Though it was NOT I, but the grace of GOD that is with me.

Well, friends, Beach Project is here! I arrived in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida on Friday, May 27 after witnessing a beautiful testimony of God's grace in the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Jeremy Chandler (so happy for you, Mary)! It was a beautiful sight indeed and I am so very thankful to say that I was leaving the beach wedding just to head north an hour to another beautiful beach I have learned to call my summer home.

The Sandman.
Not the Ritz Carlton or even a La Quinta I'll say, but it is home. How thankful I am that the Lord provided a place for not only me, but about 110 college students who will be staying there with me this summer. The beds are bunked, and of course, there are still minor details here and there to tend to... However, these walls, although I am not quite sure how sturdy they really are, provide a means of God's glory to be shown this summer.

Without a doubt, God WILL change lives here, and I will have new sisters and brothers to enter the gates of heaven with me. What a joy to look forward to! I have already been so incredibly encouraged by the room leaders and their boldness to initiate with the people of Ft. Walton. SUCCESS. What is success? It is trying. Faithfulness. Obedience. No we can't change hearts, but we can plant the seed and God will grow it in his timing and perfect plan.

Two nights ago, we decided to go out into the city and try to share our faith with people we meet. Instead of looking at this time as an opportunity to share, I looked at it as an opportunity to love. I feel like when we make it a duty instead of a desire, we miss why we are sharing. We should share our faith with others because we know how an encounter with God can change our lives. We know that only with God can we be truly satisfied, truly joyful. We know that one day, everyone will experience the Glory and Goodness of God and one day may have to face judgement. I don't want my passivity to be the reason someone never hears the name Jesus. I love people because God loved me enough to open my eyes. I am humbled by my ignorance because, I once too did not know the sweetness of Jesus. So I challenge you when you look around at many faces today, you don't regard them in the flesh but you regard them as souls that have a future with a loving Daddy, or an eternity with a deceitful liar. Satan tempts us with fear and uneasiness- what will people think of my radical lifestyle? What if I don't fit in? Well, who really cares- we weren't called to be comfortable and our lives are but a MIST in comparison to our eternity in Heaven. God could have used donkeys to spread his glory, but he chose US as His instruments. What a privilege! We are entrusted with one thing- to make Him known and exalt His name among the nations. Don't get caught up in the rest of your life today, because He is your life. That is my prayer for myself and for you today.

"Consider him [JESUS], who endured from sinners such a hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." Hebrews 12:3

Kathryn O'Brien and I did a quiet time together over this verse and it still keeps ringing in my mind. What a powerful verse it is. CONSIDER Jesus. What does that mean? Considering Jesus is attentively reflecting on Him. Not just acknowledging his presence, but reflecting and basking in who He is. CONSIDER Him. Think carefully about Him. He endured (faced with courage) from sinners (you and me) such a hostility (violent action that is characterized by hate) against himself SO THAT we may not grow weary (physically AND mentally fatigued; losing interest or becoming bored with) or fainthearted (lacking conviction, or boldness or courage). When we consider Him, we reflect on who Jesus is and what He has done. And when we do that, we will not lose interest and become complacent with the gospel nor will we lack conviction, or boldness, or courage. I say thats a pretty awesome promise. More than anything I want to consider Jesus all day everyday.

"But by the grace of God I am what I am and His grace to me was not without effect." 1 Corinthians 15:10

By His grace can my eyes be opened to His truths. By His grace could I share with a buddhist woman who know longer wanted to hear when I opened my bible. By His grace can I serve these friends this summer. By His grace is my sin shown to me. By His grace am I able to see a glimpse of Jesus and a glance at Heaven through His word. I am nothing. But I have everything because He has inherited me into his family, By His grace. I can do nothing but trust the Lord will move this summer. Grace like rain has been poured on me. No longer can I take credit for what I have not done, because without Jesus there is not an ounce of goodness within me.

As many college students drive into the Sandman parking lot today, I pray that their hearts are opened and ready for their lives to be changed and defined by Jesus. May we not build laborers for today, but for a lifetime.

"And He said "Abba, Father, all things for YOU. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what YOU will." Mark 14:36

Remembering to consider Jesus,
Courtney

My Baptism Video

Baptism

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that just as Christ was raised from the death by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."- Romans 6:1-11

What a beautiful day. I woke up to a text this morning from my mom that said "Today is the day the Lord has made and I am rejoicing! Can't wait to see you today." What a wonderful reminder. I couldn't go back to bed because the excitement of getting baptized today crept into my mind and I couldn't stop thinking about it. This is such a sweet day for me, as it has been for many. It has been such a blessing the past few weeks to not only decide it was time for me to be baptized, but also to just be reminded of this unbroken grace God has extended to me. He has saved me! In all my sin and wickedness, God loved me enough to die for me so that I may have life! I did nothing. I can do nothing. But my God, the God of the entire universe, CARES for me. I know he rejoices in the believer's baptism. So I rejoice as well.

I never realized the importance of baptism but it has been made so clear to me in the recent weeks. I am called to share with the world in outward testimony that God has saved me. He has written my story to spend ETERNITY with Him!!! What a beautiful Savior I serve. Jesus himself was baptized, and was he not a model for us? In the Bible, baptism comes hand in hand with Christians. It is unheard of for a Christian to not be baptized. It is what we are called to do. And what Christian would not want to outwardly proclaim that God is a saving God who hates sin, but loved us enough to kill and RAISE His son for us! He has defeated death! Satan doesn't win in this story. Sin will have no dominion over us! Shout it from the rooftops friends! The news must be heard.

I am so thankful for my friends and family who both will be able to celebrate with me today, whether it be at my baptism or at a distance. God has truly opened my eyes to His love through the love He has extended to me through my sweet friends and family. And I honestly mean that with all my heart. I have never felt more accepted and loved for exactly the women God has made me, and I couldn't be more thrilled that 2 and 1/2 years after giving my life to Christ, my friends who God has shown me so much through will be able to celebrate with me. I often wonder how God could bless me with such amazing people. But he has written my story with all of you in it, and for that I praise him without ceasing.

May only GOD get the glory today,
May our praise and worship be pure in His name,
and may we be reminded that we have a story to share,

.ck.

The radiance of the glory of God

Friday. This is a teacher's favorite day of the week. I suppose you could argue it is anyone's favorite day of the week, however, I would argue that a teacher's Friday is much more exciting than most.

Wednesday night we had our monthly (ish) Campus Outreach Leader's Meeting. Here we made a lot of discussion about where we wanted this semester to go, and what we would be begging God for as this year comes to a close. We also talked about what we needed more of, or, what we were lacking as a ministry. Much was said, but the one thing that stood out to me was what we "needed" as leaders on campus. As Christians, what do we need more of in order to impact the world for Christ? What is stopping us from telling everyone the good news? What are we missing...?

The solution: more training on sharing the gospel.

I agree whole-heartedly that we need to learn how to lovingly and effectively share the Gospel. In Tim Keller's book, GOD IS THE GOSPEL, he writes, "When the gospel is proclaimed, it must be explained. Unintelligible good news is not even news, let alone good." Then he goes to further explain, "Doctrine guards the diamonds of the gospel from being discarded as mere crystals. Doctrine protects the treasures of the gospel from the pirates who don't like the diamonds but make a living trading them for other stones. Doctrine polishes the old gems buried at the bottom of the chest. It puts the jewels of gospel truth in order on the scarlet tapestry of history so each is seen in its most beautiful place." This alone reminds me how important it is that we know the gospel, but also know how to share it in a way that its beauty is seen for all it is.

All this is true.
But, I think it is more than this.

I think we are missing Jesus. We are missing the beauty of the gospel itself. The radiance, Himself, of the glory of God. If we knew Jesus more. If we knew His character and truly believed in who He was, what He came to do, and what He has promised us, we would never hold back. We would never let pride in the way. We would never let fear stop us from telling the world what He has done, and where we are going apart from God. How are we missing this huge truth? The world is on fire and we can't even smell the smoke. We are so blinded by the world that we forget the glory of our Maker! We forget our only purpose. I'm talking to myself here as much as anyone else. It is just truly baffling.

"Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature. He upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." Hebrews 1:1-3

What we need is more time with God. To know Him more intimately. To know who He is, and how that shapes who we are as His children.

I pray we can know Jesus more today.

"For we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. Through him let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God." Hebrews 13: 14-16