I Applied!

I wanted to write a quick little update to let you all know that last Thursday I applied to DTS! I am so incredibly excited about the possibilities that will follow!

The journey so far has been extremely faith growing. Coming from a low-income single parent household, my faith has had its moments of stretching. Believing God for what seems like an incredibly impossible amount of money. Sometimes the more I think about the funds part of DTS the more I can get discouraged. I know it is the devil using those little thoughts of doubt to spark the fire of unbelief. However, I will not let them last! God is MY PROVIDER and HE CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE!!

So do not fear, for I am with you;
    do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
    I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
                    - Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)

Along with my application to DTS, they also require a couple references which will need to be submitted before my admittance to the program can be fully considered. After they have been reviewed and I hear more, I will share that update. Until then, please keep my mind/heart in your prayers. That it will be guarded against the enemy's lies and that the fire of determination will not die.

Thank you so much for reading and coming along with me on this journey!!

Stronger Together

One of my favorite ways to dig into scripture is writing it down and pulling out key elements from those verses or looking up commentary when I need help understanding what is being said. For my scripture writing, I follow Shannon over at her blog Sweet Blessings.

This month’s topic is on RELATIONSHIPS and there is always so much to learn. As I was doing my Scripture Writing this morning, I read the following verses:

“Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭4:9-12‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I also decided to read some commentary on verse 12 (biblestudytools.com), and with that, it really opened my eyes to unity. 

LOVE ~ GIVING ~ DIFFERENCE

Yesterday I listened to yet another message by Elevation Church called "Give What You Want & You'll Get What You Need." An incredible message from God that was spoken through Holly Furtick and all her wonderfulness and crazy life stories. :D

I am not going to spill the beans of her entire message, so I highly encourage you to take some time out of your day to go listen to it (it is only about 34 minutes long)! I was greatly inspired by her message and wanted to share my thoughts on the matter with you all.


GIVE and IT will be GIVEN to you. (Luke 6:38a)


When you think of GIVING, what usually comes to mind? Giving financially? Time? Physical labor? Sacrificing something? There are so many ways that we can give, even in the small things! Sometimes the small things at home, in a relationship, at work, or just out in the public can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
Giving your attention, affection, and/or commitment can make a huge impact on someone's day! Just think of what YOU need or want. Often times we can bring ourselves down by thinking about what others DON'T GIVE US. This can become a very depressing thing to do. Next time when you feel the urge to point the spotlight on yourself, think about the same need you want and see if anyone around you needs it instead. As Christians, God fulfills us, and He WILL give you what YOU NEED. As humans, we often forget that.
No matter where we are or what we're doing God has called us to be His light. To let Him live through us. One ultimate theory for why God created us, which I love, is that God had so much LOVE to give that He wanted to create creatures to share His unending, forever faithful, and awe-inspiring love with.
We were created with love inside of us! Inside all of us. Some choose to hate, but just like frowning, hating is so much harder than loving. Sometimes we think that remaining closed up and hard-hearted is the only way to protect ourselves, but in reality, it only ends up hurting ourselves and the people around us more in the long run.

God is GOOD All the Time and All the Time God is GOOD

Around every corner of life, we all have decisions, we all have choices to make. Some can be life alternating, some for the future, some for the present, and some that might have little effect at all. You might be wondering where it is in this life that you're meant to go, who you're meant to be, what you're meant to do. God doesn't give us all an exact direction for our lives; He might have some go to college, others to start a family, some to serve in the mission field, or some He might have stay right where they are. NO MATTER what path you go down though, NO MATTER which direction you take in your life, one thing is for certain, REALIZE YOUR PRIORITIES and MAKE SURE THEY GET INCORPORATED INTO YOUR LIFE. For a Christian, our main life purpose (and should be a priority) is to HONOR God, to GLORIFY and PRAISE Him, and to make Him KNOWN among the nations (even in small ways, including in your neighborhood, school, among friends, family . . . etc). Just SHARE His glory and marvelous Name with those around you. 

Proverbs 3:6 says (paraphrased) in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.

You might be scared or nervous about your future if you're going down the right path or not, but you don't have to be! You got the KING of kings and LORD of lords on your side (Romans 8:31-32)! If we just all turned to Him and saw that HE IS GOOD, that He Provides, and that if we share that with others no matter where we go, that unknown journey will be WORTH IT!

Wednesday, this past week, was just not my day. It was not like it was too much different than any other day, it was just that the stresses of this life, decided that Wednesday would be the day to take my emotions on a rollercoaster. With the pressures of school, financial situations within my family, and my car, which decided to die on me, while driving, two times that day! You could say that I could have definitely been on the verge of letting the devil steal my joy. I was feeling sorry for myself, upset because what I had planned for that day wasn't happening. One thing is for sure, if I did not have God in my life to keep my eyes on Him, if I did not seek Him above all else while I went through that, if I did not decide to invite Him to stay close to me throughout the day, I could have totally stayed in that state and I would have ended up a major wreck. 

Wednesday, one of my teachers also shared with the class about how a college student recently took his life. It is so sad to think about the many people who get so bogged down with the pressures of this life and stay there. Who don't know where to turn, where their joy comes from, or who they find their identity in. I know for certain that if I didn't have the Lord, who uplifts me with His right hand (Isaiah 41:10) and didn't cling to His promises I could be their situation. But the JOY OF THE LORD IS MY STRENGTH. He will ALWAYS provide. He will ALWAYS continue the good work that He set out before me to do (Philippians 1:6).

Have you watched God's NOT Dead? If you haven't, I would DEFINATLY recommend it! From that movie, I love how in all the different situations when everything went wrong and the pastor and/or his missionary friend could have been upset, they instead kept their eyes on God and His GOODNESS. How even in those upsetting, painful, or stressful situations there is always something to be THANKFUL about. From that movie, I have learned the saying: God is GOOD all the time and all the time God is GOOD. Now whenever I am down and out, or when this life feels like it is against me, or when Satan tries to deceive me and steal that JOY, I just say that over and over,

GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME AND ALL THE TIME GOD IS GOOD

because He is! When my car died the first time, I was so thankful that I had just turned off the main busy highway. There was also no one close to where I was that I knew I could call and my car did not want to start. I let it rest for a while and prayed, rebuking the devil and by the power and grace of God my car started and I was able to make it to my destination. The second time, it was really close to dying as I was going up a hill, but because I felt a warning and my breaks still worked I was able to stop abruptly before being stranded on a hill with a corner and cars behind me! 

God doesn't make bad things happen to us, it is the sin in this world and the imperfect nature of it that tears people apart, that death by natural causes, murders or suicide happen, or that natural disasters occur. Then there are just those that happen like mechanical problems. Yes, God doesn't necessarily stop misfortune from happening to good people but in the truth of it all and from a Christian standpoint, when we go through things that have a tendecny to tear us down we come out of it stronger; we come out of it braver and more dependent on God. If we were able to do this life without Him, where would His place be? We would be like, "See you later, I don't need you anymore. I got this." But no. We DO NEED Him! He doesn't promise us an easy life, a life without any struggles, troubles, or pain, but He does promise to be with us. God is true to His word and I am a testament that He is GOOD. I am definitely still going through struggles and have much growing to do in my faith and walk with Him, however, I have learned so much (especially from the hardships of this life). If we just keep our eyes ON HIM, we can still have the JOY that He gave us from the start!

So I encourage you, wherever you are in this journey of life, whatever you're going through, whatever decisions you have to make, know that GOD IS ALWAYS WITH YOU. HE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU, nor forsake you (Deut. 31:6). He will UPHOLD YOU with His right hand and if you just acknowledge Him in all your ways, He will always direct your path in the way that it should go.

Also, keep yourself surrounded by good God-fearing people. It is SO important to be surrounded by a community of believers and STRONG ones. So that way when you have those tough days or when you feel like the whole world is against you, they can be there to encourage you, pray with you, and remind you that God is still on your side.

Thank you so much for reading and have a GREAT weekend!   

Sharing More than Just a Religion

Today's the 14th and Easter's the 16th. Wait what! Where did this Lent season go to!? Haha, too fast I tell you!

To be honest, I wasn't planning on writing a post for you all today but since Easter is just a couple days away and God wants everyone to feel His resurrection power, I believe this is a message God has put on my heart to share. It is also a message that I have been hearing a lot over the course of this past week and even though it is simple and somewhat a given, it is still powerful and sometimes taken for granted.

But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.

1 Peter 3:14-16

What would your response be if someone asked you: "What is Christianity?" or "What does being a Christian mean?"

Would you quickly respond back that "It is a religion in which we believe in the One and Only God who created the world and everything in it." or would you take the time and advantage of the opportunity to share with them what Christianity REALLY IS? God didn't send His only Son to walk this life alongside of us, just to create another religion, but to create a RELATIONSHIP. 

For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love[,] He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will— to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves.

Ephesians 1:4-6

His Word is not dead, boring, or useless on any other day but Sunday, however it is:

. . . alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

My mom directed me to a sermon from Rev. Canon J. John called Reasons to Believe in Jesus. This message was aired on the Focus on the Family Daily Broadcast show and if you want to check it out (which I encourage you to do), you can find here part 1 and part 2 (both roughly around 30 mins). 

In J. John's message, he brought to attention that all so familiar verse, John 3:16, and emphasized on the little phrase: ". . . that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." Adding to that verse John 17:3:

Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.

We can clearly see that believing in God and becoming a Christian is so much more than going through the motions, going to Church, and praying because it is what we do. It is realizing who God is, what He has done in our lives, how He has transformed us, and so much more! The experience or journey of becoming and being a Christian for each individual is such a unique story that you won't find any two alike! There is no "master formula" that a person can use to make the journey easier or the hardships more tolerable. If there were then, we would never get the opportunity to grow, to see God work in our situation, or to experience His divine presence walking this life with us.

As most of us probably already know, Christmas and Easter are the two major holidays when people get invited to Church and are more likely to say yes than any other time. This is because there is a tradition behind going. Even people that don't really believe or fully walk the walk any other day will go just because it is that "religious" activity they can check off for that year. 

But as Christians we don't want people to come to Church just so they can check off that box, do we? I hope not!

Maybe someone or ones have been heavy on your heart to invite to church this Easter Sunday. If that is the case than that is great! I am not writing to tell you that inviting people to church on Easter is bad, but I want to share that it is the way you share that can make all the difference.

Last week I listened to a message from Pastor Dale Satrum on Going Beyond our Hindrances and in his message he talked about the hinderance of religion. I would recommend that you also listen to this sermon, as he had so many good points that I cannot list them all! 

One of the points he did make was that "when we simply talk about 'church' the world hears religion." How we need to move away from just talking about church or serving somewhere but to engage in spiritual conversations that share how Jesus has worked in my life, in some particular area. That is what people need to hear, for we all long (even if it's deep down) for someone to come lift us up, dust us off, and make the load lighter. We are also all broken or hurting in some area, and nobody would want to live injured if they could be healed, would they? Of course not! Living in Jesus' presence and glory is being FORGIVEN of all wrongs, REDEEMED to our inheritance of everlasting treasure, and to be HEALED mentally and sometimes physically of our earthly hindrances.

I know that it can be scary or sometimes hard to invite/share with others and trust me in the beginning you will have doubts if sharing is really worth it or if they will ever come or listen because the devil doesn't want you to share with them. But also hear me when I say that God will give you the words to say, He will direct the conversation if you just give Him control of it. Let Him work/speak through you and after the conversation, you will feel so much better for taking that step of faith rather than staying in your comfort zone. As Pastor Steve Blair (Church of the Highlands) said in one of his messages, ABANDON SAFE AND LIVE BY FAITH.  

So I encourage you, not only for this Sunday (for everyday for Christians is Easter or Christmas) but for anytime you share, to share with the mindset of IT'S MORE THAN A RELIGION. 

A free image found on Canva, that I edited :)

Have a wonderful and blessed Easter!!

You Mean . . . I Have to Give it Up?

"Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to your life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?

Luke 12:22-26 (NIV)

Let me start today's post with a little story. . . 

Once upon a time, there was a girl at the age of aspiring adulthood. She was on fire for God and knew that she wanted to live the rest of her life with Him as her FIRST. She had listened to talks about how God wants 100% of His children. EVERY ASPECT. That in this life we have to die to self and GIVE GOD THE CONTROL OF OUR LIVES. Well, the girl made the decision to follow this principle and to evaluate areas that needed to be given over to God. Areas including, movies, music, thoughts, friends, activities, money investments, and words that would come from her mouth. 

*Pause*

You see, it is so easy to say that you are making a decision to give God COMPLETE CONTROL over every aspect of your life, but it is completely different, and actually hard, to live that principle out. We can get in the habit of thinking, Oh, I've given God MOST of my life. He's got control over this and this area of my life, but I really don't want to give Him an ALL-ACCESS pass. I want to remain in some control of my life. After all, it is my life, right?

The thing is, this life is not our own. We were created to live in the presence of God, to draw close to Him, to serve Him, and to submit ourselves to Him and those He put over us.

This is the mindset that is so hard to get our minds to think of when living out this Christian walk and it can be an everyday journey because it is so different compared to how the world thinks. 

 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV)

*Resume*

She thought that she had everything under control and that she opened all the doors and windows in her life so God could transform her. What she didn't realize until just recently is that there was a particular area in her life that she was half keeping behind a closed door. She kept God in the loop and prayed for Him to be in the middle of the situation, but she was also not being truthful with her parents. Which in the long run, even if she prayed for God's wisdom and guidance, she could never fully receive it, for she was not respecting one of God's commandments:

“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—

Ephesians 6:2 (NIV)

While seeking God's wisdom, she felt a strong conviction that in order to honor God and to get back on track of offering an all-access pass to Him, she first needed to get right with her parents and honor them. Yes, she was scared. She didn't want to let that area of her life go, especially to the unknown. However, after seeking strength from God and encouragement from a Godly friend, who reminded her that no matter what decision was made in that moment, God's will for her life would (no matter what that may be) succeed. 

Finally, she had the courage to GIVE GOD THE CONTROL and let HIM DECIDE THE OUTCOME. After making that decision and confiding in her parents, she realized that God had everything under control the entire time and felt kinda ridiculous for making such a big deal about holding onto it.

Giving God control not only helped her to get on the right track with her parents but also on the right track with God.

*The END*

I am the girl in the story and I wanted to share it with you because you are not alone in your struggles of giving God control. Especially now that I have entered adulthood, I can see that the battle between the world's ways and God's ways can be a lot harder. The constant thoughts of "I'm almost there," "Well, I am an adult now," and others are all too prevalent. Wanting more freedom can also be a constant hindrance because even though I now have the label of an "adult," I have to remember that God has still placed authority over me, not only His but my mom's as well.

Not knowing how a parent will react to something can make a child really nervous about telling them, but let me tell you . . . not telling them will only make you feel as if something is eating you from the inside out and the situation has the potential to be ten times worse if they find out later on (especially when it is not from you). God gave us parents for a reason, to help guide and mold us into the incredible people God created us to be. They are also there to confide in and to seek wisdom from. They can't help if they don't know. 

I also realize that not all have parents that are on fire for God and want to train you in His ways. If this is the case for you, I encourage you to seek out a Godly mentor, who you can trust and reach out to when you need a "parent" to talk to. Friends are great to tell things to, but I have learned that nothing beats (in earthly terms) letting a parent in on what's going on and asking them for wisdom.

    "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

1 John 4:18 (NIV)

I was definitely worried about opening up to my mom about the area that I had been keeping behind a closed door and I was nervous about handing the situation over to God and the unknown of how it would turn out. But God reminded me that: 

"For My thought are not your thoughts

 neither are your ways My ways,"
declares the Lord.

"As the heavens are higher than the earth, 

so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

And this verse also reminded me that:

When anxiety was great within me,

your consolation brought me joy.

Psalm 94:19 (NIV)

When I made the decision again to put my worries and cares into God's hands, He gave me peace and comfort that whatever decision was made in the end, His plan for my life would eventually succeed and who was I to worry about it?

Not only will His plan for my life, and for yours, succeed in the end, it will be better than ANYTHING you or I could have EVER IMAGINED! He has great things in store for us:

"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."

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

and because of this great promise, He also tells us:

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

Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

So now I encourage you to put your hopes, dreams, desires, relationships, activities, etc . . . and your secrets into God's hands. Also, share your life with your parents (or mentor) and try to go to them before you let a situation unfold to far. 

Let God have complete control over your life and every aspect of it. I will tell you it's not easy, as it's a complete learning curve for me every day, but it's COMPLETELY WORTH IT!

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 (NIV)

The Honor of an Ambassador

Lately, God has really been working in me and teaching me that no matter where I am or what I am doing, people see and they respond by how I act. 

Let me share an example. 

Everybody has bad days or days they just don't feel like talking to anyone, right? Well, I can say that I have and on those days, I can also feel obligated not to make that big of an effort to make the people around me happy. Pretty selfish wouldn't you say?

On those days when I felt sick, unhappy or discontent about something, I would use that as an excuse not to be, let's say, "very obliging" towards others. 

"But what does this behavior say about my Christian faith?" I would later ask myself.

Again, I would hear the voice from the "one who lies" saying, "Oh, come on. You don't have to put others first all the time! When you're feeling down, everyone should caterer you."

Words from the one that comes to steal, kill, and destroy

That is also the way that many self-centered people here on earth would handle the situation but in Romans 12:2, Paul says that when we are born again in Christ, we are not to conform to the ways of this world, ". . . but be transformed by the renewal of [our] mind[s]." 

Of course, this very simple principle can be so hard to achieve . . . why? Because we're human, and it's our nature to want to be put first. That is why we have to deny ourselves and take up our cross EVERY DAY (Luke 9:23).

Reading in the Bible about Jesus and how, though perfect and capable of anything, always choose to put others first, is remarkable and humbling. No matter where He was, He always represented Himself as an ambassador of His Father.

Ambassador: a person who acts as a representative or promoter of a specified activity

Also, a person who makes sure that relations are good between two "parties". 

I, therefore am also an ambassador of God. Used to do His will and to represent His character to others. How can I do this though, when my thoughts are all about me? I can't. I need to retrain my focus to put others first, always, and my needs/desires will be meet through God's promises. 

I am not saying, that Christians should try and represent themselves as perfect and that they should never display weaknesses, but being real and down to earth is different then having the attitude of "woe me."

To be real with you, I am definitely still working on this. I catch myself sometimes wanting to have that "woe me" mindset, but I'm finding that when I replace that mindset with thoughts about putting others first and focusing on their needs, my train-of-thought shifts and I feel more uplifted than I did when I tried to get people to feel sorry for me.

The "world" does not yet truly know our Heavenly Father, and how will they if we act the same as everyone else? This next week, even if you are having a bad day, try to do something nice for someone else around you (it could even be for one of your parents). I am going to do the same and we can all grow in this area together!

I would absolutely love to hear from you about how you deal with putting others first when you don't feel like it, or ways that you are putting others first! Please leave me a comment below!


Thank you so much for reading today's post and have a great rest of your weekend!

   

Five Practical Ways to Stay Connected with God

"The one concern of the devil, is to keep saints from praying. He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, prayerless religion; he laughs at our toil, he mocks our wisdom, but he trembles when we pray."

Those words above are from a Methodist Minister named Samuel Chadwick and is probably one of his most famous quotes. Chadwick is completely right when he said (in other terms) that the devil doesn't care about what happens "over there," as long as it doesn't interfere with his plans. 

Have you ever heard that other quote that says (in my own words) "Be that kind of person, for when you wake up the devil goes, Oh no! They're up!" I believe that what this quote is also saying, is that when Spirit-filled people wake up to a brand new day, to do God's work, the devil is probably thinking, "Oh man... I'll have to work extra hard today because that God-powered person is going to mess up all my plans!"

Then in my head, "Haha (in an extra mischievous way)... my goal today is to undo all of satan's deadly plans!"

This scene is a never ending battle between the good and evil in our world. I am just so thankful that in the end, I know what side wins! Can I get an AMEN! 

We are not in this world fighting against an enemy who is flesh and blood but against unseen evil spirits (Ephesians 6:12). Because of that, we also can't use physical weapons to arm ourselves; we need spiritual armor from God (Ephesians 6:10-11). 

One of the most profound and beneficial ways to be on guard against those evil spirits is to constantly be in tuned to God. Always having that open line of communication and always looking to the Holy Spirit to lead and direct you. 

  

However, you might ask/say, "How do I always keep a line of communication open with God? It's not like I can sit and pray for 24/7." "How can I make God my FIRST?" "I am really busy in the mornings and can't seem to fit time with God in, although I know it is really important." If any one of these questions relates to you, don't worry, because you are not alone! I struggle with these situations every day and every day it is a growing experience. 

1. It first starts with a DESIRE. You gotta want to spend time with God and want to be filled with His Spirit.
2. Then starts the DISCIPLINE. After you have the desire to get something done, be patience and be willing to put some work into it.
3. Lastly, the steps to walk with God every day will become a DELIGHT! You will be waking up every morning with enthusiasm to greet God first and to include Him on every little moment in your life.    

 Don't give up on something that takes time and effort, because, in the end, you are going to be so glad that you kept with it! 

      1.  Greet God with a "Good morning" when you wake up!

I started doing this consistently about 6 months ago and when I started I have to say that it felt kinda weird. There I was, sitting (or laying) in my bed, looking up to Heaven (in reality my ceiling), and saying "good morning" to an unseen figure. But now, I love it! I enjoy waking up every day and telling God "good morning!" and now I feel "weird" if I don't! 😄

      2.  Get in God's Word EVERY DAY! 

Even if you don't have an hour or even ten minutes (as the result of waking up late...I know I'm guilty🙋), make it a priority to get God's Word inside of you. It can often be difficult to include this time without letting it become rushed, to the point where you don't remember/understand what you've just learned. 
In these situations (when time is limited), you need to find what works best for you. For me on my early school mornings, that come with a 40-minute drive, I turn on a sermon. My favorite to listen to, of course, come from Church of the Highlands😊. I have also recently listened to sermons from Elevation Church and Paster Jon Gray (you can find his sermons on YouTube). 
Convert whatever time you have or whatever situation you are in, as a time to soak in God's truth. Although, remember that God wants your everything. Work towards getting up earlier to have that special, dedicated time with Him before you have to rush out of the house.   

      3.  Retrain yourself not to "clean up" 

God wants you as are. He wants your imperfect self so He can make you as "white as snow."
Because of Jesus' ultimate sacrifice on the cross, we no longer have to worry about not being "good enough" to enjoy God's presence. He welcomes us all into His family (tax collectors, fisherman, Pharisees, hookers, retailers, businessmen, students, government workers, etc....).   
Instead of waiting for that perfect moment when everything in your life is "put neatly in its place," invite God in and He will help you through the process. In fact, the process will go a lot smoother if you do!
So, when things aren't going your way, having a bad day, or maybe you were mean to that kid at school (or a co-worker), go to God, tell Him what happened, and ask Him to help you make things right.

      4.  Invite Him along!

Ok so this one might be a little strange for some of you, but hear me out! God loves to hear from you! For us living at home (or who might have families), how would you feel if your family member just said "good morning" to you and then nothing the rest of the day until evening? It would probably leave you with the feeling of being ignored. Well, how do you think God feels when you leave Him at home (or even at Church)? In addition to my "spontaneous" post yesterday, God wants you to invite Him along!
No matter where you are (in the car, in line, on hold, at work, at school, etc) God can be right there with you. If you're struggling He can give you peace and if you are celebrating, He would love to celebrate with you!
Talk to Him as if He is standing right beside you! If you want, you can even write letters to Him to express your feelings. Another avenue could be in your creativity!
Whatever and whenever it is, know that you have a tag along (and "participater") if you let Him!

      5.  End your day with thanksgiving and a re-focus

Last one! Now that you have made it through your day with God at the center, you can't stop at bed time!
Use some time before you go to bed to re-gather your thoughts from the day. Start off with praising God for the things He is and has done/ is doing in your life!
Then, if anything needs to be reconciled, make it a priority to seek God's help and forgiveness. Ask God to help you do better tomorrow, which is a BRAND NEW DAY! Ask Him to go ahead of you and prepare the path that you will take.
Right before you go to sleep, tell God how GREAT He is and seal it with a "goodnight!"😊

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Well, there you go! My five practical ways to stay connected with God throughout the day and every day! Do you have any tips/ways that help you keep God at the center? If you do, I would love to hear them! Please comment below or send me a message!

Our Omnipotent God

I wasn't planning on blogging today, but I feel that God is directing me to share this really powerful message with you all. This is a message that He has been really growing me in and showing me that it is indeed true! I also feel that it is really important and is a really big "influencer" in our Christian walk of faith.

If you believe, work hard and desire God first, ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE.

I said ANYTHING!

God might be calling you to do something extraordinary! Maybe it's something that has been on your heart for a long time. But if you don't take that first step in faith it might never happen.

I was just reminded yesterday, in a message from Pastor Chris (Church of the Highlands), that God WILL call you to do things that require more than you have. This is because God doesn't want you to go off on your own, depend on your own strength, and leave Him behind! He wants to be your guide. Your provider. Your counselor.

Funny enough, I was just listening to a message this morning from Pastor Steven Furtick (over at Elevation Church), about how our relationship with God is "By Invitation Only." In his message, he said (paraphrasing here) that God wants to show up, direct our path, and help out, but He will only step in if an INVITATION is EXTENDED to Him. Meaning that if someone never wanted anything to do with God (😢), He won't just pop into their life (usually, but He can do whatever He wants like He did with Saul!😁) and say "I give you my Word but you don't listen. Straighten up!" 

God gave us all free will and that free will includes being able to decide whether or not you are going to invite God along on your journey called life!

So please, wherever you are, have the DESIRE to INVITE God into your situation. Into your troubles. And also into your times of peace. 

GOD WILL SHOW UP! Maybe not in the way you thought or maybe you don't understand it in that moment, but He WILL BE THERE!

TRUST IN HIM FOR ALL THINGS

INVITE HIM ON ALL JOURNEYS
and

KNOW THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH OUR OMNIPOTENT GOD!!!  

I hope that this encouraged someone tonight and I want you to know that these are NOT my words. In fact, as I was proof-reading this post, I was thinking to myself... WOW, I really needed to hear this! These are God's Words! 

Have a blessed night (or day)!

F A S T I N G

Day 12 of the 21 Days of Prayer is here (almost over actually) and one day over the halfway marker! I hope that you have joined with me on this journey (if not, it's not too late! check out my other blog post) and that you have enjoyed soaking in all of God's goodness like I have.

To be real with you, I'll just say that the first week of this 21 days of Prayer was not as focused as I would have liked it to be. It just seemed like the days were speeding by, and while I told myself I would fit the one hour of prayer in, it didn't quite work out like that.
Thankfully this week has been much better focused and it is amazing how much better I feel after spending time worshiping God and digging into His Word for that hour and how the day runs so much smoother (that is if I do it in the morning :) ).

In this post, I am going to share with you some tidbits of fasting and various resources out there that you can check out for more information. Now don't be scared away from reading the rest of this post! Fasting is not as terrible or scary as it sounds... trust me :)

Why Fast

Fasting goes hand in hand with prayer, as you rarely hear about one without the other. The concept of a fast is to focus on things NOT of this world but on things above; things everlasting (Colossians 3:2). To take away distractions and to show God that you are all dependent on Him. It can also be a way to demonstrate to God and yourself that you are really serious about having a relationship with Him. 

"Even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning. Rend [tear] your heart and not your garments. Return to the LORD your God, for He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity."

~ Joel 2:12-13 (NIV)

Fasting has even been a tool in decision making, seeking God's will and fully relying on Him for help during a difficult process. An example is in the book of Esther. Esther was so nervous to go to the king without permission, and she knew that if she didn't include God and rely on Him for strength and courage, she would not be able to go through with her duty.

Fasting is living out your faith; that you are not going to rely on your strength alone but on God's.  

God is our ultimate provider, healer, comforter, and father. Only He can fully satisfy us and make us new. This earth is not our forever home, as there is a place for each one of us in God's family waiting for us in Heaven. We fast now so that when we get to Heaven we can feast! 

"Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?"

~ Isaiah 58:6 (ESV)

Types of Fasting

Complete fast: this is when you abstain from food and are on an only liquid diet of water with the option of light juices.

Selective fast: this is when you removed certain foods from your diet. An example could be sweets or meats.
Also in this category is a fast called a Daniel fast. I have been doing some research on this kind of fasting and I found an excellent article that I believe would be beneficial to you if you want to check it out. This article explains how the Daniel fast is not a true Biblical fast, as Daniel (the person in the Bible) used this eating plan as more of an actual diet. I do agree with the author that the "Daniel fast" can set the focus more on what you are eating and not eating, instead of on God. I still believe that the "Daniel fast" is a great alternative for someone who would not be able to go without food due to health concerns or for someone who has never fasted.
*Please follow this subject up with your own research, as God's calling and guidelines for fasting for a particular person could be different from another.

Partial fast: sometimes called the "Jewish fast" and is when you abstain from eating any type of food in the morning and afternoon.

Soul fast: this is a great option if you don't have that much experience with food fasting, have health concerns, or if you feel like some physical things in your life are interfering with your relationship with God.
For example, during this 21 Days of Prayer, I have made the decision to take a break from all social media (except Pinterest because I use it for my quite time sometimes). . . I have to say that for the first couple of days it was kinda hard. I would get on my phone to look at Instagram but then realize it wasn't there. At this point in the social media fast, I don't miss it. Yes, it would be nice to see my friends posts but it is not a necessity and building my relationship with God first and foremost is way more important to me than "getting social."

Things to Remember

"When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full."

~ Matthew 6:16-18

These verses point out two very important principals.
First of all, the reason we fast is not to boast or position ourselves over someone else who might not fast. It is not a practice to impress other people, it is a practice to strengthen our relationship with God.
Secondly, I want to point out that doing a fast is not supposed to be or will not be completely easy. It is meant to provide growth and renewal of your faith. In light of this, sometimes it can be hard to put on a joyful attitude when you haven't eaten anything in days and your stomach begins to ache when you see someone carrying a delicious plate of food. Instead of dwelling on what you don't have at the moment, be happy for that person and ask God for the strength to pull through.
I have not yet done a complete fast but I have done a ten day partial fast. I would definitely recommend this type of fast for a first time fast unless God calls you to go a different route.

Resources

Here are some other websites that have excellent information about fasting and other helpful tips. Some of these websites are where I also got my information for this post. 

~ Church of the Highlands        ~ desiringGod        ~ All About God        ~ Cru         

               ~ Food in God's Place,  also on this page           

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During this last half of the 21 Days of Prayer, I invite you to ask God if fasting is a step of spiritual cleansing that you need to take. Whether that is from food, TV, social media, certain activities, or whatever God puts on your heart to do. 

You can always comment below with questions you might have and I will try my best to answer them or to point you in the right direction :)

Thank you so much for reading this post and following along! I hope that this post encouraged you and if it did please share it!