All for the cause...

Well, I did it....I donated blood.

And I have to be honest and say that I didn't do it just to save lives. I did it to overcome a fear.

I must quote Dr. Brown and say that "I'm not into pain!" Not to say that people love pain, but I am very intolerant of it. And when you mix 'overdramatic' with 'zero tolerance for pain' well, I'm sure you get the picture.

I got all situated in the seat and started to psych myself up for the "poke." You know, pinching and poking myself where the needle was going to be inserted. (I do think I made the nurse laugh at my patheticness.)

I was sitting there, feeling pretty good about my adventerous self, when I saw it. Just across the way the nurse pulled out this 2" needle covered with blood from a donor's arm. I lost it. I thought, "they're sticking 2 inches of needle in my arm!"

Luckily for me, Sarah Williams was near and I asked her if I could squeeze her hand while the needle was inserted. I think my dramatization concerned the nurse because after the needle was in she reclined my chair just in case I passed out. Oh I did not like that. Immediately I asked for my seat to be propped back up. She just said, "Oh just relax. You'll be fine."

I was not fine. I could no longer relax my arm on the table. I had to hold my arm up on the table. After ten minutes of holding my already-asleep-arm my whole body was shaking from trying to keep my arm from moving. I couldn't even put my head back all the way because a hair pin was jabbing me in the head. Besides this, I had a fan blowing right on me which made me very cold. After it was all said and done my whole body was shivering and shaking furiously.

Let's just say that my first time giving blood was certainly not one of the best experiences of my life.

On a more serious note, an interesting thought just popped into my mind. I shed blood, a whole pint, to save three lives. And all I had to do was sit in a chair, feel a "little" prick and squeeze a ball.

Christ shed His blood to save mankind. But look what He had to endure to give us that blood; an agonizing death on a cross with wounds much larger than my "little poke."

Someday three individuals will be thankful for the blood I freely gave. But my blood will only be able to save their physical bodies. If only they knew that there is One whose blood can save their souls.

As much as I hated this experience, I think I will donate my blood again next year. Helping three people live a little bit longer, to have the chance to accept Christ, might just be their saving grace to eternity.

Romance in the Rain

It's 11:40 PM and, with an unfinished assignemnt sitting next to me, I blog.

Yet, as I sit here procrastinating, my window is open and I listen to the romantic patter of soft rainfall. The soothing sound sends me into a deep state of reflection.

So many things are running through my mind; it is so hard to put it all into a paragraph of words that makes sense. Here are just a few of the things on my mind:

Heartache. Sadness. Storms. Future. Dreams. Crushed. Hope. Faith. Blind. Trust. Peace. Contentment. Joy. Future. Love. Happiness. Fullfillment.

I look at my list of thoughts and know that Christ is in the midst of it ALL. Even though I can't see Him, He was, is and always will be, there. In the midst of my heartache, He comforted. Through my storms, He navigated. With my future, He holds it in His hands. The hope I have is in Him. My trust is in Him. The peace in my heart, only He can give. My joy is from Him. The love I feel, He bestows. My fullfillment, is in Him.

"Jesus is all the world to me, my life, my joy, my all; He is my strength from day to day, without Him I would fall. When I am sad, to Him I go, no other one can cheer me so; when I am sad, He makes me glad, He's my Friend."

Banquet

Well, the banquet came and gone. The place was nice. The food was good. The entertainment...entertaining. Let's just say I'm glad I only paid $14.00 for my dress, that my ticket was free and that there is an end to everything.

Mom, Dad, here are a couple pics for you. There's not much to see since I forgot my camera.
Here I am with Charity and Heather.

Back to the grindstone

Well, I'm back from Choir Tour. I don't have too much to say about it. The ministry is awesome and God used us in a powerful way. This past Sunday in our morning service Cassie Wilson's brother was there and, praise the Lord, he accepted Christ as his personal Savior. I feel so unworthy to be used by God for His service. It is such an amazing privilege!

But for me personally this tour was extremely hard. I put a lot into ministering to those we sang to, and I thank God that through the services He ministerd to me. But in other areas I must say it was difficult.

I prayed before going into this tour that the Lord would help me draw closer to Him. I went into it with so many overwhelming things on my mind; I just needed to feel Him close to me in a very real way. Before break I was praying about a situation and I wasn't quite sure where to go with it. One day on the bus I was reading my devotions and I read this verse:
Mark 11:24
"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you." -NASB

The still small voice of God spoke to me through this verse promising me that my prayers will be answered. I read this verse with so much joy in my heart knowing that God hears and answers prayer.

The next day on the bus Mr. Wolf was giving his devotional about prayer and again the Lord spoke to me. If I remember correctly Mr. Wolf read Matthew 7:7-11:
"7 Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" -NASB

Right there God again reaffirmed His promise to me. All doubt about whether I should pray about this situation or not completely disappeared. God has given me a sweet peace about it. I will continue to pray until God answers.