Glimpses of God in Every Season

As my dad and I drove to church this morning, we got to thinking about the different seasons and how they portray our relationship with Him. Winter is when all the leaves are dying and everything is dead and cold. The snow symbolizes Christ's death and how he was a pure sacrifice and as white as snow. He died for us so that we could have new life and live with Him one day in eternity. Spring rolls around and it shows new birth. How Christ gives us new life and changes our hearts just like the flowers springing up and the new animals being born. Summer comes and it makes one think of the deserts in life. Once your faith starts really happening you soon realize that being a Christian doesn't mean your life is fine and dandy. It's hard, it has it's ups and downs, it has it's trials, and has it's deserts. Then, Fall comes and its symbolizes the change that Christ brings to our lives. How He continues to make us different and more like Him at all times during our walk of faith. He uses different situations and people and resources and more to change our hearts. Through all of these seasons though, there are those trees that don't change. The evergreens. Their leaves don't change just like some people's hearts don't. They are not changed by Christ's love or power or mercy or sacrifice. They stay the same. There are a lot of people like that in the world. Are you one? Do you see His beauty all around you? In our chapel service this week for school, the pastor spoke about being renewed each and every day by Christ's holiness. By how much we need Him and how awful we are compared to Him. How set apart He is. Are you renewed each day by that reality? During this season of Fall, is He changing your heart? Who is He making you to be?

Easier Said Then Done

Ephesians 4:15-16, "Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."
I'm not sure if it's just me, but love seems to be a huge thing these days. The world around us is telling us we need to fall in love or be nice to everyone and have world peace, etc, etc, blah blah blah. I think love is huge. I'm not talking about love as in the mushy gushy kind, I'm talking about the love that helps others and is accepting, etc. In the above verse, I feel like love is very crucial! It says that the body "grows and builds itself up in love". If we are the body (yes, the Casting Crowns song just started to play in my head), then we need love. Love is a part of everything in our lives. The way we treat people is extremely important since we are around people almost all the time. The way we love others influences our relationship with them. If we loved every single person the way Christ loved people, man, would the world be wonderful. In reality, it is the exact oppoosite. It is HARD to love people! I am constantly worrying about my relationships with people and what they think of me and trying to make sure I act the right way around them. Our relationships with people are messy, but how big of a blessing would it be if we incorporated the amazing love Jesus had into them. So how will you live your life today? Loving everyone is easier said then done. Will you choose to love every single person the way Christ did. To essentially see them through the cross...and to be a blessing.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"(Insert you name in every blank)_ is patient, _ is kind. _ does not envy, _ does not boast, _ is not proud. _ is not rude, _ is not self-seeking, _ is not easily angered. _ keeps no record of wrongs. _ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. _ always protects. always trusts, always hopes, always perserveres."

Piercing like a Sword

Proverbs 12:18, "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." I never really thought about how my words can pierce like a sword. Now I don't know about you, but I would definitely not be able to handle a sword. 1. I'm clumsy. 2. I'm not very coordinated. 3. I'm a blonde and I just don't think a combination of those three would work out very well. But really, our words are like a sword. If I can't handle an actual sword, I really don't think I can handle my words. They can cut someone down or build them up in two seconds flat. What would our lives look like if we spent every opportunity of our day building others up? Would there be less gossipping? Better days in general? James writes in James 3:9-10, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." What a convicting verse. In the matter of one day, we can gossip about friends and then go and sing a worship song praising our Lord. What a blessing our lives would be if we used our words to bless and build others up. What will you say today?

Daily Renewal

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 says, "Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are acheiving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
Life is crazy. As a teenager there is so much to do and too little time to do it. Yes, some teenagers are lazy bums and sit on the couch all day (which is great for those that do that), but I am the complete opposite. I'm a busy-body. Always finding something to do and not having much down time. This can make life very stressful at times, which is not very good, but I love staying busy. There is always something to do, places that can have improvement, more activities to get involved in, and new areas to explore. Yes, I love almost everything. But in a life and country consumed with busyness, what can one do to stay energized? In verse 16 of the passage above, Paul writes about being "renewed day by day." What does that look like for you and me? For me, it means that I need to make sure to continue every day to spend time with my Lord, away from distractions and focused on Him so that I can be reenergized for the coming day. For you, it might mean you need to make time to do devotions. Maybe you need to find a special time in your day to just stop and take a deep breath and remember Him. For some, it might mean spending every morning in the shower in prayer or playing a peaceful worship song before bed. Whatever way spiritually renews you, do it! Being peaceful and calm can be a blessing to others in a world with frazzled and stressed people. Today, in what way will you find spiritual renewal and be a blessing?

The Beginning

Have you ever had a moment in life that catches you off guard? Something that has a random impact on your life? It happened just a month ago for me, when a friend of so many people in our community died tragically. He was only a freshmen, loved by many, and said to have so many possibilities and potential in front of him. I didn't personally know him, some of my friends did, but it struck me hard. It could have been any one of us that died that night. I had been going through a bit of depression at that time. Life was catching up to me and I was beyond stressed. With the beginning of a new school year and even more responsibilities, the pressure was closing in. When I heard the news of the tragic accident, I was first in shock and overwhelmed with sadness. It really made me think about my life and the people in it. Who was I living for? Easy-myself. Everyone has to die eventually, but what did I want to be remembered for? I came across a verse only a couple weeks after the incident that described my wishes perfectly. Proverbs 10:7 says, "The memory of the righteous will be a blessing, but the name of the wicked will rot." I decided I wanted to be remembered as a blessing. It didn't matter how many people were at my funeral or how rich I had become in my lifetime-all I wanted to be known as was a blessing.The reason I created this blog is to share my ideas and hopefully receive some in return. Above all else, I want to grow in my relationship with the Creator and my Lord. I want this blog to be full of encouragement and hopefully a blessing to people's lives. I want to be able to reflect on my journey with Christ and the lessons He is teaching me every single day. I want to share the absolute bliss that comes from being a blessing. Welcome to the beginning.