"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?

A little saying seen on a magnet on the refrigerator that sadly, has been somewhat true in my life: '

"I have decided that my job in life is to be like a duck: calm and unruffled on the surface, but underneath, paddling like crazy!"

In case you were wondering...yes, I am still alive!

Due to the great application called "statcounter", I have come to realize that I really do have a bigger audience than I have previously realized! I am ashamed to realize that my last post was literally months ago!

Right now I am at Cornerstone Bible Institute in Hot Springs, SD and am back into the full-swing of studies, after having a great three weeks of Christmas break. Although this break was rather different than any other Christmas I have ever had, it was good to be back with family, to have a change of scenery, and just have a lot of time to think about some important things going on in my life.

Let me share just a little something that has become exciting to me recently: the book of John. One of my classes this semester is this Gospel, and the other week, the entire class got together to read through the whole book in one evening while listening to it be read on audio. It is really amazing the difference it makes when reading through the whole book in such a short time as compared to over several weeks or months! What struck me as we progressed through the book was the reoccurring theme of belief/unbelief and how almost always it was mentioned in connection with some kind of sign or miracle that Jesus had done! And then there is the verse that says something like "These things were written that you might believe." Oh, I don't have time to go into all the exciting things that I have been learning about John , but it has just been awesome to dig a little deeper into this wonderful book and the message it has for us!

Until next time,

Angie

Finally! (Can you tell my life has been busy?)

• having to walk through mud because of all the snow we have had already. . .
• running around in the dark Admin building, playing "Sardines"...
• having "girl time"...
• playing musical chairs on Saturday night...
• writing research note cards...
• going to bed after midnight on the weekend...
• completing the weekly lesson in "Biblical discipleship" ...
• witnessing, in very real and obvious ways, that God is the God of the impossible...
• hiding out in the furthest corner of the building in order to study (and then having fun when no one can find me!)...
• working on reading Genesis through Esther for Old Testament survey class...
• experiencing the reality of chilly feet (because of the snow!)...
• having fun in the dorm, especially when it involves Melinda, Liz, and Bethanne (don't even ask!)...
• studying for mid-terms...
• loving, yet at the same time, dreading, Tuesdays--loving it because I have a free hour, yet dreading it because there is dorm cleaning...
• electing class officers and having class meetings...
• planning and doing a fundraiser...
• participating in "over-breakfast" study groups. . .
• missions conference. . .
• beginning to stress out about getting my papers done. . .help!

What do these all have in common? They are all a part of college life!

An Update. . . and some quotes from Tozer's "Knowledge of the Holy"

Well, since I asked you all to pray for Melinda and the Bible study she started last Wednesday, I need to give you an update on what happened, right? Well, to start off with, I need to add that it is Melinda AND Liz (another student here at CBI who also works at the Ambulance shed) who are doing the study. With that said, praise the Lord that there were no calls while they were having the study, as that would have, obviously, ended the study for the night. Thank you for your prayers! However, an even bigger praise is the fact that the two ladies, Connie and Ruth, with whom they are doing the study, are interested in meeting again! So, continue praying!

So. . .on to Tozer! For the doctrine class that I am taking, I have to read the book "Knowledge of the Holy," which dicusses the attributes of God. I am only part-way through the book, and so far, it is an amazing book!

Tozer. . .
on the immutability of God:

" All that God is He has always been, and all that He has been and is He
willever be." (page 65)

on the wisdom of God

". . .we shall not seek to understand in order that we may believe, but
tobelieve in order that we may understand." (page 76)

" We rest in what God is. I believe that
this alone is true faith. Any faith that must be supported by the evidence of
the senses is not real faith." (page 80)

" And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not;I will lead
them in paths that they have not known: I will make darknesslight before them,
and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake
them.

"Let Him lead thee blindfold onwards,
Love needs not to know;
Children whom the Father leadeth
Ask not where they go.
Though the path be all unknown,
Over moors and mountains lone."
~Gerhard Tersteegen (page 82)