An Answered Prayer. A Rededication.

Today November 28, 2010 I rededicate my life to God.

It's a good day, and I'm ready for the new beginning God has offered me.

About two years ago, with the help of an incredible friend, I had realized that living my life for God was more then going to church on Sunday. I then too started understanding that there is no in between, and that I was either going to be on fire for God and trust Him, or lay Him on the back burner and figure things out for myself. I had realized it meant dedicating my life to God. I wasn't willing any longer to settle for what I had been settling for. I had felt that everything I had gone through was like a roller coaster. (Yes, I know cliche.) That the intensity would just build from there. This last summer I'd say that my relationship with God had hit the peak. It was at the top of the roller coaster ride. There was no school drama, no friend drama. I was able to attend a National Youth Gathering in New Orleans, and also a three day camp of Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Camp. I had plenty of time to read my Bible, go to church, pray before bed, talk to Him throughout the day. It was all good. I was satisfied, and the most content I've ever been. The last few months the feeling of being content started to fade as my time with Him started slipping away. School started going. I started becoming stressed. I filled up my schedule with school, friends, sports, and I left the little bit of time I had left over to spend it specifically with God.

Lately I've been starting to feel alone, and worthless. The more I accepted the feelings the more lies I felt Satan would throw at me, and the more I was willing to accept each one, so this morning on the way to walking into church I prayed silently to myself asking God if He could show me a miracle, and let me acknowledge it as Him. The service continued with some worship songs, and then lead into a solid message. Let me just tell you right now that Pastor Steve's messages are GREAT. The message today was about dying daily to yourself, and being thankful. It discussed that no matter what situation you are in you have a million blessings to be thankful for, and it talked about how many blessings we overlook and how many we believe are deserved. The message also displayed the idea of giving up something for yourself, in the end, to bless someone else. In also in a way reached out the point that the world doesn't revolve around you, it doesn't revolve around me, and it won't ever. Following the message Pastor Steve had us stand up. We began praying prayers to ourselves, and he prayed his prayer for us out loud. He asked that anyone who was hurting, or who felt that they haven't been where they needed to be with God lately that they would raise their hand while our heads were bowed. He'd take a while acknowledge who, and then continued asking the question in hope that those who needed the courage to raise their hands would. I prayed to God that I had been feeling very far away from Him, and if I was one of the people who needed to raise there hand then Pastor Steve would ask once more. Of course Pastor Steve did. I still didn't have the courage to raise my hand, so I promised once again to God that this time if he asked again I would raise my hand. Again still no courage, the final time I promised God I would do it, and again Pastor Steve asked the question. I then raised my hand and quickly put it down after he made the acknowledgement of those whose hands were up. I had thought that raising my hand and surrendering to myself was all I needed to do- to admit to myself that I wasn't in the place I needed to be with God. Pastor Steve then continued by calling us up to the front of the church so they could lay hands upon us and pray for us. I continued standing in my place with no anticipation of moving to the front of the church. I opened my eyes looked up and notice him looking at me. He said "Young lady in the back (me) would you please come to the front so we can pray for you?". I began to walk forward to the front of the church, and stood next to some others who were feeling the similar things I had. Pastor Steve called up some of the members of the congregation willing to pray over us individually. Pastors Steve's wife, Trish, walked up to me, and placed her hands upon my shoulders. She asked me "Have you accept Christ in your life yet?" And I replied with a "Yes." She began praying over me, and I could feel Christ enter my heart overwhelmingly. She then asked me if I had accepted the Holy Spirit in my heart, to which I replied "Yes." again. As she continued praying I could hear God reminding me that I didn't have to feel alone, and that the world will never be a place to satisfy the things that I longed for. That the very place that I needed to be was hand in hand with Him, and He called me back to Him with open arms.

That was His miracle. The miracle of Him excepting someone worthless, and undeserving of His love. The miracle that He would except me back into His loving arms. The miracle of an answered prayer, and because of this my life doesn't have to go back to being to same it can move forward changed.

I Refuse. (Followup Post.)

Here is kind of a followup to my last post. It's still very heavy on my heart. I ran across a song tonight that felt perfect for it! Coincidence? I think not. God's always at work. :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbH0IWZL05s

I Refuse

Josh Wilson

Sometimes I, I just want to close my eyes

And act like everyone's alright

When I know they're not

This world needs God, but it's easier to stand and watch

I could pray a prayer and just move on

Like nothing's wrong

But I Refuse

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

I can hear the least of these, crying out so desperately

And I know we are the hands and feet of You, oh God

So if You say move, it's time for me to follow through

And do what I was made to do

And show them who You are

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

I refuse to stand and watch the weary and lost cry out for help

I refuse to turn my back and try and act like all is well

I refuse to stay unchanged, to wait another day to die to myself

I refuse to make one more excuse

I don't want to live like I don't care

I don't want to say another empty prayer

Oh, I refuse to sit around and wait for someone else

To do what God has called me to do myself

I could choose not to move

But I refuse

Fighting for the Broken..

This world is inhabited with sin, but that doesn't mean we should just give up. Sin is here. It'll always be. It is our nature, but the doesn't mean it has to be our way, or our excuse for the way we are. God also gave us a choice. A choice on how we approach and how we handle our sinful nature. Lately I've had a heavy heart about some friends and the people of this world who I feel are lost and broken, who feel lonely and worthless, or just someone who needs someone to love them. It's our time now. This generation, if we all just took one step forward it'd be one giant leap for this world, and I believe we can do it.

Some of the smallest acts can change a person's day. A smile, and a "hello" is all it could take. Don't just sit back and wish. Take action. The change starts with you.

I've been focusing on praying for them, and for the renewing of their heart and soul. I truly believe in the power of prayer. It's strong. It's a step towards action.

Check this out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWQpzKHEwVg&feature=fvw
"Keep Changing the World" with visual.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAtal8ZV6eo
"Keep Changing the World"

Lyrics:

"Keep Changing the World"

Something here is wrong

There are children without homes

But we just move along to take care of our own

There's so much suffering just outside our door

A cry so deafening

We just can't ignore

To all the people who are fighting for the broken

All the people who keep holding on to love

All the people who are reaching for the lonely

Keep changing the world

Take a look around

Before the sun goes out

What's lost can still be found

It's not too late now

It only takes one spark to make the fire burn

So reach inside your heart and let this be the start

To all the people who are fighting for the broken

All the people who keep holding on to love

All the people who are reaching for the lonely
Keep changing the world

I know you see the suffering

How they going to recover when people just look over like they don't even notice them

Everyone whose focusing on ending all this hopelessness

You can change the world by changing who the world is hoping in

I see the sun coming up

It's a brighter day

Let's show the world that love is a better way

So lend a hand join the fight

'Cause time is ticking away

Keep changing the world

I see you changing the world

Step up!

To all the people who are fighting for the broken

All the people who keep holding on to love

All the people who are reaching for the lonely

Keep changing the world

The change starts with you? Are you ready?

Pounding. Pressure. Sweet Escape?

Pound. Pound. Pound. Do you hear that? Can you feel that?
I do. Everyday. This earth- it's like a battle field. No place is safe except for the welcoming place of the arms of God.

Judgements, and lies. The world feeds off them. They're everywhere.  I hear them, I assume them, I believe them, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Even the simplest lies are destructive, and I suppose in every way that's the point. It's Satan's purpose to shrink us in anyway that's possible, and to make us numb to our very own Heavenly Father.

I encourage you to take a look at what you surround yourself with.
Music. Tv. Books. Advertising. Media.

Just standing in line at the stores I notice so many magazines with covers that advertise how to loose weight, or what movie star is in love with another. To me it's so frustrating to see, but to authors it's their selling point. They're filled with lies. Yet they capture us! I learned recently in a Bible study that models have almost unrealistic diets. It also said that the average model weighs 23% less then the average women on the streets, and that this has led to two-thirds of underweight twelve-year-old girls to consider themselves "fat". To me that is so unreal. There's no purpose to it. It's a lie that Satan feeds to us- that we can never fit to the standard of this world.

Truth:
We are perfect and like in God's image.

To me that sounds great, but yet that doesn't even seem to have near of an impact as the earth does on pressuring us to dress a certain way, be a certain weight, to drink, to just go with the flow.

My question to you is-why?  Why buy the lies? Why let go of the Truth?

We hear the lies, but how can we recognize the lies if we can't first know and recognize the Truth?

Keep your ears open to our Heavenly Father. Talk. Listen.

Read your Bible. The book of TRUTH. It's filled with everything. The more engulfed I am with mine I realized the more I can recognize God working in my life, and the more I can differentiate the lies from the Truth.