Living In Truth

Our society is built on the ideas of humanity. Such ideas are founded on the lies of the enemy, rather than the truth of God's Word.

This world needs a revolution of truth, and the only way we, as Christians, can deflect the lies of the enemy that are hidden in the ways of the world, is to read, study, and live out the truths of the Bible.

   But so often, we make reading the living Word, our life-giving, spirit-refreshing, TRUTH-holding book lovingly given to us by the Creator God, an item on our daily checklist. Way too often do I  procrastinate my daily Quiet Time in the Word, when I should be making time with Him the first thing I run to.

It's a shame. But it doesn't have to be this way.

   There are distractions, obstacles, IDOLS that are in our lives and which Satan excitedly uses to push our time in the Word out of our lives. Such idols are deadly and replace the priority that God should have in our lives. These obstacles can look like: television, movies, phones, Internet, social media, time with friends, relationship with boyfriend/girlfriend or even spouse, and even time with the family. None of these things are inherently bad; in fact, much of it is often positive and even good. The problem is, when we place such things before our Creator, these obstacles aren't just blocks in our paths...they become an idol and take the place of GOD.

   I struggle so often with getting on the Internet, especially social media, in the morning and throughout the day, and waste so much precious time mindlessly scrolling through my news feed, when I could be spending my valuable time in the Word of God, soaking in His beautiful truths and enabling me to live out the life that He has called us all to live.

   What would happen if, instead of having my cell phone besides my bed, I replaced it with my Bible instead? What would my life look like if, instead of checking Facebook the minute I wake up in the morning, I check out the living Word of God and soak in His deep, spiritual truths?

For you, it might be something completely different. Whatever it is, will you join me in gaining discipline and learning how to shatter the idols consuming our lives?

   This world is filled with ideas that aren't founded on the truths of God's Word. We need to set out to read His Word, study His Word, and make our lives about Him and what He says in His Word! It's a matter of priority, but ultimately, it's an issue that starts with our hearts. It's time to set our hearts on God and fix our eyes on Him. We can't live the way God has called us to live if we haven't read His manual. Will you join me?

In The Light

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It was like a nightmare.

It was like a horrifying and crippling nightmare, yet it was reality.

  I was twelve years old. I had begun my first year of middle school, and it was getting stressful. It wasn't just a little stress, but it was over-the-top. It was December, and I had project after project due, tests to study for, and homework to complete. Honestly, it was way too much for a twelve year old to have to handle, but nonetheless, I wasn't giving up. I persevered through it, and I was determined to be successful.

  I don't know if it was because of all of this stress, or if something else, something seriously wrong, was taking place. Whatever the case, it was scary.

   All I remember is waking up to the slamming of my body against the wall. With all the strength I could muster, I couldn't get up. I just kept diving forward. Into the wall ahead of me, I came. I fell. Then I tried to turn the corner and, when that was finally accomplished, I ran into the wall again. I fell to the ground again and again, crawled, and then, as I tried to walk, I would thrust my body and my head against the wall endlessly. It was like I lost all strength. It was like, as much as I tried to walk on my own, I couldn't do it. I used all of the strength I could gather, yet I would constantly fall. I was half asleep through it all, yet at the same time, my eyes were wide open.

  Finally, I reached my parent's bedroom. They heard the loud bangs of me running endlessly into the walls, and had begun to believe that someone had broken into the house from all of the noise. But I reached the light. My appearance was very distraught, with arms waving and my body ready to collapse. But eventually, I fell face forward onto their bed, and my eyes were completely opened.

  That was probably one of the scariest moments of my life, something I hope to never have to go through again. It's a scary feeling when you use all of your strength and can't stand up. When all you have left is a feeling of weakness, when all strength is gone and you're standing alone in the darkness, running endlessly into the obstacles in front of you, and never getting to where you want to be, feelings of fear and endless fatigue overtake you.

  Isn't it the same way in life? We reach a point where we are completely in the dark. We can't see. We're blinded by the darkness. We've come to where we just can't keep on anymore. Crippled with anxiety and stress, all strength is gone. The obstacles are in front of us, yet as much as we try to get up and keep going, we just keep running into the walls and falling back to the ground again.

  But then, we finally reach the light, where we can finally see again. It's in the light that we regain our strength, and are able to fully wake up and recover. It's in the light where we meet Jesus, the One who can lift us up in our times of weakness and carry us through whatever we are facing.

   I went to the doctor the next day, and to this day, we still aren't sure what was wrong with me that night. It was decided that it was most likely a form of sleepwalking due to all of the stress I had been experiencing, but the thought of a possible case of epilepsy still remains as well.

  It was a scary night. When our eyes are shielded and the darkness overwhelms us, fear can take over. When we have lost every bit of our strength, it's hard to continue going.

  Friends, don't live in the darkness anymore. Reach towards the light, and Jesus will grab your hand and carry you through. He will be your strength when you have nothing left. He will be your peace in the stressful times, your hope when all hope is gone.

He's reaching out to grab your hand. Just trust Him.

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

Free.

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Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into His image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:12-18

It is through Jesus that the veil is taken away, that we are no longer separated from God.

It is through Jesus that we are no longer bound to the law. We no longer have to try to obey every commandment, because God knows we are imperfect. He knows we are sinful and are bound to make mistakes. Rather than a veil covering our hearts, separating us from God because of our failure to completely obey the law, our hearts are now covered by His mercy and grace. Our hearts are now covered by the righteousness of Christ, because He is truly the Only One who is righteous. That's why Jesus sacrificed His life for our sins, so that we can obtain righteousness in the sight of God.

It is through Jesus that we now have the opportunity to spend the rest of eternity in Heaven, if we only have faith and allow His unchanging grace to save us.

It is because of Jesus that we now are filled with the Holy Spirit, that once we give our lives to Him, we are transformed daily into a new creation, a creation that resembles the Spirit of Christ, who is living inside of us. It is through the Holy Spirit that we now can experience freedom--true freedom. Freedom from a life bound to the law, from a life of sin and of a hopeless future, is the truest form of freedom. God is all about freedom, and if His Spirit is now living inside of us, we are no longer a slave to sin any longer. 

We have been set free by the Son. We have been set free because of His love!

What a wonderful day to celebrate not only the blessings of living in America, but also of the truest form of freedom possible--the freedom we have in Christ, because of God's great love for us!

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” John 8:34-36

A Beautiful Bond

   There is a beautiful bond between a dog and a human. Such a bond is strung together by drops of a dog's loyalty, and of a dog's friendship, and, most important of all, of a dog's love. There is no greater thing than love. What a beautiful representation of the Creator's love for us, that He would display such a wonderful kind of love in His creation! Maybe I'm just crazy passionate about dogs...but wow.

   I met Smokie several months ago at Clay County Animal Care & Control​. Since meeting him, I have discovered more and more of how amazing of a dog he is. So well-mannered and affectionate, with a gentle disposition, Smokie is a boy that I would take home in a heartbeat. He has the cutest mannerisms, from holding his food bowls in his mouth once finished eating (which, from being in the shelter for such a long period of time, he doesn’t do this so much anymore), to his absolute love for tennis balls, to the most gentle hugs he gives, this boy is in need of a family to give him all of the love he deserves.

   Smokie, as well as his other friends at the shelter, are examples of the beauty of the bond between a dog and a human, the reason why dogs truly are man’s best friend. Smokie’s loyalty and love for people is undying. It's a reminder of the beautiful bond between a dog and a human. Spending so much time with this sweet boy has definitely built an amazing bond that I will never forget. He becomes attached (which, quite honestly, I’ve become attached to him in return), which is a great symbol of his loyalty and of the love that he will have for his future family, whoever that may be.  Due to his previous experiences in a home, he needs to be with a family where he would be the only dog.

   The love of a dog, despite the flaws of humanity and the so many horrible acts committed towards such innocent creatures, is the reason why I have decided to be the voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. The homeless animals lack a voice yet unconditionally love. It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing. It’s time to stand up for them and be their voice.

  

Hope In A Dark World

Thoughts of sadness and grief have been running through my mind. The acts of mankind have been horrendous. Horrible deeds fill the news everyday.

   Yet, my hope will not completely fail, because I know the One who is in control. It will remain because I know of the prosperous plans He has, plans to give me 'a hope and a future' (Jeremiah 29:11).

  However, this world is broken. This world is living in lies, lies that have been darted from the arrows of the enemy.  This world is desperately looking for truth, but such truth has not been found. Not until one discovers the words of Scripture, until the words of Scripture have been impressed on the hearts of its reader, has a person discovered truth, when their life has radically been changed by the presence of the Lord and His hand in their life.

   So much sadness, so much grief, so much pain, has flooded this world. As I keep reading posts again and again about the same issue, compassion for life, for the innocent creatures on this earth, has been overtaking me. How can a human being shoot someone else's beloved pet, just because it's in sight? How can a human being hang an innocent cat, a missing family member, on a tree to die? So many incidents in so short a time, all in the area where I live. And not only do some have lack of compassion for animals, but the same lack of compassion remains for other humans. How can a human being, a person no different than me and you, kill another human being? Yet this act has been going on for thousands of years, beginning with Cain and Abel.

Is there no remorse? No regrets? No sadness? No compassion?

My heart grieves to hear such stories, but it is the state of the world we live in.

The truth is, this world is in desperate need of a Savior. 

  This world needs Jesus, the One who died for the murderers, the careless animal killers, the liars. He is the One who died for me and you, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). 

   The acts of humanity are shameful. How horrible they are just to hear about, yet how scary it is to live in such a world! Yet we are all sinful. We are all in need of a Savior. However, Christians have been forgiven. They are no longer stuck in sin, but have been made new. 

  This world is a scary place to live in, but there is hope because of Jesus. The words of Scripture have the power to transform lives. When people discover truth, the lies encompassing their lives will disintegrate. Christians, it's time to shine God's light in this dark world and share the truth of God's Word with others. It's time to answer the calling to make a difference. It's time to be the city on a hill that we are destined to be!

You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

Like A Breeze

Time is short.

It's like a breeze that comes and goes, a breeze that lasts within seconds and then...it's gone.

   Isn't life like that? Moments don't last. They come like a breeze and then are gone before we know it. As I get older, I've been coming face to face with the reality of how fast time goes by, how quickly life changes, and the necessity of soaking in every moment. This life isn't meant to be lived while just 'going through the motions'. We were meant to enjoy this life that God has blessed us enough to have. We were meant to make memories and build relationships with others. Most of all, we were meant to cherish every second of our lives and use it to make an eternal impact on others, starting with a heart focused on the Lord and a life placed in the hands of our Creator.

   And as soon as we get comfortable, as soon as we think that the way life is will stay the way it is for awhile, things change. Schedules change. Friendships change. Relationships change. Life changes. Many times, things will never return to the way that they were. It's really a sad thought, but isn't it the truth?

What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. James 4:14

   My senior year is about to be here. Junior year was such an amazing year, but things are about to change. I am going to be taking more college classes. Some of my friends just graduated, so I won't have classes with them anymore. My good friend, who was an exchange student, just flew back to Japan. It's like all of these memories, all compiled into one year, have come and gone like a breeze. A pleasant breeze, but a quick one.

   It's so sad, but it's such a reminder that this life is temporary. Compared to the rest of eternity, life is so short. We need to place our focus on the heavenly rewards of God's Kingdom, an eternal perspective that takes our minds off of the temporal pleasures of this world and onto the rewards that will benefit us for all of eternity. Love others. Make every moment count. Lead people to Christ, and to the life that we were all called to live.

All we have are the memories, the intangible moments of a past that can never be rewound.

Things change. People change. Relationships change. Moments change. But there's good news! God's love and His eternal Kingdom will always stay the same.

All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.
^{1 Peter 1:24-25}

Love Take Me Over

Love, take these words that I'm speaking
Love, take these thoughts that I'm thinking
Love, take me over
Love, fill up all of my space and
Love, stand right here in my place
Love, hear this prayer that I'm praying
Love, take me, love, take me over
Love, take me over

.....

Let Your never-ending, never-failing, all-consuming love
Take over me

"Love Take Me Over"//Steven Curtis Chapman

   We live in a broken and fallen world. We live in a world of self harm and depression. We live in a world where the light is a small dot in a huge circle of darkness. This world is constantly looking, but they are never finding. Everyone has a hole in their heart, and that hole can only be filled by the love and power of Jesus Christ. But until we discover and are changed by His love, that hole will never be filled. That hole will always leave us with a craving for something more. It will always lead us to a feeling of emptiness and depression.

   As a Christ follower, as a girl impacted by His love and changed by His grace, I am now called to share His love to the world. This world is looking for a love that cannot be satisfied by anyone or anything on this earth. God wants to use me (and you!) to share His love to others. 

   But in a world of murder and war and minute by minute crime, how can we love? How can love still remain in a world of so much sin and hatred, when we end up on the opposing side of humanity and when those around us turn their backs on us? 

As Jesus died the most horrible death, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

  And it's because of His great love for us that He sacrificed His entire life for us on that cross. Even though we are sinners. Even though we live in a world of darkness. Yes, Jesus died for you because He loves you!

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

  Because of His love, I must love. Steven Curtis Chapman's song, "Love Take Me Over", has been such a reminder to me of this. It's a reminder that my life should be completely rooted in His love. And even though I'm not perfect, it's a reminder that every action, every word, and every thought should be carried out by His love. It's a reminder of a daily prayer, daily asking the Holy Spirit to "take these words that I'm speaking" and "these thoughts that I'm thinking" and for His love to take me over. When love "fills up all of my space" and "stands here in my place", that is when God will use me to do amazing things. When I allow God's love to take over me, I will be used to lead people out of the dark places and into the light. 

   What is love? Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a)

   It's time to clothe myself daily in a heart of patience and kindness. It's time to take up the shield and protect myself from the temptations to envy, boast, and stand in pride. Love is not selfish, but it puts others first. It makes others feel important. It is built in humility. Most of all, it leads others to Christ.

   In a broken and fallen world, it is my prayer that God's love, His never-ending, never-failing, all-consuming love, to take over me. I want kindness to rule over every word, compassion in every thought, and humility in every deed. I want to encourage others. I want to help others when they least expect help to come. I want to serve others with acts of a humble and patient heart. This world is searching for love. Are you willing to live a life that is taken over by His love?