Take a deep breathe in. Now breathe out.
God is active in your life.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
God is active in your life.
In. Out.
God is active.
Every single breath you take is a gift from God--a deliberate act of God's will to give you one more breath of life...and another...and another.
God's not done with you yet.
Look all around you! Look at the life existing throughout our world! Marvel at the mountains, embrace the beauty of the trees, and look at the people. See the people? Oh my gosh, there are so many people. Children and elderly; black and white; singles and couples. There's life and there's beauty--diversity and unity. (And you know, what?) It's ALL good!! And, all good things come from God!
Breathe In. Breathe Out.
God's goodness is all over the world we live in. But, the sad thing is that, through the cracks, evil is allowed to seep through. Dark clouds rise over the world. The darkness rules these places and as a result, our visions start to blur. It can even get to the point when we are having trouble seeing the light--the magnificent, marvelous light of God.
Bad things happen in this world.
Depression. Abuse. Death. Divorce. Betrayal. Rejection. Grief.
Suffering is a part of our lives. As human beings, we a forced to experience such things because, sadly, we do not live in a perfect world.
Trust me, life gets rough. It gets hard to push through it sometimes. Some days I just want to escape from it all, but I can't. I just can't run away from life. It doesn't work like that. I have to push through it and keep on living my life.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
There it is: another gift from God.
Now, we know all good things come from God, but for some reason, God allows all those bad things to happen (even though He never starts it). I mean, we can go ahead and shake our fists at Him and ask Him why He would do such a thing to us, but honestly, that would accomplish nothing. However, there's another option: we can submit ourselves to His glory and hold on tight to His promises of goodness and love.
One day (when the time is just right), He will penetrate this awful darkness and His light will shine upon our weak and fallen bodies. And we will realize that every pain and every struggle we encountered in the dark abyss of the world was NOTHING compared to the glory we will experience with God.
We're human. We're going to experience intense struggle. There's no doubt about that. But, we should remember that every single excruciating moment is stuffed full of meaning. We are alive and God is working in us. We can't ever forget that.
"Let everything that has breath..."
Breathe in.
"Praise the Lord."
Breathe out.
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Content
"Love is a strange thing. Love is a phenomenon of the human experience that even science cannot begin to explain. The idea that two people who are meant to be together will actually find each other among the 7+ billion people in the world is absurd. But love is love when you find the person with whom you're "meant to be". There is a lot of truth behind the cliche "meant to be". God has someone picked out for you, me, her, him, your best friend, and Drake. The hardest part isn't finding the person. The hardest part is being patient because God already has found the person. Actually, God has already created the person. We get so impatient sometimes, as the thirst consumes us, but our future better halves are in the same struggle we are because they're waiting too. So when it comes to relationships, this is what I've learned to be true: where you're headed is way more important than how fast you arrive. Direction triumphs over speed every time. God's got your back. He knows where you're going, what job you'll have, and what godly person He has waiting for you. And when God's ready, He'll show ya.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God has your plan already laid out. All you have to do is follow God, and He will lead you where you are meant to go."
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God has your plan already laid out. All you have to do is follow God, and He will lead you where you are meant to go."
-Blake Phillips-
Let's be honest. I'm a person who likes to live out her days planned step by step. I like to know what's going on and what's going to happen. I don't necessarily like anything unplanned and I shudder at the thought of unexpected events happening throughout my day. I have a schedule of goals for the day and I like to stick to it. Nothing is out of place.
But, not all my days work out like I want them to. My entire schedule falls apart and I'm struggling like crazy to put it back together. It's those days that I believe in God's sense of humor. As He places an unexpected moment in my day, He wants to see how I handle it. He wants to see if my patience can withhold His surprises.
When God wants me to be patient, He provides me things that DEMAND patience.
So, obviously, when it comes to my romantic life, God really wants me to be patient. I mean, he really wants me to be patient.
What is patience anyway?
Patience is the ability to endure. It is the capacity to be wronged and NOT RETALIATE.
So, I bet you're wondering why I'm talking about patience and my nonexistent romantic life. You see, in college, I feel that society expects us to find that significant other. You know what I'm talking about. Society wants us to find the one who is "meant to be" with us. While some of us may have found that already, there are still a lot of us who struggle with the idea of a soulmate to do life with.
Take me, for example. I've told you in posts before that I have been single for quite some time now. I've been out on dates. I've had and still have crazy crushes. I've had short relationships with a few guys (nothing that lasted longer than a few months). I've never had my first real kiss.
There are days that I struggle with being single. I long for someone to live my life with. I want that connection. I want someone I can give my heart to and have him give his to me. That want will never go away. I already know this. But, that doesn't mean I have to live my life with bitter resentment as others find their significant other.
I know that God has someone out there waiting for me. (Or maybe, He doesn't. Maybe, He wants me to serve Him in my singleness. I won't know until it happens.)
This is where patience and contentment comes in to play. We must learn to be patient and content with where we are in life at this moment and God's glory will be revealed to us. Take a look at chapter four of the book of Philippians. This is such a great passage on focusing on contentment in your life.
"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 Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)
Pray. Do not be anxious. The two verse above tell us all we need to know about contentment. God has got a handle on this. He has that perfect person for you in mind. In fact, this perfect person is already created by Him. Your soulmate is already walking the Earth, waiting to meet you (or maybe they already have, you just don't know it yet).
Contentment in our lives just goes back to trusting in God's ultimate plan. His way is perfect and we must put our faith and trust in that. We have the unwavering, unconditional love of God to sustain us for the rest of our days. How can we question that? That's just it; we can't.
I found this quote the other day that put everything I think about my single life into perspective:
"Sometimes, it takes learning how to be perfectly lonely, just so God can show you what being PERFECTLY LOVED feels like."
This is so true to our lives. God never stops loving us. His love is perfect. We just need to take a step back in order to see that.
So, whether you are in a loving relationship, married or are living out your days still looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right, remember to be content in your lives. God has a perfect plan for each and every one of us. He has the perfect person picked out for us and will be there for us when we meet him/her.
My friend, Blake, shaped this idea in a great way. God, in a way, is our wingman. No matter the circumstances, God is always on our side and has our backs in the highs and lows.
Before signing off on this post, let me leave you with one more verse. This one is found in chapter 8 of the book of Romans and I feel that it perfectly sums up this post:
"And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)
In His Love.
Saturday, November 1, 2014
Superhero
In my last post, I talked about the sin of comparison and of jealousy. I realized (with some help from a friend), a few days later, that I only discussed the evils of the sins. Now, inherently, all sins are evil. That's something that we cannot argue. However, for a little while, I want to discuss the differences between jealousy and admiration, between unhealthy comparisons and healthy comparisons, between idols and role models.
In order to move forward in our spiritual growth, we, as Christians, need to appreciate the value of a role model.
We are called to emulate others ("Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example." -Philippians 3:17), even as they sought to emulate Christ ("I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you." -1 Corinthians 11:1).
Now, you may be wondering why we are commanded to imitate others. It's probably because, as humans, we are natural imitators. As children, we pick up on our parents' mannerisms and begin to imitate them. As teenagers, we (whether good or bad) seek to imitate our peers and those celebrities we hold in high regard. Then, as Christians, we usually seem to imitate those people we hold in high regard (such as preachers or elders).
However, we should look at the value of role models, as we are supposed to be careful with whom we imitate.
We are supposed to look at good role models. These are people who:
1. By example, show us what is possible.
An example of this is of John who, in the book of Mark, was called a son of thunder (Mark 3:17) and then, as time goes on, grows and matures into an apostle of love (1 John 4:7-8).
2. By example, each us how to reach the same goals. Goals such as:
a. enjoying a relationship with God. ("Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." -Philippians 4:9)
b. remaining steadfast in the midst of trials. ("That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So, we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
You see, there is a difference between being jealous of someone and admiring them.
Let's go back to my friend, Blake. He loves Eminem. Is he jealous of Eminem? No. Does he want to be Eminem? No. He says that he and Eminem "use the skill of rhyming in different ways and stand for different ideals. But I still compare myself to him because it makes me better".
Choose to imitate someone who makes you a better you. That's what makes for healthy comparisons.
I like to use the term superhero to describe my role models. They are my superheroes--the people I look up to for my faith, my relationships, and a lot of my life. They are people who, while I was in my depression, were the ones to encourage me and to lift me out of the dark hole I had dug myself in to.
So, whether you are a "superhero" to someone else or you find a "superhero" in someone else, just remember:
In order to move forward in our spiritual growth, we, as Christians, need to appreciate the value of a role model.
We are called to emulate others ("Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example." -Philippians 3:17), even as they sought to emulate Christ ("I am so glad that you always keep me in your thoughts, and that you are following the teachings I passed on to you." -1 Corinthians 11:1).
Now, you may be wondering why we are commanded to imitate others. It's probably because, as humans, we are natural imitators. As children, we pick up on our parents' mannerisms and begin to imitate them. As teenagers, we (whether good or bad) seek to imitate our peers and those celebrities we hold in high regard. Then, as Christians, we usually seem to imitate those people we hold in high regard (such as preachers or elders).
However, we should look at the value of role models, as we are supposed to be careful with whom we imitate.
We are supposed to look at good role models. These are people who:
1. By example, show us what is possible.
An example of this is of John who, in the book of Mark, was called a son of thunder (Mark 3:17) and then, as time goes on, grows and matures into an apostle of love (1 John 4:7-8).
2. By example, each us how to reach the same goals. Goals such as:
a. enjoying a relationship with God. ("Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me--everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you." -Philippians 4:9)
b. remaining steadfast in the midst of trials. ("That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So, we don't look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever." -2 Corinthians 4:16-18)
You see, there is a difference between being jealous of someone and admiring them.
Let's go back to my friend, Blake. He loves Eminem. Is he jealous of Eminem? No. Does he want to be Eminem? No. He says that he and Eminem "use the skill of rhyming in different ways and stand for different ideals. But I still compare myself to him because it makes me better".
Choose to imitate someone who makes you a better you. That's what makes for healthy comparisons.
I like to use the term superhero to describe my role models. They are my superheroes--the people I look up to for my faith, my relationships, and a lot of my life. They are people who, while I was in my depression, were the ones to encourage me and to lift me out of the dark hole I had dug myself in to.
So, whether you are a "superhero" to someone else or you find a "superhero" in someone else, just remember:
Admiration is productive. Jealousy is destructive.
Choose love. Choose life. Choose positivity.
In His Love.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Jealous
"I wish I could have her hair. It's so straight and perfect."
"Why can't my body look like hers?"
"He gets all the girls. Why can't I be more like him?"
"His car is so cool. I wish I had a car like that."
Did you know that a sin is a sin is a sin? We often forget that, in the eyes of God, sins are equal no matter what. We, as humans, put them into "smaller" and "greater" categories, with jealousy and comparison falling into the former while murder, theft, and adultery fall into the latter.
However, we must remember that all sin separates us from God. We don't want that. So, all sin needs to be taken seriously, no matter how severe or less severe we seem to find it.
I recently met up with my friend, Blake, at Starbucks to talk about my blog and his spoken word that he does. We wanted to find a way to incorporate a spoken word piece he wrote into one of my blog posts. We ended up talking a little about the sin of comparison and how rampant and rooted it is in our lives today.
After, going through some of the things that I did in the past, I came out with a lot more self-confidence than I used to have. I'm not so worried about who I am or what I do. However, the sin of comparison is definitely still in my life. Thinking about it after the talk Blake and I had, I realized how guilty I am of comparison, or envy and jealousy.
I may be secure in my looks and in my personality, but I will find myself comparing myself to others in the classroom. I ask myself why the girl who sits beside me in class got a better grade than me when she barely studied while I spent an entire week studying. I find myself comparing myself to others in the gym. How can he spend 45 minutes running at a steady pace when I have to take a breather every 30 minutes? No matter how much self-confidence you may have, I believe that we all fall victim to comparison and jealousy.
This sin of comparison is killing us.
That's right. Killing us.
We use comparison like a measuring stick. We assess our own worthiness to others' victories and/or failures. We beat ourselves and others down with it.
I recently discovered a way to describe comparison: It's a thug. It robs your joy. But it's more than that. It makes you a thug who beats down somebody--or your own soul.
The thing about measuring sticks is that we use it to rank people as either big or small. Truth is: we aren't sizes. We are souls. We are God-made souls and because of that, we defy measurements from others and from ourselves. There is no bigger soul nor is there a smaller soul. So there is no point in trying to compare ourselves to others or others to ourselves.
When we walk through life with this measuring stick, our eyes get so small that we can no longer see God.
Here's something to remember:
You were created with intention. Those flaws that we see in ourselves? Those little imperfections that we wish to fix? Yeah....they aren't flaws to God.
When we continuously berate ourselves and pick at our flaws and others' flaws, we are missing the opportunity to bring glory to God by lifting others up.
I also read some advice about defeating the sin of comparison:
Whenever you find yourself comparing your flaws to others, go right up to that person and compliment them on the very thing you are jealous of. Tell them congrats on getting an A on the test. Tell them that you love their hair. Tell them that it's awesome with what they do in the gym.
When we turn comparisons into ways to build people up, the devil loses and God wins.
Blake talks in his spoken word ("Just Be Yourself"--click to watch the video!), about how there's a wish to go back to a time when comparisons didn't happen. When innocence was running rampant and we didn't care who owned what or who had the best hair or eyes or clothes or cars.
One of my favorite verses from his spoken word is: "We should celebrate the fact that we're all so uniquely diverse and actually start to converse; so we can learn about each other as well as learn from one another and celebrate our differences."
He hits it right on the mark. We should celebrate our differences.
My battle cry for this week will be the same thing morning, noon and night:
Boys and girls RIVAL each other. Men and women REVIVE each another.
Boys and girls EMPALE each another. Men and women EMPOWER each other.
Boys and girls COMPARE each other. Men and women CHAMPION each other.
Let's not be people who compare each other; let's be people who champion each other.
Like Blake says:
"It's your story. It's the life you've been given. So, celebrate every day, enjoy every second your liven'...We need to be happy by being ourselves...to be cool, simply, just be yourself."
[A big thank you to Blake, who sat down with me to help get rid of my writer's block and to talk about life. Go check out his other cool spoken words on his YouTube Channel: AsToldByGingerSnap.]
In His Love.
"Why can't my body look like hers?"
"He gets all the girls. Why can't I be more like him?"
"His car is so cool. I wish I had a car like that."
Did you know that a sin is a sin is a sin? We often forget that, in the eyes of God, sins are equal no matter what. We, as humans, put them into "smaller" and "greater" categories, with jealousy and comparison falling into the former while murder, theft, and adultery fall into the latter.
However, we must remember that all sin separates us from God. We don't want that. So, all sin needs to be taken seriously, no matter how severe or less severe we seem to find it.
I recently met up with my friend, Blake, at Starbucks to talk about my blog and his spoken word that he does. We wanted to find a way to incorporate a spoken word piece he wrote into one of my blog posts. We ended up talking a little about the sin of comparison and how rampant and rooted it is in our lives today.
After, going through some of the things that I did in the past, I came out with a lot more self-confidence than I used to have. I'm not so worried about who I am or what I do. However, the sin of comparison is definitely still in my life. Thinking about it after the talk Blake and I had, I realized how guilty I am of comparison, or envy and jealousy.
I may be secure in my looks and in my personality, but I will find myself comparing myself to others in the classroom. I ask myself why the girl who sits beside me in class got a better grade than me when she barely studied while I spent an entire week studying. I find myself comparing myself to others in the gym. How can he spend 45 minutes running at a steady pace when I have to take a breather every 30 minutes? No matter how much self-confidence you may have, I believe that we all fall victim to comparison and jealousy.
This sin of comparison is killing us.
That's right. Killing us.
We use comparison like a measuring stick. We assess our own worthiness to others' victories and/or failures. We beat ourselves and others down with it.
I recently discovered a way to describe comparison: It's a thug. It robs your joy. But it's more than that. It makes you a thug who beats down somebody--or your own soul.
The thing about measuring sticks is that we use it to rank people as either big or small. Truth is: we aren't sizes. We are souls. We are God-made souls and because of that, we defy measurements from others and from ourselves. There is no bigger soul nor is there a smaller soul. So there is no point in trying to compare ourselves to others or others to ourselves.
When we walk through life with this measuring stick, our eyes get so small that we can no longer see God.
Here's something to remember:
You were created with intention. Those flaws that we see in ourselves? Those little imperfections that we wish to fix? Yeah....they aren't flaws to God.
When we continuously berate ourselves and pick at our flaws and others' flaws, we are missing the opportunity to bring glory to God by lifting others up.
I also read some advice about defeating the sin of comparison:
Whenever you find yourself comparing your flaws to others, go right up to that person and compliment them on the very thing you are jealous of. Tell them congrats on getting an A on the test. Tell them that you love their hair. Tell them that it's awesome with what they do in the gym.
When we turn comparisons into ways to build people up, the devil loses and God wins.
Blake talks in his spoken word ("Just Be Yourself"--click to watch the video!), about how there's a wish to go back to a time when comparisons didn't happen. When innocence was running rampant and we didn't care who owned what or who had the best hair or eyes or clothes or cars.
One of my favorite verses from his spoken word is: "We should celebrate the fact that we're all so uniquely diverse and actually start to converse; so we can learn about each other as well as learn from one another and celebrate our differences."
He hits it right on the mark. We should celebrate our differences.
My battle cry for this week will be the same thing morning, noon and night:
Boys and girls RIVAL each other. Men and women REVIVE each another.
Boys and girls EMPALE each another. Men and women EMPOWER each other.
Boys and girls COMPARE each other. Men and women CHAMPION each other.
Let's not be people who compare each other; let's be people who champion each other.
Like Blake says:
"It's your story. It's the life you've been given. So, celebrate every day, enjoy every second your liven'...We need to be happy by being ourselves...to be cool, simply, just be yourself."
[A big thank you to Blake, who sat down with me to help get rid of my writer's block and to talk about life. Go check out his other cool spoken words on his YouTube Channel: AsToldByGingerSnap.]
In His Love.
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
Thirsty
I know I'm not the only one to notice this, but recently, I have found that while on Facebook, I'm seeing more of my high school friends posting pictures of their engagement rings, weddings, and even of their first born child! Sometimes I see these things and think, Wait...I'm pretty sure that you were just as single as I am...what happened in just a few months?
(I want to go ahead and point out, that I'm not condemning those who are like this. You have your life to live and I'm not going to tell you how to live it. That's not why I'm here, writing this tonight.)
Let's face it. In the world we live in today, love moves fast. Really, everything seems to move fast. Text messages, emails, Google, etc. Basically, with the technology we have in our society, we begin to get to know people faster than we would if we still had to meet face to face or a phone call here and there.
I agree that texting people is much easier than calling them and asking them where they want to meet for dinner that night. It saves time. I also enjoy being able to Google an answer to a homework problem rather than sitting for hours trying to figure it out.
So, from the above observations, it's safe to assume that our relationships move a lot faster than normal as well. However, we can also say that the frequency of how often someone is in our lives won't change the capacity to develop a real, lasting bond with them any faster than usual.
Our society...our generation is setting off fireworks and grenades. Yes, it is beautiful and magnificent, but it only lasts a short while until it dissolves into smoke. And then, we are only left with memories.
With that said, we aren't allowing the time to actually build these relationships with each other. Instant gratification is inherent in our society and it is becoming increasingly noticeable in our relationships as well. We want the next best thing and are willing to toss behind the old like trash. That is not what we are supposed to do with those that we love.
I understand the concept of "when you know, you know", but I still believe that we should take our time in kindling a romance. Learn each other's quirks and flaws. Be best friends first. Then, take a stab at romance.
Here at school, a friend of mine and I have talked about the "thirstiness" of the students here. Everywhere I look, I see new relationships popping up out of nowhere. Especially in the freshman class. Within the first two weeks of school, freshman are already in "serious" relationships with other people at Berry. That's crazy.
I feel like, part of it is Berry's appeal to us. Berry identifies itself as a close knit group of students and faculty. I remember coming here during my senior year of high school and I just felt like Berry was selling love in a way. Like, it felt as if it promised you would find your one true love/soulmate while you were here in school.
So, I feel like the students here are looking for that long term relationship. They want that happily ever after.
And maybe, they'll get it. I'm not saying that it's not going to happen. I just want to issue a warning out there:
Urban dictionary describes being thirsty as having an eagerness or desperation for something.
I go around campus all the time, hearing:
"Girl, he's so thirsty. He's always up in my inbox trying to talk to me."
"Bro, don't get involved with her. She's just thirsty, trying to get with all these other guys as well as you."
Et cetera. Et cetera.
I'll admit, there are times when I have acted "thirsty" for some guy. But, ultimately, it doesn't work out. I feel like "thirsty" could be another word for clingy. And not many people are into clingy types.
So, how about instead of having a thirstiness for a soulmate or for love, let's have a thirstiness for Christ and for God?
I don't know about you, but I really want to be desperate for God. I want to love Him so boldly and without fear that others will begin to love Him too. I want to be vulnerable at His throne. I want to live a life that is filled with His mercy and His love for me. I want to be so into His Word, that people have to delve into it to find me.
So, in a way, being thirsty isn't a bad thing. It just depends on what you're thirsty for.
Just something to think about.
In His Love.
(I want to go ahead and point out, that I'm not condemning those who are like this. You have your life to live and I'm not going to tell you how to live it. That's not why I'm here, writing this tonight.)
Let's face it. In the world we live in today, love moves fast. Really, everything seems to move fast. Text messages, emails, Google, etc. Basically, with the technology we have in our society, we begin to get to know people faster than we would if we still had to meet face to face or a phone call here and there.
I agree that texting people is much easier than calling them and asking them where they want to meet for dinner that night. It saves time. I also enjoy being able to Google an answer to a homework problem rather than sitting for hours trying to figure it out.
So, from the above observations, it's safe to assume that our relationships move a lot faster than normal as well. However, we can also say that the frequency of how often someone is in our lives won't change the capacity to develop a real, lasting bond with them any faster than usual.
Our society...our generation is setting off fireworks and grenades. Yes, it is beautiful and magnificent, but it only lasts a short while until it dissolves into smoke. And then, we are only left with memories.
With that said, we aren't allowing the time to actually build these relationships with each other. Instant gratification is inherent in our society and it is becoming increasingly noticeable in our relationships as well. We want the next best thing and are willing to toss behind the old like trash. That is not what we are supposed to do with those that we love.
I understand the concept of "when you know, you know", but I still believe that we should take our time in kindling a romance. Learn each other's quirks and flaws. Be best friends first. Then, take a stab at romance.
Here at school, a friend of mine and I have talked about the "thirstiness" of the students here. Everywhere I look, I see new relationships popping up out of nowhere. Especially in the freshman class. Within the first two weeks of school, freshman are already in "serious" relationships with other people at Berry. That's crazy.
I feel like, part of it is Berry's appeal to us. Berry identifies itself as a close knit group of students and faculty. I remember coming here during my senior year of high school and I just felt like Berry was selling love in a way. Like, it felt as if it promised you would find your one true love/soulmate while you were here in school.
So, I feel like the students here are looking for that long term relationship. They want that happily ever after.
And maybe, they'll get it. I'm not saying that it's not going to happen. I just want to issue a warning out there:
Urban dictionary describes being thirsty as having an eagerness or desperation for something.
I go around campus all the time, hearing:
"Girl, he's so thirsty. He's always up in my inbox trying to talk to me."
"Bro, don't get involved with her. She's just thirsty, trying to get with all these other guys as well as you."
Et cetera. Et cetera.
I'll admit, there are times when I have acted "thirsty" for some guy. But, ultimately, it doesn't work out. I feel like "thirsty" could be another word for clingy. And not many people are into clingy types.
So, how about instead of having a thirstiness for a soulmate or for love, let's have a thirstiness for Christ and for God?
I don't know about you, but I really want to be desperate for God. I want to love Him so boldly and without fear that others will begin to love Him too. I want to be vulnerable at His throne. I want to live a life that is filled with His mercy and His love for me. I want to be so into His Word, that people have to delve into it to find me.
So, in a way, being thirsty isn't a bad thing. It just depends on what you're thirsty for.
Just something to think about.
In His Love.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
Faithful
In my life, I have had a lot of challenges growing up at a devout Christian. People were always ready to tear me down; ready to berate me for my beliefs. Those people were part of the causes that led to my depression and rebelliousness against the Christian beliefs while I was in high school. I had never realized how much opposition there was towards the Christian faith until then.
Since then, I've grown much stronger in my faith. That's not to say that I don't have struggles anymore. Cause I do. I still encounter people who want to challenge my beliefs and who want to tear me down till I'm nothing but dust.
What I want to talk about, today, however, is how I've been able to keep my faith in Christ as strong as it is and what it's like being one of Christ's disciples. Let me tell you, though, it isn't easy. It takes a lot of dedication and willpower.
College is a completely new adventure. We, as students, must learn new time-management skills, face new challenges, make brand new friends (all the while trying to keep up with the old ones), and make good grades. Those things are all very important and necessary in a college career. (It personally took me a lot of time and a couple of mistakes to realize that those things, while important, are not the biggest priority.
I had to learn how to stand up for what I believe it...even when that meant I was standing alone. Now, I am not ashamed of the gospel or for what I believe in, but in a society where being "cool" and "wild" is in style, keeping the faith in college can be a real mudslide of fear and intimidation.
So, let me share some things to help you (and me!) keep up our faith in college and beyond.
Journaling
Second semester of my freshman year, I found that keeping a journal helped me keep a firm stance in my beliefs. It keeps me in touch with my emotions and helps me remain in touch with God at all times.
When journaling, it doesn't matter what you write in, whether it be a fancy, moleskin notebook, a spiral notebook, or a notes app on your phone. Just make it an easily accessible way to write down your thoughts at any time in any place. (I also use my blog as a way to keep in touch with everything. You can use this idea or even make a private blog that only you can read!)
Now, I always find myself reaching for my journal when something is weighing on my mind. When I am able to write this burden onto paper, I feel that it has been partially released from me and my shoulders begin to feel lighter. It doesn't act permanently, but it allows me to focus on other things, such as homework or work, rather than letting it control my thoughts, ultimately distracting me from anything else that is of importance.
When we write, we are usually more engaged and more focused on whatever it is we are doing. We tend to be able to finish our thoughts when writing rather that leaving it mid thought. This is also just a time set apart for God and for God only. None of it has to be formal or fancy or eloquent. It just needs to capture what's on your heart at that moment in time.
(It's also pretty cool to look back at past journals and see how God was working in and through your heart and life!)
"Jesus Time"
Since then, I've grown much stronger in my faith. That's not to say that I don't have struggles anymore. Cause I do. I still encounter people who want to challenge my beliefs and who want to tear me down till I'm nothing but dust.
What I want to talk about, today, however, is how I've been able to keep my faith in Christ as strong as it is and what it's like being one of Christ's disciples. Let me tell you, though, it isn't easy. It takes a lot of dedication and willpower.
College is a completely new adventure. We, as students, must learn new time-management skills, face new challenges, make brand new friends (all the while trying to keep up with the old ones), and make good grades. Those things are all very important and necessary in a college career. (It personally took me a lot of time and a couple of mistakes to realize that those things, while important, are not the biggest priority.
I had to learn how to stand up for what I believe it...even when that meant I was standing alone. Now, I am not ashamed of the gospel or for what I believe in, but in a society where being "cool" and "wild" is in style, keeping the faith in college can be a real mudslide of fear and intimidation.
So, let me share some things to help you (and me!) keep up our faith in college and beyond.
Journaling
"Show me Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day." (Psalms 25:4-5)
When journaling, it doesn't matter what you write in, whether it be a fancy, moleskin notebook, a spiral notebook, or a notes app on your phone. Just make it an easily accessible way to write down your thoughts at any time in any place. (I also use my blog as a way to keep in touch with everything. You can use this idea or even make a private blog that only you can read!)
Now, I always find myself reaching for my journal when something is weighing on my mind. When I am able to write this burden onto paper, I feel that it has been partially released from me and my shoulders begin to feel lighter. It doesn't act permanently, but it allows me to focus on other things, such as homework or work, rather than letting it control my thoughts, ultimately distracting me from anything else that is of importance.
When we write, we are usually more engaged and more focused on whatever it is we are doing. We tend to be able to finish our thoughts when writing rather that leaving it mid thought. This is also just a time set apart for God and for God only. None of it has to be formal or fancy or eloquent. It just needs to capture what's on your heart at that moment in time.
(It's also pretty cool to look back at past journals and see how God was working in and through your heart and life!)
"Jesus Time"
"Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him and he with me." (Revelation 3:20)
As college students, we have very busy lives. Our days are filled with sports, classes, homework, meals, clubs, intramurals, etc. In the midst of this chaos, it can be hard to find time to spend with Christ. I mean, do you set apart time for praying, reading, praising, or in fellowship with others during the day, night, the weekend, weekday or everyday?
Being in a relationship with Christ takes time and effort. He is always available for us to come talk to Him, but as humans, we are agents of free will and it is up to us to accept or decline that invitation on a daily basis.
Here are some examples of ways to set apart your own "Jesus Time":
- Start a bible study with a group of friends
- When working out, instead of listening to music, listen to church sermons.
- Set apart a set time that is dedicated only to reading your Bible and spending time in prayer.
- Find time to meet with (or Skype) with friends to talk about God and other things going on in your heart.
- Create a Pinterest board that is dedicated to Bible verses and other Christian thoughts for those days when you just need a faith boost.
Devotionals
"So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)
The amount of devotionals I have done in the past year is crazy. I have found so many different ones that relate to so many different topics that help me in my faith. In fact, I'm working on three different ones right now. There's a daily one that I sit down at night and complete (it takes me about 5-10 minutes); a weekly one right now called "The Disciple--A Journey with God" that I do every Tuesday night (it can take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour); and then a monthly one called "Seven" (I read a little bit from this one every other day or so). And after I finish those, I have another one ready to go called "If Jesus Were a Sophomore--Discipleship for College Students".
Devotionals are a great way to keep your faith strong. Once you find a devotional you want to work through, take about thirty minutes a day to sit down with your bible and that book and focus on what it's telling you. Some devotionals may by daily, some may be weekly, some monthly. It doesn't matter what it is, as long as you take time to sit down and really meditate on His Word.
Keeping the faith in college is definitely a challenge. You have to leap through many different obstacles in order to stay strong. You also must be willing to stand up for your beliefs even when nobody is willing to stand up with you. To keep your faith, you must maintain good habits and sustain yourself in His presence and His words.
At the end of the day, your heart will remain in His peace.
In His Love.
Sunday, October 5, 2014
Friend
Let me start off by saying that this past weekend has been one for the history books. My college won our first game EVER. That's right. Second official season with a football team and we finally win a game in overtime.
This weekend was also the biggest weekend of the year at my school. It was our founder, Martha Berry's birthday and Berry College celebrates it BIG. We have Olympic games between all of the dorms and housings, we have talent shows, sports games, a Grand March up on Mountain Campus, picnics, and a carnival we like to call Marthapalooza. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I woke up this morning with no voice and a headache like no other, but it was definitely worth it.
What I wanted to talk about tonight, though, is something that has been on my mind for a while. I haven't found a time when I really wanted to post about it, because other stuff ended up coming before it, but I feel that tonight is as good a time as any.
So, let's talk about friendships.
Yeah, I know it's a strange thing to talk about on a blog, but trust me, it's way more important than you realize.
Being a girl in college, I know that friendships are very important to keep and maintain. These people will most likely by your life long friends--people who will be there for your wedding, your children, everything that happens after college. I feel that I have definitely met some of those people while at Berry.
But I want to talk about what it means to be a Christian and how that plays into your friendships with others.
I have a good number of friends who are either atheist or part of another religion. And I'm completely cool with that. Those people are my friends and I wouldn't trade them for the world. I can talk to them about my problems and they can talk to me about theirs.
The trick is to not spout my beliefs on them every chance I get. I don't want to force people into Christianity. That's not what we're supposed to do. Jesus told us to love one another as we love ourselves. So, that's what I do.
I love on my friends. I support them, encourage them, listen to them, talk to them. I don't spite them for their beliefs. That would just make me a hypocrite and a liar. And I don't want to be either.
My pastor from back in my home town put in a great perspective. We don't have to love the sin, but we do have to love the person. I may not be particularly happy or supportive of my friends' beliefs in atheism or gay rights, but I do love on them and show them Christ's love through my friendship with them.
I'm not saying that all friendships will be easy going, though. I have people who have dropped me as their friend because of my beliefs before. And, yes, it hurts. A lot. But God carries me through the storms.
I've also had Christian friends drop me because of other reasons. Especially this summer, I had a few people who unfriended me on Facebook and Twitter and everything else. These were people whom I considered to be some of my very best friends throughout junior high and high school. It broke me to find out that they didn't want to be friends with me anymore, but obviously, God had reasoning behind it, so I let it happen.
No, I don't know what's going on with these people now. I don't see them and don't talk to them anymore. It hurts sometimes, yes. Somedays I find myself remembering all of the fun times we used to have in high school, and then I would realize that we just grew apart and didn't walk in the same circles anymore.
What I'm trying to say, is that friends will leave you. They will. But, God has a plan for all of us. He puts people in out lives for a reason and He takes them out for a reason. We may never know what that reason my be, but we do know that God's got this under control.
I also want to point out that while we love our friends, we must love our enemies as well. In Matthew, chapter 5, Christ tells us: "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
I have people who I would love to hate. Literally, would love to hate. And sometimes I let myself hate them. But then, I start to thaw out and realize that God would not want me to hate them. And I can't hate them.
I need to show people the love of Christ and to do that, I must love my enemies even when they do not love me.
I have a friend who, recently, I haven't been a good friend to. He and I ended up at odds against one another and the whole thing blew up. I found out he lied about a lot of things and I wasn't a very nice person to him about it. I shouldn't have said certain things to/about him, as I said them in anger, hurt and retaliation. He had told me he was struggling spiritually and I wasn't being thoughtful towards him about that. We aren't talking anymore, and as we used to be very good friends, it hurts me to have him dropped from my life like that.
Christ also tells us in Ephesians 4:26: "In your anger do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry."
Do not let anger cloud your judgement when in arguments with friends or enemies. Take a deep breath and think about what God would want you to do. Go back to the old school saying: WWJD. (What Would Jesus Do?)
Friendships are important to us as human beings. We are social creatures. We like to interact with others. As humans, we are built for other human contact.
So make friends. Enjoy life. Just remember that "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hat your enemy,' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:43-44).
In His love.
This weekend was also the biggest weekend of the year at my school. It was our founder, Martha Berry's birthday and Berry College celebrates it BIG. We have Olympic games between all of the dorms and housings, we have talent shows, sports games, a Grand March up on Mountain Campus, picnics, and a carnival we like to call Marthapalooza. All in all, it was a fantastic weekend. I woke up this morning with no voice and a headache like no other, but it was definitely worth it.
What I wanted to talk about tonight, though, is something that has been on my mind for a while. I haven't found a time when I really wanted to post about it, because other stuff ended up coming before it, but I feel that tonight is as good a time as any.
So, let's talk about friendships.
Yeah, I know it's a strange thing to talk about on a blog, but trust me, it's way more important than you realize.
Being a girl in college, I know that friendships are very important to keep and maintain. These people will most likely by your life long friends--people who will be there for your wedding, your children, everything that happens after college. I feel that I have definitely met some of those people while at Berry.
But I want to talk about what it means to be a Christian and how that plays into your friendships with others.
I have a good number of friends who are either atheist or part of another religion. And I'm completely cool with that. Those people are my friends and I wouldn't trade them for the world. I can talk to them about my problems and they can talk to me about theirs.
The trick is to not spout my beliefs on them every chance I get. I don't want to force people into Christianity. That's not what we're supposed to do. Jesus told us to love one another as we love ourselves. So, that's what I do.
I love on my friends. I support them, encourage them, listen to them, talk to them. I don't spite them for their beliefs. That would just make me a hypocrite and a liar. And I don't want to be either.
My pastor from back in my home town put in a great perspective. We don't have to love the sin, but we do have to love the person. I may not be particularly happy or supportive of my friends' beliefs in atheism or gay rights, but I do love on them and show them Christ's love through my friendship with them.
I'm not saying that all friendships will be easy going, though. I have people who have dropped me as their friend because of my beliefs before. And, yes, it hurts. A lot. But God carries me through the storms.
I've also had Christian friends drop me because of other reasons. Especially this summer, I had a few people who unfriended me on Facebook and Twitter and everything else. These were people whom I considered to be some of my very best friends throughout junior high and high school. It broke me to find out that they didn't want to be friends with me anymore, but obviously, God had reasoning behind it, so I let it happen.
No, I don't know what's going on with these people now. I don't see them and don't talk to them anymore. It hurts sometimes, yes. Somedays I find myself remembering all of the fun times we used to have in high school, and then I would realize that we just grew apart and didn't walk in the same circles anymore.
What I'm trying to say, is that friends will leave you. They will. But, God has a plan for all of us. He puts people in out lives for a reason and He takes them out for a reason. We may never know what that reason my be, but we do know that God's got this under control.
I also want to point out that while we love our friends, we must love our enemies as well. In Matthew, chapter 5, Christ tells us: "But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you."
I have people who I would love to hate. Literally, would love to hate. And sometimes I let myself hate them. But then, I start to thaw out and realize that God would not want me to hate them. And I can't hate them.
I need to show people the love of Christ and to do that, I must love my enemies even when they do not love me.
I have a friend who, recently, I haven't been a good friend to. He and I ended up at odds against one another and the whole thing blew up. I found out he lied about a lot of things and I wasn't a very nice person to him about it. I shouldn't have said certain things to/about him, as I said them in anger, hurt and retaliation. He had told me he was struggling spiritually and I wasn't being thoughtful towards him about that. We aren't talking anymore, and as we used to be very good friends, it hurts me to have him dropped from my life like that.
Christ also tells us in Ephesians 4:26: "In your anger do not sin: do not let the sun go down while you are still angry."
Do not let anger cloud your judgement when in arguments with friends or enemies. Take a deep breath and think about what God would want you to do. Go back to the old school saying: WWJD. (What Would Jesus Do?)
Friendships are important to us as human beings. We are social creatures. We like to interact with others. As humans, we are built for other human contact.
So make friends. Enjoy life. Just remember that "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hat your enemy,' But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you." (Matthew 5:43-44).
In His love.
Friday, September 26, 2014
Imperfect
Life sucks sometimes.
Sorry for those of you who are enjoying your life and believe it's all you could ever imagine. I'm not trying to bring you down or anything. I'm just trying to be completely honest. And to do that, I must say that sometimes, life really does suck.
Being back at school, I thought everything would be great. I would be able to be with my friends again; we would be able to go on crazy, college adventures; I would be at my home away from home. I thought life would be perfect.
That was my first mistake.
Perfection does not exist in our world. Let me repeat that:
PERFECTION DOES NOT EXIST IN OUR WORLD.
This past week has reminded me of that. The first few weeks of school were great. I got reunited with friends; I met new friends; I was happy with how my life was. This week, though has been tough on me. I had my first chemistry exam and I was stressing way too much about it. (Like, stressing to the point where I wasn't sleeping at night.) I also got my nose pierced a week ago and I tried to hide it from my parents. Obviously, that didn't go over well and I didn't speak to them all week, putting more stress and guilt on my shoulders. Then, I received a life-changing message from someone who I believed to be one of my best friends. Basically they told me that our entire friendship was a lie and he/she (not saying who) lied to me and played games on me throughout the entire relationship between us. And that I was the fault that this other person they were "involved with" broke up with them. Safe to say, I was devastated and because I wasn't speaking to my parents, I didn't feel I could go to them with my troubles. So, I let it consume me.
I know I shouldn't let things like that consume me, but I did. I cried myself to sleep the past few nights and let rage and revenge take over my thoughts. I wanted them to hurt like I was hurting.
Stupid. I know.
But everything that happened this week has reminded me that life is not perfect. It is nowhere near perfect. No matter how much we want it to be.
We live in a broken and fallen world. Because of Adam and Eve, we were condemned to a world of hatred, loathing and rage. Satan wants us to give into all of that. He wants us to stumble and fall into his grasp.
However, God wants more for us. So much more. He has put us in this world to spread His Word and to give Him the glory. This is so that when we die, we will go to a perfect life: Heaven. Heaven is very real and very perfect. No sickness and no sadness. A place to rejoice in the Lord always.
We must get through the troubles of this world as well as confessing Christ as Lord, in order to receive the ultimate salvation: an eternity in Heaven with our Lord.
We have the choice: Heaven or Hell. To rise above the troubles or to stumble and let Satan win. If I'm being honest with you, I'd rather Satan not win anything.
This past week has taught me so much in trusting the Lord with the struggles in my life. I just need to hand everything over to Him and let Him handle it. Besides, its His will, not mine that should be done.
So just, remember, even though life may not be perfect, we have a Father in Heaven who is perfect and who sent His son to die for us so that we may live forever in Heaven with Him.
Take a listen to the following songs. These sum up everything I've been feeling and everything that I've learned in the past few days. Most of them brought me to tears as I realized how true they are:
"Perfect People" -Natalie Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFDl-KWu-XQ
"Yahweh" -Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2tNglkYWGg
"How He Loves" -David Crowder Band (this is my favorite version of the song. Brings me to tears every time.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCunuL58odQ
"Happy Day" -Fee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMQt3XlNroQ
Go out. Live your life. Be disciples.
In His love.
Sorry for those of you who are enjoying your life and believe it's all you could ever imagine. I'm not trying to bring you down or anything. I'm just trying to be completely honest. And to do that, I must say that sometimes, life really does suck.
Being back at school, I thought everything would be great. I would be able to be with my friends again; we would be able to go on crazy, college adventures; I would be at my home away from home. I thought life would be perfect.
That was my first mistake.
Perfection does not exist in our world. Let me repeat that:
PERFECTION DOES NOT EXIST IN OUR WORLD.
This past week has reminded me of that. The first few weeks of school were great. I got reunited with friends; I met new friends; I was happy with how my life was. This week, though has been tough on me. I had my first chemistry exam and I was stressing way too much about it. (Like, stressing to the point where I wasn't sleeping at night.) I also got my nose pierced a week ago and I tried to hide it from my parents. Obviously, that didn't go over well and I didn't speak to them all week, putting more stress and guilt on my shoulders. Then, I received a life-changing message from someone who I believed to be one of my best friends. Basically they told me that our entire friendship was a lie and he/she (not saying who) lied to me and played games on me throughout the entire relationship between us. And that I was the fault that this other person they were "involved with" broke up with them. Safe to say, I was devastated and because I wasn't speaking to my parents, I didn't feel I could go to them with my troubles. So, I let it consume me.
I know I shouldn't let things like that consume me, but I did. I cried myself to sleep the past few nights and let rage and revenge take over my thoughts. I wanted them to hurt like I was hurting.
Stupid. I know.
But everything that happened this week has reminded me that life is not perfect. It is nowhere near perfect. No matter how much we want it to be.
We live in a broken and fallen world. Because of Adam and Eve, we were condemned to a world of hatred, loathing and rage. Satan wants us to give into all of that. He wants us to stumble and fall into his grasp.
However, God wants more for us. So much more. He has put us in this world to spread His Word and to give Him the glory. This is so that when we die, we will go to a perfect life: Heaven. Heaven is very real and very perfect. No sickness and no sadness. A place to rejoice in the Lord always.
We must get through the troubles of this world as well as confessing Christ as Lord, in order to receive the ultimate salvation: an eternity in Heaven with our Lord.
We have the choice: Heaven or Hell. To rise above the troubles or to stumble and let Satan win. If I'm being honest with you, I'd rather Satan not win anything.
This past week has taught me so much in trusting the Lord with the struggles in my life. I just need to hand everything over to Him and let Him handle it. Besides, its His will, not mine that should be done.
So just, remember, even though life may not be perfect, we have a Father in Heaven who is perfect and who sent His son to die for us so that we may live forever in Heaven with Him.
Take a listen to the following songs. These sum up everything I've been feeling and everything that I've learned in the past few days. Most of them brought me to tears as I realized how true they are:
"Perfect People" -Natalie Grant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFDl-KWu-XQ
"Yahweh" -Chris Tomlin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2tNglkYWGg
"How He Loves" -David Crowder Band (this is my favorite version of the song. Brings me to tears every time.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCunuL58odQ
"Happy Day" -Fee
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMQt3XlNroQ
Go out. Live your life. Be disciples.
In His love.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Student
So, tonight, I really want to talk about devotionals and what they mean in our lives, as Christians.
As Christians, we are called to constant study of the Word. God wants us to know His story and wants us to apply it to our story. These studies are more commonly known as our devotionals. They can also be seen as Bible Studies (usually found in churches). Devotionals are more for your personal time with the Creator.
Devotions are meant for daily use. They are not to be read and finished in one sitting. The point of them is to read a little bit each day and to focus on one verse or one story specifically.
Many people complete their daily devotions in different ways. Some sit in complete silence; some like to have praise in the background, etc. Since, I want to help you guys understand the importance of these devotions, I'll tell you about my daily time with God.
1. I usually start off with a dance party for one. I have a playlist with loud, crazy Christian music and I will dance around my room, singing along to each and every song. Granted, it may be off-key and I may be an awkward dancer, but God is the only one watching, so I give it my all.
2. I, then, make myself a cup of something warm (whether it be tea, coffee or hot chocolate, depending on my mood). I always feel more focused with a cup of something to calm my nerves. (Especially after that crazy dance party.)
3. I switch playlists to a more calming praise station. It still blares out my speakers, but it's more controlled. Thus, it helps me focus more.
4. I start with my 1000 Things to be Thankful for list. I talked about it in an earlier post (which you can read here).
5. Then, I find whichever bible study I'm working on at the moment and work on a chapter. Right now, I am in a series called "A Journey With God". I'm on the third book in the series and it is seriously changing the way I am living my life.
6. After my bible study, I usually read a chapter or two of my Bible. I am working through the entire Bible at the moment and am in the book of Malachi, which is the last book of the Old Testament.
7. I pray. (This is one of the most important parts of my time with God. They are the moments when I can release my burdens to Him. I can tell Him of my struggles and worries. I can thank Him for my life and for the mercies He has bestowed upon me. I can ask Him for those things that I need to ask for. It is so important to me that I establish that connection with my Father.)
8. I do a study called "5 Songs A Day" given to me by my best friend. (This is a new step as I just started it this weekend. )
One of my really good friends here at school (his name is Thomas) sent me these little song of the day devotionals last year. I remember looking at them and skimming over them, but really didn't think of actually studying them. Well, I found them when cleaning out my computer this weekend and decided to open up the first one when I was doing my devotional yesterday.
That devotional floored me. I had no idea my best friend was this good at writing out devotionals.
So you understand a bit more, Thomas took five songs--five different, praise songs---added a link to the lyrics and then wrote about them. He asks you to listen to the song and to read the lyrics while doing so. (Personally, I listen to the song twice. Once to just listen and then again while looking at the lyrics.) Then, he writes a paragraph or two talking about what the song means (sometimes in his life) and what we should do with it.
I haven't told him yet, but already, each of these little studies have brought me to my knees in tears. And it's only Day 2. I'm getting chills and tears just thinking about the study I did tonight. This guy...I had no idea how much he would bless my life. Thank you for being you, Thomas. You mean the world to me and I know how pleased God is with you right now.
9. Most of the time, I wind down with another dance party. Other times, with a cookie and milk. Haha.
But, that's just my devotion time line. Yours will be completely different. It takes time to find your groove, but it'll happen. Trust me. It took me almost 18 years to find a groove that was just me.
If you have any questions about doing a personal devotional or if you want to get together with me to do a group study, feel free to hit me up. Or if you just have questions in general about me, my blog, my story, my faith, anything, don't be scared to email me, text me, Facebook me, Skype me, whatever. I'd love to hear from you guys.
Before I sign off on this post, I'm going to leave you with the Quote of the Day from Thomas's study yesterday. I really liked it and just thought it was too important not to share.
In His love,
Kaitlyn
As Christians, we are called to constant study of the Word. God wants us to know His story and wants us to apply it to our story. These studies are more commonly known as our devotionals. They can also be seen as Bible Studies (usually found in churches). Devotionals are more for your personal time with the Creator.
Devotions are meant for daily use. They are not to be read and finished in one sitting. The point of them is to read a little bit each day and to focus on one verse or one story specifically.
Many people complete their daily devotions in different ways. Some sit in complete silence; some like to have praise in the background, etc. Since, I want to help you guys understand the importance of these devotions, I'll tell you about my daily time with God.
1. I usually start off with a dance party for one. I have a playlist with loud, crazy Christian music and I will dance around my room, singing along to each and every song. Granted, it may be off-key and I may be an awkward dancer, but God is the only one watching, so I give it my all.
2. I, then, make myself a cup of something warm (whether it be tea, coffee or hot chocolate, depending on my mood). I always feel more focused with a cup of something to calm my nerves. (Especially after that crazy dance party.)
3. I switch playlists to a more calming praise station. It still blares out my speakers, but it's more controlled. Thus, it helps me focus more.
4. I start with my 1000 Things to be Thankful for list. I talked about it in an earlier post (which you can read here).
5. Then, I find whichever bible study I'm working on at the moment and work on a chapter. Right now, I am in a series called "A Journey With God". I'm on the third book in the series and it is seriously changing the way I am living my life.
6. After my bible study, I usually read a chapter or two of my Bible. I am working through the entire Bible at the moment and am in the book of Malachi, which is the last book of the Old Testament.
7. I pray. (This is one of the most important parts of my time with God. They are the moments when I can release my burdens to Him. I can tell Him of my struggles and worries. I can thank Him for my life and for the mercies He has bestowed upon me. I can ask Him for those things that I need to ask for. It is so important to me that I establish that connection with my Father.)
8. I do a study called "5 Songs A Day" given to me by my best friend. (This is a new step as I just started it this weekend. )
One of my really good friends here at school (his name is Thomas) sent me these little song of the day devotionals last year. I remember looking at them and skimming over them, but really didn't think of actually studying them. Well, I found them when cleaning out my computer this weekend and decided to open up the first one when I was doing my devotional yesterday.
That devotional floored me. I had no idea my best friend was this good at writing out devotionals.
So you understand a bit more, Thomas took five songs--five different, praise songs---added a link to the lyrics and then wrote about them. He asks you to listen to the song and to read the lyrics while doing so. (Personally, I listen to the song twice. Once to just listen and then again while looking at the lyrics.) Then, he writes a paragraph or two talking about what the song means (sometimes in his life) and what we should do with it.
I haven't told him yet, but already, each of these little studies have brought me to my knees in tears. And it's only Day 2. I'm getting chills and tears just thinking about the study I did tonight. This guy...I had no idea how much he would bless my life. Thank you for being you, Thomas. You mean the world to me and I know how pleased God is with you right now.
9. Most of the time, I wind down with another dance party. Other times, with a cookie and milk. Haha.
But, that's just my devotion time line. Yours will be completely different. It takes time to find your groove, but it'll happen. Trust me. It took me almost 18 years to find a groove that was just me.
If you have any questions about doing a personal devotional or if you want to get together with me to do a group study, feel free to hit me up. Or if you just have questions in general about me, my blog, my story, my faith, anything, don't be scared to email me, text me, Facebook me, Skype me, whatever. I'd love to hear from you guys.
Before I sign off on this post, I'm going to leave you with the Quote of the Day from Thomas's study yesterday. I really liked it and just thought it was too important not to share.
“If there ever were a test of our faith- if there ever were a test of the motives of our worship- it is when a storm rolls into our lives. Sometimes God calms our storms. Sometimes He chooses to ride them with us.” – Casting Crowns
In explanation of their hit song “Praise You In This Storm,” Casting Crowns made this statement. Basically, the storms of our life is the biggest tests of faith that we will face. Whether it is the death of a love one, break-up, losing a job, etc, these storms are aimed by Satan to destroy us and turn us away from God by saying “where is your God in this time of trial. He has abandoned you.” Casting Crowns counters that argument by saying God is always present. In certain instances, He calms the storm immediately so we do not suffer much. But there are times when He doesn’t because He wants it to strengthen us. In this case, He is still by our side and gives us strength to weather the storm.
Kaitlyn
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Guardian
I know I post a lot about dating and boys and I would apologize for it, but I'm not going to. I feel that in my life and a lot of other girls' lives, boys are a main cause of heartache and drama. And that should so not be the case.
I'm going to start this post by talking a little bit about myself.
I'm 19 years old. I'm a sophomore in college. I'm single. I've never had a serious boyfriend. I've never even been kissed.
Trust me, I've had my fair share of crushes and dates. I have. I just haven't found someone I would like to have a serious relationship with and whoever that will be hasn't found me either.
Ever since I was old enough to understand boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, I've had a longing in my heart for something like that. I long for someone I can lean on, someone to tell my fears and wishes to, someone to love. And my longing for that isn't wrong. It isn't sinful in any aspect. I've talked about it before, and I will say it again: it is natural for us, as humans, to long for a relationship such as that. We aren't perfect; we want things. God knows this. And it is okay.
(However, this type of longing is different--very different--from a longing such as lust.)
What I really wanted to focus on, though, is the Bible verse, Proverbs 4:23:
"Above all else, guard your hearts, for everything you do flows from it."
I spent my entire teenage years (from middle school to now) pouring myself into devotionals and self-help books for dating, sex, single-life, etc. They all taught young girls how to be safe when dating, about purity, about kissing, about courting over dating, about abstinence, about flirting, about everything and anything that had to do with relationships with the opposite sex.
I have always had trouble when it comes to boys that I like. I give too much of myself way too quickly. This mostly is an affect from my longing of a relationship. I have a hard time holding myself back and I definitely have a very hard time being a challenge to get.
I used to blame all the guys for them not wanting to date me or for me not wanting to date them. Everything was put on them when, in reality, everything should be put on me. It wasn't always the guy's fault that he wasn't right for me. I'm too trusting. I give pieces of my heart out to everybody without a second thought to what could possibly happen.
Because of this, I end up getting hurt a lot. People take my heart, crumble it up and throw it right back at me. You would think I would learn from it all, right? Well, I haven't. Not yet anyway.
So what does it really mean to "guard your heart"?
I found this article that gave a great description on guarding your heart. I'll let you read part of it:
It’s great to get to know someone new, but avoid making the person the center of your life. You have no idea whether this person is in your life for a short season or the long haul, so know your boundaries. You may want to set limitations on the amount of time and activities you do together. These don’t have to be spoken; they can simply be a conscious decision on your part.
Don’t let your mind run free and play the big “what if” game. Don’t begin rearranging your life around a feeling or hunch. Don’t plan the wedding and honeymoon before he’s even asked you on the second date. Keep your thought life balanced. If you find yourself thinking about him too much, turn the thoughts into prayers. Pray for him, and continue to seek God’s best for both of you. Don’t let your heart or mind go much further than his.
I'm going to start this post by talking a little bit about myself.
I'm 19 years old. I'm a sophomore in college. I'm single. I've never had a serious boyfriend. I've never even been kissed.
Trust me, I've had my fair share of crushes and dates. I have. I just haven't found someone I would like to have a serious relationship with and whoever that will be hasn't found me either.
Ever since I was old enough to understand boyfriend/girlfriend relationships, I've had a longing in my heart for something like that. I long for someone I can lean on, someone to tell my fears and wishes to, someone to love. And my longing for that isn't wrong. It isn't sinful in any aspect. I've talked about it before, and I will say it again: it is natural for us, as humans, to long for a relationship such as that. We aren't perfect; we want things. God knows this. And it is okay.
(However, this type of longing is different--very different--from a longing such as lust.)
What I really wanted to focus on, though, is the Bible verse, Proverbs 4:23:
"Above all else, guard your hearts, for everything you do flows from it."
I spent my entire teenage years (from middle school to now) pouring myself into devotionals and self-help books for dating, sex, single-life, etc. They all taught young girls how to be safe when dating, about purity, about kissing, about courting over dating, about abstinence, about flirting, about everything and anything that had to do with relationships with the opposite sex.
I have always had trouble when it comes to boys that I like. I give too much of myself way too quickly. This mostly is an affect from my longing of a relationship. I have a hard time holding myself back and I definitely have a very hard time being a challenge to get.
I used to blame all the guys for them not wanting to date me or for me not wanting to date them. Everything was put on them when, in reality, everything should be put on me. It wasn't always the guy's fault that he wasn't right for me. I'm too trusting. I give pieces of my heart out to everybody without a second thought to what could possibly happen.
Because of this, I end up getting hurt a lot. People take my heart, crumble it up and throw it right back at me. You would think I would learn from it all, right? Well, I haven't. Not yet anyway.
So what does it really mean to "guard your heart"?
I found this article that gave a great description on guarding your heart. I'll let you read part of it:
Examine his intentions and yours — communicate clearly
It’s been said that in every relationship involving a single man and woman there comes a moment when one or both individuals raise the question, “Could we be more than friends?”
How you handle this question may determine if you can even survive as friends. If you’re developing feelings for one of your male friends, begin to look for clues about how he feels for you. Does he treat you differently than other women? Does he talk to you about his interest in other women? What is his history with women? Does he tend to ask women out on dates or is he more shy and reserved? Also, ask a trustworthy friend about her thoughts. Then, pray. At some point you may want to confess your feelings for him, but don’t place your entire heart before him. You may want to suggest your feelings in a guarded way such as, “Sometimes when I’m with you, I can’t help but feel attracted to you, but I really appreciate our friendship and wouldn’t want to jeopardize that. What do you think?” Place the ball in his court.
On the flip side, if you sense he is the one having feelings, be intentional about guarding his heart if you’re not interested in him. Don’t string him along. While the attention, adoration, and compliments are enjoyable, you’re not being fair to him. You may want to try the “clue in” method. Talk about how much his friendship means to you. Talk to him about other men you’re interested in. Don’t make yourself readily available 24/7. You may need to make emotional distance, by scheduling fewer activities or spending less time with him overall.
Set limitations
It’s great to get to know someone new, but avoid making the person the center of your life. You have no idea whether this person is in your life for a short season or the long haul, so know your boundaries. You may want to set limitations on the amount of time and activities you do together. These don’t have to be spoken; they can simply be a conscious decision on your part.
If there isn’t a romantic interest on his part, you may want to consider avoiding too many one-on-one activities. Try to avoid romantic situations that will tug on your heartstrings even more. Watching sunsets over the mountains, staring at the stars under a blanket at night or viewing a movie when all his roommates are gone may feel good at the time, but they may not be the best activities for your heart. Only you can determine what you can handle, but use wisdom! Proverbs 4:6 says, “Do not forsake wisdom, and she will protect you; love her, and she will watch over you.”
Remember to guard your mind
Don’t let your mind run free and play the big “what if” game. Don’t begin rearranging your life around a feeling or hunch. Don’t plan the wedding and honeymoon before he’s even asked you on the second date. Keep your thought life balanced. If you find yourself thinking about him too much, turn the thoughts into prayers. Pray for him, and continue to seek God’s best for both of you. Don’t let your heart or mind go much further than his.
Honor your future spouse when weighing actions and behavior
This applies to the physical and emotional realm. When considering how far you should go with a person of the opposite sex emotionally or physically, keep your future spouse in mind. What would dishonor him? What do you want to reserve just for him? In your body, soul and being? This will help you draw lines early and avoid compromise. I Timothy 4: 12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.”
Remember that your life choices are creating a living testimony. Live a story that you can tell your children without having to edit. You may want to ask a friend to hold you accountable to your actions and decisions.
Be wary of unhealthy relationships
Women often have deep compassion and caring wells. They have an innate ability to nurture others and a desire not just to be loved, but to love. I often fall into the trap of helping the bird with the broken wing. Most of us have experienced it. A bird flies into your glass window and is knocked unconscious. You find it still breathing and take it in your home. You prepare an old cardboard box with rags and linens. You keep it safe and warm and try to feed it until it is well. When you release it back into the wild, seeing it fly away brings joy and pain. Joy, because you’ve accomplished your mission. Pain, because your heart has become involved. Recognize that everyone who comes into your life isn’t your responsibility to help or nurture.
Take some time to reflect on the men that attract you. Are there any unhealthy patterns? Do you fall for controlling, manipulating or unmotivated men? Have you been involved in emotionally or physically abusive relationships? If so, it’s time to break the cycle and begin guarding your heart. Make a conscious decision to pursue healthy relationships.
Look for love in all the right places
Ephesians 3:17-18 says, “And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Your true value and identity are found only in God.
(From "A Single Woman's Guide to Guarding Her Heart")
Reading that helped me in focusing on God and God's will for me. I am more willing than ever to guard my heart.
I mean, perhaps the best way to guard our hearts is to abandon them to Jesus.
Just remember, God has a bigger and better plan for you than you can ever imagine. So let Him be the one to lead you.
In His love,
Kaitlyn
Friday, August 29, 2014
Thankful
So, it's my first Friday night back at school and I'm sitting in my room by myself. Down the road, there's a back-to-school dance going on; there's a huge volleyball match right outside my window; people were baking cookies earlier in the kitchen. There's a lot of stuff going on tonight, but I decided to stay in. Part of the reason is because I have an awful headache and a fever, so I don't feel so well. And the other part is because I wanted to spend time in the Word. I haven't done that a lot recently, and I felt like tonight was a perfect night to do so.
So here I am. With my mug full of hot tea, my Bible opened, my praise music on, and my new devotional already covered in my handwriting.
I started my time with my Father by opening my journal and working on my Thankful List.
Now, many of you may be wondering what a Thankful List is and I'm happy to explain.
I threw away the letters from Winshape, and most of the stuff they had sent me save for a devotional, that car sticker and the journal.
It wasn't until that day that I found the journal, that I realized how thankful I was for the opportunity to interview with Winshape. Not many people get that far and I did. Obviously, God didn't want me there at that time, and I realized last year, that Winshape wasn't meant for me at all. God has bigger and better plans for me and my life, so I put my trust in Him that He knows what they are.
But anyway, after realizing that, I opened this journal and started my 1000 Things to be Thankful For list. And let me say, it's something that I treasure. I will admit that it's hard sometimes. It's been a year and I'm only halfway through the list. Somedays, I feel like I don't have something to be thankful for. But I try to write at least one thing per day no matter what.
And the cool thing is that this list can include everything from serious things to downright silly things. For example (as you can see from my pictures), I wrote down things from Subway to life in general, from my roommate to One Direction, from my faith to bubble baths. We have so so much to give thanks to.
I wrote about 15 things tonight and I'll probably write more after this post. But, my devotional tonight actually dealt with being thankful. I read so many verses about thankfulness and I am so happy that I live in a world under a God who has given me so much to be thankful for.
Take a look at these 20 verses on thankfulness:
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Psalm 107:1
Ephesians 5:20
Colossians 3:15-17
James 1:17
Philippians 4:6
2 Corinthians 9:15
Psalm 106:1
Psalm 105:1
Colossians 4:2
Psalm 118:1-18
Psalm 20:4
Psalm 30:12
Colossians 3:17
Romans 1:21
Psalm 100:4
Isaiah 12:4-5
1 Chronicles 29:13
Philemon 1:4
That is twenty (TWENTY) verse about being thankful. And I'm sure there are many many more. The ability to be thankful and to express thanks to our Lord is pretty cool and I want to be able to remember to do it every day. I want to wake up each morning and tell God thanks for just giving me another day to live. I want to go to bed every night and tell Him thanks for everything that happened that day. And I plan on doing both those things everyday now.
Trust me, every one of you reading this is on my Thankful List. I love you guys immensely and I thank you for letting me vent or just express my feelings or thoughts towards you guys. Y'all really are great.
Be thankful for what and who you have in your life. Don't take anything for granted. And live a full life.
In His love,
Kaitlyn
So here I am. With my mug full of hot tea, my Bible opened, my praise music on, and my new devotional already covered in my handwriting.
I started my time with my Father by opening my journal and working on my Thankful List.
Now, many of you may be wondering what a Thankful List is and I'm happy to explain.
About a year ago, one of my very best friends told me about this list she had been keeping where she wrote down everything she is thankful for. Obviously, I was intrigued. She told me that whenever something that she took for granted or just was happy about, she would write it on the list. The challenge was to find 1000 things to be thankful for. Yes, you can repeat things. (You're allowed to be thankful for something more than once in your life.)
So, the next day, I found a journal that I was going to discard because I honestly didn't want to look at it anymore. (Note: I'm about to go into a side-tracked story for you to understand why I wanted to get rid of the journal.)
On the front of it was the logo for Winshape, the Christian program at my school. You have to apply to be in this program and I did so. I even got as far as the interview process. I got to spend two days at this wonderful place where college students spent their days with each other praising God and having fun.
To put it plainly, I fell in love with Winshape and the people there. I wanted to be a part of it. I wanted it like nothing I've ever wanted before.
After the interview process, they told us that we would be contacted in a few months for whether we got in or not. I anxiously waited for that letter. I checked the mail obsessively for weeks. I got a care package from them which contained a sticker for my car and this journal, among other little things. I was so optimistic that I went ahead and put the sticker on my car's back windshield.
Then the letter came. It was too thin. I knew without even opening it that I hadn't made it. I could barely even open it because I was shaking so badly. Once I finally opened it and read those heartbreaking few sentences, I broke down. I cried and cried and cried. I felt betrayed by God. I thought He had wanted me there. I thought that He pushed me that far because He wanted me to be a part of Winshape.
That rejection hurt. A lot. I didn't want to look at anything to do with Winshape for a few weeks. It hurt to tell those friends I made while at the interview process that I didn't make it. I couldn't talk to any of them without breaking down and crying.
I threw away the letters from Winshape, and most of the stuff they had sent me save for a devotional, that car sticker and the journal.
It wasn't until that day that I found the journal, that I realized how thankful I was for the opportunity to interview with Winshape. Not many people get that far and I did. Obviously, God didn't want me there at that time, and I realized last year, that Winshape wasn't meant for me at all. God has bigger and better plans for me and my life, so I put my trust in Him that He knows what they are.
But anyway, after realizing that, I opened this journal and started my 1000 Things to be Thankful For list. And let me say, it's something that I treasure. I will admit that it's hard sometimes. It's been a year and I'm only halfway through the list. Somedays, I feel like I don't have something to be thankful for. But I try to write at least one thing per day no matter what.
And the cool thing is that this list can include everything from serious things to downright silly things. For example (as you can see from my pictures), I wrote down things from Subway to life in general, from my roommate to One Direction, from my faith to bubble baths. We have so so much to give thanks to.
I wrote about 15 things tonight and I'll probably write more after this post. But, my devotional tonight actually dealt with being thankful. I read so many verses about thankfulness and I am so happy that I live in a world under a God who has given me so much to be thankful for.
Take a look at these 20 verses on thankfulness:
1 Thessalonians 5:18
Psalm 107:1
Ephesians 5:20
Colossians 3:15-17
James 1:17
Philippians 4:6
2 Corinthians 9:15
Psalm 106:1
Psalm 105:1
Colossians 4:2
Psalm 118:1-18
Psalm 20:4
Psalm 30:12
Colossians 3:17
Romans 1:21
Psalm 100:4
Isaiah 12:4-5
1 Chronicles 29:13
Philemon 1:4
That is twenty (TWENTY) verse about being thankful. And I'm sure there are many many more. The ability to be thankful and to express thanks to our Lord is pretty cool and I want to be able to remember to do it every day. I want to wake up each morning and tell God thanks for just giving me another day to live. I want to go to bed every night and tell Him thanks for everything that happened that day. And I plan on doing both those things everyday now.
Trust me, every one of you reading this is on my Thankful List. I love you guys immensely and I thank you for letting me vent or just express my feelings or thoughts towards you guys. Y'all really are great.
Be thankful for what and who you have in your life. Don't take anything for granted. And live a full life.
In His love,
Kaitlyn
Friday, August 22, 2014
Pure
(ANNOUNCEMENT: The following conversation was real. And, yes, it was between me and a guy [who wanted to ask me out] I had met a few weeks earlier. It won't be verbatim, but it'll be close to the real conversation we had.)
HIM: So, what are your views on sex?
ME: Oh, well, since I'm Christian, I believe that premarital sex is wrong.
HIM: So, you're a virgin?
ME: Uhhhh....yeah. I am.
HIM: But, you're like 19 years old. And in college.
ME: And?
HIM: You shouldn't be a virgin at 19. That's unheard of in these times. Even I'm not a virgin and I'm still a Christian.
ME: Okay...well, I'm a virgin. Deal with it.
Really? REALLY? So, apparently, we live in a society where it's unheard of to be a virgin in college. Why is that? Why do I have to have sex in order to be accepted by others?
Obviously, that conversation died after that and I just told him that I wanted to be friends only and what not. It's not that I wouldn't date him because he wasn't a virgin. It was the fact that he believed that sex before marriage is okay while I don't believe that.
But, let's take some time to talk about this. About sex and Christianity.
Let me start by saying that sex is good. (Yes. I just said that.) Sex is good. God created it to be good. He created it for husband and wife to express their love for one another.
HIM: So, what are your views on sex?
ME: Oh, well, since I'm Christian, I believe that premarital sex is wrong.
HIM: So, you're a virgin?
ME: Uhhhh....yeah. I am.
HIM: But, you're like 19 years old. And in college.
ME: And?
HIM: You shouldn't be a virgin at 19. That's unheard of in these times. Even I'm not a virgin and I'm still a Christian.
ME: Okay...well, I'm a virgin. Deal with it.
Really? REALLY? So, apparently, we live in a society where it's unheard of to be a virgin in college. Why is that? Why do I have to have sex in order to be accepted by others?
Obviously, that conversation died after that and I just told him that I wanted to be friends only and what not. It's not that I wouldn't date him because he wasn't a virgin. It was the fact that he believed that sex before marriage is okay while I don't believe that.
But, let's take some time to talk about this. About sex and Christianity.
Let me start by saying that sex is good. (Yes. I just said that.) Sex is good. God created it to be good. He created it for husband and wife to express their love for one another.
Genesis 1: 27-28 – “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number;” (NIV)
Genesis 2:24 – “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (NIV)
Proverbs 5:18-19 – “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth. A loving doe, a graceful deer — may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.” (NIV)
Song of Songs 7:6 – “How beautiful you are and how pleasing, O love, with your delights!” (NIV)
1 Corinthians 6:13 – “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” (NIV)
With that said, the Bible/God also says that while sex is good, premarital sex is not good. Society focuses a lot of things on and around sex. Sex is in just about every magazine, newspaper, television show, and movie. It is the point of a lot of music. Our world has gotten lax about sex, making it seem like premarital sex is okay because it feels good, but the Bible does not agree. God calls us all to control our passions and wait for marriage.
1 Corinthians 7:2-3 – “But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband.” (NIV)
Hebrews 13:4 – “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.” (NIV)
1 Thessalonians 4:3-4 – “It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable” (NIV)
I will be glad to admit that staying pure is difficult in a world such as ours. Propositions can be made and when in college, it can be much easier to find that one night stand or to find someone to have sex with. I have not yet been tempted to have sex while in college. I know it is a possibility, and I will deal with it when it gets to that point. However, at this point in time, I'm not worried about it.
I'm a single girl in college. I don't have any love interests or anybody I'm "talking" to at the moment. At this point, it is easy to remain pure. When I have a boyfriend, it'll get harder, I'm sure. But I'm happy at this moment in my life.
Temptation is hard. I know. But we have to trust the God has a better plan for us and that He is right and good all the time. So, if you find yourself tempted, turn to Him. Trust Him. Lean on Him. Send your worries and burdens to Him. He will take them from you gladly.
He is good all the time. All the time, He is good.
Have faith.
In His love.
Monday, August 18, 2014
Believer
(PSA: This post will not be a rant on why you should believe in God. Nor will it be one where I tell you over and over again that your beliefs are wrong.)
Today, my family rented the movie God's Not Dead. Let me just say, while this is a good movie, it is by no means the best. I feel that the movie only focuses on the Christian side of the argument while completely ignoring or overshadowing the atheist's view.
But, I don't want to delve into the details of the movie. Watch it and decide for yourselves.
However, this movie has inspired me to write this post. I want to put something out there:
If you couldn't tell, I'm a Christian.
Shocking. I know.
I believe in an all powerful, all knowing God.
Being a Christian in this world is hard. People want to tear you down. Society wants to tear you down. The Devil wants to tear you down. It's easy to get lost in a world such as this.
Here's the catch.
This God that I believe in...you know, the all powerful, all knowing one? Yeah...He also forgives you for everything that you do. Any sin? It's forgiven. You are washed clean. God sent His son, Jesus Christ to this earth to forgive us from all sins. He sent His ONE and ONLY son to die. For us. (John 3:16)
How amazing is that??
I mean...death has been defeated by Love. His Love.
God wants us to have an everlasting life with Him in heaven. This is why we are forgiven. When we confess our sins and confess that Jesus is Lord, we are saved and we are freed for the pain and aguish of this world. (Romans 10:9)
Now, I'm not going to sit here and claim that I don't sin and that I'm a perfect Christian. I'm not. I fail my Father every day. I'm not faithful to Him like I should be. I cheat and lie and don't listen to His word. I don't necessarily believe in a perfect Christian. Perfection doesn't exist in our world. Perfection is left up to God and His plans for us.
So, that's really all I wanted to say. God is pretty awesome and He does pretty awesome things.
I'm a believer and proud of it.
In His love.
Today, my family rented the movie God's Not Dead. Let me just say, while this is a good movie, it is by no means the best. I feel that the movie only focuses on the Christian side of the argument while completely ignoring or overshadowing the atheist's view.
But, I don't want to delve into the details of the movie. Watch it and decide for yourselves.
However, this movie has inspired me to write this post. I want to put something out there:
If you couldn't tell, I'm a Christian.
Shocking. I know.
I believe in an all powerful, all knowing God.
Being a Christian in this world is hard. People want to tear you down. Society wants to tear you down. The Devil wants to tear you down. It's easy to get lost in a world such as this.
Here's the catch.
This God that I believe in...you know, the all powerful, all knowing one? Yeah...He also forgives you for everything that you do. Any sin? It's forgiven. You are washed clean. God sent His son, Jesus Christ to this earth to forgive us from all sins. He sent His ONE and ONLY son to die. For us. (John 3:16)
How amazing is that??
I mean...death has been defeated by Love. His Love.
God wants us to have an everlasting life with Him in heaven. This is why we are forgiven. When we confess our sins and confess that Jesus is Lord, we are saved and we are freed for the pain and aguish of this world. (Romans 10:9)
Now, I'm not going to sit here and claim that I don't sin and that I'm a perfect Christian. I'm not. I fail my Father every day. I'm not faithful to Him like I should be. I cheat and lie and don't listen to His word. I don't necessarily believe in a perfect Christian. Perfection doesn't exist in our world. Perfection is left up to God and His plans for us.
So, that's really all I wanted to say. God is pretty awesome and He does pretty awesome things.
I'm a believer and proud of it.
In His love.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Depressed
Now, before any of you go freaking out...no. I am not depressed. I am not suffering through depression. I am perfectly happy with my current life and want to keep on living it.
I just wanted to take a few minutes to discuss depression with you guys. The news about comedian Robin Williams is all over media and I felt it fitting to talk about what depression is and what it does to people around us.
I want to point our, first of all, the depression is not a sin. It isn't. Nor is it a choice. It isn't a character defect, a spiritual disorder, or an emotional dysfunction. Depression is a mental illness that should be taken very seriously. Viewing depression as a sin in and of itself ultimately prevents individuals from seeking treatment.
We are all human. We are of flesh. So, it is natural for us to feel upset and to feel sad. We cannot all be happy all the time.
I'm beyond willing to admit to you guys that I used to be depressed. Now, I never went to a doctor and was never given prescription medicines to combat my depression. However, I diagnosed myself.
You guys know my story. It was in high school that I began to stray from God and everything I used to know. I didn't want to go out anymore. I didn't want to hang out with my friends. I didn't want to go to church. I didn't want to attend youth group or any social gathering for that matter. I just wanted to stay in bed and be antisocial.
I wasn't happy anymore. Yeah, I would smile in front of others, but it was a fake smile. I was lying through my smiles and forced laughs. And the thing is that, I thought that nobody was paying attention. That they didn't care enough to be able to tell that everything I was saying was a lie.
That just caused me to sink further into myself and into that dark hole. Dark thoughts clouded my head every day.
If people don't care, why should I?
Why does everything hurt so much?
People wouldn't care if I was gone, right?
I want this pain to end.
What if I ended it?
What if I ended me?
Yes, it did get that far. I began to self-harm. I had suicidal thoughts weekly. I was not well.
Luckily, I was able to get help. From family. From friends. From people who loved and cared for me.
And here I am today. Alive and healthy. I still have scars lining my arms, but they tell my story. I am not ashamed of them because I defeated death and depression. I won.
Please understand though, I still have some thoughts like that. They aren't often, but I do have them. When I get upset to the point of where I don't think I can handle life anymore, I begin to wonder about slipping into my old ways. But I don't. I start to pray and have God take everything from me.
So, yes. I am a Christian and I had depression. There are some people who believe that Christians can't have depression. Just because we have an amazing God, doesn't mean that we don't get upset at times. Like I said before, depression isn't a choice. It's a serious mental illness.
Depression can also be brought on by chemical imbalances in the body. A person’s DNA can trigger chemical reactions that put him or her into an intensive funk. For women, the bodily changes that accompany menopause can bring on extreme depression. With prayer, “all things are possible,” but escaping from depression that is due to a chemical imbalance in the body through prayer alone is not probable. Those who try to dissuade religious people from getting medical help for clinical depression, claiming that faith alone is the cure, can do devastating harm. In many cases, a severe depression that lasts more than a few days is bio-physically based and requires medical treatment. This is certainly true for any who suffer from a bipolar condition. A psychiatrist is trained to diagnose both medical and mental causes of depression. To seek such treatment does not denote a lack of faith, but rather evidence of a willingness to take advantage of what God has made available to us through modern science."
[[Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Emotional-Health/Christians-Take-Depression-Seriously.aspx?p=2#6QJV448hLcdaxBOG.99]]
I also just wanted to say please don't joke around about depression. You don't know who's suffering through it at this present moment. I personally take offense when people joke about going to kill themselves or say (kind of snottily) that my band aids make it look like I cut myself.
Just be mindful of what you say to others. It can really hurt even if you don't mean it to.
Also, if you are feeling anything like I've been describing, please go talk to someone. It can be a parent, friend, doctor, relative, anybody. Don't let yourself get to that low point where you are self harming for release. There are hotlines and websites to help out with anything and everything. Don't be scared to reach out.
For now, that's all I have to say. If anybody needs someone to talk to, I am always available. Text me. Call me. Stop by my house. Write me a letter. Shoot me an email. I'm always willing to talk.
Stay cool. Radiate positive vibes.
Kaitlyn
I just wanted to take a few minutes to discuss depression with you guys. The news about comedian Robin Williams is all over media and I felt it fitting to talk about what depression is and what it does to people around us.
I want to point our, first of all, the depression is not a sin. It isn't. Nor is it a choice. It isn't a character defect, a spiritual disorder, or an emotional dysfunction. Depression is a mental illness that should be taken very seriously. Viewing depression as a sin in and of itself ultimately prevents individuals from seeking treatment.
We are all human. We are of flesh. So, it is natural for us to feel upset and to feel sad. We cannot all be happy all the time.
I'm beyond willing to admit to you guys that I used to be depressed. Now, I never went to a doctor and was never given prescription medicines to combat my depression. However, I diagnosed myself.
You guys know my story. It was in high school that I began to stray from God and everything I used to know. I didn't want to go out anymore. I didn't want to hang out with my friends. I didn't want to go to church. I didn't want to attend youth group or any social gathering for that matter. I just wanted to stay in bed and be antisocial.
I wasn't happy anymore. Yeah, I would smile in front of others, but it was a fake smile. I was lying through my smiles and forced laughs. And the thing is that, I thought that nobody was paying attention. That they didn't care enough to be able to tell that everything I was saying was a lie.
That just caused me to sink further into myself and into that dark hole. Dark thoughts clouded my head every day.
If people don't care, why should I?
Why does everything hurt so much?
People wouldn't care if I was gone, right?
I want this pain to end.
What if I ended it?
What if I ended me?
Yes, it did get that far. I began to self-harm. I had suicidal thoughts weekly. I was not well.
Luckily, I was able to get help. From family. From friends. From people who loved and cared for me.
And here I am today. Alive and healthy. I still have scars lining my arms, but they tell my story. I am not ashamed of them because I defeated death and depression. I won.
Please understand though, I still have some thoughts like that. They aren't often, but I do have them. When I get upset to the point of where I don't think I can handle life anymore, I begin to wonder about slipping into my old ways. But I don't. I start to pray and have God take everything from me.
So, yes. I am a Christian and I had depression. There are some people who believe that Christians can't have depression. Just because we have an amazing God, doesn't mean that we don't get upset at times. Like I said before, depression isn't a choice. It's a serious mental illness.
"Often, we ignore the fact that our spiritual condition and psychological state of mind are highly affected by what is happening to us physically. Sometimes depression is simply the result of exhaustion. In 1 Kings 19, we read how the prophet Elijah, worn out from his struggles to defeat Jezebel and her prophets of the pagan deity Baal, is so depressed that he cries out to God to end his life. In response, God tells Elijah to eat a good meal and go to bed, and that he will feel differently in the morning. For those of us who are depressed because we’re not getting enough sleep (and most Americans don’t), it is a great comfort that we can take our burdens to Christ, and He will give us rest.
Diet and exercise also figure into our emotional and spiritual conditions. The Bible tells us that the body is “the temple of God” (1 Corinthians 6:19), and it is sad how badly most of us treat our bodies. How many of us would feel more spiritually alive and joyful if only we exercised and stopped dumping junk food into God’s temple? Big doses of chocolate bars can put us on a high, but we'll experience a spiritual and psychological downtime a short time later.
Depression can also be brought on by chemical imbalances in the body. A person’s DNA can trigger chemical reactions that put him or her into an intensive funk. For women, the bodily changes that accompany menopause can bring on extreme depression. With prayer, “all things are possible,” but escaping from depression that is due to a chemical imbalance in the body through prayer alone is not probable. Those who try to dissuade religious people from getting medical help for clinical depression, claiming that faith alone is the cure, can do devastating harm. In many cases, a severe depression that lasts more than a few days is bio-physically based and requires medical treatment. This is certainly true for any who suffer from a bipolar condition. A psychiatrist is trained to diagnose both medical and mental causes of depression. To seek such treatment does not denote a lack of faith, but rather evidence of a willingness to take advantage of what God has made available to us through modern science."
[[Read more at http://www.beliefnet.com/Health/Emotional-Health/Christians-Take-Depression-Seriously.aspx?p=2#6QJV448hLcdaxBOG.99]]
I also just wanted to say please don't joke around about depression. You don't know who's suffering through it at this present moment. I personally take offense when people joke about going to kill themselves or say (kind of snottily) that my band aids make it look like I cut myself.
Just be mindful of what you say to others. It can really hurt even if you don't mean it to.
Also, if you are feeling anything like I've been describing, please go talk to someone. It can be a parent, friend, doctor, relative, anybody. Don't let yourself get to that low point where you are self harming for release. There are hotlines and websites to help out with anything and everything. Don't be scared to reach out.
For now, that's all I have to say. If anybody needs someone to talk to, I am always available. Text me. Call me. Stop by my house. Write me a letter. Shoot me an email. I'm always willing to talk.
Stay cool. Radiate positive vibes.
Kaitlyn
Thursday, August 7, 2014
Emotional Wreck
Hey guys.
Have you ever had one of those days when it seems like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? One when all you want to do is just take a break from society and hole up in your room? One when you just want to cry for five hours straight for no particular reason?
Today was one of those days.
Now, at the moment, I don't feel stressed by any means. It's the end of summer, and I'm just focused on hanging out with friends, working, and trying to get that last bit a tanning time in.
But, for some reason, today just felt like a day that I needed to let everything out. So, I did. And by everything, I mean everything.
I started by blasting music and dancing around the house. That helped get rid of all the pent up energy I had the past few weeks.
Next, I watched a funny movie because I needed to have a good laugh.
Then was taking a Nerf Gun and aiming it at cans lined up on the ground. That got out a lot of frustrations.
And finally, at this point, I just want to sit down and cry for about five hours straight. I feel the tears coming as I write this. They are just waiting to spill over onto my cheeks. And I'm ready for them.
I don't have a particular reason to cry. I just need to. I'm a girl. I keep some emotions inside of me during the day/week/month. And sometimes I just need to let it all out at once. So, I picked today to do so.
Now, don't fret over me. I have a box of tissues by my side, along with a glass of water, some good crying music, and my dragon pillow pet. (Although, I do wish I had my dog to hold or a person to hold me while I cried, but I can't be too picky here.)
Anyway, I just wanted to drop by and say it is more than okay to have days like these. I usually have one about once a month. We all need a little time to ourselves to get our emotions in check. So feel free to take a day for yourself. You deserve it.
With His Love,
Kaitlyn
Have you ever had one of those days when it seems like the weight of the world is on your shoulders? One when all you want to do is just take a break from society and hole up in your room? One when you just want to cry for five hours straight for no particular reason?
Today was one of those days.
Now, at the moment, I don't feel stressed by any means. It's the end of summer, and I'm just focused on hanging out with friends, working, and trying to get that last bit a tanning time in.
But, for some reason, today just felt like a day that I needed to let everything out. So, I did. And by everything, I mean everything.
I started by blasting music and dancing around the house. That helped get rid of all the pent up energy I had the past few weeks.
Next, I watched a funny movie because I needed to have a good laugh.
Then was taking a Nerf Gun and aiming it at cans lined up on the ground. That got out a lot of frustrations.
And finally, at this point, I just want to sit down and cry for about five hours straight. I feel the tears coming as I write this. They are just waiting to spill over onto my cheeks. And I'm ready for them.
I don't have a particular reason to cry. I just need to. I'm a girl. I keep some emotions inside of me during the day/week/month. And sometimes I just need to let it all out at once. So, I picked today to do so.
Now, don't fret over me. I have a box of tissues by my side, along with a glass of water, some good crying music, and my dragon pillow pet. (Although, I do wish I had my dog to hold or a person to hold me while I cried, but I can't be too picky here.)
Anyway, I just wanted to drop by and say it is more than okay to have days like these. I usually have one about once a month. We all need a little time to ourselves to get our emotions in check. So feel free to take a day for yourself. You deserve it.
With His Love,
Kaitlyn
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