Live out loud

There's this really awesome song by Steven Curtis Chapman called "Live out loud" and it is a freaking amazing song. The chorus goes like this "Wake the neighbors, get the word out. C'mon crank up the music, climb a mountain and shout!! This is life we've been given, made to be lived out, so la la la la live out loud". How freaking awesome is that!!! We have been given the greatest gift anyone could ever ask for and nothing can replace it, LIFE!!! Everyday, we get the opportunity to live out loud. That's what, we as Christrians, are asked to do. How awesome would it be to see every Christian living their life out loud. One thing that all Christians should have in common is that they get so excited just when they even think about what God has given us that we should live life out loud. I mean, just think about it!!! We are so freaking priveleged to have the greatest gift anyone could ever ask for. God did not give us this life to be lived inside a shell. He gave it to us to be lived out loud just the way Jesus did during his time on this earth. Jesus only lived here 33 years but I can guarentee that every day, he was out there on the front lines fighting to bring God to this planet. Yes I know, it's one of the simplest things to do, but it's also one of the hardest things to do because we are so worried about what everybody else may think of us. Guess what? Who cares what they think. The only thing we should be focused on is what God thinks about us. He has so much more power than anybody on this earth and he will not let you fall when you put yourself out there for his glory. He is the ultimate provider and the day you ask to be his servant is the day that he will start giving you the opportunities to live out loud. So be vulnerable and be willing to be used by the God who created you and loves you more than anybody or anything on this planet!!!!

My God is mighty to Save

There's this really awesome song called Mighty to Save by Hillsong United and it is so amazing and true. In this chorus he sings "Savior He can move the mountains, My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save, Forever Author of Salvation, He rose and conquered the grave, Jesus conquered the grave". Such a short chorus but so true if we would just believe it. Our God is more powerful then anything on this planet and if we were willing to be more open and vulnerable, oh how we would experience his power and strength so much more. Something that is hard for anyone, especially guys, is willing to be vulnerable and more open. Girls find it hard sometimes especially if they have even been hurt or cannot trust someone and this is legitimate but there will always be one person who we can always be vulnerable with because he will never hurt us and he will always catch us when we fall. Ironically, his name happens to be God. There is not one thing that we go through or experience that he cannot relate to us. He created us, he knows everything about us and he is the one person that we can trust without a doubt. So whenever you say that God does not understand or he would not be able to help us, you better think again because that is one lame excuse and it does not work with God. One reward from being open and vulnerable with God and all your other relationships is having a long lasting relationship that will carry you through all the trials and hardships in your life. One relationship, especially with the Lord, can change your entire life and your perspective on life. It sure has worked for me. That is why Christianity is a relationship with Christ and not a religion where you have to follow a certain set of rules. IT'S A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD!!!!!! And it's one of the greatest relationships that you will ever experience. So learn how to be vulnerable, more open, and trust that God will not let you fall and he will always be your rock!!!

Hopeless

Some days, there are days I just feel hopeless and I wonder how God could forgive me for every sin that I have ever committed. Day after day after day, I fail but day after day after day, he continue to forgive me. When I feel so hopeless, I remember and am given hope by the fact that God has forgiven me because he has given us the ultimate freedom! Freedom in Christ! But I still cannot help but wonder why? What makes me so special that I should receive this kind of grace? I am far from deserving of this but all I know is that God possesses the greatest love ever and no one can ever replace that love! Day by day, I'm slowly learning that the only love I can lean on is the love of God. It is unconditional, merciful, caring, and just all around amazing. Every day, I so long to spread this love to everybody that I come in contact with because if they could just experience it, they would realize just how loved they are by their ultimate creator. I am at a very weird place in my life right now. Two months into college, learning how to balance my time, figuring out what I want my life to look like and who I want to spend the rest of my life with. These first two months have gone by so fast and I cannot help but think that in a matter of what feels like a few seconds, I will be out of college and figuring out what I want my life to look like. Life is coming at me in hyperspeed and I want every second to be a blessing to the Lord and to those around me.

Relationships

So this weekend I went on a retreat with my youth group to a place in Conifer called Long Scraggy Mountian Ranch and it was freaking amazing. They flew in a couple from Washington DC to do a seminar on relationships. Let me tell you, this couple is the one of the greatest examples of a marraige that it is completely centered on God. When I get married, the two marriages that I want my marriage to look like is my parents marriage and this marriage of Dawn and Reggie Sanders. They are so happy and the best part about it, they have been married for only 18 months and they are already spreading the news on relationships, It's so amazing. They talked about 4 key components of any relationship. Talking, Intimacy, problem solving, and salvation, TIPS for short. In everything relationship, the one thing that all guys are guilty of is not talking with their spouse or girlfriend. The girl asks a question and we give them one word answers. What the heck? How can we have a relationship with the girl if we are not willing to TALK to them. We have to be able communicate with them or there is no reason to have a relationship with them. Every guy is guilty of this, even me and it's time that we step up to the plate and learn how to TALK to them. The next key component is problem solving. In every relationship, there is going to be a conflict and the key is learning how to handle that conflict. We have two ways of approaching this; one wrong way and one right way. The wrong way would be to blame the situation on the other person which in turn will just make the whole situation worse. Why is it so hard for us to say one simple word, SORRY. It's not going to kill us to say it. The right way is to talk to each other calmly and work your way through it without blowing it up. How amazing would every relationship look if we were able to calmly solve the conflicts without any arguing or criticizing. Not only does it work, but it also keeps the situation from getting one. My Mom and stepdad also do a great job of doing this. Yes they have conflicts but they know how to calmly work through it. Here's the truth, if the situation is not life threatening, there is no reason to act like it'a the end of the world and blow it completely out of proportion. The next component is intimacy ( yes I realize I went out of order lol) One thing that every girl needs is to know that they can feel secure around the man. If the woman cannot trust the man or does not feel secure around the man, the relationship will not last. The key to intimacy is being able to ask deep questions about each other. If both parties are willing to be vulnerable and open up, especially the man, that is a good sign of trust between both the man and woman. I realize that there are some aspects of both of their lives that do not need to be addressed but it is so important that both parties can trust each other. Without trust, the relationship will not go very far. The last key component of any relationship is salvation. Are both parties Christians and do they have the same beliefs. If you try to make a relationship with opposite views on religion or anything, it a red flag. When somebody has grown up with the same beliefs their whole life, it will be extremely hard to change them and because of it, the relationship will not function to its fullest potential. This is why it is so important that both parties have the same values, principles, and beliefs before entering any relationship. Without it, there will be conflicts everytime you turn around. I loved how Dawn and Reggie put it, if there are two many red flags in any relationship, the best thing to do is ROLL ON.

Why we should be excited about Jesus

So I've been curious as to what makes people the most excited when they think about Jesus. So I decided to take a survey and let me tell you, there is no reason to think that Christianity is boring. Here is what I got.
1. His unconditional love and freedom in Christ
2. God is powerful and alive and all authority in heaven and on earth resides in his hands.
3. Eternity the Lord in heaven
4. Seeing the power of the Holy Spirit move through healing and prophesying.
5. How the bible outlines God's plan for mankind and our redemption through Jesus and that God made everything that way because he wants us and loves us-- all before we choose Him.
6. Jesus' power and compassion for every single one of us.
7. The opportunity to plant a seed in someone.
8. All the plans he holds for us in our lifetime.
9. To feel treasured and loved by Jesus considering he is God and I'm just a person.
10. That he is always there for us.
11. That Jesus was completely human but he came to earth to be ou means of attaining eternal salvation. We are innocent by his grace and are filled with the spirit of power through accepting his selfless gift.
12. How patient and merciful he is towards us.
13. Knowing that we cannot screw up his ultimate goal, even if we tried,
14. All the miracles that he performs.
15. The fact that he laughs at and with us.
So here is just a short list of why people get excited about Jesus, but it is very easy to see that God has so much in store for us and that everyday, we have the opportunity to spread his love throughout the world. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say that Christianity is boring when in fact, it's one of the most exciting things to be apart of. We have been given so much and to whom much is given, much is expected. Every day is another day to say, Today is a new day to say Jesus you are my only way.