I have been thinking a lot lately about how I am to impact the world...what's my purpose. We go through life not knowing until that perfect moment and only God knows when that is. I feel like I have so much to learn about life and the people in it. I do not want to live thinking if only I could have taken time to build a relationship with that person. I want to know that I made a difference in someone's life no matter who it is.
At this very moment I am thanking God for all He is doing right now. He is showing me who are my true friends who I can lean on during hard times. He also is giving me a new view on my life and I am wondering if my vision is His for me. I do not want to die full of potential and I do not want to live fearing death for death is just the beginning of another journey.
Some people are like puzzles and you can't quite figure them out which is good to a point I think. My one objection to those people is what are you missing? If you keep who you are a secret whether you be an extremely outgoing person or an introverted person what are you gaining from that. I guess that is just how I see it. I could be wrong but there are some people that make everything so complex about themselves that its almost taxing. All you want is a relationship with that person and they are cold as stone. Why? Only God knows truly what their heart is feeling. I love to be connected to people and sometimes I find ways that are unconventional to get that way. This past couple of months has been a struggle for me because I went the completely wrong way on trying to connect with someone. Not only was it horrible for me but also that other person. I feel awful for the whole situation but it was nice in a way to find comfort in someone. I am happy to say that now I am free from that and trying to figure out other ways to get connected.
CONNECT. What a word? We are a body if I am not mistaken that is to take the Word of God to the nations but how can we do that if the body is lacking important connections with itself. I pray that the church as whole worldwide will figure out its not about religious views or politics of the church but the Cause of the Kingdom of God. We must set ourselves on the path that leads to beauty and winning the nations not on who has the better interpretation of the Bible or the better way of going about service. I want us to get connected but first we must be connected to God and walk side by side with Him towards an amazing eternity.
Lindsey and I were talking about eternity last night and we both sat there dumbfounded because can you truly grasp how long that is....its forever!!!! We have no clue what that will be like but that should give you a little kick. Realize that people's eternities are at stake...we must reach them and help them find their way to Christ and God's Kingdom.
Think. Pray. and Grow. God Bless.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Getting a Grip
It absolutely amazes me at how much God will speak to you when you least expect it. I am super excited about gaining knowledge and wisdom from reading. I guess growing up I never realized the power of a book. It influences, challenges, and gets your creativity/imagination going which in my eyes is super important. The biggest thing out of those three is the challenges that come. In For This I Was Born, I realized and am realizing how small my own self is. I am a beautiful woman in Christ and within all of that I am who I am. I am finding my identity so to speak.
One question that this book asks is, "Are you willing to let your visioin die for the cause of Christ?" I stopped and thought to myself, "Am I living for my own selfish vision or am I letting God's cause take hold of my life and living for the vision He has placed in my heart?" I will be asking myself this question for the weeks to come as I discover who Christ has called me to be. I am proud to be a woman of God who is beautiful in his eyes.
So many emotions fill me when I think of living for His Kingdom and giving it all to Him. The biggest emotion that seems to fill my heart is happiness or joy. I cannot stop smiling knowing that I am called to a greater purpose than my own. The next part is a lot harder though. I may know that but I must truly grasp that and live it...not just go through the motions of knowing.
I am here to say to every single person, "You may live your life knowing that God has called you to great things, but unless you embrace that and live life for His Kingdom then it is a waste. He wants you to know that your beauty and heart will be seen by all if you only live for Him, for His Cause." I pray that God will touch your heart and that he will continue break down all of the insecurities, pain, sadness, etc. that you feel. Like I just told my friend, do not let the small things keep you from seeing the big picture. I have in the past and all it did was complicate things and make life more difficult. Life is not about proving yourself to the world. The world tells us how to eat, how to dress, how much to weigh, what's in and what's not, who we should be friends with, that we need to change to fit in and THOSE ARE ALL LIES!!! None of that is important, none of it matters.Pleasing the world is something that everyone falls into at one time or another. It might not be society but a group of people that you want to be friends with. If they do not love and like you as you are then are they worth being friends with? That being said they might not like the attitude problem you have because you put up a wall so you would not get hurt. Don't let that overpower who you truly are in Christ.
Thank God for your life and pray that you will be filled with the vision he has for you which will fulfill a purpose for His Kingdom. =)
One question that this book asks is, "Are you willing to let your visioin die for the cause of Christ?" I stopped and thought to myself, "Am I living for my own selfish vision or am I letting God's cause take hold of my life and living for the vision He has placed in my heart?" I will be asking myself this question for the weeks to come as I discover who Christ has called me to be. I am proud to be a woman of God who is beautiful in his eyes.
So many emotions fill me when I think of living for His Kingdom and giving it all to Him. The biggest emotion that seems to fill my heart is happiness or joy. I cannot stop smiling knowing that I am called to a greater purpose than my own. The next part is a lot harder though. I may know that but I must truly grasp that and live it...not just go through the motions of knowing.
I am here to say to every single person, "You may live your life knowing that God has called you to great things, but unless you embrace that and live life for His Kingdom then it is a waste. He wants you to know that your beauty and heart will be seen by all if you only live for Him, for His Cause." I pray that God will touch your heart and that he will continue break down all of the insecurities, pain, sadness, etc. that you feel. Like I just told my friend, do not let the small things keep you from seeing the big picture. I have in the past and all it did was complicate things and make life more difficult. Life is not about proving yourself to the world. The world tells us how to eat, how to dress, how much to weigh, what's in and what's not, who we should be friends with, that we need to change to fit in and THOSE ARE ALL LIES!!! None of that is important, none of it matters.Pleasing the world is something that everyone falls into at one time or another. It might not be society but a group of people that you want to be friends with. If they do not love and like you as you are then are they worth being friends with? That being said they might not like the attitude problem you have because you put up a wall so you would not get hurt. Don't let that overpower who you truly are in Christ.
Thank God for your life and pray that you will be filled with the vision he has for you which will fulfill a purpose for His Kingdom. =)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
To Be Broken
The definition of BREAK:
1. to destroy or interrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of; interrupt
2. to put an end to; overcome; stop
3. to discover the system, key, method, etc.
4. to remove a part from (a set or collection)
5.to exchange for or divide into smaller units or components
6. to make a way through; penetrate
These definitions can seem quite harsh to people who think of breaking as a bad thing. I, on the other hand, is finding out how amazing and positive it is. It can be really hard at first because you think to yourself why is everything so hard for me and why is this happening to me. God breaking me is something that has been going on the past few months. I have wanted to quit and give up, but someone close to me said that GOD WAS BREAKING ME. I thought to myself how in the world can he break me? Now I see it. I am figuring out that he is breaking me of all the things that hindered me from experiencing His presence and Word. Today I realized that I am continuously facing challenges that are somewhat painful but as I go through them I find that I am growing. I am trying to keep my head up every day and keep going and its tough. I have to remember that there is a purpose to these hard times and that through all of this I will grow and become a strong woman in Christ.
I am so excited about being set free of all my habits that hinder me from relationships with people and God. I am tired of being the same ol' me and never growing or learning. I'm sitting here crying, praying, and listening to this one song, Break Me Down, by Tenth Avenue North. Its my prayer right now to be set free and renewed.
Everyone freaked out when my Facebook status was "is being broken." They all thought it was something negative but its quite the opposite. How joyful and relieved I will be when the sun shines brighter, the world seems less saddened and my heart feels lighter. I am really struggling with letting go of some of things that have always been issues with me. I pray that God will break down those things to little pieces and renew my mind to know that everything is in His time and will. I know that and I also know right from wrong but that doesn't mean that I put that into action. We, humans, are think too much and try to figure our life before God opens the doors for us. How retarded are we? We will never know what tomorrow brings let alone the next hour. All we know is that we cannot force our plans to be what our life is to be. We must let God show us the way, not us show God our way....that doesn't make sense. He is our creator and destroyer, our lover and protector, our way and life, our light, our strength, etc....You get it I'm hoping.
To Be BROKEN is start your journey for HIS PLANS!!!!!!! Do not be foolish and not live for His cause because you have plans of your own. If you live by your plans you will not have lived at all but simply died without living. Be Broken and renew your mind as Romans 12:1-2 says.
God Bless
1. to destroy or interrupt the regularity, uniformity, continuity, or arrangement of; interrupt
2. to put an end to; overcome; stop
3. to discover the system, key, method, etc.
4. to remove a part from (a set or collection)
5.to exchange for or divide into smaller units or components
6. to make a way through; penetrate
These definitions can seem quite harsh to people who think of breaking as a bad thing. I, on the other hand, is finding out how amazing and positive it is. It can be really hard at first because you think to yourself why is everything so hard for me and why is this happening to me. God breaking me is something that has been going on the past few months. I have wanted to quit and give up, but someone close to me said that GOD WAS BREAKING ME. I thought to myself how in the world can he break me? Now I see it. I am figuring out that he is breaking me of all the things that hindered me from experiencing His presence and Word. Today I realized that I am continuously facing challenges that are somewhat painful but as I go through them I find that I am growing. I am trying to keep my head up every day and keep going and its tough. I have to remember that there is a purpose to these hard times and that through all of this I will grow and become a strong woman in Christ.
I am so excited about being set free of all my habits that hinder me from relationships with people and God. I am tired of being the same ol' me and never growing or learning. I'm sitting here crying, praying, and listening to this one song, Break Me Down, by Tenth Avenue North. Its my prayer right now to be set free and renewed.
Everyone freaked out when my Facebook status was "is being broken." They all thought it was something negative but its quite the opposite. How joyful and relieved I will be when the sun shines brighter, the world seems less saddened and my heart feels lighter. I am really struggling with letting go of some of things that have always been issues with me. I pray that God will break down those things to little pieces and renew my mind to know that everything is in His time and will. I know that and I also know right from wrong but that doesn't mean that I put that into action. We, humans, are think too much and try to figure our life before God opens the doors for us. How retarded are we? We will never know what tomorrow brings let alone the next hour. All we know is that we cannot force our plans to be what our life is to be. We must let God show us the way, not us show God our way....that doesn't make sense. He is our creator and destroyer, our lover and protector, our way and life, our light, our strength, etc....You get it I'm hoping.
To Be BROKEN is start your journey for HIS PLANS!!!!!!! Do not be foolish and not live for His cause because you have plans of your own. If you live by your plans you will not have lived at all but simply died without living. Be Broken and renew your mind as Romans 12:1-2 says.
God Bless
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Reflection, The Church, and Our Light
God did not place us on this earth so we can have salvation and just live life but to find salvation and become His hands and feet. We are to bring to people something that the world could never bring TRUTH, which brings love, joy, and answers to the hard questions of life. Our lives are based on our will to live out God's plans for them. We cannot sit and not live....it will bring us nothing.
For This I Was Born says in Chapter 2, "You are here to exemplify Jesus to the world, and your testimony, conviction, and commitment to the cause of Christ is about ushering people into relationship with a God who loves them." This is our point in life. This is our mission. To bring people to Christ. We are called.
"God's will is for he body of Christ to be a dynamic living organism that produces life and affects lives." This quote is exactly what the church needs to realize. We are not placed together as a unit just to supply ourselves with all the knowledge of knowing God and His ways and not do anything. We hold the light of Christ within us and we are to SHINE it with all we have. I think we are at a time where we are ready to be the church, tired of the complacency. How awesome is that! We are starting to get the promises and hope that God has for us.
What would there be if none of us Christians took the initiative to change the world? I ask myself how often we lose sight of our CAUSE. I realize that we are not perfect but we seem to somehow be weak and unable to keep the Cause at the forfront of our minds. We get consumed by what is going on in our lives that seem to be the biggest issue ever but really it is just a needle in an extremely big haystack.
I seem to be finding out that I lose sight very easily. Six months no dating almost seemed pointless to me today. I somehow justify the unjustifiable. I think that something that is completely unreasonable is okay. I cannot seem to grasp that I am here for something bigger than myself. I keep seeking after things that turn into something I don't want for myself or for others. I want to find joy and I know that is in Christ. I can sit and write all of this down and let people read it so that they can grow and find themselves. I, myself, get lost in my own thoughts. I sit and let things get to me not realizing that I am losing focus of the goal I am running toward. Today I opened my eyes to the realization that I cannot change the past and I cannot make things happen my way. I am under God's authority and He has set plans for me which I am to follow. I am learn His ways and promises and seek after HIS WILL. To think that I have wasted countless days on my own ambitions and desires and lost touch of what God has for me seems stupid. I know in my heart of hearts that I will be able to overcome my own self and let God come in.
For This I Was Born says in Chapter 2, "You are here to exemplify Jesus to the world, and your testimony, conviction, and commitment to the cause of Christ is about ushering people into relationship with a God who loves them." This is our point in life. This is our mission. To bring people to Christ. We are called.
"God's will is for he body of Christ to be a dynamic living organism that produces life and affects lives." This quote is exactly what the church needs to realize. We are not placed together as a unit just to supply ourselves with all the knowledge of knowing God and His ways and not do anything. We hold the light of Christ within us and we are to SHINE it with all we have. I think we are at a time where we are ready to be the church, tired of the complacency. How awesome is that! We are starting to get the promises and hope that God has for us.
What would there be if none of us Christians took the initiative to change the world? I ask myself how often we lose sight of our CAUSE. I realize that we are not perfect but we seem to somehow be weak and unable to keep the Cause at the forfront of our minds. We get consumed by what is going on in our lives that seem to be the biggest issue ever but really it is just a needle in an extremely big haystack.
I seem to be finding out that I lose sight very easily. Six months no dating almost seemed pointless to me today. I somehow justify the unjustifiable. I think that something that is completely unreasonable is okay. I cannot seem to grasp that I am here for something bigger than myself. I keep seeking after things that turn into something I don't want for myself or for others. I want to find joy and I know that is in Christ. I can sit and write all of this down and let people read it so that they can grow and find themselves. I, myself, get lost in my own thoughts. I sit and let things get to me not realizing that I am losing focus of the goal I am running toward. Today I opened my eyes to the realization that I cannot change the past and I cannot make things happen my way. I am under God's authority and He has set plans for me which I am to follow. I am learn His ways and promises and seek after HIS WILL. To think that I have wasted countless days on my own ambitions and desires and lost touch of what God has for me seems stupid. I know in my heart of hearts that I will be able to overcome my own self and let God come in.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Your Purpose Is Bigger Than Your Problems.
I am yet again reading For This I Was Born. Its one of those books that you get a lot of especially when you read a second time. I am not reading it as much as a book but more of a devotional type thing. I want to get as much out of it as possible. One month is down for my six months no dating and I definitely don't think I have done much to pursue my goal which is to move past my past and grow closer to my Father.
The first chapter of this book is called," You Were Born for the Cause of Christ." Brian Huston, the writer begins talking about your purpose for living and he says,"Everyone who is born dies, but not everyone who dies has truly lived," which is so true. Some people go through their lives worrying about how they will be perceived by others and not living for something greater than themselves. How sad it would be to wake up when you are seventy and feel like you haven't lived. I mean you would have physically gone through life doing it is whatever you do and then die not living for a cause with a purpose. I do not want that to be me. I want learn what my purpose is so that I can fufill my part of God's cause.
We are to live for a cause worth dying for, not die full of potential. We do not need to sit and wait for something to happen but seek God and find our purpose. We as humans find all the faults in ourselves and our pasts. That should not be how we live. Christ lived his life without letting rejection, betrayal, and many other things hinder his life. He had plenty of reasons to fail but his Father's cause outweighed it all.
Don't look at all the downfalls and shortcomings that seem to comsume your life, but focus on God's pland for you. His vision and purpose for you which fuels your passion for His cause and kingdon. No matter what occurs in life, NEVER should you allow yourself to develop a wounded spirit. Hard times and past issues might come about but remember that from the moment you were conceived God had an awesome purpose/ plan for you on this earth. So, no matter what's going on with you, remember that your purpose is BIGGER than your problems!
The first chapter of this book is called," You Were Born for the Cause of Christ." Brian Huston, the writer begins talking about your purpose for living and he says,"Everyone who is born dies, but not everyone who dies has truly lived," which is so true. Some people go through their lives worrying about how they will be perceived by others and not living for something greater than themselves. How sad it would be to wake up when you are seventy and feel like you haven't lived. I mean you would have physically gone through life doing it is whatever you do and then die not living for a cause with a purpose. I do not want that to be me. I want learn what my purpose is so that I can fufill my part of God's cause.
We are to live for a cause worth dying for, not die full of potential. We do not need to sit and wait for something to happen but seek God and find our purpose. We as humans find all the faults in ourselves and our pasts. That should not be how we live. Christ lived his life without letting rejection, betrayal, and many other things hinder his life. He had plenty of reasons to fail but his Father's cause outweighed it all.
Don't look at all the downfalls and shortcomings that seem to comsume your life, but focus on God's pland for you. His vision and purpose for you which fuels your passion for His cause and kingdon. No matter what occurs in life, NEVER should you allow yourself to develop a wounded spirit. Hard times and past issues might come about but remember that from the moment you were conceived God had an awesome purpose/ plan for you on this earth. So, no matter what's going on with you, remember that your purpose is BIGGER than your problems!
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