The Small Things

Matthew 25:23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'" If God can trust you with small stuff, he will be able to trust you with bigger stuff!! When he sees that we are faithful in the little things, he will put us in charge of big things!! If God has put you in charge of small things for now, be faithful with them so God can see he can trust you with more!!

Promise Keeper

Psalm 33:4 "For the word of the Lord is right and true; he is faithful in all he does." God always keeps his word! If there is something in the bible that he has said he will do, then we know for sure he will!! God created promises, and he knows how important a covenant is. When you read stories in the bible, you can see that in every one God kept his promises!! We can all learn from that!!

His Children

Galatians 4:7 "So you are no longer a slave, but God's child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir." We are God's children!!! He loves us more than any family we can have on earth. And God also says that because we are his children, we are heirs!! We will get to inherit the treasures he has in heaven!!

Stay Faithful!!

Revelation 2:10b "Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor's crown." Be faithful!! Even though sometimes you will have to go through rough stuff as a Christian, don't give up!! Life is not easy. But if we get through it AND stay faithful to God, there will be a prize for us in Heaven!!!

Nothing Too Hard

Jeremiah 32:17 "Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you." There is NOTHING that is too hard for God!! He made the world with his hand! His power is too great for us to even fathom!! Never be afraid to ask God for the impossible. He has made the impossible happen over and over again!!

Our Faithful God

Deuteronomy 7:9 "Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments." Don't forget that God is God! He is always faithful! He has been keeping his promise of love to 1000 generations of his people!! Don't underestimate God and his faithfulness!! He will always keep his promises!!

Praise God!!

Psalm 150:6 "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord." PRAISE GOD!!! Praise him today for sending his son to earth as a baby boy who would save us from our sins!! Praise him that your sins are all taken care of!! Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Your First Love

Revelation 2:4 "Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first." Don't let yourself lose sight of your first and most important love - Jesus Christ! Let him be your first love, where you put him first in every situation! He is the best love you could ever have!! Put him first today! Merry Christmas!!

White as Snow

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the Lord. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool." Even though we are stained with dark sin, God can cleanse us and make us as white as snow! Ask God for forgiveness anytime you sin, so he can clean the crimson stains off!!

Immanuel

Matthew 1:23 "The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" (which means "God with us"). Jesus is IMMANUEL...God with us. Even though he is not walking on this earth, he is still with us...and he wants to be close to you. Jesus will not run after us to get close, but as soon as we search for him he will be closer to us!! Run to Jesus this Christmas!!!

Denying God with your actions

Titus 1:16 "They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good." If you claim to know God or you say you are a Christian, your actions need to show that you know him! If you are living a life full of sin, but you tell people you know God, you are completely denying him with your actions!! Make sure your actions and words are lining up! Don't say you know God and then deny him with sin!

Whatever you do to them...

Matthew 25:40 "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" Whatever we do for the last, the lost, and the least, we are doing for Jesus!! If there's someone who's hungry, feed them, someone who needs clothes or shoes, clothe them! God, give me the eyes of Jesus to see when people need help!

You ready for solid food?

Hebrews 5:14 "But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil." Just like a baby, in your spiritual life you have to drink milk until you are mature enough for solid food! You have to have the basics down before you move on to harder, more advanced stuff. The verse says "who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good and evil." You have to know right and wrong in order for you to mature!!

Christmas and Giving

1 John 4:10 "This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." God GAVE his son because he wanted to save us from our sins! It is way better to give than to receive! God showed us that by his example. This Christmas, give without expecting anything back. Give because of love, just like God did for us!!!

The LIGHT.

Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." We are the LIGHT of the world. The same way the Christmas lights that you have probably seen lately are bright and distinct, especially when it's dark outside, we have to be that bright and distinct in this dark world. People should be able to tell that we are different without us even saying anything that indicates we're Christians!! Let the Christmas lights during this season remind you to be the light!!

If you want to be first...

Mark 9:35 "Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all." If you want to be first, you have to be last. It is better to be a servant than someone who is being served. It is also way better to give than to receive! The blessing and recognition you get from God when you are a servant, is far better than any human reward will ever be!! Make yourself last!!

The Treasure in Your Life

Luke 2:19 "But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." All through the birth of Jesus and his life, Mary pondered and thought about everything that was happening and treasured it in her heart! Sometimes it's so easy to just go through life like normal, but we all need to learn to think about or "ponder" what is going on in our lives. Let what's going on in your life become a treasure! That's when you can see God the most!!

Before He Was Born...

Matthew 1:21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." They knew Jesus was going to save us from our sins before he was even born!! Can you imagine if before you were born, your family knew exactly what you were going to do when you grew up? That would be pretty amazing! Jesus is so amazing and special and if he hasn't saved you, he wants to!!!

Trust in God...

Romans 15:13 "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." Trust in God so He can fill you up with joy and peace this Christmas!! So you can overflow with hope from the Holy Spirit!!! We sing songs like "Joy to the world", but this year lets trust in God, so we can experience this TRUE joy, peace, and hope!!!

Washing Their Feet

John 13:5 "After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him." In Jesus' day, feet washing was a symbol of humility. It was the job the servant usually did. Jesus humbled himself and washed all of his disciples' feet, even Judas, who he already knew was going to betray him!! We should follow Jesus' example - humble ourselves and honor someone that you don't think deserves it!

3 Main Things

Ephesians 4:2 "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." We should be HUMBLE and GENTLE, dealing with people always in LOVE. Humility, gentleness, and love are three of the things that God says we should have multiple times!! If you read about Jesus in the bible, you will see that these are three of his main qualities. Follow his example and ask God for this humble, gentle, and loving spirit!

The Only True Christmas Present

Luke 2:10 "But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people." Don't be afraid!! There is good news that brings us JOY!!! Jesus is the ONLY TRUE Christmas gift!! Will you receive that gift this year? And be filled with JOY!!

He will lift up the HUMBLE.

Luke 1:52 "He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble." When you are proud, God will have to humble you, but when you are humble, he will lift you up and bless you like never before! Think about Mary. God saw her humility, and she found favor with him! God put the Son of God inside of her!! Don't let pride in today! Be humble!!!

Fulfilling the Law with LOVE

Romans 13:10 "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." Love can't hurt anything! When you love, you are fulfilling God's law!! It is so hard to love people who don't love you, but it's possible! Pray that you will have a softened heart toward them so you can LOVE!! Love everybody!

Are you producing fruit?

Galatians 5:22-23 (NLT) "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!" When you are a Christian and you have the holy spirit living in you, you should start to grow these fruits!

Love: tender affection

Joy: emotion of great happiness or delight caused by something exceptionally good.

Peace: freedom of the mind

Patience: quiet steady perseverance

Kindness: mild, gentle, friendly

Goodness: the act of being morally excellent

Faithfulness: sure of what you hope for and certain of what you do not see

Gentleness: tender, not rough or violent

Self-control: control or restraint of yourself

Against these fruits, there is no law!! Are you producing fruit?

Promise of God

1 Samuel 12:22 "For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own." God will never leave his people, because he was and is so pleased to have YOU as his own. It makes him so glad when we give ourselves fully to him! He will NEVER abandon or reject us!!

Perseverance

Hebrews 10:36 "You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." Even though sometimes doing God's will is hard and you feel like you want to quit, persevere through it and you will be blessed and receive what God promised!! God knows way more than us and his plan is way better than ours!! Just follow his will! You will be rewarded!

Holy and Honorable

1 Thessalonians 4:4 "...that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable," We need to all learn how to control our bodies in a holy and honorable way. That means being careful what you eat, what you drink, what you do, what you say, and even what you wear! Your body is a demonstration of Jesus living inside you!!

His Purpose and Grace

2 Timothy 1:9 "He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time," God has this huge, holy plan for us - not because we did anything good but because he loves us and wants to show us grace and his purpose! He had this planned out long before we were even born!! Thank you Jesus for your grace!

The Opportunity Jesus Gives Us

2 Corinthians 5:21 "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." God made Jesus, who was completely pure of sin, to die on the cross for OUR sins, so that we have the chance to be the righteousness of God!! Jesus gave his life up...we should take the opportunity he's given us to be righteous!

Be Content!

Philippians 4:12 "I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want." We should be content in every situation too! Whether you have everything you think you need or not! We always have Jesus, and he is EVERYTHING WE NEED!! Be CONTENT!!

Pray.

Ephesians 6:18 "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people." PRAY CONTINUALLY!! Pray during every occasion and for every different thing! Be alert so you can see whats going on around you in people's lives, and keep praying for ALL of your brothers and sisters in Christ!

TRUTH.

Isaiah 5:20 "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter." THERE'S ONLY ONE TRUTH. Its NOT like whatever you believe is true for you and whatever I believe is true for me. We can't make our own truths!! Good is good and sin is sin!! We can't change the truth that God already made for us!! If you want solid truth, read the Bible!!

Be Alert!

1 Peter 5:8 "Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." We should be alert and sober minded because Satan is waiting around us looking for someone who will fall into his trap so he can devour. We should be so careful not to fall into the temptation!! We need to stay so alert so we can see the trap before we fall into it!

Controlled by the Spirit

Romans 8:6 "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." When we are controlled by our selfish flesh, it will always lead us to death, but if we let the Spirit of God control us, we will be full of life and peace! Choose everyday to be controlled by the Spirit!! And get ready for overflowing life and peace!!

Brand New

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Anyone who has given their life over to Christ is made BRAND NEW!! God forgives everything you do wrong if you ask - you don't have to hold on to past sins! The old is GONE, and the new has come!! Thank you Jesus!!

Blessed are the PEACEMAKERS...

Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." We are called to be peacemakers. Instead of always trying to stir things up and start conflict, we should help resolve conflict! We shouldn't make a big deal out of a problem so minor!! Remember this today during Black Friday!

Find the good in every situation.

Ephesians 5:16 "making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." We should make the most of EVERY opportunity! Try to find good in every situation and in every person you're with! There are so many times that we miss something big God has for us because we can't see any good in whatever it is...be careful. And make the most of today! Happy thanksgiving!!

Comforter of the Brokenhearted

Psalm 34:18 "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." When your heart is broken, that is prime time to grow closer to God! He wants to save those who have a crushed heart! He knows how you feel and he wants to comfort you!! Run to Him!

His Peace

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." Jesus left his peace with us. He didn't give us peace like the world gives us but peace from God! It is there ready for us to accept!! That way we won't let our hearts be troubled and won't be afraid!!

Let the thanks pour out...

Ephesians 5:4 "Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving." There should be no obscenity (offensive language), foolish talk (words with no point), or coarse joking (joking that hurts people). Instead we should use our mouths for thanksgiving!! This week is the perfect time to work on this. Instead of using our words to hurt or for no reason, use them to thank...let the thanks pour out of your mouth!!

Have I not already told you?

Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go." Did God not already tell us to be STRONG and COURAGEOUS? Don't be discouraged or ever afraid because the Lord our God will be right by our sides every step of the way. Everywhere we move, everywhere we work or go to school, God will be there with us!! Don't ever be afraid to be strong or courageous because God will always be there cheering you on!!

Dont Give the Devil a Foothold

Ephesians 4:27 "and do not give the devil a foothold." Do NOT let the devil have a foothold. As soon as you give in to a temptation, you are giving the devil power. But as soon as you say NO to a temptation, you are giving the power to God!! Never give in to sin!!

The Unfailing Love of God

Romans 8:39 "neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." NOTHING can get in the way of God's perfect love for us. Some people's love fail you, but God's love has a lifetime guarantee!! He will NEVER FAIL US!!

God is our...

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." God is everything. He's our shelter in the storm and our strength when we're weak...he's always there to help in times of trouble. God, help me to rely FULY on you every minute of everyday - you know what's best!!

Dont let your brother stumble...

Romans 14:21 "It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother or sister to fall." We should be very careful to not do anything that might cause the people around us to stumble!! God can use your sensitivity to the people around you to show the love of Jesus!! Always be aware!

"I will..."

Isaiah 41:10 (MSG) "Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you." Trust God with your life - He knows what he's doing!! He will be with you, be your God, give you strength, help you, hold you steady, and keep a firm grip on you! It really doesn't get much better than that! Always rely on Him.

Call Out to Me

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to me and I will answer you. I'll tell you marvelous and wondrous things that you could never figure out on your own." Call out to God and he will ALWAYS answer you!! God wants to talk to us and tell us marvelous and wondrous things that we would never figure out on our own!! We have to LISTEN and be attentive!

EVERYTHING. WE. NEED.

Philippians 4:19 (MSG) "You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus." God will always take care of EVERYTHING WE NEED. We have absolutely nothing to worry about!! Jesus' glory pours out and we are blessed with everything we need! Be thankful for what you have!

Blessed are those...

Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." As Christians, we WILL be persecuted. People will gossip about us, hurt us with their words, and sometimes physically hurt us. But think of it as a blessing! Because it makes us more like Jesus, and the kingdom of heaven will be ours!!

"Give and it will be given to you..."

Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." GIVE and it will be given to you! The same measure you use, God will use for you. So if you hold back on giving to God or anybody else, than God will hold back on giving to you!! Never stop GIVING!!!

Fearfully and Wonderfully...

Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." I praise God because we are FEARFULLY and WONDERFULLY made! God made us all different, but in his image. His works are wonderful...I know that for sure!!

Give to others what God has given you

Zechariah 7:9 "This is what the Lord Almighty said: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another." God wants us to carry out true justice, and show mercy and compassion to EVERYONE we come in contact with!! Show people the justice, mercy, and compassion God has shown you!!

Justice: rightfulness or lawfulness

Mercy: something that gives evidence of divine favor; not giving someone what they really deserve

Compassion: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for someone who is stricken by misfortune

Just GIVE.

Acts 20:35b "....remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive." It seriously feels so good to give!! When you receive something, the only reward is the gift you got. But when you give something, your reward is the favor of God and an awesome feeling in your heart!! GIVE, GIVE, GIVE!!

The Little Things..

Luke 16:10 "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." As soon as you can be trusted with the small or easier things, God will make you responsible for more and more!! The little things turn into bigger things!! Show that you can take care of the small things!

...For I Am With You

Isaiah 43:5 "Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west." God says "DO NOT BE AFRAID, FOR I AM WITH YOU" God holds the world in his hands, but still, he is a personal God. He wants to be there for each one of us!! Whenever you are lonely, turn to the best friend anyone could ever have!

Dont worry about anything.

Philippians 4:6 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Don't be anxious (uneasy, worried) about ANYTHING!! But instead, with prayer, *petition, and thanksgiving, present your desires to God!! We have no reason to be so worried!!

Petition: a request made for something desired, especially a respectful request, to a superior or one in authority.

Clothe yourself with...

Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Everyday when you are getting dressed, put on COMPASSION, KINDNESS, HUMILITY, GENTLENESS, and PATIENCE!! Let people see how powerful God is living inside you!!

A Big Opportunity...

2 Peter 1:2 "Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord." We all have the opportunity to have abundant (overflowing, more than enough) GRACE and PEACE because of our knowledge of Jesus Christ!! Are you ready to use your full capacity of grace and peace?! Don't let it go to waste!

Grace: the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God

Peace: freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession

YOU before ME

Philippians 2:3 "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves." Don't do anything out of "selfish ambition vain conceit"... that means that we shouldn't do things because it will benefit ourselves.. Or make us look better. But instead, in humility, put others before yourself!! Become a servant like Jesus was!

Gods Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:4 "who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God." God comforts us so that we can comfort the people who are in trouble with comfort God has already given us!! Give your comfort to someone else today and God will continue to comfort you!!

Set your minds on...

Colossians 3:2 "Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things." we should focus completely on things from above: Serving, relationships, Jesus, etc. Don't let your mind get stuck on earthly things!! Heavenly things are all that matter!

Our God.

Psalm 86:15 "But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." Even though we let him down all the time, our God is compassionate and gracious towards us. He's slow to anger, and overflowing with love and faithfulness. What an awesome example that is to us...

Closer...

James 4:8 "Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded." God is waiting on you. The closer you put yourself to God, the closer he will put himself to you! Wash your hands from the sin in your life and draw near to God!!

Without LOVE...

1 Corinthians 13:3 "If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing." You can do all kinds of good things, but unless you have LOVE, you are gaining nothing!! Love EVERYBODY!!

Live FULL of LOVE...

1 Jn. 4:16 "And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them." GOD IS LOVE. Everyone who lives their life FULL of love - for God and EVERYBODY ELSE, lives their life full of God and He is in you!! Live FULL of love today!!!

3 Things to Help You be More Like Christ.

Colossians 3:13 (MSG) Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you." Three things to help you be more like Christ: 1. Be even-tempered. Don't let yourself be an emotional roller coaster! 2. BE CONTENT WITH SECOND PLACE!!! You don't always have to be the best at everything!! Let someone else have first place! 3. Forgive QUICKLY and COMPLETELY!!

Walk by Faith. Give Him the Reigns

Galatians 2:20 "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." When you give yourself to Christ, the life you lived before is long gone!! You are then dead to yourself and Jesus takes the reigns of your life...don't try to take the reigns back!!! Just live by faith in the one who died for you!!!

The Love of Christ <3

Ephesians 3:17b-18 "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ." It is so hard for us to even fathom the love of Christ...how wide, long, high, and deep it really is!! Let's not be small minded!! We need to at least try to understand the enormity of Jesus' love for us!!! There's no other love like His...

Saved by GRACE.

Ephesians 2:4-5 "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved." We were DEAD in our sin and our merciful God made us alive in Christ!!! It is by GRACE we have been SAVED. It's not anything that we did that saved us - it's all God's love!!! Thank you Jesus for saving me from my sin!!

Grace: (dictionary.com) the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.

The Good of Those Who Love Him

Romans 8:28 "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." If you love God, then He is always on your team. He will work things out for the good of those who have been called by him!! We never have to worry about any situation we will face, because God will take care of it!! He cares about us!! 

You are Gods Masterpiece.

Ephesians 2:10 "For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." We are God's MASTERPIECE - created to do the good things that God prepared for us, way before we were even born!! We can't have our own plan!! God made us to do something specific! Get ready!!

Normal is Overrated

"Normal" is so overrated. So many people say they just want to be normal...but truthfully, I don't think anyone has a true desire to be "normal" or "average" - I think it's more that we have a fear of what people might think if we step out of the box. It's so much easier to just do the average thing - wake up, go to school or work, eat, sleep, and repeat. But what's the point of that? We need more than normal people to change the world! We need to be Jesus crazies! People want to follow people who stand out, not fit in!! I have a challenge for everybody who's reading this - this week, practice stepping out of the box. No! Don't JUST step out!! When you are out, pick up "the box" and chunk it!! Throw it as far away as you can... And never go back to average!! Don't let your fear of what your friends might think keep you from stepping out!! BE CREATIVE and BE YOURSELF (and "yourself" is not normal)!! :) I'm ready! Are you?

Get Off The Recliner!!

I don't know about you, but it is easy for me to be lazy. It's easy to sit around at home and do absolutely nothing. But thats not what God wants for us!! Anyone can sit around on their recliner and play solitaire all day, but it takes someone bold to actually DO something. As Christians, we are called to serve and make disciples! This week, instead of sitting around and doing nothing with meaning, let's get out there and love, serve, give, etc!! I'm tired of easy! I'm ready to get out there and DO stuff with meaning!!! What about you?!?

Believe and You Will Receive!!!

"If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer." ~Matthew 21:22Believe and you will recieve!! When you ask God for something, then turn around and doubt that it will really happen, then its not going to happen. Instead, when you pray for something, believe in your heart that God can answer that prayer, and guess what....your prayer will be answered! God does not want his children to doubt his power! God can do anything and everything - nothing you ask for will ever be too hard for God to do!! It's us that block our prayers from being answered - our doubt changes everthing. Believe that God will answer your prayers, and he will!!   

Be Content in EVERY Circumstance!!

        Something I have been working on lately is being content in EVERY circumstance. Its so easy to want what you don't have. For me, after moving to VA, it has been really hard not wanting something different. One thing, for example, is instead of me complaining that we don't have a church yet, I have to be content and look for the bright side - I get tons of time with my family. Everyone has different things that might not go exactly like planned. No matter what it is, be content. Everything God does is for a reason....a reason that you won't know usually until after the fact. I always think of Paul - he worshipped God while he was in jail! Now that is real contentment! Here are some bible verses about being content:

 

Philippians 4:11-12 "I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want."

 

1 Timothy 6:6 "But godliness with contentment is great gain."

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

 

In every circumstance, be content and trust God!! He will be with you all the way through it all!!

Loving The Ones Who Don't Love You

Its so easy to love people who love you, isn't it? But what about the other people? The ones who don't love you back? The ones who might even hate you? The ones who have hurt you? Well I have news for you - we have to love them too. God says that even fools can love the people who love them, but it takes somebody wise to love the ones who don't. Trust me, this is not easy. Sometimes we think we can only give the love that we FEEL in our heart, but this is not the case. Its not OUR love that we need to give them, its God's!! We have to show these people the same love that Jesus shows us. There are about 6 billion people in this world, and Jesus loves EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM. He even loves the people who beat him and put him on that cross. Wow. The least we can do is show love to the few people we know who don't love us back. The first step to showing this "God love" to everyone, is forgiveness. Its so much easier just to hold grudges or just pretend certain people aren't even there, but....the easiest way is not always the right way. This is so, so, so hard for me and I'm sure for you too, but with God's help we can do it! Just LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!!

Salt, Light, Plants, And Dumb Sheep

         I am such a visual learner and I love how creative Jesus is with his words. I love when he tells us, "You are the....", and then uses visuals of things that we use or see almost everyday. Here are some of the things that Jesus relates us to:

Matthew 5:13 "You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot." We are on this earth to bring meaning where there is no meaning. Everything is better with salt. (Ever tried not adding salt to a recipe? ewwww!!)

Matthew 5:14 "You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden." We are here to bring light to this dark world! People need the light!  

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." Stick with Jesus and you can do big things! Without him we can't do jack.

Jesus is the shepherd and we are the sheep. We need to listen for Jesus' voice, so we know where to go...just like sheep do!!

       Jesus loves us and wants us to be all that we can be. So, he uses these real life things that we understand, to talk to us. Salt, light, trees, animals? The stuff we see everyday! I love that!!

Encourage Each Other!!



        I love to make people feel good. I love to make cards, write notes, send texts, etc. God says in Hebrews 3:13 (a), "But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called 'Today'....." Encouraging people is a part of God's will. As Christians, we are supposed to build others up and honor each other. One thing I have figured out, is that by making other people feel good, you are also helping yourself - you are taking the focus off you, and putting it on someone else (this is humility). You never know if God will use your simple card or text for something really big in someone's life. Encouragement can be anything from writing long letters to everyone you know (I wouldn't recommend EVERYONE), to sending a nice "Good morning. :) Have a wonderful day." text to your closest friends. AND...there are so many people in this world to encourage: Your parents, pastor, teachers, boss, co-workers, youth leaders, friends, family, teammates.........and the list could go on for about 15 more lines..=). I don't know about you, but it sure does make me feel good to make other people feel good (does that even make sense? haha). There are SOOOO many ways to build people up....just BE CREATIVE!!!! (Comment on this post, or email me at hannahbnc@gmail.com,  if you need some ideas.)  :) 

Shine Your LIGHT, and Shine It BRIGHT!!

          Shine your light!! Jesus says in Matthew 5:16, "In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." I want Jesus to be evident in my life; to the point where I don't even have to tell people I'm a Christian, because they can tell by my life. Notice how Jesus says at the end, "and glorify your Father in heaven." - The purpose of us shining for Jesus is not to bring glory to ourselves or for people to say, "Look how good Hannah is," but to completely bring glory to God, so people will say, "Look how amazing God is." I want EVERYTHING in my life to point to Jesus - my attitude, the way I act, the words I say, the way I dress, etc. We are THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD. Without Jesus and his followers, the world is full of pure darkness and evil. I always think about the whole "shining your light" thing like this - we are in a dark cave (life), and some people like the dark, because nobody can see what they are doing (non-believers), but some people want them and others to be able to see (Christians). Some of the ones who don't like the dark pull out their phones to shine a light for the people closest to them, thinking that will be bright enough. The other ones who want light, look all around for the brightest light they can find, so everyone can see. - I want to be one of the those who wants to shine the biggest, brightest light!!!! The small, dim light (like the phone) might point the one close friend or family member to Jesus, but what about everyone else around you? Do they see Jesus overflowing from your life?? Shine your LIGHT, and shine it BRIGHT!!!!

Jesus in Your Social Networking

Social networking (facebook, twitter, etc.) is a huge outlet to share Jesus with people. In just a few seconds, you can have a few sentences put out where hundreds of people can read. That's why it is important to post and tweet things that are pleasing to God. Your facebook and twitter can have a big influence on someone's life. There are so many opportunities to talk about Jesus, encourage people, share what you are reading in the bible, etc. Here are some practical ways to share Jesus through social networking:
First off, clean up your profile:
-Acknowledge Jesus in your bio
-Pick a clean and modest profile picture (Before you decide on one, think "If Jesus added me as a friend on here, would I want him to see this?")
-Make sure your info (especially on fb) is pleasing to God. (favorite music, TV shows, books, movies, etc.)
Then what you post:
-Post what you are reading in your quiet time
-Post prayer requests, updates, etc.
-Write on people's walls! Encourage, encourage, encourage!!
-Talk about what Jesus has done, is doing, and is going to do in your life

And last, be real! Post what you are doing, who you are hanging out with, etc. People want to be able to relate to you!! Well, I hope this will help you...Just NEVER forget that Jesus needs to be the center of it all. Make it obvious that you are one of his followers!!!

Dream BIG

Dream BIG. Right now, I'm reading Darlene Zschech's book, "The Kiss of Heaven", and she said, "God puts a seed of a dream in our hearts before we are even old enough to feel it growing." When you have a dream in your heart to do something, DON'T IGNORE IT!! - It could be the start of God's great big plan for your life!! If you have a dream, WRITE IT DOWN! Also, don't let people's smallness cause you to dream small. The bigger your dream is, the more room there is for God! Don't ever think of your dreams (if they are real, that is,) as "silly" or "unrealistic", because with God all things are possible. When I think of a dream, I think of it as a desire in your heart, that you have no idea how to get to. For instance - right now, my dream is to be a worship pastor/leader of some kind. I have no idea how to get there though. The hardest part is figuring out if that dream is actually what God has called me to do. My suggestion to myself and any others, is to pray, pray, pray, and read God's word. For me right now, what I'm going to do, is run towards that dream (reading books, reading other worship leader's blogs and stuff, researching, etc.), unless God tells me to STOP. That is my suggestion to you also - If your dream doesn't leave you alone after praying and reading the bible, run towards it unless God tells you otherwise. And BE CAREFUL...Satan is the ultimate dream stealer. Don't let him (or anyone else), tell you that something is impossible. EVERYONE has a dream. What is yours??

1 Timothy 4:12 - My Life Verse

        1 Timothy 4:12 is my life verse - it means so much to me... It says, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity." Sometimes for me, it seems like I can't make a difference because I'm so young - but God proves me wrong in this verse. Just because I'm only 14, God gives me opportunities to influence people. No matter how old you are, there is always someone younger (or even older) looking up to you. Whether you are 10 or 110, you have an influence on somebody!! Living with 8 people now, I have a big job - someone is always watching. I always have to remember that I am a HUGE influence on everyone in my house. They watch everything I do and hear everything I say. You are an influence to someone too. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young! (Even if you aren't, you're younger than someone, right? haha) And DON'T let anyone tell you something different! Let your life be an example for someone else to follow - in what you say, your conduct (how you act), your love, your faith, and your purity. Think about this verse constantly (Trust me, I do.). Set a good example for EVERYONE! You are an influence to someone even when you're young. :)

Take Heart!! Jesus Has Overcome the World!!

         Life isn't easy. Everyday there's conflict, disappointment,  death, sickness, etc. It's inevitable. During the 21 day John challenge, I read John 16:33, where Jesus says,  “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” All of our issues are already taken care of - before they even happen! I love when Jesus said, "Take heart!!"...Its like he's telling us, "Don't worry guys! I already took care of that! You can live at peace now!" Whenever you face something hard, and it seems like there's no hope, take heart! I have heard people say before that it's like life is a story, and we've already read the ending, when Jesus conquers the world! Even though we still battle the enemy daily, don't worry! - Jesus already won the battle when he gave himself!! And even though everyone will still die an  earthly death, we all have the opportunity to live an even better life in heaven when we die! - Because Jesus already conquered death! The minute he rose from the dead, death was conquered! It's so relieving to know that all my problems are already taken care of, and I don't have to worry about a thing. Jesus said that he told us all of this so we can live at peace in him! It's such an amazing feeling to have. Every single time something happens in life, just remember that it is already taken care of - Jesus has already overcome the world. :)

Can God Trust You With a Little?

...you have to be trusted with this much.

Before you can have this much....

        God will not give you much, until he can trust you with a little. This is what he tells us in Luke 16:10, "Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much." Like for me, I have to show God that I can do my own chores and little jobs (Cleaning my room, doing the dishes, laundry, etc.), before he will let me lead anything big. Also, like when I was serving at BNC, I had to be trusted with small jobs, so God knows he can use me for bigger things in the future. Its reminds me of this - its like we are all basketball players (I'm so not, and I don't like sports, but anyway), and we have to win a lot of games before we move on to the big championships and stuff. Get it?? Its the same with money - If you can't be trusted with $5, then how can you ever be trusted with $5000? Its also like when you were 3, your parents didn't make you cut the grass, do the laundry, and cook dinner! They had to see that you could get yourself dressed and stuff before they gave you more chores! I'm sure if your reading this, then you've moved on from doing just the little stuff like getting yourself dressed and making your bed (at least I hope so). Don't EVER forget Luke 16:10 - think about it constantly. It will completely change the way you live!! Can God trust you with a little bit? 

Don't Waste Your Life

(Look up the song "Don't Waste Your Life" by Lecrae...its very good!!)

           Don't waste your life!! Many times in life we get so focused on the future, when really we need to be thinking about what we can do TODAY, or THIS WEEK, to grow God's Kingdom. God gives us everyday for a reason; In fact, you aren't even guaranteed tomorrow!! Its so easy sometimes to just kinda float through life. At times, we all say things like, "Oh I always have tomorrow" But you don't have tomorrow! All you have is today, as far as you know!! Sometimes I catch myself thinking that if God wanted me to do something, he would kinda just put it there in front of me right when he wants me to do it, but that's not usually true! God isn't just going to spoon feed you what he wants you to do - your not a baby! (I'm sure if you are reading this, then your mommy doesn't spoon feed you anymore. So its the same with God.) Maybe you won't be able to change the world in a day, but you have to start one day! Anybody you see that has made a difference in this world, you will notice that there was a day that they started changing the world (I mean come on, its pretty logical.) God wants us to use EVERY moment of EVERY day to bring him glory. You are given approximately 39,446,157 minutes in your life (thats if you die at around 75). That's a lot of minutes. EVERY one of those minutes are given to you for a reason. We have a choice - we can waste those minutes, or we can live them to the fullest to glorify God. Which one will you choose?

The Best of BNC

(The Best Church in the Whole Wide World)

       My family started going to Brand New Church on Christmas Eve of 2006 after we had gone to the Harrison Christmas parade and saw the BNC float. Obviously, 2006 was a long time ago, so we have made so many memories - some happy, some funny, and some kinda embarrasing. :) Here are as many as I can think of:

The best things that happened to us at BNC
1. On May 13th 2007 (The last sunday in the Bergman Gym), my daddy and I got baptized
2. In February 2010, my brothers, Tristan and Tanner were saved and baptized

My most embarrasing moments at BNC
1. When I was in tweens, I walked in the front door of the church and slipped on a spilled smoothie (SO EMBARRASING!!!)
2. Last year, I was helping paint someone on stage during the song 'New Creation', and I splattered yellow paint all over me and in my hair! It was terrible (but I did the song again for the next service and it was all good. lol)
3. While working in the cafe' (December 2010), I was putting the cream in the fridge and the lid wasn't on all the way, and I spilled cream AAALLLL over my legs, my shoes, the floor, and the cabinets. (Im pretty clumsy. haha)

My favorite memories at BNC (There are sooo many, but I will list a few, and I will try to list them in some-what of an order)
1. Our first time there - I loved it!! (And we even thought the BNC band was Hillsong. haha, they were good!!)
2. Kickin' it live, the kids event - I dressed up like a rockstar and signed autographs for the kids. lol
3. Community Groups at our house - loved all the people and food at my house!!
4. Kids/Youth Camp - First two years at Centri Kid Bolivar, MO, Third year at Camp WOW, and Fourth year at Nacogdoches, TX
5. Both Ken Freeman nights - So much fun and so many people saved. It was Awesome!
6. The Track youth trip - although we had a little bus accident, it was still fun. (After we all came out of shock from the accident. Just Kidding, we were all fine)
7. The New Years Party 2009/2010 - All campus' being together was so awesome! (And those EXPOSED videos.)
8. The Dances - I surrender, and Captivated (Thanks Katie!)
9. JAM CAMP!! - I have to say those were some of the best weeks out of my whole life.
10. St. Louis Trips - Two words: SO FUN!!
11. My Parents singing on stage with their "Energy Mics" that were off. lol
12. Helping Mrs. Tammy on Wednesdays last year.
13. Singing in the Choir - I miss that!!
14. Playing in the youth band - So fun... I wish I could still be there to do that!
15. The 'Last Christmas' by George Michael skit that my dad did. (I'm scarred for life! I had that song stuck in my head for months....and oh great, its back. lol)
16. The Lockouts - Staying up all night is definitely not one of my favorite things to do, but the lockouts were sooooo fun!!
17. Serving in the Cafe' - I miss Mrs. Tori and all my cafe' girls!
18. Helping Zach on Wednesdays, and sometimes other random days. I got to do everything - organizing, cleaning, painting, cutting, etc. (thats one of the things I miss the most) :(

Well, thats as many as I can think of - Its definitely not all of them though. I look forward to visiting and making some more memories in the future! I miss everybody so much! Text, call, or email me whenever! Love you all lots!!

TRUE WORSHIP

Here's some pictures of our worship service at BNC. I'm so glad I got to be a part of that!!

     We were made to worship God and only God. And worship is not a bunch of songs played on a piano and guitar that you can sing to. Worship is something lived out in your everyday life; it's giving, serving, loving, etc. And don't get me wrong - praise and singing is without a doubt worship, but it's not the only element. In Psalm 100:2, it says, "Worship the lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs." God also wants our worship to always be sincere. John 4:23 says, "Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks." I remember my parents telling us when we were a little younger, "Don't just SAY you love us, SHOW that you do!!" It's the same with our relationship with God!! Anybody can go to church and sing a bunch of songs, but it takes more - it takes living it out. It takes SERVING him with your whole heart and GIVING with a good attitude 24/7!! When I first started living the way God wanted me to live (I still have a lot to work on and I always will, but anyway), my worship at church got WAY better!! Something I always have to remember, is that when I worship through singing, I can't worry about what the people around me might think - its all about God. A hard part for me, is that I love to be on stage, and I have been up there many times (I know some of you are shocked because I'm quiet, but I'm telling you the truth. haha). But when you walk on the stage, God walks off. I always have to remember this - and not just when I'm on stage, but everyday. One of the fun parts, is being creative in different ways to worship God. (I'm not going to give you any ideas, because I highly encourage you to come up with some of your own! =) And remember GIVE, LOVE, and SERVE!!

Spending Time with the ONE You Love

(This is actually my bible on my bed, opened up to John where I started reading yesterday. I am doing a 21 day challenge in the book of John with the BNC Creative Arts Team!!) 

     You will spend time with the ones you love. You love your family? You want to spend time with them. You love your friends? You always want to be with them. Many people say they love God, but don't spend any time with him! If you REALLY TRULY love God, you will WANT to spend time with him ALWAYS!! Here is what my experience was. I hope it helps you!! I wanted to spend time with God, but kept telling myself I didn't have enough time. BUT.....I had plenty of time. I was constantly doing things that made me feel busy, when really I had all the time in the world (I know there is times like this for everybody). About a year ago (in April 2010), I decided that I was going to do WHATEVER it took to read my bible or devotional every morning - whether I had to get up earlier than normal, or spend less time on myself. It was VERY hard for a while. I started texting what I was reading in the morning to a few people (which has now turned into like 44), and it helped keep me motivated and holds me accountable. Now, after a year has almost gone by, I feel like I NEED to spend time with God in the morning (I can't just "skip it") - my day is not the same without him. And also now, in addition to about 15 minutes in the morning, I feel like I need MORE time with him. I spend time with him while I work out, wash dishes, and so many more random times throughout the day. If you are a Christian and you want to spend time with God, but you don't know where to start, here's a few easy steps: 1. Make a commitment to do a quiet time everyday for a month (after a month its a routine and much easier to stick with.) 2. Make a game plan - find out what your going to do, where you are going to do it, and when your going to do it (I read my devotional first thing in the morning on my bed). 3. Just talk to God! It doesn't have to be anything fancy - just tell him your thoughts, dreams, and EVERYTHING about EVERYTHING!! Yes, he knows everything already, but he wants to hear it from you! 4. Share it! - put it on facebook or twitter, and/or send it out to friends and family (or me!! I love reading what people are learning!!) 5. Repeat steps 1-5! I hope this helps you in learning how to spend daily time with your Lord and Savior! Let me tell you (and please listen. I know I'm only 14, but listen anyway), QUIET TIMES ARE THE KEY TO GROWING IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!! It will make your worship and serving ten times better!!! You WILL spend time with the One you love. Do you truly love God?

You CAN Make a Difference!!

       In the last couple years, I have figured out something about myself (well actually a lot of things, but here's 1) - I like to make a difference in everything I do (I know I'm not the only one). I know this is kinda funny, but I much rather clean or organize something that looks like it just got hit by a tornado, then something that is already pretty clean. I was in a carwash fundraiser for youth camp last year, and I had waaaay more fun cleaning a really dirty car, then a clean car. I think this is also why I love to paint. I believe we are all in this world to make a difference for God. Even for me, being a teenager, I can still make a difference - anyone can. Whether you are organizing the gear room at church (I've done it, and had lots of fun, considering I DO like to make a difference. haha.), or you are ending world hunger, it is still some sort of difference. And let me tell you, you can't usually go right to the big stuff - God will want to make sure he can trust you with the small stuff first (cleaning your room, leading something small, etc.). I know God is calling me to make a difference in my family, friends, church, and eventually the world. Always keep in mind that just a simple smile or text can make a difference in someone's life. Changing the world starts with little stuff. Get the small (but sometimes hard) stuff down, and then be ready for big opportunities from God!! Always be on the lookout for things you can do...and BE CREATIVE!!   

Let your "YES" be "YES" and your "NO" be "NO"!!!

     A couple weeks ago, I was sitting at the dining room table with my family, and my mom and dad asked everyone to go around and say what frustrates us the most. When it was my turn, I told everybody that I get very frusturated when someone says they are going to do something and they don't do it. And also when people say "yes" or "no" to something when their heart is saying something else. In Matthew 5:37 God says, "Simply let your 'yes' be 'yes' and your 'no' be 'no'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." Same goes for keeping your word. I know this is a kinda dumb example, but don't come and tell me your going on a diet, and then go eat a Big Mac!! I mean, come on people! And I'm not saying don't share good ideas with people, because you definitely do need to do that. But when you do, present it to them as an idea unless you have made up your mind completely. If you say you are going to do something, and you don't do it, it's lying! When you lie, you loose trust! It's just a bad deal all around! Also, when you DO make up your mind about something, have someone hold you accountable! That way you aren't lying! This is all pretty hard, and it definitely takes lots of practice - and thinking before you blurt something out! But on a positive note, anyone can do it! Just always speak your heart...and the truth!! 

The Special YOU

      Many people think that God can only use you if you have a college degree and you're what the world considers "pretty". Listen here people - thats a lie!!! You do NOT have to be good-looking and smart for God to use you! God made all of us with a special purpose! Jeremiah 29:11 says, "'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 actually uses the most unlikely!! He has turned people from having bad stage fright to public speakers, speaking in front of thousands! Don't ever think that just because you don't have a special "talent", or your clumsy or uncoordinated, that God can't use you in big ways...because he absolutely can. And you DO have a special talent. A "talent" doesn't always have to be a musical instrument, painting, or singing. Your talent might be giving or maybe something that may seem small - like smiling or loving on people. We are the Body of Christ. If everyone was a pastor, then this world would get nowhere. Just like if your whole body was made up of eyes, there would be issues. See my point? God made us ALL with a special talent, and we are all supposed to work together to advance the kingdom of Heaven - the same way he made all your body parts to work together to make you happen. Don't EVER let the world tell you that you won't be anything because you aren't a certain way, because God made you just the way you are and you are a special person with a huge purpose. The world is a different place because of you. You don't have to turn in a resume to God to work with him. Just be willing, humble, and ready to learn, obey, and do hard things! And do what God made YOU to do!  

Better than a Celebrity

     Imagine if your favorite celebrity called you on the phone right now and said, "Hey, I want to be your friend! You can call or text me whenever you want!" Would you get excited? I sure would!! Would you feel special? I would!! Well I've got news for you - The king and creator of the whole entire world wants to be your best friend! There is almost 7 BILLION people in this world, and somehow God chose YOU as an individual. He loves you to infinity and beyond!! (I'm a Toy Story fan. =) He knows you better than you know yourself! Now that is definitely WAAAYY better than being friends with a celebrity. And guess what?? You never have to leave God a voicemail! He is always available when you need him! He's there for advice, wisdom, and love, and he's there to talk to when you just need a friend! I know for me, when I have any of my best friends over, I never want them to leave - I want to hang out with them forever. News flash - God is that friend that never has to leave. He can go EVERYWHERE with you! There is NEVER any reason to feel lonely! Let God be your best friend! He's AMAZING and his love is FOREVER!!!!

Creativity....God's Way.

        Creativity is one thing I am passionate about. Ever since I was little, I have always loved doing crafts and artwork (sometimes I made things so creative that I didn't even know what to do with them). Now that I am grown up (well at least I think I am), Creativity has a whole new meaning to me. God made creativity. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Created is the 5th word in the bible! We are called to be Jesus Jr.'s, so we are also called to be creative. I have heard lots of people say things like, "I'm just not creative like you." or "My brain just doesn't work that way." And yes, some people are more creative than others, and maybe have different ways of learning. For me, I learn better through pictures and visuals, when some people do better with numbers or letters. That's just because we are made by a creative God, and we are all unique. The definition of "Creative" on dictionary.com, is "Able to bring something new or unique into existence." God doesn't want us to do things the same way as everyone else - He wants us to be different, which is the way he made us. A few months ago, I read a tweet about creativity from my worship leader/ creative arts pastor, Zach Lee (who is the most creative person I know). It said, "Divine creativity grows in proportion to our connectedness to Him. If we want to be more creative, we must draw closer to God." (To read his blog, visit http://www.awakecreativity.com/.) Being creative doesn't mean go paint huge murals all over your walls or start designing clothes or anything, it just means do new and different things for God!! Don't get stuck in all the old ways of life, do something new to bring glory to Him!

Pride and Humility

      Before I start writing this, let me just go ahead and tell you- Pride is a huge issue that I struggle with and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Pride is one of those sins that keep you away from God. It's thinking of you as better than someone else, or on dictionary.com, it's "a high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing, conduct, etc." God says this in James 4:10- "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up." Wow, so if you humble yourself, God will lift you up; but if you try to lift yourself up, God will have to bring you back down. So just do what Jesus did! He knew he was God's perfect son, but he humbled himself to die on the cross for us (and we are SO not perfect). And even if you don't brag about yourself or anything like that, pride might still be an issue for you. My biggest issue with pride is when someone compliments me on something, I need to learn how to respond in a humble way and not get a "big head". We need to be constantly thinking of others. One thing I have figured out to help with that, is whenever someone compliments you, compliment them back. That way you will always be lifting others up instead of yourself. And humility needs to be something that happens on the inside and outside - not just what everybody sees about you. Humility has to happen ALWAYS (your personal time with God, worship time, and whenever you are around anybody). Ephesians 4:2 says, "Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." Also, if you are in an argument with someone, instead of trying to defend yourself constantly, say something like, "You know what? You're so right. I really do need to work on that." (This is also something I need some serious work on.) God tells us ALL throughout his word, that he loves humble spirits, and he hates pride. Pride definitely comes with our human nature, but it is definitely something we all need to get rid of! If you don't remember anything else from this post, remember this - Humble yourself and God will lift you up!!

Your Words are Powerful!

      Do you know how powerful your words actually are? Let me tell you this much right now - even though your tongue is a very small part of your body, it can cause SO much damage. And come to find out, God tells us about taming our tongues in James, chapter 3. He says, " Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one's life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God's likeness." Wow. Your words can be used for two different things - to build people up or tear people down. Sometimes we think that our words don't mean a whole lot, and after criticizing someone (or tearing them down), we follow up with "Just kidding!!" or "I'm just playing around with you!". Really, if your heart is in the place to even think those mean thoughts about someone, obviously you are not just kidding. (And I'm not saying not to joke around with your friends, but I am saying to be carefull about the things you joke about. For example, joking about someones weight, or the way they look is NOT a way to build friendships). In fact, words have been known many times to cause depression, disease, and so many more things that people shouldn't have to go through. Also, not only getting rid of bad things that come out of your mouth, but meaningless things and gossip (2 Timothy 2:16). So pretty much don't just talk to hear yourself talk, and don't talk about ANYBODY behind their backs. I want to challenge everyone reading this, to think about EVERY word before it comes out of your mouth (I am trying to do this too). It will minimize the sin in your life (not that you sin, because i know you don't, right? =), and make a way to grow closer to God! And I would love to hear about how you are doing with this, so text or email me anytime! Lets pray for each other on this issue!

Happy Valentines Day!! - All about LOVE

1 Corinthians 13:4-8a "LOVE is patient, LOVE is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. LOVE does not delight in evil but rejoices with truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. LOVE never fails."

1 John 4:7-12 "Dear friends, let us LOVE one another, for LOVE comes from God. Everyone who LOVES has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not LOVE does not know God, becuase God is LOVE. This is how God showed LOVE among us: He sent his one and only Son into the worls that we might live through him. This is LOVE: not that we LOVED God, but that he LOVED us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, since God so loved us, we ought to LOVE one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we LOVE one another, God lives in us and his LOVE is made complete in us."

1 John 4:18-19 "There is no fear is LOVE. But perfect LOVE drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in LOVE. We LOVE because he first LOVED us."

Ephesians 5:25 "Husbands, LOVE your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her."

1 Corinthians 16:14 "Do everything in LOVE."

Hebrews 13:1 "Keep on LOVING one another as brothers and sisters."

1 Peter 4:8 "Above all, LOVE each other deeply, because LOVE covers up all sin."

John 13:34 "A new command I give you: LOVE one another. As I have LOVED you, so you must LOVE one another."

John 14:15 "If you LOVE me, keep my commands."

John 15:12-13 "My command is this: LOVE each other as I have LOVED you. Greater LOVE has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend."

Proverbs 10:12 "Hatred stirs up conflict, but LOVE covers all wrongs."

Did you know, the word LOVE appears over 300 times in the bible? Wow, God must be very passionate about LOVE. In fact, he is. He says in 1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: Faith, Hope, and LOVE, but the greatest of these is LOVE." Actually, the phrase "LOVE one another" is used approximately 11 times in the New Testament alone!! God tells us in the bible, that you can't be like Jesus unless you LOVE, and when you LOVE, the people around you will know you follow Jesus! LOVE is also what forgives sins! Its amazing what LOVE can do! Just LOVE each other- Husbands- love your wives, Wives- love you husband and children, and everybody- love the people around you like they are brothers and sisters! Its all about LOVE!!

Crazy Love By Francis Chan

        This week, I just finished reading Francis Chan's book, Crazy Love. It was a very bold and convicting book that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in growing in their love relationship with God. In this book, Francis talks about how miniature we are in comparison to the whole universe that God created, but how He still wants to have an intimate love relationship with each of us. Isn't that amazing? He also talks about how we need to be constantly foccused on Heaven- you never know when you will take your last breath. God can stop your life at any moment. In fact, there is a chance (a small one), that you might not even finish reading this post. But with knowing this, we need to make sure the days that we are alive, that we are living them completely for God. Francis also talks about lukewarm "Christians". He says, "Lukewarm people do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty. They want to do the bare minimum, to be 'good enough' without it requiring too much of them (p 76)." He also states that lukewarm people are in fact not Christians at all; there is no possible way for someone who is truly saved to be living for themselves and doing things that are "of the world". He says when you are really a Christian, you have to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength - which requires ACTION. There is no way to love God with everything you have, and still not give and love others as much as you love yourself. Well I'm not going to tell you every detail of the whole book, because I would like for you to read it yourself, if you haven't already. Visit www.CrazyLoveBook.com to read about the book, or buy a copy for yourself from your local Christian book store!!

Don't Cause Others to Stumble!!

I was reading Romans 14:13 today, and it said "Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way." Some things in your life may not be a sin for you, but it might be a stumbling block for another Christian. For instance- That certain secular music might be fine for YOU to listen to, but maybe it will put a stunt in your friend's walk with God. Also, Girls- that shirt that is just a little bit too low may be okay for you, but WILL cause the guys around you to stumble. See what I'm saying? We always need to make sure that not only we watch out for what might cause us to stumble, but also make sure not to create any stumbling blocks for the people you hang out with!!

Choices, choices, choices!!!

Today in my devotional, the verse was Proverbs 14:12. It said "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." In life we face so many choices- it's inevitable. But what you choose can change your whole life! Just one small decision that seems to be right at the moment, can turn your whole life offroad. It is a scary thought, but that's why God provides wisdom in the bible! He tells us what is right, wrong, stupid, wise, and so much more. We all need to make sure that everytime we are given a choice, we don't choose the obvious one, but the one that lines up with God's word! And if you're still confused, then talk to God for yourself!!

The Best Years of my Life so far!

I think leaving Harrison and moving to Virginia is definetely going to be the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. In this 4 years we have lived in Harrison, I have experienced SO many amazing things. I have grown like crazy- physically and spiritually. I have been going to the most AMAZING church I know of, Brand New Church, for exactly 4 years, 1 month, and 2 days and met some of the most incredible people there. I just want to say thank you to a few of the people who have impacted my life the most in the last 4 years. First to Jesus Christ, for always being there for me and loving me unconditionally. Next, I want to thank my mom and dad for always doing what God leads them to do, and for taking good care of me. Also I want to thank Shannon O'Dell, my pastor at BNC, for encouraging me and setting such a great example for the people around him. Also I want to thank My worship pastor, Zach Lee, for using me so much lately, and for giving me so many opportunities to serve God. Also i wanted to thank Tori Little, who I serve with in the cafe' for all the hugs and sweet smiles you give me. And lastly, I just want to thank everyone else I have met in Harrison. You guys have all made a difference in my life and I love you all like family! I am going to miss everybody like crazy!! Thanks everybody for all the encouragement you have given me (and continue to give) through this move. Love y'all (like we say in Arkansas)!!