Introduction to Me

Hi Everybody!

This is my very first blog!!! Here's a little about me: I'm currently 18 years old, going to school for a B.A. in Spanish and French with a minor in International Studies. I love learning about other cultures and learning languages. I had originally wanted to major in Linguistics, but felt that I would make a much better interpreter than scientist. :) Above all other passions is the desire to live a life pleasing to God, to follow Him in everything and believe me, He is worth dying for. I can't be perfect (I can't do anything good on my own), but through the righteousness that Christ imputed when he took my sin on the cross, he sees me as pure! Amazing! Even though I still fall (many, many times, by the way), I am made clean by the blood of Christ! That is a really comforting fact. So, while following Christ, I'm constantly struggling with a lot of things. I hope that you guys can identify with some of the things that I go through and my blogs may be a source of encouragement.

Currently, I'm reading "Respectable Sins" by Jerry Bridges. Amazing book! Not that any sin is "respectable", but that we deem many as being so. It's really sad. Things like selfishness, gossip, slander, ungodliness, pride, temper flares, harsh words, sarcasm, envy, deeming adultery and other sexual sins as "living together", "with a significant other" rather than what they are. No one speaks of sin anymore. Many christian preachers teach God's love which is true. The love of God is great indeed. (John 3:16), but they forget to teach his wrath and anger at sin and sinful men. They tell people that all they have to do is accept God's free gift, come down to the altar, sign a card, or even just raise a hand to signify that they prayed a little prayer of salvation, and then say that they are now saved. They don't have to change. There's nothing for them to do afterward. That is SO wrong.

Christ wants to conform his Children into the image of Himself. It's called sanctification. This means we are set apart to be holy. We are supposed to be different than the people of this world. Struggling with sinful is painful. I know. But, in Romans chapter 5 it says that "We also rejoice in suffering knowing that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope..." Through the struggling with temptation, with trials, and other painful things we go through in life, by persevering to the end, our character is built. Through every difficult thing God is molding us and changing us in the image of His son. Sanctification.
I know that comforts me; I hope it comfort you too.

Through Christ, there is hope; when we are down in the valley is where we see the greatness of God.