Abide

Before we start, what does it mean to abide?

Abide: to be at home, to stay in vital union with the Lord. 

Webster’s definition: to act in accordance with

Let’s dig in to this whole “abide” thing a little deeper.

What should our lives look like if we are abiding in the Lord?

Abiding in Christ is

* abounding in life. 

*not hiding Him in your heart, but it’s inviting him into every part of your life - the public and the private. 

*being productive for God.

*giving Him every day and every season. It’s giving Him your time, relationships, words, thoughts, gifts, joys, hardships, and everything else that is a part of your life. 

*abounding with fruit. 

*bringing the love and joy of Jesus Christ to the people around you. 

*loving like Christ. 

* resembling the character qualities of Christ. 

*making God honoring decisions.

Take a romantic relationship for example. When you abide in that relationship, you start to become more like that other person. The same should happen when we abide in Christ. 

But why must we abide in Christ? Why can’t we abide in whatever we want?

Because there is no power if we abide in anything else. 

You can’t plug a power strip into itself and expect it to have power!

Sometimes we have to stop and ask ourselves, 

“What are we abiding in?”

And if you don’t really know how to answer that question, then ask

“Where do I go for comfort? Significance? Understanding?”

John 15:1-8  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

Abiding in Christ is not a “one and done” thing though. 

When we choose to abide in God, he is going to prune us and pick away at us. 

Prune : trim (a tree, shrub, or bush) by cutting away dead or overgrown branches or stems, especially to increase fruitfulness and growth.

God prunes what would be a loss to keep and a gain to lose.

The branch that is pruned bears more fruit and productivity, and bearing fruit means carrying on God’s gospel mission. The more residence you give Christ in your life, the more fruit you are going to produce. 

If we say we are Christians, but we don’t bear fruit or represent Christ, the world isn’t going to buy it. 

Our reward for being fruitful is bringing glory to the father by showing the world that we belong to Christ. 

Being pruned is sometimes difficult. In fact, most of the time it is difficult. God often prunes things we don’t want to let go of. 

But as Corrie Ten Boom said, “Hold everything in your hand lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open."

When we abide in Christ and allow Him to prune us, our life will be aligned with His will. There’s no better reward than this!

I Am a Christian.

I am a Christian. 

I do not think of myself as higher than you. 

I do not criticize other religions. 

I do not look down on your beliefs and religion. 

I think of everyone as equal to myself. 

I respect your rights to believe what you want. 

Regardless of who you are, I will treat you with respect. 

Yes, I will talk about my religion openly, but no, I won’t shove my religion down your throat. 

I am not foolish for following my Lord. 

I am not brainwashed. 

I struggle, too. 

I sin, too. 

I don’t know why God allows certain things to happen. 

I don’t know all the answers. 

I get lost. 

I feel pain. 

I stumble, but I’ve chosen God as my guide. 

I am weak, and I need God’s strength. 

I am not perfect. 

I have failed, and I cannot pay my own debt. 

I have no place to judge you. 

I have no authority. 

I am proud of my religion and beliefs.

I am proud to be a Christian. 

I am proud of my God. 

*This is taken from the poem ‘When I Say I Am a Christian.’"

In the Moment

Have you ever stopped to think how our “instant gratification society” steals our opportunities to live in the moment ?

What if at the end of our lives, we got a record of how many important interactions we missed because we were too busy looking at our phone or doing meaningless things?

I’m guilty.

Or what if instead of living in the moment, you’re too stuck living in the past? Maybe you just get so caught up dwelling on all the things you’ve done wrong rather than letting forgiveness and grace take over.

Or….maybe you spend too much time living in the future. Maybe that’s all you focus on - your future interactions, your future family, your future education. 

But what does God say? What does he say about living in the past, present, and/or future?

LIVING IN THE PAST:

Just because our past has shaped who we are now does not mean that we are defined by our past mistakes - and we definitely aren’t supposed to dwell on them. BUT just because we shouldn’t dwell on our past mistakes DOES NOT mean we should not remember them. We need to remember our past because it reminds us of how far we have come, how far reaching God’s grace and forgiveness is, and how much He loves us even through our worst times. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; all things become new. 

**We are not to forget everything, however, in the sense of being oblivious to it. In fact, there are many times God instructs us to remember.

In Deuteronomy 9 Moses tells the Israelites to “remember this and never forget how you aroused the anger of the Lord your God in the wilderness. From the day you left Egypt until you arrived here, you have been rebellious against the Lord.” We are encouraged to remember all God has done for us.

LIVING IN THE FUTURE:  

Time is so precious! This moment right now will never come back again! 

When we live today, we need to keep the future in mind. When we make decisions, we need to think about how they might affect our future. 

But we aren’t supposed to live IN the future or FOR the future!

We can LOOK to the future, but still live in the present. 

When we look back tomorrow on what we did today, will we be satisfied in knowing that we did what we could for the Lord?

Live today with eternity in mind, but don’t forget to live today. 

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

LIVING IN THE PRESENT:

Mary did. Mary could have missed the Lord’s presence in her life, but she didn’t. Why? Because she trusted Him with all the things that were h=out of her control. 

The Lord longs for us to live in the moment, because it’s where he does some of His best work. Living in the moment engages us in HIs will. 

No matter where you are or who you are with in that moment - laugh with them, cry with them, listen to them, play with them, pray for them. Turn off all the noise and distractions and value the time that you have!Discipline your mind to be present!

Trust the Lord with all the impossible outcomes that are in store for you! Master living in the moment with God’s discipline. 

Love others in the moment. Live for God in the moment. 

Tik Tok

Did you know the word “Wait” is mentioned more than 100 times in the Bible?

So what does that mean? To wait? It’s not fun that’s for sure. 

We live in an “instant gratification society” where we get everything pretty much right when we want it. 

But that’s not the way God works. And waiting isn’t easy!

With God, we constantly have to wait. With our future, we constantly have to wait. 

Right now, we (my generation) are waiting to graduate. We’re waiting for college. We’re waiting for a career. We’re waiting for own own spouses and families. We’re waiting for a lot of things. 

But here’s some things we have to remember. 

*Waiting is often a setup for a movement of God in your life. 

*In the waiting is an opportunity to hear God. 

*God often accomplishes more in our waiting than in our doing. 

*God loves you enough not to give you everything you think you need. 

*God is faithful in our waiting. When you put your problems up next to God’s sovereignty, it puts everything into perspective. 

Sometimes, God is going to lead you into the desert to remind you how desperate you are for Him. He wants to show you how little control and power you have, to show you that He is enough, regardless. 

Waiting itself can often be a setback to us. We need to be seeking out God and what He is wanting us to do right here, in this very moment. Sure, it’s okay to be curious about our futures. It’s okay to wonder what God has in store for us. But we can’t let our desire for the future to overtake us to the point where we miss what God’s plan for us is today. 

We all wonder at some point what God’s plan for our future will look like, and sometimes that leaves us feeling like we are getting nowhere. We must wait and trust in God’s timing. And yes, our patience will be tested, but it will be worth it because one day God will make sense of it all. 

God is faithful in our waiting, so we must be faithful also. 

In our waiting, in the present, we must continue to serve, worship, and keep on running the race of life. 

We have to let go of the plans and the dreams that we have for our lives and allow God’s will and plan for us to take over. We can’t see what is in front of us, but we still have to trust Him. After all, He is the only one that knows what our tomorrow holds - so why would we not want what God wants for us? 

In our waiting we must remember that there’s a reason for the journey, there is purpose in the learning, and not everything in life comes easily. But God is constant. God is good. God is sovereign. And not for one single second will he forsake us. {Getting There by Steffany Gretzinger}

Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Romans 5:3-5  We know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Life is a Highway

I was brainstorming all day yesterday, trying to come up with blog ideas and I was getting nothing. But then God did that really cool thing that He does where he like randomly pops an idea into your brain at the most random time.

I was just sitting at a red light, at a four way intersection, patiently waiting my turn. I was watching all the other car’s lights turn green, yellow, then red. I was just like “UGH when is it going to be my turn!!!”

And then God was like “Plop. There’s your blog idea.”

Woah. Bro. God’s cool. 

Anyway, here’s what a mean. 

I’m going to refer to life like it is a road, and we are the cars. 

When you’re waiting for God to do something in your life, it’s not always easy to sit around waiting and watching while other people’s lights are turning green. It feels like your light is the only one that’s red and everyone else is getting a turn except you. But in the right timing, God will turn your light green, too. 

No ones life experiences are supposed to happen exactly at the same time. They are supposed to happen in God’s timing…And sometimes that means waiting. 

And then we’ve got the people who are always riding our tails. These cars are like the people in life that are always bugging us, discouraging us, telling us we need to go faster or do things their way. But that’s not the case!!! 

We shouldn’t listen to people that are telling us we need to live our lives a certain way or talk, dress, or act a different way. 

God has called us to be individuals, striving only to live according to His word and His truth. All we need to worry about is going God’s direction and driving God’s speed. No one else’s. 

And lastly, we’ve got the car wrecks. The crashes. The fender benders. The breaking downs. 

In life, we’ve got catastrophes. We’ve got failures. We’ve all got places where we crash and burn. 

But then we just take ourselves over to the “car-fixer-upper” (aka God :P).

We tell him all of the things that are wrong with us, and then he puts us back together again. 

It’s a pretty beautiful cycle. 

It’s a pretty beautiful life. 

And He is a very gracious, good God. 

I AM

I AM constant when everything around you is changing.
I AM the protection you are seeking.
I AM the wisdom in your decision making.
I AM with you every second of every day.
I AM comfort in your heartbreak.
I AM peace in your chaos.
I AM the calmer of the storm.
I AM your friend when you are lonely.
I AM the light in the darkness.
I AM the love in all the hate.
I AM the joy in your sorrow.
I AM the positive in the negative.
I AM the holder of your future.
I AM the breath in your anxiety.
I AM the relief in the stress.
I AM more than your current struggle.
I AM the healer of your sickness.
I AM the energy in your exhaustion.
I AM the clarity in your confusion.
I AM beauty in a broken world.
I AM the Alpha and the Omega.
I AM the King over all.
I AM sufficient.
I AM enough.
I AM gracious towards  your sins.
I AM loving you even when you don't love yourself.
I AM adventurous.
I AM the author of your life.
I AM the planner of every small thing in your life.
I AM a breath of fresh air in your suffocation.
I AM the maker of beautiful things.
I AM the giver of everything good.
I AM all knowing.
I AM hope.
I AM strength in your weakness.
I AM God.
I AM.

Valentine's Day

Hey ya’ll! So today is February 13.

Which means tomorrow is Valentine’s Day!! 

Every year in February, our youth group does sermons about love and all that fun stuff. These past two weeks have been about love and dating and such, and this blog post is just going to be some re-caps of some of the awesome teachings I have heard. This post also includes some articles I’ve read, and lyrics from Lauren Daigle, Steffany Gretzinger, and Ellie Holcomb. I hope you are able to get something out of it! 

The first point I would like to make today is that there is so much more to life than being in a romantic relationship. There s SO MUCH more to life than finding someone who will love you or to be sad over someone who doesn’t. 

There’s a lot of time to be spent discovering yourself!! Fill yourself with love! Go on adventures! Hang out with your friends! Doodle by yourself in a coffee shop! Leave notes in library books! Give to others! Smile a lot! Live for yourself and God and be happy on your own! I promise it isn’t any less beautiful!

Hang out with Jesus and get deeply rooted in his love. Let God tell you who you are. You aren’t beautiful because boys say so. You aren’t a man because ladies love you. Get your identity from Him because He knows you, created you, and His love for you is steady, unlike the wavering opinions of people. 

Another important thing to remember is there is no part of your life where you simply have to survive and not thrive. God uses every part our lives to grow us and prepare us for the incredible things He has ahead. Chase after complete freedom and abundant life, not only in this season, but in every one to come.

Know that in Christ you are His. You are found, loved, pure, alive, healed, and free. God is strong and good and true. He is the light in the darkness and he ism ore than enough. He is always here. God is love, hope, grace, and everything we need. Give Him your heart and let Him speak to you what is true. 

Another tip I have learned is how to prepare. 

You must be committed to preparing for commitment. 

Preparing for, well anything, isn’t always black and white, but there’s a few things that we can do to be ready for what God has in store. 

*Be the person that the person you’re looking for is looking for. Have good habits, clean words, pure thoughts, giving hands. Be generous, be understanding, and love Jesus with your entire being. 

*Know that a “no” from God has goodness written all over it. 

*Stop sitting around waiting for the right person to come along, and start preparing yourself for when they do. 

*Become an expert at being you. 

*Focus all your attention on your relationship with God. 

*Trust God. 

*Allow jesus to be the one that satisfies you and take your focus off of trying to find someone else. 

*Only those pursuing God’s heart should be pursuing yours. 

*Thank God for the seemingly good and the seemingly bad because often times we can’t see the difference. 

Wait for God’s timing. Wait because you are God’s treasure. Wait when everyone else is giving in. 

It takes a strong person to remain single in a world that is accustomed to settling with anything just to say they have something. 

When you are 100% focused on God all of a sudden there will be a person alongside you doing life and striving after God with you. Don't forget that Jesus presents some of his best gifts when we least expect it.  So wait with open hearts and empty hands. “That which you wait for the longest you treasure the most, and through much struggle the prize is won.”

The next thing we must do is truly come to know God and to know the difference between God and the world. 

The world says to give, but keep more. God tells us to give everything. The world says to bail when it gets tough, but God tells us to persevere and look to Him. 

The difference between God’s view of love and the world’s is sometimes hard to decipher, when in all reality they are very different. It’s kind of like Mr. Pibb and Dr. Pepper. The devil tries to tell us that the two are similar and they taste alike but they are completely different things.

We live in a world that constantly expects us to be in a relationship. for entertainment, fulfillment of loneliness, pleasure. the world  says “only when its convenient”. But the Bible says the purpose of dating is to glorify God, point to Jesus, give and not get. 

Trust the Lord. He promises that He will give us just what we need. God keeps His promises. God is sovereign. He will be faithful in putting the right people in our lives. 

Learn to accept God’s GIFT to you-singleness. Yes, it’s a gift! Thank Him for your heartbreak, because it has taught you to trust Him. 

We come to the Lord with pieces of our broken heart but He is always there to hold us together when we fall apart. His love never changes, and in His name there is healing. He holds us together when we are in the midst of our deepest pain. God can take broken things and make them beautiful. He will make a way. 

When we come with our broken hearts, the Lord says, “My child, don’t you believe that I know who you will marry and that I’m capable of leading you to that person? Can you also believe that I am the God of all creation? I know you better than you know yourself. I am perfectly able to bring this person into your life in my own time and in my own way and I don’t need your help.” God is constant. His love is endless. He is faithful. Always and forever. 

Lastly, don’t let the pain get you down. There’s a reason for the journey, there’s purpose in the learning, and we just have to remember that not everything in life comes naturally or easily. But, we’re getting there, and His presence is the promise. 

So this Valentine’s Day I challenge you. I challenge you to love everyone you lay your eyes on today, and share Christ’s love with them. But I also challenge you to look to the Lord. Say, “Jesus, you are my strength and comfort. You are my steady hand, my rock, and my firm foundation. Your love is loyal. You are more faithful than the rising sun. Even when my world shakes and falls, your love is unshaken and constant and perfect and unwavering. I know your plans are always good and I will trust in you.”

Happy Valentine’s Day, everybody. I love you, and Jesus Christ loves you too! God bless! 

Flashback

So, while Camryn Gibson and I were doing “weight training”, we had the brilliant idea to come up with a list of all the amazing disney/pixar/etc movies and tv shows that we used to watch as kids and now miss terribly. Seeing the current Disney Channel makes me cringe. 

So here is a list of every show and movie we could think of that any late 90’s baby probably remembers. [You’re welcome in advance.]

Movies:

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Lion King

Beauty and the Beast

Aladdin 

Mulan

Monster’s Inc. 

Princess Protection Program

Air Bud

101 Dalmatians

Angels in the Outfield

Parent Trap 

Honey I Shrunk the Kids

Honey I Blew Up the Kids

Hocus Pocus

The Santa Clause Series

The Color of Friendship

Kicking and Screaming

Toy Story

Zeno of the 21st Century

Luck of the Irish

Windy Wu Homecoming Warrior

Double Teamed

Cadet Kelly

Little Vampire

Cheetah Girls

Pixel Perfect

Life Size

Twitches

Read it and Weep

The Princess Diaries

The Pacifier

Stuck in the Suburbs

Freaky Friday

Soccer Mom

Switching Goals

Robots

Meet the Robinsons

Bee Happy

Halloween Town

My Date with the President’s Daughter

Smart House

Max Zebec’s Big Move

Get a Clue

Jump In

Lilo and Stitch

Snow Dogs

Shaggy Dog

Enchanted

Game Plan

Underdog

Racing Stripes

Last Song

Jungle Book

Dumbo

Cinderella

Sky High

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Bridge to Terabithia

Cow Bells

College Road Trip

Ice Princess

Shows:

Corey in the House

That’s So Raven 

Kim Possible

Hannah Montana

Lizzie McGuire

The Suite Life of Zack and Cody

The Suit Life on Deck 

Choo Choo Soul

Bob the Builder

Even Stevens

Sonny with a Chance

Wizards of Waverly Place 

Oswald

Max and Ruby

Dragon Tales

Arthur

Blues Clues

The Wiggles

The Powerpuff Girls

Teletubbies

Little Bill

Recess

Thomas the Train

Franklin

Caillou

Fairly Odd Parents

Winnie the Pooh

Lazy Town

Phil of the Future

The Doodle Bops

Clifford

Don't Settle.

Don't settle for a mediocre life.
Don't settle for a lukewarm faith.
Don't settle for people who don't care about you.
Don't settle for anything.

Take risks.
Know what you're worth.
Give everything your all.
Never give less than your best.

If you ever feel in your heart that you're settling, know that is God nudging you, telling you there is something different. Something better. Whatever you're settling for may be difficult to leave. It may take a lot of courage and strength to step away from. But God never wants us to settle. He wants us to constantly be striving for something more, for a life more abundant, for more of Him.

Don't settle or surround yourself with people who cannot see your potential. You deserve to be cared for, respected, surprised, thought of, loved, complimented, and encouraged.
You deserve someone who is generous, selfless, genuine, and who loves God.

Strive for your dreams. Achieve your goals. Never let anything or anyone stand in your way.
Don't allow yourself to settle.
Constantly be seeking Christ and the plans and dreams He has for you. Be praying over those plans and dreams...whether God has revealed to you what they are or not.

Like a good parent, God wants the best for His children. And when you are settling for less than what you deserve or less than what He desires for you, He is going to nudge you in the right direction. All you have to do is have the courage to step out and trust Him.

It's a Good Life

I finished up my sociology 2 test this morning, checked my email, tried to do anything to pass the time..

And then this random thought popped into my head. 

It’s a good life. 

Seriously though, it really is. 

In the past 6 days alone, I’ve

*Watched a movie with some of my best friends

*Pigged out on Dairy Queen with my family before picking mom up at the airport

*Taught my preschoolers

*Had a great meeting with my fellow musicians at church

*Finally figured out how to balance my chemical equations in Chemistry

*Aced a pre calculus quiz where I had no idea what in the world I was doing

*Gone to Shrek rehearsal

*Worshipped Jesus with thousands of other followers

And so much more.

Guys, it really is a good life. 

And it’s not because of these small little worldly get togethers and victories. 

It’s because God has placed me here in this moment. 

He’s placed me here with amazing, loving friends and family. 

He’s placed me here to impact other’s lives. 

He’s placed me here to use my talents to glorify Him. 

He’s placed me here and given me all the knowledge I need to succeed, scholarly and biblically. 

He has placed me here. He knows me. And He loves me. 

And that is why it’s a good life. 

Sure, not everything about it is good. At least, not in the moment. 

Actually, sometimes things really suck!

People get on your nerves or they hurt you. 

You get discouraged after spending hours studying and bombing a test. 

You become overwhelmed and stressed out by your busy schedule. 

There’s so many little things about life that are really….well, nasty. 

But it’s those small little gross things about life that make you enjoy and appreciate the small, good things so much more. 

In the midst of the chaos this morning, no matter what you are doing, sit back….and think about how blessed you are. 

Think about how good your life is. 

Thank God for all the little blessings He has placed in your life. 

Thank Him for the wonderful people he has placed in your journey, despite what they have done to you. 

Thank Him for all the bad things He has brought your way, and thank Him for using those things to show you the bigger picture. 

Thank Him, ya’ll. 

Cause it’s a real good life. 

LIFE

Alrighty people. Today, we are going to talk about…..

Life. 

And the things in life that drag us down. 

And how we can use those things to encourage us!

So let’s use an analogy. We students carry around backpacks with heavy books all day long. In the same way, the rocks (struggles) in our backpack (life) weigh us down. 

After all, they do say, “No pain, no gain,” right?

As Clayton Small once said, “Life is pregnant with possibilities, but some deliveries are hard.”

Before you can move on to the point where your trials encourage you, there’s a few things you have to do first. 

*Figure out what your Goliath is. Your idol. Your comfort. Your sin. Sometimes abandoning what you love is what you must do in order to obey Christ. And remember that your comfort zone is where we never find out how God will use us. When we pretend we aren’t broken or thirsty-we short circuit God’s grace in our lives.

*Get into the Word! Not growing in your faith is simply caused by lack of passion. After all, you are only as passionate as you intend to be. *Ouch. That one stung.* Strenuously commit yourself to growing spiritually. 

*Recognize that apart from God you can do nothing, and know that God loves you! 

There is a shack inside of me. It is dirty and moldy. But then Jesus comes in and I say, “What are you doing here?” and he says to me “I love you. Right here.”

Acknowledge the nature of your heart, because your heart has the capacity to do more wrong than we care to admit. Ask God to search your heart. Allow god to change your heart. 

God looks at us and says, “I knew what you were going to do every day of your life, and still I sent Jesus to the cross, and still it was worth it.

*Remember that good things take time. God is bigger than all of our sins and brokenness!! 

*Stop ignoring your sin!! 

Don’t ignore bad habits, unhealthy relationships, or tough circumstances. You will become overwhelmed! Leave your baggage at the cross and stop embracing it! 

Misplaced desires will ruin you spiritually. The area of your life that keeps you from Christ is the area that is least surrendered to him. 

The best thing that can happen in your life is to get caught in your sin. And if you have trouble recognizing a sin, ask yourself, “Would I do this if Jesus were standing right next to me?” (aka, he always is). Remember that if you know something is wrong, but you continue to do it anyway without feeling guilty, that’s where you have a problem. 

*Don’t give up. Because if you bail, you fail. When you bail during conflict, you are robbing yourself of what God is trying to do in your life.

*Be intentional with your decisions. That is how you will grow and make disciples. 

Okay, now you may be wondering, how in the world can these terrible aspects of life encourage me or motivate me…..?

You’re probably thinking I’m psycho. 

But I’m not! I promise!

Okay…well maybe just a little…but that’s beside the point.

When you are struck with trials, stand strong in your faith, and don't let them get you down! Just because you fail does not mean you are a failure!

God sends us trials so that he can examine our heart. We don’t always understand why He sends us these trials, but we must trust Him! He allows bad things to happen to us so that we can show people how to glorify Him in all stages of our life!

It may not seem like it, but mistakes grow your faith!

When you take step back and look at your life, remember that God can do immeasurably more. Remember that the safest place you can ever be is in the center of God’s will. God’s will is accomplished through difficulties and frustrating times. Simply open up your eyes to see how God is using your circumstances to shape your life, and don’t let your circumstances discourage you. It is not the circumstance that stinks, it’s the way you interpret it. After all, we only see a piece of the puzzle, where as God sees the whole finished masterpiece. 

Until we are put in a situation where God is all we have, we realize he is all we need. Our weakness is a platform for God’s strength, and we must dig beneath our discouragement and there we will find our foundation. If we just have confidence in God, you will feel secure in times of defiance.

Take your situations and don’t ask why anymore.. Ask how are you going to use this through me to the impact of the world. 

Don’t blame God. Know that he won’t push you over, but he will allow you to fall. God uses our pain to bring others to Him. 

The desert is a growling place. Living for God is not easy, but it’s worth it. If God is not at the center, all else will be a mess. 

“May God send us on the path that is not the easiest so that we may see His face."

You are the light. Live like it.

*This post is coming from a mix of different things, and not all of these words are my own. It’s coming from sermon notes that I’ve taken over the years, Pastor Merle’s sermon last Sunday, Chuck’s lesson from home groups this past Sunday, “Jesus Swagger” by Jarrid Wilson, and “Rise” by Trip Lee. And of course, the Bible. :)*

I have a proposal for you and here it is: 

Stop just being a believer, and start being a follower. Don’t just be a Christian, be godly. There IS a difference.

A believer shares Jesus when it’s comfortable. They conform under pressure. They twist the Bible to fit their lifestyle, and they only pray when things are hard. 

A follower shares Jesus regardless of their scenario. They hold fast against temptation. They twist their life to fit the Bible, and they give thanks in every circumstance. 

You can be a Christian, and not be godly. 

If you don’t represent Christ, how are you any different than any other person in the world?

Underneath your good deeds and pretty words, are you anything more than a poser? It’s the heart that matters. It’s one thing to claim a love for God’s word and commandments, and divine guidance, but it’s a completely different thing when one actually tries to live out their life based on these things. 

What good is it if we go to church every week, and pray every night, but we never let the message of Jesus change who we are? It’s like planting a seed in cement. 

Imagine if every person who called themselves Christian actually followed the ways of Christ, and completely turned away from living life for their own desires. The world would change, we would see hope and transformation. Imagine if everyone who claimed to love Jesus actually did and if everyone who called themselves a Christian put more effort into serving their neighbors than catering to their selfish wants. 

Our motives most change. Our focus must be reunited with the gospel. And our passion must be fueled by what God is doing through us, not just what he can do for us. We need to allow Jesus to become more than just a person we believe in: he needs to be a person we also relentlessly follow and hunger to be more like. 

A lot of people may ask, “Well how exactly do I do this?” Of course, I don’t have all the answers, but I’m hoping to help you out. 

It’s quite simple, actually. Just follow what the Bible has to say. Do not seek revenge, and be generous to those who steal from you. Give to those in need, but don’t make a show of it. Pray quietly. Forgive others when they sin against you. Don’t judge others, and many more. 

KNOW YOUR INFLUENCE.

You resemble your values, and your attitude and actions ARE your identity. Remember to be on mission in all circumstances. 

Ask yourself, “What sets me apart from the rest of the world? Is how I act consistent with who I am in Christ? Can others see God in my words and actions? From the outside looking in, can people see the God I claim to follow?” 

Following god does not mean you have to be perfect, but it does mean you have to be obedient. 

No, we are not expected to attain the same holiness as God, but we are expected to strive for it. 

The way you walk talk and present yourself matters when it comes to your faith because if you claim to be a Christian, outsiders expect you to act like one. 

You are automatically held to a higher standard.

Some of us think too highly of ourselves. In our pride, we think this wrongness and evil chaos is completely outside of ourselves. We tell ourselves that our sin is “Okay, because God knows my heart.”

Gandhi once said of Christians, “I loved your Christ, but disliked your Christianity.” Ouch. 

STOP WITH THE EXCUSES.

The temptation is just too strong? God gives you the strength to say no, you just have to choose it. 

We CANNOT keep sinning just because we know God will forgive us. 

That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your life!! Don’t give it the time of day. Don’t even run little errands that are connected with it. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full time toward God and his way of doing things.

Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?

No, our mistakes do not define who we are, but we aren’t supposed to take this gift and run with it or ignore God! We are supposed to pursue him and thank him for the liberation he has provided us. 

No matter the circumstance, you are called to reflect an image that portrays the purity and boldness of christ himself. At a party, around your non-Christian friends, in school, at church, EVERYWHERE. NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE. 

Ask yourself these questions.

1. When our gospel centered tweets and faith driven Facebook posts are stripped away, and we are left with nothing more than our hearts and a face to face conversation with God, who are we then?
2. What are you making God known for?  Cussing? Drinking? Drugs? Partying? Judgement? Hate? 
3. At the end of your life, how many will people know that you lived for Jesus? What about your everyday attitude will leave them wondering about the greatness of your God? Will it be the way you treated people? The confidence you walked with? The way you feared God and loved without limits, shared your faith, and modeled Jesus? 
4. What in my life promotes controversy with God’s work?
5. Is what I’m doing causing others to stumble?

When our faith in Jesus ends with the way we decorate our public appearance, we need to stop, evaluate ourselves, and realize that we are heading down a road of false assurance. 

Teens this is for you especially. I want to bring it down to one thing. Your words. Your words are more important than you think. This past weekend we talked about Isaiah’s words, and this is exactly what Pastor Merle said.

Maybe Isaiah’s words were unfiltered critical words about people he didn’t even know. Maybe Isaiah cussed.

But remember that it’s out of the heart that the mouth overflows.

Unclean lips say we believe in god but live in a way that doesn’t demonstrate it. Unclean lips is seeing what’s wrong with everyone else but not what is faulty in ourselves.

"Those who use lots of profanity just have small vocabularies.”

Yes, maybe everyone else cusses. Maybe everyone else gossips. BUT WE ARE CHRIST FOLLOWERS. WE ARE NOT EVERYONE ELSE. 

And if you think the way you act and talk is irrelevant to your walk with Christ, you are DEAD WRONG. They are a direct correlation with your relationship with Christ. 

In a world of constant conformity, god has called us to be different, set apart.  Following God is a lifestyle that resembles Jesus to the fullest, not worrying about the opinions of others, but instead holds firm to a foundation in Christ alone, one that is able to anything the world throws at you. 

Pure hearts do not speak poorly. It’s as simple as that. 

Proverbs 18:21 The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 

James 3:2  We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

James 3:10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.

For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

We’ve become a tribe of people who rank our faith in a measurement of likes, re tweets and memory verses. We need to up our game. 

So here is what we must do. We must be generous, open, loving, and have a total dependence on God. We need to be forgiving, slow to anger, and overflowing with compassion. We are supposed to sacrifice our comfort and the sinful things that we love. 

Yes, bad stuff happens. But you have the choice of how to respond. You have to choose recovery for yourself. 

Romans 12:2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

But you are the light. Live like it. Make the most of every opportunity. Don’t be foolish. Understand God’s will. BE CAREFUL HOW YOU LIVE. In a world of darkness, war, and self righteousness, the light you give off could help many down the narrow path we are called to walk. 

So allow the message of Jesus to penetrate the core of your heart, releasing an overflow of love, selflessness, and servanthood that goes beyond mere appearances, and makes a positive difference. 

2-0-1-6

So pretty much everyone makes a New Year's Resolution, right?
But how many of us actually end up doing them? (Cause I know I don't)

I started making New Year's Resolutions in 3rd grade, and they've always been like super specific.
Like last year, I'm pretty sure they were like "Read Bible for 15 minutes every day" and "Exercise five times per week".

But I've come to realize that the more specific I make my resolutions, the less likely I am to live up to them. Not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I've decided to do it a little bit differently this year. So here it goes,

My 2016 Resolutions:

1. Practice piano more frequently. If I'm being honest, I practice about 4 days out of the week, but I only end up practicing for 10-15 minutes, on a good day. Being a perfectionist, I do this thing where- after 10 minutes- I end up getting so frustrated that I'm just done. So I gotta work on that :)

2. Take more pictures. Capture more memories.

3. Read more. I've started this resolution early. I am in the process of reading
Rise by Trip Lee,
Jesus Swagger by Jarrid Wilson,
The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey,
Everything Counts by Steven Case,
and Love Does by Bob Goff (for the 400,000th time)
ALL OF THESE BOOKS ARE AMAZING.  I RECOMMEND THEM TO YOU. (Love Does for teens and adults, and all the others I would recommend to teens). THEY ARE AMAZING.

4. Run a half marathon again.

5. Drink less caffeine. There's no way in the world I can go without my coffee every morning before school, but I can stop with the excessive chocolate and Dr. Pepper. (hopefully)

6. Keep my room and car cleaner. This resolution is born from my mom's constant nagging. And maybe she's kind of right. Sometimes. (love you mom)

7. Fast from my phone more often. Maybe make it a monthly thing? I've always had great results from fasting, but I just need to figure out a schedule. Maybe the first week of every month? I don't know, I'll figure it out.

8. GET A JOB. I LITERALLY have applied to at least 7 places in the last month or two, and NOT ONE has been interested. I have a list of about 20 places that I am going to apply to in the next couple of weeks so I pray to the Lord above that AT LEAST ONE OF THEM will hire me.

9. Do more blogging. (you can obviously see I'm starting that resolution right now)

10. Get better at guitar. I'm always so focused on my schoolwork, choir stuff, and piano that I tend to forget about my guitar. So my goal this year is to improve and spend more time playing it.

So people, those are my 2016 resolutions. And it will be very interesting when this pops up on my timehope on January 1, 2017 [Graduating year, man that's really weird to think about], and see how many of these I have accomplished. Hopefully all of them.

I hope and pray that all your 2016s are spectacular
With love,
Carlie