Today was the first day back to classes after spring break. My first class of the day was cancelled and a paper scheduled to be due Wednesday was pushed back a week. What a way to start up again! God is so gracious to me. So this afternoon, I have some time to do a bunch of homework and do some things I enjoy as well. I did some homework, and now I'm reorganizing and cleaning up my room a little bit, blogging, and I might even watch the Office or New Girl. We'll see. That might not be the best use of the time God has given me. Either way, I know without a doubt that more homework is on the agenda tonight.
I had a great spring break! Jenny and I went to Carlsbad/Oceanside and spent time with my family, and then she went back to Santa Clarita, and I stayed down with my family. Even though my spring break was so much fun, I am very tired. It was a pretty good balance of fun and relaxation, but it still wore me out a little bit. However, God provides, and He graciously gave me the strength to get through the day with a good attitude and a listening heart. I got up early this morning and did some reading and other homework. Then, I went to chapel with my lovely roommate. I missed her quite a bit! It's good to be back. I went to the rest of my classes, then came up to my room to get some work done.
I am really thankful because God really has been working on my heart lately. I can't even begin to explain all of the ways that I can see God strengthening me and molding me. He is leading me to consciously make sure my attitude is right more and more every day. Today, I was so blessed, because in a situation that would have ruined my whole week a couple months ago, I took responsibility with a kind, humble heart - not because of me, but because of God!! I could not have responded the way that I did without God's intervention in my life. It is so obvious to me that God has been changing my heart. Additionally, I saw the work of God's hand in another very apparent way today! I try to be responsible and conscious of my money. As a college student, sometimes it feels like money is slipping away from me all the time. It makes me really uneasy. Today, God opened my eyes so that I would see someone legitimately in need, He gave me the desire to help them, and He gave me the opportunity to. It wasn't anything huge at all. It was just something simple. But I am so thankful, because being able and willing to help a brother or sister in Christ is such a blessing. I know that God is working on my heart, because I would have made excuses for neglecting to help or been blind to the need in the first place a couple months ago.
Over spring break, a couple issues were running through my head. These issues are somewhat negative for me spiritually, and dwelling upon them isn't really helping, and I was considering ways to remedy them. I was thinking of creative ways to keep myself accountable and keep my mind occupied with other better things. I went to tweet about will power, then I thought about will power for a second. What a secular, godless concept! Okay, maybe not completely, but if you don't understand God and His sovereignty, it is inevitably a godless concept. If I truly believe that God is completely sovereign and I cannot do anything apart from Him, which I do, then "will power" really has no true power. The only will power that I can have is the conscious decision to pray that God will give me the desire to pray, and the desire to pray for strength to overcome any of these issues that I am dealing with. Will power won't get me anywhere without prayer. I need to bring my issues before the Lord instead of trying to overcoming them by my own strength. Will power is nothing; God's power is everything. It's good to think of ways to motivate myself and creative ways to avoid certain issues. However, the basis of my motivations needs to be my spiritual life and the basis of my actions needs to be prayer.
Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
This verse is cliche, but it's more than appropriate. I can do all things only through Christ's strength. I can do nothing by my own strength.
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