Tell Them What They Can Do

    Have you ever been asked if you are a religious person? I have. It's a hard question to answer. I think that's because most people think of Christianity as a religion; and, in the eyes of the world, it is. But Christianity is different from any other religion. It is different because we don't just have religion we have relationship.

   Religion means rules and don'ts. It means you have guidelines for what you can and cannot do. And, yes, Christianity has parts of that. Like we should follow the ten commandments which tell us things like don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't lie, etc. But Christianity is mainly about the relationship between you and God.

   God sent Jesus to die on the cross so that he could be with us. When we sin, we become unholy, and God cannot be with anyone unholy. Jesus' blood makes us holy. When we choose to accept him as savior, he becomes the sacrifice needed to make us holy. Now we can have direct access to God. We can pray to him, and he hears us. He also can communicate with us, if we listen. 

   This whole principle reminds me of how in my education courses in college we were taught to have rules that told the children what they could do instead of what they can't. For example, rather than having the rule "don't run" have the rule that you should "walk." Most of us don't like to be told what we shouldn't do. We'd rather be told what we can do. And that's what relationship does. Christianity tells us we can go to God. We should show love to others. We should spread the gospel. Christianity is a relationship more than a religion and I'm so thankful for that.

   So, do you have a relationship with God? What are you thankful for about Christianity?

What We All Need

    If I were to ask you the question: what is one thing, and only one thing, that everyone in the world needs, what would you say? You may think logically and say food, water, or air. You may think extravaganza and say a mansion with servants. But the answer is actually very simple: it's love.

   Oh my goodness, she is really saying all we need is love? Yeah, the song is right. Think about it: if someone loves you, they will give you what you need. See how I said what we need, not everything we want. For example, if you are a parent, you will work to give your child food, shelter, clothing, and water. You may even work to give them some of their wants. Because you love them, you provide for their needs.

   If all we need is love, and that's what we as Christians are called to give others, then why aren't people getting what they need? Are we actually spreading the love of Christ or have we lost that? What is our focus? If our focus is on conversion, then we drop off the face of the planet for that person is that love? 

   Love means we show the love of Christ. We lead others to the love of Christ as Savior and Lord. Then we stand beside that person as they grow in Christ. We continue to show them love as we do that. Then those people show that same love to others. 

   So, are you giving others what they need? How can you show love to everyone today?

Looking at the Sky

    As I grew in my faith, there were times I would look at the sky during worship. Most people I knew would bow down during worship because they did not feel worthy of the grace they received from God, or some other reason. I began to wonder why I would look up. Then I thought about my spiritual journey. 

   One of my biggest struggles has been being authentic with others. I used to wear a mask and pretend like everything was okay when it wasn’t. In looking to the sky, at God, I was saying, "I trust you. I know you see me. I know you love me for who I am because you made me."

   During these times it's like rain is washing over me. I feel his presence and acceptance. His acceptance of all of me. He loves me just the way I am. Now, he doesn't like my sinful nature. But he does love me enough to wash those sins away. And he does that for you too. It’s amazing to think about how the creator of the universe loves us so much and wants to have a relationship with us. He gave us the gift of worship and we should praise him for all he has done for us.

   So, do you have a specific way you like worshiping God? How can you make a point to praise God each day?

A Milkshake Story

   One day we were out and about shopping as a family. It was around the time that we were becoming peckish, so we went to Chick-fil-A to get sustenance. We ordered our food, and my siblings went to find us a place to sit. Unfortunately, there was no place to be found.

   After waiting a bit, my mother found a place to sit so she sat quick. Much to my dismay, she had sat on the booth side. After reminding her that father and her usually sit on the chair side she went to get up. As she did, her milkshake fell to the floor with a crash! 

   We all sat down a bit more subdued than we were before. The food came and our peckishness (hangriness) went away. But we did not converse with one another due to how tense the situation was. 

   As the meal was ending, my sister pulled out her phone and said, "mother, would you like another milkshake?" My brother looked at my sister, pulled out his wallet, and said "I was going to get her one." Mom half smiled but said, as any mother who was a tad perturbed would say, "I don't need one, it is fine." My sister rolled her eyes, "that's not the point. You may not need one, but do you want one?" My brother did not wait for an answer. He got up and ordered her a peppermint milkshake.

   When it arrived, mother smiled. She didn't say it, but we could all tell that that one act of giving her a milkshake made her feel loved.

   It's funny to me when I ask people, "how have you felt loved lately?" People say things like, "someone brought me a snack when I was hungry," "someone wrote me a note," or "someone listened to me." People say little things make them feel loved. Yet, when we do those things for someone, we don't think they are a big deal. But to the person receiving that thing, it is.

   Many times, we think we need to do big things to show others how much we love them. That's not the case. Little things can make a big difference. John 15:12 says, "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." God is a good father who loves us. He gives us what we need. We are commanded to love as he loves. That means doing little things to show others love each day.

   So, are you showing love to others each day? If so, how? If not, how can you get better at showing others love?

 

Check Where You are Looking for Happiness

    Have you ever been hoping for someone to be something or do something for you? Maybe you are going through a hard time, and you are hoping someone will see that and help you out or encourage you. Or maybe you are expecting your significant other to show you affection, but they don't do it in the way you were expecting or wanted them to.

   In these times there is something we must do. We must check ourselves. What I mean is check our expectations, motivations, feelings, and thoughts. What are you expecting out of others? Are you expecting too much out of them or expecting them to be something they shouldn't be? What are your motivates for thinking these things? How are these thoughts making you feel? Are these thoughts true and beneficial or do you need to take them captive.

   You also need to check where you are looking for happiness. You may have heard it said that everyone has a God shaped hole in their heart. The problem is people look everywhere except God for things to fill that hole. We expect riches, people, or other things will fill that hole. We expect good things to happen to us. We expect others to do good things for us. But the problem is when we put these expectations on these things or people, we are creating a burden that that person or thing cannot carry or be.

   Your significant other cannot love you completely because they are imperfect. Your boss will not manage every situation in the correct way, or the way you think they should, because they are imperfect. Money will not satisfy your desires. Pleasures will leave you feeling empty. Nothing can satisfy you except one person. 

   God is the only one who can satisfy you. He is the only person who can fill that hole in your heart. If you don't know that or don't believe me, check out the book of Ecclesiastes. It was written by the wisest person, other than Jesus, King Solomon. He searched the world for what would bring him meaning. He found that money, pleasures, work, power, etc. were all meaningless. It didn't satisfy him. It won't satisfy you either. Only God can satisfy.

   So, are you looking for satisfaction in all the wrong places? How can you remember to seek after God every day?

https://youtu.be/rgT9uL_x-tE

Know Your Objective

    One day my brother and I were playing a video game called Star Wars Battlefront 2. In it there is a campaign mode where you have certain objectives you need to complete. We were blazing through the levels till we hit one. And the reason we failed was for a very silly reason.

   We were about midway through the level and doing well. Then we were told to go to the library. We went and when we got there, we didn't know what to do. We just assumed we should destroy the bookcases. That's what we did. No sooner did we do that than we saw the word "defeat" come across the screen. Okay, not wanting to feel any more defeated than we already did, we tried again, and the same thing happened. The third time we actually went into the objective menu and found out we were supposed to defend the bookshelves. We were losing because we didn't know what we were to do.

   It is the same in life. We were all created for a purpose. We all have an objective. We are to reflect God's glory and tell others about him. If we didn't have an objective after being saved, why wouldn't God just take us to heaven after being born again? It's because we are here for a reason. We have a purpose.  Do you know that? Do you know what your objective in this life is?

https://youtu.be/hR8KLWWQLVQ

I Can('t) Fix It

 I enjoy asking random questions. My boyfriend ends up being on the receiving end of most of these questions many times. One day I asked him, “if I had a superpower what would it be?” I was expecting something like flying or turning invisible with a thoughtful reason. Instead, he said, “your power would be to fix people.” What he meant by that is I have a tendency to see potential in people and I know how far they could go if they would just do one thing. Or I see people who are hurting, and I want to help them.

I thought about it, and he did have a good answer with good reasons. It showed that he knew my personality and it was unique and creative. But the more I thought about the answer the more I thought that I would not want that power. While it’s true I care for others and want to help them in any way I can, it would be me helping and fixing to my standard. 

My standard is not perfect. I would be biased at times. I would be selfish at times. I would not see the bigger picture. God is the only one who can fix us. He sees our potential. He sees our challenges. He can fix us and them. 

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” God works all things for our good. He knows what we need and what we want. He is a good Father. He gives us what we need. He loves us no matter what.

Now, while we may not be able to fix people there is one power, we do have to help those people: prayer. It’s true that sometimes the answer to our prayer will be no. But God knows our heart. He wants to hear from us. He wants to have a relationship with us. He wants us to communicate with him and to grow in Him. To do that, sometimes the answer is no. Other times the answer is not what you expect. But God, in his infinite knowledge and mercy, chooses to hear you. It’s amazing when you think about it.

So, have you ever thought about what your life would be like if you could fix people? How can you pray for others today? How can you grow in God?

https://youtu.be/SfQpsjTe4F8?si=a8kYfhA3ajj4b7S6

Easter Isn't Easy

    Have you ever thought about how Jesus came to earth? It was in a very unexpected way. Most people assumed the Messiah would come like a powerful king or a mighty military man. But that’s not what happened. And, when you think about it, Jesus came in a way that wasn’t easy.

   Wouldn’t it have been a lot easier to come in the way people expected him to come? To swoop down like a hero, wipe out the enemies of Israel, and rule? But if he did that, he would not be true to one of his characteristics. He came down as a baby, as a human, to show his love for us. He chose the hard path.

   Why do I say that? He could’ve taken the easy path and showed his power to all. He could have taken the easy path and just destroyed all of us when we sinned. He could have taken the easy path and just chose to ignore us because we chose to disobey him. But he chose to become one of us so he could know what it was like to be one of us.

   He chose the hard path of growing up, hitting puberty, learning a trade, facing temptations, and having hard emotions. He chose the hard path of not truly revealing who he was till he was 30. He chose the hard path of explaining hard topics to others, he went against the religious leaders of that day, and walking away from his family to show love to all. He chose the hard path of submitting to the Father, being falsely accused, being beaten, and dying on a cross for all our sins.

   Yes friends, Easter was far from easy. But, because Jesus chose the hard path, he made a way for us. Jesus took the hard part from us. He took our sins and became the perfect sacrifice for us. Then he made it easy for us to choose him. We just need to accept him as our savior, believe he is God, and confess our sins to him. Now, that’s not to say our life suddenly gets easier. But we do get to walk through life with the one who loves us. With the one who knows our pain. With the one who loved us enough to die for us.

   So, have you thanked God lately for what he has done for you? When life gets hard, how can you remember to lean on God?

https://youtu.be/jEbLTSCDN1E

He Lifts Us Up

 The sun has just risen over the African plain. Animals tread across the ground all headed toward one particular rock. They stand waiting to see something special happen. Suddenly a baboon walks up to the top of the rock. He lifts up… a lion cub! The next king of the pride lands has been born!

If you did not guess, I was describing the beginning of an amazing movie: The Lion King. In the beginning of the movie, Simba, the next king, is born. After he is born, he is presented to his people. The way he is presented is by Rafiki lifting him up before them. It is a surreal moment. These animals are looking at the one who will lead them next. 

What does that have to do with Christianity? Well, we are born common. We are born sinners, unholy. God cannot be with anything unholy. Thus, we have a conundrum. Or we did, that is until Jesus died for our sins. 

Jesus became the perfect sacrifice. He died on the cross to take away our sins. In doing that he gave us a choice. We can choose to follow ourselves and keep sinning, or we can ask for forgiveness. We can trust in Jesus as our personal savior. 

If we do that, he lifts us up just as Rafiki lifted Simba up when he was born. When we are born again, Jesus lifts us up. We are now royalty. Wait, where did that come from? Romans 8:16-17 says, “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” When we become born again, we become children of God. Thus, we are royalty. We are heirs with Jesus. Now that brings about good things and some challenges but that’s a blog for another time.

The point is, we are saved. We are royalty. We are in God’s family just by choosing to accept Christ as our savior. It’s mind boggling!

So, are you a part of God’s family? How can you spread the gospel today?

https://youtu.be/wXlxCFzcLV4

Waiting

    Dirt crunches under your feet. The breeze blows across your face as the ocean waves crash in time. Looking to your right, you shield your eyes from the sun as you look into your father's eyes. 

   He smiles at you gently then stops, "wait here, my child, I will be back."

   A slice of fear hits your heart. Where is he going? 

   Before you ask, your father says, "you made a request earlier. I am going to give you what you asked for, but you must wait here."

   You nod reluctantly. He puts his hand on your shoulder, half smiles, and for an instant you think you see pain in his eyes, but it disappears as soon as you blink.

   Father leaves. Where to? You do not know. You just know what you were asked to do. Looking around, you see just how beautiful nature is. Taking a deep breath, you take in the peace you have found here.

   "What are you doing?" A voice asks. Beside you is a man with friends surrounding him. "I am waiting for my father," you reply. He gives you a strange look, "why?" "He told me to wait for him here." The man laughs, "okay, well, do you want to come into the water with us while you are waiting?" That sounds love more fun than just waiting here but your father told you to stay. "I'm okay, I'll just wait for him, thanks." The group leaves and you take a deep breath as peace washes over you again. Waiting.

   "Are you lost?" A woman asks. "No, I am waiting for my father." The woman looks concerned. "Honey, there is no one else here. You are the first person I have seen here all day." You shake your head and begin to point to the direction the group who came earlier went; but when you look, you realize they are not there. "Do you want to come with me? I can help you find your dad and take care of you until we find him." The woman smiles. Did your father leave you? No, he wouldn't do that, would he? "I... I'm okay, I'll stay here." "Suit yourself," she shrugged and walks away. Waiting...

   Before you can let peace wash over you again, an older voice shouts, "a storm is coming! If I were you, I would leave!" No one is there when you look around for a person. Sure enough, when you look in the sky, you see dark clouds. There is a rumble in the distance and a flash of light strikes. Wind begins to blow sand into your eyes. WAITING....

   This is getting dangerous. Where is your father? He would never have left you here if he knew what you were going to go through. You should leave to seek shelter, but your father told you to wait. But if he knew there was a storm, he wouldn't want you to be in it, right? What if he came back and you were not here, would he know where to find you? Should you leave, or wait? WAITING?

   What you don't know, what you can't see, is your father is watching you during the storm. He wants to see if you will trust him and wait. It may not seem like he is there with you, but he never left. No thing that came to you or against you while you were waiting would be able to separate you from your father and his love. He is watching over you and protecting you. So, do you go your own way, or trust him and wait?

   Psalm 40:1, Romas 8:25, Exodus 14:14

https://youtu.be/JHDzIDp7l7A

Chosen

    About a year ago I began a journey I never thought I would take online dating. Throughout the course of that journey, I talked with a lot of guys. I only met a few of them. Some of them may have chosen to go on dates with me or to meet but they were not the ones I chose, and they didn’t choose to continue the relationship with me.

   That is, until I met Nate. We began as friends meeting for coffee. It was clear he had a heart for God and wanted someone who had that as well. We found we had similar interests and enjoyed talking about the same things. After about a month, Nate asked me to be his girlfriend. During the time as his girlfriend, there were definitely ups and downs in our relationship and in our lives. That’s the way it is with any relationship. 

   Up until January 14, 2024, we were still choosing one another in a dating relationship. But on that day, Nate chose me. He asked me to marry him. I said yes. After, I reflected on a lot. One of the things I reflected on was how good it felt to be chosen.

   Here’s the thing though, I was already chosen. I was chosen by God. 1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” We are chosen people. God chose us. He chose us before he created the Garden of Eden or anything in the universe. He chose us when he sent Christ to die for us. And that feels great.

   So, do you know you have been chosen? How can you remember that you have been chosen?

https://youtu.be/UpSFm10Q5OQ

Never Leave Your Side

   I love my dog Jak Jak. He is a fun, energetic, loving chihuahua papillon. Whenever we come home, he is so excited. He runs up to us and wants a hug and kiss right away. Then, after we get settled, he stays in the room we are in. If we decide to go to a different room Jak Jak is sure to follow. There are times where he literally follows us right behind our feet. He doesn't typically leave our sides.

   Thus, when I am home, I typically don't feel alone. However, there are times when I'm out and about that I feel alone. I'm sure you have felt that way as well. In times like this I try to remember that Jesus is always with me. Isaiah 41:10 says, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." 

   In times where we feel alone, we can go back to verses like this. God tells us he is with us. He never leaves us or forsakes us. We are never truly alone. Jesus sticks closer to us than Jak Jak sticks to his family. We just have to lean on him when we feel alone or in hard times.

   So, are you feeling alone today? What can you do to remember that Jesus is always with you?

 

Judgement

   You are not a judge. Even if you are a real judge in the justice system you are not The Judge. Can anyone tell me why people find it so interesting to randomly look at people and judge them? I mean, what does it do for you? In the long run, you will ruin your reputation with others, make your friends wonder if you do the same to them, and waste your own time. How does this help you? How does this help others?

   I am sick and tired of going to places and hearing people gossip about others. I understand that some people people-watch for fun. It’s one thing to look at someone and wonder what they are up to; it’s another thing to look at someone and judge them based off of their appearance.

   I get that we all have first impressions, that’s not what I am talking about here. I am talking about when I walk into a store and I hear a group of people saying things about me. They aren’t anything nice either, most of the time it is exploiting my body or my clothing. Then after I hear them do that I begin to think different things. I think about what I can do to change the things wrong with me (and yes, I know I’m not perfect). I think about what I can say to tell those kids off. Mostly, I think about how I just want to get out of there as soon as possible (When Insecurities Come Up Blog).

   Then, after I leave I start to hear voices in my head. They say things like, “why can’t you work out more?” “Why can’t you keep your hair under control?” “Why don’t you try to wear nicer clothes?” (The TickingTime Bomb Blog). That’s when I go back and forth with those voices. I say, “why does it matter what I wear?” “Why do I care what those kids think?” “This is just the Devil trying to get me to look down on myself. God loves me just the way I am.” You know, the typical I know the right answers but it’s hard thing (When You Know the Answers Blog).

   When I was younger this process to get to the point where I ended this roller coaster thinking took a long time, days even. Now, I am better at shutting this down. That’s not to say I shut it down by my own power, in fact I don’t do it on my own. God has given me God-Confidence. He loves me for who I am. He knows my thoughts, actions, insecurities, talents, etc. and loves me. I have known that for a long time but thinking about certain things and verses have helped me.

   1 John 3:1 says: “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.” I am a child of God. He made me in his image, as he made you in his image. He cared enough about you and me to adopt us into his family. He knows we are quirky and sometimes annoying but he loves us. He loves you in spite of all your imperfections. He’s our great father who will help us through tough times we just have to choose to see that he is there helping us.

   Philippians 4:6 says: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” I used to have pretty bad anxiety so this verse is very near and dear to my heart. I would overthink so much that I couldn’t sleep and couldn’t eat. I didn’t want to mess up. I didn’t want to be thought of as strange or weird. I didn’t want to let anyone down. I kept thinking I wasn’t good enough. Then I realized that I am always good enough for God. But, there’s more to it than that. I have a relationship with him. I can talk with him about my worries and needs. He will be with me no matter what.

   Galatians 2:20 says: “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Finally, I remember that God gave himself for me. If the worst thing in the world happens to me, God is there. He showed his love for me by dying in order to have a relationship with me. It doesn’t matter if someone says I stink because the creator of everything loves me.

   Now, one last thing before my rant is over: we need to watch what we say about others. If you wouldn’t say it to a person’s face you shouldn’t say it at all. Words can hurt. In the end being mean and judging someone will not get you very far (unless you are a judge on a show, but most of us won’t get there). Instead of using our words to tear others down, why can’t we build others up? We are called to show God’s love to others. I think we need to give others compliments instead of criticism. Criticism does have a place if it is constructive (Galatians 6:1-2). But, many times we focus too much on the negative and not enough on the positive (A Story About Stones Wallsand Bridges Blog).

   So, do you have a tendency to judge others too much? When you are judged will you remember God loves you and will walk through that hard time with you? What can you do to encourage someone today?

   Image from here.

Jesus Washes Us Clean

     I enjoy doing object lessons to bring the Bible to life. One object lesson I have done a lot with my preschoolers is a germs experiment. We take Crisco, rub it on their hands, then put colorful sand on their hands to represent germs. If you try to get the sand off with just water, it does not come off. The children need to use soap and water to remove the "germs." 

   At camp when I was teaching the elementary children in vespers, I told the children the sand represented sin. They tried to get the sand off by themselves and it would not come off. Then I gave them soap which represented Jesus. They were able to remove the sin because Jesus came to remove it for them. 

  As hard as we try, we cannot remove our own sin. It does not matter how good you are. It does not matter if you try not to do bad things. You are a sinner. God is holy and cannot abide with sinners. That is why Jesus had to come to rescue us from our sins. He was the sacrificial lamb who died to wash us clean.

   To help you remember this I am going to mention something you may be tired of hand sanitizer. I gave each child their own hand sanitizer after the lesson to remind them that Jesus has washed us clean of our sins. Each time you put on sanitizer remember what Jesus has done for you and thank him.

   So, are you washed clean of your sins? How can you share with others about Jesus each day? 

   1 John 1:7

Can You Repeat That?

    For those of you who know me, you know I am a teacher. I teach 3–5-year-olds every week. That in itself is a challenge. But I also have to repeat myself many more times than the average teacher because, if you have never worked with preschoolers then you would not know, they have a hard time listening.

   One day I was in my classroom in the morning. A mother was dropping her child off. The child ran through the door with the mother walking quickly behind her. The mother looked at her daughter, let’s call her Quail, and said, “Quail, you need to wait for mommy to go into the classroom with you.” I chuckled to myself because this is one of the children who likes to do things her own way.

   The mother shook her head and said to me, “how many times do you repeat yourself a day?” I stood there and began to think. I was actually going to try to give her an estimate. Then she said, “maybe I should change the question: how often when you ask a child to do something do you not need to repeat yourself?” I laughed and replied, “it is quite often that I do repeat myself.”

   This whole scenario reminded me of patience and how patient God is with us. How many times do you think God had to repeat himself to the Israelites? According to impactus.org, he says “I am The LORD your God” at least 150 times alone. How many times did God remind them that he was with them? The word “love” appears over 300 times in the Bible according to christianity.com. The Bible talks about loving others, how God is love, and that God loves us over and over. You would think we would remember this because of how many times it is repeated. Yet, like children, we forget.

   2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” God is willing to repeat himself because of his patient love. He created us and wants us to grow in him. Thus, while we are here, we are to show his love to others.

   So, are you showing patience with others? How can you remember God’s grace and patience each day?

He Doesn't Make Mistakes

    The movie Mom’s Night Out is one of my mom’s favorite movies. It does a nice job balancing comedy, family fun, and Christian messages. One of the most impactful scenes is when a biker named Bones is talking with Allyson, the main character, and a mom. You can find the clip at the end of this blog post.

   In this clip, Allyson is beating herself up. She does this for much of the movie. She seems to be a bit of a perfectionist. She thinks she isn’t enough. That she isn’t doing enough. I am sure some of you mothers may have felt that way before.

   Bones starts talking about his mother and the impact she made on him. He reminds Allyson about an undeniable fact: God loves you. God loves you no matter what you have done, what you think, what you say, etc. He loves you. It is amazing to think about.

   Then Bones goes on to remind Allyson of another fact: God doesn’t make mistakes. He says: “Let me tell you something, girl. I doubt the Good Lord made a mistake giving your kiddos the mama He did. So you just be you. He'll take care of the rest.” God put you in this place, in this time, in this moment for a reason. We may not always know what that reason is, but we cannot doubt that God is with us and that he doesn’t make mistakes.

   So, do you believe that God is with you and loves you? How can you remind yourself of those facts each day?

Clip: https://youtu.be/K_aY2M5hxyw 

You Shall Not Pass

    I had a friend who worked at a pizza place a while ago. One day there was a fire at the shop. Much of it burned down and they were out of business for 2 years. As they were going through the wreckage, he found a Christmas sweater of his that said, "you shall not pass."

   If you are familiar with this quote, you know it is from the Lord of the Rings. Gandalf says it as he is facing the Balrog, a creature covered in flame. Gandalf knows that he must stop this creature if the fellowship is to continue with their journey. Stop it he does.

   My friend's sweater went through a fire and survived. Gandalf faced a fire and survived. We, too, face fires in our lives. The fire may look different at different times. Sometimes we face temptation, jealousy, hatred, and many other sins. During these times, we must say to the devil, "you shall not pass."

   1 Corinthians 10:13 says, "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." Temptation is common to us all. God is with us in the fires of temptation. He is there reminding you of his love and that he has given you a way out of the fire.

   We know we will face the fire. Yet, there are ways we can become more fireproof. As we grow in God, we learn more about him. We learn about his desires and love for us and all those in the world. We know he loves us, but we should not go on sinning. One of the reasons we are here is to learn about who God is and have a relationship with him. It is through a strong relationship with God, that we can better defend ourselves against the fires of temptation.

   So, what fires have you faced in your life? How can you defend yourself against temptation? How can you show God's love to others today?

I Am With You

     Hard times: they always seem to come up in life. People hurt us, we make mistakes, the world seems to come against us. In those times we must remember that we are not alone.

   I was reminded of this fact as I watched the 2019 version of The Lion King. In this movie a young lion named Simba loses his father in a tragic way. Simba grows up and seems to be trying to forget his past. Then, one night, his father Mufasa comes to him as a ghost. He says to Simba: "As king I was proud of one thing, you as my son. That alone. No, that is forever. I never left you. I never will. Remember who you are."

   Think about that quote. Now, think about God saying that quote to you (replace son with daughter if you are female). God is always with us. It doesn't matter what we have done in the past. It doesn't matter what we will do in the future. God is with us. He never leaves us. In hard times we should remember that. That's how much he loves us.

   I encourage you to think about that today. Think about how much the Lord loves you. Think about how he is always with you. What can you do to remind others of that fact in hard times?

   Joshua 1:9

A Forgiving Death

   We have all had to do it at one point or another in our life: forgive. Maybe a stranger stepped on your foot. Maybe a friend had to cancel on you. Or, maybe a family member betrayed you. Whatever the case, forgiveness is called for. We all expect to be forgiven yet we all know that forgiveness is not an easy thing to do at times.
   Why is it so hard to forgive? Ann Voskamp has an answer in her book The Broken Way. She says: "NO one gets to forgiveness unless something else dies. There always has to be some kind of death for there to be any kind of forgiveness." The ultimate example of forgiveness is Jesus. He had to die in order to forgive our sins.
   Now, you may be asking, “what has to die when I forgive someone?” The answer is typically your pride. Let's say that someone has lied to you, not just once but many times. He promised he would never do it again but he continued to do it. According to the world's standards, you have every right to stop forgiving this person. You could hold a grudge and never speak to him again. But, according to God's standards, do you have a right?
   In Matthew 18:21-35 we read about a forgiving master and an unforgiving servant. The master had a right to throw his servant in jail because the servant would NEVER be able to pay off his debt. It just wasn't plausible that during the servant's life he'd be able to pay 100 bags of gold off. The master was merciful and forgave the debt. The servant went out and found a fellow servant who owed him 100 pieces of silver. The servant threw his fellow servant in jail because he could not pay his debt. All this servant had to do was forgive because he was forgiven. He could've let go of his pride and just said it was "okay, you don't have to pay." But, the servant wanted what he deserved. Then the servant got what he truly did deserve; he was thrown in jail and the key was thrown away.
   We have been forgiven so much. God has every right to say, "you have sinned too many times. You cannot come to heaven." But, he doesn't say that. The creator of the universe has every right to be prideful and give up on us but he doesn't. If he is our ultimate example, then why can't we put away our pride and forgive others just like he does?
   Ann Voskamp goes on to say: it is "Never the cross you carry, but your resistance to the cross, that makes it a burden." We can push back and pull back and choose not to forgive others. But, when we don't forgive, we are only hurting ourselves. We all have a cross to carry. It could be a situation, a problem that keeps happening, a sin, etc. And, if you remember correctly, crosses are heavy. Jesus needed help carrying his cross because he was so beat up. He has experience carrying crosses. It is very difficult for us to carry the cross on our own. We can ask Jesus for help carrying our cross. We can ask him to help us forgive that person who wronged us. Then, our burden becomes lighter.
   So, do you have anyone you need to forgive? Are you going to ask Jesus to help you carry your burdens? Will you choose to die to pride in order to forgive others?
   Image from here.

Who You Are

   We have all gone through that time of life: middle school-early adult years. That is the time where we search for answers: why are we here? Who are we? Who do we want to be? All of these questions have to do with our identity. I think that's why many movies enjoy focusing on identity a lot; it is something we are all searching for.
   In the movie Moana, a young child named Moana, is chosen by the ocean to restore the heart of an island. Moana goes through many trials until she gets to the point where it is too hard to continue. She begins to wonder why the ocean chose her. She did not feel special at all and wanted to give up. Of course, Moana just needed a reminder of who she was. 
   Moana was called because she stood apart from the rest of her people. She never gave up (until that point). She realized that the call is inside her just like the call is inside us. She realized that her heart was for her people and doing what was best for them even if it was hard. That's why she was chosen. She would not have been able to complete her mission if she did not figure out where her heart was.
   Just like Moana, we are chosen. When we are born God wants us to come to him. He calls us. We all go through different trials in our lives. We have a choice, we can choose to give up and walk away from our destiny. Or, we can be like Moana and never give up even when it's hard. In those times we need to remember we were chosen for a reason. We are children of God. We need to lean on him for strength and do what he calls us to do.
   So, do you believe you are chosen for a reason? Will you choose to never give up on what God calls you to do? What can you do to remember who you are, and why you were called, when trials come?

   John 1:12 and Romans 12:1-21