What next…? No Compromise.

“I wanna die and let you give your life to me, that I might live, and share the hope you gave to me, the love that set me free… I wanna tell the world out there, you’re not some fable or fairy tale, that I made up inside my head, you’re God the Son, you’ve risen from the dead… Oh I wanna thank you now for being patient with me, oh it’s so hard to see when my eyes are on me…..”

-Make My Life a Prayer To You, Keith and Melody Green

Through all the confusion, God is coming through. I’m not completely sure where I’m going with this blog, so please bear with me as I jerk you into my mind for a minute….

The biggest question on my mind is what I’m going to do. Spring’s coming, graduation, and from there on, my life is a blank book waiting to be filled with the words of my life.
I’m starting to think seriously about going to Italy to work with the ministry Christ is the Answer. My parents traveled with them for 2 months in Sicily when they were first married and it was a great experience. Right now CITA is in Rome. They travel in tents and trailers, going out to preach the gospel in the streets, having tent meetings and ministering in hospitals etc…
I’m praying for God’s clear direction in my life.
I’m praying about when to go. I will be in italy this summer until July 19th, (I will be 18 on the 14th) and I’d just stay there except I have my return ticket already. I’m at an advantage since I already speak both english and italian. It would be an amazing opportunity and time for me to serve God. Please check out their website: www.citaitaly.com and pray for me in this decision.
As an unmarried girl, I have the opportunity to serve God without the distractions of a family to take care of etc… I’m realizing more that I have the gift of singleness and I need to take advantage of my singleness.

On another note…..
I just read the book No Compromise again for the 9th time… Its the life story of Keith Green and my favorite book. I’m not sure why I like it so much, but it speaks to me in a very strong way. Every time I read it I come away ready to throw my all into the service of the Lord. We as Christians should always be on fire for God, because we are CHRISTIANS. This is the highest calling. We were saved from Hell…. what is more amazing than this? I think it was Finney that said he wished every christian could dangle over Hell for 24 hours just to see what an amazing thing they were saved from and how desperate it is that they share it with everyone else. I wrote a blog called Apathetic Christians (I think thats what it’s called… you can read it at www.stephaniecharpentier.wordpress.com) and I have a great quote by Keith Green from No Compromise.

“The Christian walk is a bunch of squirming flesh getting nailed down to a cross. ‘Hey, man I want a padded cross. You know, a Posture-Pedic Cross with nice springs in it. Something comfortable.’ The Gospel is a no compromise, absolute sell-out for jesus, one hundred percent walk!”

This speaks so strongly about the state of the church. All they want is comfort…. but we need to give Jesus our all. Not just on Sundays or Wednesdays. Most people go to church in the morning and at noon, like clock work, they’re all out the door and within half hour, back on their couch, infront of the TV filliing their head with junk. They turned God off, and the TV on. We need to be living our lives always for God. I guess thats what I’m trying to say… I lost sight of that for a while here, but I’m back on track now and this time, I’m giving it my all.