SO GOOD!

Oh dear...words cannot even express what I am feeling right now. I am completely overwhelmed by God's goodness, His faithfulness, and His love for me! HE IS SO GOOD! I have been praying that He would raise the support I needed for San Diego by March 17th ($300) and He raised that...and then some! It's incredible! He is flooding me with His love and He has given me the security that San Diego is where He wants me to be this summer! It is such a good feeling!

"For He is the living God and enduring forever and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed and His dominion will be forever. He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders in heaven and on earth." -Daniel 6:26-27

This past week as I have been digging into Daniel and going deeper in my quiet times, I have begun to recognize when Satan attacks me. I'll be fine and all of a sudden, insecurities will fill my head or my heart will feel heavy. Before, I would always just shrug it off, but I am now recognizing that these are ways in which Satan is attacking me. The only thing is his plan has backfired. These insecurities and things have only made me draw closer to God and I have begun to relish the history of the Bible. Through this Beth Moore study, I have been able to see how Daniel's time was just like ours and it is so encouraging me because God placed Daniel in the middle of Babylon when the Babylon mentality was about pleasure and luxury - not God. How is that any different from my situation? I don't want to give in to that mentality. I want to stay focused on God and what He has for me, because it is greater than anything I could ever think up in my head. I want to surrender everything to God.

This past week was also the last week in my journal that I have had for a year. I did have a separate journal for summer project, but still, this journal is the one I wrote in for 2009 and the first 3 months of 2010. It's so torn up and the bookmark fell out...it's a mess, but I love it. I bought a new journal and I'm so excited to start it, but this also makes me think about everything that has happened in the last year. I got that journal after my first trip to DCC and man was I on fire for the Lord. Even though I accepted Christ when I was young, I think I was still a baby in my faith. I had the knowledge, but I had never been consistent with quiet times or truly committed to growth in the Lord. That changed after DCC and I began to learn things about myself and about my faith. At this point, my identity was completely in guys and the acceptance of others. I thrive around people as it is, but I needed their approval at this point. If I thought someone didn't like me, it ruined my day. It took me going on San Diego Summer Project last summer to recognize this and stop it. I realized that I should be placing my identity in God and nothing else because He is the ONLY ONE who will truly never fail me. He may not give me everything I want, but He will never do anything to me that will not be for my benefit. What an amazing and core truth I learned last summer! My journal entries changed from seeking approval to praising Him and seeking Him. I wanted to know how my life fit into God's plan. I wasn't seeking my own advancement anymore. But then I just kind of lost touch. I would go a full month without a quiet time, then have one, then go for another chunk of time with nothing. Then we come to another DCC and the beginning of a new year. I have changed so much in the past year, but that change has been for the better. I have been changed by the people who have come into my life, but most importantly, Jesus changed me. Following Him is the best thing that has ever happened to me...why would I ever stop?