my year 2011~ my year of learning!

I think I've never learned that much during 365 days....

....two people who had been kind of close to me died. One of them was my classmade- it was yesterday one year ago when he died really suddenly. It was a shock for all of us! The other one had been my cousin. He commited suicide what also had been a shock for my whole family! But in that time of grief god gave me a verse which accompanies me since than. It's Romans 15:13
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. "
In god we have hope as those who loose someone who is close to us, cause we'll see them again. But we have also hope as christians that the better life is going to come in heaven and that this life on earth is not eternal.
I love the song "With hope" by Steven Curtis Chapman which is about crying with hope.

...With the beginning of 2011 I started working in a girlsgroup which belongs to YMCA. It's a great opportunity to spent time with teenagers who really need god but don't know that...not all of them are in this situation cause some are christians but many aren't. I am the youngest of three stuff members and I think that's cool, too, cause the girls are not much younger than me. I hope that god uses me there and that I can be kind of an example to them. But there is one thing in which I really had to trust god: To be allowed to serve in this group I have to be a member of YMCA and pay money...I didn't want that cause I don't want to be a memer of something which isn't my church. But I knew that god wanted me to serve in that girlsgroup- so now I'm a member of YMCA to be faithful. But I can't deny that it was a fight for me to do what god wants and not what I want...but I can tell you that I'm glad to serve in this group!!! God is good.

... Many fiends of mine went away to have a year abroad or to study somewhere else. That has been really hard for as well and it's still hard! I know that god wants to teach me that I have to depend on him and not on my friend. Nevertheless it's hard when 5 friends suddenly are somewhere else and you just feel left alone.  But I can tell you: God provides! He gave me some new friendships which are intense already and others got deeper. That's awesome and I didn't expected that. Another thing is that school is so busy at the moment and I have to do so much that there is no time to sit at home to cry because I miss my friends...
I always thought I have to go somewhere else where I don't know anyone to learn that I'm so dependent on god- but in the past few months I recognized that I'm not independent!

...school is really really busy at the moment! The weeks before the christmas break I learned that God is my strength! I had to learn for several classtest and of cause I had to right them... These weeks have been the most exhausting weeks I've ever experienced. Out of my strength I couldn't do anything! Physically I've been a wreck but spiritually I grew...
"But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."  2. Corinthians 12:9

...Also in the past few weeks I played the guitare a lot and I really love it! God encountered me through worship in a way I've never experienced before. There are so many worshipsongs that touched my heart. For example the song "unfailing love"- " You have my heart and I am yours forever. You are my strength, God of grace and power. And everything you hold in your hands, still you make time for me, I can't understand..."

 What I learned:

1. God is my hope

2. I have to trust in god and be obedient

3. God provides

4. God is my strength especially when I'm weak

5. I don't want to settle for anything less than what God has planned for me

Friends, may the lord bless and lead you in 2012!