The end is near

I just realized how long it has been since the last time I posted anything. We just came back from Thanksgiving break, and the end of the semester crazies have begun. I think next week will be the busiest of the semester as I have several projects due, orals, presenting a lesson and planning a shower for one of the girls.
It is hard to believe that my time at BBC will be over in 3 weeks! It seems like I have been here forever sometimes and I am just used to coming back after Christmas. But not this year! I really am looking forward to student teaching, this is what I have been preparing to do the past few years. Everything that I have been learning in my education classes will be called upon while I am at my placements.
I have had the opportunity to work with the teacher that I will be student teaching with in March. I have gotten to know the students and have really enjoyed my time in the classroom. My first placement is near Harrisburg and the first time I will enter the classroom will be on January 14. Until then I will not meet the teacher or the students. I am looking forward to moving out there as well.
And because neither of us have posted any pictures from this semester I will today.

On a picnic in September




Pictures from our last trip to New York City
We are going tomorrow to NYC to spend the day together. Hopefully we will post pictures right away.

Salvation by grace

Some of you have probably given up on checking my blog because I have not posted anything in quite some time. However, I have been mulling though a particular subject that I have become very intrigued with.
The environment that I live in, I would consider to be a "Christian culture," meaning that social behavior and acceptance is based on a set of expected moral behavior. Most students abide well by these moral guidelines. In such circles, it is understood that by following a moral conduct the Christian life is portrayed . Yet I wonder how many of our students are blinded by their moral behavior that they have trained themselves into. Some have attained, by outward appearances, all of the necessary life-style practices that would indicate that they are Christians. However, I have seen in so many students a severe lack of conviction and love for the things of God. Here is often the story of such students: grew up in the church, learned to obey, said a prayer and now, convinced they are saved, have a false sense of security.
I have been studying Judaism and Islam, both religions where its followers are extremely devoted to their belief system and practice of life. So what is the difference between a moral Jew and a Christian? It is Christ, for He has regenerated the soul. This is why I had trouble understanding why Christians where so dead or apathetic towards the doctrines of grace. Could it be that they have never fully come to understand the significance of redemption in Christ?
Every student has seen the benefits of living a moral life style. Being kind to others, abstaining from substances that harm the body, and making friends with those of similar values (because bad company corrupts good morals.). All of these things are common sense, logical practices that promote a "good life." Next, using verses as happy pills, or gets me through the day mentality encourage positive thinking, which is also wholesome to the body. So I fail to see how Christian are different than any other moral based religion.
The other day I was sitting with a group of girls during small groups, one of the girls read a portion of a book from a secular author titled, The Question Behind the Question, the book's emphasis and purpose was to point out that people are not self sacrificing or feel any responsibility for meeting the needs of others. At the end of the reading one of the girls said that she was glad that the book was not written from a Christian perspective, because on campus so many people try to make everything about God, Jesus and the gospel. I sat there dumbfounded. Yes, it is true that there is a lack of love from people in the world and even the world recognizes that, and has their ways of overcoming the problem. But for a Christian, Christ is at the core of it all. He is the reason for our love of others, because God has first loved us. Even now I am amazed at what was said in that group. Why are we trying to take out Jesus? Christ is our life, our mediator. Yet we also know that faith without works is dead. It is by our spiritual fruit that others should recognize Christ in us. It is by the constant yearning of our hearts for the Word of God that affirms our salvation to our own souls. My heart is burdened for the ones who are deceiving themselves in following the law and have no love for the gospel of Christ.

At BBC

Classes are in full swing now. Since this is my last semester at BBC before student teaching my class load is full and intense with finishing the state requirements and...orals. Oh side note, on Monday we spent class time on Christology, I had no idea Christology could be so boring. I was truly sad.
After having a random (meaning I am not sure what caused it) food reactions that kept me in bed all day last Tuesday, I went to see the nurse. With an emotional explanation of my physical problems she concluded that it would be best if I went to see a doctor. I was following a gluten, dairy and soy free diet and could not think of anything else that I should cut out. I now have a doctor's appointment on September 25.
By doing several "home tests" (trial and error) I have found that I have problems with lactose, not casein. Casein is the protein in milk much like gluten is the protein in wheat. Some celiacs have problems with casein because their bodies can't tell the difference in the proteins. Lactose is the sugar in milk and the body requires the enzyme lactase for digestion. For some reason a person might stop producing the enzyme or not produce as much as needed. Lactose is less severe, casein means all dairy products are forbidden, and with lactose, dairy is not totally ruled out. Next, I after staying away from soy for 2 weeks I tried it again. I am finding that I am not intolerant to it just sensitive. Mostly it gives me a queasy stomach and nausea. But I can consume it in moderation. This was a relief because soy is in everything!
So now I feel normal again and don't have nearly as many problems as I was facing over the summer. I am still planning on going to the doctor even though I am 'better'. Today was a rough day...sad because sometimes products don't always list if the food item came into contact with wheat. Thankfully the FDA is changing some of their standards to make things a little more kosher (gluten wise)!
I also received my placement for student teaching last night. My first experience will be in Harrisburg at Bible Baptist Christian School (Dan and Janelle Francis are there). I will be teaching 1st grade. My next placement is at Clarks Summit Elementary teaching 3rd grade. Now that student teaching is fast approaching I am looking forward to it. I have been convicted to pray for my students, that I will learn to love them and that I can be an effective teacher.

Gluten free...

The end of summer was has come and I must say that I am relieved. The last few weeks of nannying were difficult with the children's activities and my weak body. About 2 weeks before I returned back to school I cut out dairy as well from my diet. With continual fatigue and sickness I wondered if there was 'something else' that was giving me problems. After a few days on my new diet I felt so much better again. I have still not included dairy in my diet hoping to give my body enough time to heal and to detox. I plan to figure out if this is a permanent thing or not. Some days are harder than others with finding food now that I am back at school. I still have occasional days where I get "glutened" (have a gluten reaction) but I would have to say that overall it has gotten a lot easier.
I am thankful for my diet in so many ways. I no longer long to be 'normal'. I am thankful because on this diet have once again have health. I am thankful because I have found friends who have similar diets and encourage me spiritually, because I have learned what continual self control means, because God has granted me with an interest and love to study more nutrition and I now can help other girls understand some of their dietary frustrations. But most of all I am learning what it means to draw my strength from the Bread of Life. This is the only bread that I can partake of and gain nourishment. Through this summer I have learned much about keeping my eyes on the divine things and not worrying about what I will eat or drink. God knows about my intolerances, He was pleased to let this come into my life, and I have so many reasons to rejoice in Christ and His sufficiency.
"How sweet are thy words to my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my lips."

Maybe next post I can expound upon the nutritional value of certain foods and how the body responds to the different proteins and enzymes in food during the process of digestion.

The grace of God

This week hosted a nice change of pace. The kids went to VBS in the morning for 3 hours. After taking them there I could go home then return to get them when it was over. In addition, Anne (the mom) asked me if I could put together a few side dishes for her on Monday. She called me and explained that it was her mom's birthday and they were having her over for dinner. Carter and I had a blast cooking and assembling a rice side dish, a zucchini bake and a vanilla cake. I LOVE to cook and was thrilled to get Carter involved in something that we both enjoyed. The family was excited about the food, the parents were glad to have a lot of the cooking done when they came home, and Anne asked if I would mind helping a little with dinner more often. I of course was really excited to continue to use her kitchen. The Johnson house has many kitchen luxuries that our house does not have and I love using them! I know this might sound lame but a dishwasher, huge counter space, cutco knives and a kitchenaid mixer are a big deal to me. Our kitchen at home is very tiny so it feels like cooking takes more effort (I am always trying to find space and keep the dished washed and out of the way). I really don't want this entire blog to be about cooking because so much has transpired.
When I spend a day with these kids I am often exhausted and easily irritated. I wonder how much of their child foolishness just gets on my nerves after they did something that was very wrong. Sometimes I feel like I yell at them a lot. I honestly do not like getting upset like I do at them. You might be surprised that cooking for the family has helped me in many ways. Last week it got to the point where I was just trying to survive each day. I didn't enjoy my job and I didn't like the kids very much. God started to convict me, if I could not show them love and kindness, only expect them to obey how could I expect them to be kind and loving to each other. The more I yelled at them for fighting, not listening and disobeying the more they seemed to do it. One day I came home crying and exhausted, I knew I had to change my approach.
First I really started praying that God would give me love for the children. I knew I needed patience to be able to deal with their antics and instead of being a hard hammer I needed to show them grace. And it worked! This week has been totally different than last week. I started showing more interest in them as individuals and I started enjoying them for who they were. I think one of my problems has been that I want to be in control of the things that are going on around me. If someone was acting up they needed to stop, now I channel their energy into another way or area. I have not had to put the kids in time out hardly at all this week. Now don't get me wrong they still do all the crazy things they have always done! But now I find myself laughing -they can be hilarious!
I have seen clearer than ever what it means to have law bring a greater desire for sinfulness. I am thankful for these children because they are revealing sinfulness in my life. I am pushed to examine myself before God daily and before I spent my day with them. I find that I cannot get through a day without making sure my focus is on God as my strength.
Now back to the kitchen...it is good to have the kids help me because I delegate, supervise and think about how I say something so that my directions are clear and understandable. "Don't touch that" is not as effective as, " the stove is on and if you touch it you will burn yourself." I might need to do a little more clean up on the counters (the floor, and the kids themselves) but we often have a great time together. They now take turns pouring, stirring and even washing, and funny thing is that this behavior is translating into other areas too! I also feel more relaxed and have fun myself. The grace of God abounds.
If one day God blesses me with children I hope that I will always remember these valuable lessons that I am learning this summer.

Engaged!!

My brother Josh popped the big question tonight! Jamie was elated and Josh pulled off a perfect surprise. Jamie had an awful day and Josh decided to take her to dinner to make her feel better (or this is what all of us thought!) Josh romantically compiled a cd. The last song was one that he wrote for Jamie and sang for her at the designated spot.
I was in the middle of washing dishes when they came home to tell me. The ring is beautiful! Josh did a wonderful job of choosing the perfect ring. When I gave Jamie a hug she said, "we are going to be sisters!" and I thought "you already are!"
Then Jamie explained with tears and a big smile how Josh had planned the whole evening.
The couple is blissfully off to tell her parents (this I'm sure entails more tears and more squeals!)
I am very happy for them!

Burnt grilled cheese and an exploding squirrel

This week ended with much excitement and unusual circumstances! While nannying, Carter 7, Quinn 5, and Lela 3 keep me quite busy with their boundless energy, looking to tattle on a sibling and trying to out do each other any way possible. After a rough playing morning I got them to sit down and watch an educational video, (The Cat in the Hat, hey everyone needs Dr. Seuss!) I hoped it would keep their attention for an hour and would give me enough time to fix them lunch without them underneath my feet. I almost succeeded with only one minor mishap, I managed to burn the grilled cheese! I could say that I was distracted because the kids took my attention from the kitchen while I dissolved one of their fights, but truth is, I was opening a can of soup and accidentally had the burner on high while grilling the sandwiches. So never wanting to waste anything I grabbed a Cutco knife and sawed off the burned part. It worked pretty well until I got to the third sandwich. I discovered that by the time i had done both sides of the other two (and yes don't ask me how but after I burned one side I managed to burn the other as well, I had even turned off the burner after I flipped them! The pan does not cool that fast Jana!) the third sandwich was soggy because of sitting on the plate! The soup turned out great though, and they ate most of their sandwiches (the third was discarded), luckily the youngest child decided to dine only on pretzels and half of a PB and J for lunch.
The funny thing with the grilled cheese is that I prepare dinner for my family almost everyday. Now, I have not made grilled cheese in forever, but is that really an excuse for such poor culinary preparation?

A little later, after pulling Carter off his brother in an attempt to avoid man slaughter, I firmly placed Carter on the porch in time-out for 'effective discipline'. I went into the house where I could let him calm down and avoid the endless ridiculous explanation of how Quinn started it or made him do it (as if Quinn needs to help him get into trouble!). A few seconds later I heard a loud noise, almost like a gunshot and we lost all of the power instantly in the house. My first thought was, 'oh no what did Carter do?' followed by, 'oh my I hope he didn't kill himself', as I rushed outside. I found Carter still sitting in the chair staring at a telephone pole. As soon as he saw me he excitedly asked me if I had seen the bird fall from the telephone pole. Now it made sense! A bird got zapped. I took a trip with Carter to the designated pole only 20 feet away, but what we found was not a bird, it was much worse. Now, anyone who knows my weak stomach can imagine that this was a horrible sight for me to behold. We discovered that a small red squirrel had touched the wrong part of whatever is up there and met its untimely death. However, the squirrel was not exactly intact having lost most of its insides during the explosion, all the while a chattering 7 year old telling me about the sparks and wanting to play with the dead squirrel. I forbade the kids to touch it and to leave it be until their dad returned home later in the evening. Just thinking about the event still makes me cringe!
As you can see my day is never dull and always full of fun, adventure and excitement (or something...)

Adventures

The past few weeks have been busy! I am home now and have finished my countryside travels. I started by flying to Chicago, and with Jordan and a friend drove to Minnesota for the wedding of Jordan and Angela Harris. It was wonderful to be there as Doc performed the ceremony. The wedding was beautiful! After the wedding we made a trip to the Mall of America. I was quite amazed at the Hall of American consumerism. The mall even houses an amusement park!
However, none of us were persuaded enough to make great purchases. The next day was Sunday and we attended Bethlehem Baptist Church were we heard John Piper preach on the marriage covenant and what Jesus had to say about divorce. It was such and encouragement to hear such a message after the marriage of our friends.
Jordan and I traveled back to Illinois and spent a few days with his family. It was great to be able to visit with his family again. The next journey included at stop at my house so Jordan could drop me off on his way back to NYC with his friend Isaac. Next I spent a day at home doing laundry and repacking: next destination, Tennessee.
My family decided to have family vacation in Tennessee with my brother and sister-in-law, Rebecca. We visited a national park called Mammoth cave, and yes the main attraction was a giant cave. However, to our dismay it was far from interesting due to our crazy tour guide, poorly lit path and being 3 hours under ground. By the end we were all relieved to see daylight once again. Our next adventure included going to Nashville. There we visited the giant mall and enjoyed walking around the city, ending our visit with dining at a nice restaurant.
While there I enjoyed spending time with Becca (she and I are the same age) and making dinner for our family together. The 4th of July was celebrated on the Army base where they live (my brother Jared is in the Army) as they shot off a fabulous display of fireworks. Early on Friday we made the 12 hour trip back home. I spent the weekend recovering and doing plenty of laundry. I am now nannying again...
Today my Grandma moved in with us for a couple of weeks. My room is the optional guest room so Josh and I are staying in the basement where Josh as his room and the extra bed resides.
Currently I am reading Communion with God by John Owen. It's amazing! If you have not read this book I highly recommend it. When I finish it I hope to give an overview.

Pictures of beautiful Pennsylvania

A Surprise

The past few weeks have been full and exhausting. I have returned home from my trip and have started my nannying job full swing. Last week I was in the middle of writing a post when I received a call from Jordan. I was a little surprised that he was calling me a little earlier than our normal time range of calling, but I was delighted that he had the time to talk earlier. Jordan asked me if I had seen the moon. I had not, and I thought he was being sweet because he knows I love to look at the moon, so I went outside only to be dismayed that I could not locate the moon due to all of the trees and houses. Jordan then asked if I had looked across the street, and when I turned there he was standing! I was completely surprised I thought he was coming late the next day. I think the first thing I said was "what are you doing here?" I was speechless and could hardly fathom that he had caught me so completely off guard. It was a wonderful surprise that my whole family knew about and enjoyed keeping from me. We had a wonderful weekend with my family. Jordan even came with me to watch the kids, they loved him and now always ask me about him.
Sadly right after Jordan left I got really sick. I totally lost my voice and had a terrible head cold. Last week was pretty miserable since I still had to watch the kids (it was horrible without energy and a voice). I think the second day I came home and went right to sleep vowing never to have kids. Thankfully God has restored my health and I am feeling much better. I am really enjoying being a nanny to these children-- Carter, Quinn and Lela.
My days are long with them since their parents are gone 9-10 hours a day. I often wonder how parents can leave their children in the care of others for so long and miss so much of their day. Of course there are times when they are horrible and fight and are mean to each other, but most of the time they just enjoy being kids and having fun together.
Tomorrow I am flying to Chicago! I am so excited to see Jordan and his family again. We will then drive to Minnesota to go to our friends wedding.

Western Pennsylvania

Currently I am in western PA visiting my Aunt and Uncle! I really wanted to visit them before I started work and was totally busy with the summer. I was able to make the trip alone since the rest of my family is working.
Right after my family moved back to America, after living in Germany my whole life, we moved to this part of Pennsylvania. I attended the small Christian school as a 7th grader. It was the first time that I had any school instruction in English, needless to say I was a little behind in my reading and writing skills. My Aunt Grace and my mom spent a lot of time helping my brothers and me get adjusted to living in America. Aunt Grace played a key role in my life, I will never forget the afternoons I spent at her house drinking tea and talking about...anything we could think of. My Aunt has an enormous heart that is filled with love for God and for people. She shared that with me and it was not long until I found some of the joy she has in Christ. Through her gentle ways and affirming smile I gained confidence as an awkward preteen and learned to love God in a way that has grown since my time with her.
Now as I am back at their house I enjoy remembering the fun days I spent here in my childhood I love how not much has changed in the house. I watch my Aunt Grace as she is faithful to the ministry that God has called her to (my uncle pastors a small baptist church down the road), and listen to her prayers that reflect a deep love and a vibrant relationship with God.
The surrounding area is gorgeous! It is backwoods Pennsylvania, I will include pictures in my next blog.
My brothers girlfriend, Jamie, just got tested for Celiac. She had been suffering with many of the same symptoms that I had had. The test results are due back on Wednesday. If it comes back negative then more testing will be done to figure out what is wrong. If it comes back positive then I will be thankful that she did not have to endure the symptoms very long, but it will be a big adjustment to a new lifestyle. If you would remember to pray for her as it is an emotional time waiting for the results I really would appreciate that. Right now she is on a gluten free diet as the doctor directed and is feeling amazing! So much better already, so it does seems like Celiac is the problem. She recently found out that it runs in her family as well. It was rather shocking to me when she started experiencing the same kind of pain and problems that I had for so long. It almost seems too weird for her to have the same gluten intolerance. I know that God can use it in her life as He has in mine, for His glory.

An Evaluation

At school the reformed group passed around a book on paedobaptism. After four others had read the book it was passed to me. Before reading this book I had not read anything in favor of infant baptism, only the opposing view. Bryan Chapell makes a clear explanation of the continuing Abrahamic Covenant. He explains that circumcision was a seal of the covenant that God had made with Abraham and prefigured the shedding of Christ's blood. After Christ died the New Testament believers received a new sign, baptism portrays what Christ accomplished on the cross, the washing away of our sin.
In the time of Abraham all the members of a household were baptized to symbolize the head of the house leading his family in the way of God. Circumcision did not indicate belief since it was applied before a child even had the ability to believe. If baptism is the new sign of the covenant then all of the Jews in the New Testament would automatically baptize all the members of their household because of the tradition that had been in place for many years.
I enjoyed reading the small book for its comprehensive way of presenting the information. I can understand why my parents do not hold to infant baptism, because of their dispensational holdings they view the Bible in a completely different manner.
As far as how I feel about it...I am considering it. I have been studying Galatians 3 and it is very clear that the believers of today are children of Abraham. Jesus Christ is the offspring.
"Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, 'in you shall all the nations be blessed.' So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith."
~Galatians 3:7-9

My Celiac turned into a blessing

The other day I made a trip into town to meet a lady who has Celiac. She has developed her own gluten free flour business, I went to her house to buy some gluten free flour and to ask her some questions. I thought that I would be there for an hour or less, I had never met her before and had no idea what to expect. As my conversation with her progressed from my story and how I discovered my intolerance we found that we were very much a like in personality. I ended up staying until 5:00, I spent 6 hours at her house!
She has 2 little boys, both are gluten intolerant so she bakes bread and other gluten free foods that most people just buy in the store. However one on a gluten free diet quickly discovers that the store bought "bread" hardly compares with what we used to eat and carries with it a heavy price tag (5.00 per loaf). Naomi was planning on baking all day so she encouraged me to stay as we chatted and baked and cleaned up the kitchen. I found a wealth of knowledge about celiac, cooking gluten free and living normally. I also found Spiritual unity and encouragement as we discussed many Biblical truths (She is nondisp. and grew up presby.) Best of all I found a friend. I was so excited after leaving her house because she is someone that I can learn a lot from, not only about gluten but also about being a stay at home mom and a pastor's wife. I am so thankful that I got to meet Naomi. I would have never even had the chance to get to know her if it was not for the one major thing we have in common.
Naomi has her own gluten free all purpose flour that can be substituted cup for cup with its gluten containing conterpart (white flour). This is an amazing feet considering that there are not many flour alternatives that can be used consistently. As she shared her story with me on how she came up with the formula it was evident that this is something that God gave her. All of the profit from the business goes into the ministry. Naomi has big plans to expand her business and add a whole grain flour that will be a "whole wheat" substitute. I would love to be a part of such fascinating work. The flour is called Better Batter gluten free all purpose flour and if you want to find out more about it she has a blog called betterbatterglutenfreeflour.com. On her website are recipies and information on gluten.
One major thing I learned is that gluten is a protein that is a binder in flour containing ingredients. Therefore I am not surprised that I often got sick eating in the cafeteria at school, cross contamination can occur if utensils, dishes and surfaces are not properly cleaned or kept separate. This still is a problem in my house with our tiny kitchen and no dishwasher. All of the dishes need to be washed in scalding water before the gluten protein is broken down.
However, I am so thankful for the friendship that God has given me through celiac.

Summer Joy

Okay, it has been a month since my last blog. But I have a pretty good excuse, I was writing a book. If it sounds cool it's probably not. As most of you know I majoring in Elementary Education and for my junior year I had to write a children's book. I really was excited about this at first, before I realized I am not an Artist. So with painfullly simple pictures the book is FINISHED! I wrote my book to be an informational story on Celiac disease. The title is Ellie Yak has Celiac, I hope to use the book to explain my intolerance when I am teaching or working with children.
I would like to comment on the weekend at the PCRT. I would have to classify the conference as the best Spiritual feast I have received in a long time. Believe it or not, living at BBC makes it hard to be Spiritually refreshed with the dry preaching we listen to.
The Speakers were amazing. It has taken me a few weeks to process everything that we listened to.
Now with summer upon us I have both sweet and sorrowful emotions. It's nice to be with my family. To be able to talk in person with my parents about everything that I am learning. Hanging out with Josh and Jamie. And eating food without the fear of getting sick! I am sad because I had to say goodbye to my best friend. It hardly seems like a reality that I can't just walk over and see him. God has given me great memories and blessings through Jordan from this year.
I am really looking forward to doing a lot of reading this summer, right now I am reading a book by Susannah Spurgeon (Yes, wife of C.H. Spurgeon). The book is divided between her biography and her devotionals. I love Spurgeon and have been delighted to find his wife's writing to be of equal theological content with a gentle and relational style that portrays her immense affection for Christ and her vibrant relationship with the Father.
I am also going to be nannying this summer. A family of three outgoing and busy children. I am sure I will have funny stories and pictures (if I can figure out how to post them) to share as the summer proceeds. I will need much prayer as I seek to be a loving but firm Nanny.

A time to start

I decided that I could be a theological blogger as well (who ever said that girls could not be theological). I will try my hardest not to be overwhelmingly girly.
This weekend was full and wonderful. Jordan's parents and my parents came up for the weekend to meet and spend some time with us. I was pondering today how often we plan things and expect to follow through with those plans. Sometimes, as in the case of this weekend, plans change due to unexpected circumstances or...impending weather.
I was disappointed that we could not enjoy our last Chamber's concert with both of our parents. But today was a good reminder that even though we might plan something God sees the fulfillment of those plans in His sovereign plan.
However the disappointment with the concert, it was wonderfully refreshing to be able to worship at our beloved church at Reformed Baptist with both of our parents. Pastor LaSpina continued in 1 John with the passage 4: 9+10. Pastor taught that our greatest endeavor is to know God better and when we know God better we will love God more and from that love we will be able to love the brethren. But this kind of love must begin with a greater apprehension of the love of God. The love of God cannot be understood without doctrine because it is highly doctrinal and theological. By studying the Word is how we come to know that God is a God of love. But love of God can only be understood and appreciated through Jesus. Because, as Pastor said, "looking at Jesus is seeing the love of God."
Colossians 1 :18
"And He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything He might be preeminent."
I pray that Christ would have preeminence in my life

"God gave the best that He had for the worst He could find - to redeem me!"