Global Persecution

   About 5 seconds ago I finished reading prayer notice from VOM(Voice of the Marters), an organization that helps Christian evangelists around the world through hard times. It shocks me how much the devil can twist peoples minds to do the awful things some have done evangelists around the world. Many times I find myself praying more for the persecutor, who is so far from God that they can burn a person for believing something other than what they believe. I have decided that the saddest thing about persecution is what people are willing to do to hurt others and the most dangerous, is what effect it may have on the courage of other Christians. 
   I would like to say that put in the shoes of an Indonesian Christian whose house has been destroyed, who hears of horrific things being done to fellow christians, I would still stay strong. The truth is that I can only hope and pray the God will pour that kind of strength into me, His strength. I feel that He wants me to go somewhere even if I don't know where yet. I felt this ever since I was itty bitty, a calling that in far beyond my comfort zone. Knowing that one day I could very well be in the shoes of an Indonesian Christian makes my heart race for more reasons than one. Excitement because it would be amazing to share the Word. Fear, not of persecution exactly but of my faltering heart. I pray for God to prepare for whatever He has planned and maybe give me a heads up concerning what exactly that is! :) 
   I've decided my blanket prayer for persecuted will be simply to change the hearts of the persecutors and keep the hearts of the persecuted strong in God. Please join in praying for those who are spreading the Good News to the world.

Being Submissive

   The Bible often tells us to be submissive, submit to God(James 4:7), to our parents(Ephesians 6:1), to our authority(Titus 3:1). What the Bible tells us to do is always right because it's God's word and God is always right, but unfortunately, today's culture has given the word 'submissive' a negative connotation. Do we want to be walked over, disrespected, or restrained? Of course not, but that isn't what being submissive means. In reality, being submissive gives you more strength and freedom than always fighting back ever could!

   When we submit to God, for instance, He reveals His plan for our life. When we know His plan we can live accordingly, even if we just know bits and pieces. And when we live according to God's plan, we live a richer, fuller life without reason for worry or fear. When living the full life He's planned, we not only feel free but we are free. 

   When we submit to our parents and other authority, we don't conform into the people we are submitting to, instead they can help shape us into the person we were designed to be. (Resistance to authority can conform us more drastically than the authority itself ever could, we turn sour and rebellious and that's not God's design.) If we do submit to them, we will also gain more and more respect and trust from them which will, in turn, allow us more freedom. 

   We must always remember that God's kingdom is a kingdom of opposites. Just as the humble are exulted(Mathew 23:12) and as the king lowers himself to wash our feet(John 13:5), submitting shows strength not weakness. Resisting is what restrains us, submitting is what sets us free. All our life there will be people to submit to and we must remember that being submissive is a sign of strength as well as God's will and way!

The Garden of Your Heart

   I was reading a book this afternoon and it sparked a cool metaphor in my head so here it goes! :)
   Your heart is like a garden. When you're born it is a perfect patch of dirt. God has made it fertile and allows you to plant and grow whatever you want in it, His seeds or the world's (satan's) seeds. Some seeds are planted in our hearts by our parents and friends but it is ultimately our choice which seeds we're going to cultivate and which ones to dig up and throw out. Other seeds we plant on our own through the TV shows we watch, the books we read, the people we hang around, ect. The seeds we choice to nurture are the ones that grow and make up our garden.
   If we have planted the world's seeds we will soon find our selves with a garden of thorns and poisonous plants. We can't enjoy ourselves in our garden because everywhere we turn something is tricking us or stabbing us in the back. The best thing to do then is to invite God into our garden to help us weed out all the worldly plants, but the process will be painful. As the plants are pulled out pieces of our heart will dislodge too, clinging to the plants roots. The longer we wait to weed, the more painful the process is. 
   Thankfully our God is a healer and can put the pieces of our heart back even more beautifully than they were before. Then He freely offers us some of His seeds so we can replant our garden of beautiful flowers and wholesome fruit. He also offers His weeding services for when we let bad seeds fall into a garden once again. He will always forgive us and help us in our effort to grow a Godly garden!

For His Glory (sports)

   When you're someone like me who loves sports it's easy to get caught up in wanting to impress your teammates, coach, the parents, even the other team. You can unknowingly become motivated by the glory that occupancies a goal or home run, it's hard not to! But the bible tells us to do everything for God's glory(1 Corinthians 10:31). For a while, I struggled with exactly what that meant since I'm not a pro athlete with a microphone stuck in my face giving me the opportunity to proclaim God's name to the world. It would look more cheesy than inspiring if I pointed to the sky after a goal. But I've landed on something that I think is right for me.
    While I'm playing I try to keep a conversation going with Him. Whether it's about how I'm playing, the other team, parents on the sideline, my teammates, the game, ect. the conversation just needs to be there. The second thing is to play as well as I can. God gives us gifts and He wants us to use them, if you discover you're gifted at soccer, play soccer! And don't just play, play your hardest as a way to honor and glorify God for the gifts He has given you! Play for His glory!

Cursing

   Today I went to the Dance for Africa at my church where you pay $10 to go and all the money goes to the Luanda Children's home(a.k.a. African Orphanage). It is open to everyone and really awesome but I noticed some people cursing. According to the Bible,(2 Timothy 2:16) cursing is a no-no, and even our society says not in the church. My friend noticed her neighbor doing it and encouraged him to stop, his response was that he was trying not to. I think this is scary, you may start cursing to be cool and decide only to do it around cool people but this philosophy doesn't work! #1 As you curse it becomes a habit and habits don't have an off switch. #2 what good ever comes of going against the word of God?
   Some people may say the good is being cool but is that really good? From what I've observed, (and I've got some good people watching skills!:)) "cool" people don't typically make great decisions and usually have earthly consequences but definitely eternal consequences. If the yucky kind of consequences/punishment (which is what you ultimately get by choosing the wrong road) is "good" I think I've been a little turned around my whole life!
   Anyway, moral of the story: Don't Curse; You can't turn it off nor does it have good results! I know I don't know you but it would make me sad if I heard you cuss because it makes me sad in general when people cuss. I just don't understand the point! But for those of us who don't cuss, we can use the overhearing of vulgar language as a prayer prompt, encouraging us to turn to Jesus on behalf of whoever uttered the profane word. That way we will bring some good out of the bad! And, in my case, I tend to judge the person who said the naughty word/s and be disgusted by it/them, because of this I can use it as a prayer prompt for my own ugly judgment tendency!
   Thanks JC for always providing that "good from the bad" opportunity! You're the best! :)

Romans 8:28 (Our Purpose)

   And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.          
                                Romans 8:28

   I have always loved this well known verse mainly because of the first part. If I had been asked to give a CC Translation yesterday I would have said, "God works all things for my good (and the good of other JC followers)." But, reading over it again today I've decided that that translation over looks the most important part, "who have been called according to His purpose."

   As I read I noticed that 'those who love Him' and 'who have been called according to His purpose' are used interchangeably. They are used as the same thing! When we confess our love for God with our mouths and in our hearts, He wastes no time sharing with us what He set aside for us to do, what He reserved for us as our difference making opportunity, as our significance. Nearly everyone on earth would jump at the opportunity to play a major, memorable role in life, unfortunately many people also miss the point of God's purpose for us. God could change the world on His own (and do it right the first time!:)) but He choose to set aside something for each of us to do so that we could all be world changers!

   Some people hold the philosophy that no one can do anything that will cause them to be remembered by people hundreds and thousands of years, so what?! Why would you rather be loved by people thousands of years after you're dead then by people when you're alive? Someone once said(when i googled who said it I got tons of different names so I'm not sure who!), "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world." God has given us the ability to be the world for someone! How amazing is that?!

   So when we read Romans 8:28 we must keep in mind that God works everything for the good of our purpose, to help us with our role in changing the world. While "everything" may hurt us terribly, the beauty of fulfilling our purpose will far out way "everything." Therefore, God works "everything" together to help us fulfill our purpose, which will produce more good for us then we could ever dream of!

Bananas

   I ate a banana today! I know that's a bit of a weird thing to say but as I was eating I was thinking about how cool they are! First there's the taste, delicious! But sometimes people prefer them greenish or all yellow or turning brown, there are so many factors that effect the taste. Then there is the peeling that is thick and strong enough to protect the banana but no so think we need a knife to get to the fruit. Plus they have that thing at the bottom (because you're actually supposed to peel bananas from the bottom like they do in Jamaica) so you can peel them easy. They are just a really cool fruit since good took care of every little detail! So I was thinking about the phrase "go bananas!" and think we can totally "go bananas for God!" and have it totally make since!
    We can rest asure that God took care of every little detail(Mathew 6:25-33)concerning our protection, life span, color, taste/personality, ect. This thinking and knowledge definitely strengthens my love for God. It is kind of depressing for me to think about how I would never have loved God had He not loved me first but than it is exciting and happy when I think about how He did love me verse. How He loved/loves me so much He provided JC as my protection, my friend, the one extending my life into eternity, and adding to my character! So, as silly as it may sound, I'm bananas for God! :)

The Point

   As a young Christian girl it can be hard to find a way to hear God but I've discovered that I hear Him when I'm writing. When I start to jot things down, the thoughts just come faster and faster until I've written a whole page. The amazing part is that when I read over that page I find I have written the answers to questions I've been wrestling with or praying about! When I write, I become a scribe and God dictates to me. It's amazing! 
   That said, the purpose of this blog is to provide a way by which I can write as keep track of the things about which I've written. It will may seem a collection of random thoughts but it's really a collection of thoughts God has but on my mind at different times(which, admittedly, can seem random!:)) The second purpose is that my readers, if there are any, can be encouraged and strengthened. 
   Thank you God for giving someone the idea for writing, blogging, and for the insight you freely give to us in perfect timing!