Jesus dying for us

Today I was consumed by the the presence of God.  I was asked to sing in church by two good friends of mine and we started singing "How Great Thou Art" and the message in this hymn hit me.  I was overwhelmed by the image of Jesus, our Savior, up on the cross with all of my baggage and turmoil on His shoulders.  I got extremely emotional. 

However, hours later I was talking to another friend of mine on how much Christ loves us that He would die for us.  And she had given the analogy of a friend dying for someone else if a gun was pointed at them.  I liked the analogy but then I went a bit further in saying that not only did He jump in front of the bullet for us..... but He jumped in front of the bullet 6+ billion times!  AND THEN, He jumped in front of the bullet 6+ billion times multiplied by the amount of sin each of us carry around.  Huh..... Could you do that for a friend?  Someone you loved?  Could you jump in front of a bullet for them EVERY TIME they sinned against you with no questions asked?  Could you? 

Jesus WILLINGLY died each and every time we do something against Him.  That's why He died.  To rescue us from those sins.  The burden you feel from a sin you have committed in any way, imagine your sin, upon all your other sins, upon 6+ billion people's sins multiplied by their sins.... the burden that you feel is NOTHING compared to how He must have felt holding all of those upon Himself.  AND THEN, He prayed for us and asked God to forgive us for KILLING JESUS!  I don't want to kill my Savior anymore!  I know that I will sin, logically, but I really don't want to!  I drove the nail through His feet, the nails through His wrists, the thorns on His head, the lashings He received, the blood dripping down His body to form a pool under Him, I made Him carry that cross to Calvary, I made Him cry out FOR ME!! I made Him do ALL of that!  I DID THAT!  Those mocking Him as they watched Him dying.... that was me.  I was there.  I killed Him.  I sit here with tears forming in my eyes...... I should be the one to die.  I should be the one to be crucified for what I have done to Him.  The wager for Sin IS DEATH!  It is!  It was and will always be death.  I do NOT deserve the grace, love, compassion, mercy that God shows me.  HE GIVES IT TO ME!  Do you show grace, love, compassion, mercy to those around you?  Do you show them who Jesus really is?  Or do you get frustrated with the slow driver?  Or the cashier who is taking her sweet time?  Or the people who curse you, hate you, scorn you because you walked in the wrong direction at the wrong time?  What do you do with those people?  What they do to you and me will NEVER compare to what we did and do to Jesus when we choose the world over Him. 

Could you jump in front of a bullet for Jesus? 

surrendering to God

I constantly learn more and more about God's love and mercy every day.  Today was definitely one of those days and it was a long one but so fulfilling.  I often wonder by living my every day life, am I really surrendering everything I have to Him?  It is hard to figure out where that "line" is with what we are comfortable giving up to God.  However, in reality, are we supposed to feel "comfortable" at all?  Isn't being comfortable where we got ourselves today?  Being comfortable actually can be harmful to us.  You think Jesus was comfortable when He laid His life down for us?  You think the His disciples were comfortable when nearly all of them were tortured and eventually killed for spreading the Gospel?  I believe feeling comfortable would have kept them from doing any of that.  Being comfortable would have prevented us from knowing who God was because I'm pretty sure that if they were comfortable, they wouldn't have written the Word of God without being scorned... right (if that were the least of it) or killed for it. 

So, the real question is how do you surrender? The easy answer is seek the Lord.  Immerse yourself in His Word.  Submit yourself to good, godly teaching, and counsel.  Ask for prayer.  Ask for help.  Open your heart to the work of the Holy Spirit.  Look back at these words again.  Does any one of these sentences say, "But, if you feel uncomfortable with any of this.  It's okay, I'm sure we can work something out."  I didn't think so.  Now, it is not wrong to feel "comfortable" in your life.  I mean, we need jobs to purchase necessities and pay bills and afford to raise our children, right?  I mean, God does not say that you can't live with these, ever.  But, when we start relying on THOSE instead of Him, that's when we need to come to the realization that there is something wrong. 

I recently have discovered that I have a heart for the orphans and I was not sure where to go, who to talk to, which organizations to look at, if I am supposed to be in country or out?  I mean, there is a lot to think about.  I realized tonight that I can do as much research about different organizations as I can.... but other than longing more and more to go out and serve the orphans, where is that really getting me?  Once again, I am not saying that it is wrong to do that.  It is wrong to consume your life with those instead of God.  The last couple of days, I have been so excited to go out that I wasn't listening to God.  God says right now that I have to wait.  I am okay with this.  I know that I am supposed to serve orphans, now it's just on His timing.  So, as I wait for my assignment, I sit patiently, waiting, seeking, praying, reading, serving God in anything I can do right now, even if I am uncomfortable with waiting.  But, leaning on God to do the dirty work is so much better than trying to get that done on my own, when I know that my plans are not even close to as amazing as what He has planned for me.  So, I am surrendering to God.

dating

(DISCLAIMER: This is a long blog! but totally worth the information)

For those of you who are single, I have some more good information for you!  I was listening to Mark Driscoll last night and part of his "Religion Saves" series.  I decided to focus on dating since so many of my friends are going through this process right now.  It was a good sermon.  I recommend it.  Anyway, Mark not only focuses on the whole dating process but shares with both men and women how to prepare yourself for a marriage with your future spouse.  So, I am going to share my notes with you on what I have learned yesterday and I hope that it helps you all out there who have questions about the kind of person that you should be looking for and how to prepare yourself for them.  Here goes:

Let's start out with single men, since I obviously know more about single women... so I can go more into detail with them.

If you're a single man there are numerous questions that you could be asking yourself about either your relationship with Christ or what you are looking for in your future spouse.

There are many single men out there that are trying to figure out why they cannot find a good Christian girl.  Well, first of all have you looked around you lately?  There could be a great single gal that you are overlooking because either you don't see her that way or you just never thought about it.  It's really okay to just see where things go.  If they're not interested, just move on.  Really, not every girl that you ask out or pursue is going to be with you.  You are only supposed to be with one woman anyway, right?  So, really it's okay! 

Now, outside of the available women around you, ask yourself questions about you.  Much like, will you honor her and God as if Jesus were physically present?  Many men (Christian and non Christian) take advantage of alone time.  So here is a foreshadowing.... don't be alone with those women in a secluded space.  You will honor them by showing respect and honor yourself by showing self-control.  It works.  Trust me, girls actually want a respectable guy. 

And because of this, you also want to ask if she's modest.  If she is not modest and she flaunts herself to the WHOLE room, then that is not a girl for you.  Honestly, she may nice to look at but she is also easy to every other guy.  You don't want a girl that wants everyone else to look at her.  You want a girl that wants YOU to look at her.  Though most girls this day in age have a hard time giving up their independence, it does call for them to be submissive to their husbands, Biblically.  BUT, this does not mean "Woman do what I say!"  You must also respect her, cherish her and honor her.  You are a partnership, not a dictatorship. 

Can you provide for her?  If you have a job that only pays the bills and the necessities in life, you definitely don't want a woman that is high maintenance and has to live in a castle with butlers.  Seriously!  You want to be able to be with someone who you can provide for and live comfortably. 

Does she have character?  Not only does she have a good personality.  I mean you want to be attracted to her.  But, does she have the character of Christ or does she have a character like Proverbs says to not be a nagging wife.  You don't want one of those.  So look to see if she has the characteristics of Christ.

Now on to the single gals!

There are numerous girls that I have recently spoken to who have a hard time "being submissive" to their husbands.  I am learning what this means and most of today's culture does not understand this.  The scripture, the majority of the time, is taken way out of context.  She is supposed to be submissive to her husband but they are a UNIT; they are ONE.  The man is supposed to leave his family to join in UNION with his wife.  This does not say, a man is supposed to RULE over her and tell her what to do.  It also does not say, that a woman is supposed to be a DOOR MAT.  Never!  This is NOT what scriptures tells us.  We were made to be helpers of our husbands and together we are BOTH supposed to serve each other.

Now that I have this cleared out of the way... there are some questions you can ask yourself and of your potential husbands as well.

Do you want to help him?  How about in his ministry?  As a husband/wife team, you can be very powerful in the spreading of the Gospel.  You want to be able to do what God calls you to do and support your husband in ministry.  This does not mean that you cannot have your own part in ministry.  There are many wives of ministers or clergy, that serve in the church and help the single gals, or children's ministry, or worship ministry.... or really what you are called to do.  Just as you support him in his ministry, he should be supporting you as well.

Is he tough enough to remain during the hardships?  If you are with a guy and he flees when you have a disagreement or let's say that he gets you pregnant (which I pray DOES NOT happen), is he going to stick by your side or is he going to be a coward and hide under a rock?  You don't want your future spouse to be missing when you need to work out a problem together; you'll be on your own.  You want a strong, spiritual leader for your family.

Do you feel safe with him?  If he is commanding, pushing you around, abusive.... then he's definitely not a man and needs to be out of that relationship.  Only cowards treat their families (girlfriends) that way.  If he were a goo Christian man, then he would respect, honor, and cherish you even through difficult times.  If you feel unsafe with him EVER then you need to rethink that relationship.

Will he be a good daddy?  One way to see if this is true, is to step back and watch him with kids.  You don't always have to wait to be married to the guy to see where his values with kids lie.  You can observe him outside of a relationship.  Obviously, if he looks like he's annoyed with kids, he needs to probably grow up before starting a relationship.  If he seems to love them around and gets along great with them, then there could be major potential there.

Is he a one-woman man?  Is he dating around when you are with him?  Or if you are not with him but you see he's dating more than one girl... then he's not a keeper.  What makes you think that when he's with you that he's not going to be seeing other girls?  You don't want that kind of relationship where trust is never earned before the relationship even starts.  So to remove the heartache, just don't get involved in the first place.

How much of a treasure are you to him? Make him earn it.  Too many girls give themselves away WAY TOO fast.  As soon as they start talking to a guy, they give all the juicy details before your name is even remembered.  SLOW DOWN!! Girls are emotional beings... that's how God created us.  Now, we need to make the guys earn us.  Does he show you off to his friends?  Or does he hide you in the bushes when they come his direction?  Does he go out and find a job to help pay his bills?  Or does he sit in his mother's basement and sleep all day to wait to hang with the guys at night?  It's pretty simple to tell whether or not he's ready for a commitment.

Do you want your sons to be like him?  I want my children AND my future husband to be like my dad.  Honestly, I do.  This is what you want for your family.  You want your sons to have a great role model for them to grow up and be good, solid, God-fearing men.  Just as you want your daughters to know what a good, solid, God-fearing man looks like.  If he's not this, then your future will look pretty grim.

This is basically what I learned and I hope that this helps a lot for those of you who have questions about dating and what to do or what not to do when you have relationship potential with someone.  When that time comes around for me.  I can guarantee you, that I will be looking this blog up!

we do our part and God does the rest

Sometimes it is hard to go through life and witness to those around you and you feel like you're getting nowhere.  But, God can use something as small as a speck of sand to change someone's life.  That's why He says if we have faith as small as a mustard seed, we can move mountains.  It can be frustrating when those around us do not get what we are "teaching" or "sharing" with them.  I have been known to raise my voice in the past out of frustration because no one understood what I was trying to get across to them.  In this act, we tend to also judge those around us.  Now, remember that God is not a logical God, God is faith.  Something may not make sense to us or others around us but when we do what He calls us to, then it doesn't matter what those say around us.  "If you are here to judge, then you're not doig what God wants for you."  Some Christians tend to forget that God is the one that judges those in the end.  We just have to do the job of sharing the Gospel in prayers and hope that those get saved that we have talked to and have a personal relationship with God.  However, I cannot SAVE someone.  That is NOT my job.  My job is to love people where they are at.  My job is to be there for those that need me in His name.  My job is to do what God has called me to do.  My job is not to save.  I CANNOT DO THAT!! God can!  I just lead those people in the direction that God wants them to start heading and if they choose to then they choose to.  If not, I keep praying that someone else can plant a seed as well.  I just watched this movie Lord Save Us and the pastor said, "When we love those which is what we're supposed to do, God shows up." I totally agree with this.  We alone cannot save people, but with the help of God we can lead them in the right direction so He can save them.  So do your part, as in, do what God has called you to do and love those around you (even if it hurts) and let God do the rest!

how much do we really know?

I was sitting on my couch watching TBN and there was a movie playing called Lord Save Us (the movie).  I was realizing how sad it really is to the fact that most Christians barely know about those around them.  There had a been a short game show in this movie.  They had nonbelievers on one side and believers on another.  The nonbelievers beat the believers by a good 300 points.  How sad is this?  We know more about ourselves (and that isn't much either) compared to what we know about those around us.  Those nonbelievers know more about us than we know about them.  And what they know about us is generally negative.  So many of us want to reach those around us so bad that we shove the Word and Bible down the throats of those around them and we have no clue who THEY are.  Jesus worked His ministry to know those He ministered to.  He ate with them, hung with them, sat with them, worked with them.  He was showing who His Father was through getting to know them and caring about their needs instead of His own.  I wish I could say that I do this but this is far from the truth.  Though, I am learning and headed in this direction.  I think it's sad that nonbelievers know more about us than we do them and they STILL do not want a part of it.  We are supposed to be a reflection of who Christ is in our lives and if those around us do not want to be apart of that then there is a huge problem. 

I just sat here being convicted to write about this and notify those out there that do read this that there is a huge problem with Christianity if we are PUSHING people away instead of making them feel welcomed into the Body of Christ.  I pray that I can work on this starting now and I pray that our nation and world will feel the same conviction and pray to allow God to work in their lives as well as those around them.

lordsavusthemovie.com

The Gospel of love

Did you know the Gospel of love is something everyone actually wants?  Atheists, agnostics, Muslims, and all the other religions or denominations want to hear the good news.  Did you know that it's not hearing the about Jesus and the Bible that turn people off?  Guess what turns them off.  That's right, us.  We get in the way of Jesus getting through because we have to be right.  Not all Christians are right.  Some of us are completely wrong.  Believe it or not, it is not our job to be right.  It's Jesus' job to be right and us just love people into the Kingdom.  He need to be humble and loving like Jesus is because that says so much more than those who argue their point all the time.  We get caught up in "trying to save people" that we fail to realize that we are NOT the ones doing the saving.  We are a vessel that God uses to show people who He is.  Not us using God to show who we are.  I have been having issues lately on trying to reach those for the sake of Jesus.  But did you know that He does not NEED us?  He never has.  He CHOOSES us to glorify Him.  So in order to reach those for Jesus, we need to love them into the Kingdom.  We need to be humble and kind just like Jesus is.  So use the Gospel of love as a ministry instead of a soapbox.  I'll be challenging myself in this as well, so let's see how God can work through us with us giving our pride to Him and letting Him do the work through us.

learning more and more

Today I have learned so much about Jesus that I don't think I've cried this much in such a long time.  I cry for my sin, His forgiveness, my selfishness, my joy, His overwhelming love, my new found understanding.  I cry because He is who He is.  I have not only learned more about Jesus today then I ever thought possible, but I have learned and feel peaceful about handing my EVERYTHING to Him.  My schooling, my career, my ministry, my love, my life.  It's so amazing the things you can learn when you actually choose to let Jesus do His job.  He cares for me more than I ever thought.  There are not enough emotions and words in this world to convey how much He cares for me.  He does want the best from me and for me.  Logically, I knew this but today, I believed it and want to live it out.  I know there are going to be hard times in my life where my questions will constantly come, but I now know my faith will never be shaken.  There are people in my life, I already know, that are not going to agree with decisions I make.  However, I know I am not making those decisions.  God has already made them, I just have to learn to and take up my cross and follow Him each and every day.  I have more in my life right now than some people will ever see.  I am a selfish person.  I discovered today, I do not want to be that way.  God does not call me to be selfish.  He calls me to serve.  I just cannot wait to see what Journey He has for me.  I am so in love with God right now I want to shout and scream for the all the world to hear.  He is my Savior, my Knight in shining Armor, my Healer, my Best Friend, my Confidant, My King! 

living life with God

This is such a big topic to speak on because I know so many people who are going through this right now.  But, I realized almost 6 months ago that I needed to put God in my life first.  The way I started doing this was to read more and more about Him.  I can assuredly say, that some Christians live a life of "well, if I do what God wants me to do then I'm fine".  YES!!! And there's more.  Those Christians live out a life that is pleasing to God in certain aspects.  But, what we tend to forget is that not only do we need to be Acting our faith out we need to be reading and studying it as well.  Reading and studying the Word of God is a big step.  But, it keeps you accountable with God EVERYDAY.  You are not just trying to live a good life but you're reading on how to apply God's Word in your life.  I realized tonight that I was somewhat reading the Word of God but I was really not getting what it said.  I was not studying my Bible.  How can I live a life for God if I do not know what the Bible says?  There are many people, I just read about them, that can live their life for God without the Bible.  These people are given the Word of God in their hearts because they do not have access to a Bible.  So those who have access to a Bible, like myself, what do you do with it?  Do you let it sit on your shelf and gather dust?  Do you give it to others to read and just leave yourself out of it?  Or do you pick up your Bible everyday and see what God has for you to learn and apply to your life?  I know I have not been the most diligent Bible reader for a while.  But in order for a person to be a better believer in Christ there must be ongoing reading and bible studies.  There should always be some kind of studying God's Word incorporated into your life; single or otherwise.  This will help you through your times of trials and tribulations when you do not have that physical, Earthly person there to pray with you.  But this will also help you when you are in a relationship on how to serve God better together.  Since, I am not with anyone right now, I plan on delving myself into the Word because God is my someone.  We all need Him.  So what are you going to do with your Bible?

p90x time

Okay, so today, I decided (for real) that I am done with this whole weight issue thing.  I worked out with a friend and then I worked out by myself for an hour.  It's actually very refreshing.  Anyway, the reason why I am writing this because I discovered something that Tony Horton said on the video that totally pertains to a Christian's life, whether he knows that or not.  He was talking, at the end of the workout, about how difficult it is to workout the way that we desire to when it's at the beginning of our journey.  He said that once you workout everyday and exercise your body, then it gets so much easier as time goes on.  Then not only will you be able to challenge yourself but you can do what you've already done and then some.  I was listening to him and it was like a revelation.  I am learning about myself and my relationship with God everyday.  I am learning so much more then I ever thought possible AND THERE IS STILL MORE TO GO!!

But, anyway, I realized that at the beginning of our Journey, it is one of the toughest things in the world.  Or even a hard time that we are facing.  We must exercise our faith and relationship with God in order to make it through those tough times.  No matter how difficult it is going to be, you will be able to go past it and then you are able to conquer even more difficult things with time.  Exercising your faith and relationship with God is the best thing anyone can do to get into spiritual shape.  No one ever said that being a Christian was easy.  Even Jesus admitted that to us.  I mean, He was ridiculed and persecuted AND He died so we DID NOT have to!!!!!! That is the amazing part.  When you're going through a tough time in your life imagine if He had not put Himself in your position.  Imagine where you would be today.  You probably would have had to die on that cross.  With all the trials and tribulations we go through, it could have been SO much worse.  Instead, we have such a loving Savior that He chose to give Himself up for us.  That's like this day in age, when someone is pointing a gun at us because we committed some sort of crime.  Now, imagine someone jumping in front of you (someone YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW) saying shoot me instead because this man is innocent through me.  Excuse me?! Yeah, like that would happen now.  But if it did!! That is what Jesus did for us.  He jumped in front of that bullet and ASKED to be shot.  He didn't just jump in the line of fire, He stood there and ASKED to be shot.  That is an amazing love.  So, from here on out, I don't care how much it hurts to workout, I'm doing it because God gave me this life in order to worship Him.  What better way than living my life in EVERY aspect including getting myself in shape, to be healthier for HIM..  hmmmmm i cannot wait.

study your Bible

I've realized today that I do not know my Bible the way that I should.  I started writing interpretive notes in it today while my pastor was preaching.  The way that things were being said, made perfect sense to me so I wrote them down.  I need to actually study my Bible.  Imagine that!  I need to study God's Word.  ha who knew?!  One of my New Year's Resolutions was to read the whole Bible all the way through.  So, I believe tonight is the night to start.  I am excited because I cannot wait to see what God is going to be teaching me.  What is your Spiritual New Year's Resolution?  What do you want to do for God this year?  What do you want to change for God?  I'd like to hear your story.  Maybe it'll challenge me too!

holistic attractiveness

Attractiveness is not something that is all physical.  Physical attraction is important but what happens when your physical beauty is gone?  What then?  In order to be attractive to future spouse, be holistically attractive.  Your spirit is the one thing that most people notice about but sometimes cannot pinpoint why they notice something about you.  Those people usually want what you have.  This is holistically attractive.  You take care of yourself inside and out.

For instance, right now, I workout like my life is depending on it.  Guess what?  It is.  I know if I don't change then I could be slowly killing myself..... so I am not trying to become physically attractive to my future spouse but that is just a bonus.  But, I am also trying my hardest to become closer to God because this is what I know God wants and something I have a yearning desire for.  If you have a wonderful relationship with God and your future spouse does too... let me tell you, you will be attractive to that person no matter what you look like.  And your future spouse will be the same to you.  Who said that we are supposed to pinpoint the kind of attractiveness we want in our lives?  Only God knows that.  We may know what we want but God knows what we need.  Honestly, I think being physically attractive is just a bonus compared to what your spirit can be.  I pray that this challenges you to want to be more like Christ and you will have the best love story you could ever dream of.

God of love

God is the god of Love.  I don't care what the Greeks say.  And because of this, I'm learning what kind of man I need to be with.  For instance, who wants to be with a man who is rude and mean and vile with you?  What kind of relationship is this going to be?  A woman also needs someone to protect her.  This one is a biggie for me.  God protects and loves his children more than all other things He created.  I know that these two things out of many that various women have on their list, are exactly what they need.  Then why do so many women choose to be treated like dirt?  I am still trying to figure this one out.  They hope for a man that treats them with all the love they feel they deserve but are trapped in relationships they cannot get out of.

I can tell you right now, God is the god of love and protection.  He is everything I need.  I know He meets my every need in every way.  I could not ask for a better relationship.  I know He will not be rude or mean or vile with me and I know He will always love me. He protects me from things I cannot handle and takes them for Himself.  What man do you know that would do this no matter how much you hurt Him or deny Him or push Him away?  I know I do not mean to do these things, I know I do them.  But, I do know I am completely overwhelmed by His love for me right now!

love never fails

Love Never Fails - Brandon Heath http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQy-aP_Koo

Lately, I have been wrestling with the fact of what true love really is.  Where can you really find it?  Is it hiding from me?  Am I just not looking hard enough?  I recently had a friend who told me the description of what love is.  He used a movie to describe it to me (one of the best ways, by the way, to describe something to me).  Anyway, I had an overwhelming.... i don't know... hurt of some kind but not really.... ache maybe.  God is always with me.  God NEVER fails.  Though I think He may not be listening or there or whatever, He is waiting for His perfect timing.  It's hard going through life without a hand to hold and people constantly telling you that "maybe you're supposed to end up single".  If I believed that, I wouldn't be hurting when I do.  This past week was rough.  Luckily I had a friends to hang with to get my mind off of things, when looking back on it, I should have run to God. 

Today, in church we learned about sins and confessing to not just God but those whom you have wronged.  This is NOT an easy task in the slightest, but I know that peace will flow when things are done right.  So, I am not confessing a sin to you.  I have wronged myself, you and God in filling up my time this past week with nonsense games, talking, noise..... when I should have been still with God.  Logically, I know God never fails.  Sometimes it's hard to live your life without something grabbing your heart to strangle you.  I put on Christian music not 15 minutes ago and this song came up.  Once again, I was emotional because it's true.  Sometimes I need to be reminded of how faithful God is and how much He really loves me, even if no one else does.  So thank You, God for never giving up on me when I totally deserve it.  You deserve more than me but I know You think otherwise.  I love you for that.

picking friends

Picking good Christian friends is one of the hardest things to do.  As a Christian, surrounding yourself with those of good Christian counsel and who encourage you are key in this world.  Though they may not understand decisions you make or whatnot... a good Christian friend is with you always.  They pray you through your troubles and help pick you up when you fall.  They walk with you through all of your joy and happiness and are your constant cheerleader.  These friends have the foundation of Jesus and even though what you or they may be going through, their faith carries them through as well as praying you through.  Picking friends can define us but let God help you through that.  I am learning who my true friends are.  Though it sucks that I may have had to distance myself with a few people who were not what God calls for us to have, I know that I can be a witness to them.  It is a hard task and sometimes you may feel alone.  We are human and are made for the human connection but we are also spiritual beings and when you have the love and power of Jesus Christ, having a longing for Him is all you need.  Let Jesus help you choose your friends and pray that He directs you to them.  It will definitely benefit you physically but most of all spiritually.

being a servant

Ya know, serving is one of the major parts of relationship that most people tend to forget.  Having a servant for a husband or having a servant for a wife is one of the best possible scenarios that a marriage can become.  Jesus called us to be servants to each other because He came to serve us.  If we want to be like Jesus in our relationships and marriage then we need to serve each other.  Though I may not be in a relationship right now, I can tell you that I am.  Jesus and I are doing great! :) I long to serve Him in everything I do.  I know that I will fail and falter but my faith will never be shaken.  Serving God is one of the best things that I can do in this world.  Wait, THE best thing I can do in this world!!  When others see me I want them to see Jesus.  I am learning to serve those around me the best that I know how and with God's help I will improve.  Jesus also serves me with His best.  It is a great relationship! 

But, for those who are in a relationship or not in one but trying to figure out how to make it work when you are single, SERVE!  That is my answer.  In order to be a Christian that is not just a face value, hold your hand up in the air, HONK-IF-YOU-LOVE-JESUS Christan, you need to act like Jesus, read AND study His word, pray.  These are the basics and necessities for being a servant of God.  When you have these, you will be a GREAT servant to your spouse.  You do not want to be in a relationship where one person is selfish and the other serves all the time, do you?  That is not what Jesus called us to do.  That is just selfish.  He called us to SERVE!!! Trust me, I am learning this like no other.  It is hard to serve those who are ungrateful, but you know what.... Jesus did it all the time without complaining, and did it with more love than you and I could EVER know.  He loves you.  He loves those around you.  So why not be Jesus to those people and serve them.  Then once you get into a relationship, Jesus will be the center and serving will be that much greater of a reward!  I'm ready to serve Jesus to the best of my ability and more... how about you?

how to keep yourself in line with God.... part 6

Obeying God's commandments is also something that you can do to keep yourself close to God.  His commandments may have been written long ago, but trust me they still apply today.  There are so many people out there that think the Bible was written for those people long ago and some things that were written do not apply now.  This is so sad.  Obeying God's commandments are the ultimate way of keeping close to Him.  You not only are to profess that you are a Christian, but you must live it out as well.  Lots of people forget this.  I forget this.  However, if you keep this always on your mind then you will be able to continuously grow close to God.  Read these too.  It is hard to follow these commandments all the time and you will fail at doing so but trying your best and always praying that God gives you that strength to do it aids in your ability to walk with Him as close as you can everyday.

how to keep yourself in line with God.... part 5

Meditating upon Jesus' life and words are one of the greatest strategies to stay close to God.  In other words, BE STILL!!!  Now that I have been on vacation, it is hard for me to get back to the everyday life and learn to be still within those hours.  I fill up my time with nonsense and that's why , right now, I have to force myself to blog.  But, once I get back into the swing of it, it won't be a chore but a blessing to share with all of you.  Reading and listening to what Jesus says in the Bible and focusing on those, will serve you well in this life.  One that I have meditated on for weeks now is that Jesus did come to die for me, but most of all, He came to serve us.  JESUS, OUR SAVIOR, CAME TO SERVE US!!! How amazing is that?! 

Because this section is about meditating on Jesus' life and words, I have to share the last statement with you.  Mark 10:35-45 explains it all.  Read it.  Anyway, Jesus came to this world to serve us.  Ever since I was little I thought I was to serve Him because He was King and because I am supposed to.  I am supposed to serve God because I love Him and want to share who He is with the world.  But, all in all, Jesus came to help us and serve us.  As a result, because we are asked to be like Jesus, we need to serve those around us as well.  That is my challenge for you this week is to start learning to serve those around you even if you don't feel like it.  It will become second nature to you and you will learn to enjoy it.

how to keep yourself in line with God.... part 4

You always hear that "Yeah, I go to church".  But why do you go to church?  Do you go because it's the right thing to do or because you grew up in the church or do you go because you fellowship with other believers?  I tend to go because it's the right thing to do (after all I grew up in a Christian home), but recently I have begun to know why it is important for Christians to attend church.  Fellowshipping is one of the best ways to be accountable to yourself and to others.  You learn so much from other people and if you don't interact with anyone, then you're missing out on one of God's best gifts to us. 

Lately, I have had deep discussions with my friends that I attend college with.  First, it's been enlightening and second, sometimes they have a different viewpoint then you do and it's nice to hear what others think.  Now, I do still stand firm for what I believe in but it's nice to get a feel for what those around you think as well.  Sometimes it's disheartening what comes out of their mouths but other times you learn so much.  How else could you learn that way when you never talk to ANYONE about your beliefs or theirs?  How would you be able to challenge yourself spiritually?  God calls those in our lives for a time and a purpose and if we choose not to learn what God is teaching us during that time, then we are sorely missing out.  Keep yourself in line with God by attending and consistently fellowshipping with those Christians around you.

how to keep yourself in line with God.... part 3

Praising Him for His power and love can be a difficult strategy especially when you are going through a hard time in your life.  In fact, I just read this book called The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.  Read this one too.  This is a true story written about an experience in the Holocaust.  I know it sounds depressing but there are so many praiseworthy experiences that took place during Corrie's time in concentration camps.  You will never have thought to praise God for the most vile things, but in reality He gives us certain things in our lives that we think of as vile but He thinks of as a blessing.  If we think of those hard times and vile things as blessings, you will begin to thank God for those hard times because He is going to make something good out of them, though we have to wait for the ending.  And you have an amazing experience that comes out of it.

When God shows you His power through anytime in your life, whether it be good or bad, you will be so greatly amazed that you will have no words to describe it.  This is a great reason as to why you want to keep yourself in line with God, His love and power will guide and protect you all the days of your life.

how to keep yourself in line with God.... part 2

Another strategy in keeping yourself aligned with God's will is praying for help and listening for answers.  This can be one of the hardest things to do EVER.  I have had so many friends come to me for advice on how to "work" their lives, but I always answer that they need to pray about it.  This seems like a cop out but in reality, it is the best answer anyone can give someone.  One thing that I have noticed that is hard about this strategy is the fact that it is hard to wait for the answer.  Believe if or not, sometimes the answer is no.  It is hard to receive that answer but trust me (I'm speaking to myself too), He knows what is best for us.  We just need to believe that and let Him handle the situations after we have given them up to Him.

I also have known people who "do not know how to pray".  You know what prayer is?  It's a conversation with God.  How I pray is I write to Him.  Seriously!  That is how I pray to Him.  I may say little things here and there throughout the day of asking for strength or whatnot, but when I sit down to have a conversation with Him.  I write it out.  If you think this is crazy, watch Letters to God.  The little boy in that movie really knew how to talk to God, and he wrote to Him.  I am 24 years old and I write to God too.  Just try it and see what happens.  You may writes pages, or just one sentence, either way, you're talking with God.  The other half of this is as soon as you want to pray, before and after, one thing I like to do is "get in the mood" for it.  lol.. this sounds funny written out.  But, seriously, I sit and I just listen first.  This is the "being still" part of it.  Once I get into that mind-set, I begin to just talk to Him.  Then, once I'm done talking, I sit and listen again.  Most people forget and listen once they are done praying.  Praying, believe it or not, is a two-way conversation.  Let God answer you.  The only way you can really do this is to listen.  Believe me, you'll know when He's answered you.  It is the best peace I have ever felt in my whole life, even when everything around me is crashing down, I still feel peaceful about it.  It has gotten me this far, now you go and see how much closer you can get to God.

how to keep yourself in line with God..... part 1

I, in the recent past, finished a book called Your Knight in Shining Armor by P.B. Wilson.  First of all, even if you are a guy, you NEED to read this book.  It gives so many insights to so many different subjects.  One subject that I found interesting was the subject on how to keep yourself accountable to God.  P.B. mentions the various strategies you can apply to your life to make sure that you are following God's path. 

First of all, you must read your Bible everyday.  I know it's hard to fit anything extra into the day that you already have, but why do you want to make up the excuse to "fit" God into your day?  He should ALWAYS be in your day.  I have a hard time with this too.  Most of the reason (excuse) I have is that I am just too darn lazy to read when I don't feel like it.  But, when are we supposed to do things for God?  Either ALL THE TIME or when you don't feel like it.  The second option is the hardest but in the end is always rewarding.  The first option is the best one but sometimes we falter and the only way to get back up is to just do it.  I mean He created you and died for you in order for you to be with Him eternally.  And you (I) cannot give Him our day?  I'm sorry but what kind of people are we when we ask for everything but give nothing in return?  That is a horrible way to live.  One of my New Years' Resolutions was to read the Bible from beginning to end.  I need to because I want to know more about God and what He has in store for me.  So how do you keep yourself in line with God?  Uh, read His word.  There is no better place to start!

expectations

"When you love someone without expectation, it breaks his or her power to hurt you.  The only reason we’re hurts I because we have expectations." - P.B. Wilson

Expectations are so hard to let go.  You have criteria of the way that you want your friends to act, or the way your family should treat you, or maybe the list of qualities that you want your future spouse to have.  All of these expectations are good to an extent.  The way that you know how your friends to act is a reason for you to pray for them.  The way that your family should treat you is a reason to pray that your future family will have the meeting your needs of what a family should be.  The things that you want your future spouse to be is a reason to pray for the one that God has in store for you. 

I have had many expectations of the way that my friends and family should treat me or be or whatever.  I have only been disappointed in them because of my high expectations.  However, the last one about your spouse.  Let me tell you, I did have criteria for years that I wanted my spouse to be.  Ha.  Brown hair, blue eyes, tall, dark and handsome.  Yeah, I had my criteria.  But, lately I realized the only criteria that I need to have is that God takes care of it.  I see so many people getting married and engaged and I sit here, alone, without my future husband sitting next to me.  I have no prospects in sight.  This may sound a bit depressing but the light at the end of the tunnel is that all I need is God.  With everything that I have in my life, all I truly need is God.  I have to be constantly reminded at how much He cares for me and wants what is best for me.  Sometimes, it's hard to comprehend.  But, the only thing I can say, really, is that without expectations there is so much in store for you.  I am learning this (and probably always will) that loving unconditionally and being an unconditional Christian is nothing short of God given.  Praise the Lord for that.