Asking

I have found in life that we often have things that we want to ask but we are to afraid to ask. This also happens when we pray.  We have things we want to pray, but we don't think that they are important, or even worth God's time. As I was reading my bible this week, I stumbled on these verses. There is a man, crippled form birth, outside the gates of a temple when Peter and John found him. Acts 3:6-10 goes, "Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have to give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what happened to him." The crippled man, probably never thought that he could walk one day. He probably didn't even bother to ask, because he thought it was impossible.

God wants to hear your questions. The bible says that God answers all questions either with a yes, no, or wait. There is no problem to small for God to handle. God cared about the beggar who didn't have much, and He cares for you too. Ask God all your questions you have and see how he responds. Sometimes He might surprise you by how He answers. You never know unless you ask.

Christmas

Merry Christmas!!!!
Today is the birth of our savior, and as we go about our festivities, we can forget the meaning of Christmas. So today, I'm not go to have a long speech, or some life changing story, but I am going have a poem. I used the word Jesus and came up with what it means. So as you go through out the day, just remember who it is really for.

Just in case you haven't heard
Earth became his new home
Son of Man was born today
Under the roof of a stable
So later He could die for my sins

Hear are a few good Christmas songs to listen to today.
Just a Girl- Brandon Heath
While You Were Sleeping (Christmas Edition)- Casting Crowns
Jingle Bells- Colton Dixon
The Heart of Christmas- Matthew West
-K-Love is also playing Christmas songs all day today-

Song Break Down-Thrive

This song is from Casting Crowns new album "Thrive". Casting Crowns just released the lyric video to this song Wednesday, so I really have no reference about the song except for the lyrics. This post is going to be my own interpretation of this song.
First of all, the part of the song that stuck out to me was the bridge. Ever since I heard it, I haven't been able to get it out of my head. The lyrics are, "Joy unspeakable / Faith unsinkable / Love unstoppable / Anything is possible." When I think about the bridge I envision people chanting this and every time they get louder and louder. The bridge also reminds me of a verse that goes, "For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37) Anything we ever have dream of is possible with God. In the post, "Stumbling" I talked about how my math grade was dropping and how I got an F on a test. So for this test, I prayed and I studied as hard as I could. On the day of the test, I prayed before I did each problem. I just wanted an A on my test to raise my grade. And I got my test grade back two days ago , and I got an A. I thought it was impossible for me to every get an A on a Calculus test, but with prayer, God made what I thought was impossible, possible. Anything with God is possible.
I also love the message of the song. We were not made to just survive, but we were made to thrive. We aren't suppose to go through our days, just going with the current. Some one told me this quote that I love and it goes, "Most men die at 27, but we bury them at 72." When we grow up and we fall into a routine, we stop living and we just float through life. As the song says, "Here in this worn and weary land / Where many of dreams have died." When we let go of our dreams, then we have nothing to work towards so we end up floating through life. But with God's love we have something to continually work for. The song continues with, "Like a tree planted by the water / We never will run dry." God will continually poor into you, if you seek him. Psalms 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" If we don't know God's word then we don't know what path to follow. But if we know God's word, then God will reveal Himself and His plan for us. THen we will have something to work towards.

Here is Casting Crowns lyric video that they just released.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ71RWJhS_M

This is my last post of the series "Song Break Down." I prayed that you enjoyed it and it help you get deeper into the songs. 

Song Break Down-Does Anybody Hear Her

I fell in love with this song when I first saw the music video. I love the simple truth behind the song, which is the fact that we have to tell the world of the good news in Jesus Christ, so that they will have a chance to accept Jesus. Romans 10:14 says, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard?  And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" If we as believers go out into the world to preach the gospel, then the world will have a chance to hear. They may not immediately accept what you are telling them but you would have planted a seed that God can then grow into something beautiful if he chooses. Sharing the gospel isn't easy, but if you change they way you act and talk, then God will give you the perfect opportunity to share the gospel. The Great Commission as it says in Matthew 28:19-20 says, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surly I am with you always, to the very end of the age." We are to go into the world and make disciples of God. God also promises that He will never leave us. It may be scary for us sometimes, but God is there with us; we are never alone. 1 Peter  3:15 says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect." When we start acting like Christ, people will get curious of why you are so different, and this is a perfect time to share the gospel. And if they ask questions that you don't know the answer to, then take time to research the answers to their question.if you respect their time and questions, then God's light can really shine through you into the person you are talking to. Just be prepared, as the verse says, to talk to them. We (and this includes me) can't walk around silently judging who can be saved, and who can't be saved. That is up for God to do, we just have to be prepared to talk to anyone He sends our way.

Here is the music video from Casting Crowns that I really enjoy, and I hope you do too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OEhRucEVzH8&feature=c4-overview&list=UUyR_nbNgi7Eypqb2rGDjJWQ&safe=active
Here is a live version of the song, and the story behind the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gj7yUYXFv_M

Song Break Down-Set Me Free

This is another song that I just discovered recently, and I love how powerful it is. Even the music in the background has a powerful feel to it. This song to me is just a release.Just knowing I'm free from my sins is very refreshing to be reminded of day to day. The first verse is powerful, which goes, "It hasn't always been this way / I remember brighter days " This is the point where you can't go any farther on your own, and you need Jesus to make it through the day. Then you have the end of the first verse, which goes, "Set me free of the chains holding me / Is anybody out there hearing me? / Set me free" This is when you feel hopeless and you just want a way out. You can barely stand on your own two feet and you are just looking for a little bit of light in the otherwise black and dark world.
Ephesians 2:1-2, 4-5 says "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient... But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive in Christ even when we were dead in our transgressions--it is by grace you are saved." This verse talks about how we were dead in our sins, but God made us alive by sending Jesus to die for us. We were locked up in chains that bound us that the devil placed around us, but when we accept a relationship with Jesus, Jesus breaks those chains that were holding us.

There is one line in the song that I like the best, so I drew a picture of that one line. It is a basic black background, with Jesus being the light in the darkness. And you have to admit, it is really hard to miss. And while this post was really short, take time to listen to the song, and think about what chains are still binding you, and ask Jesus to take them off. Remember, it is by God's grace that we are saved.

Song Break Down-Stained Glass Maquerade

I have just recently discovered this song and I fell in love with it the minute I heard it, because I could relate so easily. As soon as I heard the first verse, I couldn't get the song out of my head. The first verse goes, "Is there anyone that fails / Is there anyone that falls / Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small / Cause when I take a look around / Everybody seems so strong / I know they'll soon discover / That I don't belong / So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay / If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too / So with a painted grin, I play the part again / So everyone will see me the way that I see them" Then I remembered Luke 6:37, which says, "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." If we, me included, judge everyone else as being perfect, then they will judge you as being perfect. Or if you don't look perfect, then you will be judged as not good enough. It seems that we all try to look like our lives are put together and we don't need help, while on the inside we are breaking into a million pieces.
And this leads into the chorus of the song which says, "Are we happy plastic people / Under shiny plastic steeples / With walls around our weakness / And smiles to hide our pain / But if the invitation's open / To every heart that has been broken / Maybe then we close the curtain / On our stained glass masquerade." When we bury everything inside while on the outside we try to have it together, then who are we truly. When we act like this, we are like the Pharisees that Matthew talks about in the Matthew 23:25-28 which says, "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisees! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside will be clean. Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness."We can clean the outside as much as we want, and we can try to be seen as having it all together, but the inside is a dirty mess. The verse says that we need to clean the inside and then the outside will end up matching. This might mean that for a while your outside will be a complete mess, and you won't fit in, but when you clean the inside, the outside will be that much brighter. I know that when I start to let the world see what a mess I am, I tend to find people going through the same thing. The other day at my school's bible study, we were talking about where we were before Christ, and how that has changed. I then found out that I wasn't the only girl there who felt that every year, students in her class didn't know my name. I found that God put people in your life for a reason, but we can't find those people if we don't open up.
My favorite part of the song is the second part of the second verse, which goes, "But would it set me free / If I dared to let you see / The truth behind the person / That you imagine me to be / Would your arms be open / Or would you walk away / Would the love of Jesus / Be enough to make you stay" I love this for many reasons. Many for the reason that it points. If I truly show you who I am, will you still love me or will you leave. But looking in John 8:10-11 I know that one person would leave me, "Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?" No one, Sir," she said. Then neither do I condemn you, " Jesus declared. Go now and leave you life of sin."" This woman was supposed to be stoned to death when the city found out what she has done. But when God said that the one without sin may throw the first stone they all left. The world may try to condemn you when they find out all you have done in your past, but God won't. Jesus was the only one without sin, so he could have stoned her, but he chose not to. God knows everything that has happened in your past, but he sent his son to wash it away from you, and he will not condemn you.

 Here is a video I found on YouTube that goes really well with this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRUJrjUGGfg&safe=active

Song Break Down-My Own Worst Enemy

I like this song for many reasons. one is for the upbeat tempo, and a strong beat which is good for dancing. But I also really love the message of this song. It is a message that I think we all struggle with everyday. As it says in the song title, "I am my own worst enemy." I love the chorus of this song which goes, "God, help me get away / Break the chains and set me free / From the other side of me / I can’t fight this fight alone / I’ll never make it on my own / Lord Jesus, rescue me / From my own worst enemy." I like how Mark Hall, from Casting Crowns, sums this up. Mark said that the devil has little buttons in the back off your head, that he can push when ever he wants. I can attest to that theory that Mark talks about. There are times where I want to do something, but right before I do it, there is a voice in my head telling me other wise. That is what Mark it talking about in the song. The chains is that vice in your head telling you that you can't. I love this verse in Romans that is 7:18-19 which says, "I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not for good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do -- this I keep doing." We were all born into a sin filled world, and with that sin we can't do the good that we want to do. The devil is in control of us and he doesn't want us to do good. You may want to do the right thing but the devil still has that button the back of your head that he can push when ever he wants. Verses 24-25 then say, "What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord." So we are messed up, and we can't make it on our own. That's when Jesus steps in and takes control. He is able to rescue you from yourself if you trust Him.
The bridge in the song goes. "Lord, help me feed the life I’m trying to live / And starve the life I’m trying to leave / Help me believe the old is dead and gone / And I am a new creation" Colossians 3 talks about what the old life and the new life is. Verse 5 says, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry." In contrast to that, verse 12 says, "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" This is a guideline of how to lives our lives. Now we can't do this on our own, but with God's help we can.

This drawing I did represents the end of the song when you finally beat yourself  thanks to God who is always watching you.

This is Mark Hall's testimony that if you haven't heard, then you really need to find time to listen to it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab8flhvMh58

Song Break Down-Who Am I

The song, "Who Am I'" is a song I recently rediscovered. I loved listening to it growing up, but until I started this series I just didn't listen to it. I was actually watching Casting Crowns videos on my off period when I heard the song again, and it instantly grabbed me again, and I was fascinated by it just like I was fascinated by it when I was a little girl.

One thing I really like about the song is the chorus. The first part of the chorus goes, "I am a flower quickly fading, / Here today and gone tomorrow. / A wave tossed in the ocean. / A vapor in the wind." I was at bible study on Monday at my school, and we went verse this verse that fits perfectly with this song. Ephesians 4:14 says, "Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming." When we first start out in our faith, we are like infants. We soak everything in but we don't know what to believe. We can't tell the difference of what the world wants verses what God wants. We are continuously tossed back and forth in these waves, or you are blown by every wind that heads your way. The deceitful scheming is done by the devil to throw you off track. There is one big thing that is cunning around this time of year, and it is Santa Clause. He isn't harmful on the outside but if we look closer he can be big trouble. Some off my friends grew up with out knowing who Santa was, and their parents had one reason. When the kids grow up and learn that there is no Santa, or Easter Bunny, or Tooth Fairy, that they are fake, then why would they believe that Jesus is real. So they grew up without Santa. What looks good on the outside, may not be as good as it seems.

 The second part of the chorus gives the hope that there is a way out. The second part goes, "Still You hear me when I'm calling. / Lord, You catch me when I'm falling. / And You've told me who I am. / I am Yours, I am Yours." Ephesians 2:13 says "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ." This verse is saying that through Christ we have been made close to God. That is why the last line of the chorus says, "I am yours." because we are His. He loves us and cares for us and he won't let us fall.

The prechorus is another big part that sticks out to me. "Not because of who I am / But because of what You've done. / Not because of what I've done / But because of who You are." This is talking about how we didn't earn God's love but it is a gift. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith --and this is not from yourselves, it is a gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast." This verse tells again how we didn't work for God's grace but it was giving to us as a gift. It was by Jesus's death on the cross that we are saved, and we are defined by His death.

The last part of the song that I like is how the verses are set up. The verses are just questions that we ask our selves everyday. "Who am I that God would do this for me?" And after each verse, there is the chorus that says, "I am yours," and it shows how God is doing this for us, because he chose us to be His. This layout of the song is powerful. Even though the questions aren't meant to be answered, we asked them everyday, and then Casting Crowns answer them in the chorus. If you every are in a place where you are asking yourself these questions, just know that you are God's.

I found this video on line and I just thought that it was well done. I pray that when you get the time you would watch this video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT7x3VnrqbA&safe=active

Song Break Down-East To West

The next song I'm going to do in this series is "East to West. This is another one of my go to songs that I love to listen to when I'm down. There is one line in the song that I think really sets the theme for the whole song which goes, "I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west" Psalms 103:12 says, "He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." This line talks to this verse about how our sins are separated from us as far as the east is from the west. The chorus then explains this line even more and it shows the hope that comes when Jesus died for us and separated us from our sins. The chorus goes, "Jesus, can You show me just how far the east is from the west / 'cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again / In the arms of Your mercy I find rest / 'cause You know just how far the east is from the west / From one scarred hand to the other" When Jesus died on the cross He separated our sins from us which is mentioned in the last line of the song.

The line that I love the best is, "And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned / But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way" So many times we feel that if we make one more mistake and God will abandon us where we are. Well the good news is Hebrews 13:5b says "For he has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" No matter how many mistakes you make or how many times you mess up God will never leave or forsake you. The rest of the song is about finding peace in God and knowing that you have been made clean.

I just painted a simple picture to go along with this song. In the middle you have the cross and where each scarred hand of Jesus would be, there is the directions east and west. On the east side I drew a representation of your sins. I chose dark colors and I drew them randomly to show how dark sin is and how it can mess up your life. On the west side the is a purple blob representing you. I chose purple because it is a royal color and as believers we will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. The line blob isn't perfect, but then as humans we are not perfect either. That is my visual, and I pray that it helped you understand the song a little more.

Song Break Down-Praise You In This Storm

I'm starting a new series called "Song Break Down." What I'm going to be doing is taking Casting Crowns songs and breaking them down to get the meaning behind it. I chose Casting Crowns because they are my favorite band, and because they write down the bible verses that goes alone with each song, which I think is really cool. I am also going to try to include a visual representation, whether it is a video from YouTube, or a picture I drew.

So the first song I'm going to break down is "Praise You in This Storm." This song is one of my go to songs when ever I'm feeling down. It doesn't matter what kind of storm I'm going through, because Casting Crowns left it a little opened ended so you could make the song your own. If you listen to the reason to why Casting Crowns wrote the song, you can tell that even through Casting Crowns wrote the song is for a girl with cancer, the song is based on every case for everybody. It just goes to show that God can do wonderful things with things that you don't think He can use. Just that piece of behind the scene look into the reason why they wrote the song makes the song that much more special.

If you listen to the song, the first five lines really can strike a cord with anyone. We all have those days when nothing goes right, and in the back of our heads we think, "Why aren't you doing anything, Lord?" That is the basic of the first five lines of the song, "I was sure by now / God, You would have reached down /And wiped our tears away / Stepped in and saved the day / But once again, I say "Amen", and it's still raining."  There are many times where we would have liked God to have stepped in and make everything better but God does everything according to His time. Daniel 3:16-18 says, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescues us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold that you have set up." Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were about to be thrown in to a burning furnace for praising their God of the gods of Nebuchadnezzar. They wouldn't denounce God just to get out of going into the furnace. God could have saved them before they went into the furnace, but God waited until they were in the burning furnace to save Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Now being saved from a burning furnace is more impressive then being saved from going in it. God had the right time when He would save Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and they when along with God's plan know that they were being used for God's glory. God may not be asking you to walk into a burning furnace, but we each have our own fires in our lives. We have to go into them knowing that God is there and He has the right time when He will step in and save the day.

The second verse shows some hope, but not much, "I remember when / I stumbled in the wind / You heard my cry / You raised me up again / My strength is almost gone / How can I carry on / If I can't find You" It's that feeling you get when you remember a time when God did help you out of the storm, and you are sitting in this new storm and you wonder where is God now. 2 Corinthians says, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." We may not be able to see what God is doing, but he is there and he loves us. If you set our eyes to the things of this world, we will continuously be let down over and over again. But if we set our eyes on what we can't see, which is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we will have eternal glory which out weighs any thing on this world.

The pre-chorus and chorus of the song is the hard part of the song, "As the thunder rolls / I barely hear You whisper through the rain / "I'm with You" / And as Your mercy falls / I raise my hands and praise the God who gives / And takes away / I'll praise You in this storm / And I will lift my hands / For You are who You are / No matter where I am / Every tear I've cried / You hold in Your hand / You never left my side / And though my heart is torn / I will praise You in this storm" It is where you sing that you will rise your hands, but sometimes life is to hard for you to do that. Some times we don't want to praise God because of the storm we are in. But the line that sticks out to me is "You never left my side." Sure I may be going through a storm, but God never left my side. A person that I look to in the Bible that went through a lot is Job. Job was tested in everyway possible, yet Job never stopped trusting or praising the Lord. Job 1:20-22 says, "At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mothers womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away; may the name of the Lord be praised.' In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing." Job could have easily called God out for letting him go through what he was going through, but instead Job got down on his knees and worshipped the Lord. Job knew that God was in control of his life and he trusted God. And just like Job, God is in control of your life. There is nothing that God can't handle in your life.

Out of the whole song, my favorite part by far is the bridge which brings so much hope, "I lift my eyes unto the hills / Where does my help come from? / My help comes from the Lord / The Maker of Heaven and Earth" I know that my help does come from the Lord. The one who made the Heavens and the Earth, is with me in the storm and He will help me. It may not always seem like it, but God will help you if you just turn your eyes to Him and not your own understanding. I love the bridge because it also comes straight out of the Bible. In my Bible, Psalms 121:1-2 says "I'll lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of Heaven and Earth." When singing this, we aren't singing words, but we are singing words that are in God's book, and God is pleased when you say or sing what He wrote back to Him.

I hope that you will think of this the next time you are in a storm. And know, God is always with you.

Reason For The Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNnF7FjZ5po
Live Version of This Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ype1xE0wzsg

Day of Thanks

As Thanksgiving is arriving, we tend to say what we thankful for. And after we say our thanks, we stuff our selves full with turkey. A trend that I see is when it comes to Thanksgiving, we are often thankful for the material things that we have. We often forget to the Lord, and Jesus, and the Spirit for what they did for us that we don't deserve. I'm not asking you to give a big, long speech on Thanksgivings Day, but just writing down that you are thank for the Trinity. It doesn't have to be long are filled with big words, but it needs to come from the hearts. For this week I just found a simple verse about thanksgiving. Psalms 107:1 says, "Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" Every thing that happens is because of the Lord, and everything is for the good for you. So around thanksgiving, take some time to thank God for what he has done.

Here is a short little poem I wrote, to help you get inspired.

Give thanks to the Lord,
For His love never ending,
And His grace is new everyday.

Give thanks to Jesus,
For He took my sin,
And separated it from me,
As far as the east is from the west.

Give thanks to the Spirit,
For He leads me everyday,
He is my guidance in my life.

Give thanks for the clothes on my back,
For the food on my plate,
For the cash in my wallet,
For the family who supports me.
Give thanks to the Lord,
Because without Him,
I don't know where I would be.
 

Serving

So last night, a couple of the kids from my church and I went to go volunteer at the Children's Hospital. It was amazing to sit with some of the kids that were in the hospital, and to give them something to do that allowed them to get out of their rooms. There was one girl I remember well, and on her T-Shirt she wrote down a quote which said, 'Life isn't measured in the number of breaths that we take, but the number of breaths that take our breath away." This girl was so positive even through all that she was going through.
It is just an amazing experience to be able to step outside of our own problems and to help someone get through theirs. James 2 17-18 says, "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds." As it is written in James, faith without action is dead. It's one thing to say your a Christian, it's another thing to go out in the world and live like Jesus. We can learn so much from someone else by serving and you could learning something about yourself.  And when you get the attention off of yourself, you tend to forget your worries, and pain. I didn't even think about my super low math grade once, because that wasn't important to these kids. They could care less what grade in math I had, they just cared that I was there. So go out into the world and serve someone else, to show that your faith isn't dead, and to be a light to someone who might need it. 
 

Stumbling

A big part of schooling is our grades. Some teachers say that the grades aren't important, as long as you are learning you will be fine. Now let's get real here. Grades are important. They help you get into college, and get scholarships. Many of us are stressed out just about our grades because we need them to be as high as possible. For me, I have been a straight A student all my life. Right now in Calculus, my grade is a C, and it is killing me. Then I was reading my bible and I found this verse. Psalms 37: 23-24 says, "The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand." I found comfort in this because while I'm stumbling on the path of trying to get my math grade up, I know that I am not alone, and I won't completely lose my grip. Slowly I can get my grade up, but it takes trusting God, and not my own understanding to do it. But through all of this, God is doing this for his glory, and I have to surrender and let God take over my life. So what ever your grades are, just give them up to God because he can handle it. Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." If you let God carry your yoke* and you carry his, your burdens would be on God and not yourself, and it is a lot easier to go throughout the day. God doesn't want you to fall flat on your face, but he can't help you if you don't give him an opportunity to. So are you going to give God your burdens today, whatever it may be?

* Yoke-a wooden beam that goes around the neck to join two or more animals.

Finding God-Role Models

So growing up, we tend to look up to someone who is older then us or who is more advanced then us for help. We call these people "Role Models." You may have a role model for many different reasons, but whatever the reasons are, the influence our lives. Sometimes the influences are good, sometimes they aren't as good. There is still a way though, to find God in our role models.
One of the people that I look up to is Ross Lynch. There are many things that I like about Ross, but one thing I like is how close his family is. He has three brothers and one sister and they are all very close. This is an influence for me, because me and my brother are that close and it's good to know that I'm not the only one with my brother as my best friend. As I was looking for a verse about family and I found 1 Timothy 5:8 which says, "Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever." When you have a best friend, you will tend to do what ever you can for them. Not only are Ross and his family are close, but they also form a band. And with the band they are still close, and they provide for each other. It helps to show me that no matter what me and my brother go through, we can still be friends, and provide for each other.
So this concludes the mini series I have been writing about Find God, and I hope that it helped you find God more in your everyday life.

Finding God-Music

So in my post on Wednesday, I talked about finding God in the things we watch everyday. So as you can assume from the tittle of this post, I'm going to write about finding God in the music we listen to. While listening to Christian music is a great thing to do, it is really hard to just listen to Christian music. There are songs out there that aren't Christian songs, but they don't have a curse word every line they sing. So how can you find God in the songs we listen to.
So one of my favorite non-Christian song is "As Long As You Love Me" by Justin Bieber, and I love that song for many reasons. One reason is that I really love the chorus. It goes "As long as you love me, we could be starving, we can be homeless, we can be broke. As long as you love me I'll be your platinum, I'll be your silver, I'll be your gold." Now if I have learned anything about song writing from Casting Crowns, it is that your can change the pronouns to get a whole new meaning. So in the first line, if we change "We" to "I" you get, "As long as you love me, I could be staving, I could be homeless, I can be broke." Now some would ask, "How does that relate back to God?"  I say that it can. When we have God in our lives, the material things start to fade away, to the point that we could be homeless and have enough trust in God that he will provide what we need to survive. Another thing I have learned from Casting Crowns is that you can flip two words to get a new meaning. So the second line would go, "As long as I love you, you'll be my platinum, you'll be my silver, you'll be my gold." Proverbs 8:19 says, "My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver" What God produces in us is better then any amount of silver or gold. So instead of looking material gold, we look for the gold of God which is all that is needed to survive.
Another reason I like "As Long As You Love Me," is because of the line, "7 billion people in this world trying to fit in." Isaiah 43:1 says, "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: 'Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.'" There are over 7 billion people in this world and God knows your name personally, and you are God's. I really can't think of anything better then that.
So as you listen to your music, keep God in mind, and think about how the lyrics can relate back to God. Not every single lyric you hear will be able to easily relate back to God, but you just need to find on lyric per song, because every time you hear that lyric, your mind will turn back to God. Every time I hear "As Long As You Love Me" and I hear the chorus of that one line, I think of God. So give it a try! Find a song that you love and see how you can get it to relate back to God.

Finding God-T.V.

Many of us watch, listen, and hang out with things that aren't necessarily Godly. I'm not saying that you need to give all up, but you need to find God in it. So I am going to give an example how you can find God while watching T.V.
So over fall break, I ended up watching a lot of T.V., and it was one show in particular. It was my mom's favorite show growing up as a teen, and now I'm in love with it. It is a show set in the western times of the United States, which is a time period I love. It is Alias Smith and Jones. To give a brief over view of the show. It is about two outlaws, Hannibal Heyes (Alias name: Joshua Smith) and Kid Curry (Alias name: Thaddeus Jones), who are trying to reform to get the government's amnesty. There is a episode I like called "The Wrong Train to Brimstone," where Heyes and Curry are on a train with people are trying to kill the Devil's Hole Gang which is the gang that Heyes and Curry were leaders of. So Heyes and Curry were going to risk their chance of getting amnesty, to save their gang. They put everything on the line that they want, to do what needed to be done. In the end, Heyes and Curry found a way to save their amnesty, and protect their gangs.
Now some after you are wondering how does this relate to God. Genesis 22:6-18 says, "Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and placed it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. As the two of them went on together, Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, “Father?”
“Yes, my son?” Abraham replied.
“The fire and wood are here,” Isaac said, “but where is the lamb for the burnt offering? Abraham answered, “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son.” And the two of them went on together.
When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”
“Here I am,” he replied.
“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” he said. “Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”
Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.”
 The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies,
 and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.”
Now Abraham was willing to sacrifice everything he had For God, like how Heyes and Curry was willing to sacrifice their amnesty for their friends. God may call us to do something that we don't want to do, but if we trust in the Lord and do what he says, then he will reward us for our trust. Abraham trusted God and he got to keep his son, and be the father to God's people, while Heyes and Curry saved their friends from a massacre and was able to keep the amnesty.
I also like connecting T.V. shows to the bible, because it is a modern take on the versus. Somethings happened so long ago, that it is hard to see how it fits with our life, but if you can connect it to T.V. shows, then you can make the connection on how it can fit in your life. So try sitting down with your favorite T.V. show and just search for God, and he might just find you.

P.S. If you haven't seen Alias Smith and Jones, I suggest you give it a try because it is really good.:)

The Fog

So I was driving my brother to driver's ed class, and it was really foggy during the drive. To get to the class, we have to cross the dam that is over the lake, by our house. As we were driving over the dam, all that could be seen was white, and the car in front of you. So after I dropped my brother off I went back over the dam, and I started thinking. The drive is a good representation of walking with Jesus. All you can see is what Jesus has provided for you, nothing more, nothing less. Jesus knows how easily distracted we can get. If it wasn't as foggy, then I could have easily been looking around and cause an accident on the dam. Jesus doesn't want us to crash on purpose. He limits our view sometimes because He knows that if we could see a little more, we would actually cause more harm to ourselves. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding." We don't understand what God has planned for us, or how we will get there. But there is so much going on in the fog that we can't see or even begin to understand. When we try to lean on our own understanding, we tend to fall. We have to trust that God has a plan for us, no matter what you are going through. So are you on God's path, or are you heading into the fog?

Peace

Many of us get a time in our lives where we are anxious about something. Whether it is a big test coming up, or a speech, or maybe the championship game, we all get anxious about something. With that, we tend to worry or get angry or just get plain out confused. So over this past week, these verses have came up a lot and they fit the situation on which I'm writing on. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious in anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ." This verse is saying that when we get anxious about anything, we need to let God know and give the situation to Him. When we pray to God and thank Him for taking care of our anxious hearts, He gives us peace. With this he will guard your heart and mind from anxious thoughts. If you don't give God your anxious heart, then there is no way for Him to guard you and give you peace. And for me personally, I would like to have peace, than an anxious heart filled with worry, and hatred, and confusion. So what ever you are anxious about, just give it all to the Lord.

You Got Me

So, I was working on a digital arts project for school, while listening to music. The song "Carry Me" by Josh Wilson came on, and I immediately knew what I could do for a project. So this is what I made.

 

Now let me explain this picture, so you don't think that it is a surfboard going through my brother. I got inspiration from the song "Carry Me" by Josh Wilson. I took the lines from the bridge that say, "I'm at the end of my self. I know I got nothing left. Feels like I'm stuck in the valley of the shadow of death. And I've been down here so long, I just can't find my way out. Oh, God I don't stand a chance unless you carry me out." So I position my brother so that he looks like he is in the fetal position, but he is looking up at Heaven for God's help. in the background you see God's hand, which is white because God is holy. Then above the hand you can see my brother's shadow. This is symbolizing how God is carrying him. God may not physically come carry you, but God will carry your spirit. God won't let his spirit fall because he has it in his hands.

 

I did this for a project because I know that we all have a point in our lives that it feels like we are walking in the valley of the shadow of death. Psalms 23:4 says, Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me." Just as God is carrying my brother's spirit, God will do the same for you. God is always with, even in the valley of the shadow of death. So what ever you are going through in life, look up to God for help.



Sharing the Gospel

 Special: I know that this isn't when I normally post, but this was to important to wait until Saturday.

So at my school's bible study we are doing a series of sharing the gospel. The first week we talked about what the gospel was. I went in front of the club and shared the gospel, and to me it proved that I knew what it was. So the second week, we broke into pairs and practice sharing the gospel. This was to figure how we would start the conversation. That is when I really started to freak out. I can easily get in front of a group and share the gospel any day of the week, but when it comes to having an actual conversation, and one that I would have to start, I just panic and crawl into my shell. So
I just was thinking what am I going to do. I have tried for the past two years just trying to invite a person to come to our club and that hasn't happened. So I told my self that I was going to do it. That night I told myself, "I would rather fail miserably trying, then to spend my whole life in regret."
So over the weekend I was reading my bible, and God showed me a couple verses that I needed to read.  The first is Jeremiah 15:19a which says, "Therefore this is what the Lord said: 'If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worth, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman.'" This comforted me because I knew that every word that I spoke was going to be used for God's plan. The next one was Jeremiah 1:6-8 which says, "'Ah, Sovereign Lord,' I said, 'I do not know how to speak; I am only a child.' But the Lord said to me, 'Do not say, 'I am only a child.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,' declares the Lord." Jeremiah was speaking, and God was asking Him to go before Jerusalem because they were not obeying God's commandments. Jeremiah had little confidence that he could do it, but God said to trust him and he would put every word that was needed into his mouth. That goes for all of us. We may not feel like we can do what God wants us to do, but God always have a way.
So today, the club met and prayed before we broke out into teams to go spread the gospel. I was with two of my friends, who are younger then me. So we went into the caferteria, and we found the girl who we wanted to talk to. So the other two decided that I sould go up and start the conversation because I was the oldest. Now the other two are much more outgoing then me, but all three of us were afraid. So I went up said hello, we introduced ourselves, we got her name, and  then we were suposed to to share the gospel. So the youngest of the group, had the paper with the basic outline of the gospel, and she handed to me. After passing it back and forth, they played the you are the oldest card, so you should share it. I ended up sharing it, but I didn't use the paper because I already knew the gospel. Afterwards it got awkward fast, so we ended up leaving.
Our first go at sharing the gosple failed misarably, but it was also successful. I mean we did share the gospel with her, which was the goal, but it was awkward and we did just leave her. By having the you are the oldest card played on me, forced me to step outside my comfort zone. If they didn't do it, I would not have spoke a word the whole time. And because I steped outside my comfort zone, I now know what I need to improve on for the next time. Also, a little humilty in my life isn't a bad thing either, it is a way to bring me back to the fact that I'm can't do everything.
So if you are scared of sharing the gospel, just go do it. After we shared the gosple, my group went back to the club room where they were talking about their fears. They were saying that fears aren't from God but the devil. so during one of my classes, I came up with, "The devil only puts fear in your life to stop you, because he knows that if he doesn't stop you, then you can do  a lot for the Kingdom of God." So if you don't let those fears rule your life, then you can actually do a lot for the Kingdom of God. And we will fail along the way, like my group did, but you can only get better from your failures. I can't wait to take another swing at sharing the gospel, because I know that God is with me, and that I am stronger from my failures.

Why

Many of us have heard the saying, "Bad things happen to good people." And it is true. Things can happen in our lives, that we don't plan or want, that can change the world that we have created for ourselves.  For example, my dad was driving to work in his jeep and he slipped on some black ice. He lost control, went up onto the grass, hit a tree, and took out a power box. Now Dad wasn't seriously hurt, but the jeep is totaled. When he called us saying he wrecked, Mom started to panic so she took my brother and I to school, because she didn't want me to wreck on black ice too. And because my car wasn't at school, mom had to pick me up on my off period to take me home. For that day, our whole world was shaken. God lets things happen in our lives for certain reasons. Romans 8:28 says "And we know all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose." Now standing here today, I don't know what God's purpose was for wrecking the jeep. If you ask different people, they will say for different reasons, but I know that God is going to use this in our lives, and we just have to wait and see.

AHHHH!!!

There are some times in our lives, when things get overwhelming. Between school, work, sports, friends, we hardly ever get a chance to catch our breaths.It is always go, go, go, do, do, do it is hard to get our bearings. I know for me, life feels like a game of catch-up in math. Math is my strongest subject, but I keep bombing tests. I know the teacher says not to pay attention to the grades, because the test are harder on the AP test. I know he purposefully makes the tests hard, but it hurts when people have way higher grades then me.  It gnaws at me because my math grade is low for me. I know the church answers, "You shouldn't find your identity in anything else but God," and "God made you perfect," but it hurts when you try to follow the church answers, and you come up short. And yes I know, "We will all fall short of God's mark," but sometimes people through phrases around that I have heard a billion times doesn't make me feel better.
So after math, I had digital arts which is using a computer for an hour and a half. The first thing I did was look at my email, and I saw K-Love's Encouraging Word of the Day which was Psalms 46:10 which says, "Be still, and know that I am God." Then I went to Pandora, which is what I normally do during digital arts, and clicked on Casting Crowns Radio, and the first song was "Everyman" by Casting Crowns which is my favorite song of all time. I immediately felt relaxed, because I felt God's presences in the room. After that song ending, other songs came on like "Set me Free" by Casting Crowns,  "In and out of Time" by Colton Dixion, and  "Yours to Hold" by Skillet. I was still, and I listen to God.
I know that sometimes throwing words at a person doesn't help them feel better. But if you sit still and let God throw himself at you, it really helps. God wants to help you, but with our busy lives, we don't allow time for God to help us. So take sometime out of your day, and just listen for God's help.

Nature

It's fall and that means that the leaves are changing on the trees. In the Rocky Mountains, when the leaves change it is so beautiful. but many times we forget to thank God for creating all of this. Psalms 148:7-10 says "Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all oceans depths, lighting and hail, snow and clouds, stormy winds that do his bidding, you mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars, wild animals and all cattle, small creatures and small birds." We are suppose to praise the Lord for his creation, and how beautiful it is. So take some time today just to sit outside and enjoy God's creation.

If you can't view the trees changing in the mountains here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

Jealousy

Many of us, throughout the course of our lives, have felt jealous. Whether it is because someone had more money then you, or cuter clothes then you, or the cuter boyfriend then you. I know for me, I am jealous every time I walk into my school's bible study. At our bible study, we have people who get up and share what's God is doing in their lives and I would so love to do that, but so far this school year, I haven't done it yet. So one day after the bible study I was flipping through the bible and I found this verse.

 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 says, "For the body is not made up of one part but many. If the foot should say, 'Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. And if an ear should say, 'Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,' it would not for that reason cease to be a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be/ If the whole body was an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arrange the parts in the body, everyone of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is there are many parts, but one body." I think this verse lays it out clearly that, we can't be all the same part. God has each put us in our parts of the body, so that it would benefit the body of Christ.

Now it is common fact that a speaker speaking to no one isn't telling anyone what he is saying, and an audience without a speaker isn't receiving anything. In the case of me presenting in my bible study, maybe God created me to be a part of the audience right now. I so want to be up there speaking, but if everyone was a speaker, then there would be no audience. God knows how much I want to speak, but if he has me in the audience, then that is fine, because I know that he has a plan for me to speak in the future. Just knowing that I am helping the body be sitting and listening, is rewarding enough, and is no reason for me to be jealous of the speaker.

So where ever in your life you might feel jealous, just know that God has you right where you should be. And even though you may not have a big role in helping the body, you can know that you are in fact helping. God would not set you in a place where you are useless, even though it can seem like that at times. So ask God how you can get over your jealous thoughts, and start helping the body of Christ.

God's Will

During our lives, I bet many of us feel like we are going in circles. It feels like day after day, you do the same thing, and you make the same mistakes, and you weren't any farther then you were before.  It's like you are stuck on repeat and there is no way to turn it off. We often wonder why God would let us walk around in circles, day after day. I know that I often feel like He was busy with someone else, so He put me on a circular track so I can't run away. So I typed in on my Google search bar "Bible verses about God's will." The first thing that came up was yahoo answers with 10 bible verses about God's will. Jeremiah 29:11 is one of the ones that stuck out to me.
Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'For I know the plans I have for you.' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you a future and a hope.'" Now I have heard this verse over and over again, but every time I didn't get the true meaning of it. I don't know the exact definitions of "welfare" and "calamity" So I looked them up and I found...
-Welfare is the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person.
-Calamity is an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress.
When you put these definitions into the verse it says "plans for health, happiness, and fortune and not for sudden damage or distress." Now realizing that God wants me to be happy, and healthy and have a fortune shows how much God loves me.
All of us might go through some small thing in life that we don't like, but that is apart of God's plan to bring happiness, health, and fortune to us. This is how we are given hope because all God wants for us is what's best. So it may feel like you are just going in circles, or even backwards, but we can have hope for that God has plans for welfare and not calamity, so that we are given hope and a future.

Tests

Test are an everyday part of going to school. It's this constant cycle of studying for a test, taking the test, and then reviewing what we missed on the test. Sometimes we pass the test with flying colors, and some times we completely bomb the test. Our relationship with Christ is also a never ending test. The difference is that Christ's test are worth more then a grade on a high school transcript. Psalms 139: 23-24 says, "Search me, O God and know my heart: Test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the everlasting." Now there are many parts to this verse. The "Search me" part, is the part of finding out what we don't know. This is right before you take the test. The next part, "Test me," is the actual test. God will put some event in your life, to test you on how will you react. The last part, "Lead me," is the part where you review the test and fix your mistakes. Now if you go through the whole test and you don't try to review and fix your mistakes, then the test is point less. God wants us to learn where we need to grow, that is why He gives us these test.
I know that some of our least favorite this to do in life are test, but are you taking God's tests  seriously enough to change your life?

Beauty

If you look at the covers at all the magazines, you see young woman that look super skinny, and super beautiful. Then some of us try our hardest to look like them. We would do anything, like starvation or surgery or a ton of make-up. But that isn't the beauty we need to be focusing on. God doesn't see the outer beauty when He looks at you, but He sees your inner beauty. Proverbs 31:30-31 says, "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." God sees what is in you heart. If your heart is pure and righteous, then God would consider you beautiful. If your heart is full of hatred and evil, then you're not as beautiful to God. God wants us to be like Him. This doesn't mean to look like Him on the outside, but to look like Him on the inside. If you look like God on the inside you will receive a great reward that won't go away because it is forever. If you focus on your outer beauty and not your inner beauty, then your reward is only temporary and will fade away.
So which beauty do you have, inner or outer beauty?

Hearts of Worship

Many of go to church and think that worship is only during the part of the service where we stand and sing. Many of us sing, but we don't often think about what we are singing or who we are signing to. Isaiah 29:13 says, "The Lord says: 'These people come near me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.'" Even though we stand and sing, that doesn't mean we are worshiping God. If there is no heart behind it, then all your doing is singing, not worshiping. Many of us has became accustom to standing during worship and clapping, but that is some of the rules taught by men. You don't have to stand and sing, which is what men taught us, but you can do more like dancing or cheering. Worship isn't a time for everyone in the audience to look like a choir, but to be excited to praise our Lord and savior.
I love the message in "The Heart of Worship" by Matt Redman. My favorite line is "I'll bring you more then a song, for a song in itself is not what you have required. You search much deeper with in through the ways things appear, you're looking into my heart." I love this because God doesn't say that worship is a song, but your heart praising Him. God can see through you standing and clapping, but he can see your heart, and if it is really praising Him. So be aware when you stand and sing in church and make sure your heart is praising God.

Gratitude

John F. Kennedy once said, "We must find the time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives." In today's society, people aren't walking around with the best of manners. Someone may do something nice, but most of us won't stop to say thank you. I find that I tend to forget to thank my mom, when she does something nice for me.
I also find that we often tend to forget to thank God for all he has done. God performs little miracles throughout our day we don't thank Him for it. 1 Thessalonians says, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." In every thing we do, we should be thanking God. When you thank someone who did something nice for you, you are also thanking God, because God put that person in your life to help you. God put that person in your life to make a difference, even though it is a small difference. If someone opened the door for you when your hands are full, they made a difference in your life because you didn't have to set down your load to open the door, and then pick up everything and stumble in through the door.  By saying thanks, you are fulfilling God's will, by giving thanks in all circumstances. John F. Kennedy said that we need to stop and thank the ones who make a difference in our lives. Along with thanking the person, we also need to thank God for putting them in our lives, and for everything He has done for us.

Faith

Below is a video about having faith in what we can't see.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reAsBzt9IIU&feature=youtu.be

Going the Extra Mile

I did a video for this blog and I pray that you enjoy it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yc4Y3d9ESo8

Surprises

Let me say, God is good at surprises. Wednesday, at First Priority, we did an activity. The thing is, the activity we did was the one that I did at church on Sunday (Wednesday for more info.) I had mentioned it just in passing, not thinking much of it, and the leader of the club thought it would be a good idea to do with everyone. I wasn't expecting that, and just watching everyone do it was amazing. God can do amazing things, that you won't even think would happen.

Another surprise this week is that on Friday, me and our brother had a snow day. (More specifically a rain day.) I found this a blessing, because it gave me more time to work on homework and to rest. Most people wouldn't think about getting a day of from school because rain, but God made it rain and flood. This was another surprise by God, that I was not expecting this week. If you look in the bible, you can find the phrase, "For Gods perfect and pleasing plan." All of these surprises are a part of God perfect plan. As far as im concern God can keep showing me his perfect plan for my life.

Let it Go

So this week was our church's fall kick-off, so we did things a little differently. At the end of service, we went outside to worship. After the first song, they told us that there was a table with index cards on it, and we were to write what was keeping us from God. So I God told me to go be one of the first people at the table, which was hard for me because I'm not the girl to go first. But I was one of the first ones over there and on the card I wrote,
*Shyness
*Fear
*Doubt
*Confusion
*My imagination
*A&A (Austin and Ally)
*YouTube
*MYSELF
I wrote shyness because it was holding me back from asking question and for help, so I wasn't growing. Fear because I afraid that I am not as good as everyone around me. Doubt because I didn't trust God that He could make my dreams reality. Confusion led me to just standing and not doing anything that could help. My imagination distracted me from school and sports and God. Austin and Ally and YouTube, while I love to watch, they easily distract me. And last myself, which always seem to get in the way.
So I wrote on my card, folded it in half and put it in my back pocket. When I got back to my spot, I closed my eyes, and I saw myself on a stage. I looked to the audience, and I saw Jesus in the front row. Then Jesus got up and walked toward me, until He was standing next to me.
Then the song that was playing ended, and the pastor said to take the cards and go throw them in the fire. I closed my eyes, and I saw Jesus with my card and He said "Take this and burn it. Don't let this stop you from achieving this." At that moment, the auditorium filled up with people. So I took my card out of my back pocket, and I walked over and threw it into the fire. As soon as I did that, a friend of mine stopped and asked how was I and the only thing I could say was great with a big smile.
When I got back to my spot, I closed my eyes I was with Jesus,and I saw myself on stage. It has been my dream to grow up and preform in front of people. When I burned the card with everything that was keeping me from God, I saw my dream come true. The last thing Jesus said before I opened my eyes was, "Remember all of this was done by me and for my glory." My dreams would not come true if Jesus wasn't behind it.

Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, your heart will be also." If you let things of this world take importance over God, then you can be easily broken. The things of this world are only temporary, and they will disappear. But what God has in store for you is eternal. What thieves can steal and what moths and rust can destroy on earth, they can't touch in heaven. So are you going to let things of this world keep you from God and whats eternal, or all you going to let it go. 
So this is my challenge for you. Take an index card and write on it every thing holding you back from God. I could be one big thing, or a bunch of smaller things. Then take the card and get rid of it. If you have access to a fire then you can use that. If not then you can shred, or cut it up. How ever you can manage to destroy it, do it. Once you let go of what separating you and God, ask God to see what He can now do with your life. He has something amazing planned for you, and all you need to do is trust Him 100% of the time. So go on, take whatever is holding you back and let it go!

Charger

Have you ever compared yourself to those charger stations in the mall or airports? The ones that have a big group of people sitting around them waiting for their phones to charge. You can be a charger station for people by what you say. Ephesians 4:29 says, "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." If you are encouraging, then people will start to gravitate towards you. If you tear people down with the words you say, then they will tend to move away from you. People like to be around people who are positive and encouraging. When you are encouraging, you are filling up their batteries which sometimes can run very low for a very long time. One encouragement can give them a full battery and will help them get through their day. So, are you a charging station for people around you?

First Priority

With school starting again, it can be really hard to keep our priorities straight. Your top priority might be sports, or academics, or friends. But how many can say your top priority God? Luke 11:28 says "He replied, 'Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.'" God is telling us what to do everyday, but if your first priority isn't God, it is hard to hear it. So here are some suggestions to help you keep your mind on God during your busy day.
-Pray before you head to school each day.
-Pray before you eat lunch.
-Encourage someone in your class.
-Start/ join a bible study at you school.
-Write an encouraging verse on your binders.
-Put some Christian music on your iPod.
-Set your alarm to a Christian song to wake up to.
-Read the Bible in the morning.
What ever you chose to do, it is important to turn yourself to God so you can hear every step of His plan for you.

I'm Still Standing Here

While listen to K-Love, I heard Colton Dixon's song, "Never Gone". I love how he took an experience that he had as a kid and connected it to his relationship with Jesus. Colton said that when he was younger, he would run and turn the lights on when he was in bed, to make sure everything was still there. This is like when we have a struggle in our lives and we ask if Jesus is still there, and we turn on the lights. I love the chorus of this song that says, "I'm still standing here. No, I didn't disappear. Now the lights are on. See I was never gone." Deuteronomy 31:8 says "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discourage." In both the song and the verse, the word never is used. In life you can't trust when someone says never because it is easy to break, but when Jesus says never He means it. So what ever you are going through take comfort in knowing that Jesus will NEVER leave you, so you don't need to go rush and turn the light on, because Jesus is still standing there.

Here is the song by Colton Dixon if you wanted to watch it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRbWgiSPAcw

Pay Attention

So recently I got my drivers licenses. And boy do I see things differently. Growing up, I didn't really notice all that happened around the car. But when I got my licenses I noticed how fast cars fly by, and how many close calls happen. When you are driving, you have to pay attention to everything or else you could wreak and hurt yourself or others. The same thing goes with God. You need to pay attention 24/7. That way you can get everything He tells you. Ecclesiastes 12:1 says, "Remember your Creator in the days of your youth before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, 'I find no pleasure in them'" Even one second of not paying attention to God can cause you a world of hurt. One moment of ignoring God, can end you up doing something that you don't want to do. And once you start it's hard to stop. In a car when you hit your breaks, you don't stop immediately but skid forward into someone else. Even if you get back to paying attention to God, it may be too late.
When you get into a wreak, the driver of the other car may not forgive you for not paying attention for a second, God does forgive you. He understands that we are human. That's why He sent His son to die for us, because God knows how easily distracted we get.
So are you paying attention to God or are you flying past Him?

What You Can Handle

I play field hockey. This is my third year playing it. I love the games and most of the practices, but I do not like the running. Wednesday, our coach increased our running by a lot. We now had to do 2 laps and stairs, and then we had to do forty yard sprints. With my asthma it was difficult to complete all that. God knew that. So on the laps. I only did one lap and stairs and then my asthma got really bad that I had to stop and take medicine. This gave me enough time to rest, before the sprints. But I had to stop during the sprints because I couldn't breath. That night I pretty much went home in tears because of how much my body and lungs hurt. I got home, and before my shower I tried to find anything in the bible that could help. I found Mathew 10:29-31 saying, "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very own hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." This verse meant to me is that God knows everything about me. He knows I have asthma, and that it gets hard for me to breath. He knows how much my body can handle before it shuts down. God gave me asthma problems on the first lap because He knew I would come off and get medicine. He did this so I wouldn't totally die in the sprints. If you are struggling with something, and it feels like everyone else is better than you, just know that God knows. He knows that maybe you struggle with school, or sports, or relationships, and God wants you to give it all to Him. When you do, He can do amazing for you. The practice on Friday (had a game Thursday), the coach said if you want to do conditioning then come an  half hour early to practice. I didn't go because I knew how much work it was. It's not that I'm being lazy, it's just hard for me to run for an half an hour with my asthma. I gave the practice on Wednesday, and He made it to where I didn't have to go and run, because he knows how difficult it is for me. And Friday I was able to run the whole two laps and stairs without stopping, because God knew I didn't have to do sprints. So what can you give to God this weekend, so He can work it so that you can handle it?

School!

So for many of us, school has started or it will start soon. Now some of us love school, and some of us don't. But it is important to remember, that growing up that our job is school. We are there to learn and to grow, so that one day we can go out in the real world and have a job, and provide for our self, or a family. Luke 2:52 says, "And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men." When Jesus was on this earth, he had to do what everyone else did. He went to school, and when he started a job, He wasn't placed in the highest position but He worked his way up. Every where He went, He would grow in wisdom. So as we grow in wisdom, either from school or from God, remember that as you grow you will find favor in God's and men's eye. So take school seriously and put an effort in. One day it will pay off.

Dancing with Jesus

So recently I have had a cool experience with Jesus. I was in my basement, upset because things weren't going my way that day. After listening to some other songs, I finally turned on "Praise You in the Storm" by Casting Crowns. When I looked up from my Mp3 player, I saw Jesus standing right in front of me. When the words came on I just started singing to Him with all I had. During this He slowly came towards me. By the time of the chorus, Jesus grabbed my hands and we started to dance. I closed my eyes and I let Jesus lead. There were moments when I didn't fully trust him, and I opened my eyes to make sure I didn't run into things. But as the song progressed I trusted him more. Not once did I run into a table or the couch or the walls. At the end of the song, I opened my eyes and Jesus was gone, but I felt completely at peace, and I didn't worry about anything that when on that day.
A couple of weeks later, I was thinking about this experience and I realized that life is one big dance routine with Jesus.

If you haven't accepted Jesus into your heart, it's as if you are trying to do a partner dance without a partner, and that is very difficult, because you don't know what to do, and it is hard to do tricks in the dance.
If you have accepted Jesus, but it's still new, it's like you are dancing with each other but your an arms length away. It is still difficult to do tricks, but at least now you have some direction.
The closer you draw to Jesus the closer you will dance to him, until it is like you are on his feet. As a child many of us stand on our parents feet as they dance around the room. Matthew 18:2-4 says "And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them and said, 'Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.'" This means that you completely trust Jesus that you will not fall flat on your face. But we occasionally fall off and that is like a slip-up that we make in life. But Jesus has your hands and every time you fall off his feet, he can pull you right back on.
The calm parts in our life are like a high school slow dance. Everyone is rocking back and forth, and it is calm and quiet.
The struggles in life, are the lifts in the dance routine. You have to trust your partner completely. You also don't get the lifts on the first try. You have to keep trying and working on it. It can be hard but God always has you through this part. When you finally get through the struggle, it's as if you have completed the lift which can only add to the dance routine.

After I thought about this, it put my whole life into perspective. I love to dance, and if I am doing a routine with Jesus, I want to know more about Jesus, so that the routine can be more known to me. The more of Jesus that I know, the more of the routine that I will know too.

So I ask, how is your dance routine with Jesus coming along?

Siblings

Many people have siblings and they can either be your friend or your enemy. Proverbs 27:17 says, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." A different version of the Bible says, "As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend." God puts certain people in your life not to be enemies but to be a friend and help you grow. It can be great to have a sibling as a friend. They know what is going on at home. Also because siblings normally live in the same home, you don't need an invite to come hang with them. My brother and I are friends. We love to hang out in our basement, and we generally love the same shows on T.V. We each help each other with our homework. Of course we fight, but fights can happen between anyone. If you look at some of the bands out there, they are comprised with siblings. The Jonas Brothers are three brothers, and R5 has four siblings in it. When siblings work together, they can do some amazing things.
But when siblings don't get along, it doesn't only effect the siblings but it can effect their parents or their kids. My mom really can't stand one of her sisters. At the beginning of summer our family was supposed to go to California to go visit our grandpa. But our aunt that mom doesn't like was going out too. so we had to change all of our plans and go later in the summer. That upset my brother and me because we had to wait, and it upset grandpa, because he didn't understand why we switched the date.
Siblings can be a friends and help build each other up, or they can be enemies and cause problems to the whole family. If you have a sibling who is your enemy, it is never to late to make them your friend.

Guarantees

We have all heard in our lives that there are no guarantees. Something can change on a dime that effects your life. It can be as small as a date being canceled, to as big as someone dying who is close to you. But there is one guarantee in life. 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says, "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He has anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."  God's guarantee is that if you believe in Him, there will be many benefits to enjoy in heaven. As a down payment on the benefits, He has sent the holy spirit to live in you. So no matter what you are going through, you always have one guarantee to look forward to.