This year at Hlub 2016 there were almost 2,000 people which included attendees, chaperones, volunteers, and staff, but there was one little girl who was not able to make it. This young girl was Delilah Lor; she was a 12 year old girl who was extremely excited to come to Hlub that she even packed her bags two weeks in advance. The night before her youth group was going to road trip down to Chicago she encountered some health complications and was soon declared brain dead. Sadly, on Sunday, July 17th at 5:15pm she took her last breath. Many of us began Hlub with heavy hearts for Delilah, her twin sister, her family, and friends, but thankfully God is still good.
Even though many of us didn’t know Delilah we cried for her and wished so badly that she could be here with us all. Still, God’s will is better than ours and she is with Him now. I thank God for giving the Menomonie youth group the strength to still come to Hlub, but now that it is over and they are home they still have to face the reality of Delilah’s passing. Whoever stumbles across this post, I hope that you would send prayers to Delilah’s family and friends. I’m positive that it would be much needed right now.
Delilah may have just been a 12 year old girl to people who heard the news, but to me her story plays a greater role. I believe that God used Delilah to help remind us of how short life can be and how we need to share the Gospel and love to those around us. The loss of Delilah also truly showcased how God’s supremacy reigns true and in every situation He is still God. Delilah’s life was precious and I’m sure she was a blessing to all who knew her.
God, please comfort and give peace to her family and friends right now. I pray that they would cling to you as you reveal your purpose for this and that they would know your joy even in this devastating situation. Amen.
When I think about it, 22 years came by so fast. I still feel like I am 18, but when I see myself in pictures I am not the 18 year old girl who was fresh out of high school anymore. There were so many life lessons that were learned and so many things I discovered about myself, I’m excited to know that there are still many more things to experience and discover. God willing, I look forward to what is to come.
Honestly, I also imagined my 22 year old self to be different. I thought I would be done with college, dating, a lot more confident, and possibly even overseas. I certainly feel so far from what I imagined and planned for myself, but there is a peace that I am exactly where God wants me. Even though I am not up to speed with the timeline of this world, I know that God’s timeline is so much better. I trust that there are great things waiting for me.
The top three things I am grateful for as I turn 22:
1. My family who showers me with unconditional love.
2. God’s persistent and consistent pursuit of my heart.
3. The simple fact that I am saved by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Next year, when i turn 23, I wonder how I am going to be or what I am going to be doing, but until then, I want to embrace 22. My birthday is also a reality check that I can’t be 21 forever ;) It’s time to keep moving on with my life.
One of the greatest joys in life is being able to see my dear friends find the one they love and then get married! Deciding to tie the knot is such a beautiful thing and it definitely is a blessing from the Lord. On June 18, 2016 I had the privilege to witness and participate in a childhood friend’s wedding. Meet Bao, the lovely bride!
Bao is someone who has such a kind and genuine heart. Whenever I talk to her I feel as though I have her 110% attention. I think that is just one of the many ways she portrays her intentional heart towards people. Toudo, her husband, is just the perfect guy for Bao and compliments her so well. This couple has so much zeal for the Lord. Praying that their marriage will be filled with a joy so deeply rooted in God that it would prevail during the good and bad times.
Just a couple shots that we had at Bao’s surprise bachelorette getaway!
Bao looked so stunning on the big day!! Just a sneak peek of one of the wedding pictures!
Luckily, Bao was able to stay for a whole week after the wedding, but because she was now a wife and a nyab we hardly got to see her. Thankfully, we were able to squeeze in lunch for an hour and a half. After we said our good-byes, I got into Cynthia’s car and started bawling! I didn’t cry at the wedding so I guess it was time to finally let those babies fall. I was extremely sad because I knew that nothing would ever be the same again, but I was extremely happy because Bao was starting a new chapter in her life. It was such a bittersweet moment. Even though there was a flood of emotions, I’ll always remembers Bao’s beaming smile, she was so happy through everything. I pray that she’ll always keep that smile on her face.
Probably our last picture with Bao for a while.
*****
On June 18, 2016, another one of my dear friends from college also got married! It was with such regret that I couldn’t make it. Meet Mx, the one-of-a-kind bride.
Mx, has been there from the beginning of my college years and I even got to room with her for two years. There are no words that can express how much I love, care, and appreciate this girl. She was with me during some of my toughest and greatest times. She has seen me cry, given me hugs, and made me laugh till I cried as well. She is so compassionate, selfless, and has such a servant heart. Chuchi, her husband, takes such good care of her and I trust that he will continue to take care of her until the end. Even though I couldn’t make it to her wedding, I’m blessed that she’ll be up at Nyack again with me next year. I want to treasure all of the time I have with her before we’re off doing our own things after Nyack.
This is Mai and I with Mx on the day she got engaged!! We were so thrilled for her and Chuchi!
Since I didn’t get to go to the wedding, Mx gave me a little sneak peek at some of her wedding pictures. Gosh, she was such a gorgeous and breathtaking bride. I can only imagine how much more beautiful she was in person.
Praying that God would bless their marriage and remind them of the richest of loves and blessings when times are tough.
These two ladies are so special, no wonder they both married pastors. It makes me so happy to know that these ladies will be serving alongside their husbands in ministries that God has set aside for them.
Main Idea: Lace our words with grace and speak with discernment.
“Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:24
God just somehow seems to keep moving through my life with grace and mercy. When I think of the Lord that I love and serve, I am put in a place where I am humbled and reminded of how little I truly am in comparison to Him. My successes are because of Him and my failures are redeemed because of Him, everything is about Him and never about me or because of me.
"Sometimes God doesn’t answer our prayers the way we would like. The truth is that God wouldn’t be a good Father if He gave us everything we wanted. In fact, one of the reasons He is good is because there are a LOT of times He doesn’t give us what we ask for. As long as we hold onto our earthly treasures, we will never be able to receive all that He has for us. Often, in His withholding, He is releasing our grip on this world to open our hands and make room for more of His blessings and more of Himself. Even when God is the furthest thing from our minds and choices, He is always ordering things on the timeline of the universe to be the best-case scenario in the end for us. How incredibly undeserving we are! ~ “Faith to see God as a Good Father” by Cara Cobble Trantham
Lately, my mind has been consumed with so many worldly concerns that I have been mumbling, grumbling, and complaining about everything. Not only have I been complaining, but I have been stressing myself out as well. A couple days ago, I was thinking about my finances and about all the things I needed money for. On top of financial worries, I was getting overwhelmed again because I still needed to get my projects, papers, and homework turned in, typical college life stuff. While I was complaining and worrying about everything, I simply forgot about the joy, peace, and love that God offers me. There are so many things to be thankful for. I may not have all the money I want right now, but at least I have a job. To be honest, I struggle a lot with being grateful, especially to God. I tend to focus a lot on what I don’t have and what I need/want more of. I want to pursue a life of joy, but I can’t because I am constantly thinking about my selfish needs/wants. If I am just thankful for what I have, I can be at peace and be able to enjoy life for what it is. When I look at my life, I have much more than what is necessary anyways.
Something that I have been trying to do is remind myself of the things I am grateful for. Randomly throughout the day, I ask myself, “What are you grateful for right now?” The answer ranges from something little to big and serious to silly. Whenever I am done answering the question, I find that there is a smile on my face. When I think of the things I am grateful for, my attitude and mood starts to change for the better. It is great to remind ourselves daily of things we are grateful for because that is how quickly we forget about them. In the process of being grateful, God also receives all the praise and glory because we would not have anything without God. What better way to praise and glorify the goodness and faithfulness of God in our lives than to proclaim all the great things He has blessed us with. I think it is amazing how being grateful can change our heart and soul. It can be easy to get caught up with complaining, but the negativity does not change anything. In fact, it actually makes us feel worse. If you are like me and you need to actively remind yourself of things you are grateful for, then I encourage you to get a little journal and start making a list! A grateful heart truly does wonders. For the past couple of days, I have been making my own list. I find that I have been complaining less, stressing out less, trusting more in God, and smiling more.
Right now, these are just a couple of things I am grateful for …
1. Being able to wear sandals because of the warm weather.
2. A dad who loves me and does so much for me.
3. Food in the cafe.
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” 1 Thessalonians 5:18
Matthew 17:20 ESVHe said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.”
In our lives we have mountains that make us think, “How am I going to conquer that?” When we’re at the bottom looking up, our mountains seem unconquerable and they shadow over us making it seem impossible. For the last couple of years, my mountains to conquer have been the state tests for the Education Department. I was completely horrified and anxious about having to take a test to get into the program, taking four more to student teach, and then having to pass the final one to graduate. Oh boy, I definitely allowed my mountains to let me live in fear.
I don’t think anyone knew how scared, more like how terrified, I was to take them, but I was so scared of failing that I held off my tests until the very last minute (not a good thing and I have definitely suffered some consequences). I didn’t think I was capable of passing them so I didn’t even want to try. In the last couple of months I received a lot of words of encouragement and prayers that I finally gained the courage to take my tests. Today, I can say that I PASSED all of my tests on the first try! I have conquered my mountains! All praise and glory to God though. The Lord has blessed me with faithful and encouraging friends and family to walk alongside me and I am grateful for them as well. I am overwhelmed with joy and His work in my life. Through all of this, I have learned that God is on my side and that He will finish what He has started. He’s been equipping me this whole time, I just needed to take action.
I’m sure that there are going to be many more mountains in the future, but I know that I can make mountains move with the authority and strength God has blessed me with.
A late post, but I still had to share about how good God has been in my life!
“At some point in our lives, the best we can do isn’t good enough. Our best solutions, ideas, and efforts aren’t good enough. That’s when we need to hit our knees and trust God to do what only God can do. After all, prayer is the difference between the best you can do and the best God can do. And that’s a big difference!”
Seriously, I cannot even begin to explain how much my prayer life has changed ever since I started praying on my knees. Before I came to college it was an area in my faith that was dry and fruitless, but God continued to put prayer on my heart. For the past 14 days and for the next 26 days, I will be going through “Draw the Circle, The 40 Day Prayer Challenge” by Mark Batterson. From the readings, Batterson consistently encourages the readers to “hit their knees” (to pray and pray on their knees).
Growing up, I heard of stories about people praying on their knees and I tried it a couple of times because I thought that it would be “cool”. As I got older and began to really struggle in my prayer life, I felt the urge to “hit my knees”, but I just didn’t do it. I don’t know why, maybe it was because I didn’t see the point of praying on my knees and thought that laying down on my back (half asleep) was good enough. With that being said, I remember the first time I truly did hit my knees and prayed.
I was a sophomore in college and going through “a lot”. My sophomore year was actually probably one of my hardest years and when I think back, all I can say was that it was “dark times”. I was not doing my best academically, I was busy with ASF, and I had the lowest self-esteem at the time. Everyday I would wake up and literally telling myself I was not good enough. I was swamped, defeated, and so confused. I talked to all my friends for advice and I tried to figure out my solutions, but I realized that the one person that I did not go to was God (well, I did pray, but I definitely was not praying the right prayers). I was also losing a lot of sleep because my mind was so anxious. Finally, I just couldn’t do it anymore. I hit my knees and I remember telling God that I absolutely didn’t know what to do anymore. I was at my ends and I was so desperate for God. I had no idea how to solve my problems or love myself. Once I hit my knees it was the most peace and affirmation I had received in a while.
After that experience, I tried to make it a habit to pray on my knees whenever I could. Whenever I couldn’t sleep I would get out of bed at 3 or 4 in the morning and pray on my knees. When I was done praying I would be able to fall asleep. When I think about it, I used to never pray on my knees, but now it has become something so normal to me. Whenever I feel God calling me to “hit my knees”, I do it. I hit my knees when I am defeated and when I have been overjoyed by the faithfulness of God. I cannot agree more with Batterson’s urge and push for readers to “hit their knees”. A prayer life that starts and ends on the knees is so life changing and should be experienced by everyone.
Truthfully, I thought I had grown a lot in my prayer life and that I was done, but I learned that I will never be done growing in that aspect. There is so much to prayer that you cannot just read or learn about it. Growing in prayer means taking action and actually praying. It has been a beautiful and life changing experience so far and I look forward to more intimate encounters with God through praying on my knees. May you be encouraged and blessed.
I believe that sometimes our choices and actions are not so wise or discerning because we are so impatient. We act on our own accord and then end up hurting ourselves and others. Being patient is hard and it effects our ability to discern wisely because we think we know what’s best for us. A lot of the times, good things come to those who wait, but I understand, waiting is hard. I have been reflecting on myself and noticed a lack of trust in my Lord because things are not going the way I want or at least not at the speed that I want them to. It’s scary, but the enemy enjoys it when we have a lack of trust in our God. The enemy will use it to tell us lies and plant fears in our heads. He will then tell us the only way things will work out is if we take matters into our own hands. Don’t listen to that! It becomes dangerous when we think we need to take matters into our own hands in order to fulfill our desires.
A truth that we need to be constantly reminded of is, God IS and should ALWAYS be in control. We must remember that God’s will and His timing is always PERFECT! Being patient and waiting on God’s perfect timing can be difficult, but I believe it will be worth it. When our trust is in the Lord, it will prevent us from doing things that could potentially harm ourselves and others.
Christmas is just around the corner and I don’t know what you are going to celebrate, but I am ready to celebrate the birth of Jesus of Christ, our Lord and savior. Through many prophecies, the world already knew that a Messiah was coming to save them and that Messiah was Jesus. Jesus was God’s ultimate plan to save His unworthy, ungrateful, and sinful creation, us.
Have you ever thought about what “Joy to the world” meant? Jesus’ birth was the greatest joy given to us as a sign from God that we would one day be reconciled from our sin and be able to have a relationship with Him. Let us take it a step further because joy did not stop at Jesus’ birth. In fact, the rest of Jesus’ life became a message of joy, the Gospel. Therefore, whoever hears the Gospel should receive the news of great joy for there is hope of being saved from our sins.
Before Jesus even came into this sinful world, He was already destined to die. It sounds horrible and devastating that He would one day be sacrificed for us, but this shows how joy parallels with pain. Even though it was going to be painful, there was still joy through it all because Jesus was obedient and in the end, God was glorified and we were saved. From beginning to the end, from birth to death, and even after the resurrection, Jesus was and still is the joy given to us from God.
During Christmas we should rejoice knowing that the Lord loved and desired a relationship with us so much that He sent His only son to die for us.
May you all receive this joy and rejoice. Blessings.
