Ever heard something on the news that talks badly about some Christian leader? How a big time "man of God" made this huge mistake and now no one wants to believe what he says? It seems as though this happens all too often lately.
I've really been wrestling with this issue the past couple of days. How is it that someone who is supposed to point people toward God can turn people away from Him just like that? How come the people in the spotlight of the Church mess up so badly to where people's whole belief systems are thrown into a frenzy?
Well it turns out, this isn't a new issue.
Let's look at 1 Samuel chapter 16. Little background here...the Israelites (God's chosen people) were looking for a king, they got one, and he wasn't doing too hot a job. So God sent Samuel to anoint a new king, David. Here's the scripture.
1 Samuel 16:12-13
12 So he sent for him [David] and had him brought in.
He was glowing with health and had a fine appearance and handsome features.
Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.”
13 So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers,
and from that day on the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David.
The Spirit of the Lord came POWERFULLY upon David. David was HAND SELECTED by God to be the next King of Israel.
Fast forward a little while.
David is King. Living the dream. Has a tight relationship with God. But then David made a BIG blunder.
Here's the scripture.
2 Samuel 11:2-5
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.
From the roof he saw a woman bathing.
The woman was very beautiful,
3 and David sent someone to find out about her.
The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
So David, King of Israel, GOD'S HAND-PICKED KING, saw a woman, took her from her husband, slept with her, and got her pregnant!
If that's not messed up I don't know what is.
But it doesn't stop there, David decided the best way to fix this was to send Bathsheba's husband to the front of the battle lines, have everyone else step back, and let Uriah be killed! Then David married Bathsheba and they had a kid together.
But then, David's friend Nathan confronted him.
And a light went off.
2 Samuel 12:13-14
13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the LORD, the son born to you will die.”
David made a big mistake. HUGE. And he had to suffer the consequences of his actions.
David was human. We are human, we make mistakes just like David did. David was hand selected by God to be a king, and HE still messed up! But notice the part where it says "The LORD has taken away your sin." God FORGAVE David!
2 Samuel 12:20
20 Then David got up from the ground.
After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes,
he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped.
Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
And after God forgave him, David went and WORSHIPED. Because he realized God was bigger than all of this, bigger than the stupid mistakes of mere humans, big enough to forgive him after the terrible thing he had done.
We as Christians, we're not perfect. But thank goodness we have a God who IS perfect! So the next time you see a Christian mess up, just look in the mirror. I'm sure you've made mistakes too. I know I have. And God is BIG ENOUGH to forgive them all. I know I'm so thankful!
Til next time,
ST
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Guilt or Regret?
Ever said something to someone that you IMMEDIATELY regret and wish you could take back? Like as the words were coming out of your mouth it felt like a slow motion "NOOOO" in your head. And you feel horrible after you say it, but there's nothing you can do. The damage has already been done.
I have one of these instances from when I was little that I still regret to this day. I was probably a bratty pre-teen or something like that when this happened. My family and I were living in an apartment at the time because our business was struggling and my parents had to cut costs as much as possible, so downsizing temporarily to an apartment was one of the ways they did that.
A couple times during our stay there, the economy started to get better and it seemed as though we may be able to move back into a house. And then - things like 9/11 happened...sending the economy TANKING again. As a younger kid I didn't understand how at one second we were looking at house plans and the next second all of our plans and hopes were thwarted.
As an inherent part of their being, Dads want to provide for their family. Always. No matter what sacrifices they have to make, they want to make sure their family is taken care of. So my Dad was always trying to be positive and encourage us that the economy was doing great and we'd be able to go back to normal soon. I have so much respect for my Mom and Dad for all they did for us during this hard time in our family's life. Anyway, back to the bratty pre-teen that I was during this story. My Dad and I were talking one day, and he said "Sarah, things are looking good for the economy and the store and hopefully we can get into a house soon!"
And then the slow motion hurtful words came out of my mouth. I looked him dead in the eye and said...
"Dad, I'll believe it when I see it."
You should have seen the way his face fell. He worked his whole life to provide for me and there I was throwing back in his face everything he wanted to do for me and our family. I still apologize to him to this day for those hurtful words I said. I'd do anything to take them back. But I can't.
We're this way with God all the time aren't we? Something doesn't go our way and we throw a spiritual temper tantrum and tell God, "Hey, I'll believe what you say you'll do when I see it happening." Our faith kind of sucks sometimes, but hey we can't help it, we're inherently selfish. It's part of that thing called being human.
We do things in life that we regret all the time. We want to take them back. We WISH we could build a time machine and take back every awful thing we've ever done or every hurtful thing we've ever said.
Wanna know the cool thing? God has this neat thing called FORGIVENESS! And when God says he forgives us, he doesn't remember our sinful things anymore! Here are a couple verses from the Bible about this.
Jeremiah 31:34
"...'For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.' "
Hebrews 10: 16-17
"16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
Just like I don't need to feel guilty about the hurtful words I said to my Dad because he said he forgave me, it's the SAME THING with God! When He promises He forgives us when we confess our sins to Him, we don't have to feel regret or guilt anymore! God doesn't remember our sins anymore, so why should we?
I pray that you find encouragement from this. These verses sure help me when I struggle with guilt or regret.
Til next time,
ST
I have one of these instances from when I was little that I still regret to this day. I was probably a bratty pre-teen or something like that when this happened. My family and I were living in an apartment at the time because our business was struggling and my parents had to cut costs as much as possible, so downsizing temporarily to an apartment was one of the ways they did that.
A couple times during our stay there, the economy started to get better and it seemed as though we may be able to move back into a house. And then - things like 9/11 happened...sending the economy TANKING again. As a younger kid I didn't understand how at one second we were looking at house plans and the next second all of our plans and hopes were thwarted.
As an inherent part of their being, Dads want to provide for their family. Always. No matter what sacrifices they have to make, they want to make sure their family is taken care of. So my Dad was always trying to be positive and encourage us that the economy was doing great and we'd be able to go back to normal soon. I have so much respect for my Mom and Dad for all they did for us during this hard time in our family's life. Anyway, back to the bratty pre-teen that I was during this story. My Dad and I were talking one day, and he said "Sarah, things are looking good for the economy and the store and hopefully we can get into a house soon!"
And then the slow motion hurtful words came out of my mouth. I looked him dead in the eye and said...
"Dad, I'll believe it when I see it."
You should have seen the way his face fell. He worked his whole life to provide for me and there I was throwing back in his face everything he wanted to do for me and our family. I still apologize to him to this day for those hurtful words I said. I'd do anything to take them back. But I can't.
We're this way with God all the time aren't we? Something doesn't go our way and we throw a spiritual temper tantrum and tell God, "Hey, I'll believe what you say you'll do when I see it happening." Our faith kind of sucks sometimes, but hey we can't help it, we're inherently selfish. It's part of that thing called being human.
We do things in life that we regret all the time. We want to take them back. We WISH we could build a time machine and take back every awful thing we've ever done or every hurtful thing we've ever said.
Wanna know the cool thing? God has this neat thing called FORGIVENESS! And when God says he forgives us, he doesn't remember our sinful things anymore! Here are a couple verses from the Bible about this.
Jeremiah 31:34
"...'For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more.' "
Hebrews 10: 16-17
"16 “This is the covenant I will make with them
after that time, says the Lord.
I will put my laws in their hearts,
and I will write them on their minds.”
17 Then he adds:
“Their sins and lawless acts
I will remember no more.”
Just like I don't need to feel guilty about the hurtful words I said to my Dad because he said he forgave me, it's the SAME THING with God! When He promises He forgives us when we confess our sins to Him, we don't have to feel regret or guilt anymore! God doesn't remember our sins anymore, so why should we?
I pray that you find encouragement from this. These verses sure help me when I struggle with guilt or regret.
Til next time,
ST
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Missing the Bus
I had an interesting thing happen to me today.
I got a phone call this morning saying I was needed to cover for someone in the main office (I hover between two offices). So I left a few minutes early, mainly so I could get a good parking spot in this teeny little lot that is WAY too small for our building, but also so I could catch the bus across campus to cover for my coworker. I grabbed my morning paper like I always do, and proceeded to walk to the front of the building to wait on the bus (It's WAY too cold to wait outside...obviously).
Before I could even get to the door, THERE'S THE BUS! I started to hurry by some people to get outside and catch the bus before it leaves (isn't it funny how when you walk with a purpose people just magically get out of your way? Yep, I love that). The bus is about to pull up to its stop....wait...no it couldn't be...the bus ISN'T STOPPING! That dang bus drove right past its stop and didn't even consider if someone (um, me) needed to get on! I vigorously waved my newspaper in the air as I start to jump up and down and run after the bus shouting, "HEYYY WAIT FOR MEEEE!!!!" Funny, the bus driver clearly couldn't hear me but I still thought yelling was a good idea. Kind of like when you're in the car and someone cuts you off, you think it's appropriate to shout "YOU IDIOT" at them...but nope, they can't hear you. Anyway, I digress.
I felt pretty much defeated. I succeeded in getting to work early, getting a good parking spot, but I failed in catching the bus to get to where I needed to be. So I stood inside, defeated, waiting on the next bus to arrive...in 15 minutes. This SUCKS, right? It sucks when things don't go the way they're supposed to. When your "bus" leaves you in the dust...whatever your "bus" may be.
But all of this was about to change. A lady who typically works in the office I was heading to walked right in front of me. I was glad to see a familiar face, so I started to tell her the story about that nasty-ole-bus and how it flat out left me. And then, she offered to drive me over to the other office! She was heading there anyway! I didn't have to sit at the 4 stops between here and there on some rickety old bus, I was headed on a direct route! Got to work much faster than if I would have taken the first bus.
Isn't it funny how that happens? Like, you think you have your day planned out, exactly what you need to do and when...and then BAM...your plans are wrecked. Things never happen the way you think they will. And in the moment...it really sucks! Your bus left you...and you are stuck in the suckiness of the situation. But then God sends something to make the situation even better than how you planned it in the first place!
Jeremiah 29:11
11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
God knew that bus was going to leave me, but He also knew that my colleague was about to walk past me and offer me a ride.
We all have situations like this. Don't let the bus leaving you get you down, but look forward to the car that God is excited to provide for you. He knows what's coming next even when we don't...even when we can't see any good coming from the situation...God knows. And God is good.
Have a GREAT day!!
Til next time,
ST
I got a phone call this morning saying I was needed to cover for someone in the main office (I hover between two offices). So I left a few minutes early, mainly so I could get a good parking spot in this teeny little lot that is WAY too small for our building, but also so I could catch the bus across campus to cover for my coworker. I grabbed my morning paper like I always do, and proceeded to walk to the front of the building to wait on the bus (It's WAY too cold to wait outside...obviously).
Before I could even get to the door, THERE'S THE BUS! I started to hurry by some people to get outside and catch the bus before it leaves (isn't it funny how when you walk with a purpose people just magically get out of your way? Yep, I love that). The bus is about to pull up to its stop....wait...no it couldn't be...the bus ISN'T STOPPING! That dang bus drove right past its stop and didn't even consider if someone (um, me) needed to get on! I vigorously waved my newspaper in the air as I start to jump up and down and run after the bus shouting, "HEYYY WAIT FOR MEEEE!!!!" Funny, the bus driver clearly couldn't hear me but I still thought yelling was a good idea. Kind of like when you're in the car and someone cuts you off, you think it's appropriate to shout "YOU IDIOT" at them...but nope, they can't hear you. Anyway, I digress.
I felt pretty much defeated. I succeeded in getting to work early, getting a good parking spot, but I failed in catching the bus to get to where I needed to be. So I stood inside, defeated, waiting on the next bus to arrive...in 15 minutes. This SUCKS, right? It sucks when things don't go the way they're supposed to. When your "bus" leaves you in the dust...whatever your "bus" may be.
But all of this was about to change. A lady who typically works in the office I was heading to walked right in front of me. I was glad to see a familiar face, so I started to tell her the story about that nasty-ole-bus and how it flat out left me. And then, she offered to drive me over to the other office! She was heading there anyway! I didn't have to sit at the 4 stops between here and there on some rickety old bus, I was headed on a direct route! Got to work much faster than if I would have taken the first bus.
Isn't it funny how that happens? Like, you think you have your day planned out, exactly what you need to do and when...and then BAM...your plans are wrecked. Things never happen the way you think they will. And in the moment...it really sucks! Your bus left you...and you are stuck in the suckiness of the situation. But then God sends something to make the situation even better than how you planned it in the first place!
Jeremiah 29:11
11 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD,
“plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
God knew that bus was going to leave me, but He also knew that my colleague was about to walk past me and offer me a ride.
We all have situations like this. Don't let the bus leaving you get you down, but look forward to the car that God is excited to provide for you. He knows what's coming next even when we don't...even when we can't see any good coming from the situation...God knows. And God is good.
Have a GREAT day!!
Til next time,
ST
Monday, January 31, 2011
Three Little Words
"I Love You."
Three simple words. Eight letters. And ENDLESS interpretations.
I feel like the word love is so watered down in today's society...
I love my dog.
I love watching my favorite TV shows.
I love taking naps.
I love chicken nuggets.
I love a new pair of shoes.
I love my smart phone.
It's wild to me that the same word used to describe a feeling towards a pair of shoes is the same word used to describe how we feel towards our family and friends.
I love my mom and dad.
I love my siblings.
I love my best friend.
I love my boyfriend/girlfriend.
I love my wife/husband.
I mean...think about the first time that special boy or girl first said "I love you" to you. You know that feeling where time seems to stop and there's like an orchestra going on inside your head and your heart feels like it has just turned into a HUGE drum?? It feels like instead of saying I love you we should say "I (wanna jump up and down and do cartwheels and smile for days and days and my heart feels like it's going to explode!!!) you." Although "I love you" is much more simple.
In the King James version of the Bible...the word "love" is mentioned 610 times. Many people refer to the Bible as "God's love story to us." If God deliberately mentioned love over 600 times in the Bible...how is it that we just graze over that and don't feel affected by it at all?
I've been really overwhelmed the past couple of days thinking about the love of God and how awesome it is. I mean unbelievably INCREDIBLE. Think about it, he sacrificed his only son so that our sins would be forgiven and we can go be with Him in heaven forever!
Our hearts should be bursting out of our chests and we should want to jump up and down and shout every time God reminds us of His love for us. If we act that way when a human says they love us...we should act a ZILLION more times excited for every one of those over 600 times that God says He LOVES US!
Here's a song I've been listening to today and yesterday. One line says "my heart beats violently inside of my chest when I think about the way that He loves us." I pray that we all can feel that joy and realize that God loves us more than anything in the world...and just wants us to love Him back.
He Loves Us
Take some time, sit and be quiet, and soak in the Love the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE has for you.
Til next time,
ST
Three simple words. Eight letters. And ENDLESS interpretations.
I feel like the word love is so watered down in today's society...
I love my dog.
I love watching my favorite TV shows.
I love taking naps.
I love chicken nuggets.
I love a new pair of shoes.
I love my smart phone.
It's wild to me that the same word used to describe a feeling towards a pair of shoes is the same word used to describe how we feel towards our family and friends.
I love my mom and dad.
I love my siblings.
I love my best friend.
I love my boyfriend/girlfriend.
I love my wife/husband.
I mean...think about the first time that special boy or girl first said "I love you" to you. You know that feeling where time seems to stop and there's like an orchestra going on inside your head and your heart feels like it has just turned into a HUGE drum?? It feels like instead of saying I love you we should say "I (wanna jump up and down and do cartwheels and smile for days and days and my heart feels like it's going to explode!!!) you." Although "I love you" is much more simple.
In the King James version of the Bible...the word "love" is mentioned 610 times. Many people refer to the Bible as "God's love story to us." If God deliberately mentioned love over 600 times in the Bible...how is it that we just graze over that and don't feel affected by it at all?
I've been really overwhelmed the past couple of days thinking about the love of God and how awesome it is. I mean unbelievably INCREDIBLE. Think about it, he sacrificed his only son so that our sins would be forgiven and we can go be with Him in heaven forever!
Our hearts should be bursting out of our chests and we should want to jump up and down and shout every time God reminds us of His love for us. If we act that way when a human says they love us...we should act a ZILLION more times excited for every one of those over 600 times that God says He LOVES US!
Here's a song I've been listening to today and yesterday. One line says "my heart beats violently inside of my chest when I think about the way that He loves us." I pray that we all can feel that joy and realize that God loves us more than anything in the world...and just wants us to love Him back.
He Loves Us
Take some time, sit and be quiet, and soak in the Love the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE has for you.
Til next time,
ST
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Which Whisper Will You Hear?
An online dictionary gives several definitions of the word "worry."
(1)–verb (used without object)
-To torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
(2)–noun
-A worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.
-A cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.
Pretty intense, huh? The phrase that sticks out to me the most: "to torment oneself with or suffer."
I just graduated from college one week ago today. And it's all well and good, until all the questions start coming.
"What's next?"
"Where are you going to live?"
"Are you moving back home?"
"Got that big job yet?"
"What are your plans now?"
And although they have good intentions behind them, these questions make me want to lock myself in a room and cry my eyes out.
I think about my future almost every second of every day. I believe the other day I counted 4 seconds after waking up before I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as thoughts of my future rushed into my head. 4 SECONDS.
And you know what I've begun to realize? The devil LOVES me like this. I'm extremely vulnerable, I am prone to lean towards negative thoughts, I think my big dreams will never happen. I keep hearing whispers in my head such as, "You're not good enough to get a real job. You'll never be as good as you want to be. Don't try anymore, you're just going to fail."
So where's the good news in all of this?
It's simple.
There's a second whisper. The one that says, "You are my child. I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you. I love you. I'll never leave you nor forsake you. My grace is sufficient for you. Peace be with you."
We just have to choose which whisper we want to hear. Do we choose to give in to the devil's negative thoughts that can so easily "torment" us and cause us to "suffer?" Or do we choose the comforting voice of our heavenly Father who loves us and wants nothing less than the very best for His children? I think the decision is easy. But it is a decision we have to consciously make.
This is what the Bible says about how the devil wants to tear us down with things like worry.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
And here is what Jesus has to say.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The devil is looking for someone to devour...but don't give him the satisfaction. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So if you're like me, and are in a transitional period in your life right now, just remember that God is in control, and choose to hear His comforting whisper, rather than the negative whisper that torments us.
May God bless you all.
'Til next time,
ST
(1)–verb (used without object)
-To torment oneself with or suffer from disturbing thoughts; fret.
(2)–noun
-A worried condition or feeling; uneasiness or anxiety.
-A cause of uneasiness or anxiety; trouble.
Pretty intense, huh? The phrase that sticks out to me the most: "to torment oneself with or suffer."
I just graduated from college one week ago today. And it's all well and good, until all the questions start coming.
"What's next?"
"Where are you going to live?"
"Are you moving back home?"
"Got that big job yet?"
"What are your plans now?"
And although they have good intentions behind them, these questions make me want to lock myself in a room and cry my eyes out.
I think about my future almost every second of every day. I believe the other day I counted 4 seconds after waking up before I could feel my heart beating out of my chest as thoughts of my future rushed into my head. 4 SECONDS.
And you know what I've begun to realize? The devil LOVES me like this. I'm extremely vulnerable, I am prone to lean towards negative thoughts, I think my big dreams will never happen. I keep hearing whispers in my head such as, "You're not good enough to get a real job. You'll never be as good as you want to be. Don't try anymore, you're just going to fail."
So where's the good news in all of this?
It's simple.
There's a second whisper. The one that says, "You are my child. I'm never going to let anything bad happen to you. I love you. I'll never leave you nor forsake you. My grace is sufficient for you. Peace be with you."
We just have to choose which whisper we want to hear. Do we choose to give in to the devil's negative thoughts that can so easily "torment" us and cause us to "suffer?" Or do we choose the comforting voice of our heavenly Father who loves us and wants nothing less than the very best for His children? I think the decision is easy. But it is a decision we have to consciously make.
This is what the Bible says about how the devil wants to tear us down with things like worry.
1 Peter 5:8
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
And here is what Jesus has to say.
Matthew 6:25-34
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?
26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.
Are you not much more valuable than they?
27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?
28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin.
29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?
31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’
32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.
33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
The devil is looking for someone to devour...but don't give him the satisfaction. Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
So if you're like me, and are in a transitional period in your life right now, just remember that God is in control, and choose to hear His comforting whisper, rather than the negative whisper that torments us.
May God bless you all.
'Til next time,
ST
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
About Me
Hey friends out in blog land...
So sorry I have not posted in such a long time. School has kind of taken over my life...but I am getting back into the habit of daily blogs! So yay!
Well as they say...let's cut to the chase.
It dawned on me about two months ago that I've never shared my story with you all. The core part of what makes me...me. So in order to understand everything, we'll have to start at the beginning.
I've always had a love for music. When I was little, I remember listening to my mom's choir practices and memorizing the songs because they were so beautiful. I specifically remember this one time...someone was singing a song called, "It Should Have Been My Hands." Basically this song talks about how Jesus took our place on the cross and how it should have been MY hands and feet where the nails were. I latched on to this song. Sang it over and over again. And this one night, I sang it so many times, I just started crying. And that night, at six or seven years old, my parents prayed with me to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior...and that is when I became a Christian.
Fast forward 10 years.
I'm in the height of my high school career. I'm in a great Bible Study and accountability group with some very Godly people whom I really look up to. God is doing awesome things in my life. I am a leader. Younger kids look up to me. I am completely on fire for God.
Fast forward 2 years.
I am 18 years old.
I am a freshman in college.
I am away from my parents.
I've looked at a couple of churches around here, but kinda stopped looking after a while.
I give in to peer pressure.
I start drinking.
I lose touch with my Christian friends from home.
I keep drinking.
I am the life of the party.
I don't go to Church anymore except when I'm home with my parents.
I don't read my Bible.
I start using words that my parents definitely didn't teach me to say.
I don't recognize myself anymore.
Sounds pretty awful, right? Well I didn't think so. Not until God completely wrecked me. Wanna know what He told me?
"Your brother is watching you. He wants to be just like you."
After I realized this, I started to cry harder than I have ever cried before. I guess you could call it weeping. I took a serious look in the mirror. Would I be happy seeing my brother living the kind of life I was living? ABSOLUTELY NOT. People used to be able to look up to me...and at this point in my life, I would have told them not to. And after a year and a half of living like this...something had to change.
Fast forward to today.
I have found an amazing Church.
I have an amazing accountability partner whom I can always talk to.
I read my Bible again.
I find pure JOY in talking to God and learning more about Him and growing in my relationship with Him.
Wanna know the best part? GOD FORGAVE ME!
Disgusting, unrecognizable me. He forgave me. I am the prodigal son...well, daughter I guess (if we're being politically correct). Here is the scripture.
Luke 15:21-31
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
I was lost, then God found me. And now we celebrate together every day. I was not worthy to be called God's child...but hey, thats where grace comes in, isn't it! Jesus died for us so that we can be called sons and daughters of God.
Even if you think you're not worthy, just remember this: You're never too messed up to where God can't put you back together again. If God can forgive me, I know He can forgive you too!
Til next time,
ST
So sorry I have not posted in such a long time. School has kind of taken over my life...but I am getting back into the habit of daily blogs! So yay!
Well as they say...let's cut to the chase.
It dawned on me about two months ago that I've never shared my story with you all. The core part of what makes me...me. So in order to understand everything, we'll have to start at the beginning.
I've always had a love for music. When I was little, I remember listening to my mom's choir practices and memorizing the songs because they were so beautiful. I specifically remember this one time...someone was singing a song called, "It Should Have Been My Hands." Basically this song talks about how Jesus took our place on the cross and how it should have been MY hands and feet where the nails were. I latched on to this song. Sang it over and over again. And this one night, I sang it so many times, I just started crying. And that night, at six or seven years old, my parents prayed with me to receive Jesus as my Lord and Savior...and that is when I became a Christian.
Fast forward 10 years.
I'm in the height of my high school career. I'm in a great Bible Study and accountability group with some very Godly people whom I really look up to. God is doing awesome things in my life. I am a leader. Younger kids look up to me. I am completely on fire for God.
Fast forward 2 years.
I am 18 years old.
I am a freshman in college.
I am away from my parents.
I've looked at a couple of churches around here, but kinda stopped looking after a while.
I give in to peer pressure.
I start drinking.
I lose touch with my Christian friends from home.
I keep drinking.
I am the life of the party.
I don't go to Church anymore except when I'm home with my parents.
I don't read my Bible.
I start using words that my parents definitely didn't teach me to say.
I don't recognize myself anymore.
Sounds pretty awful, right? Well I didn't think so. Not until God completely wrecked me. Wanna know what He told me?
"Your brother is watching you. He wants to be just like you."
After I realized this, I started to cry harder than I have ever cried before. I guess you could call it weeping. I took a serious look in the mirror. Would I be happy seeing my brother living the kind of life I was living? ABSOLUTELY NOT. People used to be able to look up to me...and at this point in my life, I would have told them not to. And after a year and a half of living like this...something had to change.
Fast forward to today.
I have found an amazing Church.
I have an amazing accountability partner whom I can always talk to.
I read my Bible again.
I find pure JOY in talking to God and learning more about Him and growing in my relationship with Him.
Wanna know the best part? GOD FORGAVE ME!
Disgusting, unrecognizable me. He forgave me. I am the prodigal son...well, daughter I guess (if we're being politically correct). Here is the scripture.
Luke 15:21-31
21 "The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.[a]'
22 "But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23 Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24 For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25 "Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26 So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27 'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28 "The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29 But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31 " 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
I was lost, then God found me. And now we celebrate together every day. I was not worthy to be called God's child...but hey, thats where grace comes in, isn't it! Jesus died for us so that we can be called sons and daughters of God.
Even if you think you're not worthy, just remember this: You're never too messed up to where God can't put you back together again. If God can forgive me, I know He can forgive you too!
Til next time,
ST
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Heartbreak
Have you ever had your heart broken?
What causes heartbreak? In every case, it has to do with love. A boy not loving you anymore and breaking up with you...or a girl who you want to love you so badly but she doesn't give you the time of day...or a parent ignoring you when you need advice...or a child ignoring you when they think it's "their way or the highway"...
...all of these things cause heartbreak.
Here's how heartbreak is defined in the dictionary:
heartbreak (ˈhɑːtˌbreɪk)
— n
intense and overwhelming grief, esp through disappointment in love
Disappointment in love. INTENSE and overwhelming GRIEF. When love is given, but not returned. And heartbreak SUCKS doesn't it? Ladies, I think we can all say that we've all become best friends with Ben and Jerry after some boy didn't call us. Heartbreak makes us do crazy things like watch depressing movies, cry our eyes out on the phone to our friends, eat insane amounts of junk food, and sleep all the time, never wanting to leave our houses.
So how do you think God feels? John 3:16- "For God so loved the world..."
And yet people all over the world are denying God, ignoring Him, or forgetting about Him completely.
Jeremiah 2:32 (New International Version)
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
There's this line in a song by Hillsong that has stuck with me lately. It says, "Break my heart for what breaks yours."
As Christians, this is what we want, to have the heart of Christ. And lately, my heart has been breaking. I have this amazing joy in my heart that God has given me. And I see people in my life who are HURTING, who have nothing but sadness in their lives. And it makes me want to sob. I want to give them this joy that I have. To take away their sadness; to take away their pain.
Human beings will ALWAYS let you down, whether they're your friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, you name it, they will let you down. But Jesus will never let you down.
I want nothing more than to see these people come to know Christ and have a relationship with Him, so that they can have something to be happy about in a world full of sadness. And God wants nothing more than to have His children return the love that he showed by sending His Son Jesus to die a horrible death on a cross to save us from our sins. I pray that we Christians can share Christ's love with the world and take away the heartbreak that God feels when His children don't love Him back.
Do you have any INTENSE and overwhelming GRIEF in your life that you can't seem to get rid of on your own? I know someone who can take it all away :) His name is Jesus Christ and he LOVES you more than you know!!
If anyone who reads this wants to know about how you can have a relationship with Jesus, or just need someone to pray for them, leave a comment on here, or email me at sarah.travis714@gmail.com , or if you know my phone number, call me, or come to church with me! I want you to know that you don't have to live in a world of always being heartbroken and always let down, you can have a relationship with a living God who will always carry you and never let you down!
Jesus loves you, and so do I.
Until next time,
ST
What causes heartbreak? In every case, it has to do with love. A boy not loving you anymore and breaking up with you...or a girl who you want to love you so badly but she doesn't give you the time of day...or a parent ignoring you when you need advice...or a child ignoring you when they think it's "their way or the highway"...
...all of these things cause heartbreak.
Here's how heartbreak is defined in the dictionary:
heartbreak (ˈhɑːtˌbreɪk)
— n
intense and overwhelming grief, esp through disappointment in love
Disappointment in love. INTENSE and overwhelming GRIEF. When love is given, but not returned. And heartbreak SUCKS doesn't it? Ladies, I think we can all say that we've all become best friends with Ben and Jerry after some boy didn't call us. Heartbreak makes us do crazy things like watch depressing movies, cry our eyes out on the phone to our friends, eat insane amounts of junk food, and sleep all the time, never wanting to leave our houses.
So how do you think God feels? John 3:16- "For God so loved the world..."
And yet people all over the world are denying God, ignoring Him, or forgetting about Him completely.
Jeremiah 2:32 (New International Version)
32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry,
a bride her wedding ornaments?
Yet my people have forgotten me,
days without number.
There's this line in a song by Hillsong that has stuck with me lately. It says, "Break my heart for what breaks yours."
As Christians, this is what we want, to have the heart of Christ. And lately, my heart has been breaking. I have this amazing joy in my heart that God has given me. And I see people in my life who are HURTING, who have nothing but sadness in their lives. And it makes me want to sob. I want to give them this joy that I have. To take away their sadness; to take away their pain.
Human beings will ALWAYS let you down, whether they're your friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, you name it, they will let you down. But Jesus will never let you down.
I want nothing more than to see these people come to know Christ and have a relationship with Him, so that they can have something to be happy about in a world full of sadness. And God wants nothing more than to have His children return the love that he showed by sending His Son Jesus to die a horrible death on a cross to save us from our sins. I pray that we Christians can share Christ's love with the world and take away the heartbreak that God feels when His children don't love Him back.
Do you have any INTENSE and overwhelming GRIEF in your life that you can't seem to get rid of on your own? I know someone who can take it all away :) His name is Jesus Christ and he LOVES you more than you know!!
If anyone who reads this wants to know about how you can have a relationship with Jesus, or just need someone to pray for them, leave a comment on here, or email me at sarah.travis714@gmail.com , or if you know my phone number, call me, or come to church with me! I want you to know that you don't have to live in a world of always being heartbroken and always let down, you can have a relationship with a living God who will always carry you and never let you down!
Jesus loves you, and so do I.
Until next time,
ST
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