Since I don't have a camera.....

I thought I would share with you all what has been going on in my life in words today. My blog has been mostly about cooking, creativity in sewing and music, living history, and my family, but today I thought I would share from my heart what the Lord has been doing in my life. I was inspired by other bloggers who wear their faith on their sleeves and I thought I would write my thoughts too. The Lord told me to share with you all my struggles and His amazing strength through my struggles and life.

I started college plus last week! I am excited and scared and frustrated at the same time. Its a lot of work of course to do college and I actually never thought the day would come when I would start. I am thankful for my parents being encouraging and reminding me that I can do it through Christs strength. I am also thankful to be able to live at home while doing my college studies. I will Lord willing be doing a music major, so I will be studying music theory, voice, piano, music history, and performance Lord willing.

But first I am clepping out of a lot of my classes that I already did in high school. Clepping is a great way to be able to get your college degree faster and for less money. You study for a subject lets say Algebra 1 and then you take a test called a clep exam and then if you pass you don't have to take the class because you knew the material well enough and go the credit by the examination. It seems to be a great way to do the classes I already did in high school faster. Then I could focus on music and history courses.

The first thing you do in the college plus program is their Life Purpose Planning. I have been doing it since last thursday and I thought I would share with you my Life Being Purpose Statement. Now this is basically my convictions from the Lord about how and why I should live my life and for the purpose of serving the Lord. A reader asked me a while back if I would share my testimony, I will be doing that in the coming weeks as I believe the Lord would want me to share that. But for right now here is my Life Being Purpose Statement to tide you over. The Lord has really told me point blank through the Bible, His Word exactly what my life should be and my purpose is to serve Him. Each point in my statement is something I believe I should do as a daughter of the Lord to serve Him with my whole life. I pray that this will help others understand what I believe about my faith better and convict and encourage all of you!

My Life Being Purpose Statement
As Gods daughter, servant, and new creation I commit to lose my life and let Christ guide me in my new life. I commit to take up my cross and follow Him daily. –Matthew 10:28-29
I commit to rejoice always in the Lord no matter how hard it may be to do so. – Philippians 4:4
I commit to constantly read, memorize, and meditate on the Word of God, to let it dwell in me richly, and I will teach and admonish others in wisdom. I commit to express thankfulness to God for giving me His Word to guide me. – Colossians 3:14-17

I commit to strive to overcome my sins by God’s grace alone. I commit to let no corrupting talk come out of my mouth, but only what is good for building up those around me. I commit to strive to help others live by God’s grace in every conversation I am apart of. – Ephesians 4: 31-32
I commit to put away all bitterness, wrath, anger, and all malice to serve the Lord in my words, thoughts, and actions. – Ephesians 4: 31-32

I commit to be kind and forgiving as Christ forgave me. – Ephesians 4: 26- 27
I commit to count everything of this world as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. – Philippians 3:8

I will strive to hear my Heavenly Father’s instruction and to hear my earthly father’s instruction, to not forsake my mother’s teaching, and to put their teaching on my head as a garland of grace and as a pendant around my neck. In this way, I may always remember the Lords commandments and hear my parents’ teachings. – Proverbs 1:8-9
May each of my days on this earth always result in praise to my God. – 1 Peter 1:7

May I always do the Lord’s commandments and not obey my corrupt heart. May I be holy and do all His commandments in a holy way. – Numbers 15:38-39
May my outward appearance reflect good works, resulting from the Holy Spirit. I commit to always be conscious of my forbearing and appearance of my actions, words, appearance and dress to reflect Christ Jesus my Lord. –1Timothy 2: 9-10


And lastly, but not least, I commit to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and be patient in tribulation, for the rest of my life. – Romans 12:12

I read this life being statement daily to remind me what I am living for! I recommend writing one up even if you are not doing college with college plus. It really put things in perspective and helped me to see a long term goal each day. The goal of living for Christ and being a light to others who need the Lord and someday Heaven with our Lord forever.
So this week has been a good week, but I have also struggled. Satan has been saying to me that this new part of my life doing college is too hard and that the Lord is not strong enough or mighty enough to help me through it. But the Lord said in His Word otherwise,

"Listen to me, you who know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of man, nor be dismayed at their revilings. For the moth will eat them up like a wool garment, and the worm will eat them like wool; but my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation to all generations."- Isaiah 51:7-8

I was in fear of what others thought of me and I was afraid, but His righteousness will last forever not the thoughts of man! His Salvation is what matters and He is righteous, because He is righteous He can make us all righteous, only by His Spirit can He set us free by His stripes we are healed.
I was afraid of being different from the world and doing what the Lord had told me and my family to do in regards to my education after homeschool. But the Lord is good and He is mightier than the world and He shines through all of that to show His plan.

Today I was not feeling well and the load of homework and other things that were needing to be done stressed me out. But I went to the Lord the maker and perfector of my faith and He picked me up out of the miry bog making my steps secure and put my feet upon the Rock! He is the Rock of my salvation, may He be glorified in our weakness. I was overwhelmed and the Lord is more powerful than our thoughts and His ways are mightier.

" For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than your ways and my thoughts are higher than your thoughts."- Isaiah 55:8-9

So if you are feeling overwhelmed or discouraged by others around you, the to-do list, or your life the Lord is mighty and He will bring you our of the pit of destruction and set your feet upon His secure Rock. I pray that He will strengthen you and myself to be mightier than sin and Satans discouragement to live for Him in joy and gladness.

This last chapter of Isaiah really encouraged me last night, the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves and He will never forget us!

" Sing for joy, O heavens, and exult, O earth; break forth, O mountains, into singing! For the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on His afflicted. But Zion said, " The Lord has forsaken me, my Lord has forgotten me." Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you! Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me." -Isaiah 49-14

The Lord will never forget us and He will always encourage us! May you all
In Christ,
Rebecca

All photos by Lindsey W. photography and may not be used without my permission. All the pictures are from Long Wood Gardens two years ago.