayer, surrender all that I am so that I might experience the wonderful life he has prepared for me. It was kinda ironic that while I was reading through this devotion and thinking about this I was listening to music and a song came on that in the chorus they sang "Tomorrow's freedom is today's surrender..."

I hope everyone has a wonderful week and I can't wait to read all of your posts this next week :)
-Syd