armycamo07's Xanga

God's Grace

Thu, 29 May 2008 01:43:07 GMT

Another random statement, but one I feel deeply;
I love France. It is the country I hope to one day live in fulltime. I don't know if it will be in ministry, but if it is, I hope to be able to use my music to teach children of the love of Jesus Christ. I want to show these children how much God loves them.
We hear ourselves say Christ died for us. I think we hear it too often and it become a meaningless statement. For me, I have been reminded what it would mean to give up my life or lose the life of a dear beloved. It truly is amazing and beyond grasp to understand the love of Christ and why he would go to such lengths to save you and me. We are nothing but filth from which we were made.
What I want to know if why there are those who would question what they believe and why they would think it untrue. What is faith? It is the evidence of things unseen. We can't see Christ but he is there walking beside us. We can't see the wind but can feel it physically just as we can feel Christ holding us spiritually.

POINT BEING:
                        GOD IS SOVERIEGN, OMNIPOTENT, GRACIOUS, LOVING,
                        AND BEYOND FATHOMABLE GRASP SAVE BY FAITH!!!

Mission to Bordeaux, France

Thu, 29 May 2008 00:25:55 GMT

Pride and Prejudice is simply the best classic in the world.

Marriage is not the cure all for loneliness!!!

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:48:46 GMT

Ok, so I just wanted to write and get this down on paper and thought you might be interested to read it.

Here goes...

So, on Sunday nights at church Dr. Ross has been preaching on marriage and the difficulties and trials and beauties of it all. This past Sunday he talked about being single and the joys you can have as a single man or woman serving Christ fully with your heart with nothing to care about except Jesus.

Ok, so there's that point of view to be single and then there's the other part, getting married. Being married takes part of you away from God in a sense of having to provide for a family and husband or wife which ever the person is. So, your time is divided. Half of your time you spend caring about the people in your life and you are responsible for and the other part you is devoted to God. The problem though is that you are tied down and you can't go where ever at the drop of a hat, you have a family that you have to consult or husband or wife.

Ok, so that's the first part on the whole marriage thing. Second, everyone thinks that marriage is about love and sex and all that jazz. Ok, so it is partially but there's more to a relationship than just those things mentioned. You've got to have the commitment to work behind it to give up those little extras and sacrifice willingly for the other person. People think that if they can just have a little bit of romance that their lives will be great and things will go well. Ok, it might work for a little bit but it won't last forever, so here's the next thing.

Marriage is one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make in your whole life. It's not something to take lightly. Dr. Ross quoted a statement that he likes to tell young engaged couples, " A good marriage is not something you get it's something you have to work for." Marriage is a commitment to take care of that person for rich or for poor, in sickness and in health till death due us part. Ok, so what does that really mean. It means don't get divorced you make a vow and you don't break it. Be what you say you are. Be a woman of your word. Just because you're in an up hill battle that doesn't seem to be ending any time soon doesn't give you the liberty to end the relationship. You've got to give to the relationship.

So, now I've given my sh peel on the vows and importance of marriage, this is what I want in my marriage in the man that I marry if I marry. I'm not going to look for him though it will be difficult to not look. If someone comes along I don't care about his looks or what he does, those are material things. What I want that will be most important in my marriage is my relationship with God towards my husband. I want to live a Christ-centered life where I work to make my marriage work. Where, in the rough times I can stand by my husband and we can pray and cry together and know that God is in control and that even when we're drowning Christ is there the pick us up. I don't want to find a man based on romance. But don't get my wrong, I do like romance. I love to watch romantic movies and see them all happy at the end but that's not what a relationship is all about. Put Christ first and everything else will fall into place. I want to be able to study the Scriptures and understand them and though I know I won't be able to get it all I want to struggle with the issues in the bible. I want to know what it means to strive to live a holy and godly life. I want to understand what it means to Love the Lord with all your heart, with all your strength and with all your mind.

So, I've said all this in essences to say that a love based relationship is all that the world thinks it is. There's more to a relationship than just the kissing and holding one another.

Here's something else, people like to get into relationships because they think it will take away the loneliness they feel. They think that if they could just have someone to come home to or love them that the loneliness would go away. It won't!!!! All of this to say that I don't want to look for that future one in my life even though I know that I will try at times. I want to focus on Christ and live for Him and if God sees fit to place a husband and family in my life, then I pray that I would always keep Christ at the center of my life that I might overflow with blessings to my family and those around me.

That's all.

Marriage is not a cure all for loneliness."

Thanks for just listening.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:17:41 GMT

Trying out the new page...we'll see if i like it...

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Thu, 15 Nov 2007 23:44:07 GMT

So, the day is finally coming. We'll be leaving next Friday the day after Thanksgiving about 4:10pm. I can't wait. I'm starting to get packed and have a lot of stuff to do in the mean time. We as a team have all of our support and Rose and I as of yesterday and 2691 of the 3400 that we need. We did pretty well getting it all. I still wish we could get the rest of it but only God knows if we will.
We sing our whole concert program this Sunday night at church at 7:00pm and I'm hoping that's going to be really good. I have a lot of memorization to do before then. It'll come though.

Ok read you can check out now (this is me chiding myself)
Can you talk about anything else but yourself? You keep saying I. Yes, of course you're excited about going to France it's been a dream all your life pretty much, but is there anything you can say besides yay for me? I'm so selfish and not understanding, maybe God will teach you something about humility towards your family in particular. You don't volunteer to help often around the house, and you don't like being asked to help. Something's got to give and you can't have your own way about things anymore. It just can't happen. So, you need to pray. Ok, so I'm going to pray.

Lord, I'm extremely selfish and don't like to help my family. I like helping everyone else but not my family. I don't get a long with them and sometimes simply don't talk to them. Jesus can you help me change that? Can you help me be more accepting of criticsm even if it hurt. Can you help me not be bitter towards my mother? Can you help me love my sisters and be a better example for them especially Rose becuase she's so young? Will you help me love you more so that I can be a better a daughter, a better sister, and a better friend? Will you tear this rotten streak out of me so that I will be more Christ-centered than self-centered? Would you help me to pray to you more and not be tempted by Satan.

The France team is getting ready to leave for France; will you help me be loving to my sister, but also know when to give a little and let out the leash a bit? Would you bless the choir as they sing for you? Would you remind them that we aren't going for pleasure but to spread the good news of your love to a people, who don't like Americans in general but who also don't know you. Would you help us to understand their culture and not try to make them be like the rest of the "typical Americans". I do love the French people very much, but today I was a hypocrite and didn't stand up for the people I love today when a parent said that he doesn't like the French much because they don't like us. That's no good reason not to like the French. They have some traits that go before them but all the French can't be bad, same as not all Americans are bad. Would you help us as team not to be divided from within but to love the French with your love so that they may come to You and know that You love them dearly.
Ok read you make check-in now.
The France team will be commissioned this coming Sunday during the evening service and then we as a group will praying before we leave on Friday after everyone is checked in. I can't wait. Molly and I will practice tomorrow night on the words to some pieces that we're singing. I think we've got most of the music down it's just a matter of getting the words to go with it.
For now, I'm heading off to lala land to dream of French, Spanish and German words that the choir will sing Sunday night. I hope some of this makes sense otherwise please find me on facebook of email me and I'll tell you what's really going on in my life.
Peace to all and may God be praised in everything we do.

God is Sovereign

Wed, 17 Oct 2007 11:58:12 GMT

Hello everyone who reads this blog. I know I don't write often so you probably don't read me much. However, I'm here today to tell you about what I've been doing since last I wrote. I can't write like some friends who write so well they should be publishing their work or it's simply just funny but I wanted to try to keep up with the "jones" and try. So, here goes.

My last post came Oct. 1, 2007 at that time my birthday had not come and I had just receieved my first check as a piano teacher with the community school of the arts in Charlotte, NC, yay for being able to pay bills. I was still being the accompanist for a homeschool children's choir that is going to France but frustrated with my progress and teaching a lot of students.

Now, I am going to France as a singer and relieved to not be accompanying for the choir. That's another story. To put it in a nut shell, I don't have the necessary background for accompanying. I'm better at singing. So I'm thrilled to be a singer and will singing get this the alto part again. There was a reason that God put in the alto section in the college choir. I do believe it was for this reason. I now get to try my hand at sight reading again and pick up my practicing in this area. Wow, does any of that make sense? Who knows...Anyway,

I got to go to the mountains this past weekend and spend some time with some friends from college; that was fun. It's been a very long time since I've been out on the Blue Ridge Parkway and it was one gorgeous day to be out there. The view was amazing. I've never been to Grandfather Mountain and I must have been up on the moutain for a good thirty min. taking pictures and just enjoying the glory of God splendor in this world. I would have stayed longer but my friends wanted to go. Sufice it to say it was AMAZING!!!! beyond words.

Now, I'm back and ready to finish the week with another trip out of town back up to "The Creek" for homecoming. Don't ask me why I like parades but I just do. I'm also hoping to go the play Saturday night with some friends. I don't know where I'll go to church but I do hope that I can see a couple church friends from the area. I think I miss my Tate kids the most. They were so much fun and I just loved to be around them.

I don't think there's much left, the rest of my family is doing well. Oh I do have one story to tell about the trip to France. This kind of trip has never been done in terms of everyone not being from the same church for instance. We are all homeschooled families but from around the area. Last week as of Oct. 9 we needed to be able to raise about $17425 by Oct 19 which will put us at the 75% mark of raising all our support. We were at 50% at that point. As of yesterday, Oct. 16 we reached our 71% mark which means we were able to raise all except about 3000$ for the 75% mark. Is that not amazing? God provided close to 15000 $ in less than a weeks time. We were all so thrilled and I just wanted to share that story with you.

I think that's all unless I think of something while typing all this out. Oh yes, Rose and myself have almost half our support and I do praise God for that. We need about 1700 more reach the 75% mark for our family and hoping and praying that it will come in by this Friday Oct. 19. If you want more info about what we are doing and the itinerary please write me on facebook or shoot me an email and I'll send it to you.

Peace to all.

RM.

Way too long...

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 11:55:02 GMT

Heard a quote on the radio.... "The past is history, the future is a gift that's why today is a present."

I like that. God is truly amazing.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Mon, 09 Jul 2007 23:05:23 GMT

bored...tired...but completely excited about going to France but scared...daunted...feeling unworthy of the task at hand...need prayer...and lots of it...ok I shall go to bed...good night world...good night my dear love somehwere in the world.."note of mushiness ahead read at own risk*"...you know at this very moment and it's evening time...I feel quite content to be single and not have any attachments. I like watching children and sending them home. I like hanging out with friends and come home to my own bed...(is that selfish to want to be on the only one in my bed?)...I think I'm over him...I looked at some pictures and I'm happy for him...I'm glad he's happy and wish all the best...please excuse my punctuation it's terrible I know...I'm really just rambling so you don't have to read it if you don't want to...did you know that coloring pictures is very therapeutic? well, it is..I have a picture of a little birdie in yellow with a red and purple hat and another of a yellow bee with purple flowers and another of our American Flag in the process of being colored.Ok, so I'm not much for blogging except every once in a blue moon which we did have last month by the way; a blue moon.
I need to get involved with some kind of group so I can hang out with friends more and do stuff instead of coming home and just sitting about the house cleaning or doing nothing or sitting at the computer for way too long...ok..GOOD NIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Home again Home again...

Wed, 23 May 2007 11:27:06 GMT

So, May 10, 2007 at Cricket arena my sister Julie graduate from Central Piedmont Community College with a Associates degree in Interior Design. She is now currently looking for a job in this field and hoping to find one soon. On May 14, 2007 at Campbell University, yours truly, Rebekah Murray graduated with a BA in Piano Pedagogy. I am now waiting to hear back from the Community school of the Arts in Charlotte to see if I can have a job from them. I really want it. It would be really good. Also this year, my younger sister Martha graduated from home school. She will now be attending Central Piedmont Community College and hoping to pursue a career in the Marines. Can you imagine it? My sister in the marines. I'm all for it; I'll support her all the way. I just pray that God would continue to keep her soft as she is but strong enough to not let the world sway her too much. She's so full of passion and can do just about anything that she puts her mind to. She's amazing when it comes to art. She's amazing when it comes to playing the piano or the violin. The piano being her first love, but she's really good at both. So, the only one left for my mom to home school is Rose, my baby sister. She's eleven and will be twelve soon. I can't believe it. She's amazing in what she does on the piano and the cello. In addition, my mother will be going to UNCC to pursue a second degree in music. She's already gotten one degree and wants to do music so badly. She is good at it though, I must admit. She works so hard, sometimes harder than me and makes me feel bad. It's ok, I'm done and I can play whatever I want to, though I should keep practicing, keeping my fingers ready for anything. We'll have to keep working on that.

So that was my life in the past week or so. Three graduations, in one month, in the spaces of ten days. Amazing. We even got to see our grandparents, who we don't see often. It was nice to see them. I got to go shopping with Gramma, that was cool. She's so nice and loving. I'm hoping that sometime in the near future that I might be able to go see them in Mexico. They live just south of Mexico City, as missionaries. I still want to go to France hopefully I'll get to as soon as my loans are payed off. I don't know if I'll be married or not, probably not, but we'll see. The sooner my loans are paid off the better.

Living with my parents, that's interesting and needs lots of patience. I'm trying really hard to be patient and act mature. I think I've grown up a bit but we'll just have to see.

Graduation

Sat, 12 May 2007 12:32:14 GMT

Tis' the weekend I've been waiting for since I began my college career and it is here. YAY!!! Graduation is Monday at 9 am. I have to be there at 8am. I guess I should get used to that. Anyway, yup. I'm graduating. Now the money question is; What's next? Well, I'm still working on that and most likely I'll be working in Charlotte, but hopefully I'll be able to come up and visit for some concert and such in "the creek" we shall have to see. If I know far enough in advance it shouldn't be a problem. I'm praying for you all as you start this next year that it will go well and not include to much stress. Talk to you all soon and keep in touch.