2 Chronicles 7:14

¹⁴ and if my people who are called by my name become humble and pray, and look for me, and turn away from their evil ways, then I will hear them from heaven. I will forgive their sin and heal their land.

This is a great verse and one that I think is very timely! I think that we as  Christians need to get on our knees. We need to get humble, and put away all pride. I think we as a nation is very prideful and selfish. I really feel that we need to take a step back and really realize that we are all human and it is only by God’s grace and love that we are here. We are all sinners and no one is greater than the other. We need to thank God for His love and grace and start praying for HIM to change things and to lead us into the direction that we should go, and then listen and move! God does have a plan for us all, and it is time for us to follow fully after HIM and what HE has for our lives.

We need to look for God. The Bible says that when we search for Him we will find Him!! We need to always be searching for more of God in our lives and how we can be more like Him. We need to turn from our ways of the past. We need to turn away from anything that separates us from God. We need to turn away from the sins that so easily get us caught! When we do this, God Himself will hear us from heaven! He will forgive all our sins, and it says above that He will heal our land. We need to walk the straight and narrow!  We need to take the path that is less traveled on!

One thing that I see about this country is that there are a lot of “Christians”. If you ask most people they will say “yes I am christian”. Or they identify their religion as “christian”. But are we really TRUE followers of Christ. That is what that term means, we are a follower of Christ. We want and try to be like Christ. Do we try and be like Christ everyday, or do we just do our “christian duty” and go to church for show on Sundays. Being a true follower of Christ means being more than just a “Sunday Christian”. It means to devote your life to Him. To try daily to make the choices that will reflect Christ and not ourselves. We need to really examine our relationship with the God we love and really see where we need some changes made in our lives. I have been trying to do this. I have been trying to pray more and especially when I tell someone I will pray, that I actually do. I have been examining my life, and asking God to really point out where I need some things fixed, and He has been. It takes time and work to fix stuff in our lives, but it is easier when we actually know what needs fixing. I want God to heal my land. I think this verse goes as a nation, and we can take this to this country and in that light, but I also think that it also speaks of our personal lives too. We as a nation need to turn back to God, but it takes each and every one of us to do that. We all need to personally repent, we all need to personally turn back to God’s way of living and not the world’s, and after that He says He will heal our land. I see my land as my home, my emotions, my heart, my family, etc. I take this verse on a nation level, but also on a personal level because we all need to personally do this in our lives! I encourage you to really search your heart, your motives and really work on your relationship with the God who loves you, the God who gave you grace when you did not deserve it. He loves us so much to have His only son die a brutal death, how much do you love Him in return?

It has been pretty busy here for us. I have been working for a couple weeks now. Done training so now I am working and it is going well. I am relearning all the wonderful starbucks stuff and am enjoying it. I love my coffee. Then ministry is going really great. God is doing some great things. We are learning from an amazing pastor and meeting some wonderful people from all over the world! life is great.

influence

Influence! We all have some kind of influence in life. We all have some kind of influence on those around us and closest to us. My question is this... is that influence that you have a positive or negative influence! We all hope and pray that we are a positive influence, but sometimes, it just isn't the case. I encourage you today to think about your influence, on your family, on your friends, on your spouse, on your kids, on your church, etc. Think if you are making a positive influence in their lives. How can you tell? they are happy, thriving, they are acting the same etc. By the fruit we will know! How you act and what you say can influence people. Be an encouraging positive influence on those around you. The kingdom of God is counting on you!

⁵ Trust the LORD completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. ⁶ With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way.

Thinking about all that is going on in the world, how these people or that group or whoever, is so intollerent.... Everyone can say that about everyone who does not hold to the beliefs that you hold to.... It is that "Catch phrase" that everyone is using right now. Everyone is mad at everyone about something.... It is frustrating! Everyone is getting in on the action. I have to say, that there is so much going on you don't know what to think about the whole thing. With everything that has been going on, it makes me ask the question "where does our identity come from?" Where is our worth found?
Identity! What a word. What does this word make you think of? As a follower of Christ what does this word make you think of? This word meas many things to many people. People find their identity in their job and what they DO. Some find their identity in the friends they have. Some find their identity in their beliefs or what they think and how they live day to day. Some find their identity in what their race is. Some find their identity in what their sexual orientation might be. The thing is... WE cannot find our identity in and of our selves. Our identity and who we are comes from God. Only God sees deep down, past the "I want to do this" or "I want to be this" and through the I want to do or be this.... He sees deeper, He and He alone sees the real you! The you who He wants to shine through that mask that we put on daily! We try to be someone else, and someone who God did not make us to be. He wants YOU to come through. The YOU that HE created! He created YOU for a certain purpose and to find that purpose we need to find our identity IN HIM!!! Many people say I AM _____. And get so firm in that statement that they dont even try to search God to find themselves. That is the only way that the true YOU will come out. Search God and KNOW HIM and you will start shining through. I have been there and done that. I probably still do that, but I am learning! I am trying to forget about the who i want to be in life, and focus on who God wants me to be! I know that God has the plan all laid out and His plan is SOOO much better than I could even imagine. I want to be who God has made me to be, not what I think I should do or be....

Lamentations 3:25

^"25 The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him. 
      He is good to those who look to him." 


I wanted to share this verse today. I read it this morning and thought it was a great verse, and then something happened, and I knew that this was a verse I need to remember and hide in my heart as a reminder! It is so easy to get distracted. You get distracted by work, life, kids, school, people, the wrongs done by people to you, etc. There is so much that wants to peal your eyes off of God. Always remember this verse. Never take your eyes off of God and what He wants you to do, or His plans that He wants to do through you. Always put your hope in Him! Always look to Him when you dont know what to do, or where to go. He wants to do great things through your willingness. It makes God happy when we are obedient to Him. God is soo good to those who put their hope in Him and not the world or things around them. He is sooo good to those who look to Him and not to others or the things of this world. Always put God first, and always look to Him first!