Your Way To Go

We know that we are not the same as the person standing (or sitting) next to you. You may be smart when it comes to school, while the person next to you is street smart. You are both different but that doesn't mean that one person is better than the other. But when it comes to our faith, we tend to compare where we are in our faith to everybody else. You may think that you are better than someone because you read you Bible everyday. Or during worship you may raise your hands, so that means you are better than someone who stands there. But being different than someone doesn't mean that you are better than that person. It is that both of you are on different paths. Psalms 119:105 says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." Notice the second to last word "My." We each have our own paths, and each one of them are different. You may struggle with porn, while the person next to you struggles with drugs and alcohol. You can't say, "I don't struggle with drugs and alcohol so I am better than the guy next to me." God sees each sin the same, and Jesus died for everyone.
Let's take my favorite band for example, Casting Crowns. They are a band that tours the country, and on Sundays they all go and teach at their church. The lead singer, Mark Hall, is a youth pastor, as well as the lead singer. Just because they do so much for God, doesn't mean that they are better than you. God loves everyone of his children the same. The members of Casting Crowns are just on a different path than you. With the path that they are on, they also face different challenges than you. The world may see that Casting Crowns is "better than you", but God sees you all the same, each person on a different path.

Dear Heavenly Father, 
I know that I easily compare myself to other people, just trying to feel better about myself. Help me to find all the love I need in you, so I don't have to find it anywhere else, because your love is sufficient for me. Help me to understand that not one person is better than another person, but that we are on different paths. Help me to encourage people, no matter where they are on their path for your glory God. Amen.

Christian Life

I don't know why we have this idea in our head, that Christians are no fun sticks in the mud.  I mean people can justify it by all the rules that Christians have to follow, like don't steal, or lie, or murder. The thing is these rules were put there to show us how much we need a Savior, not to make our lives dull. We should try to obey the laws, but God wants us to be happy and to have a little fun in our lives. Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, "So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun." God does want us to have fun and he isn't trying to work us to death. God gave us a day to rest during the week, and he gave us friends and family to hang out with. We do have to be careful and watch what we say and do, but going to a cafe with your friends isn't a sin. Watching a movie with your boyfriend isn't a sin, you just have to be aware of the temptations there. Having fun doesn't equate to sin, you just have to be careful of the temptations present. So I will keep this post short, so that you can go out there and have a little fun today, instead of just listening to me blab. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
I have this crazy idea in my head of what a "Christian life" should look like. I pray that you help me break down those ideas, so that I can see you for you, and how much you love me and how you do want me to have fun and to be glad Lord. Thank you for your love everyday, and that the love you have will encourage me to go and have fun, while I work for you. 

Christmas is Coming

The story that I am using can be found in Isaiah 9:6  which goes, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." I chose this story, because of it's location in the Bible. It is found in Isaiah, which is located in the old testament, but if you read the passage, it sounds like it was written at the same time that Jesus was born. It was prophesied years before Jesus, that he will be born. This was a story to the Jews at the time, and it was passed down from generation to generation. It was a story, until Jesus came to Earth and made it a reality. Jesus became a wonderful counselor and the prince of peace, and the everlasting Father, and so much more, the night that he was born in manger, in the City of David. Jesus made this story that had been around for a while into reality.
Now, there is so much more to this in how it can apply to your life. We each have a story, whether it is something that we had to overcome, or a victory that we have won. God had already written our stories a long time ago, before we were even born. He knows what is going to happen, and he knows all the plot twists before they happen. He will take your story that he has written and make it a reality if you let him. Just like how Jesus turned a story into reality, God is willing to do the same with you if you let him in. I know how much we each want our own realities to come true, but the story that God has written for us, will play out so much better in reality than anything that we will write. You just have to trust in the story that God has written for you.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending you son down in a form of a baby, to come and save my life. Thank you that you already have my story written out, and I trust you that it will be amazing when it comes to reality. I know that it is hard to trust a story that we don't know the end to, so I pray for the courage to trust and follow you in all that you make reality for me. Amen.

Finding the Right Gift

Christmas time is the time to give gifts to all of your friends. Many people believe that these gifts have to be big and expensive for them to mean anything. That is not true. Throwing money at a problem doesn’t mean that it satisfies the job. A true gift is a gift that shows how much you know about the person. It reflects how much you care about them. Sure anyone can go to the store and get the newest piece of tech, but it takes a true friend to sit down and listen to the other person to truly understand what they want. Once you understand what they want, you can then decide what to get them, and it may not be the most expensive thing on the market at that time.

So now that you aren’t rushing out to the store to get the newest, most expensive gift, the question becomes “What are you to give them?” Like I said earlier, it depends on the person. If it is a girl the safest bet is still jewelry. But instead of the expensive pendant on a chain, make you own piece. It can be in their favorite color, with a pendant that matches the dress that they never seem to have a necklace for. There are lots of possibilities. Now let’s say, you are reading this and you are thinking, “Kaitlyn, I am just not that creative.” Find what you are good at. If you can write, then write a story for your friend. If you can dance, then create a piece to show to your friend. There are many ways to create a gift for a friend or family. It may take some extra to think about the gift, but it will be greatly appreciated. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for sending you son down, which is the ultimate gift. I pray that this holiday season that I can show how much I love the people around me. Amen. 

Look at Who God Made You to Be

Have you ever awaken in the morning, looked in the mirror and thought you just looked awful?  Your hair is sticking out at odd angles, your eyes are red, and you just feel fat.  I think everyone has felt like that at one point or another in their life. It's those days that you might put on a lot of makeup and put a lot of hair gel in your hair to get it to stay in place.  Maybe you are flipping through magazines and everyone in them is skinny with perfect skin and a perfect smile.  You look at yourself in the mirror, comparing yourself to her and you look nothing like that girl in the magazine.  But there is a secret that sometimes young girls, and even older ones and sometimes men, need to know.  Let me tell you what that is:  You are beautiful no matter what you look like.  God created you, and He made you perfect.  Sure, he didn't make you look like that perfect model (who has probably been very photoshopped), but He made you exactly the way He had in mind.  And you are beautiful in His eyes.

We all have those days when we feel like we're the ugliest person on earth.  Remember, though that God made you perfect in His eyes.

A song that touches on this idea is Jonny Diaz's "More Beautiful You."  I love the first verse where he is talking about the fourteen-year-old girl flipping through the magazine because that is me some days and I can relate!  Please watch his music video and remember, You Are BEAUTIFUL!

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for making me beautiful. Help me to love myself the way you love me. Amen.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNqQUojBg84

Loving Everyone

Over the semester I have been doing research in sharing the gospel with non-believers. During my research, I stumbled across 1 Corinthians 9:19-22, and below is a section of my paper that breaks down how this passage in the Bible relates to us sharing the gospel.

When it comes to sharing the gospel, there are no bounds on racial and ethnic backgrounds on who can receive the good news. God called all people to be his people, Jews and Gentiles. Christians are not the ones who pick and choose who comes to God, but they are the ones who just tell the message of what God has done. One thing that Jesus emphasized in his teachings is the concept of loving everyone. 1 Corinthians 9:19-20 summarizes the best what it means to love everyone that God has created. Paul described in his letter to the Corinthians that Christians are supposed to be “a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible” for God. Paul goes on to explain what this means. For example when Paul was winning over Jews, then he would “become like a Jew.” He wouldn’t become a Jew, but he would hang out where they hung out and associate himself with them. Paul concludes his letter by saying he, as well as every Christian, have to “become all things to all people,” to save some of the people we come in contact with. We don't shun people just because they are different than us, but we instead learn what they are about and we love on them.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving me, Lord. Help me to reflect that love back onto everyone on I come in contact with, no matter what their race, or religion. Amen. 

Building Altars

One common theme I have found when reading the Old Testament is that the Jewish people were into building alters. They built these altars as a reminder of all that the Lord has done for them. When they crossed over to the promised land, they built an altar. Whenever a battle was won they built an altar. It was a way to remember for generations to come what the Lord has done, and how he has blessed them.
I wonder what our lives would look like if we remember all the good that God has done for us or all the times he guided us out of a tough situation. We all go through hard times in life and if we had something that we can look at to remind us of a time when God came through for us and how he can do it again. For example, if you are wondering about God's timing, if you had a note or a mason jar where you can store these memories you can then go back to a time where God timing worked perfectly for you even when it wasn't when you thought it would happen. That is something I found interesting as I was reading the Bible that I wanted to mention.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all the times you came through for me. I pray that I can remember all the good you have done for me when life starts to look bleak. Amen. 

Grateful Attitude

One thing that has continuously been coming up in my life, whether through devotionals, church services, Bible studies, or TV shows, is being grateful. And more importantly being grateful when times are hard, or we are completely stressed. In a book that I am reading for Bible study, the author talked about how we have to work at being grateful, but when we are grateful for the things that we have, we find more joy in life and we aren't as stressed.


One thing that is hard is when we are down or stressed, we don't often know what to be grateful for. I have some suggestions for you to think about when you are looking for something to be grateful about.


-Look around the room you are currently in. Find something that you can't live without, or something that you find enjoyable, and give thanks to God for whatever it is.


-Go though your phone and find a conversation over text, or pictures you have of a friend. Give thanks to God for that person, and all the good memories you two share.


-Browse the internet, and find the sites that you spend most of your time on. Give thanks to God for the websites that you spend hours on.


-Find a modern piece of technology that you use on a daily breakfast. Give thanks to God that you live in an age where there is technology.


-Go through your closet and find your favorite outfit. Give thanks to God for all the cute clothes you can wear.


There is a lot to be thankful for, we just have to go out an look for it. And when we feel grateful for what we do have, the worry of the things that we don't have begins to shrink and that stress will fade away.


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for dying for me on the cross. That you for all that you give me even though I don't deserve it. Help me to be grateful even during the days where I am stress and tired. Amen.

Lesson From Girl Meets World

So I don't usually post two on Saturday, but I feel like this was a special case, and it couldn't wait till Wednesday. So Friday, the new Girl Meets World was released, and one part of the show that I like is that in some way or another I can relate with at least one of the characters. This week though hit close to home, and I wanted to talk about it.

This week the plot of the show was the conflict between Riley and her mom. Riley believed that she was old enough to make her choices and do what was important to her, even though it wasn't as important to her mom. She defied her mom's orders and after a while of arguing, Riley moved in to be with her best friend, Maya.

The basis of this disagreement is that the teenager thinks that they can make their own decisions, but they go against what their parents want. The teen feels entitled to be in charge of their own life because they are a good person and they can have made good decisions in the past, just like how their parents raised them. Then they think that it's not fair that they don't get to do what they want to do, forgetting all the wonderful things their parents did, like pay for the house, food, clothes, etc. The said teenager thinks they can do it on their own. Both teen and parent are hurt because of what happened because the teenager doesn't know that they are the world to their mom. They realized they need each other, and they go back and mend the relationship.

This is a cycle that happens over and over again in our lives and watching that episode put it into perspective how much I hurt my mom when we argue, and I feel like I am entitled, so much so that it felt like I was looking into a mirror. I don't care who you are; we have all fought with our parents growing up. I know I have. It's not because I don't love her, it's just we have separate ideas on what is important. When I am in the battle, I can only see things my way. But looking at it from both angles, I do hurt my mom, when I don't mean too. I thought after I watched this episode, that if I were suppose to have a different mom, God would have given me someone different. But God didn't, and I am so lucky to have the mom he did give me.

Dear Mom,
Thank you for you love every day, even when I can be an entitled brat. I know that we may not agree on everything, for we are two different people, but I don't need to turn these disagreements into battles that harm you. I do love you. I am thankful for all the prayers you pray for me. I am thankful for the food I eat, for the clothes and shoes I wear. I am grateful for every time I get to see you. I am blessed to call you mom, for I have learned so much from you, about volunteering and going out there to get donations for fundraising events. I learned how to be independent. I know I don't say this enough, but I love you mom, and I couldn't have done any of this without you. 

Kaitlyn <3 

The Small Things in Life

One of my favorite parables is the Parable of the Bags of Gold. (Matthew 25:14-30) One reason why I like this parable because it talks about taking what you have been giving and putting it to use. In the parable there are three servants. The first two put the bags of gold that they have been given to work/investment and because of that they made more money for their master. The third servant hid the money that was given to him, and he did not make any extra money for the master. The first two servants were given more to be in charge of because they wisely used what was given to them. The third, on the other hand, had everything taken from him because he didn't invest what was given to him.


When I read this parable, I think about using the gifts that God has given us to benefit his kingdom. He puts us in places that may seem insignificant at the time but they can help you in the future get to where you want in life. For example last year as my work study, I worked in the commons. It wasn't the most glamorous job on campus, but I made sure that I worked on it to the best of my ability. Then I was offered a job as a football filmer. It was more related to what I wanted to do, which is to work with cameras. After working hard at that, God than gave me the opportunity to next semester work for one of my professors as their TA. Now at the beginning of freshman year, I didn't expect to ever be in a place where I would be working right along side my professor. But I worked hard at the jobs that God provided, and when he saw that I could invest what I have been given to do more, he gave me more.


I have to admit, none of us want to start at the bottom. It will be so much easier to start at the top, but we need to show that we can be responsible for what God has given us, and then we can move up the ladder. So no matter what you are doing now, work at it with all you heart as if serving the Lord and not man. (Colossians 3:23)


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for giving me these jobs that may not always be what I desire, because I know that by doing well at them that I can than be trusted with more. Help me to work where I am placed with out complaining so I may bring glory towards your kingdom. Amen.

Relational Evangalism

This semester at school, I am doing an independent study on the topic of sharing the Gospel with non-believers. One theme I have found in my research, whether it is reading books or talking to the dean of chapel at my school, is that one of the most successful ways to share the Gospel is to create a relationship with them.


So the question becomes, what does this relationship look like? One thing that was emphasized was this relationship is not a tool in the goal of sharing the Gospel. This is a genuine relationship where you care about the person, where you can empathize with their struggles and celebrate their success. This is a relationship where both people trust each other so you can be open and honest and share where you are struggling and connect with them. This is a relationship just like any other relationship that you may have with a Christian.


Now to do this, you may have to, as the dean of chapel says, "get in and deal with the messiness." This means getting out of your comfort zone. He started about talking about how Jesus hung out with the worst sinners possible and how his relationship with them changed them. Jesus got down in the messiness, and he interacted with people, who the Jews had already dismissed as being people who couldn't be saved.


He then gave some modern examples. The two examples he used were drinking at a bar and smoking on break. For the drinking, he suggested that you go to the bar, but don't drink. No one says that you have to drink at a bar, and by not drinking it gives you the chance to help someone who is drunk get home safely. Another thing he talked about is that people are most willing to talk when they feel comfortable, and they aren't preoccupied. He gave the example of the smokers, because they are usually on break when they smoke, and so they can just hang out and not worry about work. Lastly, he talked about how you being in the same area as they don't mean that you agree with what they are doing, or condoning what they are doing. You are simply enjoying each other's company.


Now, comes the important part, actually sharing the Gospel. One thing that was talked about was the fact that we, as Christians should act and looked so different than everyone else around us that people wonder what do we have. Just this summer I have been called someone's good influence, and as the summer went on, they hung out with me more and more, because they liked who I was and they wondered why I was liked that. That led to discussions about my faith, and it created some good conversations about our values and how they affect our life.


It is also suggested that you pray about God giving you the opportunity to share the Gospel. A prayer is a powerful tool, and it can be very helpful when sharing the Gospel with someone. And even if you have to leave, for example, go to college, prayer can be very helpful in still reaching out to a person over a distance.


Now I know this is a quick and dirty version of a semester worth of research, but it is so valuable that we should at least be thinking about this. Once I write my paper, I hope to go into more detail about each of the points I mentioned, because I am very passionate about reaching out to the people in the cities I live in who aren't perfect, and they are looking for their good influence in their life.


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for placing people in my life to create a relationship with to share your love. I know that I am not the one who saves people, for that is for you alone. Please send me out to be your messenger to the people who need you most. Help me not to be afraid of the messiness that will follow for in all of this I trust you. Amen

Take The First Step

In my dorm, we have two staircases, and their designs are very interesting. When you start going up the steps, you can't see the top. They take a 90-degree turn right at the middle and the wall blocks your view from seeing the top. Yet we go up the stairs in confidence that the stairs will end and they will take us right where we need to be. You just start by taking on step at a time and then you reach the top.

The same thing happens with our faith. We are going up some stairs but we can't see the top. I say stairs because stairs can be hard to climb after a while and they can be intimidating, but if you keep working on it, you will reach the top. The stairs of our faith were designed by God, and they do lead where we need to go which is where God plans us to be. We just can't see the top of the stairs and see where we end up. All we have to do is take that first step and we are closer at reaching where we are going. Going one step at a time makes the journey less scary than if we were to look at it all at once. So today, I encourage you to take that first step and see where this staircase leads.

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for walking with us every step that we take. Help me to trust you in each step I take and not worry about where I end up, because I know the designer of the staircase built it to lead me where I need to go. Amen. 

A Real Connection

So one of the conversations that I have had a lot recently is what kind of relationship you can with the use of technology. With many of us being so far from friends and family, we use technology to connect with people. We had discussions on what technology was best for each situation of communication. I broke down the main forms of communications that we use and the conversations we have when using them.

Text- Text is best for short conversations and not very deep conversations. For example, talking about someone's dog or planning a time to set up a video call. It has been mine experience that having deep and meaningful conversations over text aren't the same as when I had those conversation with them in person or even over video call and I feel empty afterwards like something is missing. You don't get the same body clues and voice influxes over text. Actually, it is very easy to misinterpret what a person means over text, and you can add things that may not have been the original intent of the sender. Texting is also short and choppy and it is easy to get distracted from the conversation by other things going on. I have also realized that the people who I have the best conversations with are the worst texters. But to be honest I would rather have bad texts and good conversations than good texters and awkward conversation in real life.

Email/Letters- Emails and letters still limits the verbal and non-verbal cues, but one thing about them is that they typically are longer than texts, allowing you to explain more of what is happening to make up for the lack of verbal and non-verbal cues. You can explain things better, but emails and letters take longer to communicate. Letters just take longer because of the distant they have to travel, but it is nice to have something physical to hold on while you wait for the next letter. Emails are faster, but they are not as easily accessible, at least for me, as text, so it might take some time for a response.

Phone Calls- Phone calls gives you the verbal cues, and it allows you to have an actual conversation. Phone calls are also easy to make if you have a signal. However, I find that many people are not comfortable talking on the phone so that might make the conversations more awkward, but it just take some getting use to.

Video Calls- Video calls are probably the best way to have those deep and meaningful conversations. You can see the person and hear their voice. I know that my family is important to me so we try to video call every once and a while. They are inconvenient at sometimes, especially if you don't have WIFI, but they are worth it when you can see the other person's face.

Now depending on what you want to talk about and who you are talking to, you can decide which form of technology you would like to use. There is not one right form of technology to use, but it up to you and the person you are talking with to decide with form you like best, and it is hard to determine what the best way is. Just know that no matter what way you are using to communicate, watch what you say, because once you say something, you can not take it back.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the friends you have placed in my life. Help me to effectively communicate with them to strengthen our relationship not only with each other but with you. Amen.

Playing For God

I don't know why it took me this long to write this post or to make this connection, but this has made an impact in my life.


So one of the movies that came out this summer is a movie called Nerve that I fell in love with. The simplified plot of the movie is basically deciding if the main character is going to play this crazy game of Nerve, which is a bunch of crazy dares, or if they are going to sit on the sidelines and just watch the game. Eventually the main character, Vee, decides to play the game instead of just watch, and even though there were some real sketchy times, Vee did grow during the course of doing these dares.


Now that was just a movie, but I think we can learn from this in how we treat our relationship with God. God is calling us to trust him with our lives and to follow him in everything he calls us to do. And when God calls us to do something, it does feel like he is calling us to do some crazy dare, that at the time we don't think is possible. Take for example Peter walking on the water. God called him out to walk on the raging water, and he did. But when he got to thinking about what he was doing he loss faith and started to drown. One thing I took from Nerve is that once you start a dare, you just have to go for it, because the minute you start using your head, that is the minute everything goes all wrong. When God calls us to step out on what feels like our own raging seas we have to trust God all the way.


Another good point this movie made was questioning if you are going to be a watcher and a player. God is asking us the same question. Are we going to follow where God calls us, how ever crazy that might be, or are we just going to sit on the sidelines and watch other people do God's work. God wants to do amazing things in our life, but we have to step out in faith and trust him in where he is calling us. He doesn't want some one who is going to chose to be a watcher, but he wants someone who is going to play and trust him with their life completely. It will get crazy some times, and there will be times where you might have doubts, but if it is a part of God's will for you, then he has you and will provide for all your needs.


So my question is, Are you a Watcher or a Player?


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all you have planned for my life. Lord, I want to be a player, and to trust you completely. I want my entire being to serve you and to follow where you go no matter how crazy it might be. Amen.

Song Break Down- Never Gone

"Never Gone" by Colton Dixon is one of my favorite songs. When I first heard the song on K-Love, I was going through a hard time at school with my grades, and the song was a reminder that God was there with me through that time in my life, and that he is still with me to this day. I really liked the use of a metaphor with the kid in the dark, and our faith. The first verses goes, "Lights off, a shot in the dark/We get lost when we’re playing a part/We lay blame like we know what’s best/It’s a shame…" There have been many times in my life where I would want God to step in and "turn on the lights" so that I could see every thing that was going on, and know that every thing was going to be fine, and it is a shame that I don't trust God fully like I say that I do. But God does have a reason for not immediately turning on the lights. If he was going to turn on the lights every time that we needed him, then how would our faith grow. I actually found a great verse on what faith is. In Hebrews 11:1 it says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." Faith is believing in what we do not see. It is by our faith that we believe in the fact that God is always with us. The chorus of the song goes, "I’m still standing here/No I didn’t disappear/Now the lights are on/See I was never gone/I let go of your hand/To help you understand/With you all along/Oh, I was never gone." The chorus is talking from God's perspective on how he never left us. We can't see Him, but it is by our faith that we know that he is there. It is by our faith, that we know that his son died for us on that cross, and that he rose three days later. It is by our faith that we know that the Holy Spirit was sent to be with us and to help strengthen us.  Now I was reading Hebrews 11, and I found that the whole section talks about faith. As I was reading it I found a theme, and it was the use of the words "by faith." Every time that the author would talk about a new person, he wouldn't talk about their actions as much as he would talk about their faith, and them believing in what they could not see. It talked about Abraham's faith in God when he went to go sacrifice his son. It talked about Noah's faith when he built an ark, even though it didn't look light a flood was going to happen.  It talked about Moses faith when God helped him part the red sea. But my question is, "What about your faith?" We all reach points in our life, when we can't find an explanation for what is going on, or the world seems like it is out to get us. Do you have the faith to believe that God is still there even in the darkness, like the song talks about? Do you have faith that God has a plan for your life, like he had a plan for Abraham's, Noah's, and Moses's life? Do you have that faith? These trials that we face aren't there for nothing. They are there to help us grow in our faith. James 1:2-4 says, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." The more that your faith is tested, the more that God leaves the lights off, that is what allows us to grow, so that our faith may become steadfast through any situation. With a steadfast faith, we will be able to do the will that God has for us, and we can go knowing that we have everything we need through our faith. So this week, I challenge you to go through the trials in your life, not asking for God to rush in and turn on the lights, but that your faith may grow to know that he is there.  Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for not always stepping in and turning on the lights. I pray that as I grow through the trials of my life that my faith can grow so that I can be steadfast in any situation Thank you for always being there even when I can't feel you. Thank you. Amen.

I Trust in Jesus

Many of us have someone in our lives we trust, whether it is a teacher, a family member, or a closer friend. But what if all those things went away, who would you trust.  The things of this world that we trust will either let us down or one day they would be gone. But there is one thing that you can always trust no matter what happens. Psalm 25:1 says, “In you, Lord my God, I put my trust.” When you give up control of your life then who knows what can happen. God can do great things with ordinary people. Look at David; he was a shepherd boy watching over the sheep.  He trusted in the Lord, and he ended up becoming a king. Who knows what you can become when you place your trust in Jesus. 
And when you place your trust in Jesus, you can feel confident that he is not going to forget you because it is said, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11) We can put our hope in God with our trust because God knows the plans he has for you. While the other people you trust don’t know how your life is going to end, and who you will be, and what you will do, but God does. He already knows all about you, and he knows what you will do in your life. He knows what college you will go to, who you will marry, where you will live, the job you will have, and so much more.
You may not do anything about what your life will be, but all you need to do is ask. Matthew 7:7 says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” If you ask God, he will answer. It may not always be obvious, and sometimes you have to listen real closely to hear it, but he will answer you. It may not always be the answer you want, but it is the answer that is needed to fulfill God’s plan for you.

Know after all I just said, I know how difficult it is to trust God. We all have so many questions we want to be answered the way we want them answered. We think we already have our lives planned out, but God has something different in mind. It is difficult, and it takes constant reminder whether that is daily, or even hourly that God is in control of everything and you can trust him with every aspect of your life. 

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the control you have in my life. I trust you and your plans for I know they are the best for me. Lord, I know I will have times of doubt, but help me work through those doubts to develop a deeper trust. Amen. 

Planning Ahead

I don’t care how much we try to avoid it, but we all have a future.

Some of us think that our future is so far away that we don’t need to worry about it now.  Most of us are just trying to get through school, or college, or whatever we are doing. But we should be thinking about our future and how our actions can shape it.  

I was reading the beginning of Lamentations, and for those of you who haven’t read it in great detail before, it talks about the downfall of Jerusalem with her sin and how everyone had turned away from God.  The one verse in there that stuck out to me was:  

Lamentations 1:9 “Her uncleanness was in her skirts; She did not consider her future. Therefore she has fallen astonishingly; She has no comforter. "See, O LORD, my affliction, For the enemy has magnified himself!”

When the people in Jerusalem were sinning and turning away from God, they weren’t thinking of the destruction that it would have on the city later. Then the future came, and they were in deep with their sins from the past. And even though this happened a long time ago, it still can happen to us. If you are just worried about today, then you might go get drunk, or sleep with your boyfriend before marriage. But in the future those actions can have consequences like having an accident because you are drunk, or having to drop out of school because you have to take care of your child by yourself. I’m not saying that you need to worry constantly about your future, but keeping you future in the back of your mind when you are about to do something, might stop you from doing something you will regret later.

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for knowing my future and the plans you have for it. Help me out prepare myself now for what may come in my future.. Help me to make the best of what I have now so that I will be able to test and approve your will for my life. Amen.

Like My Cat

I don't know if you have a cat, but if you ever play with one they are just adorable. I have one cat, Oreo.

Oreo

My favorite game to play with her, is where I hold something above her, just out of reach, and she try to grab it with her paws. Sometimes she get it, but most of the time she can't get it. When she does get it, she doesn't feel satisfied and so she try again. I feel like we sometimes act like cats. We try our best to reach the things that the world offers, and sometimes we get it and we don't feel satisfied, sometimes we can't get it and we feel even worse. 1 John 2:16 says, "For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world." If you try to reach for that new car, or the hottest guy/girl in school, or for the popularity, you may not reach it, or even if you do reach it, you are never satisfied. Afterwards you want more and more and more, trying to feel satisfied, and you never feel satisfied. You are like one of my cat, just pawing at what ever I dangle above your head never feeling satisfied or not even reaching it. 

But, there is something that can be satisfied. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says, "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses so that Christ's power may rest on me." God is enough for you. It made be hard to believe, but he can satisfy the emptiness in your heart. The void that you are trying to fill with worldly goods, can only be filled by God. His love, grace, and mercy is enough. You may end up having the nice car, or the good looking date, or what ever else you may want, but none of that is going to matter, if God isn't in your heart. Without God, we are just out there searching for something to fill the void to fill our hearts, never to be satisfied with what we find.  There is a simple truth, and it is that God is enough.

Dear Heavenly Father,

I know that you are enough for me. Help me to try not to fill my heart with worldly desires, and items, but help me to fill my heart up with you God. you are all I need, and anything else is a bonus to the incredible life that you have given me. Thanks for your unfailing love, mercy and grace. Amen

Song Break Down- Anchor

This week I am going to write about "Anchor" by Colton Dixon. The song is great in getting it's message across that we all need an anchor to hold us through the storm. And a cool thing about this song is that it fits perfectly with Hebrews 6:19a which goes, "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul firm and secure." I don't know if that was Colton's intention to get the song to match so well with the verse or not.
In the first part of Hebrews 6:19a it talks about having hope. There is a line the song that specifically relates to hope. "This is my only hope/ that you'll never let me go." The hope in the verse is talking about having hope in something that is secure, like the anchor. In the song, it talks about how our only hope is that God will hold you and never let go of you. The use of the word "only" makes me think that up until this point you have tried other things to keep you in your place during the storm, but they let you keep floating and they didn't help. God is the only one who can hold us strong through the storm when we place our hope in him.
The next part talks about the anchor. Before I can go any father, I think it is important to think about what an anchor does. An anchor is something that you drop in the water to keep a ship in one place. The anchor is buried in the ground from the weight, and it is unmovable. If you think about God as our anchor, he is something that is unchanging, and he is there to keep you in place. He is always there for you and he is something you can always depend on and put your hope in.
The last part talks about the soul that is anchored. Like the ship, you need something to hold your soul in place, or else you can float away and crash into objects that will harm you. I love the bridge of the song which is "Save our soul, save our soul, save our soul." over and over again. It is a cry out to God that we do need an anchor, and we need the anchor to save us from the danger up ahead.
In the verse and in the song we can see how when we place our hope in God as our anchor, he is going to hold us through the storm. He is the one who is going to keep us from hitting dangerous objects or completely falling over a waterfall.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for being our anchor through the storm. I place my hope in you first because I know that you will be there, secure and firm. Thank you for this song as a reminder that we always have someone to hold us through the storm. Amen.

Anchor Lyric Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0v2ewdh4Hs

Christians Can Have Fun

I don't know why we have this idea in our head, that Christians are no fun sticks in the mud.  I mean people can justify it by all the rules that Christians have to follow, like don't steal, or lie, or murder. The thing is these rules were put there to show us how much we need a Savior, not to make our lives dull. We should try to obey the laws, but God wants us to be happy and to have a little fun in our lives. Ecclesiastes 8:15 says, "So I commend the enjoyment of life, because there is nothing better for a person under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad. Then joy will accompany them in their toil all the days of the life God has given them under the sun." God does want us to have fun and he isn't trying to work us to death. God gave us a day to rest during the week, and he gave us friends and family to hang out with. We do have to be careful and watch what we say and do, but going to a cafe with your friends isn't a sin. Watching a movie with your boyfriend isn't a sin, you just have to be aware of the temptations there. Having fun doesn't equate to sin, you just have to be careful of the temptations present. So I will keep this post short, so that you can go out there and have a little fun today, instead of just listening to me blab. Also, tomorrow is Sunday, and liked I talked about in my last post, take this day to relax and connect with God.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I have this crazy idea in my head of what a "Christian life" should look like. I pray that you help me break down those ideas, so that I can see you for you, and how much you love me and how you do want me to have fun and to be glad Lord. Thank you for your love everyday, and that the love you have will encourage me to go and have fun, while I work for you. 

Point of View

I am the one full of doubt.
I am the one who is shy.
I am the one who would rather
Go hide in the corner than talk to people.

Or at least that is what I thought.

It is funny
How you can go through life,
With an opinion of yourself,
That is totally different from
The people around you.

Not only that,
You walk through life,
With a view of yourself,
That is way different
Then the way God sees you.

God calls us his children.
God laid down his life for us.
God has forgiven us of our sins.
God loves us.
But we often forget all of that.

We shouldn't let our views
Affect the way that we think God sees us.
For all these traits were written in the Bible,
Never changing with time.
But we often based our view
on how we are perceived,
based off our ever changing emotions.

I am loved.
I am forgiven.
I am his child.
I am not forgotten

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your constant love, and for the fact that you don't change. when I am changing constantly, it is good to know that I have a rock to lean on. Thanks for being my rock. Amen.

Right Where I Need To Be/ God's Timing

So this post is a transition from what I have been talking about into a new series about God's Timing

This summer I came home, and I worked once again at the AMC down the street. And just like last year, God placed in my life another person that he would use to draw me closer to him. His name is Marcus. He is such a caring individual, and a great guy to be around. He is also completely insane, but that is what makes him so much fun to be with.

Once we started talking more, I found myself praying and reading my Bible more, because I knew that this was a gift from God. This is how I showed God my appreciation of what he had done in my life. There are times in life where you just need people to talk to you aren't like you. I tried to talk to my Christian friends about my struggles, and most of the times they are helpful, but sometimes they just don't know what to say. I come home and talk to people who aren't Christians, and we talk, and they listen, and they have the particular experiences to help me with what I am going through. Then I compare what they say to what the Bible says, and that ends up bringing me closer to God.

For example, one conversation Marcus and I had one day was about dating. Everyone at work wants to know who is dating, and they always find it surprising that I haven't even been on a date. And it isn't always easy to be single, especially when you go to a college, where some of your peers are already married, and you can't even get a date. Marcus and I were talking about this and all the drama, and he says to count myself lucky that I haven't had to go through all the drama in high school. Then he said something that blew my mind. He said that one day I would find a guy who appreciates me to date. Just to hear him say that is something I will never forget. On reflecting on what he said, I remember the Bible verses about being thankful in every situation, no matter if I am single or dating. It also reminded me of all the times in the Bible that mentioned God's perfect will for me, and I need to be patient for it to be fulfilled.

Now to explain how God's timing fits into this. We had actually met last summer at work, and for the life of me, I can not remember him. Then this summer he comes up to me, and asked if I worked last summer. I said yes, and then we just started talking.  God has been working on this relationship since last summer, and he was waiting for the right time for it to begin to bloom. It reminds me of Ecclesiastes 3, which talks about how there is a time for everything under the sun. Last summer it was Adam who I talked to at work and hung out with outside of work. But God knew that Adam wouldn't return to AMC the following summer. So he started my relationship with Marcus because he knew that I would be drained from the school year, and I needed someone just to talk to and hang out with. God knew the character of Marcus and made our friendship bloom when the time was right.

It is amazing to think about how God knows everything that is going to happen, and that he is working it for the good of those who follow him. It is also important to realize that when God says wait, that something even better is coming later. God has everything under control even when we don't.

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for you timing and having me right where I need to be. Thank you for placing Marcus in my life, and I pray that you will bless him this upcoming school year and that you will draw him close so he can know you and your love.  Thank you for watching over me and orchestrating everything in my best interest. Amen. 

Right Where I Need To Be-Part 3

Last semester when I was registering for classes, I had a complication which caused me to take a class during the summer. Now typically school during summer is a very depressing idea, but I don't think I would have wanted to take it at any other time. The class was called Diversity and Inequality. For most of the papers, we had to talk to people who were diverse. Growing up in a very diverse community, I was able to call my old high school friends and ask them the questions for the paper. The beautiful thing about this is that we were able to catch up after a year of college. It was interesting to see what they were doing in college and to hear about all the experiences that they had.

Another thing is that I was able to talk about what I was learning at where I worked. Getting other people's opinion on certain topics was interesting. One part of the class is to look at diversity and inequality from a Christian point of view. It was interesting to discuss these views with people from my work because not all of them are Christian. I feel like sometimes at Dordt, you tend to get one view on something, but with where I work, you got all these different points of view, and it creates great discussing. That is one thing I miss when I come to Dordt is all the discussions.

Lastly, after taking this class, I realized that I want to do an Independent Study for my honors college about this topic. I have room in my schedule, and I will have the whole semester to work on it. I am so glad that I took this course over the summer.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the schools that we have to  help us gain knowledge. Help me in all my studies, and to use them to further the Kingdom of God. Amen. 

Right Where I Need To Be- Part 2

So this summer I was volunteering at my old church production crew. In July, I got one Sunday off from working, so I went to the service of my church I go to while in Denver. That week they were preaching on Samson. The next week I was back  volunteering and the topic of the sermon was also on Samson. Within a week I heard two sermons on Samson.

The first sermon was about how Samson continually fell into lustful desires. These lustful thoughts led him to sleep with many woman who were intent to destroy his strength. We talked about how after one time of making that mistake that Samson would have learned his lesson. But he didn't. He kept sleeping with woman and walking on the edge of the line, until on night one of his mistresses cut off his hair, leaving him weak and defenseless.

The second sermon talked about how strong Samson actually was. He was able to defeat 100 men with the jawbone of a donkey. He ripped a lion apart with his bare hands. The pastor talked about how strong Samson was, and how the favor of God was on Samson, giving him the ability to do these amazing feats.

Now we listen to a story like this, and believe that it is just a story. Not many of us and tare a lion apart. We also may not struggle with lustful desires, so we sit there with the attitude that it doesn't matter to us. The thing is that while you may not fit that story in every detail, that story does apply to many of us. I know for me it does. One gift that God gave me is that I am a good listener and I have a big heart for people and their situations. I may not be defeat hundreds of people, but I am giving people a place to go to where they are broken, and they just need someone to vent to.

And just like Samson, I do have a sin in my life that I repeatedly do, and I never learn my lesson. For me, I lie to my parents when it comes to hanging out with guys. I either lie about who I am with or what I am doing. Last summer, I got busted about a lie that I told about who I was hanging out with. I felt so bad because I let them down and broke their trust. I thought I had learned my lesson, but than just yesterday, I lied to my mom about what movie me and a friend were going to see. Just like Samson, I kept participating in the same sin in my life, either though I should have learned my lesson.

I know God arranged my schedule because I did need to listen to those sermons. Now that I have realized I am like Samson, I can reflect on what I am doing, and what Samson did to grow closer to God. I know that I am not going to be perfect because there is sin, but I can now reflect on the root of my sin and why I do it. I can than work on changing my habits so that I sin less. I don't want my sin to destroy me, so I need to get it in check now. It is not going to be easy, but with God's help I can change it. I want to stop telling lies to my parents so they can trust me, because they deserve better than that, and I can use the gifts God gave me to their fullest potential.

Dear Heavenly Father,
I admit that I am broken and full of sins, yet I recognize that you have given me great gifts. Help me to turn away from my sinful desires and to your grace, so that I may be able to live the plan you have for me. Please forgive me for all the lies I have told and all the deceit I have caused. Lord help me to be truthful and honest, especially to my parents. 

Right Where I Need To Be -Part 1

God works in mysterious ways, yet at the same time, everything ends up working out. At the end of freshman year, I was broken and completely lost. I think the tipping point was June 1st, and I just remember crying in bed that night asking God to fix it. Now as the summer comes to a close, I can start to see how God plan was in action this summer.

The first thing I want to talk about is my volunteer position at church in their media department. Not only am I working with cameras, and learning about directing a broadcast, it also makes me go to church. I work long hours at work over the weekends, and I am not always willing to go to church Sunday morning. Now I am at church for two services on Sunday and Wednesday night service. I found this to be helpful because I learned so much going to church, and I was what I needed after a long semester at school.

Stay tune for in the next week or so, I will be talking about other's things God has orchestrated in my life.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for a place where fellow believers can get together and worship you. I pray that I can be excited to go to church for the community that is built there. Amen.  

What to do?

As we grow up, we are often asked what we want to do with our lives. When we try to decide what we want to do, we try to think of a good paying job, so we have wealth to spare. But what if life is not about how much money you have. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 says, "Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." Money can be a beautiful thing put when we let it consume us, and we start to put money before God, then we have a problem. Wealth and money could be easily stolen or destroyed, and it can't do even half of what can be done when we put our hope in God. We can't by happiness, but we can be happy when we put our trust in God and not money.
Also, the verse talks about sharing your wealth. When we give to the people who are in need, then we do get richer. But it is not the riches that can be found on the Earth. The riches are in heaven, and that we can enjoy forever. Just think about it, would you rather have tons of money during your time on Earth, which is about 100 years, or would you rather have tons of riches in heaven which would last for eternity. You don't have to just share your money to get riches in heaven. When you share your wealth of knowledge, or you lend a helping hand, then you gain riches in heaven.
So as we look for an upcoming job, should we really choose one that get make you wealthy, or should we choose one that allows us to share your wealth and talent with the world? This is a question that was key in choosing digital media as a major. I may or may not end up wealthy, but I can use my talents to serve the kingdom of God.

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for the talents that you have given me. Help me to use them to help your Kingdom grow, and please steer my heart from falling for the love of money. Amen.

Not Getting Burn

It is finally summer, and with that most of us know to wear sunscreen when we go outdoors. If we don’t sunscreen, then we can end up badly burned. When I think about being badly burned, I think of the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Daniel 3:19-25 tells the story,

Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace. Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”  He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

Once you read the story, you see that God clearly saved the three of them from the furnace. And for this reason, I can make a comparison to God and the sunscreen we wear. They are both meant to protect us. God can protect us from so much more than just the sun’s UV rays. There is a sense of dual accomplishment when God protects you like sunscreen. When you protect yourself with sunscreen, you are blocking the UV rays, but you are also help prevent skin cancer. When God protects you, he is also using the protection to glorify his Kingdom.

But they both don’t protect every time you need them too. If you don’t cover your body completely with sunscreen, you find that you can get a weird burn pattern, or if you don’t reapply sunscreen then you still get burned. God also doesn’t protect you 24/7. He allows things in our lives to “burn” us, but he is doing that so that we may grow. If he always protects you, there will be no chance to learn and to grow. Everyone of us need a good amount of Godly “burn.” God knows what he need, and he would not “burn” you for the fun of it. There is a purpose behind it. Where just normal sunscreen just leaves you burn with no benefits. (At least for me. I burn then I turn white again. I don’t really tan.)

The last connection is that you need to put on sunscreen every day, to keep from burning. You need to put God on every day too. If you don’t have a strong relationship with Jesus, and if you don’t connect every day, then you can “burn” more easily, because your protection is weak. When you build a strong connection to your protection, then you are less likely to get “burned.”

As summer continues, I pray that you put on both kinds of protection, God for day to day life; sunscreen, for when you are going out in the sun.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you Lord for protecting us from getting burn. Help us to trust you in all we do. Amen. 

Worship is more than singing

Many of us 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

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for all you have done for me over the course of my lifetime. Help me to worship you in all that I do. 

Giving it to God

Many of us get time in our lives where we are anxious about something. Whether it is a big test coming up, or 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 come up a lot, and they fit the situation on which I'm writing on. Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Do not be anxious about 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 against anxious thoughts. If you don't give God your troubled heart, then there is no way for Him to guard you and give you peace. And for me, I would like to have peace, then an anxious heart filled with worry, and hatred, and confusion. So whatever you are anxious about, just give it all to the Lord.

Dear Heavenly Father
Thank you for allowing me to lay all my trouble at your feet and that you will take care of it. I lay all my worries at your feet. Amen. 

Spiritually Alive

I was listening to Casting Crowns Song "Spirit Wind." I haven't listened to it before, and when I heard it, I wanted to read the bible verses that were behind this song. When I looked it was the story of Ezekiel in a valley of dry bones. The first three verses in Ezekiel 37 goes,

"The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, 'Son of man, can these bones live?' I said, 'Sovereign Lord, you alone know.'"

 Just stop and imagine for a second. You are led into a valley of dry bones, and God asked you if the bones could come back to life. To be honest, I would say no because these bones are bare bones lying in the middle of no where, how can they come back to life. But I like Ezekiel's answer when he says, "Sovereign Lord, you alone know." He wasn't going to rely on what he knew and the knowledge he had, but he was going to rely on God and what God could do. It would be cool if we could have the confidence of Ezekiel, to have the ability to know that only the Lord knows what is going to happen. We wouldn't have to live in fear or worry, because we know God has it.
The next three verses is God telling Ezekiel what to do, which goes,

"Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to these bones and say to them, 'Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! This is what the Sovereign Lord, says to these bones: I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath it you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.' '" 

It might have been weird at first just talking to a field full of dry bones, but Ezekiel did what he was told to do in the nest two verses which goes, "So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise,a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone by bone. I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them  and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them." That must have been a cool sight to see. Imagine you are out in the middle of no where, talking to dry bones, and all of a sudden they start to form bodies with tendons and flesh. That is truly something only God can do.
As the story continues, the next verses are about getting breath into the bodies.

"Then he said to me, 'Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign Lord, says: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' ' So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet--a vast army." Now we have living, breathing people that came from a pile of bones in the middle of no where, and the bones turned into an army. This is amazing in itself, but what God says next truly amazes me. "Then he said to me: 'Son of man, these bones are the people of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off '" 

All of this that just happened was to show Ezekiel how Israel was. No they weren't a pile of bones, but spiritually, they were dead. They were living without hope. They were no better then zombies, because they were living but there was no emotion, or any hope, or joy. Verse 14a says, "I will put my Spirit in you and you will live."
Now this did happen a long time ago, but today there are still people who are spiritually dead. They are no better then a pile of bones. Our job is to speak life into them. We do this by sharing the gospel. When we share about the love that Jesus freely gives, then we give a chance for the Holy Spirit to enter, and make them Spiritually alive again. With the Spirit in them, we are able to create an army for the Lord. So who are you going to share the gospel with so that they too may be spiritually alive, and able to serve in God's army?

Dear Heavenly Father
Help me to wake up these dry bones in my body and to live and serve for you. I am tried of sleeping through life. Help me to live with purpose. Amen.

Siblings Day

This week was National Siblings Day. I love my weird younger brother and I don't know where I would be with out him. 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. When siblings work together, they can do some amazing things.
Siblings can be a friend 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.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for my sibling. I pray that we can work together to glorify your kingdom. Amen.

Captain America- Civil War

Recently I went with my brother and my dad to see Captain America: Civil War in theaters. It was a really good movie. One thing I noticed is that the two people who should be on the same side, Captain America and Iron Man, ended up fighting each other. They are the heroes and when heroes fight amongst each other, that leave no one to help the people. This fight divided the Avengers. I was reminded of the saying "United we stand. Divided we fall." When the Avengers were divided, they weren't as strong as they were together. 
How does this conflict with the Avengers reflect the body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12:12-26 says, For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

For the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.

The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.”  On the contrary, the parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and on those parts of the body that we think less honorable we bestow the greater honor, and our unpresentable parts are treated with greater modesty, which our more presentable parts do not require. But God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it, that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.

I know that it is a long passage, but it is full of good stuff to contemplate and meditate on. If we are one body, then we need all parts to work smoothly. We need the eyes to do their job and cooperate with the hands and the feet. Every person has a specific job to do in the body, and it is important to find out what your role is. As a body unified under God, let's learn from the Avengers and not turn against each  other when we are suppose to be the light to the world. 

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you my individual gifts. Help me to use them to glorify you, and that I can use them to help out the body of Christ. Amen. 

Our Own Faith

Reading Romans 14, the first thing I notice is that each person has their own faith. No two faiths are alike, and as we interact with other people, we need to be aware of their faith. Not everyone believes that exact same thing as I would, but that doesn’t mean one faith is better than another. One thing about Christ’s freedom is that we are free from the judgment of others. For Romans 14 was talking about each one of us will answer to God for our faith, and how we don’t need to answer to other people. But we do have to be careful not to weaken someone else’s faith with our own.

Romans 14 ends by summarizing, that this freedom we have in Christ where we don’t have to worry about what we will eat or drink, shouldn’t cause other people to stumble. Like it was mentioned earlier in the chapter, we are to keep our faith between me and God. It is my faith that I am saved, and that is what frees me, but it should create a roadblock in other people’s life when it comes to their personal faith. If you haven't read Romans 14, I would recommend it because it is a good chapter about our faith.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the freedom found in you. Help me to use my faith to bring glory to you and not create a stumbling block for others.