This past saturday was the CBI banquet...

here are a few pictures...

(thanks to some students who were gracious enough to give their pictures to those of us who don't have cameras!)

The two Brasilians here at school: some fellow-students say that one speaks Portuguese, the other, English. (I'll let you decide which is which. =) I'm so glad that we're here at CBI together!

The six of us girls who stick together and have great times after curfew! CBI wouldn't be the same without them!

My roomie, Melinda...I'm going to miss her when she graduates in less than three weeks...

*smile*

A while back, I was struck by the significance of a smile...

It can make the world of a difference to have someone look at you and simply smile...

A smile can say more than a dozen words put together...

These people make me smile...

Who makes you smile?

After a long drought of blog posts, at last! Here is one! Although I do not have the time to go into detail about everything that has happened lately, I would like to share a little something about what God has been doing in my life recently.

This semester, in the midst of various other truths, there seems to be one truth in particular that sticks out more than others and seems like it is that one, more than anything, God has been trying to teach me. And slowly, I have been learning. Through several incidences this semester that have taken place, I have begun to realize the utter importance of prayer. More specifically, that of prayer for those around us, especially other believers. While I have always known (in my head) the importance of prayer and the role it should take in the believer's walk, I have never actually experienced in such real ways the need for prayer as I have this semester.

A song that has been going through my mind lately is "I am Thine, O Lord." I really like the words of it...read them and consider their significance in your own life.

I am thine, O Lord, I have heard Thy voice,

And it told Thy love to me;

But I long to rise in the arms of faith,

and be closer drawn to Thee.

Consecrate me now to Thy service, Lord,

by the pow'r of grace divine;

Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,

and my will be lost in Thine.

O, the pure delight of a single hour

that before Thy throne I spend,

When I kneel in prayer, and with Thee, my God,

I commune as friend with friend.

There are depths of love that I cannot know

Till I cross the narrow sea;

There are heights of joy that I may not reach

Till I rest in peace with Thee.

Spring break!!!!!

I am looking forward to this change of schedule:

sleeping a little later than 6:00...
being free from attending classes for a week...
cooking...
really having nothing in particular that absolutely has to get done because it is due the next day...
perhaps doing some pleasure reading...
relaxing...
refocusing...


yes... Spring break...enough said.

"God is more interested in my sanctification than in my service."

All too often, it is easy to think that the Christian life is all about serving God. In a way, that is true, yet perhaps an even greater aspect of the Christian life is being conformed to the image of Christ and living a life of holiness. If you stop you stop to think about it, without a life of separation and sanctification, can one truly serve God?

like the ocean waves...

woosh. . . splash. . .woosh. . . the waves crash onto the shore in a steady rhythm, one after the other. Sometimes they are huge walls of water, towering many feet into the air. Other times, they are so small that there is barely more than a big ripple in the water. Even so, no matter the size of the wave, they never stop, the water never runs out. Rather, independent of the time of day one visits the beach, of the most beautiful places on earth to be, one can always hear the familiar sound: woosh. . . woosh. . .woosh. . . one after the other. . . .

God's grace is like those waves. There is a never-ending supply of it. It is always there for us, whenever we need it. Isn't it wonderful to know that "My grace is sufficient"?

"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith;

that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

may be able to comprehend with all saints

what is the breadth,

and length,

and depth,

and height;

and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,

that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly

above all that we ask or think,

according to the power that worketh in us,

unto him be glory in the church

by Christ Jesus throughout all ages,

world without end. Amen."

Ephesians 3:17-21

I read this passage in my devotions this morning. I think my favorite part of this passage is the part about the breadth, length, depth, and height. Paul could have just said "comprehend with all saints how great and to know the love of Christ...." but no! He wanted us to understand how truly great God's love really is! And the best part about it is that it says that we can actually comprehend it and know it! How awesome is that?