I relearned the importance of Jesus time.

So I've been home for almost a week and have begun to notice that some of my discipline that I worked towards this semester slowly seemed to be slipping.  Staying in the Word is a choice I must make consciously every single day.  Why would I want to go one day without spending time learning about Jesus?

I plan to become an "organization freak" this summer.  I've started making my lists, marking my calendar, organizing my priorities, and so on.  I want to be consistent and diligent in following my schedules and getting my work done this summer. I can talk about these things that I want to do all I want, but I need to actually do it!

In the time I spent in the word today, I read some pretty amazing things. Things that I often take for granted.  For the past semester, I have meditated on Ephesians 1:3-10.  I was going through those verses again tonight. As God's child, I am blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  God chose me!!! Before the foundation of the world. You know what that means? He chose me before I even existed! I couldn't have done anything to merit such favor.  I found myself thinking "Jesus, that doesn't make sense.  Why would you choose such a wretched person, enslaved to sinful passions and selfish desires, for righteousness- to bring you honor and glory!"

Unworthy.

That's what we are!

In verse 4 of chapter one, it goes on to say that God's purpose for this salvation is to make us holy and blameless. He makes the unrighteous righteous and the unworthy worthy. 

"In love, He predestined us for adoption as sons..." He did it for love.  My search for love ends at the cross and the redeeming work of a savior who humbly bowed his head down and died that I might live for His glory and no longer for myself. 

In my MacArthur study bible, when talking about this verse it says "Human parents can bestow their love, resources, and inheritance on an adopted child but not their own distinct characteristics." But God does! For those that He chose and those that believed by faith through grace, He imparts His very nature.  I am overwhelmed! I not only receive Christ's blessings, but His very nature?

Verse 6 is even more amazing.  It says this is all done "...to the praise of His glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the beloved." When I was reading this verse a couple months ago I skipped over it because I didn't understand it fully...that was dumb! The "which" is referring to God's unmerited favor (grace). God blessed us through Christ being a propitiation and substitution for our sins. He imputed righteousness to our account because of Jesus! We are accepted by God.

I am beloved of God. Now I must live like it.

Home

So I am home. Another close to a wonderful year filled with learning, laughter, and life lessons I will never forget.  I can hardly believe I am a junior in college now. Where has all the time go? I can clearly remember my first day of 4th grade which was my first day in a school setting.  I remember all the excitement and anticipation of all that I would do and become in the years ahead.  Now here I am, 11 years late, reflecting on all that I have been blessed with.  It's unreal.

My long anticipate summer at home has finally begun. Day 1 was Mother's day.  My brothers and I bought my mother a bunch of random little gift items and red roses.  My mom is seriously the best mom ever.  She is the best one for me. We went to church in the morning and then went to a Burmese restaurant with a lot of my extended family. We spent the majority of the day with them.

So here goes my first "real" day of summer.  I woke up later than anticipated, which really was not a surprise.  I am still trying to get a lot of my summer plans in order.  It seems like there is SO much that I want to accomplish this summer, but I know I am going to have to take it one day at a time and be diligent to get it all done.  God has been faithful, and He will continue to be all the days of my life. 


Here's to a summer of a growing closer to Jesus, changing habits, and enjoying family.  Let's do this.