Ashes to Beauty...

First of all, I can not believe that it has been almost an entire MONTH since the last time I posted anything. This last month of school has been such a whirlwind with finishing the semesters school work, working, and in just a few days...GRADUATION!!! This Saturday, May 12th, 2012 has been in the making for 6 years! I can honestly say that I never thought this day would ever come. I can think back to when I graduated high school in 2006 thinking I would just stay at home in NJ to finish my degree first at a community college and then at a local 4 year college. It was my mother who was the one to push me to the point of making the decision to move away to college just to get that experience of living away from home. I am eternally grateful for my mother in pushing me to take the leap of faith and move to Virginia  for school.
The last few weeks has given me a chance to reflect on the last 3.5 years here at Liberty University. I can still remember vividly my very first day on campus and how scared and overwhelmed I was to leave home for the first time. It wasn't like I was going to summer camp for a week...I was about to step into the next stage of this little thing called life! It was within those first couple of weeks my RA and now good friend Magin Mills gave me a scripture verse that has stuck with me during my years here. "I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me STRENGTH."- Philippians 4:13.
While reflecting over the last few weeks on my time at Liberty, I have been in awe of how mighty the Lords healing hand has been upon my heart and soul. I think about some of the women in the Bible and one person I can relate to and resonate with is Mary! God took a little girl Mary who was a no-body and made her a somebody! And that somebody just happened to be the mother of the God I serve! How stinking cool!!! Like Mary, when I came to Liberty back in January 2009, I was a nobody, I saw no significance in myself, didn't believe I could ever graduate from college because that is all I was ever told by teachers and counselors growing up. But God had other plans to prove those people wrong. It was my faith in God that He could be the one to transform and re-mold my heart, I had to choose to rest in His free grace and love, and He could take my life and give me a purpose. And this is exactly what He has done. He has taken my ashes and has made them beautiful....and will continue to make them into a master piece.
Leaving Liberty in less than a week now is becoming very bitter sweet. This place has been my home for 3.5 years. I have gained a second family here through my church, friends, co-workers and professors. I will miss almost everything about this place but I am also very excited to see what God has in store for the future. This place has almost been a "pruning" stage of life and now I am ready to jump this launching pad into the next stage of life. It is fascinating to look back now and see the journey God has taken me on to get to where I am today and I could tell you stories for days. There is one lady I could not have done it without though and that is my little mama, everyone knows her as "Ma Ping". Without her support, love and encouragement, I would not have been able to do this. What better way to celebrate Mothers Day weekend this year than walking across that stage Saturday and thanking her for helping me get to the other side!

Ping-ism for today- We don't know the plans that God has in store for us down the road, we aren't even promised tomorrow. Believe that God is the author and perfecter of our faith, He is the one writing our stories...to bring Him glory. To God be all the glory, for taking ashes and making them beautiful.

Hope.

Question...Have you ever thought to yourself, "why God?", "God I can't do it.", "God why have you been so hard on me?", "God why does it have to be my parents getting a divorce?", "God, I’d rather you just take me instead.", “God why did you have to wake up again?”…Yes…I just went there…partly because I have been there…and you know you have too. Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with what God has put on your plate that you would rather through in the towel and not deal with any of it? Yes. I know we all have been there at some point or another to some extent. I know I have...multiple occasions. You tend to ask yourself if you are the only one who is having these same thoughts, feelings and prayers. Well I want you to know that you are NOT the only one!

Matthew 11:28-30 says “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” This verse has recently become a soundboard in my life for many different reasons. Looking back on my life this far, I can remember multiple occasions where I pray to God that He would just put me to sleep for good. There was a period in my teen years where I walked through a very dark valley. I was dealing with different issues that every teen girl goes through. From a young age I battled depression as well as other issues. There was one thing I didn’t have growing up that has dramatically changed my life today and that is the Lord.

Now today as I continue on this journey called life, with every valley that comes my way I can run to the Lord. With the verse in Matthew, it talks about in times when there is a burden in your life or on your heart that is so heavy that you can't stand it anymore, you can go to the Lord with it and HE will take it to heart. God wants us to take our burdens to Him when we are in time of trouble. When we do this act of obedience, God who is gentle and humble at heart will give us REST for our souls. In this current valley that I reside in with my family, I cling to the promises of God in Matthew 11 that God will give me rest when my heart is heavy. I have learned that God does not waste a single tear; HE can take your pain and give you a purpose.  Satan is not more powerful than God but he is more powerful than you. When you hit a rock bottom, that is where God meets you and is able to recreate you with His promises. He loves you enough to not let you stay where you are at. And in this, I am thankful I can find Hope. 


Ping-ism for today: Bring whatever is heavy on your heart today to the foot of Jesus. He is all powerful and so incredibly faithful. He loves you more than you can comprehend. 

New Beginnings.

Here we go...I'm blogging people. Thanks to the inspiration of my cousin Brittney, I have fallen into the world of "Blogging". Question though...what is your definition of blogging? What is blogging? The way I look at it is a way to share with others something that has been laid on your heart. I am not sure if I will do this on a daily, weekly or maybe even twice a week basis. Testing the waters :) Recently God has been teaching me so much about life, myself, and others I am surrounded with. The roller coaster of life is an exciting one and I am excited to share it with you all through this blog.
I decided to title this blog post "New Beginnings" because this is exactly what God has been teaching me and continues to every day. With a new beginning sometimes brings the word "forgiveness". Through a recent shift in everyday life I have really had to pray over the word forgiveness. Forgiving someone of pain they have caused is very painful yet so freeing at the same time. This does not discredit the act that caused pain or makes it ok. Forgiving someone simply says that you understand the shoes they are standing in and can still show them the love of Christ and move on. I really like what it says in 1 Peter 4:8, "Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it." It is so easy to hold a grudge or be filled with bitterness towards the individual who caused such pain and chaos. Because we have been forgiven first, we must forgive others; even the ones closest to our hearts. New Beginnings.


***At the end of every post, I would like to leave you with a challenge. To spice it up a little I will be calling the "challenge" "Ping-ism for today". :)

Ping-ism for today: Call your parents, tell them you love them and then love on a stranger today. We don't know what's going on in their lives. They could use a smile, pat on the back or a word of encouragement from someone they don't know. You never know how it will impact their day or week. :)