Great things He Has DONE!!

This will be quick...because I'm finally home and spending time with my family!!!

A lot of BIG things happened today and I just wanted to give you an update:

First of all, on my ride home I was really overwhelmed with how good God is and how wonderful are the things He does!! I realized after today that we are so undeserving of His goodness but thankfully He answers so many prayers!! I am also thankful for people that are put in our lives for different reasons! The Lord truly does bless us not only with the things He gives us but our friends and family He gives as well! I was also reminded of how much I have missed being on my knees in prayer (maybe not literally since that's not possible while driving). It's funny the things that God presents to us that make us go back to that position and then makes us realize how much we miss that!

So today, I....
~ submitted my final application and essay to Brody School of Medicine. This is mind-blowing because it has been a long and difficult process...but now comes the waiting game. I now have to wait on a response...and this could really determine what next year looks like. Either my scholarship will be honored and I'll receiving an ACCEPTANCE letter (woah) or I'll have to take some further steps to verify my scholarship AND my desire to attend medical school (this is a little more scary...obviously). Despite this, I feel so relieved but know that I must continue praying for this situation. Praying for patience on the answer. Praying for God's will in this season of my life. Praying that no matter what happens, God will receive all of the glory!

~ completed my last fall semester of undergraduate. Starting January 10th, I will officially be starting my LAST SEMESTER of COLLEGE!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH (okay that kinds of explains itself....)

~ witnessed a HUGE answer to prayers. My friend's surgery was today and everything went GREAT!!! He came out great, a little groggy, still under meds, and in pain but overall just overwhelmingly thankful for what God had done. It was just breathtaking to watch my friend take his first true big breaths, pain-free!! He laid in the hospital bed going, this change in my breathing is amazing enough! I want to say thanks for all the prayers today! The obviously came through because the surgeon said the surgery went great and the nurses said my friend was the perfect patient! Please continue to pray for Dave's recovery, for his pain to not be intense and for a quick and easy healing. He really wants to be home for Christmas and would rather heal for the most part at home. The doctor said he would possibly be able to go home by the weekend if everything went okay!

Another testiment to God's power is the story of Dave's surgeon. This man, an awesome Christian, posted pictures to his blog immediately after surgery. Dave was in tears when he saw the healing that resulted from this surgery. Check out dave's surgery from his surgeon's blog drlloydhey.blogspot.com...amazing to see a 60% curvature go to almost 0%. To God be the glory, Great things He has DONE!!!

To God be the Glory

Yesterday I posted about a specific prayer request...and I just thought I'd share the following with you. This is a note that my friend wrote about his surgery tomorrow and I wanted to share it with you. As I mentioned yesterday, this friend of mine is so important to me and I just hope that as you read this, you pray for his surgery tomorrow and recovery later. But most of all, pray that God will be glorified...and know that He will be. The letter basically speaks for itself....


You may be asking why I want you to read this note. There are some of you that I have never had a conversation with, some of you have seen me on stage at Caswell for years, I graduated high school with some of you, some of you are family, friends, former students or current students, etc. I want you to read my story....it won't take long at all! In a little over 24 hours, (Dec 15th at 7:15) I will be undergoing some very serious surgery on my spine and I have felt led to type this letter on facebook before that happens. The past few months have been very difficult for me, from hearing some terrible news to hearing news that the surgeons can fix things. Needless to say that the months have been very trying and at times a little stressful. Whenever you hear about what doctors will be doing to you while you’re asleep and having to talk about a living will really puts things in perspective, it makes you realize just how vulnerable your life is and how fragile it is too. I have been so blessed by the best family anybody could ask for, the best friends that I have in my life that pray with me and pray for me, that keep me accountable and love me regardless. I also have the best girlfriend, God has truly blessed me. The important thing that I wanted to share with you is this, above all the things that I have been blessed with, the most important person in my life is Jesus Christ. I have gone through life trying to depend on people and material things to make me happy, to give me fulfillment and I always came up empty. My greatest joy in my life is having a relationship with Jesus. He has never failed me and He has never left me. I know many of you are trying to find joy and peace in the things of this world, maybe it’s a relationship, maybe it’s a job, maybe it’s buying things, but God has created you to have this void in your life that only He can fill. I can’t tell you how many answered prayers I have had just in the past few months. I would love to share with you how He has revealed Himself to me personally through all this but I don’t have that much time and space in this note. One thing that I have prayed this past year was that God would make me uncomfortable,that He would bring me through things so that He can get all the glory, well....be careful what you ask God for! God has allowed me to go through things this year so that I could only rely on Him and His strength to get me through it. Another thing that I have been praying to Him is that no matter what, I want my life to glorify Him and I want Him to be involved in every part of my life. Please get this....there is nothing about me that is good....nothing... but it is through the grace of Christ that I have been made new and He has redeemed me and there is nothing greater than finding that freedom in Him and He loved me so much that He died for me. The past few weeks building up to my surgery has made me feel so many emotions from anxiety, stress, worry, every possible emotion you can imagine but I have come to the point now that no matter what happens on Tuesday morning, I want God’s name to be glorified. I want God’s name to be made famous through everything I will be put through. I want people to come to know Him personally through my circumstances. Jesus is in control of my life and my situation. There are so many people who get caught up in the “God routine”, which is going to church every Sunday, sit in the same seat, sing the songs, listen to the preacher and go home and that is the extent of their relationship with God but there is so much more to Him! Psalm 63:3-4 says “Because Your love is better than life, my lips will praise You, so I will bless You as long as I live, I will lift up my hands in Your name.” I leave you with this, I have come to realize that God’s love is better than life itself and no matter what happens on Tuesday, His name will be glorifed. I want my life to boast only in Christ, it is for Him that live. If you have iTunes, please download this song by Caedmon’s Call called “I Boast No More”. I do ask for your prayers on Tuesday but more than anything, I ask that if you have a relationship with Jesus, please tell those who don’t how awesome He is. If you want to pass this on to other people you know, please do so. God is faithful and is so amazing and I love Him so much. Thanks for reading.

In His Great Grace!
Dave

in the next 48 hours...

in the next 48 hours I hope to...

- complete my LAST med school essay and hit SUBMIT!
- take my HLTH 4604 exam (only need 18 points...should not be stressful - so how come i'm making it stressful...ugggh)
- take my online HIMA 4160 exam (again, take-home exam, should not be worried but i am)
- HLTH 3020 project and presentation
- and PACKKKKKKK

I'm so so so ready to go home and then to Texas. I feel like I'm not going to be able to take deep relaxing breaths until Tuesday night.

Not only is Tuesday a big day for me because it means I only have 1 semester left in college (woah.) but I also have a wonderful friend of mine undergoing serious back surgery. His faith in the Lord has been such a witness to me and his desire to further the Kingdom is just so inspiring. I know he has also done a lot in Chris's life because he was the one that prayed with Chris when he accepted the call into the ministry. This friend means a lot to the both of us and so I just ask you to pray for him in the next few days. His surgery is Tuesday morning and it will be a very long surgery. Pray for quick healing and fast recovery. Pray for the doctor's and nurses. Pray for strength and ease of nerves. Pray for our friend and his faith and trust in the Lord. Pray for everyone that our friend will come in contact with, that the Lord will use this as an opportunity to share the Gospel.

so yes, my life in the next 48 hours is going to be unreal.

Mighty and Powerful

The wind is blowing extremely fierce tonight. It's scary, especially since I do NOT like storms. I mean AT ALL. The only way I can tolerate them is if someone is with me. And right now, that's not the case. I mean when I was little and my sister and I used to share bunkbeds, I used to crawl in bed with her when it stormed. I hated them THAT much. I am reminded often that I am in the minority on this opinion because so many of my friends love storms. But I just get shaky and feel so powerless during them.

I'm not sure what's up with Mother Nature aka God these past few weeks, but eastern North Carolina has been hit with some pretty heavy and extreme rains, thunder, lightening, and WIND. Its not currently raining but the wind sounds like it's coming in through the windows and is going to blow the door off any moment.

Despite the whistling and whooshing sounds coming from outside, I was reminded tonight of something equally, if not more powerful. And that would be God.

mightier than the thunder of great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea - the LORD on high is mighty (ps. 93:4)

His overwhelming strength. His enduring grace. His never-ending love. A love that is stronger than the wind, softer than the rain, brighter than the lightening, and louder than the thunder. This is a power I'm NOT afraid of. In fact, I rejoice in it but not often enough. It seems that this past semester I've let the power of the world take over the power of God in my life. That has become so evident in so much (particularly my lack of posts). I realize that I don't need to be afraid of the power of the Holy Spirit and sometimes I wonder if I have allowed the distractions because I was nervous how much the Holy Spirit would move in my life; afraid that the Lord would just overwhelm me with change. Yet, many times I'd be searching for His presence, not realizing He was there the whole time, I just had to be willing to let His POWER and love fill my life again. The Lord say "do not be afraid, for I am with you" (deut 31:8)....I just had to let Him be there. It was like I did not give God enough credit for His might and His power. I mean even the elements I thought were powerful aren't powerful enough. Even these bow down to the power of the Lord. (psalm 148:8)

So as I sit hear listening to the power of the wind, I rejoice in knowing that the Lord who is Father of my life has more power than that. And all the things I am held captive of in my life will never surpass His might and power. A power that is strong enough to calm the seas, but gentle enough to hold me in His arms.


P.S. This semester has probably been THE most exhausting semester of my college career (which amazingly enough is coming to an end...woah). That is the only explanation I can offer for my lack of presence on this site (as if I have a lot readers in the first place.......) but I hope to spend a lot of time over Christmas catching you up on the end of 2009 in my life. Lots of pictures, promise! And next semester, will definitely be a different story. :) Love you all and hope you are being to enjoy and relish in the love of our Father. It's so wonderful and so free.

Don't Waste Your Life

...I promise to give you some actual life updates soon. Not that the past months' worth of all things Jesus aren't absolutely amazing and needed...but I'm sure (and maybe not...) you all are wondering if there's anything else going on. Obviously by my lack of blogs, there is!

I'm currently working on taking 30 minutes before bed (hopefully will increase to an hour once school work calms down) to just read for pleasure. I've really wanted to get into some spiritual books and my wonderful boyfriends steered me towards John Piper. Amazing man with such wisdom...it definitely doesn't put me to sleep and I often have to re-read it the next day! For those of you who aren't familiar with Piper...here are a few precious words of wisdom that leave me wanting more, and maybe you too! (from "Don't Waste Your Life")



"...we waste our lives when we do not pray and think and dream and plan and work toward magnifying God in all spheres of life. God created us for this: to live our lives in a way that makes him look more like the greatness and the beauty and the infinite worth that he really is. In the night sky of this world God appears to most people, if at all, like a pinprick of light in a heaven of darkness. But he created us and called us to make him look like he really is. This is what it means to be created in the image of God. We are meant to image forth in the world what he is really like."

Daily sufficient grace

My heart is so proud, my mind is so unfocused
I see the things you do through me it's great things I have done
And now you gently break me and loving me you take me
and hold me as my Father and mold as my maker

I ask you how many times will You pick me when I keep on letting you down?
And each time I will fall short of your glory how far will forgiveness abound
And You answer "my child I love you and as long as your seeking my face
You walk in the power of My daily sufficient grace."

In times I make a wreck and feel a bit discouraged
Knowing that's somehow somewhere you could do a better job
For who am I to serve you? And I know I don't deserve you
That's the part that burns in my heart and keeps me hanging on

You are so patient with me Lord,
As I walk with you I'm learning what your grace really means
The price that I could never pay was paid at Calvary
So instead of trying to repay you,
By giving up my life to you for all that you've given to me

This song by Laura Story portrays the sweetest story ever told.

No matter how many times we fall and the Lord has to pick us up, He does it. Without question. Without concern. Only out of love. He looks at us, tells us He loves us and only asks us to continue obeying Him. He made the sacrifice so that we don't have to. It's a beautiful picture that Calvary paints and leaves us wondering why anyone would ever do that for us? Each time I stumble or take steps backwards, I'm constantly being put right back on my knees and being reminded…Hey, it's okay! I still love you and always will. I just want you to obey me so that you will be happy and don't have to suffer as much as my Son did. That's grace. And not just grace (cause I mean we each could stand to show each other a little grace…myself included.) But it's sufficient grace. Grace sufficient to cover all of our sins we've ever committed and will commit. And as if that wasn't enough…He renews that sufficient grace every morning. Daily. "His mercies are new every morning…" (Lamentations 3)

Daily sufficient. Beautiful. Incomprehensible. Grace.

a contradiction

31"If I testify about myself, my testimony is not valid. 32There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is valid.
33"You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36"I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the very work that the Father has given me to finish, and which I am doing, testifies that the Father has sent me. 37And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
41"I do not accept praise from men, 42but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. 43I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. 44How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?
45"But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. 46If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. 47But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?"
- john 5:31-47

"Faith comes to Christ destitute of any claim to be glorious or to be praised, So the love of human praise is a great obstacle to faith. It must die....The other eason the love of human glory is contradictory to faith is that faith is a drinking of living water for the satisfaction of our souls. And the well of that water is the glory of Christ. And when we are satisfied with him, the enslaving power of the craving for human glory is broken. Broken by the power of a superior satisfaction." - John Piper

Diligence and Sincerity

so watch your step, friends. Make sure there's no evil unbelief lying around that will trip you up and throw you off course, diverting you from the living God. For as long as it's still God's Today, keep each other on your toes so sin doesn't slow down your reflexes. If we can only keep our grip on the sure thing we started out with, we're in this with Christ for the long haul. -hebrews 12-14 (the msg)

do not, therefore, fling away your fearless confidence for it carries a great and glorious compensation of reward. -hebrews 10:35

but we do [strongly and earnestly] desire for each of you to show the same diligence and sincerity [all the way through] in realizing and enjoying the full asurance and developemtn of [your] hope until the end. - hebrews 6:11

Indelibly Imprint

Where could I go from Your Spirit? Or where could I flee from Your presence? If I ascend up into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol (the place of the dead), behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning or dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Your hand lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.
-- psalm 139:7-10

"...yes, they may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have indelibly imprinted you on the palm of each of My hands." -- isaiah 49:16

draw me nearer

For your nearness Lord I hunger
For your nearness Lord I wait
Hold me ever closer Father
Such a love I can’t escape

For your nearness I am hoping
For your nearness Lord I long
Have no need of any other
I have found where I belong
Yes, I have found where I belong

So draw me nearer Lord
Never let me go
Closer to your heart
Draw me nearer Lord
Draw me nearer Lord

In your nearness there is healing
What was broken now made whole
Restoration in its fullness
Lasting hope for all who come

In your nearness I take shelter
Where you are is where I’m home
I have need of only one thing
To be here before your throne
To be here before you throne

So draw me nearer Lord
Never let me go
Closer to your heart
Draw me nearer Lord

And keep me here, keep me here
There’s nowhere else I rather be
So keep me here, keep me here
There’s nowhere else I rather be
There’s nowhere else I rather be

--meredith andrews