You mad, bro?

Yesterday afternoon I was able to find out some exciting news! When I heard the news, I was so overwhelmed with joy I let out one of those girly, high-pitched "EEKS!" and did that weird motion where my hands are in fists shaking in the air, then go into the over eager hand clapping. Yep. It was awesome. The news was this: my best friend and her hubby are expecting! Jessica has been my best friend since 5th grade (I will more than likely share that story in a later post), and her husband Matt has been a great friend to me since I've met him before they were even dating. So, as you can imagine, I was elated when I heard the news!

I had previously known that morning, but at church we took a picture to show my excitement :)

Matt & Jessica's announcement (permission to use was granted)

It was very easy for me to be so happy for Jess, because she was my friend. Naturally, that should be my reaction... right? Just in case you were wondering, the answer is yes. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Romans 12:15 As a saved person, our "instinct" should be to rejoice with those who rejoice; to weep with those who weep. 

*I know it seems like I'm rambling, but I'm getting to a point here...*

Like I said, I was very excited for my friend; but, there were other times where people would share their joy and I would think to myself, "Wow. My life is so boring. I am 21, unmarried unlike ALL my friends (which is such an over-exaggeration because not all my friends are married), let alone having a baby. i'm still living with my parents, and I'm just at home doing nothing but church stuff." So how about when it's NOT easy to be excited? God's Word doesn't change with our crazy emotions and opinions. Before you cast a stone at me for having a terrible attitude about other's joys, think about all the times that YOU (single lady) have had those thoughts. Maybe I was a tad too honest in sharing that string of thoughts I have had, but I know that I am not the only one to have that ugly attitude  Let me be even more honest... more than likely, it'll happen again. You know why? Because I am human.

Let me be very, very clear...

Having that attitude is so very wrong, and if you let it get out of control it can cause tension and stress on your friendships with those, who in your eyes, are becoming "more successful" than you. God has a separate plan for each and every one of our lives. The plan God has for me is not the same as Jessica and Matt's. Just because someone's life is seemingly moving faster doesn't mean that you are being left in the dust. Dr. Don Woodard wrote a short book titled Marrying the Right One after watching so many of his young people in his church make hasty decisions about marriage and life. My pastor's wife used this book in a mentoring class and used this quote as the main text: "God's perfect will for my life is to serve Him day by day." In Romans, we are told to present our body's as willing sacrifices. THAT is God's will for our lives. To live for Christ and trust Him day by day. We do not know what our future holds, but what we do know is that we have a future.  We do not know all the steps and the time and process to get to the next stop in our journey, but have been given a simple direction to get us there: Serve the Lord. Not only that, but serve Him with gladness! No one likes to be around negative people. Negative Christians are the worst! ;) Rejoice in the moments the Lord allows us to experience every day. One day your prince will come! So until you have reached that part of your plan, rejoice! The Lord has given us so much. To the best of my ability, I am going to keep on serving Him with a smile on my face... despite my attitude! I guess to sum up my stray thought, I will say this: It was a good day when I saw the ugly "single-girl" chip on my shoulder and dusted it off. My life is wonderful! I enjoy and look forward to getting to babysit all these precious little babies that are running around/will be running around the church :) I have faith that the Lord has what's best for me in the area of marriage and having children. But as of now, I want to serve Him with all that I have. 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things NOT seen. Hebrews 11:1

-Carrie Anna

-By the way, excuse my cheesy headline. It's almost 1 a.m. so I am a little on the silly side right now :)

-Here is a humorous picture I found on Pinterest that is an accurate description of how having the mentality/chip on the single-girl's shoulder that I discussed looks like. Enjoy! 

Camp Ramblings

Well, I just got back from a week of camp with a small group of teens from my church! I was the "Group Leader" so I was nervous at first... would I be too rough? Would I not be stern enough? Would I have a kid die on my watch? I was a tad stressed with the pressure of being their guardian for a week. Nevertheless, I am thankful I was able to go! You see, I am a camp veteren! I've been going to the Power of Two Youth Camp (http://powerof2youthcamp.net/powerof2youthcamp/Home.html) since I was 15. Now that I am 21, I have just been a chaperon, so I've been able to sit back and watch the kids. Let me just say, my heart was blessed TREMENDOUSLY! I watched our teens drink Sprite with Alka Seltzer in their mouth and spew it, catch chocolate covered marshmallows in their mouths while laying on the floor and do all sorts of crazy things! Their enthusiasm reminded me of my camp days (I might share some pictures later). :) But, as fun as that was, nothing helped me more than to see them praising God during the worship service and respond to the preaching. Each of them made me proud as their leader, as well as pleased the Lord in their actions and behavior.

So yes! I was very blessed this year. I will be honest, a lot of my excitement was getting to see some of my best friends that would be working. But ya know, they were working so I barely saw them lol. Just as I was finishing that thought, we heard some great, straight and true Bible preaching and let me tell you... it was GOOOOOD! One of the messages that touched my heart the most was the message on purity. Not a lot of preaching is done on this Bible truth these days. Yes, I said *Bible truth.* Purity it taught to be practiced in the Bible, and for some reason people want to pretend it isn't. But for those of us who DO have a past of impurity (in heart OR an act), I am SO thankful that Jesus buried our past! You can be pure NOW. So here's the link to the message that really helped my heart this week in that subject. More to come!

- Carrie Anna

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvxg0uBgNkU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Heart-to-Heart

In these modern times, we are told on every corner to "follow our hearts" and speak our minds, say what we feel and have no regrets. Well, I don't know about you, but I have listened to my heart when I should have listened to the still, small voice inside me telling me "No." I have regrets about the words I've recklessly let pour out of my mouth. Our heart is above ALL things desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). I've also spoke my mind out of anger without putting any thought to the consequences and hurt people who I love. I've also, more than likely, been a stumbling block to another Christian, or made a lost person turn from what I was saying, by not having COMPASSION behind my words. That my friends is what makes the difference (Jude 22)! To have compassion, we must guard our hearts from this worldly concept of "Say what you want, do what you want." That thought is destructive, in the sense that it causes one to be prideful and/or selfish; and honestly, each goes hand-in-hand. 

Proverbs 4:23 says, Keep thy heart with ALL diligence: for out of it are the issues of life. When you stop guarding your heart, you allow seeds of bitterness, jealousy, selfishness and pride to take root in your heart and grow ugly weeds that are hard to get rid of. I am telling you from experience, that once they are there they WILL come out. Women, me included, are the absolute worst about saying evil things that we let fester in our hearts, then turning around and having to mend ripped relationships. If we would take the time to guard our hearts, and keep our affections on things above, we would have less to worry about. More friends. Less gossip. Less bitterness. Less friendship that have been hurt by words spoke out of unbridled emotions. We love because Christ first loved us, correct? He gave His life for us. He continually takes us back after we forsake Him. When we are angry, He returns with a soft answer. A challenging thought! Are we loving people-- sinners, our family & friends-- as Christ loves them? Are our words drawing sinners to Christ? Are our words drawing our saved loved ones closer to God? 

D.L. Moody said:

"That which lies in the well of your thought will come up in the bucket of your speech."

More importantly, Jesus Christ said:

 "A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh." Luke 6:45

Gain passion. Guard your heart. 

- Carrie Anna