Hey, guys! Wow, I can't believe March is already over! This month has pretty much been... crazy for me. I've had a lot of anxiety this month, but on the other hand, God has blessed me so much this month. A lot of you know that I'm a huge fan of Christian music, and I can see God is doing things with Christian music in my life far beyond what I can see. It's been awesome seeing it all unfold. I would say more about it if I could, but that would require me leaking out some personal information, sooo. XD
I understand that not everyone likes/agrees with these Christian posts we've been doing, as I've seen views and comments go down quite a bit. But I believe this is what God has called me to do during this month. It's a time to reflect on God, and all He wants for our lives, and all He's done in our lives. We'll go back to Animal Jam posts starting tomorrow, but I do want this to be an annual thing, every March. :)
Today's post is going to be a little shorter than normal, sorry about that!
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Today I wanted to talk about something that I'm sure has crossed a lot of our minds. How can I still serve God where I am right now? Maybe you're one of the only Christians at your school, or you have a dream of starting a career when you grow up. But you have absolutely no idea how to share Christ in that situation. Well, 1 Corinthians 10:31 has something to say about this.
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So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
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Whatever you do. Whatever you do, do it to the glory of God. Whether it's simply sitting in your classroom, or working on writing a book. Do it all to the glory of God. Do it to God's glory, because you're really doing what you do for God, and not for any person.
How do you do this? How do you share Christ in a place where Christ isn't being shared? We simply be a light. We show love to everyone we meet, and they'll see something different about us. We do everything we do with joy, and for the glory of God. People will want to know why we do what we do with such love and joy. That's when we can be a light. That's when they'll want what we have, Jesus.
It can be that simple.
Whatever you're doing today, remember to always do it to the glory of God. ❤️
Hi guys! I do understand this post is sorta AJ related... and I hope that's okay... but I had no other ideas in mind so I figured I'd just do this anyway. Let's just get into it!
1.
Housemom322
My sister has made the greatest impact on my Christian Growth. When I feel like I should just give up, she's always there for me. Thank you sis!
2.
Graciepopstar91
Gracie is so sweet, sometimes when I get angry or mad, she literally calms me down in seconds. She's always telling me about what God can do during every single small and big situation I have.
(In matter of fact, she was the one who actually reminded me to do a blog post today... :cough:)
Thank you Gracie!
3.
Celebrati0n
Celebrati0n always makes me laugh and smile, no matter what. Not only that, she encourages you in your faith every single time you hang around her. She's one of those people who aren't only just fun to hang around, but also one of those people that you should hang around with, because of what they help you with.
Thank you Celebrati0n!
4.
Twinklegirl600
Twinkle encourages me everytime I see her... there is not one dull moment with her. I find it cool that we also use the same bible version. 😊
Thank you Twinkle!
5.
Partyon25
Even though we don't talk often, she's always so happy and cheerful. There is something about her, that just shines bright. She encourages me just like all the others do.
We're all probably in a struggle of some sort. Or at least, we know of someone who's in the struggle. It could be an awful situation you're facing, or it could be a tough season of anxiety you're battling. It can be hard to see clearly during it. We can get so drowned out by all the other voices whispering lies to us. But I want you to know this here in the struggle.
There's hope.
There's still hope.
Every time I get stuck in anxiety, I can really talk myself into thinking that my anxiety is never going to end, and all my fears are going to come true. But that's just a lie. 2 Corinthians 4:17 says,
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For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
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Our troubles will always be light and momentary. The scars of our troubles might last for a long time, but the actual situation is only momentary. The season of anxiety that I'm currently in is only momentary. And in the end, it will achieve an eternal glory. Just think- your story, and my story, could be a beacon of hope for someone in the future who is walking through something we ourselves have walked through. There's always a purpose for the pain we're feeling.
Never give up. Never lose hope. Keep going! Here in the struggle, God is working. Here in the struggle, God is working all things together for good.
It's another Wednesday! I can't believe it's the last Wednesday of March already. I am not really sure in what direction this post is going to go, because it's kind of "off the cuff."
I am currently listening to Casting Crowns' song called Even When You're Running.
This song is on their newest album, called "Only Jesus," just in case if you were wondering. I specifically wanted to talk about this song, and how true it is to me personally. It speaks my story.
Lately, I've been so caught up with so many things. I am not as close to God as I once was, and it bothers me. I am always saying "Why can't I just be as close as I was when I was 13?"
I say that because I was sold out to Christ. ANYTHING He wanted I did or gave. ANY time I had was HIS. In recent times, maybe the last year- year and half or so, I've been caught up with myself. I've lost my way...
I'VE BEEN RUNNING!
He's always been in the background, calling to me. I responded maybe for a week or so, but I always went back to running. Running a 1000 miles in the wrong direction. I began to feel myself slip away when I was 14. I even wrote myself a letter, of which I read recently. It smote my heart and so did this song.
Like the song says, "His love is inescapable. His presence is unshakable." It's reminds me of Jonah in the Bible, where he tried to escape the calling of God. I like Jonah have tried to escape. I've allowed other things to fill up my time. I've allowed other voices to call out to me. (Not that they were sinful things, but they were just things. Things that God didn't give me specific instructions to do and pursue).
I've felt that God has been calling me back to the close fellowship that we once had, for a while now. He's never stopped calling. As the days go on my days seem to get busier and darker. I am ashamed to admit that, but I am being honest with myself.
I am tired of running! I am tired of living my life for myself. I am lonely without Him. I am...BROKEN!
Jesus Christ made a way for me and you. I don't have to run, instead I need to turn and around and He will come running. He'll welcome you home, like the father in the story of the prodigal son.
I am not sure who this post is for or if it's even for anyone. Maybe it's for me to look back on, remembering the day that I broke down and turned around to simply stop running. However, if you are running...I encourage you to stop right now. Go to God, He's inescapable and unshakable. You don't need to hide and curl up into the corner. I have. It's miserable. Stop running away from the love that you once had!
Today's Encouraging Quote:
We never grow closer to God when we just live life. It takes deliberate pursuit and attentiveness.
- Francis Chan
Today's Bible Verse:
And
when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my
father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, - Luke 15:17-18
Remember, the best friend you have is Jesus Christ.
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
-Albert Einstein
How are you living your life? Are you living your life taking everything for granted, and seeming to be stuck in one place, not going anywhere? Or are you living as though every breath you take is a miracle, and are chasing after all God has for you? Those are the two ways we can live our life. Or, as Albert Einstein once said, as though nothing is a miracle, or as though everything as a miracle.
Our lives are so short when we look at the big picture of life. Our lives are a tiny sliver of human history. How are we going to live it out? What will we be known for at the end of our life? What will it say on your tombstone? A good sister? A good friend? Or will it be something even greater than all that? What if it said "a follower of Jesus", or "a world changer for Christ"?
Our lives are precious, and we can either make a mark on a history, or instead, be lazy, and think someone else will make a difference.
We should live our lives for a purpose. We have one story to carry out. The story of Jesus. We can change the world through Jesus. Did you ever think about that?
Everyone who has made a difference in the world started out just like you and me. As kids or teenagers, who have big dreams. But so often we just bury those dreams, and eventually forget about them. But what if we, instead, chose to live out those dreams? I don't know what that exactly looks like in your life. It could be taking the first steps in publishing a book you've been working on, or learning how to play a musical instrument. Hebrews 12:1 says,
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Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,
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We need to run with perseverance the race that God has set before us. Let's live our lives well, for His glory. Let's not take any moment for granted, but let's live as though everything is a miracle.
A band called Switchfoot has a song about this, called "Live It Well", which you can listen to below!
We have one shot at this life, and one story to tell. We have one love. Let's go and live our lives with meaning.
We all want to be someone. Someone popular, someone who's loved, we all want to fit in. Sometimes we even lie about who we are, just simply so people will accept us. We can make up completely crazy stories about our lives, just so we can get attention. But that's not what we were designed to do. We were designed to live for so much more.
Maybe we're marked by a word. That word could be anxiety, regret, guilt, etc.. But God has one word that truly does mark you. It's a word that He alone declares over your life. What's that word?
CHILD.
Child of the One True King.
We can now call God our father. We can run to Him, because we are His. We are no longer marked by our past, we are marked by our freedom. We're marked by our new life in Christ. Let's take a look at this reality in the Bible. Romans 8:15-17 says,
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15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
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If we are in Christ, we're no longer slaves. We are God's children, His prized possession! If God is our Father, then we are co-heirs in Christ, in the Kingdom of God.
A Christian artist, Matthew West, wrote a song about this. About how we are now children of God, the One True King. You can see in the video a bunch of different name tags, with lies that we so easily believe. Some of them said regret, ugly, etc.. But the beauty of it is that they're crossed out. They're done with. We're now alive in Christ, and are his children. I encourage you to watch this video below!
So what do you believe defines you? Do you let what you do define you? Do you let your mistakes define you? Give it all to God. Come running to Him, and cry out to Him. He already nailed all your mistakes to the cross. Ask for forgiveness. Step into what truly defines you. You are a son or daughter to the One who made the universe. Who hung the stars in the sky. He knows you by name, and loves you more than you could ever imagine.
I've talked about this subject before, but it's been a long time. It's a subject near and dear to my heart, since I've been through a lot of cyberbullying, and have also seen people in real life who have been super unkind to my parents. It hurts, and nobody ever wants to be hurt. The Bible says to love your enemies, but when you're walking through a dark situation with hurtful people, that could seem impossible to do. The Bible says not to steal, not to murder, etc., but that's pretty easy for most people. We've got that down, but loving your enemies just seems to stump us.
Love is a crazy thing. Some people say they love you, when really they don't. Some people actually do love you, but never have the time to express that. But some people really really love you. Those are the people we always love back, right? We love those who love us. Rarely do we love those who hate us. How do we exactly get into that mindset of loving those who hate us? Well let's take a look at Matthew 5:43-48.
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43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighborand hate your enemy.’44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
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There's a few things we get from this passage, that we'll break down. First being verse 45, that talks about how God's sun rises on the evil and the good. Which to me seems to mean that God causes good things and bad things to happen to both the evil and the good. We always want revenge on evil, and want the worst to happen to them. Sometimes that happens, God repays them for the evil they've done. But other times, there isn't any revenge. The evil get showered with good, and we get showered with bad. It seems so crazy that this would happen, but what if I told you that could be to our advantage? God uses every situation for our good, and His glory. There's a reason for everything, even when we can't exactly explain why what's happening is happening. But we can rest knowing there's something good that will come out of it.
Secondly, I want to talk about verse 46, which we already briefly talked about. It's so easy to love those who already love us. But there's no reward in that. There's no good that comes out of that. Of course, we can love those who love us, but if that's the only group of people that we love, we have this all twisted. We need to also love those who hate us, because those who hate us will see that there's something different about us. Why would we do good to them, when they've been so horrible to us? It's because we have Christ in us. They might see that, and that could just open a big door to something incredible.
Verse 47 is what seems to me loving in action. We want to only greet "our people". The people who love us. You know how when you go out somewhere, maybe to the store, and you run into a friend? You always greet them. You say hi to them, and catch up. But when you see someone that isn't in your group, someone that's actually an enemy to you, you probably dash the other way. Nobody wants to be put into that situation, when you're face-to-face with the person who hurt you. But gosh, how amazing would it be if we didn't dash away, and we actually accepted our enemies? What if we greeted them instead of rejecting them? Sounds like the absolute opposite of what this world wants to do. What we want to do for that matter. But it's exactly what we need to do. It's what we need to do to heal. It's what we need to do so they can see Jesus through us. Love is action.
Lastly, verse 48. I could see how this verse could easily confuse someone, because we know we'll never be perfect. And I don't think that's what this verse is referring to. To me, what I get from this verse is that we need to be more like Jesus. We need to love how Jesus loves, and we need to be imitators of Him. He loves perfectly, and we need to strive to love like He does. We will never live up to being perfect, but we can try to be more like Jesus. We won't be Jesus, because nobody except Jesus can be Jesus. But we can try to be more like Him, and He will be pleased with that.
So here's how we can love our enemies,
1. Pray for them. Could be as simple as praying for their well-being, or praying for them to see Jesus through you.
2. Be willing to accept their highs, even when you're down low. Be happy wherever they are, and wherever you are.
3. Know that loving them reflects Jesus in you.
4. Greet them, even if that just means saying hi to them on social media, or passing them by and saying hello at the grocery store.
5. Imitate God, and try to be more like him.
Maybe loving your enemies is easier than you think. It might not be easy at first, but once you try to be more like Jesus, it'll get easier and easier. Getting into God's Word will help you with that.
Let's go love our enemies, and love those who hate us!
~Graciepopstar91
P.S. Since Housemom418 is on vacation, tomorrow I'll be posting again!
Hey Guys!! I am currently on vacation, but hey, I'm up while parents are just relaxing, not doing too much. I am over here in my hotel bed typing away. That's sounds like so much fun, I know! Anyway, since we are vacation this is going to be a shorter post. Since, Gracie did a top 5 favorites of her favorite songs and verses. In this post I am going to be doing the same thing.
Let's start with my top 5 songs.
5)
What If I Gave Everything
Casting Crowns
This is a very challenging song, but I love it. It's also by one of my favorite CCM (Contemporary Christian Music) artist. Okay, I am not much of a CCM person, or follower...SORRY GRACIE! Anyway, I will continue.
4)
Why Should I Worry
Becky and CT Townsend
Well, this song kind of speaks for itself. This song along with the next one got me though a really hard time. Why should I worry, when God is always near. It's just so good!
3)
When The Lights Go Down
Joseph Habedank
At first I didn't really care for this song. However, I really started to listen to it and the words. I then listened to the story of how this song came about. I immediately fell in love!
Basically, this man sang with a Christian group called the Perrys. However, the man he was while he was singing, was not the man he was singing about (meaning Jesus).
2)
Sheltered By His Grace
Assurance Trio
I love this song, because I have the privilege of singing this song that actually speaks my life. There are some songs that are less umm.uh...what should I say, maybe less meaningful? This song, I feel is more geared to people who are raised in a Christian home from the beginning.
1)
What Never Changes
The Clark Family
I AM SOOOOOO GLAD THAT I LEAN ON JESUS, WHO NEVER CHANGES!
That's all I am saying about this song, go check it out!
Now, on to my top 5 verses, this is going to be really hard, but we're going to attempt it.
5)
Philippians 4:6-8
6) Be
careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. 8 Finally,
brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever
things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any
virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
Like I've said before, I struggle with fear, but anytime I feel fearful I try to quote these verses. I have committed these verses to memory, because I have quoted them so many times. LOL
4) Titus 2:13
13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;
This verse really helps me to stay focus on where I am going, instead of the my problems. Though I don't think of it as often as I should, I try to think about heaven and where I am going more than my problems in the here and now.
3) Psalms 34:4
4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.
I pretty much have already talked about this verse, so we are going to keep moving on.
2) Romans 1:16
16 For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also
to the Greek.
This verse is the verse I use when we sign each other's notebooks at the end of camp. I call this my "life verse" I feel that it's so powerful. I can't tell you exactly what I love about it, but I just know that I love it... MOVING ON!
1) 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
1) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
It would make sense this would be the top on my list. This is what makes me who I am. Without the gospel, our life would be in vain. We wouldn't have ANY hope for anything. We would be miserable.
I hope you all enjoyed this shorter post. It helps you guys know who is writing to you. It makes me feel more like a person. XDDD I have no idea that means, please forgive me for the bizarre way that this is written. I am going to wrap it up here. BYE GUYS!! See you next week!
Today's Encouraging Quote:
Faith tells me that no matter what lies ahead of me, God is already there. - Unknown
Today's Bible Verse:
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6 (KJV)
Remember, the best friend you have is Jesus Christ.
When you think of St. Patrick's day, you probably think of leprechauns, clovers, money, luck, and of course, green. But, like many holidays, people have turned St. Patrick's day into something it's not.
Surprisingly, St. Patrick was a Christian! (But he didn't become a Christian until a while later.) And he actually was not Irish. Nobody knows for sure where his birthplace was, but they believe it was somewhere in Roman Britain.
When Patrick was 16 years old, he was captured and taken as a slave in pagan Ireland. He was far from home, and as a teenager, he would ignore the religious teachings he was brought up in. But during his time as a slave, those teachings are what he clung onto the most. I'm sure he was looking for some kind of hope to get him through this time. He was forced to tend sheep, and was held captive for 6 years. But that time as a slave only strengthened his relationship with God, and he eventually became a Christian. Later he was able to return back home.
Even though he was held captive as a slave in Ireland, he knew he needed to go back to those Irish people, which I'm sure was extremely difficult, because of all those horrible past memories. If I was him, all that would be going through my mind would be the awful people that wanted to take advantage of me. But he went back, because he needed to tell those people about the God who changed his life. During this time back in Ireland, he baptized thousands of people, and ordained priests in the new Christian communities. He did a lot of amazing things for the Christian Irish community! Patrick wrote about the Irish,
"Never before did they know of God except to serve idols and unclean things. But now, they have become the people of the Lord, and are called children of God. The sons and daughters of the leaders of the Irish are seen to be monks and virgins of Christ!"
It's so crazy to think that the Irish people never even knew about God. All they knew was to serve idols! It's incredible that Patrick was able to win so many people to Christ, in a country where they knew nothing about Christ. A country he was enslaved in!
Some of you probably know about the Trinity, but some of you might not. We hear in the Bible of God being referenced in 3 different parts. Father (God, in heaven), Son (Jesus, seated at His Father, God's, right hand in heaven, but once walked the earth, and died and was raised again for our sins), and Holy Spirit (often referred to as Holy Ghost, God's spirit that dwells inside of us once we become a new creation in Christ, that convicts us and guides us). Patrick described the Trinity using a Shamrock (three-leaf-clover). I'm pretty sure that's why we always connect clovers and St. Patrick's Day together. Pretty awesome!
St. Patrick's Day is always on March 17th, because that's when they think Patrick's death took place.
What if that happened to you? What if you were taken captive for so many years, and eventually went back home? Would you have the same faith that Patrick did, and go back to tell those people about the God who saved you? Let's step into this week with faith instead of fear. Let's go out and boldly proclaim our faith, without fear of the past. I know it will be hard. But the end result will be so worth it! St. Patrick is such a great example of being a proclaimer of the Gospel, even when all the odds are stacked against us. He's an example of someone doing the impossible.
Who in your life does this story remind you of? Maybe ask them for some advice in moving forward in faith instead of fear.
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
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Here's todays Bible verse!
Luke 6:31
Do to others as you would like them to do to you.
You probably remember that as the golden rule, but it's actually a verse in the Bible! We actually get a lot of our expressions from the Bible, which is pretty cool!
God made you. Uniquely. Beautifully. Intentionally. Purposefully. Wonderfully.
Good morning! Today, I am going to be doing an Easter blog post, so that's why I'm having my blog words in spring colors! I know, this might be crazy that I'm posting an Easter blog post while it's MORE than a month away. But, I think it would go perfect in the month of March. But I do have something important to say! I am going to be gone on March 19th-23rd or 24th. This is because I'm going on vacation! So, Gracie will be filling in for me on the 22nd. I'll be back! Just, you might not catch me on Animal Jam. If you want to ask me a question, you can just comment on this blog post, or you could comment on the post that Gracie is going to do for me on the 22nd. Thanks Gracie! 😊 LET'S GET ONTO IT! A lot of people think that Easter is about the Easter bunny. That is not true. Not even close. Easter is about God. Some people think that Easter is bad as well. Some people make it to be bad. But it's actually a day to make God be first, to be honest. Some people might think, "Well why does God have to be the highest, if he doesn't bless me?" He does bless you, you just don't catch it. I love the song: Count Your Blessings It really shows that God gives us blessings, while we don't even know it. Didn't he give you life? Didn't he give you the chance to be in Heaven when you die? Didn't he help you through struggles? Didn't he give you a house to live in? (I understand not everybody has a house but if you have a computer you probably have a house or at least shelter.) Didn't he give you friends? Or at least 1 friend? He might've gave you a family to live in? All of these things are true. So why do we complain?! It's our nature. We always complain, no matter what. We should try working on that. You know how people do New Years Revolution? Half of the people don't even keep them. (Don't worry, I didn't keep them either.) Maybe we should try to do that on Easter. We should put him the highest. A lot of people live their life wicked, not even thinking about the future ahead of them. What will they get at the Judgement Seat of Christ? Wood, Hay, and stubble? or Gold, Silver, and Precious stones? And even a crown?!?! Which would you rather choose? I know I'd rather choose the second option... but our flesh HATES working for God. We should try to work on this. Maybe we should try doing this on Easter, if we didn't keep our New Years Revolution. As I said, our flesh will hate if we do this. But the spirit will LOVE it. God will walk by our sides when we work for him. And no, God won't make you live your life for him! But he will be happy with you if you do. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Easter is the 21st of April.
Should we try to work for him?
I think we should.
If you don't believe in Jesus Christ, and would like to, It's as easy as the ABC's...
First:
A: Admit you are a sinner.
B: Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
C: Confess that Jesus Christ is the Lord.
And that's all! But try to keep the fellowship with him. 😊
Well that's it today, folks!
Bye!!!!
John 11:25-26 (KJV)
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
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.
