My Top 5's!

Hi! I hope you're having a great week! Do you have any plans for the weekend?!

Today I'm going to be posting about my top 5 favorite Christian songs, and Bible verses! My absolute favorites will be ranked first, and my lesser favorites (that sounds really weird) will be closer to the bottom.

I was originally going to post a devotional-style post, but I'm still praying on what exactly I'm going to write it about. So today I'm going to do a more simple post. :)

Let's get started!

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Top 5 favorite songs

Gosh, this question is hard. As a lot of Christian artists say, "Choosing a favorite song is like choosing my favorite child." Heh. So this is going to be a little hard! My favorite songs change almost daily... 

1. Magnify by We Are Messengers

Magnify will always be an all time favorite! My favorite line is, "God be greater than the worries in my life." You probably all know this, but I struggle with worry and anxiety a lot. I need that to be my prayer all day, everyday. God be greater than the worries in my life. Because in my head I know God is bigger and greater than whatever is going on in my life, but I need my heart to constantly be reminded of that. I need to remember that no fear is bigger than God.

2. Up Again by Dan Bremnes

I seriously love all of Dan Bremnes' songs, so choosing a favorite was hard! But Up Again is just such a good song. My sister was in the hospital on and off for about two months, and it was such a difficult time. Even after she was well, and moved away, I was having a really hard time just letting go of that time, and letting the past be the past, and stepping into the future. This song has been a really great encouragement since then. Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win. You gotta get up, up again. I can move forward. I can get up again.

3. I Don't Have To Worry by David Dunn

Again, this song has to do with fear. During Christmas time, I was having a lot of anxiety, because we had a lot of stuff going on. Family in town, serving the homeless, our annual church Christmas party, and all the stuff that Christmas brings. During that time, I had this song on repeat just about 24/7! When I felt my anxiety creeping up, I would turn this song on. It's so encouraging to know that I don't have to worry, because God uses every situation for good, and He will get us through it.

4. You Know Me Better by Stars Go Dim

When my dad became the pastor of our church, it was hard to say the least. Nobody would say a word to me. I was laughed at a lot in youth group. It was just really difficult. This song brought a lot of hope. God knows me better than anyone else ever could, and I am seen and loved by Him. I might not be seen a whole lot by people here on this earth, but I am seen and fully known by the King of Kings. And that's better than anything else. Church has become a lot easier since then. There were times on the ride home from church where I would just cry, because I felt like nobody at church cared. But now I know that people's approval does not matter at all. Only God's approval matters, and He sees me the way nobody else does. Now, most weeks people do talk to me, and I'm no longer laughed at in youth group. Things do change, but it takes a lot of patience and hope.

5. Love Anyway by Tenth Avenue North

(It's the Tenth Avenue North monkey! I was tempted to buy a t-shirt with this monkey on it XD)

This world is so full of hate, but rarely filled with love. But we need to be the people who will love, despite what the world chooses to do. We need to love those who everyone else would think of as unlovable. No matter what people have done to us, we can still love them. It might not be easy at first, but we can do it. We can love them with the same love God has shown us!

Top 5 favorite Bible verses

Originally I was gonna also do a section with my favorite Christian books, but then I realized I probably haven't even completely read 5 non-fiction Christian books all the way through, soooo... I'm trying to expand my "book-vocabulary", so maybe I'll do my top 5 favorite Christian books in a few months. XD But for now, here's my favorite Bible verses!

1. Psalm 23 (NIV)

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

He makes me lie down in green pastures,

he leads me beside quiet waters,

he refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk

through the darkest valley,

I will fear no evil,

for you are with me;

your rod and your staff,

they comfort me

You prepare a table before me

in the presence of my enemies.

You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.

Surely your goodness and love will follow me

all the days of my life,

and I will dwell in the house of the LORD

forever.

I know this is technically 6 verses and not 1, but I love this Psalm so much. Different parts have encouraged me through different times, and the whole thing is so beautiful. Just that picture of God caring for us, and leading us, and guiding us. It's a picture of His incredible goodness and love, and that He will never leave us. I read this Psalm, along with the next verse every morning as soon as I wake up. I love having scripture be the first thing I wake up to!

2. Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)

'Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, surely I will help you,

Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Just think of that. The God of the whole universe is telling us not to fear, because He's with us, and will strengthen us. I really don't have much else to say, this verse speaks for itself!

3. Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV)

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I actually have the first verse on a ring that I wear everyday! I once read an article from a lady who was talking about how you can't just "pray anxiety away." Basically saying that we probably shouldn't ask God to take away our anxieties. This made me pretty angry, and I was wondering how anybody could ever write such a thing. It made me think of this verse, that we shouldn't be anxious about anything, but in every situation, present our prayers and petitions and requests to God. This verse is a reminder that God does care about every aspect of our lives, and we can talk to Him about every fear. You can go to Him! You're not going to be bugging Him. In fact, He loves to hear from us!

4. Matthew 19:26 (NIV)

Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

Sometimes I think my ideas and dreams are too big. But I love this verse, because it's a reminder that absolutely nothing is impossible with God! I started liking this verse a lot, and saw it popping up in different places, I believe at the beginning of this year.

5. Isaiah 26:8 (NIV)

Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws,

we wait for you;

your name and renown

are the desire of our hearts.

I could go into a big long conversation about why I like this verse, but let's keep it short and sweet, sound good?? XDD

For one thing, it's a reminder for us to always walk in God's ways. His name and his renown should always be our main focus, and desire. When we walk in His ways, we can have the patience to wait for His return, and in the meantime, tell everyone we possibly can about His great mercy, and salvation.

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What would your "top 5's" be? What was your favorite song and verse off of my list? Let me know! I'd love to see your answers! I'll try to respond to your comments within the next few days!

God made you. Uniquely. Beautifully. Intentionally. Purposefully. Wonderfully.