"What If"

What If...Quality Time.

2011-12-12T19:56:00.002-06:00

Quality time, it's one of my love languages, and is what makes this subject so near to my heart I had to share. One thing I love is my time spent in the Bible. I love reading His Word so much that spending time reading anything else makes me feel guilty. However, there are days where I spend very little time reading it, or push it off til the next day. My thoughts of this left me thinking about what this means in my relationship with God. I started thinking about how this neglected time spent with the Lord made me feel guilty, and sorry, to the point that I find myself asking for forgiveness for wasting time on things I shouldn't. What about those that only listen to a podcast, or the many that only hear God's Word through the pastor at church on Sunday. Then I thought about it this way. I would never let my friend/parent/spouse spend time with another person all day just for me to hear about their time together one day a week. God wants me, all of me. My complete undivided, irrecoverable attention. He doesn't want me to let someone else sit with Him all the time to relay a message He is fully capable of telling me if I would only spend time with Him to hear. Psalm 27:8 8 When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

What If...I went to South Carolina

2011-11-27T17:31:00.000-06:00

"The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands."
~Psalm 19:1

By Faith

2011-10-09T17:45:00.006-05:00

"Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see."
Hebrews 11:1
Yup that sums my life up right there. The confidence and assurance about what we do not see. Can anyone see their future. I mean really if you closed your eyes right now would you see it...cause I just see the darkness created by the back of my eyelids. And you can tell me to use my imagination, and I have a pretty good one being that I was homeschooled(not entirely). But really none of us can see our future, and what you do "see" is only what you are hoping for. So instead of seeing our future we walk in faith, with eager expectation of what we hope for.
We see this hope being displayed all throughout Hebrews 11.

That being said...our lives here on earth can be seen as our story of faith.
Here is my current update of walking by faith in the recent months:

By faith I decided that I would no longer stay as a PE aide in Crowley and took a job( a one year contract) as a nanny for a wonderful family in Keller. It was going great, I love the family and they love me, however unforeseen circumstances require the family to move to South Carolina in November. So with what was a one year contract now being cut short I am left to find another job. Along with this news the lease is up on my apartment and my amazing roommate is moving back home to save money in her final year of college(wise decision), but this leaves me without a place to go. For the last 2-3 months I've been searching for a place to go, and for as much as I know God is in control and provides, I'm human and I have my freak out moments. Just when I thought I had a living situation set up, God put it on my heart not to rely on my timing but to rest in His. So I changed the plans I made, and asked my boss if I could live with them until the move....

And that is where I am now. My lease is up on the 18th and we are set to be out of our cute, cozy, homie, creek view apartment on Saturday. So as of Saturday I will be without an actual "home". An awesome friend is letting me use their garage to store my things until I come back from helping the family I work for move to South Carolina. I will be living out of a couple boxes and a suitcase until December. This has brought so many emotions with it...I've had a lot of talks with God, and a lot of telling the devil to shut up. I know that this is just my story of faith being written.

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going."
Hebrews 11:8

What if we suffered?

2011-07-19T09:47:00.005-05:00

2 Corinthians 11:23-29

"Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. 24 Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, 26 I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false brothers. 27 I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 28 Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?"

This was part of my reading this morning and it amazed me of how much we complain and doubt and worry about when it comes to serving the Lord when Paul faced death daily because of his love of God and his servitude of him.

We face concerns with sharing the love of Jesus with friends for fear of losing them when in reality we are losing them to an eternity in hell if we don't. We blend in and reject the burning within us for fear of humiliation to those who reject anything to do with Christ.

Christ didn't die on the cross for our sins, for the filth we decided to live in, for the wrong choices we made, just to have us ask for forgiveness and then forget to tell people about it. Praise God he doesn't forget about us like some of us forget about him just so that we can blend in and be like the world.

2 Timothy 1:8-10

"8 So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God, 9 who 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, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

So step up and out to the calling God has on each and everyone of our lives who have received grace and forgiveness of our sins. It doesn't belong to a few "called" it belongs to all of us. To profess the name of our Lord and Savior. By Him and through Him our sin no longer belongs to us, but instead we are separated from what we once were and are now what we should be; redeemed, washed clean, and set free to proclaim what He's done!

So GO and tell others about the freedom you have received through Christ!

What If we were patient?

2011-03-15T10:54:00.002-05:00

Patient: enduring circumstances with even temper or characterized by such endurance.

Let's face it we want things NOW!!! We are the the "microwave generation" and we are so accustomed to having things when we want them. But is that how it is suppose to be? Are we suppose to click our heels together, snap our fingers, or crinkle our nose and what we want appears before us?

Psalm 37:7
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.

There is such a sweet beauty that comes for the longing we have while being patient.
We may long for a job, a husband, a family....but until God brings it to us we wait in expectation of the promise He has for us. Now for some of us we may become anxious, uneasy, upset, or discouraged.

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

His word calls us to be patient, to trust Him, and to Pray...and not only pray but to also thank Him in knowing that you will receive what you ask for. God is so good and His desire is to bless you. His desire is for your good. He even created this most amazing place with mansions and streets of gold just for you! He even sent His Son to die for you so that all of this could be yours!....Why on earth do we ever doubt what He has for us?

So in the midst of your waiting focus on this:

Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Make God your focus, your refuge, your love. When our eyes are focused on God what He provides for us will be in sight because are eyes are fixed on Him.

Make the most of this time of waiting. Use it to draw closer to Him. We are His beloved. He is our love.

Lord I love you and I take delight in You. I pray for every person that reads this, that they would find peace in the waiting because they know they have a Father who loves them and provides for all their needs. You are good and we love you. In Jesus Name, Amen.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!

"What if we looked forward to it?"

2010-11-01T19:43:00.003-05:00

Remember how high school seemed like it was going to last our whole entire life! Or how as a little kid birthdays and Christmas seemed like that one day in the year that got further and further away? And now the days go by so fast! High School and even college went by in the blink of an eye, and well Christmas now seems to come too soon and well before the time we are financially prepared to buy a single present. And birthdays...they seem to be on fast forward. As I though on all this I realize how too this life will seem once we get to heaven. See all of which I mentioned high school, college, Christmas, and birthdays all have a reward in the end. Things like graduation, career, jobs, presents, marriage, kids...etc. So too does this life! Heaven is our reward and although it seems like forever away, it's not. That time will also come quickly! Are we ready? Or do we spend our days thinking it's so far away that we sit and watch the clock seem to tick ever so slowly? I want to be ready and prepared!
Verses to think on:
1 Thessalonians 5:2
5:6
Revelations 16:15
Matthew 6:34
James 4:13-16

What if we looked like our Father?

2009-11-09T21:04:00.003-06:00

Genesis 1:27

²⁷ So God created human beings^a]">[a] in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

I've always thought one of the most amazing things a person will ever experience is creating life. To me it shouts out the glory, awe, and splendor of God. As I think about this I am most excited to see me in my child. I know this might sound selfish, but I hope I see my eyes in their eyes, or my smile, or my laugh. It completely amazes me that you can see yourself in your child. I was thinking about this the other day. I was on my way to work at 5am and was pondering selfishly how I can't wait to see that my child looks like ME. When God showed me that in the same way I want to see me in my children, He wants to see Him in ME! How did I miss the awe factor in that. The Bible says that God created us in his image. We bare the image of the almighty God! How many of us take that for granted. Go look in the mirror...! God wants to look at as and see himself.

Psalm 139:13

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother's womb.

Jeremiah 1:5

⁵ “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.
Before you were born I set you apart
and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

He thought of us before we were born! How much do I sit and wonder what my kids will be like and I don't even have a husband yet to make that happen...but the Almighty God thinks about us so much more then that. It says He KNEW us before we were born, He set us apart. He made plans for us!

What are we doing with His plans? Are we living them out? Our we mirroring the image of our creator?

Be the image of the Heavenly Father!

"I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could"

2009-08-15T21:36:00.006-05:00

Philippians 4:19

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Here's a few ways how God is meeting my needs. I recently as of Friday the 7th up and moved to Texas. Yes out of the blue, very random, and with the only plan of listening to God and let him guide my next move. The temporary plan is to get on substitute teaching and hopefully get my name out for a job in the district next year. But the thing to remember is that is my plan, I have no idea what God's plan is. I've always had this thing to go on mission trips to Mexico so my search now is for a church that does this. I know God will provide and I'm excited to see it all play out. Here are some pics of the new place and a lil bit of Texas!

Livin Life

2009-08-06T18:22:00.002-05:00

At Bethany and Tk's wedding in Minnesota:
On the way to Texas!

What if we really surrendered?

2009-05-24T15:13:00.002-05:00

"At the cross You beckon me
You draw me gently to my knees, and I am
Lost for words, so lost in love,
I’m sweetly broken, wholly surrendered"
~Jeremy Riddle

Surrendered: to yield to the power, control, or possession of another upon compulsion or demand <surrendered the fort> b: to give up completely or agree to forgo especially in favor of another

Have you ever been totally surrendered to something, or someone?
Most of us make that mistake and surrender to someone that won't surrender back.
In this case we end up hurt, lost, confused...etc. Our emotions take over at that point. What we need to realize that in order to surrender to another human being we must first surrender to God. And by surrender I don't mean, your typical Sunday mornings and that dollar you give to the homeless person on the corner. I'm talking about your life!
It's not something easy, it's something you are probably going to try and resist with all your might. But you've spent enough time resisting already and honestly you don't have that much time left to resist.

James 4:14 Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.

Friends we've spent to much of our lives being only surrendered to ourselves. We are no longer babies, it is not all about us and we can't continue crying til we get what we want. We were put here to bring glory to God. Until we get to heaven where we will do what we were really created to do, worship him 24/7, we need to live life for God in all that we do.

Personally this is how I feel. I'm exhausted from mediocrity. I can't stand it, not one more day of it. I want to live my life for Christ. I'm still figuring out what that looks like in my life, but this is what I'm doing.
I'm reading my Bible everyday. Every moment I have I'm in the Word. There should be no boredom cause I will be in my Bible.
I will be surrendering what I see as priorities and for me that is working out. I usually work out 5-6 times a week and now it will be 3. The rest of the time will be devoted to the Word of God and seeking out ways I can help this very lost world.
I want to find a way to mentor youth. I feel like they are the hope for the future and they are being deceived by where they should put there "hope" We are killing them with this false "hope"

This is how I'm getting started. Join Me.

SURRENDER!

What if we were LOUD!!!

2008-08-14T17:09:00.002-05:00

So I often listen to podcast from a church in cali and God always gets me thinking about them. I don't know about you but I always feel like I should be doing something...anything, but most often the work God has for me. Yet in my feeling of being called to do something I don't know what it is and often I feel like day after day goes by where I am lazy and not taking part in the work God has called me to do.
In three of the four gospels Jesus declares:

Matthew 16:24
Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

To me this isn't a suggestion but a command for those who claim to be his followers. It is not an option to deny yourself, your selfish actions, but a command. If we truly want to be His follower we MUST deny ourselves. Give up everything know that in full pursuit of Him we will gain everything!

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

What is it that hinders us from following Christ. What is it that makes us so selfish that we choose to do what WE want with OUR day instead of HIS?
I was thinking today that we as Christians KNOW the TRUTH. Yet, muslims will easily choose to die for what they believe in...a lie. And WE as CHRISTIANS are SILENT over the TRUTH. Hmmm....something seems wrong there. Are we scared of what the world thinks of us?

John 15:19
If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.

The world is gonna hate us no matter what. Not because of us but because of Christ. That is nothing to be ashamed of. We should stand up for that. Instead we sink in our seats when someone says something against the Lord or against what we believe in.
WHAT ARE WE DOING?
The time will and is coming when Christ will return. Do you want Him to find you as you are...hiding. NO...GO!!! Tell the world about your Savior!

Mark 8:38
If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."

I sure don't want that to happen...do you? Seek out His will for your life. Step out in faith and know that when you are standing up for God, He will speak through you if you let him. Don't be ashamed and don't be silent anymore. Take a stand for you believe in! Christ died so that you could LIVE!!!!

What if we gave praise?

2008-07-16T10:40:00.002-05:00

Psalm 119:164 "I will praise you seven times a day because all your regulations are just."
I read that today during my Jam time and considered how many times out of the day I take to thank God and give Him praise for all that He has done. I felt ashamed, and unworthy of such a Savior. I began to think that for all God is and has done I should be on my face 24/7 giving Him praise and worshiping Him. I am unworthy of life, and of breath but God loves me so much that He gives me grace, he is gentle and lifts my head to see his mercy. But in thanks of this what do I do. I remember God everyday, but not nearly as often as I should. For everything I should give thanks. For waking up, for my health, for a bed to sleep on and food to put in my stomach.
Psalm 105:1
Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
How often do we do this? Verbally to others give praise to God. Are we ashamed that the sustainer of life, the provider of all things, our savior we fail to give thanks to? Are we to good for it? What is so big that we stumble to give God praise.
I am so thankful for life. I love being still and thinking about God and his love for me and his grace. I think about the plan He has for my life and pray for it to be revealed. I am young but I can still look back on the path that has taken me this far and seen God's work in. And I give Him praise. THANK YOU JESUS!!!! Life is not easy, it is only by putting our sight on the prize which is eternal life in Christ that we can make it out of here alive. God is gracious and the Bible says he gives us his yoke.

Matthew 11:29-30 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I don't have to worry about life. I don't have to let the daily struggles and burdens, mines or others get to me. I have a savior who asks me to come to him to give him my troubled heart and he will give me peace. I have seen this. I have experienced this. Nothing is as good as God.
I want you to think about how much you praise God for. Are you breathing, do your legs work. Is there food in your stomach and a computer at your fingertips right now. PRAISE GOD! Now GO, give Him praise. Don't forget the giver of life. In everything you encounter throughout your day give thanks to God. Praise Him for He is worthy of all praise.

Psalm 96:4 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.

Psalm 106:1
Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.

What are you giving PRAISE for?

What if I could breathe?

2008-06-20T16:48:00.002-05:00

Well I can breathe now that this week is over. So I'm in summer session for grad school and it kinda sorta was kicking my butt last week. It's only a 4 week class so it's pretty intense. We started two weeks ago and had our midterm yesterday! I was freaking out. Everything the prof talks about goes in one ear and out another. I had to re-read like 9 chapters and make flash cards! I was freaking out. I don't want to retake or fail out of grad school so I need a good grade. It's hard though when everyone expects you to already have experience and I have none! I really didn't want to do grad school but in order to teach I had to. I just want to teach already. They should design a better system for this. Anyway, I'm just glad the midterm is over and I can relax. All I want right now is a pedicure!

What if people could see your heart?

2008-06-13T23:20:00.003-05:00

Lately I've had this burning in my heart, and I haven't been able to figure out what to do with it. I do know that it's God working in me and out of my desire to abandon all to Him He's trying to send me a signal or something. But through it I started thinking what if we could see other people's hearts...would we want to?
Luke 16:15
He said to them, "You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of men, but God knows your hearts."
Would we still be friends with people if we could see past that fake smile on their face and only saw the ugly heart within? Or would we have compassion on them and love them as Jesus would? Would we understand people better if we could see their hearts desire? Would we judge less or judge more?
I say this because I have this fire burning in my hearts that lately my parents can't seem to understand. I'm becoming that radically insane Christian to them who just needs to keep their mouth shut. I CAN'T!!!! I'll shout I lOVE JESUS from the rooftops if I have to. It's like they'd rather have me lukewarm. Revelation 3:16
So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. Instead of understanding that God has placed this fire in me and being blessed by the fact that their daughter wants to serve the Lord they cringe at it. It's hard to hear, it saddens my heart, and it's like they don't understand that their encouragement in this would mean a lot to me. I don't know where I'm suppose to go if anywhere but I know that what ever it is I want to do it for the glory of God. Colossians 3:23
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

Maybe it's from the passing of my grandparents and having all their stuff with us along the move but I realize more now that stuff amounts to nothing. You collect stuff and hope to pass it down but if what you pass down isn't Jesus it will bring them nothing. I'm not bashing my grandparents at all I love them and miss them deeply, but they never shared Jesus with me. I just think that their is so much more to be said of a person who you see Jesus in. Who has that love in their heart that you can see vibrantly from the outside in. I want to be like that. I pray for tact as my mother so eagerly reminds me that I lack it. But I pray all the time that God's words would speak louder then mine ever could, that any conversation would always be in love. Colossians 4:6
Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone."
So as I take this journey with the lack of support from my parents, I wonder were I'm headed. To a school here in Missouri to teach? Overseas? Another state? I'm open and willing to go where He is calling I just pray that the door will be opened.
My heart is on fire for God...now just to figure out how to use it.

What if I didn't have school?

2008-06-09T23:50:00.002-05:00

Then I wouldn't be stressing out so much and could breathe and enjoy summer!!! Class everyday is a horrible idea! I'm a big fan of the block schedule and think I'll go make signs in protest of it :) Prolly not though. I was gonna write a long blog tonight but instead I have to get some sleep so I can function with the rest of my "adult" classmates. I'll put my thoughts in order and write more tomorrow...if I don't go to another baseball game!

What if we read?

2008-06-07T23:53:00.002-05:00

So lately I've been troubled about what we base our faith off of. The average Christian goes to church, listens, goes home....and then what. I was recently in California and went to a church that I'll leave unnamed and the first night I was there I came upon the pastor walking around to people in his congregation asking for a Bible. I didn't understand why, but everyone he asked didn't have one, later that service He was on stage with a Bible from someone he finally found. I was shocked that the pastor didn't even have his Bible on him, or in his car. The next sunday I was there the topic was on reading your Bible. As we sat down to listen I looked around and only one person sitting in the row behind me had a Bible. I was shocked by this, but how could I be when the pastor didn't even carry his own. These people are being spoon fed. This church did write verses out in the notes, but whose to trust that it is accurate. How do we KNOW that we are being led on the right path if we don't have the WORD right in front of us, and that we don't think twice to question what we are being taught. Matthew 24:5 says, "For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many." How do you know if you are being deceived if you are not in the word. I'm not saying don't trust your pastor he's feeding you lies, but to truly know that what you are being taught is the truth you need to discover it by reading it with your own eyes, and through prayer seeking God's truth from it. Also I was recently downtown listening and joining in on a discussion between a group of sign holding "christians". The men were repeatedly saying the same thing over and over again, when asked if they read the Bible they said sometimes, so the place where they were getting there information was from and elder who was twisting the word. They didn't even bother to look it up and seek the truth. They trusted man over God.
What if....we became a generation who sought God wholeheartedly through His Word.
Everyday we read, and through reading we could understand more and more of the heart of the God we claim to love and serve.
1 Peter 3:15 says, "But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,"
If we as believers are reading the word of God and following what it says, and living lives that resemble Christ we will be able to give and account for the hope that we have in Christ Jesus. The time is coming and is here when people will tell you what you want to hear. But what you need to hear can only be found in His Word. READ IT. No it doesn't say you have to, but if you want to fully KNOW God, to stand up for what you believe in, and to no longer be a luke warm Christian you should desire to know all about the one you serve. Yes some parts of the Bible will be confusing, but don't give up, instead get on your knees and ask for wisdom. We are a prideful generation, GET OVER YOURSELF!!! In the end it's no gonna matter what Bobby, sally, or tommy think of you. What matter is how you lived you life. Did you live it for Christ of did you live it to please those around you.
So take a step of faith. Grab your Bible open it up and START READING!!! And don't close your Bible and put it in a drawer, leave it out, leave it open, that way everytime you see it you will be reminded that God wants to meet with you, and don't say your to busy, take it into the bathroom with you if you have too. Nobody is that busy that they can not spend at least 10 minutes with the Lord. If you say you don't have ten minutes you are a liar and have horrible time management skills.
Seek Him, Know Him, Trust Him, Love Him, Follow Him.
Psalm 121:3 "He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;
His plans our good, READ THEM

What if I wrote a blog?

2008-06-06T15:18:00.000-05:00

So was I online looking at other people's blogs and randomness and thought hey I can write randomness too! So here it is. This won't be just randomness, but thoughts about life and everything in it. It will also keep some people who I don't get to see so often up to date on my life. I hope ya'll enjoy this. Feel free to leave me comments...and keep me sane:)