An Excuse... and a good one!

My crazy life, which has been in a state somewhat resembling sanity for a while, is about to speed up again. And, for that reason, there will be no blog posts for a time. At least three weeks to be exact.
I know, that's an (almost) inexcusable length of time, but it really is necessary. As the title suggests, I really do have a valid excuse.

I will be staffing TeenPact for the next two weeks. (And you shouldn't be asking what TeenPact is at this point, because there are two or three links to the site on this blog. ;) ) I will have limited or no internet access during that time.
The day after I return from staffing at the capitol, I will be climbing on a plane and flying to Baja, Mexico for a missions trip with my Spanish class. That should speak for itself. We will be working on a Ranch/School with little kids.

So, the next three weeks are going to be amazing! And when I come back, I'll publish a nice long post about my adventures to make up for being gone so long. Fair enough?

Just a side note, I recieved a call today that, contrary to all my expectations, I am going to Nationals in Impromptu!
Sometimes God waits until you have completely let something go before giving it back to you again.

Have a wonderful three weeks until I come back! Blessings!

~Rachel Lynn

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."
~Ephesians 3:20-21~

Saying Goodbye

I was expecting to learn an immense amount of information, and put in a lot of work when I started debate. I expected to laugh and have fun. I even expected to make good friends.

But, as I told our coach before I left the last club meeting on Tuesday, when I started debate, I didn't expect Rainmakers.

I never expected God to use Rainmakers in the way He did-- to change me in powerful ways. I learned to trust them to rejoice with me, cry with me, just be quiet with me, laugh with me, and pray with me. I learned that I could ask questions, and give my opinions.
But most importantly, the Rainmakers taught me how to glorify and keep my eyes on Christ, no matter what the circumstances. Win or lose, they always encouraged me to keep my eyes focused on Christ.

Far more precious than the medals and trophies were the friendships built. And conversely, far more bitter than the losses, was when the time came to say goodbye. It was more difficult that I could have imagined at the beginning of the year. But, as in everything else, the words and laughs shared on the last night encouraged me to focus on Christ.

There was a unique sort of pain that came when a friend turned around one last time to say, "Bye, Rachel." But the pain, rather than undoing all the spiritual growth that had happened throughout the year, made me lean all the more on Christ. As one friend so aptly put it, "We always have heaven."

It was when I had felt the bitterness of saying goodbye that I could truly be expectant of heaven. In the face of separation, how sweet is the realization that the day will come when we will never have to say goodbye again. For brothers and sisters in Christ, earthly goodbyes are always temporary goodbyes.

And how precious are those friends who, in pulling you closer to themselves, pull you also closer towards Christ.

Endings beckon beginnings, and separations point towards eternity. Praise the One who conquered death and made this promise ours. We truly have nothing to fear.
Cling to Christ, and hope in heaven.
Blessings,

~Rachel Lynn

--

"For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words..."

~1 Thessalonians 4:15-19~

"Where would I go?"

I recently finished a book that a good friend of mine had been telling me to read for ages, and I finally got around to it. Hinds Feet in High Places did not disappoint. If you get the chance to read it, do so, it's a beautiful allegory.
One of my favorite parts comes right after the Shepherd asks Much-Afraid if she wishes to turn back from following Him to the High Places. Her response touched me, and echoed in my own heart as I read it.

"Do I wish to turn back? O Shepherd, to whom should I go? In all the world I have no one but You. Help me to follow You, even though it seems impossible. Help me to trust You, as much as I long to love You." (Hinds Feet in High Places, Hannah Hurnard)

After I read this, I started noticing passages in Scripture with the same message.

Jesus posed a similar question to the disciples in John 6.

Then Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?”
But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Peter came to an important understanding: Christ isn't simply the best way, He is the only way. When asked if he wanted to turn back, Peter's answer was, in short, "Lord, to go anywhere else means death!" What a revelation!

David echoes this thought in Psalms 73:25-26.

"Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

When the world around us is going crazy, and we don't understand what God is doing, we may find it easier to cling to Christ when we realize we have nothing else to cling to. Nothing on earth will last, and Christ is our hope of heaven.

Press forward in the knowledge that in Christ we have a solid assurance, a loving Savior, a risen Redeemer. And cling ever tighter to Him, knowing that He is the only one who holds life. And when tempted to turn back, I pray that we to can say,

"Oh Lord, where would I go? You are all I need, and my only hope."

~Rachel

Knowing You

Paul said that he counted every gain as lost compared to knowing Christ.

How I long for the day when I know Christ and love Him so much that I can unreservedly say, "Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You, there is no greater thing..."

And the funny thing is, the more difficult things I go through, the closer I get to being able to say those words. With each new trial, I experience God's grace and faithfulness more fully. When the frailty of life and the immediacy of death and loss become ever clearer, the more trustworthy Christ proves Himself.

"When we come to the end of self, we come to the beginning of Christ." ~Charles Spurgeon

When we encounter yet another fiery trial, let us come out on the other side singing God's praises ever louder. May we truly say with Paul that all things dim compared to knowing Christ, and Him crucified. And let us know Christ to an extent that no matter what happens, we can rest in His sovereignty.

Keep strong in the faith, run with endurance, and may God bless you.

~Rachel

"Great is Thy faithfulness, great is Thy faithfulness. Morning by morning new mercies I see. All I have needed Thy hand hath provideth. Great is Thy faithfulness Lord unto me."