Monday Mentions

While reading my bible yesterday during services, I stumbled upon this passage: 

"The Lord is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you" (Psalm 9:9-10 ESV).

Another glorious reminder that God is our rock and our shield. If we put our faith in him, if we rest all of our trust in him, we cannot go wrong. There is no way to be forsaken by our Lord if all of our trust is in him. I feel like God was reaching out to me when I saw this. It had been one of those days yesterday and I really needed some time with me and God. When I opened my bible and saw that, my heart was set at ease. 

Whatever I go through daily, it is never more than I can handle. There will be troubles and trials but God is always there making sure that we are not given more than we can handle. It's all about will power, isn't it? If I have the strength to trudge through the hard stuff, to put it all on God, then I will come out strong. I will come out victorious! 

Personal Purpose

"The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever..." (Psalm 138:8a).  

I personally have been going through a lot of things lately that I wish I wasn't. I've been feeling overwhelmed, confused, nostalgic, tired... And it's seemed like no matter where I turn, that trouble, that worry, those aggravations, they're all there with their eyes on me. This morning I felt especially burdened and then I saw the scripture above on Twitter. What a wonderful reminder! God has his purpose for me, of course, but I forget that daily! Like I posted a few days ago, God's love is never failing! It will endure forever! How can I not heave a sigh at that? My worries all but melt away, the tension in my body wanes, even my penetrating headache shrunk in intensity. Such a small verse, what a simple thing to say and yet, it means so much to me. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me! His steadfast love endures forever! I have a purpose in this life, and God is its master. The purpose I am given by God is delivered to me through his never-ending love for me. So what then is there left to say but this: When you’re feeling down, there is nothing more comforting than knowing that God has a plan for you and his love drives that plan forward. Find peace in that alone!

Wednesday Night

On Wednesday night I went to the Finger Church of Christ to hear my brother speak. I'd like to think that both my brother and I have a lot to say, we just rarely get the opportunity. His lesson at Finger was wonderful and extraordinary, the insight was enriching. I felt especially enthralled to listen because we share the way we think. So much is different on the inside. I was so impressed with him, the depth in his words, the meaningful way he presented every phrase... it was enticing and I couldn't look away from him through the whole thing. Maybe I was the only one so interested, maybe not. Either way, lately I feel like I haven't been getting as much out of worship as I'd like to and last night I finally got what I needed, what I was searching for. Just something that was on my mind. 

Problem Solvers

The quickest way through the marsh is not to go around, but to roll up our pant legs and trudge on through. When we have problems in life, the worst thing to do is think we can just skirt around it. We need to always remember the importance of facing our problems head on. Though some situations and difficulties vary in intensity, there is no better way to deal with a situation than to embrace it and learn from the outcomes. We will always have trials and tribulations, but the way that we handle them will define who we are and who’s we are for eternity. 

Just a little thought for the day!

May God watch over and continue to bless us all!

Love Like God Loves

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that" (Martin Luther King Jr.).

This is just a reminder that love goes so much further than hate. Today I'd like to look at 1 Corinthians 13:1-13 in the English Standard Version. I'd like to reflect on the importance of Love. 

"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing" (1 Corinthians 13:1-3 ESV).

There is nothing as powerful as love... if there was then God wouldn't be so known for his. That love reaches out to all of God's children! How can we then not show love to one another when God gives his to all of his creation? 

"Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things" (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV).

God does not show us his love my forcing it upon us in a smothering way. We can choose to accept his love or choose to ignore it. By ignoring that love, we ignore the very thing that binds us to him. In the same way, we have to remember that our love must spread to all of mankind and God's creation but understand that not everyone is going to want it. Just because someone doesn't want the love we are to give, doesn't mean we should ever stop loving. Love is never-ending! Never-failing... it is a fire that cannot be put out, a thirst that can never be quenched, an emotion that cannot be tamed. We are the epitome of love. Because of this fact, there is no way to believe that we can live without it.

Here's the rest of the passage for you all to read if you'd like to, I love it! ;)

"Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. ¹¹ When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love." (1 Corinthians 13:8-13 ESV).

Winter Weather in West Tennessee

Well, fall is finally here in this area! I'd have to say I'm a little underprepared, but I guess my hoodies will do. I can't very well walk around toting my blanket on my shoulders, no matter how much I would like to! I had a very relaxing weekend; I can’t express to you all how much I needed it, too. I’ve been so busy with tests, projects, performances, and my job… I was so very excited for a few days that were stress-free and that is exactly what I got.

My family came down Friday for my brothers Harvest Party and that was a lot of fun. We carved pumpkins, grilled out, drank cider, and ended the evening singing praises to God—what an uplifting way to finish if I do say so myself! I then went and watched a movie with a couple friends and went back to spend the night with my family.

That next morning we got up early—one of my friends said there’s no such thing as Saturday morning, there’s Friday night, and Saturday afternoon and I can’t agree more with him. We all went shopping for groceries and for a few new pieces of clothing for me and then headed back to get ready for the Carothers’s Hayride that night.

I had so much fun there with the hayride with friends, smores, and singing hymns to God. We got back around 9:00 from that and then watched Puss in Boots at my brothers house with my family and some pals from school. There was nothing about this weekend I didn’t enjoy!

Yesterday I said goodbye to my family and then after services last night, I carved pumpkins with my best friend, I made Pikachu, he’s pretty much awesome. :P

All in all I feel so blessed in my life because I have so much!

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be touched—they must be felt with the heart” (Helen Keller).

Welcome to Antarctica

So apparently the next ice age is happening in East Tennessee today, it came out of nowhere. Yesterday it was 80+ and sunny and today it's in the 40's with a frigid breeze and cloudy skies. Don't get me wrong, I love cold weather! But I tend to be a fan of knowing when the cold weather suddenly comes around. It needs to make up it's mind here, because my sinus's and my sanity are confused! I hope you are all having a good day! I have a memory verse test today in about 3 minutes and here's a little slice of it just for you:

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we ear?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself, Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matthew 6:31-34 ESV).

A Little Something

I'm sorry I neglected to do this earlier today, but here's something to keep in mind!

"A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good. A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit " (Proverbs 15:1-4 ESV).

We need to think before we speak! Funny how often this is an afterthought... ironic, isn't it? ;) Our personal image is so heavily impacted by our actions. Not only does this affect us personally, but it gives an image on our Church body as well! We don't want to encourage the false image of Christians of today by acting like fools in front of an already judgmental world! God sees everything! This is so very reassuring, because it is proof that he is always there. But this is also a reminder that we are under the never-ceasing eye of our eternal Judge! So let's go out today keeping in mind what we say. Let's also not forget who we are and who's we are!

From Me to You

I hope you're all having a marvelous day; it's gorgeous here in Tennessee! Don't forget to take some time today to thank God for the little things! 

Here's a scripture I felt like sharing, hope you enjoy!

"I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge—even as the testimony about Christ was confirmed among you—so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift, as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:4-9 ESV).

God is faithful and will always be that way. Let's go out today with our heads held high with confidence in this!