My testimony: Part 1

I'm going to post my full testimony, but in parts.  And on different days.  Stay tuned to hear it all. I feel led by God to share my testimony with you. Now before I start, everything I say here is true, even though it seems like a lot of things have happened to me/my dad. Some things may be a little graphic, so I apologize in advance.

Usually people start off with if they were born into a Christian home. I go back to even before that, to my father's story. Many things happened to my father before I was born that he shouldn't be alive, and I shouldn't exist. Dad's troubles started at birth. It was a healthy pregnancy and all, but when Dad was being brought out of the birth canal, the doctors used too much force on the forceps, and they heard a snap. They had broken Dad's neck. Because of this, Dad was paralyzed for 3 1/2 years, confined to a wheelchair. He also went through numerous MRI's and CAT scans on his brain. The doctors then told my grandmother to find him a nursing home or something, because he was going to be a vegetable the rest of his life, or too hard to handle. The very same day, Nana was carrying him, and by this time he was 3 1/2 years old, and 50 pounds of dead weight. She put him on the ground and cried out to God "I quit! I can't do it anymore!" Now my grandmother is a great prayer warrior, and had been praying for him ever since he was conceived. 5 minutes after she put him on the ground, he struggled to his feet and walked home for 1 1/2 miles. After being paralyzed for 3 1/2 years! He then began to speak in sentences the next week, and one of the first things he said was "it hurts". Nana asked where, and he said everywhere. They took him to the hospital and he had a double hernia in his stomach, and other medical problems. After the doctors dealt with that problem, they did other MRI's and CAT scans on his brain, and Nana was told he had 100% of his brain. A few weeks ago he had only 10%, and then had 100%. 
Next part in a few days time.

Leaving it all to God

OK, I'm going to be straight with you.  I had to move out of my house almost a month ago.  I wasn't getting enough working hours in my parent's minds (40 hrs/wk).  So I had no choice but to find a place to live and move out.  It's been taking a lot of getting used to.  I now have rent to pay, groceries to buy, and all on a salary from a part-time job.
For a while, I was angry, and I kept it inside of me, and became what I didn't want to be again... A jerk.  I didn't want to listen to people, and everything was going wrong.. I didn't know which way was up.  Finally, I listened to people's intsructions, and got into the Scriptures.  The first verse I found was Isaiah 42:18, "Oh, how deaf and blind you are toward me! Why won't you listen? Why do refuse to see?"  After seeing that verse, I paraphrased it as God saying to me "SHUT UP AND LISTEN!".  Cuz see, I wasn't really listening to Him either.  I never seem to learn about that... I like to think I'm living my life the way God wants me to.  Most of the time I'm not..
So I began to listen to God, instead of me griping and complaining all the time.  Things are OK, not good, but not bad either.  I don't know yet where God wants me, but I am willing to do whatever it takes to achieve His goals.  ALL of them.  As long as He is in control of my life, I can do all things through HIM!

:)

Go check out this blog post.  Wow.  All I can say...
http://ramblingsbyemily.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/confession/

Summer of Blimey Cow

So I just saw this challenge from Blimey Cow.  Take a picture every day in the month of June, just like the Instagram challenge or something.  Anyways, I hope I can do it, because my camera doesn't have a memory card yet.  You can find the challenge here: http://blimeycow.com/photochallenge/

So you may be wondering.  Who or what is Blimey Cow?  I didn't hear about them until about two months ago.  They make videos every Monday, and one video in particular went viral.  That one was the Seven Lies About Homeschoolers, found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJHt-m3VX6o .  Every video I've seen is funny, and then they added bloopers to the more recent videos.  To really get the challenge, I'd suggest watching other newer videos they have made.  The best one I think they did was the top 10 internet cliches, which they did a few weeks ago, which is where a lot of the things on the challenge come from.

Oh, and one more video for you compliments of Blimey Cow!   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_9Giu1c9NM

My reading withdrawal

I have begun to realize that writing/thinking of what to write for a blog post is hard.  Some of my friends can do a post without even thinking.  Me, I have to think of what to write about, and then describe my thoughts in a way someone would understand them.  So if I don't post in a while, that is probably the reason why.

For a long while, I have not been able to read any novels.  I have been too busy reading commentaries and required readings for school.  I still have not read any novel since coming home, and I've been home for two weeks from school.  Before I went to college, I read novels very often, and I thought I would be able to while attending college.  When I arrived, it began to dawn on me that I would have no time at all to "free read".  I went through a lot of reading withdrawal, and I missed my novels.  I vowed when I got home that I would start reading again.  I have not yet, as work and other things have kept me from reading.  I do not know what book I will read first, but I have some ideas.  The Lord of the Rings is one of them.  The reason why for those novels is that I have seen all three movies, but have not read the books yet.  If you have any suggestions for good novels, comment and let me know :).

Thank you for reading, and until next time, God Bless.

Weeks after Graduation

It has only been since April 29th that I have graduated my first year of Bible School.  When I got back home, I had to decide on what I was going to do.  Was I going to go to camp, or was I going to find work at home.  I tried to get into one camp in the US, and have not heard anything.  So I started to look for work, looking online, and calling in my temporary services employers.  Apparently the business there is really slow right now. It's been that way for a while too.  So I called in on Friday asking if there was any jobs available for the weekend.  They said there was none.  So I waited and kept looking for work.  About 10 mins before all three close, I get a call from one of them.  An employer had called in last minute looking for someone to help them.  I asked what time it was at, and it was for 6 in the morning.  I took the job, and prepared to get ready.  I went to see some friends that night, and when I was done I went to bed early.  My alarm went off at 5:00, and I hit the snooze button for 10 mins, then got up.  I went to work, and I worked from 6-12 that day, doing dishes.  On Monday I was told I had a job for this morning, and was thankful.  And then I got another call at about the same time as last, about 4:30.  This was for a job loading trailers for last night.  I took it, and worked from 8-12.  I then had to get up at 8:20 today, to go to work for 9:00.  I planned to come home and nap, and rest my body, because I was feeling sore.  I then was told someone needed help moving some things, and I was doing good for the first half.  By the second half, I had to sit down, because I couldn't do it anymore.  But I am grateful for the jobs God has supplied me with.  I hope to get more by the end of the summer.  Again, thank you for reading, and until next time, God bless.

NBBI year at a glance Part 6

As far as I can remember, nothing really big happened after I came back from Chritmas break.  I did all my work, and procrastinated...and failed a course because of that.  I watched Courageous for the first time, and loved it.  I felt convicted, and apologized to my family for the way I had been treating them.  I promised I would try and heal my relationship with them.  When I came home for March break, I planned to start healing my relationships, and try to find work.  I got home, and my plans went down the tubes.  I was mostly on the computer the entire time.  Before I left, I was told by my parents that I had hurt everyone's feelings.  If I had the chance right now, I would go back in time and kick myself.  I still have some bridges to build with certain members of my family.  When I got back to school, I continued to procrastinate on some things, and also worked, and was involved in a lot of school activities.  I also graduated on April 29th, 2012, even though many people thought I would never make it to graduation.  When I walked across the stage, I had family, and people watching online, cheering for me.  I remember the feleing of joy as I walked the stage to receive my diploma.  I had done it, and proved people wrong.  Thank you for reading this post, and I hope to post more, which will probably be small devotions now.  Till next time, God bless.