The Christian Woman In The Provocative World Of Dating

In a world where women are expected to be sexy, skinny, and fierce, women are losing the holiness that God intended the woman to have. The world tells women that they have to have a thigh gap and small waist, an unreserved and in-your-face attitude, and a sexual attitude toward men. But what does God say about the ideal woman? 

Proverbs 31:30-31 - Favour [is] deceitful, and beauty [is] vain: [but] a woman [that] feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. 

The world is teaching women that beauty is the most important thing, but what they don't teach is what happens after their beauty has faded. Women put such emphasis on looking the most attractive, so much that their personality fades while in the process. The obsession with looking the best on the outside causes the internal self to turn ugly. Some women become very self-centered when their beauty is praised all the time. Once we become older, and our beauty isn't at its best, we want to be left with an internal self that is loved and cherished by people that were never interested in our beauty, but our heart. We want to most importantly, be able to stand before God, knowing that we lived for Him, and not the world.

In the dating world, the right guy will love you for what you present to the world internally, rather than externally. If a guy is only looking at your looks, that's what the relationship will be about. Without an emotional connection, there is no point to the relationship at all. A sincere guy wants someone that they can confide in, honor, and respect. The physical relationship might fade over the years, but a friendship between spouses will never dim, which is what God always intended.

Proverbs 31:26 - She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue [is] the law of kindness.

Instead of being wise, women are more and more becoming just a pretty face. So many times, women will play dumb to get a guy's attention because they think that guys wants someone that they can control. What does this show a guy besides the fact that they are willing to disrespect their own intelligence to get a guy that is more than likely temporary in their lives? A real man will love your intelligence, and he will honor it. 

On the other hand, some women will act overly aggressive to get a guy's attention. They will try to force a guy into liking them, and most of the time, this includes displaying themselves as sexual objects. A real man doesn't want this. He will want to be an equal with you; not one person controlling the other, but a sincere care for one another, looking past the physical attributes.

God gives us wisdom to show the world our terrific features that God blessed us with. God made some people science wizes, and some, builders, and others are great teachers. Whatever a person possesses, it is a blessing from God, and He wants someone in their life that will cherish it. Most importantly, a woman having the wisdom of God, knowledge of the Bible and of God, a man of God will love that he can grow his relationship alongside his spouse. A Godly couple is able to encourage each other in God's work, and it is a true blessing.

Proverbs 31:25 - Strength and honour [are] her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

As time goes on, the clothing on women seems to become shorter and shorter. We are seeing more thigh, stomach, and back than ever before. This type of clothing was designed to be attractive to the eye, and it sure does its job. When a woman wears clothing that is ungodly, she is presenting herself to the world as wanting a physical relationship. Instead of showing off her wonderful personality and skills, she is showing off her physical attributes. 

When in a relationship with a guy, the man should be able to respect the woman. A woman that is hardly dressed is not going to get the respect she deserves because she is making herself an item. Men of God won't be able to look past this type of clothing, and more than likely won't give the woman a chance, because they are looking for someone that loves God as well, and will present themselves of God. A person can be a Christian on the inside, but wear immodest clothing, and be judged on their outward appearance. If a woman is Godly, inside and out, they will find the right guy that God has for them. 

As a Christian woman, it can be very hard in the dating world. I have yet to find a guy that I can connect with, while him also being a Christian, but I know that waiting is worth it. God works on His time, not anyone elses'. There are reasons that God has us to wait on the right guy, and I believe that it is mostly because God wants us to work on ourselves before joining someone else. God wants us to gain wisdom and grow in our relationship with Him before having to juggle someone else in our lives as well. Being single allows more time for God, and once we reach that ideal relationship with Him, I believe that God will provide us with the right person. The right person will love us for our love for God and the traits that God blessed us with. Be a woman of God, and a man of God will find you. 

Fall To Your Knees; Jesus Is Coming

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 - "For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:" 

There are many prophesies found in the Bible about the coming of Jesus that is coming true today. God is preparing for the coming of the Lord, and it could come at any moment. Jesus will bring those that are saved out of the world to Heaven, and for those that are not saved, they will be left behind on Earth to endure the tragedies of the tribulation, a seven year period of horror. Fortunately, God gave us these prophesies in the Bible in order to be knowledgeable of the events leading up to Jesus' coming, and here are a few:

1) War: (Matthew 24:6-7) "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:" 

We are surely seeing a lot of terror and strife between nations in this period of time. There are thousands of terrorists acts and rumors of them. ISIS is a very unfortunate example of this, seeing that they kill thousands of innocent people, and continue to grow. 

2) Earthly Disturbances: (Matthew 24:7) "And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

There are a lot of weather disasters that are occurring, and predicted to occur. In California, droughts has caused a huge outbreak in fires, and a horrific mudslide is predicted to occur once rain does come. Earthquakes are also prevalent there, and they are beginning to happen in places that have never happened before. 

3) False Followers: (Matthew 24:4-5) "And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

We see people that are falsely living for God everyday. There are thousands of people that will say they are saved, but they are living a very sinful life. Many today think they are alright with God because they have lived a "good" life, but this couldn't be further from the truth. None is "good," which is why we have Jesus who will take our sins away. 

5) Deceivers in High Places: (Matthew 24:11) "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many."

Politicians, actors, singers, and even preachers, are deceiving many people today. People that have a lot of authority are saying they are of God, when in reality, they are of the devil. Politicians are telling us one thing, then doing something totally different, after we elect them. Some preachers are telling us that we can make it to Heaven by living a good life, but we can't. Actors and singers are saying that they are for God, but then they sing about sin, or act sinful on TV. These people are gaining such an influence in the world that they are having a bigger influence than God in peoples' minds. 

6) Strong Delusion:(2 Thessalonians 2:11) "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:"

Today, people believe everything is okay; abortion, gay marriage, premarital sex, using God's name in vain, porn, etc. They are being so deceived by worldly people that are being influenced by the devil. The devil has people in the world that he is using to deceive people into believing the lie that sin is okay. I've heard people say that premarital sex is okay, because God knows that they intend to get married. This is a lie because God does not condone sex before marriage at all. He says that sex is to be left for after marriage, no exceptions. More and more of this will come into the world as we get closer to the end of the world. God is allowing this because it is His prophecy that this would happen near the time of Jesus' coming. 

For those that are saved, these prophesies are just another step to being with our God in Heaven, a land without deceit and terror. The world will continue to grow worse and worse, but with Jesus in our hearts and the hope for a better land, we as Christians can make the journey until the end. So, fall to your knees; possess the peace of God, and pray for those that are deceived. The world is coming to an end soon; be prepared to see Jesus.

Honoring God's Forgiveness

Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God."

God's forgiveness is unbelievably incredible. The Bible tells us that Jesus died on the cross for our sins. God sent His only son to die for us, people that sin against God daily. What could be more selfless than that? He looks past all of our failures, and has mercy on us. Once saved, God takes away all of the sins from our past, and sets aside a place for us in Heaven. 

God makes receiving forgiveness from Him very simple. All that has to be done is a person asking God to forgive them, and He will. The bad thing about forgiveness being so simple is the fact that people take advantage of God's great mercy.

God's forgiveness is something that should be treasured, but so many people use it to their own advantage. Some will ask God to forgive them, and once He does, they will go back to their sinful ways. I have to point the finger at me first on this. Like in the book of Hosea, Gomer was a prostitute, and God ordered Hosea to take her as a wife. God gave Gomer a great opportunity to live for God, but instead, she went back to her sinful ways. God saves us, in hopes that we will live for Him. It shouldn't be a question if we live for Him or not, especially after thinking about what He has done for us.  

We as Christians should never take God for granted. He has done more for us than we could ever imagine. We wouldn't treat a person bad if they were to save us from getting hit by a car, so why would we treat God bad when He saved us from an eternity in Hell? God's forgiveness is great, and is something that should be praised. It is what will lead us to Heaven one day, and it shouldn't be taken lightly. 

God Stretches Out His Forgiveness To Gomer

In the book of Hosea, God tells Hosea to go find a wife, who happened to be a woman of whoredoms. Hosea journeyed, and found Gomer, who in other words was a prostitute, living a life of sin, and took her as his wife. Gomer became pregnant, and had a son, Jezreel. Following Jezreel, Gomer gave birth to a daughter, Loruhamah, and a son, Loammi. Gomer soon began overwhelmed with the responsibilities of her new life, and began to feel like her family was holding her back. She missed her old life that consisted of doing what she wanted, a life where she didn't have to worry about what God wanted of her, or what Hosea expected of her. She soon returned to the ways of her past life, leaving Hosea to solely raise the children. Hosea deeply missed Gomer, because he had grown to love her. God soon came unto Hosea, telling him to go find Gomer, and bring her back home. Hosea did as he was told, and brought her back, and loved her just as before.

Much like the majority of the stories that we read in the Bible, the story of Hosea and Gomer has more than one lesson that can be learned.

1) God's Forgiveness/Mercy: Gomer lived a very sinful life against God, yet, God was very merciful toward her. God allowed Gomer to be the wife of a Godly man, and receive the blessing of children, something that some would love to have, but is not given from God. Even with all of the great things that God placed in Gomer's life, she did not appreciate it, and chose to return to a life of sin. Though, once again, God showed Gomer mercy. Gomer didn't necessarily deserve God's mercy, but He gave it to her, in hopes that she would better her life, and choose to live for God.

2) Following God's Love: Hosea was no doubt hurting when Gomer left him, though, instead of becoming overwhelmed with anger or dismay toward her, he mimicked God's love, and continued to care for her. Hosea did not hesitate when God told him to go bring Gomer back home. Hosea brought Gomer home, and showed her the love that he had always felt for her. Hosea was so forgiving because the love of God lived in his heart, and he followed God's mercy by giving Gomer another chance.

God's forgiveness is extraordinary. He continues to show mercy over and over again, even after we fail him daily. God wants us to mimick His love, and show mercy and forgiveness to one another. We have all sinned, and no one is above another. God has given us chance after chance to repent of our sins, and because He had done this for us, we should do this for others as well in our lives. Due to our sinful ways, God sometimes has to let us go our own ways, but he won't do this without a fight. Some people get so overwhelmed with sin that they never accept God's forgiveness. In the same way, sometimes, we can give chance after chance before it begins hurting our own relationship with God. We must figure out for ourselves when giving another chance to someone is not God's will. Living for God is all about following His footsteps, and forgiveness and mercy is a huge part of this, and we must use it to the best of our abilities.

Finding Peace In The Sight Of Death

The fear of death is something that I believe we all experience, I know that I fear the day that I die. I'm terrified of how I will die mostly, instead of the afterlife. There are some absolutely terrible ways that people can die; murder, cancer, heart attack, car wreck, etc. Just yesterday, a reporter and cameraman were shot to death while on air during the morning news. They had no idea that it was the morning that they would die. There was no warnings, and it was a horrific way to spend their last minutes. Though, the person dying is not the major issue, it's what their plans are for the afterlife. 

For those that are not saved, they will have a horrific afterlife, but for those that are saved by God's grace, they are promised a land of joy and peace. Revelation 21:4 - "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." God has given us a way to escape all the pain and heartache that we may feel while on the Earth. We don't have to fear what is to come after our bodies have passed away. It can be certain that we can reach a much happier destination after death. 

Romans 14:8 - "For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's."

Once God saves us, we are His forever. Living or dead, we are His, and nothing can change that. By taking the opportunity to get right with God, God will write your name in the Book of Life. All that has to be done is ask God for forgiveness of your sins. That's all. God made getting saved so easy, though, Jesus paying the price for our sins weren't so easy, seeing that he died on the cross for us. Death doesn't have to be feared, it can be rejoiced about, because we are able to spend our eternity with Jesus, who saves us from our sins. 

To My Future Self, A Mother.

Genesis 1:28 - "And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

Psalms 127:3 - "Lo, children [are] an heritage of the LORD: [and] the fruit of the womb [is his] reward."

For me, having children is something that I've dreamed about since I was little. From the time I could sit up, I always had a baby doll with me. As I got older, I began to realize more and more how much work children actually are, and I almost decided against having children altogether because of it. Though, God says that children are a blessing to us, and when I rededicated my life to God, I saw this. Children aren't something that should be expected, but they are a gift from God that should be cherished. 

Recently, I started watching a family on YouTube, and they have really been a true blessing in my life. Their name on YouTube is Sam and Nia, and they have two children. They're devote Christians, and they raise their children to love God. Each morning, they set aside time to read their Bibles together, and discuss what they have read. These types of things is what the children is going to remember when they are older; their parents doing everything in their power to teach them the things of God. It's what is going to keep them serving God, and continuing those traditions with their own children. When watching them, I can really see the love between them, and this comes from their efforts to lead their family in the right path. 

Sam and Nia have done a very well job in teaching their children the love of God from what I can see. They are some of the most well-behaved children that I've seen, and they withhold the love that only God can give. Recently, Nia had a miscarriage, and their oldest child was so empathetic toward Nia, and she is only five. She was so genuinely caring toward her mother, and she wanted to comfort her. Care like that only comes from God, and I pray that if God blesses me with children one day, I can be a Godly example for them.

Up until the point I started watching Sam and Nia, I honestly wasn't crazy about the thought of marrying someone that was fully devoted to God. I thought that marrying someone that was a fully dedicated Christian would take some of the fun out of life. Living for God can be hard. It takes a lot of time and efforts to do right, and I was afraid of what I would have to endure by having a Godly husband. I was completely wrong with this thought. God is the one that will give us a happy life, plus happy ending. Living for God will bring many blessings, and will it will lead to a Godly family. Parents must have God inside of them, in order to be a Godly example for their children. I want to find a husband that loves God, even more than he loves me, and will help lead our family with righteousness. 

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

God said to raise a child in a Godly manner, so that they will never depart from God's word. I am so blessed to have had Godly parents that always kept me on the right path. They taught me the things of God, so that when I got older, I could make the right decisions on my own. Today, I am so happy with where I am with my relationship with God, and I have to thank my parents for that. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't even have heard about God, and I certainly wouldn't be living for Him. If God blesses me with the opportunity of starting a family, I pray that I can look down the line to see my children living for God as adults. 

If you're like me, unmarried without children, I pray that you will find a great, Christian spouse who will be all they can be for God, in hopes that you have a Godly family one day. Personally, I can't wait until I meet the man that God has for me, and I get to begin that journey of my life with him. Someone that I can always count on being beside of me, and standing up for the things of God. A man that will raise our children to be respectable and honorable in God's eyes. I also pray that I can be the mother that God set me out to be. I hope to be a Godly example for my sons and daughters to grow up seeing. 

Cast A Hook, God Will Provide: Peter Finds Silver In The Fish' Mouth

In Matthew 17:24-27, the tax collector came unto Peter, asking him if Jesus had paid His portion of the temple tax. The temple tax was a tax that had been created to help with the upkeep of the temples in Jerusalem. The tax collectors wanted to know if Jesus had personally paid the tax, testing to see if He endorsed it for Himself, seeing that it was the law that all Jews paid their portion. Peter assured the tax collector that Jesus had indeed paid, but he wasn't sure, so he went unto Jesus to ask Him. Meanwhile, the tax collectors waited outside. When Peter came unto Jesus, Jesus spoke saying, "What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?" (25). Jesus was saying that because He was the son of God, He was exempt from paying the tax, for He is above that of the king, who was the owner of the temple. Although, Jesus did not owe the tax, He didn't want to offend the collectors, so He sent Peter on a mission. Peter was to go to the sea to fish, and take the first fish that bit his hook, and he would find a piece of money inside of its mouth, which would go towards the debt of the tax. What happens afterward is not written in the Bible, but we can infer that Peter did what Jesus told him to, and paid the tax with the coin that was found in the fish' mouth. 

Something that I find really interesting that I read on a synopsis of this story is the thought of how the fish got the coin. If God had created the coin that was in the fish' mouth, He would be a counterfeiter. God is not a cheat, so he would have used a coin that was already on the Earth. God knew where a coin had been lost in the sea, and He most likely had the fish to find it, and take it in its mouth. This is one example of the great power that God has. God didn't have to place a coin inside of its mouth, but instead, He used a being that had no power of obedience, and He led it to find a coin.

There are two lessons that we can get from this story:

1) God will provide. Jesus could have simply not paid the tax, and left Peter to look as if he had been lying about Jesus paying the tax, but instead, Jesus felt for him. Jesus told Peter to go to one of the most unlikely places to find a coin, and Jesus provided him with what he needed. Because it is inferred that Peter did what Jesus had told him too, the coin was provided to pay the taxes, and they were both debt-free. 

2) On a very different note, it can be concluded that Jesus is testing Peter's priorities. Peter loved to fish, and he could have fished all afternoon, but Jesus told him to take the first fish that bit. Not the second, not the third, but the first. Jesus was seeing if Peter would follow his sayings by taking the first fish, or if Peter would've continued fishing. It can be inferred that Peter only took of the first fish, which showed Jesus that his priority was set upon Him. 

How great it is to know that we have a God above that will always provide for us. If we show God that He is our number one priority, He will bless us with both spiritual happiness and the things needed to survive here on Earth. It is great to have hobbies, like fishing, but we have to set those things under God. God should always be our prime concern. Peter knew when to set the fishing pole down because he was following what Jesus had commanded of him. No matter how much we love something, we must know when to set it down. God will bless us and provide for us by putting aside our loved possessions/ hobbies for Him. 

Reigniting Your Fire For God

So, how do we reignite our fire for God? 

1) Give up all the sin in your life: (James 4:7 - Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you"). As long as we have sin in our lives, our relationship with God will be at a standstill. God can't cohabit in our hearts with sin. If God and the devil were to live together in our hearts, could you imagine the strife and disastrous end that would be? God isn't able to use a sinful person to be the light that the world needs because a sinful person is only going to multiply the darkness. He is only able to use to use those that follow Him. God needs Christians that will show the mercy of God to the world, not one that will join the sinners. If we are to confess our sins, God will do wondrous acts in our lives, and will use us to help a dying world. All we have to do is ask. (1 John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness"). 

2) Don't just read your Bible, study it: I spent years solely reading my Bible, and it being just words on a page for me. Having gone to church my entire life, it embarrassed me that I hardly knew anything about the Bible, even children's stories. When I began studying God's word though, it really blessed my heart because God opened my heart up to more knowledge of the Bible. I was learning more about the Bible than I had ever known because God was opening my heart up to things I couldn't see when I was just reading words. When God sees that we are trying to learn His word, He will give us understanding of the Bible. (Ecclesiastes 2:26: “To the man who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness"). When we have wisdom and knowledge of the Bible, this is when we can witness to the world, and tell them of God's wondrous works. 

3) Memorize knowledge of the Bible: This goes along with studying the Bible, but I have found that since I started memorizing verses and stories of the Bible, I have been finding so much joy in my life. I am finally able to have discussions of the Bible with other people, and share what I have learned. Like in Ephesians 6, I was so happy when I memorized the armor of God because I had never been able to discuss something so in depth from the Bible. Also, it might sound crazy, since I grew up in church my whole life, but I had never learned all the books of the Bible. I began listening to a children's song, and I'm still working on memorizing them completely, but I found such joy from knowing at least half of them. The knowledge that comes from God's word is holy, and will protect us. We can use His word to lead others to Christ, and bring light into a dim world. (Psalms 119:11 "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee").

4) Pray: (1 Thessalonians 5:17 - "Pray without ceasing"). What a simple statement, but powerful message. God created prayer, so that we may confess our sins, give our burdens to God, and ask God for help in times of need. It is something that is solely between the person and God, which makes it so powerful. God is able to take away our sins and cleanse of to be white as snow. He is able to answer our prayers, and make us worry free. There is not one person in the world that wouldn't love to have that in their life. All a person must do is talk to God. He will listen. (Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak"). Prayer with God will keep us out of sin. He will instill in us the power to stay away from fleshly desires if we ask Him. Prayer is a powerful thing, and a key action in our walk with God. 

5) Find Godly Friends: (1 Corinthians 15:33 "Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners"). God wants us to surround ourselves with people of God, so that we do not sway from our walk with God. If we have people of sin in our lives, the only way that they will lead us is down. It's impossible to keep a close relationship with God, while we are dabbing around with sin. With Godly friends, a person can overcome any problem in their life. They will have someone to pray with, study with, comfort one another, and encourage each other in their Christian lives. 

6) Find a place of worship and fellowship: Last, but not least, it is important that we have a place to escape the world. Finding a church filled with the people of God and the joy of God is a very key element in bettering your relationship with God. (Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them"). God states that when people gather together to praise His name, He will be there with them. It is important to worship God for what He has done for us. He will bless us for it. God honors people that are willing to stand in front of a crowd of people for His glory. Church also is a great place to find Godly friends and influences. We should look to the people of God as examples of who we should be. For example, we can try to be more like our pastor, a Sunday school teacher, our choir director, or simply a Godly man or woman that is trying to live for Christ. A Godly church will provide us with friendships, knowledge, and help, leading us closer to our God. (Psalms 122:1-9 "(A Song of degrees of David.) I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD").

Popularity Leads to Destruction

Romans 12:2 - "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

Philippians 2:15 - "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."

The concept of fitting in is an issue that everyone faces in the world, but for someone that is trying to serve God, it can have horrible effects if they allow it to. Being a Christian, we are much different than the majority of the world around us. We are the children of God. God saved us with the intention that we would go out into an ungodly world to tell people of God's love and mercy. We are to be the good in the world, God's light, that we might overcome sin with the help of our Savior. Though, many times, the love of God is looked down upon on the Earth. Many look at Christians as being "goody-two shoes." People hate the fact that Christians try to do right by God. They seem to watch and wait for us to fail.The world would love for us to conform to be like them, and unfortunately, it works sometimes.

 The pressure from the world can sometimes be too much for a Christian's flesh. Christians can sometimes feel lonely because they are so different than most of the world, making them very vulnerable. People have a way of convincing others that maybe drinking one beer is okay, or smoking one cigarette is okay, when it isn't at all. Even Christians can become addicted to sin. I know that I have went through this many times. Some friends that I used to have convinced me to cheat one time, and I was hooked for the longest time. This went on for years before I was finally able to overcome it with the help from God. The world withholds people that are great at convincing others that a sin here and there is alright. Christians aren't immune to sin. They can become as sinful as the most wicked person in the world. If we let the world impact what we do, we are allowing the opportunity for great sin to come into our lives. More importantly, by conforming to the world, we are basically telling God that He wasn't good enough for us. 

Matthew 7:13 - "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide [is] the gate, and broad [is] the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:"

We as Christians have something much greater than the world will ever have; God. God lives inside of us. What can be greater than that? God has given us the promise of an eternity spent in Heaven with Him and His angels. What the world has to offer us cannot begin to compare with what God does. When God saves us, we are put on the straight way, as in Matthew 7:13. The broad way are for those that deny God, and is on their way to a destructive end. Unfortunately, the broad way is crowded with millions and millions of sinners. Sinners that are trying to bring everyone along with them, even if it means bringing Christians too. Of course, once saved, that can't be taken away from us, but the world can sure ruin our relationship with God. The devil has his hand in convincing sinners that the path they are on is okay, but it's not. God's path will lead to a joyous, eternity in Heaven, and the devil's path will end in a fiery Hell.

We all have a choice; the narrow or broad way. The broad way has so many people. It looks like loads of fun, and it has some of the most successful people in the world; movie stars, singers, politicians, etc. This way can be so enticing, but is the outcome int he end worth it? On the other-hand, the narrow way of God has fewer people, it doesn't promise an easy life, and it has a lot of hurt on it. Though, this way will end in eternity in Heaven. Do we want to have a luxurious life on Earth that we aren't promised tomorrow on, and end up in a torturous eternity, never to escape. Or do we want to live for God, even when it means the possibility of hurt, and end up in the most glorious eternity we could ever think of. It is our choice. God gives us the means of coming to Him, but it isn't mandatory that we choose His path. So, make your choice today. Be the light that God intended you to be, or you can choose to be another person on their way to destruction.

When Did Innocence Become A Turnoff?

"She's too innocent for me."

The dooming words that was said about me my freshman year of high school. I had became best friends with this guy after we started talking on MySpace, old school, right? We would talk every minute that we were awake. If we weren't talking on MySpace, we were talking on the, new at the time, social media site, Facebook, and if we weren't talking on either of those, we were texting. He was just the sweetest guy, the most attractive guy in my eyes, and I adored him so much. Between class, he would come give me a hug, and it was like Heaven inside of his arms. It was something that I had never felt before for anyone. It was a genuine feeling that I couldn't shake. At the time, he rode the bus with my best friend. He would tell her how much he liked me, how pretty I was, and how he just knew he was going to marry me someday. Of course, my best friend told me everything that he said, and it made me happier beyond belief because I had truly come to love this guy. This guy and I talked for about a year before he suddenly cut me out of his life completely. It absolutely crushed me. I had this literal pain in my chest; a broken heart. I tried to text him, but he wouldn't respond. He wouldn't even look my way in the hall anymore, let alone hug me. Later on, he started dating one of my friends, who was quite the opposite of innocent. Around that time, my best friend asked him why he wasn't talking to me, and he said the dreaded words, "She's too innocent for me."

I would love to know why innocence is no longer wanted. God loves innocence. God is innocent. He is without waiver and fault. To be Godly, we are to try and mimic God's life to the best of our ability, and this means withstanding a level of innocence. A lot of people mock those that seem innocent. I was mocked a lot in high school for not being immoral, and I sure wasn't faultless. People will laugh because a person doesn't know ungodly things, the majority of it being sex. Why should unmarried teenagers be experts on that topic? The world has lost its respect for an innocent mind. An innocent mind is of God. When the mind is aware of the evils of the world, the relationship with God suffers from it. Once our innocence leaves, its impossible to get it back. Sure, we can mend our relationship with God, but we will still have the worldly knowledge stuck in our minds.

I still consider myself to be pretty innocent and I'm twenty. I love not having knowledge about the evils that take over so many people's minds. It brings me closer to God, being closer to His image. Of course, my innocence separates me from many people. I find that I can't talk to the same people I used to because they have lost their innocent mind. We no longer have the same interests or goals for our lives. They have been led astray from God, and I'm still trying to live for Him. I don't need friends that are of the world though, they will only bring me out of God's path as well. I will learn things when they are brought unto me by God. For example, after I get married, I will learn about the things that are set aside for marriage. There is no rush to "grow up," as the world says. We can learn what we need to in God's time. God will bless us for waiting on his time, and for keeping our minds set on the glory of God.

A Respectful Person Will Find Blessings

Hebrews 13:17 - "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that [is] unprofitable for you."

Respect for authority is something that God considers to be of great importance. God puts authoritative figures in our lives in order to steer our lives in the right direction. After all, God is an authoritative figure, and he is the utmost important figure that we should adhere to. God blesses those that follow the people that have been placed above them. This can be teachers, policeman, preachers, etc. They have all been put in our lives, in hopes that we will stay on God's path.

Respect for authority is something that many people in our society struggle with. There are many that hate when they are told what they can and cannot do. For a true Christian of God, a person will want to follow what God and people of authority tells them to do. God instills in us the want to do right by Him and others. If we expect to touch others' lives, we must show kindness toward them, and treat them how we would want to be treated. Also, if we expect to have a good relationship with God, we must treat God right, while abiding by His rules.

I know that it can be very difficult to abide by some people's rules. Even if it is a silly request, we must show people respect, even when they lack it for us. This is what God wants. He wants us to show kindness, even when it seems like the other person doesn't deserve it, because this is what God did and continues to do for us. Even when we treat God bad, He still shows us kindness. Of course, if a person tells us to do something that is against God, we should not do it. This is when we should use the knowledge that God gives us to determine whether a request is of God or not.

1 Timothy 5:17 - "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine."

James 5:14 - "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:"

God puts a high significance on the elders of the church. They are the ones that set an example for the future generations and give them the knowledge that they need to be the leaders one day. The elders in our lives can be our grandparents, preachers, or other Godly men and women. Elders have developed a lot of knowledge and wisdom over the years that they have lived, and God has placed them in our lives, so that we might learn from them. These people have wisdom that could really help us in our walk with God. In James 5:14, God said to call upon the elders in time of need. God thinks very highly of elders that are of God, and He uses them in mighty ways. If we have elders in our lives, we should treat them with great respect. For, they are the ones that helped us get where we are today. 

God hasn't put authoritative figures in our lives to make us unhappy, but to guide us where we need to be. Without authoritative figures, the world would be an absolute wreck. I couldn't imagine a world without police officers or laws, and especially without God. We all need guidance in our lives in order to be safe and prosperous. We must always remember that, no matter how crazy what someone of authority tells us to do seems, we are to think of God and how he would want us to act and treat that person. 

"Let God Make A Man Out Of Him"

No doubt I'm missing several great men of the Bible, but these men of God outline the characteristics that all Christian men should possess. We, as women, should be looking for these characteristics in a possible husband.

1) Faithful Like Abraham: In Genesis 22, God told Abraham that he was to go up to Mount Moriah, and offer his son, Isaac, as a sacrifice unto God. Abraham didn't hesitate to follow God's orders because he had very strong faith that God would provide. As Abraham was about to kill his son and offer him unto God, an angel of the Lord called out to Abraham saying, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me." God saw that Abraham had complete faith, even to the point of killing his own son. A ram was provided to Abraham from God for him to make a sacrifice. God provides to those who are faithful to Him. A man, being the head of the household, will provide for his family through his faith.

2) Meek Like Moses: (Exodus) Moses grew up having everything that he could ever dream of having by living in the house of Pharaoh. He had great wealth and possessions, but these things did not mean anything to Moses. When Moses saw the cruelness that the Egyptians had toward the Israelites, he chose them over riches. Moses stood up for the Israelites and led them to freedom, giving up riches and the future throne. Being humble is a great attribute to a man. If a man is to present themselves humbly, they will be a better witness of God by showing others that he is not above them, and those people will find it easier to relate and learn from the man of God. A man of God will put his family and friends above wealth and fortune. 

3) Courageous Like Daniel: (Daniel 6) When the men of Babylon became jealous of Daniel's influence and power in the position that was given to him in the kingdom, they tried to take Daniel's relationship with God away. The Babylon men convinced the king to outlaw the worship of anyone or anything besides the king, including God. Daniel didn't abandon God, and instead, continued to pray to Him. Daniel was accused of worshiping God, and he was thrown in the den of the lions. Daniel willingly accepted his punishment because he knew that God would take care of him. In the den, Daniel peacefully slept throughout the night even with the lions surrounding him. The next morning, God brought him out of the den, and instead, the evil men of Babylon was thrown in the den and devoured. Due to Daniel's bravery and unwavering faith, God brought him out of the den when everything looked hopeless. As a husband, a courageous man will lead his family in the way of God, even when being persecuted. 

4) Righteous Like Job: (Job 1) Job is a very devoted man of God. He always obeys God and His word, which is why the devil wanted him to fail so badly. God allowed the devil to send temptations unto Job, in order to show the devil the unwavering faith that Job possessed. The devil sent word to Job about various, unfortunate killings of  his people that God allowed, but Job still would not curse the name of the Lord. When the devil saw that he had to take drastic measures to get Job to fail, he had Job's sons and daughters killed, but even through this tragic event, Job did not waver from God. Instead, Job praised God, knowing that this was His will. A man that will put obedience to God above everything else, even when it comes to his children, is indeed a great man of God. As a husband, a wife can put her faith in a man that always does the right thing according to God.

5) A Changed Man Like Paul: (Acts 13) Before becoming a great man of God, Paul's name was Saul. Saul was a persecutor of those Christians that believed and followed God. When God came unto Saul one day while he was journeying to find Christians, God sent a bright light out of Heaven that blinded Saul, and showed him that he was wrong in persecuting those people of God. God sent another man of God unto Saul to bring back his sight. Saul's name was changed to Paul when he accepted God as his personal savior, and left behind his sinful acts of persecution. From that point on, Paul began journeying around the land preaching, teaching, and establishing churches all in the glory of God. Paul changed many peoples' lives by doing the work of God. A man that is willing to give up his past for God, then fully dedicate his life to the work of God is a holy man of God. No matter what past a man has, they can become a Godly man. When looking for a husband, his past doesn't define the man he is presently. 

6) A Friend Like Barnabas: (Acts 13-14) Barnabas was a great help and friend to Paul after he became a Christian. Everyone still feared Paul because of his past, but Barnabas was willing to have a friendship with him, and help him in his walk with God. Together, Paul and Barnabas traveled around establishing churches and being preaching God's word. With the friendship that Barnabas provided to Paul, Paul was able to learn from a man of God. Having someone to look up to, Paul was able to model his life after someone that was more experienced with the Christian faith. Being a friend and Godly influence to others may mean more than what one thinks, and God honors a man that will be that for someone. A man that is a Godly friend to others will be a loyal and honorable husband.

While You're Waiting to Get Swept Off Your Feet, Serve God.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 - "But I would have you without carefulness. He that is unmarried careth for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may please the Lord:"

1 Corinthians 7:8 - "I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I."

Marriage is a very selfless thing. The two people in the relationship must devote a lot of time and efforts toward their spouse in order to make it work. It's not about the single person anymore, it's about furthering and bettering their relationship with their spouse. Because of this, God gets put on the back burner a lot of the time. The single person no longer has the time that they did to serve God. Instead, they are forced to split their time between God and their spouse. 

The laws of marriage simply does not allow for the type of devotion that God deserves. In Ephesians 5:22, God says, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." When God gives us the blessing of marriage, He intends for us to be fully submitted to our spouse as we are towards Him. This doesn't mean to be like their slave, but to consider the other person when making decisions, take care of them when they are sick, be on their team when times get tough, and all the things that we expect a spouse to do. Marriage is meant to provide a help meet for a person. Someone that can be there to help, love, and support one another. God wants a lasting marriage of love, laughter, and joy, which can be found when the two people are fully committed to their marriage, but this type of devotion unfortunately takes a large amount of time away from our walk with God. 

Due to the time that marriage takes away from a relationship with God, God says in His word that it is good to be as He is, unmarried. Now, He doesn't mean that He wants us to stay unmarried forever. God loves marriage. He created marriage to bring two people together, so that they may have someone to share our lives with. God has someone for each person, but He wants us to be fully devoted to Him while we are waiting on that person to be shown to us. We can have a great relationship with God as a married person, but it is much easier to have that great relationship when we are devoted to solely God. We should cherish and take advantage of the time that we have as a single person to fully devote our lives to God while we can. If we have a good relationship with God while we are single, we will have a better relationship with our spouse one day because it will be through the love of God.

Don't waste your time being down about being single, it's the perfect time to get down on your knees and pray. 

Take Joy in Being a "Bible-Thumper"

"Jesus Freak!" "Bible-Thumper!" If you have been a Christian very long, you are probably very familiar with these words. God said in 2 Timothy 3:12: "Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." Some people in the world cannot understand why, we as Christians, live for God, so they act out harshly toward us. A term that is commonly used to describe Christians is "old-fashioned." The majority thinks that people need to live in the modern times, and believe everything that has recently came about, but the thing is, God is not modern. God has always been here, and He has been here for us. He laid the foundation to live by, being the Bible, and this should be followed up until the point He comes back to take His children to Heaven, no matter what the world begins to believe. God is not modern, He is timeless.

God knows what it is like to be hated. He has been hated by the world from the beginning times. God said, "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before [it hated] you" (John 15:18). The world doesn't necessarily hate us, they hate God and the power that He has. People do not like the fact that God overpowers them. They want to be their own god, and do what they want. It is usually the concept of authority that they hate. Many hates the thought of someone telling them what to do, and being a Christian takes a lot of sacrifice. A person can't be number one in their own lives, and live for God the way that they should. It's impossible.

Although it may seem that the world is against you, God says to love those that hate us. "But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;" (Matthew 5:44). If we are to love those that hate us, and treat them right, our testimony will grow in the Lord. God will bless us for showing His kindness and mercy even in times where we are being persecuted for believing in Him. By showing the world that we have the love of God within us, and we are joyful, this might influence the world to find God as well.

No matter what a person calls you, no matter what they do to you, or say about you, God is on our side. God says, "Blessed [are] they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10). God will bless us with the joys of Heaven someday for living righteously. Unfortunately, those that act out in evil ways toward God will not receive the blessings of Heaven. "For [it is] better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing" (1Peter 3:17). God says that it is better to do good, so that we will have our names written in the Book of Life, rather than do evil and be happy on the Earth, and have to suffer in Hell for denying God and our sins.

God knows how hard persecution can be. He goes through it everyday, just like us. He understands how it feels to be put down for believing in Him, and how hard it is to show the world your beliefs in fear of being mistreated. For this reason, He gives the most blessings to those that serve Him. Christians sacrifice a lot in their life to serve Him, which they should, and God rewards effort.

"The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalm 118:6). People in this world only has so much power, but God has all power, and He won't let harm come upon you.  

Sermon on the Mount

As Jesus traveled from town to town in the area of Galilee, he would preach God's word and heal the sick. He became very popular and gained a crowd of followers. One day, Jesus went up on a mountainside to speak unto his disciples and his followers. He spoke of those people that will be blessed of God. These teaches became known as the "Sermon on the Mount." (Matthew 5)

Jesus began his teaching with saying "Blessed are the poor in spirit:for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." These are the people that may not have a lot of worldly possessions or wealth, but they have their wealth in their relationship with God and their hope for a better land after they have passed away from the Earth. They are blessed with comfort and peace of Heaven. 

He then spoke of those that are mourning. Jesus said that they will be comforted, and blessed with the peace that only God can give. God can heal any broken heart, and replace that sorrow with joy. 

Jesus said that the meek will be blessed upon the Earth for their patience and forgiving nature. Patience and forgiveness are very difficult concepts, but with righteousness in our hearts, we can overcome our flesh and have a nature of God toward others.

Jesus spoke of those that desire to live a life of righteousness, saying that they will be given understanding and shall be filled with the love of God. When God sees that we are really trying to live a righteous life for His sake, He will bless us for our efforts. 

Those that are merciful, compassionate, and generous to others shall find mercy for themselves. It pays to be a selfless person. God wants us to live our life in His image, and that includes having a selfless attitude. Not once has God been selfish and thought about himself, He has always given to others, and this is what God desires for our life as well. If we give others mercy, God will return the favor by showing us mercy for our sins and failures.

The pure in heart shall find God always. Being sincere with God will find many blessings. God knows if we are being sincere with Him or if we are just going through the routines and putting on a show for others. God blesses for a wholehearted attitude toward the work of God. He wants to see that we are genuinely living for Him and have Godly intentions, instead of living for the pleasures of the world. 

The peacemakers that will work to prevent strife and anguish will be blessed for their efforts to keep God's people together. Strife in the world can have devastating outcomes for the people of God. If we let hate inside of our hearts, this is only going to pull us further from God. Those that will devote their lives to prevent this will be blessed. 

Finally, the last blessed people that Jesus described are those that are persecuted for following God. These are the people that are mocked upon the Earth for trying to live for God. They may be called "old-fashioned," "Bible thumper," and "Jesus freak" on the Earth, but in Heaven, they shall be called "Blessed," "Holy," and "Righteous." 

God gave this message to Jesus so that we might find His blessings. God gives us a clear outline of how He wants us to live. He finds joy in being able to bless us for the work that we do for Him. When we put in an effort to find God's blessings, we will be blessed beyond belief with the peace and joy of God. One day when we reach Heaven, and we are given our crown of life, we will be glad that we devoted our lives to the work of our Almighty God, instead of the world. Have a heart of God, and blessings will flood your life. It's not about our image on the Earth, it's about our image in God's eyes. 

Take Up the Armor of God

In Ephesians 6:11, God's word states to ^"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil." God has given us measures to take, so that we could be ready for anything that the devil throws our way on the Earth. Taking these measures will ensure peace, and will lead to a Heavenly end.

In Ephesians 14-19, God describes the armor of God. First, God says to have our "loins about with truth." This is our belt of truth. By having faith in the truths that God set aside in his word, we can trust God to lead and direct us where we need to be. We need truth in our life, so that we don't become deceived with lies. Next, God tells us to have on a "breastplate of righteousness." Having righteousness protects the most important part of us, our heart. If we do not do good by God, we are leaving our hearts opened to be deceived. Once the devil has our heart, it is hard to get back to God. Next is having our "feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace." We aren't going to make it very far without a decent pair of shoes. We have to have strong soles built from the Word of God to walk across the rough paths that the devil will send our way. The shield of faith is to "quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." God is our spiritual and physical protection, much like shields in battle. When we trust God, He will shield us from the heavy blows of the devil. He will stand in front of us, taking the blows of the fiery darts for us. God tells us to take the helmet of salvation. With salvation, our minds can focus on the hope that is to come. This can protect us from the discouragement and sorrows of the world. The devil gives many reasons to be down in the world, but God gives one reason to be joyful, and that is the salvation that comes from Jesus Christ. Within our belt of truth comes the sword of the spirit, which the Bible says is "the word of God." Much like in battle, we can use the word of God to fight. God gives us everything that we need to know in his word; laws, commandments, hopes, prophesies, etc. We can use the knowledge that comes from God to stand for God's word and fight the battle against the devil.

In Ephesians 6:18-19, the word of God states, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel." God is saying that if we pray and do right by Him, He will open our minds to the mysteries of the gospel. He will open understanding for us, so that we may be able to use the word of God more precisely. If we keep our minds and hearts focused on the word, God will lead us further and further into deeper understanding of what He has left for us in His word.

It is our choice whether we take up the full armor of God, or whether we take a few pieces, or maybe none at all. We aren't going to be prepared for battle unless we take up the full armor. A few pieces isn't going to win the battle, and taking none of the pieces is going to lead to a devilish end. God wants to fight with us. He wants to be our protection and stand beside us in our battle against the devil. So, take the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, have your feet shod with the gospel of peace, take hold of the shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit. Get a good grip on your weapons of choice, the word of God and prayer, because times are going to get rough as long as the devil has anything to say about it. God never promised an easy life on Earth, but with the armor of God, in the end, losing is not an option.

My Godless High School Journey

High school is what you make it to be. It can be about getting a good education, or sports, or band, or whatever you want. You can choose to show the person that you truly are, or you can choose to pretend to be someone else in order to fit in. You can decide to make good grades, or you can decide to just slide by. There are many good and bad paths to choose from, and unfortunately, I chose the bad ones.

Coming into high school, I had the best, Christian friends that I could have ever asked for, but I pushed them away. High school can definitely be cruel, though, it is only cruel if you let it be, like I did. I pushed God out of my life completely in high school, and it sent me down a spiraling funnel of disappointment. I did anything I could to be popular, instead of doing anything I could to please God. I let God down, and I will never get rid of that regret. As I found out, anything without God is bound to fail.

When I first started high school as a freshman, I was in the popular crowd. I was best friends with the girls that everyone wanted to be friends with, I was talking to one of the "lady's men" of the school, and I was in marching band, which was cool at the time. The friends that I had was the best thing that had ever happened to me. I was finally fitting in, and they liked me for me. The guy that I was talking to was a true gentleman. We talked all the time. He carried my books, held the door for me, walked me to my sister's car, called me every night, called me "beautiful" and "angel." Truly, he was the perfect guy. I was on cloud nine, and nothing was going to stop my happiness.

Sometime within the time spent on my personal, dream cloud, reality shoved me off that cloud. Those best friends that I loved so much had led me into stuff that I am so embarrassed of. I cheated my way through freshman year. I was just making it by with my grades, and that was only because of cheating. I had started to say words that I would never say today, I had turned into a mean girl, and I looked down on everyone. Oh, and that perfect guy, well, let's just say he had a good front on.
I don't know if it was him messing around with other girls, or the fact that he got inches from my face and was yelling at me in front of the whole band class that showed me who he really was. Reality had finally hit me, and it hit me hard.

Needless to say, I lost all of those people in my life after freshman year. They were fake friends that were only going to lead me down a worse path. I got rid of that jerky guy in my life as well. All of the sin that I had committed showed me that I wasn't truly saved. When I did get saved during my junior year, I still went against God completely. I let the kids at that school ruin my relationship with God. I didn't get a good relationship with God back until after I graduated, and I can't understand how God could have been so merciful to me when I was so horrible to Him. Though, He did, and I am so grateful to Him for that.

For anyone in high school or about to be in high school, please take my advice, and follow God. I thought that pleasing everyone at school and being liked was what high school was about, but it's not. Those popular kids that made me feel so inferior in high school aren't even around anymore. I let them make such an impact in my life, and now, they aren't in my life at all. If I could go back, I would choose the unpopular crowd. I so wish I would have. They are such better influences than the popular crowd. The popular kids that I graduated with are still partying, drinking, and doing drugs, while the unpopular crowd are making something of themselves. They are the ones that are becoming successful. Trust me when I say that it isn't worth being popular, but it will be worth following God. Don't be like me. Don't let people ruin your relationship with God just because they seem to have it all. No person, or status is worth the regret that I now feel because of what I did to God. Take the chance while you can, and choose God.

"No More Death, Neither Sorrow, Nor Crying"

Revelation 21:2- "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."

I tear up at the thought of Heaven. We cannot even fathom how great it is going to be. The thought of having no pain of any sort is a foreign concept for any of us living in a world that is filled with pain. Being able to be with God and Jesus who made the ultimate sacrifice for us seems completely bizarre to me. The things that we are going to set our eyes on are going to be absolutely incredible.

I had thought about sketching a picture of what I thought Heaven was going to look like, but honestly, there was no way that I was going to do justice to Heaven. When God created Heaven, He went all out, and he gives us a glimpse of this in the Bible.

In chapters 21 and 22 of Revelation, God speaks about the beauty of Heaven. Upon entering Heaven, there are twelve gates, each with a pearl. The street of the city is pure gold, and God is the one that lights the city, for there shall be no night. There is a crystal clear river of pure water leading to the throne of God. On each side of the river is the tree of life, with twelve kinds of fruit, and leaves that can heal nations.

I don't know about you, but this sounds pretty wonderful to me. A perfect place that God made for us, even though we don't necessarily deserve it. We have sinned, though, God forgave us for those sins, and His great mercy allowed this place to be for us for eternity! Eternity!! Can you believe it?? I cannot even begin to understand the concept of an absolute forever. The idea used to scare me when I was lost, thinking about being in a place of torment forever, but now that I'm saved, the thought of spending forever with my Lord is awesome.

Not only do we get to live in this perfect place, singing and worshipping alongside God, but we also get a mansion! A mansion!! In John 14:2, God tells us that He has prepared a mansion for each of us that are saved. Honestly, it sounds like the ultimate fairytale, but once we that are saved get to Heaven, all that is going to matter is praising our God for what He has done for us. Looking upon God and Jesus is going to bring the ultimate joy.

I am absolutely ecstatic to meet my Lord someday, and see the place that He has prepared for us. I hope to see many people I know there, and I look forward to meeting my brothers and sisters in Christ that I didn't get the pleasure of meeting on Earth. For those that are not saved, I hope that you choose the path that leads to Heaven because no one is going to want to miss out on the things of God. Until we get there, I'll be dreaming about the day that I get to enter those gates, and walk past the pure river on the street of gold unto our Lord.

Hebrews 13:14 - For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

Modesty is the Best Policy

"What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" -1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Our bodies are not our own. They belong to God, who made them in his image. As a Christian, we are to represent the God who saved us, in not only our interior selves, but exterior as well. God is holy and true, and He should be reflected in our own lives and to the world.

I put together this collage because I wanted to show people that it is possible to dress modern while being modest. The Merriam Webster Dictionary describes modest as "not too proud or confident about yourself or your abilities : not showing or feeling great or excessive pride." When we show our bodies to the world, we are being prideful of what we have. We are taking pride in our bodies, rather than who we are on the inside. The clothing that we wear has the ability to give someone the wrong impression about us. I'm not saying that what other people thinks necessarily matters, but modest dress could be a great aspect to our testimony.

I think that we all judge people on how they dress. We shouldn't, but it comes naturally to us. Normally, if we see a girl with a long dress on, we will infer that she is a Godly person, but if we were to see that same person in short shorts and wearing a belly shirt, we would think of her completely different. Clothing has the ability to either help or hurt us. Modest dress will show the world that we are following God, which will bring the right kinds of people into our lives. While immodest dress will lead to the wrong crowd, which will ultimately destroy our testimonies for God. Ladies, if a guy only likes you because of the way you dress, he's not in it for the long haul. The right, Godly man will come along one day and see that you're living for God through modest dress, and love you for who you are, rather than what he sees.

It is so easy to get that modern style while also wearing the right amount of clothes. As you can see in the collage that I made, you don't have to wear turtle necks and skirts covering your ankles in order to be modest. You can show your shoulders, you can show your legs, you can wear clothing that is slightly tight, and it's still modest. Something that I've found to be true is that if you're going to wear shorts or a tank top, it's best to make the opposite article of clothing more modest. For example, if you wear a tank top, make your shorts/skirt longer, or if you wear shorts/skirt above the knee, put a more covering top. There's so many options to dressing modest, and they are out there for us to discover.

I've struggled with modest dress for a long time. I thought that I had to wear a fewer amount of clothes to fit in. I was completely wrong with my intentions altogether. I shouldn't want to fit in with the world. I should want to fit in with God's people. I think the most important thing you should ask yourself before walking out the door is, "Would I wear this in front of my pastor?" I do this many times, and I think it's quite effective. If we wouldn't want our church family to see us dressed in a certain way, we shouldn't be wearing it. So, let's take the initiative to dress the body that God gave
us with respect. Let's show the world that God is within us, and He is holy.

From a Preacher's Daughter

Being a Christian, a lot of people want to see us fail. Society is waiting for us to mess up, so that they can gossip about how the person that claims to love God failed Him. The world sometimes seems to work against those that are trying to live for God. People are more interested in tearing people down to make themselves look better, than to encourage each other in their walk of faith.

Living for God in a world of hate can be hard enough without extra, ridiculous standards. As a preacher's daughter, an extra burden is placed on me because a lot of people expect me to be perfect. This can be a good and bad thing. Good, because it pushes me to do better, but bad because I can't hold these standards, and I shouldn't be living right because of society, but because of God. If I put a large emphasis on pleasing the world, I'll forget about pleasing God along the way. We as Christians are all the same. We have an individual relationship with God, and no one else is involved, even if you are the child of a preacher or other higher positioned person. Being a preacher's daughter comes with a lot of blessings, and unfortunately, it comes with a lot of heartbreak as well.

My dad was called to preach when I was a baby, so I've never really known a time when he wasn't a preacher.  Growing up, I always saw that my dad was looked up to, and so many people praised him for doing God's work. Though, as I grew up, I saw the awful things that my dad had to go through because he was a preacher. When he was first called to preach, we were at a church where his family went. The church began transitioning their beliefs, and my dad stood up for what he believed in. Throughout all of this, his family and the rest of the church went against him. This started the beginning of the strife between the family. He was saw as an outcast because God had called him to preach, even in his own family. Many people would be nice to his face, but as soon as they walked away, it was a whole different story. Not that everyone was like this, but some started looking at him differently, and they didn't want to be around him because they felt they were being judged. The thing is, preachers aren't the ones that people have to worry about, it's God. He sees so much more than a preacher can, and He has the ability to judge a person for their wrong doings. My dad wouldn't trade being a preacher for the world, but I wish the world would see He's trying to do God's work, not be above anyone.

The misconception that people have of a preacher's family seems crazy to me. So many people think they sit around all the time reading their Bible, praying, singing, etc. When in reality, they are just like any other Christian family. Yes, we pray. Yes, we read our Bible. But isn't that what all Christian families are supposed to do? I couldn't count on my fingers and toes the amount of times I've heard the statement, "Well, that explains why you're like that" when I tell someone my dad is a preacher. Just because my dad is a preacher, it doesn't influence my relationship with God. If I choose to live for God, that's my choice, and if I choose to live sinfully, that's also my choice. When God saved me, my dad didn't help get me saved. That was only between God and I, and our relationship is only between us as well.

Due to the influence that society has played, I hate to admit that I've been ashamed of my dad being a preacher many of times. The fear of what people will say, think, or form their opinion of me terrifies me sometimes. I'm proud of what my dad has done for the Lord, but I would also like to have my own testimony. I've been really working on forming this testimony, while also being able to show the world how proud I am of my family. I think the most important thing to remember is that we form our own relationship with God. No one can help us, and no one can hurt us. Wherever God calls us, we need to go, and He will take care of us. "The LORD is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?" (Psalms 118:6)

An Unwavering Faith

In chapter 1 of the book of Job, this tells the story of a righteous and Godly man. This man, Job, had seven sons and three daughters. He also had 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 oxen, and 500 donkeys. Job was very blessed with his household because of his loyalty to God. One day, Job's sons called upon their sisters to come eat and drink with them. Job saw that they had sinned, so he offered burnt sacrifices unto God on account for them.

With permission from God, Satan began to tempt Job, so that Job would sin against God, which would bring much pleasure to Satan. Satan accused Job of only staying faithful to God because God had given him many things of the world. He said that Job would lose his faith if God were to take away what He had given to him. God allowed Satan to go ahead with his temptations in order to test the faith that Job had, and to show Satan that he didn't have the power to make anyone go through with sin.

Going along with the plan to convince Job that God was against him, Satan began sending many temptations in Job's direction in attempt to see him fail God. First, Satan sent word to Job that the servants had been killed by the Sabeans, who were men of stature. Next, another man came telling of sheep and servants being killed by God's fire from Heaven. Another came saying that the Chal-de'ans, a violent people, had gathered an army of people to steal the camels and kill servants. Lastly, a person came saying that his sons and daughters had been eating and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house. The person said that a great wind came about, and the four corners of the house fell on the siblings, killing them.  

Job rose from his work, and fell on the ground and began worshipping God saying, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly" (Verse 22).

Throughout everything that Job went through, he never turned his back on God. He kept his loyalty to God, even when it came down to the harm of his children. This is how our relationship with God should be. No one or no thing should ever come before God in our lives.

God demonstrates that we can fight Satan as he throws his fiery darts our way. Satan tried and tried to bring Job down with heartbreaking occurrences, but Job's faith never wavered. Instead, he worshipped God for the things that He had done in his life. He trusted God's ways, and Job was blessed for his great work of God.

If we put our faith in God, it can withstand even what Satan sends our way. God will never give us anything that we can't handle. With the love of God within our hearts, we are stronger than what we could imagine. Putting God first in our lives, even before things like our children, can be extremely hard, but it is worth it. God will always bless us for our loyalty, and he deserves it above anything else. Let's not hate God for the bad things that happens, but praise Him for the countless, great things He has done for us.