spiritual gifts

"For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."

Romans 12:3-8

This a pasage that I am memorizing right now.

Thrive

Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,

but the righteous will thrive

like a green leaf.

(Proverbs 11:28)

Whom God chooses

When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man
When God wants to mold a man
To play the noblest part;

When He yearns with all His heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch His methods, watch His ways!

How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects!
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blows converts him

Into trial shapes of clay which
Only God understands;
While his tortured heart is crying
And he lifts beseeching hands!

How He bends but never breaks
When his good He undertakes;
How He uses whom He chooses,
And which every purpose fuses him;
By every act induces him
To try His splendor out-
God knows what He's about.

(Author Unknown)

In the Presence

I am changed in the presence of a holy God

From the song, "In the Presence", by Mark Altrogge

Trip

On Tuesday my family returned home from a trip to Florida over spring break. My grandma is staying in Fort Lauderdale with her sister over the winter. We had a wonderful time visiting them, and they took us around to see the sights. By the way, while we were there, the weather was perfect, unlike the frigid temperatures you midwesterners were having. :) Here are a few highlights from our trip:

About a third of all the pictures that I took on the trip were of plants and flowers. :) So much beautiful vegetation grows there, I just had to get pictures of all of it!

Bryant and I were able to sing with my great-aunt in the church choir on Maundy Thursday and Easter Sunday. It was a very enjoyable experience!

We all took a tour of the intracoastal waterways on this boat, called The Jungle Queen.

We had a lovely time at the beach!

Be sure to check my sister's blog for more pictures!

He is Alive!

"Easter is a lived reality."

Easter is really real because Jesus Christ was real. He existed in "space and time," as Francis Schaffer said. He could be touched and seen, because He was really there. Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, became a human being, just like you and I. The only difference is that He was still God at the same time-- the perfect, sinless God-Man. He really walked on this earth. As a real Man, Christ died a real death. For three days, His body laid in a cold tomb. Then, He physically came back to life, and was seen by hundreds of people over the next 40 days. The Biblical story is not just mythology that supposedly happened 2000 years ago. It is real. Jesus Christ is real, because He is alive.

words of wisdom

Well, I don't know about my sister, but I don't have any reason to go for two weeks with out posting! :)

Here is a passage from Proverbs that I read recently in my personal devotions:

The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.

But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble.

My son, pay attention to what I say;
listen closely to my words.

Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;

for they are life to those who find them
and health to a man's whole body.

Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life.

Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you.

Make level paths for your feet
and take only ways that are firm.

Do not swerve to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

(Proverbs 4:18-27)