This life is not my own

"It is a tremendous freedom to get rid of all self - consideration and learn to care about only one thing - the relationship between Christ and ourselves."

-Oswald Chambers

"Jesus you taught me by your example, showing me how I should be. Seeking to honor the will of the Father, giving your life willingly. Jesus my heart wants to do things my way, living in selfish defeat. But when I surrender, Your love sweet and tender releases its power in me. When I take up my cross I lay down my life, my life is no longer my own. My purpose for living is You in me, and I won't be walking alone. My life is no longer my own."

-The song "When I Take Up My Cross

"For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it."

- Matthew 16:25

Book Review: Thanks a Million

I recently finished reading, "Thanks a Million" by Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron ... for the second time! It is such a great book that really motivates you to witness to people! It is very well written in a way that makes you not want to put it down once you get started.

A little bit about the authors: Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron (movie star who used to be on the show "Growing Pains" who later gave his life to the Lord and joined up with Ray Comfort)  started one of my favorite ministries several years ago called Living Waters. They have published several books, tracts, c.d.s, and videos, including the documentary they put together called 180. 180 is on abortion and has saved several babies who would of been aborted had their mothers not watched it and had a change of heart. They started a TV show called The Way of the Master that teaches Christians how to share their faith effectively with anyone you meet. 

Inside this book's pages are countless witnessing stories told in full, from random people met on the street to world famous movie stars. There is also plenty of good humor, Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron both take turns writing different chapters and are both very entertaining. A few stories had me laughing so hard I cried! 

Do you feel scared of the thought of witnessing to complete strangers? Do you have trouble knowing what to say if they get upset with you? This book will give you the answers you need to those problems and more. It has many great witnessing tips that are so very helpful in knowing how to bring up the things of God in any conversation you have with anybody. Most of all it makes you wanna get out there and share Christ with everyone you meet! :)

A couple of my favorite, as well as very thought provoking lines from the book, both by Ray:

"Faith always overcomes fear. The "fear" that comes to your mind is that if you bring up the things of God, the stranger you have approached will think that you are a religious weirdo. But you know that if he dies in his sins, he will go to hell forever. Concern for his eternal salvation will help you ignore the DT's (discouraging thoughts). Simply think of this reality - his worst case scenario is the lake of fire; yours is that a stranger will think that you are weird."

"The most important day of our life will be the day of our death. Think about that. On that day, nothing else will matter except what we have done for God and where we are going. Our house, car, possessions, and money will mean nothing on that day. We will be leaving time and entering into eternity. Meditate on that breathtaking moment. With the exhale of your last breath, you will leave everything you love.... This very night God could say to you, "This night your soul is required of you." Let such sobering thoughts consume you. Let them drive you to use your time and your life for what matters, to reach out to the unsaved and make a big dent into this sinful world for Jesus Christ. "

"Be instant in season and out of season ... do the work of an evangelist." - 2 Timothy 4:2

Redeem the time ... making the most of every opportunity ... " - Ephesians 5:16

Click here to read more about it and then buy it! ;)

Camp + a beautiful sunrise

Last weekend we had a wonderful time at a family Bible camp in Oklahoma at the Robber's Cave State Park. We were so thankful to be able to go and for the time we had there! The messages, singing, and fellowship was a blessing. The hiking, climbing, and volleyball during the day; looking up at the stars at night; playing "catch phrase", "actionary", and singing around the campfire was all so fun. 

Looking out of our cabin we stayed in

Is it just me or is my brother getting more handsome everyday?! 

A full playground of happy children

We had so much fun climbing the rocks

Robber's Cave, where a long time ago, real robbers hid here. There was a place where they kept their horses as well. In the above picture Caden and Rylan were having fun sliding down that slippery rock to the bottom ... over and over again :)

Weeee!

Mom was a photo-bomber, haha

Rylan's face though .. :'D

VERY early Sunday morning Dylan, a friend, and I hiked to the top of the "mountain" to watch the sunrise. 

From when we first got to the top to when the sun rose.

"Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD'S name is to be praised."

-Psalm 113:2&3

counting.my.blessings{1} + Texas church camp notes

So I'm starting these "counting my blessings" posts which I'll probably do once a month or so... just listing things I'm thankful for! The Lord has blessed me with so much!

The litter of 11 Golden Retriever puppies our Kinsley had!

Completing some sewing projects

Hearing Lilliana say new words

Sweet tea in a mason jar on a sunny afternoon

A sweet letter from a friend in the mail

Doing a photo shoot with Paige, will share a few photos soon

Fresh picked wildflowers

Finding bunches of blackberries on our land...

...and Mom making a pie with them! Yum!

Time in God's Word + iced coffee!!

Bike rides with Dylan

Finishing a few wonderful books

Adorable little smiles to brighten my day

Jeremiah 29:11

Encouraging texts from friends

Caden's birthday on the 14th! :)

My rabbit getting better after being sick

Antique milk cans

Baby sister at breakfast wearing a fuzzy sleeper, cowgirl bib, and a morning smile :)

Going to a "Low Country Boil". T'was fun! My little sister, Paige, started her own blog (check it out!) and blogged about it here. :)

God's beautiful design being displayed everywhere, down to even this little bitty moth I found one day. Isn't it neat looking?

Fishing and swimming at Roaring River

Succeeding at a couple new recipes

Loving on my horse. <3 :D AND how good he's doing with his training/riding, I'm so proud of him!

HAY BALES

Taking the little ones to Flat Creek and watching them have so much fun

Finding a bunch of great reads for only 25 cents for every 4 books!

Surviving a week with Mom gone ;)

Finding great trails to ride horses and four wheelers on

Two hour trail ride with the sister 

Talking with a sweet friend on the phone

A recent clothes shopping spree at the thrift store

Meeting two blog friends!! It was so wonderful meeting these *sweet* girls, so glad it worked out! :D

And ya'll need to seriously go check out their blogs because they are wonderful: Heather and Tashia

 Date with Mom<3

Having fun wandering through Hobby Lobby with a friend, love that place!

Being given a big bag of sweet corn/shucking it/eating it :)

Okay, so I really don't have many good pictures from the trip that Dylan and I took down to Texas sadly. But that is definitely a big highlight from this month! We were able to hitch rides with friends and go down there for a church camp. There was several great messages, wonderful singing, youth Bible study, volleyball, rip-skating, and I got to see a friend that recently got married and moved down there as well! It was a very encouraging time, so thankful we were able to go. So, yeah, there's a glorious picture from our MacD's stop on the way home for ya. :P

One of the men who spoke at the camp shared this verse (John 15:9)

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love."

He spoke on how much the Father loved His Son, His one and only begotten Son. Can you even imagine how great a love that was? And just as He loved His Son, Jesus loves you. He loves me. And we're to show His great love to others. He then wanted everyone to take out the you and put your name in that place instead. Like this:

"As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved Ashley Trask: continue ye in my love."

 I'm not sure anyone really said the whole verse aloud as he asked us to because halfway through he broke down crying. But I wrote it down in my journal anyway. He was a very sweet old man (the kind you just wanna go up and hug, y'know?) and what all he said meant a lot to me.

Saturday almost everyone was wearing a sticker that said "It's not about me!" and the message that night was on our focus needing to be on the Lord, not ourselves. Striving to be full of the Lord and then we won't have a need to talk or think about ourselves, but instead a need to talk and think about Him, giving Him all the glory and desiring for our lives to show Christ! I want to trade in all that I am: my selfishness, worry, wanting instead of being content = my weaknesses, for all that He is: love, mercy, kindness, hope, joy = His strength to be able to work in and through me for HIS glory. I want to diligently seek Him and His will for me and have Jesus be what people see, not my talent, courage, gifts, money, or sacrifices made. Anything good in me is all because of Him.We have no greater privilege than representing Him!

I have been blessed

Every morning we sing together and Mom reads a chapter (or two or three ;) from a book to us. Recently we have been working on learning a new song as well. We heard this song at a church camp and I love it. I am really enjoying memorizing it. It's called, I Have Been Blessed. 

When He moves among us, all that He does. All of His mercy and all of His love. If the pen of a writer could write everyday, even this world could never contain how I've been blessed. 

Warmth in the winter, flowers in spring, laughter in summer and the changing of leaves. Food on my table, a good place to sleep. Clothes on my back and shoes on my feet. I have been blessed. 

I have been blessed. God is so good to me. Precious are His thoughts for you and me. No way I could count them, there's not enough time, so I'll just thank Him for being so kind. God has been good, so good. I have been blessed. 

Arms that will raise, a voice that can talk. Hands that can touch and legs that can walk. Ears that can listen, eyes that can see. Oh I've got to praise Him as long as I breathe. I have been blessed. 

A father and mother who nurtured and raised. A brother and sister, memories made. Our pastor to lead us, the altar to pray. Stripes that can heal, the blood that still saves. I have been blessed. 

I have been blessed. God is so good to me. Precious are His thoughts for you and me. No way I could count them, there's not enough time, so I'll just thank Him for being so kind. God has been good, so good. I have been blessed. 

He's my shoulder to lean on when I am down. The rock where He leads me when I'm overwhelmed. The place where He hides me under His wings. He's not just a song, He's the reason I sing. I have been blessed. 

I have been blessed. God is so good to me. Precious are His thoughts for you and me. No way I could count them, there's not enough time, so I'll just thank Him for being so kind. God has been good, so good. I have been blessed. 

Have any of you heard any new songs recently that have blessed you?

~*~*~*~

"While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being."

 -Psalm 146:2

Beyond "the sky's the limit"

I love this quote by A. W. Tozer: "How completely satisfying to turn from our limitations to a God who has none." 

We serve a mighty God and nothing is impossible for Him! I found a list of a few examples of what we might say compared to what the Lord says that I thought I'd share.

We say that we can't figure it out. God says that He will direct our steps.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths."

-Proverbs 3:5&6

We say that we are too tired. The Lord says that He will give us rest.

"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

-Matthew 11:28-30

We say, "It's impossible." God says that nothing is impossible for Him. 

"...The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

-Luke 18:27

We say that nobody loves us. God loves you!

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 3:16

We say we can't be forgiven. God says He has forgiven us.

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

-Romans 8:1

We say that it's not worth it. The Lord says it WILL be worth it.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

-Romans 8:28

We say we're not smart enough. God says He will give us wisdom.

"But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption."

-1 Corinthians 1:30

We say we aren't able. God says we are.

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work."

-2 Corinthians 9:8

We say we can't go on. He says:

"...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."

-2 Corinthians 12:9

We say we can't do it. God says we can do all things through Him.

"I can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth me."

-Phillipians 4:13

We say we can't manage. God says that He will supply all of our needs.

"But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

-Phillipians 4:19

We say we're afraid. The Lord says He has not given us fear.

"For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind."

-2 Timothy 1:7

We say we feel all alone. God says:

"...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."

-Hebrews 13:5