Changing Times

My Dad works at the airport now so he took me flying a few weeks ago, this is a picture from above the clouds =D

Like "WOW" lots of stuff going on lately. Right now I'm trying to figure a lot of stuff out.

It's a weird season of my life. For so long I could never figure out how to live not knowing what's gonna happen around the corner. It's a long process trying to learn to live "Ever in the Present Moment..."

The theme of this blog has never been so real to me as it is right now.

So many things are changing, I'm almost afraid to hope that it'll all turn out. Now more than ever is the time for us to stand on God's promises and remember that no matter what changes in this world, his promises won't.

I was reading my first edition of "Susie" magazine today, and I loved the verse that one article mentioned.

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." -Psalm 68:19

I need to remember that no matter what happens, I can always give God my burdens. I never have to take things alone. Even though we don't always understand why things have to work the way they do, God is always there for us. He's waiting for us to give ourselves to him. He's waiting for us to let him wrap is arms around us and hold us close. He's saving every one of our tears in a bottle, that's how much he cares.
Psalm 56:8
"You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle; Are they not in Your book?" NKJV

If you're up for a challenge, start living everyday like it was your last. Don't worry about what's going to happen tomorrow, don't keep focusing on the mistakes you made yesterday.

Live like you mean it. Live constantly meditating on what God says about your life. Do your best, do everything you do for God.

I love this song by Heather Clark, it makes me want to be in total love with Jesus, undived focus.

"Undived Focus" is such a crazy concept for me to grasp.

UNDIVIDED FOCUS by Heather Clark

"Holy Spirit, I surrender to You (x2)

Take my life I lay it down
All my gifts and all my crowns
I am Yours

Chorus:
I am in love, in undivided focus
I am in love with You (x2)

Take my hand and lead me through
Glorious fields to be with You
I am Yours"

~Kiana

Faith: Living what you believe you believe and making it count

I feel like such a faker sometimes, you know? I know what I say I believe, and I know what I show the world that I believe. But when it comes to believing what I believe I believe, it doesn't work out exactly how I thought it would.

I mean, don't you just decide to believe something and then believe it? Nope. Doesn't work that way. Believing is all about faith and faith is all about actions. No, I am not saying your good behavior's gonna get you into heaven. But how is the world supposed to know who God is, if the people who are supposed to be His followers aren't reflecting Him? Our actions are supposed to be the very REFLECTION of HIM. Not our wants or needs.

And if our faith is driven by actions....well by ourselves, it's a hopeless mess. What I mean by this is that without the "works" our faith is "dead", remember that verse? I can't remember the exact place to find it, but somewhere in John, I think, there is a verse that, simply put, says, "Faith without works is dead". Therefore if we don't put that faith into action it's worthless.

Just like the scientific principle that if you are pushing something, but it never moves, you have done no work. The proof, the actions, are what drives the whole thing. But this doesn't mean you have to see it to believe it. Because to even make the faith work, to do the actions that make the faith valid, we must step out.

As Fireflight's song, "Unbreakable", says, "Faith is moving without seeing, can I trust what I can't see, to reach my destiny". I believe that's the cry of every teen trying to live for God. Can I step out and trust that He's gonna have me in His hands? Can I believe that He's really gonna catch if I fall? Will I see another tomorrow if I take this risk? Yes, you can. In a world that tells every Christian "you can't believe that, you can't do that, you're a failure, you just simply can't do that", I am telling you YES YOU CAN. Because of Him and through Him.

It's time to step out. Maybe it's not stepping outside the box, maybe it's stepping back into the place where you felt so unsure of, and believing that God is gonna bring you through. This is what I believe. This is what I try to put into action every day. But unless I truly do it, not just TRY, my believing that I believe won't do me any good.

So I keep going back to square one. And once I have passed square two, I know I don't have to go back to one.
Believing is not seeing, nor seeing believing. Believing is you making your decision to essentially do or die. To live what you believe or die trying. Like Cassie Bernall. Live like today is the day you will have a gun put to YOUR head. Live like today you will be asked if you believe in God. Show the world that they don't even need to ask. When you walk into the room something changes. When you walk away from spending time with someone and they say "wow, she really walks what she talks". When people clamor to be around you because they know you're the real deal. This is when you know that you are truly fulfilling your destiny. Your destiny to live for God every day, every moment.

.k grace.

The Reckless Kind of Faith

"A reckless faith understands that the best use for an expensive bottle of perfume may be to wash someones feet. A reckless faith builds an ark before there's even a cloud in the sky. A reckless faith charges into the sea before thinking that God may part the water. A reckless faith leaves 99 sheep to go after one lost one. It does not need man's approval - or man's money. It honors God in the classroom, even when no one else there reveres Him. A reckless faith doesn't make moral compromises at the office, even when they're  expected, A reckless faith believes in "till death do us part." "
-page 123 "Reckless Faith" by Beth Guckenberger

You see, reckless faith never says "what if". Reckless faith doesn't require countless hours of agonizing over other alternatives. Reckless faith does what needs to be done - now. No waiting till a more convenient time, say when the 99 have been safely put away and the wolf has already eaten the lost one. Reckless faith doesn't go just halfway or go a "reasonable" distance. Reckless faith is all out, holding nothing back, going as far as necessary and even further. It doesn't rely on what everyone around is thinking or what the press response will be, or if a lot of people are going to support you morally, spiritually, or financially. Reckless faith is a right here, right now, all out, giving everything, no hesitating, do what's right no matter what kind of a thing. Reckless faith says that you don't need to use logic and reasoning to figure out how things are going to happen. It takes action and things fall into place. Try it sometime.

.k grace.