Well, at the beginning of the year I resolved to stop procrastinating, memorize the book of James, and learn to love jogging..... SO far I have put off a million things, I've only memorized the first 3 verses (i'm supposed to memorize 2 a week) and I HATE jogging! I love how idealistic I am New Year's Eve, and then January 2 rolls around all my plans fly out the window. I think part of the problem is my personality. I hate being made to do things. When I make rules for myself saying you have to do blah, blah, and blah I end up giving up because usually I don't see any eternal value in my "rules."
School starts Monday, and I'm super excited. It's my second to last semester.... I can see the finish line...haha. I'm not sure WHAT i'm gonna do when I graduate. I have faith that God will put me exactly where he wants me to be .
It's only the 10th of January, and I have already been given so many blessings! Lets start with the one that's most evident on my facebook page:
In November I went to itickets.com to look up when Tenth Avenue North would be coming to Houston when I saw that David Crowder was coming in January. I was soo excited because c'mon DCB..'nuff said. Anyways, On Monday, I decided to call the church to see if the concert was free or if you had to pay money at the door because there wasn't any ticketing information on itickets.com. When I called the receptionist and asked about the concert she informed me that the concert sold out when it first when on sale to the church members. I was soo crushed. Seriously, I felt my heart drop! I couldn't believe that DCB would be in Houston, and I wouldnt be able to go. I'm used to going to whatever concerts I want, whenever I want. So, I really thought that would be the end of the story. However, on Tuesday, I had a dream that I was at the concert and it really bummed me out. I tried to push it outta my head, but I couldn't. On Wednesday I decided to call the church and see if I could volunteer to be an usher or work at the merchandise table or volunteer for anything. I just wanted to help and be there! Unfortunatley, all those positions had also been filled. So, i thought "mayra, you've done all that you can do. let it go." but you know me. I couldn't! So i went to the church website and I e-mailed the youth pastor. I asked her if she knew if there was any possible way i could buy a ticket to the concert and Lo and Behold SHE KNEW SOMEONE WHO WAS TRYING TO GET RID OF A TICKET. You can just imagine how happy I was. I called Melissa and asked her if I could please buy her ticket, but she refused to sell it. She wanted to GIVE it to me. Not only that, but she wanted to give me 3 FREE tickets. That woman was a total blessing. How many people can get 3 tickets to a private sold out show? The concert was amazing. I lost my voice. You can check out the footage on my youtube page. I was also able to meet David for the second time in the past year. He didn't remember me, but that's to be expected. I bet he meets thousands of people a year.
That whole experience helped me learn 2 important lessons. 1. Humbling yourself and begging. E-mailing the youth pastor was really a hard decision, but it was worth it. It was hard because I don't really like asking people for help/things. Maybe it's a pride issue? 2. The Lord delights in me when I delight in him. Does that make sense? I mean honestly, he meets my every need! MY EVERY NEED. I just had a revelation. I think I'm gonna start a blog about all the positive things that happen to me so I can remember when I'm having a bad day. I mean I already have a private blog about my "lamentations" I might as well do the opposite.
This blog is a lot longer than I originally intended, but I'm gonna go ahead and quickly list the other ways that the Lord has blessed me this year.
* The Lord helped me meet my financial aid needs for college
* My dad gave me a new car
* I got a job, possibly substitute teaching.
* Connected with people that I havent seen in awhile!
* and the biggest thing is I think I found a home @ a new church!!!
So far, It's been smooth sailing =)
I pray that it stays that way.
I truly feel that the Lord has great things in store for me in '09.
Psalm 103 Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And all that is within me, bless His holy name.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
And forget none of His benefits;
Who pardons all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases;
Who redeems your life from the pit,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion;
Who satisfies your years with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle.
The LORD performs righteous deeds
And judgments for all who are oppressed.
He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the sons of Israel.
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
So great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
So the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.
For He Himself knows [c]our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
When the wind has passed over it, it is no more,
And its place acknowledges it no longer.
But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children's children,
To those who keep His covenant
And remember His precepts to do them.
The LORD has established His throne in the heavens,
And His sovereignty rules over all.
Bless the LORD, you His angels,
Mighty in strength, who perform His word,
Obeying the voice of His word!
Bless the LORD, all you His hosts,
You who serve Him, doing His will.
Bless the LORD, all you works of His,
In all places of His dominion;
Bless the LORD, O my soul!
