Connecting with God

Ok. So I lead bible studies every other and this week I really wanted to focus on reconnecting with God. After putting it off and putting it off because I "didn't have time," I realized when it comes to God the excuse "I don't have time" is just really, really sad. So this week, we're focusing on reconnecting, or for some of you, connecting with God in the first place.

Connecting with God

When you made the decision to receive Christ into your life, you made the most important decision of your life. Let’s talk about your new life and what you can expect.

Just because you invited Christ into your life, can you be sure that He is actually living in you? One reason why you can always be confident is the Bible, God’s Word, can be totally trusted. It has been proven accurate many times. As you look at Jesus’ promises in the Bible, you can be sure He will do just what He says.

There are 3 promises that Jesus Christ wants you to know and understand.

CHRIST IN YOU

When you invited Christ into your life, you depended on His promise and his promise only. It’s hard sometimes to remember this because we have so many people to turn to in our life that we sometimes forget who our biggest confider should be. About 10 months ago I read a quote on Pinterest that said “Are you praying about it as much as you’re talking about it?” And this simple post seriously has stuck with me through every single day or time I’m in trouble and turn to my best friend, my mom, or my brother. Then I think…God is the only one that can help me through this.

 

Look at verse Revelation 3:20-21 (Revelation is the last book in the Bible.)

 

"20. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. 21. To him who overcomes, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I overcame and sat down with my Father on his throne."

 

What has Christ promised you?

For me, God promises that if I knock, or if I ask to receive Him and for Him to be in my life He will be there. And He will be with you. God isn’t going to “magically” make you want Him. I believe Christ will truly put you in situations to where you almost are forced to falling into His arms and finding his Grace.

Exercise: Write down the top 5-10 most important things in your life.

Revelation 3:20 has a second promise from Jesus. He says that, in addition to coming into your life, you will also dine or have fellowship with Him. This actually means that you have begun a new relationship with Christ and He wants it to be the most important relationship of your entire life.

Based on the trustworthiness of Christ’s promise, where is He right now? In your life, or outside of your life? Is he the most important thing to you?

It may sound unusual that Christ is living in you. Actually, it is His Spirit who lives in you. You cannot see or touch Him, but as you grow in your new relationship with Him, you will become more keenly aware of His supernatural presence.

 

WILL CHRIST LEAVE YOU?

Now that you have invited Jesus Christ into your life, could He possibly leave you? Could you lose your relationship with Him and the assurance that your sins are forgiven? There is a second important promise for you in Hebrews 13:5-8.

 

"5. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." 6. So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" 7. Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. 8. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."

• What does God promise you in verse 5?

Now, looking back at your list of top 5-10 things in your life, how many of those are tangible, or superficial?  God says in verse 5 “keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have…” It’s hard to keep this in mind sometimes because our society is so money driven and now-a-days you need money to simply survive. I mean, man, if we could survive on God’s love alone, I think we’d all be pretty rich! But it’s important to note, that God blatantly says “Keep your lives free from the love of money” then goes on to saying “I will never leave you; never will I forsake you.” And then backs it up with saying “What can man do to me?” Think about it, so many people lose their jobs every day. I just read a statistic that said “Over the last year, the number of average WEEKLY mass layoff events for December increased by 6 to 493” That’s a boat load of people! That’s 26,129 people a year! If you focus all your life on making money rather than what's important (God), there’s a HUGE possibility you’re going to get let down at some point.

• Because of this promise, what should be your attitude? See verse 6.
• Is Jesus Christ consistent in keeping His promises? See verse 8.
• How do you know?

Look to John 6:35. I came across this by accident today. This is just another verse backing up that God is everything. If we have Him we will live a healthy, happy life. God is the nourishment of our lives and when we have Him we will never go hungry.

 

"35. Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst."

When you trusted Christ as your Savior and invited Him into your life, you were born into God’s family. You can never lose your “birth,” so to speak. Christ will never leave you and you will always be a child of God. John 1:12 says,

 

 

 “12. But to all who received Him (Christ), He gave the right to become children of God. All they needed to do was trust Him to save them.”

LIVING ETERNALLY

The third promise Christ has for you relates to your destiny after this life. You no doubt have thought about death, and perhaps it has frightened you. I know for me, over the last few years I've really struggled with the concept of death and being "ok" with it. I know where I go but there's always that unsaid fear that I have when the thought comes to mind. So, if any of you are in the same situation or struggling with the same thoughts, maybe this will help. Christ has a special promise for you, now that you have received Him. It is found in 1 John 5:11-13. Explain the promise in these verses. (Don’t confuse 1 John with the Gospel of John. Check your Bible index.)

 

"11. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life."

Through Jesus Christ, God has promised you eternal life. Physically, you will die one day but spiritually, you will never die. The real you will live eternally with God.

***I'm just going to share what I've been struggling with understanding more recently. Hopefully it helps you.***

WHAT ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS?

Suppose you wake up tomorrow morning and you don’t feel as if Christ is in your life. Does that mean that you are no longer a Christian?

Of course not! We as Christians do not depend on feelings or emotions, but we place our faith and trust in the trustworthiness of God and the promise of His Word. Feelings will always be a part of our lives, but feelings can be very inconsistent at times. That is why Jesus Christ has given us the facts of His promises. He is always consistent.

What facts about Christ have you learned from these scripture verses? These are good news, aren’t they? Take a moment right now and thank God for what He has promised you.

Listen to a song that really relates to this. Really try and listen to the words.
Stolen by Brandon Heath
Your Love by Brandon Heath

Porfolio Perfect

Ok so now that I'm nearing graduation, two months, 82 days...but who's counting. Anyways, the topic of "Do you have a portfolio" has come up frequently within this past year, so, now that I am in the process of building and organizing my portfolio I've had to do a little research - much like with anything new I do. Here's a few tips that might help ya'll when nearing graduation, internships, jobs whatever it may be that a portfolio would be helpful.

Building Your PR Portfolio

 

What is a PR portfolio?

 

A portfolio provides prospective employers with evidence of your ability to do the job. Traditionally, the student gathers materials into a binder (use plastic page covers) and brings it to job interviews.

What items are included?

You can choose from a wide array of items based on your interests and career goals. Examples include:

• Resume (CV)
• Reference letters (employers, teachers, volunteer supervises, etc.)--some people don't like these because they are generic, "To whom it may concern," letters.
• Writing and design samples. You can show the evolution of a project by including drafts, edits, and the final project. Anything can be documented; for example, it may seem difficult to put a special event on paper, but you can include checklists and event planning materials.
• Results: Pictures of a special event to document attendance, news stories resulting from media relations work, evaluation materials, Web copy (for example, you could download a blog post with comments/links).

The one thing you often hear is that prospective employers like to see variety--items geared at different audiences or different media; things from different jobs/internships/volunteer projects; and so forth. And the most important thing of all is to choose only your best work. Quality is vastly more important than quantity.

Note: PR newbies can include course work. As a professional once told me: "We know they're students." If you include group project materials, you should specify what you actually did.


How do I organize it?

I've heard different advice on this. First, where to put it. Richard Bailey says at Leeds Met they use large artist's portfolios. One of my former students recommends not spending a lot on a leather-bound book ("We know they're students" comes to mind again here.) The main thing, I think, is making sure it's clean, neat and well-organized.

As for organization, again, there is room for creativity. Some people organize contents by job or project. Others organize by type of material (press releases together, Web content in another section, etc.). Your organization will reveal something about your personality as well as your job interests. If you're a traditional person looking for a job in a conservative sector like banking and finance, bright colors and weird fonts aren't going to work.

Some people give the portfolio a theme and use section dividers that are tied to the theme (for example, a theater theme or an architecture theme)-- I don't actually recommend this because they tend toward the cutesy rather than the professional; and I heard a story (possibly apocryphal) about a person who used a "bomb" theme with lots of "dynamite" and "explosives" throughout. Not a good idea in the post-9/11 world. But the theme approach has worked for some people.

However you organize it, recognize that organization is vital. Most employers say that they only skim over a portfolio, often while they're interviewing you. Those with obvious errors--grammatical mistakes, crumpled pages, poor design--get tossed aside, while good ones may get only 15 minutes. Make the most of your short time.

What about electronic portfolios?

The computer-savvy student can put most of these same items online and provide the link in your cover letter. However, you've got to consider security issues. Don't put personal information online (yours or anyone else's -- references, professors, teammates from group projects, etc.). Convert writing and design samples to PDF files. Provide links to your blog or other social media, or to news stories that ran because of your work. You will probably want to keep a print version to take to the interview as well.


When should I start working on it?
Now. I can say that without equivocation because no matter what stage you're at, you can be doing something. If you're just starting out, think about what kinds of materials you want to include and set about making sure you have them -- volunteer to plan an event and save all the materials; write for the school paper and cut the clips; get an internship that involves media relations or B2B. SAVE, SAVE, SAVE! I've had so many graduating seniors tell me, "I did this or that but I didn't keep it." If you're almost ready to graduate, you have less time but you may be more aware of the exact type of job you want and can therefore focus your efforts on that industry (such as arts, politics, or healthcare

I hope all this information helps! Good luck starting your portfolio! Comment if you have or need suggestions! Happy Monday everyone!

A New Adventure

Ok, so here's the deal.. I tend to pick up new hobbies every so often and become obsessed with them until I find a new hobby. So, why am I telling you this? Because I recently picked up the coolest hobby I've ever had - snowboarding! Seriously, I feel so cool snowboarding...that is when I'm not falling or tripping down the mountain. So, since I'm new to the whole thing I decided to do a little research and am going to share what I've found with all of you who are actually reading this.

History

First off, how the heck did snowboarding begin? I pondered the idea of maybe where it all started, initially thinking in Colorado or Russia back in early 1900's where it was invented randomly by some kid with an old piece of wood. Much to my surprise, I wasn't exceptionally wrong. Here's what Wikipedia says about the history of snowboarding:

 "Snowboarding has been around since the 1920s, when boys and men would tie plywood or wooden planks from barrels to their feet using clotheslines and horse reins in order to steer themselves down hills. Modern snowboarding began in 1965 when Sherman Poppen, an engineer in Muskegon, Michigan, invented a toy for his daughter by fastening two skis together and attaching a rope to one end so she would have some control as she stood on the board and glided downhill. Dubbed the "snurfer" (combining snow and surfer), the toy proved so popular among his daughter's friends that Poppen licensed the idea to a manufacturer that sold about a million snurfers over the next decade."

Ok, so hopefully I'm not the only one thinking this but... snurfing?!?!? Who in the world would dub that as a products name for anything?! Dude...

Snowboarding Gear

So now, what you and I need to know about snowboarding? I browsed the web for a few "snowboarding 101" tips and came up with this list regarding your gear:

1.   Apparently there are different types of boards? That's news to me. I thought boards were boards, but there are different boards you could buy depending on what type of snowboarding you want to do:

• All Mountain:  These are your most common types of boards. They’re made to go anywhere and do anything. If you haven’t ridden before, this is probably the type of board you’ll end up on. - This is the board I'd need
• Free Ride: These boards are designed for big lines, dropping cliffs, hitting kickers, and charging powder. - Never ever in a million years will I buy one of these.. Me and "dropping cliffs"? Bad, bad combination.
• Freestyle: These are for tricking out. Freestyle boards are more flexible, easier to maneuver, and lighter than Freeride boards. If you’re going to be hanging in the park with the cool kids, this is what you’re going to want to rock. - As much as I'd love to "hang in the park with the cool kids," I am far too clumsy and uncoordinated to be "freestyling." ....unless of course we're rapping, in which case I'm all over it. (definitely kidding)
• Alpine: Alpine boards are built for speed on hard-packed groomers and are typically used for racing. They will not perform well in powder or in the park, and have a very stiff flex profile. - Speed? haha yeah right. Slow and steady wins the race.... and keeps you alive.

 

**Click on the picture for this board**

 

2.   Next, there's different lengths of boards to consider based on your height and weight... ok girls, this is NOT the time to be lying about your weight, suck it up and tell the truth!

•      SIZE         Recommended Rider Weight
  1. 151cm              95-145lbs
  2. 154cm            115-165lbs
  3. 158cm            130-180lbs
  4. 162cm            140-190lbs
        5. 166cm             155-205lbs

3.   Boots! Finally to the fashion part of this sport! Ok so according to "Blister Gear Review" Boots are super important because well they are what's connected to your board and your feet are in them all day. What's key though is getting the right fit. They say "You want your boots tight, but not ridiculously so. If there is room for movement, your foot will find it and you’ll end up with blisters or overworked ankles/tendons/joints."

 

4. This is just added by me and is probably not "official gear" but if it were possibly - padding, padding, padding. I can't tell you how sore I was from falling after the first couple of times. I mean seriously guys, I was probably falling more than I was actually snowboarding. Thank you Advil

Snowboarding 101

Now that we have the proper gear, I guess what comes next is learning how to actually snowboard. Here's what I found:

1.  Take lessons. I didn't really go through the process of taking actual lessons. Like most people starting off, I snagged one of my friends who's an experienced snowboarder (is that even the correct term??) and asked them to teach me. What I've learned from this - you're better off just going alone and hoping for the best. Everyone has their own way of snowboarding and half the time have no idea how to actually explain what to do in a way you'll understand. But, that's just my experience.

2.   Determine your lead foot. There are two ways of "riding." Goofy or Regular. There are many ways from what I've read of determining this. The most affective way I found was sliding across the floor and whichever foot you'd naturally put forward to turn, that should be your lead foot. In the end just ride however is the most comfortable, and mold your style as you go.

3.   Getting on on the lift. Oh my word this part scared me to death! My first time on, I almost fell over, second time one I looked like a grandma getting on. Needless to say, I'm still getting the hang of it. What I've learned is you take off your back leg from the board then push off the snow using it like a skate board then to glide down you use your stomp pad (that thing on your snowboard in between both feet) to glide off the lift.

4.   Don't try to be a hot shot. Seriously, use the bunny slope if you're new. I can't tell you how many times I've heard people tell me they broke their arm or collar bone because they tried going down a regular slope too soon. The bunny slope has enough of a slope to give you at least 5 miles per hour of speed, which trust me is enough! I prefer to stay at around 1 if possibly! - Again slow and steady wins the race and keeps you safe. I'm convinced.

5.   Apply some pressure to your lead foot. Bend your knees and keep your back straight, so that you feel balanced. Applying pressure is not leaning your body! Seriously don't do that! Apparently you should pretend you're squashing a bug under your foot? I guess it helps. To slowdown switch to your heel edge or your toe edge depending which direction you're going down. If your facing the hill go up on your toes a little, if your going down the mountain how you should be, go on your heels a little to dig your board into the snow helping you slow down and/or stop.

6.   Balance. If you fall backwards then you've leaned too far back, but this is better than catching your toe edge in the snow and falling forwards. Hurt knees are no fun! However, a hurt bum is no fun either... all in all, just don't fall! haha! yeah... good luck with that.

7.   Switching to your toe edge. To turn your board, you will turn your torso uphill, and at the same time apply pressure to your rear leg and place your weight over your toes leaning forward a little. This was seriously the hardest part for me to learn. My friend told me I was flailing my arms around every where like there was a bee chasing me just so I could get my body to turn. (so embarrassing now thinking about it). Don't do that, you'll look like an idiot and eventually become unbalanced.

Warning!

• You will fall, be prepared for that. The first day of snowboarding is the hardest, but you will learn quickly if you keep trying. Don't give up!
• Don't fall on your hands to catch yourself, you don't want to break, sprain or hurt your wrists it's no bueno. Apparently you should try to roll when you fall, however I'm still trying to wrap my head around that because how are you supposed to roll with a board attached to your feet? Wouldn't that make you break your knee or something? But at the same time you don't want to face plant into the snow either. I don't know. Either way when in doubt, fall on your butt!
•  You will be sore, it's inevitable. Just accept it.

So, now that I've written a 1,500 word blog I am finally finished! I hope all of this helps! Let me know how ya'll do snowboarding. Remember have fun with it! Everyone has to start some where. I was so afraid to fall and when I did I was completely embarrassed. Let loose (well not too loose) and have fun!

Until next time!