god is so good

Oh Hello!

So lots is going on. Well it may not be a whole lot but it feels like a lot.

So lets begin...

I was suppose to be taking 2 classes this semester, BUT one of my classes didn't have enough students signed up for it so they had to cancel it, which left me with only 1 class on my schedule.
Well with my scholarship that I have I am required to take 6 or more credits, or else they will take away my scholarship. So I looked for another class to sign up for, but since it was so last minute (literally, they cancelled my class on a Friday and school started Monday) I wasn't able to find any classes that were open that would actually apply towards my degree.
So after all of that I just dropped my last class. I was super bummed out because even though school is another amount of stress in my life, I truly enjoy it. I enjoy constantly having things going on, and I also want to be closer to finishing my second degree.

But here is my favorite part of all of this. (I literally get butterflies in my stomach)

God, oh my sweet loving God, had another plan for me since I wouldn't be in school this semester.

Last week I received an e-mail from a new friend of mine, who I actually went to middle school & high school with...but some how we NEVER talked. We have/know a lot of the same people, and yet...we had never met each other until good old Insti (instagram).

Anyway last week I received an e-mail from him saying:

So random question. Have you ever considered being a leader in our Junior High ministry?
I think you'd be really good at it.

Literally so random, and this was my response:

Hey, you really think so? I never really ever thought about it. haha I feel like that takes people who are extremely knowledgeable in the Bible. haha I'd definitely be up for swinging in and check it out.

This is why this is my favorite part of all of this.
Are you ready?
Are you sure?
I hope you are able to handle how awesome God works in peoples lives, especially when you truly just give all your worries and cares to him.

Here we go:

For a few years I have been trying to figure out how to get involved in church. I have wanted to volunteer for the longest time, but I always stopped myself because I was either nervous or I didn't think I would "have time" and I never thought I would be good at it. I thought I wouldn't be good enough. So for a while I pushed the thought out of my mind.

Now for the past 6 months I have been diving deeper and deeper in to my faith and building my relationship with my sweet Jesus more than I ever have. He has walked with me through my darkest days, days where I didn't feel like I could get out of bed, but because he is always by my side I was able to get thru all the ups and downs I have experienced these past few months. With that being said I have also been thinking again about how I want to get involved with the church because I felt like I was growing in my faith but I needed an outlet to be around others who are taking this sweet walk with Jesus. So what did I do? Instead of worrying and stressing over it and doubting myself, I just simply prayed about it.

Now I didn't pray every single day about it, I just prayed when I felt it heavy on my heart. Also my step mom had started to tell me that I should try and get involved in the church some how, and I of course came up with an excuse because I felt scared and doubt in myself, so I stated the typical..."Well ya know I just have SOOOO much going on I doubt I will even have time for that, maybe when my schedule isn't so crazy I will get involved." (bad Ali)

So after that I continued to pray about it, and then I finally decided maybe I just wasn't meant to be involved in the church and that I was suppose to connect with God a different way.

So I let go and figured that I'd just throw myself into school and my photography.

Well God decided, "Oh Ali you don't think you'll have time?...here let me help you out, I'll clear your schedule so you have just the right amount of time & the exact days to volunteer."

I believe God led my friend to e-mail me about getting involved in a ministry that I am truly interested in. I love helping kids and mentoring them. That is one thing I miss so much about my ex. I miss being able to connect with his little sisters who looked up to me and who would come to me when they had questions or problems and I was able to guide them. I made an impact on their lives.

Now God is giving me this wonderful opportunity to mentor and help junior high students grow in their relationship with Him. That is so awesome!

I told my friend who e-mailed me that I truly believe God led him to me and led him to e-mail me about volunteering. I don't think it was random. God had a plan. He had a plan for me to get involved with my Church, and it was when He knew I was ready.

I can tell you this, if I would have gotten involved with my church a few years ago or even a year ago I wouldn't have been ready. I don't think it would have made the impact it is going to make in my life.

I came across this scripture tonight that is beyond perfect for what I am talking about:

For I know the plans I have for you. - Jeremiah 29:11

God knows everything. He knows where my life is headed, he knows how tomorrow is going to play out. He knows how 3 weeks from now is going to go. He knows exactly where I will be 5 years from now.

That is truly hard for people to grasp I think. It is still hard for me to grasp at times, but when things like this happen in my life it reaffirms to me who is in control. Not me. Him. God is in complete control of my life, and I am so thankful.

I am so excited for this new adventure and spiritual growth he has for me. I am excited to be able to impact the lives of young kids who are coming in to their faith, and to be able to connect with them and build a relationship with them to the point that they can come and talk to me with any issues or problems they are facing. As my new friend Shelly would say, "It's seriously the most AWESOME thing ever!" And I couldn't agree more.

Even just after tonight I feel so alive and excited for what is to come.

Tonight I attended the Fuse Groups which is a Jr. High small group gathering.
I was able to sit in on one of the small groups and it was so awesome to witness these young girls talk about their faith and how much they love God and how He is their loving father. How awesome is that?! An 8th grader knows how much God loves her! That fills my heart with an immense amount of joy.

I am extremely excited to see God continue to work in my life and to help me work in these kids lives. I am also excited and thankful for the people God is introducing me to and blessing me with in my life. Even with just the few people I have met who lead in the jr. high ministry makes me excited. It is so awesome to be surrounded by fellow believers and there is just a natural connection with them where I feel so comfortable and as if I have known them for years.

Oh Lord, how you work in such awesome and beautiful ways.

I am so thankful for you and for all that you have blessed me with.
Thank you for standing by my side thru all of my highs and lows. Thank you for holding me tight at times when I have felt so alone. Thank you for sacrificing yourself just so that I could be forgiven. And last but definitely not least, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for placing this wonderful opportunity in my life at just the right time. You are so good. Amen. <3

"Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God"
Ephesians 3:17-19