Hearts of Worship

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

Gratitude

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

Faith

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

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

Going the Extra Mile

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

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

Surprises

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

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

Let it Go

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

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

Charger

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

First Priority

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