Guest Post: Few-and-far-between Friends

          As you read this, I'm in Haiti again on a mission trip with my church! So being occupied here, I've asked my sister (and best friend) to write a guest post for you all! She too has her own blog called "Sweeter than Honey." You can look at it here! Please check it out and even follow, her heart for Christ truly shows throughout her writing. So, without any further wait... I'll hand this post over to her!

Tonight I sit in my own room typing on my computer.  I'm alone and the room is quiet.  Click click click go the computer keys.  Right now I'm not drinking snapple peach tea or recounting the day's events.  I am not watching a silly romantic comedy that I have memorized because I have seen it too many times.  I am not talking about what God revealed to me today or passionately explaining how burdened I am for a certain ministry, country, or person.  I miss my sister.  Because if she were here, that's what I would be doing.


Over the past 17 years, my friendship with Brittany Audrey has really grown and blossomed.  And though we both now are beginning to separate paths- with me going away to college in the fall and her preparing to go somewhere else next year, I still know our friendship will survive.  After 17 years of cheesy chick-flick watching, crying, crafting, traveling, laughing, encouraging one another, eating Coldstone's together, and simply talking, I trust our friendship, with God's help, can survive just about anything.


One of the things I have realized I treasure most about our friendship is the honesty and accountability we hold each other to.  Since I recently led a camp group of 10 high school girls, I realized how few-and-far-between true accountability is.  It's difficult at my church to find a group of peers that you can be honest around- admit your faults and proclaim your victories to.  It's also even more challenging to find older women to look up to- to seek advice from.  


I think some of the biggest influences in how my life has gone thus far are these people- the accountability partners and mentors.  They have encouraged me to stand strong in God when I felt like giving up.  They heard me out when I did not know what to do or was overwhelmed with fear or doubt.  They proclaimed to me God's truth when lies were overcoming me.  


Of these, Brittany has been the most consistent.  It's beautiful how God puts people in our lives that help us draw closer to Him.  It's even more beautiful to know that mine is my sister- and that I can always count on her. 


Lissa Anne
Sweeterthanhoney119.blogspot.com/

Eden.

              Flowers bloom. Sweet smells of fruit waver through the air. Green trees and golden sun. Everything beautiful. Yes, we all know the sad story. We had it all, a beautiful Eden with God walking with us and amongst us, and yet we ruined it. From there we move on and tend to forget what Eden must have been like. So now let's go back. What was it like before sin defiled the earth? God put Adam over all animals and fruits. Everything lived in harmony. Mosquitos didn't bite, thorns didn't exist, snakes didn't slither, and mankind never worked, yet only walked with God continually in the garden. It was then God spoke to us saying,

“I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.”

            Everything on earth glorified God. There was no pain, and no indignity, for it was said,

"Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame."

            All was beautiful. There were rivers clear as crystal, it was a heaven made for us and the Lord to bond in. There were no sicknesses or germs, no headaches, colds, influenza, only perfection. Green fields and flower beds were our home, nor caves or caverns were needed to keep us warm, neither clothing not animals skins.

            Innocence was all we knew, for all we had to know was God. We were the inseparbale match. Yes, we blew it, but one day we'll come back to this kind Eden, and this time we won't blow it. It will be glory... forever and once again we'll walk with God in the gardens of heaven. Happily. Ever. After.

Check out this song by Phil Wickham ----> Eden

The Rainbow

                     A rainbow. What is the first thing that comes to mind for you when you hear this? For me I think of color, God's promises, Noah's arc, nature, well everything you would typically think of when the a rainbow is mentioned. For me, a rainbow is kind of like a kiss from God. Whenever I see one, I know I am loved. I am reminded that God will never flood the earth again, and that yes, He keeps His promises. But more than that, there is something very important we can learn from the rainbow. Rainbows, like our life, are only present with sunshine and rain. We can't see the beauty of God's plan until we see it in the rain and trials as well as the good times. 

Waters of Life

These are by far my favorite seasons to go through in life. The times where everything’s in place, where nothing seems to go wrong, and when I feed off the love and blessings God has given me. I have to admit, I’m going through this season in my life right now. Its summer now and there’s no work, nothing holding me back, just the breeze in my face and the promise of sunny days ahead. Isn’t it so easy to worship God in these times? Below are David’s words to the King of the world. They describe exactly how I feel right now…

          

                         "You who still the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of your signs; You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice. You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; The river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, For so You have prepared it. You water its ridges abundantly, You settle its furrows; You make it soft with showers, You bless its growth.  You crown the year with Your goodness, And Your paths drip with abundance.  They drop on the pastures of the wilderness, And the little hills rejoice on every side.  The pastures are clothed with flocks; The valleys also are covered with grain; They shout for joy, they also sing.”(Psalm 66 exert)

               

It’s so amazing to be in that time of life when everything seems to go right. Unfortunately I think that for some of us (myself definitely included) this is the only time when we truly worship God. It shouldn’t be that way. Our relationship with God should not be mastered by our happiness or emotions, but rather our faith, so that whatever course we go through in life we are not shaken. That’s something important we should all remember.

“This is my prayer in the harvest

When favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

The seed I've received I will sow.” – Desert Song