Saturday, July 26, 2014

Jesus, Bring The Rain

Yesterday, I used a phrase in my post that I thought I should expand on. I said, "Jesus, bring the rain."

This is a phrase taken from one of my favorite movies and one of my favorite songs. It has a double meaning.

Firstly, it means that we should prepare for God to bless us. We should plant "seeds" and prepare the "crops." We should live expectantly and expect God to move. If you know that a tornado is coming your way and your home is in the center of that storm, will you not take precautions to make sure you and your family is safe and ready for it? You may not know the exact effects of the tornado, but you would be foolish to not take some precautions.

It is the same with God. If you expect God to do great things, you need to prepare for God to do great things! You need to live expectantly and do your part so that God can just bless you.

Believe me when I say that He will and it will be more than you could have ever hoped or imagined!

Secondly, it means that no matter what God gives you, you will choose to praise Him. Some of us just don't like rain at all. It is dreary and we don't like it. However, without rain plants could not grow and the earth would be brown and dry versus green and healthy.

This is how life is. Sometimes we face storms that bring us to our knees and shake our faith like nothing has ever done before. In those times, we can take comfort in knowing that God is nurturing us and helping us grow.

We don't serve just a "fair weather" God. He doesn't disappear when the storms and trials of life come, He walks with us! God is also not a genie. We cannot praise Him in the good times, but curse Him in the bad or forget about Him in the good times, but cry out to Him in the bad. We should praise God whether life is going really well; we should also praise Him when everything seems to be falling apart.

We do not walk alone in the storms of life and if it can bring God glory and grow my faith.....well, Jesus, bring the rain!

Friday, July 25, 2014

Winshape and Seeing God Work

So, this week was totally awesome and unexpected! I went to WinShape Camps at my local church on Wednesday to volunteer and help wherever I was needed. I was blown away by the whole thing! The whole set up reminded me of FUGE camps, with the exception of being for younger kids versus teens.

The whole day was filled with team building games, inspirational truths about God, and lots of music.

One of the things that stood out to me the most was the attitude of the staff running the camp. The staff were all so upbeat and kind. Beyond that though, each of them glowed with God's love. Each of them were constantly taking time to be encouraging everyone and they really had servant's heart.

On Wednesday night, I asked if I could be a fly on the wall during their personal Bible study. They said "Absolutely!" I had the chance to observe then and then God did something totally unexpected. He laid a verse on my heart and told me to speak life to the staff. I told God I would only do it if He gave me an opening. Well, He provided the opening and I spoke and God touched some lives. It rocked!

I went home Wednesday knowing that I just had to go back. I was able to go back both Thursday and Friday. The staff were so amazing. I have never met a group more in love with Jesus. They glowed with His love because they truly have the Lord as the Captain of their lives! Throughout the week, I was constantly humbled and in awe of how they encouraged each other and strived to include me.

Five staffers in particular stood out to me.....Code, Krystal, Darius, Luke, and Hannah. They are the very definition of love in action and they constantly demonstrated what being a man/woman after God's own heart looks like! Each of the staffers had a glow about them that was awesome, but these had something super special and I loved it.

I don't think any of them fully grasped just how much their kindness meant to me. They included me and just loved on me. That is something that rarely happens. It's not that I don't have friends, it's just that people don't go out of their way very much to include me. They were Jesus' hands and feet.

Thursday I had the chance to eat dinner with them and then today I had the chance to pray for them. I already miss them so much. I am so excited to see how God will continue to use them, but at the same time, I have to go back to reality and cling to Christ.

I am back to being an outcast, I am back to having the devil on my case, I am back to looking to Christ for my true joy. Not that I stopped doing any of that, but for two and a half days, I got to forget that for awhile because God was blessing me through these staffers.

They treated me like I was special and they put in the effort to show that they value me and that God values me.

As I struggle with going back to real life, I also have to take my own words and put feet to them. God is with me and I will never walk alone. Even if God chooses to always let me be an outcast, I will choose to praise Him. I also can look forward in anticipation. God is gonna do some awesome things in the next few weeks. Now is a time for me to ready my heart and prepare to see God work. He will bring the rain and it will be awesome!


Sunday, July 20, 2014

Treasured Friendship

I have some of the best friends in the world. Today I was reminded of this. I want to tell the story of how God has a sense of humor......

6th grade year, I was an aloof gal with braces and about as much self confidence as a speck of dust. There was this guy who would hang around all the girls and flirt with them. No one really paid him any mind. He was shorter than me and had the maturity of a 10 year old, lol.

We ended up spending a lot of time with each other because we both just had a lot of the same passions and enjoyed participating in a lot of similar things. Sound booth. Check. Puppet ministry. Check. Choir. Check. Band. Check. Sunday night worship. Check. Wednesday night Bible study. Check. EVERY youth trip. Check. Mission trips. Check. Lock-ins. Check. You get the picture.....lol.

He was kind of "out there" and he really got under my skin so I tried to not be around him more than absolutely necessary, but as you can see, that didn't work out real well :P

My 7th grade year (I think....it might have been my 6th) we attended a summer camp and during that time one of the leaders challenged me to befriend him. They said that I seemed to be the only girl who could say something and he would really listen. He also said that he thought that we could teach each other a lot.

I accepted the challenge and we did become really close friends! We have taught each other a lot.

He taught me how to throw a football. He taught me how to laugh at myself. He taught me that it's okay to cry every once and awhile. He taught me how to worship unashamedly. He taught me what a real, genuine, hug is. He taught me how it's okay to sometimes go with the flow. He taught me that befriending people that are different is pretty cool. He taught me that words can kill or change a life for the better. He taught me how to pray for other people.

He's insulted me more than a lot of people, but also made me feel more beautiful than a lot of people. He has supported me in things that are truly important. He has ditched me a lot, but also come through for me when a lot of people wouldn't have. He has seen me laugh, cry, and anything in between. He has seen me sick and had compassion on me. He has walked with me through a lot of crucial moments this year where I needed a friend more than anything else.

Sure, he drives me up the wall on a fairly weekly bases, but I couldn't imagine life without him. He's like an older brother. He's still cocky, he still is sometimes immature (but so am I). He is now a foot taller than me.

Who would have thought....I went from wanting nothing to do with him, to being practically family. Man....God has a sense of humor and I am blessed! And that's just one friend. Each of my friends are just as unique :)

 
VA Beach trip July 2014


Graduation Sunday 2013


Halloween event 2012


Greenville, SC Mission trip 2013

Friday, July 18, 2014

Choose Life

I heard a story recently about 12 fishermen who came upon a storm and their boat was destroyed. For three days they floated on pieces of debris in the middle of the ocean. They had no food or water. They knew that they could not drink the sea water because it is salty and after awhile, you'll just become more dehydrated than you already are without water and die. You also will just keep desiring more water and that will speed up the process of dying. However, the longer they floated in the middle of the ocean, the better that sea water began to look because they became so thirsty. After awhile, some of the men gave into the temptation and drank the sea water. Within hours they were dead. After 3 days the 2 remaining men that had chosen not to drink the sea water were rescued.

The moral of the story is that often times, we will be faced with temptations that look good. They may satisfy us for awhile, but after awhile, they will only bring misery and, ultimately, death. Not so much physical death, but spiritual death.

I was thinking about this.....often times non-Christians look at us and they see all the things we cannot do (i.e. Don't have sex before marriage, don't lie, don't cheat, etc...). To them it looks like we are just depriving ourselves of something good, when in reality we are choosing life.

I don't want a temporary relationship based off of sex, I want a lasting relationship that models Christ's love for me and the Church.

I don't want to lie because I know that honesty is really the best policy. It might not make you popular, but it will make you honorable.

I don't want to have an abortion because I know that the thing I carry is not a thing, it is a human life. To terminate it would be to commit murder.

I don't want to have a "one night stand" with a guy because God values my heart and body. It might feel good at the time, but it will leave me with a lifetime of regret.

I am saying "NO" to things that may seem good, because I am waiting to say "YES" to things that are the best of the best! In this, I am choosing God and I am choosing life!

"Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" Deuteronomy 30:19

Wednesday, July 16, 2014

Brave


We often think that being brave is something that only happens when we stand on a cliff or get a job offer or get on that flight across the ocean. What if there is brave in your everyday?

  • It's brave to open the Bible when you feel disappointed with your life place.
  • It's brave to go to the funeral when your heart is broken.
  • It's brave to apply for the job when you aren't sure you are qualified.
  • It's brave to say yes to the date with the new guy in your church.
  • It's brave to hold on when you want to let go. But it can also be brave to let go when you want to hold on. (I'll let you wrestle that one out yourself.)
  • It's brave to choose Jesus when those around you don't know Him yet.
  • It's brave to be uniquely you in a world that celebrates conformity.
 This was part of my Bible study today. Being brave isn't doing something huge or spectacular in the world's eyes. It is doing things that are big to YOU!

Here are some things I would add to the list for me personally....

  • It is brave to speak up for what you believe when you know that you'll be made fun of, or even hated for it.
  • It is brave to say "No" to something that "everyone" is doing or that is seen as okay, but you know it's not the best.
  • It is brave to give yourself a break when you feel like you're not good enough.
  • It is brave to believe that you are worthy of love and that you are beautiful.
  • It's brave to love and be loved when you have been hurt.
  • It is brave to get up in the morning after a day you wish you could forget.
  • It is brave to say, "I'm sorry" when you're wrong and to forgive regardless of the person's repentance or not.
  • It is brave to be there for people who you know might not be there for you, but you know need you.
  • It is brave to say home on a Friday night when you know you might be tempted to do something you'll regret.
All these things may seem little, but life is made up of the choices we make. Being brave is not necessarily easy, but it is worth it. Choose to be brave today; God blesses a heart that desires to please Him!

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Growing Pains

Sometimes life has a strange way of never turning out anything like you imagined.

I quit my job a few days ago. It was hard, not gonna lie....however, I don't regret it. I can't wait to see what God does next!

I also am torn over a friendship right now. Might not seem like a big deal, but it is important. The friendships I have, I take seriously, because the people I consider my close friends are the ones whom influence me the most. That is something to be taken seriously......not lightly, so we will see what happens.

Even when things don't turn out the way I planned, I know that God still has a plan. Sometimes I just wish He would just tell me what it is, but I do know that it is always good! I will just have to wait a little longer and put my hope in that fact.......

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Jeremiah 29:11

Thursday, July 10, 2014

God Is Writting My Story

This year has been far from easy. Not that I should expect anything less.....this life is far from easy....... or fair.

God has definitely been molding me...... into what, I am not sure of yet! lol.

Some things that I have learned so far this year include:
  • Letting go. Holding on to something that I ultimately am not in control of does not help me, the other person, or the situation.
  • People care. Sure, I have seen this many times before, but never in the leaps and bounds that I have seen this year. Sometimes people have a hard time showing they care, but when you reach out, they are there.
  • Being there is more important than knowing what to say. Sometimes words cannot capture the depth of pain someone is feeling, nor the comfort they need, but being there helps a great deal!
  • It's okay to cry. Tears are just prayers in liquid form. There is no shame in them!
  • Treasure today. Whether good or bad, today will never come again. Make it count!
  • Tomorrow is a new day. Even if you blow it today, there is another chance.
  • People change. For better or for worse, people do change. Accepting that is the hard part, whichever way it may be.
  • Your faith is CRUCIAL!!!!!!! I cannot emphasize this enough. My faith is what kept me from giving up long ago. I know to whom I belong and also who holds my future. If that doesn't make me a better person, nothing will.
  • Know what you believe. If your faith is shaky, you cannot stand strong.
  • Stand by what you know to be true. No matter how much others seem to put you down or not respect you due to your beliefs, hold fast to them.
  • It's okay to admit that you don't have it all together. Those who care and love you will not judge you, they will be there and love on you anyway.
  • You are at your strongest when you are on your knees in prayer.
  • Healing is a process. It does not happen overnight. I struggle with this. Sometimes I just need to step back and admit that I can't rush myself. It will take time.
  • A hug or random act of kindness are sometimes more healing than any words spoken. I have been reduced to tears more than a few times this year by those kinds of things. They may seem so simple, but they make a HUGE impact!
  • Be honest. It really is the best policy........
  • Apologize and let people know you love and care for them. Sure, it may take some humility, but it is better than them never knowing....
  • God is faithful. No matter what happens, He does not change. He will not leave me and He will hold the broken pieces of me when I cannot even bear to look at them....
God is writing the story of my life. I trust Him with my heart. I can't wait to see what He's gonna do next! Even if it is painful, if it molds me into a stronger, purer woman who is more in love with Jesus, then I am more than game! It is worth it....

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

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Everybody Has A Story

If someone refuses to do something, even if it seems to be something simple, it is usually for a deeper reason then meets the eye. Handle with care!

Each person you meet has a story and no matter how well you think you know them, be careful when they say that they don't want to do something! Each person has secret hurts and reasons and even if that reason seems petty; be careful how you word things. Don't ridicule someone for not wanting to do something until you know the whole story. What may seem simple to you, may be a huge deal for them.

Love them like Jesus. He didn't force them to tell their story, He accepted them as they were and if they told their story, He listened and didn't ridicule.

You never know when a listening ear and a kind hug may be enough to heal or when a quick word may destroy them. Be gentle and kind.....it makes a huge difference!

 
"Everybody's got a story
I've got mine and you've got yours
And I will listen if you let me in"
 
"Everybody's got a secret sadness that they cannot keep
Inside forever, let its strength dispel
And tell your story"
 
"Tell your story" by Out of The Grey

 
"Just love them like Jesus, carry them to Him
His yoke is easy, His burden is light
You don't need the answers to all of life's questions
Just know that He loves them and stay by their side
And love them like Jesus"

"Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
The God of all the nations holds our lives in His hands
The Rock of our salvation holds our lives in His hands
He cares for them just as He cares for you"
 
"Love Them Like Jesus" by Casting Crowns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuAxzEuzNGg 
 
 





Monday, July 7, 2014

Courtship vs. Dating

I do not believe in dating *collective gasp*

Dating, the way I see it, has a very "me" mentality. It is more about what you can get than what you can give. I am speaking from the view of my generation of teenagers. Dating is about getting to know someone in a very intimate way that often leads to heartache and disagreements because the two people in the relationship are looking for temporary pleasure, not a long term commitment. I believe that dating, in its present context, is not only unhealthy, but displeasing to God.

I do believe in courtship, however. Courtship IS NOT the same thing as dating. Courtship IS a model of the cross. It is a relationship centered on Jesus, then those around you, and then it is about ya'll. It is selfless. It is about serving others and pleasing God more than it is about what one can get out of the relationship.

I believe that Courtship is how God intends relationships, where a male and female are interested in each other, to be. Courtship is ultimately intended for a life long relationship. However, it is on the bases of putting God first, setting an example for others, and building each other up.

Courtship is less stressful for 2 big reasons (at least two that came to mind immediately).

1. Courtship isn't based on how "fast" or "slow" you go like dating is. You are trying to build spiritual and mental bonds, not physical ones. Sex, cuddling, and kissing are all nice (And I in no way condone them, but that is another topic all together!), but in the end, they are never, and I repeat: NEVER, the strong foundation of a relationship!

2. There is no "breaking up" in Courtship. If used the way God intends, there is a "no regrets" policy. Yes, there is a possibility that you may part ways, but during your courtship, you are getting to see another human's heart and mind, not their body. Knowing those things is no cause for regret.

Bonus: You will also not have a ton of baggage when you DO get to the alter because courtship IS. THINKING. LONGTERM!


Courtship must have boundaries, just like dating (but it often doesn't). Courtship may look a little different for everyone.

As I emphasized several times....Courtship is not really a physical relationship because that is not the bases of it (Got that yet?) In my life, this would prove especially true. I have chosen to refrain from kissing before I am engaged because I feel that it is taken far too lightly in my generation. It is given without much thought or consequence. I want my kisses to mean something. I also made a choice to not have sex outside of marriage because it is a temporary pleasure that should only be enjoyed with the man that I have sworn in a marriage to spend the rest of my life with.

So, with all that being said, I never want to date. I am looking for a courtship.

When I choose to do things God's way, I know that He'll bless my desire to please Him.

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Simplicity

I am not the kind of girl that wants a dozen roses, a wild flower is just as sweet. There is beauty in simplicity. We serve a God of simplicity.

"Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful." 1 Corinthians 1:27