He is Risen!

First off Happy Easter your and your families :). I told you last post (Jan) that I would share my new years resolutions with all of you in my next post. Well it's now April and ironically two of my resolutions had to do with procrastination and posting more often. It seems that I'm not off to a great start , but regardless I though what better way to renew my resolve to post more than by starting with an Easter post. I think that Easter is my favorite holiday hand down. I love it for so many reasons 1) It's the day to celebrate the resurrection Of My savior and subsequently the greatest gift of mercy I could ever hope to receive 2) The time of celebration is shared with my friends ,family, and loved ones 3)I love the church service on Easter Sunday because everything about it is so energized ; The whole mood is celebratory. More than any other Sunday there is an atmosphere of Joy.4) It's a great time of reflection. There is so much to consider on so many levels. Today I have contemplated: the enormity of the gift that was given for me, what I will choose to do with the knowledge that I didn't deserve the gift but it was given to me any way, how I can share the meaning of this day with others, The order in which I place my priorities, and even my future goals. Each thought allows me to contemplate my relationship with the Lord. New Years is a great time to self reflect as I pointed out in my last post, but Easter offers its own opportunity to reflect on spiritual matters and 5) On a more superficial level the excitement of a new Easter dress is something I don't think I will ever grow out of. To me it represents a renewal. With a new dress comes opportunity as the outfit has the potential for new memories and experiences to be associated with it. It's a piece of fabric that carries a sense of potential with it. In the same way Easter Represents a renewal - a Renewed depth to a faith, A renewed focus on the cross, A new potential for spiritual exploration. Each is a new set of memories and experiences that God is calling us to dive into.


Matthew 28:5-8 = 5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

God Bless,
Ashley

2010- Time to change

The New Year is finally here! As I think about this I begin to reflect on just what that means for me. What I wist to do with this knowledge and how I can make a difference this year. One of the things I think about is 2 Corinthians 5:17 -Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! I realize that I am already made new in Christ with a decision to accept him as my Lord and Savior and that knows now time or year span. So I use that verse to reflect on how I changed when I accepted Christ; How I let myself trust him instead of trying to do it all myself ; How I stopped worrying so much I would make myself Sick, Even those small things show how I was made knew in Him. So I think about 1) How awesome that is and 2) how my new resolutions can reflect my love of Christ and His will. I think about my spiritual gifts
-Romans 12: 6-8 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his^b]">[b]faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
-Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
I decide that I will go where God's leads me this year and not let fear hold me back - 2 Timothy 1:7 For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Even as my mind wanders to all the other new things this year will bring Like SATs, ACTs, finals, and all of these things that I don't want to think about , that stress me out I think about yet another verse -Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. I realize that no matter what it is I can take it to God and that I will never face anything he can't handle and that I will always be okay in his loving arms.
I love the new year because I think it's a time for a heart cleansing not just a celebration. It's a time to reflect on the past year and learn and grow from each experiences and It's a time to renew Body , Mind and Soul. It's the perfect opportunity to make changes and to renew commitments . Whether it be wanting to read your bible more (http://www.oneyearbibleonline.com/) or whatever I urge you to take the time to reflect , to be still and spend that time with God, to let go of the sin that ensnares you.
- So ,what are some of your new years resoultions ( I'll post mine next post) and how do they reflect the changes you wish to make>
- What do you enjoy about reflecting on the new year?

God Bless,
Ashley Lane
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Reading the bible- why we should

I know I haven't blogged in awhile( I'm trying to get back in the habit) but I've really felt the purpose of this post laid on my heart. It's so easy to get caught up in our routines and busy schedules and neglect our time with God. We have so many things to do and after all we go to church on Sunday's right? When we neglect our time spent with God in his word we neglect our relationship with him. One of my favorite Bible verses is Matthew 4:4 ( Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.') God's word is our bread - our substance, and just like food it should not be forgone. ^{John 15:10 says this -} If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. God's commandments are are laid out for us in the Bible. So if your not in the habit of reading the word I would encourage you to pick a specific time of the day to stick to every day. You don't have to read a lot to experience the power of God's word.

God Bless,
Ashley Lane
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Pray for Kate McRae!

I would ask you all to come together in lifting up prayer for this little girl and her family. The power of prayer is an awesome thing. It's a direct line where we can communicate with God. If it is not a part of your daily routine, I would challenge you to make it so."Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

God Bless,
Ashley Lane
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Woa where has the time gone?

Wow I haven't blogged since march! I really didn't think it was that long - every time I got an idea for a post I wasn't near a computer. Time has flown by for me - today is my last day school and then I will officially be a junior! Today is also yearbook distribution day so when I'm not doing yearbook stuff I can see my friends one last time before summer, , especially my best friend who is moving to South Carolina on Friday. Best friend doesn't even begin to describe her though she's been my sister of the heart for almost 4 years now. She's changed me for the better, helping me not to be so shy and to try new things. She's understood everything about me no matter how odd ,and I never felt judged around. When life got tough she would listen and that was all I really needed. I'm going to miss her so much but if we have our way we will be calling and emailing so much it will be like she never left. So as this chapter of my life closes and another opens I wonder what God has in store for me?

Jeremiah 29:11

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

God Bless,

Ashley Lane

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The rescue is on! Read me!

Invisible children is an organization very close to my heart, some of you know know what I'm talking about, but if you don't here's a bit of background: Invisible children was started by three boys who made the trip to Uganda and were horrified by what they saw and decided it had end. So the made the first video called : Rough cut. What they saw was a nation that had been at war for over 20 years , hundreds of children flooding into the city at night to avoid being kidnapped and turned into child soldiers by a man named Joseph Koni, they saw devastation. This was my reaction to the first Video, Scroll down to hear about an update and their latest video:
"Tonight at a beta club movie night we showed the film Invisible Children the rough cut to get the rest of the club and the parents fired up about our project of building a school in Africa, and it pretty much broke my heart. I wanted to cry so hard, but most importantly I wanted to do something to change it. You see my faith was kind of starting to reach a point of stagnancy, and I was trying to find something to blow that door open again. You see I didn't believe any less than before, I had my little candle of faith, but I wanted a bonfire instead. What I mean is I wanted to always continue to grow in my faith everyday of my life. I started becoming committed to reading my bible everyday, and I spent a lot of time praying about it. Slowly but surely I felt God at work in my life for this. I had some awesome youth group experiences that blew those doors open, and then I saw this video, and I have never felt more sure of my faith or passion to make a difference. I thought if these children, who everyday endure pain, that I on my worst day will NEVER experience, can still get up at the crack of dawn and pray, I can most certainly live out my faith and grow stronger in it. I CAN make a difference with my God. I urge you to see it . Borrow it or buy it at www. invisiblechildren.com. Tell everyone you know about it. I know that I will, I will also throw myself into helping those children through my beta club and others, I will praise the lord everyday for what I have been given and don't deserve. I will be a follower of Christ."

Now: The number of death has risen, the number of children abducted has risen, and the number effected has risen! After the sixth attempt at a peace talk agreement with Joseph Koni, and after the 6th time he has backed out at the last minute .Invisible Children has decided enough is enough! Now Joseph Koni has moved into five other nations and is forcing more children to become killers and see things No Child, No person should ever see. Watch the latest Video entitled the rescue Here:http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=73887301046&h=VTI2y&u=z1ujj&ref=nf becauseit's about rescuing the children. So on April 25,2009 in cities around the world we will come together . We will Abduct ourselves for however long it takes to rescue this kids. We will all be cramming into one location until we are rescued by a celebrity or person of influence whom we will contact. The stipulations are that they come to our location , bring the media and make a statement about the invisible child soldiers and calling for Koni to be arrested. This is meant to be overnight. If we are rescued quickly we are invited to spend the night and still spread the word and if we aren't rescued for three days we stay there for three days!

After seeing this movie today and being brought back to the reality of their life it's hard to imagine life here going on still when there peace is JUST A DREAM, and to me that's part of what the rescue is about- stopping the way we live(if eve for a short time) To make a statement and a difference in their suffering! Today after the screening I went to the store and was struck as I walked by the magazine racks by how much useless info is being published when There is a war devastating millions and turning children into killers going on. It's time to end the War!
God Bless,
Ashley Lane
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Fireproof!

I'm sure many of you have heard of the movie starring Kirk Cameron by now, and If you have not had a chance to watch it I highly recommend it. It is a wonderful portrayal of God's amazing grace as well as the value and work of a marriage. It is a great movie whether you are married or not and it is full of emotion. Unlike most romantic or marriage type movies, I didn't just want them to say they loved each other I wanted them to truly work out their problems and come out stronger. I don't wont to spoil the plot for you, but I will say it is a great movie and I would watch it again. Marriage isn't easy but God intended for it to last. If you did see it what did you think?

God Bless,
Ashley Lane
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