The Mask

   Think about movies you have seen. In the movie did someone ever act like someone they were not? I can think of so many examples. People act like someone they aren’t for different reasons: to fit in, so they do not get bullied, to protect those they love, and so on.

   At the end of Iron Man 3 he says this quote: “you can take away my suits, you can take away my home, but there’s one thing you can never take away from me: I AM IRON MAN.” Tony Stark’s identity is that he is Iron Man. But in the same movie he says this quote: “my armor was never a distraction or a hobby it was a cocoon, and now I’m a changed man.” He gives up his suits. So yes he is still Iron Man but, he said it himself, his armor was a cocoon. It was a mask he put on. It wasn’t really him.

   We act like different people to please the world. We put up masks to protect ourselves. But then that makes us wonder do people really love us for who we are, or for the masks we put on? We cannot keep on acting like someone we are not. We are called to witness to the lost. People want to know the truth, but they need to see that we are truthful in order for us to be able to witness to them. They need to see the real us or else we will look like all the other people in the world with masks on.

   I have found that being truthful with others helps you connect more to them. Believe me, I used to wear a mask and it was hard for me to connect with anyone on a real level. Now I can see God working through my everyday situations. It is an amazing thing.

   I'm not going to lie to you, at times it will be difficult to be the real you. You may have to show your weaknesses to others. But, most of the time, people will respect you for being real in a world filled with things that are fake. And, if they do not, at least you will have made an impact on them.

   So will you continue to wear a mask, or will you be the real you and make an impact on others?

   2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Memorial Day

Memories, ah sweet memories. We all have memories, both good and bad. Sometimes we have to wonder if the memories are worth it. Wouldn't it just be better for us to forget everything that happened the day before if all of it was just painful?
So, where exactly am I going with this? Well, today is Memorial day and Memorial day is when we look back. We look back at the past. We look back at the battles that were both won and lost. We look back at the people who died serving their country.
Sometimes looking back can be difficult. We remember painful times of hurt and loss. However, those memories are important. If we didn't have those memories we wouldn't be where we are today. Experiences make us who we are. Without certain events occurring in our lives we wouldn't be who we are today. That's why we need to look back. That's why we remember those who served for our country and didn't come back, no matter how difficult it may be to do that.
So on this day remember what it means to be an American. Remember those who served so what we can be American.
Thank you to all the veterans out there who have served for our country. You all are amazing.

What Should I Do?

   So think of a decision you have had to make in the past few weeks. Was it easy, or difficult? I personally do not like making decisions. Now, I’m not talking about the little decisions like what flavor ice cream do you want? I mean, that one is obvious: chocolate ;) I’m talking about the big decisions in life that will change your life forever.

   See, in my opinion, the toughest decisions are the ones that impact other people, not just me. When thinking about making decisions I thought back to the movie The Princess Diaries. Mia had to decide whether or not she would rule Genovia. Her decision not only impacted her, but other people as well. If she chose to be Queen of Genovia she would have to work to learn how to be a queen, move to a different country, speak in public (which she wasn’t that good at), and lead a country. If she chose not to be Queen Genovia would no longer have been a country. Her decision changed the lives of so many people. She chose to be selfless rather than selfish.

   However, along with decision making, comes some problems. Yes we need to be selfless, but we also need to remember ourselves. Otherwise we could end up like the starving baker in the book Habitudes. The baker kept making food to feed others, but he never fed himself. So he kept getting thinner and thinner. It is just like that for us. We need to feed ourselves by reading the word and spending time with God. That way we can help others.

   When it comes to making decisions it obviously is not that easy. That’s why we need to trust God and pray for guidance. He will help us with our decisions, if we ask. But, when we ask, we need to be willing to listen to what He says.
   So, the next time you have a decision to make will you listen to God, or do what you want?

   Proverbs 3:5-6, James 1:5, Philippians 4:6-7.

Mother Knows Best

   I hope you read that title and thought about that song in Tangled :D But Mother Gothel isn't the best example of what I'm about to talk about so don't get confused from the title. I just really like the song, it's catchy. 

   Anyhow, since Mother’s Day is coming up it got me thinking about mothers. And the more I thought about it the more I reached an important conclusion: Mothers are remarkable people because moms need to have a specific mindset, have a variety of important jobs, and they are teachers and role models bringing up their children.

   The first thing that came to mind when I thought about the mind of a mother was mamma bear. All mothers have a protective instinct for their children. And we all know that no one messes with a mamma bear. Next I thought about all the questions moms may have in their mind from day to day. Such as did I do this for tomorrow, am I setting a good example, and am I good enough? The first question leads to stress. And the last question leads to doubting your abilities. We will come back to these questions later.

   Mothers also have a variety of vital jobs. A few of them are CEO of the Household, personal chef, judge mom, lady MacGyver, and Boo-Boo fixer. Why do mothers do all of these things? Because it is how they show people that they love them. Mothers make so many sacrifices just to get a thank you, a card, or a hug. Then when their children finally understand something or learn a lesson it is like “wow I made a difference.” This is what teachers call the ah ha moment, which leads to my next point that is important for everyone to know.

   It is everyone’s job to teach children right from wrong. It does not matter if you don’t have kids or if you are a kid; because, whether you like it or not, people are watching you. It is our job, as Christians, to make our community a better place. One way to do this is to teach children, who are our future. Teaching can be intimidating, but it isn’t like you need to teach big groups. Teaching children can be as simple as teaching them how to open a door. One final aspect of this is that we all need to teach what we know; and learn what we don’t know, because we are all children of God. We will never know everything; and it is important for us to realize that, in order to grow, we need to continue to seek knowledge.

   So finally to you mothers who are probably looking at yourselves and wondering if you are good enough. I want you to know that your job is very important, but that you also need to relax. God put you in this place for a reason. He loves you no matter what you do, or what you think about yourself. So, just be you. And, if you are still having doubts check out this clip from Mom’s Night Out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_aY2M5hxyw

   I’m also going to put a little advertisement in here. Tomorrow, 5/10/15, at Maytown Church of God (14 West Elizabeth St. Maytown PA) I will be speaking during Sunday School. Church starts at 9 and Sunday School starts around 10:30. If you are able, I would love for you to come out and support me. If not, I hope you have a Happy Mother’s Day :)

What is God's Will for My Life?

   So on this Wednesday, May 6^th, it will be my 21^st birthday. It’s kind of neat and kind of scary at the same time. I mean, when you are a kid it’s like “yes it’s my birthday in like 4 days! I’m going to get so many presents.” Then as you get older it’s like “oh great another year gone in my life. Woo hoo.” Since I’m going to be 21 I’m kind of in the middle of that. So that got me thinking.

   I began to think about my life. What I had done so far. Had I helped as many people as I could? What could I have done differently? Who am I really? What can I improve about myself? The questions went on and on; but they all boiled down to one main question: what is my legacy?

I thought about that and all the things I had done in my life. But then I began to realize that I was focusing on myself so much. That brought up another question: what about God?

   See the question I should have been asking was what does God want me to do with my life? I mean, as one of my favorite Disney characters would say, “The past is in the past.” I need to look at my past and realize that, yes the events that happened have shaped me into who I am today, but I choose whether or not I let those events affect my attitude. I also need to trust that God has a plan for my life. I may not know what that plan is; but that’s okay because I know that God will take care of me. Finally, it makes me realize that I need to live in the present. Every day is a gift from God. It is a chance to change the world one person at a time, if we have to. It is a chance to give Him the glory for what He has done in our lives.

   So, what is God calling you to do with your life? Are you willing to do that?

   Jeremiah 29:11, Proverbs 16:9, Psalms 143:10

I Can't Do It!

   “I can’t do it.” “My feet hurt.” “I have too much to do.” The list of complaints goes on and on. I feel like sometimes people complain more than they think. I mean it’s like every other comment out of their mouth is a complaint. And, I’m guilty of it too. But, I want to focus on one complaint: “I just can’t do it.” Honestly if you just take the apostrophe and the t out of can’t what does it become? Can.

   So when it comes to this specific complaint I want to lay out some ground rules. First off I want you to ask yourself: “Did I even try?” If the answer is no then get your butt out there and try! Next if you fail I want you to try again. Ooo shocker, right? If you fail again I want you to keep trying. If you are having doubts about why I am saying this read the next paragraph.

   Sometimes we feel like there are things that we just cannot do. But if God brings us into a situation we can do it because He never gives us more than we can handle. We need to believe that we can do whatever He is asking us to do. True, some people were just not made to do certain things. But, if it is God’s will, we will succeed at whatever challenges come our way.

   So I think we just need to stop saying, and thinking, that we are not good enough or capable enough to do certain things. It may be something outside of your comfort zone that God is calling you to do for a specific reason. He wants you to grow in Him. If God called you to it, He WILL get you through it. So stop thinking I can’t, or I’m not good enough as soon as you get a challenge. If you give it all you’ve got, and ask God for help, you CAN.
   Philippians 4:13 and 2 Corinthians 12:9

Opened and Closed Doors

    “Why is this happening to me!?” That’s a phrase I used to say a lot and I’m sure you have said it as well. Sometimes we just don’t understand why things happen. When I was younger my problems seemed huge at the time but they really were not. God opened and closed so many doors to things I wanted to do and to, what I considered to be, problems at the time. But these problems were nothing compared to what my family and I faced a few months ago. How did it start? It started with my dad’s trip to Haiti.

     I will not bore you with the whole story. Basically the week went like this: I got home late on Monday because of a meeting and ice, found out mom was at the emergency room with grandma because she had a fractured rib and fluid around her liver, the answering machine broke, I had to stay home to take messages, great aunt went to the hospital because she was not eating right, found out when the funeral was for an x-uncle, and a lady at our church was in the hospital. The lady from church died later the next week.

      Now, any sane person would probably be freaking out by this point. True, I did not have to take care of most of this stuff. My mom took care of it and I took care of my siblings and the house. When I was younger I may have freaked out but I am trying this new thing. It’s called not stressing out and trusting God.

     Throughout my life, and I’m sure throughout yours, God has opened and closed many doors. He has taken away people, things, and abilities I have. Rather than focusing on that, I focus on what he has given me. He gives me opportunities each day to make a difference and give him the glory. He opens doors to people who love me and who need to hear His word. He opened doors to a family who keeps me safe and who gives me what I need.

      True, God does close doors to some things. But, He closes those doors for a reason. He closes doors to, what we consider, good things; and he closes doors to bad things. Think about all the problems in your life. Has God taken those away? Maybe He hasn’t, but maybe what you think is a bad thing is actually a good thing. We can never understand what God is doing, but we know that He does what He does for our good.

       God opens and closes doors to many things in our lives. It may be difficult to walk through or past those doors; but, if we trust God then we will never walk alone.

       Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”