Wow it's been a while...

Hey!

Isn't it amazing how time runs away.  I had no idea that is has been almost three weeks since I last posted.  So sorry.

University has just started up again and I'm am constantly amazed at how God works.  On the first day back I was sitting with my friend in the lecture theater.  We randomly start talking to the girl next to us and we discovered that she is a fast Christian and was really praying for some Christian friends.  Woop woop for God!  In a class of around 500 he manages to place three people in the right place and the right time.  Now we see each other almost everyday and we are so grateful to have found yet another lovely friend. 

 

I'm studying biomedical science at university and I'm learning about genetics at the moment.  If you want your head to spin about how amazingly complex and beautiful the human body is; just study genetics.  How anyone could believe that we could of arisen by chance boggles me. I could go into a long lecture about how incredible the system is and go into all the details but I won't.  Watch the video above even if you don't have a clue.  This animation is showing what happens in the cell.  Truly incredible.

I have to go but I will try and post soon. :)

God bless!

Comparison = The root of Discontentment

I'm sure you all have heard it, and probably figured it out by now, but it's taken a real beating to my thick skull to get it into my brain: Comparison = Unhappiness.  You smarties out there are probably going, 'Uh duh Erin' but it really caught me by surprise.  I've been struggling with my personal appearance lately and I finally decided that I would just realize that I wasn't beautiful and have a poor me pity party for the last couple of weeks. You see I thought that if I realized my limits then it would help me stop worrying about it.  But it backfired.  All the time when I was telling myself to realize my lack of beauty, I was stressing about it and making myself even more depressed.  And all the time it was the comparing.  I would go to the shop and see beautiful people all around me and feel like the ugly duckling, sticking out like a sore thumb.

You remember when I told you how God whispered something to me?  Well this time it wasn't so gentle.  I'm sure he had a biblical sledgehammer smashing it's way into my brain, and I was being very stubborn.  Yesterday he yelled; 'Erin Grace you are wasting your potential by comparing yourself to all the 'beautiful' people out there.  As long as you keep comparing yourself and feeling sorry for yourself you are not useful.'  Talk about a bombshell.  Wasn't expecting that.... at all.

Then he put his arm around me and gave me a kiss on the cheek whispering tenderly; 'You are so beautiful.  In fact my silly little daughter, because I can see the wonderful woman I created you to be I died for you.  You are literally 'to die for'."  Wow! Thank you Lord. 

I'm sure you've all experienced the painful process of trying to break a bad habit.  I'm in that process now.  In fact I wrote on my hand last night: Comparison limits the usefulness of God.   Now I completely understand that God loves me unconditionally, and he doesn't compare me to anyone. God does work through people who are struggling with this issue, and it only by his amazing grace that he does, but think how much easier it must be if we are useful, willing vessels.  I want to be like that.  So remember;

COMPARISON= DISCONTENTMENT

God bless you all and remember; God thinks you're to die for. 

Erin Grace

P.S  The picture above is another one of my drawings. Drawn from 'Our Beautiful Children' taken by Silva Wischeropp

Heaven

Heaven.  It has got to be my most favorite topic ever.  I hope it isn't just me that gets excited by the thought.  

However exciting this topic is, it is also really convicting for me.  Remember the verse in Mathew 6?  

'Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.' (Mathew 6:19 ESV)

Hmmm.... that pretty much means that I should stop concentrating on getting the latest and greatest stuff down here.  Not exactly what I wanted to hear.  I know that if you have grown up in Christian family with all the teaching you would've heard about not wanting all the trappings of this world but let's get real.  As teenagers, no as humans, we desire for the latest thing that will make our lives better.  That incredible new ipod, the perfect hair, the most fashionable clothes, fancy cars, the perfect boyfriend/girlfriend... the list can go on forever.   I know that my heart longs after these things often, but look at the verse.  'Store up your treasures in heaven.'  I have often almost knocked myself out trying to get my head around concepts like; eternity, perfect, and often, heaven.  These things are so huge for my tiny little human brain to comprehend, that I feel dizzy trying to figure them out. 

I am a deep thinker.  I like to know all the details about how things are going to work, and not wanting to boast, I'm fairly quick at catching on to things.  But in all my pride all God has to do is whisper something to me, plant a thought, so simple that a child could grasp it, in my head, and all that pride comes crashing down at the foot of the cross.  

I was lying in bed the other night and this little heavenly whisper came to me. 

Heaven is waking up to real life.  

Down here on earth we get so caught up in what is happening around us, all the drama and heartbreak.  But think.... if this life is drop, then eternity is the ocean.  I want to be popular here on earth, but in reality, where would I rather be popular?  Here, for a couple of years?  Or in heaven next to Jesus for eternity, forever?  Umm.... that is a no brainer. 

So here is the challenge, what will you sacrifice to gain everything?  Is it your pride?  Is it the popularity?  Is it the beauty you are always running after?  I can assure you, that if you know Jesus personally you won't regret it.  

Walk with Jesus my friends!   

The Beauty of Art

 First week of holidays and I have accomplished one thing on my very long list of things to do.  This is a picture I drew yesterday and today.  It's not as good as I thought it would turn out but I really enjoyed the tranquility of sitting and drawing.

It makes me wonder about God's wonderful creation.  When I think about it, what I draw is a mere, (and not very good) copy of what God has already created.  The beauty of eyes, the contrast of sky against grass, all of it just adds up to be a beautiful picture of how much God loves me.  The exquisite features of babies and children is wondrous to me, and then to see those features change with a beautiful smile.  It makes me smile.  Have you ever sat and played with a little child, heard their sweet little voices ring with laughter and marvel at the beauty of it all?  Have you ever sat and listened to the birds sing on a perfect day, relaxing on a rug with your family?  I have done both and they show me how truly awe inspiring our beautiful Father is.

Now this wasn't the post that I was planning on writing, but that can wait.  Hope you all are living in the hope of Christ.

Your friend,

Erin