Ephesians 5:16

"Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times." NCV

Our world is clearly falling apart. It is so sad to see but we fight with ourselves about what we should do. I so often feel like I am too young, naive, or too small to make a difference in such a BIG world. It kills me to look around and see much hurt in the world. Our first reaction is to question, "Where is God in the middle of all of this?" It is so hard to trust that He has AMAZING plans for HIS children and the world that HE created so long ago. It is strange to imagine how much different things were when Jesus walked along the dirt of this world. But, it is also funny to think about how so much remains the same. The hatred, the fighting, the selfishness, the pain, the fear: it's all still alive today like it was back then. Why haven't things change? We acknowledge what is going on around us enough to complain for our own selfish reasons. But, when it comes around to actually DOING something for OTHERS, we just sit back and wait for someone else to do it. The celebrities that we SO admire are in other countries helping others but, it also makes you question their TRUE motives (which is sad). I cannot seem to wrap my hands around the fact that I am not the only one that matters in this gigantic world. I may watch the news or listen to my teachers ramble on about what is/has happened all around the world but, I still fear that I couldn't do enough to make difference. So, I just change the channel or start to day-dream about something that directly effects me and continue on in my own little unimportant world. I don't stop and think about ALL the people that are hurting around me. I forget about the people who have bad lives at homes, who do drugs to fit in, who drink to escape the pain, the ones whose bad days have turned into bad weeks, or even the people who just NEED someone to LOVE them. I forget that GOD put little me on this big planet because HE, the Creator, has a purpose for me. I forget that God wants me to LOVE like HE loves me. I can never seem to remember that the Author of Salvation needs me to make a difference in the world. Even if that means just being a friend to the friendless, or just smiling at someone who is having a bad day, or picking up the books of the 'nerdy kid that no one likes.' God needs me to be an example of HIM. He needs all of HIS CHILDREN to shine HIS light. (Even when times are tough and we just feel like giving up). God needs us MOST in these hard times. WE need to start small if we ever want GOD to make a difference in this fallen world. SHINE BRIGHT!

"BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD"
-Mahatma Gandhi

Proverbs 19:21

"People can make all kinds of plans, but only the LORD's plan will happen." NCV

"I know that you can do all things and that no plan of yours can be ruined." Job 42:2 NCV

Lately, I find myself trying so hard to do everything right. I want to say, do, act, think, notice, and understand everything just right. It wasn't until just recently that I realized that I have NOT been LIVING just right. You can try and do everything perfectly and try and master all the areas of life. But, that doesn't necessarily mean the life is going to be perfect. I struggle so much with wanting to do things MY way. Until everything falls apart because I find out that MY way is ALL wrong. I do the things that bring ME happiness, joy and pleasure. Without thinking about my friends, family, loved ones, and even my enemies. I easily forget the reason why I am even on this planet. I can never seem to remember that the ONE that I should live my life for is the only ONE who can really do a good job with my life. I just seem to be WAY TOO SELFISH with the control. I have all these ideas about things in my life. But, GOD is the only ONE with PLANS and REALITIES for my life. I am starting to see that in order to LIVE MY LIFE, I must first GIVE IT UP! I must give it to the Author of Salvation, the Perfecter of Perfection, the Way, the Truth, and the Light, the Prince of Peace, the Healer, the Protector, the God Almighty! He is the only one that I trust to run my life. He knows me better than I know myself. He is the ONLY ONE who can TRULY understand EVERYTHING that I am faced with before it even happens. He is the ONLY ONE who knows the outcome of every situation before they even come to mind. He is the ONLY ONE who loves me with an unfailing love. He is the ONLY ONE with enough knowledge, power, strength, wisdom, patience, love, understand, and mercy that I need to face everyday. He is more than I will every be. So why do I still try to "steer my own ship." He is the ONLY ONE I should rely on to control my life. I need to trust HIM with the "pen" to my life story. I give up trying to do it all by myself. I want help. NO...I NEED HELP! I want to, and need to, give God control. I need to make sure my plans are in sync with God's plans because...
GOD'S PLANS ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT FOLLOW THROUGH!

"LORD, HAVE YOUR WAY IN ME!"

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."



The world has so many ways of describing and showing love. But, is it REALLY love? In our society today, we use the word LOVE so loosely. "I LOVE this..." "I LOVE that..." But, is it REALLY love? We all tend to fall into the world's ideas of what love is. But, is it REALLY love? The last thing we ever love to for a description of love is the only One we can truly find it from. We don't seem to turn to the only place where we can get a true definition, and example, of what LOVE is! LOVE is more than just a word. It is more than an emotion. Real LOVE is a way of living. In order to really live a life of LOVE, we must devote ourselves to living a life the pleases the Only One who can ever master every aspect of TRUE LOVE! In order to experience what it means to fully LOVE someone we need to learn how to focus more on GOD's example of love and less on the world's idea of love. We need to stop taking love soo lightly because LOVE is sooo much stronger, better, and beautiful than we can ever truly imagine. I know I am SOOO not the love doctor or expert. But, I do know that I am loved by my Almighty Creator. I do know that I am soo not deserving. I can honestly say that LOVE is more amazing than my wildest dreams because if the GOD of the universe can TRULY LOVE someone like ME, than it has to be powerful. I want to learn to be patient, and kind. I want to stop being jealous, prideful, rude, self-seking, or easily angered. I want to erase all records of wrongs. I need to rejoice in the truth. I want to protect, trust, hope, and persevere through CHRIST. Then, and only then, will I be able to love with God's LOVE!

I [am learning to] LOVE you!