So today was my good friend's birthday. And of course, to embarass her, I got a bunch of band kids to sing happy birthday to her in the lunchroom. So we were singing... and everything was quiet except us... and all of a sudden EVERYONE STOPS SINGING BUT ME.
Talk about a *screams bloody murder on the inside* moment. I was terrified. Because not only was I singing loudly in the middle of a high school lunch room, but it was also the part in the happy birthday song that I usually purposely start singing horribly just because I can't sing that high and on pitch. But I didn't sing it badly this time. I sung it horribly off-key, loudly, and ALONE.
But hey, I realized something in this awkward experience. I realized it didn't phase me as much as I thought. Sure I sounded terrible (as I usually do, I'm not that great of a singer), and sure I was the only thing anyone could hear, but it made me think. If I can stand in the middle of a lunch room in front of a quarter of the lower classmen at my school, then why in the world can't I get the courage to talk to a single one of them about God?
I'd like to believe that it isn't because I'm ashamed of being a Christian. I think it's more of that I can't be assertive when it comes to talking about God because I don't have all the answers to the questions they ask me, I still have days when I feel like walking away from God and ignoring Him, and I have sooo many doubts about what I believe in.
Pretty much I need to work on throwing my worries into the wind, putting all my trust in Him, letting Him boost my confidence, and opening my mouth to speak. He'll put the words in my mouth, I have no doubt about that.
So maybe tomorrow I'll sing some God-Music at the top of my lungs during lunch. (: What about you?
<3 Warrior
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Penny Pincher
One of my favorite stories of the Gospels is in Luke, chapter 21, verses 1-4. It's one of my favorites because I've experienced the story first-hand before. But I'll get into that later. First, the story.
So imagine, you're at church one sunny day and all of the wealthy people who live in the city are giving tons and tons of money to the church. As they do so, an old beggar woman shakily walks forward and drops two small copper coins into the offering jar. Everyone begins to mock her, but a voice of truth comes from behind you. A man in his early thirties tells the twelve men standing around him that the woman had given more to God than anyone else there, because she gave all she had.
Intense, right? It really makes you think. Those wealthy people gave a ton of money because it didn't hurt them to give away the cream off the top of their coffee. (Unless it's a Java Chip Frap from Starbucks and someone asks for the whipped cream off the top. Then I would have to hurt them (; ). Giving away money when you have a ton of money to give away is no skin off your back. But when you have no money... giving is hard. Very hard.
God wants more from us than what is easy to give. That's the bottom line. If we aren't putting our everything into His kingdom, if we don't give back to Him AT LEAST 10% of what we have, and if we don't give to Him with an attitude of willingness to do so, then we aren't giving enough. 2 Corinthians 8:12 says, "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not to what one does not have."
God wants us to:
- Give back to Him
- Break a sweat doing so
- Give, love, and trust with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (MORE ON THIS LATER! STAY TUNED!)
When we give our all and place all of our trust in Him, He blesses us. He won't let anything bad happen to us if we are trusting in Him 110%. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding." How's that for tough? It takes a lot of time and spiritual strength to accomplish that.
One last thing before I close out this post. My first-hand experience.
At my middle school, the band did a benefit concert every year to help an association in need of financial support. In my 6th grade year, the 7th and 8th grade bands had a benefit concert for a charity I don't remember now. At the end, during the last song, there was a chance for anyone and everyone to come up and put money into big jars on the edge of the stage to give to the charity. I had gathered up as much money as I could before the concert, still leaving some for myself, and I scurried up to the stage to put my dollahs and coins into the jar. While waiting to drop my donation in, I saw one of my friends and I went over to her and showed her how much I was giving. She showed me hers and said, "I brought all I could find." She had about 28 cents in pennies and nickels. Humbled, I gave her half of what I had so she could donate more.
The fact that all she could find to donate was 28 cents... and that was all she had... and she was giving it all...
WOW.
How's that for willingness and sacrifice?
Think today and for the next couple days about how you can give back to God. It may be through talents, gifts, tithing, serving, or anything like that. In what ways can YOU glorify God?
<3 Warrior
So imagine, you're at church one sunny day and all of the wealthy people who live in the city are giving tons and tons of money to the church. As they do so, an old beggar woman shakily walks forward and drops two small copper coins into the offering jar. Everyone begins to mock her, but a voice of truth comes from behind you. A man in his early thirties tells the twelve men standing around him that the woman had given more to God than anyone else there, because she gave all she had.
Intense, right? It really makes you think. Those wealthy people gave a ton of money because it didn't hurt them to give away the cream off the top of their coffee. (Unless it's a Java Chip Frap from Starbucks and someone asks for the whipped cream off the top. Then I would have to hurt them (; ). Giving away money when you have a ton of money to give away is no skin off your back. But when you have no money... giving is hard. Very hard.
God wants more from us than what is easy to give. That's the bottom line. If we aren't putting our everything into His kingdom, if we don't give back to Him AT LEAST 10% of what we have, and if we don't give to Him with an attitude of willingness to do so, then we aren't giving enough. 2 Corinthians 8:12 says, "For if the willingness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not to what one does not have."
God wants us to:
- Give back to Him
- Break a sweat doing so
- Give, love, and trust with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (MORE ON THIS LATER! STAY TUNED!)
When we give our all and place all of our trust in Him, He blesses us. He won't let anything bad happen to us if we are trusting in Him 110%. Proverbs 3:5 says, "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not on your own understanding." How's that for tough? It takes a lot of time and spiritual strength to accomplish that.
One last thing before I close out this post. My first-hand experience.
At my middle school, the band did a benefit concert every year to help an association in need of financial support. In my 6th grade year, the 7th and 8th grade bands had a benefit concert for a charity I don't remember now. At the end, during the last song, there was a chance for anyone and everyone to come up and put money into big jars on the edge of the stage to give to the charity. I had gathered up as much money as I could before the concert, still leaving some for myself, and I scurried up to the stage to put my dollahs and coins into the jar. While waiting to drop my donation in, I saw one of my friends and I went over to her and showed her how much I was giving. She showed me hers and said, "I brought all I could find." She had about 28 cents in pennies and nickels. Humbled, I gave her half of what I had so she could donate more.
The fact that all she could find to donate was 28 cents... and that was all she had... and she was giving it all...
WOW.
How's that for willingness and sacrifice?
Think today and for the next couple days about how you can give back to God. It may be through talents, gifts, tithing, serving, or anything like that. In what ways can YOU glorify God?
<3 Warrior
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Overwhelmed
Okay, so I don't really like putting lyrics into blog posts, because without music, the lyrics are kind of boring. But I'm going to be boring. Just read through the lyrics and maybe look up the song on YouTube.
Pay special attention to the chorus.
Overwhelm ~ Starfield
This is an invitation to overwhelm my heart
I'm asking you to meet me
I'm waiting here to start
My soul is like a desert
Thirsty for your rain
So open up the heavens
And fill me up again
I'm ready for my life to be consumed
Father here I am
Overwhelmed, Overwhelmed
Only your love can
Overwhelm, Overwhelm
Let your spirit fall
Overtaking all
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm me
Desperate for your presence
I long for you alone
So Dwell within me Jesus
This temple is your home
I'm ready for this life to be consumed
Father here I am
Overwhelmed, Overwhelmed
Only your love can
Overwhelm, Overwhelm
Let your spirit fall
Overtaking all
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm,
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm me
Father here I am
Overwhelm, Overwhelm
Only your love can
Overwhelm
Father here I am
Overwhelmed, Overwhelmed
Only your love can
Overwhelm, Overwhelm
Let your spirit fall
Overtake it all
Let your spirit fall
Overtake it all
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm,
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm me
~~~
Did you notice the line in the chorus that says "Only Your love can overwhelm me"? Well I was thinking about that while listening to this song the other day while simultaneously working on my 3-foot pile of homework. I thought, "Good golly goldfish, I'm overwhelmed!" when I saw my homework. Then I listened to this song and it dawned on me that if I focus solely on glorifying God with my best and give my troubles to Him, He will provide for me. Then the only thing I need to fear is His power and the only thing that will overwhelm me is His awesome and unfailing love.
When I feel over whelmed, I usually go to Proverbs, which is my go-to guide in the Bible when I'm having problems. Last year, during a very stressful group project, I found a couple verses that told me to rely on God to provide and everything will turn out all right. (My group ended up being one of two groups out of 10 to get a B. All else recieved much lower.)
Proverbs 16:3 ~ Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:9 ~ In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs is SOOO full of wisdom for everyday life. If you look through my personal Bible, Proverbs is a mass of green and yellow highlighter mixed with splotches of pen and pencil notes (:
It's a great place to go when you're lost or need help.
If you ever feel overwhelmed,
1. Talk to God about it and let Him take away your stress & pain.
2. Walk away from whatever's stressing you out for a a while. Take a walk. Dance. Take a nap. Read. It helps.
3. Talk to someone who has gone through your situation before for advice. If you don't have someone, talk to me. (:
<3 Warrior
Pay special attention to the chorus.
Overwhelm ~ Starfield
This is an invitation to overwhelm my heart
I'm asking you to meet me
I'm waiting here to start
My soul is like a desert
Thirsty for your rain
So open up the heavens
And fill me up again
I'm ready for my life to be consumed
Father here I am
Overwhelmed, Overwhelmed
Only your love can
Overwhelm, Overwhelm
Let your spirit fall
Overtaking all
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm me
Desperate for your presence
I long for you alone
So Dwell within me Jesus
This temple is your home
I'm ready for this life to be consumed
Father here I am
Overwhelmed, Overwhelmed
Only your love can
Overwhelm, Overwhelm
Let your spirit fall
Overtaking all
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm,
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm me
Father here I am
Overwhelm, Overwhelm
Only your love can
Overwhelm
Father here I am
Overwhelmed, Overwhelmed
Only your love can
Overwhelm, Overwhelm
Let your spirit fall
Overtake it all
Let your spirit fall
Overtake it all
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm,
Overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm, overwhelm me
~~~
Did you notice the line in the chorus that says "Only Your love can overwhelm me"? Well I was thinking about that while listening to this song the other day while simultaneously working on my 3-foot pile of homework. I thought, "Good golly goldfish, I'm overwhelmed!" when I saw my homework. Then I listened to this song and it dawned on me that if I focus solely on glorifying God with my best and give my troubles to Him, He will provide for me. Then the only thing I need to fear is His power and the only thing that will overwhelm me is His awesome and unfailing love.
When I feel over whelmed, I usually go to Proverbs, which is my go-to guide in the Bible when I'm having problems. Last year, during a very stressful group project, I found a couple verses that told me to rely on God to provide and everything will turn out all right. (My group ended up being one of two groups out of 10 to get a B. All else recieved much lower.)
Proverbs 16:3 ~ Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Proverbs 16:9 ~ In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs is SOOO full of wisdom for everyday life. If you look through my personal Bible, Proverbs is a mass of green and yellow highlighter mixed with splotches of pen and pencil notes (:
It's a great place to go when you're lost or need help.
If you ever feel overwhelmed,
1. Talk to God about it and let Him take away your stress & pain.
2. Walk away from whatever's stressing you out for a a while. Take a walk. Dance. Take a nap. Read. It helps.
3. Talk to someone who has gone through your situation before for advice. If you don't have someone, talk to me. (:
<3 Warrior
Monday, September 6, 2010
Loving Your Enemies
This is a BIG one. Everyone knows to love their family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc. That's a given. The big problem is when it comes to loving your enemy. Loving the ones who hate you, wish you ill tidings, start rumors about you, make fun of you behind your back and in front of your face, insult your clothes, etc. It makes no sense in this modern world to love someone who treats you so badly. We've been told to hate them back and retaliate by the world. Jesus tells us otherwise.
Jesus tells us in Matthew (5:43-48) that we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Whew. What a task. But guess what? Jesus is no hypocrite. The Bible says that while we were sinners, we were God's enemies. He loved His enemies. He loved them SO MUCH that He sent His son to die for them. And Jesus did it without hesitation. He prayed for His enemies' souls while hanging on the very cross they had nailed Him to. Could you die for the ones who hate you and persecute you? and pray for them while they do so?
School's about to start and I just learned that one of my old best friends is going to be in the same program as me this year. I'm dreading every second of it. While we were friends, she abused our friendship, used me, and did all sorts of awful stuff. That was 5 years ago and from what I've heard from another friend of mine who went to school with her last year, she hasn't changed much.
Also in my program is a girl who used to be my worst enemy. 5 years ago to be exact. We hated each other. We both had the eye-for-an-eye philosophy when it came to each other. We both got hurt. Badly. Now, it's like it never happened. We never talk about the past. We aren't best best friends but we talk every now and then. I'm loving my used-to-be enemy (then again, now she's not a threat to me).
This kind of goes along with my whole "I only care what someone thinks about me if it's one of my friends" lifestyle. I'm going to need a lot of help from God and my friends to learn to love my ex-friend. It's going to take a lot of patience and love. I've never been quite good at forgiving and forgetting. I'm about to get a crash course in it. Keep me in your prayers.
So yeah, you're going to have lots of chances in your life to love an enemy. There are going to be times when you need to. Prepare yourself for when that time comes and know ahead of time that it's not going to be easy. I don't think it ever will be.
I love you guys :D
<3 Warrior
Jesus tells us in Matthew (5:43-48) that we must love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. Whew. What a task. But guess what? Jesus is no hypocrite. The Bible says that while we were sinners, we were God's enemies. He loved His enemies. He loved them SO MUCH that He sent His son to die for them. And Jesus did it without hesitation. He prayed for His enemies' souls while hanging on the very cross they had nailed Him to. Could you die for the ones who hate you and persecute you? and pray for them while they do so?
School's about to start and I just learned that one of my old best friends is going to be in the same program as me this year. I'm dreading every second of it. While we were friends, she abused our friendship, used me, and did all sorts of awful stuff. That was 5 years ago and from what I've heard from another friend of mine who went to school with her last year, she hasn't changed much.
Also in my program is a girl who used to be my worst enemy. 5 years ago to be exact. We hated each other. We both had the eye-for-an-eye philosophy when it came to each other. We both got hurt. Badly. Now, it's like it never happened. We never talk about the past. We aren't best best friends but we talk every now and then. I'm loving my used-to-be enemy (then again, now she's not a threat to me).
This kind of goes along with my whole "I only care what someone thinks about me if it's one of my friends" lifestyle. I'm going to need a lot of help from God and my friends to learn to love my ex-friend. It's going to take a lot of patience and love. I've never been quite good at forgiving and forgetting. I'm about to get a crash course in it. Keep me in your prayers.
So yeah, you're going to have lots of chances in your life to love an enemy. There are going to be times when you need to. Prepare yourself for when that time comes and know ahead of time that it's not going to be easy. I don't think it ever will be.
I love you guys :D
<3 Warrior
Saturday, September 4, 2010
A Little Something About Myself/Friendship Advice
Hello faithful readers!
I am currently on vacation in The Sunshine State so I haven't really been able to blog. But I have something I need to say really quick.
I pride myself on not caring a single bit what anyone thinks of me. I wear jeans and a t-shirt year-round, never take off my sweatshirt in the winter, wear no make-up whatsoever, sing in public, the whole nine yards. When people say something mean about me, I shrug it off. It's only when they are mean to my friends when I get upset.
Yesterday I realized I have an edit to make to that. I can take anything from anyone EXCEPT my friends. My friends are the ones who should love me no matter what. If and when they say something rude to me or about me, I WILL get upset.
One of my very very very best friends is a coaster enthusiast and he's been slowly converting me into one. I called him last night to tell him about the shirt I had gotten at Busch Gardens Tampa. When I first told him, he was excited. But when I told him which shirt it was he said, "Oh that's stupid." You have no idea how much that upset me. I'm almost crying now, just thinking about it. It really hurt me for him to say that. I was SOOOO excited about that shirt and now I never want to wear it. Geez, now I AM crying.
So let this serve as a reminder for you to love your friends and support them in everything whether you love it too or not.
<3 Warrior
P.S. When I get home I have a bunch of devo's for you guys :D
I am currently on vacation in The Sunshine State so I haven't really been able to blog. But I have something I need to say really quick.
I pride myself on not caring a single bit what anyone thinks of me. I wear jeans and a t-shirt year-round, never take off my sweatshirt in the winter, wear no make-up whatsoever, sing in public, the whole nine yards. When people say something mean about me, I shrug it off. It's only when they are mean to my friends when I get upset.
Yesterday I realized I have an edit to make to that. I can take anything from anyone EXCEPT my friends. My friends are the ones who should love me no matter what. If and when they say something rude to me or about me, I WILL get upset.
One of my very very very best friends is a coaster enthusiast and he's been slowly converting me into one. I called him last night to tell him about the shirt I had gotten at Busch Gardens Tampa. When I first told him, he was excited. But when I told him which shirt it was he said, "Oh that's stupid." You have no idea how much that upset me. I'm almost crying now, just thinking about it. It really hurt me for him to say that. I was SOOOO excited about that shirt and now I never want to wear it. Geez, now I AM crying.
So let this serve as a reminder for you to love your friends and support them in everything whether you love it too or not.
<3 Warrior
P.S. When I get home I have a bunch of devo's for you guys :D
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)