Love wins. . .

I think we all struggle with the thought of perfect love, a love that won't leave us nor forsake us, a love that won't let us down, a perfect love.  I know that it is hard for me to realize that God loves me perfectly.  It is a war that is fought in my brain.  Does he love me enough to forgive me, does he love me enough to give me peace, does he love me enough to care?  These questions rage against all that I know about God's love.  This battle is fought daily for so many of us seeking God.  But these ridiculous questions are lies that the enemy plants in us, and you know what we have to do with these weedy lies?  Take a shovel and rip them from our minds.  God loves us.  GOD LOVES US, perfectly.  We may sin, we may have doubts, but God's perfect love overlooks that and loves us anyway.  No matter what, you will always will have  God's love.

To Save a Life

I just finished reading the book  To Save a Life by Jim and Rachel Britts and it had me in tears. I never realized how every single thing we do effects other people.  In this book, a boy named Jake witnesses his old friend, Roger, kill himself and feels like it was his fault.  Jake and Roger grew up together and were best friends, until high school when Jake left Roger to pursue popularity.  Jake knows that he could have been kinder to Roger, and he feels like he could have saved his life if he had just tried harder to pay attention to him.  Through the book Jake comes to know God and Jesus and knows that popularity doesn't matter, love does.  Jake befriends a young boy named Jonny who doesn't have any friends at school and is struggling with his alcoholic mom at home.  This story is so  inspiring and led me on an incredible emotional and spiritual journey. 

I love this verse!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was reading a Susie magazine when I found a verse that I fell in love with immediately: "Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love makes up for many of your faults." 1Peter4:8
It made me thought, how can I show deep love for others, which made me think about Corinthians 13 and how love is described.  Corinthians 13:4-7 : 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. (credit to http://www.biblestudytools.com/1-corinthians/13.html for this verse).  We can show someone deep love by being patient with them, by being kind to them, by not envying what they have and being rude to them because we are blinded by our jealousy.  Love is not proud, and it does not boast, when we are humble with someone, we are showing them a glimmer of God's love.  When we are not rude to someone,  we are again loving them deeply, because we are human and can be very rude because of our sinful nature.  But, the love that created us is stronger then sin so our kindness  is God's light shining through us and showcasing His love and our love for our fellow brother's and sister's in Christ. Think about John 3:16 "For God so loved the world,  that He  gave His one and only Son, so  that whoever believed in Him, shall not perish but have everlasting life."  The Bible also tells us that God is love.  Love is not self-seeking, when God gave us Jesus to die for for our sins, to forgive us , to be our Savior, it brought Him great sadness.  God wasn't thinking only for Him self, He was thinking for HIs children whom He loves so much!  When God sent Jesus to this earth, He was showing us His great love.  When we think for others first, we are loving them with a very deep love.  Jesus is God, so Jesus is love too, all of our mistakes are covered in Jesus' love!   Is God easily angered? No, so if we love others we should try not to be easily angered by them.  Always love others, always.

Steamboat!

I had a great time on my trip to Steamboat!!!  I learned that when God says that He will give us food and provide for us if we fear Him, I learned from both Mrs. Cija, and my Granny that God uses His children to help His children.  Thank you granny and Cija!!!  God uses us all!

Camp: Altar Call

I went to camp  Quaker Ridge last week and it was amazing!!!  I learned so much about God's incredible hope that He gives us, I also learned a lot about God's unfailing love and the hope of eternal life God promised to us through belief in His son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.  One night we had an altar call during chapel to come and renew your belief in Jesus or to accept Him as your Lord and Savior for the first time.  I would like to a prayer request out there for everyone who is in need of God's incredible hope.  Please pray for those outg there in need of Jesus' love.

I am in need of a Savior.

I am in need of a Savior.  Thank God for His Son Jesus.  Jesus saves us.
         "Later  Matthew invited Jesus and His disciples to his home as dinner guests, along with many tax collectors and other disreputable sinners.  But when the Pharisees saw this, they asked His disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with such scum?"
         When Jesus heard this, He said, "Healthy people don't need a doctor-sick people do."  Then He added, "  Now go and learn the meaning of this scipture: 'I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.'  For I have come to call not htjose who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners."
Matthew 9:10-13
I realized today that I may think that I am better, or more righteous because I don't listen to bad music, or because I get good grades, or maybe because I try to be more modest.  I am not better, or more righteous, God doesn't love me more because I don't listen to modern music.  I know that I like the music I listen to, and I am comfortable in my clothes, I also know that I like getting good grades.  That doesn't make me better though, it makes me unique.
Matthew 5:7
"Blessed are those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy."

God's Living Word

God's Living Word, the Bible, is amazing.  I am so blessed to have a Bible and that I am free to read it and talk about it where, in other places, you could get arrested or even killed for even reading or even owning a Bible.  I was reading today in Matthew where Jesus' disciples are in the storm at sea and they are so afraid.  They yelled to Jesus, saying "Lord wake up, we are going to drown!"  It made me think that to get help from Jesus we need to accept Him as our Lord, our perfect Lord, and also accept and admit that we are not perfect and that we have problems.  The more we focus on Christ our Lord and Savior, and the less we focus on our problems the calmer the storm is going to get.  I love Jesus' word it is truly amazing.