Maybe I've shared this before, but Dad's post yesterday reminded me. Before BJ got sick, he and I were in the living room at home. I think I was sitting at the piano, and I asked BJ about the N. Africa trip he was planning on. I had shown a bit of interest in the trip before, and once it came up, he was all over it. He told me that I was supposed to go, and even if I didn't know it yet, God would show me...
I wonder what Beej would say if he could see my life now. Between N. Africa and my mission trip to Swaziland in conjunction with my school, I'll be in Africa more this summer than anywhere else! With the move and all, that continent is the only place I am certain of...
Oh, BJ, there are so many things I would love to tell you. I think that's what I miss a lot right now. So many things, good things, crazy-God things, have been happening in our family, and in my own life. I just want to be able to share them with him! These are things BJ would have such good insight about, such excitement, such encouragement and willingness to support through prayer.
Lauren
posted by Pray for BJ @ 1:20 AM
12 comments
12 Comments:
Thanks Lauren - it's AWE-MAZING how we would just LOVE to have our loved ones here to share all that with, but the truth is that God's GLORY is moving in our lives because of their absence and because of the way they impacted us when they were here. His will is PERFECT and the struggles of missing these things will teach us all to endure and LIGHT A FIRE in our hearts to spread the good news so that others can share in our JOY!
God bless you and you SERVE and LEARN! You all are SUCH a blessing to me!
In Christ's HOLY name,
Laurel Lynn <><
Lauren -- you are such a beautiful inspiration with your willingness to leave your "comfort zone" that hasn't been comfortable lately, and make something spiritual of the experience -- not just for yourself in your grieving, but for others! Selfless. Just as was BJ. May God bless you with renewed joy beyond the depths of the grief. May you experience the fullness of fulfilling His will and the will of your brother, who are both smiling down on you!
He can hear you! He can hear you!
Higgins family...
I want you to know I am taking Brent's place on the mission field this summer. With Carmel High School student venture, I'm going with 6 people to Kenya for 3 1/2 weeks. I'm not going to lie, I'm very scared for this trip. Lots of things keep coming to my mind...such as fighting over there, famine, safety, and homesickness. However, I know in my fear God's love is made perfect. There is no fear in LOVE! When I've been getting anxious or scared about this trip...I think of BJ. His life was glorified through his single choice to serve God on the mission field...and He is one of my biggest motivations to go. I will be thinking of you all when I'm over there! Please pray my fears dissolve and I learn to trust God with every step. Also Pray I can raise the needed support in the next two months....I know HE WILL PROVIDE! Thanks Higgins family..love you all even though I don't know you!
~Kara from Carmel
(Shopqueen76@aol.com)
Lauren-- I say this w/tears in my eyes.. wondering what in the world i'd do if i were you.. But you wouldn't have those things to tell him if he wouldn't have gone to be w/Jesus. You probably wouldn't be going to N. Africa. Your fam probably wouldn't be moving to Tulsa..odd how our feelings catch us off guard. Cuz you want to tell him..but if he were here.. these things probably wouldn't be happening. that breaks my heart, Lauren.
i love you immensely. I pray for you always.
~kristin
zvillebball08: so wat have u been up 2
zvillebball08: hey bj
Passion8431: hey
Passion8431: well, i just got back from a 5 week trip to Peru
zvillebball08: oh kool
zvillebball08: hey i have something 2 tell u
zvillebball08: that i think u will like it
Passion8431: cool
zvillebball08: ok
zvillebball08: i want 2 give my life 2 christ
zvillebball08: but how
Passion8431: When Jesus called His disciples, He said "come and follow me." He made it clear that all we need to do is to simply believe in Him and FOLLOW Him and obey Him.
zvillebball08: ok
Passion8431: Giving your life to Christ is a simple matter of surrendering. Just simply praying and saying that you give your wants, dreams, ambitions, comforts, and goals to Christ because you realize that you can't make it on your own
zvillebball08: yes i want 2 do that
Passion8431: In the Bible, Christ talks about how He gives us joy and a new chance to make things right if we would just live for Him
Passion8431: all you have to do is pray
zvillebball08: ok i want 2 be a flower of god
Passion8431: Jesus said we can talk straight to God because of Him, so just tell God: God I know that I've done many wrong things and that that separates me from You, but I believe that You loved me so much that you sent your Son, Jesus Christ to die for me, then raised Him from the dead so that I can have eternal life and freedom from sin and victory over death. God I want to have a personal relationship with You and follow You. I want you to be the master over my life.
Passion8431: An important thing to following Christ is knowing where He's going, which is known through reading the Bible, praying and spending time with other people who have the same relationship with Jesus Christ and also follow Him, which can be done through going to church. God also wants us to sing about, worship, and glorify Him, which can be done through singing songs to God
zvillebball08: yes thats wat i want
Passion8431: And if you pray that prayer, and truly mean it, the Bible says that He will never leave you, that He will always be with you and give you strength and joy.
Passion8431: Then pray. The words aren't magic or important by themselves, but if your really mean it, the Bible says that God will save you. Pray: "God I know that I've done many wrong things and that that separates me from You, but I believe that You loved me so much that you sent your Son, Jesus Christ to die for me, then raised Him from the dead so that I can have eternal life and freedom from sin and victory over death. God I want to have a personal relationship with You and follow You. I want you to be the master over my life."
zvillebball08: ok i did
Passion8431: awesome! That means that you are now my brother in Christ!
zvillebball08: yes sweet
zvillebball08: and i really did mean it 2
Passion8431: awesome, man! Well, I really encourage you to get plugged in at a church so that you can grow with Christ, and not just stay in the same place. Of course, its not about traditions or religion, but God gave us the church as a means of meeting with other believers and worshipping and growing in Him
zvillebball08: i have one
Passion8431: awesome, which is it?
zvillebball08: but its methodithes and i do somethimes go 2 ur old church
Passion8431: ok, well I know that my old church is pretty solid... unfortunately, there are a lot of churches out there that say that they follow Jesus, but they are actually fake, so its hard to sift through and find one that is for real, but they're out there.
Passion8431: Also, as far as reading the Bible, I encourage you to start reading a little bit every day, so that you can get to know God better, and what He wants you to do with your new life.
Passion8431: I would start in the book of John
Passion8431: There are some really powerful stuff in there.
zvillebball08: ok then wat
Passion8431: Also, if you ever have any questions, just gimme an email or a call (317) 996-4492
zvillebball08: wat is ur email
Passion8431: God also wants us to make a habit of talking to Him everyday (afterall, its not much of a relationship if we don't talk). It doesn't matter where you are or what you're doing, you can talk to God and ask Him to help you or just thank Him for what He's done
Passion8431: jcool02@msn.com
Passion8431: and my xanga is www.xanga.com/DeadSilence7
Passion8431: also, I know I said a lot of stuff in this convo, and so its easy to miss some, but if you want, i'd save the convo, and then check the things I said with what you read in John and the rest of the Bible. But I believe you'll find it to be accurate
zvillebball08: ok hey i know this is gonna sound stupid but how do u hear god answer ur prays
zvillebball08: and how do u start a pray
zvillebball08: and how do u know wat 2 tell him
Passion8431: Well, I've found that God answers prayer through several ways, sometimes He speaks through other Christians (not to say everything they say is from God, but He does use them), through circumstances, but mostly through the Bible
Passion8431: To start a prayer, you just start it like you would any conversation, call Him by name. For example "Dad, i just want to thank you for the great things you've given me, but I just ask that you help me and give me strength because I'm really struggling with this thing....."
Passion8431: but our prayers don't have to be excact or fit into one pattern. God just wants us to talk to Him and ask Him for help, thank Him for things He gives us, or just tell Him whats on are minds.
zvillebball08: ok
zvillebball08: but heres wat i have trouble w/
Passion8431: If one day you really feel like you need to know how to do something, like how to treat someone or respond to a situation, just ask God to help, but ask earnestly, believing that He'll answer, and really seek Him on it, or keep on asking, and He'll give you what you need.
zvillebball08: ok heres my thing
zvillebball08: "How do u know that he is "Answering ur prayers""
Passion8431: For instance, if you pray and ask God to help you get through something, like a hard relationship, or a sickness, or just a crappy day. God may answer your prayer by just giving you energy, or helping you to be nice, or just giving your more courage to press on. God answers prayer in all kinds of ways. Through other people sometimes. You may pray that God would give you wisdom, then someone gives you advice, or you just "figure out" what to do. God works through nature and through other things a lot. There are no coincidences. Everything in our lives, God orchestrates. So if one random event helps you get through a day, or if someone you prayed for gets better, thats not a coincidence or just something cool that happened to match up with your prayers, that is God working and answering your prayers
Passion8431: But i can't really describe it to you. I just challenge you to pray, and like it says in James one, to pray with faith, and really believe that what you pray will be answered and that God knows what is best for you (even though its not always what we want at that moment).
Passion8431: To find out how God answers prayers, pray and see what happens, but don't get discouraged if it feels like you aren't being answered right away. God is in control of each situation, but sometimes He waits to answer or allows us to go through a hardship so that we can become stronger and rely more and more on Him
zvillebball08: ok i think i get is
zvillebball08: it
zvillebball08: a li
zvillebball08: lil
Passion8431: those are all good questions you are asking. Sometimes we don't get it all right away. God is really deep and we'll never get it completely, but He just asks that we seek to get as much as possible.
zvillebball08: dude thanx soooo much
Passion8431: So I would start by reading the book of John, about a chapter a day, and really thinking about what it says. Its confusing at times (especially if you have certain translations of the Bible like King James Version), but thats when you pray that God would help you to understand
Passion8431: its my pleasure, man:-D
Passion8431: i'm so excited that you came to me about this!
Passion8431: You can now say, without a doubt, that you are going to heaven and that you will be my brother forever because you follow Christ, who is the purpose and meaning of life!!
zvillebball08: yep i am 2
Passion8431: :-D
zvillebball08: i will c u up there along w/ taylor and lots of other ppl
Passion8431: you will:-)
Passion8431: remember, if you ever have any other questions, go to God first, but feel free to ask me as well, and i can try to answer them as best I can
zvillebball08: ok thanx sooo much
Passion8431: your so welcome
Passion8431: well, if you don't have any other questions, i gotta go to bed pretty soon. I'll be praying for you
zvillebball08: i will be prayin now
Passion8431: for you, that God would continue to show Himself to you and teach you.
Passion8431: awesome
zvillebball08: yes
zvillebball08: i will pray 4 u
Passion8431: thank you
zvillebball08: yep
zvillebball08: later
zvillebball08: u need 2 get on line more and we can talk
zvillebball08: do u check ur email alot
Passion8431: yeah
Passion8431: i'm on email a lot more than aim
zvillebball08: ok
Passion8431: but i'll try to get on aim more
zvillebball08: ok
zvillebball08: thanx man sooo much 4 wat u did 2 me just then
zvillebball08: and also want 2 thank u 4 begin the person helpin me out here
zvillebball08: w// all of this stuff
Passion8431: oh dude, i did nothing, this is an example of how God works: God spoke through me and saved you, and I'm just praisin Him for doin it! But I do try to do my part to be obedient and let Him speak, but like i said, its been my pleasure
Passion8431: :-D well goodnight, brother
zvillebball08: yea later
zvillebball08: bi
zvillebball08: thanx b
brittany disalvo sent that to me.. a converation that bj sent her on july 27 05
Bless You Lauren
God bless you Lauren!
Amazing conversation! GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!
Thank you so much for continuing to post. You all are such a blessing to me. Praying for you!
Hannah Lane
Brent i had an awesome trip with you this past week and i love you and your family. I lift up your family to the lord GOD BLESS YOU
FROM GAGE
Thank you for sharing
Jack and Brittany
God Bless You!!
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