A Happy Birthday Post!

Good evening everyone! I hope everybody had a very blessed, peaceful, fun, spirit-filled Christmas! Due to my new-found intimacy with Christ and my greater knowledge of who He really is and what He has done for me, mine was definitely the best one yet. I was planning on sharing yesterday, but I was very busy with festivites! So today I decided to dedicate a post to the birthday of Jesus and also the birthday of one of my best friends, Hannah.

I'll start with Jesus. Every year I see the "reason for the season" statuses and go to the Christmas Eve service and listen to the Christmas story, but this was the first year I truly felt like I was celebrating Jesus' birthday and not just some holiday filled with pretty lights, good food, happy music, and lots of gifts. This was the first year I fully appreciated what Christ did for me and was able to comprehend, to the best of my ability, the outrageous beauty of the Christmas story. This year I didn't wake up the day after Christmas feeling disappointed because I didn't have presents to open or a party to go to, but instead I felt renewed and driven to do whatever the Lord wants of me. Once I realized that I didn't have to earn salvation and that it was a gift that I am so undeserving of, I stopped wanting to do good works for selfish reasons but instead to give back as much as I could to my savior, because He did so much for me. And hearing the Christmas story with this new attitude made me all the more zealous about following the Lord. So here's the main things I got out of the Christmas Eve service...

God chose to come to earth in the form of a human, 100% God and 100% man. Jesus was as holy as God, yet could feel sorrow, pain, treachery, temptation, and every other feeling that a human feels. He did this so He could identify with us. Hebrews 2:18 says "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted."

 

But wait, it gets better...He didn't come in the form of just any human, He was born unto the poorest of the poor. He's the almighty God for crying out loud; He could have been born in a palace or at least in a motel room, but instead He was born unto a 13-year-old girl in a manger without even a blanket; He had to be wrapped in cloth. The fact that He was even born as a baby is crazy! He could have just come to the earth as a full-grown man and be sacrificed right away, but instead He chose to be delivered as a baby and go through childhood then adolescence then adulthood. Jesus did all of this so He could identify with us; so He could understand what it's like to walk the earth as a human and go through the stages of life. He could have been rich or at least not in poverty, but He was willing to be poor just so He could identify with not only the wealthy or the average, but also the needy. He chose to be a baby and go through life as a human so He could not only identify with 30-year-olds but also children and teenagers. He chose to go through one of the most excruciating types of death possible just to prove His immense love for us.

 

I don't know about y'all but hearing all of this definitely humbled me and brought tears to my eyes! How great is our God? And because He died that horrific death, paying the price for our sins, we have the chance at a genuinely intimate relationship with Him. I was so grateful to be able to spend time with the savior who is above all things on His birthday and everyday of my life.

 

And now onto Hannah (who has the flu and it's her birthday tomorrow, please pray for the poor soul!). Anyway, I had the joy of becoming close friends with Hannah last year and do not thank God enough for her! Her testimony as a whole is amazing, but any little story she has to share about something God has done in her life is such a joy to hear! She is a constant reminder to me that age does not matter when it comes to following God, because she is one of the wisest people I know, young or old! Her ability to hear God and be totally obedient to Him is incredible and her positive attitude about everything in life is so rare. She is one of those people that does not take a day for granted and rarely lets things get her down. Without her encouragement and advice, I can honestly say I wouldn't be where I am today! There's so much more I could say about her but I think I've summed it up pretty well!

 

Happy Birthday to Jesus and to Hannah and Merry (late) Christmas to everybody else! My prayer is that you will all realize God's glory and accept the most beautiful gift of all time, your salvation through Jesus Christ!

 

 

Sweet Hannah :)

My family on Christmas Eve

White Christmas

Running, walking, or just chillin?

Gooooood evening lovelies! As you guys might have picked up on by now, I often get inspiration for my posts from listening to songs. The other day I was listening to Hillsong United's "Running" and had an epiphany...more like a reality check, actually. Some of the verses that really stuck were...

 

"Every stride is taken in faith
Every step compelled by Your grace
We're taking up our cross
No matter what the cost
We give it all to go Your way
We're never gonna stop"

 

This got me thinking. Is every stride I take in faith? Am I even taking strides? Am I following God no matter what the cost? Is all my life devoted to going God's way? I was hit by a wave of conviction as I realized that I am way too often content with my faith. I am not always running towards God and in constant, non-stop pursuit of Him. I live my life in intervals, sometimes sprinting and most other times kind of just walking or even just standing still. Sunday was a sprint for me. I heard God telling me to get baptized, did it with no hesistance, was overwhelmed & on a Jesus high, and now over the past week I haven't really been striving to get better. I was just so wrapped up in taking a big step that I thought God was happy with me and wouldn't want much of me for a while. I hate that I let these thoughts slip into my head and take over my heart.

 

Contentment is an evil put into us by the devil. If he can't turn our heart away from God, he's going to do everything he can to hold us back from God's purpose for us. When we grow content with our faith, we stop trying to see what God's next step is for us. We stop serving Him and His people in all that we do. We stop running towards Christ and stop making sacrifices and big changes in our life to bring glory to Him. If satan can't turn us away from God, causing us to stop running towards Him is the next best thing.

 

So what did I decide to do about this? Well first I had to accept the fact that I'm never going to be perfect and will slip away & that God will wash me clean of my shortcomings. Then I had to realize that through the power of prayer, God will give me strength to get better at this and grow stronger in my faith. And lastly, I decided to post about it so that my friends, family, and everyone else who reads this can hold me accountable and hopefully learn from this too!

 

 

Then he said to them all: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

 

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

 

But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

 

somewhat running with these lovely ladies :)

Oh, Happy Day!

Excited.
Nervous.
Anxious.
Thrilled.
Lovely.
Overwhelmed.
Overjoyed.
Grateful.
Amazed.
Holy.
New.

I never would have thought I was capable of feeling all these things in one short moment....but I did this morning when I GOT BAPTIZED! Woo!! I'm sitting here reflecting on everything, because it happened so fast and I had so many people to talk to and pictures to take afterwards that I never really got to take it all in. It's difficult to put into words exacly how I felt, but I think all the above emotions sum it up quite nicely. Goodness, God is SO good. I appologize if I'm all over the place with this post; I'm kind of just typing out an explosion of my thoughts right now. Anyways, I think I will share what my baptism means to me!

As I've shared with y'all multiple times, in these past few months of my life I've expirienced more growth in God than ever before in my life and have truly committed my life to Him. I also shared in one of my Thanksgiving posts on prayer about how one night about 4 months ago, I desperately cried out to God some lyrics of my favorite song, "come and find me in the darkest night of my soul." That night I realized how far away I was from Him and asked Him to rid me of whatever it was that was holding me back from Him. I didn't realize how painful and hard that would be at first, but I also didn't realize how beautiful the result of that pain would be! Looking back to the night, I can't help but rejoice that God heard my cry and answered my prayer with greater things than I could ever imagine! In this fruitful time, He

• taught me how to trust Him with everything
• told me to stop making plans for myself and just listen to what He wanted of me
• helped me realize how beautiful & precious I am in His sight and helped me find my identity solely in Him
• brought many new friends and mentors into my life while also showing me how blessed I am to have the ones that were already in my life
• taught me how to love others the way He does
• made me realize that I don't have to be perfect for Him to love me and that nothing I could ever do could make Him reject me like people of this world do
• showed me that nothing in the whole universe is more valuable than a deep, intimate relationship with Him
• gave me the strength to get over my shyness and share with others about how great He is!
• gave me the drive to get over my laziness and post about what I learn on this blog:)

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a broken person and still fail Him daily, but now that I know all of those things, I am a completely different person and live my life in a whole new way. And since God answered my prayer and made me new, I decided to publicly profess my commitment to Him and get baptized on this beautiful Sunday morning! I can honestly say it is the best decision I have ever made. I will forever keep this day in my heart as a reminder that I surrender my life to Him and that He made me new! Thank you for everyone who has told me they are proud of me and who has supported and encouraged me; I couldn't ask for better people in my life!:) And while I did choose to take this next step, it was Jesus alone who made it even  possible. Because He paid the ultimate price, my sins and shortcomings were washed away and I was born again. It was God who answered my prayer, and God who makes ALL things work together for my good!

If you have committed your life to Christ, but haven't gotten baptized since, I HIGHLY encourage you to. It doesn't matter how old/young you are, all that matters is that you've made God your everything! And if you feel far from God or have never really had a relationship with Him at all...one prayer, one desperate cry is all it takes! He will hear you and answer you with greater things than you could ever imagine. Prayer is powerful, God is beautiful, and I am made new! Hallelujah!

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Then Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Acts 2:38

"And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.” Matthew 21:22

 

the BEST family a girl could ask for:)

My second mother, Marla

 



My awesome, supportive friends:)

Breaking Chains

Hello everybody! I hope everyone's doing well. I finally have the time and mindset to post something tonight and I'm so excited! I've been thinking about what to write for the past few days and got some unusual inspiration today. While working long and hard on a history project over the Civil War, I got to thinking about enslavement. How terrifying would it be to live all your life in bondage with no way to escape, never getting the chance to experience true happiness and serenity and freedom ever in your whole entire life? Although we aren't enslaved the way they were back then, each and every one of us is enslaved by something that robs us of true happiness and peace. But luckily, we do have a way to break free of these chains-allowing Jesus to fill our heart.

Now this idea that we are all enslaved by something...we like to reject it and believe that we're happy and don't need to "break free" from anything. But the truth is we all have that at least one thing in our life that distracts us from constantly pursuing a relationship with the Lord. Some people have things that really affect their life such as an addiction while others are more subtle, everyday things like sports or boyfriends/girlfriends and stuff like that. Now, these things that we are slaves to aren't always necessarily bad things, just the way we prioritize them before God and let them define us is what can be dangerous.

But the good news is that our God is greater and mightier than anything of this world and if we have faith that he will give us strength to repent and to break free, we can be made new by Him. We don't have to be slaves to items of this world, we can be slaves to God and to His will. Slavery often has a negative connotation and that's because wordly slavery is a negative thing. But Heavenly slavery- submitting yourself fully to God, being obedient to His word, and never hesitating to follow His will- brings overwhelming joy and peace. Greater is He who is within me than He who is in the world!

So how can we begin this lifestyle that's free of the world and full of Christ? First you must ask yourself what enslaves you. If the answer is nothing...YOU SIT ON A THRONE OF LIES. Harsh I know, but accountability needs to be sometimes. You must be completely honest with yourself and look in the depths of your heart. Contentment is such a dangerous thing and we should always be ready to admit and accept our flaws so that we actually can ask God to help us repent from them. Is it a certain sin that enslaves you? Do you lie often? Or feel like you must gossip to fit in? Or do you have a hard time loving others in the way God wants you to and often judge them? Do you constantly compare your life to others and wish for more? Do you have lustful thoughts? It was hard enough to admit to myself that I can answer yes to every single one of those questions, so it's pretty tough to admit it to everyone reading this. I don't say these kinds of things to to brag; I'm saying this to be open so that my readers can hold me accountable, so I can give every detail of the lessons I learn in hopes that someone else can learn from them too, and so that nobody thinks that just because I can sit behind my computer screen and share about my walk with God that I am not totally broken like everyone else. Anyways, I am a slave to all of those sins, some more than others, and cannot break free from them without the power of God. In this world we live in, it seems nearly impossible to stop those sins, and while it is impossible for a human not to sin, it is toally possible to break free from the chains of sin and stop letting it affect our relationship with God. Repeated sin is what holds us back,; when we constantly do the same sin is when we become a slave to it. But God can take that away and make us new! The same God that came to the earth in human form and suffered and bled and died for our sins is the same God today that can grant us the power to break away from the sins that enslave us! What great news!!

Now besides sin, we are also slaves to anything in our lives that we put before God over and over again..basically telling God that he isn't good enough. In high school especially, I see this happen with relationships. We all want to feel loved and valued and special and often look for that fulfillment in the opposite sex. I used to do this for a very long time, but didn't realize it for a while. Because me and the guy I dated both had good relationships with God and loved Him and went to church together and talked about God together, I thought there was no way that our relationship could be taking away from my relationship with God. It wasn't the guy's fault I was drawing away from God, it was my own. My mind and heart were filled with this guy way more than they were filled with God and I tried to find my happiness in the guy rather than in God. Even when a person treats you well and loves God, if you put your relationship with that person before yours with God, the relationship with fall apart at some point and you will be left feeling empty because your source of fulfullment is gone. If you search for fulfillment in absolutely anything but God, you will probably be found feeling empty in the end. But God is everlasting, eternal, and never failing! Our lives are to be 100% His because we were created for Him and by Him.

So I challenge you to truly reflect on what you are enslaved by. But don't be discouraged! Pray a long, intimate prayer, asking God to shower you in strength and power to break free and overcome this world! "You can pray for anything, and if you have faith, you will receive it." -Matthew 21:22

Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin." John 8:34

"You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Romans 6:18

Free fall swing at Frontier Ranch this summer

 

Just my beautiful sister being free and what not.

Reflection

Happy Sunday everybody!! I hope everybody's weekends were lovely. I haven't posted in a while and I apologize for that, but I've been so busy with school & other things that I've been trying to take every chance I get to just sit and meditate and talk to God. All the things around me have been so overwhelming and all that's been giving me strength is to stop what I'm doing & read some scripture and have long prayers with God. I haven't really been in a state to post & teach, but more to reflect on myself and on who God really is. In this time I've learned some convicting things & would like to share with you guys!

There are typically three different ways that people react to the fact that Jesus died to make all our sins unpunished & that as long as we believe in Him in our hearts and say it with our mouths, we get to spend eternity in Heaven. Some feel that this unconditional love means that they can just go out and sin as much as they please because it won't affect whether they're accepted into heaven or whether God loves them. Others believe that since God loves everybody, they must constantly do good deeds to get His attention and to feel His love. These people end up seeking perfection more than they seek a real relationship with Jesus. While certain people have live their whole life in one of those two ways, most other people still have both of those characteristics in them. The third reaction to God's unconditional love is the one we should all strive to have. We are to realize that nothing on this earth compares to God's grace & mercy. We are to fall in love with who He is and desire to do only His will for us.

I'd like to sit here and tell you that my reaction is the third one 100% of the time and that my motives in doing good deeds are always to follow God & show my love for Him. I realized that I recently reached a state of contentment for the past week or so and haven't been fully striving to follow God. These things are all true about myself:

• I am totally in love with God.
• I desire to use the talents and opportunities He gives me to fulfill His purpose for me in my time on earth
• I  want to fully devote every aspect of my life completely to Him
• I never want to stop growing closer to Him and discovering more about Him.

But do I act like this 100% of the time? No. Do I slip away and grow weary sometimes? Yes. At some points in my life, I've had the mindset of "oh I'll just go and do this sin because I like it and I'll ask for forgiveness later; God will still love me. I'm young and everyone around me is doing it!" This is an evil little thought that the Devil slipped into my head to keep me from whole-heartedly following God. Yes, He will still love me no matter what but shouldn't a beautiful love like that be honored? To go and sin just because you can is to take God's amazing love for granted and is an insult to the cross. At other times in my life I've gotten to the point where I do good deeds as a routine, but don't really invest in my relationship with Christ. I think that if I'm nice to people, go to church, refrain from gossiping, judging, envying, lying, etc., I'm doing a good enough job at following God. But that's not what it's all about. This is also a thought put into our head by the devil. He wants us to be content with our walk with God so we don't do the crazy, radical things that God calls us to do.  The enemy wants us to think that simply doing good deeds is enough so we will hold back in totally investing in a relationship with God. The truth is that our number one priority should be our relationship with Christ and the rest will fall into place. When we devote our whole heart to God and have a deep, strong, passionate relationship with Him, it will result in a desire to do good works and to love others and to serve and to honor His word.  We shouldn't do good deeds to feel God's love, we should feel the power of God's love and desire to completely follow His word, because really that's the least we can do for Him compared to what He's done for us.

My challenge for you is to step back and reflect on how you react to God's unconditional love. Do you take it for granted? Do you seek perfection over seeking a relationship with Him? Do you generally appreciate His love and work at your relationship with Him, but have let the devil slip these other thoughts in your mind? Don't be discouraged with what you find, but rather recognize that He loves and forgives you and do everything you can to get back on the right track! None of us are perfect and it's important that we all step back sometimes and evaluate how we are living our life.

Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

A page from Francis Chan's Crazy Love



Have a blessed week!:) -Mary Catherine

A Week of Thankfulness: Leaders

Happy Wednesday everybody! Today will be my last day of this series; thank you to everyone who has been reading it and to everyone who has given me positive feedback! God has given me so much to be thankful for and unfortunately I can't cover all of it in 7 days worth of posts, but I tried to include the major things I feel blessed to have. Today I am thankful for the mentors/Christian leaders/role models that God has put in my life.

While it's so important to have friends your age who are pursuing a relationship with Christ, it's also crucial to have older people who have more expirience to help guide you and share their knowledge with you. God did not hesitate to bless me with multiple mentors and role models and I cannot thank Him enough for them. From church leaders to YoungLife leaders to FCA leaders to bible study leaders, I have quite the collection of Christian leaders in my life. Some I'm closer to than others, but I am equally thankful for each of them and that they take the time to teach me and listen to me and help me grow. I hope it won't embarass them if I go into detail and name a few of them, but all I have to say are good things so I doubt it will.

I'll start with my amazing YoungLife leader, Marla. This women is pretty much my second mom. We only officially met this summer, but I feel like I've known her my whole entire life (cheesy, but oh so true). After any talk I have with her (they often involve tears), I walk away with so much knowledge and feeling so much better than I did before the converstation. When I'm worried or stressed or upset, she always reminds me to take a deep breath and just know that God has everything under control. Our weekly meetups are what get me through each week, whether we have a deep conversation or simply just joke around. She's taught me so much and is always there when I need anything. I am so thankful that God put her in my life and I hope she stays in it for a really long time.

Next is my bible study leader, John (aka Papa McNelly). Papa McNelly holds bible study at his house every Thursday morning before school and NEVER fails to provide a great lesson. If any of you goes to my school, I highly suggest you come; it's definitely worth waking up a little early.  He is so wise and I always get so much out of just the little hour that he teaches. He and his family are so in love with God & His people and they show it in their every day life. The fact that they are willing to cook breakfast and prepare a lesson every week and teach a bunch of high school kids about Jesus reflects their love for and commitment to God. I am so thankful that Papa McNelly takes time out of his week to share His knowledge and share the word of God.

Lastly, I just wanted to share about one of my biggest role models, Jessica Hover. She doesn't really know who I am so I feel ultra-creepy right now, but I found her blog last year and fell in love with it. Her story is incredible and the way she lives her life is awesome. I just wanted to share her blog because she's the one who inspired me to write one and her words have impacted me tons. http://jessicahover.blogspot.com/

I have multiple other leaders and mentors in my life who have made such an impact on me and have all helped me in my walk with Christ. I am so very thankful for each of them and don't tell them enough. If you feel like you don't have any real Christian leaders in your life, go find one! Join a youth group and don't hesitate to confide in an older leader because it is so very valuble!

Happy Thanksgiving everybody; I am so thankful that you took the time to read this! :)

the lovely Marla

 

Papa McNelly and our bible study group last year

another awesome leader in my life, Hannah

And another leader I'm thankful for, Jessica

A Week of Thankfulness: Friends

Good evening! I am now officially on break so it really feels like Thanksgiving time:) Once again I will be posting about something so dear to my heart. In case you haven't been able to tell from previous posts, I really love my life and the people God put in it. Today I am thankful for my friends.

Besides my group of my 5 very best friends, I am also blessed with multiple other amazing friends who all make me so happy. Recently, God has put many new people in my life that I'm so thankful for. Going through high school and staying steadfast in a relationship with God can be really tough. But if you surround yourself with the right people, it can be a lot easier. Luckily, I've been able to find so many friends who all want to pursue Christ in the same way I do, which is a rare thing at this age. The encouragement, accountability, and knowledge that you gain from a Christian friendship is so incredibly valuble. Being able to share your moments of triumph & joy and to celebrate God's glory with somebody who truly cares is amazing, along with being able to lean on someone and get support when you're struggling. A friend who loves Christ will show you that compassion and will genuinely care about you in times of hurt and happiness, which is something we all long for.

I'd like to share a little something about each of my 5 best friends. I won't go into full detail because you nor I have all day, but I'll share something I love about each of them. This precious group of girls that I call my best friends are all radiantly beautiful inside and out. Their hearts are all so full of Jesus and they reflect that in their everyday life.

I'll start with my ginger friend, Hannah. I cannot even begin to describe how on fire Hannah is for God; I just love to sit and listen to her talk about how much she loves Him. The way she can resist the temptations and pressures of high school and be totally obedient to the Lord blows my mind. I love Hannah for her boldness and her constant persuance of the Lord.

Not only do Mary and I share names, we also share a love to have deep conversations about anything and everything. I love the way Mary truly cares about everything I have to say and how I always feel better after talking to her. She is such a strong and beautiful woman of God and I'm so thankful for her.

As I type Halston's name I just can't help but smile, because that's exactly what she does...make people smile. If you asked anybody to describe Halston, they'd say she's one of the sweetest, happiest people you will ever meet. I love the way Halston is just so genuine and kind to everyone she meets and constantly sets an example of how a follower of Christ should treat others.

We always joke that Madison's our "mommy," because she's the most caring person and will really do anything for us. I admire Madison's strength and constant trust in God's plan. Anytime she's given a tough situation, she immediately turns to God and grows closer to Him.

Not only is Kelly the best cousin ever, but she's also been my best friend since we were in diapers. Whenever I didn't live here and I'd come to visit, she would bite me sometimes because she was so excited to see me.  Considering we live three houses apart, are related, have 4 classes together, are on Pom together, take dance class together, go to church together, and hangout with the same friends, we pretty much spend more time together than we do apart. It's a crazy thing that we're still friends after all this time and we are always asked if we get tired of each other, but we actually get along so well and have so much fun together. I seriously consider her a miracle, because it's so rare to find a friend like her. I love Kelly for understanding me and for just making my everyday life so much better.

So anyone who's reading this and has a solid group of friends who love Jesus, thank your God for putting them in your life and remind them of how much you love & appreciate them. Anyone who doesn't feel like they have that, seek out those friends because they truly are so valuble! If you don't know where to start and are a little bit shy and socially-awkward like I am, I love making new friends and sharing the good news of God's love with them so hit me up and we can be socially-awkward Jesus lovers together:) Lastly, anyone reading this who is my friend, thank you for loving me and for allowing me to be a part of your life!

Some photos of my wonderful friends:

 

 

Shout out to my bestie, Slade!

A Week of Thankfulness: Parents

Good afternoon everybody! Hope everybody's Mondays were lovely...only 4 more days till Thanksgiving:) I am so excited for today's post because it's one of my favorite things in the world to talk/brag about. Today I am thankful for my parents.

I don't even know where to begin. I'm so incredibly blessed with such great role models and mentors. My parents are the two most genuine, compassionate, kind-hearted, happy, hard-working people I know and it's all due to the fact that they center their lives around Christ.Together, they've taught me how to make the most of life, what a Christ-centered relationship should look like, how to treat others, and how to honor God in all I do. Their infinite love for me now matter how much I fail them gives me a better idea of how much God loves me.

Some people say that parents shouldn't friends with their children, but I don't care; my mom is seriously my best friend. Not only does she give the wisest advice due to all her years of expirience, but she also is just so much fun to be around. I can tell her absolutely anything and she knows exactly what to say to make it better. When I'm upset, she takes the time to listen to my problems, or just simply hug me until I'm happier. She tells me how proud of me she is all the time and makes sure that I always feel loved. I'd be perfectly happy with growing up to be just like my mom. She is a strong, sweet and beautiful Women of God and that reflects in how she acts every single day.

My dad is just as sweet and funny as my mom, just in a different way. First things first about my dad, he's the most hilarious person I've ever met and never fails to make me laugh no matter what mood I'm in-whether it's a celebrity impersonation or a funny dance, his humor brings me so much joy. Also, he is the smartest person ever and pretty much knows everything. Besides all that, he just has such a big, Christ-loving heart. Luckily, my dad is the kind of dad who tells me he loves me every single day. All his gifts he ever gives have some meaning and are so thought-out and heartfelt. Sometimes he'll just randomly sent me a sweet, encouraging text in the middle of the day or write me a note just to remind me that he loves me. A few years ago, he randomly texted me during the day "I just wanted to tell you that I love you" and I answered "are you about to sky dive or do something life-threatening?" so now we have this joke where every time he texts me randomly he ends it with "off to swim with sharks" or something. That story may seem pointless to you, but it's just one of the things I love about my dad and I's relationship. I've heard multiple times that a person's relationship with their dad affects how they view their relationship with their Heavenly Father. I'm so thankful to have such a sweet, loving father because the way he loves me makes me appreciate God's love for me even more.

I don't thank God enough for allowing me to be raised by these to wonderful people. My parents are fun and relatable to me, but still have authority; they're understanding and forgiving, but don't let me do whatever I want; they set expectations for me, but don't put pressure on me to be perfect. They've pretty much nailed the whole parenting thing and I'm so lucky:)

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They are a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9

 

A Week of Thankfulness: Siblings

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm not feeling my best tonight so this one might not be very well-written or long, but the topic is very imortant to me. Today I am thankful for siblings.

My siblings are the most precious little people in the world and I am so beyond blessed to have them. I may be the oldest, but I learn so much from both of them every day. Together they've taught me to how to be a leader, how to be a peace keeper, how to have patience, and how to love unconditionally. Individually, they've taught me many valuble things too..

I'll start with my sweet little brother, Bob. He's 9 years old and quite a character. He's one of the silliest, happiest people on the planet and brings me so much joy. The first thing he's taught me is how to have child-like faith. He's always talking about how happy he'll be in heaven when he get to do whatever he wants. He says he'll grow an afro and ride his bike all day long and never have to wear pants and say "sup Jesus?". And when my grandpa passed away, while we were all feeling solemn Bob was just talking about how jealous he was of Grandpa Bob for getting to go to the happiest place on earth where you can do whatever you want and was cracking jokes about what our sweet Grandpa could have possibly been choosing to do with his freedom in heaven. Bob's faith that heaven is truly the happiest, most magical place and his lack of fear of death makes me desire to have more child-like faith. Also, Bob is just always so happy about life and makes the best out of situations that normal people wouldn't. A few years ago on a dance trip, we had to stay in the awful, disgusting, rat-infested hotel. Everyone was just complaining the whole time, but Bob made it an adventure. He'd try to swim a lap around the lazy river without touching any cockroaches and named the rat that was in our room. Sure, those are gross but they are just examples of how truly positive he is about life. Bob truly does live every day to the fullest, cock roaches or not. If the world was a little more like my little brother, people would get a lot more out of life.

Next is my sister, Anna Beth. She's 14 (only a year and a half younger than I am). I could make a list of all the things I admire about her, but that'd go on forever so I'll just summarize. First off, shes my very best friend. She's hilarious, creative, gorgeous, wise beyond her years, compassionate, and on fire for God. Anna Beth has not only taught me how to make a joke out of a hard situation, but has also taught me how to trust God in every situation. In every struggle she faces, she immediately turns to God and trusts in His greater plan. Her ability to speak in front of her peers and proclaim the good news of God is amazing for anyone, much less somebody her age. She has taught me that nobody is too young to preach the word of God and to lead others to Him. Another thing about AB is that she just makes my life, and others around her, more fun. She might be embarassed if I share this little story but it's one of my favorite things about her and I just can't help it. We share a bathroom and every morning when we are getting ready, I shuffle my ipod and we improv a dance on the spot. That always makes my morning and my whole day better, especially a month ago when I was upset a lot. She would do absolutely anything to protect me, and even though I'm not as strong as her, I'd do anything to protect her.

Although we don't always see eye to eye, I could never stop loving my brother and sister and I am so thankful that they are a part of my life. The unconditional love I have for them is just a fraction of the love God has for us and that just makes me all the more thankful and appreciative ot God's love for me.

“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” 1 Timothy 4:12

Anna Beth:)

 

Bob:)

A Week of Thankfulness: Prayer

Happy happy Saturday everyone! After a peaceful little nap I feel reenergized and ready to blog:) This will be day 3 in my Thanksgiving series. Today I am thankful for prayer.

First off, just stop and think about what prayer really is. Many Christians (including myself), though unlikely to admit it, view prayer as an obligation often times. Don't get me wrong, I love to talk to my Father but sometimes I don't feel like taking 15-20 minutes out of my day to pray and feel like it's something I have to do. But when I really sit and reflect on what prayer is all about, I realize how often I take it for granted and how wonderful it really is! Think about it, this God that created a galaxy full of stars and an earth with billions of people wants to listen to me and speak to me at any second of the day. Humans have an instinct in them that makes them desire attention, some more than others, but we all have it. We constantly seek out the attention of friends, strangers, the opposite sex, etc., and often find ourselves disappointed. But there's an amazing, perfect God that is jealous for us and longs to talk to us at all times? Now that is something to be thankful for!

I know I always say "the past month of my life God has done this" or "I've learned this from my recent expiriences" but it really has been such a period of great growth for me and I honestly think it was all an answered prayer. I remember about 5-6 weeks ago one night really late I couldnt sleep and was listening to a song called "The Valley" by Ellie Holcomb (I highly suggest you listen to it, it's one of my faves). I was not at a happy point at all and felt so distant from God. I prayed the lyrics to the song "so come and find me in the darkest night of my soul; in the shadow of the valley. I am dying for you to make me whole." I also prayed that God could just change whatever it was in my life that was dragging me down. I had know idea how hard it would be at first or how great it would turn out to be. During the hard time, I prayed for strength to get through it and wisdom to know that it was part of God's plan. During the time where it started to get better, I prayed for courage and boldness to be more of a light unto God's kingdom and to share the great news of His grace and mercy on me! Now here I am, I am expiriencing a HUGE life change and at probably one of the happiest points in my life. I'm SO thankful God answered my prayers and continues to answer them daily!:)

"Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord." James 5:13-14

 

 

 

Ellie's Song "The Valley"

A Week of Thankfulness: Beauty

Good afternoon brothers and sisters! Today will be day 2 of my Thanksgiving series! I'm not really sure how beneficial this will be to you guys; I mostly just wanted to share what I was thankful for and publicly give God glory for it, but hopefully you'll get something out of it!

Today I am thankful for beauty. I'm thankful for all of the beauty of this world that is a constant reminder of How powerful God is and I'm also thankful for the fact that He sees me as even more beautiful.

The other day in physics we were discussing the galaxy. I was wonderstruck with how giant it is; it's seriously beyond my comprehension. If you're every questioning the glory of God, just do some research on the galaxy and you'll get a pretty good answer. I'd highly advise you to watch this video of Francis Chan on the universe: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpChZxPfa-c

Or take a look at the human body. It's made up of many different organ systems made up of organs made up of tissues made up of cells made up of molecules made up of atoms. (Bet you didn't expect a biology lesson when you clicked on this) And all those millions of parts make up a single body that has millions of different feelings, thoughts, and emotions all in one day. Pretty much anyone who's taken a science class knows all of this but when you really sit and think about it, it's pretty amazing. We often overlook simple things, like goosebumps for example, but when we take a closer look at them, it can be seen that they're very complex. Goosebumps are created on our arms and legs when tiny muscles at the base of each hair contract and pull the hair erect. As a response to cold, the erect hairs trap air to create a layer of insulation. How crazy is that? At the base of each of our tiny little arm hairs, God put a tiny muscle just so that we could be less cold.

Not only is God's creation complex, but it's also beautiful. I obviously don't need to go in depth on this because anyone who has seen even just a picture of a mountain, beach, waterfall, rainbow, or sunset would probably agree with me that God makes beautiful things. I could go on for ages of the beauty of God, but that would take, well, ages.

The crazy thing about all of this? God created it all effortlessly in 6 days. The even crazier thing? He somehow sees us as even more beautiful.

What a weird thing to think about. I mean the beaches never sin, the galaxy doesn't have zits, sunsets don't have awkward looking noses...how could God possibly see me as more beautiful? But in Song of Solomon 4:7, God tells us "All beautiful you are, my darling; there is no flaw in you." Despite the many flaws we see in the mirror or see when we reflect on our personality, the Lord tells us we are altogether beautiful and sees no flaw in us. In fact, our flaws are what make us beautiful. God put every little imperfection in us, because that's exactly how we needed to be to fufill His purpose for us. It's crazy to think about God knitting me together and considering every little piece of me, flaws and talents alike, that he needed to mix together to form something that He saw beautiful and fit to do His will.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16



"Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire. He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved." Psalm 104:1-35

Lyrics from one of my favorite songs, "Beautiful Things" by Gungor

My BEAUTIFUL best friends and I on the mountains in Buena Vista, Colorado

 

 

Last picture is a humorous, but completely true one.

How a God who created all those beautiful landscapes can see me as beautiful is a mystery...but I'm so thankful for it.

A Week of Thankfulness: Brokenness

Happy Thursday everyone! Hope everyone is having an awesome week. Thanksgiving is just one week away and I couldn't be happier. Family and food are definitely two of my favorite things so a day full of them is pretty much paradise to me. Anyways, I decided for the next 7 days leading up to the holiday, I'd share something that I'm thankful for. I'm not really sure what the 7 things will be but I'm just gonna go with what pops in my head that day! Tonight's post is going up a little late because of the busyness of my day, so please forgive me if some things I say don't fully make sense. I just really wanted to do this special series for Thanksgiving. Anyways on to the post...

Today I'm thankful for my brokenness.

The past month of my life, I've learned more about brokenness than ever before. I've not only learned how to react to it and how not to react to it, but also how beautiful brokenness really is. It's always hardest when the tragedy or the storm first hits and it probably won't ever be easy, but once you can get to the point where you realize it's part of God's greater plan and will ultimately lead to something so much better, it's a whole lot less painful. Humans experience a great deal of hurt and disappointment, whether it's:
•a broken friendship
•the loss of a loved one
•a relationship that you thought would last forever ending
•finding out you lost your job
•didn't get into something you applied/tried out for
•an injury/sickness
Or multiple other things. Because we live in a sinful, broken world, there's no escaping disappointment. But because our God loves us, He can make something so beautiful out of our brokenness. He had a plan for each of us when He made the earth, when He sent His son to die for us, and when He knit us together in our mother's womb. That plan is the best possible thing for us, every little piece of it fits together perfectly and makes up a Godly, fulfulling life. Many parts of this plan involve pain and sorrow, which can be so difficult to understand sometimes. Why would a God who loves us so infinitely cause us to expirience pain? Isaiah 66:9 says "In the same way I will not cause pain without allowing something new to be born," says the Lord." How comforting is it to know that any pain we will ever expirience will have a good outcome?

I can definitely testify that there is so much beauty in brokenness. Of course it's not easy, but the times when we desperately call out to the Lord are the times when we grow the most, learn the most, and truly discover our identities in Christ. God has already used my recent brokenness and heartache to do some awesome things in my life.  I have drawn so much nearer to the Lord, learned plenty lessons and am still learning constantly, created this blog and have seemed to impact at least a few people through it, made many new friends, and so much more!

So thank the Lord for your brokenness, and more importantly thank Him for using it for your good! Thank Him when it's hardest and when you don't understand why he would put you through a certain situation. Be still and know that He is always with you and knows exactly what is best for you.

"For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death." -2 Corinthians 7:10



Two Lies and A Truth...

Good afternoon everybody! I hope everyone had a blessed weekend because I know I did. All I really did was rest and chill with friends & family, but that's exactly what I needed after a long, hectic week. Anyways, in the past few weeks God has opened my eyes to some truths that I would like to share. By speaking through ministers, friends, mentors, the bible, devotionals, and prayer, God has revealed to me some lies that I have been believing for far too long and also a reassuring, encouraging truth.

First misconception: The meaning of faith is not just "to believe." It goes far beyond that. Faith is not only believing in God and in his plan, but it is constantly acting out that faith. Sometimes we feel God urging us to do some things that may seem uncomfortable and scary to us. It's natural for us to be nervous, but we should never let our insecurities hold us back from doing His will. Our trust in Him and our desire to fulfill His purpose should outweigh any insecurities we have. Why worry what the world will think of you if you do bold things when all that matters in the end is how you lived for God? Why does it matter if people think you're crazy or "goodie-goodie" if you're pleasing your Heavenly Father? Why let the opinions of imperfect humans hold you back from trusting a perfect God? Matthew 6:26 tells us, "And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?" Nothing good comes from living for the people of this world, but numerous treasures come from living solely for the Lord. If you feel God wanting you to do something, don't let anybody (yourself or somebody else) tell you you're not good enough. God chose you for a reason; He created you and knows you're good enough. So have faith, act out that faith, and always let your trust and confidence in God overpower any doubt in your mind.

"It is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man. " Psalm 118:8

"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised." Hebrews 10:35-36

Second Misconception: We were made for God; He was not made for us. This sounds like a ridiculous thing to be deceived about. Everybody knows the story of the 6th day when God created mankind like Him and for Him. Everybody has been told since they were toddlers that God created us for Him. And while we may believe that or say we do, we often don't act like it. We act as though He was made for us. When we're going through struggles we ask Him to help us and when we need something we ask Him for it. Now that's not all wrong because it is a perfectly good thing to lean on God and pray to Him, but that's essentially not what it's all about. The most important thing is that we do absolutely everything to follow His will and do exactly what He wants from us, because we were made for Him. He created each and every one of us for a specific reason and our life isn't any good if we don't fulfill that purpose. When we ask Him to help us through hard times, we should ask with the intention that he will strengthen us and teach us so that we may be more effective at doing His will. When we ask Him for things like strength and courage and healing, we should want those things so that we can be better warriors of God. We shouldn't just ask for things from God so that our lives will be better, but so that we can be better at doing His will. This brings me to another point. This one is extra hard to hear and to ask yourself: Are you in love with God or just his stuff? Are you in love with who God is and His beauty or are you in love with the stuff He could give you? I'd love to say that I'm more in love with who God is over what He can do for me, but unfortunately that isn't always the case. I am absolutely in love with Jesus and who He is, but sometimes I find myself pursuing God because I know that He can give me peace and He can heal me and He will someday give me an amazing husband and  He can do all these things for me. I hate to admit it, but I can be so selfish at times and get so caught up in what God can do for me when it should be the other way around.

And finally, the sweet, sweet truth:
You have the power to live boldly! You have the strength to whole-heartedly follow His purpose for you! Whatever God plans for you to do, He gave you the exact talents and skills you need to do it. He created us all for a purpose and He doesn't believe the lies that the world tells us and we tell ourselves. If He didn't think you were able to do something, He wouldn't call you to do it! Don't let your insecurites, doubts, shameful past, or brokenness hold you back. Devote yourself to Him and start living radically today! You are perfectly capable and qualified to do His will.

So here are my challenges for myself this week and throughout life:

• Stop letting my insecurites get in the way of acting out my faith and being bold.
• Constantly ask God, "What can I do for you?" rather than "What can you do for me?"
• Let my heart dwell in Him rather than in worldly things.
• Do EVERYTHING to follow His will.

Thanks for reading, have a blessed Sunday!:)

 

Just a picture of my dog that's too cute not to share:)



Stress

What a dreadful thing to talk about. But it happens to the best of us. As a junior in high school, I have found that there are a number of things to stress about. Tests, homework, grades, activities, colleges, future occupation, social status, appearance, and so much more. Those are just some of the things I get anxious about; some people could have family problems, health issues, financial issues, etc. So in the midst of all that, we're supposed to spend time with God everyday?? Seems impossible doesn't it?

Well here's a bit truth of truth that I forget way too often: none of it will matter in the end. When we stand at Heaven's gates, our Father is not going to look at the tests we passed, the friends we made, or the clothes we wore...He's going to look at how we devoted our lives to Him and served Him in every possible way.

But what about now? I can't just forget about all my school work and stop trying in all my activities. But what I can do is make The Lord priority over all of that. Recently I've been spending hours a night doing homework along with going to dance or a church event or social gathering causing me to sleep in a little later in the mornings and never fit in much personal time to spend talking to God. And it's really taken a toll on me. I've been more stressed than I have been in weeks and not my usual upbeat self. I know that if I don't finish my homework or study for my tests, my grades will suffer but if I don't spend time reading the bible or praying one day, God will still love me and I'll still go to heaven; therefore, I've been making school a priority over Jesus. But last night I realized something...when I make God my priority, He will take care of me and I will find peace.
"But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them sing joyful praises forever.Spread your protection over them, that all who love your name may be filled with joy." Psalm 5:11

God wants to bless us. He LOVES to bless us because He loves us. When we show Him that we trust that He will protect us and provide for us, He does. When we cast all of our burdens on Him and make Him the center of everything, he blesses us and takes care of us. Here's a quick little story that proves this to be true:

This past week I was drowning in homework, projects, reading assignments, and tests. On Wednesday when a friend asked me to go to church I almost turned down because of all the work I had to do, but something in me was urging me to go. I was so glad I went because hearing God's word and worshipping Him made me feel so at peace. When I got home, I was incredibly focused and was able to finish my huge project and study for my tests the next day. I somehow managed to make it through the week with pretty good grades and a smile on my face. There's no way I could have done it on my own and kept my sanity. It was God's power alone that lifted me up. Because I decided to put Him over homework and everything else on Wednesday night, I was able to let go of all my worries and find peace in Him.

Now my story may not seem that miraculous to you, but it sure did open my eyes to something I was blind to before. God will take care of me and will always do what's best for me. There is no use stressing and worrying if I'm going to make it, cause The Lord is on my side and will always give me the strength I need. The true focus of my life should always be Him because once I devote myself to Him, everything else will fall into place just the way He wants it to, which is also how I want it to.

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

So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:31-33

 

Recent photos of my beautiful life:

Halloween- George and Abe

My sweet friends

 

 

Scripture

Good evening!! I hope everybody's weekends were great! Not only have I been super busy, but I have also been at a loss of what to post about this past week. But I finally decided to share with you what I've learned recently about the importance of scripture.

I've always read my bible and memorized verses I liked, but more out of routine than out of a desire to. Recently I've realized how powerful the bible really is. It's not just a book on "what a Christian should do if.." Or "how to act like a Christian" or a bunch of stories that don't really apply to the present time. It's God-breathed and it is still to be applied to every aspect of our lives today.

God-breathed...what does the even mean? Sure it was humans who physically wrote the bible, but God himself put the words into them when they wrote it. The bible is made up entirely of God's own words. One of the most beautiful things about the bible to me is that it is something that I can hold in my hand today that was created by God.

While I know that God is real and have faith in Him without having to see, hear, or touch Him, I love tangible proof of God. I love the embrace of a loved one and the sound of thunder and the smell of rain, but I REALLY love being able to read the words of the Creator of all that in a book. Unlike the bible stories where God would actually physically speak to people, He often uses the bible to speak to us. I tend to get frustrated when people talk about how they're always "hearing" things from God. I have a hard time "hearing" what God wants to tell me when I'm spending time with Him. I have "heard" from Him before in prayer, but I've learned that instead of stressing over trying to listen to God, all I need to do is pop open my bible. Almost very time I read it God speaks to me through certain verses that go exactly with my current situation.

Although the bible is much more powerful and beautiful than a rule book or a how-to guide, it is loaded with verses about how Christians are to deal with certain situations, how to act, how not to act, and loads of crazy stories that can teach us so much about life. Just from reading a page, one can gain so much knowledge. I am by no means a book person, but I'm so in love and intrigued with the beauty of the bible, not just because I'm a Christian and it's my duty to love the bible, but because it truly is amazing how much reading just one verse in it can affect me.

I'm sure you've all seen the "emergency numbers" thing on some social network with all the verses and when to read them. But I thought I'd share some of my favorite verses that give me encouragement in certain situations:

•Stress
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

•Heartache/Loss
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort 2 Corinthians 1:3

•Hardship
Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. Romans 8:18

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble. Psalm 9:9

•Worry
Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. 1 Peter 5:7

•Vanity
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Proverbs 31:30

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

•Guilt
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

Those are just some of the few wonderful verses that can change one's day and one's life. The bible is an amazing thing that I take for granted way to often. My challenge for myself this week is to dive into His word more often and apply it to every part of my life. I hope that you will do the same. Have a blessed week!:)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12