My Jerusalem

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere - in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8

      I've been convicted. Holy Spirit got me. As I was looking at some pictures, I ran across one of Jonathan (he's the one in my profile picture that I'm hugging). He's such a sweet, precious,  yet crazy little boy that the Lord just gave me a love for. When we ministered in Gillespie park over the summer and organized Christmas at the Park in December, he took a special place in my heart.

     But I forgot about Jonathan. I forgot to pray for Jonathan. I haven't been back to Gillespie since Christmas. We gave a gift, but haven't followed through. It makes me want to drive over there right now, find out where his house is, and give him a big hug and see how he's doing. Though Jonathan always seemed to cause the most trouble, he was still very precious to me. 

     While thinking about this, God brought this scripture above to mind. And I began to think, what have I been doing with my Jerusalem? I've got a Judea with Baltimore (going next week). That's a mission field. I've got a Samaria coming July in Auburn. And one day, I'll be going to the ends of the earth, fulfilling the will of God for my future on that huge mission field called our world. However, what about my Jerusalem? Is making a sausage biscuit for a homeless man on Thursday mornings enough? Was giving that one week of my time in December really me fulfilling God's will for me in my Jerusalem? My Jerusalem, if you haven't caught on, is Albany, Georgia. What about Jonathan? What's going on in his life right now?

      I'm extremely convicted, and I have a lot of praying to do. What to do in my Jerusalem for the Kingdom of God with these few short months I have left? I don't know. But God does.

College Number Two

Auburn University it is!
      That's right. I was accepted into Auburn and am headed there this summer. And there's a neat story behind it too:
      As most youth groups do, ours hosted a Disciple Now several weeks ago. It was based off of Ephesians 2:10:

 "For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus

for good works, which God prepared beforehand

so that we would walk in them." (NASB)

   Going into the weekend, I asked God to speak to me specifically about a few things:

           1)What College

           2)What Career

           3)What to do with all this??

 And He spoke to each thing, just as I asked. Isn't God good?

         Here are the answers:

             1)Auburn University

             2)Nurse

             3)Missions

      The last one has a lot of other specifics that go along with it. However, I know God will reveal those specifics to me in time.

     I do want to go to Africa. Where in Africa? I don't know. However, I know God will pick me up and put me there one way or another some day.

   The reason for nursing is so that I can work on the medical mission field, using the gifts God has given me to shine His light where darkness lurks the most. Wherever that is, He has given me a heart to go.

  I also want to use the gifts He has given me in the music realm to share the Gospel, through piano and singing.

   I am so incredibly excited about where God is leading me. Though some decisions have been hard, are still hard, and there will be others even harder, I pray God will give me an obedient spirit and a passion to see His glory known. That's why I'm here, right?

     God is so big, and I am so small. On my own, I can in no way accomplish this. But I am so grateful that the God of the Universe lives in me and is preparing me in advance to do the things which He has called me to do.

   I have a desire to do big, God-sized things, especially on my Auburn campus. It's a pretty big mission field, if you ask me. But I know it is a mere stepping stone leading to even greater challenges God has ahead.

   So college number two it is! Auburn University is where I'll be. For the glory of God, and for the promotion of the Gospel.