Sharing Life - 4/26/09

So I am going to start this off by apologizing, because even though I am only getting started I know this is going to be a long post.
Today was an awesome day. I went to church, a WKU baseball game, had some alone time, and then had dinner and some study/talk time with an awesome friend.
We started off with dinner at Buckhead and then headed to Starbucks to study. Well studying is what happened for about the first hour of about three that we were there. After working for awhile, we started talking about life and struggles and things that we have been dealing with recently. It was an amazing time and I needed it so much. It was so great to spend time with someone who is so amazing and understands where I am coming from and is able to encourage me and give me advice about things.
I was able to hash out some of the issues that I have been having with one of my good friends and she was able to give me some amazing advice on how to deal with things and how I could go about working on changing things. She was able to catch me up on some things that I had known about in her life. We were able to share life with each other and doing so was wonderful. Sharing life with others is something that I have heard a lot about recently.
At church last weekend, everyone was challenged to write their story out in three paragraphs, one about life before Christ, one about how you came to know Christ, and one about life now that you know Jesus. After you wrote out your story, you were challenged to share it with three people before the summer began. This is something that I have really taken to heart. Jason preached about the fact that sharing the gospel is important and it is something that we should feel a sense of urgency about. I know that the gospel is something that has transformed my life and I know that sharing it is important. I have also been taught and shown that often times one of the best was to share the gospel is by sharing your story. Not only does sharing your story with people who are not Christians impact lives, but sharing your life with other Christians is very important in helping others see where you are coming from and get to know you better.
Not only has sharing your story been a topic at church, but it was a big topic at LTC a couple weeks ago. Here Lori Akers shared with us her story. She really encouraged me to share my life and how God had used things in my life to grow me closer to him and to help me relate to others.
This topic has also been popular in my small group recently. After hearing Jason talk about sharing your story, we decided that we were going to write ours and then share them with each other over the last couple of weeks of the semester. Before this though, we were challenged to write out our life purpose statements. These were to keep our life focused in the right direction. We all did this in different ways. I used a collection of several scripture passages, another used scriptures and listed some things out, and someone else had scripture and more of a paragraph of what her life purpose was. It was so great to share these with each other. You could clearly see through them everyone's hearts and callings in life. I love these girls and totally enjoyed being able to share with them my life purpose and can't wait to get to share my story with them.
So back to my evening at Starbucks and the amazing time. This time just reassured to me that sharing our lives, stories, and hearts with each other helps us grow. I am excited about where my life is headed and how God is using me and my story to grow closer to other Christians and to impact the lives of those who do not know Christ. If you want to share stories with me, then I would be more than willing.
My Life Purpose
"The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from the darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all who mourn and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair."~Isaiah 61:1-3
"Be very careful then how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is."~Ephesians 5:15-17
"You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."~Acts 1:8
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."~Matthew 28:19-20

**Sorry again that this is such a long post.