For some reason the thought of death has come up a lot recently. I had not really noticed how much it was coming up until it was mentioned in my small group on monday. Another one of the guys started to talk about how he had just been thinking a lot about what happens when we die, and we don't know when our time is coming to leave this earth. That really got me thinking, am I really doing what Jesus has called me to do? Am I worthy of entering His kingdom when my time has come? Am I spreading the name of Jesus broader and deeper?
I think the thought of death for most people is a scary one, and to be honest I was terrified of death for 17 years of my life. Only within the last year or so have I really started to understand the whole idea He brought us into existance to glorify His name. In the last month or so as I have been reading the word or having my quiet time I have come across Philippians 1:21 many times. It says "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Of course I had heard this verse a thousand times before, but it's one of those ones I always just thought to myself "yeah cool, I've heard that a million times whats the big deal." But then monday afternoon after our mens small group discussion I came back to my dorm and opened that verse and really started to dwell on it's meaning.
As I started to dwell on this verse I started to understand the power of the word 'gain'. This world sometimes seem so amazing and everything seems perfect, yet the life after this one is going to be a GAIN! We will leave behind everything and everyone still here on the earth and we will be seated in heavenly places. That got me to thinking if my time comes soon, will I have impacted one persons life? Will I have spread the name of Jesus Christ broader and deeper? Have I served wholeheartedly so that Jesus can be seen through me? Have I loved and cared for those who aren't unloved and abandoned?
Live every breathe as it's your last, every smile as it's your last, every step as it's your last!
Be thankful! Be Blessed! Be loved!
You are sons and daughters of OUR KING!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
To God Be the Glory...
Ever since I started following the Lord the word worship has meant one thing to me, singing along with a song by Hillsong, Chris Tomlin, etc. It was always that rush of the Holy Spirit that I associated with the word worship, but recently I have realized that worship is so much more than lifting your hands and singing. I have learned that Worship is anything that is bringing glory to God. It can be anything ranging from serving your neighbors to helping your grandma clean her house. To me Worship is not about the action, worship is about the mindset behind the actions. If you have the mind set of "God thank you for allowing me to do this" or "Lord let me do (blank) to the best of my ability", to me thats when I am worshipping. It is about the mindset of giving the glory to God in everything you do throughout your day! That continual act of worship will in return bring joy and peace to your day!
I have recently started playing the guitar, so obviously im not the most talented musician in the world and as a result I get frusterated easily. I have this kinda pedestal that I put my favorite musicians on, like man I wish I was as good as they are, or if only I could be half as good as them. Then I realized, the reason I started playing guitar wasn't to be the best guitar player ever to live but instead to worship Christ through music. As I thought about it one day when I started to get frusterated, I realized that any music that is gloryifying God is a beautiful in the ears of the Lord. No matter if it is Christy Nockels rocking the mic, Shane & Shane harmonizing perfectly, or its me breaking strings on the guitar, God knows that the reason you are playing is to bring Him glory!
I have been listening to this song called "closer" by Shawn McDonald lately, in one part of the song he is just calling out to Jesus about how he wants to be closer to God in everything he does. Lately I have felt this exact same cry from my heart to want to be closer to Him!
Love, Joy, Peace through the Father!
Love you all :)
Romans 12:1
I have recently started playing the guitar, so obviously im not the most talented musician in the world and as a result I get frusterated easily. I have this kinda pedestal that I put my favorite musicians on, like man I wish I was as good as they are, or if only I could be half as good as them. Then I realized, the reason I started playing guitar wasn't to be the best guitar player ever to live but instead to worship Christ through music. As I thought about it one day when I started to get frusterated, I realized that any music that is gloryifying God is a beautiful in the ears of the Lord. No matter if it is Christy Nockels rocking the mic, Shane & Shane harmonizing perfectly, or its me breaking strings on the guitar, God knows that the reason you are playing is to bring Him glory!
I have been listening to this song called "closer" by Shawn McDonald lately, in one part of the song he is just calling out to Jesus about how he wants to be closer to God in everything he does. Lately I have felt this exact same cry from my heart to want to be closer to Him!
"Where ever you go
Where ever you are
I just want be there with you
I just want to be closer to you
I just want to be closer
I am yours
You can have all of me anything everything
I just want to be closer
I just want to be closer to you
I just want to be closer
For I am yours
You can have all of me anything, everything
I just want to be closer"
Where ever you are
I just want be there with you
I just want to be closer to you
I just want to be closer
I am yours
You can have all of me anything everything
I just want to be closer
I just want to be closer to you
I just want to be closer
For I am yours
You can have all of me anything, everything
I just want to be closer"
Love, Joy, Peace through the Father!
Love you all :)
Romans 12:1
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Taking a step back
The things I have learned in the last week have changed who I am, lets just say the Lord rocked my world.
I always knew I was on facebook way way way too often, but I never really thought about how it affected who I am. It seems like I was on facebook 24/7 wanting to know what was happening every single second of every single day. Then it hit me, there is more to life than sitting on a computer creepin' on people's lives (lets be honest, thats what facebook is all about).
So a friend and I made a spur of the moment decision that we were going to stay off facebook for a week. And instead focus on being in the Word, building relationships with people, and spending more time alone in prayer before the Lord. It's amazing to see how giving up an internet site for a week gives the Lord time to open up SO many new doors in your life. There are numerous different things that the Lord taught me throughout this "facebook fast" but I just wanna share a couple that really made the biggest impact on me.
1) Guard your heart. Throughout the week I just kept being reminded that God wants us to guard our hearts because from our hearts flows life (Proverbs 4:23). It seems like everytime I read this passage, it's a reminder that God is the controller of our lives. If we have the willingness and the obidience to seek Him and delight in Him alone, then we will be given the desires of our hearts like it says in Psalms 37:4.
2) Happiness and Love. Every second of the day is a chance to show someone Christ through your actions. As you seek Christ and as He fills you up with joy and love, you then have the ability to overflow into others and show them the source of your happiness. It's amazing what a simple smile or hello can do when you have the love of Christ flowing out of you. No matter how bad of a day or week you might be having, somebody else is having one just as bad if not worse. If you are there to support that person and love on them, Christ will work in mighty ways!
3) Relationships and Friends. This last week God showed me how blessed I am with the people in my life. I got to reconnect with friends I hadn't seen/talked to in months, pray for people who I miss and love, and continue building relationships centered around Christ with some of my closest guy friends. I realized that life is never about me, it's about Christ and the people that surround me daily. I am called to serve others before myself, and when im doing that, Christ will bring happiness.
I always knew I was on facebook way way way too often, but I never really thought about how it affected who I am. It seems like I was on facebook 24/7 wanting to know what was happening every single second of every single day. Then it hit me, there is more to life than sitting on a computer creepin' on people's lives (lets be honest, thats what facebook is all about).
So a friend and I made a spur of the moment decision that we were going to stay off facebook for a week. And instead focus on being in the Word, building relationships with people, and spending more time alone in prayer before the Lord. It's amazing to see how giving up an internet site for a week gives the Lord time to open up SO many new doors in your life. There are numerous different things that the Lord taught me throughout this "facebook fast" but I just wanna share a couple that really made the biggest impact on me.
1) Guard your heart. Throughout the week I just kept being reminded that God wants us to guard our hearts because from our hearts flows life (Proverbs 4:23). It seems like everytime I read this passage, it's a reminder that God is the controller of our lives. If we have the willingness and the obidience to seek Him and delight in Him alone, then we will be given the desires of our hearts like it says in Psalms 37:4.
2) Happiness and Love. Every second of the day is a chance to show someone Christ through your actions. As you seek Christ and as He fills you up with joy and love, you then have the ability to overflow into others and show them the source of your happiness. It's amazing what a simple smile or hello can do when you have the love of Christ flowing out of you. No matter how bad of a day or week you might be having, somebody else is having one just as bad if not worse. If you are there to support that person and love on them, Christ will work in mighty ways!
3) Relationships and Friends. This last week God showed me how blessed I am with the people in my life. I got to reconnect with friends I hadn't seen/talked to in months, pray for people who I miss and love, and continue building relationships centered around Christ with some of my closest guy friends. I realized that life is never about me, it's about Christ and the people that surround me daily. I am called to serve others before myself, and when im doing that, Christ will bring happiness.
"Life becomes harder for us when we live for others, but it also becomes richer and happier."
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Blogging! who woulda thunk it...
Who in a million years would have thought that I would be writing in my free time, definitely not me that is for sure!
I have read countless blogs/articles that last couple months that seem to be full of nothing but negativity. It seems like people today will bash on anything and everything they can, just for the simple fact that they can. Things as pointless as the final score of a basketball game, todays weather, or even new music.
It amazes me to see that people really care about arguing over the numbers on a score board more than they care about loving their family, friends, and Christ.
My intention of this blog is not only to keep everyone updated with what God is doing in my life, but to show everyone that there is a positive side to every situation no matter how good or bad it may be. Christ has put you where you are for a reason and that is to show others who HE is, whether its through your actions or your attitude towards life.
Philippians 2:5-11
I have read countless blogs/articles that last couple months that seem to be full of nothing but negativity. It seems like people today will bash on anything and everything they can, just for the simple fact that they can. Things as pointless as the final score of a basketball game, todays weather, or even new music.
It amazes me to see that people really care about arguing over the numbers on a score board more than they care about loving their family, friends, and Christ.
My intention of this blog is not only to keep everyone updated with what God is doing in my life, but to show everyone that there is a positive side to every situation no matter how good or bad it may be. Christ has put you where you are for a reason and that is to show others who HE is, whether its through your actions or your attitude towards life.
Philippians 2:5-11
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