I love doing random things and being spontaneous, but sometimes I just don't like change. Things or people I come in contact with that I just want to stay the same for the rest of my life. But I've learned that's never God's plan. I should be thankful that I still have family and friends here with me when so many people don't.
Following God's plan for my life even if it means some hurt every now and then will be 100% worth it, I have no doubt, but before His plan has been completed, I will still be sad when a friend moves on. Ties between friends are usually pretty deep with certain people, and I've had many friends move on with their life that meant not seeing me as much. It never gets easier.
I know God has a plan for every person that moves on past me, and I am trying to trust that "it will all be ok" like my parents always tell me. Those ordinary days when you do the same thing over and over can be so peaceful, then one day you realize you haven't gotten much done with your life because you haven't done anything extraordinary. That is what I hope to start doing.
"We were never meant to compromise; settle for mediocrity. This life was never meant to be a waste of time. With all that is within me, says no more just existing.
Live like there's no tomorrow. Love extravagantly. Lead a life to be followed, goodbye ordinary.
No more complacency, no more just settling this time. Goodbye to atrophy, for we were meant to be alive." -MercyMe
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
All For Jesus
There are so many things in life that get my attention.
To name just a few:
Dreams
Family
Fears
Friends
Money
Problems
Relationships
The "stuff" in life (clothes, food, decoration, cars, house, electronics, etc)
Work
I often forget to spend most of my time on the most important thing of all; Christ.
There are many days I make to-do lists, get distracted after those are done, or do something I hadn't planned and my whole day was spent with no more than 15 minutes with God. I stand in awe of people's new cars or houses, get excited about new clothes but then when a topic of God comes up, my attention sways.
The bible is very clear on this matter. Our God IS a jealous God, and if we spend more time with anything other than Him He will not hesitate to take that away. If it's our family or friends, He will take them away. We say family is more important, He says "Ok, they say they can't do my work because they need "family time" so I will take their family." It might sound harsh, but it's very real. If making money is all I think about and spend my time trying to make more, He will have no problem keeping me from making anything and letting me lose all I DO have.
I was sitting here thinking on what to write about, and a song was playing on my computer that made me stop and think.
It's called "To God Alone" and it's by Aaron Shust:
"Can You take me by the hand? Can You use me as I am? Break me into who You want me to be. When the time is finally right, will You open up my eyes and show me everything You want me to see? This life is not my own.
To God alone be the Glory. To God alone be the praise. Everything I say and do,
let be all for You. The Glory is Yours alone. Yours alone.
We will rise and we will fall. But You remain after all. You're Glorious and Beautiful, You're Beautiful."
God has a specific plan for our life but not if we don't yield to Him and let Him work. It may be a hard life, and no, it won't be easy...but wouldn't we rather have something worth dying for than spending time with things that will fade away and are always making us want more but never being satisfied? If we want more of Christ, and search for it, we will always be filled. He IS all we need, contrary to what the world tells us.
What are you living for?
To name just a few:
Dreams
Family
Fears
Friends
Money
Problems
Relationships
The "stuff" in life (clothes, food, decoration, cars, house, electronics, etc)
Work
I often forget to spend most of my time on the most important thing of all; Christ.
There are many days I make to-do lists, get distracted after those are done, or do something I hadn't planned and my whole day was spent with no more than 15 minutes with God. I stand in awe of people's new cars or houses, get excited about new clothes but then when a topic of God comes up, my attention sways.
The bible is very clear on this matter. Our God IS a jealous God, and if we spend more time with anything other than Him He will not hesitate to take that away. If it's our family or friends, He will take them away. We say family is more important, He says "Ok, they say they can't do my work because they need "family time" so I will take their family." It might sound harsh, but it's very real. If making money is all I think about and spend my time trying to make more, He will have no problem keeping me from making anything and letting me lose all I DO have.
I was sitting here thinking on what to write about, and a song was playing on my computer that made me stop and think.
It's called "To God Alone" and it's by Aaron Shust:
"Can You take me by the hand? Can You use me as I am? Break me into who You want me to be. When the time is finally right, will You open up my eyes and show me everything You want me to see? This life is not my own.
To God alone be the Glory. To God alone be the praise. Everything I say and do,
let be all for You. The Glory is Yours alone. Yours alone.
We will rise and we will fall. But You remain after all. You're Glorious and Beautiful, You're Beautiful."
God has a specific plan for our life but not if we don't yield to Him and let Him work. It may be a hard life, and no, it won't be easy...but wouldn't we rather have something worth dying for than spending time with things that will fade away and are always making us want more but never being satisfied? If we want more of Christ, and search for it, we will always be filled. He IS all we need, contrary to what the world tells us.
What are you living for?
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Like a seed
As I was sitting outside today bumping up some of my plants, I looked over at my poor pepper plants that are struggling to come up. I've kept them watered, all of the leaves and such that have been blown onto the seed trays cleared off, I've watched the amount of sun so they don't burn and tried to give them some shade as well. As I looked over today, I saw quite a few little plants trying to spring up from the dirt that has covered them for the last month and a half. They look weak and fragile, but they are doing their best to come through.
Soon after becoming a Christian, we experience many of the signs that a new plant has. We struggle so hard to get through our past, the things that have always covered us up. We try to watch what we let in our life so we can continue to grow, but it's very hard sometimes. We can get burned by what others say, and sometimes little problems and hardships float down on top of us and withhold our growing. But through it all the seeds that are good and strong will one day come out of that dirt, bloom, and produce something beautiful. Whether it be food or a flower. It's a beautiful thing.
Even after it's finally come through so many things, it will still have to battle the wind, sun, cold and rain. It will have to stay strong and well cared for to last and stay alive. Like plants, we will have these hard times. The devil will take anything good in our lives and try to twist it around to have us sin or simply to make us miserable.
I'm only human, I didn't create these seeds, nor give the sun to help them grow, but I can help my seeds grow by doing everything I can to protect them so they produce fruit. God can protect us from the very same things. I will still have hardships and rough times in my life, but my Creator loves me so much that He gave me living water that will help me grow, give me the "sunshine" I need to produce fruit in my life, but the only way I will ever be strong enough to make it through this life will be to ask God for His strength. You see, when bad things happen to me, it's either because I've sinned, or someone in the world has sinned and it affected me. I might wilt for a while, but God will come back to me and give me water and protection so I can keep growing.
Soon after becoming a Christian, we experience many of the signs that a new plant has. We struggle so hard to get through our past, the things that have always covered us up. We try to watch what we let in our life so we can continue to grow, but it's very hard sometimes. We can get burned by what others say, and sometimes little problems and hardships float down on top of us and withhold our growing. But through it all the seeds that are good and strong will one day come out of that dirt, bloom, and produce something beautiful. Whether it be food or a flower. It's a beautiful thing.
Even after it's finally come through so many things, it will still have to battle the wind, sun, cold and rain. It will have to stay strong and well cared for to last and stay alive. Like plants, we will have these hard times. The devil will take anything good in our lives and try to twist it around to have us sin or simply to make us miserable.
I'm only human, I didn't create these seeds, nor give the sun to help them grow, but I can help my seeds grow by doing everything I can to protect them so they produce fruit. God can protect us from the very same things. I will still have hardships and rough times in my life, but my Creator loves me so much that He gave me living water that will help me grow, give me the "sunshine" I need to produce fruit in my life, but the only way I will ever be strong enough to make it through this life will be to ask God for His strength. You see, when bad things happen to me, it's either because I've sinned, or someone in the world has sinned and it affected me. I might wilt for a while, but God will come back to me and give me water and protection so I can keep growing.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Free with Christ
Love is amazing, isn't it? To have a love that will forgive and forgive...it's that never ending forgiveness that can heal so many things and bring joy to so many.
I have this awful, terrible habit of judging. The worst part is, I don't even realize I've done it until it's flown out of my mouth. It cannot be taken back at that point. It's so hard not to judge those around me that my brain says are "less righteous" or something of that nature. Honestly, it means I think I'm better than people around me. My goodness. Everything I've done in my life, and I'm judging others for that THEY do? You see, this love which I spoke of, it's God's. Once I've realized I have sinned, I can ask for forgiveness and it's mine. Right then and there. You see, not a single thing anyone else has done is even the slightest bit worse than the wrong that I have done. Every sin, whether we see it as minor or not, is the same in God's eyes. MY sin, is as bad as the murderer and thief in the cells of a prison. Pretty humbling thing to think about. To think of how selfish and judgmental I have been just brings tears to my eyes; that love that God has so graciously given me is something I'm keeping to myself and causing others to see sin and not Christ Jesus.
There's a song I've been listening to a lot lately (K-LOVE radio has played it a lot just when I need it). It's been amazing how much of an affect on my life it has had on me this past week.
To not have worries and stress weighing me down...it's just one of the most amazing things I've ever felt. Every time anyone does something that hurts me and doesn't apologize, I've always hidden it inside, sat and thought about it all day and night. It creeps up on me when I've just gotten a smile on, it haunts me when I pray...
The song is about forgiveness. Even if it's just that one of my brothers or sisters has said something hurtful (even if it's unintentional) or anything else.
I MUST forgive them. It's either forgive, or be miserable. And you know what? I'm tired of being miserable. I'm ready to live my life and be happy. To show the love of the Lord Jesus!
Here are the lyrics of that song. It's called "7x70"
"I’ve been living in this house here since the day that I was born. These walls have seen me happy, but most of all they’ve seen me torn. They’ve heard the screaming matches, that made a family fall apart. They’ve had a front row seat
to the breaking of my heart.
7 times 70 times I’ll do what it takes to make it right. I thought the pain was here to stay, but forgiveness made a way. 7 times 70 times there’s healing in the air tonight. I’m reaching up to pull it down, gonna wrap it all around.
I remember running down the hallway, playing hide-and-seek. I didn’t know that I was searching, for someone to notice me. I felt alone and undiscovered and old enough to understand. Just when I’m s’posed to be learning to love, you let me doubt again.
7 times 70 times I’ll do what it takes to make it right, I thought the pain was here to stay, but forgiveness made a way 7 times 70 times, there’s healing in the air tonight. I’m reaching up to pull it down, gonna wrap it all around.
I lost count of the ways you let me down but no matter how many times you weren’t around, I’m all right now.
God picked up my heart and helped me through, and shined a light on the one thing left to do. And that’s forgive you, I forgive you." -Chris August
If I can learn to forgive, love, and show kindness as Christ does me, I will be so free.
I have this awful, terrible habit of judging. The worst part is, I don't even realize I've done it until it's flown out of my mouth. It cannot be taken back at that point. It's so hard not to judge those around me that my brain says are "less righteous" or something of that nature. Honestly, it means I think I'm better than people around me. My goodness. Everything I've done in my life, and I'm judging others for that THEY do? You see, this love which I spoke of, it's God's. Once I've realized I have sinned, I can ask for forgiveness and it's mine. Right then and there. You see, not a single thing anyone else has done is even the slightest bit worse than the wrong that I have done. Every sin, whether we see it as minor or not, is the same in God's eyes. MY sin, is as bad as the murderer and thief in the cells of a prison. Pretty humbling thing to think about. To think of how selfish and judgmental I have been just brings tears to my eyes; that love that God has so graciously given me is something I'm keeping to myself and causing others to see sin and not Christ Jesus.
There's a song I've been listening to a lot lately (K-LOVE radio has played it a lot just when I need it). It's been amazing how much of an affect on my life it has had on me this past week.
To not have worries and stress weighing me down...it's just one of the most amazing things I've ever felt. Every time anyone does something that hurts me and doesn't apologize, I've always hidden it inside, sat and thought about it all day and night. It creeps up on me when I've just gotten a smile on, it haunts me when I pray...
The song is about forgiveness. Even if it's just that one of my brothers or sisters has said something hurtful (even if it's unintentional) or anything else.
I MUST forgive them. It's either forgive, or be miserable. And you know what? I'm tired of being miserable. I'm ready to live my life and be happy. To show the love of the Lord Jesus!
Here are the lyrics of that song. It's called "7x70"
"I’ve been living in this house here since the day that I was born. These walls have seen me happy, but most of all they’ve seen me torn. They’ve heard the screaming matches, that made a family fall apart. They’ve had a front row seat
to the breaking of my heart.
7 times 70 times I’ll do what it takes to make it right. I thought the pain was here to stay, but forgiveness made a way. 7 times 70 times there’s healing in the air tonight. I’m reaching up to pull it down, gonna wrap it all around.
I remember running down the hallway, playing hide-and-seek. I didn’t know that I was searching, for someone to notice me. I felt alone and undiscovered and old enough to understand. Just when I’m s’posed to be learning to love, you let me doubt again.
7 times 70 times I’ll do what it takes to make it right, I thought the pain was here to stay, but forgiveness made a way 7 times 70 times, there’s healing in the air tonight. I’m reaching up to pull it down, gonna wrap it all around.
I lost count of the ways you let me down but no matter how many times you weren’t around, I’m all right now.
God picked up my heart and helped me through, and shined a light on the one thing left to do. And that’s forgive you, I forgive you." -Chris August
If I can learn to forgive, love, and show kindness as Christ does me, I will be so free.
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