Patience

Just about everyone has read the verses in 1 Corinthians 13 most commonly referred to as the love verses, but have you ever stopped and thought about them? The first qualification of love is that it is patient. This makes it pretty clear to me what God thinks about the subject. When you write an essay in school, you are always told to open with a phrase that will catch people's attention and introduce your topic. This is exactly what happened with these verses. A lot of times it is too easy for us to struggle with waiting for love. As we get older we friends that are our age who are getting engaged, married or having a baby. I don't know about everyone else, but with every engagement or marriage that I hear about, I wonder why I haven't found that special person yet. Jealousy keeps me from being truly happy for the couple. Today I have started to change my prayers. Instead of asking God to bring me that special someone, I now ask for him to help be patient until the day comes when I am ready to have that forever kind of love. The kind of love that is talked about in 1 Corinthians. I believe that becoming more patient now when I am still waiting for that love, I will essentially be preparing my heart for it. I encourage you to pray for patience as well.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
-Ashlee

1 Corinthians 13

 ¹ If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.
 ⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 ⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹ When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
 ¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

*courtesy of www.biblegateway.com

Stand

Sorry it's been a few days since my last post. I've been traveling all over the countryside. :) My family went to the mountains to visit my great-grandparents for Christmas and I came home knowing more than ever that the Smokey Mountains is where I want to live after I get out of college.

Today I was reading when I came across a statement about everyone needing a reason to stand. As I read that, I stopped and thought, that's what my blog will be about. Too often we forget that we need to not only be willing to stand for something, we need to actually do it. Don't push it off thinking that you can always stand up for it later. There might not be a later or the opportunity might pass.

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong."
-1 Corinthians 16:13

Don't be afraid to stand for what you know is right. God gave you good sense and the ability to defend it. Use both and you will always be good.

You're Fellow Water Walker
-Ashlee

After The Commons

A lot of times, we see the same verses over and over. Everyone who has ever been to Sunday School knows John 3:16, but only a handful of those people know John 3:17. Lately I've seen the verse Jeremiah 29:11 everywhere I look. I must admit it is one of my favorite verses and I even have it posted on my computer for inspiration. Today, I was flipping through the bible I got for Christmas (EEK!) and found myself randomly curious as to what comes after this specific verse. And of course I love the next two verses just as much as the starting verse.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
11: "For I know the plans I have for you" this is the Lord's declaration, "plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
12: You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
13: You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

Isn't that an amazing promise? God promises to us that he will listen to you when you pray to Him and you will find Him when you seek Him. It doesn't get better than that. What more could you possibly ask for?

God knows what He is doing. All you have to do is trust and follow Him.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
-Ashlee

Gone Too Soon

Today has had a very somber theme for me: Gone Too Soon. As we get older we find more and more instances of those that were taken at an age that is not a traditionally acceptable age for death. My first encounter with this tragedy was when an older student died in a car wreck when I was a freshman in high school. Later that some year, a classmate of mine lost her fight with cancer. As sad as both of those were, I didn't know the first student so once the black ribbons disappeared there was no real change in my day to day life, and the second student had been battling cancer for quite some time before her death so it couldn't really be considered a surprise. Both were horrible tragedies, don't get me wrong, and I honestly believed that both would be the closest-hitting young death that I would encounter.

Unfortunately, I was proven wrong just two years later. A girl that had been one of my best friends through elementary and middle school, and even up until ninth grade. Even after we grew apart, we stayed friends, text-ing and IM-ing at random times to catch up on what was going on in each others lives. I can still tell you exactly what happened the day that I was called out of my first period class so that my dad (who was working with the Sheriff's Office at the time and had been called to the scene) could tell me that my friend had been killed in a car wreck on her way to school. She was pregnant at the time and had just started turning her life back around, finally having things start to look up for her again. Today would have been her 20th birthday. Visiting her grave to place flowers there in her memory was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. I wish with all I have that I could have been calling her up to tell her happy birthday instead. Or even better, giving her a huge hug.

Now there is a girl that I graduated with that found out today that her older sister was murdered. I have no way of even fathoming what her family must be going through. However I do know that their pain will ease. God has a plan. We don't know what that is right now, but over the course of time it will be revealed to us. I only hope that that knowledge can bring them some kind of hope. It will without a doubt be the hardest Christmas season for them, but with God's help they will make it through.

The statistics for this blog tell me that people are reading this, so I am asking one thing of my readers: Pray. Pray that this family will find comfort. Pray that justice will be carried out. Pray that God's Will will be followed. Basically, just Pray.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
Ashlee

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding"
Proverbs 3:5

Your True Home

There is only one week until Christmas and it is no wonder that tonight's post is inspired by a Christmas song. Almost every time I have turned on the radio in the past month I have heard the song "(There's No Place Like) Home For The Holidays" by Perry Como. This song brings out a lot of emotions for me.

Christmas has always been a time that I associated with being home and visiting family that I might not have seen in several months, or even possibly since the previous Christmas. My parents have been divorced and both have remarried since I was 5. This equals a lot of family to visit on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. My sister and I have developed a routine of sorts for our Christmas celebrations, traveling from house to house for different meals in order to visit with every one. This year, however, everything is changing. Traditional dinners have been moved to a different date and we are traveling out of state to visit with family that we haven't seen in years in a town that my sister and I have never been to. On top of all that, my sister and I moved out of my mother's house over the summer and aren't exactly on speaking terms with her. So where does that leave us on the whole "there's no place like home for the holidays" thing? Are we the exception? And where do we call home when our hearts are searching for just that? When searching for scripture to ease my mind, I came across Psalm 91. Though I had heard the first part of the psalm before I don't remember ever reading the end of the psalm. This is the part that really stuck me. I'm included it below in hopes that you will find reassurance in it like I did. When the world around us only holds questions, God holds answers. He is the only home we need, whether we are searching for somewhere to call our home or if we have the "perfect" early home. Remember that and you will always find refuge in the Lord.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
-Ashlee

Psalm 91:9-16
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling,
¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent.
¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways;
¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”

Too Much Time Has Passed....

Wow. I can't believe I went so long between posts. So much has changed in such little time. I am back at home for Christmas. My roommate moved back home for good so now I'm waiting to see who my new roommate will be. Two of my other friends have announced that they will not be back at school next semester. It's been a season of good-byes here lately.

All of these good-byes bring to mind one thing. In life, we have many people pass through our stories, only staying for a few pages or chapters before leaving again. It is sometimes really easy to forget these brief encounters, yet other times it is near impossible. There is a song in the popular Broadway musical, Wicked, named "For Good" in which the two lead characters explain to each other that while they don't know whether they have been changed for better or worse by the other person, or even whether they will see each other again, but that they do know that they have been changed for good. That is how I feel about these three girls that I have said good-bye to in the past couple of weeks. I hope with all of my heart that the last time I saw them isn't the last time I will ever see them, but even if it is, I know that they each came into my life for a reason. I have learned something from each of them and hope that I will always have them in my life.

No matter who you say good-bye to in your life, always remember that God will never leave you. It is his promise to you that he will always be with you. Humans come and go, and times will not always be easy, you can be sure of both of these things. But without a doubt, you have every certainty that God will NEVER leave you. He is beside you today, guiding you and protecting you through every step you take. If you feel distant from God, I can guarantee you this: It was you that put the distance there. God wants to pull you closer to him. Don't resist.

So tell me, how have some of the good-byes you have had to make shaped you? Are you a stronger person today because of a tough good-bye you made in the past?

"Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.'"
-Matthew 19:14

Your Fellow Water Walker, 
Ashlee

Back at College

I have spent all day trying to figure out what to write today. You would think that between my morning devotional, 2 Sunday School lessons, a great sermon, and a nightly devotional, I would have been able to figure it out a lot easier than I did. Nonetheless, it finally came to me when I was searching for a verse of encouragement for one of my best friends who is going through a tough time right now. What I found is a simple blog that deals with doubts and praise, something that we all go through at some point and time in our lives. Instead of expanding on it, I'm going to just post the psalm below. Feel free to comment me with what your response to what the psalmist is saying.

May God guide all of you this week. I'll be praying.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
-Ashlee

Psalm 42
 ¹ As the deer pants for streams of water,
   so my soul pants for you, my God.
² My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
   When can I go and meet with God?
³ My tears have been my food
   day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”
⁴ These things I remember
   as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
   under the protection of the Mighty One^[d]
with shouts of joy and praise
   among the festive throng.
 ⁵ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.
 ⁶ My soul is downcast within me;
   therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
   the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.
⁷ Deep calls to deep
   in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
   have swept over me.
 ⁸ By day the LORD directs his love,
   at night his song is with me—
   a prayer to the God of my life.
 ⁹ I say to God my Rock,
   “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
   oppressed by the enemy?”
¹⁰ My bones suffer mortal agony
   as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
   “Where is your God?”
 ¹¹ Why, my soul, are you downcast?
   Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
   for I will yet praise him,
   my Savior and my God.

*New International Version

Beautiful Feet

I love it when what I am supposed to be reading leads me to something I "need" to be reading. What's the difference? Quite simple. What I am "supposed" to be reading is what is listed for me in my devotional, on some one's facebook wall, or in some blog that I read. What I "need" to be reading, however, would be the verses that I find because something catches my eye when I'm reading and leads me to a verse that truly speaks to my heart. Today that was found in Romans.

"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
-Romans 10:14-15

If that's not a call to missions, I don't know what is! I know I'm being called into missions. That's why I have signed up to go to Peru in August and that's why I'm writing this blog. These verses speak to me more right now than the verses I was supposed to be reading about Grace. That's not saying that missions is more important than grace, because let's face it, without grace there would be no need for missions. I'm simply saying that sometimes God points out the verses to you that you need to read the most.

What are some of the verses that God has led you to in your devotional time?

Your Fellow Water Walker,
Ashlee

What good is it?

It is now 9:30 p.m. on Black Friday and I am just starting to write... I've been up since 1:00 a.m. I apologize for any craziness.

If there is one thing that Black Friday can teach you is how crazy people can get over material things. As Christians we should not be focused on the material, but as most of us know, it is very easy to get drawn into the excitement over some sale that is once in a lifetime type deal. I'll admit that I become one of those people sometimes on Black Friday. I woke up at 1 so i could leave my house by 2:30 to drive over an hour to stand in line so that I could have a chance of getting a laptop. And I didn't even get that one. I ended up driving to another town so that I could go to a slightly less crowded store to get my second choice. All that effort and I ended up getting number 2 on my list. While I was standing in line I started thinking. We are so willing to deprive ourselves of sleep so that we can go shopping, but how often are we willing to deprive ourselves of sleep in order to study God's word? Why are we willing to get up 9 hours earlier than we are normally happy with to drive an hour to stand outside for another hour, but we can't bring ourselves to roll out of bed a few minutes early to do a devotional before class?

This is one of those things that I really need to work on myself. When I think about this topic I automatically think of a verse in Mark.

"What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?" -Mark 8:36

Hopefully this has given you something to think about. I challenge you to spend time with God first thing in the morning every day for a week. I'm challenging myself too. Let me know how you do!

Your Fellow Water Walker,
-Ashlee

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to my Water Walkers out there!

Today has already been a great one at my house. My sister and I watched the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on tv this morning while my dad fried a turkey and my step-mom cooked all the side items. How great is the food that we get to eat today without feeling bad about it? We're going over to my grandmother's house for supper later on and I have a friend from college coming to spend the night tonight so that we can go shopping first thing in the morning. It really is shaping up to be a wonderful Thanksgiving and I truly have a lot to be thankful for.

In all the craziness of getting to see family that you probably haven't seen in quite some time and eating so much food you think your pants might bust, it's easy to lose sight of what is most important. When i was doing my devotional earlier, a note I had written in my bible caught my eye. I'm sure that it probably comes from a sermon my dad has preached, which tells me that there is no telling how long that this note has been there. The weird thing is that it points to four verses in Genesis chapter 5, which is basically an account of the liniage from Adam to Noah. What could we possibly learn from a family tree? Well first let me share the verse and the note.

"When Enoch had lived 65 years he became the father of Methuselah. And after he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Altogether Enoch lived 365 years. Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away."

The note: "Others lived longer but Enoch was known for walking with God."

What an amazing eulogy! Enoch was no where near being the longest living person, more than likely he didn't have the most influential children, and he wasn't some great king or emporer. He was simply known as having walked with God until the day he died. There was no doubt in anyone's mind where Enoch would go when he passed away. From these four verses we can tell that Enoch was pretty much bursting at the seams with God's love when he was alive.

That is the kind of life that we should aspire to be.

I've seen bumper stickers that say "Live your life so the preacher doesn't have to lie at the funeral." I've always liked those bumper stickers for the simple fact that they make it very clear that we should live an Enoch kind of life. When you die, make it impossible for the preacher not to say "He/She walked with God." There is no greater commendation.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
Ashlee

P.S. Here's a couple of verses that you might also find inspiration for living an Enoch life from:

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
-Galations 2:20

"After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."
-1 Thessalonians 4:17-18

Where to Run

Hello fellow Water Walkers,

I just got in a few minutes ago from a get together with my Sunday school group, and let me tell you, it left me feeling so great about the people that God has put in my life. These simple nights of just eating together, playing games, and watching a movie bring so much joy to my life.

When I got  home I found a topical book of scripture on our family bookshelf. You know the kind. Where to look when you're feeling this way or going through this situation, that sort of thing. One of the things I struggle with most is discouragement, so that's where I turned to first. On the second page I found an awesome verse.

"Lord, even when I have trouble all around me, you will keep me alive. When my enemies are angry, you will reach down and save me by your power."
-Psalm 138:7

What an amazing truth. No matter what is going on around us here on earth, God is always there for us. He's there, ready to swoop in and save us when we need him. How can we not praise Him? His love is beyond even the craziest of imaginations.

Next time you feel like you are surrounded by troubles, remember that God is there for you, keeping you alive, ready and willing to be your salvation.

Your Fellow Water Walker,
Ashlee

God is our Refuge

Water Walkers,

Yesterday, my devotional led me to a verse in Psalms 46. I initially read just verse 10 which says "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." However when I glanced at the top of the page I stopped dead in my tracks. Suddenly I couldn't stop myself from reading the rest of the chapter. So what got me started on this little reading tangent? The word "refuge."

Psalm 46:1 says:
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble."

Growing up as a precher's kid, I've heard this verse all my life, never really thinking anything of it. It became one of those verses in my head that was only pulled out when I didn't know what to say to someone who was going through a really tough time. Lately though, I am seeing this verse in a whole new light.

How often do we run and hide from the tough times that we go through, telling our friends what we need is time alone or chocolate. I'll be the first to admit that I am entirely guilty of this. After a bad rehearsal (I'm a theatre major) or an arguement with a family member the first words out of my mouth are "I need chocolate." Although chocolate is a great comfort food, it should not be the first thing we turn to when we need help or comforting. That title should go straight to God.

Verse 10 says to "Be still, and know that I am God." Part of doing that is admitting to ourselves that what we really need is him. It takes a lot for me to turn over my fears and pain to God. I know it's not easy for others either. It goes against every independant bone in my body. But you know what? God didn't create us in a way that means that we are capable of being hermits on an island somewhere only relying on ourselves. We need others to teach us, to help us, to encourage us, and to give us purpose. And yes, sometimes that means that we will get hurt along the way. You might be betrayed by someone you thought would always be there for you. You might be the victim of something you never even imagined having to experience. There might even be times when you ask how God could allow something to happen. It's in these times that God is there waiting to give us shelter. He will protect us, and strengthen us. We are his children. He cares more for us than we can even imagine. The God that knit us together in our mothers womb is not going to turn his back on us when we need him most. It's up to us to remember that and to run to him when all we feel like doing is running away.

I challenge you that the next time you want to reach for a piece of chocolate or just want to sit in the dark and cry, to call out to God instead. Pray for guidance and strength instead of trying to cope on your own. You will be amazed by what happens as a result.

Your fellow Water Walker,
Ashlee

Greetings

Hello everyone!

I have had the idea of an encouragement blog running around in my head for a few weeks now, and I have finally told myself to shut up and listen to God. I am ashamed to admit that I tend to let my fears get the better of me when I know that I am called by God to do something. I have really started getting more involved with my daily devotions and really studying, though, and I feel like I am truly growing in Christ.

So what has God revealed to me? I definitely have a heart for young girls, particularly the middle school through college range. Hopefully, I will be teaching a True Love Waits class this summer for the girls in my church's youth group. God has really put this cause on my heart and I know that he will make it happen if it is part of his plan.

Another step in my growth as a christian is taking missions seriously. In Acts 1:8, as Jesus ascends to Heaven, He tells us that we will be his witnesses "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Well in witnessing to my Jerusalem, I am helping direct Vacation Bible School this year. I can not wait to really dive into helping reach these children for Christ. What I am probably more excited about is my upcoming mission trip to Peru. I have felt called to make this trip ever since my dad made his first trip to Peru during my senior year of high school. Well I'm a sophomore in college now and I finally have the opportunity to go myself. I will be part of a team my dad is heading up and I am just about busting at the seams with excitement. Then, of course, I am using this blog as a way to reach to the ends of the earth. At a Britt Nicole concert I went to this weekend, I was basically hit in the face with the fact that I have not been listening to what God is telling me to do. Being the procrastinator I am, I kept putting off starting this blog, telling myself that I would start it January 1st. Well what about the people that need encouragement before January first? I know I always need encouragement during this time of year. Between finals and dealing with family and all the hustle and bustle, it can get a little stressful to say the least. Britt Nicole's song "Walk on the Water" has been playing over and over in my head ever since I heard it for the first time the other day and it absolutely holds in it the message that I needed to hear to convince me that this was the step I needed to take in order to follow God's will for my life. Since the song inspired me to create this blog, I decided to name the blog Water Walkers. I explained more behind the meaning of it in the About This Blog section to the left.

I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you for reading this blog and that I am praying that you get something out of it. I hope that you feel free to leave comments with your thoughts on whatever gets posted. This is not me saying I have all the answers. Actually, it's quite the opposite. I know there are a lot more people out there that are more knowledgeable than I am about the bible, but I also acknowledge that that should not stop me from standing up for my faith.

So comment away! Love everyone! And above all else, Follow God.

Your fellow Water Walker,

Ashlee