Scripture That's Imperative.

"Is any of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." - James 5:13-16


"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal flory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen."
-2 Peter 5:6-11

No Greater JOY

Oh my goodness.

I woke up today being excited that it's Sunday. I really have come to love Sundays and all that they bring. Church is pretty much the highlight of it, as cheesy as it sounds. But I suppose that's how it should be, shouldn't it?

Anyways, I go to Apex in Xenia. Last week, we started a series called Kingdom and a King. I was so excited after last week's introduction to the series. They gave us a handout with all the titles of the sermons each week, and just from looking at it, I knew this was going to be a powerful series. Today's message was called The War of Two Kingdoms. Rob Tuner spoke today, which made me so excited! I love him and his genuine, humble, and truth-filled heart. The main points of today were this:

There are TWO kingdoms...
...with TWO different rulers...
...with TWO different governments...
with TWO opposite destinations.

Rob went on to talk about the evil one, the accuser, the prince of the air, Satan. Satan's strategy is to blind us from the reality that we should not love the world or anything even in it. Satan has strategies for both believers and unbelievers. Here they are:

For unbelievers:

1. The worship of counterfeit.
2. Slander - the enemy makes a caricature of the character and person of Christ.
3. Stereotyping - comparing the character of Christ to the performance of His followers
4. Slavery - their hearts and minds are enslaved by sin
5. Distraction - blinds their minds
6. Death

For believers...how convicting:

1. Processing grace into a permission to slip into being lazy
2. Assuming encouragement and there never doing it - Am I encouraging my fellow followers??
3. Allowing ungodly people to have undue influence on your values and decisions: Am I hanging out with people who are telling me to compromise what I know to be true? (Also in this point, Rob told the girls that the most attractive thing about a man should be his HOLINESS and GODLINESS. Amen!)
4. Thinking of the Gospel as history only and not victory - I need the Gospel EVERY DAY. Not just when I initially accept Christ as my Savior!

What can OUR strategies be for fighting against the enemy ruler??

1. Quit being DEFENSIVE
2. Know your UNIFORM
3. God on the mission of RESCUE - If we're not moving, it's easy to take us down.
4. Practice HOLY subversion.
5. Practice DEEP SPIRITUAL CONVICTION


So here's my prayer...

Lord, I want to run stinkin' hard after You. I want to fix my eyes on You and not look to the left or right. I want to be set apart from the world. Break me and cleanse me of loving the things of the world. They're not worth it. Forgive me for being that Christian that turns unbelievers away from You. Father, help me to be intentional and to not be lazy. Help me fight the good fight! It's all for You, my good King!


I know that probably hardly anyone reads my blog. ha ha It's not like I expect it. But if you do happen to stumble upon this, I hope it encourages your heart like it did mine.


As for my day today, I think I'm going to do homework for a few hours...go work out, and then get off campus and go to Panera. Sometimes I just need time to myself away from Cedarville, ya know? I look forward to it :)

Be of good courage and stand firm!

Breaking Down the Semester

Oh dear! It has been way too long since my last post! I'm a good 3 weeks into the new semester already. How crazy is that? My sophomore year only has about 3 1/2 months left. Here's how my semester is going to break down....for those who care ;)  :


Tonight: White Out women's basketball game and men's game against Central State
9 days: Celebrating the Super Bowl with my friends
13 days: Mom and Dad are coming to visit :)
15 days: RASCAL FLATTS and THE BAND PERRY concert
20 days: Cedarville Showcase, which means I'll be hanging out with some ECA people!
28 days: I'll be going home to see some people and pack for Spring Break
35 days: Tampa, Florida for 10 DAYS. Booya.

46 days: I turn the big 2-0

After that, there's Easter Break, then only a couple weeks until ELLIV, then a week of finals.

THEN We're going to Florida for a week as a family. THEN I'm running a half marathon. I'll be working as a nanny for two boys who go to my church. THEN, in July, I'll be an aunt of a precious little baby Bigler.

How great is God?! I'm certainly blessed beyond anything I deserve. I know I say this over and over and over on here, but my Savior has changed me so much since my freshman year! PRAISE HIM.

I mean, my life is wonderful, but it is not void of struggles. There's some stuff going on in Elkhart that has cause some heartache in my own life and in the life of my close friends. There are situations in which I have been begging the Lord for wisdom, discernment and guidance.

This is really all I have time for now, but there's so much I didn't say! KZP (my org @ CU) has only gotten better, all because of my small group of girls! I have never seen God so alive in hearts of His believers as I do in one girl in particular. Hannah (my roommate) and I are still developing a deeper friendship. Emily, Lexi and I, I feel, have become closer friends since Christmas break. I really didn't even know it was possible for us to be better friends than we were, since we've been best friends for years! However, God has taken the three of us through some hard times in the past couple years, which has strengthened our bond, not only with each other, but also with our Lord.

Okay...I really should do some homework right now, even though I'd prefer to keep blogging. Sigh. The work never ends :)

'Tis the Season!

It's Christmas break!!!

If you couldn't tell already, I'm pretty excited!I cannot believe how quickly my third semester at Cedarville went. I have loved every moment I've been there...well, basically. Compared to last year, Sophomore year absolutely blows Freshman year out of the water. I've still gone through some challenging things, but not as painful and difficult. I think that this year, my issues are hard in a different way. This year I've prayed for so much wisdom and discernment concerning different situations. I've cried tears out of frustration and confusion, but none from sheer heartache. I am SO thankful for that! 

I think part of what has made this year so great is my roommate! Hannah is such a great woman of God. I don't think I could have asked for a better girl to live with. Not only is Han my roommate, but she's a best friend. We've prayed together, laughed our butts off with each other, comforted each other, given each other advice, etc. She has such a sensitive heart towards the things of the Lord and the Holy Spirit. I think we balance each other out pretty well, too (Wow, it sounds like I'm talking about a boyfriend! ha ha ha ha). But really, Han has made my year ten times better! 

Another group of people that I'm so thankful for is the volleyball team. I know that volleyball made my life pretty busy and crazy, but I wouldn't have had it any other way! I LOVE those girls. They became some of my best friends. They all love Jesus so much, and it translates into how they love each other. They did so well this season, ending 32-6. Studs, right? Mayra and I also got really close during the season. She is just such a genuine sweetheart. I learned a lot from Coach, too. Despite the fact that he's probably the biggest goober I've ever met, he taught us what being gospel-focused and prayer-focused meant. God blessed all that, too, and we saw Him working in such great way through the girls! 

Yet another group of people that I'm thankful for is my lovely group of friends! Last year, I didn't really have a group of friends that I completely settled into. I hung out with this group all the time, but I think I kept myself pretty guarded, due to everything that happened last year. I have so much fun with these people! The girls are all my best friends and so encouraging, and we have some pretty solid boys thrown in, too. My best nights at Cedarville this year have been spent with these crazies! 

Of course, I could talk about person upon person and post so many pictures of relationships that have developed this year, but that would take oh so long! God has blessed me BEYOND measure with people in my life that are so wonderful. 


But now, it's Christmas break and I'm back home in Elkhart. Man, I love being home! My time has consisted of sleeping, Insanity, hanging out with friends, especially miss Lexi Rhea, going to basketball games, helping Mommy, going to Indy, and making Christmas presents. I can't WAIT for Christmas! It's my favorite holiday for so many reasons. It celebrates the arrival of my Savior into this world, brings my family and friends together, SNOW CAMP is almost here, and I'm a sucker for Christmas lights. Brett, Brinnie, and Nick are getting here tomorrow. EMILY got home last night, AND it's finally supposed to snow a buttload in the next couple days! Can't wait :)

Break is Just so Close...

Wow! It's been a very long time since I've posted....I've just been so busy! My life is pretty much me balancing (well...trying) my relationship with the Lord, school, volleyball, and being social. Yikes! It's so hard! I want to do well in school, obviously. Actually better than well. But I also know that there is so much more to life at college than grades. When I figure out the perfect balance, I'll be sure to blog about it. I can't believe it's October already! And almost halfway through, at that! Fall break starts on Friday, well, Thursday for everyone else, but we have practice on Friday. Yay. I just can't wait to go home! I almost started crying today thinking about it actually, which is weird! I haven't been homesick much this year. I was just thinking about waking up on Saturday mornings to my mom doing her Bible study with her coffe and my dad coming in from outside wearing his hat to cover his bedhead and smelling like yard work. I love waking up in my own room. I love showering in my own shower. I love being at church with the body that I know. I miss driving on the back roads. I miss sitting in my kitchen. I miss laying on our couch. I just miss being in a house period! Soon enough! This week will go quickly. I have tests everyday starting tomorrow and ending on Tuesday. Wednesday is our last day of class since we'll be in Indy on Wednesday and then KY on Thursday! That will be fun.

I would just like to take a moment to say that I am so thankful that my life is so different than how it was last year! The Lord surely saw me through and it's only by His grace. I am SO thankful for all that He took me through even though it was the most painful time ever! I am so much more aware of ugly things in my heart. The Lord is still refining me. Ha, I'm pretty sure there will always be a need for that! I am just...happier than last year. Not as full of worry and anxiety, and I'm content. Praise Him!

Happy Sunday! Today is pretty much a perfect day. The weather is gorgeous, church was SO good, I went to lunch with all my best friends, and now I'm studying with Caroline and Han...well, I'm supposed to be studying ;)But hey, everyone needs a break to blog, right?


    So I'll start off with the weather. I LOVE FALL. It's my favorite season, hands down. I am so happy it's coming closer and closer! Today the temperature is in the 70's and all the clouds are those ones that are white and puffy on top and darker on the bottom. Ahhhh, I just can't get enough of it. I think now I'll post some pictures from Pinterest, just in case it wasn't clear how much I love Fall...or Autumn...or whatever you say :)

   Next, CHURCH. At home, I go to First Baptist, which I absolutely love! I've gone there my whole life and love the ministry. My pastor always lays out the truths of Scripture so plainly and simply. He's so great! While I'm here at Cedarville, though, I go to Apex. Rob Turner is the pastor there, along with other men. I attend the Xenia region, since it's so close to school. Today, I met Tami Stout, the volunteer coordinator there, and talked about the children's ministries there! I'll be working with the 1st-4th graders on Sunday mornings. I am so excited and am so thankful to finally be plugging into my church away from home. And what good practice it will be for becoming a teacher! It's going to be great. 

  Along with the children's ministry today, church was so good! The worship was incredible in my eyes. We sang a hymn called Rock of Ages, with an added refrain in there. It was so good. Hymns are like medicine to my soul. They're kind of like little treasures that I feel have gotten kind of lost in the more modern times. Part of that song said, "His righteousness is my identity." How crazy is that?! I am not a righteous person on my own, but because of JESUS, that's how my heavenly Father sees me.  And in the message, which Bob Thomson gave, he was in John 17 when Jesus is praying for His disciples. One of his points was that Jesus acknowledged their obedience, despite their failures and mistakes. I can't understand how such a holy God can look at His children and still be able to say, "I know you sin and aren't perfect, but I see that you're trying,and it pleases me." WHAT?! God, do you see my heart?! And you look at me and see righteousness?! Wow. 

   Well, I should probably work hard now. I finished Earth Science...but I have so much more to do! 

My life has been so busy! I love it though :).  This past weekend, the volleyball team had a tournament at IUP in Indiana, Pennsylvania. It took around 6 hours to get there, but being in a nice Buckeye bus with my two seats made it much better! The girls won all four of their games, and improved so much in just two days. They prayed with the teams they played against and also handed out New Testament Bibles to girls they had been praying for all week. It was so fun seeing them interacting with girls who need Jesus. Not only did they show Christ in that way, but they made two honor calls. The volleyball team agrees to make these calls, which pretty much just means that if a ref misses something and they know it should be the other team's point, they tell the ref themselves. It's so so cool to see the reactions of the people involved or watching. What a great testimony of Christ and integrity! I was so proud. So after winning all four games (and going to five all but one of those), we got back around 5:00am on Sunday morning. Hannah, Maddie and I did homework in the new pharmacy building all day an then finished off the night with She's the Man. 

Then today we had practice  at 8:30am and then walked in the Labor Day parade.... In the rain. It was still fun though! After that I got to Skype with Emily and then Nathaniel, which was so nice! 


I do love being busy... But when I am, it's so easy to push spending time with my Savior off to the side. Why do I do that!? He's the most important thing! I need to be better at being intentional. Everything's better when I spend time with Him!