The Hands

As weird as this concept may be, I'm sitting here staring at my hands. 

The marks, lines, seeing the daily struggle they endure, just by being my hands. 

The day before last I was at work & I broke a coffee pot in my hands, I have scratch marks from that, I have hang nails & chewed tiny bitter nails. Nervous habit. But yet, I still go everyday using them the same as I would any other time. 

God uses our hands to tell a story, to create who we are. If you look at your hands right now, what story would they tell? 

There will be sin, there will be celebration & there will be scars. 

Job 17:9 says: 

"Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger."

No, not everyone's hands are clean, not everyone can even endure life with hands. But let them tell your story, whether you're with or without them, let God also use your hands to do good, to be pure, to tell your testimony. 

When you look at your hands today, see them with eyes of inspiration, knowledge of the past & the knowing what the future can hold for you. What God needs you to hold in your hands to live out his will. 

With the hands of The Lord on your life, you can and will be stronger and stronger. 

So let your hands praise him, you were fearfully and wonderfully made! 

1 Timothy 5:22

James 5:13 

Isaiah 41:10 

Blessing of Life

Each day I'm very happy, I'm very fhankful & I'm very blessed. 

Each day I look around me amazed by Gods glory, and the true blessings I have.

God has such a handle on my life, even when I think he doesn't. He knows my heart, has a plan, and is never out of reach. 

As a child we are born into the world- unknowing, un knowledgable, and brand new. God has a plan for each day of your life, each moment of your existance & knows your next word. We are of God born into the world, in his heart and in his image. Be Thankful. 

Psalm 127:3 

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

God knows your heart, has your plan, and loves your existance. 

Be thankful for each year that goes by. I know I am.

I look back & realize what God has given me, taught me, and taken away from my life. All for a great reason. ❤️

May Your Voice Be Heard

We scream, we yell, we fight to be heard- but who's listening? 

Often times we feel alone, we pray & speak and speak to God & He's an amazing listener, but what does he have to say, how do I know what his thoughts are? 

That's when I go to my Bible & realize situations others were in & what God did for them & what his opinion was. 

It gives me strength, perseverance & strictly Gods thoughts. It makes me feel like even before I was born, millions of years prior, he knew I'd need him in a certain situation (every situation) and he wrote it in his word to show me the light, to show me His thoughts & sometimes that's what you need. 

So if you don't feel heard, like God hasn't said anything - maybe you're not listening. 

Proverbs 2:1-5 says 

"My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you, making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding; yes, if you call out for insight & raise your voice for understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it as for hidden treasures, then you will understand the fear of The Lord and find the knowledge of God." 

Also, 

John 8:47

" whoever is of God hears the words of God. The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God."

I find myself yelling to God at times I feel like He isn't listening, but really it's me who doesn't have open ears of wisdom to hear Him. 

So give your all to God & He will answer you, He will provide & He will ALWAYS love you. 

  And may your voice be heard. 

First Step:

There so many times in life, when we let things slip- we say it isn't worth fighting for and that we're done. 

It's so beyond easy to do that to your faith, and I'm not just speaking words, I'm speaking from experience. 

I miss the days where I would open up my bible and know that God was speaking straight to me, but I also realize that it was me who opened the book, you're the human in this equation and it's your job to take the first step. Who says that step will be 100% right, or that it'll be what will turn your life around? No one, it's just THE FIRST STEP. 

The first step to your forever is what you make of it, and no matter if it's opening up your bible and giving it a 5 minute read, or saying your first prayer in 6 months; God has an ultimate plan for your life, and wants you to be in eternity with Him. 

Letting things slip is so easy, and so is settling for second best.

Although what you have may seem worth it, is it going to give you everlasting life?

Some things in life, as the famous quote goes; are lessons & the others are meant to be there forever. 

Whether that be a person, or an experience or a loss, or what ever it may be in your life that is teaching you something & won't be there forever, or is a lesson you're going to be learning forever (if that makes sense) than take it with maturity and understanding. Because as I said something's are meant to be there & others are lessons learned along the way.

Because it isn't worth fighting for if you can't put God above it. 

Some of the amazing verses from this link are:

2 Corinthians 5:7 

1 Peter 1:21 

Matthew 17:20

Hebrews 11:1

http://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/faith-bible-verses/

Lets Talk: Boys

Ladies, and young women of Jesus,

We all knew this topic would come at some point, and lets face it: I've been urged to speak on it for a while now.

The topic of boys, is something everyone has a love-hate relationship with, but is very easy to talk about- especially when you're happy in the department. 

In the book I'm working on with my mom, I talk briefly on Adam & Eve and how from the beginning God has a man and a women placed on this earth for each other. Which I love the thought of, he made two very different people, but designed for each other & placed them in the world- either close or far apart from one another. He chose the two of you to be leaders in Christ together, to follow together, to be happy & support one another, but most of all be the prime example of love to each other as Jesus loved us. 

As a teenager it's easy to settle for who wants us, who makes us "feel the best" and who's easiest to get your hands on. But as I've come to realize, and yes I'm only 16- that God has someone perfectly made for you, and he won't come when you want him to or in the time "you need him", he'll come when God knows you're ready & he'll be the perfect one for You & treat you as you truly deserve. 

There are no perfect relationships, and there is no one who will always say the right thing & make no mistakes- but when the right one comes along, those mistakes will turn into lessons learned. Because in order to love, you need to first learn to forgive. 

Colossians 3:12-16 speaks straight the point on what God expects of us. 

Verse 13 says: 

"Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another,forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony."

The Lord has forgiven us, so we must forgive and love because it brings us closer together. 

Boys are sometimes not easy to understand, they are addicted to their Xbox, glued to there TV's and hang with their buddies. It's not always easy to find "Mr. Perfect", and let me tell you- you wont!
But find a guy who seeks to learn about you, invest in you, and truly show you Gods love- even if he doesn't realize he is. 

As God brings you the perfect man, he may not be suited in armor right from the start; but he'll love your flaws, make you feel beautiful and in time learn that living for The Lord is just as important as you are. 

Don't expect perfection, because you will never receive it- just know what you deserve, and accept it when it comes along. God has your Prince Charming, or "knight in shining armor" coming when you're truly ready. For now, be thankful you have one-on-one time with God and pray for The Lord to bring your perfect match- He will provide. 

Scrapes & Bruises

We all know how easy it is to get bruises and scrapes, to have scars and stitch marks- everyone has their stories & everyone has their hurt. 

What about our insides scrapes and bruises, what about what people aren't telling us, or what about the things that really haven't healed? 

They can be so much worse, when you can't actually see it. No, not every bruise stays, and scars remind us of our incident. But everyone has that time in their life that was negative that they just can't forget. 

In the last 3 days I have had more physical pain than anyone should. I burned my hand badly at work, got blisters on my feet from walking too long in flip flops, and fell on my rollerblades; giving me 2 great big knee bruises. 

But non of that has phased me, non of that has "made me". They'll all go away eventually, but will the bigger hurts in my life ever vanish like a bruise, or a burn mark? 

I know we like to think people can't see our hurt, that they're just like a bruise and they'll go away... but will they? 

Once we're hurt, it takes a while for a bruise to heal; it's the same with your heart- it takes a while before it's back to normal again. 

Gods healing words, and promises in scripture remind us that we are healed already before we are even hurt. Our insides have been set free & our hearts are clear and whole again. When God has a handle on your situation, nothing is more healing than his name. 

Romans 8:18 says:

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the
glory that is to be revealed to us." 

It says right there, nothing here on earth that pains us is worth it because the riches and love the Jesus' eternal life bring, are so much more worth it. 

So let the world hurt you, but don't let it phase you. God has a wonderful plan for your hurts- inside and out & will heal you before the situation even arises. 

You were made to be courageous, be the generation that breaks all the chains.

http://youtu.be/pkM-gDcmJeM

This is Your Life, Are You Who You Want To Be?

Life... it's a crazy misinterpreted word. What does "life" to you, really mean? 

Does living to you consist of sitting on your couch day to day? Does watching Ellen & re-runs of Oprah get you by? Does opening a bag of chips and eating them all get you places? 

Does staying in one spot for months get you farther? 

God wants us to pursue life, love it and work hard to praise him through it. 

It can be so easy to just put God aside for those around us, objects, habits and addictions. 

But when we pursue life, work hard and love The Lord; life can be very fulfilling & it allows us to show others Gods deliverance. 

If we sit at home bored for hours, why not spend that time changing the world? Use what you do for fun be a way of praising God, allow what is a habit be done for good & let the people you spend hours with see a change in you, let them see Christ in you, no matter if they know it's him, or they just see your smile and positivity through hard situations. 

This is your life, are you who you want to be? Is this what you dreamed your life to be? Are you doing what you love, living for Jesus and changing those around you, or are you letting life pass you by? 

I really don't like thinking Christians sit at home just simply loving Jesus, instead of being out and making a difference. You know the joy God brings, you see what he has done for you; do you not want others to experience the same & have Him for eternal life too!? 

Romans 12:12 says: 

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation,

 be constant in prayer" 

Times in our life when we feel like it's a dry season, like we're sitting at home with our bag of chips in your hand & you're letting life pass you by; be constant in prayer, rejoice in his hope, and patient in hard times. God will come, you also have to take the steps to move forward though. 

what do you think it would be like? Looking at your life from the eyes of another? Would you know you did a good job & be proud or do you think you'd wish you'd done better? It's easier to change the way you look at it now, than regret not making a difference later.

So pursue life, work hard & be the example of Jesus & what He did for us. 

This is your life, be who you want to be.