Too busy???

I So many Americans nowadays constantly say how busy they are. How are you? Well I am busy, is the common response today. Everyone is either super busy or lazy. But for some Americans feel proud to be busy. They like others to know how much they are doing and want others to feel bad for them. Some peoples busyness turns to a huge source of pride, they want to share their burdens with others, when all their busyness comes from their choices and time management. 

One of the sources of our busyness comes from people pleasing. We worry about doing things to impress others, we don't actually want to do them or want to please God. We desire others to like others and so we say yes to things when they ask us to do things. So much of our busyness comes down to meeting people's expectations. You want to be known as the nicest person. So you tell others that you will do a service project but you are really doing it to prove to others how nice you are. We use all of our time and energy trying to prove to others that we are a certain way. That way is pride for us. So in reality our busyness comes from us doing activities that God isn't actually calling us to. We are doing it for our own selfish reasons and this makes us more and more busy. People pleasing causes busyness. 

Another cause of busyness is hospitality. Christians are called to hospitality. But the kind of hospitality many are showing today is stress and I need your encouragement. You are here to encourage me, not for me to host you. Instead of worrying about serving them you are more worried about the food, your kids behavior, how the house looks and not as much about the guest. People are getting worked up and crazy busy in all the wrong ways instead of just hosting people and loving them. Christian hospitality has much more to do with love and care than it does to do with good food. 

Just make sure your busyness is taking over your life and it is the right kind of busyness. 

Brothers and sisters in Christ

Last night I had a great time volunteering at the great pumpkin party for special needs night! It was such a great experience getting to love on kids and adults with special needs and be with my other youth group members as well! I was just so blessed thinking about how this was all my family!! 

With so much ugliness and darkness in the world it can be easy to doubt others and not see the good in them. But in our churches with a good foundation and true love there is so much beauty in others. I think it is so easy to see that when you are serving God with others. You can see their true heart and how God has changed them. 

Take some time and love on your brothers and sisters in Christ. It will change your heart and life entirely. It will bless you and change your life as well. Getting to love on others is amazing!! 

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “ ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ ” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. (Romans 14:10-12 NIV). 

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. (James 2:14-17 NIV). 

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (Romans 12:1 NIV). 

Manipulation

Last night at student leadership group for church we discusses having a healthy heart and that they can't do that for us. Well the more I thought about it last night, I realized how much more I used to struggle with being manipulative and that ultimately stems from a selfish heart and negavity. A lot of what it takes to be manipulative is not allowing others to be happy unless you are, or making sure the focus is on you. If you don't get what you want then you are mad and manipulate the situation so others either feel bad or get mad too. There is no benefit to this. It causes everyone involved to be upset. Manipulation is a dirty game in my opinion. In the end you are trying to win it and cause others to lose. And it is a game that never stops unless you put an end to it. It is not a character trait, it is a dirty habit and can and needs to end. 

And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. (2 Corinthians 11:14 NIV). 

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1 NIV). 

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. (Ephesians 6:10-18 NIV). 

Just know that being manipulative gets you no where in the end, except anger, self destruction, unpure heart, and upsetting others. It doesn't make others feel good when you manipulate them to

get your way, it feels gross and annoying. It is no a healthy habit to have. There is a block in your heart telling you that you need to get your way and it doesn't matter the costs or how unhappy you feel at the time. Treating others like that will not help you be happy in the end, but you will still feel like you need to do this or that to be happy and get what you want. 

I believe manipulation is not a single sin but comes from a combination of lying, deceit, anger, and selfishness. It really hurts others and yourself, because eventually you can't manipulate the situation so that they aren't mad or annoyed with you, but they will know and be hurt. It does nobody any good. I had to really get my heart in check before I realized this and just do a lot of reflecting on how I was treating people. I just know that is not how God wants me to treat people. 

Great pumpkin party!!

I want to invite everyone to go to valley church for the great pumpkin party this Wednesday and Thursday from 6-8! It will be a great time with the love of Jesus! No scary costumes. There will be inflatables, a petting zoo, candy and tons of games!! Be there! 

Apple orchard trip 2:)!

I have had a very exciting and exhausting weekend! While I got to do a ton of fun stuff, I think it is an important reminder that as humans we need sleep. You can't just keep going and going all the time and never stop to think or rest. In order to function properly we need sleep!! As part of my fun weekend I got to go to the apple orchard again with my sister and her roomate! It was a great time!! 

God I thank you

God I thank you, oh Lord I thank You. You have carried me through the storm and brought me away from darkness. Lord I can't even make it through one day without needing you and turning to You. I am in such desperate need of a savior and I just thank you for where you have brought me. But Lord it is not about me. It is about You and Your people. It is just all about you, and the things I have made everyday all about me are frivolous things Lord that you can do in 30 seconds. Lord when I make it a dramatic ordeal and have fear, I am not trusting your power and glory. No matter how stressed and powerless I may feel Lord, you have the power. You have the power God. You have saved me from death and brought me into life. I have nothing to fear God, because I have given you my life and you have given of yourself to me! There are troubles that come to us, but nothing that we can't use for your glory! Every troubling situation we must look at it and say Lord help me, don't let me stress or fear. But let me turn my sorrows into praise! Lord God I love you with all my heart!! 

New term!

Today marks the start of a new term at Waukee high school. Everyday I just can't believe how fast high school is going. Before I know it, it will be Christmas and then I will only have 3 more semesters. The school calendar recently came out for next year and usually I am just like okay when do we get out, but then I realized...this is my last ever school calendar, this is the school calendar for my senior year. Life moves fast. Sometimes we never stop moving, an object in motion wants to stay in motion. We have to take a moment and just relax and breathe. To say a prayer to God and just not forget why we are here! There is so much more to do for God, not for ourselves. God put us here, we didn't create ourselves. So we do not follow our hearts way but Gods hearts way. 

Don't get so caught up in the world and being busy, to worship the Lord, who is ultimately why we are here!

1st corinthians 2

I recently got back into my morning bible study. I have started going through 1st Corinthians. If you haven't read 1 corinthians lately you need to get back into it and dig deep! 

I love this verse because the human eloquence part is in one of my favorite songs! And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. (1 Corinthians 2:1 NIV). 

We don't have to have it all together or have the perfect outfit or be the smartest person out there. What we do have to know and believe in our hearts when we share with others is, that Christ died for us!! And that truly our faith did not come from these persuasive ways of others or deceptiveness but just from Christ. We don't have to do all the work, we can be scared, but we shall let Gods power prevail!! 

Today your thoughts should be focused on Christs spirit and not our own. If it weren't for His spirit, we wouldn't know Him. We wouldn't know our Father. Read this today!! 

My favorite christian songs right now

1. Fix my eyes-for King and country

(By the way, if you haven't bought tickets yet for the concert on November 16th at valley church go to life1071 and buy them now!!!)

2. This is amazing grace- Phil Wickham

3. This is now-Casting Crowns

4. Wake-hillsong young and free 

5. The wonderful cross- Chris Tomlin

6. You are my king- Newsboys

7. You carried me-building 429

8. Start a fire- Unspoken

9. Cornerstone- Hillsong

10. Fearfully and wonderfully made- Matt Redman

Happy birthday Reed!!🎉

One of my favorite little boys turns 7 today!! Happy golden birthday Reed Joseph! He is such an amazing boy with such an awesome heart for God!! I love singing with him and praying with him before he goes to bed! I am praying for an awesome next year for Reed!! I love you sweetheart:). 

Homecoming 2014!

Homecoming was fun this year just getting to go with a group of girls and hang out:). I love getting dressed up and my mom did my hair! There are always dissappointing things at homecoming, but it just gives glory to God with the way we live. We have to do our part in the world to show others the light of Christ and not give into the temptations of the world. There is so much sin and darkness in this world but there is also so much beauty in Christ!! To God be the glory! 

It was a little cold:). ❄️