Haven't had a post in forever!
Lately I've just been doing what I gotta do in school..
Preparing for the youth group night THIS SATURDAY @ 6:30.
It will be held at my church (same place as the rally) and should be fun!

Ahhh, whipping myself into tip top shape for tennis season is hard!
I mean... the eating "right" part is.. lol.

Anywho... I saw this daily devotion this morning and it definitely helped me.
Hope it helps you too!

God is good, all the time!

Bethany Nguyen



When the Future seems Uncertain
By Rick Warren

"For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans ... to give you a future and a hope ... You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest." Jeremiah 29:11, 13 (LB)

No matter what the pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators claim, no one can accurately predict all that is going to happen this year, let alone in the next few weeks. Our best forecasts are just educated guesses.

Change is not only increasing in speed and intensity, but also in unpredictability.

The Bible suggests three timeless principles for facing an uncertain future:

Set goals according to God's direction
It's foolish to make plans without first consulting God. He's the only one who DOES know the future - and he's eager to guide you through it.

The Bible says, "We may make our plans, but God has the last word." (Proverbs 16:1) In other words, planning without praying is presumption. Start by praying, "God, what do YOU want me to do in 2010?"

Live one day at a time -- While you can plan for tomorrow, you can't live it until it arrives. Most people spend so much time regretting the past and worrying about the future, they have no time to enjoy today!

John Lennon once wrote, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." Decide to make the most of each moment this year. Jesus said, "Don't be anxious about tomorrow - God will take care of your tomorrows. Live one day at a time." (Matthew 6:34)

Don't procrtatsinate - DO IT NOW! - "Don't boast about what you're going to do tomorrow, for you don't know what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1)

Procrastinating is a subtle trap. It wastes today by postponing things until tomorrow. You promise yourself that you'll do it "one of these days." But "one of these days" is usually "none of these days."

What did you plan to get done last year that you didn't do? When do you intend to start working on it?

I Surrender

Surrender: Let Go and Let God Work
by Rick Warren

Surrender yourself to the Lord, and wait patiently for him. Psalm 37:7 (GW)

Surrendering your life means -

• Following God's lead without knowing where he's sending you;

• Waiting for God's timing without knowing when it will come;

• Expecting a miracle without knowing how God will provide;

• Trusting God's purpose without understanding the circumstances.

You know you're surrendered to God when you rely on God to work things out instead of trying to manipulate others, force your agenda, and control the situation. You let go and let God work. You don't have to always be "in charge." Instead of trying harder, you trust more.

You also know you're surrendered when you don't react to criticism and rush to defend yourself.

Surrendered hearts show up best in relationships.
You are not self-serving, you don't edge others out, and you don't demand your rights.

The most difficult thing to surrender for many people is their money. Many have thought, "I want to live for God but I also want to earn enough money to live comfortably and retire someday."

Retirement is not the goal of a surrender life -- Because it competes with God for the primary attention of our lives. Jesus said, "You cannot serve both God and money," and "Wherever your treasure is, your heart will be also."

The supreme example of self-surrender is Jesus. The night before his crucifixion Jesus surrendered himself to God's plan. He prayed, "Father, everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."

Jesus didn't pray, "God, if you're able to take away this pain, please do so." He began by affirming that God can do anything! He prayed, "God, if it is in your best interest to remove this suffering, please do so. But if it fulfills your purpose, that's what I want, too."

Genuine surrender says, "Father, if this problem, pain, sickness, or circumstance is needed to fulfill your purpose and glory in my, life or in another's life, please don't take it away!"

This level of maturity doesn't come easy. In Jesus' case, he agonized so much over God's plan that he sweats drops of blood. Surrender is hard work. In our case, it requires intense warfare against our self-centered nature.

Score!

Yesterday, I got this in the mail...

& I GOT IN! :)




God is good, ALL THE TIME!

Yours Truly,

Bethany <3

2010!

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!

It's crazy to see how fast 2009 went by.
A lot has happened this year, and it's all something we can use and learn from to improve on for the new year that awaits us. I hope everyone had a fun New Year's Eve. I was stuck inside the house because my parents were being big fat poop heads. They are crazy overly protective. Good thing I guess, but they gotta learn to let me go sometime. Because...
I GRADUATE THIS YEAR! It's finally 2010?!
My goodness, I feel so old. Who knew that this year would come so quickly?

I don't have a resolution really. Of course it's always some sort of goal for the year but I guess all I gotta do is keep doing what I'm doing. Fulfill my purpose on Earth for God, do my best in school, be a good daughter, sister, and friend to everyone. Just continually self-improving my character through trials.

I have a bunch of photos from the rally and lock-in but man, I'm too lazy to post them up. So I'll just upload a couple. Props to Ryan for being able to update photos on his blog all the time! Haha.

May God bless you all this year and that it may be a wonderful one.
God is good, all the time.

- Bethany A. Nguyen


I love my spiritual family ♥