Dear patience, HURRY UP?!?!...oh, wait.

    In a matter of seconds your life can be altered in more ways than one. In one week you can lose someone you loved, be forced to make sacrifices, and take on huge responsibilities. When events like these occur it is very simple to ask, "Why?" or "How is this fair?"......truth is, what is fair exactly? & since when do we decide how our lives should go. Proverbs 16:9 writes, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Everyone has a sad story, but it's not about who has the hardest trial, or who has a "reason" to cry. Life is about how you deal with your trials and standing firm in your faith. I could easily put all my faith in my family, friends, boyfriend, or a job....all of those blessings are amazing to have, but they can be taken away from me within seconds. Therefore it is important for me to put my identity in Christ....that is much easier said than done. It is simple for me to say how much I love God, but looking at my actions...it's a different story. I could love more, forgive more, lose my selfishness, or master the impossible task of patience. Tonight I opened my bible (a rarity) and read 1 Thessalonians 5:13: "And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone." It's amazing how sometimes we can read the bible and unexpectedly find what we need to learn. The past few months I have been very impatient- expecting everyone to react as I would in situations that I've never experienced. Tough Love is easier said than done, so I really need to learn how to stop using it. I must become patient and loving, and let Christ do the work. We have to let Christ take control. Tomorrow I will try to let go, and spread patience- hopefully it's contagious.

Wow.

No need to add any more words to these lyrics, they're perfect as is. 


Lyrics from Tenth Avenue North
BELOVED- 


You're My beloved
Lover I'm yours
Death shall not part us
It's you I died for
For better or worse
Forever we'll be
My Love it unites us
And it binds you to Me
It's a mystery 

Denominations???

   I am not the best writer in the world...so if you happen to be reading this,  know that I do not waste my time correcting my grammar but I really want to get this message out.
    There is a God.  & I also believe that many people ignore Him because of the word "religion." I have been blessed to grow up in a Christian family and fully understand the realness of God and His Love.  If I was not raised in a Christian family, I would probably ignore religion also. After all, there are so many versions of "Christianity" so what makes one right over the other? They all believe in God. Yet they all differ in various ways. Why would I waste my time dealing with the politics of religions when I could mind my own business and know that there is a God somewhere out there? Thankfully I do not have to feel this way because God has given me strong Christian parents.....the question that many people ask is, "what is a Christian and why are there so many versions of them?"... all of them disagree with each other and all of them believe that they are right. You have Catholics, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and soooooo many more denominations. Why would anyone want to get involved with the political aspects of "religion" when they do not know for certain they are in the "right" one? I'm about to say something that may set a lot of people off, but I'm saying it because Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)... this means that Jesus is THE truth, meaning there is only ONE truth and that is Jesus. All "Christian"  denominations believe that Jesus is the way to heaven, but they all differ on how to be saved. 
   I apologize if I deeply offend anyone who is reading, but my words and thoughts are based strictly off God's word...the bible. So if any of the following verses trouble you, they are not my words, but God's...so talk to Him. Every denomination believes that their way of salvation is correct, but the bible never says there are many ways to be saved...each denomination also has different beliefs such as how to be forgiven or being a "strong" follower of Christ....Where exactly is christening in the Bible? In order to be saved, you must know that you need Jesus and repent (turn away from your sin) which a baby cannot do. Where is the sinner's prayer in the Bible? Where in the bible do we find a pope?...these questions raised to my mind so I drew back to where these actions began, and every one was based off man's teaching- not Christ's. Overtime followers got further away from the truth (God's word:The bible) and began simplifying the doctrine to make it more appealing for nonbelievers. Adding words, or changing God's word is against the bible itself..Jesus is the Way...and Jesus never changes (Hebrews 13:8). Why do we feel the need to add to God's word or take our chances and ignore verses? When Jesus finished his ministry, he made a seal on the God's word. 
    ''I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.'' Revelation 22:19 


We are a very blessed nation to have an affordable version of God's word printed in our language. It is the instructions to life, and the majority of us forget that (including me). Jesus's teachings in the bible are clear. He does not give 5 simple steps to get saved, a sinner's prayer, or infantry baptism...he does however give instructions of believing, confessing that you need Him, repenting of your sins, baptism for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38-Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.),living faithfully, along with other commands. If you want to check your relationship with God, read and get to know His word...It's amazing!!! 
   I find it troubling that all denominations mostly differ on baptism. Which is what gives followers the gift of the Holy Spirt. It's almost like evil wants to deceive us so we believe we are saved...after all, satan is the deceiver of the world (Rev 12:9). He deceived Eve into eating the forbidden fruit. He told her that she would not die, and become like God and understand Good and Evil...the opposite of the truth (Gen 3:4). Why do we argue about how to be baptized? When did Jesus say it was an outward sign of an inward grace, or optional? When did Jesus say it was only physical? Where in the bible is someone baptized not in water, or by the sinner's prayer? If it is not in the bible, why do we believe it's right? Why do we risk our salvation? Why do we follow our "feelings" of being saved or other people and NOT God's word? Is God's word not good enough, or not correct? 2 John 1:9 writes, "Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son." 
 My point of this blog is...we must continue in the teaching of Christ...not a denomination. Christ's word is correct, man can be easily deceived. Christ did not teach us to have separate denominations with manmade additions to His word....So what are you following? Christ? Or a denomination? 
  I am not pointing fingers or trying to judge/correct anyone....these thoughts are trying to do the opposite, stop the political aspect of "religion",  and make Jesus the ONLY truth, so may we follow Him. 
We have freedom in Christ....freedom from sin, not freedom from His word...as I said before, His word is AMAZINGGG!:) 

...

     Tonight I realized how much I ignore God. The creator and lover of all. I stepped outside and looked up at the stars...amazing.

     Sometimes we just have to stop, and listen.

     BE STILL... & know that He is God.

     That's all I have to say:)

What if your life got flipped upside down?

So I'm new to this whole blogging concept. I'm not the most interesting writer, but I have got to do SOMETHING to get all these thoughts in my head organized. Even though there may be zero-two people reading this post, maybe someone out there will find it useful.
It's amazing how quickly life can (in my mother's terms) "smack you up side your head." I know a lot of people agree that nothing last forever, but that concept has never touched my heart as much it has in the past two weeks. Within four days I lost my brother-in-law, and became an aunt. Bittersweet right? Well...I am an aunt to my brother-in-law's daughter...Think of the woman who pushed her out...my sister. Crazy isn't it? The experience could not have brought us closer to God, I see life differently now. Instead of taking my relationships for granite, I truly cherish them, and I hope everyone gets to know Jesus. I'm not trying to sound preachy, but if it wasn't for God's love...the loss of my brother-in-law could have possibly made my family give up.  My sister is getting stronger and stronger each day, but I will not have complete comfort until she is completely happy again. Just last night my sister and I found a letter that my brother-in-law wrote to his unborn child...it was only a couple seconds for my face to be soaked in tears, with my facial nerves clinching as if I just got hit by a MAC truck...That reminds me. Life could always be worse; I could get hit by a MAC truck...it's important for us to be thankful for what we do have. My last/first post describes my view on the world perfectly. I wrote it about a year ago during a time when I really needed God's love. Looking back I am glad that I wrote it because my family and I needed God's love more then ever in the past two weeks. I also wrote a quote a few years ago, that beings me peace each time I'm in need...

"& Someday all the pieces will fit. We will learn that without the tears, we wouldn't have the greatest things we do now. Without the tears, we wouldn't know what we now understand. Rejoice in your trials. I love the life the Lord has given me and HIS way of doing it."

Endless Love

We search for something that no one can define. 

We cry from disappointment, when we thought our search was over.

We dream that we’re surrounded in this universal desire.

We must be on guard, for this desire can be counterfeited. 

We open our identities, not expecting that they will later be stolen away.

Even when we get it wrong, we still tell our minds that it was right.

Just so we think we found the universal desire.

But stop looking. You won’t find the real thing on your own. 

You will only find hurt, or maybe a tarnished version with little dissapointments. 

We are loved. More then you can imagine. Don’t ask me why. I deserve it the least. 

For I have found the real Love. The unfailing universal desire. Yet I still take it for granted and throw it to the side. 

To love someone, is to put them before yourself. 

To love someone, is to please them, no matter what your desire is. 

To love someone, is to die. So that they may live. 

May live. Meaning, you would die, so they could have the choice to live.

Meaning, you could die, and they still throw your love away, and die also.

This love, is the ultimate love. And it has been given, to all of us who want to take it.

It is free to accept, but hard to hold onto. 

Because for some reason, we’re wrapped up in the idea, that love is physical. 

But one day, the physical life will be over. All physical love, is temporary.

It’s up to you. 

Two options.

Keep searching, and falling for a physical, temporary love.

Or...stop searching, and see that the work of finding the ultimate love has already been done, and it was done...... all for you. 

I will love, because YOUR love, is the greatest love. It is all I need. and I am confident when I say, “I know You love me.” 

YOUR love is not physical. meaning....it will last forever. forever.....