Pslam 119

I am often very bad at many things when it comes to studying the word and praying. I promise I am trying to get better. When James and I first moved to Saint Doris Apartments and when we got the dining room table that was my grandpa George's we use to turn off everything and sit at the dining room table with our dinner and pray before we would eat but now we don't even do that. My New Year's resolution is going to be getting better at the things I need to get better at. I wanted just to sit back and reflect on somethings that I learned this week from the woman's bible study. I will be honest with you at first I wasn't sure if I wanted to do this study or not. It looked interesting and I felt I would enjoy it but I didn't want to miss the good old famous Soul Cafe. So as always I got talking to my friend Crystal over email about this bible study and I was still not sure and there were a few reasons why I was not sure. One was the money (for some reason money always stops me when I want to do something) and the other reason was my learning disability (I try not to let this one stop me but it always does). Well, Christ decided to use Crystal as a vessel in my life once again and I was finally convinced. We are now on week 2 of the study and I would have to say I love this study. I am learning a lot about Psalm 119 that I hope I will one day be able to use as a testimony to witness to someone. Yes as I was working on this study I started to get very overwhelmed... It was to the point I was going to be in tears. It is not always easy for me to understand what the bible means or what a question is asking of me with the reading comprehension problem I have. However, I know that even with this learning disability I have made many people proud of me (I wasn't even supposed to pass high school and I proved everyone wrong and I worked my hardest with the greatest mom, the best teacher (Ms. Alexander or as we called her Ms. A), the greatest boyfriend (James) at the time, and the greatest mentor (Sherri) and I made it all the way through a 4 year college with a BS in Child Development). I tried to work on this Psalm 119 study Friday morning but I couldn't think or even get it done so I went back to it on Saturday in the mid- afternoon/ early night and I was still very overwhelmed so I decided to email my friend Crystal and over the phone she helped me understand the passages better. So the things I have learned is that He is near. I know that God is defiantly near because he has shown me ways he is near. Whenever I am depressed God is there and he finds a way to make me feel better (usually it is through an email from Crystal or a message on facebook). I also know he is near because whenever I say a prayer (even if it is in my journal) he answers the prayer within a few days.  I can tell you that I am applying this to my everyday life as well because I am seeking God with all my heart. As most of you know I was saved on July 3rd, 2011 and ever since then I have been changed. Most of you have said you seen the change in me and that makes me smile. :)

Encouragement... God is Good

So I have been a bit depressed lately because of things I have been going through. Ever since we have gotten back from Mammoth I have hid in a shell and not come out. I just recently started to come out on how I was doing. After I started to tell people how I was doing God started to show encouragement just through the people who love me. First thing was some of my co-workers gave James and I some food when they found out we couldn't afford any food. Then on August 30th my friend Crystal messaged me on facebook and all her message said was "Hi! Thinking and praying for you today. How was your day?" Then that same night (August 30th) my friend Pam messaged me and asked for my address. I was thinking she wanted it because she wanted to send a card or something. Then the next thing I know she tells me she can help us with some food. Then Pam continued to ask what my shoe size and my clothes size was so I told her and she asked me what I needed there. Saturday Sept. 1st I got a text from my mentor that had me smiling and she even encouraged me to be strong and then she told me that I could get this figured out. I left a message to both Crystal and Pam that said they put a smile on my face. When Pam told me... "You are a special person and I am happy to be your friend and sister in Christ" I was encouraged once again. Then yesterday I was encouraged at church. We sang The Stand and Happy Day and well both songs had me encouraged. Later we were offered to take a class with Crystal and her husband Martin and then we were given a name for a budgeting counselor. The encouragement hasn't stopped yet. Today my mentor sent me text and ask if I was able to get help so I told her about the help we got and she was glad we got help. I always am happy when I make my mentor proud of me and I am very happy when I make her glad. My mentor reminded me that "God is Good. And so are you." Today I needed that reminder because sometimes I feel as if I have failed and could have done something better. But wait it doesn't stop there I later checked my email and I had an email from another church family member of mine (Michelle). In the email Michelle told me that the two videos I posted encouraged her today and she sent me a video which was How He Loves and it was another great reminder for me. I am very blessed to be saved and I am very blessed to have been encouraged and I am very blessed to have encourage a friend of mine. God is Good!