Making a Change

In chapel yesterday, the speaker was talking about three things that will hinder growth and three things that will help your growth to progress.  He ended the message by stating, "One way to help you grow is to constantly be thinking about how everything you hear can be applicable to your life.  I used to do this every single time I heard a message.  I'm not quite sure what happened to that lifestyle, but I want it back.  I desperately want it back.  God is ALWAYS at work and if we're not looking for it, we won't see it.  So here's my stab at trying to find what was applicable in what I read today.  

The speaker also said that something that will hinder us in our growth is "familiarity".  His example was that he used to write things down while reading his Bible, but that it got so routine, he didn't even realize that he was doing it.  Time for a change!  It was a small one, but apparently, that's all you need.  He began to write type things out instead of writing it out in a journal, and it's been great for him!  So here is me...making a change.  

Today I read about my flaws and how I am flawed so that God may be shown through them.   2 Corinthians 12:9 - MY strength is made perfect in weakness, or John 9:1-3, he was blind so that God may show what HE'S made of.   Of course!  Sounds easy enough.  Until the questions started rolling around.  

What are your flaws?  Easily answered.  

What are your strengths?  Easily answered.  

How has God used your limitations for good?  Unanswered.  

Who is your favorite Biblical hero and what was it that they did?  I chose Abigail.  She was so brave and humbled and I couldn't possibly imagine doing all of the acts that she did.  1 Samuel 25.  

The next question hit me.  What were her flaws and how did God use them for the better?  I couldn't remember any of her flaws, so I went and read that story again.  Here are the only personality traits that were written.  "She was intelligent and beautiful."  "She got right to work and lost no time."  "She fell on her face before her king and served him."  She's smart, beautiful, hard working, humble...the list goes on and not one flaw was listed.  

I know that God has a plan for me, but sometimes it gets altered by this chaotic world of "perfection" that I just can't see it.  I'm glad that God hasn't revealed to me what He wants for my life because then it allows for me to wait on Him, but sometimes I just wish that I knew why I have these limitations.  Some part of me is rather excited knowing that God made me only like me and no one else.  I have these flaws,  but they are my flaws and God is going to use those for His perfect plan.  However, often I let my flesh get in the way and skew my thoughts from being excited to being frustrated that I am the way that I am.  

I just need to remember.  God is not limited by my limitations.  It is He who gave them to me and His power and strength will be made perfect through them.  

Praise the Lord that He has me in His hand and that I am not in control!

Trying to step out of the way and allow God to use my weaknesses for good.  John 9:3

Oh, this too...

Also, I hate change...can you please tell me what it's good for?  

I wish everything would go back to the way it was 4 years ago.  

(I do know the answer to this, just tossing this around in my crazy mind right now lol)

First Attempt

Really, one of the only reasons that I started this was for Kim, which sparks out into a whole other list of reasons why I should.  

1.  I missed my Xanga and always open my page so that I'll write on it, but I never put any words down.  There is no reason to when everyone else is over here!

2.  I hoped that I might be able to get out of this what I got out of Xanga.  This is completely cheesy, but I learned so much from that site about me and others, PLUS, I still go back to it and read the things that I had written.  I have never been more blessed than by reading the things that I had written a while back.  

Ok, so that huge list of reasons ended up being 3 reasons...but I'm ok with that.  Kim is really the only one going to read this :)  Hi Pretty!!

I don't know what to say.  I feel like I have so much on my mind, but then again...I don't.  I just want to be home now.  I know exactly why God had me do this tour again, but I feel like I've learned and experienced what I needed to learn and experience.  Praise the Lord for letting me do this again!  As I talk with my group about tour last year, it's unanimous when saying, "Alyssa, why in the world did you decide to do this again?!"  Truth is, I have no idea.  I don't even remember what prompted me to sign up, but that must have been the Lord.  For those of you that know about my life right now, (Kim :D)  could you imagine what life would have been like had I not gone?  Amen to that.  

I truly wish that I had more to say, but I lack the energy.  9 weeks of pouring out your heart to thousands of people can start to get to a person apparently.  

I love you!  See you soon!