Hey girls,
You know what I noticed this morning? Well I noticed a few things, but I realized I had been neglecting my blog here. I have been back and forth thinking about closing it down, or just maybe not posting in it so often. Luckily, I have decided to keep it running, there will just not be posts on the blog from me nearly as frequently. (: So thats good news! But really now.. as I realized that I was neglecting the blog, I also realized I was neglecting something else. Something WAY more important then a silly blog on the internet. You want to take a wild guess at what that is? You guessed it! God. Sure, I have been talking to him every day. Sure, I have been reading the Bible more then once a week. But I made a huge mistake. I was spending more time in Ministry, then I was spending time with him. Spending a good amount of time in Ministry and helping others can be a good thing, yes. Don't get me wrong there. But here is where I messed up. Participating in the Ministry took a higher priority then having quiet times with God and spending time with him. Instead of spending some time with him like I should have been, I would have quick conversations with him through the entire day, spend a few days out of the week in his Word but really never sat down and went, "Okay God, this time is yours. I won't think about everything I have to do or should be doing. This time is all yours." The thing is, that step there is so important. Making the time to sit down and spend time with God, but also saying "You know what? This time is ALL yours and ONLY yours." I think thats where we mess up a lot of the time. So you know I want to encourage you this week to find something that you have been placing before God. This can be anything that you have spent more time with but him. Some examples are a boyfriend, school work(although school is mandatory, you need to know when to stop and give God some time), friends, your job, or even ministry. Everyone will be unique in what they find here. But pray to God for him to show you what is getting in between your relationship. Once he shows you, start working with him on changing that and making God first in your life. Spend some quiet time with him and try to spend time with him every day. You will feel so much more refreshed and loved, and in my case.. I might just have even more love and excitement for Ministry if God is being placed first. (:
Side Note: I changed the background of the blog because the old one got old. I also took the music off the blog until I can find the time to change the music options on there. (: Hopefully its not too pink, and if so then please let me know. Have an awesome day, and if you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me using the form above. Thanks!
Friday, April 22, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Reality Check: What's Getting In The Way?
Hey girls!
You will never guess what I was doing tonight. I was in bed reading Paperdoll by Natalie Lloyd. Okay, so maybe it is not that odd of an idea to catch me reading at night. But, I had finished the first chapter a few days ago and was just starting to read the second chapter. As I was reading, I came across a few lines in the book that said this,
"The well was about to become a symbol for all the places she's gone (unsuccessfully) looking for perfect love. And the man waiting there is going to offer her a deep, beautiful life that she probably didn't even feel she deserved. She had looked for love in some empty places, but that day love was waiting to show her what she'd been missing. (pg. 41 of Paperdoll)
You might be sitting here wondering, "Okay, that is an awesome passage in the book, but what does this have to do with anything?" Well you see, this explains exactly what I have been doing for so long. Looking for love in all the wrong and empty places. Over and over and over again. But do you know what keeps happening? God keeps calling me back to him. He is whispering to me letting me know that everything is going to be okay, he is here. The funny thing is I am currently stuck in the middle of all of this right now. Right in the middle. In fact, I would be sleeping right now if it was not for the fact I felt like I should pick up the book. And would you look at what God did. But the funny thing is it was not just reading tht part of the book that made me realize that was exactly what I was doing. God connected it with something that had happened a few weeks ago. I was participating in a small group for the youth and while we were all praying, one of the young ladies there had stopped to tell me that she had a picture of a well in her mind. She had felt lead to encourage me that God has so much in store for me. I had gone home giddy and happy that God has so much in store for me, but had never thought that maybe that simple night, God was trying to call me back to him.
As we see in this passage here in the book, Natalie is trying to explain how the well is a symbol of looking for love in all the wrong places. So now you can see how I connected these two together with a sudden understanding of this. God is trying to call me back to him to stop looking for love in all the wrong places. I think I am finally ready to take him up on that offer.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38-39
"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." - Luke 12:7
Both of these Bible verses are amazing, but out of these two the second one really hits home. This Bible verse here is actually reality. When it says that the "very hairs of your head are numbered" this is 100% true. Can you do something with me? Take a section of your hair and start counting. No, really. Try it with me. (: 1....2.....3.....4.....5....6.....7...8...9... Okay. I think you get the point here. I stopped at 9 only because I lost count! (: Out hairs are all together and intertwined, which makes them even harder to count. But I want you to think about something for a second. ALL of the hairs on your head have been counted, and God knows an exact number. Every thought that goes through your head, every word you speak, and where you are right now... God knows. But it is one thing to know that God knows all these things, and another to realize that he cares about all these things. Every one of these little things about you, God loves. Amazing huh? (:
Apparently I am in a writing mood tonight, so I better stop before I write a book. =) But girls there is one thing that I want to make so clear tonight. God, the creator of the universe, cares about you. He is calling you back home to him. Stop looking for love in all the wrong places and going after guys, money, looks, or whatever it might be. You see, we have to remember here that God created you. Let me try to put this in a little bit of a perspective for you for a second. =)
Let's pretend for a moment that you really wanted this brand new dress in the mall. It was an amazing dress. It was pink, sparkly, bright and colorful, and was even 50% off it's original price! In fact, it just might be that perfect dress to wear to prom! After almost a half an hour of begging your mom to buy you that dress, she finally gives in and gets you the dress. You are thrilled to be able to have that beautiful dress to call your own. After thanking your mom a million times you finally try on the dress when you are back at your house. It makes you look beautiful and attractive. Days go by, and you decide to wear the dress to prom. It seemed perfect. (: While you were at prom you spilled some punch on the dress creating a huge stain down the front of the dress. Although this might be really sad and disappointing, your mom bought you the dress and she can always get you another one. The pain caused by the dress getting ruined was not as strong in any way because you were not the one that made, or paid for the dress.
Okay so obviously, you would not be so rude as to not care that the dress was ruined after your mom kindly paid for it. Not to mention there are many things that could take the stain out of the dress now a-days. But, forgetting those little details, I hope you get my point. Because you did not pay for the dress, or make the dress, the pain caused by the dress getting ruined would not be as great. But on the other hand, imagine you had made the dress by hand. It had taken many days and days to put that dress together. Then you had taken it out to prom and ruined it. The pain caused by the dress getting ruined would be a lot worse now that you had actually taken the time yourself to put the dress together.
The point in all of this is simple. God made you, and everything about you. Everything from the fact that you have a freckle on your nose to the fact that your hair is a beautiful brown. He created you and made every part of you beautifully unique. Don't you think you would love something that you spent time time to create? When you create something, it becomes yours and all yours. You love it a lot because it was something that you uniquely made. Same with God. He created every little part of you, and loves you more then you can ever imagine. (:
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13
So girls I want to give you something to think about tonight. What is coming in the way of you and God? Where are you looking for love in all the wrong places? For me personally, I have been longing for acceptance. Acceptance from guys, and from the kids at my youth group. I get hurt so easily simply because I feel they are not "trying hard enough to be my friend" But tonight I guess something spoke to me. Something connected with the fact that I don't need these kids from youth group to feel accepted. I don't need the sweet and handsome boy from who knows where to come and sweep me off my feet. What I need, is a God that loves me and will never leave. And you know what? He is already here! (:
In His Love,
Angelica
Note: Remember that all work on this blog is original and belongs to me. Please contact me for permission if you want to use or take anything off of this blog. Thank you. (:
You will never guess what I was doing tonight. I was in bed reading Paperdoll by Natalie Lloyd. Okay, so maybe it is not that odd of an idea to catch me reading at night. But, I had finished the first chapter a few days ago and was just starting to read the second chapter. As I was reading, I came across a few lines in the book that said this,
"The well was about to become a symbol for all the places she's gone (unsuccessfully) looking for perfect love. And the man waiting there is going to offer her a deep, beautiful life that she probably didn't even feel she deserved. She had looked for love in some empty places, but that day love was waiting to show her what she'd been missing. (pg. 41 of Paperdoll)
You might be sitting here wondering, "Okay, that is an awesome passage in the book, but what does this have to do with anything?" Well you see, this explains exactly what I have been doing for so long. Looking for love in all the wrong and empty places. Over and over and over again. But do you know what keeps happening? God keeps calling me back to him. He is whispering to me letting me know that everything is going to be okay, he is here. The funny thing is I am currently stuck in the middle of all of this right now. Right in the middle. In fact, I would be sleeping right now if it was not for the fact I felt like I should pick up the book. And would you look at what God did. But the funny thing is it was not just reading tht part of the book that made me realize that was exactly what I was doing. God connected it with something that had happened a few weeks ago. I was participating in a small group for the youth and while we were all praying, one of the young ladies there had stopped to tell me that she had a picture of a well in her mind. She had felt lead to encourage me that God has so much in store for me. I had gone home giddy and happy that God has so much in store for me, but had never thought that maybe that simple night, God was trying to call me back to him.
As we see in this passage here in the book, Natalie is trying to explain how the well is a symbol of looking for love in all the wrong places. So now you can see how I connected these two together with a sudden understanding of this. God is trying to call me back to him to stop looking for love in all the wrong places. I think I am finally ready to take him up on that offer.
"For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8: 38-39
"But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." - Luke 12:7
Both of these Bible verses are amazing, but out of these two the second one really hits home. This Bible verse here is actually reality. When it says that the "very hairs of your head are numbered" this is 100% true. Can you do something with me? Take a section of your hair and start counting. No, really. Try it with me. (: 1....2.....3.....4.....5....6.....7...8...9... Okay. I think you get the point here. I stopped at 9 only because I lost count! (: Out hairs are all together and intertwined, which makes them even harder to count. But I want you to think about something for a second. ALL of the hairs on your head have been counted, and God knows an exact number. Every thought that goes through your head, every word you speak, and where you are right now... God knows. But it is one thing to know that God knows all these things, and another to realize that he cares about all these things. Every one of these little things about you, God loves. Amazing huh? (:
Apparently I am in a writing mood tonight, so I better stop before I write a book. =) But girls there is one thing that I want to make so clear tonight. God, the creator of the universe, cares about you. He is calling you back home to him. Stop looking for love in all the wrong places and going after guys, money, looks, or whatever it might be. You see, we have to remember here that God created you. Let me try to put this in a little bit of a perspective for you for a second. =)
Let's pretend for a moment that you really wanted this brand new dress in the mall. It was an amazing dress. It was pink, sparkly, bright and colorful, and was even 50% off it's original price! In fact, it just might be that perfect dress to wear to prom! After almost a half an hour of begging your mom to buy you that dress, she finally gives in and gets you the dress. You are thrilled to be able to have that beautiful dress to call your own. After thanking your mom a million times you finally try on the dress when you are back at your house. It makes you look beautiful and attractive. Days go by, and you decide to wear the dress to prom. It seemed perfect. (: While you were at prom you spilled some punch on the dress creating a huge stain down the front of the dress. Although this might be really sad and disappointing, your mom bought you the dress and she can always get you another one. The pain caused by the dress getting ruined was not as strong in any way because you were not the one that made, or paid for the dress.
Okay so obviously, you would not be so rude as to not care that the dress was ruined after your mom kindly paid for it. Not to mention there are many things that could take the stain out of the dress now a-days. But, forgetting those little details, I hope you get my point. Because you did not pay for the dress, or make the dress, the pain caused by the dress getting ruined would not be as great. But on the other hand, imagine you had made the dress by hand. It had taken many days and days to put that dress together. Then you had taken it out to prom and ruined it. The pain caused by the dress getting ruined would be a lot worse now that you had actually taken the time yourself to put the dress together.
The point in all of this is simple. God made you, and everything about you. Everything from the fact that you have a freckle on your nose to the fact that your hair is a beautiful brown. He created you and made every part of you beautifully unique. Don't you think you would love something that you spent time time to create? When you create something, it becomes yours and all yours. You love it a lot because it was something that you uniquely made. Same with God. He created every little part of you, and loves you more then you can ever imagine. (:
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb." Psalm 139:13
So girls I want to give you something to think about tonight. What is coming in the way of you and God? Where are you looking for love in all the wrong places? For me personally, I have been longing for acceptance. Acceptance from guys, and from the kids at my youth group. I get hurt so easily simply because I feel they are not "trying hard enough to be my friend" But tonight I guess something spoke to me. Something connected with the fact that I don't need these kids from youth group to feel accepted. I don't need the sweet and handsome boy from who knows where to come and sweep me off my feet. What I need, is a God that loves me and will never leave. And you know what? He is already here! (:
In His Love,
Angelica
Note: Remember that all work on this blog is original and belongs to me. Please contact me for permission if you want to use or take anything off of this blog. Thank you. (:
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
From The Inside Out- Kristian Stanfill
I found this song today and wanted to share it with you guys. Hopefully it speaks to you all like it has to me today. (:
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