Quote of the Week!

"If a man cannot be a Christian in the place he is, he cannot be a Christian anywhere."
-Henry Ward Beecher

Pray for Nikki!

Hey everyone!

Please pray for Nikki Bihary, she is a very sweet girl that we go the opportunity to meet when my dad spoke at a youth conference in Florida. She loves God, and is truly an inspiration!

Yesterday morning she was in a very bad car accident and hit a tree. She had no broken bones, but she has swelling in the brain. Just today the doctors drilled a hole in her skull so that they could monitor the swelling!

Please lift her up in prayer and pray that the Lord would bring complete healing to her body! That she would be able to respond quickly and that this would be used as a testimony of God's healing power and anointing! Pray for peace and comfort for her family and friends, and that she would have a speedy recovery!

Thanks!!

Quote of the Week...

"If the sermon doesn't burn in you, it won't burn in anybody else, that's for sure!"

-Leonard Ravenhill

Love you guys!

I posted this on my facebook, and felt like I should post it on here :) It was very encouraging to me, and made me smile!!

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze."
-Isaiah 43:2

I apologize for not posting in a while, I've been crazyyyy busy with school...studying..homework..I'm sure most of you know what I mean! But I will definitely try to continue writing a couple times a week!! :)

Hope you all have a blessed week!!

Love you guys, and thanks for all your support!!

Quote of the Week...

‎"I may just be a drop in the bucket, but the bucket isn't full until I'm in it."

-Iverna Tompkin

Do we yearn?

So as I was heading to bed I was reading my word and came across these verses:

"How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God."

-Psalm 84:1-2

Just a question to ponder:

Do our hearts and flesh really cry out for God?......................

Or do they cry out for man, money, power, and pleasures?..................

So many people claim that they get bored, or that they can't find anything interesting about being a christian. Thats is definitely not true...take time to read the Word, let the Lord speak to you thorough the Bible! Pray and seek the Lord, commit to Him all your plans, cry out for your generation....don't let having a relationship with God feel just like any other "religion"...instead engage, grow deeper and deeper in the things of God :) You will not be disappointed!!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Don't Judge, don't do it!

So tonight I was sitting in my anthropology class, and there were these groups of girls that came all super dressed up, with their Starbucks, Louis Vuitton/gucci/juicy bags and they sat in the back. Meanwhile there is this really young kid who is very soft spoken, but he is a genius. It's obvious because he pretty much knows every answer and always gets called on to explain stuff. I noticed that every time he talks the girls in the back like whisper and laugh. Then maybe I thought they just were talking about something else, but it started to become a pattern. They would laugh every time this kid spoke. It made me somewhat angry because he seems like a genuine kid, he definitely wasn't doing anything wrong...so why would they be laughing? I tried to listen in and they were talking about his kind of quiet higher pitched voice. I thought to myself...seriously? Do you really have nothing better to do than make fun of the smart kid who is blatantly excelling before your eyes. The kid who could potentially be the genius that finds a cure for cancer, or becomes the next President, or brings an end to poverty. You never know what he will be in the future, yet they were making fun of him for his voice, it irritated me :/

So I just prayed that the Lord would convict them, or change their hearts! I was reading my Bible once I got home and came across these verses:

"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
-Matthew 7:1-2

People pretty much expect catty girls in high school to judge and make fun of others, but in college? C'mon!! Anyways I was just thinking about the many times we all judge others, many times we don't even consciously do it. Like when we see a person walking down the street with somewhat worn out clothing, we think oh they must be poor. That stinks. Or if someone walks down the street and they don't look very attractive in your eyes, you immediately think, ewww they are so ugly, I would hate to be them. Think about it! We do it all the time!! Just because we do it, doesn't make it right, we need to start seeing people the way God sees them. Each and every one of us is the apple of His eye, he thinks we are perfect just the way we are. So why can't we think of others like that too?

The verse says it right here, when you judge others, you too will be judged. And you will be judged in an even higher manner, one day standing in front of the Lord. I definitely don't want to be judged for judging others! So this is a challenge to take control of your thoughts, to do your best not to make assumptions about others, and to not think bad things about them in your head. I have said it before, we need to be encouragers, not the catty little high school girls/boys that are immature. We are better than that guys, we want others to treat us with respect and not judge us, so we need to not judge others!

Remember if you judge, you will be judged....if you don't like being judged....then don't even go there in the first place!!

Let's be the one to befriend people, encourage them, and approach them with open minds.

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Twilight? :( I'll pass!

OK EVERYONE NEEDS TO WATCH THIS VIDEO!! So powerful and true, people are being deceived..straight up! It's the TRUTH!!!!

Check it out!!! And I want to challenge you to have all your friends/family check it out! Let's try and spread this to as many people as we can!!

Quote of the Week...

"We are what we believe we are."
-C.S. Lewis

The Call Recap!

Wow this weekend was absolutely CRAZYYYY! How many of you attended the Call this weekend?

Anyways God totally moved, and his presence was soooo strong! Worship by all the various artists was annointed and the messages and prayers were powerful!

So the whole morning we had been praying that there would be and end put to sex trafficking/human trafficking and we get word that craigslist announced that they would no long allow people to sell humans on their site!! That they wanted nothing to do with human trafficking!! COME ON!!! How awesome is that!!! That was definitely a huge answer to prayers and a huge step in bringing this to an end! Man God is soo amazing!!

You can search it up from google, I was going to post it, but some websites has some inappropriate stuff on it(showing actual ads of girls selling themselves). So if you want to read the article, search it through google, several websites should pop up!

Just thought I should share that praise report :)

Keep pressing in and interceding for our state, country, generation, and our world! We desperately need a revival!!!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

The Call: Sacramento!!! Sept. 3-4 2010!!

Hey everyone!! So tonight I am headed over to The Call pre-rally, and getting ready for The Call: Sacramento!!! I encourage everyone to do your best to make it, God is about to do some crazy amazing things, and you definitely don't want to miss out on all God has in store. For more information go to:

http://www.thecall.com/Groups/1000057357/TheCall/ezekiel2230/Sacramento/

Sacramento.aspx ( You may have to copy/paste this link :/ )

And here is the video!

HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL THERE :)

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Commit to the Lord...

"Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed."

-Proverbs 16:3

So I came across this verse, and thought to myself about how true it is. So many times we make plans or decide that we are going to do certain things without coming to the Lord about it. And how many times do we notice that those plans fall through the hole, the relationships disintegrate, and things don't turn out anywhere close to where we thought they would?

Well this is just a friendly reminder to let the Lord get involved, because the more we come to him and ask for his guidance, then we can be sure of what to expect. Because no one wants to be in a position where they know the Lord isn't blessing what they do... So just think about that when you are coming up to making certain choices, and let the Lord guide you to where he wants you to go, or what he wants you to do...so your plans will succeed!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Poem: When We Face Rejections

When We Face Rejections

Though we often face in life

Rejections of every kind

We need to know it’s not the end

And to leave it all behind

And carry on with faith in God

That He will see us through

To fulfil what He has called us for

The work we need to do

And sometimes these rejections

Is a turning point in life

That leads to other avenues

To bring our dreams alive

If we can only see this as

A chance to expand our wings

And see there’s opportunity

To fulfil our godly dreams

For God knows what’s best for us

And He will show the way

We only need to trust in Him

And be on our knees each day

For He will bring it all to pass

Releasing hope inside

As we keep walking with the Lord

And in His love abide.

© By M.S.Lowndes

**Just this poem speaks!! Very encouraging word!

SUBSCRIBE BY EMAIL!

Hey everyone!

I finally set it up so you can subscribe by email :) (under the about me portion to the right) So you DO NOT have to create a google account in order to get emails sent when I post something new on the blog :) Nifty huh?
So everyone subscribe by email ;D

Thanks,
Britt
&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Quote of the Week...

“If I discover within myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world”

-C.S. Lewis

Wow, my mom and I were just talking about this quote...it truly makes you think!! :) It's soo powerful. If you find yourself not being satisfied by the things of this world, than you were made for something greater, to be with the Lord in heaven!!

Draw Me Away to you!

Hey all,

So as you can probably tell I changed the blog again, just making some changes...what do you think?

Anyways tonight as I was getting ready for bed, I was blasting "Draw Me Away"...it was sung by Ashley Prior in the IHOP Prayer rooms! It is crazy annointed like I like had to shut the bathroom door and was just crying! Then I closed my eyes, and as I heard her sing, draw me awayyyy to you, for I long for it to be me and you...draw me awyyyyy...(repeat) I just pictured my self dancing with the Lord, like I was legitimately twirling and dancing! It was one of the most amazing feelings, I just felt the Lord's presence so strong, and like I was sooo happy! I had the joy of the Lord all over me! Man God is awesome..Like I cannot describe to you how He makes me feel! :) Well I guess that is a fabulous way to end my night :) Just thought i'd share that with you!

Let the Lord move you, open up so you can feel his presence, so you can the peace of God, so you can feel unspeakable joy!! It's greater than anything else the world can offer!!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

**I was trying to add the song on here from my itunes, but I couldn't figure out how to do it....Sorry, but I'm in the process of trying to figure it out!!!

Can't be both...

So today in church my pastor spoke a very one key word! Like I feel like our generation specifically needs to hear this message...So I just thought that I would share the notes with you all! Basically he talked about opposites and how you are either doing one or the other...most of you are probably wondering what I'm talking about..you'll find out in a sec :)

So the message was titled "Finishing Strong!" By: Pastor Doug

"PRACTICE NOW WHAT YOU WANT TO BE KNOWN FOR IN THE FUTURE."

These are things to think about...

1. ATTITUDE: Am I grumbling or growing?

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

-James 1:2-4

When we face certain tough situations we cannot become complacent and complain all the time, we need to continue to grow and become closer to God daily.

2. WORDS: Am I burning or building?

"Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way."

-James 3:2 (New Living Translation)

I made a blog post about this a ways back, but we need to build others up, rather than tear them down!!

3. DECISIONS: Do my decisions reflect earthly wisdom or God's wisdom?

"If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

-James 1:5

Do we make our choices based on what the world is telling us to do, or do we listen to the Lord's guidance!!! Whatever your answer may be..the RIGHT answer is listen to the Lord's guidance!! ;)

4. TEMPTATIONS: Am I flirting with or fleeing from temptations?

"The temptation to give in to evil comes from us and only us. We have no one to blame but the leering, seducing flare-up of our own lust. Lust gets pregnant, and has a baby: sin! Sin grows up to adulthood, and becomes a real killer."

-James 1:14-15 (The Message)

To me this one seems to be one of the most important, because of the fact that so many people fall because of this. We understand what line not to cross, but time and time again we go as close to that line as possible! We need to understand that you are doing one or the other, so pick! Don't think that you are fleeing but at the same time trying to stick ur baby toe as close as you can to that line! FLEE from it, don't hurt yourself by flirting with it!

5. MY STUFF: Am I, or is God, getting my first and my best?

"...You thought you were piling up wealth. What you've piled up is judgment."

-James 5:3 (The Message)

Instead of putting forth so much time, effort, and emotions on other things, we need to focus on God and give him our best! I remember growing up my brother and I would sing worship songs, but we would like try and make our voices sound different...and we ended up just messing up songs and messing around. I remember my dad would always say "Give Jesus your best!" So I said all that to say, GIVE GOD YOUR BEST! He doesn't deserve out leftovers.

Last but not least...

6. INFLUENCE: Are people drawn to the Lord because of my life and actions?

"My dear friends, if you know people who have wandered off from God's truth, don't write them off. Go after them. Get them back and you will have rescued precious lives from destruction and prevented an epidemic of wandering away from God."

-James 5:19-20 (The Message)

Can you say that this statement is true for your life? We need to remember that we represent something greater than ourselves! We need to be a representation of God's love and compassion towards others. We need to be a light in the midst of darkness!! This is a challenge to lead others to Christ nearly by the way you live your life, by the words you choose to let come out of your mouth, the things you like to listen to, the movies you like to watch!

***Sorry this post is sooo long! I really just felt like I needed to share that with you all :) Hope this challenges you all, because I know that it challenges me in some areas!!! ***

Please comment and let me know what this message means to you, and if you have any thoughts!! :D

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Do onto others...

I was just thinking about the way people treat each other, whether siblings, family, friends, etc. And I remember growing up, my parents would always tell me this. They would instill it in my head, that I need to treat others the way I want to be treated. It's sad that as we grow up, we let go of this mentality, and I'm speaking to myself on this one. We just decided to apply this to people we like or our best friends, but we act rude and selfish towards others.

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..."

-Matthew 7:12

This also made me think of the many people that expect people to treat them a certain way, whether it be with special treatments, or whatever it may be. But they don't treat other people like that, they just expect you to do it even though they pretty much treat you the opposite.

Regardless, we all can be challenged in this area, say there is a person that you don't mesh well with...and you find yourself treateing them based on the frustration you're feeling, or you just act annoyed with them...but you expect other people to treat you normal. Doesn't make sense why we do it...especially thinking of it this way. Many times you come across genuine people that will automatically treat you nicely, but you can't rely on everyone being like that towards you. So it somewhat reminds me of you reap what you sow..if you sow respect and honor into people, that is what you will get back [for the most part ;)].

So this is a challenge to treat EVERYONE the way you would like to be treated, whether you feel like they are your arch enemy, or your best friend in the whole wide world!! Do to other what you would want them to do for you!! :) and not just in some things...but in EVERYTHING!!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

New Phases...New Stages...

So today was a somewhat sad day, I had to say goodbye to one of my best friends! She's moving to Grand Rapids, Michigan for college! It's definitely sad to know that she's going to be soo far away, but at the same time it's about that time where we are all stepping into that next stage in life.

So the Lord reassured me with this verse: "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

-Jeremiah 29:11

Life is always changing, and we are constantly having to accept changes whether we like them or not! Leaving to college for example, it may seem super exciting, but when that moment comes, it feels like time flew by to fast. Sometimes we may feel a little sad, but we need to understand that it is in God's hand. He is holding us in the palms of his hands, getting ready to place us where we need to be! No matter how worked up we may find ourselves, or how not ready we feel, the Lord knows exactly what He is doing. No need to question why, but more so we need to be willing to accept the next stage!

The verse says that His plans are to proser us and not to harm us. I don't know about you, but this is unbelievably encouraging! He is ALWAYS looking out for our best interests, whether we think He is or not! His plans are to give us hope and a future! And I know sometimes its soooo hard to fully grasp that, because sometimes things don't work out the way we plan or have liked them to turn out. Regardless, we need to have faith and believe in His promises, because I definitely want to see these fully fulfilled in my life!

Lastly this reminds me of one part in a Jesus Culture/Chris Quilala song from the album Your Love Never Fails && actually the song is titled Your Lover Never Fails. Anyways there is a part in the song that I find myself singing a lot, it says, YOU MAKE ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR MY GOOD! I love that, because it is soooo true!!!

So remember that guys, He has a plan to proser us, and never to harm us! Give us a hope and a future, and he has everything planned out, so don't stress, let the Lord handle it!

** Here is the full song, check it out!

&& Remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Forgot this on Monday..Quote of the Week.

"The only time you can really say that 'Christ is all I need,' is when Christ is all you have."

-Leonard Ravenhill

ahh I remembered!

So pretty much this week has been crazy to the max, not only have I been busy with school...
but I have been helping my brother move into his own condo in Berkeley, so I've been in Berkeley helping him re-arrange stuff and clean and all that good stuff!

So anyways, this summer..actually last month my dad did a youth camp in Destin, Florida for a church based out of Huntsville, Alabama. Amazing church by the way, seriously one of my favorite churches I like to go to. So at this camp they kept singing this one song during worship...not only was the gals voices beautiful but it was so anointed. So I was singing the song pretty much everyday and proclaiming it over my life, then like for some reason a couple weeks later I couldn't remember the song..like I forgot. So I said all that to say, I was reading my Bible and felt like I needed to turn to a certain place, and I READ THE VERSES THAT THE SONG WAS TALKING ABOUT!

it starts off as, "The Lord is my light and salvation-whom shall I fear?" -Psalm 27:1

The song goes something like: The Lord is my light and salvation, whom shall I fear, whom shall I be afraid....And I will remain confident in this, I will see the goodness of the Lord...

That had been the part that I would sing over and over and over again! :) So that pretty much made my day!!

It's called Everlasting God by: Fellowship Church


So I just want to encourage you all the proclaim this over your lives, the Lord is our light and salvation...there is no one or nothing we should fear! We need to remain confident!!! Always && forever!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Cheating?

Ok, soooo...

Now that college is in session, I've been finding myself like somewhat busy..or should I say finding myself with a lot of more things to do..aka HOMEWORK :(

Which is a bummer because I really want to write on here everyday..so with that being said, I am going to try my hardest to cut some other thing out so that I can write :) sound good?

So the other day I was reading this verse, actually I have been for the past couple months.

“Do not let sin control the way you live. ... Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin.”

-Romans 6:12-13

This some what refers back to the thing I mentioned of being set apart and not of this sinful world. We cannot let sin control us..nor can we let it have in stronghold in our lives.

I was at Jesus Culture Las Vegas not to long ago, and Banning Liebscher spoke about holiness and living a consecrated life, fully set apart to be used by God. He shared this story that has stuck with me ever since..

So he said suppose a man was proposing to his future wife and he said this... "I promise to be loyal and faithful to you 364 days a year, but on that one day, I am allowed to do whatever I want, I can cheat and live for myself." Then he said do you think she would have married the man if he said that? Answer is NO! Then he said this is the same as our relationship with God, we cannot give only some days to God and not everyday..relationships can't last when someone is cheating.

Think about all the times we "cheat" on God, when we listen to music we shouldn't be listening to, watching movies we shouldn't be watching, and say things we definitely shouldn't say. As a matter of fact, we do it daily. So this is a challenge to really watch for this, we need to make sure to not let this happen as much as possible. We need to not engage in things that do not glorify God.

We also need to understand that the more you feed your flesh, the more hungry it becomes. Its like a hole that keeps getting bigger. The more you listen to music that glorifies sex, money, women/men, the more you're going to crave that! It's a cycle people find themselves falling in, they try soooo hard to stay pure and not give into what their body wants, but you're making it harder on yourself when you're listening to music about sex. That's the truth!!

So truly watch what you watch and watch what you listen to! I have been truly watching the music I listen to lately, because I don't want to feed the wrong spirit. Bottom line for me is, no secular music. Secular music isn't JUST Jay-Z, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Lil Wayne, Alicia Keys, and all those artists. It doesn't just have to talk about sex and money to be considered secular, many people like to justify it by saying, well they aren't singing about bad/immoral things. But it doesn't matter, it is secular if it doesn't glorify the name of God!!

So remember this when you make daily choices, you don't want to be a "cheater"!!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

hello :)

Hey everyone,

Sorry I haven't written in a while, I've been busy getting ready for my first day of college today! crazy how time flies and I'm officially in college :) Anyways I've been getting books and ordering stuff for classes, so I hope to write again soon!!

Love you all,

&& ALWAYS BELIEVE!

What me falling && nothing bad happen to non-believers? that's not fair.

Hey, so I had a super long day babysitting today, and once the kiddos went to sleep I was reading my Bible. I came across this verse, which I have read a handful of times, but for some reason it stuck out to me! So I will briefly touch what I feel the Lord is saying :)

"Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall. But you, O God, will bring down the wicked into the pit of corruption; bloodthirsty and deceitful men will not live out half their days. But as for me, I trust in you"

-Psalms 55:22-23

This verse pretty much explains a lot, or it does in my mind. So many people always ask why people who don't follow God have such a great life and how nothing bad ever happens to them. Well does this verse not explain what will happen? hah First off, I don't why we always have to compare ourselves to people who don't know God, and secondly, it shouldn't be a big deal to us...that's called jealousy. The Lord will do what needs to be done, we have no say in that, so don't stress over it. It says that God will bring down the wicked, that doesn't sound like "nothing bad ever happens to them" to me. Then it goes on to say they will not live out half their days, instead of worrying about why they have it good, maybe we should witness to them, or share the love of Christ with them. Rather than gossiping, I think it should be our job to bring them to Jesus, so this won't be their story.

On a brighter note, it says to cast your cares on the Lord, He will basically help us out, He will be there for us no matter what. And he will NEVER let the righteous fall. This is so encouraging to me, because so many times we feel like we hit rock bottom, or that we did something so bad that we can't be forgiven. Well we also have to know that we serve a gracious forgiving God, and that when we feel like we are at our all time low, he picks us up and puts us on higher ground! Be encouraged because he truly does LOVE >

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Listening to the voice could save you...

So pretty much the last night I had a scary moment, to make a long story short I was working out with a friend, and there were these kind of sketchy guys staring and acting creepy. They came in with 3 total, and they kept signaling each other and smiling and acting suspicious. So anyways my heart was beating fast, and I felt like they were planning something, and I was unsure exactly what to do. I not only left my phone in my friends car(who had just left to get her ear phones), but all the other people left in the gym there, and it was just me and the 3 men. Eventually my friend came back and we just kept doing our cardio and were acting as if nothing was wrong, then I fell something inside me say, "Get out NOW!". So I was thinking that it was just myself freaking out and that it wasn't anything serious. So 4 minutes later, my timer for the cardio machine had 5 seconds, and I hear it again, "GET OUT RIGHT NOW!" So I figured it was seriously the Lord trying to save me from something. So my friend and I leave and hop in her car as fast as possible, then we see the 3 guys walk out the door towards where we were, so we sped away!

I said all this to really listen for the voice of God! And listen out for the Holy Spirit trying to save you and keep you away from things. Because my friend and I both felt that something bad would have happend if we didn't get out! The Lord speaks to us all the time, but many times we don't listen for it, I should have listened to the first voice I heard and not waited. We need to be alert ALL THE TIME, not just when we feel scared and anxious! The Lord is always looking out for us and warning us, and by giving us the spirit of discernment, so we need to put that to good use!

Then I came across this verse last night, "Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."

-1 Peter 5:8

Not saying that something bad would have for sure happend to us, but you can never be to cautious, because the Lord speaks for a reason! And we should definitely always be alert because the devil is out to kill, steal, and destroy!

So this is a challenge, really listen to what you feel the Holy Spirit telling you, and use your discernment, with those it could save you from danger!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Darkness can't drive out darkness! Part 2

So pretty much I found the perfect verse to match with what I talked about yesterday, I was reading my word tonight and came across this! It once again challenged me to practice self-control, because I believe that it is one of the most forgot about yet one of the most important fruits of the Spirit. We need to practice this!!! And be the light in the midst of darkness...Just read this and let it set in :)

"You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night."
-1 Thessalonians 5:5-7

Darkness can't drive out darkness!

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

So about this quote, I was really thinking about it! For some reason I was thinking really really hard about how true this statement is. My brother and dad have both spoken some stuff about worldliness.I think about how so many Christians are deceived and don't comprehend that when you're acting just like everyone else, you can't change anything.

So to me this quotes sums it all up quite nicely, darkness cannot drive out darkness, so when you are just like the world, you can't make a difference, you can't change what you are yourself. Hopefully that makes sense...lol

"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."

-Romans 12:2

To me it's crazy that us as Christians seem to act just like everyone else in the world, ones that don't even follow God. We listen to the same stuff as them, we watch the same movies as them, we act the same way as them, we date the same people they do, we say the same things they say, we lower our standards, we desensitize ourselves. People, we CANNOT let this happen to us! People want someone who's different then them, because why in the world would they follow someone who is just like them in every aspect, answer is they won't! We are called to be different, and if you want to make a difference to those you hang out with, you can't be just like them. Because you lose your credibility when you party with them, cuss like them, and hook up with people like them! Don't trash your testimony guys, God has called you to be greater, we are supposed to be different and make a difference!! Darkness can't drive out darkness..

So let's be set apart, let's stop conforming to this world in every aspect! We are called to make a difference and in order to do that we need to be different, we need to be light that drives our darkness, because being like everyone else does nothing.

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE

Quote of the Week.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

-Martin Luther King Jr.

You are my ALL IN ALL!

Felt the need to post this to one of my all-time favorite worship songs :) This song is so encouraging to me, because it is sooo true!! ENJOY :D

** Here's a video link (Love Natalie Grant's angelic voice :])

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wkec_mOgAPU

You Are My All In All lyrics

Songwriters: Jernigan, Dennis;

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
I'm seeking You like a precious jewel
Lord, to give up I'd be a fool
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name

Taking my cross my sin my shame
Raising again I praise Your name
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I run dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name

You are my strength when I am weak
You are the treasure that I seek
You are my all in all
When I fall down You pick me up
When I run dry You fill my cup
You are my all in all

Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name, lets go
Jesus, Lamb of God
Holy is Your name

What will I...

***This was supposed to be Saturday's post, but I waited to late to type it :/ hhaha

Then Jesus said to the disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes."

-Luke 12:22-23

This verse speaks a lot about what the culture has started to make us worry about. I have definitely touched on this subject before, but when I was reading my Word tonight, I came across this and I felt as if I should briefly touch on it again. Bear with me :)

In the midst of all the chaos going around us, the world we live in tries to alter our priorities, it tries to make us worry about things that we definitely shouldn't be worrying about, and it tries to make us feel as if certain things matter the most, when in fact they are small on a larger scale, they mean hardly anything compared to what truly should matter. So I guess I said all that to say, remember that Big Daddy up there will take care of us! Too many times we freak out about little things and forget that the Lord has everything under control whether or not we feel it. You heard the Lord right here say, DON'T WORRY ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS! God is our provider and He will always be there when we feel as if we are lacking something!

So remember not to worry about what's going to happen tomorrow or what your going to do, the Lord has it all written out :) He's guiding you step by step!

&& ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Influence of words.

Ok, so the other day I talked about watching the words we say to one another, because they have the capability of breaking someone or lifting them up. Cool yet dangerous thing is, we can choose. When we use encouraging words, we lift people up and make them smile, when we are rude and say negative things, we can break someone down.

Check this video out, it shows the influence words/songs have over water crystals!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAvzsjcBtx8&feature=fvw

Take a look at the influence our words have over water, is that not mind boggling? I think that is crazy that what you speak over water could effect what it turns up looking like. To me that is crazyyyy, because that's just water, imagine what the words do to people! Not only are we made up of about 60% of water. Yet time and time again we think that our words don't really affect those around us, well this just proves that it does!

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."

-Ephesians 4:29

You heard it right here, I want to challenge each and every one of you reading this to only speak words of encouragement, words that edify one another, not ones that hurt and demolish peoples self-esteem! We are all in this race together, whether or not we like hanging with the person, we still must love one another as Christ loved us! We are brothers and sisters in Christ, so let's act like it!!

So ask yourself this question...

What would the water crystals around you look like?

Be loving and compassionate! && remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

Books to READ! August!

Hey sorry I didn't get a chance to write today, I will try and write two today, one to make up for not writing yesterday :)

Here is a list of some books I recommend you buy/read (I'm still in the process of reading some in this set):

1: Prophetic Evangelism (By: Sean Smith)

2: Purity: A New Moral Revolution (By: Kris Vallotton)

3: Epic Lifestyle (By: Sean Smith)

4: Jesus Culture (By: Banning Liebscher)

5: The Shack (By: Wm. Paul Young)

**If you've read any of these, please feel free to comment on this post about what you liked about it, or what stuck out the most! I would love to hear your responses to the books!!

I have so many more to recommend, but I will save them for another time! READ THESE BOOKS!!

Mhm whatca say?...

Everywhere we go, we can always here someone cussing or using language that they probably shouldn't be using. And to be honest, the excessive language like that is so unnecessary!! Like come on people, why is it that you have to bring people down with your words and use the Lord's name in vein. It actually makes me mad sometimes, like when people I know fairly well say inappropriate or negative language...I make sure to put them in check by yelling, "LANGUAGEEEE!". And it gets my point across very well, if I must say so myself.

"We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell."

-James 2:2-6

I truly don't think people realize the effect the mouth has, words can either make or break someone (which i'll go in depth tomorrow). Some decide to use words/language to be uplifting and others use it to completely abuse people. The way we speak and the words we say seem to have a way of showing our true colors, showing something from deep within. I've noticed that people who tend to cuss and get overheated over little things, appear to have anger issues. And those who seem to be positive and sincere, appear to be kind. I'm not saying that sometimes people put up a front and that you could totally read them wrong, but for the most part you can tell which people are genuine.

This verse to me basically says that if you don't watch what you say, it could lead to your destruction. It could begin to start fires and we could be completely unaware of it! And notice this verse isn't specifically talking about swearing, but rather the tongue in general! This means when we speak negative things, or let things come out of our mouth that we know is inappropriate!

think about this..........

What words do you let steer your life?...

We need to begin to speak life, words of encouragement, words of promise, words of the Lord!

&& remember ALWAYS BELIEVE!

It's not all about me...

Supp :) Anyways so I was at my college group last night, and I opened up my Bible and began reading and this is what caught my eye...

"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality."

-Romans 12:9-13

Okay, so a couple key things stuck out to me in these verses. One is honor one another above yourself, this hits me so hard, because very rarely do people consistently do this. People are always trying to please themselves and do what is most convenient for them, rather than taking into consideration other peoples needs. They don't place other people before what they themselves need, which each and everyone of us has done. So I want to challenge you to think of others before you think of yourself, make sure other people are taken care of before you think to take care of yourself. Maybe we can bring about more kindness and peace among people if we choose to honor others more often.

The other part that stuck out to me was be patient in affliction, meaning whenever you face tough times or are in the midst of a battle, don't get anxious and overwhelmed, but rather be patient and calm ;) Just a note to think about! I know I've talked about this before...but this is just a friendly reminder!

The most significant one to me is...(drum roll please)...Share with God's people who are in need, practice hospitality!! There are so many people that need our help, but we are either to selfish or stubborn to lend a hand. And they are our brothers and sister in Christ, but we are too busy or think were too good to help them out. I believe that we need to be a smile, and an encourager, and a person to lend a helping hand to those in need. This goes back to honoring others above yourself, when others are in need, we need to help them. Let's be sure to practice hospitality every chance we get, by giving and accommodating those who need it :D

REMEMBER: Help others, and put others before yourself! Be there with arms open to catch those who need help, and be there to help pull them out of the ditch they're in! Show them love and compassion :) && ALWAYS BELIEVE