Bible Memorization

Many of us know that reading the Bible is important. But many of us don't take time to memorize the Bible. Now I bet a lot of you reading this are freaking out because you need to memorize 1000+ pages. When I was in Chicago for my mission trip recently, one thing I noticed was that the members at the church could just recite verse on the spot, and some times entire chapters of the top of their head.  That is impressive, and I know that I can't do that, partly because I haven't put the time or effort into that.


I'm not saying that you have to memorize the whole, Bible but memorizing parts of it will help. Psalms 37:31 says, "The law of his God is in his heart; his steps do not slip." It is one thing to just read the Bible, but it is another thing to put the Bible in your heart. When you have memorized scripture, let's say on how God values you, then when you are tempted to believe that you are worthless, and not meant for anything, then you could just say back the scripture you memorized to strengthen you. Ephesians 6:17 says, "And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God." The word of God is to be used as a defense weapon , and if you don't know at least parts of the Bible how are you ever going to defend yourself. I know that it is hard to memorize verses, but when you memorize ones that actually pertain to you and what you are going through, they actually become useful quite often. We should all be encourage to memorize even just a couple of verses over the next week so we are able to recall them when they are needed.


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for your Word that you give us to read. Help me to read it and study it and to memorize it so I am able to recall it when needed. Amen.

Damage of Gossip

Many of us who went to high school or go college have to deal with some sort of drama. Whether it is boyfriend drama to best friend drama to enemy drama, we all encounter it at some point in our high school careers. Most of the drama starts with someone gossiping. Then that one gossip spreads to the whole school, and that creates drama between friends and enemies. The definition of gossip is "casual or unconstrained conversation or reports about other people, typically involving details that are not confirmed as being true." Gossip mostly not being true, it creates problems in our lives that we don't need. Proverbs 26:20 says, "Without wood a fire goes out; without a gossip a quarrel dies down." Without gossips, many of the arguments that happen, or the drama that goes around the school wouldn't exists. But every time you gossip about someone, it is like adding wood on a fire that is already out of control. If you are in an argument with someone, keep the argument between the two of you. When you go off and tell your friends, and then the other person goes off and tells their friends, then we drag more people into the problem then what is needed. With that many people involved, it becomes exponentially harder to find a resolution for the problem.


I know that by now, it has became a habit for most of us to gossip, but that isn't a good habit to have. I ask that as we start this school year, that we could break some of those habits of gossiping. It will be hard, but with God's help it is not impossible. You can then save a lot of hurt feelings, and it will create less high school drama, and it may allow us to focus on school and just having a good time.  Without the drama, school can be a fun place to go to learn and hang out with friends. The thing is that the drama, creates an environment that most of us dread to go to. We can change that environment just by changing the things that we tell people. I don't know about you, but I want to go to a place that has limited drama and, I can actually go and enjoy my day, and not sit in class just waiting for the day to end. Let's make a change this year to stop the gossip coming from our mouths, and speak of encouragement and love to the people around us.



Dear Heavenly Father,
I know that gossip can ruin friendships, and it can create unnecessary drama. I pray that you will help me watch the words that come out of my mouth, to stop me from gossiping about the people who I meet. I know that my words can hurt a person, but I also know that if I speak encouragement to someone, that can make their whole day. Help me to chose my words carefully before I say them. Amen

God Already Loves You

So many of us who are making new friends, or who are trying to impress the in-laws, or maybe who are looking for a new job, know that when it comes to impressing people that we need to have it all together. We need to look out best and dot our i's and cross our t's. We tend to hide who we really are on the inside so that we can make it look like we have it all together on the outside. The thing that amazes me about God is that we don't need to have life all put together to go to him. He wants you as you are, and in a society where looks and outward appearance matters it is hard to comprehend that God loves us for who we are. He is not going to reject you because he wants you to go and get your life in order and then come back to him. He will accept you as you are. Romans 5:8 says, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” 2000 years ago while we were still sinners, God came down to Earth to die for us. He died for us because he wanted to have a relationship with us, and he wanted to show his love for us by being our sacrifice. He did this so that way you didn’t have to be perfect to come to God, but so that you can come broken and bruised, so that way he can be with us as he works in our live to make us more like Him through his love. You don’t need to get you life in order, to go to God. So I encourage you this week to take time to meet with God just as you are so that way He is able to love on you.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for loving us just the way we are. I pray that you will help us understand just how much you love us, and that we don’t need to have it all together to come to you. Thank you for sending your Son as a sacrifice for our lives, so we all may have a chance to have a relationship with you. Amen.

Purpose vs. Calling

I am giving you a warning now, today's post is going to be a English lesson. We were talking one day in our Bible study, and at the end we were given the task of finding the difference between purpose and calling. From what I found, purpose is the reason or motivation of why you are doing something, while calling is a job that you do. They are not interchangeable, and even I have been found guilty of thinking that they are one in the same. If you are Christian then our purpose is to bring glory to God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." That sentence describes our motivation behind everything we do, and it is to bring glory to God. Calling is the job that you do, weather it be a teacher, or an engineer, or the CEO of a company. The members of Casting crowns were called to work at their own churches, but they were also called to form a band and write such amazing songs for people. That is their calling. They do everything that they do to glorify God, and that is their purpose. 
I just want to make you more aware of the difference between these two words, because understanding the difference may help develope other understanding of God and yourself.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Help me to understand the difference in these two words. Help me to serve you in all I do, because that is my purpose. Help me understand what your calling is for me, because it is different for everyone. But knowing that I have my own individualized calling is refreshing to know. Thank you Lord for that. Amen.

I Actually Have Friends

Last night was the Dordt Talent Show. It was a blast and me and my friends had a great time together. In comparison to last year, I have came so far with having friends. I remember I didn't even go to the talent show last year, and I often spent my Friday nights alone in my room most likely watching YouTube. Just this semester alone I have seen more movies with my friends than I have my entire freshman year.

It is interesting to look back and see how alone I felt, and how God has put people in my life that I can have fun with and we get along really well. Just at dinner last night we were laughing so hard because we have this warped idea of what is fun is that I don't think I could explain if I had too.

It is amazing how God has engineered each one of to be friends with certain people, and he then places friend sin out life that will help us grow closer to him, and grow as a person. It is amazing how we each have our friend group, even if it takes some time to find. In God's whole scheme of things, he wants what is best for you, and that includes giving you the best possible friends for you. They may not be what you imagine, like being friends with the popular kids, but he will give you friends that you need. It is important to cherish them and enjoy your time you have with them.

Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the friends you have placed in my life. Help me to be the friend that they need, and thank you for the friend they are to me. Amen.

Not Good Enough

One thing I know I did way to much last semester was compare myself to my other classmates. One in particular who I had in a group project was exceptionally skilled at using a camera. I immediately compared myself to him, and I came to the conclusion that I am never going to be as good as him. That was devastating, especially when I am learning what to do and I go in with a mentality of I can't do this. It was the feeling of I am not good enough.


Now over the course of a year, God really opened my eyes to something new. I admit that I am still not any where as good as him in taking video footage. His shots are always pristine and clear and well frame. They are gorgeous. But I am not called to be a videographer. I really do like editing, and I do it well. So it is not fair to myself to compare myself to a guy who can take good video because we aren't even in the same playing field.


Every time I come to this dilemma, I am reminded of the story in 1 Corinthians 12 about the different parts of the body.

"Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one 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.
The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it."


This story is so similar to how video production goes. Every one on the team has a special job. You need a good videographer, because no one likes watching bad videos. You need a good editor, because without that, all you have are a bunch of random shots that don't appear like they go together. Both needs a certain set of skills, and comparing the two is unfair to both of them.


So I encourage you to take some time and think about who you are comparing yourself to. Think about how you two might very different jobs, like a foot and a hand or a videographer and an editor. God has a specific plan for all of us one that is unique to each one of us, and we are not to be comparing ourselves to someone who was made for a different purpose. You are made to be who you are and no one else. To God you are enough.


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for creating me with a specific purpose and that to you, I am enough. Help me to not compare myself to anyone else for you have a different plan for each on of us. Thank you for making me good enough.

From a Bug to a Butterfly

I have always adored butterflies, mostly for their beauty. They are such a beautiful part of God's creation. It also amazes me they start off in something that is very unimpressive, plain, and easily over looked. But with time, they can turn into something that is truly beautiful that no one can ignore. As believers, our life can reflect that of a butterfly, especially when it comes our faith.



Caterpillar- Caterpillar's aren't as beautiful as the butterflies they grow into, and before we know Christ, we haven't reached our full potential. Ephesians 2:1-3 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 the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath." As a part of the world, we were dead in all our sins that we were born into. We were born into darkness, because of our sins. Just as caterpillars aren't who they fully are yet, when we are not in Christ, we can't see the fullness of who we could be. 

Cocoon- When butterflies make their cocoon, they start the process of becoming the beautiful butterfly. This transition is when we accept Jesus for the first time in our lives. It is a long journey ahead of us. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come." In the cocoon you are literally shredding of your old life, and becoming a new creation. A caterpillar and a butterfly, even though they are the same insect, they don't look the same. It is in the cocoon when the caterpillar becomes a butterfly. Like when you accept Jesus, you don't immediately change your whole life, but it takes time to grow, develop and mature.



Butterfly- Once the butterfly breaks out of it's cocoon, it is a strong, beautiful butterfly. Like with our faith, as we grow closer to God, we become less like the world. Ephesians 2:4-5 says, "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved." WE are alive in Christ. We were saved by grace, so we can see who we really are in Christ. We start to see ourselves as Christ sees us, which is how beautiful, and perfect we are. We were washed clean by the blood of Jesus. It won't always be easy. A butterfly still has day to day challenges, and so will we. But now we have Jesus on our side to help us get through whatever we are going through. 


Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for you love and for continually making me into something that is beautiful. I know that O am still changing and growing everyday. I pray for wisdom and strength to keep pushing through as you work on making me beautiful.