Checking In

Hi ladies, 

Crystal here...I'm just popping in for a second because I wanted to ask you all to pray for Nancy and I.   We're both fighting illnesses that have put us in bed for a couple of days.   We both need the medication that's been prescribed to work. And we both need patience while we wait for that to happen. Ironically, each of us also wishes we could take chicken soup to our sick friend, but since we live in different countries that's a little tricky to pull off. Good thing we have our animals to keep us company!

You know how hard it is for Nancy to not be writing her posts for you, especially during this season of Lent.  Please pray that she would be able rest peacefully for as long as she needs to and that she would get better quickly.

Thanks so much.  You guys are the best!

Comments

[Therese]

Praying for both of you. I hope you make a quick recovery. <3

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Aww, sorry to hear that y'all are sick. I'll be praying for you both!

[Ireland]

I'm so sorry you guys are sick! I'm totally praying for you!!!! Get well soon.

I've been having computer problems and sadly wasn't able to read the blog for a few weeks, but I'm definitely back :)

Lots of love and prayers *and please get well soon*
Ireland

[Therese]

Pray for me? This whole week has been really hard. I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle.

[Paige]

Praying for you both!

So, I was thinking girls. I think Mrs. Rue while she's not feeling well would want us all to continue with this series, right? What if we all tried to continue on just for the moment? Obviously, we're not as wise in our years, but sometimes we end up teaching each other through our own experiences. In the last post, she talked about finding something that could we could all lop off our schedules because it's still so incredibly important to have Jesus time.
That got me thinking of a few Bible passages. Jesus TOO took sometime on his own and needed space. Matthew 14:13 talks about how Jesus withdrew after finding out about the death of John, and a crowd followed him. Another time that came to my mind was right before the Crucifixion Jesus realized the importance of getting His strength from God, so he withdrew to the garden of Gethsemane and prayed (Matthew 26:36-45)
Then there's the verse in Luke 5:16 that goes, "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

Those are just some ones that come to my mind...
I don't know. That really speaks to me that Jesus found it so important to withdraw from the hubbub of daily life and seek God in a quiet place. I think I'm going to try to each day withdraw three times for just a few minutes to "soak up strength" and ask God's will be done on my life.

But anyway, what are your guys thoughts? I think we could totally try and keep going while Mrs. Rue and Crystal heal up :) I'd love to hear somethings God is laying on your heart :)

Love,
Paige
P.S. I'm praying for you Therese.

[Melody]

Praying for healing for Mrs. Rue and Crystal and peace and assurance for Therese.

I really like what you said Paige, as I literally just came to the realization that spending time by myself is absolutely critical. My roommate left for the weekend and one of my friends got really excited expecting that we'd have a sleepover in my room for the weekend. I gently had to refuse, because I know that I really need the unexpected space that this gives me. It upset her a little, but I know she understands. Especially for me recently I've been feeling a few of my old depression symptoms and that kairos time with God is one of the crucial things I need to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. I don't have a verse to accompany this, but just has an encouragement sometimes it's okay to put people off for a few hours or even a couple days, just to get that kairos time to rejuvenate.

[Ea]

I think that what you said is true, Paige.
After all, it could even be (may I say) a little arrogant to think I always have to say yes to everything, even if it is something good. Because, God doesn't NEED help in running the universe. And if he gave us gifts in certain, specific areas and limits in others, doesn't that say something about where we should be?
I don't mean that we should only help when we're comfortable with it, and never go out of our comfort zone. As I write I find that I'm confusing myself! because how can we really know when to go with something, or turn it down? -so I'm still trying to figure it out.
Just to say that I agree with you Melody; I think we should realize we have limits, and it's right to say no sometimes. We're humans and we were created to need 'recharging'.
Does that make sense? Anyway, those are my thoughts.
Praying for you all.

[AnnaRachael]

Praying for you Ladies! Sorry I am not on that much, I do not have a lot of time on my hands as I would like to.

[*Olivia* :)]

Praying for you both! Feel better soon:) virtual hug!( and bowl of chicken soup)<3 Prayers for you Therese and for all of you other girls:)

[*Olivia* :)]

Paige: I absolutely love your idea of continuing a little with this series while crystal and nancy are recovering! I say we all head over to the google group and get a discussion started!:)

[May]

Love and prayers!!
Get well soon!

[Grace Anne]

Prayer request: today at school my lab group was doing an experiment, and something went wrong and it produced harmful fumes. Me and the other three people in my group were all right by the beaker when it happened and all four of us ended up breathing the fumes. One of my friends got the worst of; he was right over the beaker when it started producing fumes and all of us were coughing for the rest of the day, so please pray that all of us are able to breathe normally and not let the fumes have harmed us.

[*Olivia* :)]

Prayers Grace Anne!

[Melody]

I had some more kairos time last night! It was great because I really needed some time to myself and my roommate happened to leave for the weekend. My friends and I were just hanging out in my room for while and finally everyone left but one, probably my closest friend here. She's going on a missions trip soon and has been feeling distant from God and uncertain as to why she's going on this trip. It was really great because around 11 I was like, 'I should go to bed soon", but then we started talking and looking and the Bible and praying and without even realizing it an entire hour went by. It was cool because it was just an hour of friendship and God and conversations about God. I think that classifies as kairos :)

[Paige]

*Olivia* : I personally meant on here, just because not all of the girls are involved in the google group, but we could start one there, too.

Melody- I'm so glad you had a little time to get refreshed and refocused!! :) I'll keep praying for you that your depression symptoms don't come back.

Ea- Love your thoughts! I totally agree, there are certain areas that we're individually not as gifted in, yet sometimes we find ourselves trying so hard to be that thing/person. I think it's a bit of growing up, you know? When I was earlier in my teens, that was more of a struggle for me than now (exiting my teen years, in a few). I think it's like learning who we are. Not that we won't always have questions about where God wants us, but more talent-focused questions seem to dissipate with the years.

Praying for you Grace Anne.

SO. How do you guys decide when to say no? When is too much- well, too much?

[Melody]

I guess you have to say no when its something that's interfering with your health and happiness.

I have a prayer request. There's a lot going on with my friend group right now and I feel like I'm in the middle of all of it. I'm trying to decide between two people who want to room with me (and neither of whom I want to hurt at all). Plus one of our best friends has been seeming permanently on the edge of a stress break-down all year and one of my friends has noticed this and thinks that she may have OCD, which actually makes a lot of sense in the way she explains it. Anyway, we're trying to decide how to approach the topic with her and get her help without ostracizing or offending her.

[*Rachel*]

Melody, Grace Anne, Therese, Miss Crystal, Mrs. Rue, and all you girls - praying for you!!

Paige, LOVE the idea of keeping the series going - you rock girl :) In my life, I keep a pretty tight schedule. I usually fill up most of my days with long-term commitments, like my soccer teams and a leadership group in my community. So if I ever have free time that someone is asking to fill up, to me, deciding if it's too much takes a pretty simple test: will this be a kairos-type activity? After all, it is my FREE time, it's supposed to be spent doing things I enjoy. Like, volunteering with friends, babysitting, spending an afternoon at the pool? Kairos. Events on school nights, get-togethers on weekends with a ton of homework, or something that causes me to give up some rare family time? Not so kairos. I think for me, it's usually a matter of prioritizing first, and then filling in extra time only if it's something that I enjoy or that I know I'm called to.
Hopefully that wasn't too confusing ;)

Love and Blessings,
*Rachel*

[*Olivia* :)]

I think you should say no to something when you that you will be overloading your schedule and you may just possibly go insane. Like Melody said, if the activity your turning down is going to affect your health and happiness, you should just stick with saying no. :) :)

[JennaT]

Praying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hope you get better soon!

JennaT

[Alisha]

Hey girls,
I don't have time to go into a long post (and don't know if I have the words to) but I just wanted to ask for prayer. I've been really struggling this past little while and there's a lot going on. I promise to fill you guys in when I've had time to process it all but please just pray for me.
Know you are all in my prayers

[Abby:)]

Praying for all you girls, but especially Therese and Alisha. And thank you everyone for your prayers the other day, I'm doing a little better now <3

Regarding our time management discussion, I like the way Rachel put it - setting in place all your top triorities then filling in the cracks with kairos time only. Now if only I'd finish my homework in time to HAVE some free time, I might be able to apply that concept. ;)

Thanks Paige for suggesting we keep this series going!!
Love you girls!!