Identity

Hello again : )

Some of you have asked about what I meant in my other post about how I have been learning a lot about my identity in Christ...

I thought I would include a blurb about it that I wrote to try and explain what I meant by that in further detail. I'm not sure if this will make sense or even begin to do justice what I have been learning, but its worth a shot. : ) Let me know if this doesn't make sense or if you have other questions or comments! The book I said I was really enjoying - The Gospel for Real Life by Jerry Bridges - kind of began this whole snowball affect of me learning about this...I think knowing and understanding the gospel in a way I have NEVER known it from church or any of my Bible studies has REALLY impacted my thoughts about God and who I am... I highly suggest you read it, even if you have heard the "gospel" in church a million times, because in this book he explains some details of the gospel I never knew existed...God is CRAZZZY and I was shocked to find out exactly some of the details of what went down 2000 years ago.

"The identity stuff I have been learning about is kind of what it means to be "in Christ". I have never really understood that phrase, and in fact, when Paul wrote it many times in the new testament, I just kind of overlooked it as Christian jargon I guess. But to understand and learn that I am hidden in Christ and my value is found because of Him and that He has set my identity FOREVER - that because of my faith in Him and our union together that I am never forgotten by God, always remembered, never abandoned, always loved, always cherished and adored, always provided for, etc...I think realizing that not only does God treat me those ways, but because God has decided to be that way towards me that it actually defines who I am, is huge. That I am an unforgettable person. I am unabandonable. Because only God speaks to my identity, no one else. I don't think I realized that before. I always thought that God loved me, which was great, and that He wouldn't leave me, which also was great, but what about all the humans who have left me? What about all the humans who have hurt me? Doesn't that make me a forgettable person, an abandonable person in the eyes of humans? Almost like God's thoughts of me were great, BUT I also wanted to know humans felt the same way. I felt like God defined part of my identity and that the ways humans related to me also spoke about who I am. And realizing that my identity, and everyone who has ever existed, soley depends on how God thinks of them, has really shook my thoughts up. To realize everyone has one of two possible identities. They are either solidified in Christ, or they will be forgotten by God forever. It was crazy to think that because of Christ I have been set in eternity as a person fully loved, whether or not sinful humans treat me that way. That I am who God says I am, and who He says I am is basically how He relates towards me. I am not sure I am able to define it quite like it has hit my heart, because I feel like how I am writing it seems so elementary, and I think it might be elementary, but they are concepts I have NEVER grasped before this past month. It has been affecting all my thoughts towards everything . . ."

MACC Attack!

What a wonderful weekend in Maryland we just had! I thought I'd put up some pictures. We had about 50 or so Penn State students that went on this retreat. I really enjoy the MACC because I get to go and kind of be a participant - it was another school's role to run the retreat this year, so we mainly got to attend the meals and talks and just listen and hangout with people. It was a nice weekend - it seemed to go by so quick! One of the girls in my study, Dana, got to go. It was nice to have lunch with her on Saturday. The speaker spoke on apologetics as well as the affects that modernism vs. post-modernism has on Christianity...seemed appropriate since I learned a lot about that this summer. Here's a photo of one of the meetings.



Here's a photo of some of the Penn State staff sitting during a talk.



It was sooo nice because Nate got to go this weekend also. He was on kitchen staff the whole time so I didn't see him too much, but the times I got to I really enjoyed. = )







Also just to keep you all updated on Nate and Maryn trivia, we celebrated our one year anniversary of dating on January 18th : ) This was our 2nd MACC conference as a dating couple. It was fun to know we have been together for a whole year - time has flown!





It was also a fun weekend because our whole EDGE team was reunited.



Janeen, Sam, Meghan, myself, and Nate.

It was good to have everyone back together again for a weekend! Sam and Nate came from their jobs in Maryland and the rest of us traveled from Penn State.

On Saturday night there was a beautiful sunset over the bay.





All in all it was a lovely weekend. Currently we are anticipating a big snow storm to hit State College - accuweather predicted 18-20 inches of snow... I have a feeling that won't happen...ha.

Till next time!