new year's

i am a terrible blogger. i admit it. but i have made a resolution-i am going to read the whole Bible this year and i will blog about what God is teaching me. i need the accountability and maybe you will have insight to share on what i'm reading. i got a bit of a headstart and read luke in december. yesterday i started genesis.

Genesis 1-4

gen. 1:1-2 "in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters." how great is God that he could capture my heart from the very first verse of the Bible! i have heard these verses many times, but never stopped to really think about what they mean. the God that i worship, pray to, sometimes ignore and blame, thank, am blessed by, sin against, is the God that created the heavens and the earth. His Spirit hovered over all the seas of the world. stop and think about that for a second. His Spirit was over all the earth. that's a beautiful, amazing, unfathomable power. He created the world and everything in it, yet He loves you and me.

not only did God create the world, He made the plants, animals, and finally human. gen. 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." adam and eve were given rule over all the earth, they were blessed with a spouse in each other, and had a perfect relationship with God. until they sinned and fell short of the Glory. they were tempted to eat and so they ate. God said not to, but the temptation of wisdom and knowledge was too great. they ruined their relationship with the King and were banished from Paradise. how many times have i "eaten the fruit?" all the times when i know God's direction, guiding, and commands-yet still choose sin. i fall into temptation time and again, even though i remember vividly the consequences. i break my relationship with Him further by hiding sin just as adam and eve hid from God in the garden.

yet God poured out mercy and love on us because he created us and loves us more than we can imagine. He sent His Son to save us from sin, to right our broken relationship with Him. how amazing is the GOD we serve!

other stuff going on:
*today marks the 1 month count-down to Cambodia! please keep the girls and staff of Rapha House in your prayers.
*my last semester of high school starts monday.
*i've been leading a small group of middle school girls, and it's great teaching and learning from them.
*perspectives-a great missions class, starts next week.

i hope and pray each day we all wake up to realize how God has blessed us and how we might bless others.