Losing a Friend

On Saturday, November 19, 2011, my grandmother's birthday in whom I lost 6 years ago, I lost a friend. His name is Briant Rowe. Although there were many people closer to him then I, my heart sunk at the news and it was very difficult to recover. If not for the help and strength my friends have given me, I would not be able to handle this situation.

Briant Rowe can be described in many words. My most vivid memories of him come from our discussions revolving around religion. He was a passionate speaker and knew much about the topics he believed in. There were subjects we disagreed on, yet it was useful conversation and informative to me. Briant also always had jokes to crack, whether they be on me or my sisters. He was a very spiritual, laughable and fun loving person.

The majority of my relationship with Briant stemmed from his relationship with my sister. I now regret not taking more time to get to know him as a person for myself. Seeing the love poured out for him at such a great extent from his family, friends and loved ones, I realize I missed out on getting to know someone who may have changed my life.

I write this post not only to brag about how great my friend was and the incredible influence he had on so many people while he graced the earth with his presence, but I also write to urge all readers to live each day as if it were to be your last. This is the day you will meet your Maker. We are so accustomed to cliche sayings such as "tomorrow is not promised." However, it is a true statement indeed. I truly believe Briant was well versed with his Maker, that he was still learning but was very aware of how blessed he truly was. I also write to urge all readers not to take any moment in life for granted. Live out your life to the fullest, get to know everyone around you on a deeper level and build stronger relationships, live each day to love, don't live a life that consists if judging and conflict starting and most important, don't hold grudges. Never let the sun set on your anger. If you have a problem with someone, resolve it before you rest your head. Forgiving and forgetting is not easy, but Jesus did it for us.

I miss Briant Rowe. I never told him, but I love him, as a person and as a friend. The minimal number of conversations and times we had together lead me to understand what kind of person he was. Briant was not perfect, as nobody is. Yet his bright spirit and influential personality and kind heart has shined so strongly through those who he has left behind, it is clear that he was and still is a true motivation.

To Briant Rowe, I pray that you and your father's names are written in the book of life and for now, you are resting peacefully until that day you will be called home. I pray also that I will see you again in the Kingdom. I will give you a nice big hug and hopefully be able to get to know you then. I am praying for your family and friends who are still trying to accept your passing. They are strong and God is with them. Thank you for what you taught me and the time I had with you. I love and miss you. Until then...

:)

Living In But Not Of

Lately I find myself struggling with a battle. I guess you can say it's a battle that I've had for a while. It comes up every so often, I handle it and then, as time goes on, it comes back again. Do you remember those old high school shows that set-up the familiar characters of the popular high school jocks and cheerleaders and the much frowned upon and beat-up nerds of the school? Well, if ever those nerds wanted to be "in", they had to change something about themselves. It wasn't only appearance, but they had to change themselves. So I pose the question, is it possible to be "in" while remaining true to oneself? Or is that just playing the game of mixing black and white to live in the shade of gray?


Revelation 3.15-16 states  “'I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.'" And Matthew 6.24 states "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." The idea of playing both sides of the fence, living hot and cold, sometimes for God and sometimes for man, is unpleasing to God. So how do we live our lives without succumbing to wordly things? How do we live in the world but not of the world?


Growing up, my family and I would do things like party, drink, listen to secular music and many other things. I have changed a lot about how I live since I became a Christian, some for the reason of sin and some because I knew it was not good for myself personally. But I struggle with things that I find fun. Does my definition of fun differ from that of God's? I see some Christians who never go out, never let liquor touch their lips, spend day after day in church, pray without ceasing and speak only about the Lord. Then I see others who go to church and pray but indulge in wordly things like fashion, parties, popular music and dance. Is one greater than the other? Is one serving God while the other is not? Is it a question mere humans can even answer?


In Romans 14.22-23, Paul teaches us that it is sin to go against what we believe in faith, using the example of clean and unclean meats, "Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eatfrom faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin." This says to me that if I believe alcohol is no good for myself and my spiritual walk with God, I must not drink alcohol. And if I think pork is not an unclean meat but is ok for myself to eat in my spiritual walk with God, I may eat. But I may not judge another for their faith. This can get tricky because I can easily see people picking and choosing what is "ok" and "not ok" based on the convenience of their lives but hopefully, this is done through prayer, meditation and faith. 


But Paul sums all things up with Romans 12.9 "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good." Teach me what is evil Lord that I may abhor it and teach me what is good Lord that I may cling to it!


I don't want to live of this world, for the devil is the prince and ruler of this world (John12.31). But while I am in it, I want to enjoy life while still remaining holy and acceptable to the Lord. Paul's words say to me that we have this freedom in our walk with Christ depending on where our faith lies. But I pray, for you all and for myself, that we abhor what is evil and cling to what is good praying that God blesses us with the wisdom to discern the difference and the strength to obey the Holy Spirit's guidance.


Blessings

Calling

I haven't written in a while and I guess that has to do with the fact that I didn't know what to write. I have thought about my blog often and what inspiring powerful message I can type up to encourage the masses. But maybe my goals are too exaggerated. Not impossible but possibly not God's plan for me right now. I listened to a sermon by a man named David Asscherick. He talked about a man in the Bible named Andrew. Andrew is Simon Peter's brother. Throughout the sermon, it was explained that Andrew was mostly known for being Simon Peter's brother, not for any fantastic miracle he performed. But the few occasions Andrew's name comes up, he is seen bringing someone to Jesus. And this is what matters. Not everyone is meant to be famous like Simon Peter or John the Baptist. But even we can make an impact in someone's life by doing as Andrew did and bring people to Jesus. 


As I started this post, I had no idea what I was going to write about. The Lord has lead my fingers to type the words you see here. Though this blog may never make it to top news and have a million views, I hope this blog brings you to Jesus. Have a blessed day!

Blessings

Prayer and Fasting

It has been impressed on me that I need to fast. There are several accounts in the Bible were fasts took place and spiritual blessings came out of this. I am not very familiar with fasting, how it is done, for how long, why and what kind (food fast, fast from certain activities etc). Still ignorant to the answers of these many questions, I'd like to share a bit of what I do know from what I have come across in my research.


Fasting is a way to become closer to God. It is not meant for the body to be punished but for one to deny one's fleshly needs to focus on spiritual life with Christ. And many gifts come out of fasting. One example that I would like to point out spoke volumes to me. In the time period when the book of Acts was written, the Word had not gone out to the Gentiles just yet. The disciples of Christ were preaching to the Jews. After Stephen beautifully gave his life for the Lord, Acts chapter 10 introduces an Italian man by the name of Cornelius. This man is called "devout and one who feared God". Acts 10.30-32 tells us, "So Cornelius said, 'Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing, and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.'" Cornelius had been fasting and his prayer was answered. The angel commanded Cornelius to have his men go get Peter. While this was taking place, Peter received a vision that instructed him to eat unclean meats. When Peter's vision was over, Cornelius' men came to Peter to bring him to the house of Cornelius. It was here that Peter preached to an Italian. Peter understood that the vision instructed him to not only preach to the Jews (symbolized by the clean meats) but to the gentiles as well (the unclean meat) and he said to Cornelius in Acts 10.28 "Then he said to them, 'You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.'"


What an amazing story! Through prayer and fasting, Cornelius and his family received the Word of God from Peter himself, the Holy Spirit and baptism on that day. This is an awesome spiritual blessing that was the result of prayer and fasting. Another example that comes to mind is a time when the disciples of Christ were casting demons out of those who were taunted by them but had difficulty with one such person. Jesus was able to exercise the demons out. When the disciples asked why they could not, he replied in Mark 9.29 "So He said to them, 'This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.'” Incredible! Only by fasting and prayer can one have the power to cast difficult demons out.


Prayer and fasting is definitely important for a Christian and their walk with Christ. The many gifts that come from fasting is so beneficial. Fasting was done in the Bible when an important decision had to be made or done (Esther asking the people to pray for her before she spoke to the King), to pray for a particular thing (David praying that his child would not be killed for his sin) and many other reasons. 


I want to and need to fast, as it has been impressed on me to do for so long. But because I don't know much about this process, does anyone have guidance on this subject and how it should be done? I would greatly appreciate it. I hope you all vow to fast for the Lord!


Blessings

Testimony Time

God is so great and He still grants us miraculous blessings. I want to thank God for blessing me with acceptance into George Washington University! This is a challenging school to enter. My GRE scores were not that great and I even applied last minute. I attempted the application fully aware that I wasn't going to make it but just giving it a shot to see what happened. To my utter surprise, God had something in mind for me that I would have never expected. I am still in shock and trying to piece together my current situation. I have some guidance now as to what my future will hold and I am overwhelmingly joyful. I pray too that you will be blessed with a miracle and that you will give the glory to God for it. 

Peace and Blessings

False Hope

As a Christian, I've come to find that sometimes, being honest can be offensive. I hear people stand on the streets and scream at people to turn from their sins or they will burn in hell. Although aspects of this are true and the unsaved will not have eternal life, this approach doesn't usually have people running to the sanctuary.

When I used to work at CVS, sometimes customers would come in asking if a particular item was in stock. I would check the back room and if the product was not there, I would tell the customer "We get a delivery in on Tuesday. Try coming back to see if it will be in." Although the customer may not be totally satisfied, he/she has a little hope that when Tuesday comes around, that product might be in. However, I knew that the order for the upcoming delivery was placed 8 weeks ago. It's very unlikely that this particular product would be in that upcoming delivery. Yet I told the customer to return on Tuesday anyway...and gave them false hope.

In a sense, I do the same when it comes to friends who have fallen off track with their relationship with the Lord. I have some family and friends who will say, "Well I go to church, that's good right?" Although it is great to go to church, if the lessons from church are not applied in life, it's almost like going to class for law everyday but getting a job in farming. You have all this information that looks and sounds nice but you do nothing with it. Yet, I find myself saying, "That's great! I'm sure God is pleased with your commitment to church once a week." I know this person can give more. I know this person can pray more. I know this person can apply the lessons they learn in church into their lives and spread the Word of God. But I tell them what they want to hear.

I want people to not only call themselves Christians but to act like Christians. But it's hard to tell someone they are slacking in their spiritual walk. But is giving false hope the answer? Is filling someone's head up with the notion that what they're doing is the best they can give and God will just forgive them of their short-comings? It is a tough question to answer. How would you tell someone they need to devote more time to God, put more faith in God, study God's Word more and give time to prayer and fasting?

How does one be blatantly honest without offending? A question I'd love to seek advice on.

Blessings

Why Are You Weeping? The Savior Lives!

Happy Easter folks!

Blesisngs

Blissful Rest

It's Sabbath morning and I'm feeling joy in my heart. I just felt the need to write a little. This week has been tiring and long. I anxiously wait for the Sabbath to come, that I may find rest. While I was in school, Sabbath was a burden. I couldn't party on friday evenings and I couldn't watch big muscly football guys tackle each other down the field on Saturday mornings. I was missing out on the many joys of campus weekends. But now, I view the Sabbath in a different light. It is a time set apart from other days for me to spend time with my Savior. Too often I utilize my days talking with people, mingling with work folks and watching my shows online. But the Sabbath tells me to sit down, rest from wordly duties and spend time in prayer with Him. A time to fellowship with others in talks of the Lord. It is a great day for me. I truly enjoy the "resting" part of Sabbath lol. But it also is very beneficial to me because I can use this day to escape from the world and spend it with my Lord. He deserves my time more than anyone else. After such a long and tiring week, I'm glad I can sit back and relax while basking in the Lord's glory. Thank God for setting a day apart for us to rest from daily labors and rejuvenate our bodies and commune with the Savior. Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope you are enjoying this day of rest as well. Bon Sabba et bon semaine!

Blessings

Testimony Time

There's nobody like You Jesus!

I just want to thank God for His traveling mercies. I went to my alma mater and had a blast. I also want to thank Him for the special treat I had this weekend :)

Stay blessed my loves!

What's Love Got To Do With It?

We all watch these amazing love movies and hear these great love stories of two people locking eyes with each other and being in love from first sight. But is this really the way it goes? Even still, is this the way it should be done? How important is "love" in a relationship?

If we look at the great patriarch Abraham, he commanded that his son marry a woman that was found for him. And Rebekah was chosen (Genesis 24). Now Isaac and Rebekah did not meet in the book store or at the coffee shop. Rebekah was brought to Isaac and they became one and he loved her.

The parents of the greatest man who ever walked the earth, Mary and Joseph, were set up in an arranged marriage (Luke 2.4-5). These two worked out their lives together and raised Jesus, the Lord and Savior.

There are many other cases in general life where marriages that did not spark from a deep passionate love have been very successful. So I pose the question, will we refuse God's will for our lives because we can't find Mrs./Mr. Right to fall in love with? Or is the command to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis9.7) and to raise up a child in the right way so he won't depart from it (Proverbs22.6) more important than love with our perfect mate?

 Blessings

Struggling or Deliberate Disobedience

I was listening to the radio the other day and a woman called up to ask a question, "How can I be closer to Jesus instead of just being a baseline Christian?" When hearing the question, I assumed the host would answer as I would "Study the Word of God, pray and keep His commandments." Although these were all apart of her answer, the first comment she mentioned in response to the question struck me by surprise, "Stop hanging out with baseline people." Wow! I was shocked. The host of the program was advising this woman to stop hanging out with basic, average Christians in order to gain a closer relationship with God. I found this very interesting.

Growing up, I always knew who the Lord was and what He did for me. But to call myself a Christian (follower of Christ), would have been an exaggeration. When the Lord came to me and I gave my life to Him, I was so happy and excited to start this new journey. But because I was so new, I didn't know where to start. So, I read the Bible. The Bible taught me who God is and what Jesus did for me. It taught me how to live like a Christian and what is pleasing to God. So when I went out in the world to go to church and hang out with my new Christian friends, I thought we would all be on the same page doing the same thing. I soon found out I was wrong.

Because I was so new, I almost looked to other Christians to see what they were doing and how they were living their lives. More importantly, I looked to people who were like me and who were doing the same thing as me. They would understand my struggles and be able to provide me with encouragement through my trials in addition to prayer. I found that a lot of things the Bible told us is bad for us though (God never withholds any good thing from His children Psalms84.11), they were partaking in. But they were all calling themselves Christians. I even had one friend say to me "I know sex before marriage is a sin...but I do it anyway." This was very confusing to me.

Reconnecting to my opening paragraph, I have recently begun to question if individuals who identify with Christianity but do not keep the commandments of God or who do not have a relationship with Him are holding other Christians back from gaining a closer relationship to Him? Are Christians who are lukewarm discouraging Christians from seeking a higher spiritual level with the Lord? Proverbs 28.9 says "One who turns his ear away from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination." Are Christians who do not obey the Lord praying for other Christians and turning blessings into curses?

I went to my friend's school which is a Christian school. I fell into the same naiive trap I did when I gave my life to Christ and I expected everyone there to be on the same page, devoted to doing the Lord's will. But when I got there, I found that people were disobeying. I spoke to my friend about this and she felt I was being judgmental as if I was expecting everyone to be perfect. This is far from true! That is not the point I am trying to get across. My point stands here: there is a difference between struggling with a particular sin or temptation and deliberately going against the Word of God knowingly. Are we as Christians giving other Christians the green light to sin by pulling the "Jesus will forgive you" card? Is this attitude keeping us back from gaining a closer and stronger relationship with the Father?

Please let me hear your ideas.

Blessings

Prayer

Last weekend, I went to church in Maryland and it was awesome! The pastor spoke about prayer. I'm sure there are many definitions for prayer but I simply define it as a fancy word for "talking to God". When describing the importance of prayer to others, I always try to give the relationship context of the individual and the Savior as a relationship between two people.
When a female and a male begin to date, they spend time getting to know each other through hanging out, spend time together and talking. This is vital in understanding who each person is, what different traits and characteristics they have and various things they like and dislike. It also builds some type of relationship, whether that be just friends or more.
God is our Heavenly Father. To have a relationship with Him, we must do the same as we would with another human being and keep a constant line of communication. When two individuals are dating, they seem to talk all the time and for hours on end. If we want that same strong bond with the Lord, we must commune with Him daily. This mean talking to God when we wake up. Asking Him what we should wear that day. Thanking Him for every meal we eat. Chalking it up on the way to work or home for the day. We should always make time to talk to the Lord for everything. 
Even Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the One who came from the kingdom of Heaven to earth, prayed. In Mark1.31-32, it says "Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed." Christ knows the Father, for Jesus dwelt with Him since before the beginning of time. Yet even Jesus prayed to the Father, constantly keeping communication with Him. But what is an even better testimony is that Jesus prayed for us! Instead of having an angel come down and deliver a speedy message to the Father, Jesus prayed for people,"And the Lord said, 'Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.'" How encouraging this is! This is a great example of how Jesus Himself prayed to the Father to keep His relationship with Him and to support His fellow brethren.
Brothers and sisters, I urge you to build your relationship with the Lord through prayer. If you love Him, you will keep His commandments. But in order to know Him, you must commune with Him. Too many times people rely on the teachings of a pastor or the lesson from Sabbath school to help them know who their God is. To me, that's almost like me going to my boyfriend's best friend to learn what kind of person my boyfriend is. The Lord has left the lines of communication completely open and He allows us to come to Him freely to talk to Him. Isn't He a great God for such a thing! Let's take advantage of this opportunity and get to know the Savior today!


Blessings

Testimony Time

As I sit and wonder what I will discuss for testimony time, I think to myself, "what marvelous wonder has God done for me this week that I might share it with the people?". I think and think and think but no glorious moment of revelation comes to me. But is it only right to praise God when we have testimonies of healing, miracles and awesomeness? Absolutely not. I want to testify of the mercy the Lord has shown me this week. He woke me up each day and provided for me throughout. He blessed me with traveling mercies as I went home for the weekend and returned safe and sound. He blessed me with the strength to get back into musical ministry and working out my body in the gym. He blessed me with the introduction to Christian radio and I've fallen in love with K-Love. He blessed me with a quick recovery from a sickness I was feeling on Monday. The list of His tender mercies go on and on.

Praise God in the good and the bad and testify of His kindness no matter how big or small.

Blessings

Mercies in Disguise

I have recently fallen in love with a song called "Blessings" by Laura Story. While driving around at work, I was listening to the radio (big shout-outs to K-Love Christian Radio and Joy 102.5) and I heard this beautiful song about blessings. But it didn't talk about the typical blessings we always hear in Christian music. It discussed trials in tribulations as blessings in disguise. At first, I really liked the meaning behind the lyrics and enjoyed listening to it. But I gained an even deeper appreciation for the song when I learned about the inspiration behind the song. Laura Story's husband is battling with a brain tumor. He has lost almost all of his vision and has had to adjust his life to this new fate. Laura explains how she was praying for healing for her husband but when the answer she expected was not coming to her, she kept her faith up and wrote the song "Blessings". It has given me peace of mind in my struggles. In such a troubling situation, Laura was able to have faith in God's love and see the joy within so much pain. In your times of sadness and fear, believe that God is with you always and within those troubling times, there are blessings to praise Him for. I'm so glad I was touched by this song. I hope you are too. 

 

 

LAURA STORY - "BLESSINGS" LYRICS

We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet Love is way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know the pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home,
It's not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Blessings

A Faithful Generation

This past weekend was one of the best weekends I've had in a very long time. Did I go on an extravagant trip across seas? Did I explore some new discovery in the middle of the earth? Did I get pampered in fancy Italian restaurants and clothing stores? No. None of the above. This past weekend I spent with friends. And it was great. Since graduating from college, I haven't been able to see my friends in a while. We all got together to celebrate another year of life for one of our friends. We went to a bowling alley and a diner afterwards. It was simple yet so fun. But the best part about it was catching up with everyone and hearing what new adventures everyone was going through. Amongst applying for graduate school, gaining experience at work and taking care of finances, I was very happy to hear that my friends were all paying particular attention to building a closer relationship with the Lord.

Most of us grew up in the church. But all of us, especially when we were in school, fell short of the Lord's glory in many ways. We were lukewarm. Maybe we went to church and maybe we prayed before bed and during final exams but our relationship with the Lord was certainly on the rocks. I am so grateful to see that we all have taken a stand to take our relationship with God to another level and to devote our lives whole-heartedly to Him. 

We all come from different backgrounds and different experiences so it was very nice to hear the journeys in which everyone was taking. One friend reaffirmed her faith and has been trying to find a good church home. Another friend has given up partying and drinking for the sake of the Lord. Yet another friend has diverted his attention from working hard to impress females to working hard to impress the Savior. The conversations at breakfast were surrounded by testimonies, love and joy over the greatness of the Lord's glory. We each have our own struggles we are enduring and our own challenges that we face. But because of our faith and our relationships with positive influencing Christians, we have been able to pull through the storm and the rain. 

I see a movement on the rise. I see a lifting up of a faithful generation. A time when people, young and old alike, come together to do the work of the Lord, faithfully. Trials and temptations will always be there. But we not dare fight the devil's supernatural powers without the power of out supernatural God. I see a people who find joy in fellowshipping, praising God together and work diligently to save souls and bring lost sheep back home. I challenge you to encourage your friends and family to be apart of this generation. Know that we are all in this together and we must work as a unit for the Lord for we are all sons and daughters of Him.

Blessings

Shout-out to EJL, LJL, SR, MM, GM, NO, JT, ED, GV for inspiring this post.

What Would You Do For Jesus If You Knew You Couldn't Fail?

As Christians, we are called to be soul-winners. We are called to preach the Word of the Lord and to bring people to His great love. It is a challenging task in this world, but far from impossible. In the Bible, we read of great preachers such as the Apostle Paul and Simon Peter. Yet there are names of those humble, behind-the-scene servants such as Andrew and Barnabas whom did the work of the Lord quietly. No matter what type of soul winner we are called to be, it is our priority to do just that. Please watch the sermon "Simon Peter's Brother" by David Asscherick. This sermon can be found here on audioverse.org. Be encouraged.

Blessings

Be Ready

Day by day, I awake and see another sun rise, another sky clear and another tree sprout its leaves. All of the natural things of this world are covered in beauty by the hands of God. Yet one day, it shall be not. Gone. One day, this world will come to an end. All of the hate, violence, and corruptible sin will be no more. But the Lord will redeem this dwelling place creating a new heaven and a new earth. We must do our part in telling the world, doing His will and preparing for the Lord's return.


“But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21.34-36.


I pray we'll all be ready when He returns!


Blessings

Patiently Waiting...

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus. But no one ever said tis so sweet to wait on Him. Yet trusting in Jesus is rooted in patience, a trait that I lack, HEAVILY. From waiting in line at a coffee shop to sitting through movie previews before my flick comes on, I really don't like waiting. But practicing patience can be especially tough when we call on the Lord and we have to "wait" for His answer. It causes aggravation and can drive us to want to make moves on our own. Hold it right there! Before you decide to go ahead before the Lord's command, remember the patriarchs of the days of old. Noah, being a very old man, was told by the Lord to build an ark to save him and his family from the coming flood. I can just imagine Noah's neighbors and passer-by's mocking him and ridiculing him for such a ridiculous thought of a flooded world. But as the days drew near to board the life-saving ship, Noah kept his faith up. And on that great day, he and his family got aboard. And then guess what happened? "And it came to pass that after seven days that the waters of the flood were on the earth" Genesis7.10. It wasn't for another WEEK that rain began to pour upon the earth. The townsmen must have bellied over day by day laughing at Noah and his family as they sat boarded up in an ark on dry land. Yet Noah trusted in the Lord. He didn't cry out to God "What are You waiting for?! We're all inside and the townspeople are laughing, send the rain!" He didn't get out of the ark and make up an excuse for the delay to cover himself. He simply...waited. A very long seven days that must have been for Noah and his family. But because of their faith in God, they waited patiently upon His instruction.

So the next time you are waiting for God to send you a miracle, answer a prayer or provide something to you, remember to be patient. "And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" Luke18.7-8. Show Jesus your faith and show that you trust Him by patiently waiting.

And be grateful that you aren't waiting in an ark with seven people and loads of animals :)

Blessings

Building a Better Relationship Through Daily Communion, Glorification and Incorporation

Like any other relationship, a relationship with God grows stronger the more and more time that is invested into it. Relationships with friends, lovers and the Lord all grow when effort and care is used for its growth. At a point in time in my spiritual life, I felt at a standstill. I had read the Bible from cover to cover and never gained a deeper understanding of anything. I went to church and heard the same sermons preached on the same popular Bible stories. I felt like there was nothing more to learn and my relationship with God would only go that far. Of course, I was far from correct in this statement.

Now-a-days, I yearn for a closer relationship with Him and have actually been putting the effort needed into building such a bond. There are three main tactics I have tried to incorporate into my life for this purpose. The first one is daily communion with God. As a child, my grandmother made me say my prayers at night and grace before eating dinner. This was about the extent of my conversations with God. Today, I try to take time out to speak to Him throughout the day and as often as I can. After Jesus performed many miracles for the people, He separated Himself in solitude and prayed to His heavenly Father (Mark2.35). We can learn a great lesson from this and keep communing with God throughout our days.

1 Peter 4.11 says "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen." To build that closer relationship with God, I try to do all things to the glory of Him. I've often questioned myself about how I can glorify God in every little thing I do. Yet I make an effort to do that which is right and good as I represent the Savior. We can ask ourselves, when eating, do we refrain from eating like a slob and being greedy? When choosing what clothes to wear, do we stay away from attire that will cause another to sin or become distracted from God? When speaking, are our words foul and filled with gossip or do we speak motivation and encouragement? If we focus our attention on doing all things to the glory of God, we will please Him and become closer to Him. It works the same as in a human relationship. Speaking for myself, I wouldn't be too happy if I discovered my partner was doing things that violated me, embarrassed me or put our relationship on the rocks based on his actions. And this kind of behavior would pull me further from him rather than making our relationship stronger.

Our Heavenly Father is with us as we sleep at night, when we arise in the morning and throughout the day. With this in mind, I try to incorporate God into all that I do. When speaking with friends, I try to testify of His kindness to me. When working out at the gym, I listen to sermons or gospel music. When giving advice, I always try to encourage others to turn to God for help. By incorporating Him into all that I do, I engage with Him as oppose to just leaving Him to watch over me and guide my every step without any interaction with Him.

To build a closer relationship with God, I try to commune with Him daily, glorify Him in all that I do and incorporate Him into my life. I pray these tactics can help others with their relationships as well!

Blessings

Testimony Time

I will try to do Testimony Time at least once a week, if not more.

According to dictionary.com, "testimony" is defined as evidence in support of a fact or statement; proof." So today, I'd like to give a testimony of the statement that God keeps me as the apple of His eye and hides me under the shadow of His wings (Psalm17.8). 

On March 7th, on my way home from Washington DC, I was involved in a terrible car accident. My car veered off the left side of the road and into a marsh, flipping over and hitting a billboard. Before I even knew what was happening, it was over. I sat there in silence, shocked. However, I unbuckled my seatbelt, climbed behind my seat and out the window of the seat behind me. I was safe! I walked out of the car without a scratch on me. My glasses survived the accident as well and I was able to see.

God kept me safe from harm. In this instance, so many things could have gone wrong, causing the outcome to be detrimental or even fatal. I fell in a spot which caused my car to hit a billboard and stop rolling. I landed in an area where the water was no too deep and I did not sink. I was kept safe from any danger. It was as if He wrapped me in His arms and said "hold on tight" while protecting me through out. I thank God for saving my life that day and allowing me to even sit here and write this post. I know He is trying to reach me to tell me something. Pray that I am able to receive this revelation and do what is necessary on my part to search for this message He has for me. Thank you.

Glory be to God.

Blessings

I'm a Christian and I'm proud!

There are many things that I love: sweets, being with family, Naruto, wild animals...the list goes on. And I can so easily express my love for these things without much regard to personal opinion. For example, many of my friends think I'm crazy to want to work in rehabilitation for wild tigers. But I am so passionate about this subject and try to teach others about the need for conservation support that someone too may share the same love for these species as I do.

 

But when it comes to expressing my love for the Savior...I get tense. I am normally surrounded by so many different kinds of people. From varying races, backgrounds to spiritual beliefs, the playing field is enormous. As a Christian, I know my duty is to spread the word of Christ to the masses. But when facing so many different types of people, my mind wonders "what will they think? what will they say? how will they respond to a 'Christian' conversation". This is a major battle in my life. I try to use any avenue I can to discuss the Lord, whether it be connecting the weather to God or talks of the best holidays and Christmas. But when I am speaking to an unbeliever, I notice their voice changes, they become tense and turned off all together by the thought of such discussion. 

Despite how others feel, I LOVE THE LORD! And I want to tell the world about it. I want others to too feel the joy I feel on a daily basis. Matthew 10.33 states "But whoever denies me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." How do I reach others when I am so afraid of hurting feelings, turning others off or making someone tense? It is a challenge. Although the problem has not been solved yet, I try to reach people where they are at. For example, I work with a lesbian at my job. She is such a sweet and caring person but conversations about religion haven't gone so well. So I to express some topics that she can relate to. For example, I don't eat pork. She may view this as just another constrain religion puts on people's lives. But I explain to her that I love God and so I don't eat a meat that he deems unclean just as she does not cook food that her girlfriend does not like to eat. When you love someone, you try to please them. Maybe this tactic will prove to be successful, maybe it will fail. But it remains a prayer request of mine. Do you struggle with spreading the Word of God? Maybe this tactic will help or maybe you have a suggestion. It would be great to hear!

Blessings

Some of My Favorite Websites

This is a list of some GREAT websites that have helped me on my journey...


*The Bible gives you the Holy Bible in many different versions. My most trusted versions are the King James Version and the New King James Version.
*Great Sermons  are all over this site, including a live radio talk show in which questions can be submitted. Also, prayer requests can be sent here to be prayed over.
*Great Prophecy Sermons are on this site. Understanding prophecy has always been difficult for me but many deep prophecy sermons are easily explained here.
*Answers to Christian Questions Based on the Bible can be found here. This site uses the Bible to answer even the toughest of questions in regards to Christianity, religion, customs, spirituality etc. Any question you can think of has been listed on this site and answered using Biblical fact.
*Is the Bible truly God's Word? This site answers this question in plain truth. It will validate the Bible and squash those many unsolved mysteries about the Word of God.


Site suggestions? Let me know so they can be added to this list.


Blessings

In the Beginning...

In talking to a friend last night, I felt moved to commune with other Christians in their walks of life. She recently devoted her life to Christ and has since been walking on a new path. Yet she still has the challenge of conquering her old ways and old desires. This past weekend, she went to a Youth Day at a mutual friend's church and was able to share her Christian walk with others while others discussed their experiences too. She expressed to me that she wished there was a place she could go to meet up with other Christians and just talk. Talk about their lives, their struggles, their walks with God. I have created this blog for just that. In my very life, there are times of struggle and sadness. But there are also times of happiness and joy. My goal on this blog is to use my everyday experiences, whether they be exciting and fun or mundane and boring, to express my walk with God on a daily basis. I would love to spark discussion and get others to share their experiences too. This blog is meant to bless lives and I pray that is what it accomplishes!

Peace and Love, God Bless You