April 25, 2021
Good morning friends! I pray that you all had a productive week and are looking forward to a fresh start come tomorrow. This week instead of giving you all a strait up Bible lesson, I wanted to talk about something we all do each and every day. Some days this act is much better than others but we have all experienced both sides of the spectrum when it comes to waking up in the morning. I'm sure you have all woken up on the "wrong side" of the bed before. I know for certain I have, and to be completely honest, it was probably sometime this past week. I think that we often times find ourselves blaming our conditions or environment when we wake up not feeling 100%. But when we look at the big picture, it is really just comes down to our perspective and outlook. If we begin each day dragging and being negative then yes, your entire day will probably be backed by those emotions. However, if we wake up and immediately thank God for all His blessings and seek the positives of the day, our lives will reflect that feeling.
Is it just me or do you ever feel like your day is just downhill spiraling out of control. All you want to do is go back to bed and wake up in a brand new day. Maybe it started with a pop quiz in class that you flunked, or maybe when you looked in the mirror just then, all you saw was disgust. But lets be real for a minute. If we take a second to think before we act, these actions can be totally turned around. You didn't do so well on the test but wait, there is another one coming up that you have time to study and prepare for. Or ask yourself, is the perfect, beautiful person God sees you as and has created you to be really ugly or are you just saying that? We as humans are so fast to respond to our surroundings and we never take the time to really process the situation before we act on it. And sometimes all we need in order to lift ourselves up is a little self encouragement.
As we come up on a brand new week (almost new month) I really want you to try and focus on your reactions. Are you asking God daily to make you more like him? Are you asking him to show you the fruits of the spirit and pressure love, joy, peace, patients, kindness, and respectfulness? Or are you just coming to Him when you are hurting or need something? God is there for ever and always. No matter how close your relationship is or even if you're just beginning to know Christ, He is there for you standing with His arms wide open. I invite you to join Him and become certain of your forever relationship with Him. I love you all so much and pray that you have a great positive week!
April 18, 2021
Hey y'all! How was your week? Maybe this week was great, you didn't have any major issues come up and it was pretty chill. But for some I know this week was difficult, maybe something didn't go your way or you have been dragging all week. We have to remind ourselves that when we have hard days, you are not alone. It doesn't matter how healthy, happy, strong, or successful you are, you are always going to be hit with curveballs. However, we must remind ourselves that this is okay. That these divots are normal and not always your fault. A lot of times when we find ourselves in these situations we wonder and down ourselves because we think we could have resolved the issue if we would have done x,y,z. But the truth is no matter what shots are forced our way, we must remain GRATEFUL.
You might not be grateful for the current or past hard times, but think about everything else in your life.
I am grateful for my difficult trials that God is using to help others overcome battles of their own.
I am grateful for my confidence that I once did not have but now find peace in knowing I am never alone.
I am grateful for acceptance, allowing myself to feel out the emotions that arise inside of me.
I'm grateful for all the people I have come across who teach me new things and cheer me on no matter the circumstance.
I am grateful for my family, friends, and encouraging strangers.
I'm grateful once hating myself, every part of me that I disliked but through my trials and healing I can now assuredly say that I am HIS.
Lastly, I am grateful for you and the inspiration and drive you give me to keep on trying.
So now I ask you, what are you grateful for?
Searching for the why defeats the purpose of being grateful. There is not always an answer, and sometimes obsessively looking for a solution can decrease your progression. We must remain present and not try to bask in the "what ifs" of life. Because I can assure you that those creative "what if" situations you make up are 99.99999 % not going to occur. So instead, we must celebrate the overall picture and plan God has for you and me. I found this quote from an unknown source but it really sums up a lot, "Fiercely understand that your existence is the only prerequisite for being good enough."
I say all of this to say that you don't have to pretend, you don't have to always have a smile across your face. We can all agree that at times life sucks and all we want to do is escape the pain and hurt. But remember, we cannot let our situation leak into our every cell in our bodies. You can't loose sight of what you have already overcome and what amazing moments that are waiting for you. The biggest most powerful cure for these times is hope. We must remain hopeful and trust that no matter the situation, God's Got This.
April 11, 2021
Good morning! I hope you all had a great week. I know for many it was Spring Break which often means a break from school or work. These stretches of stress free relaxation can be so good for us as humans because many of us are on the move 24/7. Taking these rare breaks to really focus on being still and center yourself with God can make huge leaps in our Christian walk. If you know me personally, I am a extremely planned and organized person. I really like order and don't do very well with change. Not going to lie, I was nervous about Spring Break because my family was going to the beach for six days. For most people, this would be something that brings anticipation, but for me it is different. Now by all means I am not saying I wasn't excited about spending time with my family, it was more of the fear of being pulled out of my safe place (home) and not being able to stay in my routine schedule. However deep down I know, change is good for me and these challenges help me to increase my flexibility and work on myself.
My family is the complete opposite, everyone else is fly by the seat of their pants except for me. When my parents and siblings are on vacation, they are totally relaxed and just go with the flow type. So they often ask me how I enjoy myself if I'm always doing the exact same things. I tell them that just how change makes them happy, routine makes me happy. I find comfort and stillness in knowing what and when things are going to happen. There is nothing wrong with having these traits yet I often remind myself that in order to be easy going and flexible, I must challenge these drives every once in a while. Plus vacation is something God uses to speak to us and form a closer bond with you and me. Matthew 11:28 states, "But, He would withdraw to desolate places and pray." Vacation and getaways are perfect times to spend with God. This might mean relaxing on the beach or simply sitting in your backyard. We need these times to ourselves, time to just let go of all the worry and get some relief of our everyday stresses. God says in Mark 2:27, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."
I say all of this because no matter what you rather, getaway or stay home, I challenge you to remember that God gives us all of these opportunities in order to spend more time and grow closer to Him. Use these periods of relief to pray and strengthen your bond with Christ. I am so grateful that each of you came back to read this weeks update, and I pray that you will continue. I love each and everyone of you so much and hope that you have an amazing week. Please remember that I am still making and sending B3 Boxes so be sure to submit a form for anyone you think could benefit. I will see you next week!
April 4, 2021
Happy Easter everyone! It's hard to believe that we are already to this point in 2021. It's also crazy to think that this time last year we were just getting waist deep in the big quarantine. I remember thinking when the state first mandated that we should stay at home that this would only last a few weeks. But then a year later and we are still being forced to wear masks and socially distance. It's astonishing how much the Lord can have in store over just a couple of months. However, we must look at Easter in this same way. It only took three short days for Jesus to go from one end of the spectrum to the complete opposite. Going from being torutured and tormented to the point of death on the cross to be placed in a tomb. To just three mornings later two young women entering His tomb to find no body and realizing that Jesus had risen. With God in our lives, anything is possible. He can turn nothing into something incredible in the blink of an eye. He uses hard trials and hopeless times to comply turn these experiences around into amazing testimonies and ways of life for others. I think that we get so caught up in the fact that we face difficult times. We find ourselves stuck in this pit of what feels to be never ending tests, trials, and lows of life but yet we forget that this is where God's amazingness shines through.
Each and everyone of us is unique in our own ways and this is exactly where God steps in and changes our lives around. He uses everything we experience for His glory and He challenges us to use these times to amplify His name. I pray that this short reminder of God greatness would push you to keep on trying. Never give up because whatever it is you are currently facing is just a small chapter in what God is going to use to write an award winning book. He has a unshakable plan for your life and you and me must use this to excite and encourage others going through similar times. I love you all so much and hope you enjoy this day of praise. I will see you all next week!