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.

A Day of Rest

So this week at church, we were talking about the Sabbath and taking a full day to rest and connect with God. One of the Ten Commandments is to keep the Sabbath Holy. Exodus 20:8-10 says,

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

 Six days you shall labor and do all your work,

 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns.

Six days we are to work and rest on the seventh day. That is the pattern God set in place when he created the Heavens and the Earth because he understood how important it is to rest. It helps recharge your body and give the energy to face the new week.

Now in modern society, the Sabbath may not fall on Sunday. I work in a movie theater and our work weeks start on Friday. The weekend is also the busiest time of the week and we are expected to work Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I take time to go to church on the weekend, but I don't have that full day of rest.  But all I have to do is move that day of rest to a different day. My brother and I both don't work Thursday so we can rest, connect with family, and make time for God. I still follow the pattern of working six days and resting on the seventh, it just moved what day I rest. So if you have some sort of crazy schedule where you can't take a full day of rest on Sunday, find some other day of the week to take your day of rest. It is really worth it.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for making a day of rest for us. Help me to take full advantage of that day of rest. Amen.

The Changing Seasons

One thing about life is that it is constantly changing. With life constantly in motion, we have to learn continuously and adapt. I have learned just as much in the past two weeks as I would as if I was still in school. My life at home is a lot different than in college, and I need to adjust to my new schedule and learn how to make the most of living here. Ecclesiastes 3 talks about this very thing. Verse one goes, "There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heavens." The rest of Ecclesiastes 3 goes on to talk in detail about the seasons. Back in the day of Jesus, most of what people did was farming, and there is a season to plant and to sow. After living in Iowa in the middle of corn fields, the same is still true today. There is a season for everything.

So one thing we have to figure out is what season we are in. We may be in a season of joy and prosperity. You could also be in a season of drought, where it is a struggle to get up every day. One thing that is important is to trust God in every season of life. God controls the seasons, and he can help you through whatever season you may find yourself in. God gives us changing seasons because he wants us to grow closer to him and as a person. He has a plan in mind, and he uses the changing seasons to help us grow to achieve his plan. Changing seasons are a good thing, and not something to be feared.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the changing seasons as an opportunity to grow in our faith. Help me to lean on you in every season that we face. Amen. 

Finding Direction

One thing I love about living in the suburb of Denver is that I can find which way is west by looking at the mountains. That is the one thing I don't like about going to Dordt, is that I can't tell which way is west because there are no mountains. It finds it very easy to get lost because I don't know my directions, especially if all I can see are corn fields. The mountains help guide me in where I am going in Denver, and when I can't see them, it is easy to get lost.
The same thing can happen in our spiritual life. God gave us resources to act as our mountains, the Bible, pastor, mentors, etc. The verse that comes to mind on this subject is Psalms 119:105 which says, "Your word is a lamp to my feet, and light to my path." This verse talks about how the Bible, which is God's word, is our guide through life. When you don't read the Bible, then you are losing your guide, and you don't know which way to go, just like me in Iowa. We need that constant guide to help us through life. So take time out of your busy lives to read the Bible and talk to God and find which way you are supposed to be going in life.

Dear Heavenly Father, 
Thank you for your guide. Help me to learn from the Bible and apply it to my life. Amen.

400th Post

So this is my 400th post I have done. Just to think that a little over 3 and a half years ago, I was starting this blog and working on my first posts. This blog has grown a lot over that years. I want to take the time to thank my friends and family and my followers who read my blog. Thank you guys so much.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the people who read my blog. I pray that they get something out of it, and that you are using it as a way to draw people closer to you God. Thank you. Amen.

Finals

I'm sorry that there is not going to be a post today. I was busy studying for finals this week and didn't have time to write one. 

Photography Portfolio - "Words to Speak"

For my last post, I want to talk about being vulnerable, and letting people in. A couple of weeks ago I gave a presentation summarizing what God has done in my life this semester. After the presentation, one of my friends asked if I was scared to present that because it showed my vulnerability. That caught me for a second, but in a society where you have to be perfect on the outside, someone showing their vulnerability is uncommon.

That is why I love this photo. Half the time, we want to say something, but we can't because society has raised us as to keep that locked inside. I want to say that unlike what society has told us, it is okay to be vulnerable. The only way we can get help is if we show that we are vulnerable.

That is why I am not ashamed to say that I struggled freshman year of college, Not with school work necessarily, but with relationships, and confidence. I have often worried about what my new friends would think of me, and how I should act around them. I work hard to prove that I am choosing the correct major and that I deserve to be here. I know that I am not the only one who has gone through something like this, and I want you to know that you are not alone. It is okay to be vulnerable, because God has placed people in your life who can help you, and God is always there for you.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your love that is constant no matter how much I am hurting inside. Help me to break this barrier that surrounds me where I can show where I am weak. Thank you for the people you have put in my life to help me through my struggles, and I pray that I can be a light for the people around me. Amen.

Photography Portfolio - "The Weight"

We all have those moments in life, where we feel like the weight of the world is crushing you. You have one thing after another that you have to do, along with an image that you have to uphold on the outside like everything is fine. Those are the day, where at the end you break down crying because you can't take the stress anymore. I have had many of those days this semester.

When we have those moments in life where the burden is too much to bear, there are two things to remember. The first is that God is there to lighten the load. Matthew 11:28-30 says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." God wants you to take all that you carry on your shoulders, and lay it down at the cross. All the work you have to do, all the people you have to please, all the worries that keep you up at night. God wants to take that from you and make your burden light.

One thing that I also noticed is that God place people in our lives to help with the burden we carry. Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." We are to help other people carry their burdens. That means listening to their story, their struggles so you can help them carry their burdens and not become an obstacle for them. There are also people out there to help you carry your burden, but that requires you to show some of your vulnerability and let people know you are hurting. Sometimes that is rather a hard thing to do, but in the end, it is all worth it. 

Dear Heavenly Father, 
Thank you for taking our burdens, as well as putting people in our life to help us with our burden. Lord, I lay my burden down at your feet, for you are much stronger than I can ever be. Amen.