An Update On Life And My Most Important Focus...

First Vlog of 2012

Well apparently, just before I posted this on the 15th, I realized that I hadn't mentioned the second thing that I am working on: My relationship with God...And that is why you have not been able to watch or read about this new post until today...So, whether you have watched the video yet or not, let me explain more about my 2nd, but most important, focus for my life...

I have begun to focus on my faith and my relationship with God in a variety of personal and interpersonal ways and have been enjoying and appreciating each one of them so much...

Recently, I joined a Wednesday afternoon CollegePlus! Girls' Skype Bible Study on Proverbs 31, as well as my CollegePlus! Skype Theological Discussion Group on Monday evenings, where we have just begun Colossians. Both are groups that I have been missing a lot lately and I am so glad that am able to participate in them once again...They are both once-a-week groups and I join in when I can. :)

I am also about to start a one-on-one study/accountability time with my best friend and CP! Sister, Keegan, with the book Preparing To Be A Help Meet by Debi Pearl...We are planning to get together on the phone when we are free, at least once a month, and go over the chapter/section we have been studying and share our thoughts and experiences and plans/to do's with each other...We are both super excited about this and can't wait to learn and grow together! :)

And finally, starting on my birthday, Matt and I are planning to begin reading through the Bible and spend time talking about and studying it together...This is something we have been talking about scheduling more regularly for a while now and are finally setting ourselves to it ;)

On a more personal level, I have begun a Prayer Calendar on an organizer calendar I picked up in the girls' hallway last month...When I wake up, I list a few things on each day to pray about in the morning and evening specifically, and try to remember and pray about them as I walk back and forth between work and classes...Along with that, I have also started Journaling my devotions again which I am really enjoying. :)

I know this all may seem like "too much", but it really isn't...I want to re-fill my life with Christ again, because I had fallen into a lapse where I was "too busy for Him"...As if!

Now that I have finally woken up to just how much my relationship with God had begun to dwindle, I am actively striving to refill my heart and soul and mind and strength with Christ once more...Satan is trying so hard to take it away from me again, and most of the time it is far too easy to just let him win the battles...But with God's help, I am doing my best to refocus myself in Him.

I am so blessed to be God's daughter, Christ's sister...Nothing else in the world matters anywhere near as much as that, and I love being able to rebuild my relationship with Him despite where I had been in the past...

More and more each day I am learning to love and apply my favorite hymn to my life...

*Be Thou My Vision*

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;

Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.

Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,

Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;

Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;

Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:

Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,

Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:

Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,

High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,

May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!

Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,

Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

~ * ~

I know this seems like more of a devotions post, and I am sorry if I have bored you a bit, but this is honestly where my life is right now and this blog is a way for me to share what I can about my life with my friends and family and anyone else who cares to check in on me and read about what I am up to these days all the way in Pasadena, California...

And so, with a love for you and an even deeper love for God, I am FINALLY going to go to bed now... ;)
(At 1:40am PST!)

Goodnight/Goodmorning!

-Courtney