Homesickness

As many know, I go to Delta State University which is two hours away from Vicksburg. Too add to the scenario, I do not own a car. Not complaining about it or anything.  But anyways...I haven't been able to go home in quiet a while. Its been about five weeks, but who's counting? Slowly but surely I am finding freedom in it. Not saying it was easy because it isn't at all. The third week was absolutely terrible. I had a lot of fundraisers that I was in charge of that I could have gone better had I been able to concentrate on what I was supposed to be doing and not how badly I wanted to go home. And it pains me to think that I may be the reason of an unsuccessful fundraiser because of my homesickness. But there is nothing I can do about it now except learn from it. I was able to pour myself into others and my schoolwork. Wrote the best papers while homesick. Being able to do that made me feel accomplished. I felt as if I was conquering my homesickness which I thought would bind me FOREVER. Thank God...not even kidding, but thank God I am finding freedom in all of it. And this thought just puts a big smile on my face! A huge smile on my face! Getting rid of one more chain is absolutely beautiful. 

But I finally get to go home for a night. I get to see my daddy, brother, and mom on Friday morning(ish). Aren't they just the sweetest people I get to go home to for an evening? Haha...if you only knew. Anyway, I am officially on Spring Break and I am looking forward to the time I get to spend with them and the time I get to spend with friends in Arlington, TX @ Mission Arlington. A blog will soon come about how all of that went! Later bloggers

-amgfinding_freedom 

Steadfast Love

Hello there! So I have been reading through the book of Hosea. A rather interesting book and a great story of redemption. Anyways, not the point of this blog. What I did notice while reading that book though was the phrase "steadfast love." It is first mentioned in verse 1 of Chapter 4.

Hear the word of the LORD O children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land.

Hosea 4:1

After continuing to read, I ended up reading the whole book in a week, and I recommend it to anybody. I found "steadfast love" again. 

For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.

Hosea 6:6

A couple of days later, I find "steadfast love" yet again!

Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap steadfast love; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, that he may come and rain righteousness upon you. 

Hosea 10: 12

Last time I saw it was here. I think God is trying to convey something to me here. 

So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.

Hosea 12:6

All of these are in the book of Hosea alone, if you haven't already noticed. Today, I was reading chapter 19 of Proverbs and pretty much found a whole other verse talking about steadfast love. At first, I was confused by all of this. After all, what does steadfast mean? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary it means a : firmly fixed in place : immovable b : not subject to change. I naturally tried to find an application of all of this to my life. It didn't take long for me to find it either. I learned quickly, that my love for some people is not steadfast. And I am called in the book of John to love one another just as Christ has loved me. This convicted me. Love is not an option. For anybody. Even people that hurt me. Not saying that it is going to be an easy thing, but I am going to work on my ability to have steadfast love for everybody. Hope this maybe was able to help somebody. Maybe it gave ya a gut check as to what you are doing for the kingdom. 

-amgfinding_freedom