My Rusty Armor

Last Monday, I had a paper due for my psychology class on a book that we were suppose to read. I totally forgot about it, so I quick read 2 chapters of the book, there were only probably 6 chapters at the most so it was a small book. Basically it was about a knight who was kind and good, and he had very shiny armor. He eventually became very proud of his armor so much that he never took it off. He didn't take it off for so long that it became rusted to him. We were suppose to write about what our rusty armor was and how it inhibits our personal growth. The following is the paper I wrote.

I believe my armor, is my fleshly nature. It gets in the way of every aspect of my spiritual walk with the Lord. I would not be who I am today without my spiritual walk, and my fleshly nature tends to rise up and beckon me to come back to my old ways and habits. Satan and the flesh work hand in hand and can be a strong force, but my God is bigger and mightier than both of them working together. By HIS grace I can overcome. In this day and age, Satan’s tactics can be so easily enticing. When my armor does get in the way, I have to take a step back, look at the situation, and ask God to help me to overcome my temptation. I was 16 when I gave my heart the Lord, and I’m not sure how I lived without Him before. I lived in such sin and darkness and my life was a slave unto sin. It was then when I had fallen so low and didn’t know what else I could that Jesus called me by his mercy. I knew what I had to do, and I was willing. The next morning after I was called, Satan really told me that everything I had just done was a dream so I put off my calling. It was about a month later when I actually realized that I could not do it on my own, and that is when I fully surrendered my heart to God and His service. One way that my armor can get in the way of my personal or spiritual growth is by fear. I always fear new changes. This year especially has been full of different changes. I had a lot of friends get married, which is a big change when they have to move away and are in a different town or state. Another big change was graduating from high school. I was hoping to just get a job and not go to college, but that was not God’s plan for my life. I was fearful of not knowing what to do, and college absolutely terrified me. I tried everything I could to get out of college, but it was not meant to be. I didn’t know what was wrong with me, because all of my other friends were so excited to go to college.  That was really my flesh and Satan rising up and telling me I was the only one, and putting thoughts in my head of all the things that could go wrong. I finally had to rise above my fleshly nature by God’s grace on the first day of school. I have loved everyday of college thus far, and it goes to show that God’s ways are better than ours, and we have to get rid of our fleshly, rusty armor to let Him work in our lives. It was after I was getting into the routine of school that I started worrying again how I was going to pay off my college tuition, considering all I did was clean for 2 hours on the weekend.  It was in mid-September that I got a call from the bank that I had applied at earlier in the summer. They said they were looking for a part-time employee at their Peoria branch. They asked if I could come into and interview and I accepted quickly. My interview lasted probably less than 5 minutes, because they knew they wanted me.  I started working a few days after that, and it was been such a blessing working there. It really goes to show that we don’t have a clue what is best for us. I really had never seen myself working at a bank, especially since that was my sister’s dream job and we have complete opposite personalities. Really learning to trust in God’s will and timing can be a very difficult thing, because my fleshly nature really thinks it knows what is best for me. I must daily commit my will unto God’s will and ask Him to take away my fleshly desires. I must also ask Him to truly humble me so that I may be submissive to His will. It can be so hard to trust Him, especially now since there are so many changes at this stage of life and not a lot of time to make decisions. My flesh constantly rises up with in me and nearly overpowers me, but God truly is mightier than it, and can calm the storm within me. I only need to ask.

So this was my paper, very last minute(I didn't do it until the day it was due.) and surprisingly, I got a 100% on it. I was pretty nervous about turning it in, because I wasn't sure how my professor would react to it and if she would be mad, because it was a spiritual paper. I was wrong. Right underneath my grade, this is what my professor wrote. 

Good work, Lynelle! I appreciated your openness and honesty to look at some of these issues regarding life and faith. Certainly fear inhibits both areas! Self-awareness and faith in God are always keys to change. I think you have identified areas for growth and gained some good insights. I am confident that these lessons and insights will help you as you continue to journey along this lifelong

path towards your truest self! 

So then one day, she told us that she worked at the Antioch Group which is a christian counseling group. So then I was curious, so I looked up the Antioch Group and it a bios about the different counselors, so I read hers, and come to find out, she was a missionary also. So I pretty much have the best psychology professor ever. I am pretty blessed to have her, because some of my friends don't have very good professor. So once again, God has blessed me so much more than I deserve and all I can do it praise and thanks Him. May you shine your godly lights this week!

a good, good weekend

Well, this week was calm for the most part. Wednesday night we had ICC church rotation in Eureka. It was a good turn out, and I think everyone that went felt it was a blessing. After church we went to someone's shed(it was heated and had a living area in it). Some of us girls went upstairs and played dutch blitz. I heard some music, and went down to check it out. Some of the brothers were playing guitars, mandolins, and banjos. Us girls all decided we wanted to go down and listen so we piled down into the living room and listened someone suggested we sing. It was a great singing and the instruments really made it sound awesome. On Thursday I worked, then came home and did some cleaning, etc. Thursday night we had our Single Sisters Bible Study at Jim and Marlene's. It was on True Worship, and it really was an uplifting/convicting evening. I always enjoy our Bible Studies. It's always a good way to get to know people on a different level. Friday, I had school, came home after school to clean, went to work after an hour, worked until 5, came home and cleaned for an hour, and then the people started coming. We had a supper and singing at our house. It was a soup supper and I think people really enjoyed it. We had a pretty good turn our, and I think everyone was glad they came. Saturday I had good intentions of sleeping in, since most days I wake up at 5:30. Anyways I woke up at 9, which was really early for most people in this house. I realized I just can't sleep in anymore. My mom said I'm growing up;) I just sat around and did nothing until 12:15. At 12:15, I drove over to Panera to eat lunch and study with Heidi Bradle. It was delicious, but I'm not sure how much studying we got done:) We are both in the same Earth Science class AND lab! We have gotten super close, since we really didn't know each other very well before having a class together. We studied until 3:15, then headed to Berean Bookstore and just browsed awhile. We then went to Starbucks to grab some free coffee:) She had a gift card from her mom and they have this deal between 2-5 that if you buy one of their holiday drinks, you get one free, so of course we skidded in at 5. I picked up Claire at Grand Prairie and headed home. We had memorandum at 7. John Wiegand from Silverton, OR was here to assist Jim. One topic I really thought about a lot was Spiritual Responsibility in the Home. I thought about what my job was and the Spirit really convicted me that I need to let my family members and others how much I appreciate them. So, when we got home, I wrote notes to everyone in my family letting them know why I appreciate them and encouraged them to continue using the gifts they have. I really prayed that they would know and feel they were appreciated and at breakfast when the opened them, I could tell that they really liked the notes. I really need to try harder at doing that for my friends as well. We always assume people know they are appreciated. Today, John Wiegand was in church so he had the morning service and Jim had the afternoon service. In a few minutes we will be heading up to my Grandpa and Grandma Endress's for my cousins Autumns 1st birthday. Oh and did I mention I am going to be a cousin 2 times over in May. Ben and Katie and Steve and Betsy are both expecting. This will make 26 grandkids with me being the oldest. It's pretty crazy! Tomorrow I have school and my last class is canceled so I will be meeting Ashley Herrmann for lunch at Chiles. This week is going to be pretty crazy, but I am looking forward to it. May you all have a Happy Thanksgiving and remember all that God has blessed you with!

Happenings....

I realized that I hadn't blogged for a couple of weeks, so here is a shortened version of what's been happening in my life recently. I have been keeping fairly busy with school, only a few more weeks until this semester is over! I can hardly believe it, I guess time flies when you are having fun:) It really has been fun, I enjoy it so much. I have great friends at ICC, which makes it 10 times better. I also have enjoyed going to Wednesday night rotations with the ICC young group. Sophie is growing up so fast it's scary! She is really learning how to talk. Some of her cute sayings lately is we ask her who's cute and she replies "ME!" Of course she learned that on her own:) When I tell her that she is a meanie she just says "No, Nene(Lynelle) memie. Work is pretty much the same. I work only until noon on tuesdays, which is really nice, because I can come home and play with Sophie or do laundry. Today was my laundry day, and let me tell you it is quite a chore. I have to do my own laundry so I usually procrastinate and it sits in my closet for about a month until it drives me nuts enough to do it. I always feel so great after it's done though. It is pretty hard to do laundry and stuff like that, because I am never home. I guess I have to get use to adult life, like the girl who came into the bank today. She came in and said, "I'm trying to get use to the adult life, and I don't know how to cash a check so you will have to show me." I guess we all have things to learn about the adult life. Speaking of adult life, my birthday was November 3rd, and I celebrated it in Chicago with Amber Ehnle and Emmy Grant. We stayed at Emmy's sister and brother-in-laws. We went to the Art Institute(Amber got extra-credit for going there),  then for lunch we ate at the Cheesecake Factory, and lastly we shopped on Michigan Avenue. It was an awesome way to spend my birthday. This last weekend, I was in Washington for an invite. It was small, but I like it that way, since I usually get drained when there is an over abundance of people. I stayed at someone's house who was 12 and I was the oldest one there. There were 2 others who stayed there too. I decided that I have a greater respect for the older ones in the single group:) Well, I had better sign off, I here Dad praying upstairs, which means I missed supper. Have a blessed rest of your week, and shine the light of Jesus!
O taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in him.
Psalm 34:8