If It's Stopping You From Getting Closer to God, Part One

If it’s stopping you from getting closer to God, it needs to go

Part 1

“Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.”

-1 John 2:15-17 NLT

Wow. What a handful of words all strung together to make a big blob of powerful paragraph. But really, what does this passage of Scripture mean to you? To me, it is saying, “The things of the world are not worth it. Don’t give in. Love your Father and what He has to give instead.” Pretty clear, huh?

Then why is it that we “wander off the path” and stray from our faith in order to try out new worldly things? I can tell you first hand that leaving your faith behind is not worth it. Trying out worldly things is not worth it. Yes, whatever cravings you are satisfying may seem worth it while you are doing them, but are they really worth giving up your personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

“Oh Nicole, you don’t understand. You’re being extreme. I can still do [insert worldly sinful desire] and still love God. I can still go to church and be a good Christian.”

Oh, but I DO understand, all too well. Here’s a little background for you: I grew up in a Christian family. We went to church, read the Bible, prayed before meals and before bedtime. I had a good relationship with Jesus. Then along came college. And suddenly, before I knew it, yours truly was giving in to the lie that “It’s okay to do bad things. You’re in college. This is the time of your life that it’s most acceptable to do these things. If you don’t do them now, when will you?” (P.S. I was also still attending church every once in a while.)

DO. NOT. BUY. INTO. THIS. LIE.

I don’t care if it’s college pressure, alcohol, drugs, partying, hooking up, money hungry, jealousy obsessed, etc. It is not worth it. It will never be worth it. You may have fun for a while, but in the end, it will drag you down.

That’s the funny thing about the enemy: he will entice you with all kinds of “forbiddens,” but after you’ve tried them all out, he will use your weaknesses against you. He will not feel sorry for you. No, instead, he will use guilt, shame, doubt, all against you.

But then enters the beauty of grace and mercy. Grace is “the free and unmerited favor of God.” Mercy is “compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.” (Thanks, laptop dictionary!)

God’s grace and mercy: the perfect ingredients to equal a recipe of love after repentance.

Don’t forget that God loves you regardless of what you’re doing, but it does break His heart when you do things that go against Him.

Well, this is all for now. This is just an introductory post about my topic of “If it’s stopping you from getting closer to God, it needs to go.” Hope it gives you some food for thought, and have a wonderful day/evening/life :)

Xoxo,

n.

Keep Waiting!

I promise my blog series is coming! I'm working on "If It's Stopping You From Getting Closer to God, It Needs To Go" but I am also a busy girl!

For instance, enrollment for spring semester was today at 5 AM. I waited for 40 minutes for one page to load. It didn't. I finally was able to enroll at 8 AM. So there's a little snippet of what's been going on in my life recently! :)

Anyway keep your eyes out for Part 1 to HOPEFULLY show up within the next week!


Xoxo,
n.

Short But Sweet :)

The title basically describes me...haha no but really, this post will be very brief, but informative-ish!

So I just wanted to post a little posty post here and let you all know what's coming soon! I'm going to do a blog on "If it's stopping you from getting closer to God, it needs to go." Anything that hinders your relationship with Christ is a no-no!

And I know this because I had to cut a lot out of my life once I rededicated my life to Christ back in January. It was rough, but necessary, and definitely has paid off! Believe me, once you get rid of the bad and fully focus your life on Christ, you will be amazed at the results. His love is so magnificent!

Sooo anyway, stay tuned! I'd like to post within the next few days about this topic, but since my life has decided to go and get all busy recently, it may be closer to a week-ish. Sowwy. It will happen though! :)

Xoxo,
n.

Rainy Day

So today: 1) I'm not feeling super awesome, thanks to my back being out and chest pains - but it's not life threatening so no need to worry! 2) Due to #1, I had to miss my teaching field experience and my technology class today (both my cooperating teacher and my tech teacher were understanding, so it's okay). 3) I just got an estimate on my car. I was in a fender bender Sunday on my way to church - I got hit instead of doing the hitting and everyone is fine so I mean, that's a plus...sort of. 4) It's just a rainy day!

Don't get me wrong, rain is a good thing. But typically I only like rainy days if I can go outside and splash in puddles in my rain boots, or if it's sunny-ish and warm-ish. (Yes, I make up my own words.) That being said, it's still a good day and I'm still going to try to be productive, after I rest on the couch for a while.
So, since I'm bored, I thought I'd just share a few things with you guys to try to keep us all a little sane on this rainy Tuesday afternoon.

Here's a little Kid President to get your day started. Because who doesn't love Kid President? And if you haven't ever heard of him, go watch some of his YouTube videos here. He is adorable and I guarantee you'll love this kid.

Photo taken from megancrosbie.com

Since it is rainy, I thought it'd be a good idea to share my ultimate comfort food with you (thanks to Land O'Lakes for the best recipe ever!). It's called Ham, Mac & Cheese Soup. If you think it sounds weird, wait until you see the recipe. You will quickly change your mind and decide that yes, I was right, and it does sound and taste delicious. You can get the recipe here. And here's a little pic for you, just so you know ahead of time what kind of awesome deliciousness you're getting yourself into.

Photo taken from landolakes.com

I KNOW RIGHT? Doesn't it look awesome? It tastes even better. And it really doesn't take very long to make. Also, I will go ahead and admit that I didn't use Land O'Lakes brand of everything for the recipe as they suggest. I'm not a stickler about that. Half and half is half and half, regardless of the brand. Anyway, I promise, you will LOVE this recipe! I actually love it so much that I may suck it up and go to the store and get the ingredients to make it, even though I don't feel super peachy. It's just that good!

Anyway, that's all I've got for you for now. Check back later for more awesomeness.
Have a great rainy Tuesday! Now watch some Kid Pres and get to cooking!

Xoxo,
n.

"Let not your heart be troubled..."

Boy, I sure did need this right about now. I love how God speaks to me.

October 10th? Oh My...

October 10th was the last time I posted! Are you kidding? No, no I am not.

Did I just talk to myself via blog post? Okay, so maybe I am a little crazy, but at least I keep things interesting.

I've been reading all these people's blogs recently, like Paul Angone's "All Groan Up", Allison Vesterfelt's "Learning to Live with Less", Stephanie Munden's "The First Years" (LOVE HER, she is an absolute sweetheart!), and even a few like Anthony Moore's "Stuff Grads Like" and Brazen Careerist. And what has reading all of their blogs done for me? Well, for one, brightened my already bright day! If you ever need a pick-me-up, any of these will do, though I recommend the first 3 the most. The last 2 are moreso just little interesting ones to "thumb through" when you're bored.
But what their blogs have also done for me is made me want to start blogging consistently!

I know, I know. I've said this before. And does it happen? Well, for a little bit it does. But not nearly as much as I'd like it to. So you know what I'm gonna do? Judge me for this, but...I'm gonna set a daily repeating reminder in my iPhone to BLOG.

Yep. That's right. I'm obsessed with the Reminders section of my phone and I don't understand how I survived life without it before now. I mean, I love my planner and I definitely still use it, but I would be utterly lost without Reminders on my phone.

So now that you all know that I'm taking blogging seriously this time (for reals!), you can go ahead and get excited! Do some jumping jacks or run around your house (physically, outside), or just do something to get your blood pumping so then after you stop doing it and stop looking like an idiot, you can stand there and remember why you just looked so silly -- because Nicole is blogging now! :)

Have a happy rest of your Monday, guys. It's really truly worth it to be happy on a Monday.

Xoxo,
n.

P.S. AND LOOK FOR MORE POSTS TO COME! :)

A Joyce Meyer devotional - "Love Out Loud"

"Break Free from Criticism and Judgment"
Joyce Meyer's "Love Out Loud" devotional
October 10

"But [as for me personally] it matters very little to me that I should be put on trial by you...I do not even put myself on trial and judge myself...I feel blameless; but I am not vindicated and acquitted before God on that account. It is the Lord [Himself] Who examines and judges me." 1 Corinthians 4:3, 4

Criticism and judgment are rampant in today's society. It is unfortunate that people choose to degrade others instead of offering encouragement and affirmation. For most people, being criticized and judged by others is difficult to bear. It's hard on us mentally, and it can be very painful emotionally. But the more we learn to love ourselves in a godly way, the less susceptible we are to the wounds criticism and judgment can inflict.

Certainly, being critical and judgmental toward others is a sin; God's Word instructs us repeatedly not to treat people this way. But, it is equally sinful to allow the adverse opinions of others to affect us negatively or influence the decisions we make.

Most of the time, people who criticize and judge others are extremely insecure. Because they are not comfortable with themselves, they struggle to be at ease with others or to accept what others choose to do. We need to be secure enough in God to be who we are and do what He has called us to do, whether people around us approve or not.

Understand that criticism and judgment are the devil's tools. He will try to use them to keep you from fulfilling your destiny, to limit your liberty, and to steal your creativity. The way to resist them is to be secure in the fact that God loves you and to love yourself appropriately.

Love Yourself Today: "Lord, I pray that I will continue to grow to love and accept myself in godly ways so the criticism and judgment of others will not hurt me or affect me negatively."

A Joyce Meyer devotional - "Trusting God Day By Day"

"Leave the Choice to God"
Joyce Meyer's "Trusting God Day By Day" devotional
October 10

"But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!" Matthew 14:27

God will do one of two things if you have a problem: He will either remove the problem (which is always our first choice!) or He will give you the strength, the grace, the ability to go through the problem. I know we don't like the going through part, but if that is what God chooses, we need to trust Him.

If God lets us go through something, then He's got a purpose in mind; there's something we are going to get out of it that we need. If we don't trust God, we're going to be miserable. The only choices we have are trust and be happy, or don't trust and be miserable!

Trusting God is very peaceful. It is so wonderful to be able to say, "I don't understand this, but I believe God's going to work it out." When you are in a difficult situation, believe God is with you and that He will give you direction at the right time. Believe you are growing spiritually even though you might be hurting right now.

I went through many years when I tried to have enough faith to prevent myself from having problems, or when I did have problems, I wanted enough faith to resist the devil and believe God would make my problem go away. To be honest, I was under so much pressure and stress that it began to adversely affect my health. Finally I decided, "Oh! I'm supposed to trust God! And if God doesn't get rid of my problem, then I trust God to take me through it." By believing in God, I entered His rest!

We trust God's timing, we trust His wisdom, we trust His ways, and by doing that, we can enjoy every single day of the journey. We don't have to just be happy when we have no problems; we can also enough life while we are "going through."

Trust in Him: If you can say, "God, I know you'll do one of two things: You'll either remove this or You're going to give me the grace to deal with it," and trust God enough to leave that choice up to Him, you'll reap the reward.

Powerful.

"We are the daughter, the son, of a KING, who is not moved by the world, for our God is with us & goes before us. We do not fear because we are HIS."


You are the daughter/son of a KING. Embrace courage, strength, integrity. Walk with the confidence of Christ in you.

Luke 9:23

Daily Verse: "Then He said to them all: 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.'" -Luke 9:23

Daily Thoughts: Offering ourselves to God isn't easy because it means we must first die to our own selfish will. Like Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane, we face our own cross and must cry out, "Not my will, dear Father, but Your will be done!"

Daily Prayer: "Dear Father, thank You for sending Jesus as my Savior. Lord Jesus, I want to follow You. I don't want it to be half-hearted or hypocritical. I want Your life to be seen in me. So please, gently show me the areas where my heart needs to be softened and my character needs to be shaped by the Spirit so that I can more perfectly reflect Your glory, grace, and character to those around me. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Gold and Silver, or Wisdom and Understanding?

I love the daily Bible verse app on my computer. The verse for today caught my attention, so I thought I would share it with you, as well as the Daily Thoughts and Daily Prayer.

Daily Verse: "How much better to get wisdom than gold, to choose understanding rather than silver!" Proverbs 16:16

Daily Thoughts: What are the greatest riches in life? Well surely they are not silver and gold. Of infinitely greater value is wisdom, which helps us understand what is valuable, what is true, what is worthy of our heart, and what is not.

Daily Prayer: "Heavenly Father, God of the Ages and Giver of every good and perfect gift, please bless me with holy and practical wisdom so that I can more fully know how You have blessed me and so that I can be the blessing to others that You want me to be. In Jesus' Name, Amen."

Psalm 16:11

"You have let me experience the joys of life and the exquisite pleasures of Your own eternal presence."

James 5:10-11

"For examples of patience in suffering, dear brothers and sisters, look at the prophets who spoke in the Name of the Lord. We give great honor to those who endure under suffering. For instance, you know about Job, a man of great endurance. You can see how the Lord was kind to him at the end, for the Lord is full of tenderness and mercy."

Conviction - How Much Do You Know About It?

People usually only see the negative in conviction, but there's so much more to it than that! God loves you so much that He doesn't want to leave you the way you are, drowning in your sin. He is willing to help you change so that you can live life more abundantly! Think of it in the metaphor of a parent disciplining a child. The parent, through discipline and correction, is helping the child change so that he/she won't make the same mistakes anymore. That child's life will be more positive and rewarding now that he/she has changed and listened to the loving kindness of the parent. God's conviction is the same!

I looked up "conviction" in a couple dictionaries, and they basically said the same thing: "A formal declaration that someone is guilty of a criminal offense." YIKES! That sounds a little scary, doesn't it? And pretty harsh! I think that's why so many people take offense when God convicts them! First, it's not easy to listen to conviction. Whether it's God directly revealing your faults to you, or through someone else God has selected to use as a messenger, no one really wants to hear, "Hey, can I talk to you about something? I'm concerned that the sin you're living in will ruin you if you don't overcome it" (or however else you would hear conviction, there are numerous ways). Conviction is really a blessing in disguise! (How many times have you heard that about the ways God works in your life? It's true!) Honestly, if God didn't love you, He would leave you in your sin. Remember all sin is the same to Him; no sin is better/worse than any other, so if God were to leave you in your sin, you would be of the world. You would be chasing after flesh instead of chasing after the Spirit.

"So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won't be doing what your sinful nature [the flesh] craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of [contrary to] what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions [to do whatever you want]. But when you are directed [led] by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law." Galatians 5:16-18

How blessed do you feel when you're being convicted? If you're like me (HUMAN!) then the answer is probably, "Um, I don't feel blessed at all. Is that even an option?" I'm here to tell you: it is! Conviction used to be a very hard pill for me to swallow (and sometimes still is), but especially when I was coming back into the faith and turning away from the worldly sins I had been living in. My goal was to be "in the world, but not of it," and let me tell you, when you have that kind of mindset and devote yourself to that through Christ, He will DEFINITELY use conviction to help change your heart and your habits. That's not a bad thing though! Remember the metaphor I used earlier about the parent/child discipline relationship. Now obviously God isn't going to sit you down and be like, "Okay [your name here], you've been committing [particular sin here], so I'm gonna sit you in time out for five minutes so you can think about what you've done." I mean, honestly, the only things time out did for us were: (if we were young enough) make us forget about whatever wrong we had done, or (if we were old enough) make us dwell on whatever wrong we had done. When God convicts us, I don't believe that He wants us to completely forget about the sin we've committed (at first, anyway), or else how would we be able to change it? "You're right, God, I'm gonna just forget about that and move on." Yes, that IS what we need to do, but only AFTER we have figured out how to change our hearts for the better. Also, God does not want you to dwell on your wrongs either. What kind of a loving God would want you to constantly think about how many wrongs you've done? Not our loving God that we serve :)

I have one of Joyce Meyer's devotional books, Love Out Loud, and the July 2nd devotional really touched down on the subject of conviction. So here it is, laid out in Joyce Meyer's words for you:

Yes, Lord
"For the Lord corrects and disciplines everyone whom He loves, and He punishes, even scourges every son whom He accepts and welcomes to His heart and cherishes." Hebrews 12:6

As we change and grow in God, we won't always do everything perfectly. As a result, we need to know how to receive God's loving correction. God corrects us and disciplines us because He loves us. In Revelation 3:19, Jesus speaks this same truth when He says: "Those whom I [dearly and tenderly] love, I tell their faults...So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent [changing your mind and attitude]."

As I've dealt with my children and with hundreds of employees over the years, I've discovered that in order for my correction to be effective, it's essential that the people I correct know that I love and care about them.

The people who struggle most to receive correction are those who do not know they are loved. Instead of feeling corrected for their own good, they feel punished.

No one can receive God's correction properly without a revelation of His great love. We may hear the correction and even agree with it, but it will only make us feel condemned or angry unless we know it comes from God's heart of love and will ultimately bring about the changes needed in our lives.

Next time God corrects you, remember that He "dearly and tenderly" loves you and that He accepts you, cherishes you, and welcomes you to His heart. Receive His correction as an act of love and respond by saying, "Yes, Lord."

Love God Today: "When You correct me, Lord, I will welcome it, receive it as an expression of Your love for me, and say yes to You."

Wow! Isn't that powerful? What a great message Joyce delivers to us through this devotional. She really helped me to see and understand that when God convicts me, yes, it is indeed because I am doing something that is wrong and doesn't glorify Him, but it is also because He loves me and wants what is best for my life. He already has my whole life planned out (and yours, too!) so if I truly want to do His will, and have it be done in my life, listening to His correction will lead me to that.


I hope this has helped anyone who has been struggling with conviction, or even struggling to feel loved. God always loves you, and He always will, even when He's gently showing you correction. Remember these parting words from a Christian account (@SaviourAndKing) I follow on Twitter: "Jesus is the biggest opportunity you will ever get. Don't miss Him standing there with open arms because you're too busy in the world."


I love you all,
n.

One of my favorite parts of the Bible

"You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless. You are the light of the world--like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your Heavenly Father." Matthew 5:13-16

Pleasing God

"Obviously, I'm not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ's servant." Galatians 1:10 -- We should all remember this! Pleasing the world, our friends, family, or whoever else is not what we should be focusing on. The only person we ever need to please is God. If we are pleasing Him, then He will help us please others in a way that still glorifies Him. And if we can't please others in a way that still serves Him, He may remove those people from our lives in order to introduce us to other believers who will better help us by growing in the faith. God is a loving God :)

Don't Let Your Emotions Vote

June 22 "Trusting God Day By Day" Daily Devotional by Joyce Meyer

Don't Let Your Emotions Vote

"Do not be misled, my beloved brethren." James 1:16

If we desire to walk after the Spirit, all our actions must be governed by God's principles. In the realm of the Spirit, there is a precise standard of right and wrong, and how we feel does not alter that standard. If doing the right thing requires a "yes" from us, then it must be "yes" whether we feel excited or discouraged. If it is "no," then it is "no." A principled life is enormously different from an emotional life. When an emotional person feels thrilled or happy, he may undertake what he ordinarily would not do. But when he feels cold and emotionless or melancholy, he will not fulfill his duty, because his feelings refuse to cooperate.

All who desire to be truly spiritual must conduct themselves daily according to godly principles. A good sign to show you're growing and maturing in Christ is when you consistently obey, even when you don't feel like it.

Learn not to ask yourself how you feel about things, but instead ask yourself if doing or not doing something is right for you. You may know that you need to do something, but you don't feel like doing it at all. You can wish you felt like it, but wishing does no good. You must live by principle and simply choose to do what you know is right. There may be a certain thing you want to do badly. It might be a purchase you want to make that you know is too expensive. Your feelings vote "yes," but your heart says "no." Tell your feelings they don't get to vote. They are too immature to vote and will never vote for what is best for you in the long run.

We don't allow people to vote in political elections until they are eighteen, because we assume they would be too immature to know what they are doing. Why not look at your emotions the same way? They have always been a part of you, but they are very immature. They are without wisdom and cannot be trusted to do the right thing, so just don't let them vote. We mature but our emotions don't, and if they are left unchecked, our lives will be a series of unfinished and disappointing ventures.

Trust in Him: Pray and ask God to help you trust Him more than you trust your emotions.

God's School of Wisdom

May 28 "Love Out Loud" Daily Devotional by Joyce Meyer

God's School of Wisdom

"I have taught you in the way of skillful and godly Wisdom [which is comprehensive insight into the ways and purposes of God]." Proverbs 4:11

True Christianity goes far beyond mere doctrine. We certainly need to know the principles of our faith in the form of doctrine, but real love for God is so much more than a set of basic beliefs; it is also a way of daily, practical living that comes from understanding the ways and purposes of God.

When we approach everyday situations from the perspective of God's ways and purposes, we ask questions such as: "How would Jesus talk to that person?" "How would Jesus deal with that person's obvious need?" When we begin to think along these lines, we are learning to be wise because we are seeking to understand the ways and purposes of God.

Moses was a very wise man, one who understood the importance of knowing God's ways. In Exodus 33:13, he cried out to God: "...If I have found favor in Your sight, show me now Your way, that I may know You..." God answered Moses' prayer, as we read in Psalm 103:7: "He made known His ways...to Moses, His acts to the children of Israel."

Notice the distinction between what God made known to Moses (His ways) and what he made known to the children of Israel (His acts). Some people are only interested in God's acts--what He will do for them. But wise people are like Moses; they hunger for a deep understanding of His ways. Let me encourage you to cry out to God as Moses did.

Love God Today: Ask God to show you His ways and help you understand His purposes.

Oh Today...

Hey all! It's been soooo longggg since I've posted anything! I'm determined to try to at least somewhat keep up with this blog! I mean really, it's the least I can do.

Well, today I learned a valuable lesson. I overcame temptation! *Cheers* *Applause* Thank you, thank you. Okay, but back to a serious note. I don't know if anyone else does this (I'm sure you do), but sometimes I read a Bible verse and I'm like: "That's a great verse! I'm gonna remember this verse so that when I'm going through a trial or a struggle, I'll have it to back me up and lift my spirits." OHHH THE STRUGGLE. The verse I'm thinking of right now is 1 Corinthians 10:13. "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

I'm not gonna lie, I didn't remember the verse word for word. I completely had to look it up on BibleGateway.com (which is a great site, by the way!). Let's face it: I HATE BEING TEMPTED. I'm not sure I know anyone who enjoys it, but seriously. It's not even a mindset of "Oh here I am being tempted again." No, it's "Oh my gosh, how am I ever going to overcome this?" (There's an emotional difference that I'm hoping you maybe can pretend to "hear" while reading that, haha.) But honestly, temptations aren't easy. They're not meant to be easy. If everyone could overcome every temptation easily, they wouldn't be TEMPTING to us. I like that BibleGateway has footnotes about this verse. It says "The Greek for temptation and tempted can also mean testing and tested." Whew, that's something to wrap your mind around! It's so true, too. When you are being tempted, you are also being tested. God knows this, and if you know it as well and trust in Him to help you work through the struggle, you will succeed in turning away from the temptation and turning toward God.

Temptations are enticing to us because we're humans and we make mistakes and we enjoy a thrill (which is why temptations are also bad for us). Giving in to a temptation doesn't make you a bad person. It further solidifies that you are, in fact, HUMAN. The dictionary on my computer defines temptation as "a desire to do something, esp. something wrong or unwise." Well if that's not blunt then I don't know what is. Remember, we're humans, which means as intelligent as we are...well, we're also stupid sometimes. We all know that temptations are "wrong" and "unwise," so why do we give in? Because, as the dictionary even knows, temptations are DESIRABLE. Something attracts us to the sin or wrongdoing that we know we may or may not be about to carry through with. But we can overcome.

One of my absolute FAVORITE verses in the Bible is John 16:33. "I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." That is always SO encouraging to me. I'm gonna struggle. I'm gonna go through trials. I'm going to encounter temptations and hate them and wish they were gone, but the truth is, they'll still be there until I commit to doing something about them, whether that is giving in to my selfish ways or rising above all that with Christ.

Today I chose to rise above. Although that statement may prod you to commend me on a job well done, I don't want to take any of the credit. I don't deserve that. I'm not trying to be overly modest or humble about it, but I'm also not being braggy. I am proud of myself, though. It's amazing that when you're going through a struggle, while you're in the midst of a temptation, prayer is the powerful force that helps you climb your way out of the pit you've fallen into. The one that you have happily dug for yourself while toying with the idea of saying yes to the temptation right in front of you. But the great thing about prayer is that even when you don't feel like you're praying a "good prayer," your heart knows better. Your heart prays what your mind and words can't, and God hears that. He offers you a hand and helps you up out of the pit and embraces you in His love, and all because you chose Him over sin.

I don't know, maybe this sounds like such a trivial thing to you, but to me, it's more than that. Temptations come in all shapes and sizes, and the more you overcome them with Christ, the more you are strengthened in Christ.

"One day, you'll be standing in front of God, and He'll show you just how easy it was to say no." A very special person in my life likes to remind me of these wise words, and he's right. That's also something that keeps me going when I'm in the midst of trying to resist a temptation. As much as I want to give in (remember, it's tempting because it's desirable), if I just stop and breathe and really think about it for a minute, I realize that the payoff of saying no is much greater than the adrenaline rush from saying yes. An adrenaline rush doesn't last, but the lesson God teaches you from saying no...that's something you can hang your hat on for the rest of your life.

So long story short, don't feel alone if you're going through a temptation. For one, you're human, so you're going to be tempted. It's completely normal. For two, you have so many brothers and sisters in Christ (friends, family, church family, whoever!) who are more than willing to listen to you in your time of need. Do not ever hesitate to contact someone when you're being tempted. The devil wants you to try to face it on your own so that you'll give in, but God wants you to turn to your Christian family and Him, so that we all can help you overcome and grow from it. And I promise, the growth you receive after overcoming is SO worth it :)


Much love,
n.

Redesigned!

Did some redesigning of my blog! New background, new fonts, new pictures :)

I mean I've updated my life recently, so shouldn't my blog be a part of that too?


Enjoy :)