Can you believe it's already almost 2013?! We made it through 12/21/12. Imagine that one.
So looking back on 2012, I can almost say that I have a little satisfaction with my year. So much has happened. Got accepted to my first choice college. Got my first car. Started a new job. Flew in an airplane alone.
In 2012, my team mate and friend Candace went to be with our Savior. Hard as that experience has been for a lot of us, I want to share with you how it has taught me.
For about a month after it happened, I didn't even want to leave the house for fear of coming home and something having happened to my family. It terrified me. I'm still dealing with that problem. But after a while, I don't really know when, I decided something. I decided that in 2012 I wanted to face my fears. Candace was fearless, I swear. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind. Wasn't afraid to try anything. And it inspired me. I am a pretty fearful person. I don't like facing fears, don't like stepping out of my comfort zone. But this year, I really did. For the first time.
First of all, I gave blood. I am TERRIFIED of giving blood. Something about it just makes me CRAZY. It always has. But I couldn't be happier that I did, and I got the shirt to prove it ;) Not only that but I plan on doing it again this spring.
Then, I asked my own prom date to prom. Haha, that's kind of an embarrassing one to admit, but I did it and prom was a lot of fun and I'm so glad that I did.
Next, I rode a roller coaster for the first time and it was so much fun. SO MUCH. I screamed the whole time but it was the best, and I kept on riding them. I'm a roller coaster junkie now. ;)
This summer I rode an airplane by myself. That was a big step for me. First of all, it involved leaving Arkansas and leaving my family for 3 weeks to go to Michigan, which in itself terrified me, because at that time I hadn't left them for that long since Candace had passed. It was incredibly difficult, but man God is great and he taught me a lot through it. To get home, I had to ride an airplane on standby by myself. Now, if any of you have ever flown on standby, you know how touch and go it is. There is never a guarantee that you will get a seat, and man, I sure will have stories about that to tell my kids :). On my last leg of the trip I got stuck in St. Louis for 9 hours watching my flights go by until finally, on the last flight of the day, I got on. However, during the day I was sitting at a table after I had had a pity party and cried for an hour because I wanted to be home so badly, and my friend Amber had been waiting to pick me up in Little Rock all day for me. I was just sitting there reading my bible when a man came and sat down with me while he waited for his flight. Seriously, he was the most precious old man. We talked about God for about an hour, talked about life. It was fantastic. He even added me to his prayer list. :) He was such a sweetheart, and I will NEVER forget that trip.
Another fear was probably the biggest of this year. I went on a mission trip to Dallas, and while on the trip, the Lord convicted me that I needed to quit basketball. That was the thing I was most terrified to do. I knew people wouldn't understand. I was scared that I would just go back to being that loser girl. I was so scared. But because of my God's sweet faithfulness, He gave me the grace to give it up. It's still something I struggle with, but I am so glad that I listened.
Haha, this one is a little goofy, but it still happened! When school was about to start, I heard that my school's band needed another bass drummer. Haha, our band director is kind of terrifying before ya know him, and I had NEVER played a drum. But I figured, what the hey, and I joined. It has been so much fun. I've gotten to spend the year with my best friends and it's been so hilariously fun.
On of my biggest fears of all time was singing in front of people. I faced this fear twice this year.
The first time was when I sang the national anthem at a basketball game on senior night. Man, I was shaking for that night. Then I sang two songs at the choir variety show. You talk about nervous. I basically forgot how to breathe for a few minutes, haha.
Some of the other things I did this year were smaller or whatever, but to me, they were like overcoming the world. I am so glad that I chose to live without fear this year. Obviously, there are still things that I wish I would have done, but I am so thankful for the opportunity I had to do this. No matter if something or someone inspires you to do this for a year, I would seriously encourage you to do it. Face every fear you can and just live. I have so many new memories because I chose to not let my fear dominate my life anymore. Whoever you are, whatever you're scared of, face it. It frees your spirit.
Go skydiving.
Forgive someone.
Learn how to surf.
Join a club.
Tell everyone you love that you love them.
Visit another country.
Take a roadtrip.
Be proud of yourself.
Trust God with you're life, guys. Put it in His hands and get ready for the ride of your life.
Candace, thank you for being fearless. Thanks for being real always. I miss you.
"Being fearless isn't being 100% unafraid. It's being completely terrified and jumping anyway."
Happy new year, everyone.
The suffering won't last forever. It won't be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ-eternal and glorious plans they are-will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, He does. - 1 Peter 5:10&11
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Once was lost.
WELL it's been a few ages since I last blogged. Haven't had much to say I suppose. But I do now.
People really don't like Christians.
They don't like to feel wrong.
They don't like to feel judged.
They don't want to hear that there is an alternative to Heaven.
They don't like our churches.
They don't like our values.
They don't want us to say anything.
They want us to mess up.
They like it when we don't stand up for anything.
They will do anything to point fingers at our failures.
They just really don't like us.
And a lot of their reason's are pretty valid.
We point fingers.
We judge.
We mess up.
We claim to have a loving God when horrible things have happened to them.
I think if I didn't understand my faith I really wouldn't like me either. Honestly guys? We really don't give them a huge reason to like us. How many times have we ignored someone because they aren't in our crowd? How many times have we pointed fingers at others when we should have been pointing it at ourselves?
How many times have we repaid evil with evil? An eye for an eye? Refusing to turn the other cheek?
We claim to live by all these principles. By stating that we are Christians, we are putting an open Bible in front of us and saying that we live by it, but we don't. We don't even try. It's such a waste of time. Of glory. Of Jesus.
When we claim to be Christians, we claim His sacrifice and post it in our lives front yard. We pack up the kids for Sunday church and we keep a bible on the bookshelf and we wear WWJD bracelets and we lead VBS and we do all this stuff but it's such crap, because it's all a show. Unfortunately, people who aren't Christians see right through it. Seriously, ask any one of them. They see it and they laugh on the inside and then they throw it in our faces and we're all like, "dude, I'm not perfect! I'm a sinner but Jesus saved me," which is totally accurate BUT IT'S ALL A WASTED LIE WHEN YOU USE IT AS A FALL BACK. Yes, Jesus sure did save us, but not so that we can go and use it as a barbed wire fence around our stupid lives that we can freely go in and out of and choose when we want to use His sacrifice and coverage from God's wrath. Jesus isn't a bomb shelter to use only when times get rough.
Quit this stupid cycle. Refuse to follow the patterns of this world. REFUSE to give them a reason to look at you and say that your life is a lie.
Hey, you're gonna mess up. But when you do it's not some light stuff. Screw ups and failures and sins and stupid moves separate us from God. They take us and put us on one side of the Grand Canyon and God on the other. It's not some joke to be used and it's not some sacrifice to abuse. When Jesus was hanging bloody, scarred, broken on the cross, I am positively sure that His thought process did not include, "Ok, I'm dying so that they can have an excuse to sin and not feel bad about it. This will totally work out and I'll just get them off the hook for everything because they are awesome."
Jesus died so that we didn't have to be separated from God anymore.
If your brother gave his life for you so that you could be free from slavery, would you just go back to being a slave because it was easier than trying to go find your way in an unfamiliar world?
No, you wouldn't. You would turn and run as fast as you could to live your free life.
"Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you." - Galatians 5:1
"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from His perspective." - Colossians 3:1-2
People really don't like Christians.
They don't like to feel wrong.
They don't like to feel judged.
They don't want to hear that there is an alternative to Heaven.
They don't like our churches.
They don't like our values.
They don't want us to say anything.
They want us to mess up.
They like it when we don't stand up for anything.
They will do anything to point fingers at our failures.
They just really don't like us.
And a lot of their reason's are pretty valid.
We point fingers.
We judge.
We mess up.
We claim to have a loving God when horrible things have happened to them.
I think if I didn't understand my faith I really wouldn't like me either. Honestly guys? We really don't give them a huge reason to like us. How many times have we ignored someone because they aren't in our crowd? How many times have we pointed fingers at others when we should have been pointing it at ourselves?
How many times have we repaid evil with evil? An eye for an eye? Refusing to turn the other cheek?
We claim to live by all these principles. By stating that we are Christians, we are putting an open Bible in front of us and saying that we live by it, but we don't. We don't even try. It's such a waste of time. Of glory. Of Jesus.
When we claim to be Christians, we claim His sacrifice and post it in our lives front yard. We pack up the kids for Sunday church and we keep a bible on the bookshelf and we wear WWJD bracelets and we lead VBS and we do all this stuff but it's such crap, because it's all a show. Unfortunately, people who aren't Christians see right through it. Seriously, ask any one of them. They see it and they laugh on the inside and then they throw it in our faces and we're all like, "dude, I'm not perfect! I'm a sinner but Jesus saved me," which is totally accurate BUT IT'S ALL A WASTED LIE WHEN YOU USE IT AS A FALL BACK. Yes, Jesus sure did save us, but not so that we can go and use it as a barbed wire fence around our stupid lives that we can freely go in and out of and choose when we want to use His sacrifice and coverage from God's wrath. Jesus isn't a bomb shelter to use only when times get rough.
Quit this stupid cycle. Refuse to follow the patterns of this world. REFUSE to give them a reason to look at you and say that your life is a lie.
Hey, you're gonna mess up. But when you do it's not some light stuff. Screw ups and failures and sins and stupid moves separate us from God. They take us and put us on one side of the Grand Canyon and God on the other. It's not some joke to be used and it's not some sacrifice to abuse. When Jesus was hanging bloody, scarred, broken on the cross, I am positively sure that His thought process did not include, "Ok, I'm dying so that they can have an excuse to sin and not feel bad about it. This will totally work out and I'll just get them off the hook for everything because they are awesome."
Jesus died so that we didn't have to be separated from God anymore.
If your brother gave his life for you so that you could be free from slavery, would you just go back to being a slave because it was easier than trying to go find your way in an unfamiliar world?
No, you wouldn't. You would turn and run as fast as you could to live your free life.
"Christ has set us free to live a free life. So take your stand! Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you." - Galatians 5:1
"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ - that's where the action is. See things from His perspective." - Colossians 3:1-2
Monday, August 20, 2012
In your shoes.
This life is crazy. fast. beautiful. hard. I love this life. I love my Savior. I love my family. I love my friends. I love my school. I love my church. But most of all my Savior. He makes things so much more beautiful. He puts the color in my world. I LOVE JESUS!!!
Man, I just feel like screamin' it.
Anyway.
School's back. Crazy, huh? I'm a SENIOR. That's nuts.
To my Sophomores:
Kids, us upperclassmen may call you names or joke with ya, but we do love you. You are gonna be in our position in just 2 short years that go by way faster than you can even imagine. I still remember being so scared I wanted to cry when I walked into those big glass doors of the Ozark High School, thinking, HOLY MOLY I'm gonna die. I didn't want to grow up or be in a building with those mean old seniors ;) Much less make any sort of stand for Christ. I was the bottom of the totem pole, and I decided it would be best to accept my role as a church Christian, but forget about doing it all at school. That was too scary. But let me tell you guys, I was so wrong. Were any of you guys to make a stand for our mighty God, I would be blown away, IN A GOOD WAY! I want so badly for you guys to step out of your comfort zones and take a giant leap of faith for His name. Don't be afraid guys! That's not only going to be a huge blessing to yourself in the end, it would bless all of our hearts to such extents, you couldn't even fathom. If I could go back and be the kid that wasn't afraid to share my faith in those halls, I would do it in a heartbeat. Please, if you never hear a word your teachers say this year, hear this: don't be afraid to be an all-around Christian because of what the older or other kids in this school will think. GOD IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN OUR PETTY OPINIONS! He matters so much more, and if you ever feel yourself lost in the crowd, scared to stand out and find your identity in Christ, grab my very long arm in the hallway and drag me to where I can hear you above the noise, and talk. I'll listen. Whatever it is. I don't care if I'm late for class or can't go to the bathroom. Your relationship with Christ is more important. Don't be afraid to spill those emotions you've been holding in so long. It's time to define that awesome relationship with Christ you've been searching for, no matter who you are.
-
To my juniors:
Jeez, seems like I was in your shoes like, yesterday. Junior year is a tough year, I'll be honest about that. Teachers will be tough, friendships may fall through. I know there were a lot of tears for me last year. But that's just life. If you come to a point in this year when you just don't want to make it another day, like I said earlier, come find me. I don't care who you are or if I don't know you. I have ears and a Savior that loves the both of us and am always willing to listen.
I know the sophomores were close to Candace Harvey as well, but you were her class. And I've come to find out that classes at Ozark kind of become families. No, she won't be walking down that hallway with you everyday, and yes it's gonna hurt. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that. But I will tell you this: the Candace I know would NOT want you being miserable. She would want you to carry on, even when it's hard, even when the days are long. I love you guys so much, and know she did too. Finish this race strong for her. That's what she would want.
To my seniors:
Woah. I can't believe I've been here 5 years now, with you guys. Crazy how just that long ago you were all making fun of my northern accent. Now my Northern friends make fun of my Southern accent. I've learned a lot from you guys. Like what it means to pull together when tragedy strikes. Like what it means to be there for each other. What it means to really be a friend. I'm very proud to finish my highschool years with this class. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you guys. You have meant so much to me these past years. You welcomed me in and loved me and helped me. I can't say thank you enough for it.
I know we have this year ahead of us, but it's gonna fly by, and I just want to encourage you with this:
God has better and far more wonderful plans for you than you can make for yourself. Let Him make your story. Ups and downs, it'll all be worth it. He's so much better. Than anything. I know that for a fact. Please, please, please, just don't forget how wonderful He is. And let's finish this thing strong.
Man, I just feel like screamin' it.
Anyway.
School's back. Crazy, huh? I'm a SENIOR. That's nuts.
To my Sophomores:
Kids, us upperclassmen may call you names or joke with ya, but we do love you. You are gonna be in our position in just 2 short years that go by way faster than you can even imagine. I still remember being so scared I wanted to cry when I walked into those big glass doors of the Ozark High School, thinking, HOLY MOLY I'm gonna die. I didn't want to grow up or be in a building with those mean old seniors ;) Much less make any sort of stand for Christ. I was the bottom of the totem pole, and I decided it would be best to accept my role as a church Christian, but forget about doing it all at school. That was too scary. But let me tell you guys, I was so wrong. Were any of you guys to make a stand for our mighty God, I would be blown away, IN A GOOD WAY! I want so badly for you guys to step out of your comfort zones and take a giant leap of faith for His name. Don't be afraid guys! That's not only going to be a huge blessing to yourself in the end, it would bless all of our hearts to such extents, you couldn't even fathom. If I could go back and be the kid that wasn't afraid to share my faith in those halls, I would do it in a heartbeat. Please, if you never hear a word your teachers say this year, hear this: don't be afraid to be an all-around Christian because of what the older or other kids in this school will think. GOD IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN OUR PETTY OPINIONS! He matters so much more, and if you ever feel yourself lost in the crowd, scared to stand out and find your identity in Christ, grab my very long arm in the hallway and drag me to where I can hear you above the noise, and talk. I'll listen. Whatever it is. I don't care if I'm late for class or can't go to the bathroom. Your relationship with Christ is more important. Don't be afraid to spill those emotions you've been holding in so long. It's time to define that awesome relationship with Christ you've been searching for, no matter who you are.
-
To my juniors:
Jeez, seems like I was in your shoes like, yesterday. Junior year is a tough year, I'll be honest about that. Teachers will be tough, friendships may fall through. I know there were a lot of tears for me last year. But that's just life. If you come to a point in this year when you just don't want to make it another day, like I said earlier, come find me. I don't care who you are or if I don't know you. I have ears and a Savior that loves the both of us and am always willing to listen.
I know the sophomores were close to Candace Harvey as well, but you were her class. And I've come to find out that classes at Ozark kind of become families. No, she won't be walking down that hallway with you everyday, and yes it's gonna hurt. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you that. But I will tell you this: the Candace I know would NOT want you being miserable. She would want you to carry on, even when it's hard, even when the days are long. I love you guys so much, and know she did too. Finish this race strong for her. That's what she would want.
To my seniors:
Woah. I can't believe I've been here 5 years now, with you guys. Crazy how just that long ago you were all making fun of my northern accent. Now my Northern friends make fun of my Southern accent. I've learned a lot from you guys. Like what it means to pull together when tragedy strikes. Like what it means to be there for each other. What it means to really be a friend. I'm very proud to finish my highschool years with this class. I wouldn't have it any other way. I love you guys. You have meant so much to me these past years. You welcomed me in and loved me and helped me. I can't say thank you enough for it.
I know we have this year ahead of us, but it's gonna fly by, and I just want to encourage you with this:
God has better and far more wonderful plans for you than you can make for yourself. Let Him make your story. Ups and downs, it'll all be worth it. He's so much better. Than anything. I know that for a fact. Please, please, please, just don't forget how wonderful He is. And let's finish this thing strong.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
just be.
Nah, I'm no author. But I do have some words.
A lot of people are afraid to be open. honest. real. I have something to say to the people out there that are just sad, but don't have any words to say that they are. that are afraid to be honest about being upset. It's okay to be sad. Ok? It's alright. Sometimes I'm sad too. Sometimes it's okay to lay on your bed and cry. pout. be afraid. feel pain. It's okay to be that way.
I know I have this amazing life, full of God's blessings, but sometimes I'm sad too. Lately, I have been missing God. I have this hurt inside me because I don't feel him near. It's okay to be hurt. But God's always there. I know He is. I know that He is looking over my shoulder as I type this. But sometimes I feel like He's miles away. speaking to others but passing me by. I know that's not true. I that He's here. But sometimes it doesn't seem like it.
Sometimes I have to take a deep breathe and remind myself that I'm still here. Sometimes I have to go underwater and be completely absent of thought and world and life and just imagine that the green tint of the water is all there is. Sometimes I have to scream it out. Sometimes I have to let the tears pour out onto my pillows just because. Sometimes I have to drive. Sometimes I have to just be Jo. Just this girl who wanders through life. I have a purpose. but sometimes I forget.
I miss Candace. A lot. It's hard for me to say that sometimes. Sometimes it makes me cry. Sometimes I smile because I remember her. I wish she was still here. I think if she was still here I wouldn't be sad so much now. But she wouldn't want me to be sad. She would want me to live. Really live. fearlessly. unconditionally. bravely. largely. but sometimes it's scary to live that way.
Sometimes I'm scared of the dark. failure. people. heights. fear. hurt. life. living. remembering. going to sleep. leaving. losing.
But life goes on. Being afraid. lonely. hurt. angry. it's okay. it's okay to be those things. Sometimes it stinks to be that way. but life goes on.
Be sad. Be alive. Feel it. really feel it.
go drive to somewhere you've never been
face your fears
eat something that really grosses you out
find a new favorite song
ride your bike at 3 in the morning
ride a horse
start a garden
sew a quilt
enter a spelling bee
shoot a firework
camp out under the stars without a tent
leave a random kind note in someones mailbox
dream
buy your best friend a present
value every second
be alive
truly alive
be sad
happy
lost
angry
joyful
confused
just be.
I miss Candace. A lot. It's hard for me to say that sometimes. Sometimes it makes me cry. Sometimes I smile because I remember her. I wish she was still here. I think if she was still here I wouldn't be sad so much now. But she wouldn't want me to be sad. She would want me to live. Really live. fearlessly. unconditionally. bravely. largely. but sometimes it's scary to live that way.
Sometimes I'm scared of the dark. failure. people. heights. fear. hurt. life. living. remembering. going to sleep. leaving. losing.
But life goes on. Being afraid. lonely. hurt. angry. it's okay. it's okay to be those things. Sometimes it stinks to be that way. but life goes on.
Be sad. Be alive. Feel it. really feel it.
go drive to somewhere you've never been
face your fears
eat something that really grosses you out
find a new favorite song
ride your bike at 3 in the morning
ride a horse
start a garden
sew a quilt
enter a spelling bee
shoot a firework
camp out under the stars without a tent
leave a random kind note in someones mailbox
dream
buy your best friend a present
value every second
be alive
truly alive
be sad
happy
lost
angry
joyful
confused
just be.
Friday, March 2, 2012
Anchored to His love.
You know that feeling you get the night before Christmas when you're a little kid? That feeling that for one day, magic is alive. That the air tastes different. It's full of an electricity that makes you shake with excitement and keeps you up all night.
Tonight, I watched an amazing group of young people pass through their Discipleship Training School with flying colors. I love, love, LOVE seeing kids close to my age with a passion for our GREAT God. Watching them turn over this page in their life gives me that Christmas eve tingle I haven't felt since I was below 6 feet tall ;) I CAN'T wait until I'm up, accepting a diploma for finishing my DTS. Who knows where on this planet it will be. I may be standing in the middle of a swamp, but at least I'll be doing what I know God loves. I know without a doubt that God has some awesome plan for my life that could take me anywhere, doing anything. As long as I'm doing it for God,I know that nothing can stop me. I'm so excited that I cannot find the words to tell you just how EXCITED I am!
But here's the thing:
In high school, it's so easy to get caught up in drama drama drama, and lose sight of what matters. GOD MATTERS! If our whole school would embrace that, can you imagine what we could accomplish?! My God is able. He is able to love past our failures, conquer our sins, fight for the weary, protect the weak, defend the defenseless, care for the lonely, and beat the tar out of satan, all in the same second. The war is already won. Our God is the conqueror of all. If we take a stand for Him, who could possibly stand against us? God doesn't care about how popular you are. He doesn't care about how many friends you have. He doesn't care if you can't play any sports. He cares about sharing His love. Showing people how much He cares. How much He longs for us. Wants us. If we could embrace that fact, who on this planet could stand in our way? My God is an Awesome God. He is holy. He is mighty. Perfect. Who cares about all that junk between people? Forgive and forget and be better than all the stuff our world expects of us kids. Overcome the status quo. Our world demands average. ordinary. But a life with CHRIST is EXTRAordinary. It is everything you can possibly dream of, because when you have Christ in your heart, what you can only dream of, God can bring about like it's nobody's business. TRUST. Believe that He's gonna take you places and teach you things. Stop relying on other people to bring you self worth. High school is a grain of sand in our life. It'll be over in the blink of an eye. But the choices we make during this crucial time in our lives - the people we choose to be- those things will stick to us. Choose to be someone God will be able to look at and say, "I can use them." Strive for it. Every day of your life, make it a point to live for Him.
My God is not dead, He is surely alive.
He is surely alive.
Live like you will never have another day to show Him that He can use you. Give Him every piece of you. Every dirty piece of your heart - let Him clean it out and lay it down.
Lay it all down at His feet.
You can turn this life around.
God will never run out on you.
Tonight, I watched an amazing group of young people pass through their Discipleship Training School with flying colors. I love, love, LOVE seeing kids close to my age with a passion for our GREAT God. Watching them turn over this page in their life gives me that Christmas eve tingle I haven't felt since I was below 6 feet tall ;) I CAN'T wait until I'm up, accepting a diploma for finishing my DTS. Who knows where on this planet it will be. I may be standing in the middle of a swamp, but at least I'll be doing what I know God loves. I know without a doubt that God has some awesome plan for my life that could take me anywhere, doing anything. As long as I'm doing it for God,I know that nothing can stop me. I'm so excited that I cannot find the words to tell you just how EXCITED I am!
But here's the thing:
In high school, it's so easy to get caught up in drama drama drama, and lose sight of what matters. GOD MATTERS! If our whole school would embrace that, can you imagine what we could accomplish?! My God is able. He is able to love past our failures, conquer our sins, fight for the weary, protect the weak, defend the defenseless, care for the lonely, and beat the tar out of satan, all in the same second. The war is already won. Our God is the conqueror of all. If we take a stand for Him, who could possibly stand against us? God doesn't care about how popular you are. He doesn't care about how many friends you have. He doesn't care if you can't play any sports. He cares about sharing His love. Showing people how much He cares. How much He longs for us. Wants us. If we could embrace that fact, who on this planet could stand in our way? My God is an Awesome God. He is holy. He is mighty. Perfect. Who cares about all that junk between people? Forgive and forget and be better than all the stuff our world expects of us kids. Overcome the status quo. Our world demands average. ordinary. But a life with CHRIST is EXTRAordinary. It is everything you can possibly dream of, because when you have Christ in your heart, what you can only dream of, God can bring about like it's nobody's business. TRUST. Believe that He's gonna take you places and teach you things. Stop relying on other people to bring you self worth. High school is a grain of sand in our life. It'll be over in the blink of an eye. But the choices we make during this crucial time in our lives - the people we choose to be- those things will stick to us. Choose to be someone God will be able to look at and say, "I can use them." Strive for it. Every day of your life, make it a point to live for Him.
My God is not dead, He is surely alive.
He is surely alive.
Live like you will never have another day to show Him that He can use you. Give Him every piece of you. Every dirty piece of your heart - let Him clean it out and lay it down.
Lay it all down at His feet.
You can turn this life around.
God will never run out on you.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Love is the movement.
I have an apology to make.
Here I am, blogging about being a Christian, and yet I have been SUCH a hypocrite these past few months. So please forgive me for that.
I was standing in CV's the other day, (our local grocery store where I work) and a family of 3 came through my line. The little girl, around 8 probably, had an iPhone in her hands. The parents seemed sort of distant, and so I automatically assumed they gave their daughter whatever she wanted to keep her happy. "Spoiled kid," I automatically thought, and kept going on with the order. Later, a man came through my line. He had been through before, and I knew he rode a bike everywhere he went. He looked kind of rough, and so, ashamed as I am to say it, I automatically thought, "Ha, he's probably just some drug dealer."
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged." - Matthew 7:1
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for The Lord is able to make him stand." - Romans 14:1
It all clicked then.
Every person I see, whether it's in CV's, the street, school, WalMart... I judge them all. Automatically assume that they are some HORRIBLE people.
So I say to myself, "Jo, I bet he's a great guy with a great family at home that he's providing for."
But that may not be true. I stop myself. Here I am, a Christian, telling others not to judge. not to jump to conclusions. Yet I judge everyone I see.
Here's the thing. No, they may not have a great life. Maybe they do deal drugs. Maybe they don't care about their children. They make mistakes, just like me.
Here's the catch.
You've heard it 50,000,000,000 times in Sunday School. Learned it in AWANAS.
God loves them EXACTLY like He loves me. He cares for them. He's jealous for them. He's got His door wide open to them. Jesus didn't come for perfect people. He came for the lost. The broken. The hurting. The murderers. The drug dealers. The haters. The angry. That's who He came for.
So here's the thing. It's not about assuming somebody is a great person even if they don't look like it. It's not about repeating over and over to yourself that, "Hey, I bet they are really nice people!" It's about loving them no matter who they are. No matter if they've been to jail 10 times. No matter if they hate you.
No matter if they put you on a cross and slaughter you, because even then we are called to love like Christ.
1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Here I am, blogging about being a Christian, and yet I have been SUCH a hypocrite these past few months. So please forgive me for that.
I was standing in CV's the other day, (our local grocery store where I work) and a family of 3 came through my line. The little girl, around 8 probably, had an iPhone in her hands. The parents seemed sort of distant, and so I automatically assumed they gave their daughter whatever she wanted to keep her happy. "Spoiled kid," I automatically thought, and kept going on with the order. Later, a man came through my line. He had been through before, and I knew he rode a bike everywhere he went. He looked kind of rough, and so, ashamed as I am to say it, I automatically thought, "Ha, he's probably just some drug dealer."
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged." - Matthew 7:1
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for The Lord is able to make him stand." - Romans 14:1
It all clicked then.
Every person I see, whether it's in CV's, the street, school, WalMart... I judge them all. Automatically assume that they are some HORRIBLE people.
So I say to myself, "Jo, I bet he's a great guy with a great family at home that he's providing for."
But that may not be true. I stop myself. Here I am, a Christian, telling others not to judge. not to jump to conclusions. Yet I judge everyone I see.
Here's the thing. No, they may not have a great life. Maybe they do deal drugs. Maybe they don't care about their children. They make mistakes, just like me.
Here's the catch.
You've heard it 50,000,000,000 times in Sunday School. Learned it in AWANAS.
God loves them EXACTLY like He loves me. He cares for them. He's jealous for them. He's got His door wide open to them. Jesus didn't come for perfect people. He came for the lost. The broken. The hurting. The murderers. The drug dealers. The haters. The angry. That's who He came for.
So here's the thing. It's not about assuming somebody is a great person even if they don't look like it. It's not about repeating over and over to yourself that, "Hey, I bet they are really nice people!" It's about loving them no matter who they are. No matter if they've been to jail 10 times. No matter if they hate you.
No matter if they put you on a cross and slaughter you, because even then we are called to love like Christ.
1 John 3:1 See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world,that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
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