Well, I switched back to this blog website because the other one wasn't letting put up new posts. Really annoying so you can't see any of my old ones right now because I don't have time to transfer them over to this one, and I don't know if I ever will but here I am again writing! It's been a while! A lot has happened since the last time I wrote! The summer is over and I'm back at school! Almost done the first week of classes and it's going to be a CRAZY semester. I don't have many classes but the ones I do have are going to be a lot of work. The summer was long and hard. God taught me a lot about trust and patience...especially in the area of finances. I was really excited that I got my car inspected on a Saturday and it had nothing wrong with it and I only had to pay $50 for the inspection then that next Monday it wouldn't start! It had to be towed and the mechanic couldn't do anything with it and said it needed to be towed to the dealership. They had it for a week and it ended up just being a $45 sensor that needed replaced but they charged me for $750 worth of labor when they just needed to read the owner's manual that said to check the sensor if the car wouldn't start. It's frustrating because now I owe that money to my dad, but I know God will provide that money. Then I still have my $100 hospital bill from when I had my stomach issues at the beginning of the summer. My credit card bill, phone bill and other expenses. I really am learning to trust! "TRUST in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path!". I honestly was just writing out that verse and I usually listen to music when I write my blogs and guess what song came on?...."Trust in the Lord" by Point of Grace! I think God is saying something to me there :) I had some fun times this summer too at my aunt and uncle's in VA with Liz. Then a Lancaster trip at the end with the Harris family and some fun night with Liz and Kevin! I learned a lot this summer, but I'm glad to be back at school with my friends and am so excited to see where God will lead me and what He will teach me! A huge praise is that I think I got a babysitting job with a family in the Clarks Summit area for the semester. They have 3 kids (5,4,2) and they want a babysitter and are willing to be flexible with days and time and with negotiate with a pay. I have been praying for a second job and then I found this one! God really is providing!
Today's devotional was the first part in a series about friendships. It was by Mary Southerland. It was very encouraging and it made me really thankful for the friends that God has placed into my life! I could not have asked for any better of friends. They have been there for me through thick and thin and help encourage me to grow closer to Christ each day! Mary Southerland talked about the friendship and relationship between Ruth and Naomi. Naomi lost her husband and two sons and told Ruth and Orpah to go back to Moab to find new husbands, but Ruth refused. She valued her relationship and friendship with her mother-in-law too much and wanted to stay with her. The first thing Mary Southerland pointed out as a key to a healthy and vital friendship is time! It is so important to invest time into your friendships. You cannot expect to have a good and meaningful friendship if you don't invest time into that friendship. "Ruth was willing to commit her life and time in friendship. Friendship doesn’t just happen. True friendship takes consistent investments of time. Time spent together in friendship creates a memory bank from which we can make withdrawals when tough times come and we need encouragement. Time is a priceless gift and one of the most powerful communicators of love. When we are willing to give 30 minutes of time, we are actually giving 30 minutes of life. Ruth was willing to sacrifice her entire life agenda for the sake of her friendship with Naomi." The waters of daily life are often difficult to navigate. True friends are willing to get in the boat and ride out the storm with us. Friendships take time, are you willing to take it that time?
