Walking On Water

We all want more faith, but rarely enjoy the faith growing process.  Faith does not just happen it takes time, it takes loss, it takes fear, it takes coming face to face with our pride and it takes realizing that we can not do it alone. Today I was reading the old familiar story about Jesus walking on water and calling Peter to him. This message inspired me, because even though Peter did not manage to walk on water for very long, he did more than most people just by stepping out of the boat.  No one else got out of the boat.  Faith requires action, it requires that first step, which in my opinion is the biggest step.  Until this moment Peter had never seen anyone walk on water yet decides that he can do it too. I think there is a lot to learn from this passage!

“Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.  When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,”they said, and cried out in fear.   But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” “Come,” he said.  Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.  But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!”   Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,”he said, “why did you doubt?”” Matthew 14:25-31

1. Faith Takes Action

We have to take action, we have to move.  Jesus asked Peter to take a step and Peter did it.  He did not ask questions he stepped out of a boat in the ocean and into the water.  Would he sink?  Would he walk?  He did not know where his feet would go, he just did it.  God is asking every one of us to do something, He has something that He wants each of us to do.  But we have to take the first step, we have to step into the unknown.  It is terrifying I know, that is why I think that first step is the hardest.  Your faith will growth which each step, and God gives you such a peace when you are in His will.  Everything in this world will try to keep you from taking the first step, doubts, fear, pride, other people…it will all try to stop you.  But you have to decide that what is on the other side of that step is greater than the things telling you that you can’t.  You have to tell yourself that God is greater, and if He is asking you step out of the boat then you are going to be okay.  Will there be an absence of storms, probably not, but who better to have with you in a storm that God?

^” If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:22

2. Doubt Kills Faith

Peter was doing great, he took the unknown step and he did not sink.  And now he was walking on water, I can not imagine how awesome that would be!  His eyes were on Jesus and all was well.  Then doubt came in, and doubt killed his faith.  He had walked with Jesus, had seen miracles, even walked on water, then doubt comes in and he forgets all of it.  How often has faith brought you so far, and then doubt swooped in?  God has given us promises in His word and once we start to doubt those promises our faith can fail.  We begin to sink, life begins to overwhelm us.  Faith sustains us through the storms of life, without it we get knocked down and can not get back up.

“But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.” James 1:6

3.  Jesus Is Always There In the Midst

Jesus was with Peter the entire time, He never left his side.  Peter just failed to stay focused.  Sometimes we get so caught up in doubt we forget to keep our eyes on Jesus, we feel like He is far away, but He has not moved.  He is always right beside us, we just have to stay focused.  Faith requires focus on Jesus. And if we do lose focus and begin to sink, He is always there with a helping hand.

“So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” Deuteronomy 31:6

Keep Your Eyes on Jesus,

Coming Soon….

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!” Galatians 5:22-23

Dear Friends, “Coffee Breaks With Jesus” will be doing its first ever blog series starting in August! In this series we will study 2 different Fruits of the Spirit a week and then conclude it into a 5 week study. I hope that together we can grow closer to God through studying His Word and applying it to our lives!

Lots of love,

Fear Not

Sorry it’s been so long my dear readers,  it’s been a long month.  I have stepped into a new stage of life by moving out on my own and taking on some new responsibilities.  This summer has been such a challenge for me, with my boyfriend being 4 hours away, moving out on my own,  difficulties at work, etc.  I found myself in a constant place of fear wondering where this summer will end.  Will my needs be met?  Is everything going to be okay in my life?  Will I be okay?  So many questions…so many selfish questions.  That’s exactly what they were selfish, and they were draining me of life and eating me alive.  Fear is the exact opposite of faith, fear removes God from the equation and puts me in charge.  Now that sounds like a disaster!  So whether you are worried about a relationship, finances, a new houses, or whatever else I want to encourage you today ( and myself!) to subtract fear from the equation and multiply your faith. This weekend I pulled a few verses from God’s word and just prayed them a lot.  I even hung some of them on my bathroom mirror just to remind me what God has to say about fear. I’m going to share them with you, and pray that in your time of need they comfort you as well.

When you feel lonely or just down, I love Deuteronomy 31:6.  I love seeing all-encompassing words in my Bible, words like “all”, “always” and “never”, I often circle them when I come across them.  Sometimes as humans we use these words and fall short, but if God says it you know that He means it!  And in this verse He promises to NEVER leave us, so we have no reason to fear.  If that doesn’t bring some comfort then I don’t know what will, because if I want anyone in my corner it’s going to be God.  So take heart my dear friends, you are never alone!

 “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Deuteronomy 31:6

When you are living paycheck to paycheck, have an unexpected financial emergency, need a raise or any other type of physical need I love the following verses.  We serve an incredible God who loves us dearly, and when we as humans love someone how much more do we care about their needs?  God is the same way, even when we can’t see it He is taking care of us in ways we can’t even imagine.  Your only requirement is to love Him in return.

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said, “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food to eat or enough clothes to wear. For life is more than food, and your body more than clothing. Look at the ravens. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, for God feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than any birds! Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? And if worry can’t accomplish a little thing like that, what’s the use of worrying over bigger things?  “Look at the lilies and how they grow. They don’t work or make their clothing, yet Solomon in all his glory was not dressed as beautifully as they are. And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you. Why do you have so little faith?  “And don’t be concerned about what to eat and what to drink. Don’t worry about such things. These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers all over the world, but your Father already knows your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.”  Luke 12:22-30

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19

 Sometimes we can feel like a failure, like we just aren’t good enough.  Maybe you have an addiction, a sin that you just can’t shake on your own or maybe you are just comparing yourself to someone “who has it all together” (as if there even is such a thing).  You fear that you’ll never measure up, that you are a disappointment to God.  This is lie, you have the power to overcome your sin through Christ, you are more than enough through Christ and God is not disappointed in you.  He knows what you are capable of, He knows your value, and He loves you.  His love casts out fear!  You may not be perfect but Christ’s love for you is.

“Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love.”  1 John 4:18

“For I am the Lord your God  who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13

“And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.”  Romans 8:38-39

And lastly I have this verse that pretty much covers just about any kind of fear.  My first night at my new house, there was a storm and the power went out for awhile.  I am not a fan of the dark or storms, yet here I was, just me and my cat (cats aren’t very brave either therefore are terrible at emotional support…).  There I was in a dark new house and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous.  In that moment of weakness my boyfriend reminded me of this verse, which I prayed until I felt peace about my situation.  I had nothing to fear but fear itself,  I was perfectly safe yet I allowed my nervousness to turn to fear.

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7

I pray that you find some encouragement in these verses.  Memorize them, write them down, learn to pray these scriptures over your situation.  They will help you multiply your faith and subtract your fear.  God did not give you fear, He came to bring you peace.  So take hold of His promises, that’s what they are there for.  The Bible is your sword against the enemy, but it will do you no good if you don’t learn how to use it.  So stay strong dear friends!

Lots of Love,

Storms of Life

Ever feel like you are just merely surviving in life, like there is no light at the end of the tunnel?  Maybe you even know there is a light at the end of the tunnel, but it sure does not feel that way.  That is how I have felt this last week, I find myself in a particular season where life is just beating me down and it is doing a pretty good job!  Any and all plans that I had for this summer have been tossed out the window, I’m in the process of moving both physically and mentally into a different stage of life, I am stressed about finances and bills, I am dealing with feelings of  loneliness and I am dealing with negativity in the workplace.  Life is winning this battle, and I am letting it.  Have you ever felt this way?

You can only ignore negative emotions for so long, until they come back again.  They will continue to come back until they are defeated for good.  That’s where I am now trying to rise above this storm and gasp for air.  I am drowning in the midst of this storm and if I can just get back to the surface I tell myself that I will be fine.  But eventually this too shall pass, but what about the next storm and the next storm?  There will always be a storm, it is only a matter of how I learn to deal with them.  Every time I find myself trying to defeat my storm on my own, and every time I find that I am not strong enough to do so.

I can do it on my own, and can get stressed out, sick and torn to shreds or I can seek my heavenly Father.  It sounds like such an obvious thing to do, but if you are anything like me it is so hard to ask for help! I am a “I’ve got this!” kind of girl through and through.  Ask my parents they will tell you, I will try and try until I can not do it anymore before I ask for help.  And as much as it hurts to say it this is a pride issue that I have, and all too often it carries over into my spiritual life as well.  “I got this God, thanks anyway”!  If only I could learn to ask for His help when I begin to feel the raindrops rather than after I have begun to drown…

“He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves”. Psalm 107:29

So here I am again crawling back into His presence tired, and worn out.  As always there He is reaching out His arms to and pulling me safely to shore.  And here I am being vulnerable with each of you, reminding you that you do not have to do it alone.  I do not know where this storm of life is taking me, or what’s on the other side of it.  I do however know that I have a Heavenly Father walking beside me.  He may not calm the storm right now, but He will calm me.  I have everything I need and I find that in Him alone.

“Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge.
I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
    until the disaster has passed.” Psalm 57:1

That’s where I find myself today, searching for truths in His word to get through today, and then tomorrow I will do the same.  It’s a daily process of choosing God or choosing my way.  I am not promised tomorrow or next week, but I have right now!  Today I find comfort in Isaiah 43: 1-2 :

“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
    I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
    I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
    they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
    you will not be burned;
    the flames will not set you ablaze.

I do not know what you are dealing with or going through, but I do know that God is so much greater!  This may feel like the end of the world, but it isn’t.  We are not Christians seeking a victory, we are Christians who have the victory.  I have read the last book of the Bible, and we win.  When you come across a storm in life don’t be like me and try to ride it out alone, rather turn to God immediately and grasp His hand.

 ^“What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us?  Since He did not spare even His own Son but gave Him up for us all, won’t He also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for His own? No one—for God Himself has given us right standing with himself.  Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

 Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean He no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.” No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. ” Romans 8:31-39

No storm can separate you from God!  If you are going through a storm right now, please feel free to leave a prayer request in the comments, in return I ask that you pray for me that I will continue to seek God and not try to do this own my own!

Thank-you & God Bless ❤︎,

Created To Be Beautiful

I do not consider myself a feminist, at least not in the modern terms of the word.  I believe in equality, but I was not created a man nor do I want the responsibilities of one.  However I do believe in the role of a woman of God.  I believe it is a holy calling, and I believe that accepting that calling is a great and powerful thing.  But if you are a woman or have talked to another woman recently you would know that it is not an easy task.  We as women often spend more time hurting than walking in our calling as powerful women of God.  Why is that?  Why is it so hard to be a woman of God?

God created woman because the earth needed her, man needed her.  She was not an after thought, she was the finishing touch,  God’s grand finale!  She was beautiful and God said it was good.  I often wonder why the serpent came to Eve first, hearing the story growing up I often believed that Eve was weak and naive. But I do not believe that was the case I believe that he went after her because she was a woman.  He saw what God saw, He saw all that she could be, God’s masterpiece and he knew that if he could get her he could destroy God’s glorious plan.  Satan knew this,  if he could destroy the woman and destroy God’s plan for her, he could have the victory. How?  Because she had the power to bring forth life, to bring forth children.  She would be the vessel that brought Jesus into this world, and he knew that Jesus would ultimately defeat him.  Therefore, Satan took direct aim at the woman to make her as miserable as possible. He was killing two birds with one stone, destroy the woman, destroy the children.  Eve wasn’t just skipping through the garden looking for trouble,  Satan made sure she was exactly where he needed her to be, the goal wasn’t to just kick them out of the garden, it was to destroy the vessel of Jesus. And I believe that he has been doing it to all of us since Day 1.

How often have you heard that enemy whisper lies into your ear?  How often have you felt crazy, lonely, rejected, ugly, hopeless, depressed, etc.?  I know I do!  I’ve struggled with body image, I’ve been rejected, cast aside without a second thought, depressed, I’ve been tormented to the place that I didn’t think I could go on anymore.  Even to this day if something does not go as planned the enemy will immediately try to make me think that I did something wrong, or that the action was intentional when most of the time it wasn’t.  That maybe just maybe I’m not good enough, or I’m not doing enough.  I want you to know beautiful ladies that this is a lie, you are good enough!  No one else’s opinion of you affects the love God has for you.  You were formed by God, and you have been given the authority to defeat the enemy.

He will try to destroy you, and he will use people to do it.  “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places”, Ephesians 6:12.  I allowed people to do a lot of damage to me, friends walked out on me, boys who I adored made me feel worthless and undesirable, bosses have mistreated me, complete strangers have called out to me and degraded me just walking around a college campus or going to the grocery store, and for too long I’ve let these things define me.  I became strong for the wrong reasons and bitter. No one was going to hurt me anymore, because no one was going to get close to me again.  I decided that isolation was better than hurt and that’s where I found myself for so long.  If I did  find the courage to come out, the enemy made sure that there were certain people or circumstances placed in my life to shut me away again. And it worked for so long!  While people may be used to hurt us, ultimately it is the enemy trying to destroy us again.  He does not want us to be used by God, he does not want you to feel beautiful or loved.  Those are your God given desires and he hates it!  Simply having this blog has been a major battle for me, the enemy will tell me that this is dumb, that no one is going to read it.  He wants to shut me up, but God has given me a burning desire to write and to encourage people with my writing and with every blog post I defeat him.  You can defeat him too, every time you ignore his lies and do exactly what he tells you can’t you defeat him and take a step of faith.

You are not a weak little flower, you are powerful woman of God.  It is time that we accept this calling and walk in freedom.  God promised in Genesis that our offspring will defeat the enemy, you have that power and Satan knows it.

‘I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.’ (Genesis 3:15).

So stand strong dear sisters, walk in the power and glory of God.  Shut out the voice of the enemy and tune in to the voice of your heavenly Father.  Fall in love with Him,  ^“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need,” Matthew 6:33.  Only His love can quiet the enemy, it’s not going to be easy but with God by your side it will be easier.  God placed you on this earth for a reason, to love and be loved.  You deserve the very best that He has to offer, and nothing less.  People may come and go, material things may provide temporary happiness, but God will never leave you nor forsake you.  If you’re like me and you’ve been hurt or you’ve made mistakes, God can turn those hurts for good.  It may look pointless now, but your hurts will one day help someone who is hurting.  There is no greater joy than when you can finally give your pain a purpose, the ultimate defeat of the enemy is taking what he’s done to you and helping someone else find healing!

“…he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the LORD has planted for his own glory.” Isaiah 61:3 

Dear Sisters, You are BEAUTFUL, You are LOVED, You are WANTED, You are STRONG and You are VICTORIOUS through Christ Jesus! Fall in love with your Savior, He will give you the desires of your heart or better yet He will change your desires to His desires which will be far greater than what you could ever imagine.  Stay in His Word, keep a lifestyle of prayer and love others.  And when you feel tempted to judge another woman, or compare yourself to her, remember that most likely she is dealing with insecurities and hurt as well.  We are all in this together to lift each other up, we are stronger together!

Lots of Love ❤︎,

Jesus and Social Media

Jesus and social media. Have you ever seen those words in the same sentence?  I haven’t, very rarely does anything I see on Facebook or twitter glorify Jesus in anyway.  And it’s sad because apart from each other Jesus and Social Media are very powerful.  Imagine if they joined forces, the audience that could be reached is absolutely  incredible.  Facebook has 500 million users!!  Twitter has 974 million accounts, with Instagram at around 200 million.  The things you post everyday, they have a lot of impact.  They can either do a lot of damage or a lot of good.  Listed below are some things that I think we should take into account while using social media as Christians.

1. Avoid Posting Your Opinion

Yeah, crazy right?  Not post your opinion all over the internet, but so many people care what you think, right?  There is something that my pastor has said several times that I love, he says: “I don’t have an opinion I have the Word of God”.  it doesn’t matter what I think about this or that, because it’s not about me.  If my words are not kind, encouraging or serve a greater purpose of leading others to Christ then I don’t need to post them. Believe it or not God does not need me to defend Him, He is God.  He works everything for His purpose and nothing I post on the internet is going to change that.  There was a time a few years ago during the Presidential elections that I got wrapped up in Politics on Twitter.  Nobody cared what I thought, but that didn’t stop me from shouting it on the rooftops (or in 140 characters through my Iphone).  But the truth of the matter is that how I feel about politics or leaders doesn’t change the fact that God puts people in charge.   We may never understand why, but He does and we have to trust that He knows best.  Daniel 2:21 says, “He controls the course of world events; He removes kings and sets up other kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the scholars”.  So rather that posting your opinion, crude humor about our leaders or articles of other people’s negative opinion, how about we pray for a our leaders.  Our prayers will do a whole lot more good than anything on Facebook or Twitter. This also goes for sharing controversial articles to get an opinion across without being the main culprit.  I know how that works, using passive aggressive articles voicing exactly how you feel, knowing that a certain person (or persons) will see it.  You are not fooling anyone we have all done it!  I think we could all take a little advice from Philippians 4:8 , “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.”  Go through that verse and change the word “thoughts” and “think” to “posts” and “post”, remind yourself of this every time you get a little fired up on the internet!

“Guard what God has entrusted to you. Avoid godless, foolish discussions with those who oppose you with their so-called knowledge.” 1 Timothy 6:20

2. Do Not Leave Room For Assumptions

It’s so easy to assume what’s going on in a situation if all we see are bits and pieces.  Believe it or not the more outspoken you are about Christ the more closely you are being watched.  People are seeing your tagged photos not just the ones you post and the content that you “like” on the internet.  If these do not line up with the constant Bible verses that you are posting then you may need to reevaluate your online testimony.  Just be aware that people are looking up to you, and while we all make mistakes be aware that some mistakes can be avoided simply by using wisdom and making good decisions. If you would not want Jesus (or your grandmother) seeing it on Facebook then it is probably not a good idea anyways.  Almost everything we do ends up on some sort of social media these days, so take caution in how you live your life and you won’t have anything to worry about.  Use wisdom, and avoid confusing others about what it means to serve God.  If you look a lot like every one else, then you are not pointing anyone to Christ. Be the same everywhere you go, and there will be little room for assumptions.

“Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise”  Ephesians 5:15

3. Religion vs. Relationship

The Bible is a great way to send subliminal messages!  Totally kidding, but it is very tempting and is very easy to do.  Someone posts about their wild night or the wild weekend they have planned and 10 seconds later you’ve got a Bible verse about the sin of drunkenness or “can’t wait to go to church on Sunday”.  It’s so so so easy to caught up in the religion that “I’m better because I don’t do what you do”.  Sin is sin, no sin is less or greater than any other sin. We are all on the same playing field without Jesus.  I don’t follow Jesus because it’s the cool thing to do or because it makes me better than every one around me, I follow Jesus because I was dead and He gave me life.  I was a sinner paying off a never ending bill based on how often I went to church, what I wore, who I knew, how often I read my Bible, Prayed, etc.  And it wasn’t good enough, I wasn’t good enough to be a Christian if those were the prerequisites.  That’s why I need Jesus, because He reached out His hand to me removed all the good works I was attempting to carry and said that He loved me right where I was but not enough to leave me there.  So no I’m not better than anyone on this planet, I just simply chose to give up!  I chose to give up on being a good person and chose to love a perfect person who has ultimately changed my life.  I still have a long way to go, but I’m not longer weighed down by a list of rules, and there is a light at the end of this tunnel.  That light belongs to Jesus!  The greatest good you can ever do to someone is love them unconditionally.  Condemnation never brought anyone to Jesus, it will only push them away.  Our job is to love, His job is to convict.  So whether you agree with someone or not, avoid posting subliminal messages and pray for that person.  Jesus can change anyone do not stand between them trying to prove a point.

“He saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5

4. Jesus Likes You More

In this day and age we can very easily get wrapped up in the internet perception of ourselves.  For example, how many of you at some point in time have deleted something because it didn’t get enough “likes” worthy of your internet profile? Okay, now all of you put your hands up and quit lying!  I’ve done it, you’ve done it, we’ve all done it.  Social media is all about feeling good about yourself, and making your life appear way more exciting than it is most of the time.  If we were all being honest we would admit that the internet shows very little of our life and more of just the highlights.  You see the good, and almost none of the bad and the ugly.  It’s all about who is following who and how many likes we get on our Instagram. Praise God for that 11th like, am I right?  But serious if you find self worth in who is approving of your highlights, you are not going to find a lot of joy.  Jesus likes you more than anyone else ever will and He sees the good, the bad and the ugly.  He likes you despite all of it!  His approval is the only approval that matters, so seek His above all else.  There’s nothing wrong with being popular on the internet or posting your highlights, but when the responses to it affect how you feel about yourself it’s time to take a step back and look to Jesus for your worth.

5. Remember to Log Out

Okay last but not least, remember to log out.  No this isn’t a safety or privacy precaution.  It’s simply a reminder that life is better when you are actually living it.  Social media can be addictive, I know because I struggle with it.  But remember that there are people all around you who need someone like you in their life, there are needs that only you can meet, and there a memories for you to make, so do not forget to look up from your phone.  God has given you an incredible life do not miss out on it!  So remember to log out and leave the phone in the car sometimes.  It takes away so much stress, when you just give yourself room to live!

I hope that this article can help you be a better Christian online,  you have the ability to do amazing things do not waste it!

Lots of Love,

Peace I Leave With You

Do you want comfort or peace? I had this very interesting question brought to me the other night during a small group discussion.  And it got me thinking…while these words sound similar they are actually very different.  One is temporary, it is based on circumstances and emotions while the other is a state of mind.

Many people today live a life of comfort.  Nice house, nice car, good job, ideal family, etc.  Most people live comfortable lives, yet despite all the comfort they have very little peace.  They suffer from stress, anxiety, fear, debt, and a lack of contentment.  They have a lot of things that they want but very little of what they actually need.

Jesus himself lived a life of very little comfort and yet He was the Prince of Peace.  Luke 9:58 says: “But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”  Jesus didn’t even have a place to lay his head a night, no place to call home and yet he brought enough peace to share with the world!  And not the temporary peace that we get from our circumstances and the environment around us, but an eternal peace that resonates in our heart.

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

That’s the kind of peace I want, an eternal peace one that isn’t determined by my temporary circumstances.  How do we get God’s peace?  Well, like all spiritual things it’s a choice we have to make.  John 14:27 listed above says ” Do not LET your hearts be troubled”.  It’s a choice, we choose to get worked up about things that have no eternal value.  You have to decide today that even if life gets uncomfortable we are still going to have the peace of God.  God always knows best and He will never bring you where He wants you and abandon you.

I know that trusting what you can’t see can be very difficult, it’s a daily struggle of mine.  There is nothing I fear more than uncertainty.  But knowing that even in the discomfort of uncertainty I can still be at peace, is a pretty amazing.  Even if I lost everything that I had I could rest in peace knowing that God still loves me and has the absolute best for me.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

ALL things, not some things. Not just the good things or just the bad things but ALL things.  Draw closer to God and He will take care of you, no circumstance is a waste of time with God.  Even when it feels hopeless God can turn your situations into good.   The more focus you put on God the more peace you will experience.  Talk to Him, study His word, and thank Him!  How often is our lack of comfort nothing more than a lack contentment?  Take a step back and evaluate the goodness He has already bestowed on you.  Just that alone can change your point of view.  Worry will never bring you comfort, only trusting in the goodness of your Savior can do that!

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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.  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me — put it into practice.  And the God of peace will be with you.” (NIV) Philippians 4:6-9

We live in an uncomfortable world, but we ourselves do not have to be uncomfortable.  All of this here is temporary and we can have peace in knowing that our home is in heaven.  So trust that God has a plan, build a relationship with Him, remind yourself that these circumstances are temporary and when in doubt PRAY!  He loves you, He really does!  And He has nothing but good for His children.  Choose Peace today…despite how you feel….choose peace!

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Mirror, Mirror

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. // II Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭18‬ NKJV

I stumbled upon the above verse the other night, I’m sure I’ve read it before but it never stood out to me. This led to some curiosity about being “mirrors of glory”. God IS glory, and as humans we can only experience some of that glory here on earth only when we get to heaven will we experience God in the fullness of His glory.  Honestly I don’t think that we could even handle it in our human form.  But the thing is, the closer we get to God the more of His glory we can experience on this earth.

We as Christians are called to reflect the Glory of God like a mirror.  But the thing about mirrors is that they can only reflect objects in front of them, and the closer the object the better the reflection.  Just as dirty or cracked mirrors can distort the reflection of an object there are things in our life that can hinder our testimony.  Whether it’s sin, our past, pride, etc.  we have to be aware of things hindering us from God.  And the closer we get to God, the more and more like Him we become.  As He increases, we decrease.

Also in order to see a reflection you need light,  a mirror will not do it’s job in the dark.  I love this analogy because I believe it says a lot about our spirituality. In order to reflect God, we need the light of Salvation through Jesus Christ.  If we are still living in darkness there can’t be a reflection. “God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all“, 1 John 1:5.  In order for a mirror to reflect light it must first accept light.

Secondly we have to be made pure and clean through repentance, and allow God to repair and restore us.  With true repentance comes change, when we repent we turn away from our sins and our past.  Heart change occurs and we change inside out.

And lastly, we have to draw near to God.  The closer we get to God the more of Him we reflect.  When you are in love every aspect of your life revolves around that person, your thoughts, your actions, decisions, desires, etc.  The same is true when we fall in love with God!

What produces God’s glory in our lives?  Just like a mirror cannot produce an image  we as humans can not produce God’s glory in our lives. Nothing we do or possess has this power, not our good works, not our holiness, not our morals, not the church we attend, nothing.  The only thing that produces God’s glory in our lives is closeness to God.  A mirror cannot reflect what it cannot see.  Putting God first is the key, my attempts will always fall short, my eyes have to remain on God.  I saw a quote that read : “It is the look that saves, but it is the gaze that sanctifies”.  Initially all we have to do is look to Christ for salvation, but it is the continued focus on Christ that brings glory, and freedom into our lives.  There is no shortcut, this is a lifelong journey, and a choice that we have to make on a daily basis.

What hinders God’s glory in our lives?  Usually what stands between us and God’s glory is ourselves.  If our eyes are continually focused on ourselves we will only reflect ourselves.  We can get so easily caught up our little world and the world around us that we take our eyes off of God.  Then we replace Him with ourselves,  and you were never meant to hold that type of responsibility.  You will get stressed, worn out and your life will reflect the chaotic mess that you’ve now found yourself in.  As mirrors of God’s glory, our job is to reflect the goodness that God has given us, not the crazy mess we’ve made for ourselves.  So the first step to reflection is removing ourselves and replacing it with Him.

‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.” // Haggai 2:9

The closer we get to God the greater the glory we will experience.  Looking to God in prayer and through His word begins the transformation process in our lives.  You can not get close to God and not change.  The closer we get to Him the more like Him we will become.  This requires action on our part though, we have to talk with Him in prayer, seek answers in His word and worship Him with our actions. James 1:23-24 says, “For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”  Knowledge is worthless without actions. Human relationships don’t happen over night, and neither will our relationship with God.  If you seek Him out He will meet you where you are, but don’t expect to stay there.  We have to be willing to move in order to experience all that God has for us!

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” // John 14:21

The closer I get to God the less of me there is and the more room I give Him to move in my life.  Won’t you shift your gaze with me today, and everyday?  The only thing stopping you is you.  We can continue to reflect the mess we’ve made or we can let our glorious Lord shine through us.  You’ll feel a difference and the people around you will see a difference.  Let His light shine through you, let His love cleanse you and draw near to His loving embrace.  He hasn’t moved, He’s been waiting all along, just get closer dear friends!

For{Give}ness

Recently I’ve been hearing a lot of teachings and discussions about relationships, not just romantic ones but friendships as well.  This has caused  me to take a look at a lot  of my relationships both past and present.  The thing about relationships is that they don’t always go the way we’d like them to.  A common reoccurring theme in mine was forgiveness.  I’ll be the first to tell you that I’m not a huge fan of that word.  Because sometimes a simple “I’m sorry”  just isn’t good enough.  Or worse yet the apologies I never got but so desperately deserved.  And yet despite this I’m expected to just forgive and pretend like it never happened? Cool.

But then you have the opposite choice.  Unforgiveness.  I heard a quote once that said that “Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die”.  Chances are that the person who wronged you is living their life with little or no concern about how much they hurt you.  Maybe they said “sorry” and put it all behind them or maybe they didn’t apologize.  Maybe they are oblivious to the fact that they hurt you or maybe they think that they were somehow right in doing so.  Only God knows their true motives, but that doesn’t help the hurt that we feel.

It’s good to feel, it means you’re human, it means you have a heart.  What isn’t good however is when we continue to feel those feelings over a long period of time or even a lifetime.

At that point the only person you are hurting is yourself.  So by all means embrace the hurt, feel, have a nice cry (or scream), vent to someone, etc.  But when that’s over with pick yourself off the floor, wipe your eyes,  forgive and move forward.  It’s a lot harder than it sounds, but it has to be done.  Do it for yourself!

“But you don’t understand they messed up big time, I can’t forgive them!  They don’t deserve my forgiveness!”  As if your forgiveness is some holy grail, some hidden treasure reserved only for those who you deem worthy.  

Let’s be real here, you are by birth a sinner.  So am I.  Are you familiar with what a sinner deserves?  According to Romans 6: 23, the wages of sin are death.  That’s what we deserve, death.  But God by His magnificent grace picked you up out of your mess, made you His son/daughter and forgave you of everything you had done and will ever do.  He forgave for you for things you haven’t even done yet!  You didn’t deserve it, you will never deserve it.  But aren’t you glad that God didn’t withhold His forgiveness from your unworthiness.

People like to talk a lot about Grace.  I like to talk about grace, it blows my mind every time I think about it.  We can write about grace, read about grace, shout it from the rooftops, make excuses about our behavior, etc. all day long.  But yet we refuse to bestow that same grace to those around us?  We say “yes, I did terrible things and God forgave me, but I can’t forgive them for what they did, they don’t deserve it.”  Grace which was given to us freely is then locked away and the key thrown away.  We assume the place of God in our lives and decide who gets grace and who doesn’t.  That’s a scary thought, when we try to replace God because somehow we think that we know better.  I’m sure glad that God doesn’t pick and choose who He forgives, because a lot of us probably wouldn’t make the cut.  Because who of us is even worthy?  Romans 3:10 says “No one is righteous–not even one.”  Hmmm…it doesn’t sound like anyone is making the cut.

“But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” // Matthew 6:15

Ouch!  Those aren’t my words those are from the Bible.  Forgiveness isn’t an optional guideline, it’s a way of life.  In order to be forgiven we have to forgive.  Grace is free, yes, but it doesn’t end there.   It is to be re-gifted not locked away.  God has forgiven us of so much, but we in turn must forgive others.  People are going to hurt you, they are going to let you down, they’re human.  We live in a fallen world, full of sin and pain.  The question is what are you going to do with the grace that He has given you.  There is no freedom like forgiving the apologies that you never got, and unclenching the blade that we’ve held onto for so long.  Sometimes that’s all you can do, just open your hand and hand it over to God.  Quit carrying a burden that you weren’t meant to bear, if you were meant to bear it you would’ve been on that cross instead.

The process isn’t always an easy one, it will most likely take more than 24 hours.  Depending on the level of hurt it could take months or more.  But you have to start today!  The longer you wait, the lest likely you are to do it, and the worse you hurt yourself.  So make the choice to forgive,  and ask your heavenly Father to take the burden from you, Psalm 55:22 “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”

Will that relationship be restored?  Maybe, maybe not.  You are only responsible for how you handle the situation.  Forgiveness doesn’t always equal restoration.  Some relationships are toxic and better left where they are, but forgiveness is essential to you moving on and forming healthy relationships.  If we continue to carry the emotional baggage from each relationship into all of our new relationships we will continue to unpack those bags and continue the cycle.  So leave the baggage behind, do not ask other people to pay the price for the pain that someone else has caused you.  It will only hurt them and you will be left all alone each and every time.  We weren’t made to carry the burdens of others, in fact we weren’t even meant to carry our own burdens, that’s why we have Jesus.  Don’t expect from other people what only God can give.

So make the choice to forgive, unpack the baggage and walk away empty handed into your new relationships.  That’s the only way that they will work and you can avoid vicious cycle of failed or unhealthy relationships.

Forgiveness is a free gift, and must in turn be given freely.  I pray that somehow this will touch your heart, and open your eyes.  It’s not always easy but the freedom you will feel in the end is incredible.

Colossians 3:13 NIV// Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.

Fifty Shades of Nope: A Plead For Purity

Dear Sisters,

If you’ve been on any form of social media in the last week I’m sure your news feed has been filled with the title of the latest book series turned movie, “Fifty Shades of Grey”.  If not then fantastic, lucky you!  I haven’t read the books nor do I plan to see the movie, but I am familiar with the plot and content.  I have no intention of glorifying the above title in anyway, so if you are familiar with the story, I’m sorry keep reading and if you aren’t then congratulations feel free to move onto another article!

What upsets me the most about the posts I’ve seen on social media are the amounts of Christian women talking excitedly about seeing this movie.  I can’t seem to wrap my mind around what part of this movie is acceptable for viewing.  But it’s just a movie! It’s not real!  Okay, so yeah Christian Grey isn’t “real”.  But you know what is?  Sex outside of marriage, pornography, abuse, lust, manipulation, unrealistic standards, etc.  Those are all very real things!  And I hate to break it to you but, paying to see a movie, posting about it on social media, glorifying it among friends and watching it says that you are okay with it.  You’re partaking of sin that has been sugar coated by the enemy.  You are guilty by association.  Harsh? Maybe so, but I’d rather tell you the cold hard truth than a warm and fuzzy lie.

 ^“Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them.”  // Ephesians 5:11

Satan will do everything he can to distort God’s plan for love, marriage and sex.  He’s been doing this for a long time, and he will continue to do it.  And as long as we buy the books, watch the movies, click on the links and read the articles he’s got us exactly where he wants us.  A study done last August shows that 64% of Christian men and 15% of Christian women admitted to viewing pornography at least once a month, compared to 65% of men and 30% of women who identified as non-Christian and said they watched porn at the same rate.  I don’t want to be another statistic, I don’t want the enemy to have a foothold on my future.  But as long as we continue to do the same things as everyone around us we are going to continue to have the same results.  Sex and lust outside of the covenant of marriage is a sin.  There are no loopholes aside from the Grace of Jesus.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” // 2 Corinthians 12:9

Okay, so maybe you don’t watch porn…you just wanted to see a spicy chick flick with your girlfriends for Valentines Day.  This “timeless love story” as the New York Post is calling it, is about anything but love.  There is no love in emotional and physical abuse.  Things don’t end well for abuse victims,  and abuse victims don’t change their abusers.  On average, 24 people per minute are victims of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in the United States.  Hmm, not very glamorous.  Maybe the story line isn’t real but the statistics are.  And the more we view these types of things and the more money we spend the less of a problem is becomes to us.  Desensitization, anyone?  The more we glamorize a real issue the less likely we are to see it as a real issue.  As a strong advocate against human-trafficking and sexual abuse, it makes me angry that Hollywood thinks they can make this seem okay, or even “sexy”.  Really?  You want a man that will treat you with love and respect, but you’re looking at Christian Grey?  Let’s compare this “love” with God’s definition, shall we:

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged.  It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out // 1Corinthians 13:4-8

Nope, not seeing anything in common with Mr. Grey’s “love”.  Love has very little to do with getting and a whole lot to do with giving.  When love becomes about us, it’s no longer love but simply self-gratification.  Which is the exact opposite of God’s plan for love given in 1 Corinthians 13.  I don’t want the cheap dirty version of love that world has to offer, I want the kind of  love that the Bible talks about in Ephesians 5:25:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

Men are commanded to love their wives the same way that God loves us,  that’s some pretty serious kind of love.  Why would I take Mr. Grey’s kind of “love” when I could have something like that?

My intention for writing this post is in no way to condemn you but to inform you, God has so much better for you than you could ever dream or ask.  I beg you, please don’t buy into the lie that the enemy is selling you.  Don’t be another statistic.  You claim to be follower of Christ, and people are watching you.  They want to see if you’re different, are you?  Are you going to take a stand for your purity, are you going to take captive your thoughts?  There is a daily battle waging for your purity, your innocence, and your thoughts, Satan wants them and he’ll do whatever he can to get a hold of them.  And with them he will destroy you and everything God has for you.

The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life. // John 10:10

This week is may be just a movie, but what’s it going to be next week, or the next?  It’s not going to stop until you take a stand.  It may look good and feel good, but the consequences are serious.  Don’t let the enemy define love for you, don’t let him make you think that you deserve anything but the same type of love Christ has for us.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. // Philippians 4:8

I hope that my words will resonate in your heart, if this post can change one person’s mind then my job has been done.  Because it only takes one person to start a revolution.  If you think it’s too late for you, I want you to know that there is no such with Jesus.  His Grace is sufficient and by is His Grace you can get right on track.  Don’t be a statistic, don’t buy into the lie.  Stand for what is pure, and God will bless you!

 Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. // Proverbs 4:23-27