You know how it is when you know you should do something that is right,

but you really don't want to?

Rather, you just try to ignore the facts.

After so long though, you just can't ignore it any longer:

you decide you have to do it, because it is the right thing to do

at this point in your life?

That's how I feel right now.

It's hard, but it's a step in the right direction.

(by the way, this is totally unrelated to my previous post)

Coming up...in a week!

Guess what?!?!?! In less than a week--on Saturday, to be exact--I will be leaving with the youth group from Medora Community Bible Church and heading to Chicago for week-long missions trip! No, I was not planning on going on this trip until only a few weeks ago, but yes, I am very excited about it! Please pray for this trip, as there are still lots of details to figure out...part of the teens will be working with a day-camp and the rest will be running a VBS! We will also be doing some personal evangelism and then holding a 3x3 basketball tournament on the 31st! While I might be able to help out with some of these things, my main responsibilities for the week will be making sure that all of these teens have food to eat (in other words, I'll be working in the kitchen). Yes, it is going to be one full week, and I can already imagine how I'll be feeling when I finally get back home on Monday, August 2nd: E.X.H.A.U.S.T.E.D., but it will all be worth it if it means spreading the Good News of the Gospel to those who don't know the Lord!

(when you think of it though, I would especially appreciate your prayers for me...while I am excited about it all, it will definitely be a stretching and learning experience for me. Last night at a meeting, Pr. Ron said that the motto for the missions trips has become, by default, "Roll with it!" because of how much plans always change and such, and for those of you who know me at all, my comfort zone is knowing exactly what is going on when, and where, and how, and what exactly I'm supposed to be doing, which is like the furthest thing from what will be the case next week! )

So, I thought I would do something a little different this time. Instead of posting something totally new for you to read, here's my challenge for you: if you want to get a glimpse of my life over the last two years and a half (the time that I've had this blog,) go back into the archives of my posts! It is always interesting to me to go back and read some of the stuff that I've written! :)

Happy Fourth!

Today we celebrate the Fourth of July, the Independence Day of this nation!

Today we remember the founding of our nation and the freedom that it extends to all, but we cannot, and must not, forget that this freedom came at a high price!

Let us not forget then, as we celebrate this great day in our country's history, the One who shed His blood on the cross so that we can have an even greater freedom:

that of being set free from the bondage of sin!

Now that is freedom indeed!

Who am I?

No, I am not having an identity crisis. Rather I would like to give you a little “food for thought.” I recently heard the following quote: “Remember who you are and to Whom you belong". In pondering this saying, a conversation that I had with a pastor’s daughter just the other day comes to mind. It was while we were making small-talk about her job that she made the comment that if she were to have certain responsibilities that others at the same job have (but thankfully she doesn’t have these responsibilities), her dad’s Christian testimony and reputation could be ruined. That comment in itself shows that she values her dad's reputation; she has in the back of her mind who she is.

Who am I? Not only am I Angie Lehrman, daughter of Jerry and Bev Lehrman, but I am also a Christian, a “little-Christ”, and I belong to Christ! In every sense of the word, I truly am a Daughter of the King, the highest King of all! It is relatively easy to be concerned about the reputation of one’s family members--those who are physically present--for the family-relationship is something graspable, it is concrete. But what about the reputation that we believers give to our heavenly Father, the One Who we can’t see, yet is the most important One of all?

When we are among non-believers, what impression do they get of our Heavenly Father? Or do we even care at all about that? How do others, even other Christians, see us? Are we a clear reflection of the character of Christ in us? The fact the Christ is living in us should be very evident to anyone who comes in contact with us!

Being a Child of the King should affect every single aspect of our lives--not only our weekend habits of going to church, but also our weekday activities. It should determine our priorities, our conversation, our “when no one is around” activities, and even the most seemingly insignificant tasks such as the time we rise in the morning. It all reflects our focus on Christ and how important He is in our life.

We Christians are recipients of the greatest Gift ever given, the highest privilege of being called a “child of God; we are partakers of the Inheritance, we have been delivered from the darkness of sin, we have redemption and forgiveness of sin, we are strengthened with divine Strength, we are reconciled with Him. This long list, taken primarily from Colossians 1, does not even begin to scratch the surface of everything of who we are in Christ. Does that not put any weight on the great responsibility that we have , then, to live a life worthy of that which we have been called to live?

Col 1:10

"That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God."