Have you ever felt overwhelmed with the amount of decisions you have to make? It seems every corned you turn there are more things to make a choice about. Some are very big, life changing decisions, like who you're going to marry, accepting/rejecting Christ; then there are smaller things, like what to wear in the morning. Every decision we make leads to another decision and another and another. Constantly making circles. It's quite exhausting. We get dizzy and finally just stop altogether.
One of the things you'll find repeated in the bible is the fact that we need to earnestly seek God. We have to go to Him for wisdom in hard situations; He is all-knowing and can give us guidance on what to do if we simply ask.
There is one choice that each of us has every day; "What am I going to do with the rest of my life?"
Seems simple when you're young and care free. As you get older, it's not quite as easy. You need to decide every day where God is trying to send you and from there, you have to make the choice whether or not you'll follow that calling. Whether it is something like going to college vs. staying home; getting a job, what kind of job to get, going on a mission trip vs. sharing Christ right where you are, whether or not you'll shine Jesus to others even if they're unkind vs. giving them what they give you; keeping the peace among your family vs. getting irritated every little thing that they do, etc, etc.
There are many times when we feel a little desperate. Sometimes overwhelmingly so. Could it be that we're fighting against what God wants for us? We all have a sense of right and wrong, and those of us who are Christians also have the Holy Spirit in us, which will tell us when something we're doing is going against God's will.
--- Is God trying to point you in the right direction but you're unwilling to listen to Him? ---
You see, I do this quite frequently. I know what God wants me to do, deep down I truly know, but I am afraid of taking such a drastically different path. I know and trust that God will be there for me, but I try to rely on my own strength and say it can't be possible with the things I'm good at or capable of doing. You know what the crazy thing that I learn every time is? I don't need to even think of what I do or don't have talent in, I'm not required to know certain things or be strong in certain areas. When God sends me, He gives me everything I need THROUGH Him.
I've heard many people ask one of two questions in my life:
#1- Why does God allow bad to happen to people?
#2- Why does God allow us to make the wrong decisions?
The answer? I call it "freedom's cost". Just as there are consequences in America for being so free, the same thing applies to Christianity. God doesn't wish for bad to happen, but rather made the choice long ago to give people the freedom to choose what they do in their life. Some may ask "Well, why can't He let us make our own choices, but stop us from making the ones that will hurt other people? We shouldn't all have to suffer for one person's bad decision." Well, to be of a faith truly built around freedom, God cannot make decisions for us. Good or bad; it's all on us. Because of sin, because of Adam and Eve's bad choice, it brought sin upon the world and we were given the most awful wonderful thing: freedom of choice.
--Now don't take this the wrong way, when I say "it's all on us" I don't mean we're alone and God won't help us through hard times. He is always there, like I said above, He will give us direction if we seek it.
When bad things happen, it means someone made the choice to listen to Satan and do the wrong thing. It was their choice; God couldn't just all of the sudden swoop down and tell them "Sorry, I'm taking over now. That choice just doesn't cut it." Even if our decisions break His heart, He still doesn't take our freedom of choice away.
Some say "Well, a loving God wouldn't allow these things to happen" but the painful truth is that He allows them to happen because He does love us. Freedom in life is freedom in Christ.
There have been countless times that I made poor choices because the devils ideas sounded better and easier than God's. I can be a pretty big chicken about some things believe it or not. If there's a choice that needs to be made and I know God wants me to do follow His guidance, sometimes I do just the opposite because the other road seems like I won't be hurt as much, I won't suffer as much pain or heartache...in the end, of course, I come out even worse than I thought the other would have done. God may not stop us from making the wrong choices, but He is certainly never gone from our life. He is always waiting there to pick us back up, love us and give us forgiveness and strength to move on.
Choices are inevitable. Until we reach heaven we will never free ourselves from them. It doesn't matter if you try every religion out there, free or imprisoned, you
will always have to make a choice: My way, or God's way.
It's freedom's cost.
Monday, October 31, 2011
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Round About Answers
Is it just me, or does anyone else notice how God has a major sense of humor? For instance, when I pray for patience and humbleness, God doesn't just magically gift me with those traits; of course not. That would be too easy. Instead, each day He pushes my growth in those two areas a lot. He puts me in situations where it requires great patience. Of course, I always fail the test. I think "I asked for patience, not to be irritated." Now, I don't really believe God is in heaven laughing at me for being frustrated, but I myself must laugh at this ironic pattern.
I don't know about the rest of you, but I not only expect my prayers to be granted, but to be done so in the time I think will be best to receive them. Boy do I have it all wrong. Not only do I get irritated more after I've asked for a patience attitude, I'm impatient to be able to be patient!
Here's what I've learned. God isn't some hocus pocus god in the sky who grants wishes to whomever desires something. I believe in prayer through and through. I believe God always answers, even if it's not the way I wanted. But that's just it. God doesn't always answer how we want. He will always listen, always answer, but He might answer in a different way than we prayed for, or may wait a long time before answering. Again, see how ironic it is when I ask for "patience"?
What I've realized after years of begging Him for patience is, He is working in my heart...slowly, but working all the same. He doesn't want to give me something and me take it for granted. I need to practice it and learn it so much that it becomes a part of me and isn't just some shallow trait about me.
God answers from HIS wisdom, in HIS time.
Patience is definitely something I struggle with. When one of my brothers just keeps going on and on about a subject that I have no interest in, I finally just make myself so irritated that I shew them away. When someone is trying to tell me this amazing or funny story and tries to remember *every* *detail*...it's bad. I get so frustrated. It's not really even the people themselves. It's more the fact that I tell myself I'm not enjoying it. So honestly, I do it to myself. Which, by the way, is even more pathetic. To have no patience with others is bad enough, but to have no patience with oneself...you know it's bad when it comes to that.
I've noticed every single time, without fail, that I get on my knees and pray to God for patience that something happens not minutes afterwards where I am even more impatient and unkind than I was the day before. Satan knows I want God to better me, and he tries everything he can to get me away from that desire. You know what though? Satan has no power over me. God has told me what I need to do and, through Him, I can turn from the temptations of impatience.
Some of you might be saying "you're making way too big a deal about this" but I say, so, SO many bad things come from impatience. Crimes and wrong doings can all come from someone who lacks patience.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..." - Galatians 5:22
"...with all humility and gentleness, with PATIENCE, showing TOLERANCE for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." -Ephesians 4:2
"Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His PERFECT PATIENCE as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." - 1 Timothy 1:16
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and PATIENCE;
God was and IS our perfect example. We are to live our life by what He says. He tells us to have patience.
It is my job, duty...promise...to follow after Christ. I won't always succeed, but isn't that why it's called "grace"?
I don't know about the rest of you, but I not only expect my prayers to be granted, but to be done so in the time I think will be best to receive them. Boy do I have it all wrong. Not only do I get irritated more after I've asked for a patience attitude, I'm impatient to be able to be patient!
Here's what I've learned. God isn't some hocus pocus god in the sky who grants wishes to whomever desires something. I believe in prayer through and through. I believe God always answers, even if it's not the way I wanted. But that's just it. God doesn't always answer how we want. He will always listen, always answer, but He might answer in a different way than we prayed for, or may wait a long time before answering. Again, see how ironic it is when I ask for "patience"?
What I've realized after years of begging Him for patience is, He is working in my heart...slowly, but working all the same. He doesn't want to give me something and me take it for granted. I need to practice it and learn it so much that it becomes a part of me and isn't just some shallow trait about me.
God answers from HIS wisdom, in HIS time.
Patience is definitely something I struggle with. When one of my brothers just keeps going on and on about a subject that I have no interest in, I finally just make myself so irritated that I shew them away. When someone is trying to tell me this amazing or funny story and tries to remember *every* *detail*...it's bad. I get so frustrated. It's not really even the people themselves. It's more the fact that I tell myself I'm not enjoying it. So honestly, I do it to myself. Which, by the way, is even more pathetic. To have no patience with others is bad enough, but to have no patience with oneself...you know it's bad when it comes to that.
I've noticed every single time, without fail, that I get on my knees and pray to God for patience that something happens not minutes afterwards where I am even more impatient and unkind than I was the day before. Satan knows I want God to better me, and he tries everything he can to get me away from that desire. You know what though? Satan has no power over me. God has told me what I need to do and, through Him, I can turn from the temptations of impatience.
Some of you might be saying "you're making way too big a deal about this" but I say, so, SO many bad things come from impatience. Crimes and wrong doings can all come from someone who lacks patience.
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, PATIENCE, kindness, goodness, faithfulness..." - Galatians 5:22
"...with all humility and gentleness, with PATIENCE, showing TOLERANCE for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." -Ephesians 4:2
"Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His PERFECT PATIENCE as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life." - 1 Timothy 1:16
"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and PATIENCE;
God was and IS our perfect example. We are to live our life by what He says. He tells us to have patience.
It is my job, duty...promise...to follow after Christ. I won't always succeed, but isn't that why it's called "grace"?
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Hope and Despair
These verses have really been on my mind a lot lately. To truly have the lifestyle that Christ had and instructed us to have, we have to understand what the root of His drive was. It doesn't matter where you look, Jesus constantly talks about love.
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."
If we speak eloquently but don't have love in our speech, simply sound noisy, like cymbals clanging together. If we are wise beyond many people on this earth, and if our faith is so strong we are able to move mountains...but we lack love, it is as though we don't exist. We are nothing. If we give everything we own to those in need but don't have love behind our actions, it means nothing. No good deed is truly good unless God's love is behind it; unless we surrender our hearts to Him so we can love no matter the circumstance.
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
This first one hits me super hard every time I read it. I have become one of the most impatient people I know when it comes to dealing with other people. The ironic thing is, if you're not patient, all these other things just come flowing in right behind that one action gone wrong. If I'm not patient with someone, I am not going to be kind to them, I will start acting arrangement, like listening to this person go on and on is below me. I then start acting unbecomingly, seeking my own wants and wishes. And then lastly, it all comes crashing down and ends with the fact that I won't endure anything. I get fed up with whatever it is and just walk away. This, of course, means I did not show love towards that person, which also means I was not showing Christ to them. What could be more horrendous? To have true love, I must endure all things, whether it's comfortable and fun or not, I must treat everyone I come in contact with as though they were the most important person in my life. Give them my full attention, not listening halfheartedly because they they're saying disinterests me.
"Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away."
My favorite part. Love NEVER fails. No matter the circumstance, no matter the heartache, no matter the pain, no matter the problems...love will never fail. Because our Lord Jesus is love, and He will never fail. Love will always come out on top, will always win; love always solves the worst of problems. Because of God's love, we were given a gift of eternal life.
"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."
The greatest of these is love. Not just the best one for any situation, but the greatest, eminent and prominent one is love. This life is not about us. It is not about our feelings or only doing what we're most comfortable with. We were given life to show others HIS life. The way HE loved and cared. To show the world how fabulous His love is and that they, too, can have it in their lives!
A good example would be this:
All of the sudden a pandemic disease came. This disease was across the entire world. Everyone was dying. Doctors worked tirelessly to come up with a cure, but none was found. People continued to die year after year; there was pain, suffering, and so many who were lifeless that everyone gave up hope. One day a man comes to a group of people with joy none had seen before; a look filled with hope. He tells them "I've found a cure for the disease!"
What do you think the reaction should be?
(a) -Everyone ignores his statement
(b) -Everyone runs to him joyfully begging to be given some
So, (a) or (b)?
B of course. These people ran to the man and pleaded with him to give them the cure. Of course, this man could have asked for money, these people were so desperate they would have given anything to get their hands on "life". But he starts giving it to everyone as a gift. Everyone wanted to know why he was just giving it away and He said, "How can I ask for anything from you when you're dying all around me? What kind of man would charge a fee for something so important?" This man went on passing our the medicine for years; as the news got out about what he was doing, other started following his example, getting some of the medicine and traveling the world to tell others about this cure. They cared so much for the lives of others that they gave their own lives to give others theirs back. They didn't have it easy all the time though. There were a select group of men who despised what these men were doing. They had rejected the cure, and didn't think anyone else should have it, either. They followed some of the men, murdering them before they could get to the towns. Some of the men went ahead to towns and told everyone that there would be men coming who were going to give them a false hope, a cure; they weren't to listen to them though, because it was really poison. They were to throw these men out of the town before they got to their children with the poison.
After many years, the group of kindhearted men became greater and greater....but so did the group of men of despair. Both having a message to tell, one of hope and the other of darkness. This battle still goes on today, though many people are completely unaware that they are even infected with the deadly disease.
See the resemblance of something else? Mankind is infected with a disease...as a matter of fact, it's the most deadly disease there ever was. Children are born with it, and only some people get the cure for it. The disease is sin, passed on from generation to generation since the beginning of time. Everyone on the earth is infected with it. But this isn't something that should dampen our spirits. You see, we've been given the cure.
2,000 years ago there was a man who took on the disease, head to head, even gave His life, so that the one and only cure could be given to all of mankind. There have been many who gave their lives to get the word out about it. Some have died trying to tell others, others have reached millions with the cure before they passed on.
Jesus died 2,000 years ago so that people could be cured of this awful sickness called sin. It eats at people from the inside and ruins their life. If you've accepted God's gift, you should feel obligated to get the good news out to other people, because that is the cure I've spoken of. If you don't, they are going to die never knowing their was something that could be done.
Love is the key. To have love behind your actions will bring you further than any other action you do, any kind of wisdom you have will ever bring you.
This is a story of hope and despair. Hope will reign in the end, but the number of people who will be on that side is up to you. Who have you given the truth to?
"If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing."
If we speak eloquently but don't have love in our speech, simply sound noisy, like cymbals clanging together. If we are wise beyond many people on this earth, and if our faith is so strong we are able to move mountains...but we lack love, it is as though we don't exist. We are nothing. If we give everything we own to those in need but don't have love behind our actions, it means nothing. No good deed is truly good unless God's love is behind it; unless we surrender our hearts to Him so we can love no matter the circumstance.
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
This first one hits me super hard every time I read it. I have become one of the most impatient people I know when it comes to dealing with other people. The ironic thing is, if you're not patient, all these other things just come flowing in right behind that one action gone wrong. If I'm not patient with someone, I am not going to be kind to them, I will start acting arrangement, like listening to this person go on and on is below me. I then start acting unbecomingly, seeking my own wants and wishes. And then lastly, it all comes crashing down and ends with the fact that I won't endure anything. I get fed up with whatever it is and just walk away. This, of course, means I did not show love towards that person, which also means I was not showing Christ to them. What could be more horrendous? To have true love, I must endure all things, whether it's comfortable and fun or not, I must treat everyone I come in contact with as though they were the most important person in my life. Give them my full attention, not listening halfheartedly because they they're saying disinterests me.
"Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away."
My favorite part. Love NEVER fails. No matter the circumstance, no matter the heartache, no matter the pain, no matter the problems...love will never fail. Because our Lord Jesus is love, and He will never fail. Love will always come out on top, will always win; love always solves the worst of problems. Because of God's love, we were given a gift of eternal life.
"But now faith, hope, love, abide these three; but the greatest of these is love."
The greatest of these is love. Not just the best one for any situation, but the greatest, eminent and prominent one is love. This life is not about us. It is not about our feelings or only doing what we're most comfortable with. We were given life to show others HIS life. The way HE loved and cared. To show the world how fabulous His love is and that they, too, can have it in their lives!
A good example would be this:
All of the sudden a pandemic disease came. This disease was across the entire world. Everyone was dying. Doctors worked tirelessly to come up with a cure, but none was found. People continued to die year after year; there was pain, suffering, and so many who were lifeless that everyone gave up hope. One day a man comes to a group of people with joy none had seen before; a look filled with hope. He tells them "I've found a cure for the disease!"
What do you think the reaction should be?
(a) -Everyone ignores his statement
(b) -Everyone runs to him joyfully begging to be given some
So, (a) or (b)?
B of course. These people ran to the man and pleaded with him to give them the cure. Of course, this man could have asked for money, these people were so desperate they would have given anything to get their hands on "life". But he starts giving it to everyone as a gift. Everyone wanted to know why he was just giving it away and He said, "How can I ask for anything from you when you're dying all around me? What kind of man would charge a fee for something so important?" This man went on passing our the medicine for years; as the news got out about what he was doing, other started following his example, getting some of the medicine and traveling the world to tell others about this cure. They cared so much for the lives of others that they gave their own lives to give others theirs back. They didn't have it easy all the time though. There were a select group of men who despised what these men were doing. They had rejected the cure, and didn't think anyone else should have it, either. They followed some of the men, murdering them before they could get to the towns. Some of the men went ahead to towns and told everyone that there would be men coming who were going to give them a false hope, a cure; they weren't to listen to them though, because it was really poison. They were to throw these men out of the town before they got to their children with the poison.
After many years, the group of kindhearted men became greater and greater....but so did the group of men of despair. Both having a message to tell, one of hope and the other of darkness. This battle still goes on today, though many people are completely unaware that they are even infected with the deadly disease.
See the resemblance of something else? Mankind is infected with a disease...as a matter of fact, it's the most deadly disease there ever was. Children are born with it, and only some people get the cure for it. The disease is sin, passed on from generation to generation since the beginning of time. Everyone on the earth is infected with it. But this isn't something that should dampen our spirits. You see, we've been given the cure.
2,000 years ago there was a man who took on the disease, head to head, even gave His life, so that the one and only cure could be given to all of mankind. There have been many who gave their lives to get the word out about it. Some have died trying to tell others, others have reached millions with the cure before they passed on.
Jesus died 2,000 years ago so that people could be cured of this awful sickness called sin. It eats at people from the inside and ruins their life. If you've accepted God's gift, you should feel obligated to get the good news out to other people, because that is the cure I've spoken of. If you don't, they are going to die never knowing their was something that could be done.
Love is the key. To have love behind your actions will bring you further than any other action you do, any kind of wisdom you have will ever bring you.
This is a story of hope and despair. Hope will reign in the end, but the number of people who will be on that side is up to you. Who have you given the truth to?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Where Is Your Joy?
"The joy of the Lord is my strength, the joy of the Lord is my strength...". Do you remember learning these lyrics as a kid? I certainly do. It was like a repeat button. The same sentence over and over. Back then it seemed slightly too repetitive, but the more I think about it the more I realize it's just a constant praise to the Lord.
We praise Him because through His joy that is given, we are given strength.
Joy = strength. Doesn't make any sense you say? Well, think of it like this.
When things aren't going too well or you're going through a rough patch in life, you are pretty down, right? All things seem too confusing and hard to deal with, you're saddened by the state of your life and just sit in despair; you feel weak and helpless. On the other hand, when you're joyful, truly happy, you feel like you could conquer the world! You feel strong, stable, immovable...like a rock that can stand the test of time.
This is how it is with Christ. Even though things don't always go smoothly, we can have joy in our Savior because He gives us the strength needed to deal with life.
There will be times of sadness, don't get me wrong. There will be hard times, financial, spiritual...relationships may fall apart, friends may drift away...but God gives grace enough to get through.
The funny (but sad) thing is, as I hear some Christians telling other people about the Lord, they add in "It's just amazing...things are so great! All of your problems will disappear if you only do ____ and _____ and ______, then accept Jesus into your heart. He will take away all your problems and all your left with is a wonderful plan for your life." First of all, problems don't disappear when you make that step of faith. Sorry, but it's true. God even tells us that we won't have it easy!
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me." -Matthew 5:11
Whoa. That was NOT in the contract. People will say evil things against me, because I made a positive decision? Seems kind of harsh.
There's a quote that I love that says "People are mad at you? Good. That means you're doing something right." It's sad...but true. The minute you make God a permanent part of your life, things won't get "easier" per se, but more for the fact that once you have that drive from the Holy Spirit, you will have a purpose in your life. A purpose that goes against the flow of most people in the world. They see good and Satan uses all he can to smash it to pieces.
-Moving on- Secondly, being persecuted isn't always a bad thing. Now before you call me crazy, hear me out. The rest of that verse from Matthew says,
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
We take on the name of Jesus, we need to be prepared to have people go against us. Possibly even harm us. But, those who are persecuted for Christ' name are called "blessed"; we are to be glad and rejoice, because for taking that name and suffering that comes with it, we will be rewarded!
Sometimes I think I'm all alone when it comes to dealing with temptations and pain. Not from the people around me, but from God. I tell myself "Well, He's God! He's perfect; He lived a perfect life and is all-powerful. He doesn't know what I'm going through physically and mentally." He reminds me "Oh yes, dear child, I know. For you see, I was persecuted. I was beaten, spat upon, called a liar, an outlaw; I was tempted by the devil himself. I had pain, I bled. But, it was all for you. I died, I did it all so you wouldn't have to take on that painful death."
"But when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent him to die-I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, our burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away our sin. Then sings my soul, my Savior God; to thee. How great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God; to thee. How great thou art, how great thou art!"
He knows. Plain and simple. But here's the great part! We don't have to go through life alone. God had to die being almost abandoned. Yet, when we "die to ourselves" we are automatically given a line straight to God. He has time for everything we need to talk to Him about, He has more strength than we could ever need and His wisdom is overflowing from His word and everywhere we look.
He is there for us. Because of that, we can be joyful. We can be glad and rejoice because our Savior lives, He loves us and will never leave us. He will give us joy in the morning, He will give us strength when we need it and take over anything we wish to give to Him; anything we choose to relinquish from our grasp into His hands.
Be joyful because you are alive and loved! That should be a good enough reason. :)
We praise Him because through His joy that is given, we are given strength.
Joy = strength. Doesn't make any sense you say? Well, think of it like this.
When things aren't going too well or you're going through a rough patch in life, you are pretty down, right? All things seem too confusing and hard to deal with, you're saddened by the state of your life and just sit in despair; you feel weak and helpless. On the other hand, when you're joyful, truly happy, you feel like you could conquer the world! You feel strong, stable, immovable...like a rock that can stand the test of time.
This is how it is with Christ. Even though things don't always go smoothly, we can have joy in our Savior because He gives us the strength needed to deal with life.
There will be times of sadness, don't get me wrong. There will be hard times, financial, spiritual...relationships may fall apart, friends may drift away...but God gives grace enough to get through.
The funny (but sad) thing is, as I hear some Christians telling other people about the Lord, they add in "It's just amazing...things are so great! All of your problems will disappear if you only do ____ and _____ and ______, then accept Jesus into your heart. He will take away all your problems and all your left with is a wonderful plan for your life." First of all, problems don't disappear when you make that step of faith. Sorry, but it's true. God even tells us that we won't have it easy!
“Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me." -Matthew 5:11
Whoa. That was NOT in the contract. People will say evil things against me, because I made a positive decision? Seems kind of harsh.
There's a quote that I love that says "People are mad at you? Good. That means you're doing something right." It's sad...but true. The minute you make God a permanent part of your life, things won't get "easier" per se, but more for the fact that once you have that drive from the Holy Spirit, you will have a purpose in your life. A purpose that goes against the flow of most people in the world. They see good and Satan uses all he can to smash it to pieces.
-Moving on- Secondly, being persecuted isn't always a bad thing. Now before you call me crazy, hear me out. The rest of that verse from Matthew says,
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
We take on the name of Jesus, we need to be prepared to have people go against us. Possibly even harm us. But, those who are persecuted for Christ' name are called "blessed"; we are to be glad and rejoice, because for taking that name and suffering that comes with it, we will be rewarded!
Sometimes I think I'm all alone when it comes to dealing with temptations and pain. Not from the people around me, but from God. I tell myself "Well, He's God! He's perfect; He lived a perfect life and is all-powerful. He doesn't know what I'm going through physically and mentally." He reminds me "Oh yes, dear child, I know. For you see, I was persecuted. I was beaten, spat upon, called a liar, an outlaw; I was tempted by the devil himself. I had pain, I bled. But, it was all for you. I died, I did it all so you wouldn't have to take on that painful death."
"But when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent him to die-I scarce can take it in. That on the cross, our burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away our sin. Then sings my soul, my Savior God; to thee. How great thou art, how great thou art! Then sings my soul, my Savior God; to thee. How great thou art, how great thou art!"
He knows. Plain and simple. But here's the great part! We don't have to go through life alone. God had to die being almost abandoned. Yet, when we "die to ourselves" we are automatically given a line straight to God. He has time for everything we need to talk to Him about, He has more strength than we could ever need and His wisdom is overflowing from His word and everywhere we look.
He is there for us. Because of that, we can be joyful. We can be glad and rejoice because our Savior lives, He loves us and will never leave us. He will give us joy in the morning, He will give us strength when we need it and take over anything we wish to give to Him; anything we choose to relinquish from our grasp into His hands.
Be joyful because you are alive and loved! That should be a good enough reason. :)
Monday, October 17, 2011
My 9 amazing blessings
I've written several posts about friends in my life that have made a huge impact, how much I admire and love my amazing Papa...but I don't know that I've written a whole lot about my family.
Growing up, it was instilled in me that family should always be your best friends, because they will always be there for you. Me, being the "want more" kind of person, I searched outside of my family for love and acceptance of other people. I was let down by friends, I let friends down. I finally got to a point where I drew away from all my friends and even my family, who had always been there for me.
Through the past 3 years, I've become closer than I ever have been to my parents and all 5 of my siblings. I've found new strengths, faults and values in each of them...but most of all, I've found an acceptance of me from each and every one of them. See, through me, and myself alone, have I let the lies of Satan come into my mind and be glued there...ones that tell me people don't love me and so on. Every time I fail, I expect my parents to be angry with me (not because they ever have, but because Satan tells me they will be.)
Do you know what I've found? My family loves me. Through and through, in spite of my faults, in spite of my pity parties, in spite of my wrong doings, in spite of selfishness, temper flare ups, impatience, greed, pride and everything else I've messed up on. They love me. ME.
They are there for me, 24/7, they give me a hug or let me vent whenever I need to. My parents give me wisdom for difficult situations, but let me make the ultimate decision. They have always encouraged me to be who God made me to be, and not what anyone else wants. They push me outside of my comfort zone because they know how badly I want to get there...but just can't give myself that last little push.
Through it all, good times and bad, my family is the most amazing blessing I could ever imagine.
My dad is constantly boosting my confidence that I'm not dumb. He bears my heartaches and comforts me with the words of God.
My mom is always telling me "You can do it, Jessie!" She always tells me I can do more than I let myself believe.
Sara always encourages me to not give up, reassures me that I am worth something.
Josh is always there to comfort and say "I love you."
Sam is there to make me laugh and put a smile on my face. He tells me not to get down on myself, and to remember to treat others the way Christ would want me to.
Em is Miss Sunshine, lol. She is the one who can always just listen when I am upset or have a million things to get off my mind.
Ethan is there to remind me to never grow up fully, but always have fun.
Then there's my brother-in-law. Goodness, such an amazing guy! He has always been there for me...he's seen the best sides of me, and the worst. lol He's loved me through all those times.
My little niece reminds me of God's amazing gift of life.
So, if there is ever any doubt in my mind whether I am loved, I look to my family. Those special people God placed in my life for a purpose, because He knew these people were the exact ones I needed to keep me going. :)
Love you guys so very much! I am incredibly thankful for each and every one of you!
Growing up, it was instilled in me that family should always be your best friends, because they will always be there for you. Me, being the "want more" kind of person, I searched outside of my family for love and acceptance of other people. I was let down by friends, I let friends down. I finally got to a point where I drew away from all my friends and even my family, who had always been there for me.
Through the past 3 years, I've become closer than I ever have been to my parents and all 5 of my siblings. I've found new strengths, faults and values in each of them...but most of all, I've found an acceptance of me from each and every one of them. See, through me, and myself alone, have I let the lies of Satan come into my mind and be glued there...ones that tell me people don't love me and so on. Every time I fail, I expect my parents to be angry with me (not because they ever have, but because Satan tells me they will be.)
Do you know what I've found? My family loves me. Through and through, in spite of my faults, in spite of my pity parties, in spite of my wrong doings, in spite of selfishness, temper flare ups, impatience, greed, pride and everything else I've messed up on. They love me. ME.
They are there for me, 24/7, they give me a hug or let me vent whenever I need to. My parents give me wisdom for difficult situations, but let me make the ultimate decision. They have always encouraged me to be who God made me to be, and not what anyone else wants. They push me outside of my comfort zone because they know how badly I want to get there...but just can't give myself that last little push.
Through it all, good times and bad, my family is the most amazing blessing I could ever imagine.
My dad is constantly boosting my confidence that I'm not dumb. He bears my heartaches and comforts me with the words of God.
My mom is always telling me "You can do it, Jessie!" She always tells me I can do more than I let myself believe.
Sara always encourages me to not give up, reassures me that I am worth something.
Josh is always there to comfort and say "I love you."
Sam is there to make me laugh and put a smile on my face. He tells me not to get down on myself, and to remember to treat others the way Christ would want me to.
Em is Miss Sunshine, lol. She is the one who can always just listen when I am upset or have a million things to get off my mind.
Ethan is there to remind me to never grow up fully, but always have fun.
Then there's my brother-in-law. Goodness, such an amazing guy! He has always been there for me...he's seen the best sides of me, and the worst. lol He's loved me through all those times.
My little niece reminds me of God's amazing gift of life.
So, if there is ever any doubt in my mind whether I am loved, I look to my family. Those special people God placed in my life for a purpose, because He knew these people were the exact ones I needed to keep me going. :)
Love you guys so very much! I am incredibly thankful for each and every one of you!
Sunday, October 16, 2011
A humbled pride
I think everyone wants to be proud of decisions they've made and things they've accomplished.
Ever since I was little I've always wanted to make wise decisions, do something that mattered with my life, and made an effort to step outside my comfort zone. I've wanted other people to be proud of me for things I've accomplished, for the things I tried to do. I want to know I'm not just another person...but someone who is viewed as valuable.
Needless to say, I've failed time and time again. While that desire is still there, though now it's slightly more dim, I just never seem to accomplish much.
Though I try and try, I fail at every attempt. Trying to make something out of my life, do something with the time I've been given that makes a difference not only in my life, but the ones around me. It's so hard though, you know?
Other than my decision to put my faith in Christ, there have only been a handful of decisions I've made that I'm proud of. I ask myself time and time again why I'm constantly staying in the same place, being so complacent with the way my life is going. Sometimes I feel my decisions, though I know are for the best in the circumstances, could have been so much better.
That's when it plagues my mind. Those two words that seem so harmless, but cause so much turmoil inside.
"WHAT IF?"
What if my life would be further along had I not done ______, or HAD decided to _____? Would I be grown more spiritually and mentally? Would my social skills be better, would I be reaching more people than I am now?
I just want to be proud of the things I've done. I want to have purpose in my life. I want to have a direction that's clear and defined. I want a path that's straight and easy to spot.
"No, that is not the plan I have for you" says God.
Oh, to know my future. It would sure put my mind to ease. To know the future, though, is not my place. It is not best for me to know everything that will happen. This point in my life, God may want me where I am, not too busy and scheduled for a reason. He may be saving the small things I'm learning now to further my life down the road. I needn't listen to everyone around me who says my life needs more, that I need to be going to college, getting a job, etc. It's not their life to rule, but God's. He alone can make my plans, He alone can direct me.
Even knowing this, I still desire to have a humbled pride. Something I've accomplished (through God's grace alone) that I can be proud of. I'm still learning, growing and trying to have the faith I need to do these things. I am still pretty clueless as to what lies ahead in my life, but...somehow knowing God is the one leading, and not me, it puts my mind at ease some.
Sometimes results and answers aren't handed to you on a silver platter and set right in front of you. That's just the way it is. Sometimes we have to be patient.
Ever since I was little I've always wanted to make wise decisions, do something that mattered with my life, and made an effort to step outside my comfort zone. I've wanted other people to be proud of me for things I've accomplished, for the things I tried to do. I want to know I'm not just another person...but someone who is viewed as valuable.
Needless to say, I've failed time and time again. While that desire is still there, though now it's slightly more dim, I just never seem to accomplish much.
Though I try and try, I fail at every attempt. Trying to make something out of my life, do something with the time I've been given that makes a difference not only in my life, but the ones around me. It's so hard though, you know?
Other than my decision to put my faith in Christ, there have only been a handful of decisions I've made that I'm proud of. I ask myself time and time again why I'm constantly staying in the same place, being so complacent with the way my life is going. Sometimes I feel my decisions, though I know are for the best in the circumstances, could have been so much better.
That's when it plagues my mind. Those two words that seem so harmless, but cause so much turmoil inside.
"WHAT IF?"
What if my life would be further along had I not done ______, or HAD decided to _____? Would I be grown more spiritually and mentally? Would my social skills be better, would I be reaching more people than I am now?
I just want to be proud of the things I've done. I want to have purpose in my life. I want to have a direction that's clear and defined. I want a path that's straight and easy to spot.
"No, that is not the plan I have for you" says God.
Oh, to know my future. It would sure put my mind to ease. To know the future, though, is not my place. It is not best for me to know everything that will happen. This point in my life, God may want me where I am, not too busy and scheduled for a reason. He may be saving the small things I'm learning now to further my life down the road. I needn't listen to everyone around me who says my life needs more, that I need to be going to college, getting a job, etc. It's not their life to rule, but God's. He alone can make my plans, He alone can direct me.
Even knowing this, I still desire to have a humbled pride. Something I've accomplished (through God's grace alone) that I can be proud of. I'm still learning, growing and trying to have the faith I need to do these things. I am still pretty clueless as to what lies ahead in my life, but...somehow knowing God is the one leading, and not me, it puts my mind at ease some.
Sometimes results and answers aren't handed to you on a silver platter and set right in front of you. That's just the way it is. Sometimes we have to be patient.
Legacy still lives
I would strongly encourage anyone who happens onto my blog to go check out this blog.
Though the people who knew Jimmy Brazell say he was taken too soon, God's plan is always for the best, even if we can't comprehend it all. Instead of asking God "Why so soon?" I'm trying to say "Thank you for sharing". A life that has such a rich and encouraging legacy is one that should be shared with everyone. A life that is so Christ-like it should inspire us to long for such a lifestyle.
I hope His dad's blog encourages you as much as it did me. :)
Though the people who knew Jimmy Brazell say he was taken too soon, God's plan is always for the best, even if we can't comprehend it all. Instead of asking God "Why so soon?" I'm trying to say "Thank you for sharing". A life that has such a rich and encouraging legacy is one that should be shared with everyone. A life that is so Christ-like it should inspire us to long for such a lifestyle.
I hope His dad's blog encourages you as much as it did me. :)
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Sadness vs. Joy
So, here I sat thinking. Normally when I think too much I become depressed; probably because my thoughts go to stressful, depressing things. You know, the normal stuff; what's wrong with my life and little things like that. This time was different, God whispered to me "You know how much time you'd save by just not thinking about these things that aren't yours to worry about anyway?" I've come to the conclusion that it takes even less brain power to think of happy, positive things. So I've decided that every negative thought that Satan tries to put in my head, I will counter act and think of a positive thought.
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Seriously, try counting the things you're thankful for instead of the things you can come up with to complain about. You'll be surprised at the number of things that you're grateful for vs. the things that are going wrong.
If there's one thing I know for sure, life is a beautiful thing, something I take for granted every single day. I complain too much, I try to solve the worlds problems, my problems, my families, my friends...and anybody else's problems that I can think of. I will sit and spend hours thinking of all the things that aren't going so well, all my life's problems, all the mistakes I've made and all the faults I have (and believe me, that one alone takes awhile).
By this time I'm either in tears, or totally down which turns into a grumpy mood for ol' Jessie to all those around me. I've realized my thoughts go to "If my life is in pieces, then you won't be happy either." Oh boy is right. Quite awful isn't it? Eek.
I thought I'd go look in the bible to see how often it talks about joy. You know, trying to be positive. You know what I found? God really wants us to be joyful! It's mentioned so many times; so many verses about being joyful because of what's been done for us, shouting for joy because we have Jesus. Isn't that all we really need to be happy anyway?
Jesus is enough. Jesus is our joy, at least, He should be!
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13
"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." -John 16:22
"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." -Luke 15:7
"O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation." -Psalm 95:1
"For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands." -Psalm 92:4
"O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." -Psalm 90:14
"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul, which You have redeemed." -Psalm 71:23
"For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy." -Psalm 63:7
"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit." -Psalm 51:12
"Make me to hear joy and gladness," -Psalm 51:8
"Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." -Psalm 32:11
"For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." -Psalm 30:5
"You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy;in Your right hand there are pleasures forever." -Psalm 16:11
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;" -Galatians 5:22
I don't know if it's a song known by most people today or not, but when I was little I was taught "This is the day".
It says: "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."
The Lord of Lords, Jesus Himself has given you and I each and every day as a gift. It's a reminder of His ultimate gift of His life given over 2,000 years ago. Each day is something not earned by any good that we have done, but by a gracious God who wants to bless us.
-Should I desire a better reason to be joyful? No
-Do I need more from life to be glad? No
-If all I had left was Jesus, would it satisfy me? It should!
Count your blessings, name them one by one.
Seriously, try counting the things you're thankful for instead of the things you can come up with to complain about. You'll be surprised at the number of things that you're grateful for vs. the things that are going wrong.
If there's one thing I know for sure, life is a beautiful thing, something I take for granted every single day. I complain too much, I try to solve the worlds problems, my problems, my families, my friends...and anybody else's problems that I can think of. I will sit and spend hours thinking of all the things that aren't going so well, all my life's problems, all the mistakes I've made and all the faults I have (and believe me, that one alone takes awhile).
By this time I'm either in tears, or totally down which turns into a grumpy mood for ol' Jessie to all those around me. I've realized my thoughts go to "If my life is in pieces, then you won't be happy either." Oh boy is right. Quite awful isn't it? Eek.
I thought I'd go look in the bible to see how often it talks about joy. You know, trying to be positive. You know what I found? God really wants us to be joyful! It's mentioned so many times; so many verses about being joyful because of what's been done for us, shouting for joy because we have Jesus. Isn't that all we really need to be happy anyway?
Jesus is enough. Jesus is our joy, at least, He should be!
"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." -Romans 15:13
"Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you." -John 16:22
"I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance." -Luke 15:7
"O come, let us sing for joy to the LORD, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation." -Psalm 95:1
"For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done, I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands." -Psalm 92:4
"O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." -Psalm 90:14
"My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul, which You have redeemed." -Psalm 71:23
"For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy." -Psalm 63:7
"Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and sustain me with a willing spirit." -Psalm 51:12
"Make me to hear joy and gladness," -Psalm 51:8
"Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous ones; and shout for joy, all you who are upright in heart." -Psalm 32:11
"For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for a lifetime; weeping may last for the night, but a shout of joy comes in the morning." -Psalm 30:5
"You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy;in Your right hand there are pleasures forever." -Psalm 16:11
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control;" -Galatians 5:22
I don't know if it's a song known by most people today or not, but when I was little I was taught "This is the day".
It says: "This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it."
The Lord of Lords, Jesus Himself has given you and I each and every day as a gift. It's a reminder of His ultimate gift of His life given over 2,000 years ago. Each day is something not earned by any good that we have done, but by a gracious God who wants to bless us.
-Should I desire a better reason to be joyful? No
-Do I need more from life to be glad? No
-If all I had left was Jesus, would it satisfy me? It should!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Connected
Through blogs I've read and several stories I've heard within the past week, social networks have been on my mind a lot lately. One question continues to float through my mind: What is the best way to utilize such a thing?
Most people use it as a place to tell what is going on in their life, when they're bored, stories of klutz moments, things their kids, nieces/nephews, grand-kids, etc do or say that is just too cute to not post; some use it as a way to stay connected with family or friends who they rarely see, while others use it to tell their stories of woe, their break-ups, about so called "jerks" in their life, family/friend issues etc. Taking "social network" into a whole other direction as they spill hurtful and sometimes hateful things of other people all over their profile. The list goes on for ages. Stop and think for a minute. We are told in the bible to teach the gospel to all nations. There's hardly a better way to do so than to use a social networking site that spreads stuff within seconds to thousands of people! Do we use it for this cause, though? Most people, unfortunately dont. There are those rare few who constantly post encouragement, joy, love for their Lord and the people around them. They keep in touch and let others know they're praying for them and show, with just a few words, a positive side of life.
Now, I will not judge any person on any of these motives for the internet use. I have used Facebook or Twitter in the wrong way more times than I care to count. But as it keeps coming back to me, I keep asking God "Is there not a better way?" I ask myself "Is this really uplifting? Am I really portraying Jesus, or "Jessie?" In no way does this mean all you can put are bible verses or quotes by great Christian legends. No, no. Not at all the point. I have simply noticed, even more so lately, the amount of negativity that is spread all over the internet. It's very saddening to see such a blessing used in such a negative way. Whether you're friends on Facebook with everyone you know or just a certain few picked out, it really doesn't matter, the choice is yours who you choose to add. It's not like you're shunning friends or family. Really. But let me be clear, just because you're not friends with someone doesn't give you the right to post something about them (even if you say no name or give no major hints of who it is.)
So many times I have shared something with a motive behind my seemingly innocent post. If I was having a hard time with anyone/anything in my life, I'd look up a quote or bible verse that would help me, then put it on Facebook so the other person would see it and hopefully "take it to heart" too. I'm ashamed to say I stooped that low. The past 7-8 months, though, I have tried to be careful, even overly so in some ways, to make sure nothing I say has any kind of hidden meaning. I do not want to be one who says one thing to a persons face and does a totally different thing when they've turned their backs. No, with God's help I pray I will not fall that far. Though I fail every passing week, I know I can learn and undo my habits.
Many people use these social networks as a shield. Giving them the perfect opportunity to say whatever they wish to someone, since they don't have to look at their face or in their eyes. They comment hurtful things which would never leave their mouth would they have been talking face to face with the other person.
Why do we not use these things as they were intended? At least, what they should have been intended. Encouraging one another. Keeping in touch, letting those we love know we're there for them, praying for them. Telling other people how good our life is because when we woke up, we were still breathing, not how bad it is because our neighbor had a late night party.
Never will such a network be perfect, nor will the people connected to it be such. Hiding behind a keyboard can give one such a huge amount of courage to say things...Satan can use it as a tool to bitter one's heart, turn one's mind to a certain topic and can even damage relationships.
Why are we not spreading God's word and love to those we're friends with, instead of drama and break-up stories?
It's time to get connected. Literally. Connect yourself with the One who gave you life and in return He will help you connect with other people in a better way, speak (or more, "type") with a kinder heart, and listen ("read") without putting our two cents worth in.
Are you connected to the ultimate network?
Most people use it as a place to tell what is going on in their life, when they're bored, stories of klutz moments, things their kids, nieces/nephews, grand-kids, etc do or say that is just too cute to not post; some use it as a way to stay connected with family or friends who they rarely see, while others use it to tell their stories of woe, their break-ups, about so called "jerks" in their life, family/friend issues etc. Taking "social network" into a whole other direction as they spill hurtful and sometimes hateful things of other people all over their profile. The list goes on for ages. Stop and think for a minute. We are told in the bible to teach the gospel to all nations. There's hardly a better way to do so than to use a social networking site that spreads stuff within seconds to thousands of people! Do we use it for this cause, though? Most people, unfortunately dont. There are those rare few who constantly post encouragement, joy, love for their Lord and the people around them. They keep in touch and let others know they're praying for them and show, with just a few words, a positive side of life.
Now, I will not judge any person on any of these motives for the internet use. I have used Facebook or Twitter in the wrong way more times than I care to count. But as it keeps coming back to me, I keep asking God "Is there not a better way?" I ask myself "Is this really uplifting? Am I really portraying Jesus, or "Jessie?" In no way does this mean all you can put are bible verses or quotes by great Christian legends. No, no. Not at all the point. I have simply noticed, even more so lately, the amount of negativity that is spread all over the internet. It's very saddening to see such a blessing used in such a negative way. Whether you're friends on Facebook with everyone you know or just a certain few picked out, it really doesn't matter, the choice is yours who you choose to add. It's not like you're shunning friends or family. Really. But let me be clear, just because you're not friends with someone doesn't give you the right to post something about them (even if you say no name or give no major hints of who it is.)
So many times I have shared something with a motive behind my seemingly innocent post. If I was having a hard time with anyone/anything in my life, I'd look up a quote or bible verse that would help me, then put it on Facebook so the other person would see it and hopefully "take it to heart" too. I'm ashamed to say I stooped that low. The past 7-8 months, though, I have tried to be careful, even overly so in some ways, to make sure nothing I say has any kind of hidden meaning. I do not want to be one who says one thing to a persons face and does a totally different thing when they've turned their backs. No, with God's help I pray I will not fall that far. Though I fail every passing week, I know I can learn and undo my habits.
Many people use these social networks as a shield. Giving them the perfect opportunity to say whatever they wish to someone, since they don't have to look at their face or in their eyes. They comment hurtful things which would never leave their mouth would they have been talking face to face with the other person.
Why do we not use these things as they were intended? At least, what they should have been intended. Encouraging one another. Keeping in touch, letting those we love know we're there for them, praying for them. Telling other people how good our life is because when we woke up, we were still breathing, not how bad it is because our neighbor had a late night party.
Never will such a network be perfect, nor will the people connected to it be such. Hiding behind a keyboard can give one such a huge amount of courage to say things...Satan can use it as a tool to bitter one's heart, turn one's mind to a certain topic and can even damage relationships.
Why are we not spreading God's word and love to those we're friends with, instead of drama and break-up stories?
It's time to get connected. Literally. Connect yourself with the One who gave you life and in return He will help you connect with other people in a better way, speak (or more, "type") with a kinder heart, and listen ("read") without putting our two cents worth in.
Are you connected to the ultimate network?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Doubting love?
It has been my experience that the greatest gifts in life are to love and be loved. Without love, one has no reason to live, laugh, "do" or love in return.
Often when someone is going through a hard time, they have the tendency to go to someone they know loves them. The feeling of acceptance is so strong they head that direction for strength. What about those times when you feel completely unloved; where do you go then? It's a tough question when it's happening to you. You feel lost and weak, like your strength is draining by the minute by not having someone to lean on.
So many times this has happened, and not because I haven't a soul who loves me, but because I push to the back of my mind those who have been with me for most of my life, the ones who have been my constant, loved me through it all; I want someone knew, who hasn't "worn out" phrases of comfort...at least, that's what I tell myself.
Why this hunger for love? Why this drive to have that one person who loves differently than the rest? God has put a natural desire in all of our hearts to be loved. Even if we say we don't care about it, we all have it somewhere inside our hearts. We long for that acceptance of who we are; to be cherished and treasured. To be treated like someone special and not just another person.
Through the years I searched for the acceptance of mankind, the love of other people and the feeling that one person, more than anyone else, cares for Jessica especially.
You know what I've learned? I have all of that and more. See, 2,000 years ago there was a man who loved me more than I will ever be loved by any human on this earth. As a matter of fact, He loved me so much that, when it came time to pay for the wrong of all mankind, this man took upon Himself the debt, pain and death for all.
Now you tell me, is that not the perfect image of true love?
Every time a problem arises, I get confused and fearful.
What will happen to me now?
What about _______ that had been my life plan?
Where do I go from here? All that I thought was my future is now in pieces.
First of all, the words "I" and "me" appear way too much in these frequently asked questions. My "frequents" if you will. It's funny how questions of fear arise when my plans fall through. What if I would make my plans God's plans? How much of a difference would my life be? Questions are ok, really they are. Don't ever stop asking them (the right kinds of questions, though, there's the kicker). I often find when I come to a place of questioning, I find that I have yet to rely on all of God's strength. Then and only then can He humble my heart and help me release my grip.
This is when I should say "Lord, take away all that is me. Give me the guidance I need for these paths ahead of me." Instead of my normal "God help me on this path that I have chosen." The bible doesn't ever say to not ask God of things. He desires that we talk with Him, ask questions so He can give us His wisdom. His plan was never for us to have to figure out problems on our own. Having a curious nature is kind of who I am, so this is a very good thing for me. If I never asked questions, I wouldn't know a whole lot of what God says at all.
Back to the main topic, though.
It's so amazing to have questions, be fearful and lost...then, right when you feel there is no hope, God comes in with His still small voice and starts whispering His love for us. How precious we are to Him. How unique He made us so that we could shine His love to others in a totally different way than any other person on this planet. How we should never desire the acceptance of the world, because we are already accepted by Him. We are precious, treasured and loved more than anything else in God's eyes. Where as most people decide how much they care for us by the way we act, talk, dress, believe or things we are passionate about...God loved us before we were even born. Before anyone even knew what we were going to be like!
Now tell me it's not amazing to know you DO have love? Even in the darkest times of your life, you DO have someone to go to, someone to lean on, someone to wipe away your tears, someone who will always be there, someone who will stick by your side no matter what happens or what you do (whether good or bad.) To know that you are treasured, wrapped in the arms of the One who made you, knit you together and blessed you with the very breath you breathe and gifts you have; there is no greater feeling!
You are loved. You are treasured. You are priceless. You are worth dying for. Never lose hope or doubt the love of your Savior.
Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you, wrap you up with peace, strength and His unending love. Take it! It is a gift freely given to those who accept it.
Often when someone is going through a hard time, they have the tendency to go to someone they know loves them. The feeling of acceptance is so strong they head that direction for strength. What about those times when you feel completely unloved; where do you go then? It's a tough question when it's happening to you. You feel lost and weak, like your strength is draining by the minute by not having someone to lean on.
So many times this has happened, and not because I haven't a soul who loves me, but because I push to the back of my mind those who have been with me for most of my life, the ones who have been my constant, loved me through it all; I want someone knew, who hasn't "worn out" phrases of comfort...at least, that's what I tell myself.
Why this hunger for love? Why this drive to have that one person who loves differently than the rest? God has put a natural desire in all of our hearts to be loved. Even if we say we don't care about it, we all have it somewhere inside our hearts. We long for that acceptance of who we are; to be cherished and treasured. To be treated like someone special and not just another person.
Through the years I searched for the acceptance of mankind, the love of other people and the feeling that one person, more than anyone else, cares for Jessica especially.
You know what I've learned? I have all of that and more. See, 2,000 years ago there was a man who loved me more than I will ever be loved by any human on this earth. As a matter of fact, He loved me so much that, when it came time to pay for the wrong of all mankind, this man took upon Himself the debt, pain and death for all.
Now you tell me, is that not the perfect image of true love?
Every time a problem arises, I get confused and fearful.
What will happen to me now?
What about _______ that had been my life plan?
Where do I go from here? All that I thought was my future is now in pieces.
First of all, the words "I" and "me" appear way too much in these frequently asked questions. My "frequents" if you will. It's funny how questions of fear arise when my plans fall through. What if I would make my plans God's plans? How much of a difference would my life be? Questions are ok, really they are. Don't ever stop asking them (the right kinds of questions, though, there's the kicker). I often find when I come to a place of questioning, I find that I have yet to rely on all of God's strength. Then and only then can He humble my heart and help me release my grip.
This is when I should say "Lord, take away all that is me. Give me the guidance I need for these paths ahead of me." Instead of my normal "God help me on this path that I have chosen." The bible doesn't ever say to not ask God of things. He desires that we talk with Him, ask questions so He can give us His wisdom. His plan was never for us to have to figure out problems on our own. Having a curious nature is kind of who I am, so this is a very good thing for me. If I never asked questions, I wouldn't know a whole lot of what God says at all.
Back to the main topic, though.
It's so amazing to have questions, be fearful and lost...then, right when you feel there is no hope, God comes in with His still small voice and starts whispering His love for us. How precious we are to Him. How unique He made us so that we could shine His love to others in a totally different way than any other person on this planet. How we should never desire the acceptance of the world, because we are already accepted by Him. We are precious, treasured and loved more than anything else in God's eyes. Where as most people decide how much they care for us by the way we act, talk, dress, believe or things we are passionate about...God loved us before we were even born. Before anyone even knew what we were going to be like!
Now tell me it's not amazing to know you DO have love? Even in the darkest times of your life, you DO have someone to go to, someone to lean on, someone to wipe away your tears, someone who will always be there, someone who will stick by your side no matter what happens or what you do (whether good or bad.) To know that you are treasured, wrapped in the arms of the One who made you, knit you together and blessed you with the very breath you breathe and gifts you have; there is no greater feeling!
You are loved. You are treasured. You are priceless. You are worth dying for. Never lose hope or doubt the love of your Savior.
Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you, wrap you up with peace, strength and His unending love. Take it! It is a gift freely given to those who accept it.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Where does your family come in?
My plan for tonight's post was all written up; then I went to watch the new Sherwood films movie, Courageous. My goodness, what an amazing movie it was!
Most movies are based on a story that someone just kind of makes up and got people to act in. Sherwood films aren't your normal movies. These actors are real people, not fake; real Christians, real life, struggling, faithful people.
I won't give away any of the plot line so those who haven't seen it won't get mad at me (lol) but I do have a few things to say about it.
Watching these men grow in their faith and realize most of the problems they're dealing with during their job are solely from fathers lacking in their job was just eye opening. Not that I can relate to the whole "father" role or anything, but my eyes were opened to a lot of different areas.
The role of the father in a home is SO very important. People these days don't really think much of fathers, especially those who had a poor example of one.
This made me think of a few questions:
-What if dads started having courage instead of backing down to simply "keep the peace"?
-What if dads were to be so in love with their family that they got the respect they deserve because of that love?
-What if dads started giving advice from the bible instead of self-help books and "what I would do"?
-What if dads didn't back down from what's right but kept patience and showed their kids compassion to explain why they're protecting them?
-What if dads took the time to talk with their kids, instead of giving them the "they're going through a phase" excuse?
-What if dads all around the world were to start leading instead of following?
Mind you, I'm not a parent nor have I ever had the stress and responsibility of a family. But I do know what the bible says about this role.
Men are to be the leaders and head of the house. Not the wife as it is in most cases these days. Not the children, which is also common. Look around you. The men of good hearts, being pounded down every day for trying to lead and provide. Being griped at, cried on, have little patience with, told what to do. No wonder men have become so afraid of leading! They've been beaten down so much by their families, instead of supported.
Wives, you are to submit. Children, you are to obey. Period. End of story. God said it, and we are to do it. Fathers, your role is to be loving, protector, compassionate and strong.
If men would stand up and be courageous and not back down when times are tough or their family tries to push their way, there would be so many problems solved in the American family.
I've seen time and time again fathers who try every day to do the right thing, but as soon as their mouth opens the kids come back with complaints or moans, the rolling eyes or sighs, the anger and irritation quite visible for their dad to see. He gives up to make everyone happy, while all along he is going deeper and deeper into a hole away from his position. I've seen wives intimidate, take advantage of, manipulate and get depressed when their husband makes a statement about anything that wasn't her idea.
What has become of the Godly, Christ-centered family? Do we not see that God is the Father, the head? If we cannot be in submission to our earthly father, how are we going to be submissive to our heavenly Father?
To lead justly and righteously, have mercy and compassion, walk humbly and submissively with God. Teach kids of God and His commandments. If you put your job, hobbies or anything else over the eternal destination of your child's soul, then you need to re-work those priorities.
Make a change, BE the change you so wish to see in families.
Look around the news. Men never getting married but have multiple kids. Fathers beating and killing their children. Dad's leaving their family for their own selfish reasons. Fathers living a life of alcohol or "hobbies" and leaving no room for "leadership" anywhere in his life.
I know I, personally, do not walk as closely with God as I should. I question more than I follow, I fear more than I have faith, I am impatient when I need to wait and I push my own way instead of asking God for His.
I have a terrific dad, one who loves the Lord with all his heart. He works so hard for his family and loves us more than we deserve. He points us to Christ in times of trouble and is there when we need a good hug. He is by no means perfect, there is not such a man on this earth, but I love my dad dearly and respect him so much.
Kids, teens, young adults...the lessons our parents teach us will do no good whatsoever if we do not head to their wisdom.
We cannot claim to have a strong, immovable faith and spend more time on our phone, Facebook or in front of a TV than we do with God or spend time in His word.
Where is your heart? What are your priorities? Hopefully we can all say "With God."
"Where are you, oh men of courage?" Where are you, loving, submissive wives? Where are you, children of God?
It's time to make a change.
Most movies are based on a story that someone just kind of makes up and got people to act in. Sherwood films aren't your normal movies. These actors are real people, not fake; real Christians, real life, struggling, faithful people.
I won't give away any of the plot line so those who haven't seen it won't get mad at me (lol) but I do have a few things to say about it.
Watching these men grow in their faith and realize most of the problems they're dealing with during their job are solely from fathers lacking in their job was just eye opening. Not that I can relate to the whole "father" role or anything, but my eyes were opened to a lot of different areas.
The role of the father in a home is SO very important. People these days don't really think much of fathers, especially those who had a poor example of one.
This made me think of a few questions:
-What if dads started having courage instead of backing down to simply "keep the peace"?
-What if dads were to be so in love with their family that they got the respect they deserve because of that love?
-What if dads started giving advice from the bible instead of self-help books and "what I would do"?
-What if dads didn't back down from what's right but kept patience and showed their kids compassion to explain why they're protecting them?
-What if dads took the time to talk with their kids, instead of giving them the "they're going through a phase" excuse?
-What if dads all around the world were to start leading instead of following?
Mind you, I'm not a parent nor have I ever had the stress and responsibility of a family. But I do know what the bible says about this role.
Men are to be the leaders and head of the house. Not the wife as it is in most cases these days. Not the children, which is also common. Look around you. The men of good hearts, being pounded down every day for trying to lead and provide. Being griped at, cried on, have little patience with, told what to do. No wonder men have become so afraid of leading! They've been beaten down so much by their families, instead of supported.
Wives, you are to submit. Children, you are to obey. Period. End of story. God said it, and we are to do it. Fathers, your role is to be loving, protector, compassionate and strong.
If men would stand up and be courageous and not back down when times are tough or their family tries to push their way, there would be so many problems solved in the American family.
I've seen time and time again fathers who try every day to do the right thing, but as soon as their mouth opens the kids come back with complaints or moans, the rolling eyes or sighs, the anger and irritation quite visible for their dad to see. He gives up to make everyone happy, while all along he is going deeper and deeper into a hole away from his position. I've seen wives intimidate, take advantage of, manipulate and get depressed when their husband makes a statement about anything that wasn't her idea.
What has become of the Godly, Christ-centered family? Do we not see that God is the Father, the head? If we cannot be in submission to our earthly father, how are we going to be submissive to our heavenly Father?
To lead justly and righteously, have mercy and compassion, walk humbly and submissively with God. Teach kids of God and His commandments. If you put your job, hobbies or anything else over the eternal destination of your child's soul, then you need to re-work those priorities.
Make a change, BE the change you so wish to see in families.
Look around the news. Men never getting married but have multiple kids. Fathers beating and killing their children. Dad's leaving their family for their own selfish reasons. Fathers living a life of alcohol or "hobbies" and leaving no room for "leadership" anywhere in his life.
I know I, personally, do not walk as closely with God as I should. I question more than I follow, I fear more than I have faith, I am impatient when I need to wait and I push my own way instead of asking God for His.
I have a terrific dad, one who loves the Lord with all his heart. He works so hard for his family and loves us more than we deserve. He points us to Christ in times of trouble and is there when we need a good hug. He is by no means perfect, there is not such a man on this earth, but I love my dad dearly and respect him so much.
Kids, teens, young adults...the lessons our parents teach us will do no good whatsoever if we do not head to their wisdom.
We cannot claim to have a strong, immovable faith and spend more time on our phone, Facebook or in front of a TV than we do with God or spend time in His word.
Where is your heart? What are your priorities? Hopefully we can all say "With God."
"Where are you, oh men of courage?" Where are you, loving, submissive wives? Where are you, children of God?
It's time to make a change.
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