Hello ladies! We talked about this in church last night and it's SO good. I wanted to share this with you. :) Love you girls!
We are created for relationships; It is a built in desire.
Lonliness is one of the most powerful feelings. It is a vulnerable state and very fe people deal with it in holiness.
Christian Dating
1. You cannot date an unbeliever
II Corinthians 6:14 "Don’t team up with those who are unbelievers. How can righteousness be a partner with wickedness? How can light live with darkness?"
Be very careful when you start justifying dating an unbeliever.
2. Guard your heart
Proverbs 4:23 "Guard your heart above all else,for it determines the course of your life"
Be careful wht you let your heart love. Give your heart to God and trust only in Him. Wait on the Lord
3. Be satisfied withnothing less than Biblical love
I Corinthians 13:4-7 "Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance."
4. Be accountable. Find someone you can tell to pray for you before a date and be able to answer them when they ask if your date stayed pure. You are not above temptation.
Galatians 6:1-2 "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ."
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Monday, September 5, 2011
Everything is Meaningless!
I'm writing to you very encouraged and very humbled.
I'm going through the One Year Bible (NLT) and currently, I'm in Ecclesiastes.
In Ecclesiastes 1-2 it's really talking about how everything is meaningless. He says several times, why do I do this? It's meaningless. Working is meaningless. Being kind is meaningless. Everything under the sun is meaningless.
How often do we think that?? I know I do!
Why do I always have to be the girl who follows the rules. It's so pointless! Why am I always the one who volunteers for things? What does it even matter? Why do I do this? Why do I do that? Currently I've even been like why am I in this relationship with my boyfriend? It all seems so pointless. Like, I've been dating the same person for TWO YEARS! Why am I doing that? Why do I always have to submit to him and push my feelings aside to follow him? Stuff like that. (by the way girls, it's our job to follow our men no matter what when you're in a serious relationship-see Ephesians 5).
But in the end of Chapter 2 and Chapter three, he assures us that the reason for all of this is 2 words- GLORIFYING GOD. Chapter 2 v 26 "God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless- like chasing the wind." I think what he's saying is we should chase God and not meaningless earthly things.
This is the one that really got me though- Chapter 3 vv 11-14 "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded that there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people shuld eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor for these are gifts from God. And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to or taken away from it. God's purpose is that people should fear him."
Our sole purpose on earth is to glorify God. That can be in how we work. The relationships that we are in (both friendships and dating relationships). For me, what I was saying earlier about why am I in this relationship? It's because God created my boyfriend and I for partners. We make each other better. And that, glorifies God. Our relationship glorifies God. He will make everything beautiful in His own time. So, "Do not weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap, if we don't give up" Galatians 6:9
Be encouraged, beloved! You're here for a much greater purpose than you could ever imagine!
I'm going through the One Year Bible (NLT) and currently, I'm in Ecclesiastes.
In Ecclesiastes 1-2 it's really talking about how everything is meaningless. He says several times, why do I do this? It's meaningless. Working is meaningless. Being kind is meaningless. Everything under the sun is meaningless.
How often do we think that?? I know I do!
Why do I always have to be the girl who follows the rules. It's so pointless! Why am I always the one who volunteers for things? What does it even matter? Why do I do this? Why do I do that? Currently I've even been like why am I in this relationship with my boyfriend? It all seems so pointless. Like, I've been dating the same person for TWO YEARS! Why am I doing that? Why do I always have to submit to him and push my feelings aside to follow him? Stuff like that. (by the way girls, it's our job to follow our men no matter what when you're in a serious relationship-see Ephesians 5).
But in the end of Chapter 2 and Chapter three, he assures us that the reason for all of this is 2 words- GLORIFYING GOD. Chapter 2 v 26 "God gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy to those who please him. But if a sinner becomes wealthy, God takes the wealth away and gives it to those who please him. This, too, is meaningless- like chasing the wind." I think what he's saying is we should chase God and not meaningless earthly things.
This is the one that really got me though- Chapter 3 vv 11-14 "Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end. So I concluded that there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people shuld eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor for these are gifts from God. And I know that whatever God does is final. Nothing can be added to or taken away from it. God's purpose is that people should fear him."
Our sole purpose on earth is to glorify God. That can be in how we work. The relationships that we are in (both friendships and dating relationships). For me, what I was saying earlier about why am I in this relationship? It's because God created my boyfriend and I for partners. We make each other better. And that, glorifies God. Our relationship glorifies God. He will make everything beautiful in His own time. So, "Do not weary in well doing, for in due season we will reap, if we don't give up" Galatians 6:9
Be encouraged, beloved! You're here for a much greater purpose than you could ever imagine!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Continuation of Previous Blog!
1. God wants us to give Him thanks in all circumstances.
2. Be attentive to God's messages, in whatever form they may come.
3. God can take the deepest sorrow and weave it into a pattern for good.
4. Relax and let God lead me through my day. He has everything under His control.
5. Attentiveness to His is not only for quiet time, but for all my time.
6. God never leaves my side or lets go of my hand. The road I travel with God is ultimately a highway to Heaven.
7. Don't close off any part of myself from God. Open up fully to His transforming presence.
8. Let His brilliant Love-Light search out and destroy hidden fears-This requires time alone with God.
9. Run to God continually. He is meant to be the center of my consciousness, the anchor of my soul.
How far will I let my mind wander from God?
10. Find beauty in God's creation- the whole earth is full of His radiant beauty.
11. Trust God above all else.
The swirl of events going on all around me sometimes feel overwhelming. Remember that God is both with me and within me. Quiet my mind in His presence and find peace.
Love you girls! Put on the full armor of Christ daily. (Ephesians 6)
Psalm 100:4; I Thessalonians 5:18
2. Be attentive to God's messages, in whatever form they may come.
John 10:27; Isaiah 29:13
3. God can take the deepest sorrow and weave it into a pattern for good.
Romans 8:28
4. Relax and let God lead me through my day. He has everything under His control.
5. Attentiveness to His is not only for quiet time, but for all my time.
Psalm 32:8; Psalm 119:35; Psalm 143:8
6. God never leaves my side or lets go of my hand. The road I travel with God is ultimately a highway to Heaven.
Romans 12:12; I Thessalonians 5:8; Hebrews 6:18-19
7. Don't close off any part of myself from God. Open up fully to His transforming presence.
8. Let His brilliant Love-Light search out and destroy hidden fears-This requires time alone with God.
1 John 4:18; Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24
9. Run to God continually. He is meant to be the center of my consciousness, the anchor of my soul.
How far will I let my mind wander from God?
Hebrews 6:19; Psalm 29:2
10. Find beauty in God's creation- the whole earth is full of His radiant beauty.
Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 29:2
11. Trust God above all else.
The swirl of events going on all around me sometimes feel overwhelming. Remember that God is both with me and within me. Quiet my mind in His presence and find peace.
Matthew 28:20
Love you girls! Put on the full armor of Christ daily. (Ephesians 6)
Brighten the World by Reflecting Who God Is
Hello, lovely ladies! I hope you have all had a wonderful summer! Sorry I haven't written you all summer, I'm sure you all know how hectic summer can get! As you all start back to school, I want to share with you this list I made for myself.
We are meant to be beacons of Light to the world: but we can only do so when we are in full communication with God.
1. Trust in Jesus in all my thoughts- I can direct my conscious thoughts to Him. Reject the negative or sinful thoughts; as I become aware of them, confess them to God.
>Luke 1:79
1 John 1:9- "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness"i>
2.Open my heart and mind to receive more and more of God.
We are meant to be beacons of Light to the world: but we can only do so when we are in full communication with God.
1. Trust in Jesus in all my thoughts- I can direct my conscious thoughts to Him. Reject the negative or sinful thoughts; as I become aware of them, confess them to God.
1 John 1:9- "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness"i>
2.Open my heart and mind to receive more and more of God.
John 15:11-I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!blockquote>
3. Stop Worrying and listen to God's voice. Ask the Spirit to quiet my mind so that I can think the Lord's thoughts.
4. Do not be deafened by the noise of the world or by my own thinking. Instead, be transformed by the renewing of my mind.
Romans 12:2- "Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect"blockquote>
5. Sit quietly in God's presence, letting His thoughts program my thinking.
Deuteronomy 30:20- "You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This[a] is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”blockquote>
6. Relax in God's presence. He desires to be my intimate friend.
John 15:13- "Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friend."blockquote>
7. When I am real with God, He is able to bring out the best in me: the very gifts He has planted in my soul.
8. Worship God alone. False gods NEVER satisfy.
Exodus 20:4-5
9. The glitter of the world is tinny and temporal. The Light of God's Presence is brilliant and everlasting.
Acts 4:12-"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved"blockquote>
10. When I walk in the Light with God, I become a beacon through whom others are drawn to God.
II Samuel 22:29- "O Lord, you are my lamp.
The Lord lights up my darkness"blockquote>
11. Instead of trying to "fix" myself, fix my gaze on God, the Lover of my soul. Instead of using my energy to judge myself, redirect it to praising God. God sees me clothed in His righteousness, radiant in His perfect love.
Ephesians 2:7-8 "So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God"blockquote>
12. Anxious thoughts meander about and crisscross in my brain, but trusting God brings me directly to His presence.
Psalm 62:8; Matthew 6:34; II Corinthians 12:9
13. Self-Pity is a slimy, bottomless pit. My only hope is to look up and see the Light of God's Presence shining down on me. Though the light looks dim, deep in the pit, those rays of hope can reach me at any depth.
Psalm 40:2-3; Psalm 42:5; Psalm 147:11
14. Ask God to open my eyes so I can find Him everywhere. The more aware I am of His presence, the safer I feel.
Acts 17:27-28
15. Bring God all my feelings, even the ones I wish I didn't have.
16. Feelings per se are not sinful, but they can be temptations to sin.
1 John 1:5-7; Isaiah 12:2
17. The deepest yearnings of my heart are for intimacy with God. He designed us to desire Him.
Psalm 42:1-2
18. Don' tbe afraid to be different from other people. The path God has called me to travel is exquisitely right for me. The more closely I follow His leading, the more fully He can develop my gifts.
19. To Follow God whole-heartedly, I must relinquish my desire to please other people.
Philippians 2:15
20. Rest in God's Presence when in need of refreshment. God wants me to lean on Hmi, trust in Him, and be conident in Him.
Isaiah 30:15; Proverbs 3:5-6
21. Find freedom through seeking to please God above all else.
Ephesians 5:8-10
22. I can only have one Master. I can't let others expectations and the desire to look good control me.
Matthew 23:8
23. God desires His followers to be light bearers. Ask the Spirit to live through me.
II Corinthians 3:18; John 8:12; Matthew 5:14-16
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Blessings in Disguise
Hello, beautiful Daughters of Christ! :)
I have to tell you all about my day! It goes perfectly with what we talked about yesterday. I am completely overwhelmed by God's grace and lovingkindness.
So, today. I had this plan. I was going to get up, go to the gym, take a shower, get my books at the book store for Northwest, have lunch with my mom, then go to Wal Mart. Well, I go to get my books at Northwest and I got really turned around and couldn't find the book store. I was flustered, because I felt stupid. Then, at lunch, Mom goes with me to find it. We found it, but it was closed from noon to one. It was 12:45. I said to my mom "For once, can't I just have a simple day." Little did I know that God had planned a much bigger blessing for me than I had anticipated.
I go to wal mart. Get my stuff. Get in line behind these two women(I must assume mother and daughter) and seriously y'all I stood behind them in line for 20 minutes. I was abnormally patient though, and I waited it out. The older woman started talking to me, and we had a pleasant conversation. She was very sweet.
Then, I get my groceries checked out, head to northwest. While I was going in, I ran into a very good friend of mine that I haven't seen since Christmas, Hillary Young. It was such a blessing because when she saw me she lit up so much. (I've been feeling a little unwanted and unloved lately.) She truly truly was so excited to see me. That was such a blessing and encouragement. God had much bigger plans for my day!
After I get my books, I go over to the NWCC police station to get my ID made. Well, I get in there, and the two SWEETEST men are working. They start asking me about my major, I told them that I am special education. And they just. Lit up. They said they could tell from my smile that I was a special person when I walked in the room, and how kind I was to them. We talked for a good 15 minutes. They were saying how blessed I am to be at Union and how they could see God's plan was carefully mapped out for my life (I told them I got a lot of scholarships because they asked how I paid for Union) and that He had a special plan for me. He was looking out for me.
I just thought "I have to go home and tell my precious sisters in Christ about this!" It's so wonderful, that we can't even see how BIG His plan is, and if we just submit, how much He wants to bless us. I'm encouraged by God's grace. How beautiful is our Savior!
I have to tell you all about my day! It goes perfectly with what we talked about yesterday. I am completely overwhelmed by God's grace and lovingkindness.
So, today. I had this plan. I was going to get up, go to the gym, take a shower, get my books at the book store for Northwest, have lunch with my mom, then go to Wal Mart. Well, I go to get my books at Northwest and I got really turned around and couldn't find the book store. I was flustered, because I felt stupid. Then, at lunch, Mom goes with me to find it. We found it, but it was closed from noon to one. It was 12:45. I said to my mom "For once, can't I just have a simple day." Little did I know that God had planned a much bigger blessing for me than I had anticipated.
I go to wal mart. Get my stuff. Get in line behind these two women(I must assume mother and daughter) and seriously y'all I stood behind them in line for 20 minutes. I was abnormally patient though, and I waited it out. The older woman started talking to me, and we had a pleasant conversation. She was very sweet.
Then, I get my groceries checked out, head to northwest. While I was going in, I ran into a very good friend of mine that I haven't seen since Christmas, Hillary Young. It was such a blessing because when she saw me she lit up so much. (I've been feeling a little unwanted and unloved lately.) She truly truly was so excited to see me. That was such a blessing and encouragement. God had much bigger plans for my day!
After I get my books, I go over to the NWCC police station to get my ID made. Well, I get in there, and the two SWEETEST men are working. They start asking me about my major, I told them that I am special education. And they just. Lit up. They said they could tell from my smile that I was a special person when I walked in the room, and how kind I was to them. We talked for a good 15 minutes. They were saying how blessed I am to be at Union and how they could see God's plan was carefully mapped out for my life (I told them I got a lot of scholarships because they asked how I paid for Union) and that He had a special plan for me. He was looking out for me.
I just thought "I have to go home and tell my precious sisters in Christ about this!" It's so wonderful, that we can't even see how BIG His plan is, and if we just submit, how much He wants to bless us. I'm encouraged by God's grace. How beautiful is our Savior!
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
A girl's guide to insecurity :)
Girls, I'm so sorry it has been a whole month since I have posted! I needed to get my walk right with God before I talked with you girls.
I've been really insecure lately. My life is just very up in the air right now, and anyone who knows me knows that I am a planner. I have everything mapped out. I've been constantly learning to turn it all over to God. I wanted to share with you these promises I'm clinging to right now.
1. Learn to relate to others through God's love instead of my own. Let His love envelop my outreach to other people.
Exodus 33:14- "And He said, my presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
2. When things seem all wrong, Look for growth opportunities. Be on the lookout for what God is doing in my life.
1 Thessalonians 5:18- "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Be thankful for every situation you're being put in. It's equipping you for an eternal glory.
1 Peter 5:6-7- "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may raise you up in due time: Casting all your cares on Him fore He cares for you."
3. My weakness is designed to open me up to God's power.
II Corinthians 12:9- "And He said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
4. I am SAFE and SECURE in God's presence.
Psalm 29:11- "The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace."
5. I am CLOTHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS! NOTHING CAN SEPARATE ME FROM GOD!
Isaiah 61:10
"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me in righteousness, with the garments of salvation, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels."
6. The creator of the Universe is WITH me and FOR me!
Micah 7:7
"Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear my cry."
7. When things don't go as I'd like, accept the situation immediately. God is SOVEREIGN over my circumstances. Don't let the impact of the world shatter my thinking or draw away from focusing on God.
Colossians 2:2-3
Isaiah 33:6
8. God will bring rest and renewal to my mind.
Psalm 34:19
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all."
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear not for I am with you: be not dismayed for I am your God: I will strengthen you, yea, I will help you; yea I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness."
Zepheniah 3:17
"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is MIGHTY; He will save, He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over you with singing."
9. God NEVER changes. Find my stability in God.
John 16:33-"These things have I spoken to you, that in me, you might have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world!"
10. Ask the Holy Spirit to control my thinking.
Romans 13:14- "But put ye on Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the desires thereof."
Colossians 3:12- "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and longsuffering."
11. MAN'S MEASURE IS TOO TINY TO COMPREHEND GOD'S MAJESTIC VASTNESS.
Psalm 145:3-6, 9
12. Nothing can separate me from God
13. Accept every event as a hand-tailored provision for my needs.
Colossians 2:6-7-"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taughte, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
II Chronicles 16:9
Hebrews 13:15- "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."
14. Be still in God's presence, inviting Him to control my thoughts.
II Thessalonians 3:16- "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord will be with you all."
Job 22:21- "Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come to you."
Psalm 18:30
Isaiah 41:13
"For the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying unto you, fear not; I will help you!"
I've been really insecure lately. My life is just very up in the air right now, and anyone who knows me knows that I am a planner. I have everything mapped out. I've been constantly learning to turn it all over to God. I wanted to share with you these promises I'm clinging to right now.
1. Learn to relate to others through God's love instead of my own. Let His love envelop my outreach to other people.
Exodus 33:14- "And He said, my presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
2. When things seem all wrong, Look for growth opportunities. Be on the lookout for what God is doing in my life.
1 Thessalonians 5:18- "In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." Be thankful for every situation you're being put in. It's equipping you for an eternal glory.
1 Peter 5:6-7- "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God that he may raise you up in due time: Casting all your cares on Him fore He cares for you."
3. My weakness is designed to open me up to God's power.
II Corinthians 12:9- "And He said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weakness, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."
4. I am SAFE and SECURE in God's presence.
Psalm 29:11- "The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace."
5. I am CLOTHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS! NOTHING CAN SEPARATE ME FROM GOD!
Isaiah 61:10
"I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul will be joyful in my God; for he has clothed me in righteousness, with the garments of salvation, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with jewels."
6. The creator of the Universe is WITH me and FOR me!
Micah 7:7
"Therefore I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear my cry."
7. When things don't go as I'd like, accept the situation immediately. God is SOVEREIGN over my circumstances. Don't let the impact of the world shatter my thinking or draw away from focusing on God.
Colossians 2:2-3
Isaiah 33:6
8. God will bring rest and renewal to my mind.
Psalm 34:19
"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all."
Isaiah 41:10
"Fear not for I am with you: be not dismayed for I am your God: I will strengthen you, yea, I will help you; yea I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness."
Zepheniah 3:17
"The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is MIGHTY; He will save, He will rejoice over you with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over you with singing."
9. God NEVER changes. Find my stability in God.
John 16:33-"These things have I spoken to you, that in me, you might have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world!"
10. Ask the Holy Spirit to control my thinking.
Romans 13:14- "But put ye on Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the desires thereof."
Colossians 3:12- "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and longsuffering."
11. MAN'S MEASURE IS TOO TINY TO COMPREHEND GOD'S MAJESTIC VASTNESS.
Psalm 145:3-6, 9
12. Nothing can separate me from God
13. Accept every event as a hand-tailored provision for my needs.
Colossians 2:6-7-"As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taughte, abounding therein with thanksgiving."
II Chronicles 16:9
Hebrews 13:15- "By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."
14. Be still in God's presence, inviting Him to control my thoughts.
II Thessalonians 3:16- "Now the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord will be with you all."
Job 22:21- "Acquaint now yourself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come to you."
Psalm 18:30
Isaiah 41:13
"For the Lord your God will hold your right hand, saying unto you, fear not; I will help you!"
Saturday, April 30, 2011
It's just the weight of the world on my Shoulders..
Girls, I am just going to be completely honest. I am discouraged. I haven't been a very godly woman lately. I've been quick-tempered, feisty, sometimes obnoxious, not compassionate, selfish, you name it, I've been it. And you wanna know what- none of those are me (Except quick-tempered, boy have I got a temper--thanks dad for that one! haha).
I have not been faithful in my word; I have failed miserably as a daughter of the Creator of the Universe, and have, in turn, failed at being a friend, a girlfriend, and whatever else I may be.
There is this one type of person I am letting get to me- inconsiderate, selfish, mean-spirited, dramatic. I am usually pretty okay with tolerating people like that (When I'm in the Word daily...). Well, guess what? School has become an idol- even Jeremy has. And everything else I'm involved in.
And most of all- I'm discouraged by the girls who are constantly mean that get by with things that I can't get by with. I know we all feel this way at some time or another, so I don't really have much to say this time- really just wanted to confess my sins to you guys and also encourage you with this verse:
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not
Galatians 6:9
This is my challenge for myself and for you this week and the rest of our lives: Do not grow weary of being the kind and sweet girls every single one of you is- we are all only responsible for our own sins. Don't be discouraged by the unkind. "Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you!" Ephesians 4:32
I have not been faithful in my word; I have failed miserably as a daughter of the Creator of the Universe, and have, in turn, failed at being a friend, a girlfriend, and whatever else I may be.
There is this one type of person I am letting get to me- inconsiderate, selfish, mean-spirited, dramatic. I am usually pretty okay with tolerating people like that (When I'm in the Word daily...). Well, guess what? School has become an idol- even Jeremy has. And everything else I'm involved in.
And most of all- I'm discouraged by the girls who are constantly mean that get by with things that I can't get by with. I know we all feel this way at some time or another, so I don't really have much to say this time- really just wanted to confess my sins to you guys and also encourage you with this verse:
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not
Galatians 6:9
This is my challenge for myself and for you this week and the rest of our lives: Do not grow weary of being the kind and sweet girls every single one of you is- we are all only responsible for our own sins. Don't be discouraged by the unkind. "Be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you!" Ephesians 4:32
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
A Love that Surrounds
I hope you all have made it through the storms okay lately. I feel like I've been in our bathroom every night this week.
Psalm 125
1They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
2As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
3For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
4Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
5As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel
God has us surrounded. His presence looms over you from every direction. Nothing can close in on you without closing in on Him first. God alone can be both the watchman and the wall. He has ou surrounded even when you don't want Him anywhere near you because of sin.
If you are in Christ. You cannot get rid of Him. You can NOT outrun or hide from Him. At no time is he inattentive; at no time have you caught him off guard.
God never promised to remove us from human , but for those of us who call Jesus Savior, the only difficulty we'll ever experience will be right here.
Okay can I just say that this is so encouraging to me because right now I'm just struggling with being content in the present. My boyfriend and I both are just so ready to get married, but we KNOW it isn't God's timing.. And as hard as that is to accept- it is what it is and He has our lives mapped out so carefully.
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22
Never be discouraged when you go through trials- we go through them for a reason. And they're necessary to enter the kingdom of God because it teaches us to lean on Him and trust in Him completely.
God's delivering us from every ounce of trial will never develop the relationship that occurs when God shows himself faithful right in the midst of difficulty, delivering us through it. That's where we come to know Him, to love Him, to appreciate Him.
God keeps us safe from the prowling lion by encircling us with a crown of thorns.
Psalm 125
1They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.
2As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
3For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.
4Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.
5As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel
God has us surrounded. His presence looms over you from every direction. Nothing can close in on you without closing in on Him first. God alone can be both the watchman and the wall. He has ou surrounded even when you don't want Him anywhere near you because of sin.
If you are in Christ. You cannot get rid of Him. You can NOT outrun or hide from Him. At no time is he inattentive; at no time have you caught him off guard.
God never promised to remove us from human , but for those of us who call Jesus Savior, the only difficulty we'll ever experience will be right here.
Okay can I just say that this is so encouraging to me because right now I'm just struggling with being content in the present. My boyfriend and I both are just so ready to get married, but we KNOW it isn't God's timing.. And as hard as that is to accept- it is what it is and He has our lives mapped out so carefully.
Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Acts 14:22
Never be discouraged when you go through trials- we go through them for a reason. And they're necessary to enter the kingdom of God because it teaches us to lean on Him and trust in Him completely.
God's delivering us from every ounce of trial will never develop the relationship that occurs when God shows himself faithful right in the midst of difficulty, delivering us through it. That's where we come to know Him, to love Him, to appreciate Him.
God keeps us safe from the prowling lion by encircling us with a crown of thorns.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Losing Focus
Have you ever had a night where you're just hit between the eyes by God. "Hey, _____! Listen Up! I'm for you!"
Let me just tell you that GOD IS GOOD! Even in the bad times, He is Good!!
So, I'm just going to be honest. I've been in a self loathing stage of my life this whole entire week. Bad, bad thing to do girls. But, at some point, it's probably going to happen.
Do any of you have this one girl, or one person in general that can make you feel terrible without them even doing anything? Just knowing they're going to be somewhere you're going to be makes you insecure. If you don't, praise the Lord, because that is truly a blessing.
Well, there's this girl that makes me really nervous. She's a manipulative person and if she doesn't want someone to like you, she'll twist things around to make you sound how she wants people to look at you. She's just a poisonous person- I'm not saying she's a bad person at all, we all have our flaws (I have so many I can't count them!)-- but she has that effect.
I have been stressing out and hating myself all week because we're probably going to be in the same place this weekend. And that makes me uneasy and insecure and worried. Let me just tell you that during all of this I did not run to God--I didn't really run to anyone and that caused a lot of problems in itself.
Tonight, I was catching up on some devotion reading and God just slapped me in the face!
God wants to live a life in constant communication with Him. We HAVE to turn to Him in EVERY circumstance we encounter. "Accept each day just as it comes, and find ME in the midst of it all!" It never tells us in the Bible that everything is going to be easy-but it does say that He won't leave us! He wants to be that best friend we run to- the one we tell everything! We have to remember that we are not in control-He is!
This part really got me (I'm a BIG BIG "to-do" lister): Do not let your to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life. Instead, ask My Spirit to guide you moment by moment. He will keep you close to Me."
God has PROMISED to meet all of our needs (not our wants, our needs.)Our deepest need is God's Peace-he wants us to seek Him in troublesome times to find our peace. Thank Me for troublesome situations; the Peace they can produce far outweighs the trials you endure.
Just remember that you are complete in God. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! The Lord looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).
I love you girls and you are NOT alone!
Here are some verses to go along with today's blog:
"Pray without ceasing"- 1 Thessalonians 5:17
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"- Philippians 4:19
"For our light affliction[trouble], which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think"- Ephesians 3:20
Let me just tell you that GOD IS GOOD! Even in the bad times, He is Good!!
So, I'm just going to be honest. I've been in a self loathing stage of my life this whole entire week. Bad, bad thing to do girls. But, at some point, it's probably going to happen.
Do any of you have this one girl, or one person in general that can make you feel terrible without them even doing anything? Just knowing they're going to be somewhere you're going to be makes you insecure. If you don't, praise the Lord, because that is truly a blessing.
Well, there's this girl that makes me really nervous. She's a manipulative person and if she doesn't want someone to like you, she'll twist things around to make you sound how she wants people to look at you. She's just a poisonous person- I'm not saying she's a bad person at all, we all have our flaws (I have so many I can't count them!)-- but she has that effect.
I have been stressing out and hating myself all week because we're probably going to be in the same place this weekend. And that makes me uneasy and insecure and worried. Let me just tell you that during all of this I did not run to God--I didn't really run to anyone and that caused a lot of problems in itself.
Tonight, I was catching up on some devotion reading and God just slapped me in the face!
God wants to live a life in constant communication with Him. We HAVE to turn to Him in EVERY circumstance we encounter. "Accept each day just as it comes, and find ME in the midst of it all!" It never tells us in the Bible that everything is going to be easy-but it does say that He won't leave us! He wants to be that best friend we run to- the one we tell everything! We have to remember that we are not in control-He is!
This part really got me (I'm a BIG BIG "to-do" lister): Do not let your to-do list (written or mental) become an idol directing your life. Instead, ask My Spirit to guide you moment by moment. He will keep you close to Me."
God has PROMISED to meet all of our needs (not our wants, our needs.)Our deepest need is God's Peace-he wants us to seek Him in troublesome times to find our peace. Thank Me for troublesome situations; the Peace they can produce far outweighs the trials you endure.
Just remember that you are complete in God. You are fearfully and wonderfully made! The Lord looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).
I love you girls and you are NOT alone!
Here are some verses to go along with today's blog:
"Pray without ceasing"- 1 Thessalonians 5:17
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not into your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Proverbs 3:5-6
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus"- Philippians 4:19
"For our light affliction[trouble], which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think"- Ephesians 3:20
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Insecure? You're not alone!
I don't know if I've told you before, but recently one of the studies I'm doing is one by Beth Moore- "Stepping Up." I highly highly recommend anything by Beth Moore- she is an AMAZING woman.
Today the focus was on Psalm 125:1
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which sits unmoved forever." (NCV)
The Hebrew word for "trust" in this verse is "batach" which means confident, secure, and sure.
She asked in the study what it means to be confident in God, secure in the Lord, and sure about the Lord?
I think having confidence in Him means completely trusting and knowing that He CAN and WILL do anything!
Security: completely resting in the fact that we are HIS and HE is FOR US!
Sure: knowing that we can run to Him and that we CAN have security and confidence in Him.
This is the part that REALLY stuck out to me tonight.
Everyone has insecurities. It's a fact.
Though insecurity can be rooted in all sorts of experiences, I have a feeling that many of us share the same one. When key people in your formative years were supposed to bring you security but brought insecurity instead, you inherit a tremor in your soul that is impossible to naturally still. Add to it all the time you let yourself down and fail to measure up like I did, and naturally speaking, you're a piece of the earth in a constant quake. -Beth Moore
Girls, I just want to pause and say if someone is constantly insecure (a boyfriend, friends- can't really run away from your parents) as hard as it is, you seriously need to cut them out of your life. You are so important and those insecurities people constantly bring you tear you away from Christ because we all know that more times than not, we wallow in the insecurities instead of letting God teach us. (I'm SO SO SO guilty of this! I'm such a sensitive person and I focus on others instead of God.)
BUT "HE ALONE has proved strong enough to quell our insecurities!!" -Beth Moore
Girls, He is your SAVIOR! He is FOR US! He has saved us from eternal DEATH! He is in NO WAY apathetic about our lives! How beautiful is that?? The God that created the UNIVERSE doesn't just push us aside and say "oh, I'll deal with her later!" No He is a 24/7 God. You cry out, HE HEARS! What an amazing, marvelous God we serve! We are so so blessed. Focus on His promises, His security, His amazing, wonderful, eternal being and PRAISE Him for what He has done!! Gosh, I am so IN LOVE with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!
You girls are great, beautiful souls of Christ- I know high school is tough, but keep "Pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14)
I love you and I am praying for you!
Today the focus was on Psalm 125:1
"Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion, which sits unmoved forever." (NCV)
The Hebrew word for "trust" in this verse is "batach" which means confident, secure, and sure.
She asked in the study what it means to be confident in God, secure in the Lord, and sure about the Lord?
I think having confidence in Him means completely trusting and knowing that He CAN and WILL do anything!
Security: completely resting in the fact that we are HIS and HE is FOR US!
Sure: knowing that we can run to Him and that we CAN have security and confidence in Him.
This is the part that REALLY stuck out to me tonight.
Everyone has insecurities. It's a fact.
Though insecurity can be rooted in all sorts of experiences, I have a feeling that many of us share the same one. When key people in your formative years were supposed to bring you security but brought insecurity instead, you inherit a tremor in your soul that is impossible to naturally still. Add to it all the time you let yourself down and fail to measure up like I did, and naturally speaking, you're a piece of the earth in a constant quake. -Beth Moore
Girls, I just want to pause and say if someone is constantly insecure (a boyfriend, friends- can't really run away from your parents) as hard as it is, you seriously need to cut them out of your life. You are so important and those insecurities people constantly bring you tear you away from Christ because we all know that more times than not, we wallow in the insecurities instead of letting God teach us. (I'm SO SO SO guilty of this! I'm such a sensitive person and I focus on others instead of God.)
BUT "HE ALONE has proved strong enough to quell our insecurities!!" -Beth Moore
Girls, He is your SAVIOR! He is FOR US! He has saved us from eternal DEATH! He is in NO WAY apathetic about our lives! How beautiful is that?? The God that created the UNIVERSE doesn't just push us aside and say "oh, I'll deal with her later!" No He is a 24/7 God. You cry out, HE HEARS! What an amazing, marvelous God we serve! We are so so blessed. Focus on His promises, His security, His amazing, wonderful, eternal being and PRAISE Him for what He has done!! Gosh, I am so IN LOVE with the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!
You girls are great, beautiful souls of Christ- I know high school is tough, but keep "Pressing toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14)
I love you and I am praying for you!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Never Alone
Girls, I don't have any profound encouragement for you today, other than the fact that you are never alone in what you feel.
I was just looking at myself in the mirror, and I realized: I am still just a child. I have lived a lot, and experienced a lot, but I know nothing. I'm a child. I have so much left to experience: so many insecurities, feeling inadequate, not feeling loved. I have a life of confusion and tough decisions ahead of me.
I'm feeling very sad tonight, I'm feeling very inadequate. Sometimes, the things I tell you girls is very hard to live out. So I just want to pause a second and say that I NEVER expect you to be perfect- I fully expect you to be HUMAN- make wrong decisions, experience heartache (both given and received), do the wrong thing- it's going to happen! But I know each and every one of you have such sweet spirits and more times than not, will make the right decision.
I'm not even going to lie to you- life is hard. It has ups and downs. That's okay, but the downs can't consume you.
Right now, someone who I desire to love me as family, doesn't really seem to care about me. It's disappointing, and very hard. It's really hard not to feel inadequate.
I desire to be the kind of person that can say "oh well, if they don't like me, it's their problem" but lately I've been feeling like everything is my fault. I'm frustrated and I don't really know what to do- I try really hard to be encouraging and invested in them and I always get ignored.
I think there's a lesson to be learned in everything- I believe that. And this trial is making me look more like Christ. It's just hard sometimes to know that my worth comes from God. It's so simple to focus on what you CAN see- the insults, the inadequacy, etc., instead of focusing on what we can't always see- the love of God.
Just know you're not alone when you feel this way.
I love you girls and am praying for you.
I was just looking at myself in the mirror, and I realized: I am still just a child. I have lived a lot, and experienced a lot, but I know nothing. I'm a child. I have so much left to experience: so many insecurities, feeling inadequate, not feeling loved. I have a life of confusion and tough decisions ahead of me.
I'm feeling very sad tonight, I'm feeling very inadequate. Sometimes, the things I tell you girls is very hard to live out. So I just want to pause a second and say that I NEVER expect you to be perfect- I fully expect you to be HUMAN- make wrong decisions, experience heartache (both given and received), do the wrong thing- it's going to happen! But I know each and every one of you have such sweet spirits and more times than not, will make the right decision.
I'm not even going to lie to you- life is hard. It has ups and downs. That's okay, but the downs can't consume you.
Right now, someone who I desire to love me as family, doesn't really seem to care about me. It's disappointing, and very hard. It's really hard not to feel inadequate.
I desire to be the kind of person that can say "oh well, if they don't like me, it's their problem" but lately I've been feeling like everything is my fault. I'm frustrated and I don't really know what to do- I try really hard to be encouraging and invested in them and I always get ignored.
I think there's a lesson to be learned in everything- I believe that. And this trial is making me look more like Christ. It's just hard sometimes to know that my worth comes from God. It's so simple to focus on what you CAN see- the insults, the inadequacy, etc., instead of focusing on what we can't always see- the love of God.
Just know you're not alone when you feel this way.
I love you girls and am praying for you.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wait on the Lord: keep your eyes open for His works
Dearest Sisters in Christ,
I hope you have had a wonderful, relaxing spring break! I'm just starting mine and I'm headed to the BEACH tomorrow :). I also would like to apologize to you for not writing as much as I had anticipated- I hope you all understand that it isn't out of lack of love, simply lack of time. Sometimes, life gets crazy. You all know that!
So, I'm just going to be honest with you: I've got way too many devotions going on right now! I know, you can never get too much Jesus-but it is possible to overload yourself with doing different devotions. So, I was just catching up on one that I haven't read in 11 days.
Something that really stuck out to me that I'd like to share with you is the theme of "Resting in My Presence;" "Keep your eyes open for what I am doing"
How easy is it for us to get bogged down in what is going on in our lives (Exhibit A: Kelsey Bell).
It's so so so terribly easy to lose focus of what God is doing AROUND us, IN us, and FOR us, and focus on our obstacles.
We are His-all the time; He never falters.
I think it's a human reaction to gravitate toward the temporal instead of basking in the eternal. Even looking at it in perspective of the world: we gravitate toward people we can't have instead of running to the ones waiting on us with open arms.
Just remember that your King never sleeps; and always holds your hand as you go throughout your day.
I'm just going to be honest, sometimes (Although everyone probably looks at me like I'm a nut) I pretend that I'm literally walking hand in hand with God- yes, that's right! I hold hands with the air. But I truly believe that God holds my hand as I do that- as He does even when I don't.
I know it's hard, but join me in working on keeping our focus on the Lord and His works. We'll walk through it together!
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:12
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.He delights in every detail of their lives.Though they stumble, they will never fall,for the Lord holds them by the hand- Psalm 37:23-24
God’s way is perfect.All the Lord’s promises prove true.He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. Psalm 18:30
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. John 14:1
Wait patiently for the Lord.Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.- Hebrews 6:18-20
I hope you have had a wonderful, relaxing spring break! I'm just starting mine and I'm headed to the BEACH tomorrow :). I also would like to apologize to you for not writing as much as I had anticipated- I hope you all understand that it isn't out of lack of love, simply lack of time. Sometimes, life gets crazy. You all know that!
So, I'm just going to be honest with you: I've got way too many devotions going on right now! I know, you can never get too much Jesus-but it is possible to overload yourself with doing different devotions. So, I was just catching up on one that I haven't read in 11 days.
Something that really stuck out to me that I'd like to share with you is the theme of "Resting in My Presence;" "Keep your eyes open for what I am doing"
How easy is it for us to get bogged down in what is going on in our lives (Exhibit A: Kelsey Bell).
It's so so so terribly easy to lose focus of what God is doing AROUND us, IN us, and FOR us, and focus on our obstacles.
We are His-all the time; He never falters.
I think it's a human reaction to gravitate toward the temporal instead of basking in the eternal. Even looking at it in perspective of the world: we gravitate toward people we can't have instead of running to the ones waiting on us with open arms.
Just remember that your King never sleeps; and always holds your hand as you go throughout your day.
I'm just going to be honest, sometimes (Although everyone probably looks at me like I'm a nut) I pretend that I'm literally walking hand in hand with God- yes, that's right! I hold hands with the air. But I truly believe that God holds my hand as I do that- as He does even when I don't.
I know it's hard, but join me in working on keeping our focus on the Lord and His works. We'll walk through it together!
No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us. 1 John 4:12
The Lord directs the steps of the godly.He delights in every detail of their lives.Though they stumble, they will never fall,for the Lord holds them by the hand- Psalm 37:23-24
God’s way is perfect.All the Lord’s promises prove true.He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. Psalm 18:30
Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. John 14:1
Wait patiently for the Lord.Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14
So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. 19 This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary. 20 Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.- Hebrews 6:18-20
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Where is your focus?
Girls, I just want to point your attention to the wonder of God for today.
No, I don't have tons of scripture for this, but I just want to talk to you about an experience I had last night.
Yesterday,my day started off with someone not being the nicest to me. I was completely honest with them and told them I needed help with something and then they took it and threw it in my face. They've been mistreating me this whole semester and it's honestly just starting to take a toll on me.
But, the point of this is this:
Last night, I was making myself physically sick to my stomach worried about what they were going to say to me. The more I thought about it, the more upset I became. I finally had an enormous breakdown and I felt so worthless and terribly unloved.
I get back to my room and do my devotion (I had slacked off for a couple of days; but it ended up being a blessing.)
It said "Where we look--where we genuinely fasten our gaze--amid continual life challenges has a tremendous impact on how we feel."
This statement is so true. So, I just want to encourage you today to keep your eyes fixed on the truth. Keep looking toward the blessings in you life instead of the ones who mistreat you-trust me; you'll be much happier that way!
Love y'all :)
No, I don't have tons of scripture for this, but I just want to talk to you about an experience I had last night.
Yesterday,my day started off with someone not being the nicest to me. I was completely honest with them and told them I needed help with something and then they took it and threw it in my face. They've been mistreating me this whole semester and it's honestly just starting to take a toll on me.
But, the point of this is this:
Last night, I was making myself physically sick to my stomach worried about what they were going to say to me. The more I thought about it, the more upset I became. I finally had an enormous breakdown and I felt so worthless and terribly unloved.
I get back to my room and do my devotion (I had slacked off for a couple of days; but it ended up being a blessing.)
It said "Where we look--where we genuinely fasten our gaze--amid continual life challenges has a tremendous impact on how we feel."
This statement is so true. So, I just want to encourage you today to keep your eyes fixed on the truth. Keep looking toward the blessings in you life instead of the ones who mistreat you-trust me; you'll be much happier that way!
Love y'all :)
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Be Content Where You Are (It Will Actually Impact You!)
I just finished my devotion for the day, and I am so broken and emotional from it.
It's about the church.
I'm doing a Beth Moore study: "Stepping Up." It focuses on the Psalms of Ascent.
Today's focus was Psalm 122.
The subject today was focusing on the church and how we should desire to go to church. But to be honest, a lot of the times I don't. And I've been very convicted about that tonight. A lot of the times, I just feel like church misses the point. I desire this deep relationship with the people I come in contact with; I don't want to go to a big church and I can't find one here in Jackson that I'm in love with. I haven't found my "home."
So, I just want to go through today's with you. I hope God meets with you the way He did with me.
Each one of us has a different heritage God uses to fashion us into the servants he wants us to be.-Beth Moore
We are all placed in the exact circumstance, the exact place that we are for a reason-we are to be servants. Servants of the world that doesn't give back most of the time; even Christians don't give back. Sometimes you won't get a response, and I know it can be draining, trust me, it's a struggle I deal with every single day; I give so much of myself and a lot of the time I get ignored, and it's hard. BUT God WILL sustain you!
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.
4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy,
5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.
6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News.
8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.-Philippians 1:3-8
It made me smile to read about how Paul LOVED his fellow Christians; he found joy in them! He LOVED praying for them. This is the relationship I desire; being so intimate with someone that you know exactly what they need prayer for; and I believe that's a huge part of being in the body of believers.
Accepting that no fellowship of believers is perfect, what are a few things you really love about yours?
Are you glad when someone says to you, "Let's go to the house of the LORD?"
In some ways, you and I may think of ourselves as exiles, not because of disobedience to God, but because we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) with ankles chained to earth.-Beth Moore
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:
5 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.
6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!
7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
Jeremiah 29:4-7
What was God's essential point to the exiles in Babylon? (Jer. 29:4-7)
How can we draw a parallel between verse 7, Psalm 122:6, and our own cities?
Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
May all who love this city prosper. (Psalm 122:6)
Most of us have a love-hate relationship with the places we've gotten our mail, but God intended to use every stop to equip us as servants...You may feel like an exile within its city limits, but just as God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, He wants to prosper you there. His method may not be through all your city can do to edify and serve you. It may be what you can do to build up your city--one neighbor, one teacher, one trash collector at a time. -Beth Moore
How is God using your town or city to equip you to be a humble servant?
How is God using you in your town or city?
Remember- You're here for a reason, and are exactly where you are so that you can be shaped into who you're meant to be to glorify Him.
It's about the church.
I'm doing a Beth Moore study: "Stepping Up." It focuses on the Psalms of Ascent.
Today's focus was Psalm 122.
The subject today was focusing on the church and how we should desire to go to church. But to be honest, a lot of the times I don't. And I've been very convicted about that tonight. A lot of the times, I just feel like church misses the point. I desire this deep relationship with the people I come in contact with; I don't want to go to a big church and I can't find one here in Jackson that I'm in love with. I haven't found my "home."
So, I just want to go through today's with you. I hope God meets with you the way He did with me.
Each one of us has a different heritage God uses to fashion us into the servants he wants us to be.-Beth Moore
We are all placed in the exact circumstance, the exact place that we are for a reason-we are to be servants. Servants of the world that doesn't give back most of the time; even Christians don't give back. Sometimes you won't get a response, and I know it can be draining, trust me, it's a struggle I deal with every single day; I give so much of myself and a lot of the time I get ignored, and it's hard. BUT God WILL sustain you!
3 Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.
4 Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy,
5 for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now.
6 And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
7 So it is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a special place in my heart. You share with me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment and in defending and confirming the truth of the Good News.
8 God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus.-Philippians 1:3-8
It made me smile to read about how Paul LOVED his fellow Christians; he found joy in them! He LOVED praying for them. This is the relationship I desire; being so intimate with someone that you know exactly what they need prayer for; and I believe that's a huge part of being in the body of believers.
Accepting that no fellowship of believers is perfect, what are a few things you really love about yours?
Are you glad when someone says to you, "Let's go to the house of the LORD?"
In some ways, you and I may think of ourselves as exiles, not because of disobedience to God, but because we are citizens of heaven (Philippians 3:20) with ankles chained to earth.-Beth Moore
This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem:
5 “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce.
6 Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away!
7 And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”
Jeremiah 29:4-7
What was God's essential point to the exiles in Babylon? (Jer. 29:4-7)
How can we draw a parallel between verse 7, Psalm 122:6, and our own cities?
Pray for peace in Jerusalem.
May all who love this city prosper. (Psalm 122:6)
Most of us have a love-hate relationship with the places we've gotten our mail, but God intended to use every stop to equip us as servants...You may feel like an exile within its city limits, but just as God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, He wants to prosper you there. His method may not be through all your city can do to edify and serve you. It may be what you can do to build up your city--one neighbor, one teacher, one trash collector at a time. -Beth Moore
How is God using your town or city to equip you to be a humble servant?
How is God using you in your town or city?
Remember- You're here for a reason, and are exactly where you are so that you can be shaped into who you're meant to be to glorify Him.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Letting God Help
Girls, I'm just going to be flat out honest with you.
Today has been a crazy day!
I just want to share with y'all my devotion for today, and leave you with that.
"LET ME HELP YOU through this day. The challenges you face are far too great for you to handle alone. You are keenly aware of your helplessness in the scheme of events you face. This awareness opens up a choice: to doggedly go it alone or to walk with Me in humble steps of dependence. Actually, this choice is continually before you, but difficulties highlight the decision-making process. So, consider it all joy when you are enveloped in various trials. These are gifts from Me, reminding you to RELY on Me ALONE."
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:7-8
Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. James 1:2-3
Also, I need you guys to pray for me. I need to have a forgiving, loving heart about something, and I'm struggling. This person is on my last nerve, and I'm honestly ready to punch them. Ha. So pray that I will seek the Lord's face. And please feel free to message me on facebook if you need ANY prayer! Love you girls with all my heart!
Today has been a crazy day!
I just want to share with y'all my devotion for today, and leave you with that.
"LET ME HELP YOU through this day. The challenges you face are far too great for you to handle alone. You are keenly aware of your helplessness in the scheme of events you face. This awareness opens up a choice: to doggedly go it alone or to walk with Me in humble steps of dependence. Actually, this choice is continually before you, but difficulties highlight the decision-making process. So, consider it all joy when you are enveloped in various trials. These are gifts from Me, reminding you to RELY on Me ALONE."
Because You have been my help,
Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice.
My soul follows close behind You;
Your right hand upholds me.
Psalm 63:7-8
Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. James 1:2-3
Also, I need you guys to pray for me. I need to have a forgiving, loving heart about something, and I'm struggling. This person is on my last nerve, and I'm honestly ready to punch them. Ha. So pray that I will seek the Lord's face. And please feel free to message me on facebook if you need ANY prayer! Love you girls with all my heart!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Be cheerful givers and Cheerful takers.
I lost someone very dear to my life on Friday.
She was a sweet sweet spirit. She always cared about everyone else and their well being.
I believe with all my heart, her love was a depiction of how we should show Christ's love.
"Every man according as he puposeseth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly or out of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver." -II Corinthians 9:7
"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, and our Father." I Thessalonians 1:3
Girls, I believe without a doubt that we are called to love. Invest in the people around you Encourage them, even when they don't respond (yes, that does get VERY challenging at times, and it will sometimes break your heart.) We are supposed to give simply out of love. When we see that people need something, we as Christ's own are supposed to do everything we can to meet that need. I'm not saying that sometimes you don't need to take care of yourself, or even let others meet our needs. Because sometimes we do need to let others care for us and love on us. You're not perfect.
The point I wanted to make with this though is this, be real with people. If you're hurting, don't bottle everything up and think you have to deal with it alone. The Bible tells us that two are better than one. Let other people in. Let people know what's going on so that they can encourage you and build you up and pray for you.
"For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Galatians 5:13
"But encourage one another DAILY.." Hebrews 3:13
And most importantly. Draw near to God
"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.." James 4:8
God,
I pray for your beautiful daughters. Give them the strength and love to encourage one another and to be encouraged. Fill them with your love; fill them up so much that they overflow into others. Give them love to invest in others. I know sometimes it's hard to be open; it's something I've had to have your help with, but help them and show them that we NEED you first and foremost, and we NEED others to love and encourage us. Grow them daily. They can change the world, I know it. God we love you; you are our strength. You are almighty and all knowing. Help us to follow you without abandon.
We love you, Almighty.
She was a sweet sweet spirit. She always cared about everyone else and their well being.
I believe with all my heart, her love was a depiction of how we should show Christ's love.
"Every man according as he puposeseth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly or out of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver." -II Corinthians 9:7
"Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God, and our Father." I Thessalonians 1:3
Girls, I believe without a doubt that we are called to love. Invest in the people around you Encourage them, even when they don't respond (yes, that does get VERY challenging at times, and it will sometimes break your heart.) We are supposed to give simply out of love. When we see that people need something, we as Christ's own are supposed to do everything we can to meet that need. I'm not saying that sometimes you don't need to take care of yourself, or even let others meet our needs. Because sometimes we do need to let others care for us and love on us. You're not perfect.
The point I wanted to make with this though is this, be real with people. If you're hurting, don't bottle everything up and think you have to deal with it alone. The Bible tells us that two are better than one. Let other people in. Let people know what's going on so that they can encourage you and build you up and pray for you.
"For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another." Galatians 5:13
"But encourage one another DAILY.." Hebrews 3:13
And most importantly. Draw near to God
"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.." James 4:8
God,
I pray for your beautiful daughters. Give them the strength and love to encourage one another and to be encouraged. Fill them with your love; fill them up so much that they overflow into others. Give them love to invest in others. I know sometimes it's hard to be open; it's something I've had to have your help with, but help them and show them that we NEED you first and foremost, and we NEED others to love and encourage us. Grow them daily. They can change the world, I know it. God we love you; you are our strength. You are almighty and all knowing. Help us to follow you without abandon.
We love you, Almighty.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Prayer Warriors
Beautiful Daughters of Christ,
Can I please start by praying for you tonight?
God,
I just want to thank you for these beautiful girls you've placed in my life. Lord, help them to find their worth in you and seek Your face through everything. You are our strength and our shield; You are where our help comes from. Help us to seek shelter under Your wing. Only You can heal us. Open our hearts to what You want us to learn. Give us the strength to love as You have loved us.
In Your Most High Name.
Who of you have ever had someone or something that just poked and prodded at you? That huge thorn in your side? I know I have; I'm actually dealing with one right now.
I'm here to tell you that they never go away. But, if you seek God's face through it all, it will truly give you peace.
The main passage I want to point you guys to tonight is 1 Samuel 1. It's really long, so I'm not going to type it all, but please go read it.
Let me summarize it for you though.
This is the story of Hannah- one of my most favorite women in the Bible (along with Martha and Ruth.) Hannah was married to a man named Elkanah who also had another wife, Peninah. Hannah was barren, which means she couldn't have children, but this was her deepest desire. Peninah, on the other hand, could and she tore Hannah apart about it. She poked and prodded and picked and that wound. Hannah was so depressed that she wouldn't eat and she would just cry.
Well, every year, their family went to Shiloh to the house of the Lord. After they had finished eating, Hannah went to the temple.
I just want to point this out real quick. Let this be an example for our lives. When you're in pain; when someone has hurt you; when you have a desire, take it to the Lord. You can just pray to yourself. But turn to Him first and foremost.
Okay, back to Hannah. Well, like I said she went to the temple to pray. Her soul was grieved and she prayed to the Lord and wept a lot. Her heart was very heavy. She prayed to the Lord (I'm imagining her BEGGING God.) And said "please, please God look at my affliction and think of me! Don't forget about me! I'm begging you to give me a child, and I promise I will give him back to you, just please let me have a child! It's what I desire more than anything in the world. Also, I will never shave his head!" (I totally paraphrased this). She continued praying, and Eli was watching her. Hannah prayed in her heart, and didn't say anything, but she moved her mouth. Because of this, Eli accused Hannah of being drunk! That's right, in the middle of her broken prayer, Eli actually scolds her of being drunk! (Never jump to conclusions, girls. Be understanding and compassionate. We are here to love, not judge.) Hannah answered and told him no, I'm just completely broken and my heart is heavy, I'm not drunk, I'm just pouring my soul out to the Lord My God! Don't see me as a daughter of Belial (A demon in the Bible) I'm just grieved.
Do you think Eli felt as tall as an ant??
Then Eli told her to go in peace. That the God of Israel will answer her prayers.
She was filled with joy, and they both fulfilled their promises.
Loves, satan will ALWAYS be looking for a way to tear you down. He walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. (1 Peter 5:8)
Seek God in everything. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
"Praying always with all pray and supplication in the Spirit" Ephesians 6:18
"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall pass all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" Philippians
God can conquer your peninah. Trust in Him. Pray always, seek wise council and trust in the Lord.
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19.
Can I please start by praying for you tonight?
God,
I just want to thank you for these beautiful girls you've placed in my life. Lord, help them to find their worth in you and seek Your face through everything. You are our strength and our shield; You are where our help comes from. Help us to seek shelter under Your wing. Only You can heal us. Open our hearts to what You want us to learn. Give us the strength to love as You have loved us.
In Your Most High Name.
Who of you have ever had someone or something that just poked and prodded at you? That huge thorn in your side? I know I have; I'm actually dealing with one right now.
I'm here to tell you that they never go away. But, if you seek God's face through it all, it will truly give you peace.
The main passage I want to point you guys to tonight is 1 Samuel 1. It's really long, so I'm not going to type it all, but please go read it.
Let me summarize it for you though.
This is the story of Hannah- one of my most favorite women in the Bible (along with Martha and Ruth.) Hannah was married to a man named Elkanah who also had another wife, Peninah. Hannah was barren, which means she couldn't have children, but this was her deepest desire. Peninah, on the other hand, could and she tore Hannah apart about it. She poked and prodded and picked and that wound. Hannah was so depressed that she wouldn't eat and she would just cry.
Well, every year, their family went to Shiloh to the house of the Lord. After they had finished eating, Hannah went to the temple.
I just want to point this out real quick. Let this be an example for our lives. When you're in pain; when someone has hurt you; when you have a desire, take it to the Lord. You can just pray to yourself. But turn to Him first and foremost.
Okay, back to Hannah. Well, like I said she went to the temple to pray. Her soul was grieved and she prayed to the Lord and wept a lot. Her heart was very heavy. She prayed to the Lord (I'm imagining her BEGGING God.) And said "please, please God look at my affliction and think of me! Don't forget about me! I'm begging you to give me a child, and I promise I will give him back to you, just please let me have a child! It's what I desire more than anything in the world. Also, I will never shave his head!" (I totally paraphrased this). She continued praying, and Eli was watching her. Hannah prayed in her heart, and didn't say anything, but she moved her mouth. Because of this, Eli accused Hannah of being drunk! That's right, in the middle of her broken prayer, Eli actually scolds her of being drunk! (Never jump to conclusions, girls. Be understanding and compassionate. We are here to love, not judge.) Hannah answered and told him no, I'm just completely broken and my heart is heavy, I'm not drunk, I'm just pouring my soul out to the Lord My God! Don't see me as a daughter of Belial (A demon in the Bible) I'm just grieved.
Do you think Eli felt as tall as an ant??
Then Eli told her to go in peace. That the God of Israel will answer her prayers.
She was filled with joy, and they both fulfilled their promises.
Loves, satan will ALWAYS be looking for a way to tear you down. He walks about like a roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. (1 Peter 5:8)
Seek God in everything. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
"Praying always with all pray and supplication in the Spirit" Ephesians 6:18
"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall pass all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" Philippians
God can conquer your peninah. Trust in Him. Pray always, seek wise council and trust in the Lord.
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus" Philippians 4:19.
Friday, March 4, 2011
Getting to Know Me
Precious, Precious Girls.
First off, I just want you to know that I love you all dearly. If any of you need me, feel free to Facebook me, text or call me, or e-mail/snail mail. This blog is for you, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
I just want to share my life with you guys, so that you will know everything.
I was saved when I was 5. I've gone through a lot in my short life. I often feel like all I've done is attend funerals. But, I'm getting side tracked. Okay. So I grew up in a Christian home. My parents are wonderful, although, at times, I feel the pressure to be perfect.I only have one grandparent left. That was always a struggle for me. Because I would have to hear everyone talk about their grandparents, and it seemed like the only one I had left didn't really even want me. When I was in the 4th or 5th grade, I was stepped on by a horse. I just went on with my life (after all the bruises healed), but the more active I got playing softball and basketball, the more it hurt. So, the summer of my sophomore year, and the December of my sophomore year, I had 2 surgeries. Well, having to quit playing sports, feeling sorry for myself, and not changing my diet caused me to gain a lot of weight. A struggle I honestly still have a hard time with that. I'm disappointed in myself, I don't view myself as beautiful, and I don't love myself a lot of the time. However, I'm working on losing weight, and praying through it. God truly has compassion and wants to heal us. I never fit in in junior high or high school. No one ever really paid me attention. I had to work through being content with the fact that I was set apart. I got left out. A LOT. I felt inadequate. A LOT. I wondered what was wrong with me and I got very very discouraged.. February 1, junior year, a friend/classmate died in a drunk driving accident. That hit everyone hard and rocked my faith. However, the thing that rocked me most was June 14th, when Whitten died. It was just hard to accept that because I had been told my entire life that God was a God of miracles, and I prayed EVERY DAY for a miracle, and He didn't answer yes to that prayer. Girls, let me tell you that I was very angry at God, and I didn't have a very good relationship with Him at all, for nearly 2 years.. It's hard for me to admit this because I know it may let a few of you down.. Well this last semester I came to college, and a senior girl complete ripped me apart. S The combination of that and being very far away from God resulted in deep depression. I wasn't myself. The Godly relationship Jeremy and I had turned into a relationship we were only in for the physicality, like kissing
First off, I just want you to know that I love you all dearly. If any of you need me, feel free to Facebook me, text or call me, or e-mail/snail mail. This blog is for you, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
I just want to share my life with you guys, so that you will know everything.
I was saved when I was 5. I've gone through a lot in my short life. I often feel like all I've done is attend funerals. But, I'm getting side tracked. Okay. So I grew up in a Christian home. My parents are wonderful, although, at times, I feel the pressure to be perfect.I only have one grandparent left. That was always a struggle for me. Because I would have to hear everyone talk about their grandparents, and it seemed like the only one I had left didn't really even want me. When I was in the 4th or 5th grade, I was stepped on by a horse. I just went on with my life (after all the bruises healed), but the more active I got playing softball and basketball, the more it hurt. So, the summer of my sophomore year, and the December of my sophomore year, I had 2 surgeries. Well, having to quit playing sports, feeling sorry for myself, and not changing my diet caused me to gain a lot of weight. A struggle I honestly still have a hard time with that. I'm disappointed in myself, I don't view myself as beautiful, and I don't love myself a lot of the time. However, I'm working on losing weight, and praying through it. God truly has compassion and wants to heal us. I never fit in in junior high or high school. No one ever really paid me attention. I had to work through being content with the fact that I was set apart. I got left out. A LOT. I felt inadequate. A LOT. I wondered what was wrong with me and I got very very discouraged.. February 1, junior year, a friend/classmate died in a drunk driving accident. That hit everyone hard and rocked my faith. However, the thing that rocked me most was June 14th, when Whitten died. It was just hard to accept that because I had been told my entire life that God was a God of miracles, and I prayed EVERY DAY for a miracle, and He didn't answer yes to that prayer. Girls, let me tell you that I was very angry at God, and I didn't have a very good relationship with Him at all, for nearly 2 years.. It's hard for me to admit this because I know it may let a few of you down.. Well this last semester I came to college, and a senior girl complete ripped me apart. S The combination of that and being very far away from God resulted in deep depression. I wasn't myself. The Godly relationship Jeremy and I had turned into a relationship we were only in for the physicality, like kissing
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