"Peace Be With You!"

"Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." (John 20:21 NIV) Jesus is with you and within you. When you feel frazzled by your crazy life, look to Him for peace. Slow down just for long enough for Jesus to bless you with His peace! Don't get upset with yourself when you get stressed because of the craziness in your life.... You are only human. Instead, go to the One who can give you PEACE.

The BEAUTY of His Holiness

"And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory." (Isaiah 6:3 NIV) He's HOLY. And the whole earth is FULL of His glory. We are blessed when we praise God for the beauty in His creation! Some people see the beauty in the world and think "Mother Nature" or something like that... But other people see the beautiful things in creation and think "Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty!!!" Let that be you today! God made "beauty" to declare the existence of His Holy being!! Worship God in the beauty of Holiness!

The Center

"Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'" (Matthew 22:37 NIV) We were designed to have God as the center of our lives. To love Him with all we have. When we begin to drift away, we feel this tight tug in our hearts. This is the Holy Spirit, telling you to come back! How far will you let yourself wander away? Shorten the rope between you and God... And love Him with your whole being!!! He is the center!

Have no fear, God's love is here!!!

"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." (1 John 4:18 NIV) God's perfect love drives out fear... Sometimes we are afraid of talking to God about our sin (even though he already knows), or just being completely transparent to Him. Let God's amazing love soak your life... Let yourself get filled by it - that way those fears can be totally driven out!! "The one who fears is not made perfect in love." - Don't let this be you. Don't get stuck with fear in your life... Let His perfect love drive it all out. Have no fear, God's love is here!!!

Hope: The Anchor

"We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain," (Hebrews 6:19 NIV) We have this hope as an anchor for the soul - the hope of heaven. That at the end of this long journey uphill, there is something better! This path is hard, but God says, "I NEVER leave your side, and I NEVER let go of your hand." The rough and uneven road that you are traveling on with God, is ultimately a highway to heaven. I know it's hard - just hold on to the hope that is the anchor for your soul!!

God's Day

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you." (Psalm 32:8 NIV) Let God lead you through today. It's going to be rough, but He's got it all under His control. LOTS of time and energy is wasted in obsessive planning... Don't waste your time and energy today - Let God be the manager of today, and let Him direct your steps so that you can enjoy Him and what HE has planned for you today. Let God lead today - this is His day.

Alive In Today

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13 NIV) Look for God in everything today. He can speak to you through ANYTHING - sights, sounds, thoughts, impressions, scriptures, etc. When you are determined to find Him in the day, you will be shocked at how alive and moving He is in the world!! God will be active in lots of things around you today - keep your eyes out!!

In ALL Circumstances

"give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18 NIV) Give thanks in ALL circumstances. When you feel like your life stinks and you have nothing to be thankful for, thank God for giving you another day. Gratefulness opens the door to God's presence. Today, take it as a challenge to see how many times you can thank God for something.. Then make this a habit. You have so much to be thankful for!!!

SHINE: Be the Lantern in the Dark Room

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." (Matthew 5:16 NIV) What happens when you bring lantern into a dark room? The lantern lights the room up, right? This is the same with us. God is the light of the world. When you ask Jesus to come into your heart, he brings His light. Through your actions, words, and love, the light that lives inside you will shine through you! We live in a DARK world. Let Jesus shine through you so that you can be the lantern in a dark room!! People will see that you are different, full of light, and the glory will one day be God's!!

Teenagers: it's so easy to fall into the trap of being an "average teenager", and just doing what the world thinks all teenagers should do... but don't settle. If you have Jesus living inside you, let Him shine through you by saying no to gossip, not going places that aren't pleasing to God (no matter who else is going), watching the words that come out of your mouth, and showing everyone around you the love that Jesus gives you. It might be hard now, but in the end it WILL BE WORTH IT!! SHINE!!!

Who To Please

"..and find out what pleases the Lord." (Ephesians 5:10 NIV) He is the ONLY one we should try to please. Don't let other people's expectation drive your life - it is impossible to please everyone. Not everyone is going to like you... Don't try to be someone your not so that they do!!! God is the one we should please - and I have good news: GOD LOVES YOU. He loves you unconditionally, and through all your sin. Focus your life on serving the Master - Jesus Christ, and not trying to please everyone else! You can only serve one master!

Replacing Fear With Faith

"In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one." (Ephesians 6:16 NIV) "Blazing missiles of fear come at you day and night; these attacks from the evil one come at you relentlessly." Use your shield of FAITH to extinguish these missiles, regardless of the feelings you have going on inside you. Through this act of faith, eventually your feelings will fall in line with your faith!! Fear is a trap - if the enemy can get fear into your head, he can pretty much stop you from doing anything for God. Don't fall into this trap!! Replace your fear today with FAITH!!

Closer Than You Think

"NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]." (Hebrews 11:1 AMP) Have FAITH.... God is nearer than you think... Present in ALL your moments. Ask God to open your eyes to see Him everywhere - the more you can see Him in your life, the safer you will feel! This is not some sort of "escape from reality", but more so an escape to the ultimate reality. Have faith - He's right next to you!!

Only ONE Concern

"There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42 NLT. There is only one thing worth being concerned about - JESUS CHRIST. Most people in the world today, are slaves to time - they have a "busier is better" mentality, and for Christians, it causes God to be squeezed right through the cracks of their schedules. Is that you? Will you choose to change that and walk with God, making HIM your priority? Very few people choose that, but the ones who do are blessed and can be a huge blessing to the people around them!! What will you choose?

The Slimy Pit: How to Get Out and How to Stay Away

"He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand." (Psalm 40:2 NIV) "Self pity is a slimy, bottomless pit. Once you fall in, you tend to go deeper and deeper into the mire." Farther down, there is a state that many americans fall into - depression. Your only hope at that point is to look up and see Jesus' shining light. When you keep your eyes on that light, you will start to come up, out of the muddy hole. Then when you come close enough, you can reach out and grab God's hand, so He can pull you out! Are you stuck in that pit? - Look up and look for the light. If not, don't let yourself get there!! Depression is a DARK place, and it all starts with just a little self-pity! How do we stay away from this? Don't ever let the focus be on you and your emotions. Put your focus on Jesus and other people!

Today and Tomorrow

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34 NIV) God split each day into day/night, 24 hour segments for a reason. That's all we can handle sometimes! A lot of times, the overwhelming stress we feel is because we are worried about something after today. God commands us "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW." Tomorrow will come soon enough and trust me - it will be hard enough on its own!! You only have today... What is God going to do TODAY?

The Path...

"The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand." (Psalm 37:23, 24 NIV) Keep walking with Him. Even though you might feel like you are in a vast wasteland at the moment, just keep holding God's hand... Walking on. It won't be like this forever - eventually the path will turn into green grassy land, full of life! God knows you are weak - he doesn't expect you to go through the path on your own... Cling to Him!!

Look to Jesus.

"Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame." (Psalm 34:5 NIV) Look to Jesus. Sometimes it's hard to look to God in the midst of our mistakes and problems. We usually feel like we have to fix ourselves before we look to Him. When we look in the mirror or look over our lives, what we see is NOT the same thing God sees! He looks at us as His beloved kids!!! Today, instead of trying to "fix" yourself before you look to Jesus, fix your eyes on Him!! Don't judge yourself - praise Him instead!!

The Name of JESUS

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12 NIV) There is power in the name of Jesus. When you whisper His name, He hears it. SO often in the world today, this powerful name is used as a curse word - God hears that too. When you feel distant from Him, trustingly whisper His name! Don't use His name as a curse word!! There is healing, salvation, love, and POWER in the name of Jesus!!

Idols = No Satisfaction

"You shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:3 NIV) An idol is considered any thing, person, etc, that you put before God. In our world today this could mean a celebrity, a hobby, a possession (clothes/shopping, a car, a phone, a collection of some sort). BE CAREFUL. Although in your mind you might think that if you get enough of that one thing, or if you only met that one person, you would be satisfied, but THIS IS FALSE. Because how much is enough? How much until you will be satisfied? The only thing that can satisfy is JESUS CHRIST! Throw away idols and worship Him alone!! Walk in the light with Him!

My Best Friend

"I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15 NIV) Thank you Jesus.... He is the BEST friend anyone could EVER ask for. Although He is the King Of Kings and the Lord Of Lords, He chooses to be our friend. He doesn't hide anything from us... Don't hide anything from Him! Be yourself around Jesus! He knows everything about you! Thank you Jesus for being such an AMAZING best friend!!!

Sticky Webs

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." (Romans 12:2 NIV) Be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Your thoughts of worry are like sticky webs - because when God tries to talk to you when you are thinking those thoughts, His voice gets caught up in all the chaos. Stop worrying... Just long enough to hear His voice. Don't let your mind take over!! Let God renew it!! Having a clean mind will change you!!

Eternity Today

"For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known." (1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV) "When you seek His face, put aside thoughts of everything else." Even though here on earth we can see only a reflection of God, isn't it so amazing to know that one day we will be able to see him face to face? Right now, we can only know part, but one day we will know all of Him!! Seeking him is the most important thing in your life - more important than your schedule and your circumstances. Don't wait until heaven to get to know God - your eternity is now!

Fountain Of Your Life

Psalm 20:7 "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Do you truly trust Him? Or do you constantly find yourself full of anxious thoughts and worries? As soon as you become aware of anxious or negative thoughts, throw them away - ask God to fill your mind with thoughts that glorify Him only!! If your life is a fountain, your thoughts are like the water pump that controls the whole thing. When you have negative thoughts, the pump stops working and eventually the life that the fountain usually has will dry up. But when you are trusting and thanking God in your thoughts, the life that will come out of that water pump will be so beautiful and attractive to people around it... And continually flowing with Jesus' love! Is your water pump dry and broken? Jesus is the ultimate repair man. Give your thoughts to Him, so your life can be a fountain of life again!!

Time With The Father

Romans 8:16 "The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children." He is our Father! Devotion to Him is the most important thing in your life. Don't ever feel bad saying no to the world to say yes to God... Time with Him is precious! The world will try to squeeze you into its mold and get rid of time devoted to your Father. Don't let that happen!! Stay grounded in Him!

A New Thing

Isaiah 43:19 "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland." Stop sticking to your old ways - He is always doing something new in you! Be on the lookout for new opportunities and new forming bridges! Don't live in habit - where everyday, you do what you did the day before... The way you did it before. Be creative!! God is creative! He doesn't want the 365 days of each year to be exactly the same!! He is doing a new thing! Don't you see it?!?

Worshiping HIM

John 4:24 "God is spirit, and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth." When you worship in spirit and in truth, you are worshiping with the angels in heaven, who worship 24/7!! God hears your requests, but your thankfulness and praise opens the door for blessings! Worship him today in SPIRIT and in TRUTH. You have so much to thank him for!!

The Judge

"Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:37 NIV) Don't judge yourself or other people!! God is the ONLY righteous judge. God says that there is no condemnation for those who are walking with Him. So for you and all your friends who are walking with Jesus everyday, you are forgiven and shouldn't be judged or condemned! On the other hand, the people around you who don't know Jesus, are lost - lost people will always act lost!! You don't need to judge them! Forgive and you will be forgiven. Let God be the judge today... He knows what's best!!

He's Got It Under Control

"The eternal God is your refuge,
and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemies before you, saying, 'Destroy them!'" (Deuteronomy 33:27 NIV) He's got it all under control. He is there to give you shelter, hold you up, and keep you safe. Learn to trust Him with your whole life! Every situation that comes your way, pray about it. Trust Him. Worrying won't do anything, but praying to the almighty God who holds all the power will do a lot!! Exchange your worry and fear to trust and prayer!!

Delight

"Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4 NIV) Take delight in God. Learn to enjoy His presence and learn to love spending time with Him. Even though it is so hard to wake up earlier in the morning to spend time with God, and it may not seem worth it at the time, in the long run it will be totally worth it. Don't let sleep, friends, family, or the enemy keep you from spending time and delighting in God!! He WILL give you the desires of your heart!!