Matthew 6:34

“Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today.”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭6:34‬ ‭CEVUS06‬‬

http://bible.com/392/mat.6.34.cevus06
Don’t worry about tomorrow. That’s hard to do isn’t? But why? – Because society has lead us to that conclusion. Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow. Tomorrow the power bill will be due. Tomorrow the kids have to be in school early. Tomorrow I have that meeting. We live our lives worrying about what is next. God wants us to worry about what’s right now. Right now, your son wants someone to play with. Right now, God wants your attention. Right now, your family needs you. God wants you to live for right now because he knows there may not even be a tomorrow for you or us. We are not promised tomorrow. We are given one day at a time. So yes, be responsible, pay your bills, make sure the kids are at school on time, but most importantly- Do not worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow has enough problems of its own. Live for today. Enjoy today. Today is what you have. Tomorrow is not promised. 
Have a blessed day, guys. 

For your bad days…

I am having bad day. The combination of new medicine, diet changes, and everyday issues have left me feeling fatigued, helpless, hopeless, useless, and pathetically unhealthy.

On days like today, it is so easy to become stuck in these feelings. However, look around.

When I look around I see a peaceful bedroom I have set up with days like today in mind. All white and teal everything. Candles and flowers gracing any empty spot and pictures of my family and loved ones surround me. I see the sunshine coming in from my whiten linen draped windows. I see fluffy pillows and irreplaceable stuffed animals my Granny made years ago, before she died. I see books and Bibles. I see my own artwork that I made myself to lift my spirits. I see lights and garland so my room looks like a fairy wonderland. All around me I see hope and love. So why should I let today stand in the way of all the love I have tried so hard to surround myself with.

What do you see when you look around? You may not see a twinkling fairy wonderland like I do (because, let’s be honest, that is not for everyone..) but I am sure you see a few of these common things. Do you see books? You are educated and care about yourself enough to indulge yourself in your own education. Do you see a bed? You are luckier than the estimated 100 million homeless people in the world right now. Do you see pictures of yourself and family? You have people in your life, who although you may not always get along with, they care. Do you see a refrigerator with some food? Granted it may not be stocked full of healthy fruits and vegetables, you are lucky to even have what mystery foods are in there. Do you see a tv? Poverty has stricken America in overwhelming ways, but you are doing well enough to own a tv! Do you have lights on? Many Americans do not.

Whether or not you have everything I listed above, I promise you if you sit and look around you can find things to be thankful for and those things will give you HOPE. Get up, smile, take a shower, tomorrow will bring new blessings. God bless you, my friends. It gets better.

 

 

Today I pray for you.

As someone that struggles daily with chronic illness, it is very easy to get caught up in my own problems. I have many struggles.. I deal with chronic pain daily, I deal with trying to make money for myself even though I am not capable of holding down a steady job, I deal with trying to grow my online business, I deal with depression, I deal with a lot.. So yes I spend days wrapped up in my own issues and that is selfish. There are people in this world who are going through just as much as I am, if not more. There are hungry children, homeless men and women, dying people, people drowning in debt. I have it good. Dealing with chronic illness can rob you of this feeling sometimes.. Sometimes you feel like your life is consumed of doctor’s appointments, medicines, and pain. We have it good.

So today, I pray for you. I will not pray for God to take my pain away today, I pray he takes your pain away. I will not pray that God ease my financial stress, I pray he finds a way to guide you out of your debt. I will not pray that I am happy today, I will pray that you are. I  pray for you today..

I pray you feel love. I pray you feel important. I pray God gives you an overwhelming sense of why you are here. I pray you find success. I pray you find your soulmate. I pray for your health. I pray for your children, your grandchildren. I pray for your life. I pray for your death. I pray that you be reunited with our Creator one day. I pray God has his hands around you, your family, and friends. I pray whatever deep, dark hole you feel yourself slipping into that God pulls you out and into the light. I pray all these things for you today. You deserve someone across the world praying for you because you are a good person. You try your best day in and day out. You wake up and get out of bed on days when all you feel like doing is crying. You go to a job where you don’t feel appreciated with a smile on your face. You embrace those who have hurt you with love and grace. You are beautiful. You are made in God’s image. God looked at this world and thought it would not be complete without you in it. I am not the only one who feels this way about you. The neighbor you always are nice to, appreciates you. The new cashier at the grocery store that you were patient with, appreciates you. The person you held the door for today, appreciates you. The colleague you are nice to that no one else likes, appreciates you. The blogger who you follow and support, appreciates you. Your kindness does not go unnoticed in the eyes of God or others.

See I pray for you because you and I are more alike than you think.

 

Colossians 1:17-18

“God’s Son was before all else, and by him everything is held together. He is the head of his body, which is the church. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death, so that he would be above all others.”

 

Let’s break this verse down.. God’s son was before all else. He was before your sins, my sins, the sins of our world. And by him everything is held together. You know how when you turn on the tv and see the news about another shooting, another riot, or the latest political shenanigans and you think, “By the grace of God, we are all still here.” That is how I interpret this part. I feel like with all the evil running rampant in our world today, God would look down and just throw his hands in the air, giving up on his hateful children. But by the grace of God and Jesus himself, everything is held together. This verse says that everything is held together by Jesus, which means everything you hold dear that you want to stay intact, the center needs to be Jesus. Your marriage. Your job. You talents. Your relationship with your children. Your relationship with yourself. Everything is held together by God’s son, so if He is not the center, it ain’t staying intact! Next, Jesus is the head and the church is the body. That again to me means, Jesus is to steer us (the church) in the right direction. He is the very beginning, the first to be raised from death, so that he would be above all others. God himself orchestrated the miracle of the death and resurrectional of Jesus to demonstrate the strength of his hands. He needed his children millions of years from then, to look back in awe and see Jesus as the one and only savior.

 

I hope this helps you find your inner peace today and understand this verse a little better! Feel free to leave your opinion in the comments.

Examine me, God!

“Examine me, God! Look at my heart! Put me to the test! Know my anxious thoughts! Look to see if there is any idolatrous way in me, then lead me on the eternal path!”

Psalms 139: 23-24

This verse can be very powerful if you really read it. Examine me! Look at my heart! Put me to the test! This is an example of how we should be talking to God. We should be open to the idea that He can test our faith and examine us out of love. Life is no walk in the park. God is going to challenge you in ways that you will not understand. However, this does not mean His love for us is not strong. God’s love is the strongest force there is. That is why He is challenging you! He wants you to be the best, most equipped version of yourself. Lead me on the eternal path! Here God is showing us an example of how we can call on Him to point out our wrong doings and then help us get back on the right path. God wants to help you, not hurt you. Show him your ways, ask for guidance and forgiveness.

 

These challenges you are facing right now are to build you stronger than ever. Consider this the work out. Your body tired. Your mind telling you to give up. You can not imagine this can be as hard for everyone else. No one else seems to be sweating as much as you. But one day very soon, you will be able to see a change in your strength. When everyone else is giving up, you’ll be running passed. When your body says, “Stop!” You’ll say, “Not yet!” All your struggle and hard work is going to pay off in ways only God understands so stay diligent. Have a great day, guys!

 

 

 

The Truth About Love

As a young teenage girl, I found myself in love with someone who was not the right person for me; like I am sure all of us have. I gave and gave and gave. My fault was giving too much. I poured every once of love, attention, and patience I had into this relationship for almost four years before finally one day I looked into the mirror and saw an unfamiliar girl.

Four years prior, the girl I would have seen in the mirror was full of light and self-confidence. She was bubbly and child-like. She believed she was a gift from God. Although she was quite fun, she was a cruel girl who had no understanding of people’s feelings. Four years into the future it was the same girl, but with many changes. This girl was scared. She had spent so much time feeling vulnerable she had no idea what it was like to feel secure. She was torn down. She had given so much that she had nothing left. She was a fool. She let people hurt her and somehow always let it slide. She was insecure and had issues with self harm. This girl had a long road ahead of her. Like trying to put a square peg in a round hole (old southern saying,) this relationship and many other aspects of her life would never work out because they were trials God had planned for her since the beginning to turn her into the person she was destined to be. After ending that relationship, the girl sought out God in a way she never had before. She felt her whole life needed a clean sweep and that is exactly what she did. Everyday she woke up early with a goal in mind, clean out the dressers, organize the shoes, paint the furniture, etc. While preforming these cleansing tasks, she would listen to peaceful Christian music. When she was done, she would read her Bible and make very descriptive notes almost to the point where she rewrote the New Testament. Within weeks, she could feel the damage of years being erased from her mind and body. Self-harm was never again a thought. Self-confidence came from within. Security came from saying, “God has my back.” Still far from perfect she looks back, not with fear, anger, or resentment for any of the past people that attributed to her downfall. She looks back gracefully and thankfully. Soon these faults she once thought she had, became some of her most treasured aspects of her own personality.

 

I love my child-like nature. No matter how much it may be perceived as naivety, trust me I am far from it. I love that I give people the benefit of the doubt because most people are so quick to judge. I love that I am a generous person because I get that from my mother. I have no problem admitting now that I am a lover, not a fighter and that is not a bad thing. Every experience you have with love will help you find your true self in the end. Just because something does not work out with someone does not mean either of you are bad people. Some people just are not made for each other. Some people are just in your path so you can learn more about yourself. Never be discouraged by disappointments in life because God has a bigger plan than what you can even dream of.

 

Now, love has several different meanings and facets, like a tree with never-ending branches. Love is reading my Bible. Love is a long conversation with my mother. Love is typing on this computer. Love is having a paint brush in my hand. Love is my boyfriend reminding me to do the things I love to do. Love is the sound of my nieces laughing. Love is trusting I will not be hurt again. Love is understanding people’s flaws as a deeper definition of themselves. Love is ignoring snoring. Love is praying for those who have hurt you. Love is being surrounded by family. Love is looking in the mirror and knowing I am so much more on the inside. Love is being sick and thanking God at the end of the day for your health. Love is praying for your family, friends, and neighbors. Love is embracing my true self. The truth about love is, classic tales of love, such as Romeo and Juliet, are shallow examples of what it can be. God is love. Love is everywhere and I am so thankful to have found it.

Saturday Morning Bible Study

“The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death.”‭‭Romans‬ ‭8:2‬ ‭CEVUS06‬‬ http://bible.com/392/rom.8.2.cevus06

I usually do not post Saturday Morning Bible Studies. Maybe I will start or maybe the terror that has stricken the world and my own personal life in the last few months is fueling my thirst for God’s word. If you have the Bible app powered by YouVersion, (I strongly recommend it!) then you’ll know that today’s Bible Verse is Romans 8:2 pictured and written above with a link to the Bible app. Now most Christians will not pay much attention to this verse.. It is simple and states a fact we hear very often. Jesus died on the cross for each of us and our sins. Maybe after you hear something over and over again, it takes away from just how miraculous it is. Like when your mother tells you everyday while your in your rebellious teenage years how much she loves you and you appease her with a monotone, “Love you too” before heading out the door. One day you will be out of those ugly teenage years and the very idea of hearing your mother say to you how much she loves you will fill your heart with warmth and joy. This is kind of like that. We may have taken the fact that Jesus gave the ultimate sacrifice so that we can be saved for granted. So today, let’s put it in perspective and be thankful.

“The Holy Spirit will give you life that comes from Christ Jesus and will set you free from sin and death.” Romans 8:2

Inside of you, you have the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Jesus, the spirit of God. This spirit gives you fight, love, peace, and like the verse says, life. Let’s think of life in a deeper meaning than just being alive. It gives you life. A light no one can take away from you. An inner peace that calms you in moments that should make you pull your hair out. It gives you a smile on your face on the hardest of days. A sense of meaning and purpose when everyone else makes you feel unwanted. This gift of the Holy Spirit burning inside you is one of the greatest tools and assets a person needs. This life came from Jesus, a man who never met you, but knew you were worth his pain and suffering. Jesus healed the sick. Jesus loved the people who hated him. Jesus carried the very cross he would be nailed to and tortured on with perseverance and grace. You have a little bit of Him inside of you carrying you through this life. More so, this great spirit and love does not stop there. It sets you free of your sins. All the times you turned your back on God, set free. All the times you lied for no reason, set free. All the times you’ve stolen out of rebellion, set free. All the times you hurt your loved ones with swift words, set free. You are free. You are not tied down by your mistakes, you are free from them. God loves you despite your mistakes. This Spirit sets you free from death. Your last breath here on earth is just a new door opening to an amazing world called Heaven that we can only imagine. Where we are allowed to walk hand in hand with our creator and rest without the hustle and bustle of life here on earth. That is how much God loves you. He knows you are special,  intelligent, beautiful, and worthy. Have a blessed day, guys!

 

 

Stand Together.

It is a scary time to be alive right now. In the past few years, we have witnessed terrorist attacks, multiple mass shootings, kidnappings, murders, rape, government conspiracies, think of your worst nightmare and it has happened here in America. Don’t get me wrong, I love being American and living in America, but that does not make these events any less terrifying. Let’s do some research..

The following is all directly from https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2015/september/latest-crime-stats-released/latest-crime-stats-released

Here are some highlights from Crime in the United States, 2014:

There were an estimated 1,165,383 violent crimes (murder and non-negligent homicides, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults) reported by law enforcement.
Aggravated assaults accounted for 63.6 percent of the violent crimes reported, while robberies accounted for 28.0 percent, rape 7.2 percent, and murders 1.2 percent.
There were an estimated 8,277,829 property crimes (burglaries, larceny-thefts, and motor vehicle thefts) reported by law enforcement. Financial losses suffered by victims of these crimes were calculated at approximately $14.3 billion.
Larceny-theft accounted for 70.8 percent of all property crimes reported, burglary for 20.9 percent, and motor vehicle theft for 8.3 percent
Police made an estimated 11,205,833 arrests during 2014—498,666 for violent crimes, and 1,553,980 for property crimes. More than 73 percent of those arrested during 2014 were male.
The highest number of arrests was for drug abuse violations (1,561,231), followed by larceny-theft (1,238,190) and driving under the influence (1,117,852).

The following is from http://www.gunviolencearchive.org regarding gun violence.

Total Number of Incidents 27,447
Number of Deaths 7,095
Number of Injuries 14,646
Number of Children (age 0-11)
Killed/Injured 314
Number of Teens (age 12-17)
Killed/Injured1 1,541
Mass Shooting 179
Officer Involved Incident
Officer Shot/Killed 170
Officer Involved Incident
Perpetrator Shot/Killed 950
Home Invasion 1,151
Defensive Use 845
Accidental Shooting 1,171

Gun violence and crime incidents are collected/validated from 1,500 sources daily – incidents and their source data are found at the gunviolencearchive.org website.

1: Actual number of deaths and injuries
2: Number of INCIDENTS reported and verified

Numbers on this table reflect a subset of all information
collected and will not add to 100% of incidents.

http://www.gunviolencearchive.org http://www.facebook.com/gunviolencearchive

Data Validated: July 08, 2016
Gun Violence Archive

I do not blame guns, race, sexual orientation, religion, cops, or even ignorance. I blame hatred and the devil. People whose hearts are filled with hatred are prime victims for the devil to invade their minds and corrupt them with even more hatred and violence. Crime and hatred is on the rise, which means the devil is on the rise. Christians, we have to stand together! The only way to eliminate this hate, is with love. So Christians, I challenge you to spread love everywhere you go. The devil’s followers want us to hate them! That means we let them win. So literally kill them with kindness. It is not our job to sacrifice these people with our words. Nothing we can say or do can compare to the wrath God will have on the devil’s followers. Smile to the lady who is rude to you at the grocery store. Scream “God bless you!” to the man that screamed curse words at you. Send flowers to your hateful boss on their birthday.  Pray for the evil people who attack our religion, freedom, and our lives everyday. Pray they find love, peace, and most of all GOD. God has to fight this war for us, but he won’t fight for a bunch of unworthy, unreligious citizens. God will fight for devout, loving Christians. Spread God’s love everywhere you go, that is the only thing that can fight the devil and his evil.

 

“I will bless your country with peace, and you will rest without fear. I will wipe out the dangerous animals and protect you from enemy attacks.”
‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭26:6‬ ‭CEVUS06‬‬
http://bible.com/392/lev.26.6.cevus06

 

“Think of the bright future waiting for all the families of honest, innocent, and peace-loving people.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭37:37‬ ‭CEVUS06‬‬
http://bible.com/392/psa.37.37.cevus06

 

First post!

I created this blog because of a burst of inspiration that I have not had in quite some time. Today while reading my Bible and Taffi Dollar’s Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have, I came to a huge realization. My whole life I have tried to live as a Christian. I went to a private Christian school, attended church every now and then, I even read the Bible a good bit, but I never felt complete. It is safe to say that most of my nineteen years on this planet have been spent feeling empty. Don’t get me wrong, I am a happy person. I have a great family, job, even a boyfriend, but I have had a hole in my heart since the day I was born that only God Himself can fill. I feel like that is true for everyone though. Some people try to fill that hole with love from another human being or material possessions or even drugs and alcohol, but deep down I think we all know that hole has to filled with God’s love or it will never be filled at all.This gaping hole that every so often reminds me that my life is still empty and meaningless no matter how hard I try. I have known for a while now that this hole will only be filled with God’s love and presence in my daily life, but achieving this has been difficult for me and I never understood why; until today. Today this huge realization I have come to (wait for it..) is that I do not love myself. That is so very hard to understand. I am me. Why do I not love me? I am going to be me forever, might as well get used to it. But ‘getting used to it’ is not what God wants from us. I think the reason I do not love myself is that I compare myself to everyone. The women on tv and in magazines, I sit and look at them and all their beauty in disbelief. How can they be so beautiful? Why did God not make me as pretty as her? These thoughts took me further and further away from God. Imagine this, you are a talented artist. You paint exquisite, detailed pieces of art. Now imagine all of your art comparing themselves to one another (if art could think, of course.) Even though, every one of them is different with unique aspects. That would be a slap in the face to their creator, wouldn’t it? I can just imagine God looking down at me as I am comparing myself to another woman and saying, “Why can you see the beauty I made within her, but not within yourself?”  God made us. All of us. That murderer on the news, God made him. That gorgeous girl from work you hate just because she is pretty, God made her. The sweet old lady down the road, God made her. The soldier fighting for your freedom right now, God made him. The gay kid everyone picked on in high school, God made him. The celebrity you idolize, God made her. The insecure girl typing all this, God made her. The person taking time out of their very busy and productive day to read this, God made you. He has a love for you that no one will ever have for you, except Him. He made us all beautiful and unique, with our own set of challenges and talents. That alone is amazing.

I would like to quote a part of Taffi Dollar’s Embracing the Love God Wants You to Have, “God is clearly proud of His accomplishment, having created you.” Let that truly sink in. God, the most powerful presence of all time, made you. Created you by hand like a dainty figurine. He spent a long time getting every detail just right, bringing you to life. While making you, He smiled and thought of all the positive moments you would have in your lifetime. Like when you first started talking, or your first day of college, or even the day you get married. He also thought about all the positive moments you would create in others’ lives. Like the time you stood up for the kid everyone picked on in high school, or the homeless man you gave a twenty to, or the insecure girl you called beautiful the other day. The point I am trying so desperately to make here is that until we recognize how special, talented, beautiful, and loved we all are, we will never fully understand God’s love for us and without that, the gaping hole you feel in the pit of your stomach after every accomplishment or bad decision you make, will be there forever. To me, nothing is scarier than that.