For Young Woman
Very, very, very short post:
GIVE. GOD. THANKS.
Even if life kinda sucks right now or things just aren’t going as you would want them too, just stop for a minute and thank God for what He has done for you and has given you.
Not only does He deserve your thanks, He requires it.
So take 1 minute – 60 seconds (or more) and give Him your thanks!
“Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:18
The past year has been a tough one.
I went through a rough patch and had to dropout of school for a year and work on myself. I felt like a failure and I was so embarrassed. Why would God do this to me? Why couldn't I just go to school like a normal 20 year old and get decent grades and have good friendships?
I was so frusterated God and with myself. I felt like a bad statistic and hated myself for not being mentally strong and healthy enough to stay in school.
But, after a year off I am back in college and just finished my first day of college. The crazy thing is I'm feeling an emotion I haven't felt in so long: hope.
Why? honestly I don't know, but I think it has something to do with a game I played the other night called "The 36 Questions that Lead to Love." The idea of the game is if you and a person answer each question honestly then you will fall in love by the end. My friend and I didn't end up falling in love, but we found out a lot of deep and beautiful things about the other person.
One of the questions asked each of us to share a positive characteristic about the other person and what my friend said about me has yet to leave my mind- he said,
"I admire your strength. You are coming back to a place where you had the worst year of your life and you're here with a smile. You show me that sometimes you just have to push through and get up every morning and do things that you don't want to too be successful. You inspire me."
Strength??
All this time I thought I was weak and a failure and my friend says he sees strength? At first I was confused but now I understand.
Though his words were kind and sweet he missed something that sometimes I miss too: I am not strong- God is.
He is my rock and my fortress. He promises me in the book of Isaiah that I can lean on him and he will help me stand.
But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. – Isaiah 40:31
Through the hard times and through the sad times, let God be your strength. He is waaay stronger than you, your problems, your sadness, your sickness and even the devil.
His love a strength surpasses others.
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I would love to hear what you have to say, listen to your stories, and answer any questions you may have.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;the Lord make his face shine on youand be gracious to you;the Lord turn his face toward youand give you peace.”’
First off- Hey Everyone!
I know I’ve taken a bit of a hiatus but I’m back and ready to give you all some more Godly advice, prayer, and leadership.
For those who don’t know, I am home for school this semester and last. Instead of taking traditional classes I’ve been taking classes online which has set me back a bit. MY plan was to graduate in 2018 like all of my friends and go on to start my career right after.
Like I said it was MY plan, not God’s.
My future is very up in the air right now and I’m not sure what’s gonna happen within the next month, let alone a year or two from now.
But you know what?
It’s okay.
I’ve come to realize I’ve been planning my entire life out when I should’ve gotten on my knees and ask God to let HIS will be done.
I’m writing about this because I know I’m definitely not the only person who struggles with this. I would say almost every Christian I know has had the struggle of choosing between what they want and what God wants.
It’s hard.
We are taught that we are supposed to reach certain goals and to go certain ways. It has been ingrained in us to do our own thing, but not stray to far off the “normal” path that the world has set for us.
But what about the path God has planned for us?
Jeremiah, a prophet, struggled with the same thing. He just wanted to be a normal guy with a normal life and family. God came to him one day and said, “Hey, Jeremiah, I need you to preach to the nations about me, oh and also tell everyone that I’m going to destroy Israel.” (Just so you know, I’m paraphrasing. God said it way better)
Jeremiah, like most of us, gave excuses of why he couldn’t do what God has asked, because it was not in his plan. He said,”God, I’m too young! No one will listen to me and I’m a terrible speaker.”
God came back and said,”I have set you apart BEFORE YOU WERE EVEN BORN for the task that I have given you. And don’t worry about your age because I will ensure that those older than you will listen to you. Oh, and don’t worry that you’re a terrible speaker for I will give you the words to say.”
A: God is savage.
B: God made sure Jeremiah knew that No matter what, God would be with Jeremiah every step of the way to ensure the fulfillment of God’s plan for him.
Because Jeremiah may have been more of a visual learner God said,
“Then the LORD said to me, “Look, Jeremiah! What do you see?” And I replied, “I see a branch from an almond tree.” And the LORD said, “That’s right, and it means that I am watching, and I will certainly carry out all my plans.””
â€â€Jeremiah‬ â€1:11-12‬ â€NLT‬‬
If God would do all this for a young boy would He not do the same for you or for me??
Throughout this year God has reminded me time and time again that His plans are always greater and that even when they are scary, I am not alone.
You are not alone.
So I challenge you to ask God what plans He has for you and then LISTEN to what He says, and then DO what He says.
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”
â€â€Jeremiah‬ â€29:11-13 NLT
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I would love to hear what you have to say, listen to your stories, and answer any questions you may have.
“The Lord bless you and keep you;the Lord make his face shine on youand be gracious to you;the Lord turn his face toward youand give you peace.”’
So the past two months I have had the pleasure of working with SpringHill Camps (go check it out!) a christian camp located in Indiana and Michigan, as a Daycamp Media Director. Everyday, I would look through the the eye of a lens and capture beautiful moments full of laughter, hope, and fearlessness. This past week I was moved to the overnight camp location and was a counselor over teenage girls for an entire week. It was a huge jump from ages 6 to ages 16-18 and I know that only the Lord Himself got me through it.
At nighttime, the girls and I would go around share our testimony and one thing I noticed that was similar between us all was that at one point in our lives we felt worthless because of what someone had told us or because of something we’d done.
Worthless: Having no value or use.
Worthless.
So many times I find myself feeling this way. I find myself wondering if anyone would even care if I was gone. Do i have any contribution to society whatsoever or would people just keeping moving on with their lives without me? I know, these are some pretty deep and sad thoughts, but the worst part is that I’m one of the billion of people who think like this.
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10)
This verse, though very popular, is also very powerful. Not only are we not worthless, but God already has a purpose for us before time began. He knew that He was gonna create you and then give you a task to further HIs Kingdom.
I’ve come to notice when I’m focusing on my plans and what I want to do my world starts to crumble, my foundation is cracking, and the waters are about to drown me. But through Him I am secure in the hope that I have and I know that my blessings will multiply.
We are worth more than gold.
We were worth more than Jesus’s life.
We aren’t worthless, we are invaluable.
And isn’t that comforting?
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I’d love to hear thoughts, prayers, etc.Â
Tonight I was reading through Romans 12 and it resonated with my soul and was applicable to many things in my life, and others as well. As young adults, and as humans in general, there is alw…
Source: Overcome Evil with Good
Tonight I was reading through Romans 12 and it resonated with my soul and was applicable to many things in my life, and others as well.
As young adults, and as humans in general, there is always drama somewhere. Sometimes it’s small and is over with as soon as it begins, but sometimes it’s life altering and relationships can be lost. Recently, I’ve lost quite a few relationships and instead of being mature and acting like the Lord instructs us I combated hate with hate, gossip with gossip, and subtweet with subtweet. I knew in my heart it was wrong but I thought it would make me feel better and make me the “winner” but all it did was make me feel worse with every rude comment and hateful retaliation.
I’m no theologian and I haven’t studied Romans 12 very much, but I think the reason I felt so crummy was because I was trying to get revenge that wasn’t mine.
“Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.”
God says if someone has wronged you don’t worry about plotting your revenge or your next subtweet or cryptic post because it’s His revenge anyway. But instead of hating them, love them.
On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
When God said not to overcome evil with evil I don’t think He was just trying to give us one more thing to follow but I think He knew that it would only leave us unhappy, unjoyful, and unsatisfied. He knew spewing words of hate would lead to regret rather than fulfillment.
If I had to sum up the entire passage in one phrase it would be this: God’s got you.
I thank the Lord that He’s on my side, and I hope you will know and put your faith in the fact that He’s on yours too!
Comments? Questions? Likes?
Let me know!
As some of you saw in my last post a student from my old college passed away weeks before graduation and his wedding. (to help pay for his funeral click here)
To be honest, I didn’t know him that well but the Lord placed it on my heart to help out his family and help with the funeral and burial cost. I really sympathized with the family and how crazy and devastating it must feel for someone to just…die. No goodbye, no last kiss, he was just gone.
During worship tonight people are worshipping and singing God’s praises and I made it look like I was joining in and having the same experience as them, but on the inside I was hurting and confused. I didn’t want to sing God’s praises, I wanted to yell at Him and ask Him why!? Why would a God of love and mercy inflict such pain and torment on a mother, or a fiancĂ©!? He was so young and talented and God decided that now was HIs time!? His life hadn’t even begun and now he would never get to live it.
I cracked.
I ended up balling my eyes out in the middle of the service, but instead of feeling embarrassed I just got angrier. I ended up leaving early and on the walk back to my dorm I just started questioning everything, from my faith to my purpose and then for some reason (probably a God thing) the name Job popped into my head.
I kept thinking about how he literally lost everything and he screamed and questioned God and how God gave the best/worst answer:
“Who is this that obscures my plans
with words without knowledge?
3 Brace yourself like a man;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.4 “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation?
Tell me, if you understand.
5 Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?
6 On what were its footings set,
or who laid its cornerstone—
7 while the morning stars sang together
and all the angels shouted for joy?
God kept going on verse after verse about how He is I AM and how vast His knowledge and wisdom is, that we couldn’t grasp even a fraction of what knows. He was there at the beginning and is present at the future, do we really think He doesn’t know what He’s doing!?
It was a wake up call.
Even though we won’t know why bad things happen, we are assured multiple time throughout the Bible that during those bad times God is ALWAYS there to comfort us. We have Him and His army of angels on our side, what can stand against us?
I know that sometimes life is just rough, but thank the Lord that we never have to face those rough times alone.
Hello Everyone,
Last week, A friend of mine passed away right before his upcoming graduation and wedding. He was a strong Christian and loved the Lord. Unfortunatley his family is unable to afford the cost to bring his body home, a funeral, and unfinished wedding expenses. The Lord says, ” whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
This family is truly the least of these and need your prayer and support.
To donate, click here . ANYTHING HELPS!!
Some days it’s just so hard to wake up, get out of bed and face the day. Your worries, your anxiety, they weigh you down and your soul just feels 100 pounds heavier. I understand this feeling and empathize with it. I was at worship the other night and the theme was hymns. The last song they sang was “Because He Lives.” I have heard this song over and over at church and on the radio. I knew the words and melody by heart, but I never actually listened to them. For some reason I decided to focus on what the lyrics were saying and by the end of the song I was trying to hold back tears. The chorus goes:
“…Because He Lives
I can face tomorrow,
Because He Lives,
All fear is gone,
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just
Because He Lives!…”
Amen! Because He lives I can face tomorrow. I can get up and know I can face my trials, my hardships, my anxiety, my depression, my demons, my mountains, my pain, my troubles because HE LIVES! He is on my side slaying all that Satan brings my way. The God that created the world and the entire universe is fighting for me! Whom shall I fear? No one.
“Because I know He holds the future.” In college, all you think about is the future. You worry and get anxious over upcoming exams, internships, and careers; not to mention friendships and relationships. Sometimes it’s so overwhelming. But how awesome is it to know that God has your future taken care of. He has a plan for you that you can’t even fathom right now. And the best part is not only does He have your worldly future taken care of, but you heavenly one too. Amen! He Lives, therefore so can we.
Life is worth the living just “Because He Lives!”
I know sometimes joy is easier said than done. I hope and pray that you can find peace in knowing that the Lord of all creation loves you and chose you to be His daughter. I pray that you know that He has never left your side and that He never will. I urge that you stay in His Word and stay in relationship with Him.
There will be some hard days ahead, but the best part is that God has got you. He has got you. No matter what comes your way, it will tremble in the name of the Lord Jesus.
If you have never heard this hymn or just want to listen and worship here’s the link
Any prayers, praises or comments? Post below!
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Staying in the Word daily is hard sometimes. There is so much going on. You have to go to class, you have to do your homework, you have to eat sometime, and you should probably have some sort of social life. You wake up early in the morning and go to bed late at night. When is there time to sit and read God’s Word?
I’m writing this because I realized that I’m not the only person who struggles with this. I feel like I’m always on the go and I put God on the back burner sometimes. How do we fix this ? I think we have to ask ourselves some questions first:
1. Who is God to you ?
Is God the guy you call when you’re in trouble? Is He your genie? Does He call all shots in your life or just some ? Whatever your answer, it will influence how you worship, pray, and love Him.
2. Why stay in the Word ?
I think this question is a personal one that may be different for every person. For me personally, I want to be in relationship with God, and how can you be in relationship with someone if you never know what they have to say?
3. Does what God’s Word says influence your life?
Again, that’s personal.
4. When do you have time?
So, I know for me personally I usually spend a total of 30minutes-1 hour on social media per day. For a college student this is nothing out of the ordinary. What if instead of spending 30 minutes on Facebook or Instagram you spent 15 minutes in the Word?
5. No Bible, No Problem
A lot of times we make the excuse that we don’t have our Bible with us so we can’t read it. Well, I’m about to break your excuse. There is this wonderful Bible app that is for all phones called “Holy Bible.” Not only does it have the Bible in many translations, but it also has devotions for many walks of life. So next time you forget your bible, download this app so you can carry it everywhere.
Any more ideas, comments, or questions?
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