March Musings - Day 20

I'm going to do something completely unlike myself and rave today about this app. I got it within the past couple weeks and I've enjoyed it so much! It's gotten me to think about verses I know well, and it's gotten me to think about verses I've never noticed before! It's great to read quick before work in the morning or late at night before bed. If you've been looking for a good devotional, the "Morning and Evening" devotional by Spurgeon comes highly recommended! (And there is the app with it for those who are technologically inclined!)

On Butterflies and Caterpillars (a guest post)

{Melissa M.}

Caterpillars. All they do is crawl around on the ground and eat. It takes forever for them to get anywhere.

Butterflies. Transformed, new, free. They can flutter above things, dancing in the air, not having to plod around on the ground.

My mom told me a bit about how God was teaching her about a particular butterfly. As she was sitting on a rock one morning, her attention was directed to a bright, yellow butterfly. She saw it easily flutter over a fence, dancing in the air without any cares. She thought about caterpillars, and how they can only crawl along on the ground, and how it would take such a very long time for a caterpillar to scale a fence! When living in defeat, we can be like that caterpillar, just plodding along through the trials, but God has a better way.

One day recently my Grandpa fell. He’s done that twice recently, and one of the times he had to go to the hospital. I was sitting out on our front porch swing when I lifted my eyes and saw that same beautiful butterfly hanging around by my cousin’s tree. I was reminded that it’s possible to soar even above the harder trials.

Just this week, the butterfly again fluttered over our family’s camping trailer. We’re getting ready to go on a trip, and the butterfly was once again a reminder that we can soar with Jesus above any trials that may come during it.

The Holy Spirit is able to help us soar even when things really hurt. If we let Him, He can show us things we’ve never dreamed possible and help us to be more like Christ, even in the middle of it all. And in the end, He’ll make all things beautiful.

“He has made everything beautiful in His time…” Ecclesiastes 3:11

“God works all things out for good, to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28

---------------------------------------

My name is Melissa Morgan, and I am a 15 year old Christian who loves writing, praying, and being with those who love Jesus. I enjoy talking about what God is doing, getting to know people better, and hearing whatever God has to say. I also love dancing and singing, and spending good quality time with friends and family. 

A Strong Tree (a guest post)

Have you ever been walking through the forest and suddenly come upon an absolutely massive tree? One that you don't even need to take a second look, just the absolute size of it and you know it's been around for a long time.

   

And with that long time of life you know that surely that tree has survived a lot to get where it is. Drought, floods, possibly disease, it's stood through storms and winds that knocked down other trees all around it. And yet, there it stands.

A tree doesn't just become strong just naturally, no. The strongest trees have to withstand winds and storms, every time a tree survives a storm it digs it's roots deeper into the ground that is it's foundation and becomes harder and harder to dig out.

This is something I've been thinking about recently in my life and in the lives of my friends, many of us are out in college now. Working full time jobs and many of us have finally moved out. And as promised in the New Testament there will be trials, there will be storms in our lives. The question now is, are we going to let these storms tear us out and throw us around? Or are we going to dig in deep and grow stronger to withstand the next one?

The Bible has a few things to say about withstanding trials and about the strength that God will give us to help us endure. Here are just a few verses:

"So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal." 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

"He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers." Psalms 1:3

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." Romans 5:3-5

That tree in the picture up there withstood its life's trials. Will you?

God Bless,

Ryan

A little bit about me:

  I'm a 22 year old Christian guy, nothing extraordinary. I Volunteer with the local Fire Dept. where I lead a Fire Explorer Outpost, getting the High school kids in that are interested and giving them some training to see if Firefighting is a career path they would like to travel down.

I work at a couple other Fire Dept. besides that as a Firefighter/EMT-B. It's not easy work all the time, but it's what I love to do.

The original purpose of my blog (A Long Adventure) was to be a place to put up my stories, pictures and updates from a big Sailing trip that I was supposed to take back in the summer of 2013. But through a string of events and poor communication I never ended up going. I kept playing around with the blog putting up a little story here and there, and the end result is basically what is now an online devotional. Instead of being a type of journal for trips and adventures to different places it's become a place for me to put up the spiritual adventures and lessons that I've been through and that God has been teaching me.

I hope you all enjoy the blog, and I hope God uses it greatly to your benefit and for His glory.

  God Bless,

        Ryan

A Journey in Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - Recap of Part 3

#11 Prayer Warrior
Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

#12 Daughter of the King 
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things  Love never ends.

#13 Big Sister
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

#14 Woman of Faith 
1 Peter 1:23-25 Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

#15 Homemaker
Proverbs 31:10-31

This concludes the series.

I challenge you girls to start your own journey of becoming a young woman of faith!

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #15 Homemaker

Proverbs 31:10-31

The Woman Who Fears the Lord

¹⁰ An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
¹¹ The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
¹² She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
¹³ She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
¹⁴ She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
¹⁵ She rises while it is yet night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She dresses herself with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
¹⁸ She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
²⁰ She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹ She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is known in the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
²⁵ Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
²⁶ She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
²⁷ She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
³¹ Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates.

I challenge you to wear strength and dignity. To open your hands to the poor and needy. To speak with wisdom and teach the kindness of the Lord. To fear the Lord. As I write this I can see trumpets in my head, as a fanfare as we have completed the devotions I have written. I challenge you girls to start your own journey of becoming a young woman of faith!

A Journey in Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #14 Woman of Faith

1 Peter 1:23-25 Since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

As I was doing this and that, this morning, I couldn't decide what to write about. As I was picking that last of the pumpkins, and squash in the backyard, I noticed that the vines were easy to pull. Then I picked the last of the zucchini and saw that they pulled out in big clumps with hardly any root. Immediately I knew what to write about. In the squash family you plant it and then the vine slowly grows. Next the flowers grow, one by one, pollinated slowly. Lastly after a long wait, delicious fruit ripen on the vine. But soon if it is not used, they wither and rot. We as Christian ladies do this. We put all of our faith and trust in God. Slowly we grow, and become pollinated in the word of God. After a while fruit grows: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Unfortunately we don't put deep enough roots in our faith. We believe, trust, and put faith in God but we don't have the faith that can move mountains. Our roots are too shallow. As the verse says we are born again. We become part of God's family. We put our faith in God. Then we grow, we learn more about him, we learn more from the Bible and but our faith wavers. All the things we've learned and put into practices withers. Once again we turn to God. The cycle is never-ending. But. If you deepen your roots, deepen your faith in God, the cycle will become easier. 

I challenge you to become a better pumpkin, a better squash, and a better zucchini and get those roots down deep! Read the Bible, pray, and sing praises as you go about your day. Most importantly I want you to take one thing that is worrying you and place it at God's feet. Let him take care of it. You will deepen your roots, your faith by doing so. And maybe, just maybe, someday you'll have the faith that moves mountains.

A Journey in Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #13 Big Sister

1st Peter 4:8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.

Oh, those annoying siblings. They interrupt you, annoy you,  wear your clothes, get into your things, and do thing that get on your nerves. From reading this verse we are supposed to love them? Our love can cover a multitude of sins? Oh shucks, that doesn't apply to me, does it? Um, yes! Think about it. If we are called to be imitators of Christ. We can't do that if we are not showing that to our siblings. Remember what I said: they watch everything we do. They copy us with precision. Than they get annoyed by each other and the cycle continues. You can also think of this another way: If we show love to each other that we can easily forget those little things that bug us. Yes, those petty little things. 

I challenge you to keep showing love to them unconditionally. Be an imitator of Christ and show His love.

A Journey in Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #12 Daughter of the King

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a  Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;  it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things  Love never ends.

 Everyone knows and has heard about "the Love chapter". We quote it, re-post it, put it on our virtual or physical walls and more. But in the midst of this do we live it? Can we, Daughters of the Most High King show love patiently and kindly? With out arrogance or rudeness? Being selfless? Without being irritable or resentful? Rejoicing in the good? Bearing all things (listening to others problems and praying or them, believing all things (keeping an open heart for God to use), hoping all things (that others will see God's love in you), and enduring all things (any hardship that crosses your path by trusting in God)? That love NEVER ends? I can tell you that this is on my wall in my room, I read it several times a day but I still forget. Its hard to remember all this.

I challenge you to ask the Holy Spirit to help you incorporate this into your life. God can do amazing things if we ask him to help us. 

A Journey in Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #11 Prayer Warrior

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

Today I challenge you to pray for things near and dear to your heart. If it is giving you anxiety, sit in a quiet place and pray. We needn't dwell on these things because God is ALWAYS in control. 

A Journey in Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - Recap of Part 2

#6 Prayer Warrior
Pray without ceasing. 1st Thessalonians 5:17

#7 Daughter of the King 
Colossians 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

#8 Big Sister
Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.

#9 Woman of Faith
Be joyful always. 1st Thessalonians 5:16

#10 Homemaker
Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

How are you doing? I've had several people tell me that they needed these , and I must say I have too. I unfortunately haven't "followed" my words 24/7 but it has given me insight. I will be starting the next part on Monday. :~)

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #10 Homemaker

Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

{This devotion is different so hang with me!}

As a homemaker I do many things. Join me as I do the laundry.

It is quiet; in some ways. I am preparing to hang up dresses and skirts. I walk around the house rounding up the hangers. My sister is working on her homework with Mom while the little 3 play in the living room. 

Soon I have handfuls of hangers. Each one is different than the one before. 

I pile them on my bed. The colors are bright and cheerful. In the stillness of my room. I savor the moment. 

 The camera is nearby so I grab it. The natural light shines on them creating a mosaic. I hear the gentle chatter downstairs.

As I slip each dress or skirt on a hanger I try to make sure that they coordinate with the dress or skirt that is going on it.

 I'm working along when I stopped and thought about the verse I was considering for today. In the quiet of my room it clicked.

We are like the hangers, each different in size, shape, and color. Yet they are for the same purpose.

We are each different in size, shape, and color. Yet we are all for the same purpose. We all work together to serve God by serving others. 

I challenge you to serve God by serving others in a unique way today. 

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #9 Woman of Faith

Be joyful always. 1st Thessalonians 5:16

I have a friend who always has a smile on her face. Rain or shine. Neither rain nor snow nor wind nor sleet keeps her from smiling. Okay, that is a bit of an exaggeration but true. She isn't perfect but I can see that she does a wonderful job being joyful. A common stereotype for Christians is constant happiness, which is clearly nearly impossible. We may not be happy always but we can be joyful always. The New Webster's Dictionary's definition of happy is: joyful, pleased, glad, content. The definition of joy is happiness, pleasure, and delight. They are obviously similar words, but they have different origins. I'm not talking as if one is from Latin and one is from Greek (though I just looked it up: happy derives from hap from Old Norse, joy derives from gaudia from Latin). I'm talking about the origin in our lives. We tend to have happiness over things of this world, stuff, money, vacations, etc. Joy is from the heart when you spend time with God, who is of the utmost importance, family, and friends. In a popular hymn, "Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee" it does a good job of showing this. When we adore and worship God, we have deep joy.

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!

All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.

Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.

Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man. 

 Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.

I challenge you today to ask God to show you deep joy. Only God can aide you in this. Pray, worship and ask him how you can be joyful always. 

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #8 Big Sister

Proverbs 3:27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
    when it is in your power to do it.

As big sisters we are faced with decisions about using our time. We can use it wisely with our siblings and a wee bit of me time or we can use it for ourselves and have a wee bit of family time. We often focus on ourselves instead of others which leaves us with cranky siblings. We are then withholding good from our siblings. When we show the love and kindness they are more ready to listen. This will be short, sweet and to the point. I'm not going to elaborate as usual. If you are able to do anything for or with your siblings: do it! 

I challenge you to do something like what I'm about to do. I'm about to go play a board game with my sisters. I've found when I do something like a board game they are happier, focused and in a way more willing to listen. Serve your siblings a slice of your time now.

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #7 Daughter of the King

Colossians 4:5-6 Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person.

Walk with wisdom towards outsiders. We need to do be doing this regularly. We may or may not have a lot of un-churched friends but we do need to reflect God. For example if you go shopping and your Mom asks you do to do something, she doesn't like what you picked out or you end up with a grumpy cashier: smile and accept life graciously. They may not be having a good day until that smile. Make the best of your time. If you use the computer of the phone several times through the day, use it to uplift and encourage. The internet is so susceptible to arguments and idleness. These thing are tough and I will say I'm struggling through these. There is also the other extreme of using your time for EVERYTHING except God. This is a trap that we girls fall into as we are busy with family, school, friends, work and more. That is why I always use the end of my day to pray to and praise God. Let your speech always be gracious. Oy that tongue is dangerous. I feel slightly hypocritical as I write as I was just arguing with my sister. The tongue is dangerous and can hurt someone's heart in a snap with a judgmental or argumentative remark. Season your day with salt, compliments, courtesy, kindness, and gentleness. Just drop a kind word or two. Use these things so you can answer anybody with a smile. Do these regularly so others know who you serve and shine.

I challenge you to smile at everyone you meet & to say something nice and uplifting to everyone in your house. 

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #6 Prayer Warrior

Pray without ceasing. 1st Thessalonians 5:17

This is tough. Praying without ceasing. Sounds difficult.....it is in a way but not really. When we see verses like this we tend to over think things. I know I do. And when we over think things we make it harder to do something as simple as praying. Praying is simple: talking to God! A couple years ago I never prayed. I'm growing up in a prayer filled Church yet I couldn't pray. I didn't think I could make a difference. About that time I started a prayer journal. I kept it for about 2 months and then forgot about it. I got discouraged and prayed here and there. I would pray for people after I heard the prayer request but never thought about them again. One day quite recently I got on my knees and prayed. I prayed for what felt like forever, just praying about what ever was on my heart. I had a clarity of thoughts and remembered prayer requests. I'm not saying praying on your knees will make you a super praying hero but it does allow you to focus on God and him alone. Since then I have grown in my prayer walk. I'm telling this you girls to encourage you. I'm not perfect and I don't always pray without ceasing but I'm getting much better at it. To pray without ceasing means to pray for the day. During free time, when wisdom is needed, anything! Most importantly praise God! This can be tough so ask, pray, that God will help you. He will! Keep persevering! 

I challenge you to get on your knees and pray. Pray about anything on your heart, make a habit of this so it will come as a natural, regular thing for you. Keep persevering & pray without ceasing. 

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #5 Homemaking

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

Unless you get something out of the deal we tend to slack on our daily duties and chores. We partially work on something or make it look like we did it all. When we do that we are nothing more than lazy homemakers. Sure our house may not be sparkling clean all the time but it should be kept nice. God placed us on Earth to be stewards of his land, of his world. When we take care of the things God gave us with laziness that shows others that we are indifferent with what He has blessed us with. For example: I see a bib on the floor. I can leave it there or pick it up. The bib is a gift from God for messy babies and toddlers. Leaving it shows others that we don't care about our blessings. Picking it up shows it is considered a blessing. The bib itself becomes another blessing as now we can use it.When you pick it up it can feel like work. And it is in a way. When we pick it up we are picking it up for the Lord. I am working for the Lord. Now this may be a slightly cheesy illustration but we do need to be working for the Lord. When others see that we care enough about our things to take care of them they will see a difference because we are working for the Lord. We should be doing this all the time and someday He will reward us. It may not be today and may not be tomorrow, but someday he will reward us. We are his servants and we should be bringing Glory to Him.

I challenge you to do something productive today, whether it be laundry or dishes or cleaning. Do it with a happy heart! You are working for the Lord of all creation, you are serving your family, you will lift the spirits of your family's hearts and cheer them with your sunny smile. Go, work, smile and know that all you do is for the Lord. 

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith #4 Woman of Faith

Matthew 6:25-34 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

We ladies tend to worry about about EVERYTHING. We worry about our appearance, our place in society, our house, our family, our friends, and things that aren't even in our control! Worry and anxiety will can eat away at us and we can become worrisome. People who constantly worry loose faith, hope, joy, and love. We don't need to worry, God is in control! As it says in verse 26, the birds get the food they need because God provides. Have you trusted God to provide you with what you need? "And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" Being anxious/worrying is pointless! It won't accomplish anything. Verse 28-30 talk about how God provides clothes for those who need them. Have you trusted him to provide you with the clothes you need? Are you tempted to worry? I must admit from time to time I am. God says he will provide for our needs, he will take care of us, and he will guide our futures. Several people have asked me what my plan for my life is when I graduate from high school in a couple years. To be honest with them I have no clue. Only God knows what I'll do, but I needn't worry about this because God will show me in his perfect time. Elijah the prophet didn't need to worry about his needs, God provided. When we trust in God and we don't worry our lives are much simpler. If we seek God, trust him, & follow him, the Bible says all our needs will be met. I love the last verse in this:
Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. 

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

My challenge for you is that you refrain from worrying about your life, your future and everything else. Just trust in God. 

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #3 Big Sister

Let all that you do be done in love. 1 Corinthians 16:14

You are a super hero, a role model, a leader. If you have any siblings, cousins, or kids in your life you are a super hero, a role model, a leader. Those kids are watching you as if their life depended on it. And in a way their lives depend on it because they look up to you. Let me tell you a little story: When I was about 6-7 I spent a bit of time with my best friend. She had an older brother & an older sister and I thought they were the best. Fast forward 8 years....in the past 4 years I got 4 sisters. For me the roles are reversed, now I'm the one who is being looked up to. 4 little eyes are watching me constantly. Letting all that I do be done in love feels nearly impossible some days. Sometimes, to be honest, I fall short. As we are all sinners, we all do this. Sometimes we don't feel like we have hope to keep trying to everything in love. You are wrong....God can help us! You are probably thinking you know that, and so do I, but we all need constant reminders. As I am writing this my favorite picture of my sisters in my room is sitting on a Bible commentary for the Corinthians. Did you know this verse is so simple, so clear cut, that they don't elaborate on it at all? How can a simple command be so difficult? To be honest, I have no clue.

So today I have a REALLY difficult challenge for you. Let all that you do be done in love. Go about your day with a smile on your face & let all that you do be done in love. Help your Mom & let all that you do be done in love. Play with the kids in your life & let all that you do be done in love. Try to refrain from snapping, getting angry, and ignoring the kids. Let all that you do today be done in love. You may think I'm a little "stern", but I'm doing the same. Set goals for yourself, and let ALL that you do be done in love. Ask God for help and let him guide to so you can do everything in love! 

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #2 Daughter of the King

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5:13-16

Remember the song we used to sing when we were little? This Little Light of Mine? In the song talks about how we need to shine the light of God. Thats what the Bible tells us! Paraphrasing the verses it says to us young ladies: We are the light of the world/the school/the home. A young woman can not be in hiding when she is shining God's light." You can't hide! Our culture is focused on all the wrong things...we need to break that chain, focus on God, and by doing so shine God's love. If we focus on the negative we can't see the positive. There is over 7 billion people in this world, only 30% are Christians. And some of them may just be by name only. There is still over 70% of the world that doesn't know about God and his everlasting love. And a good number of these people are right outside your door! Now the verse also talks about salt. Our Pastor talked about this recently and it makes sense. Salt in this area was nearly worthless due to impurities. The salt would loose its saltiness due to exposure from the sun. This basically gave it one good use: road "gravel". Jesus is saying if we don't make others "thirsty" for God's love then we are just going to be trampled by the world and its distractions. Think of this person: Noah was salt & light. He was trusting in God, doing what God wanted him to do, & by doing this he was showing God's love. The people were so full of sin that they didn't pay attention. Noah still did what God wanted him to do & was blessed. Where does God want you to be salt and light in your life? For me I dance at nursing homes to cheer people up. When I use my talents to shine God's love & cheer up others, I feel blessed. 

I want to challenge you today to be salt & light. Whether it is singing praises or hymns, or just showing a quiet act of mercy with joy, be salt & light. To be salt, or to be light: that is the challenge. 

A Journey of Becoming a Young Woman of Faith - #1 Prayer Warrior

Matthew 5:44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Many of the things we will be talking about will be different ways of showing God's love. I was led to go to the hardest love first. That is loving your enemies. Your enemy can be a foe, someone you detest, or someone you don't get along with. I personally don't have the traditional enemies. I don't agree with everyone but I don't have enemies. But there are some people I have a hard time of getting along with. Sometimes its tough, sometime you want to give up. Alas the Bible will always affect your heart. It will whisper the verses you have memorized and your heart may change. This has happened many times for all of us. Praying itself can be hard, but praying for enemies can be dreadfully difficult. Some of your enemies may have wounded you badly, others may aggravate you constantly. Despite all we must love them and pray for them. How is it possible to love some one you detest? Patience and prayer. I'm still working on this. Patience and prayer is a several centuries old formula that is tried and true. If you read through the Old and New Testament you'll find many examples of loving and praying your enemies. David for example loved Saul as he was his best friend's father. Even when Saul chased David & David had opportunities for getting rid of Saul he still showed love and kindness and prayed for them. Loving our enemies is tough. Praying is tough. Praying for our enemies is undoubtedly extremely tough. 

I'm challenging you to take some time today to do something nice to an enemy and show love. When you can, find a quiet spot and just sit without distractions. Take time and pray for them, as prayer works miracles.