Photo Credit God in All Things 

Me: Do the bugs feel pain from the bug spray?
Mom: Well they probably feel pain, but it more-so messes with the neurological system.
Me: Well I hope they don’t feel pain, perhaps they could just go out on some drug type trip.

This may sound like a conversation that I had with my mom when I was younger, but in fact it happened this week. We have these hard-shell bugs that come out in droves at night, have a sort lifespan, but awesome flying capabilities. Albeit bugs can be annoying, I still don’t desire for them to cause pain when they must be killed. Likewise, more-so important, I don’t desire for anyone to feel pain. So naturally it grieves me that the world around us is suffering. Their souls are crying out through words and actions for the need to know true love, that which is only offered through God.  

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
1 John 4:8

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.
1 John 4:16

It has been a little over a week since the shooting in Charleston at Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, in which rattled the core of believers of the faith, and non alike. If you work the Google machine, and search “Christians killed” under the news section, you will find many accounts of people being killed for their belief in Jesus Christ as of late. Though it might seem somewhat bleak, it is my thought that this will only get worse. As even as it is written in 1 Timothy, it is my desire that all people are saved, although I know that not all people will. It is important in this time of persecution that we, as followers of Jesus, lean to what we know … love. Our future is secure, body piercing saved our lives, and we should be fervently praying for the world around us, for the people who are committing this acts of hate … not dreaming of repaying them in kind.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,  who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time.
1 Timothy 2:1-6

Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult. On the contrary, repay evil with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing.
1 Peter 3:9

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21

And as always, please never think that I write anything down in a finger pointing manner. All that I write are lessons that I have been taught, are being taught or even re-taught for the 50 millionth time in some cases. It is my desire to simply help you grow in your faith, in your walk, in your life.

May you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, be at peace in the midst of the chaos and shift of this world. May you not look to the television, your bank account or another person as your source of comfort and security, but to God alone. Know that your salvation is secure in Christ, live for Him, seek His truth and share His message with the world. Live by grace, rather than by law, and know that nothing can separate you from His love. In the name of Jesus, we pray. ♥

I have a soft spot for church signs, and taking a moment to snap a picture and share it something I have wanted to do for a while [over Saturday and Sunday it finally happened]. They can be like little nuggets of awesome. However, I am a little booface because there isn’t many that actually have “sayings” on them in my area and I share them with you now – along with a verse and a song.  

"And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”Revelation 12:9-12

"More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Romans 5:3-5 

 

"In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."
1 John 4:9-11

    

"The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
Mark 12:31

        

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Proverbs 3:5-6

The duality of man (or woman), for every believer... to denote to be worthless (i.e. inherit sin nature), but also something in Christ (i.e. forgiveness of sin) at the same time is the seesaw concept is one that admittedly I have struggled with throughout my years. I don’t claim to be the specialist on the topic, but here are some things I have learned on my own journey.

We allow people to treat us by how we feel we deserve to be treated, rather than how we should be treated.

If one grows up feeling like they are at fault, they wish to take upon the blame of others. Where-as if one grows up feeling like they are entitled to the world, they (may) wish to take things rather than earn from merit. How should we (all) be treated? Love. In fact, if you would like to read up on here, OpenBible has 39 lovely verses just waiting to let you know what the “good book” says.  

Regardless of our sins (failings), we still have the right to limitless forgiveness, not through our own merit, but through that which comes from Jesus Christ.

Admittedly there have been times in which I have questioned my forgiveness. I allow negative and unholy thoughts to enter my noggin and tell me “I’ve gone to far” and that “God will surely turn His back on me now”. However, this is simply rubbish! Why do I say so? Look at all of the characters in the Bible! They each had their own issues in life, but God still forgave them AND used them in service.  It says in Jeremiah of how we have always been known to God – which in conjunction with Romans how “we all have sinned”, we can equal this out to be as told in 1 John, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

So how do these two truths tie together?

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

The next time you feel like God can't use you, like you are being trapped by the worthless nature we all can fall to once in a while, just remember...

Noah was a drunk + Abraham was too old + Isaac was a daydreamer + Jacob was a liar + Joseph was abused + Moses had a stuttering problem + Samson had long hair and was a womanizer + Rahab was a prostitute + Jeremiah and Timothy were too young + David was an adulterer and a murderer + Elijah was suicidal + Isaiah preached naked + Jonah ran from God + Naomi was a widow + Job went bankrupt + John the Baptist ate bugs + Peter denied Christ + The disciples fell asleep while praying + Martha worried about everything + The Samaritan woman was divorced (more than once) + Zaccheus was too small + Paul was too religious + Timothy had an ulcer + Lazarus was dead
(List thanks to SeniorMag)

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world 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 also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:9-11

So we have all seen this little symbol as it can now be found plastered on car bumpers, store windows and cd cases. It is what is referred to as an Ichthus or Ichthys, slang name being Jesus Fish. What was once a secret symbol for believers to communicate is now anything but!

Trust me, I point no finger, just a conversation of curiousness as pondered upon in the below, as one of my own car stickers is a cross with a heart around it. Some people don’t like car decals; I find it amusing to show a little bit about myself to all those who may see me drive by (so to each their own, I say).  

So as such, a part of me cannot help but wonder if we were forced to go back into hiding (believers that is), what would be our new symbol? I mean obviously if people were out to persecute the Christians of today’s world, they wouldn’t have to look very far to find them (which is a good thing, as long as the symbols we use do not supersede the love of Christ we are to live out). However, it is quite the thought though right? 

You can read more about the Ichthus on Christianity Today  or Plymouth Church. 

Over the past few weeks, I have been inquiring to a few people what are the three things they are most thankful for in their life right now. I asked this question, because it is something I myself have been pondering, likewise I am curious and it is a great conversation starter. Perhaps this was all some inner self “see how far you have come” in honor of my 29^th birthday (which is now passed, so you all rest as I won’t be mentioning it in another blog for a while – ha), but I have firmly planted my feet on the following, which as my diddy so complimentarily put it two weeks ago, “I am just amazed, as I watch you talk, you are not the girl I raised. You have changed so much, I am more than proud of you” (all be thanks to the glory of God for that change).

#1 : SALVATION

Of course this may seem on the surface as a total suck up response, but I truly do mean it. I believe that what is written here is true, I believe that there is, but one way to heaven and I believe that with out God your life is pretty much worthless (in the capacity of ‘will it count for anything after this age is done’, but yes are beings are of worth, lest Jesus wouldn't have died for us .. just for clarification). So yes, because of this, it is the #1 thing I am grateful for. Without my salvation, well to be honest, I surely believe I would be dead right now.

# 2: FAMILY and FRIENDS

You have heard me say it before, “by blood or by water” (if not then I'm going to venture to say you have not yet read the book), which just simply speaks on how God can bring people into our lives, that while not may be related by blood, still are as close as if you were carried around in the womb together (or likewise if they had given birth/fathered you). The relationships for family/friends can be a lifetime, a prolonged journey or just for a season, but with these encounters we are molded into who we are. They are the people who continuously hope for your well being, hold you up in prayer, and supply a much needed shoulder to cry on in times of trouble.

# 3 : LOVING LIKE JESUS

If you do not know God, you do not know true love, as it is written in 1 John 4:8. Likewise, if you do not know how to love like Jesus, you do not know how Jesus loves you. Over the past two years of my life, I have experienced first-hand how Jesus loves us and I cannot imagine my life being any different now. Through the outreach of myself to others, I have realized how He has reached out to me, how to not be so apt to try to reach for perfection (as it totally doesn’t exists), nor to throw myself in a whirlwind to due a fall (sin) or to cast myself apart from people, because I have some (unjustified) thought that I am “too weird”. Likewise, as it has been shown to me quite recently, through learning to love like Jesus, I actually came upon what may be my own love language (serving/acts of service/serving together). Which admittedly comes as both as a little shock and very welcomed revelation. Perhaps other people have seen this in me all along, and it just took some extra steps toward expressing God’s love wholeheartedly to everyone, without regard for appearance, past failures or current circumstance (etc) for me to embrace it myself.

May you each examine take a moment to examine the things that you are most grateful for. Reflect on the things that God has given to you, think about where you are and where you have come from, rejoice that one day (should you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and savior) you will be able to bask in His radiance and live out eternity in peace and harmony with “all creation”.