Ebb and Flow

I have a theory that, as believers, we go through an ebb and flow in our relationship with God. I also think this ebb and flow is specific to each person. Some of us are closer to God when everything seems right in the world, we are on top of everything, and nothing seems to be able to get us down. That is when we worship the loudest, pray the most, and find ourselves in the Word the most.

Then there are those of us who move closer when the going gets tough. When everything goes wrong, our car breaks down, our finances seem to be coming up short, the whole world becomes a scary place and sends us running back under the cover of our Father. We seek Him out to make sense of the world and our problems. We read the Word trying to find solutions and we pray constantly, asking for answers and help and giving thanks when we feel the need to remember that things aren't so bad.

While being closer to God is good, why don't we stay close all the time? When we are at our most thankful and also when we are at the bottom of the pit and need a hand? Why do we struggle to see God in the good? Or struggle to seek Him in the dark?

Priority check.

Cell phones, the internet, TV, Facebook, Twitter, work, relationships. There is so much going on in life right now. Our focus doesn't stay in one place for very long. We don't do the same task for very long, or make sure it has slight variations, with a few exceptions. We as a society like to be stimulated and often. I myself find this true. I get bored easily, but am luckily easy to entertain.

With all of the stimuli we have in our lives, it is so easy to become distracted. Lose focus on things that matter (or at least should matter) and focus on such mundane and trivial things. Family can take a back seat. Our faith can take a back seat. Where do we place importance? Is it on the small things we do that we won't remember in a week from now? Or is it on something that will make an impact years from now? I've been struggling to stay focused and remember what my priorities are and I took a minute on my lunch break today to look at some verses I had written down over time. Colossians 3:2 "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things." Caught my attention. Time for a priority check, how about you?

Why Follow the Bible??

For some people, it is hard to understand why I (and probably the majority of Christians, though I can only speak for myself) follow the Bible. If I claim to not be religious (I'm not), then how do I follow this book? The Bible isn't religious, it is how people use the Bible that becomes religious. When you begin to use what is in the Bible to condemn people, or to persecute people, or to exclude people from your fellowship, then you become religious. If you use the Bible and your own actions to adopt a "holier than thou" attitude, then that is religious. Using the Bible to judge people is religious. 

I follow the Bible, I tithe, I go to church, I worship, I pray, I serve all because I love God. I don't do it out of condemnation. I don't do it because I want to impress people. I don't do it because it brings me favor with people (it really doesn't. Quite the opposite really). I do it because I love God. It's natural. When you love someone (God) you do everything you can to keep that person happy. You do everything possible to make them proud. You go out of your way for them. This is how our relationships should be with Christ. When that changes, we need to change something (just had a realization there for myself). 

John 14:15 states "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." and 2 Corinthians 9:7 "Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."

I love God. Serving Him and following His Word make Him happy and make me feel fulfilled. 

Being Yoked: Friends, Dating, Relationships.

I've been encountering something that I never thought would be such a big deal to me. As a Christian in the dating world, I never thought that dating an unbeliever would be an issue. I can understand that some people have an issue with God or are angry at Him or haven't encountered God in a real way yet. The closer I get to  God, and I believe the closer anyone gets to God, the more important this detail becomes. The main verses people use when referring to this are 2 Corinthians 6:14-18. To sum it up, a believer cannot be yoked equally with a non believer. Light has no reason to fellowship with the darkness. When you aren't fully leaning on God, this doesn't seem to make a difference. The more you lean on Him, the more these words make sense.

Another verse I found that makes sense for the dating world of Christians as well as all kinds of friendships and relationships; 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be deceived, "Bad company ruins good morals."" Doing what is wrong or bad is always easier than doing what is right and good. Even being friends with or dating someone who goes to church but isn't saved can be a problem. 2 Timothy 3:5 addresses this. Having a form of godliness but denying the power is to be avoided. Being choosy about who we keep close is good. This isn't to say that you can't have friends that aren't saved or who believe differently, otherwise how would you show the world the light? But the emotional investment you make in people is important to pay attention to.

Lastly, and this is something I don't want to address, but that is so important it really needs it's own post, but I want to be able to dedicate more attention to it later. So in passing, 2 Timothy 2:22 "So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart." This is a call to both pursue the fruits of the spirit instead of your own desires and to look for people who do the same. 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5. We are to control our bodies and use them for honor. (Summing up here.) And lastly to address this. 1 Corinthians 6:18, "Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body." This should hit home so hard for us. The harm is done to ourselves. Not to someone else. In a world and time where sex is everywhere we look, it is in the TV shows we watch, the movies we see, the music we hear on the radio, and in commercials, we are so numb to these verses. They seem almost irrelevant to us. What is the big deal? We don't take responsibility for our sexuality. We see it as something fun. We see it as something that is expected by society. Something that is part of being in a relationship with someone. It is seen as normal to not be married and be having sex. As children of God, it should bother us more than it does. 

I'm not claiming to be perfect or to have all the answers or to be any better than anyone reading these words. But I know that I want to change. When you love God, you want to please God. Not disappoint Him. I want to please my God.

(Adding this in) I will mention that I'm dating someone who is not a believer and have many friends who don't believe as well. It hasn't affected the fact that I'm madly in love with Christ. I can't say they are always the easiest relationships to have or that we always agree on everything. 

More Pearls and A Bit on Beauty

Fear is faith in a lie.

The World doesn't read the Word, they read Christians.

Being a Christian means you are set apart from the world (Ephesians 5:1-2)

It is foolish to you, it is possible to me. (1 Corinthians 1:18)

You can't move forward when you are looking back. A tightrope walker never looks down.

Man's love is of man's life a thing apart
'Tis a woman's whole existance ~(Don't remember!)

The bible is a love story between God and His people. Christianity changes dramatically when we discover that it is a great romance. ~Captivating

Nature is not primarily functional, it is primarily beautiful.

Addictions are lovers of the heart. They are what we turn to instead of God. (Cigs, alcohol, facebook, internet in general, TV, etc) Our lovers have so intertwined themselves with our identity that to give them up feels like a personal death... we wonder if it is possible to live without them (The Sacred Romance)

These words are razors to my wounded heart- Shakespeare

We are not living in the world our souls were made for.

You are passionately loved by the God of the universe. You are passionately hated by His enemy.

God and Jesus thwart our plans for self-redemption. Or else we'll never turn fully to Him for help. (Hosea 2:6-7)  Captivating

We don't need to defend ourselves anymore. That's God's job. He is our Defender and Advocate. ~Captivating

We have to ask Christ to come and heal places in our hearts. He is a gentleman. If we still have them locked away....

For all the root of holiness is Romance.

Our changing relationship with God
             Clay-Potter
             Sheep-Shephard
             Servant-Master
             Child-Father
             Friends
             Bride-Bridegroom

If there is a space in our heart that only God can fill, there is a space in God's heart only I can fill, only you can fill.

Women are a mystery. Not a problem to be solved, but a mystery to enjoy.

Forced, striving beauty is no beauty to behold.

To let your defenses down is to let beauty step forward.

Do not give way to fear. (1 Peter 3:6)

A garden's beauty doesn't diminish with age; rather it takes years for it to become all that it can become. Such is with a tree, and with a person. ~Captivating

Beauty is a quality of the soul that expresses itself in the visible world.

Restoration has begun.

True femininity calls forth true masculinity.

If you would be loved, be loveable. ~Ovid

It is one thing to suffer. It is far worse to walk alongside one you love who is suffering intensely and be unable to do anything about it.

The heart is deceitful above all things. Jeremiah 17:9

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. (Col 3:2)

Pearls

Just some pearls I've picked up over the last few months. I write them down and never do anything with them. Take what you want.

It's not the quantity, but the quality.

A soul realm experience with God will feel good but leaves you with no conviction. A spirit encounter with God brings change.

Confidence in your God is good. Pride is stupid.

The dog you feed the most will be the strongest. Physical. Soul. Spirit. Who has the loudest bark?

If you stay in the World, you become a part of the World.

Buy the truth and do not sell it. Proverbs 23:23

When you walk with the World and as part of the World, you lose the Word. THe longer you walk with the World, the easier it is to let that Word go.

Absence is the strongest form of presence.

I'll crown you with my love.

Will you take this wall I've built and tear it down.

If you have a dream or a shadow of a dream, chase it. What do you have to lose?

Oh I've dreamed dreams of majesty as brilliant as a billion stars.

You are infectious, spreading through me.

Water from a broken well will make you thirst again.

Never let your fear decide your fate.

Don't have a religious conversion. Have a conversation. An open dialogue with God.

Without faith it is impossible to please Him.

Where is your hope based?

Love activates faith.

"You bear God within you, poor wretch, and know it not" ~Epictetus

You emotions are the slaves to your thoughts, and you are the slave to your emotions.

Have a backbone, not a wishbone.

Devotion is diligence without assurance.

Faith: I pre-accept the terms of the universe and I embrace in advance what I am presently incapable of understanding.

Faith is walking face first and full speed into the dark.

I want God to play in my bloodstream the way sunlight amuses itself on water.

It shouldn't take hitting rock bottom to diligently seek God.

Reasoning is not necessary for faith. Faith is action without assurance.

Faith won't make sense to anyone. You will have to fully rely on God for any and all support.

What do you want to do? Follow Jesus or follow the World and all of its standards?

I want all that God has for me. Nothing less.

I want to please God not man. You must be less like the community and more like God.

Foolishness to the Perishing

This past Sunday, a verse was mentioned in the morning message. One that wasn't stopped upon and looked into, but read in a group of passages. Upon reading it, this verse spoke truth into my eyes and my mind like it hadn't before. It struck a chord with me.

1 Corinthians 1:18 "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

I love when a verse will jump off of the page and, even if you've read that very verse before (possibly multiple times) takes on a meaning that you had never seen before. Such is the case with this verse. The books of Corinthians are some of my favorites and I've read through these very words multiple times. Now my eyes have been opened to the meaning. This may very well happen because we have not had the experiences necessary to see the wisdom in a verse just yet.

As is common in the world today, not everyone is a believer in Christ. Not everyone wants God and the message that comes with Him. They see Christianity as a set of rules and something that controls their life. They can't understand why anyone would want to give up what freedom they have to follow a book. This is especially true for the younger generation. Teenagers and college students such as myself.

People who are "being saved" however, see the bible and all that comes with Christianity as freedom! God gave us His son to be free from Hell. We are freed from sin. We see what we have been given in the Bible as "the power of God." and love it all the more.

I believe this explains why when I try to have a conversation with unsaved friends about my beliefs or why I won't do something because it clashes with my beliefs, these unsaved people will get that blank look on their face and just truly not understand. Or one of my favorites, try to explain that you only live once (YOLO!) and you should live it to the fullest. To saved people, following Christ is living life to the fullest. I would rather walk through those pearly gates one day and hear God say "Well done, my good and faithful servant." Rather than think back and ponder, "Was all of that really worth it?".

I'm not who I was.

When we become Christians, become saved, and become covered by the blood of Jesus, we are no longer the person we were before. A change takes place, and in time (or shortly thereafter!) you can see such a dramatic change. I've been hearing many songs lately that use the phrase, or a phrase similar to "I'm not who I was." I especially find this to be true for me, and have been seeing biblical proof of this statement, and why it is proof of our walk with Christ. I'm such a different person today than who I was two and a half years ago. My relationship with Christ has changed that. And my relationship with Christ keeps changing.

Today, I read these verses: "This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:17-24. And also, "Therefor be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma." Ephesians 5:1-2.

From here, I see that we aren't supposed to be part of the world anymore. After we are saved, we are set apart from the world. We should be different from people who aren't saved. If people can't tell you are a Christian without you telling them, there is something that isn't right. A believer should be obvious enough in his walk with Christ to be noticed as a Christian, but not boastful of that walk. Romans 12:2 says not to be conformed to this world, but transformed by the renewal of our minds!

Probably some of the best verses I've found about being different from non-believers, something that shows we are followers of Christ is in Luke. Luke 6:27-36. I won't write this one out, it's really lengthy, but its the verses that refer to loving your enemy, and turning the other cheek. But also in these verses it speaks about giving to anyone who asks of you, and not expecting things in return. The best phrases in here are from Luke 6:32-34 "But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you hope to receive back, what credit is that to you? For even sinners lend to sinners to receive as much back."  Its so powerful to see that yes, we are supposed to be different. And these things aren't natural to people. It is something to be worked at. Who doesn't expect to gain back when lending something to someone else? And is it not easiest to love someone who already loves you back? We are called to be not of this world.

People don't read the Word, they read Christians.

Revelations 1

I believe that one can sense when they are lacking spiritually. I have mistakenly called it spiritually dead, its more of spiritually starved. This is something I've been experiencing lately, now that I am unable to attend church on Wednesday nights due to work. I have still gone on most Sundays but it just isn't the same. (Not to mention other factors that have distanced me from both the church and in some ways, God as well.) This was the first time I had been to church on a Wednesday since the fourth of July. The excitement I felt all day about going was matched only by the feeling I had afterwards of being full. It was similar to how you feel after a good meal. Not stuffed, as though you could burst, but full and satisfied.

I also had some revelations. I'm not throwing scripture out just yet, this is raw and I'll most likely touch on these in some later writings. First is that, we are truly, truly supposed to focus on pleasing God and looking after His attention and giving Him ours. Not concerning ourselves with how others see us or how they feel about us. That doesn't matter, and shouldn't matter to us. The only thing that matters is what God will say of us. Hopefully it is "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

The second thing is that you can't rely on people. People will fail you and disappoint you more times in your life than you will ever be able to count. And as humans, it seems in our nature to want to rely on each other, to depend on people for something. We want to trust each other. But this just leads to broken trust and broken hearts. God is the only one who will never let us down, and is always there no matter what. He is who we should turn to when things go wrong, when things are going right, and when things are just moving along. We shouldn't call up some person and demand they fix things or give us the answers or ask that they do the praying for us. We should step up to the plate, look to Heaven and have that relationship with God ourselves.

The last thing is, we cannot distance ourselves from THE church or God. Or both! You wither up spiritually and you begin to feel fatigued. It affects your every day and every aspect of who you are, especially when you have dived so far into His Word and His promises and doing His work and ministering. You will feel a not only a spiritual difference, but also a physical and an emotional difference.

Ramblings of a Smoldering Believer: Jesus Wins!

I had a moment recently where I had to remind myself that Satan does not win. God triumphs. We have the end to read and when you read it, Jesus wins. It has been as though I've been fighting a battle for the last few weeks, one that I don't feel I have been winning. However, as a child of God; as a born again believer; as a person who is looking forward to an eternity in Heaven, I shouldn't have the concerns I do. Most believers shouldn't.

I'm not saying I'm perfect and that having this revelation means that I'll automatically be able to control the concerns I have and be able to just throw everything to God and press on. I'd love it if it was that easy, but it is something I'll have to work on and that believers everywhere have to work on. We have an amazing Father in Heaven who loves us so very dearly. So much so that He didn't want us to perish in the pits of Hell. He wants us to be able to come home to Heaven one day, so He defeated Satan through His Son. What greater way to show the love He has for us? Do we truly grasp that love? I don't believe we do . I know I don't. Writing this makes me have an awe of that love. I'm known as a loving person and I still don't grasp that love.

Knowing this, I really want to be able to walk in that love. To know the depth of that love and be able to express that love to other people. What a great feat that would be! To show the love of God to other people. People who don't know that love! It blows my mind.

It also blows my mind that people who go to church and are "Christians" can be so unexcited, so 'blah' about this! So unexcited about Christ in general! The believers are sleeping! Now this doesn't apply to EVERY believer. It isn't a catch all. I know there are people who are madly in love with Christ and who are on fire and see and have the passion for Christ, but where are they all hiding? Where are they scattered? They exist and they fight to be able to hold on to that fire in the company of so many lukewarm believers.

The ramblings of a smoldering believer.

Pressed Faith

I started out writing this, "How do you bounce back when your faith has been pushed past its limits?" I didn't even get to finish this sentence when I remembered the verse people quote about God not giving us more than we can handle, which I had to look up because I can't always quote chapter and verse in scripture. I couldn't find it, and it doesn't seem to be in the Bible. The closest thing I have found is I Corinthians 10:13. But this verse only speaks about temptations, and in that, living righteously. How many things are said in church circles or in religious circles that can't really be backed up by scripture?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we'll find something in life that GOD can't get us through. Hebrews 13:5 states that ... "He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."" God is always there. I could pull many more scriptures where God makes it plain He wants us to lean on Him in times of despair and doubt and when we just don't think we can go on. He wants to give us His strength, His wisdom, and His love when things go so wrong that we question His very existence and question the point of what we are doing. I'm fighting these very questions lately and have even found it difficult to want to open my Bible or listen to praise music. I fight the urge to give in and give up. No my life isn't exceptionally hard compared to just about every other person walking this planet, but it doesn't mean it's exceptionally easy either.

Leaning on God in the hard times is one of the biggest tests that we have. He wants me. All of me. In the good and the bad. In many ways, our relationship with God is like a marriage, but one that is held together by a covenant made by one party, instead of two. God made the covenant. We just have to walk in it. He cries after us when we turn away from Him, but He never leaves. I'm learning this time and again. When we feel that we are utterly alone and God is nowhere in sight, we have to remember that God won't leave us. He never leaves. We do.

Food for Thought

Sometimes we have such a strong desire not to do something or not to go somewhere and once we give in and go or do that very thing, we can find it was exactly what we needed all along. I came so close to not going to Ichthus, a Christian music festival, last week. I had myself convinced that it would be too stressful, that too many things had happened and I wouldn't enjoy myself but would dwell on all that had happened to hurt me. Less than an hour before I needed to leave I was packing my bag and walking to my car, not really sure if I would actually go or just stay with a friend for a few days. As soon as I pulled onto the grounds I felt such a peace and could truly feel God's presence.

There were Jesus freaks everywhere and throughout the four days I would catch people's conversations around me and they were all talking about God! It was a refreshing experience, to see and hear all of these people who love God. Seeing so many people come together as believers and put aside our differences of denomination or what church we go to or who our pastor is; it was awe inspiring.

We have a tendency to get so caught up in the religious aspect of being a believer and caring so much about where we go or who is preaching the gospel. As long as we are receiving the true gospel and seeking God with our whole hearts, what does it matter who we hear it from? Yes some people find it harder to see God in a Baptist church or a Methodist church or a Pentecostal church, but I believe we should be able to see God everywhere. Even if its when you're driving around in your car without any music on.

In different parts of the Bible, it refers to the church and each member as a part of the church. If we could come together as believers in Christ as THE church, nothing could stop us. I had a thought the other day about denominations. That very word, denominations. It's pretty close to the word denominator. Which, in a math sense, is what divides another number. Denominations are what divide us as believers.

Food for thought.

Bedazzling the Temple

A recent debate has got me researching. In our culture, it is a common practice to get piercings or tattoos. It is more and more socially acceptable, and if you go to a public pool, more often than not most people who seem to be over the age of 16 have some ink or a piercing that isn't just their ears whether it be lips, nose, or belly button. For believers this presents an issue: is it biblically acceptable to get a piercing or tattoo?

Leviticus 19:28 says "You shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor tattoo any marks on you: I am the Lord". Pretty straightforward. However, this is in the laws that were given to the Jews, which also including sacrificing animals, something no longer practiced today. In Matthew 5:17, Christ speaks about fulfilling the Law. We no longer have to follow all of these standards to reach righteousness. We have righteousness through the blood of Christ. I haven't found a verse in the New Testament that speaks purely against either piercings or tattoos. Some people choose to interpret the verses about our bodies being the temple of God means we shouldn't get them. This is an interpretation which is one of the beautiful things about the Bible. It is open to interpretation. I can look at a verse today and see one thing and go back a year from now and see something entirely different. Revelation 19:16 states that "He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KING AND LORD OF LORDS." Sounds to me like when Christ comes back, He'll have a tattoo Himself.

As I can see, there is no harm in getting a tattoo or a piercing. Other than the obvious possible future dislike and desire to lose a tattoo. This is my interpretation and I'm open to discussion.

Mortgage Advice

It's been awhile. How to start? I suppose at the start of this change. God has a canny way of bringing the best people and placing them in my path. He rescued me from myself and set me on a whole new path. Once I was established on that path, I closed my eyes and walked; easily without thought or hesitation. God finally placed someone in my path that opened my eyes to a whole new light; shook my whole world upside down. It's not an easy thing to face. Change is always met with resistance. And, as the old saying goes, You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink; so it is with people. You can lead a person to truth, but it doesn't make that pill any easier to swallow. It lodges in the throat and has to be coaxed down. Here I stand.

You wouldn't take mortgage advice from a homeless person. So God puts people in our path who have wisdom and experiences to share with us and help guide us. However, every person is different. Sharing the knowledge and wisdom and then being supportive are our roles as the 'mortgage consultants'. Cling to the wisdom and the knowledge given by others. When it is a divine appointment, those words are rarely given lightly. They are meant to be eye openers and directors to what is and what should or shouldn't be. Which is also not something that is easy to swallow when you are so comfortable with how everything is. Comfort can lead to contempt.

Love

Love. Such a small word with some big things behind it. Something that has been on my mind here lately. We guard our hearts so well, but want nothing more than for someone to love them the way they deserve to be loved. Why is loving so hard? Not just from one gender to another, but from one person to another. Whether it be family, friends, or more. Showing that love is something I don't see done very often or very well. I see so much deceit, so many lies, and so much hurt. If this is letting our hearts do the talking, maybe guarding them is better. In the last two years, I've become a much more loving person, and strive to make all that I love know just how much I love them. It is something I yearn for. Something I know every person desires. And something we are all supposed to do. Its not easy. Loving. Instead of critiquing, and hating, and hurting, and caring about ourselves above all else. But what a satisfying feeling, when you get through and touch someone's heart. That, is exactly what I aim for.

Names

Every day, someone says your name. Whether they are speaking to you, calling you, or speaking about you. The power of what we say is so much greater than we realize. We can change the world with a sound. A word. A phrase. In the beginning, God spoke, and something became. Well, names have meanings. They can either be a curse spoken over you daily, or a blessing that is wished upon you by anyone who speaks it. I used to know the meaning of my name, but had forgotten, so I did some research. My first name means lovely, beautiful, victorious, and crown of laurel. I wasn't sure what that last one meant, and after some digging found out that it is something that is placed upon the heads of victorious people in sports and war. My middle name means light, or shining light. Put together, I am a beautiful, victorious, shining light. Every time my name is on someone's lips, I am being blessed. Its a wonderful feeling knowing that my mom gave me such a meaningful name.

Falling

Falling away from where I was. From where I should be. Who knew it would be so easy? Who knew I could go so far? Seeing where I was, and looking around at where I am fills me with a sense of longing. A longing to be back there, back where things are good, and I know who I am and who I serve. I know what happened, and I know what must now happen. All I need is the strength and the faith to do so.

Poems

BEAUTIFUL TEARS
Cry those beautiful tears
Let them fall, release your fears
A life of difficulty and hardships
Told by the salty wet upon your lips
Cry those beautiful tears

One by one, let them down
Out of your eyes so brown
Not a person understanding
Oh, the mascara trail branding
Cry those beautiful tears

Tears like rain may fall
Friends and family come to call
Run fast and hide your shame
Watch the little flicker flame
Cry those beautiful tears

(UNTITLED)
I push you away
My ever-present friend
But as I cry, you stay
Holding me till the end

As I slowly settle down
You wipe away my tears
Whisper into my hair, soft brown
Try to chase away my fears

I let you hold me tight
Cling my arms around your neck
Keep my through the night
Put my threatening tears in check

Morning light finds my eyes
Heavy head rest against your chest
I rise and fall as your chest, it sighs
Quietly I lay and let you rest

I want to push you away
But I don't want you to go
This beginning of the day
Has just so much to show

Consuming Fire

Let it flow. Let it burn. Fire needs to consume your life, needs to overtake you. A hunger is released in you and the youth around you. Fear not rejection, for the only rejection that could matter, won't happen. We live in a world that needs the consumption that is coming but it needs to be led by the young people. They will do things never seen before by this or any living generation. Word of their faith travels far and wide. Continue to learn, but know where priority lies. Understand the opportunities open to you and seize them! Don't waste away. Death brings life, and that life will be all the better when you give in and take charge. I will open any door you knock upon. Every opportunity you see or create will be granted to the seeker. A generation is rising that will lead every other generation, that will know a burning hunger and a consuming fire never known before. Annointings run deep and it will be made clear who the annointed are. The nations will be on their knees, and though there will be wards of blood and violence, the world will bring them to light, the youth will have an obvious hand in it all. We are a chosen generation. The youth are the light.

Coming Back

No matter how far you falter from the path, just look up and look around. There is always someone around who is going to pull you back to light. The mistakes you make are going to be forgiven, for God's mercy is just a prayer away. There is no greater feeling than knowing that, even as a sinner, you are loved by God. He loves you and forgives you. It is a lesson that, when learned it is something that will draw you very near to God. That is what we should all strive for. Closeness and intimacy with God.