Why the Bible Never Gets Old

So many times have I heard those who've grown up in Christian homes, or even those who haven't, say "I already know this story in the Bible," or, "I've read this before.. why should I have to read this all over again?"
I've grown up in a Christian home and have had these exact same thoughts flash through my mind in my lifetime.. especially in the junior high and early high school years.

Well here's the thing:
God's Word isn't about the stories; it's about every Word.

I realized something recently in my life.. when I re-read books like Pride and Prejudice, it's not because I don't know how it's going to end. It's not because I forget what happens in the story. On the contrary, I can tell you that story backwards and forwards. I re-read that book because I wish to inhale the wording, soaking in every description and dreaming of every image.

Oh how we take for granted the gift of having the Bible in our hands, readily available and filled with beautiful descriptions of God's eternal love for us and our security in Him. "I know these stories. I get the concepts." How easy it is to fall into this mentality, forgetting the everlasting truths within it.

Each book, each chapter, each verse seems to have new beauty every time I read it. 
Within God's Word lies countless examples of God's faithfulness in other believers lives, giving us the capability to glimpse into their hearts and the opportunity to learn from each individual's unique relationship with God.
Within God's Word lies numerous truths, paving the way for our every day lives and teaching us how to daily overcome the struggles of this world ultimately for God's glory.
Within God's Word lies the most real and passionate love story ever told- God's love for mankind. A love that mankind did not deserve.

I legitimately get chills thinking about it.
I love Pride and Prejudice just as much as the next hopeless romantic, but no book has as much passion, truth, meaning, hope, and LIFE as the Word of God.
Well, that, and the Bible is inspired by God.. and well, Pride and Prejudice is.. not.

The Word is ALIVE. It's new every time I read it. It's fresh. It holds LIFE.

"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."
Hebrews 4:12

Instances and Occurrences

After a slightly stressful week (that really did not need to be as stressful as I made it), I had one of the best Friday nights in a long time.

Let me back up a bit and describe the interesting stresses of this week.
Instance #1:
I am in a television practicum where every week we create short "what's new around campus" videos that are played once a week in chapel. During class on Wednesday, I was told that I had to film and edit footage for a story. Have I mentioned that I have no videography experience, nor have I taken any videography classes?
I freaked out about this a little. Ok, I freaked out a lot. I may as well admit it now since all of my friends witnessed my sheer panic. I felt so unprepared, inexperienced, incapable, under-educated and well, just plain stupid.
So, I did what I had to do. I rented the camera (a big fancy one that made me realize what a noob I really am), emailed all of the right people and.... didn't film. Why? Because they told me the story I was covering should be covered next month instead. All I can say is, THANK YOU, LORD. (...I know there will be a next time, but we won't think about that right now).
So there you have it, folks. Wasted stress.

Instance #2:
Financial confusion.. and running around campus attempting to mend problems that I didn't even understand. In fact, I probably would not have known they were problems had not my dad inspired me with a "...if you want to stay in college," line. Just kidding; he didn't do that. But you know.

Instance #3:
These classes are hard. Why am I in college again? To be educated or to be humiliated? Maybe humiliation is part of education. I mean, hey, I usually remember exactly what I learn from embarrassing situations. Let's just say I prayed that my pride would be kept down, and God is following through. In a design class full of creative people, I have no pride. I have confusion. Confusion drizzled with a little bit of frustration and a lot of embarrassment. In a Philosophy class, confusion also is a prominent emotion. I feel as though that is one of my most felt emotions in my life... I'm not sure what that means for me regarding the rest of my life, but whoever is going to be my future husband better have some patience on him.


So what occurred this Friday night to create such a relaxing, joyful day?

God and all of the amazing people He has put in my life.

After class today, I ate lunch with a group of hilarious friends, picked up the gigantic camera and met up with my RA/friend. We talked. And by "talk," I mean crammed about eight different in-depth conversations into about an hour and a half. That's skill right there.

After that (and freaking out some more about the television practicum), I headed over to the gym with a couple of friends where I finally hit the 3 mile mark in 35 min. on the elliptical, which, no matter how hard I have tried, I have not accomplished yet (until today)! So that was exciting. I realize that for the rest of the world, this is not that exciting, but for a girl who hates running, this is a phenomena.

Came back to the dorm and had a 30 minute conversation with my sister on the phone, solely spoken in broken Arabic. Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do when it comes to having a private conversation while on a campus where it is impossible to be alone. So that was fun.

Went to my school's hockey game with some friends, where my friend Ashley and I danced to every single song that came on. Yeah, we're those people.
Went and saw "Courageous" at the dollar theater which was absolutely amazing. Go watch it.


So there it is.

Arms High, Heart Abandoned

"I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all."
(Hillsong's "The Stand")

This phrase has been ringing through my mind for over a week.
What beauty and praise comes from arms outstretched and hands emptied. Now don't get me wrong- I am by no means a "hand-raiser." I've never grown up in a church that expressed their worship in that way, and to be quite honest I don't feel comfortable raising my arms up in a church setting. In fact, I normally find it distracting.

However, I find such vivid symbolism in this simple action, especially when done in private- just God and me.

It signifies letting go of worldly desires. Letting go of my plans. Letting go of my expectations.
Letting go of myself.

"Heart abandoned"
Society tells us, "Follow your heart."
The Bible tells us that "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." (Jeremiah 17:9)
My sinful heart is to be abandoned, giving all of me to Jesus Christ, the One who can purify me fully. Instead of following this sinful heart, I will follow Jesus Christ, whose purity washes me clean. 

I truly am in awe of the One who gave it all. Who else deserves such praise and worship? 

This week is Spiritual Emphasis Week at my school, which we observe during the beginning of every semester. At tonight's service, after singing "Oh How He Loves" and "You're Beautiful" with a stadium full of fellow colleagues and believers (I'm so blessed to go to school with these people), I couldn't help but stand in complete awe, pondering that God notices me.

I struggle with often feeling incapable and helpless. I always have.
I've realized something recently though- I am incapable. I am helpless.

Without Jesus Christ, who am I? 

Who would I be without Him?

I stand amazed that He would notice me, that He does notice me.
He not only notices me, but He loves me.
He not only loves me, but He died for me.
He not only died for me, but He conquered death eternally.
He allows me to speak to Him daily and be spoken to by Him through His Word.
He is involved in my life personally.
He finds worth in me. He gives me purpose.

Insignificant me now has meaning. I'm amazed. I'm in awe.

I stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe of the One who gave it all.




"I see you there hanging on a tree
You bled and then you died 
and then you rose again for me.
Now you are sitting on Your heavenly throne
Soon we will be coming home
You’re beautiful, you're beautiful

When we arrive at eternity’s shore
Where death is just a memory and tears are no more
We’ll enter in as the wedding bells ring
Your bride will come together and we’ll sing
You’re beautiful, You're beautiful, You're beautiful"

Phil Wickham

First Week Back

So.. what has been new in my life? Well, God is faithful, but that's not really new. He always is.
The first week of classes has almost been completed.

What has occurred/is occurring during this momentous time in my life?
1. I am twenty. Crazy happening on my birthday? The girl I "happened" to sit next to in my Desktop Publishing class not only "happens" to have the same birthday as me, but she too turned twenty. But wait, there's more! Not only does she "happen" to share the exact same birthday with me, but we came to find out that we both are Journalism majors and BOTH from the same state (the state that no one knows exists). That's not all. She lives in the dorm next door to me, and she too is a prayer leader. Coincidence? I think not, hence all of the quotation marks. God is cool, but that's an understatement.

2. I have realized that I am Mac illiterate. Thankfully, this will soon change due to my forced use of them in my Copy Editing and Desktop Publishing classes. I suppose I must learn the Apple jargon sooner or later, or I may be the only Journalism major on the planet who remains totally clueless to such shenanigans.

 3. I may be in love with Gatorade. Is that normal? I hope so, because it is a reality in my life right now. Who needs a man? (That was a joke.)

4. Two interviews for two different writing-related work studies. As my dad said after I told him about the interviews, "When it rains, it pours." Whether I get either of these jobs or not, I am thankful to have been given the opportunities either way. It sparks a tab of hope within my heart, which of course, God knows I needed.

5. Stuck on The Hunger Games. Yes, I am one of those people (and quite proud of it). Some say they are the new Twilight, but I beg to differ. This trilogy has substance, plot and style. I'm only on the second book of the trilogy, but so far I highly recommend the series, especially if you are a fan of fantasy/action books (with a little romance thrown in there). Readers, get to it!

6. I am going to be involved as a script-writer for a short television segment that is shown weekly at my school's chapel service. I am pretty excited about this. Not much else to say about this except that I hope they don't throw me into videography.. or there may be much commotion.

7. Surprisingly, I am enjoying Philosophy class so far. Wow. All things are possible indeed. We shall see how long this lasts. Give it two weeks. Maybe less.

8. I realize daily that I love my major and feel completely at peace with it. I suppose that means, as far as the will of God is concerned, I am where I should be. Cannot wait to see where God leads me with all of this. My life is but an enigma.

9. The Patriots play the Ravens on Sunday. Pats, if you do not win, my many social media outlets will spammed with obnoxious comments which make me sad, therefore, please win. Also, I do not feel like watching other teams play in the Superbowl. Boring, lame and forcing me to solely watch the game for the commercials and Super Bowl parties.

10. My room has a rug! and curtains! While this may seem like a simple and slightly ridiculous truth to be excited about, one cannot imagine how much homier a dorm room becomes with such luxuries as these. The floor is no longer a pasty white color with blotchy marks that resemble the stains from chalk used for pool sticks. It has abandoned it's cold, uncomfortable feel when in bare feet. We now may sit on the floor comfortably. The window is no longer covered by simply awkward plastic shades which get stuck in strange positions. Color. Life. Comfort. Home. You name it.


So there you have it. My week.

Creative Juice Drought

I have been having the most difficult time writing in this blog lately. Somehow the time between home and school creates an awkward limbo land filled with newness, adjustment and lack of creativity. I believe the lack of creativity stems from my intense focus on these new adjustments. Therefore, my creativity has currently been suffocated.

What does one even write about when their creative juices are dried up? I guess one just reads a lot, hoping the large mass of vocabulary will seep into her brain, infiltrating her thoughts into colorful descriptions and concepts. Unfortunately, when one is a college student who must solely read textbooks involving dryly presented material, one's mind is still stifled. And by "one," I mean me (and probably other students). It's amazing how education can either smother one's sense of adventure or greatly enhance it.

This genuinely is all nonsense, yet somehow I believe there to be some underlying meaning that I cannot quite figure out. I am truly sorry for this rant, but I've been told that when you just write, thoughts will come out. Well, thoughts have certainly come out, but that definitely does not mean they're logical. Or maybe they are. I'm going to stop now before I pop a brain cell.

Second semester of sophomore year- here I come.

Reminiscing the Ranch

I wrote this article on the train ride back from camp this summer, but as usual forgot to finish it. Thankfully, I stumbled upon it when looking through my documents.

Here's a little summary of my El Rancho de Paz experiences. Enjoy!

What were my feelings coming into camp? Extreme fear. With no idea of what to expect, no prior experience, and a rush of the unknown, my entire being told me that I wouldn’t be able to handle being a counselor at El Rancho de Paz. Yet, while the physical told me I would be unable, the spiritual assured me that God was bringing me here for a reason, and He wouldn’t leave me to face the summer alone (which would be a recurring theme in my life this summer).
            What are my feelings now that the summer has come to a close? Absolute awe. In the words of one of our favorite camp songs, “I stand to praise You as I fall on my knees.” God proves faithful over and over, and this summer God’s faithfulness exceeded my expectations beyond the imagination.
            As the summer began, staff training definitely broke off a lot of the initial fears of camp regarding staff unity and camp dynamics. I was immediately comforted by the fact that the rest of the staff was just as crazy and weird as I was, and that their passion for God and people went above and beyond my expectations. The summer continued, and I never ceased to learn, though much of the time I did not willingly volunteer the lessons upon myself. I was forced to try some camp activities that I would normally avoid in a day in the life of Lena (such as paintball, climbing the tower, and fire building), and by the end of the summer, I can venture to say, I even enjoyed these activities.

            Many of the occurrences that I assured myself would be the death of me ended up being the most outrageously fun experiences I have had since I was little tyke, or maybe even ever. Although many of my fellow staff members may have started off with the assumption that many of the activities weren’t a big deal for me, my family and friends from back home were shocked, and maybe even appalled at the fact that I would, God forbid, stomp through a pond of mud with middle school girls, or go on a “toad hike” in the woods with junior-aged campers, catching toads like warriors and singing to them like friends.

One of my favorite memories from LIT week was our “rebellious” attempt to sneak out after lights out and go for a late night swim, mysteriously sifting through the bunkhouse doors two at a time, crawling behind the bunkhouse like secret agents, and darting towards the pool like we were to have the last swim of our lives. Wonderfully enough, since my campers had no idea that I’m not a natural rule-breaker, I convinced the girls that if we were caught, I would most definitely, without-a-doubt get fired; this of course added an extra measure of fear and intensity to the situation. As Mr. Steve “caught” us in the pool, I will never forget the girls’ reactions which started out as expressions of fear and remorse, slowly transforming to laughter and the beauty of the fact that they had been “punk’d.” This was definitely an incident I will always remember, as I’m sure will all the LIT ladies.

            While I enjoyed most of the camp activities, the experiences which I will remember and re-tell for the rest of my life are the ones involving the spiritual growth in campers, staff, and myself, which I was blessed enough to witness and sometimes be used in. While at El Rancho de Paz, I saw campers open up their hearts to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I saw teenaged girls, broken in their insecurities and past experiences, pouring out their hearts and breaking through their self-built barriers (myself included). I witnessed the sanctuary that El Rancho acts as in the lives of many, and the impact one camp can have in the hearts and souls of children, teenagers, and young adults of all different backgrounds, experiences, personalities, and ages.  

            All throughout the summer, each week seemed to bring different trials and life-lessons to the table, growing both the campers and the staff as a whole. The last week in particular (junior-middle), I was blessed enough to experience first-hand three middle school girls in my group accepting Christ and two rededicating their lives to Christ. To the rest of the world, five exists as a minor number in comparison to the millions of teenagers in the world, or even to the hundreds of campers El Rancho de Paz receives every summer, but to me, these five girls’ decisions may very well have been the most incredible, beautiful experiences I have ever witnessed in my own personal life.

            I thank God for the people I got to know, the lessons I got to learn, and the situations I got to experience. El Rancho de Paz opened a new window in my mind, not only teaching me about God’s creation but also about life through the drastically diverse people I came in contact with. I do believe that The Ranch has left a permanent mark on my life, and I know that I will carry with me every moment experienced during the summer of 2011 at El Rancho. God is good, and that is all there is to it.

316 yards

I can't help myself. I must jump on the social media band wagon and write my heart out about Tim Tebow. What difference will one blog post make among a sea of "TIM TEBOW!!!!" facebook statuses and tweets. (That little "caps moment" was not only necessary to reverberate the emotion of twitter and facebook tonight, but also to release a little pent up excitement within me. I suppose I must just come clean with the blogging world.)

He has his haters. He has his adoring fans. Why?
Because he's a man of conviction.
Tim Tebow believes something and stands for it openly.
Tebow knows the immeasurable value of his faith (which is not just some eery magical good luck charm, as most declare it to be).
He realizes the influence he can have on the world through his humble testimony, pointing any victory to God. He rightfully declares his gifts to be God-given, providing the world with live footage of God's grace and a human's ability to recognize this grace.

Gentlemen, Tim Tebow knows where it's at, so please take notes.
This is a man to be admired. Tebow is what I would consider an example of a godly man who knows how to use his God-given talents to proclaim God's glory, taking advantage of the opportunities and situations he has fallen into.
Tebow is not ashamed of his faith- he relishes in it.
Tebow does not bask in his talent or fame- he turns it into Christ's fame.
Tebow does not cower in fear- he stands strong in joy of his Savior.

While he may be a rarety of a man, these men do exist. They may not all be football superstar quarterbacks, but they exist. Tebow has simply been blessed with the means to easily proclaim his Savior publicly.

To the individuals out there who also produce these qualities in their every day lives, no matter your profession, situational means, background, talents or whatever:
Keep living your life for God's glory- unashamed, excited, passionate, with perseverance.
The world notices, whether on a big screen T.V. or just among a small group of acquaintances.
They notice. They wonder. They're searching.

Let us show them how great our God is.

That is all.