I have been reading this book from Cary Schmidt called Life Quest and when I read this section of the book it touched mt hearts and I wanted to share. Part one will talk about - The Wise.
"The Bible is filled with passages that address these issues of ignorance and rebellion. (Earlier chapters he was discussing about how young adults in our society today feel as though they can be ignorant and rebel.) But none so repeatedly and pointedly as Proverbs. The point of the book of Proverbs is to make stupid people wise and to give rebelious people a second chance before it is too late. This is a book written from a father to a son, and because the Bible is God's word, Proverbs is also a book from your Heavenly Father to you!
Throughout the book, the father (Solomon) is pleading with the son (Rehoboam) to hear his words, receive instruction, and give his heart to the teachings. THis is a father on a a mission. He has seen somethings, made some mistakes, wrecked some lives. He has experienced the price of his own stupidity - his own ignorance and rebellion in many areas, and now he writes his son in pleading tones, hoping that he will avoid the same fate.
Early in Chapter One he writes, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of thy father and forsake not the law of my mother" (Proverbs 1: 7-8). Un other words, knowledge (the opposite of ignorance) begins with God! "My son, please hear my instruction and don't forsake it!" Can you hear his passionate panic? Can you feel his fervent fear for his son?...Turn away from ignorance and rebellion that is so popular and accepted in your culture and flee back to the Lord and his plans for your life! Please.
Throughout the book of Proverbs, Solomon repeatdly describes for kinds of people on this planet. He constantly contrasts the way they think, the way they live, and the end that they will find. He begs his son to see his life with the destination in view - to see the end from the beginning, and to live from that perspective. He was of the danger of the wrong path and expounds the blessing of the right path.
You too will be surrounded by those kinds of people. They personify the message of this chapter. You are one of them yourself. What are these four types of people?
1. The wise
2. The simple
3. The fool
4. The scorner
Honestly ask the Lord to show you which catagory you fit into right now. By the way, if you're in a catagory other than the wise, you don't have to stay there."
Part Two...to be continued - The Wise
Monday, August 2, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold.
The other night, I was in a bit of stuggle and confusion. With only two weeks left till graduation, Instead of being estatic. I found myself feeling as though I was thrown into a sea of sharks. Now that sounds pretty intense or it might not even make any sense, but at that time anything felt like a wave of "struggle".
Since August of last year, I entered into a program in which I didn't think I would make it. They describe it as the Basic Training or Boot Camp for Nursing School. I pretty much scoffed at the thought because, I am Viviana. I can do anything. Though my pride fell and I soon quickly realized, I am Viviana, I cannot do anything without God. I learned that without Him, I will fall, I will struggle, an I will fail. I have lived my life, knowing that through everything no matter what the circumstances maybe - "God is good and He is ALWAYS right." After completeing my fist semester of nursing school, I felt as though I could accomplish everything. I felt as though everything in my world was okay. It wasn't not personally. I put my focus on other things that didn't pertain to school, in which towards the end of that first semester I almost didn't make it. I thank the Lord now that, the hinderence that could have made me drop out of nursing school is not in my life anymore. I enterned my second semester with a whole new attitude of - "I can do ALL things through Christ..." and that He will provide for me every step of the way. Life became simple again, not as easy but it was simple and it was wonderful.
I know now that for some reason God has provided everything He had for me for a special purpose. Because we are here on purpose for a purpose. Though as I felt that I knew what that purpose was for my life, I really don't. And I still don't. I'm trying to figure that out everyday of my life. I can't see the full picture only God can, and for that I'm so blessed that He knows what path I am going to take, and it is my hearts desire that, it will be the path that the Lord wants me to be on. People have failed me many times, but God has never failed me.
But now it's time for me to grow up. I am not that teenage girl anymore who can live life having things just given to her. I am so blessed that my family has helped me through out my life and has given me everything I could ever have (not in a sense of things but of support and love.) I am quickly learning that the life of "adulthood" is not easy and that every choice I make now will affect the rest of my life. And I am so afraid of making the wrong choice. I don't want to fail my God. I want His perfect and only will for my life. And I sit here today afraid of what the future could bring. But I know that he will give me peace in my heart and that I will be doing his will, because that is my only desire. I was reading the book of Ruth, the other night and this verse touched my heart, Ruth had a desire. And I pray that I have the strength she had, and the faith she had to trust that God would give her the life he wanted for her.
Ruth 1:16 says: "And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from the following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge, thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
What a perfect example of submission and faith. I know that Ruth didn't know what was going to happen with her life, but she trusted with staying with Naomi would be better for her.
I might not be making any sense, I guess I'm just typing to let everything go. But after August 12th my life will be changed, and with the Lord's help and blessing, his perfect plan will start to unfold, this is just the beginning of my journey and I want it to be pleasing to Him.
God never moves without purpose or plan.
When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long;
In darkness He giveth a song.
O rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried and purified,
I shall come forth as gold.
I could not see through the shadows ahead;
So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead,
I bowed to the will of the Master that day;
Then peace came and tears fled away.
O rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried and purified,
I shall come forth as gold.
Now I can see testing comes from above,
God strengthens His children and purges in love.
My Father knows best, and I trust in His care;
Through purging more fruit I will bear.
O rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried and purified,
I shall come forth as gold.
Since August of last year, I entered into a program in which I didn't think I would make it. They describe it as the Basic Training or Boot Camp for Nursing School. I pretty much scoffed at the thought because, I am Viviana. I can do anything. Though my pride fell and I soon quickly realized, I am Viviana, I cannot do anything without God. I learned that without Him, I will fall, I will struggle, an I will fail. I have lived my life, knowing that through everything no matter what the circumstances maybe - "God is good and He is ALWAYS right." After completeing my fist semester of nursing school, I felt as though I could accomplish everything. I felt as though everything in my world was okay. It wasn't not personally. I put my focus on other things that didn't pertain to school, in which towards the end of that first semester I almost didn't make it. I thank the Lord now that, the hinderence that could have made me drop out of nursing school is not in my life anymore. I enterned my second semester with a whole new attitude of - "I can do ALL things through Christ..." and that He will provide for me every step of the way. Life became simple again, not as easy but it was simple and it was wonderful.
I know now that for some reason God has provided everything He had for me for a special purpose. Because we are here on purpose for a purpose. Though as I felt that I knew what that purpose was for my life, I really don't. And I still don't. I'm trying to figure that out everyday of my life. I can't see the full picture only God can, and for that I'm so blessed that He knows what path I am going to take, and it is my hearts desire that, it will be the path that the Lord wants me to be on. People have failed me many times, but God has never failed me.
But now it's time for me to grow up. I am not that teenage girl anymore who can live life having things just given to her. I am so blessed that my family has helped me through out my life and has given me everything I could ever have (not in a sense of things but of support and love.) I am quickly learning that the life of "adulthood" is not easy and that every choice I make now will affect the rest of my life. And I am so afraid of making the wrong choice. I don't want to fail my God. I want His perfect and only will for my life. And I sit here today afraid of what the future could bring. But I know that he will give me peace in my heart and that I will be doing his will, because that is my only desire. I was reading the book of Ruth, the other night and this verse touched my heart, Ruth had a desire. And I pray that I have the strength she had, and the faith she had to trust that God would give her the life he wanted for her.
Ruth 1:16 says: "And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from the following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge, thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God."
What a perfect example of submission and faith. I know that Ruth didn't know what was going to happen with her life, but she trusted with staying with Naomi would be better for her.
I might not be making any sense, I guess I'm just typing to let everything go. But after August 12th my life will be changed, and with the Lord's help and blessing, his perfect plan will start to unfold, this is just the beginning of my journey and I want it to be pleasing to Him.
God never moves without purpose or plan.
When trying His servant and molding a man.
Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long;
In darkness He giveth a song.
O rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried and purified,
I shall come forth as gold.
I could not see through the shadows ahead;
So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead,
I bowed to the will of the Master that day;
Then peace came and tears fled away.
O rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried and purified,
I shall come forth as gold.
Now I can see testing comes from above,
God strengthens His children and purges in love.
My Father knows best, and I trust in His care;
Through purging more fruit I will bear.
O rejoice in the Lord, He makes no mistake,
He knoweth the end of each path that I take,
For when I am tried and purified,
I shall come forth as gold.
Monday, June 7, 2010
How deep the Father's Love for us
Perfection: The quality or state of being perfect; a state of completeness and flawlessness
In our lives, we can never gain perfection. In my life I wish I could in some way come close to grasping it, but I fail everytime. We all do. I seem to find myself looking for ways to improve myself, whether it's the way I look, how I do in school, at the hospital, and where I seem to fail so many times more...my walk with the Lord. If there was an easy road to gain perfection, I can't seem to find it. And I never will. The only thing that will bring me close to even cross paths with "perfection" is the holy word. We are to be "Christ-like" and Being in that likeness, and trying to live our lives the way our Savior walked, we come closer to living that way. But in his perfection, I still marvel at the love that he has for us. Because of my Savior, I can live the life I live today. Though I fail him many times, he is still there waiting with arms wide open, and is always willing to bring me back to the place where I belong and that is His will. Though I desire with all my heart to serve my Savior, the one who laid down his life for me, the one who paid my ransom. I never deserved in any way his love and his mercy, And by his wonderful grace, I am saved, and I am forever his. In my life I want to be perfect, not for selfish gains, but to be perfect in the eyes of my Savior and Lord. But knowing that if I delight myself in him and I desire to know more of Him and meditate in his law, he will grant me my desires and though I will never be perfect, my Savior still loves me and he will bless me.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that helf Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I knoww that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast inJesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
In our lives, we can never gain perfection. In my life I wish I could in some way come close to grasping it, but I fail everytime. We all do. I seem to find myself looking for ways to improve myself, whether it's the way I look, how I do in school, at the hospital, and where I seem to fail so many times more...my walk with the Lord. If there was an easy road to gain perfection, I can't seem to find it. And I never will. The only thing that will bring me close to even cross paths with "perfection" is the holy word. We are to be "Christ-like" and Being in that likeness, and trying to live our lives the way our Savior walked, we come closer to living that way. But in his perfection, I still marvel at the love that he has for us. Because of my Savior, I can live the life I live today. Though I fail him many times, he is still there waiting with arms wide open, and is always willing to bring me back to the place where I belong and that is His will. Though I desire with all my heart to serve my Savior, the one who laid down his life for me, the one who paid my ransom. I never deserved in any way his love and his mercy, And by his wonderful grace, I am saved, and I am forever his. In my life I want to be perfect, not for selfish gains, but to be perfect in the eyes of my Savior and Lord. But knowing that if I delight myself in him and I desire to know more of Him and meditate in his law, he will grant me my desires and though I will never be perfect, my Savior still loves me and he will bless me.
How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure
How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory
Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocing voice,
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that helf Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I knoww that it is finished
I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast inJesus Christ
His death and resurrection
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom
Saturday, March 13, 2010
As the soft breeze blows, stand still and enjoy every moment around you...
“Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Psalms 37:4
Well it has been another long delay, with six more months left till I graduate, things have been getting a little more hectic in my life. So it's been one pretty crazy rollercoster ride so far. When you are looking into a career, when you don't know when anything could happen at any moment and when you have peoples lives in your hands, it gets a little frightening and frustrating. Because I will stand there at their bed and wonder if this is a lost soul, is it someone who I could be a testimony to, but then they tell us we are not allowed to express our 'beliefs' and that we must be a competent nurse and just do our job. So all I pray is that I can be just a testimony to that person. But then, sometimes I still sit and wonder is this what I'm really meant to do. I'm only 18. But then I have to remind myself that God has placed me here for a reason, and he has brought me this far for a reason and that I know I'm not going to fail because He has great and wonderful plans for me and my future, though I don't know what they are, and that I know there are going to be those times in my life when I don't think I will be able to face those storms, I know that He is good and that if I delight myself in Him, he will give me my desires. That is how wonderful and amazing our God is. :)
Though I am afraid and I get weary He is still there, He is still willing to help me through any circumstances that I face, my God will help me through it all.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Completed my first semester of nursing school!!!
Okay, now I can say that this is a record on how long I have not posted on here :) And a lot of stuff has happened since I've last posted on this blog!
But I happy to say that I have survived my first semester of college and now I have two more to go, before I can officially become an LVN! I'm really excited now, but I'm glad to just to be able to relax and not have the worries of school on my shoulders. The Lord has been so good to me since I've started because I know there were plenty of times when I felt that I was going to fail and not make it, and even to the point that I wanted to quit and find something new to do. But he helped me, because he is my strength, my rock, and my salvation, and he is so good that he let me realized that this was the path he wanted me on. And all I can say is that it is for my good and for his glory. My theme verse that I adopted this year at school was Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me." And has that been true, I sat before every test and quoted that verse till I truly believed that I can do all things through him. And it has made me realized that I need to have more faith and trust in my Lord, than always worrying about the negative.
So I'm ready to face all the stressfulness (lol) of nursing school when I go back in January with a new spirit, of doing all things through Christ!
But I just wanted to let everyone know that I am still alive. and will try to post more often!
But I happy to say that I have survived my first semester of college and now I have two more to go, before I can officially become an LVN! I'm really excited now, but I'm glad to just to be able to relax and not have the worries of school on my shoulders. The Lord has been so good to me since I've started because I know there were plenty of times when I felt that I was going to fail and not make it, and even to the point that I wanted to quit and find something new to do. But he helped me, because he is my strength, my rock, and my salvation, and he is so good that he let me realized that this was the path he wanted me on. And all I can say is that it is for my good and for his glory. My theme verse that I adopted this year at school was Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengthenth me." And has that been true, I sat before every test and quoted that verse till I truly believed that I can do all things through him. And it has made me realized that I need to have more faith and trust in my Lord, than always worrying about the negative.
So I'm ready to face all the stressfulness (lol) of nursing school when I go back in January with a new spirit, of doing all things through Christ!
But I just wanted to let everyone know that I am still alive. and will try to post more often!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Oh where, oh where has the sun disappeared to?
So here is another long delayed post again, in which I'm 'supposed' to be studying but yet get distracted by other wonderful things that do not involve studying for the nervous system.
So to bring everything up to date, I received amazing news that I have a 89.4 GPA (1 point away from a A!!!) So I was pretty happy, I gets harder and harder each week with school so I'm ready for a break.
It's really foggy tonight, and when I was driving home from work, I couldn't see anything, so I was driving like 30 mph in a 45 mph zone. It looks like a scary movie outside lol. *totally random* That's why I named the title for this post...I have not seen a single ray of sunlight for the past 2 1/2 weeks! And I really miss it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is such a blessing to work in a place where you have encouragement from your co-workers to keep my focus on serving the Lord. Like I have stated in past posts, it's been a trying time for. And I feel as though I have compromised myself with the world in a way...and I feel so much guilt and heartache. As today I was explaining to a classmate my plans for when I graduate nursing school and it just seemed as though I was a fool. But then it is good to know when Paul say's in I Corinthians 4:10 "We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised." And I know that the Lord has a wonderful plan in my life, though I can not see it, though I wish I could. But where's the faith in that? But it's good to have comfort even though we don't understand.
But God is Good and He is always right, and I know that it is for my good and for his glory!
***I have some pictures from camp:
Me and my brother
Millie & I
The Youth Choir
Our totally awesome bus "THE BEAST!!!"
May God bless! And hope every one had a wonderful week!
So to bring everything up to date, I received amazing news that I have a 89.4 GPA (1 point away from a A!!!) So I was pretty happy, I gets harder and harder each week with school so I'm ready for a break.
It's really foggy tonight, and when I was driving home from work, I couldn't see anything, so I was driving like 30 mph in a 45 mph zone. It looks like a scary movie outside lol. *totally random* That's why I named the title for this post...I have not seen a single ray of sunlight for the past 2 1/2 weeks! And I really miss it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It is such a blessing to work in a place where you have encouragement from your co-workers to keep my focus on serving the Lord. Like I have stated in past posts, it's been a trying time for. And I feel as though I have compromised myself with the world in a way...and I feel so much guilt and heartache. As today I was explaining to a classmate my plans for when I graduate nursing school and it just seemed as though I was a fool. But then it is good to know when Paul say's in I Corinthians 4:10 "We are fools for Christ's sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but we are despised." And I know that the Lord has a wonderful plan in my life, though I can not see it, though I wish I could. But where's the faith in that? But it's good to have comfort even though we don't understand.
But God is Good and He is always right, and I know that it is for my good and for his glory!
***I have some pictures from camp:
Me and my brother
Millie & I
The Youth Choir
Our totally awesome bus "THE BEAST!!!"
May God bless! And hope every one had a wonderful week!
Sunday, September 27, 2009
My help cometh from the Lord...
Sorry it's been a while since my update, nursing school has taken most of my time in everything, so it's a little blessing every once in a while to take a deep breath from school and relax. *though right now i'm just taking a break from studying this time of night* :D
But just wanted to let everyone know, that things are going pretty good. But I need a prayer request. As a Christian we fight a battle everyday in our lives; the devil, our flesh, this world. And starting this school has been an eye opener to me, and I get scared. I have lived all my life living for the one who died for me, and loves me no matter what I have done. And right now having the faith to take a stand in a classroom where people don't understand where you are coming from, and why you believe the things you do, it's hard for someone like me. But whoever reads this please pray for me that I can stand for my Lord and not be ashamed to tell other's about him, to pray that when people want to 'conform' me to their way's that my faith and my standards will not falter, because I am fighting this flesh everyday.
I pray that the Lord will use this in his ministry, to help me pass the final/license exam when this is over to provide a good job for me to pay for bible college next fall, but just little things.
But just wanted to let everyone know, that things are going pretty good. But I need a prayer request. As a Christian we fight a battle everyday in our lives; the devil, our flesh, this world. And starting this school has been an eye opener to me, and I get scared. I have lived all my life living for the one who died for me, and loves me no matter what I have done. And right now having the faith to take a stand in a classroom where people don't understand where you are coming from, and why you believe the things you do, it's hard for someone like me. But whoever reads this please pray for me that I can stand for my Lord and not be ashamed to tell other's about him, to pray that when people want to 'conform' me to their way's that my faith and my standards will not falter, because I am fighting this flesh everyday.
I pray that the Lord will use this in his ministry, to help me pass the final/license exam when this is over to provide a good job for me to pay for bible college next fall, but just little things.
Great peace have they which love thy law; and nothing shall offend them." Psalm 119:165
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