Sometimes It's Just out of My Hands

So many people get so frustrated and upset over things that are totally out of their hands. A circumstance, a situation, a loss, another person, the list could go on and on. One of the hardest things I've had to learn is that some things we just can't control. Some things only God can make happen. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says this:

"The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure."

Know that every situation and every circumstance, whether good or bad, has a purpose. God promises not to give you more than you can endure. Sometimes we can't see how any good could ever come from where we are or what has happened to us, but this is what I've learned:

If I'm trying my best, God will do the rest!

When you feel tempted to give up or to give into frustration, anger, self-pity, and worry always remember what He's promised. If you make the effort to see the light in your situation and make a daily habit of putting your complete trust in God with the results, He will take you to the exit door. God has already planned your escape route before you even fell into where you are now. Do your best to progress through the hard times that come and God will do what only He can do! 

Honor

I hope everyone had an awesome weekend! We finished off Love Week with a BANG! Our goal was 5,000 volunteer hours to reach our city for Christ and we finished with over double that: 10,551! What an awesome way to show Christ's love to "seek and save those who are lost" in our city! We also started a new curriculum with our Ekidz. I had the privilege to teach my 4th and 5th graders about honor this week (and will continue all month)! 

Romans 12:10 says ^"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves."

Most people think honor should only be given to those in authority over us, but God really calls us to honor each and every person that He has placed in our lives. Whether it be your annoying family member, your child's teacher that calls you when they misbehave, or even your yard boy; God wants us to honor each and every person because they were individually made in the pure and perfect image of God. 

Most of us tend to think that honor and respect are one in the same. We think that because someone doesn't "honor" us, we shouldn't honor them. Here's what everyone is missing:

Respect is about who they are, but honor is all about who you are and who God is in your life.

So as you go about this week try to make it a daily priority to honor those around you, those that have invested in you, and those who might have been overlooked. God will honor you in direct proportion to how you honor others!

Happy Birthday PF!

Today is the 30th birthday of an astounding man of God and of my biggest and most influential role model, Pastor Steven Furtick. God has used him in extraordinary ways to bring hope and healing into the lives of millions. But more personal to me, God has spoken life and vision through this man into my life. Through Elevation Church and Pastor Steven's leadership and commitment to the Gospel I have been able to really connect and grow in my relationship with God. It's enable me to see the purpose and plan that God has for my life and I can't even begin to imagine where God is going to take me. Today I'd like to share with you, in honor of Pastor Steven, the biggest and most influential thing God has used to inspire me through him. 

"Don't build your life for where you are, 

build your life for where God is going to take you!"

 -Pastor Steven Furtick, from Purple People Leader series 

I'm going to be honest and say there are days that I really struggle with the huge calling God has put on my life. Days where I don't understand why He would use someone like me for a greater purpose. Days where I have no idea what I'm to do next. And a lot of days where I am so on fire for God that I just wish the whole process would hurry up so that I could go out and make a huge impact for the glory of God. Pastor Steven has helped me see that every day is a day that prepares you and that gives you the opportunity to work on the little things that will eventually make a huge impact. Through Pastor Steven, God has given me the courage and passion to act. To go out and make a difference, even if you can't see the results of it yet. That's where this quote really hit my life. Build your life for where God is going to take you, don't get consumed with the routine of daily life and forget that God has a bigger and better plan for your life! Don't take to heart the opinions of others and whether or not they think you are crazy, God will use you in great ways, but you have to be able to stick to the path, to not focus on what people say now or what obstacles are thrown your way. Keep your eyes fixed on Jesus and on the plan and purpose God has for you, He will take you further than you could ever fathom! 

A Timeless Truth

I truly believe that hatred accomplishes nothing. It's not helping the person you hate and it's definitely not helping you! In my morning reading I came across a absolutely flawless truth:

 "Hatred stirs up trouble, but love forgives all wrongs."  

-Proverbs 10:12. 

Growing up I had a really bad tendency of holding grudges. If someone did me wrong, it was very unlikely I would even attempt to make up with them or even talk to them. I think that is how most of our society is today and it shows. The most detrimental thing you can do to yourself is to hold a grudge, hate, and not forgive.  I've learned from experience that it ends up hurting you a lot more than the person it's geared towards. It's not worth it! It takes a bolder person to forgive and love those that have hurt you, than to be a person of hate. You don't have to like what they did. You don't even have to think they deserve your love and forgiveness, but love them for who they are, good or bad. Your love towards others is a decision you make, not a privilege someone else earns! Love those around you and especially those that have done you wrong. Don't let hatred build up inside of you, it's not worth ruining yourself for what somewhat else did. 

The Greatest of All

Jesus tells us in Mark 12:30 that the greatest commandment we are to follow is to:

³⁰ "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength."

One of the biggest things I have learned so far in my walk with Christ is that in order to live a life fully committed to loving Him and putting God first you must align your heart, priorities, goals, and daily life with Him. I think each of us need to sit down and evaluate our daily lives very often to see where God falls in. Do your actions show that you truly love God with your heart, mind, soul, and strength? Could someone you don't even know tell that you have this underlying love coming from somewhere? I think a lot of us get caught up in daily life and start to put God first only half of the time. Many only truly seek Him when they feel like He is their last hope, when they should have made Him a part of the situation long before it came down to the rut they are in now. I've learned that if you put Him first in every decision, every situation, and every second of life, that life seems to be a lot easier knowing that I can trust God for anything and everything. What areas in your life are you struggling to put God first and to trust in the faith you have in Him? 


As you go about life this week set one or two goals that you can accomplish throughout the week that will help you move your relationship with Jesus forward, and start taking steps to reach them.

"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, 
and He will give you everything you need."

Matthew 6:33

A Worldwide Church of Love

Pastor Steven Furtick preached a great sermon this weekend to kick off Love Week. It was out of Jeremiah 29:4-7:

  4 This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: ⁵ “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. ⁶ Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! ⁷ And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” (NLT)

The main point was that no matter where you are in life, God put you there for a reason. You might not understand why you are there or how you even ended up where you are, but you are there for definite purpose. God's Word tells us through this passage that no matter where God has put us, we shouldn't dwell on the past. We should start our lives again and make the best of it. We should strive to glorify His name and His righteousness even in the most hopeless of times. Verse 7 tied in perfectly for this week as we go out and serve in our city to make a HUGE impact to show Christ's love. No matter where you are, what you are going through, or what's in your past, always work for the peace and prosperity of those around you!

Pastor Steven also talked a lot on how the church as a whole has come to be known for what they are against instead of what they are for. That often many churches respond the totally opposite way they should. With so much wickedness, violence, and corruption in our world, many churches tend to condemn instead of responding with love. Here are a few key points I thought were important:

• The church should become more known for what they LOVE, instead of what they hate.
• The church is to infiltrate the world, not to be of it. 
• The church shouldn't be known for:
• condemnation
• isolation
• imitation
• The church should be such a profuse outpouring of love, that the city would mourn if something were to happen to it.

The church down the street shouldn't be your competition, they should be your partners in reaching the world for Christ! Could you imagine how much God would move if all the churches across the world came together and unified to show His love worldwide. Starvation could me demolished by Monday, poverty gone by Tuesday, the sick healed by Wednesday, and so on until Sunday the world would know the undying name of Jesus Christ and see His power and feel His love that no one could unknowingly deny Christ! Think about it... 

You can watch this past weekend's sermon here. 

Sometimes Moleskines Aren't Enough

Well I've been contemplating over starting a blog or not. It seems like everyone these days has one and I do admit I enjoy reading a select few. I journal almost everything in my Moleskine journal; well things that I learn, quotes, etc. I'm not much of a dear diary type of person. Maybe a blog will be more interactive and I will be able to read my own handwriting for once! So happy birthday to my new found blog, I guess that sometimes Moleskines just aren't enough. :)