Hearts to Trust, Minds to Rest

Hearts to Trust, Minds to Rest
by Charles R. Swindoll

Cast your burden upon the LORD 
and He will sustain you; He will never 
allow the righteous to be shaken.
Psalm 55:22

God has entrusted to us a great deal.

He knows that we can do all things by His grace, so He's trusting in us to trust in Him. Yet He knows our fears as well, otherwise He wouldn't assure us so often of His purposes and His presence.

We feel hurt and alone---God assures us He cares.

We feel angry and resentful---God provides wisdom and strength.

We feel ashamed---God grants forgiveness and comfort.

We feel anxious---God promises to supply all our needs.

May He give us ears to hear, hearts to trust, and minds to rest in Him. Our God is uniquely and ultimately trustworthy! 

Excerpted from Charles R. Swindoll, Wisdom for the Way (Nashville: J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2001). Copyright © 2001 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Small Group

What I think is so funny about our small group is that we actually have to have a discussion about cutting short the time because there's just too much to talk about and too much of God's goodness to share. We actually have to give ourselves a limit of when to end because its' been a constant thing that everyone is extremely exhausted the next day but the night before was always worth it. God is good.

God did it again!

Today, I was offered the position and position accepted! God is crazy, this is TOTALLY not my doing but God's work and His alone. Start date is the first of April. No one in the office knows yet besides the selected few, but man oh man. I don't have that really anxious excited feeling I normally have, but for some reason, I feel at peace about all of this.

So my angel wrote me a little card today:

"Congratulations! It will be such a blessing to have you!

God is SO awesome!

Jesus did it all for you!

Praise Him!

Do you really know how special you are to God!

Someday, I'm going to tell it all!"

We briefly talked about it today and wow, this person's name was not mentioned at all in the midst of all this during the interview process. She said she was going to let God rock, and he did! God really did send me an angel in this season of my life. He always puts the right people in the right places in my life, as long as I trust him.

I can't help it though, as a limited human being, I have so much anxiety, but God, I trust you.

Least of These

I'm always encouraged when people do little things to help others.

As I was walking towards the train to school with a coworker yesterday, she walked by this homeless man and said hi to him. She knew his name and she says hi to him all the time because she walks down the same block all the time. She'll offer him coffee every so often or share whatever she has on him. She also knows the name of the guy who sits in front of the deli we go to every day.

Every time I walk by these people, I always want to do something but the difference between other people and I is that I don't do it. And after a while, after seeing them a couple of times, I feel ashamed that I don't give them anything or even greet them that it's hard to even initiate a conversation.

Last night after class, I waiting with a classmate for her bus and my other half said that he was in burger  king. I ran to burger king because I wanted him to come out to meet my friend because I talk about both of them to each other time but they never met each other in person. Anyway, my other was buying a meal and he asked me if I could wait outside for a couple of minutes. I was confused because he didn't give me any more details. In turns out that he was buying the meal for the man who was going to be sleeping on the 7 train for the rest of the night. It broke his heart to hear that so he made conversation with him and bought him something to eat.

It melts my heart that there are people who care.

Prayers Answered

As we were going around to share prayer request at small group this week, one of the small group members voiced that every since we started this small group, every prayer that was requested have been answered. They have prayed for their friend who had cancer (leukemia), his own health (which was deteriorating for a couple of months), his job (leaving one and finding a better one), his friend (with substance abuse problems) and it goes on and on. Each of these prayer requests were pretty serious issues and each and every single prayer requests have been answered. The friend with cancer was healed, his health has gotten so much better and he's just about back to normal, he found a better job, his friend who was a substance abuser finally called him after a couple of years of not contacting him. After hearing all of that, we had nothing else to say but wow, God is good.

Anxiety Provoking Issues

The past couple of months, finances have been such a big issue for me because there are so many transitions there are going to happen in life in the next couple of months and I feel like financially, I don't know how we were going to live with the amount that we were making and the amount we have in general. A couple of weeks ago during life coaching class, while I was talking during peer coaching exercise, mentally, I decided to give over my anxieties to God because I couldn't do anything on my own. I casted my worries on him because I felt so hopeless.

The same week, a lady walked up to me before work and told me that if she didn't share with me what she had to tell me, she was going to burst. It turned out she had been praying for me for about three weeks because there's a job opening and when she was praying for that position to be filled, God showed her my face. We don't talk, as a matter of fact, we've passed each other by just about every day for the past almost two years and the most we've probably interacted with each other was a "hi". So when God first showed her my face, she did not say a word because she wanted God to confirm that it was me that he was showing. She encouraged me to apply for the job and we departed ways.

That night, I spoke to the other about it and was verbally processing my thoughts out loud to him because I was in such a dilema. I loved the job I had now because I love the people I'm working with and this job was a position I never thought I would want to fill. While he heard my story, he discerned that it was a God-thing. As a continued to ramble on, something clicked..

"Whoah... I think God is answering my prayers."

So I thought about it and realized that it was just earlier in the week where I gave over my anxieties to God. That same week, he sent someone to talk to me and encourage me.

That Sunday, we had a bible study on angels speaking to people. I came up with the conclusion that God sent an angel to encourage and speak to me, how crazy.

Anyway, by the end of the week, I took some time to fix my resume and submitted it.

This past Wednesday, the director walked up to my cubicle and said that his supervisor is here today and he was wondering if I had time to sit down with them. I looked super tired that day and I was totally out of it, no make-up, no preparation but I said what the heck, if this is from God, I'll go with it and interview with them. After all, it's all in God's hands. With the director and his supervisor, I ended having almost an hour conversation with them and it went well. I didn't feel like I had to hide anything but both parties said whatever they had to say and they said they would contact me via email after interviewing other people.

At work yesterday, a coworker came up to me and whispered, "Joan, are you switching positions?" I looked at her with a confused face because I didn't tell anyone besides one or two people that I was planning to apply for this position. And she was like, "Did you apply for this position?" and I was like, "How did you know?" And she said a little birdy told her. Anyway, I told her my situation and what pushed me to apply. She said it's definitely from God and although I love the team I'm apart of now, God will move me where he wants to move me. If he wants me back on the same team, he'll do it. Because she came to talk to me, it seems like there's already some talk around this office between the higher ups and right now, I definitely believe God is working things out for me and I truly don't have to worry.

I always come up with no other conclusion but that God is real, God is alive, he knows our hearts and for as long as I put my trust in him, he'll work things out for good.

Well.. a couple of weeks from now, I'll update with what actually happened. But whatever happens, I was definitely encouraged by how God works things out.

it's also funny because I'm in the process of looking for an internship, and that seems to be harder. Many students have already attained their internship and it seems like I'm still having such a hard time, but I got to trust God with this one too. I can't keep on acting in the place of God thinking that I have everything under control, because I don't. GAH!

Car Accident

Last week, I got into a car accident and I could've blamed it on a million and one things like stress, anxiety, being in a rush, driving carelessly, studying for a final exam, exhaustion. Whatever it is, I'm just grateful God saved my life because the accident could've been a whole lot worse considering the way the car turned out.

After the accident, I went to school to take my final exam and then I left soon after. A classmate texted me later on and said that another classmate, who I hardly talk to, told the class that God told her the night before that I was going to get into an accident and so she prayed for my safety. Thank God that there are other people praying for me because it could've been worse.

Dog Cat

The other day, the other and I were driving and had to stop in the middle of the road for two cats. We flashed our headlights at them. They turn around to stare at us and go back to their own business. We honked at them. They glared at us and turned back to each other again. The white cat was meowing really loudly at the black cat. Later on, I realized that the black cat was injured. Since we couldn't move, we figured to video them to see what would happen. All of a sudden, a big orange dog-like cat came in the scene and scared the two cats away after attacking the white cat. It was so sad and I was speechless afterwards.

Picture

About a year ago, a couple of students from Nyack College were asked to partake in a photo shoot for marketing purposes. I stumbled upon one picture that got posted!

Faith VS. No Faith

We were asked to read half of the book of Matthew this past week and the topic prayer and faith had stuck out to me those. One of the reasons why it stuck out to me was because the week prior, one of them said that he realized we’ve all been praying wrong. The Bible says pray as if you have already received it.

While I was reading, I jotted down verses that indicated a person who had faith versus a person who did not have faith. I also jotted down other versus I thought was interesting.

8:3 – FAITH – man with leprosy – “If you are willing…. I am willing.”

8:5 – FAITH – Roman officer – “Just say the word.”

8:14 – HEALED through the faith of others – Sick mother in law – “Jesus touched her hand.”

8:16 – HEALED through the faith of others – “Demon possessed people brought to Jesus.”

8:25 – NO FAITH – disciples – “Lord save us! We’re going to drown.”

8:31 – interesting – “If you case us out, case us in a eard of pigs.”

9:2 – HEALED through the faith of others – paralyzed man – “Seeing their faith…”

9:7 – interesting – Jesus just said, “Stand up!”

9:14 – NO FAITH – John’s disciple asked about fasting.

9:18 – FAITH – “You can bring her back to life again.

9:21 – FAITH – “If you can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”

9:23 – NO FAITH – funeral music

9:28 – FAITH – “Do you believe?” “Yes Lord, we do.”

9:32 – Demon possessed man couldn’t sleep, healed.

9:38 – FAITH – Pray to the Lord who is in charge and ask him.
10:13 – You can take back your blessing from unworthy homes (lol)

10:20 – Don’t worry about what to say, right word and right time.

11:20 – If people don’t repent after prayers are answered, God’s not coming back.

12:13 – Just to prove to Pharisees he could do good on Sabbath, he healed shriveled hand man.
12:22 – Blind and mute demon possessed man, healed.

12:25 – Jesus knows our thoughts

12:38 – Teacher, we want to see a sign from you… never ask for one!

I asked, and they said "yes"!

Here's an intro to my bridal party!

1. 
   Annie -- We've been best friends since birth. She's been a part of almost every single chapter of my life. Hence why she's my maid of honor. 
   
   
2. 
   Carmen -- We've known each other since HS. We're now in the same program in graduate school. It's amazing how the transitions in our lives are bringing us closer than ever. She's a newly wed! 
   
   
3. 
   Cindy -- We've know each other since 2nd grade. She's always been an older sister to me. 
   
   
4. 
   Florence -- We've known each other since HS. She's my mini-me. I'm taller, she's shorter, but we have so much in common in so many ways. She's also a newly wed! 
   
   
5. 
   Melissa -- We've known each other since college. She's my kindred soul. We made our first bond over a tough period in our lives. 
   
   
6. 
   Mindy --  We've known each other since 2nd grade. She's my soul sister; 2013 marks our 10th year anniversary. 
   
   
7. 
   Rae -- We've known each other since HS. She's my best friend from HS. If it wasn't for her, I don't know how I would've survived HS in LI. 
   
   
8. 

   Vicky -- We've known each other for about 2-3 years. She's my partner in crime in the ministry, we have an odd and humorous relationship. 
   
   

I chose you guys according to the different stages of my life: 

1. 
   Annie & Rae -- These two girls I used to spend most of my leisure time with before we all got jobs and got busy. In the group of guys we'd hang out with, these would be the only other female friends that were there. 
   
   
2. 
   Carmen & Florence -- These two girls are best friends. I met them around the same time and since then, we bonded in many ways. Both of them got married to their significant others less than six months.
   
   
   
3. Cindy & Mindy -- These two girls are sisters. For all of my life, they've always treated me as one of their own, they've become my real sisters.
   
   
4. 
   Melissa & Vicky -- These two girls I do most ministry with. We started our bond together through serving together. In the same way, if these girls were not around, I would be the only girl in a group of guys who serve. Thank God for them.